After Going on a Blind Date With My Omega Love Rival (ABO, GL) - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

“Beep…”

Yu Heyi, who was about to talk to Chi Ruixi, heard the horn from behind and quickly started the car. Once they reached a quieter area, she asked worriedly, “It’s so late. Will Chi Ying be okay on her own?”

Even without her saying it, Chi Ruixi was worried too, even considering turning back to find Chi Ying.

But… Chi Ying was usually sensible. If it wasn’t urgent, she wouldn’t have run off like that.

“I’ll call her and find out what’s going on.”

Chi Ying, who answered the phone, was hiding near a milk tea shop, secretly watching Zhan Yuan busy inside.

Seeing Chi Ruixi’s call, she hesitated before picking up.

“Auntie, what’s up?” Chi Ying’s voice was soft, partly because she felt guilty. The commercial street was noisy, so even if she shouted, Zhan Yuan in the shop probably wouldn’t hear.

But this only made Chi Ruixi more worried.

“What’s going on with you? Where did you go?” Her concern made her tone sharper.

Chi Ying glanced at Zhan Yuan, who was taking payments, and suddenly felt shy, unsure how to explain to Chi Ruixi. But knowing her aunt, if she didn’t say something, Chi Ruixi would probably come looking for her.

“I… I saw Zhan Yuan.”

Chi Ruixi paused, momentarily speechless. Yu Heyi, driving, noticed her reaction and quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chi Ruixi glanced at her and said to Chi Ying, “Alright, call me when you’re ready to come back. I’ll pick you up.”

“We’ll see.” Before Chi Ruixi could say more, Chi Ying hung up.

Chi Ruixi gave a helpless smile, suddenly recalling the day in the car when they talked about Chi Ying, and Yu Heyi called her old-fashioned.

“I think… what you said that day makes sense.”

“What?” Chi Ruixi’s sudden comment confused Yu Heyi. Weren’t they talking about Chi Ying? Why bring her up?

“Chi Ying went to find Zhan Yuan.”

Putting two and two together, Yu Heyi understood, grinning smugly. “See, I told you Chi Ying likes Zhan Yuan.”

Chi Ruixi glared at her, about to speak, but Yu Heyi cut her off, teasing, “Don’t go saying old-fashioned stuff like alphas can’t be with alphas.”

Being called old-fashioned again, Chi Ruixi got annoyed, glaring at Yu Heyi, who started laughing.

Chi Ruixi’s cheeks puffed out in anger, and Yu Heyi found it adorable, not noticing her darkening expression.

If Yu Heyi wasn’t driving, Chi Ruixi would’ve pinched her waist. That laugh was so infuriating. Unable to pinch, she gave a fierce side-eye, turned away, and suppressed her urge to lash out.

But Yu Heyi didn’t even catch the glare, too caught up in how cute Chi Ruixi was, laughing nonstop.

Finally, Chi Ruixi said sternly, “Can you drive properly?”

Yu Heyi stopped laughing, sensing Chi Ruixi was really annoyed, and drove obediently.

Chi Ying stood outside the milk tea shop for nearly half an hour. Zhan Yuan was busy the whole time, not noticing her. Gradually, Chi Ying grew bolder and stopped hiding.

She wasn’t sure why she’d been sneaking around. Running into someone on a commercial street was normal, but she felt guilty.

Zhan Yuan had been ignoring her, yet here she was, acting like a creep spying on her.

Thinking about her talk with Yu Heyi earlier, her heart felt strange.

Seeing how well Yu Heyi and Chi Ruixi matched, she imagined Zhan Yuan in her mind. If it was like that with Zhan Yuan…

Lost in messy thoughts with her head down, Chi Ying didn’t notice someone standing in front of her until she snapped out of it. She saw a pair of worn, white canvas shoes, looked up, and there was Zhan Yuan.

Zhan Yuan’s clear eyes were fixed on her. She wore a simple white T-shirt, light blue denim shorts, and those worn canvas shoes.

Dressed like this, Zhan Yuan looked just like when they first met. Chi Ying had transferred schools, and on her first day, she saw Zhan Yuan being bullied. She hadn’t planned to get involved, but Zhan Yuan’s teary eyes glanced at her, then stubbornly turned away.

That look was like now, except back then it was full of hope mixed with a bit of inferiority.

That glance made Chi Ying step in, saving her from a group of middle schoolers.

For the next three years, Chi Ying looked out for Zhan Yuan. Zhan Yuan became her little follower, and they grew close. Zhan Yuan was a straight-A student, while Chi Ying struggled with some subjects. At first, Chi Ying copied Zhan Yuan’s homework, and Zhan Yuan would nag her to study seriously.

It never worked. In high school, Zhan Yuan started tutoring her.

