After Transmigrating as a Scum Alpha, a Cold Omega Stole My Heart - Chapter 14

“Hey, Alpha! Your girlfriend is over here!”

This shout caused everyone nearby to look over. It also made Xie Shuyun’s hand shake so hard she nearly dropped her drinks. She watched as the Omega girl waved incessantly in her direction.

Girlfriend..? She instinctively looked left and right but saw no other suitable candidates. Finally, she shivered. She couldn’t possibly be talking about me…

Just as the thought flashed through her mind, the Omega girl put her hands on her hips. Xie Shuyun watched as she pointed a finger directly at her.

“I mean you! Why are you looking everywhere else? Xiao Xue has been waiting for you for so long. You’re too slow!”

She really was talking about her. Xie Shuyun immediately felt the searing heat of the surrounding gazes. She subconsciously ducked her head, her face turning bitter. This girl’s brief sentence had successfully drawn maximum aggro toward her. Countless “eye-daggers” flew her way; if looks could kill, she would have died several times over.

She had no choice but to hurry forward, hesitantly holding out the drink to Cheng Lingxue.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. This is…” Xie Shuyun paused, finding the actual name of the drink a bit too embarrassing to say, so she settled for a description: “…the Sakura-Berry Fruit Milk, a festival-limited edition from this shop. Give it a try.”

Staring at the drink cup shaped like a pink heart, Cheng Lingxue had the same initial reaction as Xie Shuyun: silence. After a moment, she slowly reached out to take it. Although her movements were decisive, Xie Shuyun caught a flash of displeasure in her eyes.

At this moment, Xiao Muran looked on with envy. Seeing the drinks in their hands, she pulled a voucher from her pocket.

“I heard this shop is amazing. I originally planned to come try it with my boyfriend, but…” Her small face suddenly turned gloomy. Her fingers tightened, crushing the ticket in her hand.

Seeing that her boyfriend wasn’t around, Xie Shuyun could easily guess what had happened. She looked at the drink in her hand and offered it to Xiao Muran.

“Since you really want to try it, you can have this cup.” She added, “They only gave these to the first hundred customers today, and I was exactly the last one. If you go to line up now, they’ll be gone.”

“Huh? Then this ticket is useless.” Xiao Muran looked at Xie Shuyun, then at Cheng Lingxue. To their surprise, she tore the ticket to shreds, tossed it into a nearby bin, and shrugged.

“You should keep the drink and have it yourself. This is a ‘Couples’ edition; why would a ‘single dog’ like me drink it?”

“We aren’t—” Xie Shuyun tried to explain that she and Cheng Lingxue weren’t in that kind of relationship, but Xiao Muran had already raised her phone to check the time.

“It’s late, I have to go. You two enjoy your date! Bye, Xiao Xue!”

Watching Xiao Muran disappear into the crowd, Xie Shuyun could only turn to Cheng Lingxue and say dryly:

“She’s certainly a whirlwind, but she seems like a nice person.”

Unfortunately, Cheng Lingxue still didn’t answer. She gave her a faint glance, lowered her head slightly, parted her thin lips, took the straw in her mouth, and took a small sip.

The first taste was the slight tartness of fruit, but it quickly turned into a sweet fruit fragrance mixed with a rich, non-cloying milkiness. The two flavors intertwined, creating a mellow and refreshing texture that dissipated the irritation in her heart.

Not only that, the soft, chewy jellies at the bottom had different fruit flavors depending on their color. The overall combination was excellent, making her mouth water and leaving her wanting more.

Cheng Lingxue lowered her eyes; drinking this truly made her feel better. However… out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xie Shuyun, whose eyes lit up as she tasted her own drink. That brilliant smile was not only eye-catching… it was piercing.

“By the way, what was that Omega’s name? Did you know her before?” Xie Shuyun licked her lips and asked curiously. To be able to strike up a friendship with Cheng Lingxue, that girl must be someone special!

She had no idea that this single question caused Cheng Lingxue’s gaze to instantly become dazed. Her consciousness felt like it had fallen into a sea of memories. A needle-like heartache followed, eroding even her bones and causing her body to ache.

How could she have forgotten? In the original timeline, she should have been imprisoned in the Xie household by now, becoming Xie Shuyun’s “canary,” locked in a room where even her ability to go to school depended on the other’s mood.

This person always gave her a taste of sweetness before dragging her into a deeper hell. Even though she knew the other’s usual tricks, she couldn’t help but feel a sliver of hope every time, only to fall even harder until she was nearly shattered.

Now there was a slight change, allowing her to meet her future best friend earlier, but she had overlooked the fact that Xie Shuyun’s interest in Xiao Muran… seemed unchanged. Thinking of the girl who had been battered and bruised for her sake in the conflict between her and Xie Shuyun, Cheng Lingxue’s fingertips turned white against the cup.

This time, Cheng Lingxue would absolutely not allow her to be hurt. Lately… she had been too lax!

