Chapter 45: So...What If You Compare Qiao Ni To Me?

Some said the reason the fallen angels betrayed God was not because of excessive pride but because of jealousy.

God first created angels, then created humans, who were far less capable than angels. Angels followed God and traveled around as God's messengers, but God loved humans much more than angels and even placed humans above angels. So Satan used jealousy to corrupt the angels, making them rebel. They opposed God and fell to become fallen angels.

Wei Qingyu listened to Ji Xiao repeatedly mention "Qiao Ni."

Her fingers tightened slightly.

She was like the angels corrupted by Satan, biting into the fruit called "jealousy." The sweet fruit, tinged with the taste of sin, passed through the girl's lips and teeth. Just one bite was unforgettable.

Perhaps the girl was forced into the world too early, causing her to be slow in reacting to all emotions. Only now did she realize that her concern for Ji Xiao far exceeded her initial hatred for her. The possessiveness she felt couldn't tolerate Ji Xiao saying anything good about another girl.

Wei Qingyu looked at the ointment squeezed out on the back of her hand and calmly said to Ji Xiao, "This tube of ointment is broken."

"Ah?" Ji Xiao quickly turned to look. 

The back of the girl's hand was messy with white ointment, unexpectedly spread on her pale skin.

Her slender fingers had some ointment melting on them, the translucent layer on her skin looking somewhat decadently tempting.

Ji Xiao was not swayed by this. She quickly grabbed some tissues and wiped the ointment off Wei Qingyu's hand while asking, "Did it suddenly open? Are you hurt?"

Ji Xiao's hands were always warmly comforting, and they unintentionally caused a tingling sensation on the girl's cool skin. The scent of peach brandy emanated from Ji Xiao's bowed head, showing her concentration and nervousness.

Her turquoise eyes were slightly lowered, and her pupils clearly reflected the girl whose red lips were slightly parted as she wiped her fingers.

Thump, thump... Wei Qingyu could hear her own irregular heartbeat.

As the jealousy faded, the girl didn't understand the uncontrollable beating in her chest. 

Satan had taught her jealousy, but no god taught her love.

Wei Qingyu blushed and awkwardly withdrew her hand, her eyes flickering as she said to the girl opposite her, "I'm fine."

Ji Xiao froze for a moment. When she looked up, she saw the girl's slightly red earlobes peeking out from under her long hair.

In an instant, Ji Xiao felt as if something had shot an arrow into her heart. She stammered, "Sorry... I was abrupt."

Wei Qingyu shook her head and said, "It's getting late. Sit still, I'll apply the medicine."

"Okay." Ji Xiao nodded and obediently sat back with her back to Wei Qingyu.

Wei Qingyu looked at Ji Xiao's back and picked up the ointment prescribed by the school clinic from the small table. 

The pure white cotton swab dipped into the cream-colored ointment made Wei Qingyu think of the white ointment on her hand earlier. She couldn't help but ask tentatively, "Do you think Qiao Ni is very good?"

"If she always behaves as sensibly as she did today, then yes, she can be." Ji Xiao said seriously, adjusting her legs as she thought.

But just as she was about to say more, she felt a sudden pain from the wound on the back of her neck. Ji Xiao's hand tightened on her leg, and she reflexively gasped, "Hiss—"

The cotton swab, dipped in cream-colored ointment, was delicately pressed against the edge of the wound. 

The soft skin on the back of the girl's neck slightly dimpled and then returned to normal, leaving no trace.

"Don't move." Wei Qingyu said lightly to Ji Xiao as if the earlier "mistake" was all because Ji Xiao had moved while talking.

Ji Xiao didn't connect Wei Qingyu's mistake with what she had just said and obediently responded with a soft "Oh." 

Then, she straightened her posture, clasping her hands and sitting more upright.

Time passed quietly like the night breeze, and a thin protective film formed over the girl's wound where the ointment had been applied.

Wei Qingyu glanced at Ji Xiao's profile reflected in the window, and inexplicably asked, "So...what if you were to compare Qiao Ni to me?"

Upon hearing this question, Ji Xiao was taken aback. "Huh?"

As she slightly twisted her neck back, the back of her hand left a cream-colored trace on her smooth skin. 

Without a change in expression, Wei Qingyu gently turned Ji Xiao's head back, and calmly explained, "Since you gave a good evaluation of Qiao Ni just now, I was curious."

"Then she definitely can't compare to you!" Ji Xiao responded without hesitation, "Even if I gave her a good evaluation, this is an undeniable fact."

Wei Qingyu didn't expect such a response from Ji Xiao, and ripples stirred in her turquoise eyes. Many unpredictable emotions flashed through her mind, eventually condensing into a single word, “Mm?"

