Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 25.1

Zhou Zhou was utterly distraught, her eyes filled with panic and a hint of bewilderment.

You Xuechu sighed. Zhou Zhou looked younger than her and Song Yi, so it was normal for her to panic in such situations especially when it involved Song Yi.

What she had feared seemed to be happening.

She wasn’t sure how much Song Yi was affected, but Zhou Zhou was clearly halfway in already. Though she claimed there was nothing between her and Song Yi, the blatant worry on her face betrayed her heart. Or perhaps Zhou Zhou herself didn’t even realize how much she cared about Song Yi.

“Sit down first.” You Xuechu guided Zhou Zhou by the shoulders to the sofa and quickly picked up her phone to make a call.

Zhou Zhou sat stiffly, hands on her knees. She could hear Miss You talking on the phone but couldn’t process a word only vaguely aware that she was contacting the driver.

You Xuechu was indeed calling the driver. After hanging up, she was surprised by Zhou Zhou’s restlessness. Though Zhou Zhou was physically present, her mind had clearly flown straight to Song Yi.

A pang of melancholy struck her: Why don’t any pretty girls ever worry about me like this?

Even if no pretty girl ever fretted over her, she couldn’t bear to see the one in front of her so distressed.

Clearing her throat, she offered comfort in a calm tone, “The wicked live a thousand years. Song Yi’s practically indestructible even if something happens, she’ll pull through.”

Her voice was so composed it made it sound like Song Yi had merely slipped on flat ground, nothing serious. Zhou Zhou blinked in confusion, then gradually steadied herself under her calm demeanor.

“Will Miss Song really be alright?” Zhou Zhou pressed, still uneasy.

“Mm. Ding Chen is very capable. Song Yi’s with her nothing will go wrong. Who knows, maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Zhou Zhou pressed further.

Maybe Song Yi’s just playing the sympathy card to win Zhou Zhou over. You Xuechu had always suspected Song Yi had a bit of a histrionic streak, given how her tactics varied with each girlfriend.

After a moment’s hesitation, she held back. It was just speculation. Though Song Yi had been irredeemably awful in the past, she was starting to see signs of change in her now. It wouldn’t be fair to cling to old prejudices.

“Never mind,” You Xuechu said casually. Zhou Zhou’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed.

Seeing Zhou Zhou finally ease up, You Xuechu’s pale lips curled slightly. She wasn’t wearing makeup today, leaving her complexion looking somewhat wan. If not for her sharp, commanding presence, she might easily be mistaken for a frail princess locked away in a castle.

With Zhou Zhou somewhat reassured, she turned her attention to her own state.

She hadn’t had much appetite lately and hadn’t been eating well. Coming here this morning, she’d wanted to check if Song Yi had been tormenting Zhou Zhou. If so, she’d have taken Zhou Zhou away immediately after all, she had free access to Song Yi’s villa within this gated community.

Upon arriving, however, the entire villa was eerily quiet. The first thing that caught her attention was the aroma of food. Walking into the living room, she spotted two steaming bowls of noodles on the table. A closer look revealed tomato and egg noodles, freshly made.

You Xuechu had secretly swallowed her saliva more than once.

“The noodles smell delicious,” she ventured, steering the conversation in that direction. “Zhou Zhou, is this breakfast for you and Song Yi?”

Zhou Zhou was momentarily caught off guard by how the conversation had shifted to food. After a dazed pause of two seconds, she nodded slowly before lowering her head to check her phone again. Exactly five minutes had passed since Miss You mentioned arranging a driver for her.

Suddenly, another phone rang this time, it was You Xuechu’s. The driver informed her that the car had arrived and was parked right outside Song Yi’s villa.

“We can go now,” You Xuechu said as she stood up. Zhou Zhou followed suit, and the two walked out together. Zhou Zhou hurried ahead, while You Xuechu kept glancing back, still preoccupied with the two bowls of noodles on the table.

“Miss You,” the driver greeted, opening the rear door. You Xuechu motioned for Zhou Zhou to get in. Anxious and without much thought, Zhou Zhou quickly climbed inside.

