MORIC - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Liking a Love Rival is Crazy, Right!

"Yueshan, are you okay?"

Elective courses were held once a week, and now that it was time for them to conclude, Xuan Ping was also very busy.

Her relationship with Mu Lai seemed to remain in a delicate state. Every time Chi Yueshan asked about it, she would get shy.

If pressed any further, her face would turn bright red.

Chi Yueshan was in the library with Xuan Ping, working on their homework for a public course.

She was clearly not in a good state and slumped over the table after a short while.

Usually, it was Xuan Ping who worked more slowly, while Chi Yueshan would help the librarian to earn some points.

Chi Yueshan rested her head on her final paper, her face squished out of shape.

Her suppressed heat cycle had passed after drinking Xi Zhoumeng's potent suppressant, but Chi Yueshan still felt unwell all over.

It was mostly due to the torment of her lines for the drama performance assignment.

She took off her glasses, her emerald eyes looking at Xuan Ping as she asked, "What do you think I'd be like in a relationship?"

Xuan Ping was a little surprised, then smiled and said, "Probably very boisterous."

Chi Yueshan hadn't expected that answer. "I'm actually a very quiet person."

Xuan Ping: …

Do you have some kind of misunderstanding of that word? You were the one making a huge fuss and declaring your love right at the start of the semester!

Even someone like Mu Lai, who couldn't care less about gossip, knew about Chi Yueshan. One could only imagine how far the news had spread.

"I hate acting so much."

Chi Yueshan sat up a little straighter. Steam escaped from her thermos, as the lid wasn't screwed on tightly.

The main hall of Guyun Academy's public library was always empty, as many people preferred the paid study rooms upstairs.

Poor students like Chi Yueshan and Xuan Ping would generally not choose those.

Of course, one couldn't rule out the possibility that some people were just fooling around and dating there.

Xuan Ping comforted her, "Just don't choose it next semester."

Chi Yueshan slumped down again, saying listlessly, "I have to go to rehearsal tonight."

Her face still had a bit of baby fat, giving her profile a cute curve.

But that wasn't the first impression people got of her.

To this day, Xuan Ping still remembered the first time she saw Chi Yueshan.

It was during the written exam for Guyun Academy's recruitment from the Lower World.

The educational environment in the Lower World was poor to begin with, but this was the only chance to possibly change one's social class. Many families would go bankrupt to give their children a chance.

Xuan Ping's family was average, but in the turbulent Lower World, having parents with stable jobs was already considered part of the better-off group.

Her initial impression of Chi Yueshan was a gray, dusty figure from behind.

It was so cold that day. Everyone in the line to enter the exam hall had their necks shrunk down. Many were accompanied by their parents, and Xuan Ping was talking with her mother.

Chi Yueshan was in the next row, silently looking at her materials.

Compared to the others, she looked a bit unkempt.

Her hair was messy, and her jacket even had fluff poking out. Her pants were huge, the legs looking like they could fit three of her own, and her shoes were just thin canvas sneakers.

Her glasses kept slipping down, and she kept pushing them up, making anyone watching feel anxious for her.

Chi Yueshan seemed completely oblivious to the gazes of others, her head lowered in single-minded focus.

Xuan Ping thought: This person seems to have very good grades.

When Xuan Ping saw Chi Yueshan again during the second round of written exams, this thought became even more certain.

There were three rounds of written exams and two rounds of interviews. The last time Xuan Ping saw Chi Yueshan, it was already summer.

The most luxurious place in the Lower World was the government building, but even that was a bit dilapidated. The officials were all from Guyun Academy's main campus and complained that the Lower World's summers were short and hot.

Chi Yueshan was wearing a simple white T-shirt and black pants, her slightly long hair tied in a small knot at the back of her head.

It revealed a face with delicate features.

Xuan Ping thought this person was quite good-looking, but probably had a bad relationship with her family. Any other student who had made it to the interview stage was accompanied by their entire family.

Only Chi Yueshan stood alone in a corner.

In the end, five people were left. On the day the results were announced, Xuan Ping saw the name in first place.

Chi Yueshan's name was beautiful, easily evoking the image of a metasequoia forest under the moonlight.

