Striving for Harmony After Transmigrating as an Alpha Female Supporting Character - Chapter 24.1

The System’s presence had been growing increasingly faint lately. Since there were no “Out of Character” (OOC) restrictions, it rarely appeared except to issue essential plot tasks.

Previously, completing the basketball mission had earned Ai Xiaoyu 100 Entropy points. Later, on a whim, she tore down a poster and joined the Painting Club with Jing Nianxun, which added another 300 points to her total.

The System explained that because Xiaoyu had fulfilled the original heroine’s hidden regret of not learning to paint, she had unlocked a “Painting Journey” side quest. Winning the previous competition lit the first star, and joining the club lit the second, which was why the Entropy points increased so rapidly.

Ai Xiaoyu was thrilled by this unexpected bonus, but she was especially happy that Jing Nianxun could finally do something she loved. In the original novel, Jing Nianxun had pursued a career in business and studied finance in university just to make money and get ahead quickly, but she was never truly happy.

Xiaoyu hoped she could follow her heart instead.

This weekend, to welcome the newcomers, the Painting Club organized a sketching trip to the city outskirts, planned to last about three days. The organizers rented a large bus to transport everyone to the destination.

While packing, Xiaoyu suddenly remembered that Jing Nianxun suffered from motion sickness. A stuffy, airtight bus on bumpy suburban roads would be a nightmare for her.

Should I remind her? Xiaoyu wondered. Jing Nianxun had never mentioned her motion sickness; if Xiaoyu didn’t have the “script,” she wouldn’t have known even after spending so much time together.

To be safe, she went to a pharmacy the day before the trip to buy motion sickness medicine and patches.

The bus was crowded. Besides the club members, several other students wanting to sketch had joined the excursion. Li Shuqing sat in the first row to keep order, while Ai Xiaoyu specifically chose the third row—near the front—to minimize any dizziness.

As the bus started moving, some students listened to music while others slept or played games. Xiaoyu pulled her headphones out of her bag, pretending to accidentally stumble upon the medicine. “Oh? What’s this? I don’t get motion sickness. My aunt must have stuffed these in here for me.”

She spoke loudly on purpose, attributing the medicine to a “housekeeper aunt” to make it believable, as the original Ai Xiaoyu always had staff pack for her.

Jing Nianxun heard her and realized she had forgotten to take any medicine herself. She asked hesitantly, “Xiaoyu, could you give me a few?”

Xiaoyu immediately placed the pills in her palm, acting surprised. “Oh, you get motion sickness? You should have told me sooner! Luckily I have these. You can’t be so careless in the future.”

Jing Nianxun nodded.

From the front, Li Shuqing turned back and saw the interaction. She teased with a smile, “Wow, Xiaoyu, you’re so caring~ Why don’t you care about me? I’m so lonely up here all by myself.”

Jing Nianxun leaned closer to Xiaoyu, staring at Li Shuqing with a defensive gaze that clearly said, “She’s mine, don’t even think about it.”

Li Shuqing turned back around, defeated. “Fine, I won’t steal her from you. Carry on. Sigh, it looks like I won’t need to eat for the next three days—I’m already full from all this ‘dog food’.”

Xiaoyu brushed it off as a joke, remembering how she used to ship “crack pairs” back in her old world. But Jing Nianxun was different. Ever since she heard Li Shuqing assume they were a couple, she had become hypersensitive to such comments.

Their arms were pressed together, and Jing Nianxun could feel Xiaoyu’s warmth radiating through her skin. Her entire focus became fixed on that single point of contact. She quietly shifted outward to create space, only then feeling her heart rate settle.

Xiaoyu, wearing her headphones and scrolling through her phone, was completely oblivious. Jing Nianxun sighed softly to herself. When did I become so sensitive?

The outskirts were far from the city center, a journey of several hours. Halfway through, Li Shuqing, worried the atmosphere was getting too dull, suggested a game. They decided on “Passing the Parcel”—they would pass an object from the front to the back, and whoever was holding it when the music stopped had to sing.

Li Shuqing pulled out a fluffy plush ball and shouted “Start!” before quickly passing it back.

To the rhythmic tapping sounds, the plush flew through the rows, eventually making its way back toward the front. It landed in Ai Xiaoyu’s hands just as she tried to pass it to Jing Nianxun. At that exact moment, Li Shuqing shouted “Stop!”

Both their hands were clutching the plush, neither letting go.

Seeing Li Shuqing’s mysterious smirk, Xiaoyu immediately realized it was a setup. She sighed and took the microphone.

“Since both Student Ai and Student Jing are holding the prize,” Li Shuqing announced to the group, “they should sing a duet!”

“Yes! Do it!” the others cheered.

