MORIC - Chapter 64
Chapter 64: If You're Going to Fight, Do It in Bed
The academy was bustling at night. With various activities coinciding with exam week, the foot traffic on Orchid Avenue was much heavier than usual.
Xi Zhoumeng never walked if she could take a car, but she couldn't avoid the traffic.
She leaned against the window, lost in thought, while the system chattered away in her mind.
【System: Aren't you going to eat dinner?】
【System: I have a feeling you're going to be late.】
【System: You should have waited for Chi Yueshan and come over together.】
After a while, the mechanical voice started to sound almost human. Xi Zhoumeng had no intention of responding to it, unsure of the source of her own irritation.
Especially after seeing that photo of Chi Yueshan hugging Wen Xinghuo.
Xi Zhoumeng didn't even have to go looking for it; someone had naturally sent it to her.
The end-of-term ball was still in the planning stages, and the group chat was flooded with over 999 messages daily, a mix of discussions about what to eat and juicy gossip.
After the photo of the hug appeared, she was tagged in so many messages that her device became unusable even after she muted the chat.
Xi Zhoumeng! Senior, take a look!
Xi Zhoumeng!!! What's going on!!
Xi Zhoumeng! What's the deal with this first-year Omega! She's really getting ahead of herself!
...
These people's impression of Chi Yueshan was still stuck on 'the first-year who's fanatically pursuing Wen Xinghuo.' Because Xi Zhoumeng's attitude toward Chi Yueshan was quite good, and Chi Yueshan had even participated in Xi Yang's fashion show, everyone regarded her as someone under Xi Zhoumeng's protection.
Xi Zhoumeng's reputation had gone from 'dream Omega' to 'dream Bodhisattva.'
The living Bodhisattva stared at the photo in silence for a long time.
She couldn't help but think about Chi Yueshan's feelings for Wen Xinghuo.
Previously, she had been certain that Chi Yueshan didn't harbor true Alpha-Omega feelings for Wen Xinghuo.
But Xi Zhoumeng's own emotional life was a complete mess. She had grown up in a dysfunctional family.
It wasn't even a family, really. Her parents' relationship was a familial bond that had once contained love, a distinction perhaps even they themselves could no longer make.
None of Xi Zhoumeng's relationships ever lasted. They were less like love and more like fleeting companionship.
It was rare for her to become emotionally invested.
Nor did she have any desire to.
【System: You're falling for her.】
It blurted this out so suddenly that Xi Zhoumeng nearly knocked her head against the window.
"Shut up."
In the enclosed space, Xi Zhoumeng didn't mind cursing it out.
But the thing was just naturally shameless. Lately, it had even stopped issuing those warnings forbidding her from getting close to Chi Yueshan.
It was as if the electric shocks had been nothing but a hallucination.
【System: Host, you care a lot about Chi Yueshan.】
The sky had turned completely dark, the stars shining brightly. In Xi Zhoumeng's eyes, this world from the book was actually far better than her original one.
She had a relatively complete family, normal older brothers and a sister, and parents who didn't cause drama.
She still got whatever she wanted, but without so much criticism.
Of course, that was also the result of her toning things down to avoid making a scene.
Xi Zhoumeng nodded. "Of course I care. She's my person."
She always had this attitude—a wildness that didn't show on the surface but would occasionally and naturally leak out.
【System: It's more than just because you gave her that name. There's something else.】
The mechanical voice took on a suggestive tone, as if it were wiggling with glee.
【System: And you two... you know.】
Xi Zhoumeng said, "It's fine. Aren't we separated now?"
When she was alone, she looked incredibly cold. The grace and gentleness associated with her name seemed to be merely the outermost shell.
The person inside had long been tormented into something like expired meat in a freezer, hard as a rock.
Covered in frost, with no one able to thaw her out.
【System: Really?】
This thing could be surprisingly sharp at times. If the system were a person, Xi Zhoumeng wouldn't have said another word to it.
She was overly sensitive, a loner from childhood to adulthood who had absolutely no need for friends.
Even after plastic surgery gave her a new face, any 'friends' were merely indulging in wishful thinking. The person who caroused through the mortal world was fake, inside and out.
It was as if no one could tear open her core, which had long been smashed to pieces along with her true heart.
Xi Zhoumeng said, "Of course it's true."
Humans are animals, after all. Intimate acts could also be a form of release.
But humans are also human, and Xi Zhoumeng had no idea what it felt like to be intimate with someone you actually liked.
Words could conjure images of countless blossoming flowers in one's heart, yet Xi Zhoumeng's own heart was a barren wasteland, like a polar ice cap.
