Senior, Stop Pretending to be an Alpha - Chapter 9

“Se—Senior Xie?!” The drowsy representative jolted awake, their sleepiness instantly vanishing upon meeting Xie Bufei’s gaze. “What are you doing here?!”

Xie Bufei stood with her arms crossed, looking down at the representative. She was tall, and her face remained expressionless, but her narrow eyes held a sharp, cold light like the glint of a blade.

When she wasn’t smiling, she possessed a chilling aura that kept people at a distance, much like a piece of translucent ice—beautiful from afar, but freezing to the touch.

The representative became too nervous to speak, staring blankly at her exquisite face until Xie Bufei narrowed her eyes impatiently. Snapping back to reality, the representative sat up straight.

“What happened to her?” Xie Bufei asked in a low voice, tilting her head toward Yu Qiao, who was still standing out in the sun.

Since the representative had been sitting far away, they hadn’t heard the specifics of the argument. They could only offer a vague conclusion based on what they had seen: “I am not entirely sure. It seems she had a conflict with the instructor.”

“She was probably punished for doing something wrong.”

Xie Bufei knit her slender brows, finding the explanation absurd. Yu Qiao’s temperament was so gentle that she didn’t even complain when hot soup was splashed on her leg; how could she possibly start trouble with an instructor? She didn’t believe a word of it.

Nearby, Lu Yun, who had been resting with her eyes closed, felt her lashes tremble. She struggled to open her eyes and spoke in a weak, thin voice, “Senior Xie… Qiaoqiao… she didn’t do anything wrong.”

After sitting and drinking something warm, Lu Yun’s complexion had improved slightly, but she still looked pale and fragile.

“She stood up… just to look out for me.”

Xie Bufei looked at her, paused, and asked, “Are you her classmate?”

Lu Yun shook her head. “I am her roommate.” With that, she recounted the entire incident to Xie Bufei in detail.

She watched as Xie Bufei’s expression gradually softened. The older girl looked down, listening quietly to the narrative, her long lashes trembling slightly. By the end, a faint smile actually curled onto her red lips as she let out a helpless sigh.

“Always trying to be a hero.”

Lu Yun wondered if her hearing was failing her; she could have sworn she heard a touch of indulgence in that tone. The thought startled her. Holding her breath, she asked cautiously, “Does Senior know Qiaoqiao?”

“I do.” Xie Bufei nodded and offered a graceful smile. “Thank you for telling me this.”

Lu Yun was momentarily blinded by that radiant smile and waved her hands hurriedly. “You are welcome!” She watched with wide eyes as Xie Bufei turned and walked toward Yu Qiao.

The representative beside her was equally stunned. “What… exactly is their relationship?”

It was the first time anyone had seen the goddess care so much for someone. It turned out that the “Flower on a High Ridge,” once melted, could be this gentle. It was enough to make anyone feel a bit “salty” with envy.

Lu Yun’s mind was a mess. She shook her head blankly. “I have no idea.”

The Blue Parasol

Under the scorching sun, Yu Qiao stood silently. Forty minutes had passed, and she remained almost motionless, like a stone. Sweat had soaked through her camouflage uniform, and having been baked by the sun, the fabric clung uncomfortably to her skin.

She heard the sounds of people moving, the murmurs of gossip, and felt the frequent gazes directed at her—all of it pressing into her peripheral vision like a dense, invisible web.

Meanwhile, the instigator—the instructor—ignored her entirely, letting her stand there to be the subject of various suspicions. Perhaps because the weather was too hot, a sudden, inexplicable irritability flared up in Yu Qiao’s heart.

She blinked gently. A heavy bead of sweat hung on her eyelash before finally dropping, tracing a shimmering trail down her face.

Suddenly, a patch of shade covered her head.

Yu Qiao froze and looked up slightly. She saw a pale blue parasol.

The stifling heat receded, and a faint floral fragrance quietly filled the air around her. She didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.

“Senior…”

“It is very hot, isn’t it?”

Xie Bufei stepped in front of her. Looking at her sweat-drenched face, her beautiful eyes blinked. “You’ve worked hard.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of tissues. Xie Bufei drew one out, shook it open, and placed it against Yu Qiao’s face. She gently wiped downward from the temple with meticulous, soft movements.

Yu Qiao narrowed her eyes. It felt as if a feather were brushing against her cheek, or a warm spring breeze was tracing her features from her nose to her eyes. It made her feel drowsy. The irritability in her heart vanished without a trace, replaced by a strange, new emotion. Her fingertips curled instinctively, and she even held her breath.

“What are the two of you doing?!”

A rough roar like a clap of thunder startled Yu Qiao out of her fragrant dream.

The instructor had walked over at some point, glaring at the two of them. Behind him, the students of Class 1 craned their necks to watch, a chorus of “oohs” rising from the crowd.

Yu Qiao knit her brows and was about to tell Xie Bufei to leave, but she saw the smile in the older girl’s eyes turn cold instantly.

“Hello,” Xie Bufei said calmly, looking at him. “I am the Vice President of the A University Student Union. I received an anonymous report stating that you are using corporal punishment on students without cause.”

The instructor’s face flushed a deep red. “Who said that?!”

“An anonymous member of the public.” Xie Bufei’s tone became aggressive. “I heard that you forcibly punished a student who was not late and groundlessly suspected a student of faking an illness. Is that true?”

The students of Class 1 had been holding back for too long. They rushed to answer: “It is true! It is absolutely true!”

