Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 10

After the intense high-intensity training during the day ended, many people were both exhausted and drowsy. Perhaps seeing that everyone’s spirits were truly low, the instructor simply decided to change the evening training session into a military song drill.

Singing was certainly better than standing at attention or march-drilling; most people breathed a sigh of relief and showed great cooperation.

 

As night fell, the sky resembled a vast, boundless black curtain. The green field was filled with people, and the perimeter of the plastic track was dotted with bright streetlights, looking like stars fallen to earth.

 

The new instructor for Class One was a gentle man with a square face. He looked to be about thirty years old, and when he smiled, two deep dimples made him appear exceptionally warm. He was currently guiding everyone through the songs with rhythmic cadence.

 

“Come on, follow me and sing it again! Unity is strength!”

 

The students tilted their heads back and sang along, their sitting postures slumped and messy. Someone shouted loudly, “Instructor, your accent is too heavy! I can’t really understand you!”

 

The instructor wasn’t angry upon hearing this. He said with a grin, “I think your accent is pretty loco too, you know.”

 

Laughter broke out continuously from below.

 

Yu Qiao sat cross-legged on the green grass, laughing along with the others.

 

Once they had practiced the songs enough, they began a formal “song battle” with the neighboring class. First, they exchanged some trash talk, and then each class would sing a song; whoever sang the loudest was the boss.

 

One team sang “Unity is Strength,” while the other sang “People Like Us Soldiers.” It was incredibly lively.

 

At first, everyone was a bit reserved, politely waiting for the other side to finish a section. Later, their competitive spirit swelled, and they began to disregard sportsmanship, snatching lyrics line by line. Wave after wave of sound surged, and the playground was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

 

Yao Rudong had battled three songs in a row with the students of Class Two. Like a haughty rooster, she wilted as soon as she stepped down, collapsing exhausted onto Yu Qiao’s shoulder: “Cough, I can’t do it anymore, so tired.”

 

Yu Qiao handed her a water bottle and said, “Drink some water.”

 

Lu Yun joked, “I think tomorrow you won’t just have an aching back and sore legs; even your voice will be hoarse.”

 

Yao Rudong gulped down the water and grunted, “If I didn’t show off my skills, who would know the true power of a Karaoke Queen?”

 

She looked at Lu Yun and asked, “How are you feeling now? Does your stomach still hurt?”

 

“Much better.” Lu Yun hugged her knees, her eyes bright. She lowered her voice and said, “I went up just now to get some hot water and put on a heating pad.”

 

Hearing this, Yao Rudong reached out to touch her stomach and exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, it really is warm! Qiaoqiao, come feel this!”

 

Lu Yun quickly dodged and scolded with a laugh, “Get lost, get lost! There are so many people around!”

 

Yu Qiao shook her head, caught between laughter and tears.

 

Amidst the laughter and banter, someone suddenly shouted, “Hey, hey! Senior Xie is here!”

 

The previously cheerful air suddenly fell silent for a moment. The students of Class One turned their heads in unison to look at Yu Qiao.

 

Yao Rudong, always eager for chaos, went, “Wow!”

 

Everyone: “Ooh.”

 

A chorus of “wows” followed.

 

Yu Qiao looked bewildered.

 

Lu Yun: “Qiaoqiao, Senior Xie is here to find you, right?”

 

Yu Qiao: “Probably not.” She thought for a moment and said, “She should have other things to attend to.”

 

Yao Rudong: “The two of you are so close. If she isn’t here for you, who else could she be here for?”

 

Yu Qiao shook her head, her gaze as clean as a clear lake: “I don’t know.”

 

Yao Rudong had an expression of frustrated disappointment: “How can you be so clueless about everything! With such a good opportunity, haven’t you thought about getting to know the Goddess a bit more?”

 

Yu Qiao paused and said, “No.”

 

Actually, Yu Qiao hadn’t thought that much about it. She just felt that the distance in her relationship with Xie Bufei was quite comfortable—not too far, not too close—and didn’t invade her private space too much.

 

In the past, she had very few friends and was used to being alone. Becoming intimate with someone actually made her feel uneasy.

 

But Xie Bufei didn’t bring her that sense of unease. She drifted perfectly outside of social distance, yet moved closer at the right moments to offer a lot of help.

 

Yao Rudong asked, “Don’t you want to be more proactive? Take the initiative! Seeing your unmeltable ice-cold look, I’m worried that one day she’ll think you don’t care about her.”

 

Yu Qiao hesitated for a moment, inexplicably starting to doubt whether her attitude was indeed too cold.

