Regardless of the setting, restrooms are prime locations for gossip.
Being an all-girls school, the restrooms were divided into three categories: Alpha, Beta, and Omega. The space allocated to each category reflected the proportion of each gender within the student body.
Undifferentiated girls like Jiang Yi shared restrooms with Omegas—after all, like Omegas, they hadn’t yet developed secondary sexual characteristics.
After using the restroom, Jiang Yi was washing her hands when she overheard an argument nearby.
More accurately, it was a one-sided display of bigotry by an obnoxious girl.
Tall, with a single ponytail, she stood facing a petite girl washing her hands with soap, saying aggressively, “Jiang Sixian is an Omega now. You’re an Omega too. You have no chance with her. Just give up!”
Jiang Sixian?
The name sounded familiar. Jiang Yi paused, belatedly realizing it was the name of her cheap mother’s current girlfriend’s daughter.
The same name? It had to be a coincidence. After all, Jiang Qionghua had never mentioned Jiang Sixian attending the same school.
While Jiang Yi was distracted, the Omega girl finished washing her hands, looked up, and replied coolly, “So what if she’s an Omega? I still like her. True love transcends gender. Does becoming an Omega somehow change how amazing she is?”
The taller girl was clearly angered by this and started speaking carelessly, “You like her that much? You do realize that after presenting as an Omega, you can’t escape your instincts. She’s destined to be attracted to an Alpha, to be marked by an Alpha, to become an Alpha’s possession!”
“No matter how exceptional Jiang Sixian is, she can’t escape the fate determined by her genes! She’s destined to be a slave to her gender!”
The Omega girl, also an Omega, was furious. She pointed at the taller girl, face flushed, unable to speak.
The taller girl, thinking she’d struck a nerve, puffed up her chest. “What? Do you think I’m wrong?!”
Jiang Yi, listening nearby, scoffed.
Her laughter drew their attention. Both girls at the sink turned to look at her.
Jiang Yi flicked the water off her hands and looked lazily at the taller girl, her face full of mockery. “The Qing Dynasty is long gone. How am I still hearing such ignorant drivel?”
“Omegas are indeed affected during their heat cycles, but studies have shown that this influence is hormonally driven. There are plenty of methods and medications to counteract these effects, and Omegas aren’t that dependent on Alphas during their heats…”
“Moreover, Omegas surpass other genders intellectually. How can you call them slaves to their gender?”
Jiang Yi crossed her arms and looked coolly at the taller girl. “You haven’t presented yet, have you? How can you be so sure you won’t present as an Omega? Or is it that if you present as an Omega, you’ll become the slave you speak of?”
The taller girl’s face flushed red with anger. “You! I’ve had genetic testing! I have a ninety percent chance of presenting as an Alpha! I won’t become a useless Omega!”
Jiang Yi clicked her tongue. “Yeah, right. It’s not one hundred percent. You’ll be crying if you end up an Omega!”
Jiang Yi’s attitude was infuriating. The taller girl raised her hand and swung at Jiang Yi. “You’re talking nonsense! Shut up!”
Quick as a flash, Jiang Yi grabbed her hand and slammed her against the wall. “What? Trying to hit me?”
Jiang Yi twisted the girl’s arm behind her back, pressed her shoulder against the wall, and glared. “You better watch your mouth. Plenty of Omegas use this restroom. A nasty piece of work like you, even if you present as an Alpha, no one will like you!”
The taller girl struggled against her grip, but to no avail. She muttered angrily under her breath.
Ignoring her, Jiang Yi turned to the petite Omega. “Isn’t that right, little fairy?”
The girl she’d called “little fairy” stood there, eyes sparkling, and nodded vigorously.
Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow, then turned back, released the taller girl, and shoved her out of the restroom. “Go on, get out of here, you jerk. And watch your foul mouth next time.”
Humiliated, the taller girl could only curse under her breath as she left.
