After Dating the President O, I Turned Into a Puppy-Like Lover - Chapter 12

The hospital was packed over the weekend.

Dan Sirou never expected that the message she received from Xia Lin half a year later, asking to meet would be for a trip to the hospital.

And not just any department, but obstetrics.

Xia Lin had known her for years. They were the same age but attended different schools. An art student, Xia Lin had gone off for summer training and somehow ended up pregnant. With no choice, she’d decided to keep it from her family and asked Dan Sirou to accompany her to the hospital for an abortion.

When Dan Sirou received the call, her mind went blank for a moment.

Because of her position, she’d heard of and even encountered cases like this before. But she never imagined that one day, the person involved would be her own friend.

After the procedure, Xia Lin’s face was deathly pale.

She admitted she felt unwell and wanted to rest somewhere, but didn’t want to stay in the hospital. So, the two of them found a café nearby for afternoon tea.

Xia Lin couldn’t eat yet after the surgery. A cup of plain water sat in front of her as she stared longingly at Dan Sirou’s juice.

Dan Sirou stirred her straw, her gaze drifting instead to Xia Lin’s glass of water, as if lost in thought.

Neither of them spoke.

Xia Lin felt increasingly uncomfortable under Dan Sirou’s quiet gaze and finally broke the silence.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Only then did Dan Sirou truly focus on her. “?”

“I was careful. We both were,” Xia Lin said defensively. “Who would’ve thought even a one-in-ten-thousand chance would hit me? Seriously, I should go buy a lottery ticket.”

She clenched her teeth and swallowed a mouthful of water, growing more agitated the more she thought about it.

Dan Sirou took a napkin and wiped the condensation ring off the table. Her lashes lowered, casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes.

She didn’t respond directly, instead changing the subject.

“Why didn’t he come with you?”

“I didn’t let him,” Xia Lin said dismissively. “There’s a friend of my dad’s at this hospital. I didn’t want to risk being seen. The fewer people who know, the better. I already feel guilty enough. Besides.”

She hesitated. “I was afraid that if I came with him, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.”

Dan Sirou: “……”

She stared at her friend, who now felt both familiar and unfamiliar, utterly baffled. Xia Lin’s face practically screamed unsatisfied.

“How did you turn into this? Do you really love him that much? That impatient?”

Xia Lin snorted with a smile. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Anyway,” she continued, “I’ve accepted it. Dan Sirou, I’ve always been worse than you at everything. Whenever we’re in the same frame, you’re always the first person people notice.”

Here we go again.

Dan Sirou felt a headache coming on. “You’re really overthinking this. Want me to walk you to a psychiatrist? We’re close by.”

“Don’t interrupt me!” Xia Lin snapped.

Dan Sirou laughed helplessly and let her continue.

This was how every meeting with Xia Lin went.

First came a long round of emotional lamenting, only then could they get to the point.

For example, if the same person gave them both gifts, even identical ones, Xia Lin could always read into a few lines of conversation and conclude she’d been treated differently, that the giver was biased, or that the judges were unfair.

Before they became friends, Xia Lin had actually seen Dan Sirou as a rival. It was only after repeated clashes that they reconciled.

Back then, when Xia Lin came to make peace, she’d sincerely said the same thing, how she wasn’t as good as Dan Sirou. Dan Sirou had earnestly comforted her for a long time. After the second time. The third time.

Eventually, Dan Sirou realized that whatever was going on in Xia Lin’s head couldn’t be fixed by logic. After that, she simply let her say whatever she wanted.

“Do you know why I got together with Yang Can?” Xia Lin asked solemnly.

Dan Sirou shook her head.

“Because of you,” Xia Lin said after taking a sip of water. “To avoid being in the same place as you, I deliberately went to another school. At my school, I was super popular, tons of people liked me. Whenever someone confessed, I’d pull out your photo and ask them who they thought was prettier.”

Dan Sirou: “……”

“Of course they’d say me,” Xia Lin continued, still dissatisfied. “But those lousy alphas—while saying I was prettier, their eyes would light up staring at your photo.”

Dan Sirou: “……”

“Only Yang Can,” Xia Lin said, her eyes glowing, “made me feel like I was the only one in his eyes from beginning to end.”

Dan Sirou replied sincerely, “That might be because you noticed him first—not because you were trying to prove anything. Was it really his answer that moved you, or were you already drawn to him beforehand?”

Xia Lin was left speechless.

Old memories flashed through her mind. She looked as though she found the argument reasonable—but was unwilling to admit it.

“I’m done talking about myself,” she said abruptly. “What about you? How have you been lately?”

The moment it came to Dan Sirou’s gossip, her eyes narrowed with interest.

“Your school’s got some pretty high-quality alphas too, right? I even know a few names. How about it?”

This time, it was Dan Sirou who felt awkward.

She held her juice, expression composed.

Jiang He’s face surfaced in her mind.

Cool, damp lips pressed against her gland—the electric sensation. No matter how hard she tried to forget it, it always resurfaced late at night.

“I.”

Her voice lacked conviction. “I haven’t really been paying attention.”

“What? Not a single one caught your eye? That picky?” Xia Lin teased.

“It’s not about that,” Dan Sirou said calmly, emphasizing her words. “I won’t date at this stage. You know my family situation.”

“That doesn’t conflict.”

“It does.”

Dan Sirou: “….”

Seeing how firm she was, Xia Lin absentmindedly drank some water, secretly plotting something.

The sky gradually darkened. Xia Lin regained some color—at least she no longer looked like someone who’d just come out of surgery.

A dim streak of sunset gilded the bustling street in gold, streetlights flickering on one by one.

Feeling sorry for her as a patient, Dan Sirou escorted Xia Lin all the way to the entrance of her apartment complex.

“I won’t go in,” Dan Sirou said once night fully fell. “There’s still a lot waiting for me at home. Say hi to Auntie for me.”

Xia Lin smiled. “Once I recover, I’ll come find you.”

“With your boyfriend?” Dan Sirou joked.

“Absolutely not!” Xia Lin said, instantly alert. “Please, Dan Sirou, your national-treasure-level omega status makes every alpha drool. Who would dare bring an alpha around you unless—”

“Unless what?” Dan Sirou blinked.

“Unless you bring your own partner. I’d feel safer that way,” Xia Lin said.

Dan Sirou shot her a look that clearly said this conversation is over.

Xia Lin’s expression suddenly darkened. She asked quietly, out of place,

“Has Zhou Tingchen contacted you?”

She’d hesitated all afternoon, but finally decided to say it.

Dan Sirou shook her head in confusion.

Zhou Tingchen had been a childhood friend. Xia Lin had only met him through her.

After Zhou Tingchen transferred to the capital three years ago, they gradually lost contact. He hadn’t returned to East City since. Dan Sirou had barely heard his name these past two years, so hearing it now felt oddly distant.

“He called me a couple of days ago,” Xia Lin said. “Mostly to ask about you.”

“What did you tell him?” Dan Sirou asked.

“He offered to take me to Mei Mei’s concert,” Xia Lin replied. “So, I told him everything. Honestly.”

She laughed softly. “After all these years, he’s gotten surprisingly emotional. You went through all that without crying—but I swear that alpha was this close to tears.”

Xia Lin’s words painted an image in Dan Sirou’s mind without her realizing it.

“I think,” Xia Lin said with a smile, “he’s going to come find you sooner or later.”