MORIC - Chapter 39
Chapter 39: It Seems Like They're About to Break Up
Xi Zhoumeng was a bit dazed. She glanced at Wen Xinghuo and asked sincerely, "Do I look angry?"
Wen Xinghuo's gaze was still on the glass cup, from which coffee was seeping out through a crack.
Xi Zhoumeng let out a small cry, "The quality of this cup is so bad."
She exclaimed in surprise, and a waiter from nearby hurried over, quickly replaced her cup, and apologized respectfully.
"I'm sorry, we didn't inspect it properly beforehand and caused you an unpleasant experience. This order is on the house."
Xi Zhoumeng nodded.
She fiddled with her hair and noticed that the latte art on the newly served coffee was very cute.
Xi Zhoumeng propped her face on her hand. "I'm not angry."
【System: Don't you have any self-awareness?】
Neither of them was wearing their school uniform. Wen Xinghuo was wrapped in a jacket, a black turtleneck sweater underneath clinging to her body, which made her expression look even more serious under the night sky.
Xi Zhoumeng was her complete opposite—soft, delicate, and unrelated to strength.
At least, that's what Wen Xinghuo had thought before she was sixteen.
But she had never been able to see Xi Zhoumeng clearly.
The night breeze blew gently. This kind of cold had little effect on an Alpha who tempered her body with high-intensity training every day.
Wen Xinghuo said faintly, "You're angry."
Xi Zhoumeng: "I said I'm not."
She stirred her coffee irritably, the latte art seemingly torn apart by the spoon, a physical manifestation of her current agitation.
Wen Xinghuo: "I'm not conceited enough to think you're angry because of me."
She was very self-aware. All these years had been enough for her to understand Xi Zhoumeng's heartlessness. The kindness this person showed her was always hot and cold, maintaining a state where bystanders were confused, but the one involved saw things clearly.
Xi Zhoumeng just felt that something was wrong all over.
She could even smell the faint scent of rust in the air.
What the hell! She wasn't a full-fledged Alpha, so why was she so sensitive to Chi Yueshan's pheromones?
Even if she were, she didn't have a susceptibility period, and Chi Yueshan wasn't in heat. Why could she so keenly sense Chi Yueshan's presence?
Including right now, this feeling of ease carried on the scent of rust... was that Chi Yueshan's mood?
Was she this happy when facing that first-year Alpha?
During the day, she was relentlessly pursuing Wen Xinghuo, and now she was flirting with another Alpha.
Her "like," what kind of "like" was it exactly?
Xi Zhoumeng was gripping the spoon, and Wen Xinghuo reached out to rescue the spoon that was about to be bent out of shape.
She asked, "Did your physical examination reveal a problem?"
Wen Xinghuo's voice had always been husky, as if to prove her uniqueness, the author had given her many different characteristics.
As someone who had watched her grow up, Xi Zhoumeng was certain that Wen Xinghuo was a righteous character.
"Why do you ask?"
Xi Zhoumeng stared at the spoon, a little surprised at herself.
Wen Xinghuo: "I don't know if it's my imagination, but Zhoumeng, have you never had a heat period?"
Xi Zhoumeng: "Is this sexual harassment?"
She reverted to her usual expression, impeccably languid.
Wen Xinghuo shook her head. "You know we're not compatible."
Xi Zhoumeng: "Then what else do you know?"
Xi Zhoumeng stared at Wen Xinghuo. Back when she first transmigrated into the book and saw her, the scar on Wen Xinghuo's face was far more gruesome than it was now, looking as if she were completely disfigured.
Coupled with her build, she really did fit the description of a "stinking rat from the gutter" that the other children used.
"When did you and Sheng Yangkui meet?"
A string was buzzing in Xi Zhoumeng's mind. She even felt as if she could sense Chi Yueshan walking away.
Why was this?
Just because of the 100% compatibility?
Xi Zhoumeng's hand under the table clenched into a fist. The sharp tips of her new manicure dug into her palm, the piercing pain in her flesh and blood clearing her head considerably.
Wen Xinghuo pressed her lips together. After a long pause, she finally said, "Sorry."
"This is my private matter. It's not convenient to tell you right now."
Xi Zhoumeng asked, "Do you like her?"