Jiang Yi clapped her hands, preparing to leave as well.
Just then, the petite Omega approached her, eyes shining. “What’s your name?”
Jiang Yi smiled. “I’m just your average, do-gooder high school student who doesn’t need recognition.”
The little Omega giggled, covering her mouth. “You’re so funny.”
The warning bell rang. The little Omega waved at Jiang Yi. “Class is starting. I have to go. Thanks again for earlier.”
“You’re welcome!” Jiang Yi replied, waving back.
Watching her run off, Jiang Yi strolled towards the exit.
She’d barely taken a few steps when the nearest stall door creaked open.
Jiang Yi turned her head, saw a tall, long-haired girl emerge, and froze. Looking at the girl’s delicate features and slightly aloof expression, she suddenly remembered: this was the girl she’d helped the other day.
This girl had presented as an Omega just three days ago.
So she’d heard everything that obnoxious girl had said?
Jiang Yi found the obnoxious girl even more obnoxious now.
Their eyes met. Jiang Yi looked away and walked casually towards the exit.
As she turned, she heard the girl behind her call out, “Jiang Yi…”
Surprised, Jiang Yi instinctively looked back. “Are you calling me?” she asked, pointing at herself, looking a little foolish.
The girl nodded, a hint of a kind smile—so different from her usual aloofness—appearing on her face. “Thank you.”
Jiang Yi figured she was thanking her for the other day. She waved her hand dismissively and turned to leave the restroom, saying casually, “It was nothing, don’t mention it.”
The final bell rang. Jiang Yi strolled towards her classroom.
The girl stood there, watching her go. As the bell’s ringing faded, she went to the sink to wash her hands.
Bending over, her long hair falling around her face, softening her usually cool expression, she watched the water flow over her pale fingertips, and the image of the hand she’d clung to that day surfaced in her mind.
Just thinking about it made her heart race.
Jiang Yi…
Just as her mother had said, she seemed like a very nice person.
Thinking this, the girl turned off the tap, pulled out a handkerchief, dried her fingers, and slowly walked towards her classroom.
In a blink of an eye, it was the last class of the afternoon.
As a transfer student, Jiang Yi hadn’t yet learned the school’s exercises and was pulled aside by the PE teacher to learn them from the PE committee member.
The rest of the class practiced basketball shots in the indoor court—basketball being the main focus of this semester’s PE class.
The PE committee member was a sturdy girl. Her teaching method was also straightforward: practice makes perfect.
So for the entire class, Jiang Yi jumped and hopped, finally managing to learn most of the routine.
The PE committee member clearly loved basketball, constantly glancing at the court. Jiang Yi, sensing this, told her she could practice on her own once she’d grasped the basics, freeing the girl to rejoin her friends.
The PE committee member looked a bit worried. “Are you sure you can manage by yourself?”
Jiang Yi pointed at her phone. “I have a video. I can follow along.”
The committee member still seemed unsure. “You really will practice?”
Jiang Yi swore. “I really will.”
After repeated assurances, the PE committee member reluctantly left Jiang Yi and returned to her friends.
The moment she left, Jiang Yi pulled out her earbuds, slumped to the floor, and closed her eyes blissfully.
She’d been practicing for over ten minutes without a break. Shouldn’t she take advantage of being alone to rest her eyes and truly appreciate this PE class?
Wasn’t the point of PE in high school to slack off?
Thinking this, Jiang Yi leaned against the wall and closed her eyes with a clear conscience.
The sounds of footsteps, bouncing balls, clapping hands asking for passes, the swoosh of shots, cheers, and more…filtered through Jiang Yi’s noise-canceling earbuds.
Jiang Yi basked in the cool air conditioning and drifted off.
Perhaps it was too comfortable, giving her a dreamlike feeling. Drowsy, she felt like she was back in her university days, playing on the basketball team.
