You Are My Omega (GL) - Chapter 2

Xu Shijiu had thought that after what she had done, Lin Xinyi would definitely move out. But reality turned out to be very different from what she expected. Not only did Lin Xinyi not leave, all her belongings had already been carefully arranged in the quietest and largest room on the first floor.

She was staying. That much was certain.

“Xiaoyi, does your eye still hurt? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Do you want me to call a doctor to take a look?” Xu Manyue asked gently. She treated Lin Xinyi like her own little sister, her tone as soft and warm as when she spoke to Shijiu.

“Thank you, Sister, but I’m fine,” Lin Xinyi wiped away the last of her tears and shook her head. Seeing the worry in Xu Manyue’s eyes, she pulled herself together. Her small face was once again calm and composed. If it weren’t for the redness in her eyes and the faint traces of tears, no one would have guessed that she had been crying moments earlier.

After letting herself cry, she felt like the heavy stone that had been pressing on her chest these past few days had finally lifted a little. She could finally breathe.

Xu Manyue looked at the small Omega who was trying so hard to act like nothing had happened. She spoke again, more sincerely this time.

“I’m really sorry. It’s my fault for not teaching Xiaojiu better. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”

There was nothing she could do with her younger sister. She knew Xiaojiu well. That stuffed bear, though thrown impulsively, had clearly been chosen on purpose. Shijiu must have thought it wouldn’t cause any real harm. She just hadn’t expected it to hit the Omega in the eye. Most likely, she had gone to her room to sulk in guilt.

“Sister, I’m older than she is. I won’t hold it against her,” Lin Xinyi said gently, repeating the thought in her heart. Xu Shijiu was one month younger than her. That made her the younger sister. She had to be understanding.

But if she really thought about it, Lin Xinyi knew she had no right to hold anything against her.

She was the outsider here, someone who had intruded into someone else’s home. She had no skills to survive on her own. If this family ever got tired of her, if they decided they didn’t want her anymore and asked her to leave… she didn’t even know where she would go.

“Alright, you’re such a sweet girl,” Xu Manyue smiled. “I’ll go check on Xiaojiu. Why don’t you go see your room and let me know if you like the way it’s set up?”

“Okay.” Lin Xinyi nodded and went downstairs. Still, she couldn’t help wondering. Since Xu Shijiu had trouble walking, why did she live upstairs? Wouldn’t the first floor be much more convenient?

Meanwhile, Xu Manyue stepped into Shijiu’s room. Shijiu was curled up in bed, buried completely under the blanket. Her wheelchair was a noticeable distance away from the bed. Just from looking at it, Xu Manyue could tell that Shijiu wouldn’t have been able to reach it from the bed, even if she stretched out her arm.

“Did you fall again?” Xu Manyue asked as soon as she saw the gap between the bed and the wheelchair. “You must have gotten impatient. You always fall when you’re in a hurry.”

Xu Shijiu didn’t answer. In her mind, she kept replaying the image of Lin Xinyi covering her eye, the sound of her crying still echoing in her ears.

Omegas were always so soft and fragile. She wondered if she was really alright. Her sister often told her about the differences between Alphas and Omegas, reminded her over and over that she needed to be a responsible Alpha.

No. She shook her head hard and bit her lower lip. She didn’t care about Lin Xinyi. She would not care.

Xu Manyue sat beside the bed and gently patted the lump under the blanket, her eyes full of worry.

“Let me take a look. Did you hurt your leg again? Does it hurt? You just got a bruise the other day, and it still hasn’t healed. Where did you get hurt this time?”

“I don’t need you to worry about me,” Xu Shijiu muttered angrily.

Her legs were useless anyway. She couldn’t feel anything. It didn’t matter how many times she fell. Her sister was always worrying about her getting hurt, but there was no need.

Pain? How could her legs still feel pain?

Xu Manyue felt a sharp ache in her chest at those words. Her eyes clouded with sorrow and confusion. For a moment, a terrible thought crossed her mind, and she quickly shook her head, trying to force it away.

“You’re really not going to talk to me anymore?” she asked softly, pretending to be hurt. She lowered her head and spoke in a quiet, dejected voice. She didn’t believe for a second that Xiaojiu could stay mad at her like this.

Xu Shijiu stayed silent, her eyes filled with conflict in the darkness. Should she speak? Or stay quiet? If she stayed quiet, her pride would be intact. But if she spoke… her sister really did look hurt.

“Xiaojiu?” Xu Manyue tugged at the blanket gently. When she felt it move easily, she knew Xiaojiu had chosen to respond. Her little trick had worked again.

Once the blanket was pulled away, Xu Shijiu was fully exposed. She stared into her sister’s eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking. A second later, she realized she had been tricked.

