ATPCN – Chapter 4

It all happened in a flash. The people around them couldn’t quite keep up with the turn of events, and after a moment of silence, an uproar erupted.

And among them, the most shocked person seemed to be Ling Jing herself. She stared wide-eyed, looking from the injured Zhuang Chi to the Xiao Ying that had flown back to her hand, looking rather bewildered. Her words came out haltingly: “Wh-what did you… Why did you suddenly reach out…”

“…Are you still going to say things like that now?” An Chen, his own shock yet to subside, took a deep breath. His gaze swept coldly over the half-grown hawk on Ling Jing’s hand. “So, according to you, if she hadn’t intervened, Ximian would have been the one to get hurt, is that right?”

“Of course not!” Her imposing manner had already weakened considerably, but Ling Jing’s denial was vehement. “I didn’t want to hurt her! I just wanted Xiao Ying to pull that strap off, I—”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Do you take me for a fool?” An Chen laughed in exasperation. “Do you really think you’re some master falconer? Besides, what kind of normal person would think of using a hawk to do something like that?”

He clearly didn’t believe Ling Jing’s explanation. With the bloody scene of Zhuang Chi’s injury right there, Ling Jing’s words naturally lacked persuasiveness. The onlookers whispered among themselves. Ling Jing initially tried to defend herself with phrases like “I’m telling the truth,” and “I’ve raised Xiao Ying since he was a chick, he knows his limits,” but she gradually fell silent under the surrounding gazes, biting her lower lip in frustration.

…You’re right. Zhuang Chi, who had been hit by a stray bullet outside the battlefield, flinched and lowered her head in shame. What kind of normal person would think of using a hawk to do something like that…!

Sigh. In any case, the only person here who might actually believe Ling Jing was telling the truth was probably her, Zhuang Chi.

Only after getting injured did Zhuang Chi finally remember. If she hadn’t blocked it just now, the normal plot development would indeed have been for the hawk to rip off Gu Ximian’s choker, causing her pheromones to leak and immediately exposing her identity as an S-class Omega. And in a crowded place like the school gate, this news would spread quickly, subsequently affecting her entire school life.

The plot would never have a bloody incident occur at the very beginning of the story, especially not near the glands. So, strictly speaking, Ling Jing was right. If Zhuang Chi hadn’t suddenly reached out, no one would have been hurt.

…Although, that being said.

After the initial sharp pain, the wound on her wrist gradually turned into a throbbing sting. The cut wasn’t very deep, but smeared with blood, it looked quite gruesome. Zhuang Chi couldn’t bear to look at it for more than a few seconds and averted her eyes, sighing silently in her heart.

When she remembered that Ling Jing would summon a hawk here, her actions had been faster than her thoughts; she had subconsciously stuck out her hand. Thinking back now, pushing Gu Ximian away would have been a more appropriate action, but the situation at the time didn’t allow Zhuang Chi to think too much, nor did she have the chance to consider whether interfering with the plot’s development would cause problems. Only now did she feel a little apprehensive.

But I couldn’t just watch it happen, Zhuang Chi thought. If I didn’t know, that would be one thing…

…Sigh. All she could say was, you reap what you sow. She couldn’t even stand the damned plot she had written herself.

“Let’s go to the infirmary.”

As Zhuang Chi was melancholically pondering these things, she didn’t quite react when she suddenly heard Gu Ximian’s voice. Her gaze shifted, and only then did she notice Gu Ximian’s hand under her wrist. Her fair palm was mottled with Zhuang Chi’s blood, startling her into subconsciously pulling her hand back. “Whoa, the blood got on your hand—”

“…It’s fine.” Gu Ximian paused, shaking her head a beat too late. She gently took Zhuang Chi’s hand again and held it level. “Don’t let it hang down, it’ll make it bleed more. Shall we go to the infirmary?”

“Yes.” An Chen had also finished his conversation with Ling Jing and hurried over. “It looks a bit serious. I’ll lead the way.”

