Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 41

In the darkness, Song Yi gripped Zhou Zhou’s arm. Her palms were damp with sweat, but she was too focused on waiting for an answer to notice.

However, that slightly damp, sticky sensation was impossible for Zhou Zhou to ignore.

Is Ms. Song as nervous as I am?

Zhou Zhou bit her lower lip; she couldn’t say it. Even if she did, Ms. Song likely wouldn’t connect the song to her inner feelings, she would probably just think it was a random song they happened to hear while she was motion sick. But Zhou Zhou simply couldn’t find the words.

The two remained silent in the darkness until the campus radio switched to the next song.

“Can’t remember? It’s alright,” Song Yi said, breaking the silence. She stood up and pulled back a corner of the bed curtain while simultaneously pulling Zhou Zhou up.

The light suddenly flooded back in. At that moment, if Zhou Zhou had turned back to look, she definitely would have seen exactly what those objects scattered in the corner of the bed were. She didn’t look back, just as Ms. Song didn’t press her further for the name of the song.

Just then, Song Yi’s phone rang—the standard, default system ringtone. It was Ding Chen. Song Yi didn’t avoid Zhou Zhou and answered directly.

“Ms. Song, it’s time for your scheduled check-up. I’m at your villa now. May I ask when you’ll be back?”

“Probably… toward evening,” Song Yi said, glancing at Zhou Zhou.

“Then I—” Ding Chen hesitated, wondering what she should do.

“The cook should have come to make lunch today,” Zhou Zhou whispered from the side.

Song Yi nodded slightly and said into the phone, “Go ahead and eat first. After that, you can rest in the guest room. This afternoon, you can check on You Xuechu’s condition and play some Chess with her to pass the time.”

“Understood, Ms. Song.” Ding Chen looked at the table full of food; at least lunch was settled.

As for Ms. You, Ding Chen recalled that when she arrived, You Xuechu was there. But the moment she walked in, You Xuechu stood up from the sofa and said she was leaving, telling her to wait for Song Yi in the villa. Ding Chen shook her head slightly.

Hanging up, Song Yi said to Zhou Zhou, “Let’s go eat too. How about the canteen at C University?”

Zhou Zhou lowered her head. “Okay.”

They stepped out of the dorm and took the elevator down. At this hour, the elevator was packed with girls who stared quite boldly at Song Yi and the girl beside her. Song Yi suddenly realized that the former “Song Yi” was quite famous on campus.

When they reached the tenth floor, the doors opened and more people crowded in. Zhou Zhou was pushed backward. Seeing this, Song Yi reached out and pulled Zhou Zhou into the space behind her right side, shielding her from the crowd.

When they finally reached the first floor and the people in front had exited, Song Yi and Zhou Zhou stepped out together. Near the entrance, there was a large full-length mirror. As they walked past side-by-side, Zhou Zhou glanced at the mirror. From that angle, the invisible gap between her and Ms. Song vanished, giving the illusion that they were holding hands like a couple.

Outside the dorm, the campus was bustling. It was clearly the end of classes, as many girls were returning with lunch boxes. Song Yi was a magnet for attention; whispers followed them, some reaching her ears.

“Isn’t that Song Yi? Haven’t seen her on campus in a while. As soon as she shows up, she has someone new with her.”

“Don’t say that, the girl next to her is actually pretty—prettier than the school beauty. Why haven’t we seen her before?”

“Maybe she’s from off-campus?”

“Bringing someone from off-campus into the girls’ dorm… classic Song Yi move…”

Song Yi was speechless. Can’t they save the gossip for their own rooms? If she heard it, Zhou Zhou definitely did too. If it was like this on the road, she could only imagine the canteen.

She blamed the “Scum Alpha’s” terrible reputation. While she herself was thick-skinned, she didn’t want Zhou Zhou hearing any more messy rumors.

“Let’s eat out instead,” Song Yi suggested.

“Okay,” Zhou Zhou agreed immediately.

Realizing they hadn’t toured the campus yet, Song Yi looked around. The sunlight was a bit piercing. She shielded her eyes with her hand and spotted a row of shared bicycles.

“Do you know how to ride?” Song Yi turned and asked. Zhou Zhou shook her head with an apologetic look.

“Senior Song!”

A girl with long, curly blonde hair came weaving through the crowd on a light-brown bicycle with a back seat. She looked very excited to see Song Yi.

“Are you calling me?” Song Yi asked, uncertain. Zhou Zhou observed silently. This girl wore form-fitting clothes that highlighted an athletic, sexy figure. She looked like she had just finished class, her backpack bulging in the front basket. She leaned over the handlebars toward Ms. Song, appearing both enthusiastic and charming. Zhou Zhou felt a bit like a third wheel.

The passersby kept glancing over. The blonde girl seemed to enjoy the attention. Seeing Song Yi stop, and thinking she had a chance, she hinted boldly, “Is there anything you need, Senior Song?” She smiled like a blooming flower.

Even if the rumors said this Senior Song was never serious about relationships, she didn’t mind—even a one-night stand wouldn’t be a loss. She was attractive, and her hint was obvious; surely Senior Song wouldn’t refuse her.

Song Yi didn’t even notice the girl’s features; she just had a vague impression of “lots of blonde hair.” She looked down, her thick lashes casting shadows. She did, in fact, have her eye on something.

