You Are My Omega (GL) - Chapter 18

Lin Xinyi’s comfort was gentle, but it felt powerless. No matter what she said, the bright red marks on the test paper would not disappear. Xu Shijiu felt embarrassed. She suddenly remembered how eagerly she had urged Lin Xinyi to mark the test earlier, and the shame made her immediately lower her head.

She was on the verge of walking out. What calmed her down were Lin Xinyi’s gentle eyes. There was no trace of mockery in them. Instead, they were filled with concern, carefully trying to soothe her emotions.

Xu Shijiu had to admit, she was genuinely moved by how Lin Xinyi handled it.

“Teach me,” Xu Shijiu said on her own, unable to stand seeing Lin Xinyi looking so flustered.

“Of course,” Lin Xinyi responded right away. Her biggest worry had been failing to calm Xu Shijiu down. If Xu Shijiu went home upset, her sister would surely be troubled again.

Xu Manyue was already worried, though her concerns were not about Xu Shijiu’s grades or the company. Her real concern was Liu Lingyan, her Omega.

For some reason, Xu Manyue could feel that Liu Lingyan had been avoiding her. It was not about emotional distance, but rather physical intimacy. It was the kind of distance that only existed between lovers.

This month, during Liu Lingyan’s heat period, even though they were in the same city and district, Liu Lingyan refused to see her. Strangely enough, the heat period should have lasted several days, but not once did she allow Xu Manyue to help her through it.

Recently, during Xu Manyue’s own susceptibility period, Liu Lingyan simply called to check on her. She said nothing more, only reminded her to take an inhibitor.

Aside from this awkward change, everything else between them seemed the same. Their daily interactions were just as they had always been. That was what made Xu Manyue hesitate. She could not tell if she was overthinking or if Liu Lingyan was truly distancing herself in that specific way.

Xu Manyue had already permanently marked Liu Lingyan. They were bonded for life as Alpha and Omega.

When it came to Liu Lingyan’s love for her, Xu Manyue had full confidence. They had known each other since high school, and when they started the entertainment company, they had built it side by side. It would not be wrong to say that the company’s success belonged to both of them equally.

Back then, Xu Shijiu was also going through a difficult time. Xu Manyue often wished she could split herself in two. If not for the comfort, safety, and support she received—both emotionally and physically—from Liu Lingyan, she believed she never would have made it through.

Xu Manyue had always trusted in their relationship. That was why she found it so confusing when Liu Lingyan suddenly became distant in such an intimate aspect.

They used to cling to each other during heat and susceptibility periods, barely spending a night apart.

Now things were different.

The sudden change left a hollow feeling in Xu Manyue’s heart. She could not accept it easily. That was also why she had no energy left to worry about Xu Shijiu’s upcoming midterm grades.

With Lin Xinyi by her side, there was no need for her to worry. She had come to realize that Xu Shijiu listened to Lin Xinyi far more than she listened to her.

Back in class, Xu Shijiu had just suffered a blow to her confidence during her tutoring session. Her mood was already low. Then, during the next class, the English teacher handed out the graded in-class test.

When the teacher saw Xu Shijiu, she paused for a moment, surprised that Xu Shijiu was still attending school at this point. As she handed out the papers, she passed by her desk and glanced down at the red marks covering her test. She seemed to understand what had happened.

“This time, the top score on the test goes to Lin Xinyi. Second place goes to Mo Jinlan. This test was quite difficult, but both of these students did exceptionally well. Lin Xinyi scored full marks. Mo Jinlan only lost a point due to a vocabulary error. It was a mistake that could have been avoided.”

The classroom was silent. Not a single student was whispering. It was unclear whether they were stunned by their poor test results or simply too discouraged to speak, but either way, the room stayed quiet.

In that silence, Xu Shijiu could hear every word the teacher said.

Hearing the praise for Lin Xinyi made her happy. But the mention of Mo Jinlan’s name made her uncomfortable.

She did not like it.

She did not like that Lin Xinyi and Mo Jinlan were being mentioned together.

She hated that the teacher brought up Mo Jinlan right after praising Lin Xinyi.

She wanted to leave. She wanted to escape this place.

But every time she thought about leaving, Lin Xinyi’s pleading expression would appear in her mind. She had always lived by her own rules, doing whatever she wanted without worrying about others. But today was different.

This time, something had changed.

She was starting to care about Lin Xinyi’s feelings. More and more, she valued what Lin Xinyi asked of her.

This feeling was unfamiliar and long forgotten. But could she really let herself continue down this path?

