Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 39

Xie Bufei kept her head down, gently blowing on her spoon while stealing secret glances at Yu Qiao.

The girl across from her had her head lowered as well. Was she playing on her phone?

 

She knew Yu Qiao didn’t have any games on her phone, so she was likely replying to messages.

 

Xie Bufei asked casually, “Are you chatting with someone?”

 

“With my roommates.” Yu Qiao typed a few brief replies, put her phone away, and looked up. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Xie Bufei smiled, pretending she had only asked on a whim. She lowered her head and sipped the cooled soup. It was rich and fragrant, carrying the salty-sweetness of peanut butter and a hint of spiciness from the chili powder. The condiments Yu Qiao had ordered were indeed perfect; it was exactly the taste she liked.

 

Her eyes narrowed with appetite as she began eating quickly, one spoonful after another. Her cheeks puffed out as she ate, and her lips turned a moist, flushed red from the spice, glistening slightly.

 

Yu Qiao loved watching her eat; it reminded her of Curry eating dried fish—cute and appetizing. She pulled two tissues from her bag and placed them in front of the older girl.

 

As the two ate in silence, the sound of an argument drifted toward them from a distance.

 

“Kid, what do you want to eat today?”

 

“I told you not to call me ‘kid.’ It’s so weird!”

 

The pair passed by their table, bringing with them a breeze that smelled of cream.

 

Recognizing the familiar voice, Yu Qiao paused and turned around. “Meng Ling?”

 

One of them stopped and looked at her. “Yu Qiao?”

 

The curly-haired woman beside her also stopped, her gaze lingering on Yu Qiao as she narrowed her eyes to size her up.

 

Xie Bufei put down her spoon and wiped her lips with a tissue. “A friend of yours?”

 

Yu Qiao hesitated. Given her current situation with Meng Ling, they should be considered friends, right?

 

She introduced her, “This is my friend, Meng Ling.”

 

Then, Yu Qiao introduced Xie Bufei to Meng Ling: “And this is Xie Bufei.”

 

Meng Ling looked at her, then at Xie Bufei, offering a bright smile. “No need to introduce the school beauty; everyone recognizes her. Hello there.”

 

Xie Bufei nodded and smiled back, but she felt a bit strange inside. How did she never know Yu Qiao had such an Omega friend?

 

The woman beside Meng Ling raised an eyebrow. “Not going to introduce me?” She placed her bag on the seat next to them and said with a smile, “Since it’s such a coincidence, why don’t we all eat together?”

 

Meng Ling stiffened and tugged at the woman’s arm, lowering her voice. “Qi Yishu, stop it…”

 

Qi Yishu rested her chin on her hand and smiled, completely at ease. “What? Is this seat taken?”

 

Xie Bufei realized this woman seemed to have a serious case of “social butterfly syndrome,” and she looked strangely familiar.

 

Looking closer, wasn’t this the curly-haired woman who had entered the music theory class with the professor?

 

Qi Yishu noticed her as well and chuckled. “Oh, you’re that student who was flailing her arms and legs in class, aren’t you?”

 

Xie Bufei: “…” Great. Total social death on the spot.

 

Meng Ling couldn’t win against Qi Yishu, so she asked Yu Qiao in a small voice, “Can we sit here?”

 

Yu Qiao: “Of course.”

 

Meng Ling gave her an apologetic smile and sat across from Qi Yishu. The four of them sat facing each other across a narrow aisle, and the atmosphere grew tense.

 

It was Qi Yishu, the one least acquainted with them, who took the initiative to strike up a conversation. “So, you’re Yu Qiao?”

 

Yu Qiao looked at her. “I am.”

 

Qi Yishu: “Yu as in ‘not worried,’ and Qiao as in ‘quietly’?”

 

Yu Qiao was baffled. Most people, upon hearing her name, would instinctively assume a more common character, yet this person—who had never met her—could accurately state the characters of her name.

 

“Do you know me?”

