After Transmigrating as a Scum Alpha, a Cold Omega Stole My Heart - Chapter 18

While the explosion of the one individual was somewhat expected, for the two main parties involved, they had seemingly forgotten the group’s existence entirely.

Cheng Lingxue enjoyed her sundae in small bites, not sparing a single glance for the fuming red-haired man. She simply didn’t take him seriously; now that Xie Shuyun was here, there was no need for her to act.

Xie Shuyun, on the other hand, was genuinely a bit dazed. When she saw someone bothering Cheng Lingxue, she had rushed over without thinking. Since her hands were full, she had simply kicked out. She had used her full strength, but how was this guy still hopping around shouting?

She looked in the direction the red-haired man was pointing. Ah, she had misunderstood. The person she had kicked was still lying on the ground, unable to crawl up. His companions couldn’t even help him; he let out a wail at the slightest movement… which showed just how much force Xie Shuyun had put into that kick.

“What do you want?”

The red-haired man’s gaze swept over the two girls’ school uniforms several times before he bluntly held out his palm:

“One hundred thousand for medical expenses, plus mental distress fees and so on. Give me five hundred thousand and I’ll leave. Otherwise, I’m calling the police. This is malicious assault, and the cameras recorded it crystal clear.” As he spoke, he pointed to several cameras at the corner, crossing his arms and lifting his chin.

After a few seconds of silence, Xie Shuyun realized the man had no intention of changing his demand. She couldn’t help but feel speechless.

“…Are you stupid or am I? You clearly started the trouble, so this counts as self-defense. And five hundred thousand? Why don’t you just go rob a bank?”

“What trouble? Do you have evidence? We didn’t even touch her, how is that looking for trouble? Don’t go slandering people at such a young age.”

The red-haired man let out a cold laugh and spread his hands shamelessly. He knew the cameras in this area very well; several were broken, and the one facing this spot happened to be one of them. These two girls definitely wouldn’t know that, so he used it to intimidate them.

“How about we just call the police then?”

Xie Shuyun’s words caught the red-haired man off guard. He hadn’t expected her to call his bluff. He acted arrogant on the surface, but he was worried—these were kids from rich families, and they likely had connections. If the police actually showed up, it would be bad for him.

The thought flashed by, and the red-haired man immediately put on an “I’m letting you off easy” expression. He curled his lip and said:

“Do we really need to involve the police for something like this? You aren’t kids; do you have to go running to your mom for everything? Fine, flat price: one hundred and fifty thousand. Give me the money and I’ll take my men and leave immediately…”

Before he could finish, he saw Xie Shuyun lean into Cheng Lingxue’s ear. Like a little servant pleading with a queen, she rubbed her hands sheepishly and whispered:

“Lingxue, this might be a bit abrupt, but if the police come later, could you show them your neck protector? The recording function on that thing should center on you and capture everything within a ten-meter radius. It’ll make perfect evidence.”

Her thin lips still holding the spoon, Cheng Lingxue finally moved her gaze away from the sundae. Like a proud cat whose fur had been smoothed, she deigned to turn her attention to the person beside her who was wearing a fawning expression. She gave a slight nod.

“…Mhm…”

Their dialogue, conducted as if no one else were there, left the red-haired man stunned. There’s a function like that? How did he not know? Or was she bluffing just like him?

But seeing Xie Shuyun actually reach for her phone, he didn’t dare stay any longer. He might be a local thug, but he didn’t dare go head-to-head with the police—especially since they were always looking for a chance to clean up people like him. He glanced at his companions and gave the girls a dark look:

“Consider yourselves lucky. Let’s go!”

“Boss, what about Da Hei?”

“Find a cart and wheel him back to the usual place.”

Watching them retreat like a receding tide—with someone actually pushing a cart from god-knows-where to wheel the green-haired guy away—it was Xie Shuyun’s turn to be stunned. She stood there holding her phone, not knowing whether to put it away or not, and could only mutter to herself.

“Why are they all leaving? Didn’t they want money?”

Clink… The spoon made a soft sound against the glass, instantly causing Xie Shuyun to throw those people to the back of her mind. She turned to Cheng Lingxue.

“Lingxue, you’re finished! Here, I have tissues. Wipe the condensation off your hands and give me the glass.” Xie Shuyun pulled a tissue from her bag for Cheng Lingxue, then ran back to the shop with the glass to ask them to recycle it.

When Xie Shuyun returned and saw Cheng Lingxue standing there waiting for her, she paused. Her lips curved up slightly, and a smile bloomed on her face.

“You have a bit of ice cream on the corner of your mouth.” As she spoke, under Cheng Lingxue’s somewhat embarrassed gaze, she pulled out another tissue and gently wiped the corner of the girl’s thin lips.

Her fingertip inadvertently touched those sexy lips. They were even softer than the palm she had touched earlier. Although she didn’t use much pressure, her fingertip sank slightly into the lip—it felt like a marshmallow, delicate and springy. She almost didn’t want to let go.

