Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 36.2

She scratched the back of her head, opened her listless eyes, and got out of bed to wash up.

The three of them rushed to the cafeteria. The place was bustling with voices. Yu Qiao looked around but found no sign of Xie Bufei. She lowered her eyes in disappointment.

Over the past few days, she had gone to Dorm 401, but no matter how much she knocked, no one answered. She went to Li Yan’s house several times, but Cheng Yeli wasn’t there. After searching everywhere, she ended up with nothing.

Yu Qiao realized belatedly that Xie Bufei had been avoiding her these past few days.

In the past, she thought running into her was easy, as if she could be seen at any time. Now that she truly wanted to meet again, she couldn’t find her anywhere in the massive school.

Yu Qiao hadn’t been in a good mood lately, which also meant her appetite was poor. She only bought a bowl of pork congee and ate it slowly with her head down.

Yao Rudong and Lu Yun looked at each other and chatted quietly. Suddenly, footsteps approached and stopped hurriedly at their table.

“It’s you!” A strange female voice said with surprise.

Yu Qiao looked up. A petite girl was looking at her with a face full of joy.

Yao Rudong glanced at her and asked, “Qiaoqiao, do you know her?”

Yu Qiao thought for a moment; the girl looked somewhat familiar. She said hesitantly, “You look a little familiar.”

“It’s me.” The girl bit her lip awkwardly, looking at her expectantly. “That day, when my boyfriend was about to hit me, you walked past the small garden and saved me. Do you remember?”

Yu Qiao realized: “So it’s you. I remember.”

Yao Rudong said in surprise: “Oh! You’re that girl who exposed Xu Jie on the confession wall?”

The girl looked very happy and nodded vigorously. “Yes, it’s me.”

Lu Yun laughed. “Sister, congratulations on escaping that nightmare.”

“Thank you…” The girl turned toward Yu Qiao, her cheeks flushing slightly. “What’s your name? I never had the chance to thank you.”

“Yu Qiao.”

The girl said, “My name is Meng Ling.” She looked around and asked shyly, “Um, can I eat with you guys?”

Yao Rudong greeted her with her usual familiarity, “Of course you can! Come, take a seat.”

Meng Ling instantly breathed a sigh of relief. She placed her tray on the table and sat down beside Yu Qiao.

She looked at the girl next to her, her face flushing as she asked in a soft, thin voice, “Yu Qiao, could I get your contact information?”

Yao Rudong and Lu Yun exchanged glances, wearing playful smiles.

Yu Qiao looked at her and said politely, “I’m sorry, I don’t have the habit of adding people.”

The more polite she was, the more it signaled a sense of distance. Meng Ling looked a bit discouraged, but she tried her best to find topics to chat about. Throughout, Yu Qiao responded neither warmly nor coldly.

She usually looked difficult to approach, and coupled with her bad mood lately, she appeared even more aloof.

Meng Ling had no choice but to talk to the other two. “Are you guys all in the same class?”

“Yeah, we’re all in the Computer Science department and we’re roommates.”

Meng Ling let out a “wow” of admiration. “Science and Engineering?! That sounds so impressive!”

Yao Rudong waved a hand. “It’s alright, it’s just the usual stuff.”

Meng Ling pursed her lips and smiled. “I’ve never been good at science since I was little, so I took the path of an art student. I’m in the Music Department.”

“Music Department?” Lu Yun blinked. “Are you in the same department as Senior Xie Bufei?”

Yu Qiao’s movements faltered.

“Hm? You mean the school beauty?” Meng Ling blinked. “Actually, she’s in the class right next to mine.”

Yao Rudong was amazed. “I couldn’t tell you were so petite. It turns out you’re a sophomore senior!”

Meng Ling was also surprised. “You guys are only freshmen?! I thought Yu Qiao looked quite mature, so I assumed she was my age.” After saying this, she couldn’t help but blush shyly again.

After lunch, the three of them parted ways with Meng Ling. Yao Rudong nudged Yu Qiao’s shoulder and teased, “Qiaoqiao, you’re quite popular now!”

Yu Qiao was confused. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t see it?” Lu Yun said. “Meng Ling obviously likes you and wants to pursue you.”

Yu Qiao froze, saying with a slight delay, “Is that so?”

Yao Rudong said helplessly, “See, I knew she didn’t understand.”

Lu Yun added, “I feel like even if someone pitched her a straight ball, Qiaoqiao wouldn’t necessarily catch it.”

Yu Qiao: “…”

Yao Rudong: “I remember Meng Ling is an Omega, right? Honestly, she’s quite cute. Qiaoqiao, how do you feel about her?”

Yu Qiao shook her head. “I don’t feel anything.”

Lu Yun clicked her tongue. “Qiaoqiao, I often suspect you’ll end up alone. Python is your true love, isn’t it?”

