Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 28

The movie began. Yu Qiao and Xie Bufei went through ticket inspection; at this hour, there was no one else around, making Theater 1 feel like a private screening just for them.

The theater was brightly lit, save for a few scattered silhouettes in the front rows. Xie Bufei pulled Yu Qiao toward the back, and they settled into their seats, waiting for the lights to dim.

Before the film even started, Xie Bufei was already munching on popcorn, the faint crunch-crunch sounds continuous.

Yu Qiao suddenly remembered something, opened WeChat, and asked, “Senior, how much were the two tickets?”

Xie Bufei turned to look at her. “Qiaoqiao, you don’t need to keep track so strictly with me.”

Yu Qiao shook her head, her expression serious. “You’ve helped me so many times, Senior. I want to treat you for once.”

Seeing her resolve, Xie Bufei smiled and didn’t insist further. She quoted the cheapest possible price, adding, “I have a member card.”

Yu Qiao immediately transferred the money to her.

As they spoke, the surrounding lights gradually faded, and the familiar golden dragon logo flickered onto the big screen.

The opening scene was set late at night. The back of a black-haired woman appeared on camera, the shot slowly pulling away. She carried a handbag, dressed like an office worker, standing alone at a deserted bus stop waiting for the last bus.

The footage was dark, nearly pitch-black, save for the flickering, shadowy glow of a streetlamp—it mirrored the darkness of the screening room almost perfectly.

Yu Qiao watched intently. Halfway through, in an endless wheat field, the woman was chased by a blur-faced monster and let out a piercing cry for help.

Suddenly, Yu Qiao heard a faint intake of breath from the person beside her.

It was very soft, like a breeze brushing past her ear.

Yu Qiao thought she might have imagined it, but a second later, the woman was caught by the monster and slumped into the green wheat, blood blossoming across her chest.

She heard the gasp again, louder than before. She couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Xie Bufei.

The girl sat there quietly, her face pale under the light from the screen, her fox-like eyes glued to the image. Her entire body was stiff in the seat, and her fingers resting on the edge of the armrest were trembling slightly.

She looked like she was afraid to move—like a startled cat on the verge of its fur standing on end.

A hazy realization dawned on Yu Qiao.

After a pause, she leaned closer to Xie Bufei and lowered her voice. “Senior.”

Xie Bufei shivered slightly and turned to look at her, her eyes shimmering.

Yu Qiao didn’t ask why; she simply held out an open palm and asked, “Do you want to hold hands?”

Xie Bufei went silent for a moment before placing her hand in Yu Qiao’s palm.

Yu Qiao’s hand was warm and soft, and the moment Xie Bufei’s hand touched it, it was held firmly. Her palm had a layer of thin, rough calluses that felt slightly sandy and ticklish.

Her hand was larger than Xie Bufei’s; by simply closing her fingers, she could completely envelop Xie Bufei’s hand in a protective gesture.

The feeling of their fingers interlaced was wonderful, with a steady stream of warmth flowing between them.

Xie Bufei lowered her head, her long, stray hairs falling over the side of her face to hide the faint, flickering smile on her lips.

If Bai Yi were here, she would have made a huge scene. In reality, Xie Bufei was never afraid of horror movies; she could usually watch them through with an expressionless face.

But in a moment of sheer impulse, the idea of “pretending to be scared” had popped into her head—she wanted to see how the other girl would react.

Fortunately, Yu Qiao didn’t see through her little scheme…

With trembling eyelashes and an accelerating heartbeat, she felt like she was blatantly doing something naughty. Xie Bufei pursed her lips and stared at the screen, picking up her drink in a daze.

The warmth in her palm was far too prominent, and her heart thudded against her ribs. By the time the movie ended, she hadn’t processed a single bit of the plot.

“Qiaoqiao, did you think the movie was good?”

Yu Qiao said, “It was alright, but the ending lacked suspense. The female lead’s death was entirely her own fault.”

Wait, the female lead died?

Xie Bufei nodded guiltily. “You’re absolutely right.”

Yu Qiao looked at her. “What did you think, Senior?”

Xie Bufei forced herself to say, “I… I was too scared toward the end, I didn’t take anything in.”

Recalling what she had said before the movie started, Yu Qiao smiled. “Didn’t you say you liked thrillers?”

Xie Bufei’s eyes darted around as she whispered, “It’s because the more I’m scared, the more I want to watch. My skill is low, but my addiction is high.”

Yu Qiao: “Then let’s come watch another one next time.”

There’s actually a next time?

Xie Bufei blinked and nodded with a light laugh, her shallow dimples appearing.

Leaving the cinema, Xie Bufei pulled Yu Qiao along to wander through the mall. It was a massive shopping center, and the theater was just one part of it. The first floor sold clothing, while the second and third floors were for daily necessities and restaurants. They didn’t intend to buy anything, but simply walking into various shops was fun.

In the past, Yu Qiao had visited this place with Yao Rudong and Lu Yun. Those two would chatter away, dragging her through every makeup store just to collect free samples. They would dive into grocery stores and never come out, looking at trinkets with wide-eyed novelty only to leave empty-handed. Yu Qiao would follow behind them, feeling nothing in particular for those shops.

Xie Bufei was clearly like them. The two walked into a general store, and she reached out to grab a devil-horn headband from the shelf, placing it on Yu Qiao’s head.

