Dressed as the Scumbag Alpha Mom of the Tragic Female Lead (ABO, GL) - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Though they hadn’t made any plans, when Gu Lingjun went downstairs for class the next day, she saw Jiang Chuxie waiting there.

An Alpha standing in front of the Omega dorm was already eye-catching, and with Jiang Chuxie not wearing her glasses this time, her striking appearance drew many sideways glances.

“Senior, why are you here?”

Gu Lingjun didn’t want to assume too much, but Jiang Chuxie’s demeanor made it hard not to think she was waiting for her.

Though Jiang Chuxie had decided to drop her “restraints,” she still felt uneasy about being the center of attention.

“Uh, aren’t you going to class? I’m heading that way too, so I figured I’d come along.”

They’d exchanged good morning texts, but Jiang Chuxie hadn’t mentioned picking her up. The “on the way” excuse was nonsense—there was no way the Alpha dorm was on the route from the Omega dorm to the academic building.

“Have you had breakfast, Senior?”

Jiang Chuxie coming to pick her up was likely out of concern that she might get harassed again like yesterday. Gu Lingjun was thrilled and had no intention of calling her out on it.

“Not yet. Let’s go eat now.”

“Okay.”

After yesterday’s incident, Gu Lingjun was still shaken.

During the Zhao Gang incident, she couldn’t even express her dislike, reduced to a fish on the chopping block. So when Jiang Chuxie appeared and she started showing some agency because of her, Gu Lingjun felt more curiosity toward Jiang Chuxie and joy at her own changes.

But yesterday’s event made her realize that even if she could express her will, she was powerless against an Alpha’s absolute strength.

It happened on a bustling campus, and she still faced a serious threat to her safety. What would have happened if it had been a different place or time, if Jiang Chuxie hadn’t shown up?

While Jiang Chuxie’s rescue made her happy, the experience forced her to consider how to protect herself if Jiang Chuxie couldn’t arrive in time.

After thinking all night, she came up empty. Omegas were at an absolute disadvantage in strength, so carrying a knife might just become a weapon for the attacker.

For now, she could only ask Uncle Wu to look for self-defense tools suitable for Omegas. Until then, she’d enjoy Senior Jiang’s escort.

“You only have two classes this morning, right?”

Jiang Chuxie walked Gu Lingjun to her classroom door, unsurprisingly drawing many stares.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll come by later then.”

Gu Lingjun nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Though Jiang Chuxie was no longer as cold as before, Gu Lingjun still sensed a peculiar contradiction in her. Like this time—she could’ve just said she was worried and wanted to escort her, but instead, she wrapped her concern in a flimsy “on the way” excuse, as if hiding her kindness.

Did Senior think she wouldn’t notice?

It didn’t seem like that either. After all, Gu Lingjun had played along so obviously that even if Jiang Chuxie was slow, she should know Gu Lingjun had caught on.

So, was this just an excuse Senior made to convince herself?

Gu Lingjun watched Jiang Chuxie leave, then entered the classroom with a smile.

“Lingjun, Lingjun, who was that person who dropped you off?”

“Wasn’t she the senior who went with you to the welcome event?”

“I saw her at the dorm entrance this morning!”

There were only four Omegas in Gu Lingjun’s class. As a minority, they were fairly close, and they immediately bombarded her with questions.

“She’s Senior Jiang from the Computer Science Department.”

Many called the Information Technology Institute the Computer Science Department for simplicity.

“I only know Senior Zhuang Qi from Computer Science. That’s so weird—how did I not notice such a good-looking Alpha before?”

The Omegas chattered nonstop, asking about Jiang Chuxie’s identity and her relationship with Gu Lingjun.

“That Jiang Chuxie is in Computer Science, right?” At that moment, a studious-looking female Beta nearby adjusted her glasses and said in a low voice, “She’s won first-class scholarships at both the institute and university level for two years straight, always ranking first in her major. In her second year, she won an innovation award.”