Chi Yueshan was completely different. She was usually boisterous and noisy, but when she quieted down, she was like a lotus on a pond, blooming layer by layer. She would declare her affections out loud and throw herself wholeheartedly into being good to someone.
She always knew what she wanted and which direction she needed to go.
Now that she'd gotten to hug Wen Xinghuo, she must be over the moon, right?
When Chi Yueshan was happy, her eyes would curve into crescents and she'd bob her head, looking as if she'd just received the greatest gift in the world.
But more than seeing her smile, Xi Zhoumeng preferred to see her lose control, to see her helpless, to see her walk toward her, flustered and clumsy.
What if Chi Yueshan begged Wen Xinghuo like that during her heat?
A real Alpha, any Alpha in this world, even the one Chi Yueshan was pursuing?
Would she mark her?
Would they form a knot, painfully yet blissfully?
Was that this world's form of possession?
Xi Zhoumeng had always been repulsed by the idea, yet she couldn't completely detach from it. She was a person who was exquisite from head to toe.
Even during intimate acts, she didn't want to lose her composure.
But such acts always involved a loss of composure. Even in the past, she had always maintained absolute calm.
She would walk away nonchalantly even after being slapped.
Xi Zhoumeng's thoughts spiraled deeper, leading her to think about her leave of absence from school, the reason for which only Xi Li knew.
It was because when she differentiated, something had grown, and the pain was so unbearable that she had wanted to castrate herself, only to be stopped by Xi Li.
Her Alpha big brother had been speechless for a long while before calling in Hong Sa to provide her with psychological counseling.
If cutting it off wouldn't have actually killed her, Xi Zhoumeng really would have gone through with it.
But in this moment, she overturned her previous way of thinking and even found herself jealous of Wen Xinghuo. To be able to mark, to form a knot, to let an Omega be saturated with her own pheromones.
As if announcing to the world.
She is mine.
The car crawled along for a while longer, and by the time it reached the theater, Xi Zhoumeng saw Chi Yueshan walking up the steps.
The first-year Omega was wearing her school robe, the trousers peeking out from beneath the hem still as uniquely ugly as ever. After a few steps, something fell from her pocket.
It was a round coil of metal wire. It tumbled down the steps and rolled to a stop right at the feet of Xi Zhoumeng, who had just stepped out of her car.
It was seven in the evening, and a full moon hung high in the sky. The light strips illuminating the reliefs on the commemorative pillars flanking the theater were already on, casting a glow on bold carvings depicting scenes of abduction.
Xi Zhoumeng glanced at the coil of wire, then at Chi Yueshan, who was frantically turning to come back down the steps to retrieve her part.
A normal person might have bent down to help pick it up.
But Xi Zhoumeng wasn't a normal person. She just stood there, watching the Omega hop and bound down the high steps.
Her hair was a mess, her glasses were hooked onto the collar of the knit vest she wore over her shirt, and her pants were so laden with items that you could tell every pocket was stuffed.
She hadn't noticed this afternoon—had this girl really dressed like this for the flower arranging exam?
So improper.
"Would it kill you to pick that up for me?"
Chi Yueshan came to a stop in front of Xi Zhoumeng, shooting her a glare before bending down to pick it up.
The second-year Omega was a vision in a flowing long dress and a capelet that made her look incredibly regal, a stark contrast to Chi Yueshan's getup, which was more akin to a plumber's.
And yet, these two had slept in the same bed.
It was like mixing clouds and mud, churning them into a torrential downpour that threatened to capsize a lake.
People changed, too.
"Why should I help you pick it up?"
Xi Zhoumeng watched her bend over, and not only did she make no move to help, she actually stepped on the coil.
Chi Yueshan cursed, "Holy shit."
Her outstretched hand froze in midair. She shot back up and pointed a finger at Xi Zhoumeng.
"Move your foot."
Xi Zhoumeng retorted, "And who are you to me? Why should I listen to you?"
This was just too shameless.
Chi Yueshan desperately wanted to record this and show everyone the true face of their 'dream Omega.'
And yet, she was keenly aware that Xi Zhoumeng was only this malicious in front of her.
She blushed, a little heartbroken, thinking about how she'd inexplicably become part of the niche O-O romance crowd.
And on top of that, she'd tragically discovered that her feelings for Wen Xinghuo amounted to nothing more than a simple crush.
If word got out, people would just think that after being brutally rejected by the tough-girl Alpha, she'd gotten herself into a messy entanglement with said Alpha's rumored girlfriend.
"How should I know who I am to you!"
