After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently (GL) - Chapter 23.1

Chi Yan frowned. Within a few seconds, she pieced everything together.

Yan Youqing had clearly used her inhibitor. The injector in her hand was empty, which meant she had taken the dose as she should. But something had gone wrong. The suppressant had failed to work.

Chi Yan looked at her flushed cheeks and trembling body, then glanced at the classroom door still slightly ajar behind her. Her voice was quiet but firm.

“You were affected by Xu Minxue’s pheromones.”

Yan Youqing did not respond, but the slight movement of her eyes was enough of an answer.

Chi Yan clenched her fists. A sharp chill rose in her chest. She had always known that Xu Minxue was not someone to trust, but she never imagined he would go this far.

She looked at Yan Youqing again. The girl was clearly trying to remain composed, but her body was betraying her.

Chi Yan asked gently, “Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?”

Yan Youqing bit her lip. Her voice trembled.

“I can’t move.”

Chi Yan hesitated for half a second before walking over and crouching down in front of her.

“Then I’ll help you.”

She reached out carefully, worried that any movement might overwhelm either of them. Yan Youqing’s skin felt warm, too warm, and her breath was uneven. Even as Chi Yan placed an arm behind her back, she felt the trembling through her clothes.

Chi Yan’s heart beat fast, not from panic, but from something deeper and harder to ignore.

This was not like the last time.

Last time, she had still been a Beta.

Now, she was an Alpha.

And her senses were no longer neutral. Her body was already reacting to the pheromones flooding the air.

She tried to focus. She supported Yan Youqing gently, trying not to touch more than necessary. “Hold on to me. We’ll go slowly.”

Yan Youqing nodded, barely able to lift her arm around Chi Yan’s shoulder. Her touch was light, but Chi Yan could still feel it clearly.

Step by step, Chi Yan helped her out of the classroom, down the hallway filled with golden light. The scent of sea salt and morning dew still lingered in the air, brushing against her like a memory she could not shake.

As they moved, Chi Yan’s mind ran in circles.

She was not supposed to be the one doing this. She had always been the outsider, the person who watched from a distance.

But now, it was her supporting Yan Youqing. Her carrying the weight. Her standing between her and the person who had crossed the line.

At the top of the stairs, Yan Youqing stumbled again, and Chi Yan caught her quickly, tightening her grip. She looked down at her and spoke softly.

“Almost there. Just hold on a little longer.”

Yan Youqing did not speak, but her hand on Chi Yan’s shoulder gripped a little tighter.

In that brief moment, Chi Yan felt the heat between them settle into something quieter. Something closer.

She didn’t know what it meant.

But she knew that whatever this was, she could not walk away from it now.

When an Alpha and an Omega are a perfect pheromone match, it creates a strong bond. But if they are not compatible, rejection can occur.

Pheromone rejection does not harm the Alpha, but for the Omega, it can be fatal. In severe cases, the Omega’s body may go into shock and shut down from the invasive Alpha pheromones.

Right now, Yan Youqing’s body was rejecting Xu Minxue’s pheromones.

What made it worse was that she had already taken an inhibitor, and it had failed to work.

Chi Yan knew she couldn’t afford to waste time. She crouched down and tried to help Yan Youqing up.

“Come on, Yan Youqing. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

But Yan Youqing was already too weak. As Chi Yan pulled her, she collapsed entirely.

Chi Yan stumbled to catch her. As her ponytail fell forward over her shoulder, the suppressant patch behind her neck released the faintest trace of tequila scent.

It was like pouring cold water onto molten lava. The sharp, clean scent gave Yan Youqing a moment of clarity and relief.

The leftover pheromones in the classroom faded as Chi Yan’s replaced them. The unpleasant scent of rotting grapes was quickly suppressed.

Yan Youqing’s body instinctively leaned toward the only source of comfort she could detect.

Her eyes were glassy, her long black hair falling over Chi Yan, covering them both. Her breath was hot and unsteady, landing against Chi Yan’s chest. Their shadows overlapped on the wall as she leaned closer.