“Could I borrow your bicycle for a moment? Or I can buy it from you.” Song Yi finally looked up, seeing the girl’s face very Western in style.

The blonde girl froze, thinking it was a different kind of “hint.” She smiled and said, “Of course you can.”

“Thank you.” Song Yi took the bike from her, immediately adjusted the seat height, and pulled the backpack out of the front basket to hand it back. The blonde girl suddenly realized things weren’t going as expected and took her bag blankly.

Song Yi pulled out several large-denomination bills from her black leather wallet and handed them to the girl. “Renting it for the afternoon.”

The blonde girl was completely stunned. Senior Song was actually just renting her bike; this wasn’t some flirtatious opening. Seeing the girl hadn’t taken the money, Song Yi tucked the “rental fee” into a side pocket of the backpack, then turned to Zhou Zhou with a smile: “Hop on. I’ll take you for a tour before we eat.”

Zhou Zhou, who had been trying to shrink into the background, was no less bewildered than the blonde girl.

Song Yi was already on the bike, one foot propping it up while she reached out a hand to help Zhou Zhou. Zhou Zhou sat on the back seat in a daze.

“Hold on tight,” Song Yi reminded her. Seeing Zhou Zhou raise her hands but not know where to put them, eventually gripping the metal frame of the back seat, Song Yi said nothing. She leaned down, flicked out the standing footrests for the passenger, and signaled for Zhou Zhou to put her feet up.

She noticed Zhou Zhou’s face was red.

A crowd had gathered to watch, including the blonde girl. Song Yi ignored everyone; she reached down, took Zhou Zhou’s ankle, and guided her foot onto the footrest. After confirming Zhou Zhou was holding on, she turned back around.

She pedaled, the wheels turned, and the bike began to move. A warm summer breeze blew from the front. Song Yi felt a slight itch on her face. As they moved further, the crowds thinned and the road opened up. Song Yi began to accelerate.

The wind grew stronger. Because it was summer, it wasn’t refreshing, but it threw all those annoying voices far behind until they could no longer be heard.

A strange feeling welled up in Zhou Zhou’s heart. As the wind blew past, it carried the faint scent of red wine from Ms. Song—perhaps related to Ms. Song’s rut, or perhaps just the high summer heat.

Passing a lotus pond, Song Yi said, “Zhou Zhou, see that building? That’s C University’s library. It has North and South wings. Further back is the Social Sciences building; that’s where you’ll go for enrollment.”

“Over there is the Administration building…”

As she spoke, the wind rushed into her throat, making it feel dry. Noticing the change in her voice, Zhou Zhou asked bashfully, “Ms. Song, am I too heavy?”

Song Yi chuckled. She used to ride mountain bikes with far more resistance than this; this everyday bike felt too light by comparison. “If you’re considered heavy, then I’ve been eating for nothing,” she teased.

Zhou Zhou pursed her lips. The scorching sun had turned her face and neck red. She looked up at Ms. Song and noticed the back of her neck was red too.

After a brief tour of the campus, Song Yi saw the North Gate. Now, they had to go down a very steep slope.

“Sit tight,” she warned.

The slope was significant. Despite Song Yi half-clamping the brakes, the speed was still fast. The wind grew stronger, and their bodies instinctively leaned forward. Suddenly, Song Yi felt something press against her back.

On the back seat, Zhou Zhou scrambled to adjust her posture, but she couldn’t control the momentum of the descent. Her face collided with Ms. Song’s back. Upon impact, the tip of her nose even hurt a bit, and her lips—pressed through the fabric—were imprinted on Ms. Song’s back.

Although Zhou Zhou pulled away instantly, she felt the temperature was scorching; she felt like she was being cooked alive.

Finally reaching level ground, Song Yi braked hard, put her feet down, and turned to look at Zhou Zhou. Zhou Zhou hopped off the back seat immediately, her face so red it looked like it might bleed. “I’m sorry, Ms. Song.”

“Did you hit anything? Does it hurt?” Song Yi asked with concern. She didn’t overthink why Zhou Zhou was apologizing, assuming it was just guilt for bumping into her back.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Zhou Zhou shook her head, belatedly raising her hands to cover her face. She knew from her hands alone that her face was completely flushed.

Embarrassment, shyness, and a touch of frustration when these emotions reached a certain level, her face would turn this red. Song Yi thought Zhou Zhou was unwell. Frowning, she reached out and placed her hand on Zhou Zhou’s forehead, worried she had heatstroke.

Her hand rested there for a few seconds; the temperature was normal. Before she could withdraw it, Zhou Zhou suddenly dodged backward, and Song Yi retracted her hand.

They stood in the shade for a while until Zhou Zhou’s complexion slowly returned to normal. She noticed Ms. Song didn’t seem to care about the little “episode,” which made her feel relieved, but soon, a sense of loss welled up in her heart.

“Feel better?” Song Yi asked.

Across from the North Gate was a row of restaurants and bakeries. Song Yi planned to take her there for a bite. When Zhou Zhou sat back on the seat, Song Yi, remembering the descent, turned back and proactively took Zhou Zhou’s hands, wrapping them around her own waist.

“We have to cross the street soon; it’ll be steadier this way,” Song Yi said plainly, purely for safety’s sake.

But as they set off again and the warm summer wind brushed against her face, Zhou Zhou’s hands tightened around her waist. An itch spread upward, and Song Yi found her own face turning red as well.

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