After Being Bitten By Top-Tier O, Flop A Went Viral - Chapter 31

31: She’s Putting on a Brave Face

There was no need to weigh the fish—the two of them had undoubtedly won first place without any suspense.

Qin Que stared at the pot full of fish, feeling a little troubled. “There’s definitely no way we can finish all of this, and we can’t take it back with us either.”

The other two teams: “…”

The rich feast while the poor starve.

Fish was an ingredient that demanded freshness—once out of the water, it would quickly die. By the time they returned to school, any leftovers would have long spoiled. Besides, the school had a cafeteria.

Yan Qing smiled and looked at Mi Sike. “How about we sell some to the production team? One fish for one campus coin?”

Mi Sike remained expressionless. “No. You can deal with them however you want, but the production team won’t buy them back.”

“Oh…” Yan Qing nodded understandingly, then turned to the other teams. “Well, since we’re just going to release them anyway, do you want to buy some? Ten campus coins per fish, take your pick.”

Mi Sike: “???”

Yan Yuzhen blinked. “Sister Yan, you’re really ruthless—charging us so much more than the production team.”

Yan Qing grinned and held up five fingers. “Fine, since you’re so cute, five campus coins per fish. That’s as low as I’ll go.”

“Yay!”

Yan Yuzhen cheered and lunged for the pot of fish.

Mi Sike: “I said you guys—”

Yan Qing looked at her innocently, cutting her off. “You did say we could deal with them however we wanted. You’re not going back on your word now, are you?”

Mi Sike wanted to sincerely apologize to Qin Que—compared to Yan Qing, she was still too naive.

While Yan Yuzhen was picking through the fish, she noticed a particularly large one set aside in a separate pot. “I want this one!”

“That one’s not for sale.” Yan Qing patted Qin Que’s shoulder. “Your Sister Qin gave it to me as a gift. I’m keeping it for myself.”

Qin Que hadn’t expected Yan Qing to set aside the fish she’d caught earlier for this reason. She was both surprised and flattered, unable to stop the smile from spreading across her face.

Yan Yuzhen: “…Fine.”

After Yan Yuzhen finished picking, Yan Qing turned to Nie Sijun. “What about you two? Want one too? This is your only chance.”

Though she said “you two,” her gaze was fixed solely on Nie Sijun, completely ignoring Dai Yuchen.

Dai Yuchen, already annoyed at the idea of an alpha buying food from an omega, felt even more slighted by Yan Qing’s cold treatment. He stiffly replied, “No thanks, Miss Yan. I don’t like fish.”

“Hmm, what about you, Sister Nie? Don’t you like it either?” Yan Qing smiled casually, still looking at Nie Sijun.

Nie Sijun met Yan Qing’s eyes and saw no trace of mockery or disdain—as if they were still just friends.

Maybe Yan Qing had never changed. Maybe it was her own heart that had shifted.

Was there still a way back for her?

After a pause, Nie Sijun finally stopped tormenting her already-bitten lips. “I do. I’ll give twenty campus coins for a big one.”

Her voice was soft, trembling slightly.

Like someone who had lost their voice for years finally speaking to the world again.

“Of course!” Yan Qing was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. She walked over to the pot and personally picked out the largest fish, placing it in Nie Sijun’s bucket. “But just to be clear—this is for you alone.”

She spoke loudly and clearly, ensuring Dai Yuchen could hear every word.

“I know.” Nie Sijun smiled too—perhaps the first genuine smile she’d shown since the show began. Her next words were barely a whisper. “I’ve always known.”

As long as someone is still waiting for you, there will always be a way back.

On their way to release the remaining fish, Qin Que could tell Yan Qing was in an exceptionally good mood.

The scent of wine in the air carried a faint, intoxicating sweetness.

Was it because of Miss Nie?

She glanced back at Nie Sijun, who was crouched by her bucket, smiling at the fish.

She didn’t know the full story between the two, but she was genuinely happy for Nie Sijun’s change—and for Yan Qing’s happiness.

When they returned, Mi Sike announced the next challenge. “The second event today is a corn-husking competition. You’ll have half an hour. Aside from what you’ll eat yourselves, the production team will buy back the corn at one campus coin per ear. There will be no additional ranking rewards for this event.”

