Striving for Harmony After Transmigrating as an Alpha Female Supporting Character - Chapter 27

It has been six months since Ai Xiaoyu arrived in this world, and the first semester is finally over. The final exam results were better than she expected, she ranked 9th in her class, while Jing Nianxun ranked 5th. With scores like that, Nianxun is surely on track for a top-tier university.

Following the announcement of the grades, the Entropy value increased by another 300, reaching 2,200. The goal of 10,000 is getting closer, and Xiaoyu can finally see a glimmer of hope for returning home. Once she reaches 10,000, she can make one wish: to go home.

After the exams, Ning Xi hosted a party for several former classmates from the 10th grade, naturally inviting both Xiaoyu and Nianxun. Nianxun was originally reluctant to go, the 10th grade held too many bitter memories but under Ning Xi’s persistent invitation, she eventually agreed.

The gathering was at a barbecue restaurant. Pork belly sizzled on the grill, dripping with oil. Xiaoyu flipped the meat with tongs and told Nianxun, “This is delicious, try some.”

Across from them, Ning Xi added a plate of fatty beef. As the oil splattered, Xiaoyu warned, “Don’t move, let me get that for you. Don’t let the oil hit your hands.” After all, hands meant for painting shouldn’t be scarred by hot oil.

Ning Xi turned to chat with the others, occasionally glancing over. Xiaoyu knew they were gossiping. Ning Xi’s voice carried over loudly: “See? I told you, Ai Xiaoyu is totally bewitched by that little vixen now. She’s treating her way too well.” The others watched them with complicated expressions.

In the middle of the meal, Xiaoyu went to the self-serve ice cream machine. She stacked three different colored scoops on a cone; since there was no peach flavor, she settled for strawberry.

Returning to the table, she saw Nianxun looking down with a troubled face. A boy sitting next to Ning Xi was talking incessantly. As soon as Xiaoyu sat down, Ning Xi gave the boy a look, and he hummed coldly before shutting up.

Xiaoyu slammed a bottle of alcohol onto the table with a sharp clack, startling everyone nearby. “Well? Can you drink?” she asked the boy with a smile.

The boy’s eyes widened like a cornered rooster. Ignoring Ning Xi’s attempts to stop him, he shouted, “Of course I can! Let’s drink!”

“Good! That’s the spirit!”

Xiaoyu poured two small glasses, the white liquid swirling inside the transparent glass. She stood up first and downed her drink in one go.

“Xiaoyu!” Nianxun tugged at her clothes worriedly, pleading with her to stop.

“It’s fine,” Xiaoyu whispered.

In her past life, she was legendary for her high alcohol tolerance. There was no way a mere teenager could outdrink her. Seeing Xiaoyu finish her drink so easily, the boy couldn’t back down. He gritted his teeth and downed his glass, his face flushing red instantly.

Xiaoyu poured another and gestured toward him. “Keep going.”

By the third round, the boy’s vision was blurred and he was swaying in his seat, unable to even hold the glass steady. Ning Xi supported him, saying, “Ai Xiaoyu, you won. Let him go.”

Xiaoyu’s own head was beginning to spin. This body had never touched alcohol before, and three glasses in quick succession was a heavy burden. She waved them off. “Fine. Nianxun and I are leaving. Tell him to… stay in school, study hard, and learn how to be a decent human being.”

The boy looked like he was about to vomit and was led to the bathroom by someone else. Xiaoyu put on her coat and left with Nianxun.

Their family driver had already clocked out, so Nianxun hailed a car and helped Xiaoyu inside. Once in the back seat, Xiaoyu collapsed against the cushion and yelled, “Let us gallop through the fields! Giddy-up!”

Nianxun knew she was quite drunk. She helped Xiaoyu sit up straight and gave the driver the address.

The driver looked at Xiaoyu’s flushed face in the rearview mirror. “Young people these days don’t cherish their health. Making your girlfriend take you home like this… must be a lot of trouble for you, miss.”

Nianxun choked slightly. “I’m not her girlfriend.”

“Oh, sorry.” The driver felt awkward and continued driving, though he kept glancing at them in the mirror.

“Jing Nianxun!” Xiaoyu shouted for no reason, her head lolling onto Nianxun’s shoulder.

“Yes, I’m here,” Nianxun said helplessly, straightening her up and patting her back.

Xiaoyu was quiet for a few minutes before softly calling her name again. “Nianxun.”

This time, the voice was incredibly soft, almost like a sigh. Xiaoyu turned and hugged Nianxun’s arm, leaning her whole body against her. She closed her eyes obediently and stopped talking, nuzzling against Nianxun’s arm like a puppy.