 

“I do.” Qi Yishu leaned back against her chair with a playful smile. “So, you’re the one who caused her to get dumped and cry her eyes out in front of the dormitory.”

 

Meng Ling’s eyes went wide, and she panicked instantly, her face and ears turning red. “W-why would you say that out loud?!”

 

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but look at the reactions of the other two. Yu Qiao sat there stunned, while Xie Bufei, still holding her spoon, had lost her smile.

 

Dumped?

 

What “dumped”?!

 

What exactly had she missed during those few days she was away?!

 

Meng Ling bit her lip, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. She was nearly frantic with anxiety. “No, it’s nothing like that. Don’t listen to her…”

 

Qi Yishu smiled leisurely. “What do you mean ‘nothing’? You were sobbing so hard that day; I was the one who picked you up and took you back.”

 

Yu Qiao opened her mouth awkwardly, unsure of what to say. She had been blunt in her rejection, but she hadn’t expected Meng Ling to cry because of it.

 

Xie Bufei, who had remained silent, suddenly took a deep breath. She looked at Qi Yishu and said coldly, “Isn’t it a bit disrespectful to reveal such private matters without permission?”

 

The atmosphere turned icy. Qi Yishu met her gaze for a moment and let out a soft “Ah.”

 

“Is crying considered a very private matter?” she asked with a half-smile. “If Student Yu Qiao had any sense of boundaries, she wouldn’t have left a girl alone to break down after being rejected so harshly.”

 

Yu Qiao was silent for a moment before looking at Meng Ling. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were crying at the time.”

 

Meng Ling’s lips trembled. She gripped her hem nervously and spoke incoherently, “It’s fine, it has nothing to do with you… Don’t listen to her, I don’t blame you at all.”

 

With a loud clack, Xie Bufei put down her chopsticks.

 

She looked Qi Yishu straight in the eye, her voice growing colder. “Then what did you want Yu Qiao to do? Walk her upstairs? Take her into her dorm room? Or perhaps just accept her confession? Is that what you call being responsible?”

 

Qi Yishu looked at her and didn’t answer immediately. After a long while, she curled her lips and said nonchalantly, “I was just joking. Why so serious?”

 

Xie Bufei replied expressionlessly, “I don’t find it funny.”

 

Yu Qiao’s eyes widened slightly as she gazed at the frost-faced girl across from her. A warm current surged through her heart.

 

Xie Bufei was usually kind and gentle; this was the first time Yu Qiao had seen her so angry, using such a forceful tone to defend her.

 

Senior really did treat her as a friend.

 

“Please don’t fight.” Meng Ling suddenly stood up, her face pale. “I… I’m leaving.”

 

She covered her face and ran out quickly, her retreating figure trembling slightly as if she were fleeing. The people around them turned to look, confused by the sound of her footsteps.

 

Qi Yishu was startled. “Wait—”

 

She looked at Meng Ling’s back, clicked her tongue with a complex expression, picked up her things, and chased after her.

 

Only Yu Qiao and Xie Bufei were left at the table.

 

In the heavy silence, Yu Qiao quietly raised her eyes and said softly, “Thank you, Senior, for speaking up for me just now.”

 

Xie Bufei put down her spoon and turned her face away, looking a bit aggrieved. “What should I do? I’ve lost my appetite.”

 

“Then let’s stop eating,” Yu Qiao said warmly. “Let’s head back.”

 

Xie Bufei turned to look at her and suddenly asked, “Does Meng Ling like you?”

 

“Yes,” Yu Qiao said. “But I’ve already rejected her.”

 

Xie Bufei lowered her eyes irritably, her finger tracing unconscious circles on the table. “When did this happen? I didn’t even know…”

 

Yu Qiao paused and said, “It was during those few days you were avoiding me.”

 

Xie Bufei pouted slightly and muttered in a small voice, “Then I won’t avoid you anymore.”