The cool waves of Chi Yan’s scent crashed into her, stirring something deep inside. The mixture of sea salt and morning dew overwhelmed her.

Chi Yan could feel it. Yan Youqing’s intentions were clear, and it made her tense.

“Yan Youqing,” she said, her voice a little shaky.

But the combination of heat and pheromone rejection had clouded Yan Youqing’s mind.

Or perhaps it had made her unusually focused.

Her eyes remained cool, but a fire burned behind them. She stared at Chi Yan with startling clarity and whispered through trembling lips, “Mark me, Chi Yan.”

Her voice was weak, yet it still carried that familiar calm. Light from the window behind her bathed her figure in a soft, dreamlike glow.

Chi Yan felt her mind go blank for a second. It was as if something had hit her head, hard.

The windows and doors were all shut, and the scent of sea salt filled the room, growing stronger with every breath. It was the pure, instinctive call of an Omega seeking an Alpha.

As an Alpha, Chi Yan now understood what the textbooks had meant. The pheromones of an Omega in heat were dangerously tempting.

Her thoughts wavered.

She believed she could help ease the fire inside Yan Youqing. A temporary mark might stabilize her. After all, she had been affected by Xu Minxue’s pheromones and looked like she was in pain.

The oversized school uniform slipped off Yan Youqing’s left shoulder. The sunset filtered through the thin white shirt, outlining the shape of her fragile shoulder blade.

Her exposed collarbone, no longer hidden by her long hair, looked like a narrow path, drawing Chi Yan forward with quiet urgency.

Chi Yan’s eyes locked onto that pale skin. Her tight self-control began to crack, like buttons snapping one by one under strain. Something buried within her pushed hard against the walls she had built, trying to break free.

Two sharp Alpha canines slowly extended from her lips, clean and pointed like those of a predator.

Yan Youqing’s hair was pushed aside, revealing the back of her neck soaked in the scent of sea salt and morning dew.

Chi Yan’s tongue lightly touched the skin there. Her throat tightened as a wave of heat rose from within her.

But the pain that Yan Youqing had expected never came. The warmth disappeared just as suddenly as it had arrived.

Chi Yan pulled back abruptly, pushing Yan Youqing away.

“No,” she said firmly.

Yan Youqing had lost control of her instincts. But Chi Yan had not.

She was an adult. Yan Youqing was not.

To go through with it under the excuse of helping her would have been nothing more than self-justification.

But Yan Youqing, dazed and confused, didn’t understand the meaning behind Chi Yan’s refusal.

She had been hurt by the sudden rejection. Her normally calm eyes now shimmered with a hint of sadness.

“Chi Yan,” she said softly.

The pheromone rejection had pushed her to the edge. Her breathing grew heavier, her restraint slipping. Even her voice seemed ready to dissolve into the heat inside her.

Chi Yan had never seen this side of her. In her memory, Yan Youqing had always been cold and distant.

Now her flushed eyes tilted slightly under the sunset light, seductive and delicate. That soft allure clashed with the usual reserve she wore but somehow felt just right.

A strange thought crossed Chi Yan’s mind.

In ancient times, someone like Yan Youqing, an S-class Omega, would have been the kind of consort who could bring down a kingdom.

No emperor could resist her during heat.

But Chi Yan had to.

She looked into Yan Youqing’s clear yet dangerously inviting eyes and fought back the instincts trying to take over. She had to hold firm, to stay in control.

She remembered something.

The higher an Alpha’s pheromone level, the more effectively it could suppress other pheromones. Her mind raced, recalling years of research in the Life Sciences department.

Then she realized something.

She forced herself to stay focused and said, “Yan Youqing, I can give you my pheromones, but not by marking you.”

Without hesitation, she reached into her desk and pulled out a small blade. Without so much as flinching, she cut her wrist.

