The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession - Chapter 19

After obtaining her marriage certificate, Jiang Xue didn’t return home, nor did she go to the Lin family despite Ming Zelan’s enthusiastic persuasion. She only promised to visit that evening before driving back to the university.

Originally, she had taken the afternoon off and didn’t need to return for classes, but her mood was too sour to go anywhere else. Teaching was the only thing that could lift her spirits at the moment. So upon arriving, she informed the administration that she had finished her errands and no longer needed a substitute instructor.

The supervisor, perceptive and tactful, immediately noticed Jiang Xue’s low spirits. However, prying into an Omega’s personal affairs was inappropriate, so they simply suggested she rest in her dorm for the remaining two class periods, it wouldn’t disrupt the students’ schedule much anyway.

Unable to refuse, Jiang Xue headed back to her dorm.

But it was still too early. Lying in bed doing nothing wasn’t her style, she was the type to confront problems head-on, and emotions were no exception. Bottling things up wasn’t her way.

So after descending the stairs, she made straight for the sports field.

Along the way, she ran into familiar colleagues and students from other grades. Jiang Xue forced a smile and exchanged greetings, but her heart wasn’t in it. Each time, she quickly excused herself and moved on.

The field was nearly empty at this hour. Most freshmen, sophomores, and juniors were either in PE class or had already left after their two afternoon lectures to kill time strolling around. Unsurprisingly, couples dominated the space.

After aimlessly wandering the track for a while, Jiang Xue felt practically blinded by all the public displays of affection. She envied these couples deeply though if she told anyone she was married yet still yearned for such things, no one would believe her.

Another slow lap brought unwelcome attention. A few Alpha students, mistaking her for an upperclassman or junior, approached to ask for her WeChat. Upon learning she was faculty, they retreated, disappointed.

This wasn’t new. Her youthful Omega features often led students to assume she was one of them. While university romances were common even student-teacher crushes, Jiang Xue had professional boundaries. Even without her complicated feelings for Lin Yulan, dating a student was out of the question.

By six o’clock, she was still circling the track. Her original plan was to buy groceries and cook in her dorm, an excuse to avoid sitting awkwardly among strangers at the Lin family dinner later.

Besides, she doubted anyone there aside from Ming Zelan and Lin He, would welcome her.

Just as she was about to leave campus, Lin Yulan called.

“Hey, where are you now?”

Afraid of being misunderstood, he quickly added, “Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m only calling because my mom asked when you’re coming for dinner.”

Of course.

Jiang Xue had never held any illusions to begin with, so when Lin Yulan said those words, she didn’t feel particularly upset. “I’m at school. Didn’t Young Master Lin say you didn’t want others to know about our marriage? Let’s skip this meal. Please apologize to Aunt Ming for me, I won’t be coming over.”

She didn’t want to face those judgmental gazes, to be scrutinized like a monkey in a zoo, with people casually trampling all over her dignity.

Jiang Xue had long known the Lin family looked down on her. She’d understood their attitude toward her ever since her days as Lin Yujin’s private tutor.

“She’s just a teacher who does she think she is?”

“She should be grateful to teach our cousin! Many would beg on their knees for this opportunity.”

“Exactly! She really overestimates herself. If not for our cousin, how could a poor country teacher like her even qualify?”

If those people found out she’d married Lin Yulan, their expressions would undoubtedly become even more contemptuous.

Jiang Xue hadn’t married Lin Yulan for money. If money had been her goal, she wouldn’t have waited all these years to act. She could have easily found an excuse to sleep with him after Qu Mengxin left. Once Lin Yulan marked her, no matter how he tried to deny it, everyone would have taken her side.

There was another reason she particularly didn’t want to go, Lin Yujin was her student. How would the child react upon learning her teacher had married her aunt?

“You’re overthinking it. No one else is coming to dinner.” Lin Yulan couldn’t resist adding sarcastically, “So Teacher Jiang does recognize her position is illegitimate? I thought your face was as thick as a city wall. Seems, I misjudged you actually have some self-awareness and shame. My earlier assessment was premature, my apologies.”

The apology rang utterly insincere, but Jiang Xue was accustomed to Lin Yulan’s mockery and didn’t react. “If Young Master Lin has nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”

“Wait!”