Xu Shijiu was not sure.

She wanted to follow the study plan Lin Xinyi had made for her. She truly did, until her mood was completely ruined.

During her rehab session, she tried the same acupuncture treatment that had brought her a flicker of hope the day before. But this time, there was no pain. There was no sensation at all.

Was she disappointed?

Of course she was.

Even though she never told her sister or the doctor, and tried to act like she did not care, how could Xu Shijiu possibly be unaffected?

“Xu Shijiu, what’s wrong?” Lin Xinyi finally asked. She had clearly noticed that Xu Shijiu had been in a low mood for several days.

Xu Shijiu stared blankly at her test paper. As she wrote, her thoughts drifted away, and she stopped moving her pen altogether. She did not hear Lin Xinyi calling her name.

“Xu Shijiu?” Lin Xinyi called again, now more concerned. Something must have happened to cause this change.

“I’m fine,” Xu Shijiu replied quietly. She had only just realized someone was speaking to her. She shook her head slightly as she answered.

“Are you really, okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“If you’re really fine, then why is your test upside down?” Lin Xinyi asked directly. She pointed at the paper on Xu Shijiu’s desk, which was clearly placed the wrong way.

Xu Shijiu silently flipped the paper over but did not explain anything.

Lin Xinyi understood right away. No matter what happened, Xu Shijiu would never willingly talk about what was troubling her. If she kept pressing for answers now, it would only push her further away.

“I was just explaining this question. The grammar rule used here is important,” Lin Xinyi said, gently shifting back to the lesson.

Catching up on missed work was never easy. Lin Xinyi was doing her best to help Xu Shijiu review, hoping she could recover some of the knowledge in time for the midterm exam. Still, it was not something that could be done overnight.

Xu Shijiu did not want to disappoint Lin Xinyi or Xu Manyue. On the day of the exam, she did not take it lightly. She answered every question seriously, one by one. She did not know how well she had done, but at least she had taken the test with full effort.

Her attitude was never the problem, and that alone made both Lin Xinyi and Xu Manyue feel reassured.

At first, both of them had only hoped that the midterm could give Xu Shijiu the motivation to stop skipping classes and stay at school until the end of each day. They never expected her to take the exam so seriously.

Maybe it was because of Lin Xinyi.

In the car, Xu Manyue glanced into the rearview mirror. In the back seat, Lin Xinyi was holding a book and explaining something, while Xu Shijiu listened quietly, fully focused. Seeing this, Xu Manyue gave a small smile. After all the stress she had endured, this moment gave her some relief.

She no longer had to worry about Xiaojiu. But if only Liu Lingyan’s attitude could return to how it used to be, everything would feel better.

If Liu Lingyan had really done something to damage their relationship, then Xu Manyue would have every reason to confront her. But Liu Lingyan had not done anything obvious. On the surface, she still treated her just as warmly as before.

Whenever she had time and was nearby, Liu Lingyan always brought her home-cooked lunches. Xu Manyue had just enjoyed one that very afternoon.

It was exactly this unclear and mixed behavior that left Xu Manyue feeling exhausted and confused.

“By the way, the English exam is tomorrow. I heard you two won’t be in the same classroom. Do you want me to talk to the teacher and ask if you can take it together?” Xu Manyue asked. At first, she had planned to make the arrangement without asking, but in the end, she thought it would be better to check with them first.

After all, they were not children anymore. They had their own opinions.

Lin Xinyi was just about to agree when she suddenly heard Xu Shijiu speak.

“No need.”

Her voice was calm but firm. It clearly expressed her decision, yet for some reason, it made Lin Xinyi feel a little hurt.

She frowned very slightly but quickly forced a smile, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling rising in her chest.

“Oh?” Xu Manyue sounded surprised.

“I can do it on my own,” Xu Shijiu said clearly. She did not want to rely on Lin Xinyi for everything, not even for something as small as taking a test in the same room.

She wanted to prove to herself that she could be a little more independent.

“Are you sure, Xiaojiu?” Xu Manyue asked, still unsure.

“Yes,” Xu Shijiu answered firmly, nodding her head. But she did not notice the complex expression in Lin Xinyi’s eyes as she looked at her.

At first, Lin Xinyi had not thought much of it. But now, hearing Xu Shijiu’s firm decision, she suddenly began to feel uncertain.

She started to wonder if Xu Shijiu had never really needed her so close after all. Maybe everything she thought she had been doing to help was not necessary in the first place.