When Yu Keqing picked up Xiaobao from school and returned home after work, Lin Sheng was already there. Usually, Lin Sheng wouldn’t crawl back until the middle of the night, making today’s early appearance highly unusual.
She was sitting on the sofa in a slip dress. The soft, silk fabric draped loosely over her form, making her look both indolent and enchanting.
Yu Keqing’s footsteps faltered slightly before she walked inside as if nothing were amiss. She handed the schoolbag to Xiaobao and signaled for her to go upstairs first.
Xiaobao looked back and forth between her mother and Lin Sheng on the sofa, a look of worry clouding her face.
Giving her a reassuring glance, Yu Keqing said softly, “Go up to your room and put your things away first. Come down for dinner in a little bit.”
Only then did Xiaobao head upstairs, looking back with every few steps. Her mother had promised they would move out of here soon, and she was looking forward to it.
Once Yu Keqing and Lin Sheng were the only two left in the space on the first floor, a wave of premonition washed over Yu Keqing. Lin Sheng had clearly waited to speak until Xiaobao was dismissed, not that Lin Sheng, in all her shamelessness, usually cared who was present.
“You came home quite early today,” Lin Sheng spoke first, her tone unreadable.
“I get off work at this time every day.”
Lin Sheng suddenly let out a cold sneer. “That little Omega named Yang Jingzhe clung to you all day long. You must have felt pretty thrilled deep down.”
Yu Keqing’s face darkened. “Is there anything else you know how to do besides sending people to spy on me?”
Rising from the sofa, Lin Sheng walked over until she stood directly in front of her. She stared straight down at her, the jealousy in her eyes surging up like a tidal wave.
The more jealous Lin Sheng became, the more vicious her words grew.
“You really enjoyed it, didn’t you? Finally, you have someone revolving around you. You got so smug and happy that you forgot you’re already married with a thirteen-year-old daughter? You actually think she likes you? If you weren’t Man’er’s friend, if you didn’t commute to work every day in a car worth tens of millions, if I hadn’t made you dress up, do you think she’d even spare you a second glance? Yu Keqing, can you have some brains for once? Don’t let yourself get so disoriented just because someone chats you up. What kind of decent person acts cute and acts pure to seduce people when they’re only in their teens? Yet you believe her like an idiot, smiling so brightly. What, are you looking to have an affair?!”
Seeing the videos and photos of Yu Keqing standing with someone else, talking and laughing, had driven Lin Sheng mad with rage. Lately, no matter how much she humbled herself to please Yu Keqing, she hadn’t managed to win a single genuine smile. Why did an absolute outsider get to have one? On what grounds?! How could Yu Keqing treat her like this! What right did she have to treat her like this!
Yu Keqing’s face flushed red with anger, her lips trembling violently as she loudly shot back, “Lin Sheng! How can you be so indiscriminately hurtful? It’s fine if you insult me, but Yang Jingzhe was assigned there to learn. Is it a crime for me to teach diligently as her instructor? How does it become something so foul in your eyes? Your mind is filthy, so everything you see is filthy. Because you seduce people, you think every Omega in the world is trying to seduce someone. Not everyone is as wretched as you!”
“I’m wretched?”
Furious to the point of laughter, Lin Sheng stepped forward and grabbed Yu Keqing’s wrist, forcing her hand against her own voluptuous, heaving chest, shamelessly admitting to the charge.
“Yes, exactly. I am wretched. I want to seduce you, so what? If you won’t touch me, could it be you want to touch that little Omega instead? With that scrawny, dried-up little frame of hers, is she even your type? Does she have the ability to make your pheromones explode out of control? Can she make you drenched just by thinking about it in your head? Yu Keqing, just admit it. Those pure, cute, young Omegas aren’t your type at all. What you like is a mature body, a handful of lush flesh. You like it wild, you like it wanton, you like them swaying with abandon right in front of you. You like them looking up at you, grabbing your hand, screaming, sticking out their tongue, and completely losing themselves. Heh, want to know why? Because you’re a closet pervert. You only look prim, proper, and gentle on the outside, but in your bones, you’re wilder than anyone. You want it like that, but you’re afraid of being found out. When someone seduces you, your mouth says no, and your body might even act passive, but your pheromones don’t lie. When I seduce you, you probably have no idea what your own eyes look like, do you? I really ought to film it, or have you stand right in front of a mirror to see for yourself. Then you’d have nothing left to say, and you wouldn’t be able to keep up this act anymore.”
