I Fall Every Time I Meet an Alpha [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 52

Zhong Xiaoxiao was absent-minded during the meal. Seeing her pick at her food, Zhong Yuanyuan couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Doesn’t the food suit your taste?”

Considering Zhong Xiaoxiao’s special condition, Zhong Yuanyuan had gone all out during her lunch break to prepare a lavish meal and even made soup.

“No, it’s fine,” Zhong Xiaoxiao replied absentmindedly, her thoughts preoccupied with Meng Yuqing. She wondered how the girl was doing.

After all, it was a living life, though one that had committed many wrongs in the past.

While reading the novel, Zhong Xiaoxiao had wished for her death, but now, being in the situation herself, she found the idea of someone dying too heavy. To her, Meng Yuqing was just a young girl who could still act coquettishly. She had taken the wrong path due to extremism, but there was still a chance for her to turn back.

Zhong Xiaoxiao’s heart leaned toward Meng Yuqing, but another voice inside her protested:

She’s the villainous female supporting character! The one who constantly schemes against the female lead! If perpetrators are sympathized with, wouldn’t the victims be pitiful? From the female lead’s perspective, where’s the justice? Where’s the law? Is the female lead just supposed to suffer because she’s kind and naive?

Zhong Xiaoxiao found herself deeply conflicted.

Her moral compass wavered between Meng Yuqing and the female lead. The female lead was undoubtedly an innocent victim, but Meng Yuqing’s crimes didn’t warrant death.

The thought that she was trying to whitewash the villainous female supporting character made Zhong Xiaoxiao restless. Why couldn’t she just condemn Meng Yuqing outright? Attempted murder was still attempted murder, wasn’t it? What if the victim had died? What then? Does failing to kill someone make the crime forgivable?

“Eat more. You’re weak right now,” Zhong Yuanyuan said, placing a serving of food in her bowl.

“Oh,” Zhong Xiaoxiao snapped out of her thoughts and forced down a few more bites, though she had little appetite. Her eyes kept darting to her phone on the table.

Noticing this, Zhong Yuanyuan asked, “Are you waiting for someone’s call?”

Zhong Xiaoxiao looked up, a flicker of panic in her eyes. She was indeed waiting for a call from an Alpha, no less. Regardless of the reason, her behavior amounted to waiting for an Alpha’s call.

Zhong Yuanyuan sensed something amiss and set down her chopsticks, staring at her. “Xiaoxiao, are you seeing someone?”

“No!” Zhong Xiaoxiao’s voice wavered, though she had no reason to feel guilty. She wasn’t dating anyone, so why the guilt?

“Really?” Zhong Yuanyuan looked skeptical. “You were just talking about finding an Alpha during your heat. Seems like you’re getting ideas.”

“Mom, really, I’m not!” Zhong Xiaoxiao deeply regretted bringing it up.

“Then who are you waiting to call? Hand me your phone,” Zhong Yuanyuan demanded, extending her hand across the table.

“…” Zhong Xiaoxiao stared at her outstretched hand as if it heralded an impending storm.

“Mom, I have a right to privacy,” Zhong Xiaoxiao protested weakly.

“I’m your mother,” Zhong Yuanyuan said, her suspicion growing. “Not handing it over means you’re hiding something, doesn’t it? Are you secretly dating someone? Zhong Xiaoxiao!”

Zhong Yuanyuan’s sudden shout made Zhong Xiaoxiao jump. Damn, this woman was terrifying!

Under her mother’s piercing gaze, Zhong Xiaoxiao had no choice but to hand over her phone.

Zhong Yuanyuan took the phone. “Password.”

“Four zeros.”

Zhong Yuanyuan entered the password and opened the phone interface, heading straight for the call log. There were only a few contacts with names: one labeled “Mom,” another “Meng Yuqing,” and another “Meng Yuzhou.” The most recent call was from Meng Yuzhou.

“Who is Meng Yuzhou?” Zhong Yuanyuan instinctively found this person the most suspicious, especially since the names Meng Yuzhou and Meng Yuqing seemed related. “What’s his relationship with Meng Yuqing?”

“Hehe.” Zhong Xiaoxiao had never found introducing someone so difficult. The words “He’s Meng Yuqing’s older brother” lingered on her tongue, refusing to come out.

Without waiting for her to speak, Zhong Yuanyuan immediately redialed the number.

Realizing she had actually called him, Zhong Xiaoxiao grew nervous. “Mom, what are you doing?”

Zhong Yuanyuan motioned for her to be quiet, placed the phone on the table, and turned on speakerphone.

A pleasant piece of light music filled the room, airy and loud. Zhong Xiaoxiao stared at the phone, watching Meng Yuzhou’s name flash on the screen, her heart pounding.

“Hello, Xiaoxiao,” Meng Yuzhou’s deep, husky voice came through the phone.

Zhong Yuanyuan’s expression darkened the moment she heard the deep, masculine voice.

“Ah, Class Monitor!” Zhong Xiaoxiao quickly spoke up under her mother’s glare. “How is Meng Yuqing?”

“Oh, Xiaoqing is fine now,” Meng Yuzhou replied. “Don’t worry.”

“Mm, that’s good.” Zhong Xiaoxiao wanted to say goodbye and hang up, but he asked again, “How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?” His gentle, concerned tone carried an unusual hint of intimacy anyone who’d been in a relationship would recognize it.

