The Green Tea Omega Has Turned Bad - Chapter 16

Shang Wandong gazed at her quietly.

The sun was scorching, and the summer heat made sweat seep through the back of her shirt, sticking the fabric clamminess to her skin. Yan Xia felt that Shang Wandong’s gaze was even more piercing than the sunlight overhead.

For some reason, she felt quite nervous.

Just as Yan Xia was considering whether to say something witty to break the ice, Teacher Liu’s shout echoed from a distance: “First place! Who is the first place?!”

Shang Wandong shifted her gaze away and responded, “Here!”

She had to go over to register her results, so she handed the remaining half-bottle of water back to Yan Xia, saying, “Keep this to drink after you finish your run later.”

Yan Xia felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

The mineral water was still semi-iced, with mottled condensation clinging to the sides of the bottle. She returned to the shade of the trees, unscrewed the cap, and took a small sip. She tasted the faint, lingering scent of a sea breeze on the rim a subtle saltiness that remained on the tip of her tongue, refusing to dissipate.

A sudden thought struck Yan Xia: Does this count as an indirect kiss?

She gripped the bottle dazed until Jiang He walked over, glanced at her, and asked strangely, “What’s wrong with you? Why is your face so red?”

Yan Xia: “…It’s just a bit hot.”

Jiang He muttered, “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were the one who just ran a thousand meters.”

Yan Xia pretended not to hear. She placed the water bottle under the large tree, and just as she was about to leave, she doubled back and hid it a bit more carefully behind the trunk.

After the results for the thousand-meter run were recorded one after another, Teacher Liu began gathering the remaining students to prepare for their test.

Both Omegas and Betas had to run eight hundred meters, but the passing marks were different; the former was given an extra half-minute compared to the latter.

The crowd surged toward the starting line with sighs and groans. Yan Xia managed to snag a good spot on the inner lane and crouched down to check her shoelaces.

“Yan Xia, are you running the eight hundred too?” A familiar voice sounded behind her.

Yan Xia turned around to see a familiar-looking Beta watching her in surprise. This person seemed to be her back-row neighbor, though she had forgotten their name.

The neighbor asked, “Don’t you usually skip the long-distance runs because of your poor health?”

Yan Xia smiled and didn’t say much: “I’ve wanted to get some exercise lately.”

The person had only asked in passing and nodded upon hearing the answer, harboring no suspicion.

It is often said that the most painful moment of the eight hundred meters isn’t the run itself, but the long, agonizing wait before the whistle blows. Everyone waited at the starting line; as each second ticked by, the atmosphere grew anxious and tense.

Yan Xia wasn’t worried about whether she could pass the test. On the contrary, she was more afraid of accidentally running too fast. With an Alpha’s powerful physical constitution, running eight hundred meters was a breeze.

But right now, she was an “Omega” specifically, a physically weak, sickly, and delicate Omega. Therefore, the moment the whistle blew, she intentionally waited a few seconds before running out.

Before the run, Jiang He had said enthusiastically, “Let’s all run together.” Now, she had already lunged into the second tier.

Yan Xia lagged behind, steadily maintaining a position among the last few runners. A rubber track was four hundred meters per lap, so two laps meant victory.

Most Omegas had constitutions inferior to Betas, and many couldn’t help but stop to walk. Yan Xia overtook a few people at a steady, “tortoise-like” pace. By the time she finished a lap and a half, some people had already reached the finish line.

The Class A sports representative was helping with the stopwatch. While watching the track, he suddenly showed a worried expression: “Is that Omega okay?”

Shang Wandong followed his gaze and saw Yan Xia appearing at the curve of the track. Her footsteps were heavy, she looked exhausted, and her lips were frighteningly pale. Her black hair was soaked with sweat, sticking to her cheeks in clumps.

The runners behind her began to accelerate, overtaking her as they sprinted toward the finish line. Yan Xia continued to run sluggishly, her dark eyes losing focus.

Shang Wandong stood up and walked to the side of the finish line. She watched Yan Xia’s gaze fixed on the ground as she ran forward step by step.

Crossing the white line, Yan Xia’s momentum carried her forward a few steps before she suddenly slumped into a warm embrace. It tasted a bit bitter and astringent… like the sea-salt flavor she had just tasted.

She called out softly, “…Sister.”

“Mhm,” Shang Wandong responded, supporting her as they walked forward a few steps. “Breathe slowly. Don’t sit down yet, walk a bit first.”

Yan Xia took the opportunity to lean lazily against her shoulder, ending her “performance.”

