After Dating the President O, I Turned Into a Puppy-Like Lover - Chapter 38

Wu Qing and Jiang He lived in different dormitory buildings. Near the fork between Blocks A and C, Wu Qing suddenly thought of something and asked, “By the way, Jiang, do you ever read our school’s official WeChat account?”

“Sometimes,” Jiang He replied after a pause.

In truth, she had never really read it. The last time was back in her first year, when the homeroom teacher had forced everyone to subscribe. She had idly scrolled through it once—just a bunch of vague “positive energy” posts. What struggling student had time to care about that?

“Have you heard about the Dongcheng Sanitation and Cultural Arts Activity?” Wu Qing blinked, coaxing like a salesperson pitching insurance. “There are prizes if you join.”

“I haven’t seen it.” Jiang He feigned ignorance. Sanitation? Activity? She had never even heard of it.

“No worries, you can check it out later. There are still spots open, no rush. But they might fill up soon—it’s considered an honor, after all,” Wu Qing said.

By then, they had reached the fork. Jiang He’s dorm was in Block A. Wu Qing waved as she continued forward. “If you’re interested, just contact me directly. I’m in charge of sign-ups.”

“Alright.” Jiang He waved back, saying goodbye.

She stood there for a moment, lost in thought. Normally, she wouldn’t care about school activities. But this time, she felt strangely invested. Carrying her hesitation back to the dorm, she mentioned it to Zhou Yi when she returned.

“What? Wu Qing asked you to join the sanitation cultural arts activity?” Zhou Yi didn’t even notice how Wu Qing had gotten tangled up with her “boss.” Her focus was entirely on the activity. Then she burst out laughing. “Hahaha, I bet she just can’t find enough people!”

“What do you mean?” Jiang He asked.

“That fancy name is a joke. ‘Sanitation arts’? It’s just sweeping the streets.” Zhou Yi explained matter-of-factly. “Who would do that in the middle of winter? Look at the temperature these days—better to stay cozy under the blankets. And if it was some city-level medal, maybe it’d be worth it. But a certificate from the school? Who cares?”

“I heard them mention it before. Not enough volunteers, so they have to cover it themselves. That’s why Wu Qing’s desperate. She needs to recruit people, or else I’ll get drafted. Hmph, if she tries to exploit me, I’ll quit tomorrow.”

Zhou Yi grumbled on, while Jiang He returned to her bed, thoughtful.

After some consideration, she pulled out her phone. She didn’t have Wu Qing’s contact, but remembered that Wu Qing was an admin in the school’s big group chat. She added her from there.

About ten minutes later, Wu Qing accepted the request.

WQ: [Still on your phone this late at night?]

Jiang He: [That thing you mentioned earlier, still short on people?]

WQ: [You want to sign up??]

Even from the text, Jiang He could tell how excited she was, forgetting all about the time.

Jiang He: [If you still need people, I think I’ll have time this weekend.]

Wu Qing didn’t even answer the question directly. She just replied:

WQ: [If you’re signing up, that’s wonderful!!]

Jiang He: “…”

Saturday

Yu Qing Road—one of Dongcheng’s busiest commercial streets.

At ten in the morning, the place was packed with people, bundled up in thick winter clothes, radiating warmth just by sight.

Jiang He arrived at the designated landmark. Seven or eight people had already gathered, standing in small groups. Though not clustered together, they were clearly part of the same team.

Compared to them, Jiang He looked out of place.

She didn’t know anyone and wasn’t fond of socializing. She recognized them as fellow Qingyu students, but kept a distance of five or six meters—close enough to follow their movements, far enough to avoid joining in.

When Wu Qing arrived, she spotted Jiang He immediately. Passing by, she asked, “Why don’t you go over there?”

Jiang He didn’t explain. She just murmured, “Mm,” and followed behind Wu Qing.

Soon, two more boys showed up. With nearly everyone present, Wu Qing counted heads: nineteen out of twenty. Enough to start assigning tasks.

Yu Qing Road was bustling, its maze of streets and alleys endless. They collected tools from the sanitation center across the street, then split into pairs, each group responsible for cleaning a designated area.

“That’s the situation. Now I’ll divide the groups,” Wu Qing announced.

Immediately, chaos erupted.

“What? You’re assigning groups? I thought we could choose ourselves!” A sharp-voiced girl cut through the noise. “I don’t care, I signed up with Xiao Ting, so we’re together.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s faster to work with someone you know,” another chimed in.

Voices overlapped, complaints rising. Wu Qing’s head throbbed. Half of these people had been tricked or coaxed into coming. Ordering them around outright would only backfire. She sighed and compromised. “Alright, alright, fine.

Arrange yourselves. But only in pairs, okay? If you insist on bigger groups, you’ll have to cover extra areas.”

So, they began pairing off.

Some formed groups of two, others clustered in threes or fours. Once settled, they stood together, waiting for further instructions.

The lively chatter belonged to them. Jiang He, meanwhile, was left alone. She had no intention of seeking a partner. In the end, three people remained outside the groups: Wu Qing, busy answering questions; Jiang He; and another girl with a ponytail. She was a beta, wore glasses, and looked quiet and studious.

Wu Qing returned, her gaze shifting between the two.

“Xiaoqi, you’re alone too?” she asked.

The girl, Shen Xiaoqi, pushed up her glasses. “Yes.”

