After Being Mistaken for a Heartless Alpha by My Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 1

Late autumn. A grand fashion show had just come to a close in Haizhou City.

At the cocktail party following the dinner, people gathered in small groups of twos and threes to network or catch up with old friends. The melody of a violin drifted through the room, mingling with the low hum of conversation and the crisp clinking of glasses.

Yue Ximing sat alone in a quiet corner, unhurriedly flipping through a fashion magazine, occasionally taking a sip of lemon water from her glass.

Unfortunately, before she could finish the page, a shadow suddenly fell across her view.

“Why are you sitting here all by yourself?” Along with a steady female voice, the glass in Yue Ximing’s hand was easily pulled away.

Instead of getting upset, a soft smile played on Yue Ximing’s lips as she looked up at the woman standing in front of her. The woman had a sharp, ear-length bob and a capable, professional aura.

Yue Ximing nodded in greeting. “Sister Xuyu.”

Xuyu couldn’t help but take half a step back, looking Yue Ximing up and down.

She was wearing a cream-white evening gown with her long hair elegantly pinned up. The off-the-shoulder design perfectly outlined the graceful curve of her collarbones, and the tailoring around her waist was just right. As the light softly fell on her, it softened her features entirely, making her look incredibly gentle, like the reflection of the moon on a calm lake, beautiful yet just out of reach.

Xuyu marveled silently to herself. This appearance was far too deceptive. No wonder so many people had been asking about Yue Ximing earlier.

Placing the glass back on the table, Xuyu naturally took a seat right next to her. “Aren’t you going to go chat with your peers?”

Yue Ximing shook her head gently. “I can’t drink. I don’t want to ruin the mood.”

She was allergic to alcohol; even a single drop was out of the question.

Hearing this excuse, Xuyu opened her mouth to say something but ultimately just sighed and teased, “That is a terrible excuse.”

Who actually came to these events just to drink?

Yue Ximing merely smiled and didn’t reply.

Seeing this, Xuyu nudged her playfully. “Hey, big designer, I heard you stole the spotlight at the Rising Stars Show last month. You’ve already received offers from several major luxury brands.”

She mimicked holding a microphone with a deadpan expression, though she could barely hide her burning curiosity.

“What on earth made you give up such a bright future abroad to come back and struggle here?”

Yue Ximing played along, explaining calmly, “Those opportunities weren’t necessarily the right fit for me. I came back because I want to open my own studio, and also…”

She paused for a moment, debating whether to say more. But before she could find the right words, her train of thought was broken by a conversation nearby.

“Hey, do you know Qiao Yang?”

The name immediately caught Yue Ximing’s attention. She turned her head slightly, her gaze shifting toward two male Alphas standing nearby.

One of them sneered dismissively, “Qiao Yang? I met her once by chance. She barely talks and completely ignores people. Total bore.”

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone to show his companion. “Honestly, only her face is worth looking at.”

On the screen was a photo. Because it was a sneaky shot, it was slightly blurry, but it was still striking enough to catch anyone’s eye. The girl in the photo seemed to be sketching, frowning as she looked toward the camera after being disturbed.

She had a vivid, striking, yet adorable face. Her downturned eyes were slightly flushed at the corners, filled with a wary alertness that made her look like an annoyed Ragdoll cat.

The man waved his phone around, talking loudly and carelessly, “She’s just acting high and mighty. Who knows what she’s actually like behind closed doors? All those guys chasing after her are just eyeing her family’s money.”

The other man clicked his tongue, his eyes practically glued to the phone. “She really is gorgeous. Now I kind of want to get to know her too. The Qiao family has been growing fast these past few years. She’d make a great marriage alliance.”

“True. Having a trophy wife like that around would be great for status.”

After all, she was the young lady of a famous tech company and a rare Omega. Rumor had it that her admirers could form a line around the entire venue.

The two men were so engrossed in their conversation, staring at the screen with sleazy eyes and gossiping loudly, that they paid no attention to their surroundings. They drifted right toward Yue Ximing’s corner.

Xuyu frowned deeply, her disgust written all over her face. “How rude. Whose idiots let them out of the house?”

Gossip like that in a place like this could easily be overheard by the wrong person and used against them. By then, it would be too late for regrets.