 

She had only been gone for a little while, and her “girlfriend” was already being targeted by others.

 

When did her little blockhead become so popular?

 

Yu Qiao didn’t hear her clearly and leaned closer. “What did you say?”

 

“Nothing.” Xie Bufei blinked and asked, seemingly casually, “Why don’t you like her? She seems pretty cute.”

 

In truth, a petite and delicate Omega like Meng Ling easily triggered a protective instinct in others and was quite popular among Alphas. Who was to say Yu Qiao wouldn’t catch feelings for her one day?

 

Yu Qiao frowned, alarm bells ringing in her heart. Does Senior think she’s cute?

 

Could it be that she liked that type of Omega?

 

Xie Bufei feigned a relaxed tone. “She is quite cute. She seems like the clingy type.”

 

Oh, so she likes cute and clingy people.

 

Yu Qiao made a mental note of this and nodded. “Indeed.”

 

Xie Bufei felt like she was dying of jealousy inside, yet she had to maintain a composed facade. “How did she pursue you back then?”

 

Yu Qiao explained earnestly, “It was nothing much. We just walked to and from class together, studied in the library, and ate at the cafeteria a few times.”

 

Suddenly, she heard a sharp snap.

 

Across from her, Xie Bufei’s lips twitched as the chopsticks in her hand snapped in half, falling onto the table.

 

Yu Qiao looked at her in shock. “Senior, are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Xie Bufei elegantly withdrew her hand, her expression neutral. “The quality of the chopsticks at this stall isn’t very good.”

 

She urged, “Keep talking.”

 

Yu Qiao: “That was all. Meng Ling is a nice person, but I don’t feel anything for her.”

 

Good that you don’t feel anything.

 

The anger in Xie Bufei’s heart eased slightly, and her features relaxed. she teased casually, “Then what kind of person do you have feelings for?” Yu Qiao looked at her steadily, but only smiled and didn’t answer.

 

The two left the cafeteria and walked back to the dorms together along the tree-lined path. The sky grew dark, adorned with a long stretch of evening glow—shading from egg-yolk yellow to cinnabar red, layered like a painting.

 

Xie Bufei walked with her hands behind her back, humming a tune in a great mood. In contrast, Yu Qiao looked calm but felt a bit dejected.

 

Senior seemed to like cute people, but her personality just wasn’t like that.

 

The two parted at the stairwell.

 

When Yu Qiao returned to her dorm, Yao Rudong and Lu Yun immediately rushed over, both eager for news. “How was it? How was it?”

 

“How is the progress?!”

 

Yu Qiao sat down at her desk without a word and let out a sigh.

 

Seeing her looking gloomy, Lu Yun asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Did it not go well?”

 

Yao Rudong swallowed nervously. “Did she figure you out?!”

 

“No.” Yu Qiao lowered her eyes. “Senior said today that Meng Ling is very cute. She seems to prefer that type of person.”

 

Lu Yun understood and comforted her, “Not necessarily. It might have just been a casual compliment; it doesn’t mean that’s her standard for a partner.”

 

“Yeah! She even called you cute before!” Yao Rudong said. “Maybe in Senior’s eyes, everything in the world is cute.”

 

Yu Qiao raised her head, her clear eyes sparkling behind her glasses. “So, what should I do now?”

Yao Rudong watched her with such an outpouring of maternal instinct that she couldn’t help but suggest, “I remember in the K-dramas I watch, the female lead prepares a small surprise every day for the person she’s pursuing. Why don’t we try that?”

Lu Yun added, “If you prepare something she doesn’t like, the surprise turns into a scare. Qiaoqiao, do you remember what kinds of things Senior Xie likes?”

 

Yu Qiao thought back carefully. Most of their outings involved eating together. She clearly remembered what Xie Bufei liked to eat, what movies she liked to watch, her verbal quirks, her habits when walking, and so on.

 

In other matters, Xie Bufei had always been rather indifferent. Her preferences weren’t particularly obvious, which might be related to her upbringing.

