Chapter 12 Cannon Fodder Ex-Boyfriend 12 Helping Others

Golden leaves drifted down in the wind, and warm sunlight filtered through the branches onto the road covered with fallen leaves, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow.

Li Qingran pulled up the strap of her schoolbag, her almond-shaped eyes, hidden beneath the brim of her hat, curving slightly.

"I know, teacher. Don't worry, I'll definitely work overtime these next few days to finish the project. Please don't say that, it's just that things happened so suddenly on my end... Okay, no problem, I'll definitely pass on your message. Also, teacher, because this matter isn't entirely certain for me yet, could you please not ask me to leave—"

Li Qingran's voice abruptly stopped when a sports car suddenly appeared in her line of sight.

He initially thought the person in the car was Su Jingyi, but to his surprise, when the car door opened, a strange Omega stepped out.

He was wearing a light gray casual suit, clutching an unidentified silver chain in his left hand. Beneath his fluffy, smooth chestnut-brown short hair, a pair of light brown eyes were fixed on Li Qingran, his expression inscrutable.

?

What does this mean?

Li Qingran blinked in confusion, then looked up and observed her surroundings.

He wasn't blocking the way.

[Oh dear, host! You forgot! This is the second male lead, the protagonist's childhood friend, the Omega who suddenly had a heat stroke in the private room and insisted you mark him!]

"..."

The memory of failing to get off work suddenly attacked Li Qingran's brain, allowing him to match the person in front of him with the face in his mind that was covered with blush and tears.

Oh, it was him.

Then it's not a question of whether he was blocking the way or not; the other party was probably there specifically to intercept him.

Having figured this out, Li Qingran smiled at the silent Omega who had been staring at him, then turned to the side and whispered into the phone:

"It's nothing, teacher. I just suddenly ran into a friend. Okay, I'll contact you again later. Thank you so much, okay..."

Alphas are always kind and gentle, and they usually have a warm and humble demeanor in both their actions and words.

However, he also has his own principles and bottom line, and he must handle things according to his own habits and order.

Qi Ziyan silently gazed at his slightly bent profile, watching him unconsciously tighten his grip on the backpack strap as he spoke, his right hand with veins bulging slightly. The chain in his hand suddenly slipped to his fingertips after hearing the word "friend," but before it could even pause for a second, it returned to his palm, the six-pointed star on the chain sinking deeper into the soft flesh, even more deeply than before.

Li Qingran didn't notice Qi Ziyan's hand movements. After finalizing the handover time with her tutor, she hung up the phone, turned around, and smiled slightly at the Omega.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

His voice was filled with obvious apology, and his tone was very gentle, so that even if you couldn't see his face clearly, you could feel his sincere apology.

Qi Ziyan's initial dissatisfaction with Alpha for ignoring him while he made a phone call miraculously disappeared. However, before his brow could fully relax, Li Qingran's next words made him tense up again.

"I remember you're Jingyi's friend, right? What do you need me for? Is it related to Jingyi?"

Qi Ziyan: "..."

In that short sentence, two Jingyis appeared in quick succession, as if afraid he wouldn't know that the Alpha in front of him and Su Jingyi had an unusually close relationship. And he was just a "friend" standing aside, observing their intimate life, not even worthy of having his name mentioned.

He didn't even mention what happened in the private room that day.

Don't you remember?

Or is it that you want to simply gloss over the matter for the sake of someone else...?

Why?

On what grounds?!

Qi Ziyan clenched his fists even tighter, the silver six-pointed star digging deep into his palm, its sharp points rubbing against his soft flesh, as if it would pierce his fragile skin at any moment and stain the broken chain with blood.

Omega's eyes also turned red, and he stared intently at Li Qingran with clenched teeth, looking extremely angry.

But what is he angry about?

Li Qingran didn't quite understand.

[He's probably angry at you, you scumbag, for still having the nerve to call the protagonist's name so intimately at a time like this.]

888 helped analyze:

[It wasn't easy, host! After doing this mission for so long, finally one character has acknowledged your scumbag status!]

Is that how it is?

Li Qingran raised an eyebrow, lowered her eyes and looked at the sulking Omega in front of her again. Seeing the obvious accusation in his eyes, she felt that what 888 said did make some sense.

So why did he come to see me? It couldn't have been just to glare at me, could it?

Li Qingran tugged at the strap of her backpack, her lips parted slightly, and she was about to ask the Omega what he wanted when she heard him angrily say:

"I am Qi Ziyan!"

"?"

"I said, my name is Qi Ziyan!" Seeing the obvious confusion in Li Qingran's eyes, Qi Ziyan emphasized again.

"...Okay, sure. Hello, Qi Ziyan."

