ABO: A Debt to Repay - Chapter 8
Because Xu Chang used to come home occasionally—and every visit ended in a fight—Xu Xi developed the habit of completing all her schoolwork at school.
In class, except for bathroom breaks and P.E., she spent nearly every moment studying diligently.
That afternoon, as soon as she arrived at school, she quickly slipped into study mode, making full use of her time between classes.
While she was reviewing her past mistakes, a crumpled paper ball landed on her desk.
Most of the students were napping during break, so Xu Xi looked around and saw Zhao Yuran watching her, gesturing for her to open it.
Annoyed by the interruption—especially knowing that Zhao Yuran likely had nothing good to say—Xu Xi remembered what He Lin had told her and threw the paper straight into the trash.
Zhao Yuran was stunned. She hadn’t expected Xu Xi to react like that. But thinking about how Xu Xi now had a wealthy “cousin” backing her up, it made sense that she’d grown bolder. Zhao Yuran was even more determined not to give up.
She might not be a top-tier Omega, but Omegas were still rare. She had a beautiful face and a milk-sweet scent that most Alphas adored. As long as she took the initiative, she believed no Alpha could resist her.
As for He Lin ignoring her the other day—it must’ve been because Xu Xi was there. He probably didn’t want to make a move in front of a classmate.
After school that evening, Zhao Yuran followed Xu Xi again. Xu Xi noticed and turned around.
“What do you want now?” she asked.
“Xu Xi, I was biased against you before. That was my fault. I want to apologize—I’m sorry.”
Zhao Yuran even bowed slightly in apology.
Xu Xi replied calmly, “There’s no need to apologize to me. If you were biased, that’s your problem.”
In other words, she didn’t care what Zhao Yuran thought of her.
Zhao Yuran kept her smile and stepped forward, trying to take Xu Xi’s hand. Xu Xi quickly pulled away, but Zhao Yuran didn’t seem discouraged.
“Well then, can we at least be friends?”
Xu Xi frowned. “No.”
Zhao Yuran tilted her head, as if disappointed. “No? But I really do want to be friends.”
Xu Xi found her baffling and turned to leave, but Zhao Yuran grabbed her arm again. This time, Xu Xi lost patience.
“Just say what you want already. What’s your real purpose?”
If she knew Xu Xi wouldn’t agree, why keep pestering her? She had to be after something.
Seeing the act wasn’t working, Zhao Yuran dropped the pretense.
“Fine. I’ll be honest. I want your cousin’s contact info. Give it to me, and I’ll stop bothering you.”
Xu Xi froze.
She had imagined many reasons, but not this. Zhao Yuran wanted He Lin’s contact info? They’d only met once…
“What—don’t tell me he’s not really your cousin, and he’s actually your sugar daddy?”
He Lin hadn’t said anything about keeping his number private. Xu Xi suddenly wanted to let these two crash into each other and see what happened.
She took out her phone and showed Zhao Yuran his contacts. Apart from her homeroom teacher and her mother, He Fang, there was only one other contact—He Lin.
Zhao Yuran jotted down He Lin’s number, then asked, “You must have his WeChat too, right?”
Not wanting to waste time, Xu Xi brought up He Lin’s WeChat contact and let Zhao Yuran copy it. After that, she said flatly, “That’s all I’ve got. I’m going home.”
Zhao Yuran didn’t stop her this time. Xu Xi walked home without further trouble, but even after shaking Zhao Yuran off, she felt uneasy.
She knew He Lin probably wouldn’t give Zhao Yuran the time of day, but… what if?
Back home, Auntie Wang had timed dinner perfectly, and Xu Xi arrived just in time to eat. Noticing her absentmindedness, she asked gently, “Young master, is something bothering you?”
Xu Xi shook her head. “No.”
“Would you like some dessert? There’s hardly any kind I can’t make!”
Her words pulled Xu Xi out of her thoughts. She looked at her and smiled. “You’re amazing, Auntie Wang!”
Seeing the happiness on her face, Auntie Wang grinned. “So, what do you want to eat?”
…
That night before bed, Xu Xi sent He Lin a goodnight message. She waited a while, but there was no reply. A little disappointed, she set her phone aside and closed her eyes, trying to sleep.
She thought she might have trouble falling asleep, but as she hugged He Lin’s shirt and breathed in the fading scent of pine, she drifted off without realizing it.
In her dream, she walked into a pine forest where sunbeams filtered through the trees, creating a breathtaking Tyndall effect. The scent of pine filled her with peace. She floated through the air, embraced by the soft breeze—it felt incredibly comforting.
Smiling in her sleep, Xu Xi looked utterly serene.
When He Lin arrived in the middle of the night and saw Xu Xi smiling like that, he raised an eyebrow.
He’d originally planned to scold Xu Xi for giving away his contact info. But seeing that peaceful sleeping face, he couldn’t bring himself to wake her… He even released a bit of his pheromones to avoid startling him.
Omegas really were… kind of adorable.
He Lin climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around Xu Xi, breathing in the faint locust flower scent from her nape. Slowly, he too closed his eyes and fell asleep.