After muttering her complaint, Xuyu glanced sideways at Yue Ximing.

The latter had already closed her magazine. The polite, gentle smile remained on her face, but it was impossible to tell whether it was a genuine smile or pure mockery.

Xuyu instinctively leaned back against her chair, wanting to distance herself from the brewing storm.

Seeing the two men drawing closer, Yue Ximing lowered her gaze and tilted her black briefcase onto the floor.

It was actually a small toolkit containing needles, threads, various accessories, and design notebooks. To make quick alterations on the fly, Yue Ximing carried it with her to every fashion show. Tonight was no exception; she had taken several thick magazines and manuscript designs from the organizers, so the case was quite heavy.

Xuyu wanted to warn Yue Ximing that hitting people was illegal, but she could only watch as Yue Ximing gave the box a light kick, and then another, showing absolutely no concern for her expensive high heels.

The briefcase slid silently across the carpet, coming to a halt directly in the path of the two Alphas.

With everything set, Yue Ximing took a sip of her lemon water, calmly waiting for her childish prank to work, completely ignoring Xuyu’s bewildered expression.

As the saying goes, karma comes quickly to those who talk behind people’s backs.

The first man, fully absorbed in his own voice, strode forward confidently. Mid-sentence, his foot caught on something, and he instantly lost his balance, pitching forward toward the floor.

He instinctively reached out to grab his companion. The second man, who was still lost in his sleazy fantasies, was dragged down with him.

“Whoa!” The two crashed into a heap. One of them hit the floor face-first with a dull, painful thud.

Their wine glasses tilted, spilling red wine all over their clothes. The phone slipped from the man’s grip and slid right across the floor, stopping precisely in front of Yue Ximing.

The screen was still lit. Yue Ximing looked down and saw the stolen photo.

The Qiao Yang in the picture looked exactly as she remembered, as if she were staring right back at her through the glass.

The corners of Yue Ximing’s lips curved into a wider smile. She picked up the phone, stood up gracefully, and retrieved her briefcase.

Then, looking down at the fallen men, she asked, “Are you two alright?”

Her tone sounded deeply concerned, but it carried absolutely no hint of an apology.

The two men helped each other up, their white shirts now stained with red wine. Grimacing in pain, they had completely lost their composure, looking thoroughly pathetic.

The commotion had drawn a lot of attention, and hushed whispers began to ripple through the crowd. In a room full of industry elites, an embarrassing scene like this would be mocked by their rivals for days!

The first man wiped his face, glaring at Yue Ximing as he reached out to snatch his phone back.

But his hand froze mid-air.

Only then did he realize that the person in front of him was also an Alpha—an Alpha who looked completely harmless. If it weren’t for the faint, subtle scent of white tea in the air, he might not have noticed it at all.

The man quickly swallowed the curses rising in his throat, his face turning dark with frustration.

Yue Ximing let out a soft laugh, handing the phone forward. “What a coincidence. Do you two know Qiao Yang as well?”

At this point, even the biggest fool would understand the underlying threat.

The two men exchanged a look, their confidence completely deflating. Who knew what her relationship with Qiao Yang was? What if she was someone they couldn’t afford to offend?

With dozens of eyes staring at them, they didn’t want to stay for another second. They bowed and apologized repeatedly.

“No, no, we don’t. We were just talking nonsense.”

“Sorry, our bad!”

Then they turned and fled, nearly forgetting to take the phone in their haste.

Yue Ximing sat back down calmly. The onlookers shifted their attention away, and the brief gossip was soon swallowed by the smooth melody of the violin.

Having watched the whole thing unfold, Xuyu knew exactly what Yue Ximing had done. She wasn’t surprised. After all, Yue Ximing and Qiao Yang had grown up together. At one point, Xuyu had assumed they would end up married.

But now, she wasn’t so sure about their current status.

Thinking of this, Xuyu asked tentatively, “You and Qiao Yang…”

“We haven’t been in touch for a long time,” Yue Ximing turned her head, smiling. “She probably wouldn’t even recognize me anymore.”

Her eyes were dark and unreadable, yet she was smiling so pleasantly that it gave Xuyu goosebumps. “Don’t say things like that with that expression. It’s a little terrifying.”

