After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently - Chapter 34

The sports field was filled with people and buzzing noise.

A tossed water bottle flew past and nearly hit the back of Yan Youqing’s head, only grazing the tip of her shoe before hitting the ground.

The sunlight stung her eyes, making her dazed as she stared at the bottle on the ground. The scent of tequila spread from the person who had suddenly pulled her out of the way, wrapping tightly around her trembling body, shoulder to arm.

It was Chi Yan.

The boy who had thrown the bottle probably realized he had gone too far. He rushed over quickly and tried to downplay the situation.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. It slipped.”

Chi Yan didn’t buy it. A rare flicker of anger flashed in her eyes, and she kept her protective stance in front of Yan Youqing, looking down at him as she retorted, “Slipped? You really expect me to believe a bottle accidentally flew all the way from that side to the field? With aim like that, maybe you should be in the shot put event.”

Her voice was cold and sharp, edged with a distinct Alpha authority.

Yan Youqing looked up at Chi Yan beside her. In those normally calm and detached eyes, she caught a glint of anger.

The boy was clearly shaken. Clutching the water bottle, he stammered, “I… I didn’t mean to, really…”

Just then, the class monitor stepped up to Yan Youqing’s other side, clearly nervous.

“Are you alright, Youqing?”

“I’m fine,” Yan Youqing replied. Her voice was steady, just like usual, but the tremble in her breath gave away her shaken state. That quiet tone landed softly in Chi Yan’s ear.

“You sure? You don’t look so good,” the monitor pressed gently.

Yan Youqing shook her head again.

Chi Yan’s gaze darkened as it remained locked on the boy. She was about to say more when she suddenly felt her sleeve being tugged.

The hand that brushed against her skin was slightly cool.

It was Yan Youqing.

Chi Yan turned and instantly understood. She swallowed her next words and instead gave a pointed warning.

“If this is your idea of flirting, try again. Don’t let me see it happen next time.”

The boy nodded quickly, mumbling promises as he grabbed his bottle and hurried away.

Chi Yan watched him with visible disgust, then turned to the class monitor.

“You should head back. What if your class is looking for you and can’t find you?”

The monitor was surprised. It sounded like Chi Yan was planning to stay with Yan Youqing.

She had no idea when these two, who had been known to clash for two whole years, suddenly started getting along.

But her phone buzzed with several messages, and she had to leave. She gave a few quick reminders and jogged away.

Yan Youqing watched the monitor disappear into the crowd. Her fingers slowly let go of Chi Yan’s sleeve.

Together, they walked to a quiet spot beneath the stands, standing side by side in the shade.

Chi Yan leaned casually against the wall, her voice playful.

“Sure you’re okay? Want me to release a little scent to steady you?”

“I’m much better,” Yan Youqing replied. Her voice was calmer now as she looked down at the busy sports field in front of them.

The wind ran wild, carrying all sorts of scents in every direction. She was the most selfish among them.

Chi Yan found her behavior a little strange. She had just clung to her like that, insisting she stay.

But just as she was about to speak, the bright red armband on Yan Youqing’s sleeve caught her eye. Chi Yan frowned instantly.

“Seriously, don’t you know your own condition? The whole field is filled with Alpha pheromones these days, and you’re walking around alone. Do you really like being on the discipline committee that much? Enough to ignore your health?”

Her words came out quickly, slightly scolding, laced with a bit of frustration.

Which only made Yan Youqing’s soft apology sound even more delicate.

“Sorry.”

The autumn breeze felt colder in this corner, enough to make someone shiver.

Yan Youqing leaned against the wall too. Her slender shoulders rested against the rough surface, making her look even more fragile.

The sun barely touched this part of the stands. Light couldn’t quite cut through the atmosphere between them.

A moment ago, Chi Yan had been annoyed, thinking she’d just leave her here and walk away.

But when she turned and saw that familiar cool profile with a hint of hidden vulnerability, she suddenly felt her words might have been too harsh.

Back on the track, students had gathered to watch the 1500-meter race. Noise filled every part of the field again.

Chi Yan stayed quiet. She lifted her hand and gently removed the red armband from Yan Youqing’s arm. Her tone softened.

“I get it. This is your responsibility. But I’m keeping this for now. You can learn to slack off for a couple days.”

Maybe it was the Alpha blood in her. Her fingertips were warm, burning through the light fabric of the summer uniform like sparks catching fire.

Yan Youqing’s eyes, usually downcast, lit up in that moment.

A flicker of joy.

For the first time, she didn’t mind letting someone else take charge.

