After Dating the President O, I Turned Into a Puppy-Like Lover - Chapter 17

Inside the KTV, the screen lights flickered wildly, and the rhythmic thump-thump of bass pounded straight into the ears.

The air was thick with mixed scents, beer being the strongest among them.

Plans had changed. Jiang He and the others had come to the KTV earlier than expected—Tong-jie’s Omega partner was celebrating her birthday, and they’d decided on the spur of the moment to sing first.

Jiang He had only met Ye Tong a handful of times. Ye Tong had originally attended a vocational school but was forced to drop out due to family circumstances. Her grades hadn’t been great, but she’d built an impressive social network.

Yu Wei was quite close to her and insisted on introducing Jiang He. In a setting like this, Jiang He was naturally brought along.

They booked a large private room. Jiang He sat quietly in a corner, while Zhou Yi who loved this kind of atmosphere chose not to sit with her.

The birthday Omega took a phone call, and not long after, led several other Omegas into the room, both male and female, all friends she hung out with at school.

As soon as they entered, the birthday Omega gestured toward the corner and whispered something to them. Amid the crowd’s teasing cheers, the prettiest Omega among them gathered her courage and walked over to strike up a conversation.

Jiang He’s cheeks were faintly flushed. Despite her high rank, her alcohol tolerance was terrible. After being coaxed into drinking two bottles, her head felt dizzy and her body uncomfortably warm.

She felt the couch beside her sink noticeably as a rich, rose-like scent drifted over. Instinctively, she shifted aside but the space she’d just made immediately sank again.

Jiang He: “?”

Jiang He frowned and shot the Omega beside her a look.

“You’re Jiang He, right? I’m Qingqing’s good friend.” The Omega smiled, eyes bright and alluring.

Jiang He nodded. “Hello.”

She was polite, but her expression made it clear she had little interest in Qingqing’s circle—Qingqing, Qingqing, Qingqing, whoever they were.

She could tell the Omega beside her wasn’t low-ranked—probably around Duan Xinchun’s level.

“Can I add you on WeChat?” the girl asked casually. As she spoke, she’d already pulled out her phone and brought up her QR code.

Jiang He froze for a moment.

Her gaze drifted to the screen and the first thing she noticed was the time.

17:36.

A wave of dizziness hit her. Her thoughts went blank, as if something important had been pushed aside, something she couldn’t immediately recall.

Right! Dan Sirou!

When she’d hung up with Dan Sirou, it had been a little past one in the afternoon. Nearly four hours had passed.

A chill crept up Jiang He’s spine. She hurriedly pulled out her phone and turned it on. The Omega beside her looked surprised, probably confused as to why Jiang He’s phone had been off but seeing how eagerly she powered it on, she seemed quite pleased with her own charm and chatted even more animatedly.

“Honestly, East City’s weather is ridiculous. I spent so long doing my makeup, and then it just poured like crazy. I almost didn’t come out—but.” She paused smugly. “Good thing I did.”

She shot Jiang He a shy, suggestive look, leaving the rest to interpretation.

Jiang He anxiously waited for her phone to boot. Hearing the girl’s words, she turned her head.

“It’s raining really hard?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

As the girl kept talking, panic flickered in Jiang He’s eyes. She suddenly noticed the dripping wet umbrellas by the door, how had she not seen them earlier?

She stood up without another word and hurriedly tossed out, “Sorry, I need to step out for a bit.”

The girl barely had time to react before Jiang He was already at the door.

“Jiang He, where are you going? It’s pouring outside—hey!”

Jiang He grabbed a random umbrella and rushed out. By then, her phone had finished booting up, and several notifications popped onto the screen.

moonlight

13:56

I’m here. Have you set off yet?

15:08

Where are you?

15:58

Missed call from Dan Sirou

Oh no.

Jiang He’s scalp went numb, cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.

At the entrance of the lobby, sheets of rain splashed so violently that the floor inside was soaked for over a meter. The rain was so heavy she could barely see pedestrians; even cars were few and far between.

By October, the rain had begun to carry a biting chill.

Fengqiao Road was just over a kilometer away. Jiang He called a ride through an app and asked the driver to circle the area once. They didn’t spot a single person.

The stone weighing on her chest finally loosened a little. She figured Dan Sirou must have already gone home. The call had been around four, this rain hadn’t been falling for even half an hour.

Thinking this way made her feel slightly calmer.

That evening, though, the matter still lingered in Jiang He’s mind.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally decided to call.

The busy tone rang again and again, no one answered.

Before the automated “The number you have dialed is unavailable” could play, Jiang He hung up first.

She chickened out.