Xiaoyu asked Jing Nianxun helplessly, “What songs do you know?” In her memory, Jing Nianxun rarely listened to music, and the original novel never mentioned her singing.

Jing Nianxun thought for a moment. “That song you play all the time, ‘Memory Sea of People.’ But I only know the chorus.”

“…Oh.” Xiaoyu felt like she had dug her own grave. The song was a popular romantic track by a famous Alpha-Omega duo—a sweet, intimate “love song” for two women.

Hearing the title, Li Shuqing’s smile widened significantly. “Then let’s welcome Student Ai and Student Jing to perform ‘Memory Sea of People’!”

Despite the song’s ambiguous lyrics and slightly suggestive melody, the moment Xiaoyu opened her mouth, the audience stopped caring about the lyrics. They could only focus on her voice—or lack thereof.

“Is she… is she actually singing?”

Even Jing Nianxun was stunned. If she hadn’t been standing right next to her, she wouldn’t have even recognized the song. There was no melody, no rhythm; it sounded like Xiaoyu was just aggressively reading the lyrics out loud.

The bus fell silent for a few beats before erupting into laughter. Xiaoyu rubbed her nose awkwardly and handed back the mic.

“Well, you’ve just eliminated one form of entertainment for the rest of the trip,” Li Shuqing teased.

Xiaoyu slumped back into her seat and whispered, “I was born tone-deaf, I can’t help it.”

Jing Nianxun whispered back, “It’s okay. I don’t listen to music much, so I can’t tell if it’s good or bad. If you want to sing, you can just sing for me in the future.”

A wave of warmth washed over Xiaoyu. In her original world, she had also been tone-deaf. She loved music but never dared to sing after being mocked at a karaoke bar years ago. She used to think that if she ever got married, she’d want someone who knew she couldn’t sing but still wanted to listen.

Her original world was gone, but she had found that person here.

As they approached the destination, Li Shuqing’s phone rang. After a brief, heated argument, she hung up looking annoyed.

“It seems the hotel we booked is short on twin rooms,” she explained to the group. “I don’t know how it happened since we reserved them in advance, but they’ve offered to refund the difference.”

“So what do we do?” someone asked.

“There are only double-bed rooms left, so we’ll have to squeeze,” Li Shuqing sighed. She turned to the girl next to her. “I’ll share with Xiaomi; we’re both Omegas, so it’s fine. We still need four more people to pair up. Any volunteers?”

Two Alpha boys stepped forward.

“That leaves two more.”

Xiaoyu nudged Jing Nianxun, who looked hesitant.

Noticing their interaction, Li Shuqing said, “Xiaoyu, you and… oh, Nianxun hasn’t differentiated yet, right? Then you two can share a room?”

Xiaoyu looked at Jing Nianxun for confirmation, and Jing Nianxun had no choice but to agree.

That evening, in the hotel room, the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Through the frosted glass door, a silhouette moved, its graceful curves visible through the steam, making Jing Nianxun feel increasingly restless.

Jing Nianxun paced the room. The scent of peach pheromones was growing stronger, drifting through the cracks of the bathroom door and filling the small space.

And she didn’t even have scent blockers…

Jing Nianxun regretted this. She knew she shouldn’t be in a room with Xiaoyu—especially one with a single large bed—but she had no excuse to refuse.

Could she admit she might be an Omega?

Absolutely not. Then Xiaoyu would know she had been hiding it and that she was reacting to Xiaoyu’s pheromones. Their relationship would never be the same.

The room was small but tidy. Two soft pillows rested on the white bed, illuminated by the warm yellow glow of the bedside lamp. Jing Nianxun turned on the TV and cranked up the volume, trying to drown out the sound of the shower.

While looking for the remote, she rummaged through the drawers and found a small spray bottle. Her heart leapt—perhaps the hotel provided scent blockers?

She pulled it out to read the label just as the bathroom door creaked open. Xiaoyu poked her head out.

“Can you grab my clothes for me?”

Jing Nianxun stared at the wet, dripping face and panicked, dropping the spray bottle. Xiaoyu noticed the sound, looked at the bottle on the floor, and her expression became complicated.

“It’s in my luggage—the yellow nightgown. Also… don’t touch that stuff.”

Jing Nianxun grabbed the gown, held her breath, and looked away as she handed it through the narrow gap in the door. Thick white steam billowed out as Xiaoyu’s hand snatched the garment.

Relieved, Jing Nianxun picked up the bottle and finally read the label:

[Long-lasting, Passionate Night: Let your pheromones grow wild.]

“…” So Xiaoyu saw me holding this?

She frantically stuffed the bottle back into the drawer, accidentally touching something else in the process. She didn’t dare look and scrambled back.