Out on the track, a group had just finished the 1500-meter prelims. In the sunlight, an Omega handed the first-place Alpha a bottle of water.

Chi Yan squinted into the brightness, then looked at the armband in her hand. An odd idea popped into her mind.

She turned her head slightly toward Yan Youqing and tilted her chin.

“Hey, Yan Youqing. Let’s make a bet. If I come first in the three-thousand tomorrow, you have to bring me a bottle of water too. Deal?”

Chi Yan’s tone was so direct that it almost didn’t feel romantic.

The shadows half-covered Yan Youqing’s face. Her cold gaze softened slightly under the light as she nodded.

“Alright.”

Even if the clueless girl in front of her just wanted to see an old rival lower her head, she was willing.

She would give it sweetly and gladly.

Or maybe it wasn’t such a bitter thing at all.

“If the class monitor can do it, why can’t she?”

The 3000-meter girls’ Alpha race began on schedule the next morning. It was the kind of event that started slow, so not many people gathered at first.

But one of the runners had recently differentiated into an S-class Alpha. That alone drew quite a bit of attention.

For Chi Yan, it was the first time in her life she had ever been in the spotlight like this.

Before she even had time to feel nervous, the starting gun fired.

Chi Yan moved toward the inner lane like the other Alpha competitors, joining the front pack led by professional athletes from the sports class.

But she was different from the rest. Her S-class advantage allowed her to stay right behind the lead runner even as the second and third laps began to separate the group. Very few managed to keep up, but she was one of them.

On the rubber track, the runners began to scatter into uneven clusters, forming a loose and chaotic pattern.

By the sixth lap, only Chi Yan and the lead sports student remained in the front.

Chi Yan kept her rhythm steady. As she ran, she noticed Yan Youqing standing among their classmates, holding a bottle of chilled mineral water.

Chi Yan didn’t even know what she was happy about. But the excitement of the race made it hard for her to control her expression. Her lips curved up in a small, careless smile, visible to everyone watching.

“Who is that girl? What’s she smiling about?”

“That’s Chi Yan. She’s the one who recently differentiated into an S-class Alpha.”

“That’s S-class? She looks like a monster. Since when did the elite class have someone like her?”

The sports class, who had dominated the school sports meet for years, never expected such a competitor to appear.

And to make it worse, she was from the elite academic class, the same one that had come in last for two years straight.

Chi Yan heard the comments as she ran past. She immediately felt annoyed.

She never thought of herself as someone who cared about school pride. She was often late, sometimes skipped class, and frequently clashed with the discipline committee. But for some reason, those words stung when they reached her ears.

She decided she had to beat them and show them what she could do.

While the sports students were still discussing nervously, they felt a sudden gust of wind rush past.

It took them a moment to realize that the wind had been caused by the girl who had been trailing their star runner just moments before.

Chi Yan had suddenly accelerated. What once seemed like a gap between her and the lead runner closed rapidly. Soon, she was running side by side with the girl they called “Super Sister.”

Super Sister was shocked to see Chi Yan catch up. She had only been jogging casually, treating the race as a game. But now, she became serious and started swinging her arms and picking up speed.

Chi Yan was not about to give up. Fueled by a fierce determination, she stayed right behind her, an unshakable threat.

When Super Sister sped up, Chi Yan matched her.

The two of them pushed harder and harder, leaving the third-place runner nearly half a lap behind.

“Super Sister, hold on. Don’t let her pass you!”

“Come on, Chi Yan! Keep going!”

“Push forward! Take first place!”

Somehow, the once dull and repetitive long-distance race had become exciting. More and more people were watching. The cheers were getting louder.

The sports students were desperate. To them, being beaten by someone from an ordinary class was unacceptable. They had to win, and many were silently hoping Chi Yan would fall behind.

Super Sister gave it everything she had. But she had forgotten one important thing. She had not taken the race seriously at first, and that meant she had not warmed up properly.

The sudden burst of speed pushed her body too far. Her legs, unprepared and stiff, began to falter. She stumbled and nearly lost her balance.

Chi Yan was right behind her. They were too close. Before Chi Yan could react, Super Sister’s leg swung across her blind spot. She tripped and fell hard.

“Chi Yan!”

“A-Yan!”

Panic spread through the elite class watching from the side.

Several classmates even tried to run onto the track to help her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Li Qin shouted, stopping them immediately. “This is still a race. If you all rush in, how will the runners behind get through?”

Her voice was sharp and commanding, just like always. But this time, her eyes were filled with worry as she stared at the track.

Everything seemed to pause for a moment, though the noise never fully stopped.

Chi Yan lay on the ground, stunned. Her whole body ached, especially her elbow. The pain was sharp and intense.