You Xuechu shut the door but didn’t get in herself, leaving both Zhou Zhou and the driver bewildered.

“Take Miss Zhou to Dr. Ding’s place,” You Xuechu instructed the driver directly.

Then, leaning slightly toward the car window, she added, “I won’t be going. Um, can I eat those noodles?”

Zhou Zhou had expected some important instructions, not a question about the noodles. “Y-yes, go ahead.”

The black sports car sped down the road. Zhou Zhou didn’t recognize the brand, but given how fast it was moving, she assumed it must be expensive.

Dressed in a black casual outfit, You Xuechu stood with her hands casually tucked in her pockets. Even without standing rigidly straight, her posture remained tall and poised like a pine tree. Watching the direction where the car had disappeared, she murmured, “Song Yi, you still owe me an apology.”

Returning to the villa’s living room, she unceremoniously took a seat in the main chair, pulling both bowls of noodles toward her. She roughly divided them, muttering, “This one’s Zhou Zhou’s, and this one’s Song Yi’s.”

Earlier, she had asked for permission, and Zhou Zhou had agreed. She took a bite, the taste wasn’t great, just passable. Maybe it was her first time eating something at this level, and the noodles had clumped together after sitting for a while. Still, she found the experience oddly novel.

After finishing one bowl, she decided she could handle the other and dragged it toward herself. “Song Yi, you wronged me. What’s the big deal if I eat your noodles?”

By the time Song Yi returned, the noodles would be inedible anyway. You Xuechu ate without guilt, even feeling like this bowl tasted better. As she worked through the top layer, a fried egg gradually appeared. Poking it with her chopsticks, she noticed it was shaped almost like a heart no wonder Zhou Zhou had hidden it at the bottom.

“Song Yi, Song Yi. I’ve already eaten your noodles. One little egg won’t hurt, right?”

At this moment, You Xuechu had no idea that her craving for a bowl of Song Yi’s noodles would end up forcing her to house-sit for an entire day.

Ding Chen’s villa was in a different, more remote district than Song Yi’s. It wasn’t that Song Yi was unwilling to buy something more expensive Ding Chen had specifically requested this location.

Her research required as much seclusion and quiet as possible.

With the sports car speeding along, Zhou Zhou finally arrived close to 11 p.m.

Ding Chen was waiting outside, her expression unreadable.

Zhou Zhou felt uneasy. “Dr. Ding, how is Miss Song doing now?”

What could she say? Ding Chen shook her head helplessly.

“Come with me. I’ll take you to see her.”

Zhou Zhou followed Ding Chen’s steps into the villa. After navigating through several twists and turns, they descended to the underground level. Zhou Zhou was astonished to find the space filled with a mix of various chemical odors not exactly foul, but certainly far from pleasant. Under the cold white lighting, the unfamiliar equipment took on an eerie aura.

Finally, Dr. Ding stopped in front of a heavy metal door. As she pressed her fingerprint to the scanner, she turned her head slightly and said to Zhou Zhou, “We’re here.”

The metal door slid open to the left, and Zhou Zhou immediately spotted Miss Song lying on the operating table, her limbs restrained. Without hesitation, Zhou Zhou rushed inside.

Ding Chen didn’t even have time to stop her. She had intended to warn Zhou Zhou to brace herself, but Zhou Zhou had already reached Song Yi’s side.

The moment Zhou Zhou approached, the person on the table suddenly opened her eyes crimson and wild. Despite being bound, her body strained upward as if she were a beast ready to attack anyone who came near.

This wasn’t the first time Zhou Zhou had witnessed her in such a state. Though she flinched slightly when those eyes snapped open, she quickly steadied herself. Ding Chen, however, patted her chest in lingering fear.

“Miss Zhou, are you alright?” Ding Chen hurried forward, pulling Zhou Zhou back a step. “Aren’t you afraid of Miss Song like this?”

“I am!” But not entirely. For some reason, Zhou Zhou’s instincts told her that Miss Song wouldn’t hurt her.

“What can I do to help Miss Song?” Zhou Zhou asked urgently.