She didn’t know how to face Dan Sirou.

If the call went unanswered, she’d worry whether Dan Sirou had gotten home safely.

If it connected, she feared Dan Sirou’s reaction—would she scold her? Remain coldly silent? Or.

In the end, reason overcame fear. Jiang He gathered her courage and dialed again.

This time, the call connected.

She swallowed nervously, fingers tightening unconsciously around her phone.

“Who is this?”

A cold voice came from the other end of the line.

It turned out that the call had been answered by Dan Sirou’s mother.

That meant Dan Sirou had made it home safely and also that Jiang He wouldn’t have to face her directly. For Jiang He, it was almost the best possible outcome.

She hurriedly said, “Sorry, wrong number,” and hung up.

That night, sleep came with difficulty.

Her dreams were restless, she dreamed of the year she’d just returned from the island, dreamed of her grandfather, and dreamed of Zhou Tingchen.

Jiang He got up very early the next morning, probably the earliest she’d ever left for school.

When she entered the school gates, she deliberately glanced toward the security office.

Dan Sirou was the student council president. On Mondays, she usually arrived early. Exactly how early, Jiang He didn’t know; she only knew that no matter whether she herself arrived early or late, she would always see Dan Sirou at the security office.

But today, she wasn’t there.

Jiang He’s mood sank immediately. After hesitating and looking back several times, she finally turned around and stopped a student council member on duty.

“Excuse me, has the president arrived?”

“No.” Even the council member sounded surprised. If Jiang He hadn’t asked, he probably wouldn’t have noticed that the president who was usually the first to arrive was absent today. He turned to ask someone nearby, “Have you seen the president?”

That person seemed to know a bit more. “I think the president took leave today.”

Jiang He nodded, her emotions growing increasingly complicated.

She had already realized that she might have done something wrong yesterday. But should she apologize? There was still a knot of resentment in her chest, why was it that Dan Sirou could leave her waiting, but she wasn’t allowed to return the favor even once?

That unresolved knot left Jiang He hesitant, unable to decide what the right thing to do was.

Between the second and third periods on Monday was the weekly assembly. All teachers and students gathered in the auditorium to listen to speeches from the administration. Normally, Jiang He would either zone out or fool around with the people next to her.

The first speaker was usually the student council president. Since Dan Sirou had taken leave, even Jiang He’s last shred of motivation to sit through the assembly was gone. On top of that, she hadn’t slept well the night before, her eyes were painfully dry. She simply closed them to rest.

“Good morning, everyone. Regarding last week’s—”

It was Dan Sirou’s voice.

Jiang He’s eyes flew open. For a moment, she thought she’d misheard but it really was her.

After listening for a bit longer, Jiang He noticed the heavy nasal quality in Dan Sirou’s voice. She had to clear her throat from time to time. She looked utterly exhausted, stepping down after only a few minutes, it was clear she’d prepared no more than that.

Just minutes earlier, Jiang He had still been tangled in her own inner conflict.

But during those brief minutes of Dan Sirou speaking, all that turmoil seemed to dissolve.

The assembly ended.

Jiang He made an excuse for Zhou Yi and the others to head back to the classroom first. She remained seated, unmoving. Only when the crowd gradually dispersed and the auditorium was nearly empty did she stand.

She was waiting for Dan Sirou, waiting for a chance to see her alone.

Finally, her chance came. Dan Sirou was standing in the corridor, waiting for a friend who’d gone to the restroom. Jiang He followed her out.

Dan Sirou had already noticed that Jiang He hadn’t left.

Jiang He’s gaze followed her persistently; it was inevitable that their eyes would meet.

Hearing footsteps from the auditorium, Dan Sirou glanced back. When she saw it was Jiang He, she turned her head away, choosing to ignore her.

Jiang He was usually the type to retreat when faced with difficulty. But this time, she steeled herself and pushed forward.

“Do you have a cold?” The concern in her eyes was almost overflowing. “Did you take any medicine?”

Dan Sirou turned to look at her, studying her for a long moment.

Then, instead of answering, she asked quietly, “Do you think this is fun?”

She hadn’t slept well either. Fatigue showed plainly in her eyes; the tip of her nose was red. She was genuinely angry.

“I really thought you weren’t feeling well.”

She didn’t press further, nor did she raise her voice. Instead, she fixed Jiang He with a look of profound disappointment.

Just then, Wu Qing came out of the restroom. Dan Sirou turned and left.

To anyone else, the two of them looked like complete strangers who had merely brushed past each other.

Jiang He stood frozen in place, words rising to her lips only to be swallowed back down.

In the end, she could only stare after her in frustration, regret knotting tightly in her chest.