After Differentiation, My Arch-nemesis Thinks I’m Fragrant - Chapter 10

The spring rain continued incessantly. Since yesterday, it had been lingering over the skies of Nancheng, refusing to leave, and the air had grown slightly colder.

Shu Youzhan, still carrying a hint of sleepiness, sat at the brightly lit dining table. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at Wei Shuangchi beside her, who had changed into a qipao. Her makeup was a bit more playful and vibrant than her usual elegant, understated look.

Staring at that light pink eyeshadow, she asked softly, “Mom… are you in a good mood today?”

Wei Shuangchi nodded with a beaming smile. She motioned for the butler to place a hot coffee in the seat next to her and replied warmly, “You noticed?”

“Your mother was on a business trip for so long, and she finally has a few days off. She plans to take me to a newly developed primitive planet for a vacation… the one you said you really wanted to go to last time!”

Shu Youzhan’s sleepiness vanished instantly. Her brown eyes couldn’t help but sparkle with anticipation. “Today?”

She hesitated for a moment. “Should I call my teacher and ask for a leave of absence right now?”

Wei Shuangchi gave her a strange look. “How could that be okay? Knowing how much you love to study, we specifically only bought two tickets.”

Shu Youzhan tried one last struggle. “But…”

“Be good, dear. Mom will go check it out for you first to see if it’s fun. If it’s not, you can pick a different place for summer break.”

“And if it is fun…”

“Then you can wish your mother and me a pleasant trip!”

Shu Youzhan: “…”

I get it now…

This wife-and-wife trip was strictly “no third parties allowed.” Having realized this, Shu Youzhan moodily picked up her cup and drank her soy milk.

Seeing that it was almost time to leave, she sluggishly rose from the table, looking back at Wei Shuangchi with every step like an abandoned puppy.

Shu Yu, coming downstairs, happened to witness this scene. She let out a distant huff and said lazily, “Shu Youzhan, haven’t you been weaned yet?”

Wei Shuangchi was in a good mood and didn’t want to see the mother and daughter bickering. She interrupted, “Alright now, You-you, go to school. It’s a bit chilly outside today, remember to bring a coat and an umbrella. I’ve transferred some pocket money to your star-card; tell me if it’s not enough.”

Shu Yu couldn’t help but add another jab: “Go ahead and keep spoiling her. What kind of kid is like her? A grown person who still needs to be reminded to wear clothes—she’ll learn once she catches a cold outside a couple of times.”

Watching Shu Yu walk to the table and let Wei Shuangchi straighten her collar, Shu Youzhan chirped back, “Some people are in their thirties and still haven’t improved their skill at putting on clothes…”

A sinister threat came from not far away: “Shu Youzhan, do you think I’m hard of hearing?”

“Bye Mom, I’m going to school! Have a great trip!” She slipped away lightning-fast.

Properly bundled in her coat, Shu Youzhan sat in the car and pulled out her phone. She stared at the chat box with Shu Mi. The message she sent last night had received a reply, but she really didn’t know how to continue the conversation.

Call Me Grandpa Shu: It’s okay. Besides, I should be the one apologizing; I shouldn’t have treated your brother like that in front of you… Call Me Grandpa Shu: Anyway, our relationship won’t change because of him. Don’t overthink it, Mi-mi.

Sweet Mi-mi: I feel like I should stand on your side, but I don’t even have the right to make choices at home… Sweet Mi-mi: Sigh, I wish I could differentiate into an Alpha in the future like you. It feels like the only thing I can think about every day is how to choose a partner, but dating so much is getting boring. Sweet Mi-mi: Let’s not talk about that! Look at the clothes I just bought a few days ago. Which set do you think I should wear for my hiking date this weekend? [Image.jpg] [Image.jpg]

After staring at the content three or four times, Shu Youzhan’s fingertips moved, typing out: “Actually, being an Omega can also be…”

Halfway through…

She deleted it.

Shu Youzhan looked at the raindrops on the car window, which looked like dense cobwebs spread everywhere. Because she hated rainy days, she couldn’t find a single bit of beauty in scenery related to rain.

Ultimately, she gave a perfunctory answer regarding the clothes and put her phone aside, feeling her mood grow heavy. She wasn’t sure if she was just grumpy because Wei Shuangchi was going on a trip without her.

The car soon reached the school gate.

The driver opened the door, held out an umbrella, and walked to the back, properly escorting Shu Youzhan to the school entrance. After handing her the umbrella, the driver turned back to leave.

Raindrops pattered loudly against the umbrella surface, more aggressive than yesterday after school. Shu Youzhan watched the dirty water kicked up by her sneakers and slowed her pace as much as possible.

Once she closed her umbrella and entered the classroom, she almost bumped into someone head-on—

“You…”

Just as she was about to snap, the moment she looked up, she collided with a pair of dark eyes as calm as a lake. The other person twitched an eyebrow, and Shu Youzhan uncomfortably averted her gaze.