It was during one such carefree, joyful moment, after a game, that she’d been hit by a car and sent to the hospital…
The sudden screech of brakes jolted Jiang Yi awake.
As her mind cleared, she felt something cold against her face. Frowning, she looked towards the source of the coldness and saw a face with a gentle smile.
“Hey…” The fairy she’d rescued held a bottle of water against her cheek, bending down to greet her.
Jiang Yi removed one earbud and looked at her, puzzled.
The fairy offered her the bottle. “Here.”
Jiang Yi hesitantly took the water and thanked her. She looked up at the fairy and asked curiously, “Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”
The fairy smiled and pointed to the other basketball court. “We have PE too.”
Jiang Yi asked, “Class A?”
The fairy nodded. “Yes.” She hesitated, then clasped her hands behind her back, bent down, and said softly, “Thank you for the other day.”
Jiang Yi waved her hand. “It was nothing, don’t worry about it.”
The fairy pursed her lips and extended her hand formally. “Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Jiang Sixian.”
Jiang Yi shook her hand and replied softly, “I’m Jiang Yi.”
Wait…what did she just say?
Jiang Yi remembered the introduction and froze. “Did you say your name is Jiang Sixian?”
The fairy nodded. “Yes.”
Jiang Yi’s expression became even more peculiar. “So…is your mother Ning Wenying?”
The fairy nodded. “Mhm…”
The fairy released Jiang Yi’s hand and said softly, “I’ve seen your picture, so…I know your name is Jiang Yi.”
No wonder. What a coincidence!
Jiang Sixian, after simply greeting Jiang Yi and giving her a bottle of water, turned and returned to the Class A court.
Jiang Yi sat there, holding the bottle, staring at her retreating figure, the name Jiang Sixian echoing in her mind.
Jiang Sixian…Jiang Sixian…The name was incredibly familiar. Besides being Ning Wenying’s daughter, she must have heard it somewhere else.
Jiang Yi frowned, unconsciously murmuring the name.
Jiang Sixian…Jiang Sixian…
Like a magic spell, the name reverberated in Jiang Yi’s mind, gradually dispelling the fog shrouding her memories.
Obscure phrases now flowed into her consciousness like a rushing river.
“Jiang Sixian lay on the bed, clutching the pillow, tears in her crimson eyes, murmuring a name over and over: ‘Jiang Yi…Jiang Yi…'”
“That name again, reminding her time and again that she was nothing but a substitute.”
“Jiang Sixian took her hand and covered her own eyes, trembling as she said, ‘Only in these moments do you not look like her…'”
“She clung tightly to the person on top of her, burying her face in their neck, crying and begging…”
Countless scenes requiring censorship flooded Jiang Yi’s mind. She gripped the icy bottle of water, her gaze fixed on Jiang Sixian, who was shooting hoops nearby.
Dressed in a blue and white tracksuit, revealing her pale arms and long, slender legs, her ponytail swaying, she looked valiant and heroic. As she effortlessly sank a basket, cheers erupted from the court.
“Jiang Sixian…Jiang Sixian…”
“We love you!…You’re the best!”
Jiang Yi watched her, and it seemed as if Jiang Sixian glanced back at her, a faint smile on her face.
Suddenly, a sentence flashed through Jiang Yi’s mind: “You’ll never replace her. Even though she’s dead, don’t delude yourself into thinking you can become my Jiang Yi.”
Jiang Yi shuddered violently.
At that moment, the mystery of why she’d been hit by a car sixteen years ago, died, and then been reborn as a baby in this world was suddenly solved.
It wasn’t rebirth. It wasn’t transmigration to another world.
She had taken the script of a Jinjiang female lead and transmigrated into an 18+ ABO novel as the protagonist’s short-lived white moonlight!
The protagonist of this novel was Jiang Sixian!
And she—Jiang Yi—was the white moonlight destined to die at twenty.
Utterly shocked, Jiang Yi couldn’t help but utter a single word:
Fuck!
uh oh