MORIC - Chapter 40
Chapter 40: What a Fateful Encounter
The next day was a public holiday. Because Mu Lai was preparing for her Alpha elective finals, Chi Yueshan had the chance to go to the library with Xuan Ping.
Xuan Ping was still in a great mood. From the look in her eyes, Chi Yueshan knew she was messaging Mu Lai.
Chi Yueshan couldn't help but ask Xuan Ping, "How are things with you and Senior Mu?"
The weather was nice today, with a warm and mellow sun. In Chi Yueshan's eyes, Xuan Ping's smile was even more brilliant than the sun. "They're great."
Chi Yueshan asked again, "So, Pingping, have you told your parents that you're dating Mu Lai?"
With her new glasses and haircut, she looked so much more refreshed. Sometimes, Xuan Ping would find herself staring in a daze.
She was like a completely different person from before.
The only thing that hadn't changed, however, was Chi Yueshan's style of dress. She still hated wearing skirts and preferred baggy pants, the pockets of which were stuffed with all sorts of things.
Xuan Ping had asked her why before. Chi Yueshan had explained that her light-brain wasn't the advanced kind with storage capabilities, so she might as well wear big pants to make carrying things more convenient.
"No."
Xuan Ping shook her head.
Before Chi Yueshan could ask another question, Xuan Ping spoke up, "What about you? Are you really dating Ling Xun?"
Xuan Ping knew that Chi Yueshan hadn't made many friends among the first-year Omegas. In a way, the two of them were like two souls huddling together for warmth.
But Xuan Ping had taken a step forward first.
Chi Yueshan said, "Of course not."
She thought about her conversation with Ling Xun yesterday. The other girl's objective was quite simple.
The first-year female Alpha was actually quite shy. Not only was her goal simple, but she also seemed a bit innocent.
To someone like Chi Yueshan, who had worked countless part-time jobs to pay for tuition and had been beaten down by the real world, it felt quite refreshing.
She had clearly been too well-protected by her family.
Any other Alpha would have long since used their power to bully her and force the issue.
Hmph... Omegas too, like Xi Zhoumeng.
"Ling Xun just had something she wanted to ask me, that's why she's been with me."
Chi Yueshan's eyes curved into a smile, and she glanced at her schedule for the day. "Next week is the practical exam for the flower arranging class. Pingping, how are your preparations going?"
Xuan Ping nodded. "Senior Mu found an Omega to teach me. I should be fine."
Chi Yueshan suddenly dashed in front of Xuan Ping and asked pleadingly, "Then, Pingping, can you teach me?"
There weren't many people at Guyun Academy on a public holiday, making it feel much more spacious.
Xuan Ping pursed her lips, a look of apology on her face. "I'd love to, but I'm really sorry, Yueshan. I... I really don't know how to teach it."
They were both beginners. The courses for Omegas in the Lower World were somewhat perfunctory; the requirement for both internal and external cultivation was something the Upper World demanded of its students.
Chi Yueshan sighed. "I guess you're right. The last time I asked you to teach me color coordination, you looked like you were in agony."
Xuan Ping asked, "Did I?"
Chi Yueshan nodded. "You did. You looked like you wanted to bang your head against a wall."
Xuan Ping waved her hands in embarrassment. "I'm terrible at it, too."
Chi Yueshan was still envious. "It's at times like these that I really envy you for having a girlfriend."
Xuan Ping spent a lot of time with Chi Yueshan and had heard her talk about her admiration for Wen Xinghuo many times. It seemed like the foundation for a relationship had already been laid.
In Xuan Ping's eyes, this admiration had nothing to do with romance. It was merely worship, a kind of reverence that everyone experiences at some stage in their life.
Xuan Ping asked, "Yueshan, have you ever considered what other types you like, besides someone like Senior Wen?"
Chi Yueshan hummed in thought. She pondered as she walked, the wide legs of her pants swishing back and forth, making her shoes look even smaller. From a distance, she looked like a doll.
"Someone rich, maybe? Oh, that makes me sound so fickle."
Chi Yueshan slapped herself without hesitation. "I must be devoted!"
It looked painful even to Xuan Ping, whose mouth twitched. "Alright, alright. In that case, I'll ask Mu Lai if she can help find another senior from the flower arranging class."
After all, with various exams next week, not only the basic courses but also the various electives were coming to an end.
Xuan Ping had already finished her other electives, while Chi Yueshan's drama performance was scheduled for next Saturday at the Mearns Auditorium.
The teaching assistant for the drama class had posted electronic ticket stubs on the forum, and students not enrolled in the class could enter a lottery to attend.
Xuan Ping had also reserved a spot. When Mu Lai heard that Xi Zhoumeng was also performing, she even decided to bring her younger sister, who wasn't a student at the academy, to watch.
It was only then that Xuan Ping learned just how many titles Xi Zhoumeng held.