Nianxun felt her entire body go stiff. A tingling sensation spread from her arm to her neck. She gazed at those peacefully closed eyes and, for a split second, was about to lean down and kiss her.

The driver glanced back, and Nianxun pulled away just in time. She was covered in a cold sweat as she gently pushed Xiaoyu to the side. Xiaoyu’s head bumped against the car door with a small “mnh,” and she rubbed her hair. Her eyes seemed to flutter, and Nianxun couldn’t tell if she was awake or not.

If she had been awake if the driver hadn’t looked back and Nianxun had kissed her Nianxun didn’t dare imagine the consequences. She rolled down the window, letting the winter wind clear her head, and didn’t dare look at Xiaoyu for the rest of the ride.

Winter break arrived. Xiaoyu had planned to travel and explore the world as much as possible before her Entropy was full. However, the school notified Nianxun that her painting had won a city award, and she was invited to a winter training program held by the Academy of Fine Arts.

Xiaoyu was happy for her, but it meant her travel plans were ruined. More importantly, it meant they would be separated Nianxun would be at the training camp while Xiaoyu would be home alone, playing games and watching TV.

Seeing Xiaoyu’s lack of enthusiasm, Nianxun said, “If you’re going to be bored, I don’t have to go. I was planning to just take the regular graduation exams anyway; I never intended to major in art.”

Xiaoyu hurried to protest. “No, no! I won’t be bored. I have games and snacks. I can always call Li Shuqing and Xiaomi over.”

Nianxun thought about a group of Omegas entering their house and decided that was probably a bad idea.

That evening, as Xiaoyu was downloading a game, Nianxun’s phone rang. It was an unknown number.

“Is this Miss Jing Nianxun?” The voice was deep and neutral. It sounded familiar. “This is Yuan Wen.”

“Yuan Wen?” Jing Nianxun said in surprise. Xiaoyu stopped her game and looked over.

“Yes. I saw your name on the award list. Li Shuqing mentioned you before, so I wanted to ask if you’re interested in attending the Academy’s training program.”

Nianxun hesitated. “Senior, I’d love to go, but I’m not planning to be an art student. I don’t want to take up a spot that someone else might need.”

Yuan Wen laughed. Most people would kill for this opportunity. “Don’t worry. Attending this doesn’t guarantee entrance; it still depends on your performance and exams. Besides, even if you don’t take the art exam, academic students can still get in.”

Reassured, Nianxun replied, “Thank you, Senior. Let me think about it.”

“Wait, one more thing,” Yuan Wen added quickly before Nianxun could hang up. “Were your parents Jing Shihui and Ding Wanluo?”

Nianxun’s heart skipped a beat, and she nearly dropped her phone. Her voice trembled. “Yes, yes.”

Seeing her reaction, Xiaoyu left her computer and sat down beside her.

“Ah, I thought so,” Yuan Wen sighed. The sound of rustling paper came through the phone. “I checked your registration info. It turns out I know of your parents. You really should come—not only were they both alumni of the Academy of Fine Arts, but this training program will actually feature an exhibition of their works.”

Alumni? An exhibition? Nianxun’s heart pounded. Why didn’t she know any of this? She only knew her parents as struggling, impoverished artists who chose “roses over bread.” She could never have linked her home to the most prestigious art academy in the country.

After the call ended, Nianxun sat in shock for a long time.

“What happened?” Xiaoyu asked worriedly.

For the next half hour, Nianxun talked about her family for the first time. Though the original novel mentioned them briefly, the details were often dismissive or different. In Nianxun’s memory, her mother painted oils and her father did sculpture, but they never felt like “Artists.”

They were always poor. Materials were expensive, and income was low. They lived in a tiny house crowded with boards and tools. Nianxun remembered waking up at night as a child and accidentally kicking a rolling, “smooth head”, a plaster bust that scared the life out of her.

Even the novel portrayed them poorly, as irresponsible parents who left their daughter with nothing but debt. But on the phone, Yuan Wen had spoken of “Mr. Jing Shihui” and “Ms. Ding Wanluo” with immense respect, calling them seniors and expressing deep regret over their passing.

“Senior Yuan Wen said my parents were free spirits who pursued beauty and romance. They met at the Academy and dedicated their lives to art after graduation. They rarely sold their work for money; they mostly gave them to friends or donated them to the Academy for students to use as references.”

“Materials were so expensive, and they always wanted the best. My father used to go into the mountains himself to find the perfect marble for his sculptures.”

Nianxun’s voice cracked, and she sounded like she was about to cry. Xiaoyu reached out, stroked her hair, and let Nianxun lean against her shoulder.

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