I Marked My Arch-Nemesis Omega - Chapter 42

Sheng Yu and You Yue chatted about all sorts of trivial things, though most of the time it was You Yue talking to herself. You Yue seemed genuinely happy and content with being an Omega, even saying that if possible, she’d want to be an Omega in her next life too.

“What do you think of this kind of life?” You Yue asked.

“Not much,” Sheng Yu replied, leaning back on the sofa. To be honest, she was already getting a little tired of listening.

You Yue fell silent for a couple of seconds. “Having two children means never worrying about food or clothing—isn’t that happiness?”

“If you’re happy, that’s all that matters. No need to ask me,” Sheng Yu said, finding the Song family rather amusing.

You Yue smiled. “Well, you’re a Beta, after all. You wouldn’t understand the kind of happiness I feel.”

Sheng Yu didn’t respond, just watched You Yue. It seemed like this person was trying very hard to convince herself of something. For a fleeting moment, her expression cracked, but it quickly smoothed over again.

“For an Omega, this really is happiness. What other possibilities are there for Omegas anyway? In the end, we all return to the family,” You Yue couldn’t help adding.

Sheng Yu pushed a cup toward You Yue. “Possibilities lie in your own hands. If you believe there are other paths, then there certainly are. If you think this is all you can do, then yes, there are no other possibilities.”

“It’s always easy to say things like that,” You Yue chuckled, then suddenly looked upstairs and flashed a bright smile. “Finished talking?”

Madam Song and Song Qing descended the stairs. Madam Song’s smile was as perfectly measured as ever, though the more Sheng Yu saw it, the more it struck her as artificial—like a mask.

Song Qing remained expressionless, but her mood seemed even gloomier than before. Clearly, the earlier conversation hadn’t gone well.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Do you two have any plans for the afternoon?” Madam Song’s gaze settled on Sheng Yu.

“We still have some research to do, so we’ll need to return to the old house. It’s my first time seeing so many books—rare opportunities like this shouldn’t be wasted,” Sheng Yu replied.

“The old house does have quite the collection. Then you two should go ahead. I won’t keep you. If you can’t finish today, you’re welcome to stay the night and leave tomorrow,” Madam Song said. “We have plenty of rooms.”

“We have things to do tomorrow, so we won’t stay. Besides, we wouldn’t want to impose. Thank you for your kindness, Auntie.” Sheng Yu glanced at Song Qing. “Let’s go, President. We still have a lot to look up.”

“Mm.” Song Qing nodded.

This time, they didn’t walk. A convenient transport took them directly to the Song family’s old residence.

“Did you two argue?” Sheng Yu asked.

“No,” Song Qing said. “There’s nothing to argue about, and even if there were, it wouldn’t escalate.”

Though she tried to suppress it, Song Qing couldn’t help letting out a soft sigh.

“I’m actually very grateful to her. I just don’t know how to communicate with her,” Song Qing murmured, staring ahead.

The two walked along the shaded path of the old estate. Song Qing continued, “But it’s nothing serious.”

“Alright.”

“During dinner, someone released pheromones,” Song Qing said.

“Yeah, I can smell it,” Sheng Yu replied, quickly adding, “Not very pleasant. Who is it?”

“Probably the one sitting diagonally across from you,” Song Qing said leisurely. “And how could it not be pleasant? That person is an S-rank Omega.”

Sheng Yu thought back. “The really skinny one?”

“Mhm.”

“Are they really S-rank? Doesn’t seem like it. Their pheromones don’t do anything for me, and… they don’t look as stunning as S-ranks are supposed to, either.”

“They were very good-looking when they first came to our family,” Song Qing said. “No idea what happened after that—they just kept getting thinner. But they shouldn’t have lost control like this. Probably released their pheromones on purpose. They glanced at you earlier.”

“Why?” Sheng Yu was baffled.

“No idea. I don’t even know much about their background. They don’t talk much, so digging up info would be tough.” Song Qing looked ahead. “I’ve always thought the people in the Song family are strange. Even the normal ones end up turning strange after joining.”

“Eh, nobles are all like that,” Sheng Yu said dismissively.

“You really have a lot of opinions about nobles,” Song Qing glanced at her.

Sheng Yu grinned. “Commoners tend to have at least some grievances.”

“Yours are just especially strong.”

“You could say that.” Sheng Yu added, “But you’re different from those nobles.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Song Qing didn’t bother arguing. She had a rough idea of what Sheng Yu meant. “Later, I’ll still have someone look into that person.”

“That person? Do you call them that at home too?”

“No, I usually don’t talk to them at all.” Song Qing said. “I don’t know what others think, but I find it awkward. Maybe even though I act like an Alpha, sometimes I still slip into an Omega’s mindset.”

Sheng Yu didn’t respond.

To avoid running into others, the two took back paths the whole way to the library.

