“So this is why Miss Song has been avoiding me all this time?”
The pale skin hidden beneath her dark hair was enough to stir the imagination. Jiang Qing caught herself before her thoughts wandered too far. She quickly refocused.
Song Qin Ning was slightly shorter than her. At this close distance, Jiang Qing had to look down to take in every clean and elegant feature of her face.
There was a trace of discomfort in Song Qin Ning’s expression, but she still answered honestly. “Yes.”
She didn’t mention the high compatibility score between them. She only said that Jiang Qing’s pheromones had a strong effect on her and interfered with her heat cycle.
“Would it be alright if I asked for your help in the future?” she asked softly. “Money isn’t an issue.”
There was no response.
Just as she had expected.
Why would Jiang Qing agree to something so ridiculous and absurd?
Song Qin Ning looked down, a bitter smile curling at her lips. She had known from the start that Jiang Qing wasn’t someone who lacked money.
It had been a question asked without real hope. Still, when she didn’t hear an answer, a sense of disappointment rose in her chest.
She couldn’t quite understand why she felt that way.
Jiang Qing had been watching her closely.
She asked, “Miss Song, do I look like someone who would care about money?”
Song Qin Ning didn’t understand why Jiang Qing would bring that up.
Of course not.
Jiang Qing had always been a proud and extravagant heiress. She did things purely on a whim.
Why would she ever care about the needs of an Omega she had no real connection to?
The very act of asking had been humiliating. And the hug they were sharing now probably made Jiang Qing uncomfortable too.
The air between them turned cold. As if dunked into ice, her heart dropped. Song Qin Ning was just about to pull away.
But then Jiang Qing raised her arms.
She gently but firmly pulled Song Qin Ning into an embrace.
“I care about people, Miss Song. You’ve handed me tissues before. You’ve spoken up for me. Of course I want to return the favor.”
Her voice brushed past Song Qin Ning’s ear.
Jiang Qing noticed a single unruly strand of hair sticking up on top of her head. It didn’t move at all, almost as if it were stunned.
The soft body in her arms stiffened, then began to wriggle away.
Jiang Qing let go a little.
Song Qin Ning stepped back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her clear voice carried a trace of panic.
“Are you saying you’re interested in me?”
Jiang Qing was stunned for a second, then grinned playfully. “Of course. Why don’t you just agree to be mine? I’ll make sure you live comfortably and get all the help you want.”
Song Qin Ning lowered her hands and coughed lightly. “If you’re not serious about me, then maybe don’t say things that can be misunderstood.”
“Oh? So Miss Song figured out I was just playing around?”
“I’ve heard about you throwing resources and luxury cars at people in the past.”
Jiang Qing didn’t look embarrassed about being exposed. “I was young and foolish back then. These days, my only focus is work.”
Song Qin Ning made a noncommittal sound. It was hard to tell if she believed it or not.
Jiang Qing changed the subject with a curious tone. “Is hugging the only way to relieve your heat imbalance?”
“Hugs, kisses, or a temporary mark,” Song Qin Ning replied.
“Does the mark work best?”
“Yes.”
The deeper the contact, the better the effect.
“How long does a hug last?”
“My doctor said anywhere from three days to a week.”
“And a temporary mark?”
“One to two months.”
Jiang Qing leaned lazily against the back of the sofa, her fingers running over the smooth leather. “If you need it, I can give you a temporary mark.”
She wasn’t a native Alpha. She didn’t associate the act with anything taboo or overly intimate.
“Of course, if Miss Song feels that would be taking advantage of you, I’m fine offering a lesser form of help too.”
Song Qin Ning looked at her, a slight frown forming between her brows. “You know temporary marks affect Alphas too, right?”
“I do.”
Alphas could develop a possessiveness toward the Omegas they marked.
But Jiang Qing was a realist.
Falling in love from a single mark? That wasn’t going to happen to her.
“Then I’ll have to trouble Miss Jiang for one,” Song Qin Ning said calmly.
She turned around and faced away from her.
With her dark hair and slender waist, her graceful silhouette would easily convince anyone she was an Omega, even without knowing for sure.
Jiang Qing let out a soft laugh, her voice drifting gently through the quiet room. “Miss Song, are you nervous?”
In front of her, Song Qin Ning’s fingers curled, then relaxed.
“No,” she answered.
Her voice was as cool and light as always, like a breeze through pine trees. If not for the way her final syllable came just a fraction faster than usual, Jiang Qing might have believed her.
Jiang Qing straightened and reached out to gather Song Qin Ning’s hair, sweeping it to both sides.
“Miss Song, this is my first time. I might be clumsy, so I hope you won’t mind.”
The back of her neck was snow white. Because she had only recently come out of her heat cycle, the small gland at the base of her neck was slightly raised. It looked like a delicate jasmine petal, soft and charming.
It probably felt nice to touch.
But that was a level of intimacy Jiang Qing didn’t intend to cross, so she only imagined it.
She placed a hand on Song Qin Ning’s shoulder and leaned in, her teeth slowly approaching.
She had never marked an Omega before. And unlike the Alphas here, she hadn’t grown up taking ABO physiology classes.
Jiang Qing had only picked up some basic theory about marking from the internet. When it came to practical experience, she was essentially starting from zero.
As the tip of her teeth neared Song Qin Ning’s skin, just millimeters away, the Omega’s body tensed further. Her fingers curled once more.
Warm breath spread across the back of her neck. Omega instinct told her that danger was near.
She wanted to escape.
“Can you make it quick?”
Every second felt painfully long.
At first, Song Qin Ning had felt like a helpless little lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Now she felt more like a frog slowly being boiled in warm water, unsure when she’d be fully cooked.
Just then, a ringtone cut through the silence. The warmth at her neck suddenly vanished. Song Qin Ning instinctively rubbed the spot as if to wipe away any trace of the Alpha’s presence.
On the dressing table, Jiang Qing’s phone lit up with the name “He Shu.” She answered the call.
On the other end, He Shu’s voice was filled with concern. “Jiang Qing, where did you go? You’ve been gone for so long. Did something happen?”
Jiang Qing glanced sideways at the Omega beside her and answered, “No.”
“Did you use the suppressants yet?”
“No, by the time I got to the dressing room, I was already feeling better.”
There was a pause, a relieved sigh, but He Shu’s tone still carried urgency. “Good, so you’re still in the dressing room?”
“Yes, I’m still here.”
“Perfect. Bring a few vials of suppressant to the dining hall. A few Alphas are in pretty bad shape. We’ve called an ambulance, but we don’t know how long it’ll take. We need to stabilize them first.”
“Alright, I’m on my way.”
She ended the call and looked up, meeting Song Qin Ning’s eyes.
Jiang Qing said, “Something urgent came up. I probably won’t be able to give you the temporary mark today.”
“I heard,” Song Qin Ning replied. “Helping those people is more important. Go ahead.”
Jiang Qing picked up the black handbag from the vanity and checked inside to confirm the suppressants were there.
She turned to Song Qin Ning with an apologetic smile. “I’ll head out first. You stay here and rest. Wait until you feel better before you go anywhere.”
On her way out, Jiang Qing passed by a few crew members.
She gave them a polite nod but didn’t stop walking.
So, she didn’t notice the surprised expressions on their faces as they watched her leave.