A Stand-in Alpha Awakens - Chapter 39

If it had only been to the extent of what they saw earlier, Jiang Lu and Liang Shuang truly would have believed that her family’s restaurant just had incredibly high disinfection standards.

However, after Shao Shuyi returned, she tore open three more individually wrapped disinfectant wipes, handed one to each of them, and reminded them: “Even though you didn’t touch the door handles, I saw you touch the backs of the chairs before you sat down. Wipe them, all of them. Be thorough.”

At this point, wasn’t this a bit much?

Liang Shuang noticed Shao Shuyi’s serious and forceful scrubbing and suddenly burst out laughing. “Shuyi, since when did you become a germaphobe?”

Shao Shuyi kept her head down, replying casually, “Since just now.”

Jiang Lu’s movements paused. In her ears, she heard Shao Shuyi’s sigh and grumbling: “Tsk, don’t you guys feel like that Omega just now was really eerie? She felt… sinister, like a… you know.”

“A what? Like what?” Jiang Lu looked at her curiously.

Shao Shuyi threw the wipe away and said with a frown, “Like a ghost. No human scent.”

Jiang Lu froze. Liang Shuang leaned over and high-fived Shao Shuyi. “You sure know how to describe things. Next time we’re in the same class, I’m recommending you for Chinese class representative again.”

Shao Shuyi thought of her reading comprehension scores—her easiest area to lose points in—and for a moment couldn’t tell if Liang Shuang was praising or insulting her. She withdrew her hand, which was tingling from the slap, and asked Jiang Lu: “Hey, I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, Jiang Lu—what’s the deal with that Omega? That attitude she had when she looked for you on the first day of school, and asking for an ‘explanation’ today… do you have a history?”

Since they split classes and dorms, the place where she, Jiang Lu, and Liang Shuang met most often was the cafeteria. There was barely enough time during meals to compare class schedules, let alone mention these “insignificant” people; usually, they wouldn’t even cross her mind.

But in truth, it wasn’t just her—Liang Shuang hadn’t really had a proper talk with Jiang Lu about this either.

So, now that the topic was open, two pairs of curious eyes turned toward Jiang Lu. The private room, which only held the three of them, fell silent.

Jiang Lu held the disinfectant wipe in her hands, absentmindedly pulling the two corners to stretch it thin. Her tightly pursed lips suddenly curved up. “You could say that.”

“You could say that?” Shao Shuyi didn’t quite understand that definition.

Jiang Lu’s gaze fell on the grey center point of the round table. Her long fingers tapped the tabletop rhythmically. “Mhm. Remember when Song Wushuang intercepted me in the dorm hallway before she went home for her suspension? Liang Shuang was there. Later, Shuyi, you asked me about it too, and I diverted the subject.”

Liang Shuang and Shao Shuyi nodded in unison.

Jiang Lu opened her mouth, pulled her hand back, and leaned against the chair. Ten seconds later, the words squeezed out of her throat: “Su Mengrui was the person who was supposed to ‘eat the dish’.”

Liang Shuang and Shao Shuyi were completely confused at first. After staring blankly at each other for a full minute, they finally realized what Jiang Lu was saying.

Bang! Liang Shuang’s fist slammed down, making the table vibrate. Then came another bang as Shao Shuyi’s clenched hand hit the table too.

“Damn it! No wonder she said those things when she saw you that day!” Shao Shuyi’s brow was furrowed tight enough to crush a fly.

Liang Shuang was no better; her expression was as foul as if she had swallowed a fly. “So that afternoon, she parked her car right there and chased after you… that’s so fucking disgusting!”

“That bastard…”

“Two pieces of human trash…”

Listening to the two of them curse Song Wushuang and Su Mengrui with righteous indignation, the numbness on Jiang Lu’s face gradually gave way to a smile. “Alright, alright. We still have to eat. Let’s not let those scumbags ruin our appetite.”

Liang Shuang’s face was grim. “It’s already ruined.”