Lin Yulan said irritably, “No one else is coming, just my parents!”

Jiang Xue still hesitated, but today was their first day officially married, and Ming Zelan had called repeatedly. Not attending would seem extremely rude. After careful consideration, she finally agreed, “Understood. I’ll take a taxi over.”

Only upon arriving did she discover Lin Yulan had lied, the dinner guests included not just Ming Zelan and Lin He, but also Lin Yulan’s niece and her student, Lin Yujin.

At the sight of Lin Yujin, Jiang Xue froze completely.

The girl mirrored her shock. Staring incredulously at Jiang Xue, she finally turned to Lin Yulan. “Auntie, you said I was meeting your new… why is it Teacher Jiang?”

Lin Yulan retorted sharply, “That’s a question you should ask your precious Teacher Jiang. Why indeed is it you, hmm? Teacher Jiang.”

At this moment, Jiang Xue felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen. An unprecedented sense of shame surged through her heart. She wanted to explain herself to Lin Yujin, but the fact remained, she had married Lin Yulan. There was nothing to explain.

She had agreed to Ming Zelan’s request to marry Lin Yulan. She had gone to register the marriage herself. No one had forced her; it had all been her own choice. There was no need for explanations.

“Yujin, I—”

Lin Yujin clenched her teeth. She should have been scolding Jiang Xue, but the person she really wanted to berate was Lin Yulan.

“Professor Jiang, did my aunt force you to marry her?” Lin Yujin slowly walked over, gripping Jiang Xue’s hand. “Just nod, and I’ll believe you!”

Lin Yulan had expected her own niece to stand by her side against Jiang Xue. But hearing Lin Yujin’s words, she was utterly stunned.

“Lin Yujin, what are you saying? Have you forgotten your own family name? You’d believe an outsider over me your own aunt? Fine, you don’t have to side with me, but how dare you speak up for this woman?!”

In truth, Lin Yujin was only three or four years younger than Lin Yulan. The only reason she had to call her “aunt” was because of that damn family hierarchy. Otherwise, Lin Yujin would never have addressed her as such.

“‘This woman’? She’s your Omega, your wife! How can you call her that? Isn’t that too cruel?” When it came to arguing with elders, Lin Yujin had never lost even against Lin Yulan, despite their small age gap. “And didn’t you say before that you had someone you loved? That you’d wait for them your whole life, even if it meant never marrying? So why did you marry Professor Jiang? Was your love for that Omega so cheap? This is clearly coercion, she never wanted to marry you!”

Lin Yulan was nearly laughing in frustration. She pointed at herself incredulously. “Me? Coerce her? She didn’t want to marry me? Lin Yujin, you’re really siding with outsiders now, huh? Look at your precious professor’s face does she look like she was forced?”

Lin Yujin glanced at Lin Yulan, then scrutinized Jiang Xue’s expression before declaring, “Of course she was forced! Look how sorrowful Professor Jiang looks. If she were happy to marry you, would her first reaction upon seeing you be like this? Lin Yulan, stop making excuses, you forced her!”

Huh?

Sorrowful?

To Lin Yulan, Jiang Xue’s expression looked more like smug satisfaction!

“That expression is because she’s guilty!”

“And why would Professor Jiang feel guilty?”

“Because she forced me into this marriage, not the other way around! She feels guilty toward me, so she looks guilty now!”

“She forced you? How could an Omega force you to marry her? Unless…”

At this point, Lin Yujin’s gaze involuntarily drifted downward, eyeing Lin Yulan with suspicion. “Unless… you can’t perform?”

Lin Yulan: “……!!!!!!”

Jiang Xue wanted to laugh but forcibly held it back. She tugged at Lin Yujin’s sleeve and whispered a reminder, “Yujin, you shouldn’t casually say someone’s incompetent in public.”

Her reminder only fueled Lin Yujin’s enthusiasm. “I’m not saying it casually! Didn’t you hear how she kept talking about pressuring you? If an alpha gets pressured by an omega, it definitely means she’s incompetent!”

Lin Yulan: “……” Don’t stop me, I’m going to murder this worthless piece of trash!

Jiang Xue: “……” Child, why must you blurt out such inconvenient truths!

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