Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 24

Most people had the same initial reaction as Tang Sijia: pure disbelief.

They watched as Yu Qiao walked toward a window seat and sat down next to Yao Rudong. The girl by the window had black hair draped over her shoulders and clear, refined features; the silver-rimmed glasses added a touch of scholarly grace. She wore a loose white shirt and white sneakers, with deep blue jeans outlining her long legs, the edges slightly faded from washing.

Golden sunlight streamed through the glass, tracing her clean profile and straight back, making her silhouette glow with a hazy light. Even with so many eyes fixed on her, Yu Qiao remained unfazed. She spread her book open, fixed her gaze on a page, and held her pen with slender fingers, never looking up again. Seeing this, those nearby instinctively lowered their voices, afraid to disturb her.

A boy in the front row turned around curiously. Likely unable to believe it, he struck up a conversation jokingly: “Hey, top student, is this for real? How did you end up an Alpha? Weren’t we promised a Beta?”

Her train of thought suddenly interrupted, Yu Qiao looked up at him. When the boy met her gaze, he involuntarily shut his mouth. She spun her pen nimbly between her fingers before placing it on the desk with a sharp clack that echoed clearly in the silent classroom.

Yu Qiao looked at him and said, “I am indeed an Alpha. Is there a problem?”

The boy couldn’t help but shrink back, stammering, “N-no problem…”

Yu Qiao gave a hum of acknowledgment and lowered her head to solve her problems again. After a moment, someone whispered, “That aura of hers… I actually believe she’s an Alpha now. It’s a bit terrifying.”

Tang Sijia was in a trance, glancing at Yu Qiao’s slender back from time to time. Her mind was a mess for the entire class. How could she be an Alpha? She looked so ordinary at first… Is she really not lying?!

During the break, Yu Qiao walked out of the classroom. As if possessed, Tang Sijia followed her out. By the time Tang Sijia realized what she was doing, she had already reached the vicinity of the Alpha restrooms.

The autumn afternoon sun was still bright and stinging. The white light fell unreservedly on her, making her feel a twinge of annoyance. I actually followed her out just like that…

When Yu Qiao walked out of the restroom, she saw Tang Sijia standing near the exit, fists clenched, looking completely lost. She only gave a single glance before calmly withdrawing her gaze and continuing forward.

“Yu Qiao!” Tang Sijia’s voice came from behind.

Yu Qiao turned around and saw Tang Sijia glaring at her, brows furrowed and cheeks puffed out, her pretty face flushed with irritation. “Didn’t you see me standing here?”

Yu Qiao: “I saw you.”

Tang Sijia: “And you’re just leaving like that?!”

Yu Qiao said flatly, “I didn’t know you were looking for me.”

Tang Sijia choked for a second and put her hands on her hips. “Well, you know now.” She looked Yu Qiao up and down. “Are you really an Alpha?”

“Yes,” Yu Qiao asked. “Is something the matter?”

“I don’t believe it.” Tang Sijia walked toward her and tilted her chin up defiantly. “Prove it to me.”

Yu Qiao lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the girl’s face. “Why must I prove anything to you?”

She was tall and had cool features. When she looked down at someone, she naturally exuded an unapproachable pressure. The bright sunlight made her pupils appear very light, almost indifferent.

Tang Sijia involuntarily swallowed. “B-because I think you’re lying… I’m going to expose you.”

Yu Qiao looked at her. “Then how do you want me to prove it?”

“Pheromones,” Tang Sijia whispered. “I want to smell your pheromones.”

She had forgotten that for an Omega to actively ask an Alpha for pheromones was a highly transgressive and dangerous act; the meaning behind it was nearly identical to a courtship request. If it were any other Alpha, they might think she was asking to be marked.

Yu Qiao, of course, wasn’t so foolish as to interpret it that way. Tang Sijia hadn’t liked her for a long time; just because Yu Qiao was too lazy to argue didn’t mean she would let herself be ignored every time.

“I have no reason to show you my pheromones,” she said. “Tang Sijia, don’t you think you’re being boring?”

Tang Sijia’s eyes snapped wide, her face flushing red with anger. “You… you…”

She was pretty, had good grades, and had lived a smooth life since childhood, never lacking suitors or affection from family and friends. Having her pride wounded by someone she completely looked down upon for the first time made her feel mortified to her core.

Yu Qiao said, “If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” She turned around, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Tang Sijia held on tight, gritting her teeth. “You’re not allowed to leave! Are you feeling guilty?”

Yu Qiao knit her brows and looked at her wrist, which was being pulled red. Her voice grew cold. “Let go.”

Tang Sijia: “I won’t! why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

Class was about to start, and the hallway was empty. Looking at her, Yu Qiao suddenly felt a surge of irritability. Her gaze darkened as she narrowed her eyes, her voice icy: “Let go of me.”

Tang Sijia’s pupils contracted, and her brain went blank. For a moment, she felt the overwhelming pressure of being ordered by a superior. She tremblingly released her grip and stepped back, her heart racing.