Things like "comparable to the top student," "a once-in-a-century genius," and she was even an object of worship for the young ladies of the nobility.
Chi Yueshan suddenly let out an "oh." "Don't trouble her."
She glanced at her light-brain. Ling Xun had just sent her a new message, saying she had found a classmate who could help.
Xuan Ping asked, "What's wrong?"
Chi Yueshan said, "I asked Ling Xun for help. I thought it was a long shot, but she actually did it."
When Chi Yueshan smiled, her eyes curved, and in the light, they seemed to be coated with a layer of gold foil. Xuan Ping always felt that she didn't quite seem like a native of the Lower World.
It sounded a bit absurd, but some people on the StarNet had actually made portrait comparisons of people from the Upper and Lower Worlds.
Including eye color.
Such green eyes were very rare, with only a handful of cases even in the Upper World.
There were also ominous legends about them. In other star systems, however, it was said that only those with green eyes could become nobles.
Xuan Ping winked at Chi Yueshan. "And you still say you're just friends with her?"
An Alpha's arrogance was innate, as they had the capital to be arrogant. But Ling Xun had no sense of aggression at all; in fact, she was a bit too gentle.
Xuan Ping hadn't seen her much, but she had a deep impression of her.
Including that day at the kendo tournament when Chi Yueshan went on stage to present the award to Ling Xun.
The way Ling Xun looked at Chi Yueshan on the big screen.
Xuan Ping felt that Ling Xun was much better than Wen Xinghuo.
It was not out of the question that she was personally intimidated by Wen Xinghuo's looks.
Chi Yueshan shook her head. "We really are just friends. I wouldn't dare to think otherwise."
She smiled openly. "Let me see who this teacher she found for me is. She said it's someone from our year, but I'm afraid they'll look down on me."
The first-year flower arranging class was a public course, and Omegas attended in batches. Chi Yueshan always stayed with Xuan Ping during class. The few times she asked others for help, she was politely refused.
Eventually, she got used to doing things on her own, at most asking the teaching assistant for help.
There were only a handful of special admission students from the Lower World to begin with, not to mention Chi Yueshan had become famous right at the start of the school year.
Chi Yueshan said, "Her name is Zhan... Zhan Siqi. Do you know her?"
Xuan Ping thought for a moment. "I think she's from the Omega Council."
Chi Yueshan let out a wail. "So annoying."
Xuan Ping said with a smile, "You dislike Senior Xi that much? If you ask me, she's taken pretty good care of you."
Chi Yueshan nodded painfully as she swiped her card to enter the library. "I know."
Xuan Ping said, "The magnanimity of a love rival, very impressive."
Chi Yueshan was speechless. After all, the more perfect Xi Zhoumeng was, the more it made her seem worthless and ungrateful.
The problem was that her interactions with Xi Zhoumeng were always so R-rated that even though they were both Omegas, Chi Yueshan couldn't bring herself to tell Xuan Ping.
Things like, "I sprayed milk because of Xi Zhoumeng's teasing."
It was too weird.
What's more, Xi Zhoumeng could easily stir up Chi Yueshan's emotions without doing anything at all.
It was as if an invisible string connected them, allowing them to feel each other's every move.
It was more like the current her was easily led by the nose by Xi Zhoumeng.
"It's fine. It's not like you're being asked to find Senior Xi. Besides, although Senior Xi's overall grades aren't high, she's one of the best in these two areas."
Xuan Ping didn't have many other skills, but if you asked her about gossip and personal information, she could rattle off a whole bunch.
She even slipped in some personal praise for Xi Zhoumeng.
Chi Yueshan gave a couple of perfunctory "uh-huhs." "It's not like I'll run into her anyway. Her courses this year should be finishing up faster than mine."
Xuan Ping nodded. "What time are you supposed to meet? I practiced in the flower arranging classroom C190 last time. I wonder if you're going to the same building."
Chi Yueshan glanced at her light-brain. "Two in the afternoon, in the classroom you mentioned."
Xuan Ping gave her a teasing smile. "Don't you feel a sense of crisis? Ling Xun found a fellow Omega from your year for you."
Xuan Ping had visibly brightened up since she started dating. Chi Yueshan was quite happy about it, but she was also troubled by how much more glib Xuan Ping had become.
Chi Yueshan clarified again, "Ling Xun and I are completely innocent. I must give my body and soul perfectly to my senior."
Before Xuan Ping could get her fill of teasing, she deliberately asked, "Which senior? Senior Xi?"
Chi Yueshan let out a cry, lowered her voice, and patted her. "You should read fewer weird books! It's impossible between Omegas."
Xuan Ping thought of the hundred-percent match that was still talked about to this day. Even though it was a mistake, it was still very interesting.
"What if Senior Xi were an Alpha, then? Would you consider her? With her strong spiritual power and her status as a top noble, wouldn't she have more overall charm than Wen Xinghuo if she were an Alpha?"