As she said this, she shot Yan Qing a pointed look—clearly, this rule was implemented to prevent Yan Qing from turning the dating show into a flea market.

Yan Qing, completely unrepentant and rather pleased with herself, nudged Qin Que. “Impressive, huh?”

Qin Que gave her a thumbs-up. “Very.”

Mi Sike: “…”

She was done.

The six of them stood before the cornfield. Autumn was harvest season, and the cornstalks towered over them, densely packed like a miniature forest, blocking out most of the sunlight. From the outside, it looked dark and eerie.

Yan Qing, still brimming with curiosity, was the first to charge in. Qin Que followed with a basket.

As expected, it was cool and damp inside, the air thick with the scent of earth and faint sweetness of plants. The soil underfoot was soft but thankfully not muddy—it hadn’t rained in days.

Unlike fishing, husking corn required no skill. The two chatted as they worked.

Yan Qing sounded wistful. “When I retire, maybe I’ll open a farm here.”

Qin Que pictured Yan Qing in a straw hat, recklessly driving a harvester through the fields, and couldn’t help but laugh. “But retirement’s still a long way off for you, right?”

Though the image of Farmer Yan Qing was adorable, Qin Que still hoped an actress like Yan Qing would grace the screen for many more years.

She wanted to see more of Yan Qing’s films.

“Yeah,” Yan Qing sighed dramatically. “It’ll be a while. My plan is to—ah!”

She yelped, dropping the corn in her hand.

“What’s wrong?!”

Qin Que immediately tossed her basket aside and rushed over.

Though Yan Qing’s cry had been quiet, Qin Que had heard the fear in it.

“N-nothing.” Yan Qing clutched her hand, her face pale as she stared at the fallen corn.

Qin Que could tell Yan Qing was trying to stay calm, but her voice still trembled slightly.

Following her gaze, Qin Que finally spotted the tiny green caterpillar wriggling along the corn.

Yan Qing is scared of bugs?

Surprised, she turned back to Yan Qing, who had already averted her eyes, as if embarrassed. Her voice was uncharacteristically small. “W-what? I just think they’re ugly. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.” Qin Que’s heart ached and yet she also wanted to laugh. She quickly nudged the corn away with her foot, then took Yan Qing’s hand, gently squeezing her palm in reassurance. “Then don’t husk anymore. There are probably more bugs in here.”

She tried to lead Yan Qing out of the cornfield, but the woman stubbornly stayed put.

Puzzled, Qin Que looked back. Yan Qing hesitated for a long moment before speaking. “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

She’s forcing herself.

The fear in her pheromones hadn’t faded. Qin Que was certain of her conclusion.

So, for once, she stood her ground against Yan Qing. “It’s okay. We’ve already got enough corn for ourselves. We’ll just earn a little less.”

Are you looking down on me?

Yan Qing’s lips pressed into a thin line. She rarely showed vulnerability—it made her feel unsafe.

So she still wanted to hide it.

But when she tried to glare in protest, she met Qin Que’s worried gaze instead.

The usually faint milky scent of Qin Que’s pheromones had grown stronger, wrapping around her like warm milk—comforting, protective.

Yet there was no smugness, no satisfaction in having protected her.

Qin Que softened her voice. “I’m not stopping you. I just don’t want you to force yourself.”

Of course, she had no right to dictate Yan Qing’s choices. But she also didn’t want her to endure fear just for a few extra ears of corn.

The alpha’s gentleness was like summer sunlight, effortlessly melting Yan Qing’s stubbornness.

She couldn’t resist it—didn’t even want to resist.

It felt safe, even exposing her softest parts.

Slowly, Yan Qing relaxed, murmuring, “Okay.”

The forced composure and hidden fear faded, leaving only a trace of lingering fright.

Qin Que watched as Yan Qing’s lashes lowered, her lips quirking down slightly.

For a moment, she had the absurd thought—Yan Qing is holding back tears.

Of course, she knew Yan Qing wouldn’t cry over something like this. But that didn’t stop her heart from melting.

She pulled Yan Qing into a hug, gently rubbing her back.

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared.”

This time, she felt no guilt—because there were no ulterior thoughts in her heart.

She just wanted to give Yan Qing a comforting embrace.