After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently (GL) - Chapter 6

At the entrance of the plaza, the lamplight was surrounded by closely planted locust trees. The bright light filtered through the leaves and cast a soft glow within a limited circle.

The dim lighting softened Yan Youqing’s usually expressionless features. She was already slim and tall, and the fitted athletic outfit she wore emphasized her sharpness, while also giving off a delicate, almost fragile impression typical of an Omega girl.

Chi Yan had no idea how long she had been standing there. But when she looked up and glanced in that direction, Yan Youqing was already looking directly at her, eyes calm and unwavering, as if she had every right to be watching her so openly.

Fragile Omega girl. What a joke.

Chi Yan felt irritated. She didn’t want anyone to see her in such a disheveled state, especially not Yan Youqing. She gripped the swing tighter, shoved her hand into the pocket of her school uniform, and snapped, “What are you looking at? Never seen someone run away from home before?”

There was nothing friendly about her tone. Yan Youqing stood at a distance and didn’t respond.

Just when Chi Yan thought Yan Youqing would walk away because of her attitude, she started walking toward her instead.

The other swing swayed gently under the moonlight.

Yan Youqing reached out, held onto the swing’s chain, and sat down silently next to her.

The surroundings fell quiet. Chi Yan’s expression became more complicated.

She stared at Yan Youqing for a long time. What she was doing now was completely out of character based on what Chi Yan thought she knew about her.

Chi Yan wasn’t someone who could stay calm in a strange situation. She looked at the girl sitting beside her and, half-jokingly, said, “What is it? Did you get into a fight with your family too, Yan Youqing?”

“There’s a power outage at home,” Yan Youqing replied calmly.

“No one else at home?” Chi Yan asked, surprised.

“Just me,” Yan Youqing said, eyes lowered. Her tone stayed flat. “The electrician didn’t say when he’ll come.”

Chi Yan glanced at the thick greenery around the small plaza. “So you’re waiting here?”

Yan Youqing nodded quietly, then added in the same calm tone, “There’s light here.”

Chi Yan looked at the bright lights nearby. The lamplight illuminated Yan Youqing’s normally unreadable face, making her features appear especially clear.

As if she had discovered something interesting, Chi Yan tilted her head and grinned. “Yan Youqing, don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark?”

Not far away, the lights turned on in a nearby house. The white glow spilled from the windows.

Yan Youqing didn’t answer, but her silence said everything. Her face was calm, but her lowered eyes showed a kind of vulnerability that was rarely seen.

A light breeze passed between them. The swings beneath them swayed slightly.

Yan Youqing’s outfit wasn’t warm. Her black leggings left a part of her pale leg exposed, and in the chilly autumn night, she looked especially thin and cold.

Chi Yan heard a couple of soft coughs coming from Yan Youqing’s throat.

They were quiet, just loud enough to notice, as if carefully controlled.

It really was getting colder.

Omegas didn’t have the same physical strength as Alphas. Sometimes, they were even weaker than Betas.

It made sense. An Omega staying home alone during a blackout, with the security system down and no real way to protect herself, would definitely feel scared.

Chi Yan looked at Yan Youqing, who so rarely showed weakness, and couldn’t help muttering, “You came out to wait for someone, not to go running at night. At least wear something appropriate.”

With that, Chi Yan stood up from the swing.

The swing still swayed gently behind her as she walked over to push her bike toward them.

She got on and glanced at Yan Youqing. The look on her face had changed. The smugness she had shown earlier at spotting someone else’s weakness had softened into something reluctant but kind.

“Get on. I’ll wait with you at your place.”

Chi Yan’s tone was still sharp, but she was much easier to talk to now than she had been after school.

“Alright,” Yan Youqing replied, and quietly sat on the back of the bike.

Almost as if she could guess what Yan Youqing was about to say, Chi Yan spoke without turning around. “Don’t thank me. I’m charging you for this. You’ll have to let me stay over at your place tonight.”

