Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 45

Zhou Zhou was so absorbed in the movie that she remained completely unaware of the actions of the person beside her.

As the film drew to a close, she blinked repeatedly to ease her eye muscles. It was then she realized her hand was still resting inside the popcorn tub; more than half of it remained. She couldn’t even remember when she had put her hand in there.

Song Yi stood up and found the switch, turning on the bright incandescent lights of the screening room. The sudden glare flickered, and Zhou Zhou instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.

Once her eyes adjusted, Zhou Zhou picked up the rose that had been resting on her lap. She glanced at the nearly full tub of popcorn sitting between the two massage chairs, lost in thought.

There’s so much left… it’s probably because my hand was in the way, so Ms. Song couldn’t reach it.

Song Yi followed Zhou Zhou’s gaze, walked over, and picked up the tub. She reached in with her fair fingers, popped a piece into her mouth, and said with a smile, “I’ll take this with us.”

Zhou Zhou nodded softly and held the rose tighter in her arms.

They took the elevator down. By the time they stepped out from under the eaves, it was evening. The sky wasn’t dark yet; instead, it was filled with vibrant “fire clouds.” Orange and red were smeared unevenly across the horizon, as if some deity had tipped over an oil palette while painting.

“It’s beautiful,” Zhou Zhou murmured, stopping to gaze up in wonder.

Song Yi’s gaze dropped from the horizon to the person beside her. Her eyes were filled with an infinite tenderness. She quickly looked away, found the bicycle under the large tree, and pushed it over to Zhou Zhou.

She handed the popcorn to Zhou Zhou. “Time to ride back.”

Zhou Zhou took the tub and sat on the back seat.

The evening breeze was still somewhat warm, but without the scorching sun, it had softened significantly. As the bike moved, the wind brushed against their faces, adding a layer of comfort to the journey.

Holding both the rose and the popcorn in one hand and gripping the seat with the other, Zhou Zhou felt her center of gravity was a bit unstable. She hesitated before reaching forward, her fingers slowly bunching a section of Ms. Song’s silk shirt. The fabric felt smooth to the touch.

Song Yi felt the tug, and a faint curve appeared on her lips.

Ten minutes later, Song Yi arrived back at the dormitory building, once again drawing a crowd of female students.

Compared to when they left, Zhou Zhou now had a rose and a tub of popcorn. The onlookers easily guessed they had been to the movies, and hushed, intense discussions broke out.

The noise was chaotic, like thousands of bees buzzing. People were even taking photos with their phones. Seeing this, Song Yi wasn’t worried that the blonde girl wouldn’t find her bike; even without a way to contact her, the news of the bike’s return would surely spread.

There was no need to linger. Song Yi took Zhou Zhou by the wrist, carved a path through the crowd, and called the driver.

The driver parked the car right outside the dormitory gates. Song Yi and Zhou Zhou spotted it as soon as they stepped out.

Song Yi opened the door for Zhou Zhou. The bag of tangerines from earlier was still there. As Song Yi sat down, she resumed peeling tangerines, using the citrus scent to ward off her motion sickness.

Zhou Zhou couldn’t bear to see Ms. Song in pain. She took out her headphones and offered one earbud. “Ms. Song, want to listen to music?”

Song Yi accepted readily. After putting in the earbud, she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.

This time, the music didn’t start immediately. Zhou Zhou was still choosing a song. After a moment, a soft melody began to play. Song Yi could tell it was different from the song they heard that morning.

At the Villa: Ding Chen and You Xuechu

Meanwhile, Ding Chen had arrived at Song Yi’s villa at nine in the morning. After waiting until nearly noon, she had called Song Yi. Song Yi told her to eat at the villa, rest in the guest room, and perhaps check on You Xuechu or play some Chess with her.

Ding Chen didn’t dare go to You Xuechu’s uninvited. She waited until the cook finished lunch and ate a “luxury version” meal alone. She didn’t go to the guest room, fearing she might see more “strange things,” so she just rested on the living room sofa for a bit.

After a thirty-minute nap, she waited until two o’clock. Feeling like she was about to “grow mushrooms” from boredom and remembering Song Yi said they’d be back by evening, Ding Chen gritted her teeth, picked up her medical bag, and went to visit Ms. You.

That afternoon, You Xuechu had just finished a video call with her parents abroad. They had mentioned that young, successful mixed-race woman who had appeared on the news with her, lamenting that the woman already had a fiancée, otherwise she would have been a good match.

“A good match for your business deals, you mean,” You Xuechu had snapped, huddling on her sofa.

The middle-aged couple on the screen froze. Her mother said, “Xuechu, we only want what’s best for you.”

“Best for me? Hah.”

“Of course,” her father, whose hair was thinning, added. “We’re just helping you screen them. Whether you like them in the end is up to you…”

Lies. All lies.

You Xuechu angrily cut the call. She would never forget how, even after she came out, her parents kept arranging blind dates with men for “business considerations.” Switching to women now was a compromise, but they still didn’t understand what she truly wanted.

Just then, the doorbell rang. She went to open it and found someone unexpected.

Ding Chen stood outside the iron gate in the afternoon heat, carrying her medical kit. You Xuechu opened the gate indifferently.

“Ms. You… please retract your pheromones,” Ding Chen squeezed out with difficulty. Under You Xuechu’s intense anger, a cold cedar-scented pheromone had leaked out, heavily suppressing the ordinary Beta.

You Xuechu withdrew her pheromones and took a deep breath to calm down. “What do you want?” she asked, leaning against the door.

Ding Chen took a breath and lifted her kit.

“Song Yi isn’t back, so you’re so bored you came to find me as a patient?” You Xuechu’s tone was sharp.

