After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently (GL) - Chapter 4

Chi Yan’s face was filled with confusion as she furrowed her brows, looking at Yan Youqing, who had just sat down next to her.

But Yan Youqing didn’t seem rushed at all. She calmly organized her belongings and, under Chi Yan’s questioning gaze, reminded her, “New seating chart.”

The last time Chi Yan had seen her name listed alongside Yan Youqing’s was on the bulletin board in front of the science building.

Back then, they were both appointed as academicians. Because Yan Youqing was six months younger, she had become the youngest academician in the School of Life Sciences.

Chi Yan never imagined that on the first day of her rebirth, she would once again see her name next to Yan Youqing’s. This time, it was on a classroom seating chart.

How could two people who didn’t get along be seated together?

And why was this different from her past life?

Chi Yan couldn’t accept this sudden change. She also didn’t believe that someone like Yan Youqing, who was both well-behaved and top-performing, would agree to sit in such a remote spot.

She tapped on the desk where Yan Youqing had just placed her books, hinting, “Yan, this is the last row.”

Yan Youqing calmly pulled out an exercise book from her bookstand. “I know.”

“You were moved from the third row in the middle to the back corner. Don’t you feel uncomfortable?” Chi Yan asked again.

“I don’t,” Yan Youqing replied as she opened her book.

Two short sentences. Just six words.

And with that, Yan Youqing effortlessly shut down Chi Yan’s attempts to test the waters.

Chi Yan fell silent for a moment.

She wasn’t someone who gave up easily. Watching Yan Youqing act like she had fully accepted Li Qin’s arrangement, Chi Yan deliberately said, “Yan Youqing, I’m not trying to scare you, but from the last row, it’s hard to see the blackboard. Sometimes you can’t even hear the teacher clearly. You might miss important information.”

The classroom was noisy with students moving about, switching seats and chatting.

Chi Yan spoke seriously. Her dark eyes were full of sincere concern, or at least that was how it looked.

Maybe her words had some effect, because right after she finished speaking, Yan Youqing’s hand paused slightly as she held her pen.

She looked up calmly at Chi Yan. Her dark eyes held a quiet, thoughtful expression.

But in the next second, she said, “But you ranked first in the grade.”

Chi Yan felt like she had stabbed herself in the back.

Since she didn’t respond, Yan Youqing went back to writing in her workbook.

With her eyes lowered and her voice cool and distant, she said, “I think Li Qin’s seating arrangement makes sense. If you have any complaints, you can talk to her yourself. I’m not the class monitor, so I can’t help you.”

Chi Yan froze for a moment.

Once again, Yan Youqing had hit her where it hurt most.

Li Qin didn’t earn her nickname “The Iron-Faced Nun” for nothing.

Even though the new seating disrupted social circles, no one dared to whisper or talk under Li Qin’s watchful eyes. She sat at her desk like a silent statue, a presence that was hard to ignore.

Chi Yan clearly remembered how much effort she had put into getting that back-row seat permanently assigned to her. If she went to negotiate now, hoping for her own table, there was no telling how much of a lecture Li Qin would give her.

Not only would it be pointless, she might even lose her seat altogether.

Better to hold back for now.

After the next exam, Li Qin would probably move Yan Youqing anyway. Li Qin liked her too much to leave her in a neglected corner of the classroom for long.

And besides, it was just a seat.

Even if Chi Yan felt annoyed, Yan Youqing wouldn’t feel too comfortable either.

With that thought, Chi Yan reluctantly pushed down her frustration.

The last class of the day was bathed in soft, golden afternoon sunlight, which gave the now-quiet classroom a warm, peaceful glow.

Yan Youqing calmly filled in an answer beside a multiple-choice question. Her steady eyes lifted slightly.

Next to her, Chi Yan was slumped over the desk, awkwardly doing her homework. Her pen scratched rapidly across the draft paper, making small, irritated tapping noises.

The orange light of the sunset fell through the window and brushed the corner of Yan Youqing’s eyes. A faint smile flashed across her face for just a second.

Outside, the autumn sun hung lazily in the sky above the sports field. The bell signaling the end of the last class rang and faded. The school went quiet for two seconds before being filled with the noise of students again.

Chi Yan and Zhong Yi walked toward the bike shed as usual. From a distance, they saw Wang Chuning already sitting on her bike, waiting for them.

“I saw your homeroom teacher walk into your classroom earlier. I thought you two were going to get held back,” she said.

“We weren’t. We changed seats this period,” Zhong Yi replied, the mischief clear on her face.

“What? Did you get a good desk mate?” Wang Chuning asked, noticing the look on her face.