She dissecting Yu Keqing’s psychology like a detective, startling Yu Keqing into taking a step back.
“What… what nonsense are you spouting.”
No, that’s impossible. I have never had such thoughts.
Lin Sheng’s laughter grew even more arrogant and unbridled, her voluptuous body wrapped in the purple slip dress radiating waves of alluring rose pheromones.
She looped her arms around the startled Yu Keqing, pulling her into an embrace. Nuzzling against Yu Keqing’s cheek, she continued shamelessly, “I have a high sex drive, and you’re a closet pervert. We are a match made in heaven. You wouldn’t want to find someone who’s boring in bed and just lies there waiting for you to serve them, right? Nor do you like the types who are gentle as water, taking hours just to grope around before getting to the point. Do you know why Man’er divorced Jiang Shuang? Because Jiang Shuang and I are the same breed. I’m a beast in a suit, and she’s a refined degenerate. Heh, thinking about it now, I can actually understand why you used to be so infatuated with Jiang Shuang.”
Aside from the scent of sandalwood, Yu Keqing’s body carried the baked aroma of wheat, sweet and comforting. Lin Sheng took a few deep breaths of it, feeling a bit addicted.
Yu Keqing pushed her away, saying coldly, “Not everyone is like you.”
“Of course, I am one of a kind.” In Lin Sheng’s twisted logic, every absurdity could be rationalized, and every disadvantage could be spun to her benefit. No one could walk out of her logic with their peace of mind intact.
Yu Keqing was already exhausted from dealing with her. “You are simply unreasonable.”
Lin Sheng, however, turned a deaf ear. She raised her hand, intending to stroke Yu Keqing’s face, but slowly lowered it after Yu Keqing dodged out of the way. She said, “Do you know what I went to do today? I went to get revenge for you. That idiot surnamed He at the Vertex Bar last time, her family runs an underground business in City A, so it’s inevitable they have some thugs working under them. For the time being, I will arrange bodyguards to follow you and Xiaobao whenever you go out. This is for your safety, so don’t throw a tantrum or act reckless. Also, cut down on your interactions with those sketchy people, especially that one surnamed Yang. If I catch you talking to her again… I wouldn’t have the heart to do anything to you, but as for her, I can’t guarantee her safety.”
At the mention of Vertex Bar, Yu Keqing couldn’t help but feel a tremor of fear. Angrily, she snapped, “If you hadn’t taken me to that kind of place, I wouldn’t have run into that sort of person to begin with! If you want revenge, why don’t you start by taking yourself. ” Her upbringing and conscience prevented her from cursing Lin Sheng to death, so she could only cut herself off there. Taking a deep breath, she threatened, “Lin Sheng, if you dare interfere with my work or cause trouble for innocent people, I will never let you get away with it.”
These words held no weight of threat to Lin Sheng. She smiled slightly. “Then that will depend on your performance, Keke.”
Yu Keqing didn’t want innocent Yang Jingzhe to be dragged down because of her own affairs. That girl was hardworking, diligent, and very talented. Having to navigate society at such a young age meant her family circumstances probably weren’t great. If Yang Jingzhe lost her job because of her, she would live with the guilt for the rest of her life. Before transmigrating into this book, Yu Keqing had also been an ordinary working person; she understood the bitterness of it all too well.
Compromising with Lin Sheng, she said, “I will keep my distance from Yang Jingzhe. Please keep your promise.”
Lin Sheng’s expression contorted for a fraction of a second before she finally agreed, “Fine.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’m going to the kitchen to see how dinner is coming along. Xiaobao is already hungry.”
She turned and went into the kitchen, finding Aunt Fang busy working alone inside. She washed her hands, wanting to help, but Aunt Fang stopped her from doing so.
The mountainside villa was vast, and Aunt Fang wasn’t the only servant employed there. However, Lin Sheng disliked having too many unrelated people appearing in her living spaces, so the maids responsible for cleaning the house only worked when Lin Sheng was away.
Aunt Fang was primarily responsible for cooking and cleaning the master bedroom where Lin Sheng slept. The workload wasn’t heavy, and the sole requirement was to keep her mouth shut and mind her own business, something Aunt Fang did much better than the previous housekeeper.
Yu Keqing went upstairs to change her clothes, only to find the guest bedroom door locked. It wasn’t just one room, all the guest bedrooms were inaccessible.