After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently - Chapter 53

Blood streaked across Chi Yan’s vision, overlapping with the light shining in from outside.

Like a memory replaying itself, the scene unfolded before her eyes. At last, Chi Yan understood why she had always been so sensitive to Yan Youqing’s pheromones.

She had once experienced that scent in the most vivid and unforgettable way.

The agony of her differentiation tore through her nerves like crashing waves surrounding her.

A cool gentleness wrapped around her, sharing the pain that kept building in her body. At the same time, it awakened a longing she had never known before.

The Alpha’s sharp teeth pierced her delicate skin. Her clean white shirt was bunched at her elbows, creased and wrinkled.

Her loosely tied hair slipped from the Omega’s shoulder. Her slender neck arched high, trembling slightly.

Chi Yan looked like a creature overcome by endless hunger. Her eyes turned crimson as she absorbed the Omega’s pheromones, desperately seeking relief from the torment burning inside her.

The scent of tequila spread wildly in the air. A cool breeze passed through the broken glass and spilled chemicals on the floor, landing in Chi Yan’s burning palm.

She felt her tightly clenched fingers being gently pried open by another hand. Their ten fingers locked together, and the soft motion comforted the ache in her chest.

It no longer mattered whether another explosion might go off outside. As long as this Omega was with her, Chi Yan felt safe.

It was like the waves washing onto the shore under the soft light of morning. They were gentle and cool, brushing against her legs and easing the fear inside her.

The anxiety caused by her differentiation slowly faded. Even the blood-streaked light in her vision began to clear.

Chi Yan’s thoughts slowly returned as the distant blasts continued to rumble. She knew this explosion could be fatal. There was no guarantee she would survive. Even so, she desperately wanted to know who this Omega was, the one who had rushed into danger to save her.

Blood and light mixed around her. Hot, unsteady breaths brushed past her ears. The face that had always been veiled in her dreams was finally becoming clear.

The fog lifted. In those misty, emotional eyes was a coldness that once filled this space.

That familiar pride made Chi Yan recognize her instantly. This was the person who had entered the danger without hesitation, even allowing herself to be marked just to save her.

Yan Youqing.

The Omega was Yan Youqing.

“Then never leave me again.”

The words Yan Youqing once spoke to her in the grove behind their school echoed in Chi Yan’s ears.

It was like a series of locks clicking into place. Everything connected inside her mind.

That promise of “never again” was not about the small argument they once had.

It was about the death that had separated them both in the explosion, when neither had survived.

Chi Yan had thought she understood everything. She believed the “long-planned” remark from Yan Youqing referred to the shadow that fell beside her on that day.

But in truth, Yan Youqing’s plan had started long before. It had stretched through time itself.

Even when Chi Yan was still a Beta, unnoticed and unwanted by any Alpha or Omega.

“How is Uncle?” Yan Youqing’s calm voice rang beside Chi Yan’s ear.

Chi Yan came back to reality, shaken from the memory she had just recovered. She shook her head.

“Not good.”

Fear, like a thick sandstorm, fell over her. It pressed down heavily on her heart.

She was truly afraid. Even though she had been reborn, she might not be able to change Chi Xufeng’s fate from the past.

But Yan Youqing’s hand was like a breeze that parted the clouds. It was cool, yet carried a comforting warmth as it held hers tightly.

“It’s alright. We just have to get out. I already called the emergency number.”

Chi Yan nodded. With Yan Youqing’s help, she lifted Chi Xufeng onto her back.

“Dad, stay with me. This time, I swear I’ll get you out.”

Her breathless words reached Chi Xufeng, who drifted between wakefulness and unconsciousness. He opened his eyes slightly and looked at the daughter he and his late wife had cherished most. His tired eyes were filled with sorrow and deep attachment.

The world around them remained unstable. Low rumbles echoed like the calm before a storm.

Yan Youqing supported Chi Xufeng from the side, easing Chi Yan’s burden as they moved quickly. Suddenly, she felt his hand grasp hers.

