Chapter 38: The Pitiful Scum – 3

For as long as Su Zhiyi interned at that company, Gu Xizhou delivered afternoon tea.

Her “pursuit” was never aggressive, like a spring drizzle, moistening everything silently. Whenever Su Zhiyi felt the distance was inappropriate, Gu Xizhou would pull back a little, giving her enough comfortable space.

This ambiguous attitude—neither too close nor too far, with no clear declaration—put Su Zhiyi in an awkward spot.

She felt Gu Xizhou didn’t actually like her, but her actions seemed like “pursuit.” Yet, rejecting an unspoken “pursuit” rashly would make her seem incredibly self-absorbed.

Eventually, Su Zhiyi simply decided not to overthink Gu Xizhou’s intentions and let things develop naturally.

Su Zhiyi’s coursework was heavy. Even on weekends, she had business-related online classes and piles of homework to complete.

Gu Xizhou was studying some legal knowledge herself, spending her weekends at the library.

From club group discussions to giving speeches together, by the second semester of their freshman year, the two were together practically every day.

Over time, Su Zhiyi’s roommates all knew she had a not-very-tall, but strikingly cold-featured, good-looking little girlfriend.

One time at the library, they bumped into Su Zhiyi’s roommate, Wang Tiantian. She teased them with surprise, “It’s the weekend and you two aren’t out having fun? Having a library date, you lovebirds?”

Su Zhiyi was just about to deny it when Gu Xizhou beside her spoke first. “It’s not a date. Zhiyi and I are just here looking up some references.”

She spoke cheerfully, without any suggestive or inappropriate words.

Wang Tiantian paused. “Oh, I see.”

She left with her books. That night, back in the dorm, Wang Tiantian cornered Su Zhiyi. “So, that Gu Xizhou isn’t your girlfriend?”

Su Zhiyi placed her books on her desk, rubbed her neck, and nodded. “No, she’s not.”

They weren’t dating.

Wang Tiantian was astonished. “Then why do you go out with her every single day?”

Su Zhiyi had to explain. “We’re both minoring in the same subjects next year and are in the same club. We reference a lot of the same materials.”

“It’s faster looking things up with two people, that’s why we’re at the library every night.”

Wang Tiantian was very skeptical. “Song Nan is in the same major as you. Why don’t you go with her instead? Zhiyi, do you really not like Gu Xizhou?”

Su Zhiyi didn’t answer directly and changed the subject. “Gu Xizhou is my sister’s high school friend. We’re just quite familiar with each other.”

Even though they’d only met after starting university, after more than half a year like this, they could be considered well-acquainted, right?

Soon, the other roommates returned, and the conversation started up again about “how Gu Xizhou wasn’t actually Su Zhiyi’s girlfriend after all.”

Wang Tiantian sighed a little. “Still, with your height, being with Gu Xizhou does seem a bit of a waste.”

“Finding a taller alpha might look more compatible with you.”

Su Zhiyi felt this phrasing wasn’t good. Without thinking, she immediately retorted, “How can you judge feelings based only on appearances?”

“As long as you like someone, age, height, gender—none of those are huge issues.”

“Besides, Gu Xizhou is pretty great.”

Not just pretty great—very great. Knew when to advance and retreat, never presumptuous, extremely tactful, and both considerate and serious.

Just then, Song Nan, from the same major, walked in and overheard this. She nodded in agreement. “Gu Xizhou is indeed pretty great.”

Wang Tiantian, sprawled on her bed, turned her head toward Song Nan. Seeing her with her slightly curled long hair down, wearing a slip dress that revealed her ample curves, exuding a mature, flirtatious air, she was even more astonished. “Song Nan, why do you say that too?”

“Sure, Gu Xizhou has a pretty face, but she’s only about 1.65 meters, right? Shorter than me, even.”

“For an alpha, that height isn’t exactly reassuring!”

Song Nan disagreed. “It’s not just being tall that makes an alpha reassuring.”

“Gu Xizhou is quite formidable. Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Wang Tiantian was curious. “You haven’t really interacted with her much. How would you know she’s formidable?”

Su Zhiyi also looked up at Song Nan, clearly intrigued.

Song Nan glanced at Su Zhiyi and casually pulled out the chair in front of her desk, speaking softly. “Who says I haven’t met her?”

“Last time, wasn’t it that senior’s birthday, the one who invited our club to a get-together…”

Song Nan sat down and told her roommates a story.

It was a young college student party, trying out a bar for a change of pace, and they ran into some old, sleazy alphas harassing omegas.

Under the pressure of pheromones, the alphas present didn’t dare make any extreme moves.

As it happened, that senior knew Gu Xizhou, and she was there at the time. When the conflict escalated, Gu Xizhou grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it with a loud bang against the table.

Amidst the shattering glass spray, Gu Xizhou sat in the middle of the sofa, looked up, and gave a vicious glare. “You know what’s good for you, stay away from us.”

Hearing Song Nan’s account, Wang Tiantian’s eyes lit up. “She’s that gutsy? And then, and then? Did a fight break out?”

Song Nan thought for a moment. “No, that group cursed and slunk away.”

In the end, Gu Xizhou wrapped things up, seeing each of the omegas safely home.

