After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently - Chapter 43

The snow from the day before had covered the hotel’s entire back garden. From a distance, the scenery looked like a silver painting, quiet and pure beneath the moonlight.

Yan Youqing stood in the center of that pale stillness. Her long hair swayed gently in the wind. Perhaps because she had never had alcohol before, the strong liquor quickly warmed her cheeks and brows, tinting them with a soft, nearly invisible flush.

The rose rested in her palm, and the light reflected through the glass dome cast an indescribable glow over it, filled with subtle intimacy.

When Chi Yan heard Yan Youqing’s question, it was as though she had suddenly woken from a dream.

She stared at the Omega girl before her, who looked more captivating than the rose itself. In that moment, she realized just how suggestive her gift had been, especially coming from an Alpha.

Without thinking, Chi Yan rushed to deny it.

“No, no, it’s not what you think.”

Yan Youqing lifted her gaze slightly. Beneath lashes like black feathers, her dark eyes carried a subtle allure.

She had been drinking. Her usually calm voice now held a trace of haze, low and slightly magnetic.

“Then what do you think it is?”

Her lips were still tinted by the wine she had sipped. The soft pink glistened faintly under the moonlight, perfectly shaped and slightly parted, as if inviting something unspoken.

The scent of sea salt in her pheromones drifted unexpectedly into the lingering chill of wine, carried by the wind and brushing against Chi Yan’s lips.

Two completely different sensations had merged — the sharpness of alcohol and the coolness of sea breeze. Their contrast was intense, yet the result was surprisingly sweet, lingering on the edge of Chi Yan’s mouth.

Thump. Thump.

Chi Yan could hear the sudden pounding of her own heart and feel the heat rising slowly behind her ears.

She knew this wasn’t the instinctive response of an Alpha to an Omega. As she tried to make sense of it, she realized she could no longer think clearly.

“Yan Youqing, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

The voice broke the silence. Chen Niannian peeked through the curtain, interrupting them at the worst possible moment.

The emotion in Yan Youqing’s eyes faded in an instant. Her voice, still touched by the effects of alcohol, returned to its usual coolness.

“What is it?”

“It’s getting late. My mom messaged me to head home,” Chen Niannian said, looking a little shy. “Zhong Yi said she would walk me out.”

When Yan Youqing looked toward the banquet hall, she noticed a familiar silhouette behind Chen Niannian.

Zhong Yi stood quietly, her posture a little awkward, as if unsure how to explain that she was sneaking off for an early teenage romance right under Yan Youqing’s nose.

But Yan Youqing was no longer the school’s discipline officer. She didn’t make things difficult. She simply nodded and said gently, “Be safe on your way home.”

“Thanks.” Chen Niannian smiled and nodded, her eyes full of gratitude.

“Yan-jie, it’s getting late. I’m heading out too. Want to split a cab?” Wang Chuning called from behind the curtain as well.

She had eaten her fill of the five-star buffet and was ready to slip away before things got too formal.

Chi Yan hadn’t yet recovered from the erratic beating of her heart. At that moment, she felt like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Without thinking, she quickly replied, “Sure.”

She started walking toward Wang Chuning.

But just before she stepped off the balcony, Yan Youqing’s voice stopped her.

“I’ll have my driver take you both.”

Chi Yan had the urge to refuse, but before she could, Wang Chuning answered for her with a bright smile.

“Thanks, Youqing. That’s really kind of you.”

The crescent moon hung in the sky like a delicate ribbon. Even though it was already deep into the night, its glow had not faded.

The five of them descended from the rooftop to the hotel lobby. Chen Niannian lifted the hem of her dress as she stepped out of the elevator, and Zhong Yi walked beside her, carrying her clutch.

There was a small space between them. Only when the wind blew did their hair brush against each other.

They didn’t do anything overtly intimate, but their shy and innocent affection was easy to see.

From behind, Yan Youqing watched them quietly. When Chen Niannian turned and spoke to Zhong Yi, her eyes curved like a crescent moon.

For the first time, Yan Youqing felt something she had never felt before — a quiet kind of envy.

She had turned eighteen today too.

Even though Zhong Yi said she would walk her home, it was actually the car from Chen Niannian’s family that had come to pick her up.

Zhong Yi sat beside her in the car. Before the door closed, she turned around and waved smugly at her two Alpha friends.

Chi Yan and Wang Chuning, who had just been fed a mouthful of sugar, both swore they would get revenge once school resumed.

As the car drove off, Yan Youqing’s own car slowly pulled up in front of the hotel.

Wang Chuning gave a casual thank-you and climbed in.

Chi Yan paused. She glanced at Yan Youqing’s thin dress and hesitated before quietly saying, “Go back inside. It’s cold.”

Yan Youqing nodded.

“I’ll go in once you’re in the car.”

There was something restrained in her eyes, and the cool wind made her voice sound even more composed.

“Alright. I’m leaving now,” Chi Yan replied and got into the car.

Her voice was steady, though it carried a quiet tension she couldn’t hide.

The warmth from the alcohol had long since been swept away by the cold air. After their brief exchange, the night felt even quieter.

As Chi Yan sat in the car, Yan Youqing turned and walked back into the lobby, just as they had agreed.

The golden glow of the hotel receded in the window as the car pulled away.

Almost without thinking, Chi Yan turned back to look.

Yan Youqing’s figure was still graceful and upright. The light from the hall fell softly on her back, wrapping her in a hazy glow.

The hem of her pale blue dress swayed gently with her steps, painting the outline of wind under the bright lights.

It was exactly like the scene Chi Yan had dreamed of.

That night, after returning from the party, Chi Yan could not sleep at all.

