After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently - Chapter 50

A breeze drifted over the riverbank, carrying the faint scent of sea salt and morning dew into Chi Yan’s palm.

The pink sky painted even the quiet, rarely visited bridge in the gentle hues of spring. And standing right there beneath that beauty was Yan Youqing.

The sun hadn’t fully set yet. The lingering warmth of daylight shimmered in her usually calm, distant eyes. The wind picked up strands of her long, loose hair, teasing a few wisps across her face. Chi Yan’s gaze followed those strands and landed on her lips.

Dream and reality began to blur together. The setting sun lent Yan Youqing a softness Chi Yan had never seen before.

Just a hint of blush, not too obvious, yet enough to draw her eyes to the way Yan Youqing’s lips pressed together, quietly inviting and irresistibly delicate.

Chi Yan thought she might understand what Yan Youqing was hinting at, and her heart stirred with longing.

But doubt quickly followed. Maybe she was overthinking. Was it too soon for a kiss on their very first day together? Would it seem reckless or inappropriate?

Her emotional inexperience left her unsure and nervous.

She bit her lower lip lightly and, trying to act calm, asked, “What do you want?”

Right after the words left her mouth, she felt Yan Youqing’s fingers gently hook into hers.

Cool and steady, yet not without tension, their hands intertwined—ten fingers locked together.

It felt like an answer.

Chi Yan looked down at their linked hands and sighed quietly. So this was it. Maybe she was the only one who had wanted to kiss.

But before that disappointment could settle, the wind suddenly picked up from the river. The gust pressed their loose school uniforms against their bodies and unexpectedly pushed them closer.

The distance between them vanished in an instant.

Soft lips met hers, slow and gentle, like dropping a pinch of sea salt into a glass of tequila—sharp at first, then slowly melting into sweetness.

The kiss was brief, light like a dragonfly touching the surface of water, and then it was over.

Yan Youqing’s gaze held hers—clear, steady, and as pure as a fawn’s eyes.

Thump. Thump.

The world around them was quiet. All Chi Yan could hear was her heartbeat, loud and out of rhythm.

A string inside her mind snapped. The tension vanished.

So it wasn’t just her.

She wasn’t the only one who had wanted to kiss.

She stared into the eyes of the girl standing in front of her. The scent of an Omega’s pheromones lingered between them, subtle but intense like a wildfire. With that one kiss, it had ignited her entire world.

Even the sunset-colored light in her eyes had turned from soft pink to a deep, passionate red.

Their eyes met. Yan Youqing blinked slowly, a quiet nervousness hidden in her calm.

She had no idea if she had gone too far.

But then, the hands that had been quietly holding hers suddenly tightened.

In that moment, as Chi Yan looked at the girl who carried the scent, she loved the most, she made her decision.

She leaned in and kissed her again. This time, it was filled with tenderness, under the warm glow of the evening sun.

As the final semester of senior year sped by, May arrived in a blink. The college entrance exam was just one month away.

The summer heat crept closer with each passing day. Even the cicadas hiding beneath the soil were beginning to stir.

Morning sunlight poured gently through the curtains. The old, thin window glass couldn’t keep out the sound of birds. A few sparrows perched on the window grate, chirping loudly about their early finds.

The alarm was just about to go off when Chi Yan reached out and shut it down.

Still a bit groggy, she sat up in bed. Before she could complain about being woken by the birds, she heard the sound of the kitchen exhaust fan humming faintly.

Even though she had already been through senior year once, this still felt a little unfamiliar.

But strangely comforting.

This was a version of life Chi Yan had never experienced before—one where Chi Xufeng actually cared.

Last Friday, the school had hosted a parent-teacher meeting for senior students. Teacher Li Qin reminded parents of Alpha and Omega children to stay attentive and communicate with their kids. Stress, she warned, could trigger irregularities in pheromone cycles, which could be harmful just before exams.

Chi Xufeng took it very seriously.

The once workaholic, hands-on star researcher of the life sciences department had actually delegated some of his work, learned how to cook balanced meals from their neighbor, and began preparing two daily meals for Chi Yan with care and effort.

At first, Chi Yan wasn’t used to it.

But compared to the cold, silent home she used to return to, she now treasured this complete, all-around attention more than anything.

Still half-asleep, she walked out of her room in her school uniform and greeted the man busy in the kitchen.

“Morning, Old Chi. What are we having today?”

Chi Xufeng, proudly admiring the perfect golden crust on his ham, straightened his Hello Kitty apron and said, “Your favorite—thick ham and egg sandwich. Go wash up. Breakfast will be ready by the time you’re done.”

“Got it.” The smell of good food was always enough to wake her right up. Chi Yan turned around and headed toward the bathroom.

A neat swirl of tricolored toothpaste sat perfectly on her toothbrush. As she brushed, the foam grew, and she stared at her hand in the mirror.

Something suddenly crossed her mind, and she leaned halfway out the door.

“Hey, Old Chi, are you going downstairs with me later for work?”

Chi Xufeng paused, clearly confused, and set the plate down.

