The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession (GL) - Chapter 7

“Well, isn’t this Professor Jiang?”

Lin Yulan looked around and didn’t see anyone with Jiang Xue. For some reason, she felt a small sense of relief, though she couldn’t quite explain why. Still, she doubted that Jiang Xue would come to a place like this alone. With a hint of sarcasm, she said, “Don’t you usually eat on campus, Professor Jiang? What brings you out tonight? I remember you left the Lin house saying you had something urgent at school. So what happened? Did you lose your way? Or did you forget the difference between a school and a restaurant?”

Jiang Xue had no intention of arguing with Lin Yulan in public, especially with people around. There was no point, and trading jabs like this felt childish and immature.

Just as she was about to walk away, Lin Yulan reached out and grabbed her arm.

“You see me and immediately want to leave? That’s strange. Weren’t you the one who liked me? You even went behind my back to get my mother involved. Wasn’t this marriage what you wanted all along? And now you’re pretending like we’re strangers? Don’t you think that’s a little ridiculous?”

This restaurant was laid out differently than most. The front counter was far from the main dining area, and people rarely walked through this section. Only the owner and the servers came through occasionally to place orders or carry food. For the most part, this part of the restaurant was quiet and empty.

That was the only reason Jiang Xue wasn’t upset.

If there had been more people around, or worse, a crowd watching them, Jiang Xue would have already shown her temper. She might have even yelled at Lin Yulan.

“I wasn’t trying to deceive your mother or you,” Jiang Xue said calmly. “When I went to your house, I had just finished teaching and hadn’t eaten yet. I thought I’d be able to leave quickly, but it ended up taking a lot longer than expected.”

Jiang Xue was always direct. She didn’t believe in holding back like those people on television who never say what they mean. If you have a mouth, you should use it.

Lin Yulan paused. She hadn’t considered that.

She remembered how pale Jiang Xue looked that day. At the time, she had assumed Jiang Xue just had fair skin. But thinking back, it might have been a sign of low bl00d sugar.

That realization made her feel a bit uneasy.

Just as she was about to respond, the Omega standing next to her couldn’t help speaking up. Her tone was sharp and dismissive.

She looked Jiang Xue up and down, then glanced at her own reflection in the mirror on the wall. With a sneer, she said, “This is your future bride, Yulan? I thought someone who could match you would at least be presentable. I’m not even talking about beauty, but this? Seriously?”

Before she could say anything more, Lin Yulan gave her a cold, warning look.

Other insults might have been fine, but this one crossed the line. That comment wasn’t just about Jiang Xue. It was indirectly insulting Ming Zelan’s judgment.

Even if Lin Yulan didn’t like Jiang Xue, she knew her mother’s standards. Her mother had always had excellent taste in people.

The Omega beside her was startled by Lin Yulan’s reaction and fell silent. She didn’t understand why Lin Yulan wasn’t on her side. Why would she defend someone so plain and ordinary? Feeling wronged, she stared hard at Jiang Xue, as if trying to intimidate her with her gaze alone.

Jiang Xue ignored her completely.

She found this kind of behavior foolish. Anyone who relied on shallow taunts and public drama clearly lacked better tools. If she wasted her time and energy responding to every petty insult, she would burn out long before her students ever had the chance.

The smartest thing to do was to act like she didn’t even hear it.

Without a reaction, people like that would quickly lose interest.

“Miss Lin, if there’s nothing else, may I leave? I don’t want to spoil your evening.”

Lin Yulan didn’t let go of her arm. What surprised her was that Jiang Xue showed no emotion at all after being insulted like that.

No anger. Not even a frown.

She had brought another Omega with her. Yet Jiang Xue didn’t seem affected at all. Was everything she had told her mother about liking her just a lie?

No, that couldn’t be right.

Jiang Xue must have only been interested in the Lin family’s wealth and influence. If she didn’t really like her, then none of this would be surprising.

“Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Is someone waiting for you outside?”

Lin Yulan looked toward the entrance. The restaurant windows were not transparent, and the doorway was narrow. From inside, there wasn’t much you could see.

But after hearing that, Jiang Xue realized she really needed to go. Xia Yin was still waiting outside. If she took too long, Xia Yin might think something had gone wrong and come inside. If that happened, things would only become more awkward.

“Whether or not someone is waiting for me outside is none of your concern,” Jiang Xue said.

Then she turned her eyes to the Omega standing beside Lin Yulan.

“You already have someone with you. If I stay here any longer, it might ruin your mood or do you enjoy situations like this, where you get to test your self-control?”

When it came to sarcasm, Lin Yulan couldn’t keep up. The most effective way to insult someone wasn’t with yelling or harsh words. It was with calm, deliberate remarks that left the other person speechless.

Jiang Xue had just delivered exactly that.

Lin Yulan was caught completely off guard. She had always assumed Jiang Xue didn’t know how to argue or talk back. No matter how harsh she was, Jiang Xue had always ignored her. But now it was clear. Jiang Xue hadn’t kept quiet because she couldn’t respond. She simply didn’t think Lin Yulan was worth the effort.