Zhong Yi shook her head and pointed with her chin at Chi Yan, who looked completely out of it. “It’s Yan.”

“The number one and number two students in the grade are now seatmates.”

“What?” Wang Chuning looked like her jaw was about to drop. “What was your teacher thinking?”

“I’d like to know too…” Chi Yan muttered, kicking her bike stand with a trace of frustration.

Even after half a class period to adjust, Chi Yan still felt deeply confused.

She had thought that after being reborn, the world would follow the same path as before. After all, the awkward moment from her last life had still happened again today.

But why, in her past life, had she sat alone in the back row until graduation, while in this life Yan Youqing suddenly appeared beside her?

Chi Yan didn’t understand. Her brows were so tightly furrowed they could tie themselves into a knot.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Yan,” Wang Chuning said, slinging an arm over Chi Yan’s shoulder. “Think of it this way. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you’ll never lose a battle. Now that she’s sitting right next to you, you’ll always know what she’s up to.”

“She’s the head of the Discipline Committee now. That means we’ll know in advance when they’re doing surprise checks during night study or inspecting uniforms. Being so close to her has its perks. It’ll be way easier to sneak out for milk tea.”

Wang Chuning really did have the makings of a future psychologist. With just a few sentences, she made Chi Yan feel a lot better.

Chi Yan nodded, smirking. “You’re actually useful. Way more than someone who went and became desk mates with the class rep.”

Zhong Yi instinctively wanted to argue but suddenly changed the topic. “Hey, isn’t that your half-baked cousin, Xu Minxue?”

Chi Yan paused and followed Zhong Yi’s finger.

It really had been a while since she saw her Alpha cousin. Last year, he got reported for following Omegas around at night and had been locked up ever since.

Xu Minxue had been spoiled by Chi Yan’s aunt since he was a child. After his differentiation, he became even more arrogant and full of himself.

He was only an A-rank Alpha but acted like he was some elite S-rank.

The bright red mountain bike caught Chi Yan’s eye. The oversized school tracksuit hung off his skinny frame like a curtain on a stick, making him look extra lifeless. His buzz cut was so short that it wasn’t hard to imagine what he looked like sitting in a detention cell.

After Chi Yan’s mother passed away due to a gland condition, her father, Chi Xufeng, dedicated the rest of his life to Beta research.

Chi Yan ended up living with her aunt, Xu Yongli, and had long grown tired of watching Xu Minxue act like the world revolved around him. She had absolutely no fondness for this Alpha.

And sure enough, Xu Minxue didn’t disappoint. He was leaning on his bike at the school gate, trying to hit on an Omega.

That Omega was none other than Yan Youqing.

The sunset gave the schoolyard a warm glow, softening the usual end-of-day chill. Yan Youqing stood under the big banyan tree near the gate, her eyes on her phone, ignoring the boy in front of her. Her expression was even colder than the fading sunlight.

“Yeah, that’s her,” Wang Chuning leaned in to get a better look. “Is that Yan Youqing he’s talking to? He still hasn’t given up? He’s been chasing her for two years. If she liked him, she would’ve said yes a long time ago.”

“Give up?” Chi Yan let out a sharp laugh. “Just watch. He’s going to keep chasing her all year.”

She looked at Yan Youqing with a mix of pity and amusement.

Getting stuck with someone like Xu Minxue, who clung on like a stinky bandage, was seriously unlucky.

Zhong Yi gave Chi Yan a strange look. “Why do you sound like you’ve seen it happen before?”

Chi Yan hesitated, then quickly replied, “Seen what?”

Her mind raced to come up with something. “I’ve just been around Xu Minxue long enough to know exactly how he thinks. Even if he did get smarter and actually gave up, someone like Yan Youqing would still have other Alphas chasing after her.”

“True,” Zhong Yi nodded, dropping the question. “She is the school beauty, after all.”

“Exactly. There are only five Alphas in our class besides me, and they all like her,” Wang Chuning agreed. “She’s got everyone wrapped around her finger.”

Chi Yan frowned. “I don’t get it. What’s so great about her? Just because she’s S-rank?”

“Girl, that’s because you haven’t differentiated yet,” Wang Chuning said, patting her shoulder like a wise elder. “If you ever become an Alpha, you’ll get it.”

Zhong Yi seemed to remember something and looked over. “Wait, isn’t your birthday tomorrow? You’re turning eighteen, right? Why haven’t you differentiated yet? If you don’t by tomorrow, you’ll be confirmed as a Beta. You can’t fall behind us.”