Bl00d flowed down her pale skin like a red ribbon, gliding into Yan Youqing’s trembling vision.

An Alpha’s bl00d contained pheromones. Not a lot, but enough to counteract the harmful ones inside an Omega’s body.

Because Omegas lose their canines after differentiation, they cannot draw pheromones from an Alpha directly. The Alpha must make the first move.

“Take it,” Chi Yan said.

She raised her bleeding wrist in front of Yan Youqing.

Her voice was softer than usual. Her expression was calm, more so than it had been all day, as if the wound on her wrist wasn’t painful at all.

Chi Yan gently pushed aside a few strands of damp hair from Yan Youqing’s cheek.

Her fingers brushed against the soft skin, slightly cool from the sweat that had yet to dry. Even now, there was still a faint scent of sea salt and morning dew clinging to her.

The strands of hair slid between Chi Yan’s fingers like silk. The quiet moment felt strangely intimate, and it made her heart skip a beat.

She paused with her hand still hovering beside Yan Youqing’s face. For a second, she didn’t know whether she was being careful or selfish. Her eyes stayed fixed on the girl resting quietly in front of her.

Yan Youqing’s breathing was steady. Her eyelashes cast long shadows beneath her eyes, and her lips were slightly parted. The usual sharpness in her features had softened in sleep, revealing a quiet vulnerability that Chi Yan had never seen before.

This was the first time she had seen Yan Youqing look so relaxed.

The same girl who always stood at the top of their class, always dressed neatly, always carried herself with calm restraint, now leaned helplessly against a school desk, completely defenseless.

Chi Yan lowered her gaze, a complicated feeling rising in her chest.

She had no idea how long they would keep playing this role of rivals, but tonight had changed something.

What happened in this classroom could never be spoken out loud, but it would never be forgotten.

She took one last look at Yan Youqing before carefully withdrawing her hand, returning it to her lap.

The golden light outside had faded. The sun had finally dipped below the horizon, and the last sliver of orange was swallowed by the evening sky.

The classroom had grown dim. The chalkboard, the rows of desks, the shadows from the window—all of it seemed to settle into stillness.

Chi Yan stood up slowly. Her muscles were stiff from sitting so long, and her legs still ached from earlier. She glanced back at Yan Youqing again, making sure she was sleeping soundly.

Then she moved to the back of the classroom and quietly opened a window. The evening breeze swept in, cooling the heavy air and gently stirring the curtains.

She walked back to her seat, hesitated, then took off her school jacket and placed it gently over Yan Youqing’s shoulders.

It was still too warm in the room, but she didn’t want her to catch a chill later.

After that, Chi Yan sat down again and rested her arms on the desk, leaning forward and laying her head down.

The day had been too long, too intense, and her body finally demanded rest.

As her eyes slowly closed, the faint scent of lime and salt lingered around her.

It was strange.

The two of them had always been like fire and ice. And yet, at this moment, neither burned nor froze.

Just quiet warmth.

Just the rhythm of two people breathing in the same silence.

It felt as if an invisible thread connected to her heartbeat was tied to her fingertips. The moment Chi Yan’s fingers came into contact with Yan Youqing’s pheromones, her heart gave two sharp, uncontrollable thumps.

Chi Yan didn’t know how to describe the feeling she got from Yan Youqing’s pheromones. They were both familiar and unfamiliar, seemingly without much scent, yet oddly pleasant.

She rubbed her fingertips together and casually pushed the confusing thought aside. Then she picked up her phone.

The golden light stretched across the sky and brushed against the window glass, barely illuminating the dim classroom.

In the camera view, the evening was shrouded in twilight. Yan Youqing’s sleeping profile was easily brought into focus.

The unusual flush on her cheeks had slowly faded, returning to her usual cool and pale complexion. Even in the low light, her skin still looked smooth and delicate.

Her thick lashes drooped gently against her face like the feathers of a crow’s wing. Her lips, which had just been pale and vulnerable, now appeared stained with fresh bl00d, a deep and beautiful red.

