The White Moonlight Omega Has Amnesia and Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 9

Qin Huai repeatedly confirmed that the data was correct this time before taking off her goggles and exiting the lab. She had stayed up late for several consecutive nights, leaving a deep indentation on the bridge of her nose. A few strands of bangs had fallen down and were tucked behind her ear, making her look a bit messy and unkempt.

When experiments are busy, it’s like this. Sometimes, she might not eat much all day and can only rely on a few slices of bread prepared beforehand to stave off hunger. After leaving the lab, Qin Huai went to the changing room. Her hands were still dusted with the talcum powder from removing her gloves, and her skin felt very dry and uncomfortable. She first washed her hands at the faucet, and while using a paper towel to dry them, she inadvertently glanced in the mirror.

The omega in the mirror looked haggard, with faint dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes, strained from prolonged tension, appeared dull, and the white lab coat made her complexion look as pale as a ghost.

Qin Huai rarely cared about her appearance. She tossed the used paper towel, took off the lab coat, and hung it on a hanger, then went to her locker to retrieve her phone. Lab regulations prohibited bringing phones inside, so a square combination locker was set up in the changing room for personnel to store miscellaneous items.

Qin Huai’s social circle wasn’t extensive. Before she was with Lin Qiu, she might not check WeChat messages for a long time. It was only after getting an alpha that she, under pressure from him, developed the habit of checking messages after finishing an experiment.

While opening WeChat, she took a bottle of water from the locker and took a sip. As she screwed the cap back on, she paid attention to the messages that were slow to load due to the delayed network connection.

Most of them were from the assistant group and Shen Zhi.

Qin Huai put the bottle back in the locker and first opened Shen Zhi’s WeChat.

[Shen Zhi: Congrats on successfully wrapping up the experiment, Senior Sister! The meal you promised to treat me to ennnnnn]

This was followed by a kitten rolling around emoji.

Qin Huai didn’t recall promising to treat Shen Zhi to a meal, but looking at that carefree rolling cat, her mood suddenly brightened. She leaned her shoulder against the locker and scrolled through her chat history with Shen Zhi.

They had added each other on WeChat just over ten days ago, yet the chat content already spanned several pages. Qin Huai’s fingertips were starting to tire from scrolling, so she gave up on trying to find proof of the promised meal. Remembering the help the alpha had provided recently, she replied to her message.

[Qin Huai: You pick the time.]

The assistant’s job wasn’t overly complicated; mostly, it involved helping the advisor check attendance or holding class meetings. When Qin Huai was busy with experiments, she would try to attend if she could, but if not, she would simply ignore the messages. Only after a busy day would she reply to the pheromone major’s counselor while munching on a biscuit and sipping water: “What? Sorry, I’ve been busy with experiments and haven’t checked my phone.”

The counselor for the pheromone major was an understanding omega who knew graduate students had many experiments and couldn’t always spare the time. Over time, she let Qin Huai do as she pleased. But then, for some unknown crazy reason, the department leaders created a group chat, demanding that the assistant sisters post photos after checking attendance each time.

When Qin Huai was added to the group, she saw various middle-aged and elderly standard profile pictures, mistook it for some community group, and promptly left the group.

It was Shen Zhi who noticed first. She and Qin Huai were in the same group. She had seen Qin Huai in the group initially, but then she was gone, so she privately messaged her to ask.

[Senior Sister, did you join that group?]

Qin Huai was in the middle of an experiment at the time, and only saw the message that evening. She frowned, confused, and slowly sent a question mark.

This was the first time Shen Zhi had chatted with her on WeChat. Qin Huai wasn’t surprised. She put away her phone and started tidying her things, preparing to return to the dorm. Just as she stepped out of the building, Shen Zhi’s message arrived.

[Shen Zhi: The group you left was created by the school leaders. Do you want to join?]

“……”

Qin Huai: [Add me back in]

One conversation led to two. At the beginning, the faculty leaders were very strict with attendance checks. Qin Huai’s experiment was at a critical stage then, and she couldn’t keep an eye on her phone waiting for messages. Several times, she wanted to quit outright, but the counselor wouldn’t allow it. She had to put aside the thought of quitting. Later, Shen Zhi noticed and, every time the leader sent a message, she would take a picture and send it to Qin Huai.

The promise to treat her to a meal was probably made around that time.

Qin Huai received Shen Zhi’s message after leaving the lab. She stopped in the corridor and opened it.

[Shen Zhi: How about this noon? The advisor has to hold a big class meeting this afternoon.]

This was the first time the counselor had organized a meeting for all students this semester. Qin Huai replied to Shen Zhi with an OK emoji and then checked the pheromone major class group. The counselor had just posted a group notice, requiring everyone to attend on time. Below it was Lin Qiu asking if the assistants also needed to attend, and the answer was yes.

Just then, another message from Shen Zhi arrived.

[Shen Zhi: Senior Sister, I saw you have to attend too. We can go together after we eat.]

Qin Huai sent an OK expression and turned off her screen.

By mid-February, the temperature had slowly started to rise. After leaving the experimental building, Qin Huai noticed that the willow trees planted along the main road of the school had long sprouted new buds, very lush and green. The students walking on this road had changed into knitwear or hoodies, strolling together in twos and threes.

It was around nine o’clock. Qin Huai returned to her dorm for a nap and met Shen Zhi at the cafeteria around eleven o’clock.

At this time of day, most students were still in class, and the cafeteria was unusually quiet. The two walked side by side around the cafeteria but couldn’t find anything satisfactory, eventually stopping in front of a Sliced Fish in Hot Chili Oil (Shuizhu Yu) stall.

