Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 12

Xie Bufei’s finger, which had been hovering over the screen, froze instantly. She sat up straight in an instant.

Gary: “Really?”

Gary: “Qiaoqiao, was that really you just now?”

Yu Qiao replied: “Yes.”

“Will it disturb you if I send messages out of the blue, Senior?”

“Not at all!”

Xie Bufei bit her lip, adding a line with a sheer sense of bliss, “You can message me whenever you want.”

She followed up with an animated sticker of a bunny blowing hearts. Her fox-like eyes narrowed with deep satisfaction as she leaned back lazily against the sofa, long legs crossed, her rounded toes wiggling back and forth in the air.

Ideally, she should message every day—the more, the better. Xie Bufei wouldn’t find it annoying at all.

Yu Qiao waited a moment before replying: “Okay.”

Xie Bufei squinted with a smile, unable to resist teasing her further: “So you really did miss me?”

“What exactly were you thinking about? Care to elaborate?”

“Cat rolling side to side.jpg”

The phone vibrated three times in a row. Looking at the new messages, Yu Qiao’s expression stiffened.

Is this person doing this on purpose? Asking such strange questions…

A light breeze blew past. She pursed her lips, making an effort to steer her fluttering emotions back on track: “I was just wondering where you went and what you were doing right now.”

Xie Bufei lowered her eyes: “I see…”

Yu Qiao: “Yes, is something wrong?”

The light in the living room was dim. Xie Bufei pulled her knees up, resting her chin on a plush pillow tucked between her legs. Her beautiful brows drooped slightly, her face half-hidden in the blue glow of the screen.

She pressed the record button and sent a voice message: “I thought Qiaoqiao wanted to see me.”

On the other end, Xie Bufei’s clear voice drifted through the Bluetooth earphones. The rising intonation at the end sounded like a soft mumble of complaint, laced with a hint of coquettishness.

On the bustling playground, the girl in the camouflage uniform stared silently at her phone screen for a long while. She raised a hand to pull her military cap down, trying to block out the irritatingly bright sunlight.

She remained silent for a bit before looking away.

“A little.”

“Sister, what are you looking at? You’re smiling so happily.”

A soft female voice suddenly came from behind her.

The curve of Xie Bufei’s lips stalled, and the mirth in her eyes faded.

“Does it have anything to do with you?”

“We haven’t seen each other for several days. Why is Sister still like this?” Xie Ke walked over and sat down beside her, speaking in a gentle, thin voice. “If Dad hears you, he’ll scold you again.”

She was wearing a soft-looking camisole nightgown. Her two pale, thin arms propped her up on the edge of the sofa. Her features were delicate, her chin narrow, and her almond eyes were sharply defined, though she was thin to the point of appearing slightly frail, possessing the sickly air of someone long burdened by illness.

Xie Bufei glanced at her, her gaze traveling from top to bottom, before she suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Some people should really mind their own business. Cherish your life; you might not have many years left, after all.”

Xie Ke stared at her intently, her tone shifting from sunny to somber: “Do you really have to speak to me like that?”

Xie Bufei tilted her chin up, looking impatient. “If you don’t want to hear it, then leave.”

Xie Ke paused, her bright almond eyes rippling like a disturbed lake. Her chest rose and fell slightly, her voice trembling. “Sister, did I offend you again? I’m sorry…”

A second later, a man’s deep, booming voice thundered from upstairs, accompanied by the sound of angry footsteps. “Xie Bufei! Can’t you be nicer to your sister? You haven’t been home for so long, yet your temper hasn’t changed a bit!”

Xie Bufei looked up at him and sneered. “Then tell your precious daughter to stay away from me. I’d hate to upset her ‘fragile’ body and mind.”

Xie Ke lowered her head obediently, her black hair falling over her shoulders, projecting a pitiful, fragile image. “Dad, it’s my fault for accidentally disturbing Sister. Don’t scold her.”

“Look at how good your sister is to you.” Xie Hongxin strode over to Xie Ke and pulled her up from the sofa, speaking in a doting tone. “Your sister didn’t mean it. Don’t take it to heart.”

Xie Ke nodded gently, but Xie Bufei’s lazy voice drifted from behind them: “No, I absolutely meant it.”

Xie Hongxin’s eyes widened in anger. “You—!”