It was unclear what kind of lesson Ling Jing had received over there, but she seemed to have completely lost her imposing manner. She glanced their way hesitantly, and seeing that the three were about to leave, she hurriedly spoke up: “I-I’ll also—”

“Why don’t you go clean the blood off your hawk’s talons first?”

Gu Ximian cut her off before she could finish. She half-turned her head, her gaze only briefly skimming over the stunned Ling Jing before looking away. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone present to hear: “Then go prepare to discuss compensation. Before that, stay away from us.”

Without any intention of waiting for Ling Jing’s response, Gu Ximian finished speaking and turned back to Zhuang Chi, saying softly, “Let’s go.”

Watching the three of them walk away, Ling Jing stood rooted to the spot for a long while before finally leaving alone. And so, the small disturbance at the school gate finally came to an end, the news of it quickly spreading throughout St. Blaisedon.

In the end, she still ended up at the infirmary.

Resignedly sitting in front of a doctor in a white coat, Zhuang Chi obediently held out her hand to be disinfected and bandaged. She tried to find some humor in her misery, thinking that if she had known this would happen, she might as well have come here when Gu Ximian first approached her. That would have been simpler than the current situation.

St. Blaisedon’s medical facilities were very comprehensive; calling this place an infirmary was an understatement, it was practically a small hospital. Her injury wasn’t too severe, and the bandaging was finished in no time. However, they didn’t accept cash here; a student card was required for payment. Since both Zhuang Chi and Gu Ximian were new students and hadn’t received theirs yet, it was thanks to An Chen that he was there to deftly swipe his card for her.

“You’re welcome.” In response to Zhuang Chi’s repeated thanks, An Chen shook his head gently. “You shouldn’t be the one paying for this anyway. We’ll have Ling Jing compensate you later.”

At the mention of Ling Jing, a shadow crossed An Chen’s handsome face, and he sighed. “For something like this to happen on your first day of school… it’s truly awful… But St. Blaisedon is a really good place. Students like Ling Jing are the exception. I hope you won’t come to hate it here because of this.”

“And don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility for following up on today’s incident. Although Ling Jing is the principal’s daughter, the principal is a very just person. It will be handled properly.”

Wow, so there was a setting like that, huh. The creator, Zhuang Chi, whose memory was hazy, nodded along, deciding for the time being not to dwell on how her actions might affect the plot (she couldn’t even remember the original subsequent plot development anyway). She felt as if her apprehension had evolved into a state of calm acceptance—what’s done is done. She could barely handle the present, why worry about the future?

Of course, An Chen had no idea what kind of devil-may-care attitude was hidden behind her seemingly obedient nod. He smiled reassuringly at Zhuang Chi, then glanced at the time on his phone, his lips tightening slightly. At that moment, Gu Ximian, who had gone to get Zhuang Chi’s medicine, walked back to her side. Her gaze swept over An Chen as she said, “The Student Council President must have a lot to do today, right? Is it okay for you to be here?”

“…I do have some things to attend to.” An Chen sighed and looked up with a wry smile. “I should probably head back. Shall we go together?”

Ooh! Zhuang Chi’s ears perked up at once, as if she saw the dawn of solitude! If she just said she wanted to rest for a bit and let Gu Ximian and An Chen leave first, then she could finally escape, even temporarily, from this plot that had been barreling forward so unreasonably—

“No, I’ll stay here and rest with Zhuang Chi for a while.”

Gu Ximian refused An Chen smoothly, without any hesitation. A flicker of worry crossed her clear eyes, and her voice was soft. “…She lost a lot of blood just now.”

“…That’s true.” An Chen nodded in understanding. “It’s fine. It’s still early, so it’s good to rest for a while. Besides, there are probably a lot of people registering now. Just contact me when you’re rested and ready to go.”

