I Marked My Arch-Nemesis Omega - Chapter 39

Sheng Yu had already walked away with her hands in her pockets when she suddenly felt like going back to school.

“An S-rank… It’d be a waste not to send you to the frontlines. The Empire will help build a private mech for an S-rank,” Lu Yuanzheng caught up with Sheng Yu, his tone tinged with envy. “You’ll also be assigned a manor-level residence in the capital. And if you join the military, you won’t have to start from the bottom.”

“If I wanted to go to the frontlines, would you dare to let me?” Sheng Yu smirked. “And if I didn’t, would the Empire be happy to keep supporting a freeloader?”

Lu Yuanzheng: “……”

“They really wouldn’t dare to send you casually,” he admitted. That was the truth.

The Empire didn’t trust Sheng Yu. She was a ticking time bomb. The only reason they hadn’t eliminated her was because she still held too many valuable assets.

“Just drop me off at the downtown mall, and you can leave.”

Lu Yuanzheng looked at Sheng Yu. “Your identity credentials have already been synced to all your records.”

“Got it.” Sheng Yu nodded and handed him a small storage card. “What you wanted is in here.”

Lu Yuanzheng took it. “I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

Lu Yuanzheng fell silent. After dropping Sheng Yu off at the mall, he watched her enter before leaving.

He had actually wanted to visit Sheng Yu’s mother before his departure but didn’t have the courage. He knew he would never earn forgiveness from either of them. But what choice did he have? Between his future and death, he could only choose the former.

Sheng Yu wandered around the mall, buying a pile of things. After roughly estimating how much she’d spent that day, she decided to rent a house she’d had her eye on.

By the time Sheng Yu finished all her errands and returned to school, it was already dinnertime. She stood by the staircase on the first floor, lost in thought.

When Song Qing came downstairs and saw Sheng Yu, she paused in surprise. Sheng Yu had been leaning against the wall with her head down but looked up the moment she sensed Song Qing’s presence.

Their eyes met.

“I thought you weren’t coming today?” Song Qing walked toward her.

Many people were staring at the two of them. Without a word, Sheng Yu led Song Qing away.

“I finished the tests,” Sheng Yu said after a brief silence, scrutinizing Song Qing from head to toe. “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine. Why do you ask? What were the results?”

Sheng Yu lowered her voice. “01.”

Song Qing: “……”

“So you’re really not feeling unwell at all?” Sheng Yu pressed, studying her.

“I’m fine. I don’t feel anything.” Song Qing’s mind went blank for a second.

“If you start feeling unwell, you have to tell me.”

“If I were going to feel unwell, it would’ve happened last night, not now.” Song Qing shook her head. “Let’s go eat.”

Sheng Yu followed behind her. “What exactly does Xunye smell like?”

“If you’re curious, I can take you to the Song family’s archives next time to look it up,” Song Qing offered. “There are a lot of books there, though I’m not sure if any of them mention it.”

“Seems like your family has quite the collection of treasures.”

Song Qing nodded. “The Song family has existed for a long time, and we’ve always made a point of collecting all kinds of books. Many of them aren’t even recorded in the Empire’s library system, and the Empire hasn’t bothered to regulate it.”

“And they just let anyone in there?”

“The Song family can bring people in,” Song Qing said. “Normally, no one goes there anyway.”

Sheng Yu stared at the back of Song Qing’s head. “So when should we go?”

“This Saturday,” Song Qing replied, glancing at Sheng Yu. She was still curious about who Sheng Yu had enlisted for help—someone capable of suppressing even the 01 incident, which had been major news across the empire.

By the time the two reached the cafeteria, the first floor was nearly full, so they headed upstairs to the second floor. Since they hadn’t pre-ordered, they had to wait a while. For a moment, neither spoke, but the silence wasn’t awkward. Conversation had never been abundant between them.

“Did you come back tonight just to check if I was comfortable?”

“Yeah. Even though you said you don’t need me to take responsibility, basic concern for your health is still necessary. And no matter what, I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” Sheng Yu said.

Song Qing fell silent for two seconds. “So, does that mean you’re destined to die alone?”

Sheng Yu: “…”

To be fair, while Sheng Yu didn’t particularly yearn for romance, being written off like that still stung a little.

“Aren’t you the same?” Sheng Yu chuckled. “We’re in the same boat. Who knows, maybe when we’re old, two lonely souls like us can go see some fluffy animals together.”

“By the time you’re old, you’ll probably have offended every fluffy creature in the world.”

Sheng Yu: “…”

“President Song, your words are truly venomous.”

After dinner, Sheng Yu didn’t return to class but went straight back to the dorm. Bai Ying had also taken leave, apparently due to differentiation.

When Zhang Yunsu returned that evening and saw Sheng Yu, she paused in surprise. “Someone mentioned seeing you today. I thought they were mistaken.”