She laughed, eyes crinkling. “So cute.” Then she grabbed another headband with a bow and swapped it out. “This one might be too flashy.”

With her hair being ruffled back and forth, Yu Qiao pursed her lips helplessly. “Senior would probably look cuter in these than me.”

Xie Bufei disagreed. “I think you’re the cute one.”

She grabbed a black baseball cap and pulled it sideways over her face, feigning a “cool” look. “I’m more suited for this style.”

Seeing this, Yu Qiao reached out to lift the brim of the hat. She met those beautiful fox-like eyes and paused.

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. Xie Bufei couldn’t help but blink; her eyes were filled with the reflected light of the shop, exceptionally vibrant.

Yu Qiao gently straightened the cap and said with a clear smile, “Senior, it was crooked.”

“Oh…”

Xie Bufei’s heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself that Yu Qiao seemed to be smiling more and more lately.

Leaving the store, they passed a large arcade with a row of claw machines at the entrance. Xie Bufei stopped, excitedly declaring she would win one for Yu Qiao, and began an 800-round battle with the machine.

“Senior, maybe forget it?”

Ten minutes later, seeing the claw come up empty once again, Yu Qiao couldn’t help but speak up.

Xie Bufei pursed her lips, her eyes exceptionally bright with a refusal to lose. “The next one will definitely work…”

The claw slowly closed over a pile of plushies, finally snagging a duck doll and wobbling as it rose into the air. Xie Bufei’s expression was solemn as she bit her lip.

However, in the next second, the doll fell back into the pile, and the claw moved back to its starting position listlessly.

Suppressing the urge to punch the machine, Xie Bufei hissed, “There’s definitely something wrong with this machine.”

Yu Qiao tilted her head and laughed. “How about I try?”

Xie Bufei happily stepped aside to watch. Yu Qiao’s steps were rigorous; she was as focused as she was when writing code.

But her first attempt also came up empty. An expression of stunned disbelief appeared on her usually calm face.

Xie Bufei hadn’t even finished laughing when she saw the second coin drop. This time, the claw firmly hooked a plushie. The doll dropped precisely into the retrieval slot below.

Xie Bufei: “Is this even fair?”

Yu Qiao leaned over to pick up the toy. It was a fuzzy brown dog with crossed eyes and its tongue sticking out—a goofy expression. The craftsmanship was a bit rough, but it looked soft.

Xie Bufei watched longingly, feeling a bit “salty.” Yu Qiao turned back and handed her the plush dog. “For you.”

Xie Bufei: “You caught it, why don’t you keep it?”

Yu Qiao shook her head. “You look like you really want it. Here.”

Xie Bufei touched her face and rubbed the corner of her mouth, lowering her eyes shyly. Was my expression that obvious?

She carefully held the dog, secretly sniffing the faint woody fragrance lingering on it. Her eyes were clear. “Then I’ll catch one for you next time.”

Yu Qiao nodded with a smile.

After dinner and returning to the dorm, Yu Qiao sat at her desk to study, debugging programs on her laptop until late at night. Their Android course required a final project involving a mobile system with a self-chosen theme. The teacher mentioned that if done well, it could even serve as a graduation design.

She wanted to start working on it now; she had over three years of university left to slowly refine it.

Before bed, Yu Qiao took out a pale red sticky note. Under the dim glow of her desk lamp, she wrote seriously: “Today, treated Senior to a movie and dinner.”

She had a habit of recording life’s details. Regarding Xie Bufei, she needed to note down every favor so she could find an opportunity to pay them back later.

Once finished, she stuck the note on the wall, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. Watching the moonlight leak through the curtains, she gradually drifted off.

The next morning at 9:00 AM, Yu Qiao arrived at Wandong Residential Area on time. The security guard had likely been notified in advance; after confirming her name and phone number, he let her in directly.

This was a high-end neighborhood—quiet environment, surrounded by green trees and tinkling ponds. There didn’t seem to be many residents. Following the address left by “Big Melon,” Yu Qiao entered one of the buildings and took the elevator. Even the facilities inside the elevator were more advanced than any she had used before.

Five minutes later, she stopped in front of Unit 602. She tidied her clothes and pressed the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened. A kind-looking middle-aged woman greeted her, “You must be Miss Yu Qiao? Come in quickly.”

Yu Qiao looked around and nodded somewhat awkwardly, changing into the guest slippers. The woman poured her a glass of warm water. “Sit on the sofa for a moment; I’ll call Young Master Cheng down immediately.”

Yu Qiao nodded, sitting with her back straight and hands on her knees, looking around. Everywhere she looked, the white tiles were as bright as mirrors, and the decor was elegant and classical. Near the entrance, there was a miniature landscape of a rockery and pond with the sound of trickling water. The walls were adorned with antique calligraphy and paintings—powerful and grand. Several sophisticated ancient artifacts were displayed on the tables, clearly expensive.

Dressed in her simplest white shirt and suit pants, she felt out of place in such an elegant atmosphere. He really doesn’t look like a scammer, nor like one of those nouveau riche with more money than brains.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Yu Qiao turned her head. She saw a handsome boy walking out of a room, covering his mouth as he yawned. “Why are you here so early?”

Yu Qiao froze when she saw him. “Senior Cheng?”

Cheng Yeli paused, quickly adjusted his expression, and acted surprised. “Wow, Yu Qiao! What a coincidence!”

Yu Qiao: “…”

His reaction time was a bit too long.

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