She had noticed that Miss Song always seemed to be in agony during these episodes, and this time appeared even worse than before. She wanted to end that suffering as soon as possible.

Ding Chen had sought Zhou Zhou out precisely because, in her delirious state, Song Yi had repeatedly murmured Zhou Zhou’s name. She believed Zhou Zhou’s presence would help. If Zhou Zhou was willing to cooperate, calming Song Yi down would be much easier.

She just hadn’t expected Zhou Zhou to be so willing, she hadn’t even had the chance to explain.

“Miss Song does need your help.”

“Dr. Ding, please just tell me what to do,” Zhou Zhou pleaded earnestly, making Ding Chen hesitate slightly.

“Dr. Ding!”

Ding Chen relented. “We need you to release pheromones to soothe Miss Song. If necessary, you may also need to assist her through her alpha’s rut. Miss Song has a unique constitution, so the process might be intense. She could even lose complete control.”

“I’m willing,” Zhou Zhou interrupted firmly.

Ding Chen was taken aback. “Do you understand what an alpha’s rut entails?” She remembered that Zhou Zhou had only just experienced her first heat a few days ago her knowledge of such matters might be limited.

Out of professional duty, she cautioned, “This isn’t a trivial matter, Miss Zhou. You need to think carefully. An out-of-control Miss Song might fully mark you. You do know what that means for an omega, don’t you?”

Zhou Zhou naturally knew what a complete mark meant for an omega. The school’s physiology classes had taught her: once an omega was completely marked, it was equivalent to being permanently bound to the alpha who marked her. However, this permanence only applied to the omega, the alpha faced far fewer restrictions. Powerful alphas could still possess other omegas, while the marked omega could only remain devoted to one alpha. Throughout history, there had been no exceptions.

This was an inherent physiological inequality left by the Creator when shaping their kind.

Precisely because omegas were biologically disadvantaged from the start, they had to be especially cautious when choosing a mate. To Ding Chen, Zhou Zhou’s immediate “I do” seemed like a reckless impulse.

“I do,” Zhou Zhou repeated. Ding Chen watched helplessly as Zhou Zhou took another step closer to Song Yi.

“Dr. Ding, please remove the shackles from Miss Song. Her injuries from last time haven’t fully healed yet,” Zhou Zhou pleaded.

Hearing this, Ding Chen glanced down. The marks on Song Yi’s wrists indeed hadn’t completely faded, but she didn’t release them immediately. Instead, she said, “The restraints I used on Miss Song don’t have spikes. She wouldn’t have been injured.”

Perhaps this was what they called “love blinds reason”Zhou Zhou was a perfect example right now.

Zhou Zhou relaxed slightly, but her brows remained tightly furrowed.

Finally, Ding Chen asked, “Miss Zhou, why are you willing to go this far for Miss Song?”

Zhou Zhou was silent for a few moments before answering, “Dr. Ding, do you know? If it weren’t for Miss Song, I might have already been violated by another alpha. The first time I had an abnormal heat, it was Miss Song who helped me. She gave me a temporary mark, she even gave me a job, I…” As she spoke, she herself grew uncertain was it just gratitude, or were there other feelings mixed in?

Ding Chen pressed her lips together, saying nothing. She thought Zhou Zhou was far too naive. After all, things couldn’t be compared so simply. What Song Yi had done for her might have been incidental, requiring little cost on her part. But what Zhou Zhou was about to sacrifice was the risk of her future happiness, a gamble she was almost certain to lose.

Zhou Zhou seemed to read Ding Chen’s thoughts. The corners of her lips lifted in a faint smile. “Dr. Ding, whether Miss Song completely marks me or not this time, I won’t delude myself into thinking I can be with her. We’re from different worlds. I have nothing to lose.”

Ding Chen was stunned, unsure how to respond. She bent down and fiddled with the console. The shackles released, and Song Yi immediately sat up from the operating table. Seeing the situation, Ding Chen quickly wrapped restraint straps around Song Yi’s wrists as she lunged toward Zhou Zhou, leaving one end for Zhou Zhou to hold.

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