Unaware of Wei Qingyu's emotions, Ji Xiao shifted her legs and began enumerating like a Wei bragger "Look, first of all, you're much prettier than her. Both Omegas, but you're S-class, top-tier, while she's just A-class. And then, your grades, you're ranked first in the grade, while she's nowhere to be found..."

"You're different from her, there's simply no comparison."

The waning crescent moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting its pure light onto the bright window. Half of the glass, separated by the window frame, reflected a girl lounging carelessly, while the other half reflected another girl sitting upright.

Wei Qingyu listened quietly to Ji Xiao's incessant chatter, her expression on her clean, white face remained calm as usual. However, beneath her delicate nose, her thin red lips curved slightly, as if holding a hint of a smile.

Wei Qingyu gently set down the cotton swab she had finished using and asked, "Do you really think so?"

"Of course," Ji Xiao nodded without hesitation, "I think... everyone feels this way, don't they?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qingyu couldn't help but feel like there was a candy ball rolling in her heart. The sweet taste spread throughout her heart, bringing a small joy.

As the girl tidied up the gauze, she whispered, "As long as you think so, that's all that matters."

"Huh?" Ji Xiao didn't catch what Wei Qingyu said just now. "What did you say?"

Wei Qingyu was startled when she heard this.

She hadn't expected to blurt out her inner thoughts just now, so she quickly shook her head and denied, "It's nothing."

Ji Xiao was sure she had heard Wei Qingyu's words just now. Seeing that she didn't want to talk, she muttered softly, "Clearly I heard something..."

The girl's voice lacked its previous assertiveness and instead seemed filled with silent dissatisfaction as if she dared not speak out in anger.

Her thick eyelashes drooped slightly, and her sensual eyes were filled with resentment on her plump face.

Wei Qingyu had never seen Ji Xiao act so timidly before.

With a smile in her eyes, she helped Ji Xiao reapply the gauze, but in her peripheral vision, she accidentally caught sight of the slight protrusion on the girl's neck.

Perhaps due to Ji Xiao's innate advantage as an S-class Alpha, her glands looked much more attractive than the models in biology textbooks.

Beneath the delicate skin that seemed as fragile as a blown bubble lurked that small gland, covered by a thin layer of peach-like pink.

Wei Qingyu carefully observed Ji Xiao's gland, recalling the words of Hao Hui in the afternoon.

Indeed, it was because she hadn't properly applied the medicine last time, there was a small pointy bump on the rounded edge of the gland, which indeed marred the scenery a bit.

Wei Qingyu paused slightly and said, "I mean, your gland is not ugly at all."

"Like a little peach."

Her voice carried a hint of coquetry that didn't quite fit her usual demeanor, leaving the scent of mint on Ji Xiao's ear.

Instantly, a sensation akin to wildfire flickering through the grassland stirred up a wave of tingling at the nape of her neck.

Ji Xiao looked somewhat bewildered at the reflection of Wei Qingyu on the window glass, and in a moment of reverie, it seemed as if she saw a rare smile on her face.

Like peach blossoms blooming in spring, carrying the sweet yet refreshing scent of peach and mint blowing into her heart.

In the girl's heart, there was unrestrained tiptoeing.

….

The winter days passed somewhat monotonously, and as November approached, the entire second-year high school department was immersed in intense study for the exams.

The admonitions and warnings from Liu Yue in the clinic lingered in Ji Xiao's mind.

The day of the biology exam, scheduled for the last day of the exams, arrived.

Warm morning sunlight streamed into the girl's cozy room. Just as her phone buzzed on the bedside table, Ji Xiao promptly turned it off.

Having spent the night plagued by nightmares of Wei Qingyu being persuaded by Liu Yue and the others to remove her own gland, Ji Xiao woke up at six in the morning.

Throughout breakfast, Ji Xiao seemed absent-minded. She didn't even notice when Aunt Wu accidentally used the same jam for her toast as Wei Qingyu's.

Aunt Wu glanced worriedly at Ji Xiao's departing figure with her backpack and then looked at Wei Qingyu. Understanding Aunt Wu's concern, Wei Qingyu nodded and followed Ji Xiao out the door.

The car ride was quiet as well. Wei Qingyu looked at the slightly misted car window and searched for a topic, saying, "It's snowing lightly today. The weather is getting colder."

Ji Xiao glanced indifferently at the window glass and nodded, "Yeah."

Wei Qingyu was dissatisfied with Ji Xiao's response. Abandoning her roundabout plan, she asked directly, "Are you nervous?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Xiao tightened the strap of her backpack in her hand and pretended nonchalantly, "Where do you see this lady being nervous…"

However, Ji Xiao's acting skills were never good to begin with, and her nervousness only made her arrogance seem more like a bluff.

