The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession (GL) - Chapter 12

Jiang Xue still wanted to say a few more words, but before she could open her mouth, Lin Yulan had already hung up the phone.

Left with no choice, Jiang Xue could only start thinking about what kind of excuse she should use to request a leave from the school leadership.

If she told them directly that she was going to get a marriage certificate with her alpha, the school would definitely approve it. Something as important as marriage would never be denied.

But if she told the truth, by the next day, every instructor and administrator at the university would know she was getting married. Jiang Xue didn’t want anyone to know she was marrying Lin Yulan. Besides, what they were doing didn’t really count as a proper marriage. Normally, marriage would include a wedding ceremony. What they were doing wasn’t exactly traditional.

As she stood there lost in thought, Lin Yulan suddenly heard footsteps nearby. The next moment, a familiar female voice called out beside her.

“Jiang Xue? What are you doing standing here?”

Xia Yin glanced into the classroom, then looked down at her watch. It wasn’t time for class to end yet.

“Is someone looking for you?”

Jiang Xue shook her head and replied, “No, I just stepped out to take a call. By the way, why are you here, Xia Yin? Isn’t your class on the fifth floor?”

Xia Yin said, “I’m substituting today. Instructor Yang wasn’t feeling well and asked me to take over for two periods. But she just called and said she’s feeling better, so I’m heading back now. I saw you standing here on my way down and came to check on you. So, are you done with your call? Not going back to class?”

Jiang Xue gave a brief response and then turned to head back inside.

She wasn’t someone who gave up halfway, so she pushed herself to finish the final class. During the lunch break, she came up with a special reason to request a half-day leave for the afternoon.

She skipped lunch completely and rushed to the Lin family villa by taxi.

Lin Yulan had assumed that Jiang Xue wasn’t going to show up. That way, she could report back to Ming Zelan with a clear conscience and say:

“This isn’t my fault. I didn’t refuse to get the marriage certificate. It was that Omega who didn’t want to go. I even sent her lots of messages, but she never replied. What else was I supposed to do?

She’s a university instructor. If she doesn’t respond, I can’t just barge into her workplace and drag her out. If the school thinks I’m a lunatic or a kidnapper and calls the police, you, as her mother-in-law-to-be, would have to go and clean up the mess.

Besides, if my reputation gets ruined, it’s not a big deal. A few harsh comments and people will forget me eventually. I’m just a stranger to them.

But Jiang Xue is different.

She’s not only an Omega, but also a university instructor. If this situation gets out and spreads through gossip or on social media, she might not be able to stay at H University. In this world, the most damaging thing is a false rumor.”

Just as Lin Yulan was enjoying her delicious lunch prepared by the housekeeper and feeling satisfied, she looked up and saw Jiang Xue standing at the entrance.

“Young Miss, the future young madam has arrived,” the housekeeper announced.

Lin Yulan immediately lost her appetite. She tossed her knife and fork to the side and said with a blank expression, “Uncle Zhao, she’s standing right there. I’m not blind.”

Butler Zhao thought to himself, I’ve watched you grow up. Do you really think I don’t know what’s going through your mind? If Jiang Xue hadn’t arrived, and no one had reminded you, you’d leave her standing outside all day, pretending you didn’t see her.

“The young madam must have rushed over and probably hasn’t eaten yet. Since the young miss is still having lunch, why don’t you join her?” he said to Jiang Xue.

Hearing the words “young madam” made Jiang Xue a little uncomfortable. After all, she and Lin Yulan hadn’t officially registered their marriage. They weren’t legally married yet, so she wasn’t truly the young madam of the Lin family.

It didn’t feel appropriate to be called that.

Besides, Jiang Xue preferred people to call her by her name.

“Uncle Zhao, just call me Xiaoxue.”

The butler had already prepared an extra lunch for her. There was no need to cook anything more. However, knowing Jiang Xue might not be comfortable with using a knife and fork, he signaled the maid to bring a pair of chopsticks. Then he said, “How can I do that? You’ll be marrying the young miss very soon. Actually, today is the day. It makes no difference if I start calling you that now. You don’t need to feel pressured. Just treat this place as your home. It’s only right that I call you young madam. Don’t you agree, young miss?”

Lin Yulan leaned back on the sofa and didn’t even look up as she said with a sarcastic tone, “Uncle Zhao, if she asks you to call her by name, just call her by name. Our family doesn’t force people to do things they don’t want to do.”

“Young Miss, please be mindful of your words.”

“I know, I know. But I’m just being honest. She doesn’t like being called that, and you keep insisting. Isn’t that just making her feel worse? I’m speaking up for her. Isn’t that allowed?”

Was that really speaking up for her?

Anyone with a clear mind could hear the sarcasm behind those words.

Butler Zhao understood Lin Yulan’s temperament very well. The more someone pushed her, the more she resisted. Being forced into marriage had already put her in a bad mood, so it was no surprise that her tone was unpleasant. It was better to let her vent a little than have her do something extreme.

