Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 42

The torrential rain fell at a slant, and the wind swept fine, dense droplets against their bodies.

Yu Qiao held the umbrella high, passing through the blurred curtain of rain as the two walked side by side toward the dormitory building.

 

The umbrella wasn’t very large, and the space felt insufficient for two people. Yu Qiao silently tilted the umbrella toward Xie Bufei, pretending nothing was wrong even as half of her own shoulder was left exposed to the rain.

 

Xie Bufei leaned against her, shrinking herself into a small ball. Every time a muffled rumble of thunder echoed from the sky, she couldn’t help but shudder, clutching Yu Qiao’s arm tighter and hanging her head low.

 

Raindrops drummed against the black surface of the umbrella with a clattering sound. The heavy downpour almost completely isolated the world outside the umbrella; they were like two lonely islands floating in the rain, quietly leaning on one another.

 

After a moment, Xie Bufei looked up, her dark eyes reflecting the gray lines of falling rain.

 

“Qiaoqiao, your shoulder is all wet,” she whispered. “Lean in a bit closer.”

 

Yu Qiao didn’t think much of it and said, “I’m fine.”

 

“No, you’ll catch a cold.” Xie Bufei firmly took hold of her hand and moved the umbrella toward the center. “Let’s get closer.”

 

The girl reached out to wrap her arm around Yu Qiao’s waist, and her warm body pressed in even tighter. Their shoulders and arms inevitably brushed against each other.

 

Body heat transferred through the thin layer of clothing, and the soft sensation was exceptionally vivid.

 

Yu Qiao’s breath hitched, and the rhythm of her heartbeat became unsteady once more.

 

The wind seemed to grow stronger, blowing strands of Yu Qiao’s hair so they coolly brushed against her cheek. Xie Bufei turned her head slightly and caught sight of the other girl’s reddened earlobe, silently curling the corners of her mouth.

 

This little blockhead is way too shy; she blushes the moment I tease her…

 

Pedestrians on the street were hurrying to and fro as the two rushed back to the dormitory building.

 

Standing in the hallway, Yu Qiao closed the umbrella and shook off the heavy droplets. She glanced at the gray sky outside and felt that the rain might last until evening; it wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

 

A cold wind blew, followed by another muffled boom from the horizon that lit up the dim sky. Xie Bufei let out a cry and immediately buried her head in Yu Qiao’s chest, whimpering softly.

 

Yu Qiao reached out to stroke her head, comforting her gently. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid… We’re already here.”

 

She coaxed her for a while until Xie Bufei looked up, her beautiful fox-eyes shimmering with unease. Her voice was muffled. “Qiaoqiao, what should I do? No one is in my dorm today.”

 

Yu Qiao asked, “You’re the only one there?”

 

Xie Bufei gave a hum of affirmation. “Bai Yi went home.”

 

She bit her lip until it turned pale, and strands of wet black hair stuck to her neck; she looked like a pitiful drowned cat.

 

Yu Qiao could feel the arms wrapped around her trembling slightly; she really did seem terrified.

 

Yu Qiao paused and said instinctively, “Then after I shower, I’ll come up and stay with you.”

 

Xie Bufei’s eyes instantly lit up. “Can you?”

 

“Of course I can,” Yu Qiao said.

 

“Then hurry and go change.” Xie Bufei pursed her lips and smiled as if embarrassed, whispering, “I’ll wait for you in 401.”

 

The two parted at the stairwell. Xie Bufei let go of her hand hesitantly, her tone lingering and reluctant. “I’ll wait for you. Come over soon, okay?”

 

Yu Qiao returned to her dorm, changed out of her sticky clothes, and finished a “battle shower” at lightning speed.

 

Yao Rudong, who was playing games, asked, “Why are you showering so early today?”

 

“I’m going up to see Senior.” Yu Qiao walked out while drying her hair. To protect Xie Bufei’s pride, she didn’t tell her roommates the truth. “She needs me for something.”

 

“Then go on up, don’t keep her waiting.” Lu Yun waved at her and went back to being absorbed in her variety show.

 

Yu Qiao carried her laptop upstairs and knocked on the door of Room 401. She saw Xie Bufei sitting at her desk; only a small desk lamp was on in the room, casting a dim and soft yellow light.

 

“You’re here.” Xie Bufei looked up at her and gave a light smile. Sitting at the boundary between light and shadow, the hazy outline of her beautiful features was traced by the glow.

 

She poured a cup of hot water for Yu Qiao and said, “Sit for a while. I’m going to take a shower too.”

 

Yu Qiao hummed in response, sat down, opened her laptop, and launched her programming software.

 

An “Error” appeared while debugging the project. She became immersed in finding a way to fix the bug until someone approached from behind. A floral scent wafted over, and slender fingers brushed against the stray hairs near her ear.

 

Xie Bufei stroked her semi-dry hair and said, “Qiaoqiao, you didn’t blow-dry your hair.”

 

A fine itch came from between her strands. Yu Qiao snapped out of it and gave a hum.

 

Xie Bufei volunteered, “Shall I help you?”

 

Yu Qiao had no reason to refuse. “Sure.”

 

She turned her head and saw that Xie Bufei had already grabbed the hairdryer and pressed the button. A warm breeze blew against the back of her neck, and she instinctively shrank her neck back.

 

Xie Bufei saw that the tips of her ears were a bit red and quickly turned off the dryer. “I’m sorry. Did I touch your… gland?”

 

“It’s okay.” Yu Qiao was a bit sheepish. “It’s no trouble.”

 

Xie Bufei smiled and said, “Then shall I continue?”

