After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently - Chapter 32

The evening deepened. The sunset faded slowly, like waves washing over a shore, gradually losing its fiery glow.

Chi Yan returned from the drink cooler, holding the beverages she had picked out. She had waited in line for a while, and by the time she got back, the smell of grilled food was already warm and welcoming.

“Perfect timing,” Chi Yan said with a smile as she placed the drinks on the table.

The beer foamed up, forming a soft white cap over the rim of the glass. Across from her, bubbles quietly rose in the carbonated drink.

The cold glass bottle touched the heat of the skewers and immediately became coated in a thin layer of mist.

Yan Youqing’s fingertips brushed the cool condensation as her eyes lingered on Chi Yan’s beer glass.

“Kids only get to drink soda. Adults are the ones who drink beer.”

Suddenly, a playful voice sounded in her ear. Yan Youqing looked up and saw Chi Yan resting her chin on her hand, smiling as she took a slow sip of her drink on purpose.

Her lips were slightly wet, glistening under the bright light.

The beer wasn’t strong at all, but there was a faint flush in Chi Yan’s cheeks. Her dark eyes narrowed slightly in amusement, and her thick lashes cast soft shadows over her cheeks. There was a bold charm in her relaxed posture.

For a moment, something stirred in Yan Youqing’s memory, as if time had briefly reversed. She blinked slowly, dazed.

Her heart beat in rhythm with the lively noise of the people around them, and she let it race freely. Without saying a word, she picked up one of the skewers in front of her.

Chi Yan assumed her silence was a sign of surrender and grinned proudly. She looked down and picked up a skewer for herself.

As the beer continued to foam and rise, she took another sip and bit into the grilled meat. She felt completely content.

Just as she was about to speak, she noticed that across the table, there were only three or four skewers on Yan Youqing’s plate and a single clean napkin placed beside them.

Yan Youqing ate slowly, chewing with care. Her behavior stood out completely from the noisy, chaotic surroundings.

The metal skewers had a faint black char at the tips. Chi Yan watched as Yan Youqing picked up a napkin and carefully wiped the end of a skewer. She frowned.

“You’re missing the whole point. Barbecue isn’t meant to be eaten that way. You’re supposed to take big bites. That’s how you enjoy it.”

Yan Youqing looked up at her and calmly said, “Your face is red from the alcohol.”

“I’m just hot,” Chi Yan replied quickly. “Don’t try to change the subject. Come on, take a big bite. Trust me, it’ll change the way you see this.”

Then she showed a rare bit of Alpha assertiveness, picked up a lamb skewer, and held it out to Yan Youqing.

Yan Youqing hesitated. But when she saw the eager light in Chi Yan’s eyes, she paused and finally reached out to take the skewer from her hand.

This time, she let go of her usual restraint. She glanced at the people around them, then took a big bite just like they did.

The spices completely covered the gamey taste of the lamb. A strange but delicious flavor instantly filled her mouth. It was overwhelming but deeply satisfying.

It felt like she had stepped into an entirely different world.

And Chi Yan was already standing in that world.

Chi Yan leaned in, smiling. “So? How was it?”

Yan Youqing hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Not bad. Better than how I was eating it before.”

Hearing that, Chi Yan lit up with pride. Her grin became wide and carefree.

“Of course it is. Not everything has to follow the rules. So? Do you feel a little guilty now for being so strict with me all the time?”

Yan Youqing lowered her eyes slightly and gave a quiet reply. “Hmm.”

It was the first time she had ever admitted anything like that, and maybe it was the alcohol, but it made Chi Yan feel incredibly happy.

She looked at her and said with a smile, “You always seem so cold and distant, but you’re actually kind of interesting.”

“Is that right?” Yan Youqing responded, a flicker of emotion passing through her eyes. She picked up the glass bottle beside her.

Chi Yan frowned immediately. “Don’t drink alone. Come on, a toast. To our rare moment of peaceful friendship.”

The lights shimmered above them, and a breeze passed through, softening the warmth in the air.

Yan Youqing listened to the slightly tipsy tone in Chi Yan’s voice and reached out with her bottle.

The rim of her bottle, faintly marked with a lip print, clinked gently against Chi Yan’s glass. In the midst of all the noise around them, the sound was clear and light.

Up above, the moon aligned perfectly with a streetlamp. Its pale, clean light instantly outshone the artificial glow below.

Chi Yan couldn’t even remember the last time she had felt this relaxed. She was slightly drunk, and on the way home, she looked up at the sky and said dreamily, “The moon looks so round tonight.”

Yan Youqing walked on the outer side of the sidewalk, gently steadying Chi Yan, whose steps wavered slightly.

“Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival,” she reminded her.

Chi Yan thought for a moment. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I’ll be home. Doing homework,” Yan Youqing replied calmly.

Chi Yan groaned in protest. “That sounds so boring.”

“It is,” Yan Youqing agreed. “But what can I do?”

The cool night breeze carried a salty scent as it passed through the trees, gently lifting strands of her long hair.

Her tone was light, as if she was making fun of herself. But her words also felt like she was quietly offering something, like a question handed out with care.

Chi Yan seemed to think of something. She suddenly grabbed Yan Youqing’s wrist.

“Let’s go watch the moon. My dad isn’t coming home tonight, so I don’t have to be back early.”

Her palm was warm from the alcohol, and that warmth rushed through Yan Youqing’s skin, rising all the way to her head.

Chi Yan sounded so excited, so sincere, it was impossible to say no. And Yan Youqing didn’t want to.

So, she brought Chi Yan up to the rooftop of her house.

The rooftop of the three-story villa gave them a clear view of the whole neighborhood. The green leaves of summer had been trimmed back by the arrival of fall, and Chi Yan felt completely at ease.