Someone came to check on her and tried to help her off the track, suggesting she withdraw from the race and rest. But Chi Yan refused to leave like this.

Even with all the noise around her, she clearly heard the sound of footsteps passing by and fading into the distance. The third-place runner had already caught up and passed her.

Chi Yan watched the runner disappear ahead. Then, out of the crowd, she saw Yan Youqing appear.

It was strange. Everyone wore the same school uniform, but Yan Youqing still stood out. Somehow, she was always easy to spot.

Her expression remained calm and distant, just like always.

She wasn’t sure if it was because the midday sun was too dazzling, but even Chi Yan’s pitch-black eyes, deep enough to swallow all color, seemed touched with golden light.

Chi Yan kept staring. The cheers around her rose and fell in waves, loud and chaotic, yet she could hear that person’s voice clearly through the silence in her heart, speaking to her with just a glance.

She said, “Keep going.”

At that moment, Chi Yan’s foot, which had been about to cross the outer white line of the inner lane with the help of someone else, suddenly stopped.

She had not received that bottle of water yet.

When you’re young, there is always a certain stubbornness that others cannot understand. It was this very stubbornness that made Chi Yan refuse to leave the track.

She pressed her pale lips tightly together and stood back up, returning to the track and chasing after the girl who had just overtaken her, the new first-place runner.

“Chi Yan, you’re amazing!”

“Go, Chi Yan!”

“You’re the coolest, Chi Yan!”

Her classmates exploded with excitement at her move. Their cheers became deafening shouts, and her name echoed across every corner of the sports field, wild and full of passion.

Although Super Sister had been taken off the field and Chi Yan lost a major rival, the physical toll from their earlier duel had drained her strength. She no longer had enough energy to catch up to the new leader.

In the end, she finished in second place.

But that was enough.

There was no red finish line tape wrapped around her, but her classmates surrounded her in triumph. That was her true victory.

Zhong Yi was the fastest to rush over. She caught Chi Yan in her arms, both excited and worried, and asked quickly, “A-Yan, you were amazing. I’ve never seen anyone fall and still get back up like that. Are you okay?”

“If I didn’t get up, was I supposed to roll off the track?” Chi Yan gave her a crooked smile.

She could taste the metallic tang of blood at the back of her throat. Leaning against Zhong Yi, she said, “I’m fine… but I think I might need to visit the school clinic.”

“It doesn’t look too serious,” said Li Qin, her voice firm but softer than usual. “Zhong Yi, take her there. No matter what the doctor says, call me right after.”

Zhong Yi opened her mouth to say she didn’t have a phone, but Li Qin cut her off.

“I know all of you have phones. I won’t punish you. Just go.”

Zhong Yi was stunned. She could hardly believe her ears.

Li Qin’s expression remained stern, just like always. Zhong Yi quickly nodded and helped Chi Yan toward the school clinic.

Fortunately, Chi Yan wasn’t badly injured. Super Sister had cushioned her fall somewhat. Her left elbow was scraped, but that was the worst of it.

In the end, it was a blessing in disguise.

The doctor applied disinfectant. While Zhong Yi went to pick up the medicine and call Li Qin, Chi Yan was left alone in the infirmary.

The strong smell of antiseptic filled the room. It settled quietly on Chi Yan’s shoulders like a silent companion, keeping her company in her solitude.

The sun hung high at the center of the sky, casting its light directly into the room.

Chi Yan’s eyes drifted to the window, staring blankly at some distant point. Her mind, which had been overwhelmed during the race, was now a tangled mess.

Was Yan Youqing watching her while she ran?

When she fell, did Yan Youqing feel nervous too?

It was strange. How could just one glance from her suddenly give Chi Yan so much strength?

What a pity. She could have taken first place. Then maybe Yan Youqing would have handed her the water herself.

Thoughts filled her head like a knotted ball of yarn. And just like that, it felt as though a cat had jumped in and started playing with the threads, making the mess even worse.

It was exhausting.

Just then, something cool pressed gently against Chi Yan’s cheek.

A tall figure blocked the sunlight on one side. The scent of sea salt and morning dew seemed to fall quietly on her shoulder.

Yan Youqing had arrived. Without a word, she placed the water bottle in Chi Yan’s hand and pressed it against her face.

Chi Yan frowned. “What are you doing? I didn’t even get first place.”

The cool plastic bottle pressed against her cheek, and her expression twisted slightly in discomfort.

Yan Youqing stood beside her, calmly meeting her gaze. Her tone was steady and clear.

“But to me, you are in first place.”

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