Yu Qiao hadn’t even used pheromones, yet Tang Sijia felt like she couldn’t breathe. In middle school, teachers had told them that the more powerful an Alpha was, the less they needed to release pheromones to suppress those around them. Sometimes, a simple look or a single sentence was enough to make others obey. However, such Alphas were extremely rare—hard to find even among ten thousand.

Tang Sijia’s face was pale. She thought: Maybe Yu Qiao really did differentiate into an Alpha… Why? How could someone so ordinary…

Yu Qiao gave her a cold glance and turned to leave. Tang Sijia watched her, and suddenly remembering something, her lips curled into a smirk. She said softly, “Fine. It seems there’s no chance for you and Senior Xie anymore.”

Yu Qiao paused. “What do you mean?”

“You’re an Alpha, and Senior is also an Alpha.” Tang Sijia crossed her arms, her smile bright and vivid, but her eyes glittered with malice. “How could two Alphas have a future? Everyone knows Senior likes Omegas—at least someone at Senior Cheng Yeli’s level. Someone like you… tsk.” She dragged out her tone as if to provoke her. “How wonderful, that’s one less love rival for me—”

Her words stopped abruptly because she saw Yu Qiao suddenly laugh. When Yu Qiao laughed with her eyes downcast, she didn’t seem approachable; instead, she felt even more distant. It was a bit chilling.

“Although Senior and I are just friends…” Yu Qiao said, “between her and me, at least I am more ‘possible’ than you.”

“I can hold her hand directly, but you can’t.”

Tang Sijia: “You… you…” She watched Yu Qiao’s back disappear at the end of the hallway, shaking with rage.

“What took you so long?” Yao Rudong stared at her reproachfully. “I’m almost getting PTSD from you going missing.”

Yu Qiao shook her head. “I ran into a bit of trouble.” She sat down, propping her chin on her hand. Her gaze fell on her textbook, scanning the neat black lines, but nothing entered her brain. There was an unnameable irritability. Dropping her pen, she lightly pressed her temples and let out a long sigh.

Before the bell rang, Tang Sijia walked quickly into the classroom, her eyes red and her head down, looking like she had been bullied. Those nearby immediately swarmed to comfort her.

“Sijia, what’s wrong?” “Are you okay? Why are you crying?” “It’s nothing,” Tang Sijia said stiffly, glancing at Yu Qiao from afar. She saw Yu Qiao with her head down, seemingly on her phone. Her best friend saw this and whispered knowingly, “Was it Yu Qiao?” “No!” Tang Sijia instinctively denied it. Admitting she had been suppressed by Yu Qiao would make her feel like she had lost too much face.

Yu Qiao sat expressionless as usual, and no one noticed her restlessness. Her finger hovered over the WeChat chat box, looking at the blue-eyed ragdoll cat profile picture on the left. She pursed her lips and locked her phone again.

After class and dinner at the cafeteria, Yu Qiao didn’t go back to the dorm immediately. She said goodbye to Yao Rudong and Lu Yun and went for a walk by the sports field alone.

In autumn, it got dark early. The golden-red afterglow hung in the sky, the clouds spreading out like colorful silk. People were walking and night-running on the field; streetlights on both sides of the plastic track were already lit, dotting the quiet night sky. The temperature dropped at night, and the cool breeze against her face seemed to blow away the fog in her heart.

Yu Qiao’s mood calmed significantly. she picked up her pace and began jogging against the evening wind. She liked running because she didn’t have to think about anything. No need to think about where to start or where to end—just move forward with all her strength until she was drenched in sweat and felt completely refreshed. All the pent-up emotions from stress and difficulties could be vented through the process of running.

The sky grew darker, and the shadows of the trees swayed, making rustling sounds. Reaching a turn, Yu Qiao’s pace gradually slowed. She suddenly saw a familiar figure standing under a large tree ahead.

The girl’s head was slightly tilted back, her hands behind her back, talking to a boy in front of her. The bright white light from the streetlight fell on her face, making her curled eyelashes shine. The boy was handsome, wearing a jersey, scratching the back of his head and smiling with a clean, sunny look. It didn’t seem to be Cheng Yeli.

Yu Qiao stood still, watching them. From a distance, fragmented voices reached her ears.

“Junior, can you give me another chance?” “I really like you, I’ve liked you since the first time we met.” “If you’re single right now, could you consider me?”

So, it was a confession scene. Yu Qiao looked away, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. She instinctively held her breath.

Beside her ear, Xie Bufei seemed to let out a light chuckle. “Senior, I’m sorry.” She said even her rejection in such a nonchalant way, her voice melodious and clear: “I’m not interested in you.”

The Senior looked a bit disappointed and asked curiously, “Then what kind of person do you actually like?”

After a long silence, Xie Bufei said casually, “I like smart people preferably the ones who are a bit ‘silly’.”

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