The Omegas, including Gu Lingjun, looked at her in surprise.

“Yuan Ning, how do you know that?”

“Heh, because I investigated everyone who’s won the university’s first-class scholarship in recent years.”

“Wow, no wonder she’s aiming for a full scholarship.”

“Scary, scary—she even checked out seniors and people from other institutes who aren’t her competition.”

Yuan Ning ignored their comments and glanced at Gu Lingjun. “Gu Lingjun, you just focus on dating. The class’s top spot is mine!”

Though university grades depended on final exams and weren’t immediately clear, Gu Lingjun had been admitted with the highest score, so Yuan Ning, the second-highest, had seen her as a rival from the start.

Gu Lingjun smiled gently. “I’m not trying to compete with you for first… But, I’m not in a relationship with Senior Jiang, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

Yuan Ning shrugged. “Whether you’re dating or not doesn’t matter to me, but I’m definitely taking first.”

Gu Lingjun nodded. “I believe you’ll get good grades. You’re the hardest-working student in our class.”

Yuan Ning had come in with bold words, expecting a challenge, but Gu Lingjun’s response left her flustered, her face burning.

“D-Don’t think praising me will make me let my guard down.”

“I don’t think you’d get carried away by a little praise.”

Gu Lingjun didn’t take her bait, and Yuan Ning’s verbal jabs landed on soft cotton, leaving her speechless.

“Yuan Ning, I’m holding a birthday party at my place this weekend. Would you like to come?”

Gu Lingjun had already invited some people, and Yuan Ning knew about it.

“Why are you inviting me? W-We’re not even close!”

Gu Lingjun tilted her head, puzzled. “Not close? I thought we were friends.”

Weird, was this really Gu Lingjun?

Yuan Ning was confused. In her eyes, Gu Lingjun seemed… softer, more timid, and less assertive.

“When did we become friends…?”

Gu Lingjun clasped her hands in front of her chest, looking apologetic. “Oh, I must’ve misunderstood…”

Did Gu Lingjun really see her as a friend?

Seeing Gu Lingjun’s guilty, disappointed expression, Yuan Ning felt a twinge of guilt.

“Well…”

“If that’s the case, let’s be friends now. Would you come to my birthday party?”

Yuan Ning’s eyes widened. Faced with this soft-spoken, refined Omega, she didn’t know how to refuse.

“I see you as a rival.”

“Being both friends and rivals—isn’t that a wonderful relationship?”

The other Omegas, overhearing their conversation, started egging Yuan Ning on.

“Yeah, yeah, Yuan Ning, come on!”

“You’ll turn into a bookworm if you’re always buried in books. Give yourself a break.”

“Right, right, come on!”

Yuan Ning: “…”

Gu Lingjun smiled. “Think about it. If you don’t want to come, let me know. Until then, I’ll count you in.”

“Lingjun, did you invite Senior Jiang too?”

“Yeah, I also invited Senior Zhao Zi and Senior Zhuang Qi.”

“Ahh, you invited Senior Zhuang Qi? I love her!”

The Omegas quickly gathered around Gu Lingjun to chat about other things, leaving Yuan Ning in a dilemma.

She didn’t want to go, but she was a tiny bit tempted. Growing up, surpassing her Alpha and Omega peers in academics was probably her only pride as a Beta.

So when she learned Gu Lingjun’s admission score was higher than hers, she felt a strong sense of competition and curiosity. But Gu Lingjun was always gentle and unruffled, never rising to her provocations.

She hadn’t expected the timid, bunny-like Gu Lingjun to suddenly get close to an Alpha from another institute. Learning it was Jiang Chuxie shocked her even more.

She didn’t mention that Jiang Chuxie wasn’t just a scholarship-winning academic star but also the founder of the student network, which was now super popular among students.

It wasn’t hard to find out, but no one had paid attention. After all, when Jiang Chuxie won the innovation award, the student network was just an obscure little website.

If Jiang Chuxie was going, Yuan Ning was actually quite interested in attending Gu Lingjun’s birthday party.

