Strategy to Tame My Dimwitted Older Sister A - Chapter 4

Bai Xia silently withdrew her hand, her actions betraying her attempt to conceal her thoughts.

She had explained a great deal to Chu Nanqiao, though in truth, there was no need for such elaborate explanations. A simple excuse would have sufficed after all, Chu Nanqiao had no idea what she was really thinking. At most, she might have assumed Bai Xia was lashing out in embarrassment, secretly cursing her in her heart for being two-faced outwardly kind but no different from any other alpha beneath the surface.

Yet, unexpectedly, Chu Nanqiao lowered her head meekly and began apologizing in a small voice. Then, slowly lifting her gaze, she still clung to Bai Xia’s hand. “S-so t-take me with you, okay? I-I’m not afraid of getting sick! D-don’t leave me behind.”

Perhaps genuinely afraid that Bai Xia would abandon her, Chu Nanqiao’s grip grew tighter and tighter, until she was clinging to Bai Xia’s arm like a koala. If not for her height, she might have climbed right onto Bai Xia’s body, refusing to let go no matter how hard she was shaken off.

Bai Xia froze in place, her entire body stiffening as if she were a black-and-white manga panel slowly cracking apart.

She was an alpha!

A pure, undiluted alpha!

When an omega encountered an alpha, shouldn’t they adhere to the principle of “alphas and omegas must maintain proper distance” and keep at least a little space between them?!

What was this full-on embrace about?!

She remembered Chu Nanqiao being quite shy in her past life, just a few teasing words would make her blush like an apple. Could it be that because she had been reborn, Chu Nanqiao herself had changed as well?

No matter how much Bai Xia racked her brain, she couldn’t make sense of it. Her hands fluttered awkwardly, unsure where to place them, as long-forgotten memories from her past life suddenly surged to the surface.

She had nearly forgotten, when was the last time the two of them had been pressed so closely together?

She only vaguely recalled that time when Chu Nanqiao’s heat had struck, and she hadn’t brought any suppressants. Bai Xia had intended to take her to the hospital after all, she wasn’t Chu Nanqiao’s alpha, so such matters weren’t her place. Doing so might have been framed as “helping” in a generous light, but in a harsher interpretation, it would have been taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state.

Moreover, omegas were highly dependent on an alpha’s pheromones sometimes to the point of never being able to forget them. But for alphas, a temporary mark was like chewing gum: the flavor would gradually fade over time until nothing remained.

Especially for an omega’s first mark. For many, the alpha’s pheromones might accompany them for life. No matter which alpha they encountered afterward, they would always feel that the one who gave them their first temporary mark was the true partner meant to spend their life with them.

So, whether it was a temporary or permanent mark, such things were sacred to omegas something to be treated with the utmost gravity.

Bai Xia understood this perfectly well. That was why, the moment she realized Chu Nanqiao was in heat, her first instinct had been to rush her to the hospital.

But in the end, she had still lost to her instincts as an alpha.

She couldn’t resist the alluring lemon scent of Chu Nanqiao, the one thing she regretted most in her life, the kind of regret that gnawed at her insides. She had considered apologizing to Chu Nanqiao, but what was done was done. What good would an apology do? It was like eating a meal once it was eaten, could you pretend it never happened just by spitting it out?

Impossible.

Besides, someone like Chu Nanqiao, a young lady from a wealthy family, carried an unspoken pride in her heart. With her striking looks, she had no shortage of alphas chasing after her. Any of those alphas from prominent families would outshine her in every way. Chu Nanqiao probably hated her to the core.

Wait.

Could it be that Chu Nanqiao held a grudge against her for this very reason? If so, then Chu Nanqiao stabbing her at her own wedding would make perfect sense!

Tsk!

What kind of mess was this?!

Bai Xia rubbed her temples, frowning in frustration, hating her alpha identity for the first time. If she weren’t an alpha, she wouldn’t have reacted to Chu Nanqiao’s pheromones. She wouldn’t have marked Chu Nanqiao during her heat under the influence of those pheromones. And if she hadn’t marked Chu Nanqiao, there would have been no murder, no need for her to be reborn. She might have already been curled up in bed with her wife and child by now.

The more she thought about it, the more she despised being an alpha. She almost wished she could rush to the hospital right now and have that damned gland on her back removed, the very thing that had led to Chu Nanqiao stabbing her. Maybe then she could live free of complications. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?