 

“Do you know her birthday?” Yao Rudong asked. “We could prepare a birthday gift for her in advance.”

 

Yu Qiao paused and shook her head.

 

“I could go ask Senior Cheng…”

 

Lu Yun countered, “You can ask about the birthday, but you can’t keep bothering Cheng Yeli for everything else, and you shouldn’t ask Xie Bufei too directly. If she gets suspicious, she’ll figure out your intentions in no time.”

 

She pondered for a moment and said, “I remember there’s a ‘School Beauty Fan Group’ at our school? There might be some insider info about Xie Bufei in there.”

 

“I know about that!” Yao Rudong’s eyes lit up. “I’m in that group!”

 

She generously shared the group ID with them, saying, “They’re all sisters in there, don’t be shy!”

 

After Yu Qiao scanned the code, she was automatically redirected to the group profile. The group name was actually [Xie Bufei’s Wife Fans Harem Group No. 3].

 

“Number three…” Lu Yun was speechless. “Does that mean there are two other groups before this?”

 

“The first two are full,” Yao Rudong explained. “The school beauty is super popular. They’ve even cleared out several waves of lurkers. Hurry and join; this group is only a few dozen people away from being full again.”

 

Yu Qiao looked at the audacious group name, stunned for a moment before clicking “Apply to Join.” As it turned out, the group was very active; her application was approved in just a few seconds.

 

A flood of messages poured out.

 

“Welcome, newcomer!”

 

“Hehehe, another new little Omega!”

 

“Welcome, little cutie, to our group—”

 

Yu, Alpha, Absolutely Not Related to Cute, Qiao: “…”

 

She replied stiffly, “Thank you, everyone.”

 

“We’re all Xie Bufei’s wives, no need to be so polite—”

 

“Don’t you guys have your own wives? Why are you stealing mine!”

 

“[Supermarket Stir-fried Olives.jpg]”

 

“I just opened the group and tripped over all the clothes on the floor. Don’t you Omegas feel gross!”

 

Yu Qiao: “…”

 

Completely unable to blend into such a passionate atmosphere, she said awkwardly, “Excuse me, does anyone know what kinds of things Senior Xie likes?”

 

A moment later, a 100MB Word document appeared before her eyes.

 

The person who sent the file seemed to hold some status in the group and said coolly, “I knew every newcomer would ask this. This was compiled through ‘jianghu’ connections; accuracy is not guaranteed.”

 

“Thanks to Big Boss X! I’m so happy every time I see you share real info!!”

 

“Last time I followed this data to confess to the school beauty, she told me to ‘get lost.’ I’m so happy—”

 

Yu Qiao immediately downloaded the file.

 

A few seconds later, with a ding, the download was complete. She opened the file, which contained very detailed records of various news about Xie Bufei, ranging from gossip to her daily life.

 

“As far as the author knows, Xie Bufei’s relationship history is a mystery. In two years, she hasn’t been seen dating any Omega.

 

Therefore, the following highly credible scandal targets have been compiled for reference.

 

Scandal Target No. 1: Cheng Yeli…”

 

Yu Qiao scanned through it quickly, feeling it was all baseless rumors.

 

She didn’t know Xie Bufei’s full history, but she at least knew the girl was currently single and had definitely never dated Cheng Yeli.

 

“As everyone knows, Xie Bufei does not eat spicy food…”

 

Yu Qiao was silent. The girl clearly loved malatang and ordered it mildly spicy every time.

 

“As everyone knows, Xie Bufei has a proud and cold personality. As the ceiling of A-University’s ‘Flower on a High Ridge,’ she extremely dislikes physical contact. To the point where if she accidentally touches a stranger, she’d need to wash with detergent.”

 

Proud? Dislikes contact? She clearly loves having her head rubbed…

 

“As everyone knows, Xie Bufei never eats sweets. She is extremely disciplined and has no cavities…”

 

Yu Qiao couldn’t take it anymore and gripped her mouse tightly.