She didn’t know whether it was the strength of the expensive alcohol or something else, but a restless feeling burned inside her. She was physically tired, but she tossed and turned all night.

Finally, at sunset the next evening, her energy seemed to run out. She lay down on the sofa bed in her study and closed her eyes.

Dreams always carried a kind of unreal feeling. Though it was winter, Chi Yan felt as if the world around her was burning hot like summer.

She kept walking forward, parting through heavy mist as if seeking the one thing that could soothe the heat.

She didn’t know how far she had gone when a bright light broke through the haze, like sunlight after a storm, revealing the path ahead.

The light didn’t come from above but from behind her, illuminating a dark sky like a curtain pulled aside.

Countless flowers bloomed on an intricately carved European balcony. Every petal shimmered with moonlight.

But none of them caught her attention as much as the person standing there.

Yan Youqing was still wearing her pale blue gown. The hem floated in the breeze and merged with the night itself.

She held the same wine glass from the banquet and looked directly at Chi Yan. But the moment their eyes met, she lowered her gaze and took a sip.

Everything looked exactly like it had the night before. Yet somehow, it also felt different.

The moon in the sky seemed smaller, as if an invisible string had pulled it back.

Before Chi Yan could understand what had changed, Yan Youqing’s face moved closer.

Her breath was soft and warm against Chi Yan’s lips. Her eyelashes, long and delicate, moved closer with every second.

The lips Chi Yan remembered as pale and reserved now glistened with the remnants of wine, more vivid and tempting than ever.

Yan Youqing’s eyes held a cool and captivating expression. Her long hair gently fell onto Chi Yan’s shoulder.

The scent of sea salt wrapped around them, and even the breeze seemed to carry a touch of tenderness.

Behind them, voices from the banquet hall continued, sounding both close and far. Close enough for Chi Yan to worry their intimacy might be seen, yet distant enough that she felt no fear, even if someone did see.

The night wind brushed softly through this quiet space. More and more strands of hair gathered on Chi Yan’s shoulder.

Yan Youqing had not said a word. Neither had Chi Yan.

But just through their gaze, Chi Yan knew.

This was going to be a kiss.

A kiss that belonged only to her.

Yan Youqing’s lips parted slightly. She stood tall in her pale blue dress, calm and graceful like a goddess on an altar.

Chi Yan felt like someone willing to give everything just to reach her, an Alpha who would risk it all for one touch.

The taste of tequila mixed with the sea breeze. The warmth of the alcohol softened the clarity in Yan Youqing’s eyes, adding a hint of allure.

Chi Yan stared at her, just inches away, watching as Yan Youqing lifted her head slowly. Her own gaze naturally dropped.

Just as they were about to kiss, a loud alarm pierced the moment.

“Beep. Your pheromone levels have exceeded the limit. Warning. Warning. Beep.”

Chi Yan froze. She looked up and noticed something different.

Underneath Yan Youqing’s pale blue gown, she wore a white shirt. The top button was gone. The collar had slipped slightly, revealing her smooth shoulder.

Something clicked in Chi Yan’s mind. She jolted as if she wanted to dive deeper into the dream.

But instead, she fell from the sofa with a thud.

The carpet softened the impact, but pain still shot through her body. She held her arms, frowning from the ache.

The alarm kept sounding. Only now did Chi Yan realize why she had been so restless that day.

Her first heat as an Alpha had begun.

The scent of tequila filled the study. The alarm blared like it wanted the world to know that the Chi family’s youngest daughter was experiencing her first sensitivity period.

Chi Yan was irritated. An S-class Alpha’s aggression during heat was no joke.

She casually reached for the sensor and gave it a light squeeze. The noise twisted and then fell silent, just as she wanted.

Her suppressant was in her bedroom. Dragging her aching body, she made her way there.

She steadied herself, injected the suppressant, and lay on the bed.

The scent of tequila stopped spreading. The air filtration system hummed heavily, overloaded.

Chi Yan ignored the noise. After the injection, she collapsed onto the bed.

Night had fully fallen. The clock on the wall had stopped working long ago.

She did not check her phone. She had no idea what time it was.

She stared at the ceiling. The cold white light burned into her eyes. It reflected the emptiness in her mind.

Her father was still working late at the institute. The house was silent.

A dog barked somewhere in the distance. Its voice drifted through the window, low and muffled.

Chi Yan had never felt this kind of loneliness before. It crept in and slowly swallowed her.

She knew that an Alpha’s sensitivity period was their most vulnerable time. The higher the rank, the more intense it was.

She was clearly stuck in that vulnerable state now.

The sheets twisted into a small whirlpool, curling around her body.

In the silence, she suddenly caught the faint scent of sea salt.

At the foot of the bed lay the black gauze dress she had worn the night before. It had been tossed aside and forgotten.

It was the only thing she had touched that still carried Yan Youqing’s scent.

Chi Yan remembered her dream. Her brows furrowed. She buried her face back into the sheets.

The night grew deeper. A thinner crescent moon hung in the sky.

The bright ceiling light cast her shadow on the window. Along with it was the soft reflection of the preserved rose in its glass dome.

Yan Youqing had not yet gone to sleep. She was still staring at the rose Chi Yan had given her.

Her dark lashes cast shadows over her eyes. Those deep, silent eyes looked like they were recalling something.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated on the desk.

She glanced at the screen and quickly stood up.

The message read:

Ayan: Look outside.

She stepped onto the balcony, the door sliding open with a soft sound that broke the quiet of the night.

Wearing only a thin sweater, Yan Youqing stood in the cold.

Down below, Chi Yan stood waiting, looking up at her.

Their eyes met. Chi Yan hesitated, then sent the message she had already typed.

Ayan: What if I told you I think I’ve become dependent on your pheromones too?

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