“Wen Mo, over here!” Qin Wenya called out, waving her hand.
Wen Mo smiled and walked over to join her. Since their first stint as “class partners,” the arrangement had become permanent. Qin Wenya had gradually transitioned from feeling awkward and shy to habitually saving a seat for Wen Mo and proactively waving her over.
Qin Wenya’s situation was a bit unique. In their major, she was an “odd-one-out” Beta; her roommates were all from different departments. Since university life usually revolves around the dormitory unit, Qin Wenya often found herself flying solo. Now, with someone as easy on the eyes as Wen Mo to keep her company, she felt incredibly lucky.
Before she got to know Wen Mo, she had thought the girl would be difficult to deal with. But after a few classes, she realized that Wen Mo actually had a very good temper. Regardless of the rumors, Qin Wenya trusted her own judgment.
“Here!” The moment Wen Mo sat down, she pulled a cutely packaged box from her bag and placed it on the desk.
Qin Wenya blinked in surprise. “You knew it was my birthday today?”
Wen Mo froze, feeling a wave of embarrassment. Qin Wenya was essentially the first real friend she’d made in this world—well, that was a bit unfair since Yin Qingyue was also kind to her. But Qin Wenya was different; she was completely unrelated to the plot. She reminded Wen Mo of her best friend back home, Liu Wenwen. Being with Qin Wenya allowed Wen Mo to be herself and truly relax.
She genuinely considered Qin Wenya a friend, so she didn’t want to lie. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”
Seeing the genuine guilt on Wen Mo’s face, Qin Wenya felt bad instead. She waved her hands hurriedly. “It’s fine, really! I never mentioned it. It would be weirder if you did know.”
“By the way, then what’s this?” To keep Wen Mo from dwelling on the apology, Qin Wenya picked up the pretty little box to shift her focus.
Wen Mo made a mental note to get her a proper birthday gift later. “These are some cookies our family chef made. I thought they were delicious, so I asked him to pack some for me to bring to you.”
“Wow!” Qin Wenya’s eyes lit up. “I can’t believe you actually thought to bring me snacks. Wen Mo, you’re the best!”
Wen Mo chuckled. “This makes me ‘the best’? You’re way too easy to please. I brought some for my roommates, too.”
“But you still thought of me!” Qin Wenya insisted. “And the fact that you bring treats for your roommates just proves you’re a great person.”
Wen Mo felt a warm glow of comfort. Truly, the world cannot function without ‘sweet-natured’ girls!
Although this particular “sweet girl” technically possessed “the equipment” to commit a crime in this ABO world personality-wise, she was a sweetheart through and through. Far more genuine than Wen Mo’s own “fake sweet” act.
Wen Mo didn’t argue the point further. She pointed to the box. “Why don’t you try one before class starts? They’re really good.”
Qin Wenya had been dying to see what was inside. She nodded eagerly and unwrapped the box. As soon as it opened, a rich, sweet aroma wafted out. The pastry chef was a whimsical Omega who had shaped the cookies into various adorable little animals.
Qin Wenya picked a little bunny and popped it into her mouth. She was instantly conquered by the perfect balance of buttery crunch and sweetness. She gave Wen Mo a big thumbs up. “So good!”
Wen Mo was happy to see her enjoying them.
“Having a personal pastry chef at home must be amazing! I really envy you rich people!” Qin Wenya couldn’t help but sigh.
Wen Mo was charmed by her honesty once again. Noticing a few crumbs stuck to the corner of Qin Wenya’s mouth, she pulled a pack of tissues from her bag and handed one over. “Stop envying me for a second and wipe your mouth.”
Qin Wenya’s face flushed pink. She took the tissue and gave her mouth a clumsy rub. Unfortunately, she only succeeded in smearing the crumbs onto her cheek.
Wen Mo sighed helplessly. She reached out, took the tissue back, and gently brushed the crumbs off Qin Wenya’s cheek herself. She then folded the tissue, eyed the trash can nearby, and gave it a flick.
Swish! A perfect shot.
“Nice!” Wen Mo cheered for herself. She turned back, wanting to ask if Qin Wenya had seen her “heroic” toss, only to find the girl staring at her with a face as red as a tomato and eyes as wide as saucers.
Wen Mo blinked. Her first thought was: “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Do you have a fever?” She instinctively reached out and pressed her palm against Qin Wenya’s forehead.
Qin Wenya’s face felt like it was about to catch fire.
“You really do feel a bit hot,” Wen Mo said, her expression growing concerned. “You should skip this class. I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
As Wen Mo moved to stand up, Qin Wenya grabbed her arm. “No, no! I don’t have a fever!”
“But your forehead is burning,” Wen Mo insisted, her gaze full of Alpha-typical decisiveness.
Qin Wenya didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Hadn’t the rumors said Wen Mo had been in countless relationships? She didn’t act like one of those clueless “straight-man” Alphas, so how could she not tell the difference between a fever and this?
Naturally, Qin Wenya was too embarrassed to admit that her heart was racing because of Wen Mo’s gentle touch. As an ordinary Beta with an average background and average looks, she had never been in a relationship. She also knew that Alphas generally excluded Betas from their “ideal partner” list.
But Wen Mo had dated Betas before so, did Wen Mo really not realize that her actions just now were a bit too intimate?
Looking into Wen Mo’s pure, innocent eyes, Qin Wenya found her answer. No, Wen Mo really didn’t realize it.
Qin Wenya recalled a post she’d seen a few days ago claiming that Wen Mo’s true preference was men and that she felt no such impulses toward women. So, Wen Mo probably just saw her as a regular classmate. Qin Wenya wasn’t even sure if she counted as Wen Mo’s “friend” yet.
