You Are My Omega (GL) - Chapter 13

Xu Shijiu woke up early. Lin Xinyi had woken up even earlier. As for Xu Manyue, she had not slept at all.

Although she was genuinely happy that Xu Shijiu had agreed to go to school, that did not mean she had stopped worrying. She was still afraid that Xu Shijiu might be judged by others at school, that she might not be able to handle the gossip, and that her condition might worsen because of it.

Xu Manyue wanted her sister to grow stronger, but she also feared seeing her get hurt or feeling isolated.

As soon as Xu Shijiu agreed to attend school, Xu Manyue immediately told Liu Lingyan. It was almost as if Liu Lingyan had predicted she would spend the night wide awake. She stayed with her on a video call through the night, keeping her company.

Thanks to Liu Lingyan, Xu Manyue didn’t end up falling into the same cycle of overthinking and guilt as she had so many times before.

“You can’t protect her forever. She has to grow up eventually.”

Liu Lingyan’s words continued to echo in her mind. That reminder stopped her from calling everything off in a moment of panic, as she might have done in the past.

She was right. Xu Manyue could not shield Shijiu from the world forever.

What surprised her was that after she got herself ready, covered the dark circles under her eyes, and stepped out of her room, she found both Xu Shijiu and Lin Xinyi already sitting in the living room.

“Shijiu, Xinyi, why are you both up so early?” Xu Manyue asked, surprised. What surprised her wasn’t the early hour, but rather the fact that Xu Shijiu was sitting alone with Lin Xinyi.

Ever since Lin Xinyi got hurt protecting Xu Shijiu, her attitude toward Lin Xinyi had clearly changed. She had become softer, no longer putting up her usual defenses. But for the two of them to be alone together like this was still a rare sight.

At least, it was rare when she was home. What happened when she wasn’t around, she had no way of knowing.

“It’s the first day of school, so we woke up early,” Lin Xinyi said with a smile as she greeted Xu Manyue politely.

Xu Shijiu remained silent.

“You’re already in your uniforms. They look really nice,” Xu Manyue said as she finally noticed what they were wearing. Thankfully, the girls’ uniform at this school was a skirt, which Shijiu could wear without trouble. A long blanket covered her legs completely.

“Go have breakfast, Sister. Shijiu and I have already eaten,” Lin Xinyi offered, noticing the heavy atmosphere surrounding Xu Shijiu. She also saw Xu Manyue trying to keep the conversation going, so she stepped in to help smooth things over.

“Alright,” Xu Manyue nodded, though she could not help but glance at Shijiu. Her sister’s head was lowered, her expression unreadable. Xu Manyue’s heart grew heavier.

If, at that moment, Shijiu had suddenly said she didn’t want to go, if she had changed her mind and refused to attend school after all, Xu Manyue thought she might not have had the heart to push her any further.

She knew people would talk. Although there were bodyguards to keep her sister safe from harm, Xu Manyue worried more about how her sister would feel on the inside.

There was a time, before everything changed, when going to school had been one of Shijiu’s favorite things. Back then, she had been like the queen of the playground, always surrounded by friends and full of laughter.

But now…

Now everything was different.

Xu Manyue believed it was her fault. She had hurt Shijiu. She had caused their mother’s death.

As she walked off to eat, the living room was quiet again, with only Lin Xinyi and Xu Shijiu left behind.

“Xu Shijiu, are you… afraid?” Lin Xinyi asked carefully. Her voice was gentle, but she did not shy away from the question.

Xu Shijiu said nothing, but her fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket.

Lin Xinyi noticed the small movement and understood it as an answer. She hesitated for a moment, then gently placed her hand over Xu Shijiu’s clenched fist.

“What are you doing?” Xu Shijiu asked in a hoarse voice. She tried to pull her hand away, but for some reason, she couldn’t make herself do it.

Lin Xinyi was pleased she hadn’t pulled away. She said softly, “If you give up now, your sister would probably let you.”

“That’s not true. My sister wants me to go to school,” Xu Shijiu replied immediately. There was no way she would agree so easily if she didn’t. She had done everything she could to make this happen.

“But she’s also afraid. She’s afraid you’ll have a hard time,” Lin Xinyi said honestly.

Unlike the Xu sisters, Lin Xinyi had grown up with a father who openly expressed his worries and his love. She was used to reading that kind of concern in someone’s eyes. She had seen the same expression on her father’s face many times.