“System, how was my acting just now?”

The system immediately flattered her: “666, a veteran actor! I really thought you were going to faint mid-run! If you aren’t at the next Oscars, I’m not watching.”

Yan Xia was very pleased with herself.

Shang Wandong asked, “Where is the water I gave you earlier?”

Yan Xia squinted her eyes and scanned the playground before pointing at a large banyan tree: “It should be over there.” She acted as if she wasn’t quite sure herself.

Shang Wandong supported her as they walked over. There were many water bottles and milk tea cups placed under the shade of the tree, likely left by the runners; it was a dizzying array.

“Where is it?”

“Not here, it’s behind the tree.”

Yan Xia led her to the back of the banyan tree and finally saw the mineral water bottle standing lonely in the corner.

Shang Wandong was stunned for a moment. “Why did you put it here?”

Yan Xia glanced at her and replied in a low voice, “It’s something Sister gave me, so of course I had to hide it well.”

Can’t let anyone else steal it.

Shang Wandong looked thoughtful.

Yan Xia nervously tugged at the corner of her shirt. Perhaps it was the rising summer heat, but her face grew hot unknowingly.

Shang Wandong spoke up, “Is the water that important? Or is it the bottle?”

Yan Xia fell into silence.

Misinterpreting her silence, Shang Wandong continued to guess, “Did you put something valuable in the water?”

Yan Xia expressionlessly unscrewed the cap and thrust the bottle in front of Shang Wandong’s eyes: “Sister, drink more.” Say less, it’s better for both of us.

Only after Shang Wandong finished drinking did Yan Xia take large gulps of the water herself. Thanks to this “block of wood,” any romantic thoughts she had about an indirect kiss were now completely gone.

Not far away, Teacher Liu began recording the grades. Yan Xia finished sixth from the bottom with a time that just barely passed, and she was soon called over.

As she reported her student ID, Teacher Liu flipped through her previous records; the long-distance running column had always been empty.

He lowered his head and asked, “Are you the one who couldn’t run before because of illness?”

Yan Xia gave a submissive “Mhm.”

Teacher Liu looked up, and instead of scolding her, he seemed quite pleased: “Not bad. Young people need to exercise more to stay healthy. Staying in the classroom all day won’t do; you’ll get sick eventually!”

The afternoon classes ended quickly. Since the eleventh grade didn’t have evening self-study, they were dismissed right on time.

Yan Xia packed her bag to go home. As she passed the door of Class A, she saw the teacher standing on the podium with many students listening quietly; it didn’t look like they were about to be dismissed yet.

After a moment’s thought, Yan Xia stopped in the corridor in front of Class A, leaning against the railing to play on her phone.

Passersby couldn’t help but steal glances at her, whispering: “Which class is she from? I don’t think I’ve seen her before.”

“She looks so familiar, I think I’ve seen her photo on the forum.”

When Shang Wandong walked out of the classroom, she saw an Alpha standing in front of Yan Xia.

The Alpha was very tall, but his voice was cautious, as if afraid of startling her: “Excuse me, may I know your name?”

Yan Xia had her head down playing on her phone, with the distant sunset trailing behind her. Her dark hair was dyed a light orange by the afterglow, and her thick eyelashes drooped, curling slightly to cast two fan-shaped shadows on her cheeks.

Hearing the voice, she looked up and tilted her head slightly, her lips parting just a fraction.

The Alpha’s ears instantly turned red, and he looked at her expectantly.

Shang Wandong watched quietly, then suddenly called out, “Yan Xia.”

Yan Xia’s gaze landed on her, and her beautiful eyes curved into a smile.

“Sister!” She immediately ran over, clutching her backpack straps, her eyes bright. “Are you out of class?”

“Mhm,” Shang Wandong said. “Were you waiting for me?”

She looked past Yan Xia at the bewildered Alpha. The boy met Shang Wandong’s gaze, looked startled, took a few steps back, and turned to slink away dejectedly.

“Yeah, I saw you weren’t out yet, so I thought I’d wait for a bit,” Yan Xia nodded. “Your Class A seems to have extra lessons quite often.”

Shang Wandong said calmly, “With exams coming up, the teachers have more to cover.”

“Your teachers are really responsible then.” Yan Xia smiled and turned around. “Ah, where did that person go?”

Shang Wandong said, “He just left.”

Yan Xia showed a confused expression: “Why did he leave so suddenly? I haven’t answered his question yet…”

“Who knows.” Shang Wandong walked forward nonchalantly. “Let’s go. Time to go home.”

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