After Dumping the Female Lead, It's My Turn to Cry - Chapter 10

【Many Omega girls were stealing shy, flustered glances at him. Though this new transfer student seemed ordinary on the surface, his calm demeanor in the face of such praise stirred unusual flutters in their hearts, painting their delicate cheeks with a blush of bashfulness.

Even Ruan Yubai, who was wholly focused on Qing Ling, couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times. Could this person really be more impressive than Senior Ling? When class ended, she cautiously approached him. An unfamiliar wave of masculine pheromones enveloped her, and she fidgeted nervously before whispering, “Nan, did you take the entrance exam together with Senior Qing Ling?”

During mecha maintenance class, Ruan Yubai had initially been leisurely observing the male lead pretending to be a Beta. But as the crisp ring of the dismissal bell echoed, the novel tucked in her left pocket suddenly grew warm, and this exact passage abruptly materialized before her eyes.

Crack! The bearing she had been lubricating snapped cleanly in two.

What kind of disgusting, cringe-inducing plot was this?

Truth be told, Ruan Yubai had realized halfway through the novel that this melodramatic story was saturated with a strange sense of male gaze. Although the original cannon fodder female character was set up to have feelings for the female lead, as the plot progressed, she inexplicably developed ambiguous affections for the male lead as well.

For details, refer to the described internal monologues in the book.

“Senior Ling is so wonderful; how could a useless Beta like me, who can’t do anything, ever deserve her? A noble young lady like her must only be conquered by a man like Nan, brimming with masculine vigor.”

“If only I could stay with Senior Ling forever. Could I marry Nan Zhudi together with her?” Nan is plain and reserved, not fond of talking, but he’s actually a good person. Only someone like him could make the aloof young lady bow her head, they’re truly a match made in heaven.”

“I’m so envious that Senior Ling met such a powerful man. The best fate for an Omega is to be marked by someone stronger. If only I were an Omega too… In the end, I’m just an ordinary little woman who also longs to find a strong harbor to call home, just like how Senior Qing Ling met Nan. If I were an Omega, would Nan Zhudi perhaps…?”

At first, Ruan Yubai would frown slightly at such internal monologues, but as she read on, she could flip past them with complete indifference not only unbothered, but even somewhat amused.

She couldn’t understand why some people, upon seeing two girls together, would immediately assume they were just fooling around, claiming that two women only got together because they hadn’t experienced being with a man. Aside from Alpha-Omega pairings being seen as natural, every other combination was deemed abnormal.

Once, when Bi Bi Ba and Ruan Yubai went to an amusement park, they encountered a person with underdeveloped critical thinking. That Alpha mistook the two young, attractive girls for a couple, shamelessly asked Bi Bi Ba for her contact info, and after being coldly rejected following an aggressive confession, had the audacity to ask, “Alright, I get it, you’re one of those proud girls who looks down on others. If you won’t date me, then give me your girlfriend’s contact info. She’s quite cute; she definitely wouldn’t turn me down.”

#Ugly but Confident.#

Besides, why must the female lead be weaker than the male lead?

Although Ruan Yubai was a slacker, she knew that Qing Ling was exceptionally talented and had trained diligently. Her seemingly effortless grace was the result of years of steady practice and countless grueling training sessions. At the very least, she was nothing like the useless male lead, who “was born with a penchant for lifting girls’ skirts but, by sheer luck and his older sister’s relentless support, somehow became the strongest Alpha in the galaxy.”

Were Qing Ling’s dazzling achievements merely stepping stones to make the male lead shine?

That was just too unfair.

If this were just a flat, two-dimensional novel, it wouldn’t matter, she could simply enjoy the thrilling, melodramatic plot for entertainment without overthinking it. The problem was, Ruan Yubai now knew she was a character in this novel. She had even witnessed firsthand how Qing Ling calmly bandaged a laser wound on her arm without so much as a flinch, and even handed her a piece of worm-shaped candy without batting an eye.

It was true that Ruan Yubai wanted to be a vicious antagonist, but that didn’t mean the female lead should be trampled on by just anyone.

So, when Ruan Yubai stormed over to Nan Zhudi with aggressive strides, there wasn’t a trace of the shyness or timidity described in the novel. Her eyes practically radiated icy killing intent as she sharpened her metaphorical knives and demanded, “Nan Zhudi, is it true that you took the entrance exam with Qing Ling?”

The male lead had been frowning out the window with an air of domineering arrogance or perhaps more like a turtle’s stubbornness but when he turned and saw Ruan Yubai’s menacing, enlarged face, he slipped and nearly fell.

“Yes, I mean, no.” Nan Zhudi was initially startled, his non-prescription glasses sliding halfway down his nose, making him look rather ridiculous. After pushing them back up, he took a closer look at the fresh, sweet-faced girl in front of him and then narrowed his eyes with a smirk. “You recognized me?”

Ruan Yubai froze, her expression shifting almost imperceptibly as a wild suspicion crossed her mind.

Did the male lead also have the script? Or was he a transmigrator?

Or could he be the author himself?

Her expression returned to normal in an instant, but Nan Zhudi, who had been observing her closely, didn’t miss it. Confidently, he pushed his glasses up and gave a knowing smile.