Like a red panda opening its arms in an attempt to intimidate the enemy with its "giant" size, causing the enemy to retreat.

Wei Qingyu looked at Ji Xiao in this state and gently pursed her lips.

Then, without changing her expression, she looked at Ji Xiao mercilessly and pierced through, "Are you worried that you won't get an A in biology on the first try?"

Ji Xiao hesitated for a moment upon hearing this.

Admitting softly, despite considering herself to have concealed it well, "How did you know..."

But Wei Qingyu didn't answer how she knew, only saying, "You can do it."

This sentence was abrupt, leaving Ji Xiao puzzled, “Mm?"

"You can pass on the first try," Wei Qingyu added.

Her voice was as calm as usual, but there was an added certainty.

Ji Xiao listened and couldn't help but lift her head to look at Wei Qingyu.

The clouds floating in the sky were pushed by the wind, releasing the sun behind them again, and the sunlight illuminated the car once more at this moment.

Ji Xiao saw the pair of turquoise eyes of Wei Qingyu reflecting the rising sun in the sky, shining brightly like jewels.

The girl's originally somewhat nervous heart trembled slightly.

It was just the amplified insecurity of living beings that made her choose to avoid such dazzling sights, lowering her gaze and saying, "Hopefully."

Wei Qingyu frowned slightly at her words.

Seeing Ji Xiao's lack of confidence again, Wei Qingyu felt uncomfortable, just like the last time.

The street scene outside the window flew by, and the examination school was also close by.

Wei Qingyu looked at the sky outside the window, as if remembering something, and said, "Ji Xiao, let's make a bet." 

"What bet?" Ji Xiao asked curiously. 

"Let's bet on whether it will snow today," Wei Qingyu said.

Ji Xiao was puzzled by her words. They were just talking about biology earlier, so how did they suddenly switch to talking about snow?

Unable to hold back her sarcasm, she said to Wei Qingyu, "What kind of bet is this?" The girl's voice sounded a bit like her old self, and Wei Qingyu chuckled lightly.

But she still didn't explain, asking provocatively, "Are you afraid?" 

The alpha genes deep within Ji Xiao's bones drove her to accept Wei Qingyu's challenge. Just now, her nervousness about biology was shifted by this matter, and a hint of fighting spirit ignited in the girl's golden-orange eyes.

"Alright, let's bet. The loser must unconditionally grant a wish to the winner!" With that, Ji Xiao looked thoughtfully at the clear sky above the examination school and said, "I'm sure it won't snow today."

The sun gradually rose in the sky, and the bright sunlight sent every student rushing to their final exam into the teaching building.

Wei Qingyu watched as the girl entering the exam room in the annex slowed her pace.

Six months ago, she could never have imagined that the person she loathed would become someone she cared about so much.

Ji Xiao wasn't sure if Wei Qingyu had guessed correctly or if she already possessed such abilities.

Ji Xiao felt that this biology paper seemed very simple. She finished the one-and-a-half-hour paper in just half an hour.

The evenly distributed light filled the classroom, shining into the golden-orange eyes of the girl.

The nervousness dissipated, replaced by relaxation.

Ji Xiao thought that she would probably get an A in biology this time, and it seemed like she had won the bet.

So, could she take this opportunity to make a wish to Wei Qingyu, asking her to promise never to remove her glands, no matter what happens in the future?

However, what Ji Xiao didn't expect was that when she came out of the exam room, the weather had changed drastically.

In just the time of a biology exam, the previously cloudless sky was now lightly dusted with snow.

The sky remained clear and beautiful, but it was adorned with many white specks.

The fluttering snowflakes, like dancing elves in the air, adorned the gloomy early winter with purity.

All around were students expressing joy at the snowfall, but Ji Xiao stood at the door with a look of disappointment and distress in her eyes.

The temperature was not below freezing, and the snow falling on her shoulders would melt into water.

She didn't have an umbrella, and there was no hood on her down jacket. Her hair would definitely get wet when she went out, and she hated the damp feeling the most.

Ji Xiao sighed, her hands in her pockets, "Ah."

Just then, a wave of warmth came from behind her.

A slender figure fell on her shoulder and palm, a sudden flash of black passing through her line of sight.

Wei Qingyu held a light black umbrella, descending beside Ji Xiao like a banished immortal.

Her slightly damp hair stuck to her face, and her turquoise eyes smiled faintly at the person under the umbrella, saying, "I won the bet."

Author's Note:

"Satan taught her jealousy, but no God taught her love." I like this sentence so much.

Pigeon: Let mom hug the poor little jealous vinegar spirit, wuwu...

Cold Wei (reaching out her hand): Promise Ji Xiao to me now.