Transmigrated as the Vampire Alpha of the Omega Heroine (GL , ABO) - Chapter 10

It felt a little unfamiliar.

Gu Li was packing up her textbooks, deep in thought. Normally, her little shadow would be waiting beside the school gate after class, but today Jiang Nian had taken leave to visit another district and preview the venue for her competition.

As Gu Li slipped her homework into her bag and walked home alone, her right hand felt strangely empty.

It really did feel like her soul had returned to her high school days. When a classmate she usually went home with suddenly had something else to do, she felt an unexpected emptiness.

She got into the car and took out her phone to check if her little kitten had messaged her.

Jiang Nian: I’m here! I’ve checked out the venue too. I’m at the hotel now. Happy kitten emoji.

Gu Li tapped on her profile picture and scrolled through her empty feed for a while before replying.

My Light: Rest well. Good luck tomorrow.

At that moment, Jiang Nian was in the hotel organizing her art supplies. When she heard her phone buzz, she immediately stopped what she was doing and opened WeChat.

Sure enough, it was a message from Gu Li. After reading it for a few moments, she quietly smiled and returned to her preparations.

The competition format was on-the-spot: a surprise topic with limited time to complete the artwork. Jiang Nian wasn’t formally trained in art and didn’t expect to beat everyone, but painting gave her peace. It had helped her find hope and belonging during her darkest moments. If possible, she wanted painting to stay with her for a long time.

Those who stood out in the competition could be directly recommended by prestigious art school instructors. Jiang Nian didn’t want to miss that chance. She wanted to be closer to her dreams and the things she loved.

Back at school, Gu Li was tapping her wristwatch in class. The competition should have started by now.

Teachers came and went, and the minutes passed slowly. When the minute hand hit four o’clock that afternoon, she finally exhaled like she had just finished the competition herself.

Later that evening, during night study session, Gu Li spotted Jiang Nian waiting at the school gate. She had just returned from the other district, carrying a large bag of art supplies on her back. She stood beneath the streetlamp where the Gu family’s driver usually stopped. Standing next to her was a tall, slender boy dressed similarly.

Gu Li walked over, ready to say something, when the boy beside Jiang Nian suddenly spoke.

“Is she the one you painted in the competition today?”

What did that mean?

Gu Li looked at Jiang Nian in confusion, but before she could ask, Jiang Nian threw her arms around her. Standing on tiptoe, she hugged Gu Li’s arm and said excitedly, “Gu Gu, I got an interview slot!”

Out of ten total spots, she had earned one. She had secured it among a crowd of students who had all received formal training.

The competition topic was “Red.” Jiang Nian immediately thought of Gu Li’s eyes. As if possessed, she began sketching before anyone else even finished planning. She drew Gu Li’s bl00d-red eyes, exactly how they looked when they first met. That moment was burned into her memory.

She only colored the eyes, leaving the rest of the painting in shades of black and gray. During the five-hour competition, she never once stopped.

With that painting, she won a spot in the finals and caught the attention of the original male lead of the story.

At the award ceremony, Mu Lan stood beside her and asked carefully, “Who is the person in your painting?”

Jiang Nian could talk about Gu Li all day. Through her eyes, Gu Li seemed to glow with charm. Her words dazzled Mu Lan, who couldn’t help thinking, Is there really someone this perfect? I want to meet her.

So the young master Mu, on a whim, tossed his award certificate to his butler and followed Jiang Nian all the way back to District A. He stood at the school gate beside her, waiting to meet the girl from the painting.

“Mu Lan,” he introduced himself.

His eyes really were bl00d-red. Mu Lan stared at Gu Li for a while. She was strikingly beautiful, and from her aura, she definitely seemed like an alpha. He studied the way she looked and compared it to the spirit captured in Jiang Nian’s painting. His gaze lingered, maybe too long, because Jiang Nian began to feel something was off.

Had he followed her all the way here just to pursue Gu Li? He looked like an alpha too. Could it really be a double-alpha romance? While chatting earlier about art and Gu Li, he seemed like a decent guy. He said he wanted to see her in person, and she figured it wouldn’t hurt to bring him along as a new acquaintance.

But thinking about it now, this guy lived in District B. Just to see someone, he followed her all the way to District A. That didn’t feel innocent.

Jiang Nian tightened her grip on Gu Li’s sleeve, her voice a little strange as she said to Mu Lan, “You’ve seen her now. We’re heading home.”

Mu Lan waved casually, unfazed.

“Sure, see you in a few days. I was planning to transfer to B High after the competition, but now I think A District’s school has better academic courses. Since I got the interview slot, I’ll just focus on passing the cultural subjects now.”

Without waiting for a reply, he ran off.

“See you in a few days, Jiang Nian. You too, Gu Li.”

He had a bold and unpredictable personality, but he might get along with Jiang Nian quite well. Gu Li watched his retreating figure for a moment before turning to Jiang Nian.