Zhong Yuanyuan’s face grew even darker.

“I’m fine,” Zhong Xiaoxiao hurriedly said. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now. Goodbye, Class Monitor.”

She gestured for her mother to end the call.

“Xiaoxiao,” he called out again. Zhong Xiaoxiao nearly wanted to cry. Why was the male lead being so clingy now? Couldn’t he see she was in hot water? The female lead’s mother looked like she wanted to strangle her.

Since the phone was in Zhong Yuanyuan’s hands, Zhong Xiaoxiao couldn’t reach it. Zhong Yuanyuan motioned for her to keep talking, she wanted to hear what else they had to say.

Zhong Xiaoxiao prayed silently that Meng Yuzhou wouldn’t say anything misleading, or she’d be doomed.

“Ah, what is it?” Zhong Xiaoxiao had no choice but to respond.

“About today, I’m sorry.” Meng Yuzhou paused before continuing, “What if she had hurt you? I’m begging you, please don’t interact with her anymore.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“My dad’s calling me. I have to go.”

“Alright.”

The call ended.

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Zhong Xiaoxiao braced herself for the storm, waiting for the female lead’s mother to explode. But Zhong Yuanyuan was calmer than expected. “Zhong Xiaoxiao, explain to me what happened today.”

“It’s nothing much,” Zhong Xiaoxiao said hesitantly. “Meng Yuqing just came by.”

“What did she come for?” Zhong Yuanyuan’s dislike for Meng Yuqing flared up ever since she had caused her daughter’s injury and hospitalization, Zhong Yuanyuan had held a grudge.

“She just came to see me.”

“And then?”

“Then she fainted.”

“She fainted. Why did Meng Yuzhou apologize? Why was he afraid she would hurt you? Xiaoxiao, what else are you hiding from me?” Zhong Yuanyuan’s thoughts shifted from initially suspecting her daughter was dating to worrying that she might be in contact with Meng Yuqing again. She was strongly opposed to that.

“What is Meng Yuzhou to Meng Yuqing?” Zhong Yuanyuan asked again.

“Her brother,” Zhong Xiaoxiao answered bluntly. After all, Meng Yuzhou hadn’t said anything misleading, so it didn’t matter.

“Her brother?” Zhong Yuanyuan had already sensed this and wasn’t particularly surprised. “Her brother is an Alpha, right?”

“Yes.”

“Stay away from them from now on.”

“Her brother is our class monitor,” Zhong Xiaoxiao emphasized this point.

“So what if he’s the class monitor? He’s still an Alpha.” Zhong Yuanyuan raised an eyebrow, displeased but feeling compelled to educate her. “Before, you didn’t understand anything, and I didn’t spell it out for you. But now that you’re older, you should realize how terrifying Alphas can be. I don’t want you to take the wrong path because of instinct.”

“Your father and I ended up together that way, and what good did it do?”

Remembering her own mistakes, Zhong Yuanyuan didn’t want history to repeat itself with her daughter. She lectured her: “It’s true that we are the weaker ones in this world, but we shouldn’t just resign ourselves to it. We shouldn’t be confined by gender or submit to instinct. We should follow our true hearts. We are capable people, not just dependents of Alphas, not just meant for bearing children. I hope that in the future, you’ll have children because you want to, not because you’re forced to. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I get it.” Zhong Xiaoxiao was stunned by her mother’s sudden philosophical speech. Wow, her usually brash and impulsive mother actually had moments like this. It was truly eye-opening.

Zhong Xiaoxiao had been single for over twenty years and had never thought that far ahead. Of course, she still had hopes and dreams for the future, but since her destined one hadn’t appeared, she remained single. She hadn’t even found her other half yet, how could she possibly think about having children? That was way too distant for her.

After lecturing Zhong Xiaoxiao, Zhong Yuanyuan noticed it was almost time for work. She didn’t have time for further lessons and simply told her daughter to stay home and not go anywhere before leaving for work.

Seeing her mother finally leave, Zhong Xiaoxiao relaxed completely. The psychological pressure from her mother was no joke. Even as an adult, she found it hard to handle, let alone the original protagonist.

But then again, maybe the protagonist was used to listening to her mother and didn’t feel as burdened.

Left alone at home, Zhong Xiaoxiao was bored. There was a computer in the study that her mother used for work. Normally, Zhong Xiaoxiao didn’t get a chance to touch it, but now that she was alone, she sneaked into the study and turned it on to play.

The computer interface was simple, with nothing special. If Zhong Xiaoxiao wanted to play games, she’d have to download software.

Thinking she might have more chances to play in the future, she secretly installed a gaming program and immersed herself in the virtual world.

In the game, Zhong Xiaoxiao finally felt a bit of the familiarity of her original world. Though the game wasn’t the same as before, it was close enough.

Lost in the game, she quickly lost track of time.

Until a phone call pulled her out of the gaming world.

“Hello, who is it?” Zhong Xiaoxiao answered the call.

“Guess who~” Meng Yuqing’s voice came through, sounding like she was fine now.

“Meng Yuqing? Are you okay?” Zhong Xiaoxiao was still somewhat surprised to receive her call. She glanced at her phone screen, it really was her!

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