The Cold And Straight Alpha Is Always Being Flirted With By The Goddess Aunt - Chapter 12

How do you treat a stray dog abandoned by its owner in the most cruel way?

It is to bring it home again, provide it with fine food and drink, yet remain aloof letting it feel a constant, lingering anxiety that it could be discarded at any moment. For the owner, this is comfortable; it provides a self-consistent sense of control, held firmly in the palm of one’s hand.

But what if this stray dog suddenly undergoes a change in temperament? What if, upon seeing the owner return, it no longer rushes over to wag its tail and sniff them, nor does it squint its eyes and lie in the owner’s arms just because a bone was tossed its way?

What would the owner do then?

Lately, Yan Qing has made Su Fang feel like a stranger, and Ji Qianqian’s attitude has become equally unpredictable.

As Ji Qianqian’s best friend, Su Fang is an Omega from Class 3-2 at Hangyu High School. Although she isn’t in the same class as Ji Qianqian, it doesn’t stop them from being close. No one knows better than she does how Ji Qianqian used to treat Yan Qinghe.

She summoned her at will and dismissed her with a wave, she was hot and cold to outsiders, it looked like the height of “scumbag” behavior. Sometimes Su Fang wondered if the Yan family had offended the Ji family, or if Yan Qinghe had some kind of dirt held over her head by Ji Qianqian. But seeing Yan Qinghe’s formerly pathetic, one-sided enthusiasm, it didn’t seem like that was the case.

Whenever Yan Qinghe brought delicacies to Ji Qianqian, Su Fang would always benefit from her best friend’s reflected glory. At first, she would refuse, but seeing Ji Qianqian’s indifferent expression, she began to accept them without hesitation. As for how Ji Qianqian handled Yan Qinghe’s gifts, she either threw them in the trash or let Su Fang deal with them.

Su Fang was both delighted and troubled. While she could openly pocket the goods, Yan Qinghe’s indirect feeding had caused her to gain five pounds,  her once-tight lower abdomen had developed a slight, soft pudge.

Recently, however, Su Fang had slimmed down again. Her fitted skirt revealed a beautiful, slender waist. The reason was simple: it had been many days since Yan Qinghe stopped her “simp-like” behavior.

On the surface, Ji Qianqian appeared indifferent to this, but Su Fang was somewhat puzzled.

“Qianqian, what do you think is up with Qinghe lately?” Su Fang asked as she and Ji Qianqian strolled beneath the shaded path of Hangyu High School. “No gifts, no food, and she’s nowhere to be found. She’s acting like a ghost.”

“I don’t know.” Ji Qianqian was also curious. Yan Qinghe had stopped playing games, yet she never listened in class; how did she manage to rank among the top in the monthly exams?

However, what she was most curious about was the change in the other girl’s attitude toward her.

“Doesn’t it feel weird now that your ‘licker’ has stopped licking?” Su Fang joked, shaking Ji Qianqian’s hand to get her attention. “But seriously, Qinghe has changed a lot lately. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Mm.” Ji Qianqian’s tone was flat. She felt she had been proactive enough, yet the other party just wouldn’t take the bait.

“I’m really curious, what do you think of her now? Do you like her?” Su Fang had clearly seen the reversal in Ji Qianqian’s attitude toward Yan Qinghe. Every few days, Ji Qianqian would place delicious snacks on Yan Qinghe’s desk. At lunch, she would pull Su Fang along to eat with Yan Qinghe. It was as if their roles had been swapped.

“How could I?” Ji Qianqian felt the void in her heart growing larger. Her pretty face darkened slightly, but her voice remained soft and sweet, like honey: “Our families are old friends. She was good to me before, this is just returning the favor.”

To a dog that starts being disobedient, one must shower it with double the love. Then, on the day the dog can no longer leave you, discard it again.

The price of an Alpha completely marking an Omega is that during the heat/rut period, only that Omega can provide relief. Without the Omega’s help, the Alpha will eventually suffer from hypersensitivity symptoms. Without proper treatment, they might even go mad.

Since the last time Yan Qinghe woke up, Ji Qianqian had smelled a strange scent of cedar and sandalwood on her, in addition to her familiar calamansi pheromones. She couldn’t help but suspect: was that cold, woody scent the smell of another Omega? Her response to this suspicion was to take advantage of Yan Qinghe’s fever and mark her by biting the gland.