 

Even friends need a back-and-forth interaction. In this relationship, it was almost always Xie Bufei who took the initiative to approach, while she herself had indeed been very passive.

 

Yu Qiao pondered for a moment and made up her mind: “Next time, I’ll take the initiative to ask her out to play.”

 

She looked up and saw Xie Bufei walking over with the members of the Student Union.

 

Xie Bufei was wearing a pure black knit sweater, and her dark jeans outlined her slender waist and long legs. Her collar was slightly open, and her fair, delicate neck glowed with a hint of warm yellow under the lights.

 

She turned her head to talk to a young girl beside her, one hand tucked in her pocket. Her expression was faint, looking somewhat nonchalant.

 

For some reason, Xie Bufei stopped in her tracks. Yu Qiao watched as she quickly scanned the surroundings, her gaze gradually settling in the direction of Class One.

 

Yao Rudong nervously clutched Yu Qiao’s sleeve: “She’s looking over! Ahhh!”

 

The playground was a sea of people, and Yu Qiao, sitting among them, was like a drop in the ocean. She thought Xie Bufei wouldn’t see her, only to find that the other girl’s gaze landed accurately and unmistakably upon her.

 

The gentle night breeze stirred the strands of hair by her ears. The girl in the distance gazed quietly through the crowd and suddenly gave her a gentle smile.

 

Those fox-like eyes curved into two arcs, and the dimples at the corners of her mouth appeared faintly, breathtakingly beautiful.

 

There was also that faint, hazy scent of lily of the valley.

 

Yu Qiao blinked. She felt the clamor in her ears gradually fade, and the dark mass of people in her peripheral vision became blurred.

 

The chirping of insects in the grass dragged out lazily, matching the rhythm of her heartbeat.

 

This moment was very brief, yet it felt as long as eternity.

 

Suddenly, Yao Rudong’s voice rang out: “Is Senior Xie staying to hear us sing too?”

 

Yu Qiao snapped back to reality. Xie Bufei had already walked to the edge of the playground with the Student Union. The moonlight traced her exquisite features, making her strikingly beautiful.

 

“Maybe.”

 

Because of Xie Bufei’s appearance, the dampened atmosphere surged once again.

 

During the break, the instructors gathered to discuss and said, “Seeing as you only know those few lines over and over, let’s just remove the restrictions. Sing whatever you want.”

 

“Yay!”

 

“Wahoo! Set me up with ‘I Am the Queen’!”

 

The instructor clapped his hands and said, “Just singing is boring. Why don’t we play a game?”

 

“From now on, if someone wants to come up and sing, they can designate a person to sing with them, or battle them. No limit on songs, as long as it doesn’t go too far.”

 

The crowd erupted: “Doesn’t that mean we can sing love duets?”

 

Instructor: “That’s not out of the question.”

 

Yao Rudong said in surprise, “This is a bit exciting.” She looked at her two silent friends and urged, “Do either of you beauties want to go up and sing a sweet duet with me?”

 

Lu Yun looked indifferent: “Thanks for the invite, but no.”

 

Yu Qiao waved her hand and said sincerely, “I can’t. I’m not a good singer.”

 

Yao Rudong: “Tsk, can’t count on either of you!”

 

The students of Class One formed a circle, each eager to try, glancing at one another with a mix of shyness and excitement.

 

Suddenly, someone stood up proactively and said loudly, “Reporting, I want to sing.”

 

Yao Rudong’s expression changed: “Damn it, how is it Tang Sijia? What bad luck!”

 

Tang Sijia was wearing a white shirt with her camouflage jacket tied around her waist. She walked calmly through the crowd toward the open space in the center.

 

“If you want to sing, come on up!” The instructor made room for her. “Everyone, let’s give her a hand!”

 

The crowd clapped vigorously, and the atmosphere was high; some even whistled and winked in cheers.

 

The Computer Science department had a unique nature with a large gender gap, essentially an abundance of Alphas and a scarcity of Omegas. In Class One, Alphas were everywhere, and there were many Betas like Yao Rudong and Lu Yun, but Omegas were rare and considered a scarce resource.

 

Tang Sijia was an Omega, and because of her good looks, she was quite popular in the class.

 

Yao Rudong whispered, “I really don’t get why so many people like her.”

 

“Because she really does look good,” Lu Yun said. “Pity her character is a bit problematic.”

 

Yu Qiao remained noncommittal, looking at Tang Sijia in the center of the crowd. The girl in the white shirt exuded the delicate fragility unique to Omegas, her features pure and sweet.