She had been Wu Qing’s deskmate once. Too reserved and quiet, she had few friends in class. Wu Qing, desperate for participants, had mentioned the activity to her. Shen Xiaoqi had agreed readily, volunteering to help.

Wu Qing hesitated, then forced a smile. “Why don’t you two pair up?”

She looked at Jiang He, then at Shen Xiaoqi.

Jiang He’s expression didn’t change. Shen Xiaoqi glanced at her timidly.

Wu Qing rubbed her forehead, exasperated.

One reserved, one an iceberg, how was this supposed to work?

And how had she even ended up acquainted with both of them?

“You can pair with her,” Jiang He said, sensing Wu Qing’s dilemma. She volunteered calmly. “Isn’t there still one person missing? I can wait for them. Even if not, I can manage alone.”

Wu Qing clearly hadn’t considered pairing that person with anyone else, so she responded to the suggestion with a noncommittal tone. “Let’s wait and see. I’ll ask where she is.”

She pulled out her phone to type, but instinctively looked up. At that moment, beneath the crossing of traffic lights, a striking figure stood out among the crowd. Wu Qing’s brows relaxed, and she put her phone away. “No need to ask, she’s here.”

Both Jiang He and Shen Xiaoqi followed her gaze.

Jiang He’s eyes lit up instantly. The corners of her lips curved upward before she quickly suppressed the smile, maintaining her usual calm, detached expression.

Dan Sirou was surprised to see Jiang He here.

In the past, she might have felt uneasy. But after what had happened between them, she could now face her calmly.

Wu Qing pulled her aside to explain the situation. In truth, she had been dragged into this herself, she had other things to do, and even if they were short on people, she shouldn’t have been the one called in.

“So, you’ve arranged me too?” Sirou asked. Running into Jiang He was already unexpected, but Wu Qing pairing her with Jiang He was even more so. “I was begged into coming as well. You’re really not being fair here.”

“My dear Dandan, you’re different,” Wu Qing pleaded pitifully. “You don’t know how shy that girl is. Out of all these people, she only knows me.”

Sirou sighed. She understood the reasoning, and it would only take a few more seconds for her to give in.

As Wu Qing spoke, Sirou’s eyes met Jiang He’s—clear, bright, black and white distinct. For a moment, her breath caught. She wanted to turn away, to tuck a strand of hair and hide her inexplicable unease. Fortunately, Jiang He looked away first.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as agreement,” Wu Qing said, almost begging. Honestly, if not for necessity, she would never have left Sirou with someone else.

Alphas usually carried ulterior motives. She had seen how they flocked, always trying to make their presence felt, like that Zhou fellow last time.

Leaving Dandan alone with a strange alpha made her uneasy.

But Jiang He seemed different. Upright, cold, detached, even indifferent—almost aloof in that regard. Surely, she wasn’t like the others.

That was why Wu Qing felt safe enough to let Sirou pair with her.

“Fine.” Sirou relented helplessly.

Wu Qing explained the arrangements. Shen Xiaoqi, still dazed, didn’t respond until Wu Qing called her several times. Blushing with embarrassment, she glanced shyly at the two left behind, then followed Wu Qing away.

With no outsiders around, Jiang He and Sirou no longer needed to pretend they were strangers.

Carrying their tools toward their assigned area, Sirou said lightly, “You shouldn’t have come out. Resting at home would’ve been better.”

“I’ve rested for two weeks,” Jiang He replied, glancing at her. “I’m fine now.” Her tone wasn’t overly warm, but her gaze softened, like ice beginning to thaw.

Sirou met her eyes, gently reminding, “You can’t be careless about your glands. You’re different from others in that regard. Better to be cautious.”

After a pause, she added, “If that illness recurs, it’ll be hard to find someone suitable to help you.”

Jiang He’s expression dimmed. She lowered her voice, murmuring an indistinct “Oh.”

Soon, they reached their designated area.

It wasn’t large, but crowded and messy—one of the busiest, most down-to-earth corners of Yu Qing Road.

They discussed how to divide the work, Sirou reminding her of a few precautions.

Her gentle voice brushed against Jiang He’s heart, each word carrying a subtle pull. Even the most mundane instructions sounded engaging. Jiang He had heard her speak at length before, at assemblies, in formal settings but the microphone had always dulled her natural charm.

The last time she had listened to her like this, face-to-face, was back when they were children.

That memory of meeting in the park remained vivid in Jiang He’s mind, as if it had happened yesterday.

“Jiang He.” Sirou noticed her drifting off, her thoughts wandering. She asked softly, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Startled, Jiang He snapped back. “No, I’m listening.”

“Mm.” Sirou nodded, still uneasy. She looked her over carefully. “If you feel unwell, you must tell me.”

“I’ll be fine,” Jiang He said firmly.

Her certainty sounded almost too absolute, bordering on bravado. Sirou frowned. “Don’t push yourself. It’s fine if you can’t finish. I’ll take care of it. We’ll go slowly.”

Hearing her worry again and again, Jiang He felt both helpless and amused.

So, in Sirou’s eyes, was she really that fragile?

She thought of her time on the island, years of training, her near-black-belt in taekwondo, her top-tier alpha strength. Whether through pheromone suppression or sheer combat, she was far from weak. Even against a burly man weighing over a hundred kilos, she wouldn’t necessarily lose.

But she understood, Sirou simply didn’t know her yet.

Hide your strength well. One day, you’ll show her in bed.