“Wen Mo, do you not like women?” Qin Wenya couldn’t help but ask.
She really enjoyed attending class with Wen Mo. But if Wen Mo continued to be this gentle with her, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from falling for her. If she wanted to keep being friends, it was better to lay the cards on the table now and kill that spark before it grew.
Wen Mo was caught off guard by the question. The topic had jumped way too fast.
But Wen Mo wasn’t actually a dense “straight-man” Alpha. Looking at the sudden question, she finally realized—Qin Wenya’s red face wasn’t from a fever, it was from shyness?
Wen Mo felt a wave of regret. Her deep-seated “Earthling” habits made her naturally protective and close with other girls, but she had forgotten that in this world, this sweet girl wasn’t technically the “same gender” as her. Qin Wenya was a Beta, and she was an Alpha. Alpha-Beta couples were common.
But she really just wanted to be “sisters” with Qin Wenya! She was straight!
Thinking this through, Wen Mo nodded emphatically. “Yes! My preference is definitely men!”
Hearing the definitive answer, Qin Wenya felt a tiny pang of disappointment, but she hadn’t harbored deep feelings anyway; it was just a momentary flutter from the touch. She quickly adjusted her mindset and smiled. “Then stop flirting with me. I can’t handle it.”
Wen Mo wanted to protest that she was being framed—she hadn’t done it on purpose. But she realized that, unconsciously, she had been acting flirtatious. By the standards of this world, she had just touched a girl’s face and then felt her forehead! If a man did that to her back on Earth, she’d have slapped him and called him a creep.
My bad. I need to reflect, Wen Mo thought.
“I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.” Wen Mo whispered.
Looking at Wen Mo’s sincere apology, Qin Wenya’s heart fluttered again. Who on earth said Wen Mo was a bad person? An Alpha who bowed her head and apologized so easily—especially to a Beta, whom Alphas usually looked down upon—was a rare find! It was a pity she couldn’t have her.
Qin Wenya let out a long, dramatic sigh. “It’s fine. I’ve given up anyway. It’s not like I can go back into the womb and be reborn as a man.”
Wen Mo: “?”
What did she mean, “given up”?
Did Qin Wenya actually have feelings for her? Since when?
Seeing the sheer bewilderment in Wen Mo’s eyes, Qin Wenya let out another exasperated laugh. “How do you act like someone who’s never been in a relationship before?”
“Ah.” Wen Mo gave a vague response, thinking to herself, Is it really that obvious?
But since the original “Wen Mo” had a long dating history, she couldn’t exactly nod and admit it.
Fortunately, Qin Wenya didn’t press the issue. She skipped the topic and asked if Wen Mo wanted to go out with her that evening; her roommates were planning to celebrate her birthday.
Wen Mo asked, “Will I be intruding?”
“Not at all,” Qin Wenya said. “My roommates are actually dying to meet you.”
Wen Mo had already planned to get her a birthday gift anyway, so she figured tonight was as good a time as any. Since the birthday girl herself had extended the invitation, Wen Mo didn’t want to be a buzzkill, so she nodded in agreement.
During the lunch break, Wen Mo headed off-campus, intending to take a taxi to the mall to pick out a gift. Her trips outside the school gates were rare—she could count them on one hand.
But talk about a coincidence.
The moment she stepped out of the gate, she spotted a tall, handsome figure standing in front of a luxury car across the street at the neighboring university, looking like he was posing for a fashion magazine.
For a second, Wen Mo wondered if she had entered some kind of bizarre time loop. Why did this scene feel so eerily familiar!
While she was still dazed, staring at the figure, the man looked over.
Wen Mo: “?”
He’s like a ghost that won’t stop haunting me!
Is this some kind of fated curse?
Cursing a blue streak internally while maintaining a sunny exterior, Wen Mo curved her lips into a standard smile and gave Zhu Shen a slight nod.
Damn, the scene was becoming even more familiar. According to the “loop” from last time, Zhu Shen should just stare at her without moving, then look away the moment Yin Qingyue appeared. Then Yin Qingyue would spot her, invite her along, she’d end up being the third wheel, Zhu Shen would get pissed, and he’d find a way to tear into her later.
Wen Mo still remembered vividly how he had mocked her that night at the Wei residence, saying, “This is the first time I’ve seen someone go around chasing people just to ask if they have a crush on her.” That tone was more infuriating than if he’d just called her “shameless” to her face!
And yet, she couldn’t even snap back; she’d had to endure it with a pitiful, forced smile. Zhu Shen had looked like he wanted to keep the mockery going, but Yin Qingyue had eventually pulled him away after saying goodbye.
Wen Mo wasn’t a petty person, but she wasn’t a masochist either! If it wasn’t necessary, she had no desire to hear his sarcasm.
I have to break the cycle. I am not being the third wheel today! Everyone would be happier that way.
Thinking this, Wen Mo prepared to give a quick nod and turn away, but then Zhu Shen—who was supposed to remain motionless—actually waved her over.
Wen Mo froze. What does he mean? He wants me to go over there? Can I pretend I didn’t see him?
While she was weighing her options, Zhu Shen mouthed the words: “Come here.”
Wen Mo: “?”
I hate everything.
Why didn’t I move faster! Why did I have to look up!
If she hadn’t seen it, she could have ignored it. But now that she had made eye contact, there was no hiding.
She couldn’t afford to offend Zhu Shen. And she couldn’t f***ing get away from him!
What a disaster of a fate! Is the universe trying to force her to “conquer” him or something?
With a helpless sigh and a heavy heart, Wen Mo began the long walk toward Zhu Shen.