She wanted her scent to become an indelible, inescapable presence in Yan Qinghe’s life, only to then discard her completely. In her past memories, the way Yan Qinghe had completely marked her was like a shadow buried in her heart, a thorn in her throat.

She wouldn’t forgive this “dog.” She could choose not to keep her, or she could raise her until she was domestic, and then throw her away.

On the other side, the “little dog” Ji Qianqian was disparaging the original Yan Qinghe had reached a fundamental agreement with the transmigrator, Yan Qing.

Yan Qinghe demanded that Yan Qing find a way to leave her body quickly so her consciousness could return, to which Yan Qing naturally agreed. The second condition was that Yan Qing must protect Ji Qianqian at all times and in all places, and agree to any of her reasonable requests.

“Qianqian’s matters are the top priority,” Yan Qinghe said. She didn’t want to return to the real world only to find that Yan Qing’s behavior had pushed Ji Qianqian further away.

Yan Qing arched an eyebrow. “I can only guarantee that I will do my best not to anger the Great Miss Ji.”

“It’s fine if Qianqian treats me the same as before, but it can’t get worse.” Yan Qinghe was satisfied with the current situation. Recalling something, she added, “Also, you aren’t allowed to get too intimate with Qianqian.”

You think I want to? Yan Qing thought, stifling a mental eye-roll. “As long as you don’t let your consciousness get so agitated and your body’s muscle memory react every time Miss Ji appears,” Yan Qing said diplomatically, avoiding the word “estrus.”

“I don’t want to be like that either. Maybe Alphas are just prone to it,” Yan Qinghe’s expression darkened as she recalled unpleasant memories.

“Nature plays a part, but so does affection.” Yan Qing acted like a wise sage who had seen through the red dust of the world. “Your feelings run too deep. When you encounter your natural instinct, you can’t restrain yourself. If you didn’t like her, it wouldn’t..”

“Impossible. It’s impossible for me to ever stop liking Qianqian,” Yan Qinghe interrupted. “Don’t you have someone you like?”

“Certainly not. My heart is set on the Great Way. The love between men and women is too fleeting and shallow.” Yan Qing shook her head with a firm expression. “Since ancient times, deep affection leads to a short life, and romantic bonds are fickle.”

To her, mortal love was both sentimental and promiscuous seemingly devoted, but actually selfish. Like summer insects, they shine brilliantly for a single day before perishing.

Qinghe stared at Yan Qing as if she were an alien. “So, you’ve never been moved? Not even once?”

She looked like a person of pure heart and few desires, someone who lived among ancient temples and bronze bells. Qinghe almost expected her to start calling herself “this poor monk” or “this humble Taoist.”

Never? Yan Qing thought of the misty, delicate face and the earlobes she had toyed with in the Sea of Clouds and Heaven. She felt a pang of guilt.

“Ahem… I agree to your conditions.” Yan Qing changed the subject. “However, you can’t stay in this ‘screen’ and watch my life 24/7. When it’s dark, close your eyes. When I’m bathing, close your eyes. When there are many people, close your eyes too.”

“Che, unless Qianqian shows up, I’m not interested in anything else,” Yan Qinghe scoffed. “Besides, I need to sleep here to gather enough soul power to prepare for my return.”

And so, the two Yans reached a basic consensus.

“Want to go to school together? You can take my driver’s car.”

The next day, Yan Qing received a private message from Ji Qianqian.

“No thanks, someone is dropping me off.” Adhering to the principle of minimizing contact to avoid Qinghe’s misunderstandings, Yan Qing chose to refuse. She chose to let Xi Zhaowan drop her off.

The original body’s crush was someone she couldn’t provoke. But she could surely borrow the original body’s “Auntie,” right?

She hadn’t expected that Xi Zhaowan’s appearance would cause such a stir at Hangyu High School.

Without a doubt, being with Xi Zhaowan was extremely comfortable. Before leaving, Xi Zhaowan had prepared a delicious breakfast full of color, aroma, and nutrition, making Yan Qing, who had lived on dew in her past life, feel a sense of attachment to worldly food. As long as she was home, Xi Zhaowan never let anyone else handle the cooking; no matter how busy she was, she would make a few dishes for Yan Qing.

Qinghe’s aunt is truly good to her, Yan Qing thought privately.

When getting into Xi Zhaowan’s private car, Yan Qing imitated the previous interactions between Yan Qinghe and Xi Zhaowan, obediently opening the driver’s side door for her before getting into the passenger seat. It seemed they had returned to a familiar mode of interaction.