Shifting her gaze slightly, she thought she could see the soft, pink flesh between the small gap of her lips.

While Xie Shuyun was still lingering on the sensation, she felt the person in front of her lean back. She immediately looked up and met Cheng Lingxue’s eyes.

The embarrassed look had turned into a flicker of indignation. Her dark pupils grew deeper, like a black hole that could suck a person in and crush them. Simultaneously, the temperature around them seemed to drop.

Xie Shuyun shivered, finally realizing the impropriety of her actions. This… this is basically sexual harassment! She really wanted to slap herself. Why did her hand have to be so restless?

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I… I didn’t do it on purpose. Here… you… you wipe it yourself!” Xie Shuyun frantically stuffed the tissue into Cheng Lingxue’s hand and spun around. She didn’t dare turn back immediately, instead cupping her own heating cheeks. Ugh… so embarrassing!

Despite her inner chagrin, she couldn’t help but lift her right hand and look at the pad of her index finger. It felt as though the soft sensation and the girl’s subtle fragrance still lingered there. She rubbed it gently with her thumb, as if reminiscing, yet also trying to shake off the feeling that was tugging at her heartstrings.

Behind her, Cheng Lingxue smoothed out her furrowed brow and let out a long breath to calm her racing heart. Her eyes lowered.

Xie Shuyun’s action just now reminded her of some unpleasant experiences. She remembered how this person used to love touching her lips—like teasing a pet, rubbing and pulling at them with her fingertips. It had been both disgusting and uncomfortable.

Back then, she could only accept it with loathing. But unlike her memories, Xie Shuyun’s gesture this time was very gentle; anyone could easily feel the underlying tenderness.

Cheng Lingxue took a deep breath, telling herself that this person was already different and shouldn’t be compared to the image in her memory. Only then did the dull ache in her heart ease slightly.

Her gaze landed on a certain someone’s ears peeking through her hair; they had actually turned a shade of crimson. This surprised her—this person actually got shy over something like that…

Still, she was only wiping her mouth; did she really need to turn her back? It wasn’t like she was changing clothes.

While Cheng Lingxue was stroking her chin and observing silently, Xie Shuyun’s muffled voice came through:

“Um, are you finished?”

Hearing that tone, a rare bit of mischief surfaced in Cheng Lingxue’s heart. Crossing her arms, she arched an eyebrow and asked:

“Finished with what?”

“…Ah?” Xie Shuyun, her back still turned, blinked and scratched her head. She cautiously stole a glance over her shoulder. Seeing that Cheng Lingxue wasn’t angry anymore, she quickly turned around, waving her hands.

“Nothing! Let’s go quickly, it’s late. Qin Yu will be worried.”

Cheng Lingxue didn’t make things too difficult for her. The two girls continued walking slowly side-by-side along the road.

As the crowd of commuters and students grew thicker, it became harder to maintain their distance. They had to dodge others constantly, and their arms bumped into each other from time to time. Xie Shuyun’s head dipped lower and lower. She kept observing the girl beside her out of the corner of her eye, hoping to dodge before the other became unhappy.

To her surprise, the girl beside her didn’t get angry. Instead, she stopped in front of a glass window, staring blankly at what was inside.

Looking closer, Xie Shuyun saw it was a small pet shop. The glass wall glowed with a warm, amber light, which, combined with the cozy interior, made one feel at ease.

Against the glass were several cages housing various well-cared-for puppies and kittens. Some were buried in their bowls drinking or eating, while others were gnawing on toys—their self-entertaining behavior was incredibly cute.

Looking through the gaps, there were many other small animals inside. Some of the older cats and dogs were available for petting, attracting many customers with children.

Watching Cheng Lingxue’s profile, Xie Shuyun thought she could see a trace of longing behind the girl’s calm expression. Although she didn’t know exactly what the girl was looking at, she pulled out her phone. She checked the time, quickly tapped out a message, and sent it. Then, she stepped closer to Cheng Lingxue and asked softly:

“Want to go in and take a look? We have time, there’s no rush.”

Cheng Lingxue turned her head. The amber light from the shop cast a soft glow into her dark pupils. When she met Xie Shuyun’s eyes, she seemed slightly dazed. Various emotions flashed through her eyes so quickly that Xie Shuyun couldn’t catch them or fathom her thoughts.

The only thing Xie Shuyun could capture was a fleeting glisten and a sense of loneliness. Before she could confirm it, Cheng Lingxue turned back to the window, lowering her head slightly as if in thought. Finally, she nodded.

“Let’s go in and look.”

The girl’s voice was tinged with a slight raspiness. Xie Shuyun was tactful enough not to pry. Just then, a gust of wind blew by, getting into Xie Shuyun’s eyes.

The figure of the girl leading the way became blurred, and the faint loneliness clinging to her seemed to drift and spread with the wind, becoming even more pronounced.

Why is she so sad? So lonely?

The doubt in her heart made Xie Shuyun instinctively reach out her hand, wanting to catch the girl who was walking ahead…