【System: You're way too fierce!】
Although it had known from the start that this host had a rather tiger-like personality, judging from the tags formed by the system's jumbled data, none of the previous hosts had such a fiery temper.
The intensity of the system's electric shocks was far more terrifying than a common electric shock, yet Xi Zhoumeng's spiritual power was heaven-defyingly strong. The highest intensity shock merely made her break out in a cold sweat.
The system suspected that in a few more years, this person would start treating the electric shock punishments as some kind of erotic play.
Wen Xinghuo was stunned, a silly expression appearing on her face for the first time in a long while.
"Huh?"
Xi Zhoumeng stared at her, trying to find the slightest flaw in her expression.
But Wen Xinghuo seemed to have genuinely not considered this question. She said, frightened and incredulous, "How could I dare?"
Xi Zhoumeng was also a little surprised. "Then what's with that 'I'm hiding a little wife' look on your face?"
Her speaking pace wasn't fast, but because she was articulate and the aftereffects of that strange palpitation hadn't faded, her tone was a bit aggressive.
Just then, a student passed by their table on the way to the next one, heard this sentence, and shot a shocked glance at the two of them.
Wen Xinghuo lowered her voice in embarrassment. "What little wife? H-how is that possible?"
Xi Zhoumeng also lowered her head. "Isn't it? Then why are you blushing?"
The system was speechless. With Wen Xinghuo's face—while calling her a "dark-faced god" was a bit of an exaggeration—her complexion was already much darker than Xi Zhoumeng's.
It was really not easy to see any blush on it.
Don't fucking make up such outrageous lies!
Wen Xinghuo: "You're overthinking it."
Xi Zhoumeng pushed the strawberry daifuku in front of Wen Xinghuo. "You're very good to her."
Wen Xinghuo: "She's a princess."
Xi Zhoumeng didn't even lift her eyelids. She leaned back, the hand holding the coffee cup fair and slender. Too lazy to even raise her eyelids, she seemed to let out a cold sneer.
"If you don't want to say, I won't force you."
She sighed gracefully. "But I've always wanted to ask, have you ever thought about what kind of Omega you want to marry in the future?"
Xi Zhoumeng and Wen Xinghuo rarely talked about such things.
Although in the eyes of outsiders, they spent a lot of time together and seemed incredibly intimate no matter how you looked at it.
In reality, they didn't have many common topics. Xi Zhoumeng disliked everything Wen Xinghuo liked.
Xi Zhoumeng liked the decadent life of the nobility: playing flower cards, watching plays, arranging flowers, brewing tea, and occasionally conducting an orchestra for fun.
Fighting and killing, no matter how you looked at it, took too much time and energy. She would rather just lie down.
Only when Wen Xinghuo occasionally brought something up would Xi Zhoumeng respond.
Wen Xinghuo always felt that Xi Zhoumeng seemed to care about nothing, but she still understood a great deal.
Just like last year, when Wen Xinghuo was practicing with Xi Li at the Xi family estate and her mecha suddenly went out of control, it was Xi Zhoumeng who found the cause. It couldn't be ruled out that the family's mecha technicians were all away for unified training at the time, and no one knew how to handle an error in such an advanced mecha.
It was also possible that the mecha was part of the Xi family's inventory, and as a member of the Xi family, Xi Zhoumeng had an undeniable duty.
But it always felt strange to associate the words "undeniable duty" with Xi Zhoumeng.
In others' eyes, they seemed like a rumored AO couple who weren't together because of their low compatibility rate. In reality, there was nothing romantic between them.
Seeing that Xi Zhoumeng didn't care, Wen Xinghuo didn't bother to clarify either.
After all, she had to deal with the endless marriage candidates the Wen family threw at her, and Xi Zhoumeng had the trouble of being pursued by countless Alphas.
It was a win-win solution.
And they both had a tacit understanding not to mention the future.
But as they grew older, what was bound to come would eventually come.
For example, after the practical training, most Omegas would choose to get married, and Alphas entering the military would be advised to choose a partner in advance.
Even though neither was mandatory, it still served to increase the marriage rate.
Love was a topic they almost never brought up between them.
Wen Xinghuo couldn't even imagine how someone like Xi Zhoumeng would find a compatible partner.
No Alpha could possibly handle her.
"I haven't thought about it."
Wen Xinghuo shook her head. "I only want to dedicate my life to the Empire."