Although the Sliced Fish in Hot Chili Oil at Jiangcheng University was fresh, the taste was very spicy, and the heavy chili flavor tended to mask the inherent taste of the fish, so it wasn’t considered particularly delicious.

Qin Huai didn’t like spicy food, yet she knew this was the only decent option at Jiangcheng University. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Let’s go with this one.”

As she finished speaking and was about to walk inside, her forearm was suddenly grabbed by Shen Zhi.

The alpha was tall with large hands. Qin Huai’s slender arm could be easily gripped in her hand, the alpha’s knuckles contrasted against the soft white hoodie. Qin Huai realized that her fingers were actually quite long.

“Why so thin?” The alpha had tied her hair up in a bun today, and she wore a very small diamond stud in her ear, which scattered a dazzling light under the lamps. A seemingly careless smile played on her lips, but the small dimple on her cheek harmonized with her relaxed demeanor. “I need to feed you up a bit.”

The alpha didn’t seem to think there was any problem with holding Qin Huai this way. Without letting go, she tilted her head in thought, then her eyes lit up. “I know a pickled fish (Suancai Yu) restaurant; you will definitely like it.”

After saying this, Shen Zhi was about to pull Qin Huai’s arm and walk forward, but after taking a small step, she realized the person behind her hadn’t moved. She turned to look at Qin Huai and asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

Qin Huai silently lowered her head and briefly looked at the arm being held, her meaning was obvious.

Shen Zhi first froze, then released Qin Huai’s arm and stepped back a little to put some distance between them. “I thought we were already good friends.”

Qin Huai: “?”

Shen Zhi: “I didn’t expect Senior Sister still to mind that matter. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

The “matter” Shen Zhi was referring to was Lin Qiu’s cheating incident. It had been so long ago that Qin Huai had long since put it out of her mind. But was that really the reason?

Shouldn’t the awkwardness stem from the fact that an alpha was grabbing an omega, which fundamentally had an issue?

Qin Huai frowned, remaining silent and watching her quietly, her expression unpleasant.

Shen Zhi lowered her head, her voice slightly dejected, “I won’t be so presumptuous again.”

If Qin Huai hadn’t been right there, based on the voice alone, she would have definitely thought this alpha was about to cry.

She suddenly felt like she wasn’t much of an omega herself.

This person comforted you properly in a hotel when you were carelessly wandering during your heat, and helped you get photos when checking attendance…

And what about you? You won’t even let her pull your arm. Just pretend she’s a little kid and let her pull a bit, what’s the big deal?

Shen Zhi waited for a long time but didn’t receive a response from Qin Huai. She was playing the pity card while simultaneously reflecting on whether she was moving too fast. Just as she was timing it right to find a way to gracefully back out, an arm was suddenly extended toward her.

The omega’s bones were delicate, and her wrist was small. The wrist exposed from under the cuff was very narrow and slender, the size any alpha could easily grip. The skin on the exposed wrist was fair, like cheese, looking as if it would crumble under the slightest touch.

The omega’s voice carried a hint of annoyance, with a tone that implied, “Pull it or not, whatever,” “Suit yourself.”

No one knew that a trace of a smile flickered in the eyes of the alpha who had lowered her head.

Her gaze dropped from the wrist to the fingers.

That hand appeared in every part of her in the midnight dreams she couldn’t grasp for comfort, in the sudden awareness of emptiness upon waking from a recurring dream, and in the uncontrollably fabricated moments of her absent-mindedness.

She never dared to imagine that, in the far yet near reality, that hand would reach out to her.

For a few seconds, Shen Zhi couldn’t distinguish between reality and dream. She held onto that sliver of selfishness and took the hand of the person she had been longing for.

Not far away, Lin Qiu, who was eating early to avoid the peak hours, suddenly wanted a fruit salad when passing by a fruit stall with her roommate.

The fruit stall had placed the refrigerated display at the entrance to attract more students, stocking it with small tomatoes, watermelon, pineapple, and other fruits. Next to it were yogurt and toppings to drizzle over them.

Lin Qiu picked out fruits according to her preferences with a long-handled spoon, but her mood was extremely agitated.

At the start of the semester, she had originally intended to trick Qin Huai into coming out to a hotel room. She had even given her the room card, but the plan fell through. Later, when she went to check out, the staff reminded her that one card was missing. She had no choice but to realize the card was with Qin Huai, who had long since blocked her.

Thinking of this, a sense of frustration welled up in Lin Qiu. An omega would still have to be marked by someone and become an alpha’s exclusive object for release, so why did she have to be so proper?

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that the breakup wasn’t her fault; the fault lay with Qin Huai, that naive omega.

The roommate stood by, bored, waiting for Lin Qiu. She had both hands in her pockets and looked around, hoping to find some snacks to take back.

Her gaze scanned each storefront for a few seconds. Just as she was feeling weary, her attention was caught by two people standing below the Sliced Fish in Hot Chili Oil stall not far away.

Lin Qiu was pouring yogurt over her fruits when someone bumped her shoulder, causing half of it to spill outside. She frowned, a flash of annoyance crossing her face. “What are you doing?”

“Look over there,” the roommate said, pointing to the distance.

Lin Qiu followed her roommate’s finger.

The glass window in front of the Sliced Fish in Hot Chili Oil stall was wiped clean, and the indoor lights cast a small halo of light.

She saw Qin Huai standing in front of the stall, extending her hand towards the person opposite her, and that person also placed their hand on Qin Huai’s hand.

The intimacy of the gesture was dazzling.