You Are My Omega - Chapter 41

The moment Xu Shijiu saw the person outside the door, her first instinct was to shut it. Lin Xinyi hadn’t even had time to speak before the door began to close again. Without thinking, she quickly reached out and stuck her hand in the gap.

Xu Shijiu had been closing the door in a hurry and had used considerable strength. Even though Lin Xinyi had prepared herself mentally, the pain when her hand was caught still made her want to cry out. She barely managed to hold back the sound. Neither her older sister nor Sister Liu was home at the moment, but she knew that if she cried out, Xu Shijiu would feel terribly guilty.

“Lin Xinyi!” Xu Shijiu had never expected Lin Xinyi to stop the door with her hand. She immediately opened it again, her voice full of disbelief. “Are you out of your mind? Using your hand to block a door.”

Xu Shijiu wanted to check how badly Lin Xinyi was hurt. But when she saw Lin Xinyi wearing a long-sleeved shirt, she hesitated. Her hand froze in the air, unsure what to do.

Lin Xinyi quickly hid her injured hand behind her back and spoke seriously.

“I’m fine. Xu Shijiu, I need to talk to you.”

“You’re not fine. Let me see your hand.” Xu Shijiu knew exactly how much force she had used to close the door.

Lin Xinyi shook her hand to show that she was really okay. Then she bowed deeply to Xu Shijiu. It was a full ninety-degree bow. The sudden movement startled Xu Shijiu.

Xu Shijiu had a feeling about what Lin Xinyi was going to say. Her first reaction was to run, but she was still worried about Lin Xinyi’s hand. When she saw the pleading look in Lin Xinyi’s eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to move.

“I’m sorry, Xu Shijiu. I didn’t keep the promise I made to you. I said I wouldn’t go see Mo Jinlan or get involved with her, but I broke that promise. I kept things from you about her, and I truly am sorry. I know I was wrong.”

“Lin Xinyi…” Xu Shijiu’s expression slowly calmed down, but her eyes were still filled with complicated emotions. “Who you choose to spend time with is your decision. I don’t have the right to stop you. As for the promise, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Lin Xinyi, I’ll make it clear to everyone that our engagement is no longer valid. That way, you won’t have to worry about anything. The Xu family won’t hold you back. You can like any Alpha you want. You can be with whoever you choose. You don’t need my opinion.”

Lin Xinyi panicked. “Cancel the engagement? Why?”

Xu Shijiu lowered her gaze. “You can’t force something that isn’t meant to be.”

Lin Xinyi suddenly felt weak. “Has this engagement been a burden to you?”

Hearing that, Xu Shijiu looked up and met Lin Xinyi’s innocent eyes. She could no longer keep the frustration inside her heart.

“Hasn’t it been a burden to you? If we cancel the engagement, you’ll be free to be with Mo Jinlan. You won’t have to hide how you feel about her. She’s a top-tier Alpha, and you’re a top-tier Omega. You’re a perfect match.”

Xu Shijiu sounded like a gun firing one question after another. Her words came out fast, loud, and full of emotion. Lin Xinyi could not respond right away, stunned by the flood of accusations and the intensity of Xu Shijiu’s voice.

When Xu Shijiu saw Lin Xinyi standing there frozen, she assumed her words had hit the mark. She believed she had spoken the truth that Lin Xinyi didn’t dare admit. She completely forgot about Lin Xinyi’s injured hand. Overwhelmed and emotional, she turned her wheelchair and moved to close the door.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Xu Shijiu was fuming. She had not even caught her breath when she noticed Lin Xinyi standing silently beside her. Somehow, she had gotten inside without Xu Shijiu noticing.

Startled, Xu Shijiu snapped, “Why are you still here?”

Her room was dim, the curtains drawn and lit only by a warm yellow light. Lin Xinyi had entered so quietly and was standing so close that it gave her a chill.

Lin Xinyi quickly explained.

“I don’t have feelings for Mo Jinlan. I never saw our engagement as a burden or something that held me back. The only reason I acted that way toward her was because she got into a fight defending me. She got hurt because of it. I only went to ask if she was okay while I was handing in homework.”

“I’ve never felt trapped, and I never hid any secret feelings. Xu Shijiu, I am your fiancée. I’m your Omega. I have never thought of that identity as something shameful or limiting. And also…”

Xu Shijiu asked, “Also what?”

“Also…” Lin Xinyi looked at Xu Shijiu, whose expression was slowly softening. She saw the faint hope in her eyes. Even though she felt embarrassed, she forced herself to speak clearly.

“Also, the Alpha I like…”

Xu Shijiu felt her heart pounding. She had a guess, but it seemed almost impossible. Still, she held her breath.

“…is you.”

Lin Xinyi’s face was bright red, but she refused to look away. She made herself speak honestly. Xu Shijiu lacked a sense of emotional security, and Lin Xinyi didn’t want to hurt her again.

Lin Xinyi stayed still, but Xu Shijiu panicked and left.

Right after the confession, Xu Shijiu wheeled herself straight into the bathroom. Lin Xinyi stood there stunned, staring at the closed bathroom door. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Was that a rejection?