Only then did Chi Yan remember the wound on her arm. She wasn’t sure if it was because S-Class Alphas were just that extraordinary, but the injury that had seemed difficult to deal with moments ago had already formed a thin scab. It no longer looked so frightening.

“What are you doing?”

While Chi Yan was checking her wound, a familiar calm voice suddenly echoed.

Startled, she panicked, feeling like she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t. She fumbled to lock her phone and stuffed it into her pocket.

Yan Youqing was awake.

The misty look that had filled her eyes just moments ago had cleared. They were now as calm and distant as ever, so dark they seemed to blend into the dusky evening.

Feeling flustered, Chi Yan raised her voice slightly, as if trying to cover her guilt.

“What else could I be doing? I was just checking how my wound is healing.”

“How is it?” Yan Youqing asked. Her voice sounded a little rough, as if she had not cleared her throat yet.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s already scabbing over. I am an S-Class Alpha after all,” Chi Yan said with a hint of pride, extending her arm toward Yan Youqing.

Her forearm was slender but carried a quiet strength. The smooth lines of muscle reflected the natural physical advantage of being an Alpha.

Yan Youqing looked at her. Her lowered lashes hid her expression, making it hard to guess what she was feeling. Her hand, which had been resting quietly on her knees, slowly lifted.

Her fingers were still pale, lacking color. They gently landed on Chi Yan’s arm, carefully brushing against the skin near the wound.

The injury was not fully healed, and the skin around it was especially sensitive. Yan Youqing’s fingers were soft and light, but every small movement felt vivid and clear.

Chi Yan could not tell whether her heartbeat was tied to her own nerves or to Yan Youqing’s touch. But with every gentle motion of her fingers, her heart seemed to beat even louder.

She had no idea whether a minute had passed or only a few seconds. Finally, Yan Youqing parted her lips slightly and asked in a quiet voice, “Does it hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t,” Chi Yan answered quickly, feeling strangely nervous and unsure.

She pulled her arm back and straightened her school uniform sleeve, speaking as if trying to brush it off.

“I’m an Alpha. It’s nothing to make a fuss over. Give it a little time and it will be completely healed, even without going to the hospital.”

Chi Yan tried to calm her racing heart. She looked at Yan Youqing, who had straightened her back again, and asked with rare concern, “What about you? Now that you’re awake, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

She tried to act composed, but her eyes betrayed a trace of worry.

Yan Youqing looked at Chi Yan calmly and shook her head. “No.”

“Even so, I think you should still go to the hospital for a check-up,” Chi Yan insisted. “Pheromone rejection is dangerous. You should make sure there’s no internal damage. If it really was caused by Xu Minxue’s pheromones, then you’ll need proof later to press charges.”

“You call this justice before family?” Yan Youqing’s voice was still calm, but there was a faint softness in it.

“No,” Chi Yan shook her head. “That guy was like that until the end. He could never control his pheromones. I am just doing everyone a favor by getting rid of a threat.”

Chi Yan’s tone was firm and serious. Yan Youqing leaned quietly against the back of the chair and listened. Her lips, which were usually straight and tight, curled slightly at the corners.

The last beam of sunlight shone on the side of her pale face, making her profile appear clearer in the fading light. Chi Yan paused, slightly stunned.

The last time they had sat together in a classroom, she had not known whether Yan Youqing had smiled.

But this time, she was certain.

Yan Youqing had smiled.

And it was because of her.

Was what she said really that funny?

Or was she just being too dramatic?

Chi Yan frowned slightly and glanced at the phone she had left on the table, the root of all this trouble. She said, “Since you’re fine now, I’m leaving.”

She picked up her water bottle and turned to walk away.

But just as she stepped forward, she was pulled back by a sudden tug.

Chi Yan froze. The familiar force made her feel like she had experienced this moment before.

Looking down, she saw what she expected. Yan Youqing had once again grabbed the hem of her uniform.

