After Dumping the Female Lead, It's My Turn to Cry - Chapter 42

After exiting the elevator, Ruan Yubai walked forward dejectedly until she spotted her friend, Bi Biba, looking equally miserable.

Many people had wondered how a “salted fish” like Ruan Yubai could be best friends with a lively socialite like Bi Biba. Their personalities were opposites, and their interests were worlds apart. Yet, the time they spent glued to each other was longer than that of many couples in the honeymoon phase.

But who said people with similar personalities made the best partners?

The moment they saw each other, they did not even need to speak. They rushed toward one another and burst into tears, holding each other tightly.

“Waaa, Bi Biba, I am having such bad luck! Why is my life so tragic? This is worse than a breakup!”

“Really? What a coincidence. I actually just went through a breakup. My secret crush threw the lunch box I spent all night making into the trash and told me to get lost.”

“What? Was it that heart shaped lunch box that only succeeded on the seventeenth try?”

“That is the one.”

“Okay, waaa, I guess you have it a little bit worse.”

“Get lost, old Ruan!”

Once their emotions stabilized, the two skipped Professor Lawrence’s notoriously stiff Ancient History class. They sat side by side on a bench in the school’s backyard nursery, sharing the seventeenth failed lunch box.

“This soft boiled egg is actually pretty good. Every drop of golden yolk perfectly coats the rice, achieving a great balance. The only failure is that there is no salt,” Ruan Yubai commented seriously after chewing a large spoonful.

Bi Biba let out a cold laugh. Looking disheveled and too tired to clean up, she bit off the heads of three octopus sausages at once. “You have the option to not eat it.”

“How could I do that?” Ruan Yubai cautiously moved the lunch box closer to herself and said pleasingly, “The salt from my tears compensated for the lack of seasoning. As expected of you, Old Bi. You accurately predicted my taste!”

“Out with it,” Bi Biba said, stuffing a mouthful of curry potato into her mouth. She glanced up at her friend. “What bad luck did you run into?”

“My Super A Sports Meet slot cannot be transferred. But I really, really do not want to go.”

To anyone else, this would sound like a classic humblebrag, making them want to rub the salted fish’s face into the rice. But Bi Biba just looked at her and sighed sympathetically. “Then you really are quite pitiful.”

Bi Biba thought for a moment and added, “I actually want to go. If I had a lucky encounter and leveled up quickly, I could go back and slap my crush, I mean, that idiot friend, in the face. Unfortunately, I am not that lucky.”

Ruan Yubai felt a kindred spirit. “We are both quite pitiful.”

Perhaps this was why they were friends. Their values were not just different; they were polar opposites, existing in different universes. Yet, they understood each other’s feelings perfectly.

At the very least, in front of Bi Biba, Ruan Yubai did not have to hide her feelings. She could honestly say, “I just do not want to go,” without judgment.

While Bi Biba longed for the opportunity she lacked, she could still sincerely remark, “Then you really are suffering.”

Bi Biba had long understood how deeply rooted Ruan Yubai’s “salted fish” nature was. It was part of her DNA. No matter how much others cherished such a rare opportunity or what precious encounters it represented, Ruan Yubai truly did not need it.

If she did not need it, she did not need it.

So, while mourning her own misfortune, Bi Biba handed Ruan Yubai a spoon to share the imperfect lunch.

“I might not agree with you, but I can understand you.”

Many times, Ruan Yubai felt that in a friendship, this mindset was far more important than having identical views. Complex issues could be simplified into the difference between a poached egg and an over easy egg.

As she finished the last bite of rice, Ruan Yubai sighed gloomily. “I am afraid I will never get to eat such delicious egg fried rice again.”

After everything that happened, Qing Ling and she might truly become nothing more than the female lead and the female supporting character in a melodramatic novel, standing on opposite sides with no more warm interactions. Although Ruan Yubai had decided to be a proper villain, the thought of that bowl of fragrant, golden fried rice made her eyes well up with tears of regret.

She really, really, really loved the female lead’s egg fried rice.

She might never eat it again.

However, these emotions were like plankton floating in the sea. Before they could be examined closely, they sank slowly beneath the deep blue waves with the next tide.

Compared to the Super A Sports Meet, the more popular topic was the “Special Protection Regulations for Transgender Omegas.” Thanks to Nan Zhuge and the onlookers who loved drama, the previously deadlocked vote was instantly overturned. The passage of the law became a certainty.

“Speaking of which, Nan Zhuge has not been to school in a long time, has he? He is a role model for our generation, sacrificing himself to protect Alphas who turned into Omegas.”