She thought to herself that Xu Yongli would never expect her to be at Yan Youqing’s house. And she wouldn’t dare go to Chi Xufeng either. Let her worry all night without finding her. That would be perfect.

Yan Youqing didn’t hesitate. “Okay.”

The bike rolled smoothly through the small plaza and turned toward the upscale villas on the hill.

As she watched Chi Yan’s figure from behind, so close once again, Yan Youqing remembered what she saw earlier when passing through the plaza.

Chi Yan had been sitting alone on the swing. The dim light shone on her, and the dusty ground around her gave everything a worn, yellowish tone. She looked small and lonely, like a child who had been abandoned.

From a distance, the upscale villas didn’t look much different from the row houses below. But up close, the standalone homes surrounded by fading greenery were clearly in a different class.

Yan Youqing’s house was further up. They passed through a beautifully designed garden plaza before arriving.

A white villa stood alone in the courtyard. The minimalist garden was filled with flowers Chi Yan couldn’t name. Climbing roses covered an entire wall.

While Chi Yan looked for a place to park her bike, Yan Youqing had already gone inside and prepared a pair of slippers for her.

Chi Yan politely changed into the slippers at the entrance before stepping inside. The spacious living room was bigger than the entire first floor of Xu Yongli’s house.

Just like Yan Youqing had said, the power was out in the entire villa.

Light from the streetlamps outside filtered in through the tall windows. It wasn’t enough to see everything clearly, but it was enough to hint at how luxurious the place really was.

Chi Yan remembered Zhong Yi telling her that Yan Youqing’s family was incredibly well-off. When her mother came to a parent-teacher meeting, she arrived in a Maybach.

But with a background like that, why had Yan Youqing chosen to start from the bottom at the School of Life Sciences? Why work there at all?

Chi Yan couldn’t figure it out.

She stared at the dimly lit living room, lost in thought.

Suddenly, she felt a warm presence moving closer.

Delicate fingers fell gently on Chi Yan’s hair, lifting a few strands of her loose, dark locks before softly sliding down along them.

Chi Yan wanted to turn around and brush the hand away, but instead, she remained still, frozen in place.

A current of electricity seemed to travel from the place where her hair had been touched, running straight to her heart. It was a sensation she had never felt before—subtle, tingling, and strangely intense.

Before she could even react, a light lit up behind her and bathed her in its glow.

Yan Youqing had moved to her side, holding up Chi Yan’s phone like a flashlight. Her voice was soft as she said, “You have something in your hair.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand in front of Chi Yan’s eyes.

Her pale, graceful fingers appeared smooth and jade-like under the glow. But what ruined the scene was the small piece of pale pink fish paste stuck to her fingertip.

Chi Yan froze, and for a moment, the calm on her face faltered.

It was obvious that someone had thrown it at her. Given that she had openly admitted to running away from home today, it wasn’t hard to guess what kind of embarrassment she might have suffered at Xu Yongli’s house.

Especially when standing in front of her was Yan Youqing, a girl even Li Qin had once described as sharp and clever.

The quiet living room, lit only by the phone’s flashlight, became unsettling in its silence.

Chi Yan remained still, expecting Yan Youqing to mock her, to bring up everything that had happened at Xu Yongli’s place, just like she had done earlier in the square.

But what she expected didn’t happen. Yan Youqing simply wiped the fish paste from her hand with a tissue, her expression calm. As if she had only noticed something trivial, she said, “There’s a guest room upstairs with a private bathroom. Everything you need is there. You can take a bath and get some rest.”

Chi Yan was a little surprised but still nodded and replied, “Thank you.”

She had originally come here to keep Yan Youqing company. But in the end, she was the one being taken care of and led upstairs to the guest room.

The room was right across from Yan Youqing’s bedroom. Looking at the clean and tidy space, Chi Yan’s pride flared up. She turned and assured Yan Youqing, “If you need anything, just knock. I’m being paid for this, and I always deliver.”