Yue Ximing blinked. “I still want to meet her. I wonder how she’s been these past few years.”

The outside world didn’t know that Qiao Yang had cut ties with her family a long time ago. She had moved, deleted her social media accounts, and hadn’t given anyone her new phone number, including Yue Ximing. The two who had grown up together simply lost touch.

Aside from the anonymous birthday gifts Yue Ximing received on time every year, she could only catch snippets of rumors from mutual friends back home.

They said Qiao Yang had taken the stray cat they had adopted together, that she rarely went out, and that she spent all her time painting in her rented apartment. They also said she had become a famous comic artist, and even though she hadn’t returned to the Qiao family, many Alphas were trying to dig into her private life.

This year, Yue Ximing had finished her studies early. She hadn’t even attended her graduation ceremony before boarding a flight back home right before her own birthday. No matter what, she had to see Qiao Yang and find out what had happened all those years ago.

The atmosphere grew quiet until a sharp ringtone broke the silence. Yue Ximing looked down at her phone and saw an unfamiliar number starting with zero.

She answered calmly, and a gentle female voice spoke into her ear.

“Hello, are you a family member of Miss Qiao? She’s been in an accident and is currently in the neurology department at the First People’s Hospital. Could you please come over?”

Yue Ximing asked instinctively, “Qiao Yang?”

“Yes, that’s the patient’s name.”

The background was noisy, filled with the distinct sound of hospital emergency alarms that made one’s heart tighten.

The smile on Yue Ximing’s face vanished instantly. She never expected that the next time she heard about Qiao Yang, it would be under these circumstances.

Standing up quickly, she confirmed, “The First People’s Hospital, right? I’ll be right there.”

As soon as she hung up, Xuyu waved her off understandingly. “Go ahead, I’ll explain things to the organizers for you. It’s cold outside, remember to grab a coat.”

Yue Ximing didn’t waste any words. She gave a quick nod, grabbed her briefcase, and disappeared into the crowd.

Golden ginkgo leaves blanketed the sidewalks, and the biting wind turned breath into mist.

People at the hospital were wrapped in thick winter coats, so Yue Ximing’s flowing evening gown naturally drew a lot of stares. She had only thrown a trench coat over her shoulders. After thanking a nurse who gave her directions, she hurried through the hallway and checked the room numbers carefully.

Because she had rushed all the way there, her heart was still pounding. She pushed the door open without hesitation, only to be caught completely off guard by a pair of familiar eyes.

A slender girl was sitting on the hospital bed near the window. Her head was wrapped in bandages, making her pale face look even more delicate. The girl turned her head, silently locking eyes with the newcomer. The setting sun cast a golden glow around her silhouette, looking exceptionally bright in Yue Ximing’s eyes.

Reunited after so long, Yue Ximing suddenly found herself at a loss for words, standing frozen by the door.

In contrast, Qiao Yang looked completely expressionless. Her voice was raspy as she spoke, “You finally decided to show up. It really isn’t easy to get a glimpse of you.”

Yue Ximing froze, not quite understanding.

Taking advantage of her daze, Qiao Yang’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears. With a sob in her voice, she continued, “It’s bad enough that you don’t want me anymore, but are you really going to abandon your own daughter too?!”

Yue Ximing: ?

Where on earth did she get a daughter from?

The other patients and visitors in the room immediately shot judgmental looks at Yue Ximing.

Yue Ximing stood there as the cold wind from the window blew past, making her hands and feet feel completely numb.

Three days ago, she had rushed back to the country and immediately sought out their mutual friends.

One day ago, she had finally gotten Qiao Yang’s mother’s contact details and even set up a time to meet.

Two hours ago, she had taught some gossiping fools a lesson on Qiao Yang’s behalf, and after receiving a phone call, she had rushed to the hospital without even changing her clothes.

And just now, she had finally found her childhood friend, only to be accused of being a heartless Alpha who abandoned her wife and child.

Looking at her tearful childhood friend, a brilliant, incredibly gentle smile broke across Yue Ximing’s face. She almost couldn’t stop herself from laughing out loud.

She stared straight at Qiao Yang, her eyes unwavering. “What did you just say? Care to repeat that?”

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