Seeing the child get in the car and look unfamiliar with the seatbelt, Xi Zhaowan smiled and leaned over to help her fasten it. The scent of white gardenias wafted over as a few strands of dark hair brushed against Yan Qing’s face.

“It’s stuck a little here… I can do it myself.” Yan Qing looked a bit uncomfortable.

“Alright..” Xi Zhaowan withdrew her hand. Looking at the blushing youngster, she marveled at how much she had grown lately, despite becoming more distant. Resisting the urge to pat Yan Qing’s head, Xi Zhaowan curled her lips into a smile.

Since she was heading to work right after dropping Yan Qing off, she was dressed in a high-waisted A-line skirt with a delicate cream-colored top. With her red lips, dark hair, and exquisite makeup, her temperament was ethereal. Her eyes, especially, held an elegant indifference when she wasn’t smiling reserved and cold. But when she did smile, it was like a spring breeze, full of tender affection. She handled her boundaries and words perfectly; she was truly a person with a very comfortable aura.

After dropping Yan Qing off, Xi Zhaowan was about to drive away when she realized Yan Qing had forgotten the thermos she had prepared. It contained soup she had simmered that morning as a supplement for lunch. Before Yan Qing could get too far, Xi Zhaowan pulled the car over.

“Qing’er, come here quickly..”

Hearing that “familiar” voice, Yan Qing froze. She turned around stiffly to see Xi Zhaowan walking toward her, her gaze deepening.

Xi Zhaowan reached the school gate and called out to Yan Qing. No one should recognize me, she thought. But it seemed she was recognized anyway.

“Look, is that lady the legendary Xi ‘Great God’ from the history of our school?”

“Really? I’ve only seen her on the front page of the ‘Star of Yesterday’ section on the school website. Is she the one ranked number one?”

“Yes! The one whose beauty crushed every campus belle and whose grades surpassed every top student in H-City.”

The passing students whispered and pointed at Xi Zhaowan as she handed the items to Yan Qing.

“That’s amazing. I remember she was the only one to get full marks in every subject, a straight A+ student.”

“You’ve got a sharp eye. She left almost ten years ago, and you still recognize her?”

“Mainly because Senior Xi’s history is so mind-blowing. My mom printed her photo and taped it to my desk, nagging me to study like her every day. Besides, her face is truly unforgettable.”

Xi Zhaowan had no idea she was being widely discussed. Since graduation, she had focused entirely on the R&D field. She had only returned once as a distinguished alumna to give a speech. She didn’t realize that due to her brilliant academic record and her breakthroughs in AO research, she had become a “poster child” alumna for Hangyu.

Looking at Yan Qing, who had turned to take the thermos looking soft and drowsy like she hadn’t quite woken up, yet acting stiffly polite and thanking her seriously. Xi Zhaowan watched the morning light dance on her long eyelashes and shapely nose. The cold, irritable aura of the past was gone. The current Qing’er was polite and steady, no longer acting spoiled or trying to curry favor like before. She was intelligent and calm, able to play a familiar piano piece with an entirely different depth.

But she seemed… to blush quite easily. While cooking together, and while helping with the seatbelt.

What if I pat her head? Xi Zhaowan wondered. Will the little one blush then?

Thinking of this, Xi Zhaowan tentatively raised her hand, her gaze deepening with focus, and gently patted Yan Qing’s head.

Ah, she really does.

For a moment, Yan Qing felt a coolness on her forehead. That snow white, slender hand moved from her forehead upward, stroking her hair. Under the gaze of the surrounding scions and students of Hangyu, Yan Qing’s face suddenly flared with heat. She twitched an eyebrow, looking a bit like a cat that had been offended. Surprised by her own reaction, she began chanting a cultivation mantra in her head, wishing she could turn away.

Yan Qinghe reacted to Ji Qianqian because of pheromones and love. But why was she feeling so embarrassed by Xi Zhaowan’s casual, affectionate gestures?

“Oh, I just saw a stray leaf on your head, so…” When Xi Zhaowan lied, her beautiful, affectionate eyes didn’t even blink.

Not far away, a pair of best friends took in the entire interaction.

“Yan Qinghe has such a good relationship with her family.” Looking at the thermos in the distance, Su Fang sounded envious. She really wanted a taste.

“Yeah, Sister Wan really dotes on her.” Ji Qianqian suppressed a trace of doubt in her heart and replied calmly.