Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 11

After speaking, Song Yi realized Zhou Zhou’s face had turned somewhat pale. She instinctively moved toward her and asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell again?”

“No,” Zhou Zhou shook her head, unaware that her lips had paled from nervousness and embarrassment.

Song Yi studied her for a moment before asking, “Are you hungry?”

It was a reasonable question it had been hours since Zhou Zhou’s last meal.

“No,” Zhou Zhou denied again, offering no further explanation as Song Yi waited.

Song Yi gave her a reassuring smile before lowering her gaze to her phone, ordering takeout while trying to figure out what was wrong with Zhou Zhou.

By the time she finished selecting their dinner, she had reached a conclusion: Zhou Zhou was now fully lucid, no longer influenced by the heat-induced urge to bond with an alpha. Yet, she was stuck in a confined space with an alpha she barely knew, one whose character and intentions were still unclear. As an omega, naturally weaker in every aspect, fear was inevitable.

If Song Yi truly harbored ill intentions, Zhou Zhou wouldn’t stand a chance. A mere release of pheromones would be enough to overpower her.

Putting herself in Zhou Zhou’s shoes, Song Yi realized she’d be afraid too.

And to make matters worse, she had just been in a daze, intoxicated by Zhou Zhou’s pheromones after the scent-blocking patch was removed. She had wandered outside in a frenzy, unsure of what expression had been in her eyes when she spoke to Zhou Zhou earlier.

If Zhou Zhou had caught even a glimpse of the suppressed excitement in her gaze, she must be terrified by now.

Lost in these thoughts, Song Yi didn’t know how to face Zhou Zhou. She kept her head down, afraid that any uncontrolled desire might surface and startle her further.

She stared at the delivery tracking screen, watching the distance shrink bit by bit, silently urging the delivery rider and the villa’s robot to hurry up with her order.

It felt like self-deception. She could force herself not to look at Zhou Zhou, but her nose remained honest greedily inhaling the omega’s lingering scent, the sweet fragrance of her favorite fruit.

To curb her impulses, she had deliberately ordered a large portion of cherries from the fruit shop. Maybe indulging in them would help suppress this uncontrollable craving for Zhou Zhou.

The wait was agonizing. Song Yi stood frozen, as if in deep meditation. Zhou Zhou observed her for a while, noticing that Miss Song hadn’t gone to shower or even glanced at her for a long time.

Is she thinking about something important?

Not wanting to disturb her, Zhou Zhou grew concerned that Miss Song might catch a cold from the rain if she didn’t wash up soon. So she took the initiative, stepping into the bathroom to retrieve a pure white towel before offering it to her.

Song Yi blinked in surprise, accepting the towel with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

The moment she spoke, her throat felt parched. Especially when her gaze landed on Zhou Zhou now clad in a deep black V-neck nightgown, its thin straps resting on her fair, angular shoulders. Lower, her collarbones were even more striking, and further down.

No. Don’t look any further.

Song Yi quickly averted her gaze, and Zhou Zhou simultaneously raised her hand to cover her chest. When she had gone back to the bathroom earlier to fetch a towel, she had let her arms drop, thinking that Miss Song wouldn’t look at her anyway.

But that brief glance just now. Miss Song had looked over, but swiftly turned away.

What was she even covering up for? Miss Song wouldn’t spare her a second glance.

Zhou Zhou curled her lips in a self-deprecating smile and finally let her hand fall.

She knew she was pretty. Because of her looks, she had received preferential treatment, but more often than not, she had faced exclusion and harm. Back in the orphanage, volunteers distributing dolls during charity events would spot her first. In school, the rowdy boys who liked to bully girls and lift their skirts would notice her immediately. Even the rebellious troublemakers, who feared nothing and only cared about puppy love, would set their sights on her. If it weren’t for the teachers’ keeping things in check, she might not have been the person she was today.

After graduating high school and leaving the sheltered environment of school, she had braced herself for the dangers she might face. Those alphas were ruthless once they set their sights on something, they wouldn’t back down. If Miss Song hadn’t appeared in time, she would have been brutally violated by them.