Song Qing had assumed someone like Sheng Yu wouldn’t be able to sit still, but the other girl barely left her chair all afternoon. It reminded her of how Sheng Yu always carefully controlled her exam scores and the doctored surveillance footage. She realized her biases toward Sheng Yu ran deeper than she’d thought.

“Wish I could take these books with me,” Sheng Yu leaned back in her chair. She read fast, but how much could she really finish in one afternoon?

“That’s probably not possible,” Song Qing said. “If you try to take books from here, security bots will follow you all the way home.”

“Tch.” Sheng Yu sighed in disappointment.

After a few seconds of thought, Song Qing said, “Then we’ll leave tomorrow? We can always come back later.”

“Really?” Sheng Yu’s eyes lit up.

“Mhm. If you want to come again, I’ll bring you next time.”

Sheng Yu tapped the table, then shook her head, thinking of Song Qing’s discomfort today. “Forget it. You don’t like coming back, right? But leaving tomorrow works. I think I could pull an all-nighter here.”

“Then we’ll go tomorrow. Want something to drink? I’ll make you some coffee?”

“Sure, thanks.”

“No problem.”

When Song Qing returned with two cups of coffee, she found Sheng Yu already engrossed in another book—one that didn’t seem to be written in the Empire’s common language. It looked like a book from the Alliance.

“I always thought you preferred reading those weird little novels,” Song Qing remarked.

“What gave you that impression?” Sheng Yu leaned back in her chair. “I read everything.”

Song Qing leaned in for a closer look. “What’s this one about?”

“Mecha design,” Sheng Yu replied. “It’s an old book, but some of the content is still relevant. Plus, the Alliance’s mecha technology seems way more advanced than ours.”

“You’re interested in this stuff?”

“Sort of.” Sheng Yu propped her chin on her hand. “Mecha designers make a lot of money, after all.”

Song Qing: “…”

She sat down across from Sheng Yu, deciding not to ask any more questions.

“What’s wrong? There’s no shame in liking money.”

“No shame at all,” Song Qing agreed. She had just expected a more high-minded answer, not something so down-to-earth.

Sheng Yu drank cup after cup of coffee as time slipped by. Dinner was just bread, neither of them leaving the library.

At some point, Sheng Yu yawned and looked up to find Song Qing slumped over the table, fast asleep. The book was still open in front of her—she had probably only meant to rest her eyes but ended up dozing off.

Sheng Yu watched her for a moment, then smiled and stretched.

By the time Song Qing woke up, dawn had already broken. “You didn’t sleep?”

“Nope.” Sheng Yu rested her chin on her hand. “Wasn’t that tired.”

Song Qing glanced at the stack of books piled beside Sheng Yu, rubbed her stiff shoulders, and did a quick count. She was stunned. “That’s impressive.”

“Eh, it’s whatever. Should we grab breakfast and head out?” Sheng Yu asked.

“You’ve finished all of them?”

“Even if I haven’t, there’s no time left to read more.” Sheng Yu closed the book. She had found some genuinely fascinating material—this trip to the Song family had been well worth it.

They ate breakfast at the spaceport, which was conveniently surrounded by large shopping centers. Sheng Yu even picked up a few souvenirs to take back.

Song Qing had assumed Sheng Yu wasn’t tired, but the moment they boarded the ship, she passed out. Even when the ship hit turbulence mid-flight, she didn’t stir. It wasn’t until they landed and Song Qing shook her awake that she finally opened her eyes, still groggy and half-asleep.

“Going home to sleep,” Sheng Yu said with a stretch. “You coming with me or heading back?”

“I’ll pass. I’ve got some things to take care of too,” Song Qing replied.

“Alright, see you Monday.” Sheng Yu waved.

As Song Qing turned to leave, she couldn’t resist adding, “Don’t give the cat a hard time. It’s still young—it’s normal for it to misbehave. Be a little more patient.”

Sheng Yu: ???

“Bye.” Her smile vanished as she spun around, leaving Song Qing with an irritated back view.

Song Qing sighed helplessly.

As it turned out, without Song Qing around, the cat behaved much better. It curled up obediently at Sheng Yu’s feet, gazing up at her with big, beautiful eyes.

“Oh, so now you’re scared, huh?” Sheng Yu scoffed. “Well, no treats for you tonight.”

“Meow!” The cat rubbed against her foot, then rolled onto its back, exposing its fluffy white belly.

“No, acting cute won’t work. I’m going to sleep now, don’t disturb me. If you do, I’ll deduct your treats for tomorrow.” Sheng Yu tapped the cat’s head lightly. “I’m not her—I won’t soften just because you try to charm me.”

The kitten curled up on the sofa, looking aggrieved as it watched Sheng Yu enter the room. It wanted to meow but ultimately stayed silent.