But it carried an inexplicable sense of loneliness.

The Chi Yueshan of today was completely different from Xuan Ping's first impression.

She was like a vibrant flame, as if she had found her life's purpose and was about to melt away.

That faint sense of loneliness was washed away by this complaint. Xuan Ping asked her, "Is Senior Xi leading your whole group's rehearsal?"

She had also read The Yellow Rose, but the novel version.

The new version had secondary genders added, and there were even parody versions. For example, one where the stepmother was an Alpha who found a rich old Omega and conspired with her own young Omega to seize the family's assets.

It was quite fresh, much better to read than the bloody tone of the original.

Chi Yueshan said, "Yeah, she said she has permission to open a public common room."

Xuan Ping said, "Isn't that for the patrol team…"

Before she could finish, she let out a small "ah" and asked in a low voice, "I remember the captain is Senior Wen, right?"

Chi Yueshan propped up her face, her brows tightly furrowed. From Xuan Ping's perspective, she could see that the pheromone patch on her gland had a rose pattern.

Chi Yueshan huffed, "What is she showing off for."

Xuan Ping asked, "Did you buy new pheromone patches?"

She remembered that the ones she had seen before were the most common, plain type.

After all, given their financial situations, patterned ones were expensive to begin with, not to mention that Chi Yueshan's looked very high-end, even having a faint, shimmering glow.

Chi Yueshan subconsciously touched it and let out a grunt.

"They're… they're from Xi… that person gave them to me before."

She felt a bit awkward, as if she had been caught badmouthing someone while also enjoying the benefits they provided.

"Pingping, do you want some? If you do, I have a lot more…"

Xuan Ping said, "Oh," then added, "Senior Xi is really a good person. I think you quite like her too, Yueshan."

Xuan Ping had a new haircut and looked quite different from the rustic, studious student from the Lower World she had been at the start of the semester.

But her eyes were still gentle. "Look, you're blushing."

Chi Yueshan touched her own face, her voice trembling. "No, I'm not."

How terrifying. I like Xi Zhoumeng.

Who… who would like their love rival!!

"The one I li-like is Senior Wen."

Xuan Ping said, "Not that kind of like. Look, even though Senior Xi is a noble, she doesn't have that bullying attitude. She's polite, and her grades… uh, she has many talents, and she's helpful."

Chi Yueshan was completely numb.

Although it wasn't entirely the opposite, describing Xi Zhoumeng as helpful, beautiful, and kind-hearted felt very strange.

After all, she could sense Xi Zhoumeng's occasional maliciousness.

And she couldn't say a thing about it.

"And she's a rare S+ spiritual power among Omegas."

Xuan Ping's eyes were filled with longing. "I've long heard that Omegas with strong spiritual power can pick any Alpha they want. If only my spiritual power were that high."

Chi Yueshan muttered, "What a waste of such high spiritual power… If it were me, I'd definitely go pilot a mecha."

Xuan Ping said, "You really love mechas."

It was rare to see an Omega interested in such killing machines.

Even though there were many friendly Alpha mecha matches now, Xuan Ping still found them scary just from watching the footage.

Not every Alpha had such ambitions. Mu Lai, for example, just wanted to inherit her family business after graduation and had no intention of going to the battlefield.

That was the duty of the Day Class students.

Studying mecha now was merely to gild their academic credentials, something that sounded impressive.

At the mention of mechas, Chi Yueshan's eyes lit up, only to dim again. "It's useless even if I like them. I can't learn to pilot them at all."

On her desk, besides her course textbooks, were all the mecha materials she could get her hands on.

She read very quickly and had already finished all the books of this type that her access level allowed her to borrow.

Unfortunately, anything more advanced was beyond her reach.

Xuan Ping was powerless to help. She didn't understand, but she didn't pour cold water on Chi Yueshan's passion either.

After all, they came from the same place, where many things in life had a clear price tag, especially for Omegas.

The time before being marked by an Alpha, before marriage, was their most free.

"Let's not talk about this. I have to finish my paper quickly. Xi Zhoumeng told us to gather at six. Damn it, it's already past five."

Chi Yueshan slapped her own face hard and began to write furiously, a red handprint on her cheek.