Miss Song had chased those alphas away, taken her home, given her a temporary mark, and even arranged for her to see a doctor. They were just strangers who happened to cross paths, yet Miss Song had gone this far for her. To Zhou Zhou, that was already more kindness than she could have hoped for.

She had never received such concentrated goodwill in such a short span of time. The terrifying part was that she had actually suspected her benefactor of having ulterior motives. Someone like Miss Song must have seen countless beautiful girls, how could someone like her ever catch her eye? It was already a miracle Miss Song wasn’t worried she might try to cling to her.

How could she have entertained such thoughts about someone who had helped her so much? Zhou Zhou suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Song Yi resorted to her brutal method once again, biting her tongue hard to force herself to stay clear-headed.

She was human, with her own thoughts and consciousness. Even in this ABO world, she couldn’t let pheromones overly influence much less control her, leading her to do things she would regret or that might hurt others.

Her frequently bitten tongue lay limp in her mouth, almost immobile. Parched and desperate, Song Yi finally moistened her mouth with blood, the unbearable pain once again overpowering the inexplicable surge of desire.

Lowering her head, Song Yi laughed bitterly in relief. At least alphas, for all their strength, weren’t invincible they still felt pain.

Finally, her phone rang. Struggling to speak, Song Yi managed, “I’ll go down to get our dinner. Zhou Zhou, you!”

Before she could finish, the robotic system chimed in with an automated voice: “Master, your items have arrived. Please open the door and let me in.”

It was an unexpectedly cute, loli-like voice. Song Yi shuddered involuntarily, then glanced awkwardly at Zhou Zhou. “Maybe we should both go down. The robot brought your shoes too.”

Zhou Zhou nodded and followed Song Yi downstairs, wondering to herself did Miss Song like that kind of adorable voice?

Once they retrieved the takeout and the box containing scent blockers and suppressants, Song Yi finally relaxed. She eagerly grabbed a suppressant and injected herself without hesitation, ensuring that once the pain in her tongue faded, no untoward thoughts would resurface.

Zhou Zhou looked at her in confusion as she tossed the used inhibitor into the designated trash bin, then cheerfully met Zhou Zhou’s eyes. “Leave your shoes at the entrance. Let’s have dinner first.”

Suppressing the pain, she forced a smile and carried the takeout to a long rectangular table in the center of the living room. Realizing it was too large for just the two of them, she moved the food to a small coffee table between the sofas. The dishes and fruits fit perfectly on the smaller surface.

Song Yi gestured for Zhou Zhou to sit first while she went to the kitchen to wash the fruit. She had bought cherries for herself but wasn’t sure what Zhou Zhou liked, so she had also picked up grapes and peaches. She washed a portion of each.

When she returned with the cleaned fruit, Zhou Zhou was sitting upright on the sofa, waiting clearly the type of well-behaved student one would find in school.

Song Yi, who had adjusted well to the place, plopped down casually on the carpet and motioned for Zhou Zhou to do the same. The coffee table was low, making it inconvenient to eat from the sofa, but the carpet was clean enough to sit on directly.

Soon, Zhou Zhou joined her on the carpet, sitting across from her.

“Don’t hold back. Help yourself,” Song Yi said, placing the grapes and peaches on the empty space of the table while keeping the box of cherries in her lap. She popped one into her mouth and ate contentedly, despite the lingering pain on her tongue.

Zhou Zhou didn’t touch the food, just stared at her blankly.

“I’ll have some fruit first. You go ahead,” Song Yi said with a smile.

After a moment, she noticed Zhou Zhou glancing at her occasionally and assumed she wanted cherries too, so she offered the box. “Here, take some.”

Zhou Zhou didn’t move, her gaze fixed on the cherries in confusion.

Song Yi studied Zhou Zhou’s puzzled expression and suddenly realized something was off.

Eating cherries in front of Zhou Zhou seemed to carry an unintended implication.

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