Jiang Yi had to admit, Jiang Sixian had been a great help during her two weeks in the hospital. At the very least, returning to school, Jiang Yi didn’t feel the slightest bit behind.
Of course, this was also due to Jiang Yi’s diligence. After all, besides playing games in the hospital, she’d been studying.
The morning classes ended quickly. When the bell rang, the class monitor hurried to Jiang Yi’s side, placing her hands on Jiang Yi’s desk and saying with a smile, “Jiang Yi, come eat lunch with us.”
The monitor pointed to Jiang Yi’s arm, her eyes crinkling. “Your hand isn’t convenient, we’ll get your lunch for you.”
Not just the monitor, but also some of the classmates who had gossiped with her the day of the fight came over. “Come to the cafeteria with us, Jiang Yi. We’ll get your food.”
Faced with such enthusiasm, Jiang Yi couldn’t refuse. She stood up and said, “Alright, let’s go.”
Thus, with Jiang Yi at the head, the class monitor and PE committee member as her left and right guardians, a group of Class B students headed downstairs.
Jiang Sixian and Tang Qing emerged from their classroom just as Jiang Yi and her entourage descended the stairs.
Tang Qing recognized Jiang Yi. Seeing her surrounded by so many people, she couldn’t help but scoff. “What’s with Jiang Yi? Causing such a commotion as soon as she comes back. Does she want to be the next Song Yi?”
Looking at Jiang Yi’s back as she chatted and laughed with the others, Jiang Sixian pursed her lips and said softly, “She’s different from Song Yi.”
How was she different?
In the cafeteria, Jiang Yi took the lunch a classmate had gotten for her with one hand and thanked her.
She sat down with her classmates, watching them happily divide the dishes for her, and asked with amusement, “Didn’t you say I dethroned Song Yi as the school bully and became the new one? Why do you still dare to eat with me? Aren’t you afraid?”
The classmate who got Jiang Yi’s lunch was named Jin Duolai, a shyly smiling Alpha.
Jin Duolai smiled and said to Jiang Yi, “You’re different from Song Yi. You wouldn’t bully anyone. You’re very approachable.”
Jiang Yi picked up some food with one hand, looked up at her, and asked with a smile, “How do you know I wouldn’t bully anyone? How am I approachable?” She’d bullied Jiang Sixian in the hospital just the other day, and Jiang Sixian might have even cried afterwards.
Logically, after her behavior in the cafeteria, many students should find her actions appalling. But her classmates were different. They treated her well, even seemed to like her.
The class monitor, sitting beside Jin Duolai, sighed and said, “Aren’t you approachable? That day we were talking about you behind your back, and you didn’t even get angry. You even talked and laughed with us…”
Jiang Yi smiled. “You didn’t cross any lines. You’re not like that annoying Song Yi. Why would I be angry?” They were just gossipy kids with no malicious intent.
The monitor exclaimed, “See? That’s why you’re approachable!”
The PE committee member chimed in, “Yes, you seem easy to get along with.” She paused, then said to Jiang Yi, “Song Yi… Duolai and I used to be in the same class as Song Yi. She always looked down on everyone…”
“Back then, Duolai hadn’t presented yet and was quite frail. Song Yi always bullied her.”
Jin Duolai nodded, slightly embarrassed. “After I presented as an Alpha and we were in different classes, she stopped bullying me.”
She looked up, her eyes shining as she looked at Jiang Yi. “So… I’m really happy you put Song Yi in her place. I’m even grateful to you.” After all, Jiang Yi had done what she hadn’t dared to do, giving Jin Duolai a sense of vicarious satisfaction.
Jiang Yi understood. She finally knew why her classmates treated her so well. It wasn’t because of her charming personality, but because Song Yi was truly a menace, and beating her up was a public service.
Jiang Yi picked up a spare rib with her chopsticks and said lazily, “You should have told me sooner. I would have hit her harder. She’s so annoying!”
Everyone agreed, “Yes, she’s truly annoying.”
By the end of the meal, Jiang Yi had a pretty good understanding of her new friends.
The gossipy class monitor was named Lin Yinxi. Her family were all researchers, but she was a unique anomaly, uninterested in academics and obsessed with gossip. And she was an Alpha.
The PE committee member who had taught Jiang Yi the exercises was named Zhang Tiantian. Contrary to her sweet appearance, Zhang Tiantian was a tall, muscular Alpha.
Among them was also a girl with glasses and slightly wavy hair named Chen Wanzhou, also an Alpha. Jiang Yi felt her name was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. After lunch, she added all of them on WeChat, and the monitor even created a group chat.
After creating the group, the monitor patted Jiang Yi’s shoulder and declared, “From now on, you, the new school bully, will protect us!”
Jiang Yi was speechless. “You’re all Alphas. Aren’t you ashamed to ask me for protection?” And why was she, an undifferentiated, hanging out with a bunch of Alphas?
Were there really that many Alphas in this school?
Jiang Yi’s expression turned subtle. She looked at the monitor and asked, “Speaking of which, you’re all Alphas. Are there a lot of Alphas in our class?”