With a long sigh, Bai Xia made up her mind: from now on, she would always carry suppressants enough to fill an entire bag. The moment she sensed an omega entering heat nearby, she’d immediately hand them the suppressants, cutting off any chance of history repeating itself.

But right now, the most pressing matter was getting Chu Nanqiao home safely. She couldn’t afford to have any more problems blamed on her. If she got stabbed again, she might really end up meeting Buddha.

Bai Xia yanked her hand free with effort and said, “Alright, alright, I get it. Let me go first, there are so many people around. You might not care about your reputation, but I do!”

She was still an unmarried alpha, after all. What if her future omega saw this and misunderstood, refusing to marry her later?

Where else would she find a suitable omega then?!

Omegas were already rare in the world barely one in ten alphas could marry one. If she didn’t keep herself in check, she might end up alone for life. Even that fat cat at home might look down on her.

Wait, that fat cat already looked down on her. Cats were like that whether you were rich or poor, they’d still treat you with disdain.

The more Bai Xia thought about it, the angrier she got. She was the one working her fingers to the bone to buy that fat cat its canned food, and not only did it refuse to let her hold it, but it also looked down on her? How unreasonable!

“Please, I’m begging you, Miss Chu just let me go. If you keep holding me like this, I can’t even walk.”

Chu Nanqiao tilted her head up, staring at her in confusion. “ I never told you, my name. How do you know. I’m, a Chu?”

Damn it. She’d spoken too fast.

Bai Xia scrambled to cover her slip. “Someone called your name at the bar earlier. I heard it.”

Chu Nanqiao frowned. “But I didn’t hear it?”

Bai Xia: “…” Did his ears really have to be that sharp?!

“You just didn’t hear it. I heard it from behind,” Bai Xia said guiltily.

“B-but the distance from behind isn’t that far. I still didn’t hear anything.” Chu Nanqiao blinked her eyes, staring intently at her.

Bai Xia: “…” How come she never knew Chu Nanqiao’s hearing was this good in her past life?!

Seeing that she was about to be exposed, Bai Xia had a quick thought and said, “That alpha who came with me to the bar earlier, she’s my friend. She’s from the Xu family, and she knows you.”

Chu Nanqiao seemed convinced and didn’t press further, though her expression remained thoughtful, as if pondering something.

Seizing the opportunity, Bai Xia quickly changed the subject. “Hurry up and let go of my hand. It’s getting late, I still have to take you home and then get back to my dorm. The school has a curfew, and if I’m late, the advisor will drag me to the office for another lecture.”

Distracted, Chu Nanqiao temporarily set aside her earlier thoughts and obediently loosened her grip but not entirely. Her left hand still clung firmly to Bai Xia’s palm.

Seeing no other choice, Bai Xia let her hold on.

The two walked side by side under a single umbrella to the roadside. The heavy rain poured down, quickly soaking their clothes.

Chu Nanqiao secretly glanced up at this kind-hearted alpha, her heart growing increasingly restless. This was the most beautiful alpha she had ever seen stunning, commanding, and radiant, unlike any other alpha she had met. Most importantly, this alpha remained completely indifferent to her!

Why?

Was she not pretty enough?

But if she weren’t pretty, why did those scum still leer at her?

Or was this alpha somehow impaired?

No, no someone this perfect couldn’t possibly have any disabilities!

Maybe she was incapable in that way?

No, no, that would be such a waste!

“Hey, what are you thinking about?” Bai Xia nudged her with an elbow when she didn’t respond.

Startled as if caught doing something bad, Chu Nanqiao’s heart skipped a beat and in that moment, a voice completely unlike her usual tone slipped out involuntarily: “Huh?!”

Bai Xia froze.

So did Chu Nanqiao.

Around strangers, she always kept her voice soft and delicate, like a little rabbit’s, because she knew people liked that, it made her seem weak, someone they could protect. Especially alphas, they loved that kind of tone.

But now, she might have just exposed herself.

Chu Nanqiao avoided Bai Xia’s gaze, taking a long moment before lifting her head again, reverting to her previous soft demeanor. Blinking, she asked, “A-aren’t we going? Y-you said if we don’t hurry, we’ll miss curfew, right?”

Snapping out of her daze, Bai Xia didn’t have time to dwell on whether that sharp voice had really come from Chu Nanqiao. She quickly hailed a taxi, helped Chu Nanqiao inside, and only after hearing her give the driver her home address did Bai Xia feel reassured enough to take the bus back to campus.

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