“Work? What are you talking about?”

“You told me to go get those study guides for you today. You’ve been nagging about it for days. You even reminded me last night before bed. Don’t tell me you forgot already?”

Chi Yan laughed a little when she saw he hadn’t actually forgotten. Then her voice turned more serious, though still light.

“And don’t disappear after that. I need to talk to you after school. If you’re not home, I’ll be mad.”

“Got it,” Chi Xufeng replied. He seemed used to his daughter constantly nagging in his ear. He drew out his words deliberately. “With all those workbook stores you listed, your old man has practically toured the entire City A. Where else could I possibly go? If I manage to come back before dinner, that would already be an achievement.”

As he spoke, the questions that had been bothering him surfaced again. He turned and asked, “What are you hiding, kid? Being all mysterious like this. And why do you insist on telling me after school?”

Chi Yan, as usual, offered no explanation. She simply said, “You will understand when the time comes. Just don’t go back on your word. Otherwise, after I finish the college entrance exams, I won’t donate any more of my serum for your research project.”

Chi Xufeng, hearing her casually threaten the key to his experiment, was not angry. He simply raised his hand and pointed in the air as if scolding her gently. “You really are something.”

“What about me? I am amazing,” Chi Yan replied, showing him a bright and radiant smile.

Chi Xufeng looked at her and sighed, both helpless and indulgent. Then he turned and went to the kitchen to get the rest of breakfast.

Morning light filled the kitchen and dining room with a fresh energy for the new day. Chi Yan watched his back as he walked into the kitchen. The smile in her eyes slowly turned into a firm determination.

Today was circled in red on her phone calendar. She was determined not to let Chi Xufeng go to the Institute of Life Sciences tonight.

Because on this same day in her previous life, her father had been caught in the aftermath of another research team’s accident. He did not survive.

This was why Chi Yan could not relax today.

Finally, after what felt like the hundredth time checking her phone’s contact list, the bell rang for the second-to-last class of the afternoon. It was self-study period.

The weather was still mild. The ceiling fans above the classroom were motionless. The only sounds were pages turning and pens writing quietly. It was calm and almost dull.

Chi Yan was working through a math problem to distract herself from her growing anxiety. But at some point, an odd heaviness settled in her chest. It felt like a storm was approaching. The air around her slowly became thick and suffocating.

She looked out the window.

The sky was a clear and brilliant blue. The summer sun was shining brightly.

There was no sign at all of any heavy rain.

Suddenly there was a loud crash.

A desk had fallen to the floor, breaking the silence in the classroom.

Chi Yan instinctively thought Zhong Yi had fallen asleep again.

But when she looked up, he was sitting properly at his desk, looking around in confusion.

Rain had fallen, but not from the sky. It was the pheromones of an Alpha in the classroom.

Just like their homeroom teacher Li Qin had warned at last week’s parent meeting. The top male student in their elite class had finally broken down under pressure and lost control of his pheromones.

The wave of uncontrolled pheromones spread like a storm, pressing heavily on everyone’s minds. The atmosphere became dangerously tense. One wrong move could push someone over the edge.

In an instant, several Omegas collapsed from the overwhelming scent.

That included Yan Youqing, who had just returned from the English teacher’s office.

There was a dull thud.

She had barely pushed the classroom door open when her legs gave out and she hit the bottom of the doorframe.

She could not explain what exactly the scent was, but the moment she smelled it, her body reacted strongly with discomfort.

Zhang Wu, who was sitting near the door, immediately stood up and tried to help. “Yan Youqing, let me take you to the infirmary.”

Yan Youqing wanted to get away from the scent, but that did not mean she wanted to be touched by another Alpha.

As soon as Zhang Wu reached out to help her, she stepped away from his hand.

“Thank you, but I am fine,” she said softly.

Her hand was still tightly gripping the door handle, her knuckles tense, as if she was trying to pull herself up with pure willpower.

But Zhang Wu did not want to miss the chance to act like a hero. Especially not in front of someone like Yan Youqing, who was seen as untouchable and elegant.

Just as he was about to insist on helping her, a sharp slap landed on the back of his hand.

“She said no. Did you not hear her?” Chi Yan’s voice was calm but cold, her eyes filled with hostility. Every Alpha nearby could feel the overwhelming presence of this S-Class Alpha.

The room froze. Everyone knew that Chi Yan and Yan Youqing were not exactly friends. With that cold glare and pressure, most people thought Chi Yan was about to humiliate Yan Youqing.

Zhang Wu, who had never liked Chi Yan, tried to stand his ground with a self-righteous expression. “Chi Yan, I know you and Yan Youqing do not get along. But you have been deskmates for a whole semester. You cannot just ignore her now.”

“Did I say I was ignoring her?” Chi Yan asked calmly.

Then, without another word, she picked up Yan Youqing in her arms.

The same Yan Youqing who had just rejected Zhang Wu now reached out on her own and wrapped her arms around Chi Yan’s neck. Her voice was quiet and soft, filled with a kind of fragile charm.

“Take me away,” she said.

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