Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 48

The calm expression on Song Yi’s face cracked for a fleeting second before quickly returning to normal.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Song Yi looked directly at You Xuechu, their gazes clashing silently in the air.

 

You Xuechu was searching for a flaw in her armor, while Song Yi looked back with genuine bewilderment. She didn’t understand why, despite her many explanations, You Xuechu remained so convinced that she liked Zhou Zhou. How could You Xuechu be so certain about something she herself didn’t even know?

 

“Follow me in. I’ll give you the review materials.”

 

You Xuechu suddenly withdrew her gaze, turned, and opened her bedroom door as if nothing had happened. After a moment’s hesitation, Song Yi followed her inside.

 

The room was unlit, and with the curtains drawn, the light was dim and oppressive.

 

“Can we turn on the light?” Song Yi asked, staying close to the doorway.

 

You Xuechu had already walked over to her desk. She was clearly familiar with her room—and seemingly just as familiar with this gloomy dimness. It took a few seconds before she finally answered.

 

“No need.” You Xuechu pulled back the curtains, allowing a sudden flood of sunlight to pour in.

 

The abrupt brightness was jarring. Song Yi squinted, closing her eyes for a while before opening them again. She glanced at the bedroom light switch on the wall, positioned at shoulder height; it was pressed down.

 

“Your light is broken.”

 

“I know,” You Xuechu replied nonchalantly.

 

Song Yi asked, “Aren’t you going to have someone fix it?”

 

You Xuechu picked up a small stack of organized review materials from her desk. She turned around, leaning her back against the desk as she looked at Song Yi. “Since when did you start caring about me so much?”

 

Song Yi froze. Wasn’t this just a normal conversation?

 

“You’re the one who broke this light,” You Xuechu stated calmly, a thin, cold smile playing on her lips.

 

Song Yi was speechless. The influence of the original Scum Alpha was ubiquitous; she never knew in what form the original “Song Yi” would come back to haunt her.

 

You Xuechu didn’t intend to dwell on such small details. She went to bed early anyway; if necessary, the bathroom light or the bedside lamp provided enough illumination.

 

“Weren’t you here for the review materials?” You Xuechu asked, her smile suggesting she had seen right through her.

 

Song Yi: “…” Can’t I just be a good student for once?

 

“Come and get them yourself.” You Xuechu leaned lazily against the desk, propping herself up with her hands behind her. She lifted her right index finger, tapping lightly on the stack of papers.

 

Song Yi braced herself and walked over. As You Xuechu’s finger moved away, Song Yi saw the knowledge points neatly organized by subject, complete with key points highlighted in fluorescent ink.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Song Yi leaned over to take the materials. She tried not to look at the rest of the desk, but she couldn’t avoid seeing a lifelike grasshopper. It was the one Zhou Zhou had woven; it had already faded from vibrant green to a yellowish-green. Her heart skipped a beat.

 

Looking further, she saw several other animals made of paper—frogs, dragonflies, and more.

 

You Xuechu noticed her gaze lingering on these handicrafts, which she had specifically brought upstairs earlier. They had served their purpose quickly. Leaning slightly toward Song Yi with her arms crossed, You Xuechu said with a smile, “Zhou Zhou really has a pair of clever hands. Not only can she cook, but she can make so many handicrafts too.”

 

Song Yi’s grip tightened on the papers, wrinkling them instantly.

 

“The chef at the house is better at cooking than Zhou Zhou, and as for the handicrafts…”

 

You Xuechu watched Song Yi, who was clearly showing signs of losing her composure. The smile in her eyes grew brighter, curious to see what she would say next.

 

“You can learn how to make those just by watching videos online,” Song Yi said, immediately regretting her words. She realized she was being somewhat petty and argumentative.

 

“But I don’t like watching videos. I like…” You Xuechu paused intentionally, observing Song Yi’s stiff expression.

 

Song Yi kept her face taut, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

“I like Zhou Zhou teaching me. She’s beautiful and gentle. Learning things from her—no, just being with her—is a treat.” You Xuechu finished with a genuine, tender smile in her eyes. She really did like Zhou Zhou. She couldn’t help but add, “Zhou Zhou truly is a ‘dream Omega,’ isn’t she?”

 

Song Yi’s eyes widened in alarm, a vein throbbing at her temple. She looked at You Xuechu in shock. “Don’t you like Alphas?”

 

“Maybe because of the PTSD you gave me, I think Omegas are pretty good now. Especially someone like Zhou Zhou.”

 

Song Yi’s face turned pale. She parted her lips but found herself speechless.

