The Alpha Who Played Me Has Re-Differentiated Into a Delicate Omega - Chapter 21

“I don’t know.”

After meeting each other’s eyes, the two sighed. Jiao Jin reached out to touch Cui Yu’s forehead again, only feeling relieved once she confirmed her temperature was normal. “Forget it, as long as you’re okay. I’ll investigate this matter slowly later on.”

She pulled over a chair and sat down, retrieving a list of candidates for the Director’s election from her virtual space. Jiao Jin scanned them one by one, matching the names to the faces in her memory.

She had met all of them. Among them, two could be considered Director Cui’s true rivals.

One was Bai Wen, a male Omega and a civilian staff member within the Interstellar Bureau. He had been leading equality movements recently and held significant popular support.

The other was Xu Yichong, a male Beta and the father of Xu Jing, the suspect who had previously kidnapped Cui Yu. Xu Yichong served as a General in the Interstellar Bureau and held command over the military.

If she had to suspect someone, Jiao Jin felt Xu Yichong was the more likely candidate. After all, his son had died in the detention center, it wasn’t impossible that he would capture Cui Peining for revenge.

However, with the election so close, would he really do such a thing?

Feeling a bit of a headache, Jiao Jin set the papers down. Her sharp sixth sense made her look up, only to find Cui Yu staring straight at her as if out of boredom.

“Why are you looking at me?”

Embarrassment flickered across Cui Yu’s face at being caught. Since there was indeed nothing to do, her only joy was secretly watching the serious face in front of her, those lowered eyes looked heroic and sharp. Cui Yu pursed her lips and said shyly, “Because you’re pretty.”

Speechless, Jiao Jin’s twenty-three years of experience hadn’t prepared her for such bluntness. She covered her forehead and said helplessly, “Can’t you be a bit more restrained when you speak?”

“Why be restrained when telling the truth? You really are very good-looking.”

“Fine, say whatever you want. Do you feel better? I should head back.”

“Mm, I don’t feel uncomfortable at all anymore. Ah Jin… aren’t you going to stay here with me?”

She asked nervously and tentatively. Since the doctor said she needed to stay for observation, Cui Yu knew she couldn’t leave, but she had assumed Jiao Jin would stay with her.

The genuine expectation in her eyes couldn’t be faked. Jiao Jin knew she was hoping she would lie down on the adjacent hospital bed. But Jiao Jin had no hobby of sleeping in hospitals. She stood up and put the papers back into the virtual space. “I’m going back to sleep. I’ll come over tomorrow when you have your physical exam.”

“It’s… it’s still early. Can you stay and watch the projection with me for a bit before you go? Please.”

That pitiful, soft, and easily bullied voice was something even a heart of stone couldn’t refuse. Jiao Jin felt her heart soften against her will and nodded. “Alright, what do you want to watch?”

Taking the initiative, Cui Yu pressed the switch for the projector. A random television broadcast appeared on the screen. Jiao Jin was about to change the channel with the remote when she realized she recognized the person on screen.

It was Director Cui.

The elder female Alpha stood at the podium with a grim face, her voice sounding exhausted. “I apologize for taking up everyone’s time so late at night. However, because the situation regarding my second daughter continues to escalate, I need to give everyone an explanation.”

“About ten days ago, my second daughter received a death threat via email. Consequently, we applied for a protection order, and Jiao Jin, a Young Chief of the Interstellar Bureau, was assigned to protect her personal safety. However, as everyone knows, my second daughter has a very willful and spoiled temperament. She violated Young Chief Jiao’s privacy and was sentenced to three days of detention by the Bureau.”

“During this period, I made a grave mistake. Knowing the situation, I allowed my wife to abuse her power to release my second daughter from detention. For this, I offer my most sincere apologies. Those in high positions should be the most law-abiding. I apologize, and I will not make such a mistake again.”

“Perhaps it is retribution, but after Peining returned to the Cui family, the kidnapping case occurred, which you are all aware of. There has been no trace of her since. I implore you, if you discover anything, please inform me immediately. With the election imminent, I should not be occupying public resources like this, but the panic caused by the kidnapping makes me feel deeply guilty. The public can rest assured; this kidnapping was targeted only at me and has nothing to do with public security. I guarantee that as long as I am in office, I will protect everyone’s safety. Thank you to the media for attending; my press conference concludes here.”

The live broadcast then cut off. Jiao Jin crossed her arms, her gaze indifferent.

Director Cui was clever. Rather than letting Jiao Jin expose her abuse of power to the media tomorrow, she chose to proactively admit her mistake. This allowed her to tap into public sympathy, minimizing the impact of the kidnapping on her election and perhaps even turning a disadvantage into an advantage.

“Ah Jin, shall we switch to another station?”

Interrupted by the soft voice, Jiao Jin nodded and flipped through the channels. “Tell me when you see something you like.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Then, the screen stopped on a childish cartoon. Jiao Jin looked in surprise at the woman who seemed to be watching with great interest. Was she really twenty-eight?

Jiao Jin hadn’t watched this kind of show since she became an adult.

“Ah Jin, come sit here and watch with me.”

The enthusiastic invitation, paired with eyes full of bright anticipation, was a combination impossible to refuse. Jiao Jin sat on the edge of the bed, her shoulder touching Cui Yu’s.

The latter seemed to deeply enjoy this slight contact, a small smile creeping onto her lips. She looked like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat, content and satisfied from head to toe.

As the sky grew darker and the time “00:00” appeared in the top left corner of the screen, Jiao Jin felt a weight on her left shoulder. A fluffy sensation brushed against her neck, a few strands of soft hair falling against her skin, causing a faint itch.