Li Qingran nodded a beat late, paused, and then, under the Omega's gaze, hesitantly patted his chest lightly with his right hand.

"I am Li Qingran."

“I know!” Omega replied immediately.

Li Qingran: "...So what exactly do you want from me?"

They can't just come here to introduce themselves, can they?

Li Qingran pursed her thin lips, hidden behind her mask, and tugged at the strap of her backpack on her shoulder once more.

But he still couldn't get a definite answer from the Omega.

Even Qi Ziyan himself didn't know why he had impulsively come to the school where Alpha was. In the nearly ten minutes since he appeared in front of Alpha, he had only introduced himself by name.

What exactly is he doing?

The heat that had set his head on because of the black uniform gradually cooled down in the awkward atmosphere after meeting the Alpha. Reason slowly returned, and a cool breeze blew by, and Qi Ziyan finally came to his senses.

"I...I..."

The pale-faced Omega unconsciously bit its lip, its rapidly engorged lips appearing even redder against its fair skin. But it received no pity from the person it longed for; instead, it could only tremble pitifully twice before uttering a reason—one that Omegas utterly despised and disdained to use, one that carried a clear provocative undertone.

"I'm just here to tell you that Xiao Jiu is getting engaged to Lao Gu soon! You won't get anything good if you continue to get entangled with him!"

Omega's voice was resounding, so powerful that the branches overhead seemed to tremble slightly in response. A leaf that was already teetering on the edge finally detached from the branch and, carried by a gust of wind, swirled down from above.

Li Qingran chuckled softly, "So you've come to persuade me to leave Jingyi?"

"...No, not exactly..."

A look of annoyance appeared on Qi Ziyan's face, whether he regretted the reason he had just given or was dissatisfied with Li Qingran's bluntness.

He looked conflicted, a noticeable knot forming between his brows. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to explain something, but for some reason, the explanation he had been struggling with for so long ended up as just one sentence:

"Are you willing?"

Li Qingran: "If Jing Yi comes to me personally, I will agree."

The main problem is that his unilateral agreement is not very useful.

Qi Ziyan: "...Couldn't you just leave on your own?"

There was a strange urgency in the Omega's eyes.

"Actually, you don't like him that much, do you? Why do you insist on getting entangled with him?! Wouldn't it be better to let go? If you're worried that you won't find someone better after leaving him, I can help you—"

Qi Ziyan couldn't help but take a step forward, further shortening the distance between him and Li Qingran. The faint scent of ice and snow touched his cheeks, which were flushed with excitement, making him even more excited and wanting to get even closer.

However, the next second, he felt a cold touch on his forehead.

Wherever his gaze fell, the tall Alpha used a finger to stop his unconsciously leaning forward. He lowered his eyes slightly, and black, tousled hair under the wide brim of his hat obscured his vision. With the added shadows, his expression became even more indifferent.

But his voice remained gentle.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need your help right now."

There are too few spots available; they've already been taken.

His fingertips were cool as they slid from Qi Ziyan's brow to the top of his head, like a stream of icy water dripping onto the Omega, making him tremble and his heart pound wildly.

"So, I won't trouble you any further, Qi Ziyan."

The cold sensation on her forehead disappeared, and Li Qingran held up a small, withered leaf and waved it in front of Qi Ziyan's eyes.

It just landed on your head.

Qi Ziyan's Adam's apple bobbed.

Li Qingran released his hand, and the withered leaves continued to fall. He wanted to ask Omega if he had any other questions, but he saw the other party suddenly take two steps back, his light brown eyes wide open, staring at Li Qingran for a few seconds before quickly turning around, getting into the car, and starting the engine.

A strong gust of wind blew the withered leaves on the ground into a frenzy. Li Qingran squinted as she watched the sports car drive away.

What exactly did he come here for?

"I guess you just wanted to help others." Li Qingran calmly withdrew his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the fallen leaves on the ground. He thought for a moment, then took out his phone and snapped a picture.

A ding-dong sound.

In the silent underground parking lot, Su Jingyi subconsciously gripped the phone in his pocket.

However, he didn't immediately take out his phone. Instead, he looked at the group of Alphas blocking his car, all wearing black masks and hats and clearly looking hostile, and tried to remain calm, saying:

"What do you want?! I'm warning you, there are—"

"Rest assured, we absolutely have no intention of harming you two."

Before Su Jingyi could finish speaking, the leader of the men in black stepped forward and said:

"We just wanted to invite Mr. Su Jingyi to meet a friend."

“A friend you have helped before.”

A note from the author:

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Salt: I can help you!

Big Fish: Even helping others requires queuing!

SuSu: No, have I ever helped anyone? [Question mark][Question mark][Question mark]