“No mistake. I came back for dinner.”

“Just to have dinner with the president?”

Sheng Yu: “…”

“Why is even you gossiping now?”

“Just making conversation,” Zhang Yunsu said casually. “I think I’m about to differentiate too.”

“Any idea what you’ll be?”

“Beta,” Zhang Yunsu replied with a faint smile. “At least it’s settled. As long as it’s not Omega, I’m fine.”

Sheng Yu studied her. Despite the smile, Zhang Yunsu’s mood was clearly subdued.

“Even if you’re a Beta, I have no doubt you could take on an Alpha,” Sheng Yu said.

“Thanks. I think so too,” Zhang Yunsu smiled before grabbing her clothes and heading to the bathroom.

Sheng Yu pulled out her still-unsubmitted tablet and resumed her earlier search, which had yielded no answers.

Orange-scented pheromones

To her surprise, Sheng Yu discovered that many pheromones could be described as “orange-scented.” A rough count revealed fifty-three distinct variations, making orange one of the most common pheromone profiles among Omegas.

She never imagined there were so many types of oranges. The descriptions didn’t help pinpoint which one Song Qing’s scent resembled.

At home, she could have used a scent simulator, but that wasn’t an option here. Even if it were, fifty-three similar fragrances would likely leave anyone dizzy.

Putting the tablet away, Sheng Yu decided to drop the search. Some things weren’t that important. Tugging at her blanket, she wondered—was Song Qing’s lack of discomfort due to her rigorous training, or was her pheromone simply compatible with Sheng Yu’s?

Probably because she had woken up too early in the morning, Sheng Yu dozed off while lost in thought.

Weren’t Alphas supposed to be full of energy? Why was she still so sleepy?

The next morning, Sheng Yu went downstairs and saw Song Qing again. She was slightly surprised, but the other girl walked up to her and held out her hand.

“Your wristband.”

Sheng Yu: “…”

“Ah, how touching. I thought the Student Council President was here to ask if I’d had breakfast,” Sheng Yu said as she placed her wristband into Song Qing’s hand. “Who would’ve thought… it was just to fulfill a student council duty.”

“Breakfast.” Song Qing handed her the meal she was holding.

Sheng Yu grinned. “Thank you, President. You’re so kind.”

Song Qing replied, “No need. I should be thanking you for cooperating.”

“I’ve always been cooperative.”

“Your delusion or mine?” Song Qing retorted irritably.

Sheng Yu took a bite of her bun. “I’m being extremely cooperative right now. See? You asked for the wristband, and I just handed it over.”

“If you were truly cooperative, you would’ve given it to me last night.”

“I forgot.” Sheng Yu’s expression was utterly unapologetic.

“Right. I believe you.”

Sheng Yu chuckled, lowering her gaze as she stuffed the rest of the bun into her mouth. When she glanced sideways, she caught Song Qing staring at her with a faintly disgusted look.

Song Qing: “…”

“Not elegant enough?” Sheng Yu asked.

Song Qing: “…”

“I wasn’t disgusted. I was just worried you’d choke,” Song Qing explained.

Sheng Yu eyed her. “I never said you were disgusted.”

“After spending a month with you, I already know what that look means.” Sheng Yu was the kind of person who was hard to read—sometimes her emotions were written all over her face, easy to decipher without much thought, but other times, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking or planning.

“Then you should also know what that look means—disgust.”

Song Qing stared at her impassively. “You’re mistaken.”

Sheng Yu recalled seeing Song Qing the previous night, though her mind had been too foggy to get a clear look. Even when Song Qing had stayed over before, she hadn’t paid much attention. “Then I suggest you take off your glasses so I can see clearly.”

“No.” Song Qing refused outright.

“President, your eyesight is fine, and you don’t seem like the flashy type. So why wear glasses?” Sheng Yu leaned in as she spoke, reaching out to remove Song Qing’s glasses.

Song Qing took a step back and caught her wrist.

“Is it because it makes you look more intimidating, President?” Sheng Yu grinned but still managed to grab the frame of her glasses. Song Qing, afraid of hurting her, didn’t resist much, making it easy for Sheng Yu.

“Someone’s coming,” Song Qing warned.

“We’re not doing anything wrong. Why should we care?” Sheng Yu found teasing the Student Council President endlessly amusing, especially the way she suppressed her reactions.

Song Qing took a deep breath. “Sheng Yu!”

“President, are you going to punish me with a written reflection?” Sheng Yu asked curiously. “Which school rule did I break?”

Song Qing watched the smug smile on Sheng Yu’s face as the girl slipped on her glasses and looked around.

“Childish,” Song Qing muttered.

Sheng Yu assessed herself. “Doesn’t feel much different.”

“It does,” Song Qing said.

“How?”

“You look even more childish now.”