The difference was that her father would always say something, while Xu Manyue had chosen to stay silent today.

Maybe she was afraid that mentioning school would only make Shijiu feel more anxious or resistant.

“I know,” Xu Shijiu said quietly.

Of course she knew. Ever since the accident, her sister had been the one by her side, taking care of her and worrying about her every day.

She had completely changed from the cold and distant sister she used to be.

Xu Shijiu knew it was because of the car crash.

Her sister’s overwhelming guilt had changed everything.

While Xu Shijiu truly wanted to help resolve the misunderstanding between her mother and her sister, and while she wished her sister would stop blaming herself, she was still afraid.

She feared that if her sister truly let go of the guilt, then she would be alone again. She feared her sister would return to how she used to be before Xu Shijiu turned seven, distant and indifferent.

Her sister was the only family she had left.

“You cannot run away from this,” Lin Xinyi said. Her voice carried a gentle firmness that hinted at something close to a command. Xu Shijiu was just about to frown when Lin Xinyi continued.

“You still have people you can protect. That is why you need to become stronger.”

“Your sister has protected you for so long. Now you should become strong too, so that one day, you can protect her instead.”

“When that day comes, if your sister runs into trouble, you can step in confidently and help her. You can be the one who handles everything with ease.”

“You still have family.”

Lin Xinyi had always been mature for her age. While other children were still being playful and clinging to their parents, she was already helping her father with housework. She did whatever she could to make things a little easier for him.

While her classmates went out to play and looked for snacks after school, Lin Xinyi would return home early. She would clean the house, buy groceries, and prepare dinner. While other children were asking for pocket money, she had already learned to manage a budget. She carefully wrote down every expense in her notebook. While others needed their parents to help them fall asleep, she had already learned to fall asleep in the dark, hugging a pillow that still carried the faint scent of her father’s lemon-scented pheromones.

Neighbors often felt sorry for her and would bring her small treats, sometimes a dish of meat or snacks. Lin Xinyi appreciated their kindness and genuinely felt that life was still good.

She would always save the best pieces of meat for her father. He was a police officer. He needed energy to go out and catch criminals.

Lin Xinyi had learned to cook when she was very young. Although the hot oil sometimes splashed and burned her hands, leaving painful blisters, she felt it was worth it when she saw how happy her father looked as he ate.

She was very afraid of pain, though her father never knew that. The first time she got burned, she held her hand and cried quietly. The pain brought tears to her eyes.

But she never said a single word to her father about it.

Many people thought a top-level Omega like her should not have had to live such a difficult life, but Lin Xinyi never saw it that way.

Her father gave her all his love. Whenever he returned from a mission, he would bring her something fun or unusual. He never forgot to bring her favorite strawberry cake. She had always been a child loved by her father. She had also been deeply loved by the mother who gave her life.

Lin Xinyi never saw her life as sad or unfortunate. To her, it was simple but filled with warmth and quiet happiness.

Still, she often wondered.

She wondered if, after she grew up and became capable, she could give her father a better life. She dreamed that if he ever encountered difficulties, she would be able to step up and help him.

She hoped that one day, she could be the one to protect the man who had always protected her.

But everything changed on the day her father passed away.

The happiness she once knew was gone.

The man who had always stood in front of her was no longer there.

The future she had imagined so many times came to an end.

“I do not think there is anything pitiful or tragic about the way you are now,” Lin Xinyi said directly. Her eyes were filled with longing as she looked at Xu Shijiu. “You still have family.”

If her father could come back, she would be willing to trade places with Xu Shijiu, to suffer through any pain or hardship, as long as he could return.

But that would never happen. The dead do not return.

Xu Shijiu suddenly looked up, staring at Lin Xinyi in disbelief. Every word from the Omega had struck her deeply, one after another.

No one had ever said anything like this to her before. Lin Xinyi was the first.

When Xu Manyue finished her breakfast and came back to the living room, she quickly noticed that the atmosphere had changed completely. Xu Shijiu and Lin Xinyi were still sitting together, locked in silent eye contact.

“What is going on with you two?” Xu Manyue asked, clearly confused. She looked between them, unable to understand what she had missed during the short time she was gone.

“It is nothing, Sister. Did you eat enough?” Lin Xinyi was the first to break eye contact. She looked at Xu Manyue with a smile.

It was the first time she had ever said those words out loud.

It would also be the last.

She only hoped Xu Shijiu had truly listened.