Striving for Harmony After Transmigrating as an Alpha Female Supporting Character - Chapter 30

In her original world, Ai Xiaoyu was born in the North; snow was the backdrop of her entire childhood. If a neighborhood kid ever dared to provoke her, she only had to say, “Just you wait until winter!” and they’d burst into tears on the spot.

So, when Jing Nianxun raised a snowball and chucked it at her, Xiaoyu didn’t feel a shred of threat. A tiny snowball like that had zero attack power; she could slice it in half with one hand.

Except, could you please throw it with your hands like a normal person?! Who fights a snowball war by pinning someone down?!

That’s a total foul!

After Xiaoyu managed to dodge a few long-range projectiles, Nianxun switched to close-quarters combat and psychological warfare. She tackled Xiaoyu into the drifts, shoveling handfuls of snow down her neck.

Logically, as an Alpha who had differentiated over a year ago, Xiaoyu should have been much stronger than an undifferentiated “green” teen. But this was the heroine. Xiaoyu was terrified of Nianxun catching a chill; after all, without her differentiation, she might be physically fragile. Her 26-year-old soul simply couldn’t bully the weak.

…Okay, fine. She just couldn’t bring herself to fight back.

By the end of it, Xiaoyu was half-buried in the snow, with only her eyes and nose exposed to the air, and one hand sticking out to wave a white flag of surrender.

Nianxun stood up, patting the powder off her clothes. “That’s what you get for ambushing me!”

Xiaoyu sighed from the depths of the drift. “I yield! I yield! Just pull me out.”

The snowstorm was relentless, lasting a full day and night before stopping. The courtyard behind the villa was a sea of white; the few barren trees were so heavily laden they were unrecognizable. Nianxun spent hours sitting on her small stool finishing her winter landscape sketch, while Xiaoyu lay nearby in the snow, contemplating the meaning of life.

Two days later, Ai Guohua and Ding Chengying returned with a car overflowing with New Year’s gifts and specialty foods. The housekeeper had gone home for the holidays. After unloading the car, Guohua headed back out to deliver gifts of his own, leaving only the three women at home.

As they huddled on the sofa watching TV, a massive crash echoed from the kitchen.

Xiaoyu sprinted into the room to find shattered porcelain, bits of minced meat, and a panicked Ding Chengying. Xiaoyu grabbed a broom to sweep up the mess. “Mom, what are you trying to do?”

“M-making dumplings,” Chengying pointed toward a pile of doughy lumps on the counter.

“Dumplings?”

Xiaoyu looked at the lumps. They were uneven, lumpy, and lacked any recognizable semicircular shape. Some were even leaking filling. Xiaoyu’s lip twitched. If the housekeeper is gone, does the Ai family usually eat… this?

Chengying explained bashfully, “Usually, the housekeeper makes them and brings them over. I thought I’d try it myself this year…”

Xiaoyu gently nudged her aside. “Mom, why don’t you take a break? Let me handle it.”

“You know how to wrap dumplings?”

Duh, Xiaoyu thought. She had been doing this since she was five. “I learned it in a class at school.”

Chengying was still skeptical. “Your school teaches that? They really cover everything, don’t they? Good, good.”

Nianxun followed the noise into the kitchen. Seeing the filling and skins, she asked, “Making dumplings? Can I help?”

The two girls began to work together. Chengying watched in growing shock both of them wrapped far more beautiful dumplings than she ever could. Nianxun used a traditional method, creating plump, round little crescents. Xiaoyu, wanting to show off her skills, made a variety: half-moons, wheat-ear pleats, and even hat-shaped ones.

Finally, she secretly tucked a clean coin into one of them, sealing it up so it was indistinguishable from the rest.

On New Year’s Eve, as the dumplings boiled, Chengying busied herself making a feast. She probably cooked more in that one night than she had in the previous month combined. Since her skills were limited, Xiaoyu had to stand by, reminding her not to forget the oil or the vinegar.

In her original world, Xiaoyu had lived alone since graduation and could turn a simple meal into an art form. She was more than qualified to guide the “lily-white” hands of Ding Chengying.

When the table was full, Ai Guohua returned. Seeing the steaming spread, he asked in surprise, “Ying’er? Since when did you learn to cook like this?”