Yan Youqing nodded. “Alright.”

Moonlight poured in through the hallway windows, casting a soft glow. Something subtle shifted between the two of them in that quiet house.

Chi Yan had nothing more to say. She wasn’t used to this rare moment of peace between them. After standing for a brief second, she turned to open the door.

Just then, Yan Youqing spoke again. “Chi Yan.”

Her voice was still calm and cool, revealing no emotion.

Chi Yan’s hand paused on the doorknob. She thought Yan Youqing had something else for her to do. “What is it?”

“Be careful. You might have low bl00d sugar.”

Yan Youqing spoke quietly as she reached into her pocket and tossed something in Chi Yan’s direction.

Chi Yan caught it on instinct. It landed with a soft weight in her palm. It was a candy ball—the same type of lollipop Yan Youqing had used earlier to bribe her after school.

She was surprised, and for a moment, the scene felt strangely familiar.

Clutching the candy that Yan Youqing had given her, she hesitated, then gave a stiff and awkward “Thank you” in response to her kindness. She turned and entered the guest room.

Steam gradually filled the bathroom, which was lit only by the glow from her phone. Warm water poured down, creating a comforting heat.

At nearly the same time, water began running in the other room.

In her own bathroom, Yan Youqing had her eyes closed. She seemed distracted, her hands absentmindedly lathering her long hair with shampoo.

The foam thickened and began to slide down her neck, tracing the curve of her spine as her fingers moved.

Her pale skin was surrounded by warm steam, and a faint blush appeared on her shoulder blades.

Before the foam could slide further, it was rinsed away by a sudden stream of water.

Yan Youqing opened her eyes. Droplets of water clung to her thick eyelashes. Her dark eyes reflected none of the light from the phone.

She quietly tucked away her drifting thoughts. Her expression was calm again, showing no sign of emotion. But the warmth on her skin didn’t fade easily.

She didn’t think too much about it and assumed it was because she had stayed in the hot water for too long.

She changed into soft loungewear, replacing her tight athletic clothes. Even her steps seemed lighter than before.

Something felt off.

Her legs suddenly gave out, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.

What she had thought was just an increased heart rate from the heat was not slowing down. In fact, it was getting faster, more frantic.

She realized, calmly but clearly, what was happening to her. She steadied herself and tried to walk toward her school bag on the table.

There was a loud crash.

Chi Yan had just stepped out of her room when she heard something fall and break in the otherwise silent house.

It wasn’t a loud sound, but in this quiet villa, with only the two of them present, it was incredibly sharp and jarring.

She didn’t know if a high-end neighborhood like this had the same security problems as the lower-tier ones, but the noise had clearly come from Yan Youqing’s room. That alone made her wary.

She had to be cautious.

She was just a defenseless Omega. If a thief thought the house was empty and tried to sneak in, she could be in real danger.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Her knuckles tapped the door in a slow, steady rhythm.

“Yan Youqing, I didn’t understand a few of the questions from class today. I was hoping you could explain them to me,” Chi Yan said, using her homework as an excuse to test the situation.

But after she spoke, there was still no reply from inside.

Though she didn’t get along with Yan Youqing, Chi Yan didn’t want anything bad to happen to her either.

“Yan Youqing, what’s with you? I can’t even ask a question? If you don’t answer me, I’m coming in!”

She didn’t wait for permission. Without hesitation, she pushed the door open.

The next second, a wave of cold air, like ocean water at night, rushed toward her.

The force of it made her freeze in place. Broken glass on the floor reflected the light from her phone. The scene was chaotic and a little frightening.

Yan Youqing was barely holding herself up, slumped near the end of her bed. The soft white carpet beneath her had been stained by a pool of pale blue suppressant.

Her heat had come suddenly, without warning.

And it had arrived in front of Chi Yan.