“I want to punch someone.” Shao Shuyi leaned back, her downcast eyes looking very intimidating. “No, I have to find my mom and have her sign me up for a boxing class.”

“Don’t be silly. Studies are so intense; where would you find time for boxing?” Jiang Lu’s eyes crinkled, a smile sinking into the depths of her pupils.

Shao Shuyi rubbed her face and said ruefully, “I regret it. I shouldn’t have run off to learn painting when I was little.”

“Oh, it’s not that serious,” Jiang Lu comforted her, patting her hand.

With her movement, the room fell silent again. It wasn’t until a knock sounded at the door that Shao Shuyi snapped out of it, collected her emotions, and stood up to open it.

Shao Xuan entered personally, carrying tea. “This must be Jiang Lu and Liang Shuang? Shuyi mentions you all the time, saying how much you look after her and that you’re the best roommates in the world.”

“Hello, Auntie,” Jiang Lu and Liang Shuang stood up to greet her.

“Hello to you too.” Shao Xuan set down the tray and gestured for Shuyi to pour the tea. “Order whatever you want from Shuyi. Since it’s your first time here, this meal is on me. Don’t be polite!”

Liang Shuang and Jiang Lu looked at each other and waved their hands with a smile. “No need, Auntie. You’re being too kind. Just give us a discount later.”

“That won’t do, you—” Shao Xuan had just started when a knock came from the partially open door. An employee in uniform was calling for the boss outside.

Seeing this, Shao Shuyi hurriedly pushed her out. “Mom, I’ve got this. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them.”

After seeing Shao Xuan off, Shao Shuyi grabbed a menu on her way back. “Here, see what you want to eat.”

Jiang Lu’s options were limited, so she picked her portion at a glance and handed the menu to Liang Shuang. Liang Shuang’s appetite was indeed affected; she simply ordered two hot dishes that looked decent, then flipped to the last half-page and selected a portion of plum-flavored ice jelly.

Shao Shuyi went out to deliver the order and ran into her father, Zhao Yi, who was carrying three servings of steamed milk. “Dad?”

“Hey, your mom told me your classmates were here. I came to say hello and bring you some new products to try.” Zhao Yi smiled gently, stopping and following Shuyi into the room.

Shao Shuyi had been eyeing the new products for a long time, but because they were still in the seasoning stage, she hadn’t had a chance to try them. Seeing three bowls of different flavors now, her eyes lit up.

Zhao Yi placed the three steamed milks on the table and tucked the tray under his arm. “Feedback and criticism are welcome. Shuyi, take some notes later. I won’t disturb you further.”

“Thank you, Uncle.” Jiang Lu and Liang Shuang watched Shao Shuyi’s Omega father leave, both sitting back with an air of satisfied curiosity.

In the end, whether it was because they were interrupted twice by Shao Shuyi’s parents or because the food was simply too good, Shuyi and Liang Shuang’s appetites returned halfway through. Between the three Alpha girls, not a single dish on the full table went to waste.

Jiang Lu felt a bit stuffed. She let out a breath tinged with the scent of milk and asked Shao Shuyi, “Done eating? Want to come to my house and do homework later?”

“Sure!” Shao Shuyi nodded readily, then added a condition. “But you have to promise me one thing.”

“Consider this meal my treat as the host. Don’t argue with me about it.”

Liang Shuang leaned back and looked at her. “How does that logic work? I’m the one who wanted to spend money, and she’s the one who invited you. It’s not a fair trade, is it?”

Shao Shuyi laughed. “Oh, come on! Who doesn’t know that you and Jiang Lu are as close as one person? No need to be so precise!”

Well, with that sentence, there was truly no need to be precise.

That afternoon, Shao Shuyi sat at the long table in Jiang Lu’s house, looking pained as she was supervised until she finished her homework.

As the sun set, orange-red twilight spilled through the window. Jiang Lu followed behind Shao Shuyi and Liang Shuang as they prepared to leave. “Are you really not staying for dinner?”