The girl had fallen asleep leaning on her shoulder.

An inexplicable tenderness welled up in Jiao Jin’s heart. Perhaps it was because of the woman’s quiet, peaceful features in sleep, or perhaps her slightly puffed-out cheeks, or maybe just because the bright moonlight outside the floor to ceiling window was too beautiful. Jiao Jin held Cui Yu as she lay down on the bed, and drowsiness soon took over.

“Jiao Jin, go to the principal’s office and pick up the exam papers for this session. It’s the sealed bag with our class name on it.”

The teacher’s voice broke through Jiao Jin’s focus as she worked on her resume. She stood up and said, “Okay.”

Not yet eighteen, she had grown a bit taller after entering the military academy. Walking down the path now, she caused many Omegas to turn their heads.

Inside the principal’s office, files were piled on the floor. Jiao Jin searched through them one by one, but her sharp eyes caught a specific sheet: “Subsidized Student and Sponsor Correspondence Table.” Her own name was on it, and the name corresponding to hers was partially censored according to the rules, the character after “Cui” was an asterisk.

However, the surname “Cui” was not common in the Interstellar region. Coincidentally, she knew someone with that name, their cold-faced instructor, Cui Yu.

From primary to middle school, Jiao Jin had received compulsory education. Because of her excellent grades, her orphanage funded her high school education. To everyone’s surprise, she was capable enough to be admitted to the Interstellar Military Academy, a school with requirements as high as the top university but with additional physical standards.

While it offered specialized training and guaranteed employment, the tuition was also very high.

During the summer break, Jiao Jin took on various jobs, but the money she saved wasn’t even enough for one semester’s tuition, and she also had to be responsible for her younger sister’s high school fees.

Just as she was feeling discouraged and ready to give up, the principal told her someone was willing to sponsor her through university. Though she felt uneasy about it, reality forced her to accept.

So, the person who helped her was Cui Yu?

She put the table back in its place and left the principal’s office with the exam papers. By chance, she ran into the woman she had been thinking about on the road. Those exquisite, grand features were laced with frost, and her red lips were pulled into a cold, straight line, aloof yet glamorous. Everyone knew this beauty had thorns, yet countless people were still drawn to her like moths to a flame.

Originally, Jiao Jin felt only awe and admiration for this legendary senior who had straight A+ grades. But with that realization, a sense of gratitude made her gaze unconsciously warmer. Jiao Jin glanced at her and walked away with the papers.

She didn’t know that after Cui Yu noticed her gaze, her beautiful brows knit slightly, and her eyes filled with disappointment and disgust.

One month after entering the university, they had their first combat drill. Jiao Jin was warming up when a beauty as vivid as a red rose, sharp and striking, appeared in her line of sight.

Cui Yu’s tall figure was wrapped in a khaki military uniform. She looked ascetic and cold, yet provocatively sexy due to her enchanting curves. She scanned the eager freshmen and asked, “Who is the class monitor? Why is there no order at all?”

Suddenly being called out, Jiao Jin raised her hand. “I am.”

But wasn’t there still an hour until the exam? Wasn’t it normal to be a bit rowdy at this time?

“Manage your class properly.”

The already cold voice grew even colder when she saw the compliance in Jiao Jin’s eyes. Cui Yu had originally thought this student was promising material, but she seemed to be someone easily swayed by beauty. Otherwise, why didn’t she show even a hint of resistance when she clearly wasn’t at fault?

A person so lacking in backbone was only fit to be managed, not to manage others.

It seemed that the warmth in her eyes last time hadn’t been an illusion. Cui Yu’s lips tightened. She lost the desire to visit the next class. After all, Jiao Jin was the best prospect among the freshmen; otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen to sponsor her.

However, an accident occurred during the combat drill. In a fight that was supposed to be controlled, Jiao Jin’s opponent seemed to get carried away, their movements becoming increasingly reckless. Combat was Jiao Jin’s weakest area among all her subjects. She was forced back step by step, gradually falling into a disadvantage.

It was at this moment that Cui Yu, who had intended to step in because she noticed Jiao Jin’s face turning pale and feared something might happen, stood up, only to meet a faint glance from the ring.

It was as if she were drawing strength.

The body that could barely stand suddenly exploded with potential. Not wanting to disappoint the person who sponsored her, and not wanting to be seen as useless, Jiao Jin grit her teeth and used every last bit of strength to fight back. But her opponent found this even more interesting and stopped holding back entirely.

The outcome was as expected. Jiao Jin collapsed on the stage from exhaustion, unconscious.

Knowing that Jiao Jin’s change had happened after looking at her, Cui Yu wasn’t sure what to feel. She walked down from the viewing stand and gave cold instructions: “Someone come and take Student Jiao Jin to the infirmary. This round goes to Shen Yu.”

The winner didn’t seem very happy, staring intently at the cool and elegant beauty before realizing they should pick Jiao Jin up and rush to the infirmary.

Shen Yu didn’t notice that Cui Yu followed behind them. Perhaps the latter’s tracking skills were too good; even by the time she left, Jiao Jin and Shen Yu had no idea that there had been a third person in the infirmary.

Ultimately, she was still worried. Cui Yu looked down at the unconscious freshman whose lips were pale. Her heroic and sharp features were quite handsome, and her breathing was steady, there shouldn’t be any major issues. Just as she was about to leave, she heard Jiao Jin’s weak murmur.

“Cui Yu… tuition fees…”