Suddenly, the door opened again. Xu Shijiu peeked out, her head slightly lowered. She seemed too embarrassed to meet Lin Xinyi’s eyes.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I just need a little time to calm down.”

That one sentence, filled with explanation and reassurance, made Lin Xinyi feel both warmth and sadness.

“I won’t misunderstand. I’ll wait for you to come out. We made a promise, and this time, I won’t break it.” Lin Xinyi said this with so much conviction that it looked like she might raise her hand and swear an oath right then and there.

This was the first day after Lin Xinyi’s confession.

The very first thing Lin Xinyi did that day was to explain everything about Mo Jinlan, every detail without leaving anything out. Only then did Xu Shijiu realize that she had misunderstood Lin Xinyi in some ways.

However…

Just as Xu Shijiu had expected, Mo Jinlan never admitted to lifting her bangs in front of others.

And as for Xu Shijiu, she had no intention of bringing it up herself.

The first thing Xu Shijiu did that morning was treat the injury on Lin Xinyi’s arm. Thankfully, her long sleeves had covered it, or the bruising would have been painfully obvious.

The second thing they did together was study.

But halfway through their study session, they suddenly received news that Liu Lingyan was about to give birth. The two of them rushed to the hospital without a moment’s hesitation.

Xu Shijiu’s older sister went into the delivery room to stay by Liu Lingyan’s side. Lin Xinyi and Xu Shijiu waited anxiously outside. They had no idea how much time had passed when a middle-aged man ran to the delivery room doors. He hadn’t even had time to ask about his daughter when his eyes landed on Xu Shijiu.

In that instant, the man’s expression turned especially complicated.

“Hello, I’m Liu Lingyan’s father. May I ask who you are…” His gaze fell without restraint on Xu Shijiu’s legs. A very bad feeling started rising in his chest.

Xu Shijiu instinctively moved behind Lin Xinyi, nervously gripping her hand as if to draw strength from her. “Ah, h-hello, I’m Xu Shijiu.”

“Liu-jie has been in there for a while now. My sister is inside with her. The doctor said everything is going smoothly, so you don’t need to worry,” Lin Xinyi quickly stepped in. She could feel how much Xu Shijiu was trembling. She took a step forward and stood in front of her, blocking most of the man’s intrusive gaze.

“I’m sorry. I was rude,” the man said, his face pale. He shook his head and suddenly turned to leave.

“You’re not going to wait for Liu-jie to come out?” Lin Xinyi asked, confused. Why had he come only to leave so suddenly? Her question went unanswered. The man didn’t even pause as he walked quickly away.

Xu Shijiu also found it strange. Still, the moment the man left, she visibly relaxed. Her expression softened in relief, and Lin Xinyi couldn’t help but laugh and feel a little heartache at the same time.

“We’ll take it slow, step by step, until you feel more comfortable talking with others.”

Xu Shijiu didn’t answer right away. She didn’t want to. She was still resistant. But under Lin Xinyi’s gentle gaze, she finally nodded.

“Okay.”

She knew Lin Xinyi was doing it for her sake.

During that time when Xu Shijiu had pushed Lin Xinyi away, she thought Lin Xinyi had probably been focusing on her own studies. But just earlier, Lin Xinyi had walked out of her room holding a stack of handwritten practice books and placed them in front of her. It was only then that Xu Shijiu realized Lin Xinyi had still been thinking about her all along. Even while being ignored, she had continued copying down key practice problems by hand just for her.

Without Xu Shijiu, Lin Xinyi didn’t know what else to do. So she had spent her time transcribing exercise books, one set after another, while thinking about Xu Shijiu. She wasn’t even sure if she had made any mistakes while copying them.

It wasn’t until nearly dawn that Liu Lingyan finally gave birth. By then, Lin Xinyi and Xu Shijiu had already been sent home by bodyguards, following instructions given earlier by Xu Manyue. They were strictly told to attend school as usual the next day. Only then did they give up on the idea of going to see Liu Lingyan and the baby.

But how could they possibly concentrate in class the next day? Both of them spent the morning absentmindedly doodling possible nicknames for the baby. Although they still didn’t have a proper given name, that didn’t stop them from brainstorming.

Lin Xinyi glanced over at Xu Shijiu’s notebook by accident. When she saw words like “wheelchair,” “rehab,” “homework,” “desk,” and “chair,” she was at a complete loss for words. She didn’t even know how to begin teasing Xu Shijiu for her strange choices.

Lin Zhiling noticed the same list on Xu Shijiu’s notebook and asked, “What is she doing?”

Lin Xinyi replied with a mix of amusement and helplessness, “She’s coming up with nicknames for the baby.”

“What?” Lin Zhiling couldn’t believe it. “Xu Shijiu is… really something.”

She had been about to say more, but the moment Xu Shijiu looked up at her with a cold and slightly eerie expression, Lin Zhiling froze and instantly changed her tone.

“Heh… haha…” Lin Zhiling gave an awkward laugh. Once Xu Shijiu lowered her head again, she let out a quiet sigh of relief and leaned toward Lin Xinyi to whisper.

“You two absolutely cannot let Xu Shijiu name your future kids. Too cringe.”

Lin Xinyi didn’t respond. Her thoughts were clearly not on the same page. She bit her lip slightly and felt her cheeks grow warm.

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