“Stop arguing. It wasn’t easy for Xiao Fei to come home. A family should be harmonious; that’s better than anything else.”

A woman with curled hair interrupted from the staircase, stepping gracefully onto the carpet. Her vibrant face was well-maintained, appearing no older than her early thirties, and she shared a seventy to eighty percent resemblance with Xie Ke.

Xie Ke called out: “Mom.”

“During the days you were away at school, Keke talked about you every day, hoping for your return.” The woman walked down the stairs with a smile. “For my sake, let’s not fight, okay?”

Xie Bufei watched her performance with a mocking half-smile. “Since Auntie Lin has put it that way, then fine.”

Lin Qingwei nodded, a gentle smile on her face. “It just so happens that Keke has recovered from her illness and Xiao Fei is back home. It’s a double blessing.”

Xie Hongxin’s expression softened. “That’s more like it.”

Lin Qingwei walked over to the two of them, bending down to stroke Xie Ke’s pale head. Her sharp, red-painted nails threaded through the dark hair. Xie Ke lowered her eyes, smiling obediently.

Xie Hongxin stood by and watched them, as if seeing the ideal image of a wife and daughter. He nodded with great satisfaction.

Lin Qingwei spoke in a tone used to coax a child: “Did Keke sleep well last night? Are you happy now that Sister is back?”

Xie Ke blinked innocently and nodded vigorously. “I’m very happy. I fell asleep instantly.”

Xie Hongxin: “Keke is the most sensible one in our family, always keeping her sister in mind. Since your health is better these days, why not have Xiao Fei take you out to have some fun?”

Xie Ke’s eyes lit up. “Okay! I want to go to the amusement park.”

Lin Qingwei smiled and nodded, and Xie Hongxin was also beaming, it was a picture of family harmony. The light from the chandelier spilled over them, casting three long, narrow black shadows.

Xie Bufei sat alone in the shadows, watching them expressionlessly for a moment before picking up her small bag. “I’m going back to school.”

She walked toward the front door without looking back. Lin Qingwei called out loudly behind her, her voice still gentle and refined.

“Are you leaving so soon? Xiao Fei, won’t you stay for dinner?”

Xie Bufei said coldly, “I’m not eating.”

Xie Hongxin shouted after her as well, his voice fading as the distance grew. “Xie Bufei! You are becoming absolutely lawless!”

Xie Bufei looked down to contact her driver as she stepped out of the villa. She waited by the garage for the car to be pulled out.

“Sis… Sister!”

She heard Xie Ke’s breathless voice from behind. She glanced sideways to see the other girl running toward her in formal wear and leather shoes.

Several servants followed behind her, carrying multiple suitcases.

Xie Bufei raised an eyebrow and asked the panting Xie Ke, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Xie Ke raised her face, flushed from the exertion, her eyes filled with an innocent, worldly naivety. “Dad said I could go back to school now.”

Xie Bufei stared at her. “You’re still sick.”

The servant beside her answered for her with a pained expression. “The Second Young Lady has been much better lately. Doctor Gu said she could return to school. We’re counting on the Eldest Young Lady to look after her.”

“Me?” Xie Bufei’s eyes narrowed, her voice dropping an octave. “Am I her nanny now?”

The servant muttered sheepishly, “But… you are the Second Young Lady’s sister.”

Xie Bufei pursed her lips and took a deep breath, her gaze turning instantly cold. The servant trembled and dared not speak another word.

Xie Ke watched her expression as if she were afraid, slowly lowering her head.

She took a soft step forward and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Xie Bufei, you can’t get rid of me.”

Having not received a message from Xie Bufei for half the day, Yu Qiao waited quietly for a while before putting her phone back in her pocket.

The phalanx began training for the goose-step. She swung her left arm up and her right arm back, only to realize she was “same-siding” it. The instructor pointed it out, and a wave of friendly laughter broke out around her.

The instructor teased along, “Yu Qiao, what’s going on today? You were doing so well these past few days. Don’t you want your spot as a military training model student anymore?”

Yu Qiao could only rub her nose and give an embarrassed smile, readjusting her focus.

Halfway through training, the instructor stopped to give everyone a ten-minute break.

The green grass was glowing and hot from the sun. Yu Qiao sat cross-legged, listening to Yao Rudong and Lu Yun chat idly.