Xiaoyu emerged from the bathroom in her nightgown, drying her hair with a towel. Seeing Jing Nianxun’s flustered state, she chuckled. “A lot of hotels keep those for guests to use.”

It was just like finding condoms in hotels in her original world. In some seedier places, people even slid cards under the door offering “special services.”

Curious about the ABO world’s version of these products, Xiaoyu opened the drawer. She had seen that spray bottle before—a classmate had sent her a picture of it as a joke—which was why she recognized it immediately.

There was another gadget in the drawer, a small toy. Xiaoyu read the instructions and realized it was for female Alphas. Since female Alphas in this world lacked certain biological organs, they used these tools alongside pheromones to achieve the same effects—including impregnating an Omega.

As Xiaoyu studied these novelties, Jing Nianxun stood as stiff as a board. Watching Xiaoyu fiddle with “toys” while radiating peach pheromones was far too much stimulation.

Jing Nianxun was incredulous. “Do people… actually use those?”

Xiaoyu pursed her lips, thinking that Jing Nianxun was truly naive. It made sense why the heroine’s romantic awakening was so late in the original novel. She felt she needed to educate her, lest she be clueless when she eventually met the male lead.

Xiaoyu narrowed her eyes, her tone turning suggestive. “Nianxun, do you really not know anything? That won’t do. You need to learn for the future.”

Jing Nianxun was even more startled. “Xiaoyu, how do you know all this?”

Because I’m a 26-year-old soul in an 18-year-old body, Xiaoyu thought. I may not have practical experience, but my theoretical knowledge is unmatched.

Xiaoyu brushed her hair back and slowly approached Jing Nianxun until she was almost pressed against her. Then, with a sudden shove, she pushed her down onto the bed.

Jing Nianxun nearly stopped breathing. Xiaoyu’s stray hairs brushed against her face, and the loose nightgown left little to the imagination.

Xiaoyu knelt on the bed, leaning over her for a long second until Jing Nianxun’s face was beet red. Then she straightened up with a smirk. “You really are so innocent.”

Half an hour later, Jing Nianxun was still lying on the bed like a wooden statue. Beside her, Xiaoyu was holding her phone, which was playing some… strange sounds.

“Look, look! Are you really not going to watch?” Xiaoyu poked her. “You have to learn, or what will you do after you differentiate?”

According to the original plot, Jing Nianxun would differentiate into an Alpha. How could an Alpha be so ignorant? She needed to be more proactive.

Jing Nianxun said nothing. After a moment, she moved her stiff limbs. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Fine, fine. If you won’t watch, I won’t either.” Xiaoyu yawned. “Don’t get the wrong idea, I don’t usually watch this stuff. I only stayed up to teach you.”

The bathroom still smelled of peaches. As the hot water ran, the temperature rose, and Jing Nianxun felt her skin burning. She abruptly switched the water to cold, dousing herself until her body temperature finally dropped.

When she came out, Xiaoyu was already fast asleep, face down and sprawled out like a starfish. Though the bed was large, Xiaoyu’s limbs took up most of it. Jing Nianxun leaned over to move her.

Taking a deep breath, she gently shifted Xiaoyu’s “salted fish” body to one side, tucked her in, and placed her hands neatly on her chest. She then turned to go to the window for some fresh air.

…But just as she stood up, a hand grabbed her sleeve.

“Don’t go…”

Xiaoyu’s lips moved slightly, her voice soft and sweet like a giant marshmallow.

The composure Jing Nianxun had fought so hard to regain snapped instantly. She sighed softly, took off her outer layer, and climbed back into bed. She let the pheromones swirl around her like blooming peach blossoms.

The next morning, Xiaoyu woke up and reached to rub her eyes, only to find her hand resting on someone else. She realized she had been clinging to Jing Nianxun like an octopus. Jing Nianxun was already awake, scrolling through her phone with her free hand.

“You’re awake? Time to get up; the others have already gone for breakfast.”

Xiaoyu pulled her hand away and noticed dark circles under Jing Nianxun’s eyes. She scratched her head sheepishly. “Sorry! I’m a restless sleeper. Did I keep you up last night?”

Jing Nianxun avoided her eyes. “No.”

Since Xiaoyu had stayed up so late, it was already getting late. She hurriedly changed and washed up. Looking in the mirror, she noticed a few small red marks on her neck.

“Is my sleeping posture really that bad? Did I press against something? Or are these bug bites?”

She didn’t think much of it, pulled her collar up, and headed out with Jing Nianxun.

The day’s task was sketching. The outskirts were beautiful, with lush green mountains and shallow, slow-moving streams where one could walk barefoot in the water.

Of course, while the others were there to sketch, Ai Xiaoyu’s primary mission was simply to have fun.

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