The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession - Chapter 26

Lin Yulan directly shook off Zhang Rong’s hand. She hadn’t expected that in broad daylight, right at the bustling entrance, Zhang Rong would actually try to lay hands on Jiang Xue. Furious, she momentarily lost control of her strength with that forceful shake, Zhang Rong staggered backward a few steps. Wearing high heels, she nearly fell.

Jiang Xue instinctively reached out to steady her, but Lin Yulan grabbed her wrist to stop her. “She was about to hit you, and you still want to help her? Jiang Xue, have you lost your mind?!”

“I…”

She didn’t want to do this, but Zhang Rong was, after all, the woman who gave birth to her. No matter how heartless she might seem, she couldn’t just stand by and watch Zhang Rong get hurt.

“She’s still my mother…” Jiang Xue murmured the words so softly they were almost inaudible.

“What did you say?”

Jiang Xue pulled her hand back from Lin Yulan’s grip and lowered her eyes without responding.

Once Zhang Rong steadied herself, she looked up at Lin Yulan in disbelief, clearly shocked that Lin Yulan had dared to push her. Her face twisted in outrage. “Y-You, how dare you lay hands on me?! I’m her mother!”

“Of course I know you’re her mother. What, does that give you the right to hit people?” Lin Yulan despised people who pulled rank like this. “Since when does assaulting someone make you the victim?!”

If this had been anyone else, they might have just tried to mediate, let alone intervene physically, they probably wouldn’t have even spoken up for fear of upsetting their girlfriend.

But Lin Yulan wasn’t like that.

Lin Yulan had grown up spoiled rotten. Ming Zhelan and Lin He doted on her so much they wouldn’t even raise a hand against her, not just sparing her from physical discipline, but even harsh words were off the table. Let alone outsiders, no one had the right to mistreat her.

Zhang Rong was no match for a young Alpha, especially since Alphas naturally exerted physiological dominance over Omegas. So, she could only turn her fury toward Jiang Xue. “Fine! Not only are you wasting money on some outsider, but you’re also teaming up with her against your own mother! Jiang Xue, are you trying to drive me to my grave?!”

Despite everything, Jiang Xue still cared about their mother-daughter bond. Faced with Zhang Rong’s twisted accusations, she could only muster a weak rebuttal: “Mom, no one is trying to push you to that. Please stop twisting the truth, alright?”

The saying “the kind-hearted get bullied” fit Jiang Xue perfectly. Hearing this, Zhang Rong only lashed out more viciously: “You’re not pushing me? Is that what you call not pushing me?! You side with some stray brat who’s got no upbringing, even letting her lay hands on your own mother without lifting a finger to stop her and you have the nerve to claim you’re not pushing me?! You worthless ingrate! If I’d known you’d turn out to be such a backstabbing wretch, I should’ve strangled you the moment you were born!”

The moment Lin Yulan heard “no upbringing,” her expression darkened completely. But before she could retort, Jiang Xue cut in first.

“Mom, that’s enough!” Jiang Xue practically growled through clenched teeth.

Normally, she could endure whatever insults Zhang Rong hurled at her. After all, she had weathered years of this abuse. Zhang Rong called her an ingrate, a worthless burden, sometimes even slinging slurs like “slut” or “whore.” By now, she had long grown numb to it.

But today, Lin Yulan was present, and she had acted this way for her sake. She didn’t want those harsh words directed at Lin Yulan. This was her own matter to begin with, having nothing to do with Lin Yulan.

“You can say whatever you want to me, but leave her out of this!” Jiang Xue took a step forward and sneered, “She has a mother, and her mother is a hundred times better than you. At least she doesn’t go around calling her own daughter an ungrateful wretch or a money-loser. Before you say such things, ask yourself if you even have the right to judge others! I don’t want to hear those words from your mouth again. If I catch you insulting her one more time… whatever you call her, I’ll call you the same!”

Hearing this, Lin Yulan froze. She turned her head slightly to look at Jiang Xue, feeling an indescribable warmth in her chest, something pleasant and comforting.

But Lin Yulan wasn’t the type to just stand by and watch. Just as she was about to unleash her sharp tongue, Jiang Xue suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her aside.

Zhang Rong, of course, wasn’t about to let them go so easily. She chased after them in her high heels, but karma struck fast, she stumbled in her haste, twisted her ankle, and fell to the ground with a thud.

Soon after, Zhang Rong’s pained wails filled the air.

Lin Yulan kept glancing back, itching to run over, stand in front of Zhang Rong, and burst into laughter before sneering, “Serves you right, you old hag!” But Jiang Xue kept pulling her forward, so she had no choice but to follow.

Only when they reached the Mercedes-Benz did Jiang Xue finally let go of her hand.