Coming from someone else, these words might sound sanctimonious, but Xi Zhoumeng, who knew Wen Xinghuo's background, wouldn't laugh.
After all, Wen Xinghuo's mother was an Omega on duty at a small checkpoint in the Lower World.
Yet she had once traveled between many planets. Omegas on rotational duty were always one in a hundred, requiring extremely high physical fitness and spiritual power.
An Omega like that, even while on duty in the Lower World, had the possibility of being rotated to the Upper World.
Her background was her background, but she should have had limitless possibilities, like going to inspect other planets in the Imperial galaxy.
But because of Wen Xinghuo's father's passing whim, a noble visiting the Lower World took a second look at the accompanying Omega on duty.
The Omega refused to go back with him, but because of her defiance, she lost her job and could only do ordinary work.
Like collecting trash.
But she had a wealth of experience and could tell her child about the galaxy, mysterious planets, unseen plants, and hidden dangers.
She loved the galaxy she lived in and held no excessive resentment.
In the few brief strokes describing her life in the original work, Wen Xinghuo's mother gave her the most precious love of her lifetime.
That was why Wen Xinghuo was invincible.
Xi Zhoumeng: "I respect your choice."
She sighed and glanced outside again, as if the Omega whose heart was connected to hers had already disappeared.
Xi Zhoumeng had never been so passive. In the past, whether in her career or in love, she was always the one who acted recklessly.
No one dared to force her to do anything; she did everything according to her own will.
But in this world, there was something that transcended one's will.
A tangible attraction.
Wen Xinghuo hesitated for a moment. She looked at Xi Zhoumeng, seeming to have organized her words for a long time before finally saying, "Sorry."
She wolfed down the strawberry daifuku. "Actually, I'm not very clear on it either. She... she won't tell me."
Xi Zhoumeng was not moved at all. She turned her head and asked with great interest, "Is she planning to rebel?"
Wen Xinghuo: ...
Why are you so excited?
【System: Are you sick in the head!】
Thank goodness this is a sci-fi setting. If this were some fucking ancient historical drama, I seriously suspect this bitch would choose to help the rebels usurp the throne.
"How could that be..."
Wen Xinghuo spoke with difficulty. She stared at Xi Zhoumeng, feeling that this childhood playmate had always been indistinct.
Like a sleeping lion.
It was truly strange. She was clearly an Omega, yet not only was Zhoumeng's spiritual power terrifyingly high, she even possessed strength that surpassed an Omega's.
Xi Zhoumeng said "oh." "Then be careful."
She put down her cup nonchalantly, wiped her mouth, and began to apply lip gloss with full concentration.
"I'm not worried about your career at all," Xi Zhoumeng said, looking in the mirror. "Xinghuo, I've always had great faith in your abilities."
Even though they were the same age, Wen Xinghuo always had the illusion that Xi Zhoumeng was her elder.
"I'm more concerned about your romantic problems."
Xi Zhoumeng closed the compact mirror. Her brightly painted red lips looked shiny. She revealed a smile. "If it's someone you like, even the Princess is completely fine."
She thought: If it's really Sheng Yangkui, then wouldn't it be better for them to get together sooner?
I can live, Chi Yueshan can live, a happy family ending.
Wen Xinghuo was speechless, thinking: Is she my mom? Why does this have such a strong end-of-life care vibe?
Even if I wanted to, even if I wanted to protect that person, listening to Xi Zhoumeng's tone, it's as if she's saying if I like someone, I should just snatch them back.
On her way back, Wen Xinghuo recalled Xi Zhoumeng's reckless behavior from their childhood.
When a classmate who didn't get along with Xi Zhoumeng took a liking to a newly released doll, Xi Zhoumeng would buy out the entire brand's stock.
The next day, she would bring countless luxury dolls to hand out to everyone, deliberately skipping that one person.
Super malicious.
Snatching someone away felt like something she would do.
Wen Xinghuo's mouth twitched. She shook her head as she walked towards the lounge, completely oblivious to the many people on the road who were looking at her.
Chi Yueshan had just swiped her card to enter the dormitory building when Xuan Ping, who had also just returned, grabbed her arm and said—
"Did you know?! I heard Senior Wen and Senior Xi had a fight!! It seems like they're about to break up!!"
Without a second thought, Chi Yueshan said: "That's fantastic news!!"
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