After dropping Gu Lingjun off at her classroom, Jiang Chuxie headed to the library. Aside from the Computer Science Department’s computer lab, the library had a few computers for public use.

Computers here had almost no entertainment functions, and online information was scarce, so the library computers weren’t heavily used. Jiang Chuxie found a secluded spot, ready to do something naughty.

To help Zhao Zi win the election, mere talk wouldn’t cut it. She quickly hacked into the school’s database to access the Life Sciences Institute’s student list and check the gender ratio.

Alphas made up about 20% of the students, Omegas around 10%, and Betas the remaining 70%, which matched her expectations.

In a straight comparison of numbers, Omegas were at a disadvantage against Alphas, but Jiang Chuxie never intended for Omegas to face Alphas alone.

In every way, Betas were the backbone of all genders, facing no less discrimination and oppression than Omegas.

For their own interests, Omegas and Betas were the groups that should stand together in resistance, but the marking system created an irreconcilable rift between them.

In Beta eyes, Omegas were just Alpha accessories. Supporting Alphas or their accessories—what’s the difference?

So in this “war,” Zhao Zi couldn’t campaign on gender but should focus on meritocracy. If an Omega could become student council president, then a capable Beta could too, or hold any other important position.

That was the message Zhao Zi’s campaign should promote.

The student network was set to add a topic voting function in this weekend’s update, and Jiang Chuxie planned to use the Life Sciences Institute’s election as an example to spark some discussion.

After finishing her investigation, Jiang Chuxie cleared her tracks on the computer. Checking the time, she figured it was about right to pick up Gu Lingjun. But as she left the library, she got a call from Liu Wen.

“Hello, Sister Liu.”

“Little Jiang, I got the stuff you asked for. When are you coming to pick it up?”

“Uh…” Jiang Chuxie glanced at the time. “In a bit. I’ll be there within half an hour.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it at the front desk… But what do you need this for? Do you eat that much spicy food?”

“No, it’s for something else.”

After yesterday’s incident, Jiang Chuxie felt it was crucial for Gu Lingjun to carry some anti-harassment tools.

Unfortunately, tasers had only recently been invented, were limited to police use, and were classified as prohibited items, not available on the market.

This swift restriction surprised Jiang Chuxie, given this was a smut novel world. Tools like tasers could be great for self-defense if used properly, but if misused… they were more likely to become tools for crime, so their proliferation would be bad news.

Unable to get a taser, Jiang Chuxie turned to anti-harassment spray. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to buy either—only specially licensed shops could sell it, and it wasn’t widely known.

She guessed the reason was similar to tasers, so it wasn’t heavily advertised. With the internet still underdeveloped and no online shopping platforms, few people even knew anti-harassment spray existed.

Unable to find a way to buy it, Jiang Chuxie decided to make a simplified version herself. She asked Liu Wen to get some capsaicin—not an easy task, but luckily Liu Wen knew some food additive suppliers and managed to get some. Otherwise, Jiang Chuxie was ready to buy ghost peppers for a hardcore DIY version.

After escorting Gu Lingjun back to her dorm, Jiang Chuxie went to the café to pick up the capsaicin.

“Senior, what’s wrong?”

The next day, as expected, Gu Lingjun saw Jiang Chuxie waiting outside her dorm. But for some reason, Jiang Chuxie’s eyes were red and swollen, her nose bright red too, making her look like a pitiful rabbit. Perhaps to hide it, she’d put her glasses back on.

“I’m fine.” Jiang Chuxie held back a sneeze, though tears still welled up at the corners of her eyes. “It’ll be okay soon.”

Gu Lingjun quickly pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her, asking worriedly, “Should we go to the infirmary?”

“It’s fine. I’ve already been, and I’ve rinsed with water.”

Jiang Chuxie was quite satisfied with her homemade anti-harassment spray’s effectiveness. She’d be even more satisfied if she hadn’t accidentally gotten it on herself.