Xie Shuyun looked at her, not understanding why a simple question had made Cheng Lingxue’s breathing become so unstable. Had she said something wrong?

Closing her eyes and opening them again, Cheng Lingxue’s emotions were hidden once more. She stood up slowly.

“Let’s go back.”

“Eh? But the Western restaurant voucher hasn’t been used yet, and lunch—” Xie Shuyun was shocked by the sudden departure. Before she could finish, Cheng Lingxue was already walking toward the exit, leaving behind three cold words:

“Not in the mood.”

Xie Shuyun stared at the retreating back. Her words were stuck in her throat. She felt that the ice, which had finally shown a tiny crack, had frozen over again in just a few minutes, becoming even harder and more indestructible.

This outcome was unexpected, and she didn’t know what to do. She could only smile bitterly, call the driver to pick them up, and follow slowly behind Cheng Lingxue with her head down.

She took the straw in her mouth and sucked loudly. The sweet and sour drink now tasted only of bitterness. Mechanically chewing the jelly, Xie Shuyun felt that today’s date was purely exhausting. How was she supposed to fix this drop in favorability?

The car soon reached the Xie estate. The silence persisted. The moment the car stopped, Cheng Lingxue got out and strode inside. Xie Shuyun instinctively looked for her but only caught a glimpse of her skirt disappearing at the top of the stairs.

Dropping herself onto the sofa, Xie Shuyun scratched her head in frustration and let out a long sigh.

At that moment, Qin Yu came into the living room carrying a well-trimmed flower pot. Seeing Xie Shuyun, she asked in surprise:

“Eldest Miss, you’re back? So early.”

Xie Shuyun rubbed her temples. She couldn’t bring herself to blame Qin Yu, since the butler had acted out of goodwill. She coughed lightly before speaking slowly:

“Some things came up, so we came back early.” She shook her nearly empty juice cup and smiled at Qin Yu. “This drink was great; thank you for the effort. However, we didn’t use the Western restaurant voucher. I’ll give it back to you. Take a day off to go on a date with your partner; all expenses will be reimbursed.”

“As long as the Eldest Miss enjoyed it. I’ll thank you in advance for the date, then.” Even the professional Qin Yu couldn’t help but show a flash of joy at the mention of a paid date. She thanked Xie Shuyun with a light smile.

“It’s nothing. By the way, please ask the maids to prepare something for me. I’m a bit hungry.” As soon as she finished, her stomach let out a loud growl that echoed through the living room. Although only Qin Yu was present, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment.

Qin Yu remained expressionless and prepared to head to the kitchen, but Xie Shuyun quickly called out to her.

“Wait…” Meeting Qin Yu’s questioning gaze, Xie Shuyun looked upstairs and finally said: “Prepare a portion for Lingxue as well. She didn’t have lunch either, only a drink. She should have a proper meal. If she doesn’t want to come down, take it up to her. If she’s not hungry, at least give her a bowl of tonic soup. She just had a cold drink; something hot would be better.”

“I understand. Please wait a moment, Eldest Miss. I’ll call you when the meal is ready. I’ll send someone to check on Miss Cheng, so please rest easy.”

Having already washed up, Cheng Lingxue sat on her bed clutching a throw pillow. Her head was lowered, her hair veiling her face. Her fingers curled, lightly kneading the pillow. The phone by her feet vibrated occasionally, but she wasn’t in the mood to check it.

Through the gaps in her hair, her dark eyes stared at the half-finished drink on her desk. Condensation ran down the cup, tracing the hearts before dripping onto the table.

“…Heh…” A raspy, self-mocking laugh escaped her lips. She lifted her head slightly, revealing her eyes, which were filled with deep weariness and sadness.

Knock, knock, knock. The sound made Cheng Lingxue’s hollow gaze snap back to its usual state. She got off the bed, patted her clothes to make sure she looked presentable, and opened the door slightly.

“Butler Qin, is something the matter?”

“The Eldest Miss instructed me to prepare lunch for you. Would you like to come down and eat?” Qin Yu asked.

“…I’m not hungry, don’t bother.” Cheng Lingxue moved to close the door, but Qin Yu produced a small tray from nowhere, carrying a steaming little ceramic pot.

“It’s no trouble, Miss Cheng. The Eldest Miss specifically instructed that even if you aren’t hungry, it’s better to have some hot soup after a cold drink. This is Si Wu Tang (Four Substances Soup) the kitchen stewed for you. Please have some.”

Cheng Lingxue’s mouth parted slightly. She felt as though her life was being meticulously managed. Looking at Qin Yu’s sincere gaze, she pursed her lips and eventually took the tray into her room, placing it on her desk.

She used a small cloth to lift the lid. A thick cloud of steam carrying the herbal fragrance of the soup wafted toward her. Cheng Lingxue took a small sip with a spoon.

A wave of warmth flowed through her limbs, eventually gathering at her heart. Her hand tightened slightly on the spoon, and a tremor appeared in her pupils… something seemed to have gone wrong.