[“I’ll go to Victoria Harbour Court for dinner tonight with some new ingredients. Let’s invite your uncle and aunt to join us.”]
Around 4 or 5 p.m., Yu Li sent this message to Ye Zhixun.
Before Ye Zhixun could reply to decline, her aunt saw the message and immediately agreed enthusiastically, insisting they go together.
Ye Zhixun had considered taking her uncle and aunt out to eat elsewhere, but there was no stopping them.
They adored Yu Li just as much as they had once adored Yu Qi.
Now, how could she explain breaking up with Yu Qi while still being with Yu Li and cooking for her?
Ye Zhixun had no choice but to continue paying the price for her lies.
During dinner, her aunt chatted animatedly with Yu Li, while Ye Zhixun ate in silence, though her appetite remained unaffected.
Yu Li also ended up eating more than usual that evening.
Whether it was psychological or simply because the freshly picked ingredients were exceptionally fresh, the meal tasted even better to her.
The next day, Ye Zhixun took her relatives around for a bit more sightseeing before sending them off to the airport in Yu Li’s driver Uncle Zhao’s car. Only when everything returned to normal did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After seeing off her relatives, Ye Zhixun went to Victoria Harbour Garden to prepare dinner for Yu Li and tidy up.
There was just too much stuff piled up especially the fruit, which filled five or six boxes. It would be a shame to let them go bad before they could be eaten.
Now that she had broken up with Yu Qi, she couldn’t exactly send the fruit to her parents as she once might have. It made more sense to share them with Gu Qiaqia and other close classmates.
She wondered if Yu Li needed any to give away.
Arriving at Victoria Harbour Garden and finding Yu Li absent, Ye Zhixun sent her a message to ask.
At that moment, Yu Li was attending a cocktail party in an elegant gown.
The event was crowded with alphas and omegas alike, their scents mingling into an overwhelming mix.
Yu Li felt slightly uncomfortable, the chaotic blend of alpha pheromones made her glands ache faintly.
Still, the designer Philier ’s latest collection paired perfectly with Yu’s Jewelry, so she was determined to secure a collaboration.
Her main goal at the party was to speak with Philier .
“My apologies, Ms. Yu. It’s not that I don’t want to work with you, but… marital harmony comes first. My wife is quite the jealous type. If she knew I was working closely with a beauty like you, she’d lose sleep over it.”
When Yu Li finally found Philier , he shook his head with a wry smile and rejected her outright.
“Yu Li, why don’t you hurry up and find someone? Need my help?” A teasing voice chimed in as a petite, delicate omega in an exquisite chiffon dress adorned with delicate gold jewelry approached.
Yu Li didn’t need to look to know it was Huo Jinle, a former design school classmate who had always seen her as a rival, competing with her at every turn.
“No need,” Yu Li replied coolly.
“What a shame. Philier ’s wife is hosting a private dinner party, and all guests must bring a partner. I’ve been invited. We’re also planning an end-of-year showcase. My darling is so supportive, he’s already cleared his schedule to accompany me that night.” Huo Jinle smiled sweetly at Yu Li.
Since getting married, Huo Jinle seemed to have gained newfound confidence when facing Yu Li, frequently flaunting her happiness as if to prove she had finally won.
Yu Li had no interest in engaging with her petty rivalry.
But the private dinner party did pique her interest.
If she could meet Philip’s wife and ease her concerns, there might be a turnaround.
But how to attend that banquet?
“If you have a partner, you can also attend. Yu Li, can you stop being so aloof? You’ve rejected everyone and stayed single all these years, twenty-nine years without sex, are you truly without desire? Or do you use… other tools?” Huo Jinle whispered, leaning close to Yu Li.
Yu Li didn’t understand Huo Jinle’s point. Since getting married, this woman’s words had become increasingly boundary-less. Bragging about having sex, what kind of strange pride was that?
What was there to boast about?
It wasn’t as if she’d never had it, just that one night in the isolation room.
Aside from relieving the discomfort of her heat cycle, the overall experience hadn’t been particularly pleasant.
Yu Li shot Huo Jinle a glare, ignoring her nonsense, and walked ahead.
She hadn’t gone far when a tall, imposing man blocked her path.
Before she could even recall who he was, Yu Li caught the scent of his alpha pheromones.
Her glands grew increasingly uncomfortable, instinctively making her want to avoid him.
“Care to sit and chat for a while? I’ve been trying to reach you, but you’re always unavailable. I even went through your grandfather. Just a few words, please?”
The man spoke to her.
Only then did Yu Li remember what her grandfather had mentioned earlier.
This man was Li Jiayao, the third son of the Li family, whom her grandfather had brought up.
Yu Li glanced at him, watching as he gestured for her to take a seat, and followed along.
She needed to make things clear to him. If this kept getting dragged to the elders, it would only cause more trouble.
They found a quiet corner to sit and talk.
“Yu Li, I’m well aware of your current situation. Speaking purely from a business standpoint, I believe that if we were together, we could maximize mutual benefits. Attending Mrs. Philip’s family banquet is just a minor matter. I can also help you secure absolute authority in the Yu family, obtain the ancestral proprietary techniques, and I won’t restrict you in any way.”
Once seated, Li Jiayao got straight to the point.
Yu Li looked at him in surprise.
She hadn’t expected him to be so direct.
He seemed to understand her needs well.
But what was in it for him?
Would her grandfather really introduce someone like this just to help her hollow out the family?
“No, thanks,” Yu Li refused outright, without further thought.
“At least consider it,” Li Jiayao pressed.
“The only reason I agreed to sit down with you was to tell you that I’m not interested. Please don’t involve our families again, it’ll only make things more awkward.”
Li Jiayao’s confidence crumbled to zero.
The “Ice Beauty” lived up to her reputation.
“Excuse me,” Yu Li said, standing to leave but Li Jiayao, in his urgency, grabbed her wrist.
“Yu Li, am I really not worth considering? What is it about me that you dislike so much that you’d reject me without hesitation?”
“I don’t like alphas who flaunt their pheromones like peacocks spreading their tails. Let go!” Yu Li said coldly, frowning at his grip on her wrist.
“…Sorry!” Li Jiayao quickly released her, his face flushing.
Wasn’t it normal for an alpha to release a moderate amount of pheromones when courting an omega, to leave a first impression?
Yu Li was an anomaly!
Before he could say anything else, Yu Li walked away.
Tonight’s banquet had been nothing but discomfort, and she hadn’t accomplished anything.
Yu Li was in a foul mood.
Some people noticed Yu Li and Li Jiaoyao talking together and started gossiping. As Yu Li was about to leave, someone even came up to make small talk.
Even though Yu Li was uncomfortable, she didn’t want to storm off in such a setting, so she endured the conversation for a while.
By the time Yu Li finally left and got into the car, she felt completely drained.
Her nearly empty stomach ached faintly from the few sips of champagne she’d had during the socializing.
Her glands were also under constant assault from the pheromones of so many alphas, leaving her extremely unsettled.
Yu Li returned to Victoria Harbour Garden.
In the elevator, she could barely stand, bracing herself against the wall.
The effects of the champagne began to take hold, clouding her usually cool, composed eyes with a dazed haze.
When she opened the door to her room, she tossed aside her clutch and kicked off her high heels.
The cold floor sent a chill creeping up from the soles of her feet.
She hurried a few steps to the carpet in the living room, intending to sit on the sofa but instead, she slid down along its edge and curled up beside it.
Perhaps because she was finally in her own space, Yu Li let out a soft, pained whimper, and the pheromones she had been suppressing slowly began to seep out.