“If I were the Grand Archbishop, I would scratch him to death if I did not strangle him first. A man who spent his life in power, only to fall into such a big trap set by a junior. He must be dying of anger.”

“But I am still curious. What is Nan Zhuge’s background? How did he have so many interactions with the Grand Archbishop? Besides the fallen Qing family, only the Prime Minister’s family could make the Grand Archbishop play favorites.”

“Hahaha, you still do not know who Nan Zhuge is? Let me give you a hint. Last time, the incident with Nan Zhuti was so huge, yet it was wiped clean instantly. What kind of family do you think those two have?”

“They cannot be from the Qing family. Could it really be?”

“Shhh. Just keep it in your head. Do you want to be injected with gender reassignment drugs by Master Ge too?”

Despite the Prime Minister’s efforts, including public appeals to the citizens to reject the protection regulations and decrying the absurdity of “Transgender Omegas,” he lost both face and influence.

Public opinion was unstoppable, especially since Lawrence was a country with a separation of powers. Previously, the church and the government were unified in their goals, so there were no major conflicts. But this time, the highest authority in the House of Lords was determined to punish Nan Zhuge, causing a massive fallout.

Although the related posts were quickly deleted, the gossip was too juicy. The video had circulated rapidly the moment it was released. Everyone, from those who should know to those who should not, learned about it through word of mouth.

However, the citizens of Lawrence were law abiding. The entire planet worked together to protect this little secret of high society.

For example, at an interstellar school exchange party, when faced with curious whispers from outsiders, a student from Lawrence would say righteously, “I would never say that the person who bullied the Transgender Omega was actually the Prime Minister’s son. I would never say he used the alias Nan Zhuge to study at our school and forcibly marked an Omega. You mentioned his brother, Nan Zhuti? No, he did not cheat at the archery range. It was the fault of the arrows and the referee. It was the fault of his self proclaimed brothers talking nonsense. Even the cameras record mistakes. How could Nan Zhuti ever be wrong?”

Such sarcastic examples were too numerous to list.

At the same time, the introduction of this law indirectly revealed things that had been hidden in the shadows.

Although her relationship with Qing Ling was frozen, the Lawrence Hospital, which she could only access through the female lead’s introduction, remained open to Ruan Yubai. Besides blood tests, Ruan Yubai would visit a few times when she was under too much stress to breathe pure oxygen for an hour.

“Why are there so many people today?” Covering her mask, Ruan Yubai watched the medical staff hurrying through the corridors and blinked in surprise.

Lawrence Hospital was the most high end noble hospital on the planet, with the most advanced medical facilities and experienced doctors. Correspondingly, there were usually very few patients. You could walk past three wards without seeing a single patient in stripes.

“Three doctors for one patient” was how outsiders mocked Lawrence Hospital. But according to Ruan Yubai’s observation today, it had become “one doctor for ten patients.”

A doctor who managed to find a moment of rest wandered over and sighed tiredly. “Do you remember me telling you that many young people have been undergoing secondary differentiation lately?”

Ruan Yubai nodded. She remembered because Qing Ling had accompanied her for a blood test that time.

“You know about recent events,” the doctor said after a moment of thought. “We originally thought it was a coincidence. But looking at it now, these cases are likely not accidents. It is because of an illegal drug that has not undergone clinical testing.”

This was why the hospital was suddenly crowded. Many prominent families were worried about their children and brought the younger generation to the hospital overnight for testing.

It was not just them. The student sitting behind Ruan Yubai was also worried. “My younger brother has been having a fever lately. If he had not already been diagnosed as an Omega, we would have thought he just had not differentiated yet.”

The next day, that student was absent. The class instructor tapped on the blackboard and sighed. “Stop gossiping down there. Yes, that student’s brother did undergo secondary differentiation. He became a Beta. Watch what you say from now on. Do not provoke him.”

This was indeed strange.

However, from another perspective, this rumor actually accelerated the passage of the stalled bill. No matter how much the Chief of State tried to turn the tide, he was powerless.

Ruan Yubai was dazed by this plot twist, which was completely different from the melodramatic novel. But then she thought this might be a necessary trial for the main cast, changing from defeating monsters to defeating public opinion.

Of course, it might not be a setback at all.

Had the author of “The Arrogant Girlfriend of the Interstellar General Alpha” not said the same?

“These annoying rumors will not actually hurt the people involved. After all, it is just other Alphas being jealous because they cannot get what they want. If they had that many Omegas admiring them, they would be thrilled. Now their eyes are practically bleeding from jealousy.”

