Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 22.2

Yu Qiao was quiet for a moment, then asked in a low voice, “Where is Senior now?”

Yao Rudong said, “She watched over you all day yesterday. She went home to rest today.”

“A whole day?”

Yao Rudong: “Because you were unconscious for three whole days! The doctor said that the longer the differentiation period, the higher the pheromone suppression level.”

Yu Qiao murmured, “So that’s how it is.”

So the scent of lily of the valley didn’t just appear in her dreams.

It was always there.

She picked up the phone on the nightstand and lowered her head to message Xie Bufei.

“Thank you, Senior. I’ve caused you trouble…” Would sending that be too distant?

“Thank you, Senior. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.” Inviting her to a meal again—that was too cliché. Senior must be tired of it.

She couldn’t organize the wording for a simple thank you. She looked down at the input box, hesitating for a moment. Before she could decide what to say, a new message suddenly popped up.

Gary: “You’re awake?”

Yu Qiao was startled and replied, “Yes. How did Senior know?”

Gary: “Don’t you know that when you’re typing, it says ‘the other party is typing’ at the top?”

Gary: “I waited for you for ages, but nothing came. cat-sighing.jpg”

Yu Qiao felt a bit embarrassed: “I forgot.”

Gary: “Pfft, why did you suddenly become so silly after differentiating?”

Since she was small, Yu Qiao had been the synonym for a good student. This was the first time she had been called silly.

She didn’t mind and smiled, replying: “Thank you for your help during the differentiation period, Senior.”

Gary: “You… don’t remember what happened?”

Yu Qiao: “I don’t remember very clearly, only a general impression.”

She waited a few minutes before Xie Bufei replied: “Mm, it’s good that you’re okay. Get some rest then.” She sounded as if a weight had been lifted.

“Senior wasn’t affected by my pheromones, right?” Yu Qiao thought she was concerned about her. “Sorry.”

This time, Gary replied very quickly: “?”

“What affected!? Don’t you say you don’t remember??”

Yu Qiao asked curiously: “Senior is also an Alpha, wouldn’t you be affected by my pheromones?”

She remembered that the pheromones between Alphas were instinctively repulsive; Xie Bufei must have been very uncomfortable at the time.

Gary: “Yeah, hahaha! But I’m fine now, so don’t take it to heart. By the way, should I come see you this afternoon?”

 

She awkwardly shifted the topic, and luckily, Yu Qiao didn’t notice, replying readily: “Sure.”

 

After agreeing on a time, they ended the conversation. Yu Qiao looked up to see Yao Rudong squinting at her with a half-smile.

 

Yu Qiao was confused: “What’s wrong?”

 

Yao Rudong: “Who are you chatting with that makes you smile so happily?”

 

Yu Qiao asked curiously: “Am I?” She touched the corner of her mouth and found it was indeed true, which caused her to pause in surprise.

 

“Of course! You used to be no different from someone with facial paralysis; seeing you smile was a rare event.”

 

Yao Rudong’s gaze was piercing, her face written with curiosity: “Quick, tell me, which little vixen has made off with our Qiaoqiao?”

 

Yu Qiao laughed: “It’s not like that, it’s Senior Xie.”

 

“Oh, it’s her. Never mind then.” Yao Rudong nodded, her expression returning to normal.

 

Yu Qiao: “Why ‘never mind’?”

 

“You two are good friends, aren’t you?” Yao Rudong smacked her lips, her tone carrying a hint of regret: “It’s a pity Senior is an Alpha and you’re an Alpha too. It’s hard for anything to happen. If she were an Omega, I’d tie her up and throw her on your bed right now.”

 

This statement was quite absurd. Yu Qiao couldn’t help but imagine the scene, causing her body to stiffen and her pupils to shake. She stammered: “T-that’s really not necessary.”

 

Yao Rudong didn’t notice her reaction, stroking her chin as she talked to herself: “You have no idea, when Senior Xie was watching over you yesterday, that worried look on her face… tsk tsk tsk. I almost thought she had a crush on you, but then I thought it wasn’t right. How could I defile your pure friendship?”

 

Yu Qiao: “…”

 

She looked away, her gaze falling on her glasses frame on the table. She picked them up with both hands and looked closer, only to find a small piece of the corner of one lens was shattered, causing her to frown.

 

“This…”

 

“Maybe it was accidentally broken before,” Yao Rudong said. “But I think you should have changed your glasses a long time ago anyway.”

 

Yu Qiao rubbed her brow tiredly, thinking to herself: Hospital fees are one expense, and now buying glasses is another.

 

Although she still had some savings in her card and wasn’t broke, she couldn’t keep having expenses without any income.

 

She really had to check on that tutoring job this weekend.

 

At noon, Lu Yun received the news and rushed to the hospital to see her.

 

She squeezed into the ward carrying many bags, placed a large fruit basket tied with a ribbon on the table, and leaned in to look Yu Qiao up and down: “How are you feeling now? Still in pain?”

 

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Yu Qiao watched her take things out of plastic bags one by one: fruit, cake, donkey-hide gelatin dates, a lunch box, and a thermos for soup. “You didn’t need to bring so many things.”

 

With a rustle, Lu Yun pulled back the curtains. Bright sunlight washed over Yu Qiao, who squinted slightly to adjust to the sudden light.

 

“It’s fine. The fast food in the hospital is terrible; I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.” Lu Yun opened the lunch box, and an inviting aroma filled the room. “I specifically asked my mom to make this at home. Try it!”

 

Lu Yun was cold on the outside but warm on the inside; whenever someone in the dorm faced difficulties, she always put in the most effort to help.

 

Yu Qiao knew she meant well, so she smiled, nodded, and began to eat quietly.