“But…”

“It’s okay. Let’s not keep Zhuang Qi and Zhao Zi waiting. Let’s go.”

Jiang “

Gu Lingjun didn’t press further, seeing her firm attitude. After deciding to help Zhao Zi with her campaign, the group had communicated and agreed to meet today for a small four-person discussion.

Since Zhao Zi had class, she’d head straight from the academic building. Jiang Chuxie, as usual, took a detour to pick up Gu Lingjun.

The four arranged to meet at Liu Wen’s café, where Liu Wen reserved the only private room for their use.

“Looks like we’re the early ones.”

When they arrived, Zhuang Qi and Zhao Zi weren’t there yet. After ordering a coffee for herself, Jiang Chuxie looked at Gu Lingjun. “What do you want to drink?”

Gu Lingjun didn’t hesitate. “Black coffee’s fine.”

“Then one black coffee and one latte.”

Jiang Chuxie couldn’t handle black coffee, even though her pheromones had a coffee-like scent.

“Senior, are you really okay?”

Jiang Chuxie took off her glasses and wiped the tears from her eyes with Gu Lingjun’s handkerchief. “Really, I’m fine. It’s much better already.”

At least she could open her eyes now, and the stinging wasn’t as bad.

“Senior, your hand—”

But Gu Lingjun soon noticed that it wasn’t just her eyes and nose—Jiang Chuxie’s hand was red, like it had been burned.

“Oh, this? It’s nothing.”

Gu Lingjun grabbed her hand, anxiously asking, “What happened? Is it an allergy? Didn’t the infirmary give you any medicine? What did the doctor say?”

“I’ve applied medicine to my hand. My eyes couldn’t be treated with anything but water and eye drops. It’s fine—the stuff won’t cause real harm, just discomfort.”

“What stuff?”

Jiang Chuxie took a small metal spray bottle from her pocket and placed it on the table, her tone tinged with pride.

“This. Anti-harassment spray.”

“What spray?”

“Anti-harassment spray—for dealing with creeps!”

Gu Lingjun reached for it curiously, but Jiang Chuxie quickly warned, “Be careful. It’s a capsaicin ethanol solution. It’ll hurt if you get it on you.”

As a biology-related major, Gu Lingjun knew what capsaicin was.

“You… made this, Senior?”

“Yeah, I wanted to buy a ready-made one, but I couldn’t find any. Don’t worry, it’s sealed properly and won’t leak. But when you use it, be careful—spray it at the bad guy’s face, hold your breath, and don’t spray against the wind, or you’ll get yourself.”

Jiang Chuxie hadn’t realized how potent it was at first. While testing it in the bathroom, she not only got herself but also accidentally affected Zhuang Qi.

Gu Lingjun seemed a bit stunned, staring at Jiang Chuxie’s face for a long time, her dark eyes gradually welling up with tears.

Jiang Chuxie had thought of this for her safety and cared even more than she did. Gratitude alone couldn’t describe her emotions; a fierce restlessness filled her chest.

“So you tested its strength on yourself?”

Jiang Chuxie felt a bit embarrassed. She’d only meant to do a skin test, not expecting this mishap.

“Getting it in my eyes was an accident. Be careful when you use it. If we can buy a proper one later, you won’t need this.”

The eyes were an accident, but her hand? The marks on her hand were clearly from deliberate spraying.

Gu Lingjun gently touched her hand, her voice hoarse. “Does it still hurt?”

Being held by Gu Lingjun’s hands again, Jiang Chuxie felt both embarrassed and internally scolding herself.

It’s just hand-holding, Jiang Chuxie! Stop overthinking! Even if Gu Lingjun’s hands are soft, even if her scent is pleasant, it doesn’t mean…

“It doesn’t hurt. The medicine’s already helping—huh?”

As Jiang Chuxie tried to pull her hand back, Gu Lingjun suddenly lowered her head and gently kissed her hand.

What?

Jiang Chuxie’s brain short-circuited, her gaze fixed on the top of Gu Lingjun’s head, her mind a mess.