Chi Ying always thought, no matter what, she and Zhan Yuan would stay best friends.

But their falling out came out of nowhere.

Now, there was no hope in Zhan Yuan’s eyes.

Just unease and inferiority.

Chi Ying knew Zhan Yuan’s family wasn’t well-off, to the point that she worked part-time during holidays. Chi Ying had offered to visit her at work several times, but Zhan Yuan always refused. Chi Ying never knew where she worked—until this chance encounter.

“What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t odd for Chi Ying to be in a bustling commercial street, but it was strange she was alone, lingering outside Zhan Yuan’s milk tea shop, looking downcast.

“Came to see me?” Chi Ying didn’t speak, so Zhan Yuan did. They’d spent less time together lately, and she… kind of missed Chi Ying.

“I was just passing by…” Hearing this, Chi Ying felt embarrassed, like she’d been caught. She made an excuse, not wanting to admit she came for Zhan Yuan.

A chance meeting on a commercial street was normal, right?

But Zhan Yuan’s mood sank hearing this. She’d thought Chi Ying came to find her, then realized Chi Ying wouldn’t know where she worked.

Maybe it really was a coincidence.

“Oh, I’m done with work. Keep shopping.” Zhan Yuan’s tone was neutral, like Chi Ying was just a casual classmate, not someone close.

She turned to leave, not giving Chi Ying a chance to respond. If it was a chance meeting, Chi Ying could go do her thing.

But how could Chi Ying let her walk away?

“Zhan Yuan, don’t go. Wait for me.” Chi Ying chased after her, grabbing her hand, not caring if she was willing. She turned Zhan Yuan to face her. They were so close their lips nearly touched, just two centimeters apart.

“Zhan Yuan, I was wrong before. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?”

The pleading in Chi Ying’s voice was clear. Zhan Yuan, who’d been struggling, stopped, letting Chi Ying hold her hand.

She wasn’t that angry anymore, even feeling a bit unreasonable. But she and Chi Ying were different. Chi Ying genuinely saw her as a friend, but she’d been hiding a secret for years. As Chi Ying differentiated into an alpha and Omegas started flocking to her, Zhan Yuan felt she couldn’t keep it in anymore.

She liked Chi Ying, wanted to be with her, but Chi Ying only saw her as a friend.

Chi Ying was good to her—she knew that—but she wanted more. She feared if Chi Ying found out, she’d cut her off completely. So she wavered, wanting to see her but also avoiding her.

Their gap was too wide. Chi Ying was the future heir of the Chi family, a star, while she was utterly ordinary.

Even if she differentiated into an Omega, it’d be impossible.

The more she thought, the sourer her heart felt, her eyes reddening.

Seeing this, Chi Ying felt a pang of heartache, guilt, and self-blame growing.

“Don’t cry, Zhan Yuan. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have accepted those breakfasts from others or let those Omegas get close to me.”

Chi Ying was almost certain now—Zhan Yuan liked her.

Zhan Yuan was jealous, possessive, but too scared to get close.

Maybe it was because of her alpha status. Accepting an alpha-alpha relationship took time. Chi Ying herself hadn’t fully processed it.

But she was sure those random Omegas meant nothing compared to Zhan Yuan.

Zhan Yuan’s eyes blurred with tears. Wiping them away, she saw the emotion in Chi Ying’s eyes and said, lips pursed, “Chi Ying, you’re an alpha. It’s normal for Omegas to like you.”

“But I don’t like them.”

“And you get upset because of them.”

“Zhan Yuan, none of them matter as much as you do.”

Zhan Yuan didn’t know if Chi Ying liked her or not, but hearing this made her heart bloom.

Yet, thinking of their gap, she still felt it was impossible.

She’d grown up struggling, maturing earlier than Chi Ying. She knew, given their circumstances, even if they got together, it wouldn’t last. Better to keep things friendly.

“Chi Ying, I’m not that important. You’ll find a cute, matching Omega someday.”

Thinking Zhan Yuan was hung up on her alpha status, Chi Ying couldn’t accept that. She hugged Zhan Yuan, wrapping her arms around her waist, letting her head rest on her shoulder. Zhan Yuan tried to pull away, but Chi Ying held tight, stubbornly saying, “Zhan Yuan, don’t you get what I’m saying? Forget those random Omegas—you’re more important than them!”

Zhan Yuan’s heart trembled at her words, her eyes stinging again.

Chi Ying’s embrace was so warm, her grapefruit scent so strong.

Her body started feeling hot. Lately, for some reason, her body would heat up occasionally, especially around that grapefruit scent.

Feeling Zhan Yuan’s body warm up, Chi Ying asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Do you have a fever?”

“Let go of me.” Zhan Yuan didn’t know why, but she had a guess. Staying away from Chi Ying helped, so she pushed her away, cheeks flushed.