“Are you sure she’s your biological mother? You weren’t adopted, were you?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Yulan realized how inappropriate they sounded and quickly corrected herself, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant… are you sure she’s your real mom?”

That didn’t sound much better…

But Lin Yulan couldn’t think of a better way to phrase it. She just couldn’t fathom how a real mother could say such cruel things to her own child.

Jiang Xue didn’t answer her question, murmuring instead, “Thank you.”

This time, Lin Yulan heard her clearly. “You’re thanking me for something this small? It’s nothing! That old hag was clearly aiming to ruin your face with that slap. A female Omega’s face is precious, you’ve got to protect it.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xue looked up and stared straight at her. She really wanted to ask Lin Yulan: If you have no feelings for me, why stand up for me? Don’t you know this will only make me misunderstand, make it harder for me to let go, make me even more unwilling to step aside for someone else?

But then it occurred to her, Lin Yulan had always been like this since their school days, always stepping in when she saw injustice. That was why so many people were drawn to her.

She was just one of many admirers.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?” Lin Yulan didn’t think she had said anything wrong!

Jiang Xue averted her gaze. “It’s nothing. If you have no other business, Little President Lin, you can leave now. I won’t see you out.”

With that, Jiang Xue turned around and started walking toward the traffic lights across the street.

It seemed she intended to hail a cab on the other side.

Lin Yulan quickly caught up and grabbed her arm, “Where are you going? Taking a cab? Why won’t you ride with me when I have a car?”

Jiang Xue tried to pull her hand back. She absolutely couldn’t allow herself to hold any expectations for Lin Yulan. Better a clean break now than prolonged heartache, she had to accept a future without Lin Yulan.

“I can just take a cab back to school myself. No need to trouble Young Master Lin.”

Lin Yulan found Jiang Xue’s stubbornness utterly baffling. Why insist on a cab when there was a perfectly good car available?

After a moment’s thought, Lin Yulan seemed to realize something. She asked, “Are you still upset about what happened this morning?”

Jiang Xue didn’t answer, which was as good as admitting it.

“But I already apologized to you. I handled the situation poorly, but I never meant to deceive you,” Lin Yulan said, studying Jiang Xue’s expression. “I just wanted to tell you that I’ve figured some things out but it’s definitely not what you’re thinking, that’s all.”

“If it’s not what I’m thinking, then what does Young Master Lin believe I’m thinking?” Jiang Xue’s eyes reddened slightly as she looked at her. “Has Young Master Lin finally realized, ‘Oh, so Jiang Xue isn’t some scheming Omega after all. Turns out I didn’t understand anything about her, and I misjudged her.’ So now, out of guilt, you’ve come to apologize?”

Jiang Xue gave a bitter laugh. “Is Young Master Lin pitying me?”

“That’s not it!”

Lin Yulan knew that no matter how she tried to explain herself, from Jiang Xue’s perspective, her words would never be trusted. But she still had to try. “Believe it or not, I never thought that way. But you’re right, I did jump to conclusions because I didn’t understand you. I’m sorry.”

But an apology wasn’t what she wanted to hear!

Jiang Xue would have preferred it if Lin Yulan had kept treating her the same way. Then she could convince herself that Lin Yulan wasn’t the right person for her, that she wasn’t as wonderful as she’d imagined. That way, when she finally moved on, she could forget her completely.

But what was this now?

A slap followed by a sweet?

“I don’t accept your apology.” Jiang Xue forcefully pulled her hand free. “If Young Master Lin has nothing else, you should go back. I’m heading to school.”

Lin Yulan immediately grabbed her hand again. “Let me drive you back!”

“I said I don’t need it!” Jiang Xue struggled hard, but Lin Yulan’s grip was too strong this time, she couldn’t break free.

“Lin Yulan, let go!”

Lin Yulan didn’t release her. Instead, she pulled Jiang Xue toward her Mercedes. “When I left, Uncle Zhao told me that my mom made it clear, if she finds out I let you take a cab alone when we were together, I’ll be sleeping under a bridge tonight. So please, Professor Jiang, do me this favor. Let me put on a good show for my mom, alright?”

Jiang Xue didn’t believe for a second that Ming Zhelan would make Lin Yulan sleep under a bridge. “Your mom would never do that!”

“You don’t believe me?”

“…”

Lin Yulan rambled on, “Don’t be fooled by how much my mom dotes on me. If she really gets angry, she’s capable of anything. Besides, she likes you so much.”

Ming Zelan’s affection for her had its reasons, it wasn’t genuine love.

If there were another Omega with a similar personality who also adored Lin Yulan, she was certain Mingzelan would choose that Omega without hesitation. It just happened to be her this time.

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