 

She had searched around and found no useful information; instead, she had been fed a bunch of “brainwashing” nonsense.

 

Taking this document as her target, she began typing indignantly, making annotations on the side to correct the errors.

 

After revising several thousand words and confirming everything was correct, Yu Qiao clicked save and uploaded it to the group.

 

[Xie Bufei Personal Information Revised Version.docx Upload Complete!]

 

The group, which had been actively chatting, went silent for a moment.

 

Group Admin: “What is the meaning of this?”

 

Yu Qiao: “A lot of the information in your file was wrong. I’ve modified it.”

 

Group Members: “??”

 

“Huh? Are you some kind of big shot? Who are you to question the data from Big Boss X? Do you know she’s the childhood friend of a distant relative of the cousin of Xie Bufei’s friend? Their relationship is deep!”

 

Yu Qiao was confused. “I didn’t know that. But I am Senior Xie’s friend.”

 

“Friend? How bold! You’re delusional!”

 

“How can someone be so ordinary yet so confident? Gross.”

 

“Look at what she changed. ‘Xie Bufei is gentle and cute’?! Please, is this your first day knowing my goddess? This is the school beauty of your imagination, right?”

 

“This person is a hater, right? Intentionally trying to stir up trouble. What is the admin doing? Kick her out!”

 

Yu Qiao tried to explain, but she was drowned out by the indignant denunciations of the crowd. Seeing this, Yao Rudong helped say a few words. Fortunately, her reputation in the group was good; while many refused to believe Yu Qiao was Xie Bufei’s friend, they stopped talking for her sake.

 

Big Boss X: “Tell your friend not to make random changes next time.”

 

“This newcomer is so ignorant, I’m so mad!”

 

“Don’t pay her any mind, let’s just chat amongst ourselves.”

 

Yu Qiao: “…” She didn’t understand what was happening, but she was greatly shocked.

 

Yao Rudong patted her shoulder sympathetically. “Don’t mind them. They deserve not to have a wife.”

 

Yu Qiao said in a daze, “If I had known, I would have been better off asking Senior to her face when her birthday is.”

 

“You can ask, but you must do it indirectly. You absolutely cannot make it too obvious,” Lu Yun said worriedly. “Don’t be too cold, but don’t be too eager either, understand?”

 

Yu Qiao felt like she had gained some enlightenment, but not completely.

 

The next morning, she once again went to the classroom where Xie Bufei was to wait for her to finish class.

 

When the bell rang, Xie Bufei strolled out of the crowded doorway.

 

She was tall, wearing an ink-blue shirt dress with her sleeves rolled up, looking dazzlingly pale in the crowd.

 

“Qiaoqiao?” Xie Bufei raised an eyebrow when she saw Yu Qiao, her beautiful fox-like eyes curving. “Waiting for me?”

 

“Yes.” Yu Qiao approached her with a serious expression. “Senior, I want to ask you some questions.”

 

Xie Bufei blinked and chuckled. “Why so serious about asking questions? Go ahead, I’ll tell you everything I know.”

 

“What is your zodiac sign?” Yu Qiao asked. “And what items have you added to your shopping cart in the last three days?”

 

Xie Bufei was stunned and said confusedly, “I’m a Scorpio wait, why are you asking this?”

 

Yu Qiao fell into deep thought. Scorpio, that would be after October 24th…

 

Before she could use an exhaustive method to deduce the birthday, she saw Xie Bufei’s lips curl into a teasing smile. “Are you trying to ask when my birthday is?”

 

Yu Qiao’s eyes widened in shock. “How did you know?” Was she not being indirect enough?

 

“You’re too obvious, dummy.” Xie Bufei leaned in close, staring into Yu Qiao’s eyes. Her slender finger tapped the tip of Yu Qiao’s nose, and her voice was gentle. “It’s October 30th. Did you remember it?”