The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession (GL) - Chapter 5

Jiang Xue left the Lin family home alone. Ming Zelan had originally planned to have Lin Yulan walk her out, but Jiang Xue refused. That Alpha looked so reluctant that having her come out would only upset her more. She figured it was better to leave by herself. Maybe walking alone would help clear her mind.

At nine o’clock, the streetlights were shining brightly. Jiang Xue didn’t feel like going back to school so early. She had never been good at lying, and what she had said to Ming Zelan about having school matters to attend to was such a weak excuse. Ming Zelan had definitely seen through it, but probably chose not to expose her in order to spare her the embarrassment.

Jiang Xue knew that very well.

She didn’t understand why Ming Zelan insisted that Lin Yulan must marry her. She and Lin Yulan were clearly not a good match. The difference between them wasn’t just about status. More importantly, they were from completely different worlds.

For a prestigious family like the Lins, the ideal candidate would have been an Omega from another powerful group or a wealthy family. But Jiang Xue had nothing. Her background was poor and her family situation was a mess. By any measure, she didn’t even qualify to be considered.

Still, thinking about it now wouldn’t change anything. Things had already progressed this far. If she said no at this point, it would be seen as a major insult.

Jiang Xue walked along the side of the road. Just then, a BMW pulled up beside her. Instinctively, she stepped back to avoid it and kept walking without paying it much attention. But after only a few steps, a familiar voice called her name.

She turned around, surprised to see who it was. It was Xia Yin, an Alpha and a fellow instructor at her university.

“Professor Xia? What are you doing here?”

The female Alpha opened the car door and stepped out with a smile.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? What are you doing out here, Professor Jiang? Out with friends?”

There was no way Jiang Xue could tell anyone she had just met her future marriage partner. The Lin family had an extremely high status in the capital. Even people who didn’t know them personally had heard of the famous Lin Group. She didn’t want to invite any unnecessary attention or misunderstanding.

She hesitated for a moment, then simply replied, “Yes.”

“And where are your friends?” Xia Yin looked around but didn’t see anyone nearby. “Did they already leave?”

Jiang Xue was afraid that if the questions continued, she would eventually give herself away. So she brushed it off with a vague answer and quickly changed the subject.

“What about you, Professor Xia? Were you out with friends too?”

“No.”

Xia Yin had already noticed that something was off. Jiang Xue’s responses were hesitant and her eyes kept avoiding contact. It wasn’t hard to guess she had just experienced something unpleasant. But Xia Yin wasn’t close enough to her to pry, and asking directly would have crossed a line. She chose to pretend not to notice.

“I was just bored at school. Had nothing else to do, so I decided to go out for a drive.”

She looked straight at Jiang Xue.

“Professor Jiang, if you don’t mind, I can drive you back.”

Jiang Xue was about to say no, but before she could, Xia Yin gently grabbed her right hand, opened the car door, and nudged her into the passenger seat. She even reached over to help fasten the seatbelt.

“I can do it myself, Professor Xia.”

They were sitting very close, and the scent of Xia Yin’s rose-like pheromones quickly filled the space. As an Omega, Jiang Xue was especially sensitive to Alpha pheromones. Being this close made her feel uneasy.

Xia Yin’s hands paused. She looked down at Jiang Xue and noticed her head was lowered. Her long eyelashes curled upward and trembled slightly like butterfly wings. Her ears were a little red. From above, she looked like a startled kitten, delicate and fragile.

“Oh, alright.”

Xia Yin let go of the seatbelt. Her fingers almost brushed Jiang Xue’s face, but Jiang Xue instinctively turned away. Xia Yin felt a little disappointed but didn’t say anything. She quietly shut the door and returned to the driver’s seat.

Jiang Xue let out a soft breath and slowly fastened her seatbelt herself.

The atmosphere in the car became slightly awkward. Xia Yin wasn’t sure what to say.

The silence began to feel uncomfortable. After a long pause, she finally asked, a little nervously, “Professor Jiang, should we go back to school now?”

Jiang Xue actually wanted to get something to eat. She had come straight here after class and hadn’t had time for dinner. But with Xia Yin around, she didn’t feel comfortable admitting it. She didn’t like troubling others with her personal matters and didn’t want to waste anyone’s time.

“Yes, let’s go back to school. Thank you, Professor Xia.”

“Do you really not know my name?”

“Sorry, what?”

Jiang Xue didn’t understand what she meant. Of course she knew her name. They were both instructors at H University and often saw each other on campus. There was no way she didn’t know.

Seeing her serious expression, Xia Yin couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you never joke around with your friends, Professor Jiang? You really couldn’t tell I was teasing?”

For a moment, Jiang Xue was stunned. She only realized after the fact what Xia Yin meant.

“I’m sorry, Professor Xia, I…”

She wondered whether that really counted as a joke.

Xia Yin seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and smiled.