Was Gu Lingjun… kissing her hand?

Why was Gu Lingjun kissing her?

Wait, were Gu Lingjun’s lips that soft?

No, no, this wasn’t the time to think about that… But after that kiss, her hand actually didn’t hurt anymore.

Did best friends kiss each other’s hands?

Best friends might kiss each other—her friend in her past life loved nibbling her face and lips.

But did best friends kiss hands? That felt a bit off!

Was Gu Lingjun treating her like a kid, playing some “kiss the pain away” game?

What? What was going on?

What was the right reaction? Would acting too concerned seem like an overreaction?

As Jiang Chuxie’s mind spiraled, Gu Lingjun lifted her face. Her gaze was gentle yet teary, a slight smile on her lips as she softly asked, “Still hurt?”

If she said it still hurt, would Gu Lingjun kiss her again?

“It still…” Jiang Chuxie almost blurted out but caught herself in time. “No, no, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Gu Lingjun looked straight into her eyes, calmly saying, “Looks like the magic my dad taught me works.”

Was this the gentle, innocent young lady?

Jiang Chuxie felt like she was being burned to ashes by Gu Lingjun’s radiance. She wasn’t some upstanding, virtuous youth—she was a perv who read smut.

“Good.” Gu Lingjun didn’t let go of her hand, instead gently kneading her fingers as if caressing them. “Senior, you went to so much trouble for me.”

Her hand… why was she playing with her hand?

Jiang Chuxie’s heart raced uncontrollably, almost reliving the suffocating feeling from her sudden death in her past life.

No way, she wasn’t ready to die yet! She hadn’t been choked to death by the pepper spray this morning, so dying now over this would be too embarrassing!

Gu Lingjun said nothing more, just smiling at her while gently pinching her fingers.

Jiang Chuxie never knew torment could be so pleasurable, or that prolonged pleasure could turn into torment.

“Hey, Chuxie, you guys are here already.”

As they sat in silence, Zhuang Qi’s voice rang out with the sound of the door opening. She arrived with Zhao Zi and a waiter carrying coffee.

Thanks to Zhuang Qi’s voice arriving before her, they let go of each other’s hands in time. Jiang Chuxie’s heart was in a frenzy, while Gu Lingjun remained perfectly calm.

“Senior, you’re here.”

Zhuang Qi sat next to Jiang Chuxie, and a close look revealed her eyes were red too.

Zhao Zi sat beside Gu Lingjun, noticing the small bottle on the table and asking curiously, “What’s this?”

“Oh, this,” Zhuang Qi began, immediately complaining to Zhao Zi and Gu Lingjun. “…Look, I went into the bathroom knowing nothing and got stung in the eyes.”

She pulled her eye corner to show Zhao Zi the evidence. Zhao Zi smiled at Jiang Chuxie. “This thing seems pretty powerful. Got any extras? Can you make me one?”

Jiang Chuxie didn’t think twice and nodded. “Sure, I’ll make another one later.”

She had plenty of capsaicin left, and since she didn’t need to test the concentration again, making another bottle for Zhao Zi—carefully avoiding skin contact—wasn’t hard.

Zhao Zi beamed. “Thanks.”

“What, you want one too? Am I going to suffer again tonight?” Zhuang Qi wailed.

Zhao Zi gave her a cool glance. “Keep whining, and when I get the spray, I’ll test it on you.”

“No way, that’s harsh! I’m on your side, your teammate trying to help!”

“Then stop talking nonsense and let’s figure out what to do!”

Zhuang Qi seemed helpless against Zhao Zi, grumbling, “Let me order a drink first.”

Gu Lingjun hadn’t said much since they arrived, but her gaze kept drifting to Jiang Chuxie’s hand.

It was a hand as slender as hers but far stronger, possessing the power of an Alpha and the gentleness and care most Alphas lacked.

She just didn’t know if Jiang Chuxie’s gentleness was only for her or for everyone.