Realizing something, Yan Youqing turned and looked at him.

His eyes were dark and dim, full of exhaustion. He stared at her, as if he wanted to speak. But his injuries were too severe, and he could only hold her hand tightly.

Yan Youqing understood. Chi Xufeng was entrusting Chi Yan to her.

She shook her head gently, her voice steady and calm.

“I’m sorry, Uncle. I can’t agree to that.”

“No one can take your place in Chi Yan’s heart. If you want her to live without guilt, then stay alive. Come out with us.”

Chi Yan heard Yan Youqing’s voice from the side and felt her chest tighten. She quickened her pace.

“Dad, what are you doing? Don’t you dare give up, do you hear me?”

“Yanyan… everyone dies eventually,” Chi Xufeng said weakly. His voice was faint and fading.

“But it shouldn’t be like this,” Yan Youqing quickly said. “There’s less than a month left until the college entrance exam. Can you really feel at ease letting Chi Yan walk into that exam alone? What if she doesn’t do well? What will she do afterward, all by herself?”

“But isn’t she still going to end up at the School of Life Sciences?” Chi Xufeng replied.

His voice, nearly drowned out by the sound of approaching footsteps and rumbling noises, made both Chi Yan and Yan Youqing freeze for a moment.

“This is a project I’ve been working on for more than ten years,” he said slowly. “These conclusions couldn’t have been reached without building on the work of those who came before. One correct answer might be luck, but getting it right again and again isn’t coincidence.”

As he spoke, Chi Xufeng let out a deep breath, trying to sound relaxed.

“That’s why I’m happy. The future must have turned out well.”

This was something Chi Yan had dreamed of telling him countless times during sleepless nights. She had imagined the pride and joy it would bring. But now, hearing him say it himself, her heart was filled with something else entirely.

Tears swelled in her eyes and began to gather.

She shook her head, refusing to let him go without a reason to stay.

“No. No. If you really can’t make it, I’ll put this project aside forever. Dad, do you hear me?”

“Silly child.”

His voice came gently from behind her, touched with affection and a hint of reproach. The next moment, her shoulder suddenly dropped under his weight.

Night had fallen. Lights flashed across the grounds of the School of Life Sciences, breaking the stillness that once surrounded the building.

The explosion in the lab had been brought under control in time by the emergency responders who arrived quickly after the warning. Medical staff continued to wheel injured people from the building and lift them into waiting ambulances.

Red and blue lights reflected in Chi Yan’s eyes. A rose was shaken loose by the rush of vehicles, and its fragile petals were crushed into the muddy ground.

She stood there, staring at the ambulance driving farther and farther away. The words of the medical worker echoed in her ears.

“Miss, the ambulance is full. We’re heading out now. Don’t be scared. We’ll operate on your father as soon as possible.”

The wind stirred her loose ponytail. It also carried away the last faint breaths of Chi Xufeng that had lingered near the back of her neck.

Emotions were hard to describe. Worry and fear were tangled in her chest, but her face remained calm. She didn’t look panicked.

The night wind felt colder than any breeze in spring. Thick leaves blocked out the moonlight, and a chill crept through her bones.

Suddenly, Chi Yan felt something settle on her shoulders. It was warmer than the early summer night.

She turned and saw a blanket.

Yan Youqing had come back. They had been separated in the chaos earlier, but now she had returned.

“It’s alright. I already asked Auntie Song to arrange the best doctors to handle your father’s surgery. Everything will be fine.”

As she spoke, Yan Youqing gently reached out and tucked Chi Yan’s messy, bloodstained hair behind her ear.

Her fingers were cool as always, but also familiar.

The soft touch of her fingertips moved gently across Chi Yan’s temple and ear. It felt like the gentleness of melting snow, making Chi Yan’s heart tremble.

All around them, people shouted instructions and exchanged urgent words. Above them, the sky was dark and heavy.

Chi Yan, feeling the real presence of Yan Youqing at her side, said nothing. She simply leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

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