Omega Taming the Black Moonlight - Chapter 11

“Do you want to be expelled from the Academy?”

Ji Yilian watched Yan Liu, who had nearly shrunk into the corner, her delicate, usually icy face now tinged with a hint of bewilderment at the girl’s wary reaction to her gift.

She stood up and approached Yan Liu, her aura radiating without any deliberate effort.

Yan Liu immediately resembled a pitiful little groundhog cornered against a wall, on the verge of curling into a ball. Yet her bright, glistening eyes remained fixed on Ji Yilian, filled with a pitiful wariness—as if sizing up a stranger, ready to bite if pushed too far.

This side of Yan Liu was one Ji Yilian had never seen before.

It was strange. Despite knowing Yan Liu for years, only now did her image suddenly become vivid, bursting with vibrant colors, brimming with life, and impossible to ignore.

“Why haven’t you opened the package?” Ji Yilian’s gaze fell to the Omega’s hands.

For the first time, she noticed Yan Liu’s hands were different from those of other Omegas.

In the past, among the limited Omegas she had encountered, nearly every one was a well-groomed, impeccably refined member of the upper class.

Their hands, both male and female, appeared fair and delicate, without any imperfections.

Only Yan Liu’s hands were different. Though her fingers were slender, they were slightly reddened, and upon closer inspection, calluses marked her palms—the indelible traces of years of hard work.

Ji Yilian’s gaze fell upon those hands, and for some reason, her heart clenched, unable to tear her eyes away.

Those hands stung her eyes.

Yan Liu’s life was even more arduous than she had imagined.

For Ji Yilian, this internal struggle lasted only a fleeting moment, but for Yan Liu, it felt like an eternity.

The girl eyed Ji Yilian warily, as if fearing she might suddenly lunge forward and bite her neck, just as she had done upon entering the room.

“I don’t want to take it apart. I didn’t even buy it myself.”

“What does whether I get expelled from the Academy have to do with you, Ji Yilian? What right do you have to interfere?”

Yan Liu couldn’t bring herself to trust the person before her.

Ji Yilian’s sudden change only made her seem more unreliable—a scumbag Alpha.

Typically, those manipulative scumbags—both male and female—used this narcissistic tactic: first, they showered you with affection until you were invested, then they began brainwashing you with phrases like, “You’re worthless without me,” making you willingly sacrifice everything until you became a bl00d bag, forever bound to them.

Just like Yan Liu had been in the past.

Having lived for eighteen years, not a single day had truly been for herself.

And she had done it without complaint or regret, never allowing her young life to blossom into anything beautiful.

So! Now that Ji Yilian had suddenly become a different person, treating her well, was it also because Yan Liu had changed, triggering the other woman’s instinctive wariness and making her want to keep Yan Liu trapped?

Yan Liu deliberately focused on the worst possible interpretation of Ji Yilian’s actions.

After all, in the original plot, Ji Yilian had never done anything for the Original Host, always maintaining a detached, indifferent attitude.

How could she possibly believe that such a person could genuinely care?

Seeing Yan Liu’s cold demeanor, a stark contrast to her former complete dependence, Ji Yilian felt an inexplicable irritation, a restless unease she couldn’t quite define.

“Bess changes Omegas frequently. It’s not good for you to associate with her too much,” she said in a cool voice, changing the subject.

She seemed to recall how, during the Arena Competition, Yan Liu had preferred to team up with Bess rather than her. Later, Yan Liu had rejected Ji Yilian’s Smart Brain, yet treasured Bess’s as if it were a precious gem.

And then the two of them had left together.

The image resurfaced in Ji Yilian’s mind, and the irritation in her heart surged, deepening into something darker.

Ji Yilian had always known Yan Liu was naive, so she was only saying this to prevent her from being deceived.

But the moment her words fell, Yan Liu bristled like a little hedgehog, her almond eyes widening defensively.

“You’re not my girlfriend. Why do you care who I’m close to?”

Yan Liu’s defensive posture was oddly frustrating.

She was so petite and adorable, utterly lacking any threatening presence, yet her emotions surged with such intensity, as if Ji Yilian had betrayed her a thousand times over.

Ji Yilian pressed her lips together.

She wasn’t good at handling this side of Yan Liu, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel impatient or angry.

“I told you,” Ji Yilian said, “Bess isn’t someone you should get too close to. She’s not as simple as she seems.”

Yan Liu blinked her almond eyes at Ji Yilian’s words.

“You think I like Bess?”

Ji Yilian seemed to regain her composure, reverting to her usual cold, emotionless demeanor. She looked at Yan Liu, her red lips moving slightly.

“What else could it be?”

Yan Liu nearly laughed in exasperation. “Why can’t we just be friends? Does an Omega have to develop romantic feelings for every Alpha they interact with?”

Ji Yilian’s dark eyes fixed on her. “It’s different for you, Yan Liu. Your pheromones are too intoxicating.”

Even she couldn’t control herself. She doubted Bess would have more self-restraint when alone with Yan Liu.

The thought of her recent loss of control deepened Ji Yilian’s gaze, making her even more wary of Yan Liu’s innocent expression.

“From now until you retake and pass the remaining 45 exams, I will be…”

She paused, then continued, “living here.”

!!!

Yan Liu was stunned.

What?!

She nearly fainted from anger. Who did Ji Yilian think she was? What right did she have to move into Yan Liu’s home, acting like it was for her own good?

The girl stomped forward, glaring at Ji Yilian, her nostrils flaring with fury.

“I didn’t agree to let you stay here.”

Ji Yilian met her gaze for a moment, as if sensing Yan Liu’s weakness. She lowered her eyes calmly and said, “You agreed before. My fingerprint is already in the system.”

This objective statement made Yan Liu nearly faint from anger again.

So infuriating!

“Before was before, and now is now! I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want you here anymore!”

Yan Liu huffed, so angry she didn’t even notice the tuft of hair on her head standing up.

This only made her look even more endearingly dorky, radiating an inexplicable charm.

Ji Yilian’s heart stirred slightly as she reached out to smooth Yan Liu’s stray tuft of hair. She spoke slowly and deliberately:

“Yan Liu, don’t act like a child. Empty anger won’t get you anywhere.”

“Even if you team up with Bess in the group competition and win, the extra points won’t be enough to pass the overall assessment.”

“What you need to do is quickly catch up on your studies, apply for make-up exams for your failing courses, and eliminate the Academy’s grounds for expulsion before the end of the semester.”

The words were logical and reasonable.

But because they came from Ji Yilian’s mouth, Yan Liu felt inexplicably annoyed, resentful, and unhappy.

“What’s it to you?” Yan Liu retorted, her voice bristling with resistance.

Ji Yilian merely glanced at her, then parted her lips.

“I don’t want those things to happen.”

This was precisely the answer Yan Liu didn’t want to hear.

In truth, even if Ji Yilian had said, “I consider you family, my best friend,” Yan Liu wouldn’t have reacted with such anger and resistance.

Because any such declaration would have validated the Yan Liu of the past.

It wouldn’t have left her feeling so indignant, feeling that the Original Host had been treated unfairly.

What’s the point of all this? she thought. It can’t be some “chasing after your wife” redemption arc, right?

A scumbag Alpha suddenly seeing the light?

Hmph, I don’t believe it for a second.