I Pretended to Be an Omega to Hook My Love Rival - Chapter 2

The next morning, sporting two enormous bags under my eyes, I bought breakfast and went downstairs to Qiao Shu’s dorm to call him awake. We ate together, then headed to the lecture hall.

Qiao Shu liked the front row, so I always sat there to keep him company. The instant I entered, though, I glanced toward the back without thinking.

Xi Yan was tall and always sat in the last row. He hadn’t arrived yet.

We normally had nothing to do with each other, but guilt made me keep peeking back. He slipped through the rear door only when the bell rang, brows drooping and lips pressed tight. Anyone could see he was in a foul mood.

I could smell his pheromones from halfway across the room: cold, crisp sake. As another Alpha, I didn’t find it pleasant. It was oppressively strong, making my whole body uncomfortable.

The fifth time I pretended to turn around casually, I saw him looking at his phone with a smile at the corner of his mouth and an inexplicably ruthless glint in his eyes.

A minute later, my phone vibrated.

[Honey, it turns out we go to the same university.]

[Wait for me. I’ll come apologize in person. Please don’t be mad anymore, okay?]

My hand jerked, and my phone hit the floor.

Qiao Shu gave me a puzzled look. “Goldfish, what’s wrong? Parkinson’s acting up?”

I wanted to cry. Unable to hear a word of the lecture, I scribbled anxiously in my notebook.

Qiao Shu glanced over, paused, then leaned closer. “Those aren’t notes. What the heck are you writing?”

“My will,” I said, dead inside.

“?”

He gently felt my forehead, his voice full of tender concern. “Child, if you have a fever, take the day off. Don’t force yourself.”

His Omega scent smelled like strawberries. Delicious.

I instantly forgot my fear and pushed my luck, resting my head on his shoulder and acting pitiful. “Xiao Shu, would you be sad if I died?”

His mouth twitched. Before he could answer, a piece of chalk struck my head.

The professor smiled at me from the podium. “If your rut has started, would you please take a suppressant? What do you think you’re doing, flaunting your romance in the front row?”

The class roared with laughter. One of my friends called out, “Professor, he hasn’t even won Qiao Shu over. This is just him taking advantage!”

The professor narrowed his eyes. “I see. If you aren’t here to sit with your lover, then isn’t a tall fellow like you rather inconsiderate for taking the front row? Move to the back. Stop blocking everyone’s view.”

The class joined in.

“Exactly! Yu Jin, we’ve wanted to say this forever. Quit being so clingy.”

“Come sit in back. We can game together.”

Was this what people meant by misfortunes never coming alone?

Despairing, I stood and headed back. Halfway there, I looked toward Xi Yan out of habit and met his eyes.

He stared for a long time, sweeping me from head to toe like a searchlight, then silently lowered his gaze to his phone.

He was fine. I was the one sweating from fright.

There was no identifying mole on my neck. He couldn’t possibly recognize me. Relieved, I sat in the back and continued writing my will.

At some point I fell asleep. When I woke, someone was sitting beside me. My senses hadn’t caught up and my eyes were still closed. Assuming it was Qiao Shu, I draped a hand over him as usual.

“Xiao Shu, what time is it? Why didn’t you wake me?”

Huh?

The body under my hand felt wrong. Qiao Shu wasn’t this tall, and his shoulders weren’t this broad.

I froze, turned, and saw the King of Hell.

Xi Yan propped his chin on one hand and regarded me at leisure, expression cold and voice dangerous.

“What’s your name? Didn’t sleep well last night? Those dark circles are awful. What a coincidence. I didn’t sleep well either.”

The young master normally couldn’t care less what commoners like me were called. Why was he suddenly beside me, asking my name and whether I’d slept?

Who cared if he had slept?

I laughed stiffly and checked my phone. Sure enough, Qiao Shu had sent two messages.

[You looked exhausted, so I didn’t wake you.]

[I’m going to the library first. Come over when you’re up.]

I stood with a dry chuckle. Xi Yan occupied the aisle seat. “Sorry, I’m leaving. Could you move?”

He didn’t. “Why haven’t you answered me?”

“We don’t know each other, do we? Am I obligated to answer?”

Xi Yan went silent. His pheromones abruptly intensified. Breathing became difficult, and dense pinpricks of pain stabbed through my brain. I frowned in irritation.

“Being a dominant Alpha makes you special, huh? You can just suppress people with pheromones whenever you want?”

The scent faded.

To me, he was merely showing off his precise control. So annoying.

I covered my nose, but I couldn’t cover every pore. His pheromones seeped into my skin and set all my senses alight. Alphas instinctively rejected one another. Anger surged, and I glared at him.

Xi Yan’s mouth curved faintly. He rose and looked down at me. “No, we don’t know each other.”

He stepped aside. I immediately tried to flee, but as we passed, I heard his low laugh.

“Then we’ll take our time getting acquainted, little Goldfish with a seven-second memory.”

My foot slipped. I caught a chair back, heart hammering. “Wh-what do you mean?”

He shrugged and held my gaze. “I heard your Omega friend call you that. Since you wouldn’t give me your name, what else was I supposed to call you?”

Qiao Shu had used it since childhood. From Xi Yan, it gave me goose bumps.

Reluctantly, I said, “Yu Jin. That’s my name. Don’t call me that. It’s creepy.”

My tone was so unpleasant that he should have ignored me. Instead, his face darkened and he gave a grudging nod. “Xi Yan.”

I was speechless. “Everyone knows who you are, young master.”

His expression brightened. “I didn’t know Alphas paid attention to me too.”

My mouth moved faster than my brain. “Of course. Plenty of Alphas hate you.”

I regretted it immediately. Why did my rotten mouth have to invite death?

Sure enough, a storm gathered on his face again. “You too?”

The sudden flood of comments nearly made me cry.

[Wow. This supporting male is unbelievable. He acts normal around everyone else, so why does he turn into such a jerk the moment he’s with his love rival?]

[Male lead, hurry up and discover he’s the one who deceived you. I can’t wait to see him dumped at sea.]

[Quietly, though… the supporting male seems pretty popular. Yes, he took a very crooked route and deceived the protagonist gong, but does that deserve death?]

[People who act like sunshine in public and scheme in secret are the most disgusting. Death is too good for him!]

I almost dropped to my knees and apologized. My pride wouldn’t allow that, so I clenched my fists and forced the words through gritted teeth.

“Sorry. My brain wasn’t awake and I spouted nonsense. Don’t take it personally.”

Then I ran for my life, never noticing the look in the eyes behind me.