 

“Alright, now that you have your materials, go back and study. Stop trying to solve your problems with money. I’m going back down to find Zhou Zhou; she’s been waiting for me for a long time.”

 

You Xuechu propped herself up from the desk and walked out first. Song Yi followed. As they reached the door, You Xuechu turned back and noticed Song Yi’s hands were empty. She shook her head. “Are you really here for the materials or not?”

 

Startled, Song Yi turned back and grabbed the stack of papers from the desk. Her eyes inadvertently swept over the paper animals Zhou Zhou had taught You Xuechu to make, as well as the grasshopper they had made together days ago.

 

She withdrew her gaze and walked out. As she passed You Xuechu, she couldn’t resist asking, “Xuechu, you don’t actually like Zhou Zhou, do you?”

 

You Xuechu looked at the rare, serious expression on Song Yi’s face. She froze for a moment, then gave a careless laugh.

 

“Why, is that not allowed?”

 

“Is it that your butler isn’t allowed to date, or is it… that you like Zhou Zhou?” You Xuechu curled her lips, her gaze fixed on Song Yi’s face.

 

The tense string in Song Yi’s mind snapped. She walked past You Xuechu, out of the room, and headed downstairs. You Xuechu’s suggestion was far too absurd. Does being kind to Zhou Zhou automatically mean she likes her?

 

She decided to use a decisive departure to show she had no designs on Zhou Zhou. Her pace was brisk, her footsteps echoing clearly on the wooden floor of the quiet villa.

 

Zhou Zhou, who had been waiting in the living room, looked toward the sound. She recognized Ms. Song’s footsteps.

 

“Ms. Song, are you leaving?” Zhou Zhou asked, standing by the sofa. Song Yi saw a certain emotion in her bright eyes and instinctively tried to decipher it; her steps slowed down naturally.

 

“Mhm,” Song Yi replied curtly.

 

Zhou Zhou’s gaze fell on the stack of papers in her right hand. “Good luck, Ms. Song,” she encouraged.

 

Song Yi hummed in response but didn’t move, just standing there looking at Zhou Zhou.

 

You Xuechu came downstairs and couldn’t help but laugh at the scene. What was Song Yi doing? To an outsider, it looked as if a vast “Magpie Bridge” separated her from Zhou Zhou.

 

“Song Yi, didn’t you have something you wanted to say to Zhou Zhou?” You Xuechu leaned against the railing of the spiral staircase, looking down at the two of them with a smile.

 

Song Yi was bewildered, unsure of You Xuechu’s intention. Is she hurrying me to speak so I’ll leave and stop bothering her and Zhou Zhou?

 

“What did you want to say to me, Ms. Song?” Zhou Zhou asked expectantly, standing slightly on her tiptoes.

 

Song Yi felt like she was being forced into a corner. She looked up toward You Xuechu. You Xuechu took the hint and said with a laugh, “I’ll give you ten minutes.” With that, she headed back upstairs.

 

Song Yi waited until You Xuechu disappeared around the corner before walking toward Zhou Zhou. Zhou Zhou’s heart raced; she lowered her eyes, her thick lashes hiding the small flutter of excitement.

 

“Did you and Xuechu make all of these together?”

 

“Yes. Ms. You took the ones she made herself upstairs.”

 

Song Yi crouched down, her finger pressing on the back of a paper frog. The frog leaped upward in a perfect arc.

 

“Can you give them to me?” Song Yi turned her head and looked up. Zhou Zhou’s pupils dilated. She also crouched down. “Of course. If you like, if you want them, take them.” She carefully chose her words to avoid any misunderstanding.

 

“Thank you.” Song Yi shifted the review materials to her left hand and gently gathered the paper animals from the marble floor with her right. She stood up and left.

 

Zhou Zhou held her breath and walked softly to the door, watching Ms. Song leave. Once her silhouette vanished, a question came to mind: Ms. You said she was taking the day off, so should she go back tonight?

 

“What are you thinking about?”

 

The sudden voice and the hand on her shoulder made Zhou Zhou snap out of it. “Ms. You.”

 

You Xuechu withdrew her hand and looked past the front yard toward the distance. “Is Song Yi gone?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“Sigh…” You Xuechu leaned against the door. Song Yi seemed to be more composed than she had imagined.

 

The two returned to the living room to tidy up the scraps of paper. You Xuechu noticed something was missing and asked in surprise, “Zhou Zhou, where are the paper frog and dragonfly you made?”

 

“Ms. Song took them.”