Oh. Zhuang Chi’s ears drooped again. Although she hadn’t said a word, it seemed her course had already been decided for her.

Staying meant being with Gu Ximian. Leaving meant being with both Gu Ximian and An Chen. Honestly, it was hard to tell which was worse.

“…Um…” Zhuang Chi shifted awkwardly and ventured tentatively, “You really don’t have to worry about me. You two can go register first…”

“I haven’t properly thanked you yet.”

Her tentative words were immediately and gently overturned by Gu Ximian. She sat down next to Zhuang Chi, and as she turned her head, a faint, soft fragrance wafted over. The gaze she cast was gentle and moist, like that of a doe. “Let me stay with you.”

Zhuang Chi silently closed her mouth, feeling that her spinelessness at this moment was entirely justifiable.

And so, Zhuang Chi could only watch with longing eyes as An Chen left by himself, her gaze filled with a hint of envy. The Student Council President clearly received preferential treatment even in the infirmary; he had found them an empty room for their private use and even tried to close the door on his way out, only to be stopped by a flustered Zhuang Chi.

“I should say it formally one more time,” Gu Ximian, who had been quiet, spoke again after An Chen left. Her eyes fell on Zhuang Chi’s bandaged right hand, and she lowered her head slightly. “Thank you.”

“I-It’s nothing…”

It was probably the first time she had been thanked so formally to her face, and it made her cheeks flush. Moreover, Zhuang Chi felt a little insecure about her own actions—she felt it wasn’t exactly a simple act of help, so her response was weak. Gu Ximian didn’t press the matter, but straightened up to look at her. Just as Zhuang Chi was starting to feel uneasy under her gaze, Gu Ximian smiled lightly. “Your reaction back then was so fast. To think you were able to block it.”

“…” Zhuang Chi thought to herself that, for her, the creator of the plot, this was actually a sluggish reaction that had cut it dangerously close. Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud, so she could only reply dryly, “…I just… happened to notice.”

Gu Ximian nodded and pondered for a moment, lost in thought, before suddenly asking, “You haven’t differentiated yet, have you?”

“Huh?” The change in topic was a bit abrupt, and Zhuang Chi was taken aback. “…Is it that obvious?”

“No,” Gu Ximian shook her head, lifting a hand to brush her long hair aside. Her fingertips lightly grazed the cloth strip on her neck as she explained, “It’s just that my constitution is more sensitive to pheromones, so I noticed.”

I see, so this is the ability of an S-class Omega. Zhuang Chi nodded silently, secretly reflecting on how she always seemed to learn about her own settings from other people’s mouths. Then she heard Gu Ximian continue, “I remember… generally speaking, people undergo a secondary development in all their physical abilities after differentiation.”

“An Chen is an A-class Alpha,” Gu Ximian said, as if making small talk, her words seemingly disconnected. Under Zhuang Chi’s somewhat confused gaze, she slowly got to the point. “…Which means, you haven’t undergone secondary development yet, but your reaction was already faster than an A-class Alpha’s.”

She paused, looking at Zhuang Chi quietly. The other girl seemed a little startled by her words, or perhaps she just hadn’t processed them yet. In any case, she looked dazed, her slightly lighter-colored pupils widening a little, her lips stiffening as if at a loss. But the corners of Zhuang Chi’s lips were naturally upturned, so even with this stiff, unsmiling expression, she exuded a gentle, soft warmth.

Her fair, lustrous cheeks looked soft, as did her hair, which was neither long nor short, just brushing her shoulders. It seemed to have a natural slight curl, falling softly against the side of her neck. Although it’s not a very polite thought, Gu Ximian thought, she’s a bit like a little curly-haired puppy.

Gu Ximian watched quietly for a while, and only when the little curly-haired puppy shifted uneasily did she snap back to her senses, blinking lightly.

“Zhuang Chi,”

Gu Ximian called her name, a certain premonition stirring in her chest. She said softly,

“You… might be a very special person.”