Chi Yan glanced at her, remembering how disappointed she was ten years ago when nothing happened.

But now, she had accepted her fate. Even though the undeveloped gland still sat at the back of her neck, she was at peace with it.

“What’s wrong with being a Beta? Betas are great. No sensitivity periods, no heat cycles. Just a normal, peaceful life.”

Zhong Yi wasn’t convinced. “I still hope you surprise us tomorrow and become an S-rank Alpha.”

As they talked, the three of them reached the school gate.

Chi Yan’s aunt had bought a villa on the east side of the school when Xu Minxue entered high school. Because of that, Chi Yan’s route home was different from Zhong Yi and Wang Chuning’s. After saying their goodbyes, they split up.

The school gate was still packed with students and private cars. The cars weaved through the crowd, making it hard to ride bikes.

Chi Yan pushed her bike across the short street slowly. The snail-paced walk meant she could watch the two people under the banyan tree for quite a while.

The golden sunset brushed against the girl’s face, and the clean, fresh scent of an Omega seemed to soften the light around her.

Yan Youqing stood quietly, her head down, looking at her phone and ignoring Xu Minxue.

They wore the same standard school uniform, but on her, even the loose pants and jacket looked neat and beautiful.

The blue collar sat neatly against her neck, barely a wrinkle in sight. She looked tidy and composed.

For some reason, Chi Yan thought of the morning when the lab accident happened.

Back then, there were flower vines. Now, there was a banyan tree. The shadows of the leaves cast a quiet stillness across her.

Everything was the same, except the person standing beside her now was even more annoying.

“Yanyan, hop on. I’ll take you home,” Xu Minxue said, trying to sound cool.

He hadn’t expected to get so lucky today. As soon as he walked out of school, there she was, standing under the banyan tree like she had been waiting for him.

“I just added a new backseat. Got it from the XU website. Super strong,” he said, patting the seat to show it off.

“I don’t like riding bikes,” Yan Youqing replied without even glancing up. Her voice was cold and firm.

“Don’t be like that, Yanyan. Just try it once. I know your driver is coming to pick you up, but look at the traffic. It’s a mess. Who knows when the cars can even get in? Why not just ride with me? We live in the same neighborhood, and—hey, what the—”

Before he could finish, someone suddenly bumped into the back of his bike.

The seat wobbled violently. It wasn’t very stable to begin with, and the loud creaking made it even more embarrassing.

Xu Minxue turned around angrily to see who had done it. Just then, someone called out loudly, “Xu Minxue, that seat probably can’t even hold a backpack.”

Even with all the noise around, the voice rang out clearly.

Yan Youqing finally looked up from her phone and saw Chi Yan standing there. One hand held her own bike while the other was tucked in her pocket, eyes focused with interest on the shaky backseat.

“You little—” Xu Minxue started to curse, then quickly swallowed his words when he glanced at Yan Youqing beside him.

He forced a smile. “You’re making that up!”

“I’m making it up?” Chi Yan leaned forward and gave the seat a jiggle, pretending to think. “Didn’t you mess up the installation? Auntie had to help you. Didn’t she leave out two screws so you wouldn’t try to carry Omegas?”

“You—” Xu Minxue’s face turned red. He couldn’t believe she exposed him like that.

He glanced at Yan Youqing again, feeling like he had completely lost face. Without saying another word, he jumped on his bike and pedaled away.

Yan Youqing looked at Chi Yan, who was still watching him flee. Her voice was calm. “Thank you.”

Chi Yan didn’t reply.

She hadn’t done it for Yan Youqing. She just wanted to get back at Xu Minxue. Watching him embarrass himself in front of the girl he liked felt satisfying.

The school gate was still crowded. Students were walking in groups, and the private cars couldn’t move an inch.

Chi Yan leaned on her handlebars, watching with interest. She sighed dramatically. “Wow, look at that traffic. No way these cars are getting through anytime soon. Nothing from outside is making it in either.”

“No matter how expensive a car is, sometimes it’s no match for a crappy old bike. It’s fast, it’s flexible, and it carries people.”

She smiled and sat on her bike, then turned her head. “Don’t you think so, Yanyan?”

Yan Youqing looked at the bike she was showing off and gave a quiet hum in agreement.

That soft sound made Chi Yan feel strangely proud. She placed her foot on the pedal and got ready to ride away.

But just as she started to move, the back seat dipped suddenly.

A cool pressure touched her lower back, making her freeze.

She turned around sharply and saw Yan Youqing sitting upright on the rear seat, her schoolbag on her back. One hand gently gripped Chi Yan’s jacket.

Her voice was steady. “Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.”