Shao Shuyi leaned against the cabinet to change her shoes and suggested, “How about you guys come back to my shop to eat tonight?”

“No. Your family doesn’t take money; who would have the face to go twice in one day?” Liang Shuang refused without a second thought.

Jiang Lu knew they just didn’t want to eat nutritional health meals with her. She smiled and didn’t push, seeing them to the door and watching them drive away.

A breeze picked up in the evening, making it a bit chilly in short sleeves. Jiang Lu couldn’t afford to catch a cold right now, so she turned and went inside quickly. Her phone, thrown on the living room sofa, lit up silently just as she approached.

Swiping down the notification bar, the top line showed that as of one minute ago, she had received a total of seven harassment messages. The next line showed that her WeChat friend, Bai Yue, had sent two new messages three minutes ago.

The first: What time is convenient tomorrow?

The second: A really good new movie just came out, a comedy. Interested?

The image of the Omega’s smiling eyes appeared in Jiang Lu’s mind. She sat on the sofa and typed: Any time is fine. Which screening do you want to see? I’ll book the tickets.

There was no reply. Jiang Lu waited for a while, then opened a ticket-booking app to check the new comedy movies and showtimes. Just as she clicked on a theater, the door opened; Jiang Wen was back.

Jiang Lu set her phone down and stood up. “Mom.”

“Mhm. How are you feeling today? Any discomfort?” Jiang Wen tossed aside her handbag, pulled her long hair back into a loose tie, and came over to touch her daughter’s forehead. Fearing she wasn’t accurate, she pressed her own forehead against her daughter’s to check the temperature.

“None. I feel pretty good.” Jiang Lu shook her head and gave a brief report of the day’s activities.

Hearing that two classmates had visited, Jiang Wen asked curiously, “Why didn’t you keep them for dinner?”

Jiang Lu replied, “They like strong flavors; I was afraid they wouldn’t be used to the food here, so I didn’t ask.”

Jiang Wen smiled. “Then tomorrow, invite them over, and I’ll have Auntie make a feast for you.”

“Okay,” Jiang Lu replied. She grabbed her phone and saw that Bai Yue still hadn’t replied, so she opened the three-person group chat created at noon and relayed Jiang Wen’s invitation. Liang Shuang and Shao Shuyi weren’t the type to be bashful and both replied “Okay” in the group.

There was still some time before dinner. Jiang Wen went to her room to shower and change, while Jiang Lu sat on the sofa with her phone, waiting for the meal.

Strangely, Bai Yue never replied.

At 8:35 PM, Jiang Lu couldn’t help but send another message: Are you busy?

She waited ten minutes, and there was still no reply.

She must be really busy, Jiang Lu thought. She set her phone down, curled up in her duvet, let out a long sigh, and closed her eyes to sleep.

Little did she know, on the Ring Road, Bai Yue was currently in her silver car, both hands gripping the steering wheel as she floored the gas pedal.

Two hours ago, Bai Yue had been thinking happily about tomorrow’s plans as she turned onto Hougong East Road. But within two minutes, a black Raptor lunged from her rear right. Despite her intentional attempt to yield, it slammed into her with a bang.

Fortunately, she had been on guard, but she couldn’t avoid it completely. The car jolted violently, and her temple hit the window glass. Then, the piece-of-junk car floored it and sped away.

Bai Yue’s first instinct was to call the police, but after seeing the temporary plates on the vehicle, she understood everything. That junk car wasn’t a hit-and-run; it was an intentional assault. They were aiming for her.

Hitting me? How dare they?

Bai Yue didn’t hesitate for a second, immediately using the voice assistant to call for backup. Unfortunately, the other driver was too shameless; after a chase of over ten kilometers, they disappeared into some corner.

Until ten minutes ago, someone called to say they had spotted it on the Ring Road. She immediately set off to chase it down, even with a large bandage on her forehead.

For nothing else, she simply wanted to see with her own eyes which blind fool dared to take this job, and to hear with her own ears which heartless person dared to mess with her at a time like this.