From Trashy A to the Heiress’s Little Son-in-Law After the Idol Competition (GL, ABO) - Chapter 22.2

Though their numbers paled in comparison to Ji Yunuo and Chu Luo’s fans, Xiao Yanjin cherished their warm words.

Her chest tightened. Given the original host’s past behavior, even with the show’s redemption arc, she shouldn’t have this many supporters.

But this Xiao Yanjin wasn’t the original, she was herself now.

In her past life, all she’d ever wanted was for people to like and support her.

[PromiseAlwaysFlying: Sister Yanjin, did you really join the show for Sister Yunuo?]

It was time for the Q&A session.

The mere thought of Ji Yunuo made Xiao Yanjin’s heart ache slightly.

“Of course not! Actually, I entered the entertainment industry to make money. After all, you all know about my family situation.”

The Promise shippers’ hearts shattered instantly.

“But Sister Yunuo is genuinely kind. It’s not just me who likes her everyone does. Yunuo’s fans, you’ve really chosen the right idol to support!”

The previously aggressive fans who had been insulting Xiao Yanjin suddenly fell silent.

[PromiseAlwaysRunning: So when you two met through the blind date, you really had no feelings for each other? Was all that talk about chasing love and peace just a lie?]

In an instant, the Promise shippers dominated the conversation.

Xiao Yanjin: “…” She never imagined the shippers could be so relentless!

What kind of logic made them ship this pairing so obsessively?!

Though she had deliberately held Ji Yunuo’s hand multiple times before… Just thinking about it brought back memories of Ji Yunuo’s snow-white arms, the faint cool fragrance on her body, and that smooth, delicate touch.

[PromiseShippers: Something’s off! She’s blushing, she’s blushing!!]

Outside the livestream, Shi Zhengyi stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

She was also live-streaming.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can you believe someone actually asked me if I like He Rou? Why would I like her?” Shi Zhengyi scoffed.

Xiao Yanjin didn’t respond. Ever since Shi Zhengyi realized their CP with He Rou was gaining traction, she had collaborated with Xiao Yanjin to act closer, boosting the shippers’ numbers.

But before they knew it, the public had tightly linked them together, and even during livestreams, they couldn’t escape mentioning each other.

Shi Zhengyi was indignant but helpless.

“By the way, check the trending topics,” Shi Zhengyi said to Xiao Yanjin.

Xiao Yanjin went to the restroom and opened her phone, only to find their livestream had spawned multiple trending topics.

Many were about her.

For example: #XiaoYanjin Suspected of Breaking Up the CP# #XiaoYanjin Didn’t Actually Break Up the CP# #XiaoYanjin Blushed While Mentioning JiYunuo# And so on netizens were having a field day.

But the top trending tag was #JiYunuoSaysXiaoYanjinIsVeryKind#, where she even urged fans not to cyberbully her. No matter the topic, Ji Yunuo kept defending her.

Xiao Yanjin was stunned. She actually spoke up for her?

What the hell? First, she used her and then ignored her, and now she’s saying nice things about her in front of the shippers.

Damn it! Xiao Yanjin shook her head violently. Ji Yunuo, what exactly are you thinking? If you want the shippers, then just sell the CP with me properly!

Her eyes darkened slightly as an inexplicable anger surged within her.

What kind of Omega is she, really? I just don’t get it!

“Hey!” Shi Zhengyi suddenly called from outside the restroom. “Xiao Yanjin, are you done yet?”

“What?”

“The first performance is over, and we have a few days off. Want to take a leave and go out somewhere fun?”

It had been three weeks since they last left the training camp.

Xiao Yanjin naturally wanted to go, but lately, she hadn’t been feeling well. She couldn’t pinpoint the cause, though it occasionally got better. So she nodded. “Sure!”

Ji Yunuo had also left the training camp not for leisure, but because Wei Qin had an emergency requiring her return.

“Miss, you’ve been staring at the building for a while. Should we head out? Madam is getting impatient,” the driver asked.

The building was clad in red bricks with small windows, facing the sunlight and catching the breeze, this was their practice space. Fans often came here for street photography, calling them “Building Girls.” The trainees would open the windows and wave back when they saw fans greeting them.

She wasn’t sure if she could return once she left.

She just wanted to savor the moment a little longer.

A car suddenly honked beside them, and the rear window rolled down to reveal a strikingly handsome face.

Ji Yunuo’s complexion instantly paled.

The owner of that handsome face was none other than an alpha, Luo Canghuai, her former university classmate from abroad.