The monitor replied, “Not a lot. Just all the Alphas in our class are here.”
Jiang Yi was surprised. “So you Alphas stick together?”
The monitor pouted, slightly unhappy. “What do you mean ‘stick together’? It’s because of our pheromones. We want to hang out with Omegas and Betas too, but we all presented recently and can’t control our pheromones yet, so it’s not good to get too close to other genders.” What if something happened while they were hanging out?
Jiang Yi silently distanced herself. “I haven’t presented yet. You dangerous people should stay away from me.”
The monitor retorted, “Oh, you’re different.”
Chen Wanzhou, from the corner, pushed up her glasses, her peach blossom eyes crinkling with amusement. “We have a sixth sense about these things. Someone like you will definitely present as an Alpha, so there’s no need to stay away.”
Jiang Yi scoffed. “What kind of nonsense is that? ‘Sixth sense’?”
As they chatted, they finished their meal. Jiang Yi cleared her place with one hand, carrying her tray to the dishwashing area.
After the five of them placed their trays in the designated area, they walked out shoulder to shoulder.
The monitor wanted dessert, so they discussed getting ice cream or cake from the convenience store.
As they reached the cafeteria exit, a girl hurried past Jiang Yi. Perhaps the floor was slippery, or she was walking too fast, but as she passed Jiang Yi, she slipped and nearly fell.
Jiang Yi, who was talking with her friends, reacted quickly, grabbing the girl with her right hand and pulling her towards her. “Careful!”
The girl, who had nearly fallen backwards, landed in Jiang Yi’s arms. Still startled, she heard a cheerful voice beside her ear. “Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?”
The girl looked up and saw a bright, smiling face. She quickly stepped back from Jiang Yi’s embrace, her face flushing. “I’m fine… thank you… thank you.”
The girl finished, then ran into the cafeteria.
The monitor beside her sighed dramatically. “Jiang Yi… I’ve discovered you’re really good at flirting!”
Jiang Yi was puzzled. “What? Why do you say that?”
The monitor continued as they walked, “Look at your reflexes! You instantly went into hero mode, instantly caught her, with only one hand!”
“So gentlemanly, so heroic, much more Alpha-like than me!”
Jiang Yi really didn’t sense any Alpha qualities from the monitor. She glanced at her and retorted, “That just proves you’re a fake Alpha!”
Zhang Tiantian, from the side, mumbled, “That’s not true. The monitor is a real Alpha. I’ve seen it. I can prove it.”
Wait, you’ve seen it? Prove what?
It took Jiang Yi a moment to process this. She turned to Jin Duolai. “Did Zhang Tiantian just make a dirty joke?”
Jin Duolai’s face flushed crimson, unable to answer.
Chen Wanzhou, however, burst out laughing. “If you want to interpret it that way, sure!”
Zhang Tiantian, finally realizing what she’d implied, blushed and waved her hands. “I didn’t! I didn’t mean that!”
Jiang Yi teased her, “Yes, you did. You totally did.” She then turned to the monitor and asked, “So, is it big?”
The monitor, who had been holding back laughter, instantly lost her composure. She looked at Jiang Yi, her face flushing, and said angrily, “You’re so perverted! Why would you ask a young girl such a rude question?!”
“It’s already bad enough presenting as an Alpha and growing something weird. Why are you so mean?!”
Although she was complaining, the monitor didn’t seem truly angry. Seeing her pout, Jiang Yi reached out and poked her cheek, smiling apologetically. “Alright, alright, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked such a personal question out of curiosity. I poked your sore spot.”
“Tell you what, I’ll buy you ice cream as an apology. How about that?”
The monitor nodded. “Okay, I want two.”
That was pushing it, but Jiang Yi was in a good mood and grateful for the company, so she didn’t mind. She smiled and said, “Fine, two it is.”
Chatting and laughing, the group left the cafeteria.
Jiang Sixian, having just finished lunch and wiping her hands with a handkerchief, had witnessed the entire scene from the other exit.
She saw Jiang Yi catch the girl, just like Jiang Yi had saved her that day, a purely instinctive reaction.
Everything she did was unintentional. Just like she’d said, she was simply… a kind and helpful person.
Jiang Sixian watched Jiang Yi smile at others, a sharp pang in her chest. She clutched the handkerchief tightly.
She felt uncomfortable, but there was nothing she could do, only watch as Jiang Yi smiled and walked away with the others.
She stood at the exit, watching Jiang Yi leave, until Tang Qing returned, bumping into her arm and asking, “Xianxian, what are you looking at?”
Jiang Sixian snapped out of her thoughts, lowering her gaze and smiling slightly. “Nothing. Just thinking it’s a beautiful day.”
Tang Qing looked up at the sky and nodded. “Yes, it is a beautiful day.”
Jiang Sixian smiled. “Let’s go back to the classroom.”
Although the weather was beautiful, her mood was subtly off. Jiang Sixian decided it would be best to distract herself with some homework.