Right now, they could only ask Jiang Xue to be patient.

“It’s alright, Uncle Zhao. Just call me Xiaoxue,” Jiang Xue said gently.

The butler nodded, pretending to accept that this was truly how Jiang Xue felt.

“Don’t just stand there. It’s lunchtime and you probably haven’t eaten yet. Sit down and eat with the young miss. Once you’re done, you can head to the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

No matter how one heard that sentence, it still sounded a little strange. Anyone unaware of the situation might think the alpha in this household had some kind of problem and the Omega was in such a hurry to marry her before she changed her mind.

Honestly, the current situation wasn’t much different. Ming Zelan seemed ready to sell Lin Yulan off, just one step short of wrapping her in a box and delivering her in person.

Jiang Xue found the whole thing a bit funny, though a part of her also felt envious. On the surface, it looked like Ming Zelan was pressuring Lin Yulan, but through Lin Yujin, she had finally learned why Ming Zelan disliked Qu Yuxin so much.

In truth, Ming Zelan was fiercely protective of her daughter. Anyone who mistreated Lin Yulan would be crushed without hesitation. No insult was too harsh when it came to protecting her child.

And the reason Ming Zelan liked Jiang Xue and was willing to support her was entirely because Jiang Xue was one of the few people who truly cared about Lin Yulan without any ulterior motives. Otherwise, Ming Zelan never would have approached her in the first place.

Uncle Zhao had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Everything he did was for Lin Yulan’s sake. He was always thinking of what was best for her, unlike Liu Rushuang, who only ever saw Lin Yulan as something to be used up. Every bit of kindness from Liu Rushuang came only because Lin Yulan still had value to offer.

“Uncle Zhao, why do I feel like you’re all more anxious than I am? Who’s getting married here, me or you?”

“Of course it’s you, Young Miss.”

Lin Yulan was completely speechless and even let out a bitter laugh. “If I’m the one getting married, then why are all of you in such a hurry when I’m not? She’s not the empress, is she? Are you afraid if she runs off you’ll be executed along with your entire clan? This is like the eunuchs panicking while the emperor remains calm.”

Butler Zhao didn’t argue. Instead, he turned to look at Jiang Xue, who sat across the table eating slowly and calmly. Her expression was composed and unbothered by her surroundings or the tension in the room. Even Lin Yulan’s sarcastic remarks did not affect her. She didn’t react or argue, nor did she lose her composure. On the contrary, she remained quiet and steady, forming a stark contrast to Lin Yulan, who was venting and ranting nonstop from across the table.

This was a sign of real emotional maturity.

It also showed that Jiang Xue was not the delicate, temperamental kind of Omega that only looked pretty on the outside and lacked any real ability.

“Young Miss, there’s still over an hour before the Civil Affairs Bureau opens. Are you sure you don’t want to eat a bit more?”

Lin Yulan originally wanted to say that she had lost her appetite because someone was sitting across from her. But when she looked up and saw how much Jiang Xue was enjoying her food, looking completely unaffected, it made Lin Yulan feel like she was the one acting childish and irrational.

At that moment, her alpha pride flared up intensely.

“Who said I wasn’t going to eat? I was just taking a break because I was full, is that not allowed?” Lin Yulan picked up her knife and fork again, sliced off a piece of beef, and popped it into her mouth. Then she glared directly at Jiang Xue.

“Someone with a guilty conscience can still eat well, even eat with such an appetite. How could I not eat?”

Jiang Xue heard her and calmly put down her chopsticks. She slowly raised her head and looked straight at Lin Yulan without saying a word. Her face showed no emotion.

Lin Yulan would normally take this opportunity to fire back with another sarcastic remark. But for some reason, when she saw Jiang Xue looking at her like that, she suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

That was strange.

Why should she feel guilty?

This wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t said anything wrong. So why was she feeling uneasy?

That’s right. It wasn’t her problem. She had no reason to feel guilty.

After convincing herself, Lin Yulan straightened her back and said with renewed confidence, “Why are you looking at me like that? Tell me, which part of what I said was wrong? Don’t think I’ll back down just because your eyes are big!”

As she spoke, Lin Yulan widened her own eyes and leaned forward slightly, as if challenging Jiang Xue head-on.

The scent of red wine pheromones unique to an alpha suddenly filled the air. Jiang Xue instinctively lowered her gaze.

It was strange. Lin Yulan wasn’t in her heat cycle, and her pheromones shouldn’t have had such a strong scent. Normally, unless they were extremely close, like whispering into someone’s ear, an Omega wouldn’t even be able to detect it.

But Jiang Xue could smell it clearly.

And it was intense. So strong that it stirred something restless inside her. Her own pheromones started to surge uncontrollably.

To prevent Lin Yulan from noticing anything unusual, Jiang Xue quickly lowered her head, forcing down all the wrong emotions and hiding them deep inside.

“President Lin is absolutely right.”

Lin Yulan was stunned. She almost thought she had misheard.

This woman just admitted it?

And she admitted it in front of everyone?