Yu Qiao corrected her solemnly, “I like all computer languages.”

Lu Yun: “Then you’re quite a player!”

Yao Rudong: “Oh, our Qiaoqiao is just a slow burner.” She looked at Yu Qiao, ruffled the girl’s fluffy head, and spoke incessantly, “I think you could interact with her more, get to know each other, and see if there are any feelings. If not, just making a new friend is also good.”

Yu Qiao didn’t quite understand. Growing up, not many people had pursued her, and she had no experience handling such matters. She gave a simple hum of acknowledgment, not paying it much mind.

The next morning, there were two sessions of Data Structures. The material was obscure and difficult, leaving Yao Rudong’s head spinning.

The moment the bell rang, she hurriedly pulled the other two out of the classroom.

“Yu Qiao!”

Yu Qiao turned around and saw the petite girl holding her books with both hands, standing by the wall and waving at her. “What a coincidence!”

Yao Rudong: “Meng Ling? You have class here too?”

Meng Ling nodded and smiled, revealing two tiny canine teeth. “Yeah, I’m in the classroom next door.” She looked at Yu Qiao, her eyes sparkling. “Can we walk back together?”

Yu Qiao nodded indifferently. “Sure.”

The four of them headed toward the dorm buildings. As they passed through the long, tree-lined path, a breeze swept by, making the dense green leaves rustle overhead.

Yu Qiao suddenly remembered that it was here, back then, that a leaf had gently drifted onto Xie Bufei’s head.

Yao Rudong and Lu Yun intentionally walked ahead at a fast pace, leaving space for Yu Qiao and Meng Ling to be alone.

The girl tried to chat with Yu Qiao. “What do you usually do? Do you go out to have fun?”

Yu Qiao snapped out of her thoughts and said calmly, “Rarely. Usually, I’m studying in the dorm or going to my part-time job.”

“Oh,” Meng Ling scratched her head and said cautiously, “I really like watching movies and reading. We could go out together sometime.”

Yu Qiao pursed her lips and nodded. “Okay.”

The mention of movies suddenly made her think of that day in the cinema when Xie Bufei had given her candy. Her mouth seemed to be filled with that faint strawberry flavor again.

Without her realizing when it started, too many things in her life were now connected to Xie Bufei.

“I… I’m here.” Meng Ling’s voice sounded in her ear again. Yu Qiao turned and saw the girl smiling gently at her at the intersection of Area B. “See you tomorrow.”

Yu Qiao nodded. “Goodbye.”

Back in the dorm, Yao Rudong immediately leaned in for gossip. “How was it? How was it?!”

“I don’t feel anything,” Yu Qiao said, taking off her glasses and rubbing her temples.

Lu Yun sighed. “It seems Meng Ling has a long road ahead of her to win her wife over.”

“Qiaoqiao, what kind of person do you like?” Yao Rudong couldn’t help but ask curiously. “Is the petite, cute type like Meng Ling not your thing?”

Yu Qiao sat at her desk and opened her laptop, saying casually, “No.”

Yao Rudong leaned in front of her, actively promoting herself, “Then what about a silly type like me? Or a sharp-tongued, cold beauty like Yunyun?”

Lu Yun rolled her eyes. “Beat it. Who are you calling sharp-tongued?”

Yu Qiao glanced back at them and said, “If I liked those types, I would have been with you guys long ago.”

Yao Rudong was actually speechless. “That makes a lot of sense.”

Yu Qiao turned back to continue typing. Suddenly, Lu Yun spoke with startling words, “Then what about a bright, arrogant, stunning beauty like Senior Xie?”

Her fingers paused. Yu Qiao went silent for a long time, not making a sound.

Yao Rudong was shocked. “No way, do you really like that type? That’s really hard to pursue.” It was truly impressive.

Lu Yun: “As expected of you. The moment you start having an appetite, you pick the biggest prize.”

A strange emotion surged in Yu Qiao’s heart once again, and her long-silent heartbeat seemed to quicken. She said in a low voice, “No, I don’t have a specific type. I’ll leave it to fate.”

Throughout the night, she was immersed in a strange feeling. Thinking of Xie Bufei made her mind more and more dazed.

Over the next few days, Meng Ling would “coincidentally” run into the three of them after class, and they would eat together or walk back to the dorms.

The students of Class A saw it so often that whenever they saw Meng Ling, they would shout jokingly, “Yu Qiao, your little girlfriend is waiting for you at the door again!”

The classroom was filled with laughter and even some whistling.

Yu Qiao didn’t like such jokes. Hearing this, her brows furrowed. She stood up and looked at the boy. “She is not my girlfriend. Please stop making this kind of joke.”

Meeting her eyes, the boy retreated sheepishly. “Fine, I’ll stop.”