Ding Chen didn’t take it to heart. Having been Song Yi’s private doctor for so long, she understood You Xuechu’s temperament. She reached into her bag, pulled out a squishy round ball, and handed it to her. “If you’re angry, use this to vent.”

You Xuechu took it, puzzled. “How do you use this?”

“Try squeezing it, Ms. You.”

You Xuechu squeezed it hard. The ball let out a weird “ji-gu ji-gu” squeak. It was a bit eerie, but she wasn’t afraid. As an emotional outlet, it was actually quite effective.

“Thanks.” You Xuechu turned to walk inside. After a few steps, she said, “Come in.”

Ding Chen adjusted her glasses and entered, making sure to close the door behind her.

In the living room, You Xuechu slumped onto the sofa as if she had no bones, her right hand constantly squeezing the ball.

Ji-gu, ji-gu. Ji-gu, ji-gu.

Ding Chen ignored the squeaks and professionally set her kit on the coffee table. You Xuechu knew the drill; she moved the ball to her left hand and offered her right to Ding Chen. Just like when she was with Song Yi, Ding Chen would check her health while attending to Song Yi.

“Left hand.”

You Xuechu switched hands obediently. “Anything majorly wrong?” she asked nonchalantly.

Ding Chen looked serious. “The same old issue. Your stomach is weak. Haven’t you been eating properly lately?”

“I have,” You Xuechu denied. “I’ve been eating a lot lately.”

Ding Chen: “Irregularity and binge eating won’t help either.”

You Xuechu clicked her tongue. “So troublesome. I don’t want to live that long anyway.”

Ding Chen looked up at her, said nothing, and rummaged through her kit to find several jars of nutritional supplements. “I developed these recently and have tested them. Drink one every morning after washing up. It helps regulate eating habits. Try them, and if they work, I’ll bring more next week.”

You Xuechu gave Ding Chen a strange look, her right hand rhythmically squeezing the ball. The “ji-gu” sound dragged on.

As Ding Chen packed up to leave, You Xuechu suddenly sat up. “Do you know how to play Chess?”

Ding Chen hesitated. “A little.”

“Play a few rounds with me. Song Yi and Zhou Zhou are out on a date; they won’t be back early.”

Ding Chen’s hand paused on her kit, a silent agreement. You Xuechu slid off the sofa into her slippers and went to get the boards. She brought out both Traditional Chess and International Chess.

A smile touched her face; this was healthy.

You Xuechu asked which one she wanted, and Ding Chen chose Traditional Chess. They sat on the rug to play. The skill gap was obvious; Ding Chen wasn’t being humble she really only knew “a little.” You Xuechu relaxed completely, finding it quite pleasant to win so easily.

Gradually, Ding Chen relaxed too. She was a fast learner and began using You Xuechu’s own tactics against her.

“Not bad, Ding Chen,” You Xuechu said, a bright smile in her eyes.

“You’re still the better player, Ms. You,” Ding Chen replied, pushing up her glasses.

Noticing the glasses were a bit ill-fitting, You Xuechu asked, “Is Song Yi not paying you enough? Why not get better glasses?”

“No,” Ding Chen smiled. “Ms. Song is very generous.”

You Xuechu sighed. “I was going to say, if she’s mistreating you, I’d hire you for a higher price just to play Chess with me.”

“My ambitions lie elsewhere.”

“Boring.” You Xuechu leaned back. “If Song Yi weren’t away, you wouldn’t be here, would you?”

Back at the Villa: Evening

By the time Song Yi and Zhou Zhou returned to the villa, it was nearly eight o’clock. The sky was a deep indigo, cloudless and dotted with a few sparse stars and a crescent moon that seemed caught in the treetops.

After the driver left, Zhou Zhou still couldn’t bring herself to wake Ms. Song. She sat quietly beside her in the car, rolling down the window to let the night air, scented with grass and trees, drift in.

Song Yi woke up with a slight frown. When she opened her eyes, she realized the car was already parked in the villa’s courtyard. Zhou Zhou had already looked away and was busy with her phone.

The air was filled with a slight breeze and the faint sound of crickets from afar. Everything was quiet. Song Yi suddenly felt a throb in her heart. She leaned slightly toward Zhou Zhou and instinctively sniffed the air.

Zhou Zhou couldn’t pretend not to notice anymore. She looked over.

“Ms. Song, you’re awake?”

“Mhm.” Song Yi swallowed. In the dim back seat, something was brewing.

“Then… let’s get out of the car.”

As Zhou Zhou turned to open the door, a hand caught her first. A hot breath fanned across her neck, and Zhou Zhou instinctively held her breath.

Song Yi gripped Zhou Zhou’s hand and asked from behind, “I want your pheromones. Is that okay?”

Zhou Zhou gave a small nod and reached back to peel off the scent-blocking patch.

“I’ll do it.”

Zhou Zhou pulled her hand back, and her other hand, held by Ms. Song, didn’t dare move. Warm fingers brushed against her skin, found the corner of the patch, and gently peeled it away. A faint, sweet cherry scent spilled out, reaching Song Yi’s nose. The car window was open, so the wind scattered some of it.

Song Yi rolled up the window. She wouldn’t let Zhou Zhou’s pheromones escape anymore not even if there was no one else outside.

Zhou Zhou lowered her head, her gaze unfocused. She looked through the window at the hazy moon outside. Ms. Song released her own pheromones too, and the scents of sweet cherry and red wine intertwined inside the car.

Tears dampened her long lashes; Zhou Zhou’s vision turned into a blur.

Ding Chen, just leaving You Xuechu’s house, arrived at the villa gates. She entered her visitor code and saw the two figures inside the car. She froze.

A miscalculation. I came back too early.

Ding Chen didn’t want to disturb them. She turned and silently retreated.

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