That realization made Lin Yulan feel like a fool.

“You really know how to turn things around, Professor Jiang. I guess all that sweet behavior in front of my mother was just an act. What did you say to her to get her so wrapped around your finger?”

“Miss Lin,” Jiang Xue said calmly, “could you please let go of my hand?”

“What?”

“You’ve been holding onto my hand this entire time. Are you trying to prove to the person next to you that you’re still interested in me?”

Only then did Lin Yulan realize what she was doing. She immediately pulled her hand back as if it had been burned.

The Omega next to her quickly jumped in.

“See, Yulan? I told you she was trouble, but you wouldn’t listen. She doesn’t even like you. She’s clearly only interested in your family’s wealth. I’ve seen women like her before. They say they’re in love, but it’s all fake. If she really liked you, she wouldn’t treat you like this in public.”

Jiang Xue laughed softly.

A moment ago, she had thought this girl simply wasn’t very smart. Now, after hearing that, she realized it wasn’t just a lack of intelligence.

It was complete ignorance.

She gently rubbed her wrist where she had been grabbed. Because of her fair skin, even a light grip would leave noticeable marks, and now there was already a visible bruise forming.

Lin Yulan saw it too. But she hadn’t used much force earlier, so why did it look so serious? Suspicion rose in her mind. Was this woman trying to play the victim again? Would she go running back to Ming Zelan to stir up trouble? That would be classic manipulation.

Just as Lin Yulan was about to say something, a tall Alpha woman with long hair walked in from outside. She seemed to look right past Lin Yulan and the others, her eyes landing only on Jiang Xue.

She asked, “What’s wrong? Is something going on?”

Jiang Xue shook her head. “It’s nothing. Everything’s been taken care of. Let’s go.”

She turned and quickly walked out of the restaurant without sparing Lin Yulan even a glance.

It was the first time Lin Yulan had ever been so completely ignored by someone, and the feeling left her deeply annoyed. Her irritation only grew when she looked at the Alpha who had just arrived.

“Was Jiang Xue waiting for you?”

The Omega standing beside Lin Yulan looked as if she had just discovered something shocking, but remembering how Lin Yulan had glared at her earlier, she wisely chose to keep her thoughts to herself.

Xia Yin quickly realized that this must be the person Jiang Xue had reacted to during dinner, the one who had clearly upset her. She looked Lin Yulan up and down, made sure Jiang Xue had already walked out the door, and then let the polite expression on her face fall away.

“What does that have to do with you?”

How could it not have something to do with her?

The woman who just left was supposed to be her fiancée. Didn’t this Alpha know that?

But Lin Yulan would never say that in front of a stranger. She refused to acknowledge Jiang Xue as her fiancée. The only person she ever considered as her future partner was Qu Mengxin.

“You’re right. It has nothing to do with me,” Lin Yulan said with forced calm. “It’s just that she told me earlier she had something to do at school. I didn’t expect her to be out on a date.”

Her voice was filled with bitterness.

Xia Yin heard it clearly but chose not to challenge her directly. Instead, she responded casually, “Yes, we did have a date tonight. And who are you to Jiang Xue exactly? If you’re one of her suitors, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. She already has someone she likes.”

Someone she likes?

Then why was she pushing this marriage onto me?

So it really was all about the Lin family’s wealth and power. All that talk about never having been in love must have been a complete lie. She had clearly been pretending this whole time.

Still, this worked in Lin Yulan’s favor. Now she had an excuse to go back to Ming Zelan and explain everything. If she made her case well enough, the marriage could be canceled.

It almost felt like fate was on her side.

“Don’t worry, I’m not one of her admirers. You can be with her openly. We’re just old classmates who hadn’t seen each other in years. We ran into each other by chance and sat down to catch up.”

Xia Yin clearly didn’t believe that.

If they were really just old classmates, then Jiang Xue’s reaction earlier wouldn’t have been so distant. She didn’t look even slightly happy to see her.

Or maybe Lin Yulan wasn’t lying. Maybe they truly were classmates. But based on Jiang Xue’s response, something unpleasant had happened between them in the past. Instead of greeting her with warmth, Jiang Xue had turned away.

“Is that so?”

“What else would it be?”

Worried that the Alpha might suspect something, Lin Yulan took the Omega beside her by the hand and smiled.

“I already have someone I care about. We came to grab a late-night bite together. If you’ll excuse us, we’ll go eat now. You probably shouldn’t keep your girlfriend waiting either.”

With that, Lin Yulan led the Omega away and followed the server to their table.

Xia Yin remained standing for a moment. Something had clicked in her mind. She turned to the owner at the front counter and asked, “Excuse me, I have a question. That Alpha and Omega who were here earlier, were they a couple?”

The owner, who had been busy checking receipts and handling orders, hadn’t paid much attention to the argument. He looked down at the guest log and flipped through the signed names.

“Oh, those two? No, they’re not a couple. Just friends.”

They weren’t dating?

Then why did the other woman say that?

Xia Yin thought quietly to herself for a moment. But not wanting to keep Jiang Xue waiting any longer, she thanked the owner and quickly left the restaurant.