Xi Zhoumeng was tall for an Omega, so Chi Yueshan had to stand on her tiptoes to yell at her. To make matters worse, the tall girl was also wearing high heels. It was simply outrageous.
Chi Yueshan said, "Don't think you can act like my teacher just because you taught me flower arranging for one day!"
Xi Zhoumeng lowered her gaze. The light at the theater entrance was bright, making the red mole by her eye seem to dazzle. Inopportunely, Chi Yueshan recalled the sensation of her tongue touching that very spot.
The second-year Omega raised her head proudly. "My flower arranging skills are second to none. Taking on a student like you would be an embarrassment."
Chi Yueshan huffed. The theater was already far away, and the steps were very high. Most people were using the other entrance, making this side feel particularly deserted.
In a moment of delirium, she retorted, "Yes, yes, the flower... down there... is also very impressive."
Even Xi Zhoumeng was stunned for a moment.
A few seconds passed before Chi Yueshan realized what she had just said and instinctively slapped herself across the face.
The sound was loud and crisp, and a red palm print instantly appeared on her right cheek.
Xi Zhoumeng wore an indescribable expression. "You're pretty hard on yourself."
Chi Yueshan was so embarrassed she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. She turned to leave, but after just two steps, she heard Xi Zhoumeng ask, "Don't you want your thing?"
Chi Yueshan yelled, "I don't want it! The salary your sister pays me is enough to buy lots and lots and lots of wire coils!—"
She ran up the steps without looking back.
Xi Zhoumeng thought the theater steps were too high. She stood there for a moment, watching Chi Yueshan's figure disappear, then silently bent down and picked up the coil of wire.
Most female Omegas carried things like lipstick, a mirror, or some sanitary products. But Chi Yueshan was different, looking more like a repairman ready for a job at a moment's notice.
"What a character,"
Xi Zhoumeng, for once, didn't seem to mind that she had stepped on the coil of wire. She just shook her head with a small, amused smile.
The flight of stairs was too long; she'd rather take a detour and find an elevator.
Meanwhile, Chi Yueshan ran into the theater, where her fellow first-year elective group members, Shi Yangshu and Jiang Xian, had already arrived. They greeted Chi Yueshan—whom they hadn't seen in a while but who remained a hot topic—and were just about to ask about the latest forum gossip when they noticed the distinct palm print on her face.
Shi Yangshu stammered, "Chi... Chi Yueshan, what happened to your face?"
Jiang Xian's eyes widened. "Who did you run into?"
Chi Yueshan touched her own face, which was still stinging. She was naturally strong; the only person she'd ever lost a physical contest to was Xi Zhoumeng.
In the heat of the moment, she hadn't realized she should have controlled her strength.
"Ah? I ran into Xi Zhoumeng."
She gave an embarrassed smile, all the while cursing herself internally.
I'm such a pervert, boohoo, how could I say something so indecent? It's all Xi Zhoumeng's fault for spouting nonsense back then, not letting me close my legs and saying, 'This flower of yours is so beautiful.'
It made me stare at myself in the shower for a long time, and I still don't think it's beautiful.
Although a person should learn to appreciate themselves, I get the feeling that someone like Xi Zhoumeng only says nice things when she's in bed.
And just now she was putting on such airs.
Who could possibly put up with that smug attitude of hers!!
She's insane!
With her face flushed and the palm print still red, combined with her goofy smile, Jiang Xian couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. That senior is going too far, she thought.
No matter what, she shouldn't have hit her.
It's obviously all Wen Xinghuo's fault!!
After their short meeting and rehearsal ended, a new piece of gossip quietly appeared on the academy forums.
——【Breaking! Xi Zhoumeng Actually Slapped Chi Yueshan!!】——
-Damn? For real?!!
-I saw her too! I just ran into that Chi Yueshan in the dorms, and her face was all swollen!
-Who saw it?! I don't believe it! Senior Xi is my goddess, there's no way she'd hit someone. That Chi Yueshan must be a schemer.
-It looked like a really hard slap, but the weird thing is, the first-year looked pretty happy about it. I actually feel kinda bad for her...
Xi Li, concerned about his little sister's school life, would occasionally browse the Guyun Academy forums.
He hadn't expected to immediately see a trending post.
Someone had even posted a photo of Chi Yueshan. Though blurry, the state of her face was still shocking.
Xi Li was furious. The two of them had already done that, so how could they still be resorting to violence?!
That night, Xi Zhoumeng received a message from Xi Li—
If you and Chi Yueshan are going to fight, do it in bed! What kind of decent Alpha slaps someone in the face!
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