“You lied to me!” she said angrily and tried to pull the blanket back over her head.

“I didn’t lie to you,” Xu Manyue said with a laugh as she quickly snatched the blanket away and tossed it to the corner of the bed.

She knew exactly what her sister was afraid of. Shijiu was afraid that these actions, these words, would stir up the guilt and pain buried deep in her heart. She was afraid of facing it all over again.

But that pain had never stopped tormenting her. Guilt and regret clung to her like a shadow. A person’s shadow never leaves them, and that shadow of pain had already rooted itself deep inside her heart. It would never go away. It would never stop hurting.

Even while her heart ached, she kept a smile on her face. Only then would Shijiu stop worrying. Only then would she stop trying to carry the weight of her pain alone, pretending to be strong for someone else.

“Come on, let me see. Where did you hurt yourself?” Xu Manyue lightly patted Shijiu’s thigh. She knew there was no feeling there, but her movements were still incredibly gentle.

Xu Shijiu looked confused. She propped herself up with her hands, raised her head, and looked at her legs. Then she blinked at her sister, full of innocent confusion.

“I don’t know where I got hurt.”

“You,” Xu Manyue said with a small laugh, though her heart ached all over again.

If it hadn’t been for her, none of this would have happened. Xiaojiu would still be healthy. Their mother would still be alive. If their mother hadn’t rushed back home to celebrate her birthday that night, the accident would never have happened. Everything would still be as it used to be.

There would be no victims.

The car accident didn’t just destroy one family. It broke apart two.

And ever since then, Xu Manyue had lived with a heavy weight pressing down on her chest. That burden never lifted. Peace and comfort were feelings she could no longer remember.

“Sister…” Xu Shijiu suddenly called out.

“Yes?” Xu Manyue quickly tried to steady her emotions. If Xiaojiu saw her looking upset, it would only make her feel worse.

“That kid… is she alright?” Xu Shijiu finally asked the question that had been bothering her. Eyes were delicate. Omegas were delicate. She had thrown that stuffed bear pretty hard. What if something had actually happened? What if the girl’s eye was really hurt?

“That kid?” Xu Manyue almost laughed. “She’s actually one month older than you. She’s your older sister.”

“I don’t care. She looks small. She’s an Omega. I’m the older one,” Xu Shijiu muttered, her cheeks flushing red as she tried to sound more confident than she felt.

“Xiaoyi is fine. Just needed a little eye drops and some rest,” Xu Manyue replied calmly. She could hear the concern hidden beneath Xiaojiu’s stiff tone.

She found it strange, though. Could it be because Lin Xinyi was a top-tier Omega? Maybe the natural pheromones she gave off had a calming effect on Xiaojiu’s restless Alpha instincts. That might be why she hadn’t demanded to send the girl away.

Every other Alpha or Omega they had brought before had been kicked out without hesitation. But this time, things felt different.

“When is she leaving?” Xu Shijiu asked. Her voice sounded calm, but her eyes were complicated, unsure.

Xu Manyue sighed softly. Just a moment ago, she had thought her sister might be willing to let this Omega stay. Then suddenly, she was asking when the girl would be gone.

“Xiaojiu, where would you even have her go?” Xu Manyue asked patiently. “Back to the orphanage? Back to get laughed at by the other kids? I talked with the staff there. Xiaoyi never really fit in. If she goes back, how could she possibly blend in with the others?”

Xu Shijiu stayed quiet. Every word her sister said echoed in her chest.

People said Omegas were delicate, and Lin Xinyi felt even more fragile than most. What if she really couldn’t fit in? What if the other kids laughed at her, picked on her? Would she end up crying by herself?

Just imagining it made Xu Shijiu’s earlier decision feel uncertain.

“Xiaojiu, you don’t want to see her like that, do you?” Xu Manyue continued gently. She honestly wasn’t sure if it would work. After all, no other child had ever been allowed to stay.

“I don’t want to see her,” Xu Shijiu whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself, turned away, and buried her face in her pillow, not letting Xu Manyue see the struggle and self-doubt on her face.

“So that means… she can stay?” Xu Manyue asked once more.

“Yes.” Xu Shijiu nodded without lifting her head.

Lin Xinyi hadn’t seen the scar on her forehead yet. Once she did, she would probably be terrified and regret staying. But even if she stayed and got scared by her, it would still be better than going back to the orphanage, where she might get laughed at or pushed aside.

Just thinking about that made it clear. Lin Xinyi should stay.

What Xu Shijiu didn’t know then was that someday in the future, when Lin Xinyi finally had the ability to live on her own and chose to leave the Xu household, the one desperately trying to keep her from going, would be Xu Shijiu herself.