Song Nan concluded, “So, you see, what’s the use of height when looking for an alpha? Tall people can also freeze up like quails when trouble arises. Having a sense of responsibility, accountability, and a sense of justice—that’s what’s most important.”

Su Zhiyi nodded in agreement. “Mm.”

Song Nan finished speaking and turned to look at Su Zhiyi. She asked deliberately, “Su Zhiyi, you really aren’t dating Gu Xizhou, right?”

Su Zhiyi paused, then answered honestly. “No.”

Song Nan raised an eyebrow, a smug smile appearing. “Then you wouldn’t mind if someone pursued her, right?”

Su Zhiyi paused, stunned. A small smile slowly bloomed on her lips. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Gu Xizhou was single. Gu Xizhou had nothing to do with her. What did it matter if someone pursued her?

A few days later, Song Nan happened to run into Gu Xizhou during a public lecture and asked for her contact information.

Gu Xizhou understood perfectly well but deliberately sent Su Zhiyi a message. “Do you have a roommate named Song Nan?”

At that moment, Su Zhiyi was still in class. Her phone vibrated, and seeing it was a message from Gu Xizhou, she replied promptly. “Yeah, why?”

Gu Xizhou said, “She asked me for my contact info today. Said if she ever needs to reach you and can’t, she could contact me.”

Su Zhiyi: “????????”

You actually believe that kind of nonsense? Are all alphas idiots?

Su Zhiyi bit her lower lip and typed a line on her phone. After several deletions and rewrites, she finally replied with one message. “I don’t think that’s the reason.”

“Have you considered that maybe she wants to pursue you?”

Gu Xizhou’s reply came instantly. “Understood.”

Understood?

What kind of answer is that? What kind of reaction is that?

Su Zhiyi tried to guess but couldn’t figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

She didn’t like making simple things complicated, nor did she like dwelling too much on emotional matters. She was very much like her late mother, possessing an artist’s natural casualness and nonchalance.

Rather than focusing too much on others and affecting her own pure energy, it was better to focus on shaping herself.

After that class, she pushed the matter of “someone is pursuing Gu Xizhou, Gu Xizhou might start dating” completely out of her mind.

But the next evening, when Su Zhiyi met Gu Xizhou at the library, she received a bouquet of flowers.

It was May, the season of blooming flowers. Gu Xizhou stood under a streetlamp, holding a bouquet of Yellow China Roses, waiting for Su Zhiyi to approach.

As she drew near, Gu Xizhou took her backpack and handed her the bouquet. “New part-time job. At the flower shop by the school gate.”

“Just this one bouquet. The boss taught me to make it. For you.”

Su Zhiyi looked down at the bouquet offered to her, just three Yellow China Roses, surrounded by clusters of Baby’s Breath. A small happiness bloomed in her heart.

She pursed her lips, thinking for a long moment before hesitantly speaking. “Why are you suddenly giving me flowers?”

Gu Xizhou looked nonchalant, almost casual. “The weather is nice. Felt like giving them, so I did.”

She pushed the flowers into Su Zhiyi’s hands and said lightly, “Alright, take them. Go back and find a vase to keep them in. I’ll bring you more tomorrow.”

Su Zhiyi didn’t take them. Gu Xizhou looked at her, a bit hesitant, her eyes turning uneasy. “Don’t you like flowers?”

“Nanfeng said you did.”

Nanfeng… Su Nanfeng… It seemed every kindness Gu Xizhou showed her was related to her sister somehow.

They ate cake together, went to get tattoos together, Gu Xizhou didn’t seem averse to same-sex relationships, and she treated her so well…

Her gaze was clean, completely free of the ulterior motives other alphas had. When she looked at her, there was no greasy, offensive violation.

So what exactly was her relationship with Su Nanfeng?

Su Zhiyi thought for a moment, then reached out and took the bouquet. She said sincerely, “Thank you. I really like them. I’ll take them back and look after them properly.”

Forget it, never mind. She didn’t dislike the flowers anyway.

Every day after that, Gu Xizhou brought Su Zhiyi flowers, rain or shine.

She never made any declaration, but Su Zhiyi’s roommates all came to understand Gu Xizhou’s intentions.

So she was one of the pursuers after all.

Facing the teasing, Su Zhiyi didn’t quite know what to say. Deep down, she somehow felt that Gu Xizhou didn’t actually like her.

Gu Xizhou’s kindness towards her felt almost like care for a younger sister. The person she liked was probably someone else.

At least, that’s what Su Zhiyi thought.

If that were the case, then everything made sense.

Being in a same-sex relationship in this world was difficult, but if Gu Xizhou was sincere, helping her out wouldn’t be impossible, right?

Based on this wonderful misunderstanding, Su Zhiyi never again entertained any distinct feelings on the matter.

For the next two years, Gu Xizhou delivered flowers to Su Zhiyi every single day, without fail. And even after two whole years, the high-born young lady still hadn’t caught on.

Yet Su Zhiyi didn’t seem to reject her either. So Gu Xizhou simply had to suppress her impatience, slowly encroaching on Su Zhiyi’s comfort zone step by step, waiting for the right moment to make things clear.

In the summer vacation of their junior year, she finally waited for the opportunity she wanted.