Middle Child Syndrome - Chapter 202

Chapter 202: Ch 202: Alright to help
Zhu Li looked relieved when Rika told him she would do him a favour and help him. It was clear to see just how stressed he was about the situation.

Looking at him made Rika feel bad, and now she understood why Rocxx was so tense when Zhu Li visited him.

“Good. Now that you have agreed to help us, shall we contact Rocxx again? I assume that you know who he is?”

Zhu Li asked almost tensely, and Rika did not even bother showing him any reaction.

“Rocxx is a friend’s brother. I have known him since I was young. Did he tell you not to involve me in this mess? And you still did? You are braver than I gave you credit for.”

Rika was unsure how much Rocxx had told Zhu Li about her and her family. But she was sure it had not been private enough for the dominant alpha to think he should not involve Rika.

It was good for her, but she did not know how Rocxx would take this news of her involvement.

‘Something tells me that Rocxx will not be happy to see me. But it is not my job to make him happy, so who cares?’

“Now that we agree, can you behave normally and leave me alone? I don’t want to get involved and be seen hanging out with you outside classes. The other students will never leave me alone.”

Rika complained, and Zhu Li gave her a deliberate grin that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

“Sureeeeee, I will leave you alone for now. But expect to see me around a lot, friend. I’m a social person. Once you are in my circle, you are stuck with me for life.”

Zhu Li warped his arm around Rika’s shoulder before he smothered her hair and her neck before running away.

Rika had a sneaky suspension, and the older alpha had scent-marked her. But Rika needed help to be sure.

Still, she was not one to take risks, and her conditioning from childhood compelled Rika to always carry a scent blocker. She quickly sprayed herself to remove any pheromones sticking to her.

‘Looks like spending time with Emily and Damian worked. This temporary mating mark helped me not go into heat even when Zhu Li was all over me. A permanent mark might not be such a bad idea after all.’

That thought made Rika shiver, and she slammed her mind shut as soon as she heard it. She was unprepared for such a big commitment, which showed on her face and actions.

Rika blinked, and the rest of the day was over. Zhu Li, Fey and Flourite were waiting outside for her.

It was clear how awkward the beta pair felt standing beside the tall alpha.

“Rika, here! What took you so long? It feels like I was waiting for ages for you to come out. You should have told me if you were going to be late.”

Zhu Li sounded annoyed, but he pouted to hide his true feelings.

It was all an act by that man, and Rika did not fall for his acting. Instead, she turned to face Fey and Flourite.

The twins looked worried when they saw Rika standing beside Zhu Li.

“It’ll be fine. I needed to have a word with was unprepared for such a big commitment and then head to work. Can you take care of Shuu today? I think I will come back a little later than usual as well. Tell our dorm lady this.”

Rika quickly instructed Flourite about what she wanted him to do.

He was the best choice because he was calm and considerate. (Plus, Fey had a 90% chance to forget what she had been told. She was not reliable when it came to these things)

The twins still looked worried, but now they were sure Rika was here by choice and not because she was forced to be there.

But they still looked unsure, and Fey even leaned toward Rika to question her.

“Are you sure you are not being forced to help Zhu Li out? Just because he has a clean reputation does not mean he’s not hiding anything. He’s a dominant alpha, after all. Just tell me if you need any help.”

Fey’s confidence in herself was commendable. But Rika did not want her to get into trouble, so she quickly shook her head.

The female twin continued to look at the dominant alpha in front of her with a suspicious look.

Even if Rika had said ‘no’ to her, that did not mean that Fey would accept Zhu Li as a safe person.

“Let’s head back now, Fey. I don’t think we are welcome here anymore. I can feel Zhu Li glaring at us. Let’s go now.”

The male twin got Rika’s message, and he grabbed his sister to drag her away. His sister made a fuss about going away, but Rika felt relieved watching them disappear before her.

“What an amusing sibling pair. They look close to each other. Once upon a time, I wanted to have a sibling as well. But alas, fate had other options for me. What about you? Do you have any siblings, Rika?”

Zhu Li asked in a curious voice.

It did seem like he was only asking to be polite, but Rika decided to answer him seriously.

“I do have siblings, but we are not close. My older brother is an alpha, and my younger sister is an omega. It is…quite awkward in our family.”

Rika confessed without giving any details about her life.

She was sure that no one would be able to tell which family she belonged to based on these facts alone. Most people did not even know that Goodwill had three children.

“Your family is alpha-omega oriented? And you were still born as a beta? Did you get it checked out? It should not be biologically possible, right?”

Zhu Li sounded as stunned as the doctors when they first heard about it. But Rika shrugged in a ‘what can you do’ manner.

“Well, I am here, aren’t I?”