Luo Canghuai smirked arrogantly, crooking his finger at Ji Yunuo. His expression was full of disdain, as if the esteemed heiress of the prestigious Ji family meant nothing to him.

Ji Yunuo’s gaze turned icy in an instant. Her snow-white fingers tightened around her clothes as she said coldly, “Ade, inform Madam that I’ll be back later. I’ve run into an acquaintance and need to discuss something with him.”

They found a secluded restaurant, deliberately far from any buildings to avoid lurking fans who might snap photos of them.

Luo Canghuai, dressed in a tailored suit, exuded the poise of an elite aristocrat, unsurprising, given that their alma mater wasn’t one just anyone could afford.

He poured Ji Yunuo a cup of tea. “Have some tea.”

Ji Yunuo glanced around. The few patrons present couldn’t see past the privacy screens, so she finally spoke.

“What are you doing in Lancheng?”

“Here for business. I know the Ji family is Lancheng’s biggest GDP contributor, practically the local powerhouse. But does that mean I can’t come?” Luo Canghuai sneered.

Ji Yunuo’s eyes sharpened with wariness. “You can come and go as you please. I just don’t want to see you.”

Luo Canghuai laughed, leaning back casually, though his smile soon turned cold. “What, are you scared? If it weren’t for you, Qu Zhou wouldn’t have gone from a refined gentleman to a pathetic wreck!”

At the mention of Qu Zhou, Ji Yunuo raised a hand to her forehead, as if steadying herself.

The alpha took it as evasion.

Enraged, Luo Canghuai suddenly gripped her arm, his eyes burning red with fury. “Tell me, Ji Yunuo, do you feel even a shred of remorse? You ruined a man’s life, yet you have the audacity to return and join a talent show! What kind of person are you? You claim to despise alphas, yet you pair up with one for publicity.”

Ji Yunuo hated being touched by alphas. In an instant, her free hand lashed out, striking him across the face.

Luo Canghuai turned his head, pressing his tongue against the red mark on his cheek.

Ji Yunuo’s voice remained indifferent. “I’ve said it before Qu Zhou’s fate has nothing to do with me. He brought it upon himself.”

Luo Canghuai stared at her in disbelief before bursting into laughter.

“You really are heartless, Ji Yunuo. I warned him long ago, you’re nothing but a self-serving narcissist. I told him not to chase after you, but he was a fool. He brought you breakfast every day, stood by your side, and in the end, you still treated him like dirt. Even after what happened, you had the nerve to come back and join a show and what’s worse, you’re flaunting a fake relationship with another alpha!”

Ji Yunuo’s expression remained unreadable. “I’ve made myself clear. Qu Zhou’s situation is none of my concern.”

Luo Canghuai’s fury reached its peak. Qu Zhou had been his closest friend, and this Omega had destroyed him. How could he not hate her?

“Do you really think I won’t expose this online? I’ll ruin your reputation!”

Ji Yunuo reacted as if she’d heard a joke, her cold face matching her icy tone. “Go ahead, if you dare. I’m not afraid.”

Luo Canghuai was trembling all over, this woman truly didn’t treat Qu Zhou as a human being.

He kicked toward her, but suddenly someone embraced her from behind, while another hand immediately slapped him across the face.

The sharp smack was so loud that even people downstairs could hear it.

Ji Yunuo snapped out of her daze and saw that it was Xiao Yanjin.

Xiao Yanjin was dressed in sportswear, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, exuding the aura of a heroic swordswoman.

To avoid attracting onlookers, Xiao Yanjin quickly grabbed Ji Yunuo’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Luo Canghuai writhed in pain on the ground. By the time he recovered, the two had already vanished except for one moment that remained vividly etched in his memory.

That alpha had taken Ji Yunuo’s hand, and Ji Yunuo hadn’t resisted.

They ran for who knows how long, only stopping in a narrow alley, hemmed in by cramped walls on either side.

“Goodness, someone actually dared to kick you,” Xiao Yanjin gasped for breath but still couldn’t resist gossiping. “By the way, who was that guy to you, sis?”

“I don’t know.”

“Really, sis? I saved you out of kindness, and you won’t even tell me? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.” Xiao Yanjin huffed twice.

Ji Yunuo fell silent, her nose inexplicably tingling with unshed tears.

“Oh, don’t tell me he’s an old flame of yours?” Xiao Yanjin studied her expression, which now carried a delicate, tearful fragility.