Chi Yan frowned. “What is it now?”

“Can you take me to the hospital?” Yan Youqing asked. Her voice was still calm, but a little hoarse.

Chi Yan looked puzzled. “Doesn’t your family have a car waiting to pick you up?”

“I don’t want to ride in it,” Yan Youqing replied plainly.

After a short pause, she added, “It feels too stuffy.”

The hand holding her uniform was slender, the bones clearly visible. Perhaps because her body had not fully recovered, the knuckles looked slightly red.

Chi Yan had always been taller than Yan Youqing. Now she was standing while Yan Youqing sat. Her loose school uniform could not hide her frail shoulders. The exposed line of her pale neck showed just how delicate an Omega could be.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Those expensive cars did look completely sealed.

Yan Youqing had just gone through pheromone rejection. What she needed most right now was fresh air.

And what could be more refreshing than sitting in a completely open, breezy bicycle?

Maybe it was because she had become an Alpha, but Chi Yan realized she had grown especially soft-hearted toward Omegas.

With her hands tucked into her pockets, Chi Yan tilted her chin slightly toward Yan Youqing and said, “Let’s go. Since I’ve already gone this far, I’ll see the job through.”

“Thank you,” Yan Youqing replied calmly, reaching down to pick up the backpack she had dropped on the floor.

But just as her hand was about to touch the strap, the backpack was lifted away by someone else.

Chi Yan slung one backpack over her shoulder and casually carried the other one in her hand. Without any particular expression, she said, “Let’s go.”

The classroom had long since returned to its original quiet. The only sound was the soft echo of footsteps as the girls crossed the threshold, their figures fading into the stillness.

Yan Youqing followed behind Chi Yan, her lips lightly pressed together. Though her lips were still pale, a faint, unnoticeable curve formed at the corners.

Soft sunlight landed gently on her face, and it was as if a rose had silently bloomed between her brows.

The school was unusually quiet half an hour after dismissal. The bike shed was nearly empty. Aside from a few dusty, abandoned bikes in the northwest corner, only Chi Yan’s slightly worn bicycle remained.

Chi Yan placed both backpacks into the front basket. Yan Youqing sat on the back seat, just like she had last time.

The slanted light of the setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground. As Chi Yan got on the bike, her eyes naturally fell to the two shadows beneath them.

How much hatred could truly be born from petty grudges between teenagers?

She did not know.

Almost without thinking, she reached her hand behind her.

Yan Youqing had just recovered from a severe pheromone rejection. Her body was still too weak to hold on tightly.

She looked at Chi Yan’s back and hesitated, then reached toward the metal edge of the back seat, just like Chi Yan had told her to before.

But before she could grab hold of the narrow, hard-to-grip edge, a hand with distinct bones appeared in her line of sight.

She watched as Chi Yan quietly took her hand and placed it on her waist. Surprise flickered in Yan Youqing’s usually calm eyes.

Before she could say anything, the girl in front of her, the one showing only her back, spoke in a steady voice.

“Hold on. We’re moving.”

“Okay,” Yan Youqing answered softly.

Her hand, which had been resting lightly on Chi Yan’s school uniform, gripped a little tighter.

The heavy heat of summer was slowly retreating, replaced by the first signs of autumn. A few green leaves floated down from the trees lining the path.

Yan Youqing’s fingers rested against the fabric of Chi Yan’s uniform. Compared to the lingering warmth of the early evening, her touch felt cool.

Clearly, the pheromone rejection had left her more worn out than she showed.

That Xu Minxue was out of his mind. How had he managed to behave so wildly in this life, when in the last life he had kept himself more restrained?

Chi Yan frowned slightly, the thought bothering her, and asked, “What did Xu Minxue want from you? Did he try to force a mark on you just because he couldn’t win your heart?”

“No,” Yan Youqing shook her head.

After a moment of thought, she added, “He’s just an Alpha who can’t control his pheromones.”