As Yu Qiao walked out of the classroom, Yao Rudong glared fiercely at the boy. “We’re not close, so don’t make reckless jokes in the future.”

Lu Yun followed behind her, sighing softly. “It seems Qiaoqiao really has no feelings for Meng Ling.”

“Our Qiaoqiao values fate,” Yao Rudong also sighed. “She’s a good person, just a bit of a slow burner.”

Lu Yun: “Unfortunately, the person who falls for Qiaoqiao will probably have to suffer quite a bit.”

As Yu Qiao stepped out of the classroom, Meng Ling, who was leaning against the wall, immediately looked up and approached her as usual. She was wearing a very simple white dress, her black hair falling over her shoulders, looking well-behaved and pure.

“Look, what did I buy!” Meng Ling held up a small bag, her smile radiant and proud. “You said before that you liked the coffee from this shop, so I went and bought two cups.”

Yu Qiao looked down. The logo on the bag was for a coffee shop on campus—the one she had visited with Xie Bufei when they encountered Curry.

She pursed her lips and said softly, “Thank you, but I never said I liked it.”

Meng Ling froze, her smile turning awkward. “Is that so? Then I must have remembered wrong.”

“Then… then shall we walk back together?” She looked like a wilted plant, gazing at Yu Qiao pleadingly.

Yu Qiao nodded. It just so happened she had some things she wanted to make clear to Meng Ling. Meng Ling’s smile instantly became bright again.

On the way back to the dorm, Meng Ling tried to find topics of conversation with Yu Qiao as usual.

Yu Qiao didn’t actually dislike Meng Ling. She seemed like a good person—a bit timid, but very kind-hearted. It was just that whenever she was with Meng Ling, she always felt a hint of awkwardness and unease.

There were no common topics between them; it was like a rope being forced together, maintained solely by Meng Ling’s unilateral effort.

Since the person beside her remained silent, Meng Ling asked a bit anxiously, “Yu Qiao, why aren’t you saying anything today?”

Yu Qiao lowered her eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”

Meng Ling had a sensitive personality. She stared blankly at her, understanding her underlying meaning almost instantly. She lowered her head and whispered, “Is there not even a hint of a possibility?”

Yu Qiao shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, we’re not suitable. If it’s as friends, you are welcome.”

When she rejected someone, she was simple and direct, without any lingering ambiguity.

The girl gave a panicked laugh, her eyes misty and shimmering with tears. “You really are something. If we can’t be a couple, how is it possible to be friends?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking. I looked for you on the confession wall for a long, long time. Why did you never contact me?” She choked up, murmuring quietly, “Maybe you just never had any interest in me from the start.”

“Yu Qiao, do you already have someone you like?”

Yu Qiao paused. A certain person’s figure suddenly surfaced in her mind. “I… I don’t know what it feels like to like someone.”

Seeing her expression, Meng Ling understood completely.

“It’s when you see something familiar and immediately think of her. When she isn’t around, you miss her,” she said gently. “And the reason I liked you was because you saved me back then.”

Yu Qiao listened silently and handed her a tissue.

She walked Meng Ling to the entrance of Area B. The girl wiped away her tears forcefully and gave a candid smile. “Yu Qiao, you really don’t understand anything. This must be your first love, right?”

“You’re a good person. I wish you and her happiness.”

Yu Qiao was shaken. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Meng Ling looked at her and gave a brilliant smile. “Goodbye.”

Watching the girl’s back disappear at the end of the tree-lined path, Meng Ling crouched down, pouting as she cried quietly. “How could anyone actually be that carefree?”

“Hey kid, why are you crouching here crying?”

Meng Ling looked up through her teary eyes and saw a woman with waist-length hair approaching her on a motorcycle, looking suspicious. “Did someone bully you?”

Cheng Yeli: “Are you drinking again tonight?”

Xie Bufei gave a hum of agreement. She opened a can of beer on the bar counter and, seeing his expression as if he wanted to say something, said, “Don’t stop me.”

Cheng Yeli was speechless. “You’re being even more intense than when I went through a breakup. Drowning your sorrows in alcohol isn’t supposed to be like this.”

Xie Bufei didn’t say anything, continuing to drink with her head down. Suddenly, her elbow was gently nudged.

She whispered impatiently, “I said, don’t stop me!”

“Look at the door,” Cheng Yeli’s eyes widened as if he’d seen a ghost. “That person looks like Yu Qiao!”

Xie Bufei’s movements froze. She turned her head quickly.

Across the bustling crowd, she saw the girl in the white shirt standing at the door. Her features were clear, and her gaze was as transparent as water, looking at her without blinking, completely out of place with the chaotic, ambiguous scenery around her.

Xie Bufei thought she was drunk until Yu Qiao walked over step by step and stopped in front of her.

“Senior,” she said. “I missed you.”

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