 

The instructor asked with a smile, “Who do you want to pick to come up and sing with you?”

 

“Sijia! Pick me!” someone boldly extended an olive branch.

 

Tang Sijia scanned the surroundings, lifted her chin, and let her gaze fall deeply upon a certain someone.

 

She curled her red lips slightly and spoke clearly: “I pick Yu Qiao. I want to have a song battle with her.”

 

The crowd went silent for a second before once again looking at Yu Qiao in unison.

 

Yu Qiao was stunned, her brows gradually furrowing.

 

Tang Sijia had always held hostility toward her. Calling her up in this kind of setting, Yu Qiao wasn’t naive enough to think she was actually there for a friendly duet.

 

There must be another motive.

 

“Student Yu Qiao, don’t you want to come up?” Seeing that she wasn’t moving, Tang Sijia pursed her lips, looking pitiful. “Is it that you’re unwilling to sing with me?”

 

“She’s such a White Lotus!” Yao Rudong pinched her own thigh. “I really want to strangle her!”

 

The instructor didn’t notice the subtle tension: “Come up, come up! Anyone who is called must come up!”

 

Yu Qiao paused for a moment, then stood up decisively and walked over with her long legs.

 

After the farce this morning, everyone in Class One had a gradually improving impression of Yu Qiao, from the “quiet good student” to the “cool and brave good student who has an unspeakable relationship with Xie Bufei.”

 

Yu Qiao usually kept a low profile. Seeing her appear this way for the first time, everyone couldn’t help but look her over a few more times, suddenly realizing that Yu Qiao’s appearance was actually very good.

 

The girl looked tall and lean. Her camouflage sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing smooth and powerful forearm lines. Her long legs stepped through the dim shadows. Under the yellowish night lights, her cold white skin glowed with a hint of warmth, and her eyes were as clean as water.

 

She was half a head taller than Tang Sijia, overpowering her in momentum and carrying a sort of unshakeable aura.

 

Looking at it this way, Yu Qiao actually didn’t lose out to Tang Sijia at all.

 

Tang Sijia looked up at her, feeling inexplicably shorter. Her expression twisted slightly: “Yu Qiao, what do you want to sing?”

 

Yu Qiao’s gaze was clear as she said flatly, “You choose first.”

 

Tang Sijia stared at her, and after a moment, smiled slightly: “Fine.”

 

She picked a favorite song she usually practiced, believing she could sing it with ease. Because there was no accompaniment, singing a cappella actually added a unique charm to it.

 

Tang Sijia’s singing level was decent; she went out of tune occasionally, but the flaws didn’t overshadow the beauty. It was a sweet little song with a lively and cute melody, making the atmosphere on the field very upbeat.

 

When the song ended, everyone clapped enthusiastically. The instructor nodded: “Very good, this student is quite impressive.”

 

Tang Sijia smiled sweetly, casting a secretly triumphant glance at Yu Qiao.

 

Next was Yu Qiao’s turn. Yao Rudong was incredibly nervous for her: “Didn’t Qiaoqiao say she couldn’t sing? It’s over, it’s over, I’m so nervous!”

 

Lu Yun comforted her: “It’s fine. Look how calm Qiaoqiao is. Maybe she was just being hum.”

 

Her words stopped abruptly the moment Yu Qiao started singing.

 

There wasn’t a single sound in the entire field; even the wind couldn’t be heard. It was as deathly silent as a graveyard.

 

Yu Qiao didn’t know much popular music. After some deliberation, she chose an old song.

 

She closed her eyes and finished singing very calmly. When she opened them again, she saw Tang Sijia with a complicated expression: “You, you dared to come up singing like that?” She didn’t even have the heart to mock Yu Qiao anymore.

 

Yao Rudong looked dazed: “This is the first time I’ve heard someone sing an entire song completely off-key; it’s quite haunting.”

 

Lu Yun covered her face: “Forget what I said. Qiaoqiao really isn’t good at this.”

 

Yu Qiao looked at everyone’s mixed expressions and had a rough guess of what they were thinking. She pushed up her black-rimmed glasses and let out a nearly inaudible sigh.

 

She told them; she was truly, completely bad at singing.

 

Her gaze swept quickly across the silent crowd and suddenly froze. She saw that Xie Bufei had at some point stood behind the Class One crowd, her eyes curved with a smile.

 

Meeting Yu Qiao’s surprised gaze, Xie Bufei reached out and clapped. The sound was exceptionally clear in the silence.

 

She said with a smile, “Not bad. You sang very well.”