The thought sent a chill down Chi Yueshan's spine. "If someone like her were an Alpha, the Empire would be finished."
That would be simply terrifying, a pea-princess-flavored Alpha. It felt like she'd be at a level where even the Zerg would run away upon invading. She would completely, absolutely, fundamentally be unable to shoulder any heavy responsibility!
And with Xi Zhoumeng's physique, what was the use of being tall? What was the use of having nice lines? Compared to Senior Wen Xinghuo, she was complete trash.
Even if she became an Alpha, she'd probably be impotent.
Xuan Ping propped up her face and said, while manipulating her new light-brain to pull up old data, "I actually think Senior Xi is quite reliable."
Xi Zhoumeng had a nearly perfect face, bewitching yet noble. Although everyone said she was pampered and lived a life of extravagance, Xuan Ping had felt very comfortable during their few interactions.
At most, she just liked to joke around with Yueshan.
Chi Yueshan subconsciously wanted to retort.
But then she thought about her sudden heat, the confusion of fainting, and even the embarrassment of being mocked in her elective class.
It was Xi Zhoumeng who had helped her through it all.
What now?
She couldn't bring herself to say anything bad about her at all.
Her love rival was, in a sense, perfect.
She even takes care of me. If our roles were reversed, could I be so generous to my rival?
Or is it because I pose no threat to her at all?
Does Xi Zhoumeng even see me as a rival?
Am I really that insignificant?
And she actually pushed Wen Xinghuo towards that little princess. What if, what if that princess takes a liking to Wen Xinghuo?
Are Xi Zhoumeng and I supposed to cry on each other's shoulders?
Or will Xi Zhoumeng and I give them our tearful blessings together?
Cry... tearful.
Chi Yueshan's mind uncontrollably drifted to their previous encounters.
She even remembered the scent of Xi Zhoumeng's pheromones, cold and intoxicating, as if possessing a pure and flawless allure.
Unveiled, it was a bloody, frenzied madness.
How strange. What kind of person was she, really?
Xuan Ping watched as Chi Yueshan's face flushed red while she was lost in thought.
Of course, she would never guess that Chi Yueshan was thinking about Xi Zhoumeng. After all, her friend was full of resistance towards her rival, acting like an agitated rabbit every time she was mentioned.
Xuan Ping sighed, thinking to herself: No matter how great Senior Wen is, she seems like the type to dedicate her entire life to the Empire.
Someone as unambitious as me wants to spend my life with my Alpha, not just be a family member, silently waiting for news of them.
In the afternoon, Chi Yueshan went to classroom C190 first.
Because it was a public holiday, there weren't many people around.
The flower arranging classroom was very large. To ensure the freshness of the flowers, there were dedicated staff to maintain the flowerbeds.
Students could also pick flowers freely.
When Chi Yueshan entered, she first looked around. At least in this arrangement area, there weren't many people.
An Omega with a bob haircut saw her and walked over.
"Hello, I'm Zhan Siqi."
Chi Yueshan shook her hand, feeling a little reserved.
Zhan Siqi looked very quiet and gentle. She first had Chi Yueshan try arranging, asking a few questions about her relationship with Ling Xun along the way.
"We're friends," Chi Yueshan said. "She said you were middle school classmates, is that right?"
Zhan Siqi nodded. She seemed to have a very good upbringing and didn't show any disdain for a student from the Lower World. While guiding Chi Yueshan's flower arranging, she said, "My father and Ling Xun's father are friends."
Chi Yueshan said, "Oh," completely at a loss for what to say.
She was learning very earnestly, but she was also very clumsy. Entrusted by Ling Xun, Zhan Siqi was genuinely trying to help, but her own skills were also limited.
Aesthetic sense isn't something that can be developed overnight. Just as Zhan Siqi was wondering how to communicate better, a commotion arose from the other side.
"It's Senior Xi!"
"She didn't leave?"
"I think it's the flowerbed maintenance day, so she had to come here."
Chi Yueshan wasn't deaf; she naturally heard them.
Zhan Siqi was also very excited, constantly looking in that direction.
Xi Zhoumeng was talking to a younger student. Even with her hair in a low ponytail, she was meticulously dressed. At most, the dazzling aura she usually exuded was somewhat muted, but it added a touch of gentleness.
The first-year student whose head she was patting had a flushed face.
Xi Zhoumeng caught a faint, almost imperceptible scent of rust.
She turned her head slightly and saw Chi Yueshan, clutching a ranunculus with a look of displeasure on her face.
The sudden silence around her made Chi Yueshan's hair stand on end. She looked up, wondering if Xi Zhoumeng was up to her tricks again.
But the other girl had already walked over to her side. Zhan Siqi subconsciously took a step back.
Xi Zhoumeng reached out from behind, took the ranunculus from Chi Yueshan's hand, and placed a yellow rose into the vase. Accompanied by the faint fragrance from her body, it seemed to envelop Chi Yueshan.
"What a coincidence, we meet again."
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