She had the sudden urge to light a cigarette or maybe just have some candy.

“Here.”

Just as she had the thought, Yan Youqing pulled out a lollipop from somewhere and handed it to her.

Chi Yan was surprised but accepted it anyway.

The pink stick turned slowly in her fingers as she looked out at the neighborhood. Rows of small box-like homes broke the stretch of green below.

“So from up here, our row of townhouses looks tiny,” Chi Yan said with a curious smile. Then she pointed to a distant square building. “Is that Xu Minxue’s house?”

Yan Youqing followed her gaze and gave a calm reply. “Yes.”

Chi Yan was clearly a little drunk. Her voice had lost its usual confidence and sounded almost childlike.

She held her cup gently and leaned in closer, speaking like she was sharing a big secret.

“Don’t let him find out. He’ll think you trimmed these trees just to make your view better.”

Yan Youqing glanced at Chi Yan, then at the trees beside her house, neatly trimmed at the top. Her voice was soft, even innocent.

“But I did do it on purpose.”

Her words had another meaning beneath them, but Chi Yan didn’t pick up on it.

Instead, she became more serious.

“Even if you did, you can’t say that. What if he finds out? He’ll never stop bothering you again.”

“You have to protect yourself. Don’t give other Alphas a chance, understand?”

“Yes,” Yan Youqing replied softly, nodding with focus.

Then she looked at the Alpha standing in front of her and added, “I won’t let a second Alpha find out.”

“That’s more like it,” Chi Yan said with a satisfied nod.

Maybe because they were standing higher up, the moon hung low in the sky. It felt close enough to reach with just a stretch of the hand.

Chi Yan leaned against the railing, letting go of the previous conversation as her thoughts drifted again.

“The moon is really round tonight,” she said with a quiet sigh.

“Do you think it’ll be even brighter and rounder at midnight?”

Yan Youqing shook her head. “No. It’ll be a little dimmer.”

Chi Yan frowned, looking disappointed.

Yan Youqing glanced at her, confused by her reaction.

Was she acting childish because of the alcohol?

Before she could figure it out, Chi Yan’s voice returned, carried by the breeze. It swept away all of her questions.

“I thought the moon would get rounder. That way someone would be there to watch it with you on Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Chi Yan rested her chin on the railing, looking up at the moon.

Her voice was clear and serious, and the frown Yan Youqing had found childish was now softened by the quiet moonlight.

Yan Youqing heard her clearly. She felt her heart skip a beat.

And with it, her carefully built calm began to slip.

It was strange how pheromones, meant to be the coldest kind of intoxication, didn’t seem to affect Chi Yan like that.

She was clearly drunk, yet the things she said in that moment were more touching than anything she had said while sober.

A gust of wind passed by, making the leaves tremble with a rustling sound.

A trace of tequila scent drifted onto Yan Youqing’s shoulder. It was Chi Yan’s pheromone, distinct and undeniable.

But it wasn’t like Xu Minxue’s uncontrolled, overwhelming surge.

Even drunk, Chi Yan’s pheromone was not forceful or aggressive. It was warm and gentle, quietly surrounding the one she wanted to protect.

“I’m pretty great, right?”

Chi Yan smiled at her under the hazy moonlight.

Strands of hair danced around her face. That smile had an innocent charm to it, as if all the tension and friction that once existed between them had never happened. As if Chi Yan was just another friend, like Zhong Yi and the others.

Yan Youqing didn’t try to hide her feelings. Her gaze softened as she nodded lightly.

“You are.”

“Very good,” Chi Yan said, pleased.

The next morning, a few clouds drifted across the sky, dimming the sunlight.

Birdsong replaced the summer cicadas and echoed crisply through the quiet villa neighborhood.

Chirping filled the air.

“Chirp chirp… chirp chirp…”

It was unclear whether the sparrows were holding some sort of morning meeting, but the nonstop, close chirping made Chi Yan frown in her sleep.

She opened her eyes reluctantly, feeling annoyed. She was about to look out the window when she realized something wasn’t right.

She wasn’t in her own room.

The breeze brushed gently across her skin. Fresh air filled the large terrace where she lay.

Chi Yan blinked slowly, dazed. She couldn’t remember what had happened the night before. She tried to lift her head to look around but felt a stiffness in her neck. Whatever she had been resting on was a little too firm.

She turned her head to the side, still groggy, and her pupils suddenly widened.

The thing she had been sleeping on was none other than Yan Youqing’s shoulder.

She had fallen asleep leaning on her.

Chi Yan’s eyes widened in shock as she quickly sat up and pulled away.

The lollipop stick she had been holding fell onto the wooden floor, making a faint sound. At the same time, she felt something heavier slipping from her shoulders.

Without thinking, she reached out and caught it.

The soft texture of the fabric pressed into her palm. It was warm and delicate.

She looked down and saw that it was a coral fleece blanket. It must have been placed over her by Yan Youqing after she fell asleep.

The rooftop terrace was connected to the third-floor lounge. Through the glass sliding door, sunlight streamed into Chi Yan’s field of vision.

She knew someone like Yan Youqing wouldn’t be able to carry her. It would have been easy for her to go back inside to sleep comfortably on her own.

But she hadn’t.

The autumn nights were cooler than in summer, enough to make someone catch a cold.

Did she stay just to keep me company?

The morning light spilled gently over Yan Youqing’s face, softening her usually distant features.

Even in sleep, she looked composed. Her face rested slightly against the lounge chair’s backrest, and the faint roundness in her cheeks added an unexpectedly cute touch.

Chi Yan watched quietly.

Maybe this girl wasn’t so unlikable after all.

Chi Yan kept that thought quietly to herself.

She didn’t know when exactly things had changed, but somehow, she had stopped seeing Yan Youqing as just an enemy.

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