Ji Yunuo took a deep breath and replied calmly, “Thank you for saving me. I’m going back now.”

But as she turned to leave, she froze because Xiao Yanjin was still holding her hand, refusing to let go.

With a tug, Ji Yunuo stumbled toward her, only to be enveloped in the alpha’s scent.

It was the first time she had ever smelled fragrance on Xiao Yanjin.

Ji Yunuo frowned. “Xiao Yanjin, what are you doing?”

Xiao Yanjin smirked mischievously, her delicate yet striking alpha beauty now tinged with a seductive, wicked charm. “Sister Nuo, you pretended to ignore me before, and now you won’t tell me anything. Am I just some alpha you can summon and toy with as you please?”

Ji Yunuo was stunned. Was she implying that Ji Yunuo had been playing hard to get? Frowning, she thought, what nonsense was this?

“Let go of me.”

Xiao Yanjin obediently released her, only to notice the red marks her grip had left on Ji Yunuo’s wrist.

“Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll just go cry alone.”

Ji Yunuo: “…”

A call came through. Ade asked, “Miss, I saw you leave earlier. Where are you? I’ll come find you.”

Ji Yunuo glanced at Xiao Yanjin, who clasped her hands under her chin, deliberately flashing an innocent smile.

“Wait for now. I’m busy.”

“Are you really busy?” Ade sounded suspicious.

“If I say I’m busy, then I’m busy.” Ji Yunuo steadied her voice. “Please stall my mother for me.”

“He was my university classmate abroad Luo Canghuai.” Ji Yunuo met Xiao Yanjin’s unrelenting gaze and continued, “When I first arrived at school, a senior named Qu Zhou, who was also Luo Canghuai’s best friend, invited me to join the international students’ association. That’s how we gradually got to know each other.”

“Maybe because we spent so much time together, Qu Zhou developed feelings for me…”

At this point, Xiao Yanjin suddenly interrupted, “Don’t tell me you liked him back?”

Ji Yunuo gave her a helpless glare. “Qu Zhou is a good person. He even took the initiative to help tutor me in some subjects. To be honest, I did have some affection for him but only as a friend. It’s strange, but I’ve never been able to develop romantic feelings for any alpha. Maybe that’s just how I am.”

“Later, Qu Zhou confessed to me, and I turned him down.”

“He didn’t say much and continued to be kind to me, but I didn’t need his kindness. To avoid his persistence, I deliberately ignored him. But gradually, Qu Zhou lost his mind.”

“He wouldn’t allow any other alpha to approach me. If he saw one, he’d beat them up. He even barged into my dorm room alone, stripped off his clothes, and pointed at the hickeys and lipstick marks on his body, saying, ‘Look, I slept with other Omegas. Why aren’t you jealous? Why aren’t you angry?'”

“‘They’re prettier than you, with better figures and yet I still don’t want you!'”

“At the time, I just thought he was insane, so I moved out of the dorm and into an off-campus apartment.”

“But Qu Zhou still clung to me relentlessly…”

Recalling this felt like reliving a nightmare.

Because of the fights he instigated, Qu Zhou was expelled from school.

He came from a well-off family, had excellent grades, and was the pride of everyone around him yet my indifference drove him to madness.

He abandoned his studies, acting like a deranged lunatic everywhere he went.

Eventually, even his parents gave up on him and kicked him out, leaving him to wander the streets.

But my life didn’t improve either.

People around me blamed me for being so heartless, for reducing such a refined gentleman to this state.

Luo Canghuai even pinned his friend’s downfall on me.

“‘He treated you so well, was so gentle with you, why couldn’t you just accept him?'”

“Every day, someone would ask me that.”

“But the truth was simple: I just didn’t like him. Why should I have accepted him?”

“I had no way to defend myself, and I wasn’t the type to explain things. The less I explained, the worse the misunderstandings grew. Eventually, most people believed I had seduced Qu Zhou, dragged him down from his pedestal, and then dumped him, driving him insane. From that moment on, I endured a year of complete isolation.”

After finishing her story, Ji Yunuo smiled wryly.

She truly was a cold-hearted perfectionist. She could have explained everything to Qu Zhou, but she simply saw him as a madman and couldn’t be bothered to engage further.

Even though he had been kind to her at first, she had always reciprocated his gifts and occasionally bought him food as thanks.

But from the moment he confessed, she treated him like a stranger, as if his presence or absence made no difference. Perhaps that was one of the things that drove him over the edge.

A commotion nearby made Ji Yunuo turn her head.