“Want to go home together?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Nian replied, nervously intertwining her fingers.

On the way home in the car, they were both quiet for a long time. Gu Li wanted to find something to talk about and finally brought up the new classmate.

“That new guy seems interesting. You two were chatting pretty happily.”

She didn’t mean anything by it, but to Jiang Nian, it sounded like she was asking for more details about Mu Lan.

“He’s not that interesting,” Jiang Nian replied. Her soft voice had a rare sharpness to it.

Really? I saw you laughing together when I walked over.

Gu Li was puzzled.

“You both won the competition. You can prepare for the interview and the cultural tests together. I can help tutor you.”

The academic level in this world’s high schools was about the same as her previous life. She was confident she could help both of them cross the required threshold for art schools.

“Why do you keep bringing him up? You haven’t even asked me what I painted to win.” Jiang Nian didn’t like speaking badly of others behind their backs, but right now, she just wanted Gu Li to focus on her and not on Mu Lan.

She proudly pulled a laminated drawing out of her bag and handed it to Gu Li.

The girl in the picture had a pair of crimson eyes and a gentle expression.

The artist had poured her heart into capturing the spirit and detail in those eyes. Anyone who saw the painting would be instantly drawn in by the subject’s gaze.

“That’s amazing,” Gu Li said sincerely, not holding back her praise. She hadn’t expected Jiang Nian’s painting to be of her, but the moment she saw it, her heart was filled with warmth.

It felt like someone was gently tickling her heart with a feather. Painting really was a kind of charm.

Jiang Nian, her little shadow, was overjoyed by the compliment. But that good mood didn’t last long.

Young Master Mu acted fast. On the very next day, he moved into District A. By the third day, he had transferred into Class 3 of the second year at B High School and, with his usual boldness, sat right next to Jiang Nian.

“Do you know how to do this question?” During study period, Mu Lan handed her a math problem. He had spent all of his first year focused on painting and had fallen far behind in academics. Looking at the math question felt like reading a foreign language. Without even waiting for Jiang Nian to try solving it, he took his notebook and walked over to Gu Li.

While everyone else was quietly doing their own work, he crouched beside Gu Li’s desk with the problem in hand, waiting for her to explain.

Mu Lan figured Jiang Nian was just like him. Since they were both into art, her math probably wasn’t much better. She was clearly not someone he could rely on for this. Better to ask this Gu Li she had praised endlessly.

Gu Li had a sharp mind and explained things with patience. While helping Mu Lan, she also ended up explaining the solution to Zhang Nan who sat nearby. Then she suggested that if possible, he should explain the method to Jiang Nian as well. It would reinforce his own understanding and help others at the same time.

Jiang Nian, who had never thought someone could use study questions as an excuse to get close to Gu Li, sat at her desk listening to Mu Lan’s stammering explanation. When he added, “Gu Li said I should explain this to you to help myself remember better,” she suddenly snapped the lead in her mechanical pencil.

One time led to another. And since Gu Li turned out to be a very helpful teacher, Young Master Mu became the third person in what used to be a pair. He had questions in every subject and used every possible moment to build rapport with Teacher Gu.

After school, Jiang Nian watched Mu Lan still pestering Gu Li with a physics question. She waved her tiny fist at the back of his head in mock frustration.

She had gone to an art competition and ended up bringing back an obstacle to her relationship with Gu Li.

He had become a giant wall standing between her and her dearest friend. He was trying to steal her precious Gu Li.

“We’re going home now,” she finally spoke up, standing behind the two of them by the car, her voice filled with displeasure. Was Mu Lan seriously thinking of riding home with Gu Li too?

“Alright, see you tomorrow, Teacher Gu.” Mu Lan waved smugly, tucked his textbook under his arm, and turned to get into his family’s private car.

He was a rich kid too. Didn’t his family hire tutors? Why was he always bothering Gu Li and asking her to explain homework?

Jiang Nian muttered to herself in the back seat, feeling grumpy. Today after school, she hadn’t even gotten to hold Gu Li’s hand.

Gu Li peeked over at her and sensed a gloomy aura coming from her. She started to wonder if she had been a little too friendly with the male lead. Jiang Nian seemed a bit jealous.

She hadn’t expected her little kitten to like Mu Lan so soon. Maybe from now on, she would have to go home alone.

“Nian Nian?” Gu Li called gently, but Jiang Nian didn’t answer.

Gu Li reached out to pat her shoulder, but Jiang Nian suddenly turned around, startling her.

“Gu Gu, can you teach me first from now on? I’ll teach Mu Lan afterward. Since we sit close together, it’s convenient for me to help him, and it’ll help me remember better too. He doesn’t explain things very clearly. I didn’t understand much today.”

So, it really was because she felt uncomfortable with her being around Mu Lan too much. It turned out this good-best-friend bond couldn’t quite withstand the pressure of “true love.”

Gu Li sighed inwardly, half amused, and nodded in agreement.

“Alright.”