“I saw Lu Yun looking so sick, yet she was accused of dodging training. I was almost in tears for her.”

“He even wanted to make our whole class stand in the sun with Yu Qiao. Luckily, Yu Qiao was brave enough to take it all on her own.”

“Everyone shut up!” the instructor roared, his neck turning red. “They arrived later than everyone else!”

Xie Bufei glanced at her phone and looked up. “The assembly time was 7:30. Yu Qiao and her friends arrived at 7:28. Strictly speaking, they did not violate the rules. As a soldier, you should know the importance of following rules and being fair with rewards and punishments. Ignoring the regulations to arbitrarily punish students is a real lapse in professionalism.”

Yu Qiao was stunned. This was the first time she had seen such a firm, commanding side of Xie Bufei.

The instructor, young and inexperienced, darkened his expression. “But she talked back to me first!”

Yao Rudong shouted indignantly, “It was because you said Lu Yun was faking. Qiaoqiao only countered you, and her tone wasn’t even that severe. You were the one who got excited!”

The others joined in, their voices rising in anger. “Exactly! Yu Qiao did nothing wrong!”

“Does being an instructor make you special? You can’t just frame people…”

“Silence! Silence!”

The instructor blew his whistle in frustration, but the crowd only grew louder. The commotion quickly attracted the attention of other classes on the field.

Soon, a tall man in a military uniform with a few faint scars on his face walked over. He frowned and asked, “What is going on?”

The young instructor spun around and gave a standard military salute. “Company Commander!”

The crowd went quiet. Xie Bufei looked at the commander and said calmly, “Hello. I suspect this instructor is using corporal punishment to settle a personal grievance.”

“I am not!” the young instructor shouted.

“Settling a personal grievance?” The middle-aged man looked at the young instructor, his voice steady. “Tell me what happened.”

Xie Bufei quickly explained the situation. The commander nodded slightly. “Very well. I understand.”

“Xiao Wu,” he turned and ordered, “from now on, you are relieved of your duties here. Return to the unit tomorrow morning.”

Xiao Wu looked at him in disbelief. “Commander…”

“You are not suited to be an instructor. Go back to training,” the man said calmly. “Now, apologize to this young lady.”

A superior’s order was absolute. Xiao Wu’s dark face flushed as he lowered his head under the disdainful gazes of Class 1. “I am sorry.”

Yu Qiao pursed her lips and said softly, “It is okay.”

The Debt

After the drama, military training continued as usual. Xiao Wu was replaced by another instructor, and Class 1 spent the rest of the morning without further trouble. Due to the previous punishment, Yu Qiao was granted an extra ten minutes of rest.

“I seem to owe Senior another favor.”

Under the shade of a tree, Yu Qiao sat with her hands around her knees, her eyes bright and clear. A fallen leaf drifted through the air and landed silently in her dark hair, looking like a small hair ornament.

Xie Bufei looked at her, a beautiful curve appearing on her lips. “Have you thought about how to pay it back?”

Yu Qiao thought for a moment. “Do you want a gift? As long as it is not too expensive, I can manage it.”

“A gift?” Xie Bufei mused. For some reason, she suddenly laughed. “Never mind.”

Yu Qiao was puzzled. “Why?”

“Because…” Xie Bufei’s gaze settled on her, a smile dancing at the corners of her mouth. “The things I want are very difficult to obtain.”

Yu Qiao felt a sudden competitive streak and said determinedly, “Maybe I can buy it.”

Xie Bufei shook her head, her eyes shimmering. She whispered softly, “You cannot buy it with money.”

If money can’t buy it, it must be something very precious.

Yu Qiao felt a sense of loss and lowered her eyes. “But I have to return the favor.”

Xie Bufei raised an eyebrow. “Do you really want to return it that badly?”

Yu Qiao nodded. “I do not like owing favors.” Her expression was stubborn and serious.

Xie Bufei, defeated by her persistence, sighed and said casually, “Then just give me something from your person.”

Yu Qiao searched her pockets, looking lost. “But I am not carrying anything right now…”

A pair of fair fingers suddenly landed on her head, gently ruffling her hair. The girl let out a small “ah” as her hair was mussed, her gaze innocent and confused.

“This will do.” Xie Bufei withdrew her hand, holding a pale green fallen leaf between her fingers.

Yu Qiao’s expression was complex. “That… is enough?”

Xie Bufei gave a lazy affirmative, lowered her head to wipe the leaf clean, and tucked it gently into her phone case. Yu Qiao suspected she was being humored, but the older girl seemed quite serious.

Xie Bufei checked her phone, took her military cap from the ground, and tucked it back onto her head with a smile. “Time is up. Go back to training.”

The brim of the cap blocked Yu Qiao’s glasses as she was pulled up from the ground. Her vision went dark. She called out hurriedly, “Senior!”

Xie Bufei looked back at her and laughed. “So cute.”

“I cannot see the road.”

Xie Bufei gently took her hand. “Then I will lead the way.”

Their palms pressed together, their fingers interlacing. Yu Qiao felt something was not quite right, but she was pulled along for several meters in a daze. Deprived of sight, her other senses became exceptionally sharp: the slight itch where their fingers touched, the warm sun on the back of her neck, and the faint floral scent from Xie Bufei.

She suddenly remembered her previous question. “Senior, what flower is your perfume? I still can’t figure it out.”

“Lily of the valley.”

After a moment of silence, she heard Xie Bufei’s cheerful voice.

Support