An ant crawled across the grass. Yu Qiao looked down, staring at it, until Yao Rudong suddenly bumped her arm. “Qiaoqiao, I feel like you’re a bit absent-minded?”

“Hmm?” Yu Qiao snapped back to reality and looked up. “What is it?”

Lu Yun looked at her with concern. “Did you get heatstroke? You’re so quiet.”

“Maybe I just didn’t wake up properly from my nap,” Yu Qiao said. “I’m going to go buy some water.”

With that, she strode away, leaving Yao Rudong and Lu Yun staring at each other. “Do those two sentences even have a connection?”

The convenience store wasn’t far. Yu Qiao glanced at her phone again on the way, but the screen was empty. She let out an unconscious “tsk” and pulled her hat lower.

She felt inexplicably unsettled.

She bought a bottle of ice-cold mineral water and a popsicle. Walking back, she passed the girls’ dormitory and suddenly heard the stumbling, rattling sound of suitcase wheels on the ground.

“Sister, wait for me!”

Yu Qiao instinctively looked toward the source of the sound. She saw the girl walking over in black Dr. Martens, her long legs outlined by jeans, wearing a light blue hoodie that looked soft and fuzzy. She looked both playful and cool.

But her face was written over with impatience. Behind her followed a shorter girl pushing a suitcase.

The girl suddenly saw Yu Qiao. Her pupils shrunk slightly, and she slowly came to a halt.

Yu Qiao was stunned. “Senior?”

Xie Bufei looked at her and blinked. Her impatient expression gradually softened, like a spring breeze breaking through a frozen river.

Xie Ke slowed her pace, her face flushed red from overexertion. She walked cautiously to Xie Bufei’s side.

“Sister, is this your friend?”

She scrutinized Yu Qiao from head to toe, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. “What’s your name?”

Yu Qiao glanced at her, then at Xie Bufei, and asked, “Senior, who is she?”

“She’s my sister.”

Xie Bufei had no intention of introducing her further. She turned to Xie Ke and said coldly, “The dormitory is here. You can go up now.”

“Sister, are you in such a hurry to drive me away?” Xie Ke bit her lip and muttered, “Is it because I’m causing you trouble again?”

…Here we go again.

Xie Bufei closed her eyes, suppressing her frustration. “Get upstairs.”

Xie Ke narrowed her eyes, then suddenly jogged over to Yu Qiao. After looking her over, a wide smile bloomed on her face. “Hello, you’re Sister’s friend, right? I’m Xie Ke.”

Yu Qiao looked down at her and gave a lukewarm nod. “Hello.”

Xie Ke said with a grin, “My sister must have caused you a lot of trouble, right? Thank you for your hard work. Please look after me in the future, and please take more care of her.”

A surge of anger ignited in Xie Bufei’s heart. She turned and said loudly, “Xie Ke—”

But Yu Qiao suddenly asked, “Why does your sister need me to take care of her? You are her family; can’t you take care of her yourself?”

Xie Ke looked at her in shock, her expression twisting slightly. “Huh? I…”

Yu Qiao looked at Xie Bufei behind her. The girl stood there in a daze, her fox-like eyes wide and her soft, pale-red lips slightly parted, looking like a stunned cat.

Yu Qiao suddenly understood something. She looked down at Xie Ke and said in a low voice, “Stay away from her.”

Xie Ke’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to say something, but she felt as if she were frozen in place by a massive force, unable to make a sound. She curled her fingers, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly.

Yu Qiao stepped past her, walked to Xie Bufei’s side, and gently took hold of her wrist.

“Come with me.”

The autumn sun was still scorching hot. Xie Bufei was pulled along as they ran into the distance. Their silhouettes seemed to melt into the light, leaving Xie Ke standing alone in the shadows of the dormitory building.

Yu Qiao didn’t stop until they had run for a long time.

Xie Bufei still hadn’t quite recovered from the long run. She blinked and looked at Yu Qiao blankly.

The tip of her nose and her cheeks were tinged with a light red. Her ink-black pupils had been bleached by the sun into a nearly transparent light color. Her fuzzy hood hung behind her head, looking very soft.

Yu Qiao hesitated for a moment, then reached out and placed her hand on Xie Bufei’s head, rubbing it awkwardly a few times.

“It’s okay now,” she said, as if offering comfort. “We shook her off.”

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