 

After receiving consent, she turned the dryer back on, gently ruffling Yu Qiao’s hair with one hand. As the soft, warm breeze brushed against the side of her face, a wave of exhaustion gradually washed over her.

 

Yu Qiao couldn’t help but close her eyes and let out a small yawn.

 

Xie Bufei caught the yawn from her and followed suit. The two remained quiet for a moment before they both couldn’t help but laugh.

 

Xie Bufei said, “If you’re tired, go sleep in my bed for a while.”

 

“Would that be a bother?” Yu Qiao hesitated. She had been working late on projects for several days and was indeed a bit tired.

 

Xie Bufei smiled and said, “How could it be a bother?”

 

Yu Qiao stopped being polite and thanked her, “Thank you, Senior.”

 

After her hair was dried, she climbed up the ladder to the bed. The sheets and pillows were soft, carrying a very faint scent of lily of the valley. Next to the pillow was a large plush doll that didn’t quite fit the overall aesthetic of the room.

 

Yu Qiao stared at the plush dog for a while and realized it was the one she had caught at the mall previously.

 

She couldn’t help but feel a bit shy, yet also a little happy. So, Senior kept it.

 

Lying on her side, sleepiness gradually surged. In her half-asleep state, she felt someone gently tuck in the blanket, and a gentle voice said, “Go to sleep.”

 

When she woke up, the sound of the rain still hadn’t stopped.

 

Yu Qiao opened her eyes muddledly and felt a soft body pressed against her, lying there quietly.

 

She paused and looked down to see the girl leaning lazily in her arms, playing with her phone.

 

A head of black hair was spread out like silk, scattered across her pale shoulders.

 

And her own hand had somehow tightly gripped Xie Bufei’s slender waist in a rather possessive posture.

 

Yu Qiao was stunned, almost thinking she was in a dream.

 

Sensing Yu Qiao’s slight movement, Xie Bufei turned around in her arms, her eyes shimmering with a smile as she whispered, “Are you awake?”

 

Yu Qiao rubbed her eyes, her voice raspy. “Mhm.”

 

Xie Bufei looked at her dazed expression and took the initiative to explain, “It thundered just now and I was a little scared, so I came up to sleep with you for a bit.”

 

Yu Qiao didn’t doubt her much and nodded. “So that’s how it was.”

 

Xie Bufei reached out to touch her cheek, her voice gentle. “Do you want to sleep a bit longer?”

 

Yu Qiao also felt like staying in bed for a bit, so she gave an “ungh” and lay there without moving. She looked at Xie Bufei’s profile at close range and suddenly realized the other was looking back at her. The gaze swept across her eyes, the tip of her nose, and finally rested on her soft lips, like a silk net tightening.

 

The bed curtains were drawn around them, and the light filtered dimly through the fabric. Listening to the pitter-patter of the rain against the glass window, she suddenly felt it was very quiet, as if only the two of them were left in the entire world.

 

She asked, “Senior, aren’t you going to sleep?”

 

“I just woke up. I’m not tired.”

 

Xie Bufei’s gaze flickered, and her narrow eyes turned up slightly at the corners, looking exceptionally alluring in the dim light and shadow.

 

A tiny breath stirred the hairs on the tip of Yu Qiao’s nose and then fell.

 

“I want a hug,” she said suddenly.

 

Yu Qiao paused, then rested her hand on the girl’s waist and slowly tightened her arm. Their distance closed, and Xie Bufei buried her face in the crook of Yu Qiao’s neck, letting out a satisfied sigh.

 

She nudged Yu Qiao’s neck with her nose and whispered, “I like your pheromones so much.”

 

The light scent of vegetation felt as if she were bathing in a sun-drenched forest, with the fragrance of moist earth and green grass floating in the air.

 

Yu Qiao pursed her lips sheepishly; the other girl’s blunt praise made the base of her ears heat up.

 

She said in a low voice, “Speaking of which, I still don’t know what your pheromones smell like, Senior.”

 

The girl in her arms stiffened for a moment and gave a dry laugh. “Because… because my pheromones don’t smell that great.”

 

Yu Qiao was a bit confused. “No way?”

 

“Really, you’d want to throw up if you smelled it,” Xie Bufei said, forcing herself to continue.

 

“Alright,” Yu Qiao said. “Is it some kind of durian scent then?”

 

“It’s not that exaggerated.” Xie Bufei hung her head, her fingers gripping the blanket so hard her slender knuckles turned white. “I’ll tell you in the future.”

 

“Okay,” Yu Qiao smiled. “It’s fine if you don’t want to say, Senior.”

 

Xie Bufei hummed in response and let out a silent sigh.

 

Because of her own indecisiveness, she had lost another opportunity to confess her heart.

 

She knew this was unfair to Yu Qiao, but the more she feared losing her, the more she wanted to escape the truth.

 

Actually, Cheng Yeli was right; blindly escaping was useless and would only make things worse.

 

The longer she dragged this out, the more disappointed Yu Qiao would be in her. It was better to tell her sooner.

 

Xie Bufei took a deep breath, calculating a suitable day in her mind.

 

Opening the calendar on her phone and seeing a prominent red circle, she suddenly realized her estrus period was approaching.

 

“Senior, what’s wrong?” Seeing that she wasn’t speaking, Yu Qiao leaned closer, her clear gaze focused on her. Her eyes were dark and obedient, looking like a gentle large dog.

 

Xie Bufei reached out to scratch her under the chin and said with a smile, “It’s nothing.”

 

She thought to herself: I need to prepare a few more tubes of suppressants these few days.