“What? Did he confess to you and get rejected?” Chi Yan was always blunt. She never liked Xu Minxue, and her schadenfreude was obvious.

“No,” Yan Youqing said simply.

She kept her eyes on the shadowed ground as it shifted beneath them, sunlight breaking through the mottled leaves above. Her voice was calm.

“He saw me with you at the night market.”

Chi Yan was stunned for a second. Then everything from the night before and this morning suddenly clicked into place.

“No wonder,” she said. “When I got home yesterday, he looked like he had lost everything, like I owed him a fortune. So that’s why.”

“He really thinks that every Alpha and Omega who hang out together must be going on a date?” Chi Yan scoffed. “That guy seriously needs help.”

Everyone knew she didn’t get along with Yan Youqing. Even if she were really dating an Omega, it definitely wouldn’t be her.

Xu Minxue had no common sense at all. His imagination was completely off track.

Only an idiot would date someone like Yan Youqing, who was so cold and dull.

The autumn wind brushed across their faces as Chi Yan pedaled faster. The scent of agave drifted behind them, mingling with the saltiness of the sea breeze. Both girls remained quiet, each lost in her own thoughts.

The bright streetlights peeked through the gaps in the branches, forming broken lines across the road. Their shadows overlapped in the dappled light, sketching out a faint and intimate picture. But the wind that passed between them and the distance between their shoulders reminded Yan Youqing that they were not as close as their shadows suggested.

She inhaled the floating scent of agave, her tongue brushing against a pair of dull canines. A sour tang of lime settled on her tongue.

She lowered her gaze. Her lashes, thick and dark like a raven’s wing, held a weight as though they were concealing secrets no light could touch.

The First Hospital of S City was not far from the affiliated senior high school. It only took about fifteen minutes by bike.

Hospitals were never quiet. The sound of ambulances rose and fell constantly, rushing in and out in a race against death.

Chi Yan rarely visited hospitals and did not know where to park a bicycle.

She circled the front of the hospital once with Yan Youqing, finally finding a bike rack where they could leave it.

Maybe it was out of old habit from her past life, but Chi Yan parked her bike near the bulletin board.

Yan Youqing glanced at the roses behind the glass, nearly in full bloom, and something flickered faintly in her eyes.

“Chi Yan.”

Chi Yan was still locking the bicycle when she heard Yan Youqing’s voice behind her.

Thinking she was feeling unwell, she left the lock half-fastened and quickly turned around.

But instead of a complaint, she saw Yan Youqing holding out a lollipop to her.

These days, Chi Yan had grown used to her new body, one that hadn’t yet developed the habit of smoking. She didn’t crave it as much anymore.

Still, for some reason, she did want to eat this lollipop that Yan Youqing was offering.

“Thanks,” Chi Yan said casually, taking the candy and unwrapping it in a few quick moves before popping it into her mouth.

This one was lychee-flavored. The faint sweetness melted on her tongue with a touch of refreshing coolness.

She found that she rather liked the taste. As the candy rolled over her tongue, she was just about to take Yan Youqing to get registered when a black Rolls-Royce pulled into the parking lot nearby.

“Wow. A Rolls-Royce,” Chi Yan stopped walking and muttered in surprise. “That car must be seriously expensive.”

“It is,” Yan Youqing said calmly, her eyes fixed on the tiny gold emblem at the front of the car. Without hesitation, she quoted, “Nine million two hundred thousand yuan.”

Chi Yan was honestly shocked. She did not even register how Yan Youqing knew the exact price of that car.

“Damn. That must be one rich family. They’ve got to be loaded.”

As she spoke, the person she assumed to be that wealthy stepped out from the backseat of the car.

The woman wore a deep plum-colored suit. Her long hair was neatly tucked behind her ears. She did not speak a word from the moment she exited to the moment she stood still. But her commanding presence made it clear she was an Alpha.

Chi Yan whispered silently to herself, “Boss-level.”

The Alpha did not move immediately. Then the other side door opened, and someone else stepped out.