 

At this, a new smile bloomed in You Xuechu’s eyes. It seemed Song Yi wasn’t as calm as she looked; she had just become a “closet” romantic.

 

Meanwhile, Song Yi returned to her villa and went straight to the second floor. Entering her room, she placed the review materials on the desk, then gently set down the paper frog and dragonfly she had gotten from Zhou Zhou, as if they were truly alive.

 

She also brought over the grass butterfly Zhou Zhou had woven before and stared at it for a while, dazed.

 

Her phone vibrated. Song Yi checked the message, it was Zhou Zhou reminding her to eat dinner. She went downstairs; the auntie had already prepared the meal. Replying with a “Fine” to put Zhou Zhou’s mind at ease, she began her solitary dinner.

 

Above the table hung a crystal chandelier, its countless crystals emitting a warm light that cast a soft, appetizing glow over the food.

But with Zhou Zhou gone, this meal was still tasteless to Song Yi.

She finished her dinner quickly and went back upstairs, picking up the review materials You Xuechu had given her to start studying.

 

Song Yi was a top student in her own right, with strong learning capabilities—unlike the original host who only knew how to indulge in pleasure and act like a scoundrel. These knowledge points weren’t difficult for her; even without attending classes, understanding them wasn’t an issue. It simply required some time for memorization.

 

She studied in her room for a while, then took the materials down to the first floor to curl up on the living room sofa, waiting for Zhou Zhou to return.

 

Even though she had no idea if Zhou Zhou was coming back tonight.

 

In the other villa a few hundred meters away, Zhou Zhou was wondering the same thing.

 

You Xuechu saw through Zhou Zhou’s thoughts. Even though she knew that keeping Zhou Zhou for the night would provoke Song Yi more effectively, she couldn’t bear to let Zhou Zhou suffer the internal struggle.

 

“Zhou Zhou, I’ll walk you back.” You Xuechu stood up from the sofa. Zhou Zhou looked up in surprise; she thought that if she didn’t bring it up, Ms. You would likely wait until tomorrow morning to let her go.

 

“Don’t want to go back?” You Xuechu smiled. “If you don’t, that certain someone might suffer from insomnia tonight.”

 

Zhou Zhou stood up with a “swish.”

 

“Let’s go.” You Xuechu walked ahead, smiling.

 

“It’s very close; you don’t need to walk me, Ms. You,” Zhou Zhou followed.

 

“It’s fine, I want to get some air.” You Xuechu figured that since she was the one who called Zhou Zhou over, she should ensure she got back safely, even if the villa district’s security was excellent.

 

The distance of a few hundred meters was covered quickly, and they soon arrived at the villa gates.

 

“Go on in.”

 

“Goodbye, Ms. You.” Zhou Zhou bid her a polite farewell, and You Xuechu waved back.

 

Zhou Zhou leaned her face toward the scanner; the facial recognition was successful, and she entered the villa grounds.

 

Stopping in the courtyard, she looked up and saw that the lights on the second floor were off. Only the first floor was lit, and the main door wasn’t locked—it was left slightly ajar.

 

She couldn’t help but wonder: Is Ms. Song already asleep, or is she still on the first floor?

 

A faint sense of anticipation welled up in her heart.

 

If Ms. Song wasn’t asleep, why was she still on the first floor so late? Was it… to wait for her?

 

If Ms. Song was asleep, were the lights and the door left that way because she knew Zhou Zhou might return?

 

Regardless of the possibility, Zhou Zhou was happy.

 

Initially, when Ms. You offered to walk her back, she was worried she might not be able to get into the house without disturbing Ms. Song.

 

She took a deep breath, lightened her steps, and climbed the stairs to the door. She pushed the slightly ajar, intricately carved golden door; it made a soft sound as she entered and gently closed it behind her.

 

As she turned around, she unexpectedly locked eyes with Ms. Song, and her heart skipped a beat.

 

“Ms. Song, are you still up this late?” she asked, smiling and feigning composure.

 

Song Yi rose from the sofa. The review materials originally resting on her lap slid to the floor as she stood. She didn’t look down; it was Zhou Zhou who instinctively ran toward her and knelt to help pick them up.

 

Song Yi only stared intently at Zhou Zhou, watching her carefully rescue the displaced pages. She had completely forgotten what she had doodled on the paper when she was bored.

 

When Zhou Zhou saw the bold words “Dream Omega” staring back at her from the page, her movements froze.

 

It took Song Yi a few seconds to notice. By then, it was too late to hide it.

 

Zhou Zhou tilted her face up and asked, “Ms. Song, have you met someone you like?”