She even physically dodged to the side, a rare display of weakness.

Zhao Qinglan froze for a moment, realizing something.

“Hey, do you really not have pheromones? Let me smell—”

“Shu Youzhan…” Under the desk lamp, the girl’s face was plated in a layer of warm light. Her school uniform collar was slightly loose, but she didn’t seem to care. Instead, she used the tip of her index finger to push back the chin of the person leaning in behind her.

“What? I’m not going to laugh at you. Can’t I just be curious?”

The girl she was blocking was clearly displeased.

Zhao Qinglan’s fingertips tightened slightly. She closed her eyes, letting the girl lean in, her breath falling on her neck—sometimes cold, sometimes hot. She asked in a strained voice, “Are you satisfied now?”

Shu Youzhan knit her small brows, puzzled as she stood up straight. “Really none? Why? Is there something wrong with your gland?”

As she spoke, she reached out again to touch the other girl’s neck.

Zhao Qinglan grabbed her wrist and looked at her with a half-smile:

“Good student, did you skip biology class?”

“Did the teacher not tell you that you can’t just touch an Alpha’s gland whenever you want?”

Shu Youzhan stunned for two seconds.

Recalling some piece of knowledge, a blush crept up from her neck. Before her whole face could catch fire, she blurted out an excuse: “I just remembered I have something to tell my mom!”

“That… after you put on the medicine, go home yourself. No ride for you!”

Now, seeing that Shu Youzhan’s ear tips were turning a faint pink again, Zhao Qinglan guessed she was definitely thinking about the same thing.

A bit of amusement rose in her heart. She stood there without moving, as if standing in a museum admiring a world-class painting.

Shu Youzhan had her hair in a ponytail today; the reactions on her face, neck, and ears were completely exposed. Feeling Zhao Qinglan’s teasing intent, she grew humiliated and angry. “Are you going or not?”

Zhao Qinglan teased her: “Suddenly, I feel the scenery here is quite nice.”

Who the “scenery” was self-evident.

In the next moment, Shu Youzhan’s face dropped. She bumped Zhao Qinglan’s shoulder and entered the classroom first.

Zhao Qinglan didn’t feel much of anything. It was only when she went out to find the teacher that her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at it: A news report about a luxury spaceship to Planet 16!

After staring at the news for a few seconds, Zhao Qinglan chuckled, knowing the reason why a certain someone with a “mother complex” was in a bad mood again this morning.

In the classroom…

Shu Youzhan tightly shut the window next to her. Sitting in her seat, she pulled out her English textbook and prepared to memorize vocabulary—

Vibrate…

The phone shook.

She pulled it out and saw the news notification. She sneered, intending to turn off the screen, but noticed there was another message.

Nuisance: Nancheng Family Table.

Nuisance: I ate at your house last night, so I’m paying you back today. Search for this shop and see if you’re interested.

Shu Youzhan thought to herself that she was very picky. What could be so good about these roadside stalls? Could it be better than her mother’s cooking?

She searched for the restaurant and looked at the customer reviews, and was immediately drawn in by the various pictures… Toothpick beef! Spicy snails! Drunken corn! Grilled oysters!

She instantly switched back to the chat box—

Call Me Grandpa Shu: It’s just okay, I guess. Go after school?

Nuisance: Just okay? Forget it, let’s not go.

Call Me Grandpa Shu: I know the name now, I can go by myself. Bleh.

Nuisance: There are branches. I know which one tastes the best… plus the owner gives me a 50% discount.

Shu Youzhan: “…” Dammit!

She grit her teeth, looked at the food page again, and thought to herself that she could afford the full price.

But…

Only a fool wouldn’t take advantage of a bargain!

While she was agonizing over it, a voice message came from the other side.

Shu Youzhan clicked it and heard that raspy voice, carrying a slight bit of electronic static, flowing into her ears with a faint hint of laughter: “Say something nice.”

Zhao Qinglan had been called by the head teacher to discuss a school practical activity—visiting a museum.

The best museum in Nancheng was the Zhao family’s private one, so the school wanted to coordinate with her.

Coming out of the office, she pulled out her phone and found a new two-second voice message.

She thought for a moment, deciding that the word “Scram” couldn’t possibly take two seconds. Curious to hear how this “little ancestor” was creatively cursing her, she tapped it and held the phone to her ear.

The background noise was a bit chaotic. The other person seemed to be hiding in some corner, their voice incredibly low. Whether it was from shyness or the reluctance of being coerced, the content was captured faithfully by the phone—soft, giving off the illusion of being bullied:

“Please… Sister Xiao Zhao…”

Zhao Qinglan: “…”

She cursed inwardly, finally understanding why Shu Youzhan was always so overbearing yet still so likable!

Who could resist this?

Zhao Qinglan took a deep breath, first saving the voice message instantly, and then played it repeatedly on her way back to the classroom.

Two minutes later—

The chat box displayed a notification: Your friend “Crybaby” has withdrawn a message.