The second floor of the library had a half-level hall with glass walls, so people on the edge of the second floor could see the first floor just by turning their heads.

Xi Shuang rested her chin on her hand and laughed out loud as she watched the Omega below slap herself.

Across from her, Wen Xinghuo looked up. Xi Shuang pointed and said, "Your little Omega junior who likes you, she's quite cute."

Xi Shuang had seen countless Omegas. With her naturally lively personality, she preferred older Omegas, but she was also very good at pleasing people.

Perhaps it was human nature to crave something simple after getting used to delicacies.

Wen Xinghuo asked, "You like her?"

Xi Shuang pushed aside the model she had just finished drawing, glanced at the page of Wen Xinghuo's paper, and sighed. "I can't get involved with someone like that. She seems to be seriously in love with you, although it's quite funny."

They were also approaching their monthly mecha duel. For now, it seemed that none of them had their own exclusive mecha yet.

Everyone was using the ones provided by the academy, but those with the means had already bought their own.

Xi Shuang was one of them. Even if the tests used standardized mechas, it didn't stop them from sparring privately with their own.

But the top student of the second-year Day Class still didn't have her own mecha.

Xi Shuang was getting anxious, but Wen Xinghuo didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.

"She said she's met me before, but I don't remember this person."

Wen Xinghuo thought of Chi Yueshan's words and gaze from that day. Even though Wen Xinghuo wasn't good with words, she had been moved for a moment.

Xi Shuang was very gossipy and raised her eyebrows. "I thought it was love at first sight. Turns out it's fate?"

She had probably been reading too many web novels lately, speaking with a strange tone.

Wen Xinghuo said, "She said I protected her when she was a child."

Xi Shuang exclaimed, "When was 'when she was a child'? Weren't you in the Lower World as a child… oh, oh right, she's from the Lower World too!"

It was a good thing they were in a VIP study room. Xi Shuang had an annual subscription and often invited Wen Xinghuo over.

Wen Xinghuo's headband was very old, as was her stationery. This person had absolutely no connection to the extravagant nobility.

She was even less well-off than Xi Shuang, a second-generation scion of a wealthy family.

Yet, her temperament was calm and steady, and her absolute Alpha aura carried an oppressive weight that made people not dare to underestimate her.

"No."

Wen Xinghuo shook her head, one hand touching the scar that ran from her forehead down past her eyebrow.

The little girl she had saved back then was clearly not Chi Yueshan.

That girl had been thin and small, as if she would stop breathing at any second. Her cries were mere whimpers, as if Wen Xinghuo was her lifelong support.

She was just like the stray cat Wen Xinghuo had saved in her youth. Unfortunately, fate had never been kind to her; what was gained was always lost.

It never showed her even half a bit of favor.

Even though Xi Zhoumeng always said that bitterness would be followed by sweetness, Wen Xinghuo thought, what's the use of sweetness that comes too late?

Sweetness that doesn't arrive at the right time is just ineffective bitterness.

It only made her hurt more, made her hate more, made her want to break free more.

Even though Wen Xinghuo's scar had faded a lot, Xi Shuang still felt the wound was too deep a mark.

When she learned that Wen Xinghuo had wandered alone in the Lower World, her admiration grew even stronger.

Alphas also admired the strong. The expectations they carried had always been taken for granted, including the things they received.

Because they are Alphas, they should, they must, they have to be a certain way.

But also because they are Alphas, they are innately superior.

Wen Xinghuo was an exception. The flowers and applause she received now were all because she was Wen Xinghuo.

It was because of her spiritual power, because of the killing aura she carried in actual mecha combat.

Not because of her fallen noble status.

Xi Shuang asked, "You're that sure?"

She thought of Chi Yueshan. People with rich emotional experience were actually better at distinguishing genuine feelings from feigned ones.

Chi Yueshan was, of course, genuine.

Wen Xinghuo said, "I'm sure."

She touched the hairband, thinking of that frail figure. That person's hands had been so small, clutching their wound and whimpering, "Big sister."

Don't die.

Please look at me.

It was just like when a young Wen Xinghuo had clutched her mother's hand, crying with the same grief.

She had to protect this little cat.

She had to become stronger.

To be her most loyal knight.

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