There, Xiao Yanjin stood, hands in her pockets, kicking lightly at the wall.

Her expression or rather, lack thereof was calm, as indifferent as a passing breeze.

“I’ve said what I needed to say. I’ll be going now.” Ji Yunuo turned away, chuckling softly. “If you also think I’m heartless, that’s fine.”

“You are heartless.”

Ji Yunuo had barely taken a step when Xiao Yanjin spoke up behind her.

“You promised to team up with me, but now you want to bail? Am I just someone you can summon and dismiss at will, Xiao Yanjin?”

“That’s not it.” Ji Yunuo tried to explain, though she couldn’t muster the energy. She didn’t even know if she could stay in the training camp any longer. “I just don’t want to continue.”

Xiao Yanjin snorted coldly in response.

Ji Yunuo’s heart trembled as she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she found a baseball jacket draped over her shoulders.

Xiao Yanjin acted with extraordinary gentleness, her eyes so tender they seemed capable of squeezing out water.

“Summer hasn’t even arrived yet. Aren’t you cold wearing this off-shoulder dress?” Xiao Yanjin chided her for dressing lightly, deliberately avoiding the previous topic.

The baseball jacket still carried the faint scent from when Xiao Yanjin had been close. Ji Yunuo indeed felt much warmer now.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Xiao Yanjin flashed a smile, an alpha’s smile, sweet like milk. “Sister, you wouldn’t still care about what happened in the past, would you?”

“That’s all behind us.” Ji Yunuo truly didn’t dwell on it, though that didn’t mean the past wasn’t significant. It had simply left a faint scar in her heart.

“Actually, it wasn’t your fault. Their words were nothing more than emotional blackmail. Just because someone treats you kindly doesn’t mean you owe them anything, right?” Xiao Yanjin chuckled. “Sister, even if you’re gentle to me, it doesn’t mean I’d fall for you. Seriously!”

As she spoke, Xiao Yanjin rubbed her neck, as if suddenly self-conscious.

The moment she had leaned close to Ji Yunuo, her heart had started pounding uncontrollably, as if some strange sensation was spreading through her. Come to think of it, she had been feeling unusually restless these past few days mentally and physically agitated. Even playing with Shi Zhengyi and the others earlier had left her irritated. What on earth was going on?

“So, it’s good that you don’t care. Qu Zhou’s behavior was his own lack of self-control. People only sided with him because they were closer to him. And let’s be honest I, Xiao Yanjin, am a reasonable person. Just treat their words as emotional blackmail and do whatever you want.”

Xiao Yanjin laughed heartily, hands on her hips as if she could pierce through the city and reach the land of dreams.

Ji Yunuo gave a soft hum of agreement. She had to admit it, Xiao Yanjin’s values aligned perfectly with hers.

Even back in the hospital, when Ji Yunuo had spoken of her dreams, anyone else would have found them absurd.

But not Xiao Yanjin.

And during their time in the training camp, being around her always lifted Ji Yunuo’s spirits.

Perhaps she really was the perfect friend.

“Let me walk you out,” Xiao Yanjin said, pointing to another path. “If you’re worried that idiot might be waiting outside, we can go this way.”

The walls closed in on both sides. At first, Ji Yunuo and Xiao Yanjin could walk side by side, but the path soon narrowed.

Xiao Yanjin eyed the passageway, now only wide enough for one person, and mused, “What an unusual road.”

Ji Yunuo took a step back. “You go first.”

Walking single file, Ji Yunuo’s thoughts drifted back to their earlier conversation.

“Has Chu Luo been giving you any trouble?” she asked.

If Chu Luo had been bothering her, it would have been in secret, something Xiao Yanjin wouldn’t mention.

“Of course not. With her level of skill, she’s no match for me.”

Ji Yunuo nodded, reassured. She knew that even if Xiao Yanjin wasn’t physically strong, her sharp mind more than made up for it.

They still had some distance to cover when Xiao Yanjin suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yunuo asked.

Perhaps it was the sweat or perhaps something else but a trace of pheromones lingered in the air.

Xiao Yanjin, with her keen sense of smell, suddenly caught a whiff of fragrance.

She inhaled deeply, and the scent of roses filled her senses again.

Then, her body went weak all at once.

Xiao Yanjin suddenly felt a tightness in her chest from anxiety. As her brain was deprived of oxygen, she immediately collapsed flat on the ground.

Ji Yunuo exclaimed in shock, “Xiao Yanjin!”

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