“It wasn’t me, it was Xiaoyu!” Chengying wiped her hands, beaming. “Xiaoyu made most of this! She said she took a cooking elective at school.”

Nianxun: “…?” When did we ever have a cooking elective?

Regardless, the food was a success. For the first time, the Ai family didn’t have to eat burnt dishes and shriveled dumplings on the most important night of the year. Guohua was delighted especially when he bit into a dumpling and found a coin.

“You put this in, Xiaoyu?” Guohua looked at the coin, a symbol of good fortune with rare joy. For him, business and wealth were everything; a “lucky” dumpling meant a successful year ahead.

Soon, Chengying found the second coin. Xiaoyu found the third.

The whole family turned their eyes to Nianxun’s bowl. There was one half-moon dumpling left, its plump belly hiding its contents perfectly.

“Eat it, see if there’s one in there,” Xiaoyu said expectantly. She knew it was in there—she had wrapped it herself.

Nianxun carefully picked it up and took a bite. Something hard clicked against her teeth. She put the dumpling down, and there it was: a little coin.

“I got it!” Nianxun cheered. She set the coin on her plate, but then noticed something else shimmering in the filling. “Huh?” She flipped the dumpling over, and another coin fell out.

“Double luck for our Nianxun,” Chengying toasted with tea. “May you get into your dream university.”

Guohua added, “Since you’ve chosen the Academy of Fine Arts, study hard. Become a respected artist like your parents.”

Finally, it was Xiaoyu’s turn. She scratched her head. What else was there to say? Universities and dreams had already been covered. She reached out, gently took Nianxun’s hand, and whispered:

“I don’t really know what else to say… so I’ll just wish for you to be happy every single day.”

I wish for your eternal happiness, Nianxun.

After dinner, while her parents watched the Spring Festival Gala, Xiaoyu saw a notification on her phone:

“Tonight at 9:30 PM: New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display at the Riverfront Bridge! See you there!”

Xiaoyu practically levitated off the sofa, grabbing Nianxun. “Let’s go! Let’s see the fireworks!”

They left at 7:30, but the traffic was a nightmare. It took over an hour to reach the bridge. By then, it was a sea of people in thick winter coats. Couples held hands, and students took group photos. They wove through the gaps until they reached the railing, looking out over the misty river.

The night air was freezing. Xiaoyu huffed into her hands, rubbing them vigorously. Nianxun’s hands were even colder—like blocks of ice. When Xiaoyu touched them, she reflexively pulled back.

“It’s too cold! We should have brought gloves!” Xiaoyu shouted into Nianxun’s ear. The crowd was so noisy she had to yell to be heard.

Xiaoyu felt Nianxun’s pockets; they were as cold as her hands. “Put your hand in my pocket!”

“What did you say?”

The couple next to them was shouting so loudly Nianxun couldn’t hear. Xiaoyu didn’t bother repeating herself; she simply grabbed Nianxun’s hand and stuffed it into her own coat pocket. Her pocket was warm, lined with soft fleece. Nianxun’s hand began to thaw almost immediately.

“I have another pocket! Do you want to put the other hand in too?” Xiaoyu pointed to her other side. Even if Nianxun couldn’t hear the words, she understood. She shook her head. If they held hands in both pockets… that would be a bit much, wouldn’t it? Even more “lovey-dovey” than the actual couples nearby.

At 9:30 sharp, the fireworks erupted. Sparks soared into the sky, blooming into vibrant flowers that painted the black void with brilliance. It looked like a multicolored galaxy was pouring down from the heavens.

They stared, mesmerized. The roar of the crowd seemed to fade, leaving only the endless rhythm of the explosions. Xiaoyu gripped Nianxun’s hand tightly, feeling the warmth and the reality of the moment. For a split second, she forgot this was just a book.

Until the System’s voice rang out.

“Host, Happy New Year.”

Hearing a mechanical voice wish you a Happy New Year was eerie like a mass-produced insurance company text. Xiaoyu almost let go of Nianxun’s hand.

“What’s wrong?” Nianxun asked.

“N-nothing.”

The System was silent for a moment. “Am I interrupting?”

Xiaoyu suppressed the urge to crush it. “Get to the point.”

“I am here to deliver a notification from the higher-ups. Good news,” the System said. “To reward our hosts for a year of hard work, at midnight tonight, you may return to your original world in spirit form for exactly one day.”

Support