“Besides, an Alpha is an Alpha. They are not Betas or Omegas. What does a little trivial gossip matter? Is there an Alpha in this world who does not stray? It just makes Nan Zhuti seem more human and masculine.”

Ruan Yubai was naturally more concerned about herself than the protagonist group.

The Super A Sports Meet was like a heavy stone pressing on her heart. Even if no one mentioned it, she would crumble and rub her face whenever she saw greenery.

Why go to the jungle? She was not an ape. How could she leap through trees? If she pressed the help button the moment she entered the arena, would she become the biggest joke on the interstellar net this year?

But she really did not want to go.

After learning more about the competition rules, her original small spark of ambition had vanished. She just wanted to lie down in despair.

This irritability reached its peak when Lin Yi came to see her again.

She did not know why, but Lin Yi had been looking for her constantly lately. Usually, they would not see each other for months, but recently the frequency of their meetings had skyrocketed. Even classmates she was not close to began to tease her.

“Baibai, have you finally given up on the Eldest Miss and found a new love?”

“What do you know? Childhood friends always lose to the one who drops from the sky!”

“But for some reason, I feel like the President and Xiaobai have a different kind of bond. Maybe I am overthinking it.”

“The Eldest Miss is perfect, but she might not be the right fit for our Ruanruan. Besides, those two never stood a chance anyway. It is good that you can move on, Ruanruan.”

Even Bi Biba had asked her in surprise several times, “Old Ruan, are you really switching sides? I shall condemn you on behalf of the President!”

Ruan Yubai rubbed her ears. “What am I switching? I would need to be on a side first.”

“No more joking,” Bi Biba said, patting her friend’s head before hesitating. “Speaking of which, it reminds me of something. Your childhood friend Lin Yi has been acting a bit strange lately. You should be careful.”

Ruan Yubai blinked in confusion before realizing. “Are you talking about how she keeps coming to see me? She probably just really wants the chance to go to the Super A Sports Meet. She might think it is a waste for the slot to go to me. Having ambition is not a bad thing. She is probably just a bit stuck in her own head. Once the second round of the competition is over and I am eliminated, she will give up.”

Bi Biba started to say something but stopped. Since she had no clear evidence, she just nodded. “Maybe I am overthinking it.”

First love is always the most memorable. Although Bi Biba knew she should stop interacting with the Alpha named Li Si, it was not easy to take back her feelings.

Sometimes, her feet would move toward the entrance of Class A before her brain could stop her. But because their last conversation had been so hurtful, she did not dare to approach him. Instead, she peeked inside from the doorway.

Then she saw Li Si and Lin Yi.

In the general sense, Li Si was a “shut in.” He wore thick glass lenses, unlike the decorative glasses Nan Zhuti wore. The high prescription distorted his eyes, and the swelling fat on his face made strangers think of the pigs from “Spirited Away” that “get killed if they eat too much.”

But Bi Biba knew better. In that interstellar security network demonstration class, she had seen with her own eyes how Li Si’s chubby fingers flew across the keyboard. The cold blue light made his small eyes shine with intelligence. His crude victory cheer had even made her heart skip a beat.

Bi Biba could not help but think that a person’s brain was far more important than their appearance.

Therefore, even if Li Si ordered her around, Bi Biba did not mind. She even removed her nail art because he disliked it. She knew nothing about cooking, but she studied hard because Li Si liked good food.

When Li Si had approached her and spoken gently, Bi Biba felt like every flower in the world had bloomed. She agreed to his requests without a second thought.

Only later, when she cooled down, did she realize that he was not moved by her feelings. He was using her as a tool just to get Ruan Yubai’s Super A Sports Meet slot.

But knowing something and knowing what to do are two different things. Just like when she saw Li Si at the door, she could not help but stop.

“You said you grew up as childhood friends with that Beta named Ruan. Why can you still not get that one measly slot?” Li Si mocked.

“She told me the slot cannot be transferred.”

“Hahaha, I did not realize you were so naive. You actually believe that lie? There are many great Alphas at the Super A Sports Meet. That girl probably wants to go and fish for a rich guy. Do not get in her way.”

“What nonsense are you talking? Xiaobai is not that kind of person.”

“Really? The girl who pretended to be an Omega in the restroom, and the archery cheer squad member everyone was talking about, that was all Ruan Yubai. Do you really believe she has no ulterior motives? You really think she is not trying to seduce people on purpose?”

“You do not understand her at all!”

“Fine, let me ask a different way. You are just an ordinary Beta who cannot even mark a person. Do you really think she still looks up to you? I see you visiting her all the time lately. How is it? Is she still as obedient and submissive to you as when you were kids?”