 

The dishes were home-cooked with little oil or salt, tasting light and delicious. Lu Yun leaned over to pour chicken soup for her. Watching the clear, pale-gold liquid fall into the bowl, she said softly: “The taste should suit your palate, right?”

 

“It’s delicious.” Yu Qiao wiped her mouth with a tissue, her tone sincere: “Please thank your mother for me.”

 

“Qiaoqiao, let me tell you something.” Lu Yun looked at her, her expression becoming stern: “In the future, if you’re in pain, tell us. Don’t keep it to yourself, okay?”

 

Yu Qiao froze for a moment, then nodded slowly: “Okay.”

 

Seeing her agree so readily, Lu Yun’s tone softened: “This time it was good luck that Senior found you so quickly. If there’s a next time and we aren’t by your side, what would happen if there was an accident?”

 

Yu Qiao lowered her eyes, her slender lashes trembling. She whispered: “Sorry for making you worry.”

 

Most of the time, she was used to dealing with difficult problems independently because her friends couldn’t be there all the time.

 

Looking at her pale face, Lu Yun didn’t have the heart to say anything harsh. She just patted her head: “We know you’re very capable, Qiaoqiao, but it’s okay to rely on us once in a while.”

 

Yu Qiao nodded slightly and looked up, her eyes bright and clear, as clean as a sunny summer afternoon sky.

 

She said: “Thank you all.”

 

Lu Yun shook her head with a smile: “The one you should thank the most is Senior Xie.”

 

“You’re both Alphas. When she carried you down, her whole body was shaking. She was probably affected by the repulsion reaction.”

 

She continued: “The two of us are Betas and can’t smell pheromones, but Senior stayed with you all the way to the hospital. She must have been the one most uncomfortable.”

 

Yu Qiao said nothing, listening to her words intently.

 

Senior Xie really treated her very well.

 

So well that sometimes she didn’t know how to repay her. The favors she owed were like a rolling snowball, accumulating more and more until they seemed impossible to pay back.

 

Every time she settled an accident for her, she would quietly leave, leaving Yu Qiao alone and caught off guard.

 

Yu Qiao lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the folds of the bedding.

 

Outside the silent ward, there was a rhythmic knock on the door.

 

A clear, bright voice rang out: “Is anyone here? I’ve come to see Qiaoqiao.”

 

Lu Yun smiled and gave Yu Qiao a look: “See, here she comes.”

 

Yu Qiao pursed her lips and nodded silently, feeling a strange sense of nervousness as her heart rate quickened.

 

The door opened, and Xie Bufei strode in.

 

She wore a well-fitted beige trench coat, Dr. Martens boots, and a light green scarf wrapped around her slender neck. She wore a mask, her dark hair swaying as she walked with a brisk, beautiful, and cool air.

 

The only thing Yu Qiao found a bit strange was that she seemed to have wrapped herself up a little too tightly.

 

Lu Yun said tactfully: “You two chat, I’m going to wander around for a bit.” With that, she thoughtfully closed the door for them and slipped away quickly.

 

The two people in the ward looked at each other. Xie Bufei took off her mask, smiled at her with curved eyes, and sat down on the small stool nearby.

 

“How are you feeling now?”

 

Yu Qiao said: “There are no major issues now. Thank you, Senior.”

 

“It’s good that you’re okay.”

 

Xie Bufei casually rested her hand on the hospital bed, propping up her chin to look at Yu Qiao. The pale gold sunlight outlined her exquisite features, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

 

She asked softly: “Do you really not remember what happened back then?”

 

“I don’t.” Yu Qiao said: “Did something bad happen?”

 

“Nothing much.” Xie Bufei wore a faint smile, her eyes shimmering: “It’s okay if you don’t remember.”

 

A sweet floral fragrance flowed silently. Yu Qiao looked at her for a while before suddenly looking away.

 

Perhaps the sunlight outside the window was too dazzling today and the air was stuffy, making her feel flustered again.

 

Xie Bufei chuckled and asked again: “Does Qiaoqiao know what her pheromones smell like?”

 

“I don’t.” Yu Qiao concentrated and subconsciously released a bit of pheromones. A faint woody scent instantly filled the room, intertwining lingeringly with the scent of lily of the valley.

 

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat ambiguous. Xie Bufei stiffened, a crimson flush quickly rising to her cheeks. She stammered: “You, take it back first.”

 

Only then did Yu Qiao realize how transgressive her actions were. She said repeatedly: “S-sorry.”

 

The elegant woody scent in the air immediately vanished. Xie Bufei breathed a sigh of relief and said quietly: “Don’t release your pheromones so suddenly next time.”

 

Yu Qiao felt extremely apologetic and repeated her apology: “Senior, I’m sorry.”

 

As a fellow Alpha, Xie Bufei probably really disliked smelling her pheromones.

 

Xie Bufei gazed at the floor, her chest heaving. The heat had not dissipated, and her cheeks still wore a thin layer of pink. Her long lashes trembled, looking very vivid.

 

Yu Qiao watched her for a while and felt her own cheeks grow mysteriously hot.

 

They sat very close, and she could see Xie Bufei brush back her long hair, loosening the scarf around her neck slightly and revealing her white, slender throat.

 

She reached out a hand, her five long fingers held together, and fanned herself gently. This stirred the subtle currents in the air, blowing them toward Yu Qiao on the bed in waves.

 

Yu Qiao, however, felt the surroundings grow a bit hotter, and her toes under the blanket curled unconsciously.

 

Suddenly, her gaze fell on the side of Xie Bufei’s neck, and she froze.

 

She clearly saw a faint tooth mark between the girl’s slender neck and collarbone.

 

Yu Qiao’s gaze darkened as she thought to herself: This is who bit Senior?