However, it wasn’t what Ruan Yubai had guessed. Nan Zhudi was referring to a few months earlier, at Ruan Yubai’s birthday party, when he had spotted her hiding in the Beta restroom and called her out, causing an extremely awkward scene. That was why he brought it up.

It never crossed his mind that Ruan Yubai had no memory of him whatsoever from that incident.

At this moment, Nan Zhudi was certain that Ruan Yubai had sought him out for no other reason than to settle old scores or seek revenge. Or perhaps.

He glanced subtly at the girl’s pretty face and thought that although she was just a brainless Beta with a good figure, she had decent taste. Smirking arrogantly, he asked, “What? If I say sorry, will you stop clinging to me?”

Ruan Yubai was baffled by this completely irrelevant question. She furrowed her brows and blurted out, confused, “Huh?”

However, this reaction only strengthened Nan Zhudi’s conviction in his suspicions. He snorted arrogantly, “Using such a method to catch my attention is quite unconventional.”

Now it seemed that when Ruan Yubai had hidden in the restroom earlier, it might have been to engineer a chance encounter with him.

Unfortunately, Nan Zhudi truly didn’t care for this type of soft, sweet girl so transparent and uninteresting. He still preferred someone like Qing Ling, an aloof and noble young lady. Usually, upon seeing someone like Ruan Yubai, he would at most glance at her face before scoffing dismissively and looking away. He hadn’t expected her to be quite the cunning little wildcat.

Putting on this untouchable act must be another ploy to pique his interest, right?

Nan Zhudi reached out to lift her chin, but as soon as his fingers brushed against that delicate, soft patch of skin, Ruan Yubai swiftly dodged. He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret as he rubbed his fingers together, leaning back casually in his seat and remarking critically, “But congratulations, using Qing Ling’s name to pester me has indeed caught my attention.”

“Ruan Yubai, right? I’ll remember you.” He nodded condescendingly, as if bestowing some great favor.

Ruan Yubai: Confirmed. The male lead’s brain structure is indeed different from that of ordinary people. Such individuals usually receive well-meaning advice.

Being brain-damaged is an illness that needs treatment.

But he had successfully managed to make the usually laid-back slacker Ruan stiffen.

Her fists clenched.

The girl’s eyes narrowed, her face darkening like an impending storm, but she was suddenly intercepted by a classmate sitting behind her. The Alpha, who had been enthusiastically praising Nan Zhudi just moments before, exclaimed in alarm, “Xiao Ruan, calm down! When dealing with a love rival, you need fair competition, not resort to violence.”

Ruan Yubai: ?

Not only was Ruan Yubai stunned, but even Nan Zhudi frowned in confusion. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

The classmate sitting behind Ruan Yubai was an academically challenged Alpha who, like most people, admired strength—which was why he had made such a fuss upon learning Nan Zhudi’s mental power score.

However, his admiration for strength didn’t mean he enjoyed being berated without reason.

Scolded by Nan Zhudi, the Alpha felt displeased, and his earlier desire to befriend him faded. Still, he explained, “Nan, you’re new here, so you might not know. Ruan Yubai has a bit of a crush on Miss Qing. She might have heard that you took an exam with the young lady and got a little jealous.”

Other onlookers chimed in with their own comments.

“If our Bai Bai said anything unpleasant earlier, I apologize on her behalf. Please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against her.”

“Xiao Ruan just misunderstood. Surely, someone as outstanding as you, Nan Zhudi, wouldn’t be interested in a cold beauty like the young lady anyway.”

“Brother Nan won’t be in Class F after the next placement exam. We’ll make sure to talk to Old Ruan then and keep her from bothering you again.”

Such double standards.

Even if Ruan Yubai was an underestimated, lazy slacker in the eyes of others, the students of Class F were more than willing to spoil her.

So what if Ruan Yubai was a slacker? She was a cute slacker! Since when did an outsider like Nan Zhudi have the right to criticize her?

Nan Zhudi felt a flicker of irritation flare up at those words, but too proud to admit he actually had feelings for Qing Ling, he lashed out in embarrassment: “How could a Beta and an Omega be together? That’s just a waste of resources, how ridiculous. Ruan Yubai clearly likes me but is too shy to admit it. Don’t you think so?”

He even turned his head toward her with a touch of arrogance.

Ruan Yubai had just managed to calm down, but hearing this, she was instantly reminded of all the disgusting scenes from the novel as if every Beta and Omega existed only to be trampled upon by him, the galaxy’s most exceptional Alpha.

Immediately, she let out a cold laugh, her anger spilling thoughtlessly from her lips: “So what if I do like Qing Ling?”

The classroom fell into dead silence.

Before Ruan Yubai could even clear her throat to smooth over her impulsive outburst, a faint sound came from the doorway. Instinctively, she glanced over.

There stood the tall, elegant young lady, a transparent combat helmet tucked under her arm, her gaze thoughtful. The delicate scent of freesia seemed to linger around her refined brows, and her jet-black hair framed a face of cool, untouchable beauty.

Ruan Yubai’s face flushed, then paled, before flushing crimson all over again.

What does it mean to regret one’s words too late?

What does it mean that a single slip may lead to everlasting sorrow?

Ruan Yubai: Female lead, please stay calm, just hear me out first!

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