“Looks like you don’t usually joke around with your friends. Honestly, I don’t either. But after spending too much time with some playful friends, I guess I picked up a few of their habits. I hope you’re not upset.”

Jiang Xue shook her head. It was clearly her own problem. She didn’t usually joke with others, and her students always acted so serious around her. She used to think it was because she looked too strict. But now, she realized it might be because she was too dull. Maybe her students found her boring and gave up trying.

“No, not at all.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Xia Yin smiled again. “But seriously, Professor Jiang, don’t you think it’s too formal always calling me ‘Professor Xia’? We’ve known each other for a while now. Just call me Xia Yin.”

Now that she mentioned it, they really had known each other for over two months. Their work schedules often didn’t match, so they didn’t see each other often. That might be why they still felt like strangers.

“Is it hard for you to say?” Xia Yin asked. “How about this? You call me by my name, and I’ll call you Jiang Xue. We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends should call each other by name, don’t you think?”

That made sense to Jiang Xue. She nodded and said, “Alright.”

Xia Yin’s lips curved slightly into a smile, and her mood clearly improved. But worried she might seem too obvious, she quickly returned to her usual expression.

“It’s rare for you to come out like this. It would be a shame to just head back right away. How about joining me for something to eat?”

Just as she finished her sentence, Jiang Xue’s stomach let out a loud grumble.

Xia Yin turned to look at her and asked, “You haven’t eaten dinner yet tonight?”

Jiang Xue thought about making up an excuse, but Xia Yin didn’t seem interested in excuses. She was only concerned and said, “It’s way too late to still not have eaten. No matter how busy you are, you still need to eat. Your stomach is not something you can ignore. Skipping a meal or two might not seem like a big deal now, but over time it builds up. When you’re older, you’ll regret it.”

If it had been anyone else, Jiang Xue would have snapped back and said, “Why do you care?” But because it was Xia Yin, she couldn’t argue. In fact, she felt a little guilty, like a student caught doing something wrong by a teacher. She lowered her voice and said, “Thank you for the reminder, Professor Xia. It won’t happen again.”

Xia Yin couldn’t help herself. She reached out and gently ruffled Jiang Xue’s hair.

As soon as her hand landed, both of them froze. Even Xia Yin was surprised by her own action. The air between them suddenly became tense, filled with a subtle awkwardness that neither could ignore.

Xia Yin quickly pulled her hand back and tried to explain, her voice slightly flustered. “Jiang Xue, please don’t read too much into that. I have a younger brother who’s also an Alpha. I’m used to patting his head, it’s become a reflex. Just now, when you looked so obedient and well-behaved, for a moment I thought you were him sitting beside me, and I did it without thinking.”

Her explanation was clearly a clumsy attempt to cover up what had just happened, but since Xia Yin had already given her an out, Jiang Xue didn’t want to make things worse. She simply responded with a soft “Okay” and didn’t press the issue.

Silence settled in the car again.

When the Mercedes slowly pulled up in front of a small restaurant, Xia Yin finally spoke to break the tension. “How about we eat here? My friends and I usually come to this place when we don’t have much going on. The food is good and reasonably priced. What do you think, Jiang Xue?”

Xia Yin knew about Jiang Xue’s financial situation. She rarely spent money on herself and usually ate in the school cafeteria or cooked simple meals at home. Xia Yin had originally planned to treat her to something nicer, but she knew Jiang Xue wouldn’t accept a favor for no reason. So she made up a casual excuse to bring her here instead.

Jiang Xue looked up. The restaurant looked modest and down-to-earth, which made her feel more at ease. Without hesitation, she nodded.

Seeing her agree, Xia Yin got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for her.

Jiang Xue felt a bit embarrassed by the gesture and said, “You don’t have to do that. I’m not a child. I can get out of the car myself.”

“What, are you saying you don’t want my help?” Xia Yin teased.

“That’s not what I meant. I just think it’s unnecessary. I have hands and feet. I’m not some elderly woman who needs help getting out of the car.”

Xia Yin wanted to say that she was more than happy to take care of her, but worried that would scare Jiang Xue off, she kept it to herself. Instead, she smiled and said, “Opening a car door is nothing. Come on, my respected Professor Jiang, don’t overthink it. Let’s head inside and eat. If you keep going without food, your body’s going to suffer.”

“Wait.”

Xia Yin paused. “What is it?”

Jiang Xue hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really come here with your friends? Or did you just pick this place because of me?”

Xia Yin could tell Jiang Xue didn’t want to trouble anyone. If she told the truth now, Jiang Xue would definitely turn around and leave.

“You don’t believe me?”

Jiang Xue looked like she was about to say something, but before she could, Xia Yin took her by the hand and gently pulled her toward the entrance. “Don’t overthink it, Professor Jiang. Look at the time. If you keep starving yourself like this, do you even care about your health?”