“Shut up. I grew up with her. Of course I trust her more than you!”

“How funny. If you really trusted her, why would you be standing here?”

With Li Si’s final sneer, the classroom, filled with the scent of Alpha pheromones, fell into a suffocating silence. Bi Biba’s sixth sense told her she could not stay there any longer, so she quickly and silently ran away.

Li Si was trash. Bi Biba knew that. It was just that she had fallen helplessly in love with trash and was currently in a long process of emotional detox.

But Lin Yi was different.

Having been at the forefront of gossip for years, Bi Biba instinctively felt that this dull girl from Class B was a bit off. However, she knew how close Ruan Yubai was to her. Furthermore, in that conversation, Lin Yi had consistently expressed trust in Xiaobai. Bi Biba could not use her baseless suspicions to drive a wedge between the childhood friends.

So, in the end, when she faced her friend’s clear, beautiful eyes, Bi Biba swallowed her doubts and said no more.

If the Bi Biba of that moment could have predicted what would happen today, she would have ignored all propriety and told Ruan Yubai to cut ties with Lin Yi immediately. She would have told her to run away from this poisonous childhood friend as fast as possible.

But even if she had known, you cannot guard against a madwoman.

When the weather is bad, a person’s mood becomes gloomy as well. Ruan Yubai thought she had made herself extremely clear, but she still had to repeat the same things.

“I think I have said it many times. This slot cannot be transferred.” When Ruan Yubai was cornered in the classroom, she began to regret how slowly she had packed her bag.

If she did not pack so leisurely every time, she would not have been the last one left, and she would not have been blocked by Lin Yi.

The power system at Lawrence was having issues today. Ruan Yubai could only use the dim natural light from the window to stuff her last workbook into her bag. She tried her best to speak in a calm tone. “Do you think I do not want to transfer the slot?”

“I am not here for that.” The other girl sat closer, her voice tight and heavy. “There will be many Alphas at the Super A Sports Meet. It is not impossible that some have unusual tastes. They might not like delicate Omegas who can bear children, but instead fall for a Beta on the field. They might even get married right after the competition because of the suspension bridge effect. You must have heard of such things.”

The light in the room was too dim. It was so gray that Ruan Yubai could not see Lin Yi’s expression. But that did not stop her from feeling annoyed. “What does that have to do with me? Besides, what is wrong with an Alpha and a Beta being together? It is a normal relationship, but you make it sound so strange.”

There were only two people in the classroom, but Ruan Yubai suddenly noticed an unfamiliar scent. It carried an aggressive edge that made her uncomfortable. If she did not know Lin Yi was also a Beta, she might have mistaken her for an Alpha.

Lin Yi paused for a second, her voice becoming slightly gentler. “I am just afraid some Alphas will take an interest in you. You know, some people have very perverted tastes.”

Giving a dry “oh,” Ruan Yubai asked, “Sister Lin Yi, is there anything else?”

“Although it has never been said explicitly, you actually like me very much, do you not, Yubai? Being noticed by other Alphas is not your fault, and I will not blame you for your shifting affections. After all, who would not admire an Alpha?”

The question made no sense at all. However, as Lin Yi pressed closer, Ruan Yubai took an uncomfortable step back. Frowning, she asked, “Sister Lin Yi, are you sick?”

A searing body temperature radiated from the other girl’s forehead. Even from a distance, Ruan Yubai could faintly sense the heat.

This was not just a common illness.

Closing the distance, Ruan Yubai finally saw the other’s flushed face. Her usually gentle, curved eyes were filled with tiny blood vessels. A strange, thick pheromone scent escaped with every breath, filling the air with a deep, heavy smell.

But where would a Beta get pheromones?

A terrifying realization began to emerge.

Lin Yi leaned over, her fingers stroking the girl’s clear cheek. She gave a low laugh. “If I were an Alpha, you would not fall for anyone else, right?”

Despite being childhood friends for years, Ruan Yubai felt a sense of danger in that moment. The touch of skin made her shiver, and goosebumps rose on her back. She instinctively took a step back. “You are sick. We are going to the hospital.”

Lin Yi acted as if she could not hear. She stepped even closer. The gloomy sky outside cast a dark shadow over the unlit room. At any moment, thunderous clouds might roll in.

Lin Yi took another step. The thick pheromone scent was practically pressing against Ruan Yubai’s nose and ears. “Xiaobai, let me mark you. I will take responsibility for you.”

With a bang, the wind roared outside the window. At that moment, the classroom door slammed shut, cutting off all possibility of contact with the outside world.

Support After Dumping the Female Lead, It’s My Turn to Cry