Che Xiayun returned to her seat, her slender fingers flying across the screen as she typed furiously, gritting her teeth. [“I’m perfectly healthy! I can jump three feet high! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with me physically!Don’t send me any more of these messy contacts in the future [thirty-meter blood-stained broadsword].”]
After typing these words, she subconsciously reached back to touch her neck, her fingers tracing over the slightly raised gland concealed beneath the inhibitor patch. She pressed down gently, and a wave of heat surged through her body from the sensitive alpha gland.
A trace of S-class alpha pheromones escaped, a fresh, subtly sweet scent of kumquat, carrying the crisp dryness of late autumn that lifted the spirits of anyone who caught a whiff.
Shi Xiaoya also detected this alpha pheromone that made her legs weak and her forehead damp with sweat. The higher the grade of alpha pheromones, the greater their effect on omegas, especially since she was a sensitive S-class omega.
She lowered her head to steady her breathing, then looked toward Che Xiayun, her large, fluttering eyes glistening with a pitiable sheen. “Young mistress, your pheromones seem to be leaking.”
Che Xiayun nodded. “Mm, I know. It smells nice, doesn’t it?”
Shi Xiaoya bit her lower lip lightly. “It does smell nice.” However, intentionally releasing alpha pheromones in front of an omega was nothing short of harassment.
The faint scent of alpha pheromones teased the nearby omega’s senses before quickly dissipating into the air.
Che Xiayun let out an unladylike yawn as drowsiness washed over her, as if the latte she drank that morning had been nothing but plain water. She gradually slumped over the desk, her eyelids growing heavier until she fell asleep right there.
In her dream, she became her old self again, an ordinary-looking, research-obsessed homebody.
Then, from a third-person perspective, she witnessed all the events from the original story, observing many details that weren’t written in the book and seeing a different side of Ma Qingyu.
When she woke from the dream, Che Xiayun sat upright in her seat, a solemn expression crossing her face as she recalled the scenes from her dream and pondered them carefully.
The plot of the original story went like this:
Che Xiayun’s death was highly suspicious. Ma Qingyu, as her nominal wife, not only failed to inherit her assets but also voluntarily gave up the opportunity to manage the Ma family’s wealth. She often went to bars alone to drown her sorrows, and over time, developed severe migraines and stomach problems.
On one occasion, Ma Qingyu accidentally discovered a new bartender at the bar, a fair-skinned, tender male omega who seemed timid and had strikingly attractive collarbones. The new bartender’s name was Wu Quan, reportedly from the mountains. He had excellent grades but no money for education, and all his relatives had died in natural disasters, leaving him utterly alone with no one to rely on.
This new bartender, Wu Quan, was the male lead.
Ma Qingyu took him home, keeping him confined like a caged canary for a while. She would often sit astride his waist, her fingertips lightly tracing the kiss marks covering his collarbone, and say with a mix of obsession and nostalgia, “Remember, this place belongs only to me.”
Later, she likely grew tired of this omega and released him, allowing him to take the college entrance exam, attend university, and, after graduation, keep him by her side as her secretary.
Wu Quan was tormented by her until he was covered in bruises, with the injuries on his collarbone being the mildest. Gradually, he came to understand that his collarbone was the most important part of him to Ma Qingyu.
He was clever, but there was one time he made a foolish mistake: while Ma Qingyu was drunk, he asked a question he shouldn’t have. “Why do you like my collarbone so much?”
Ma Qingyu curled her lips into a faint smile, her drunken expression lazy and languid. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Wu Quan didn’t understand. “But I’m not the only one with a collarbone like this.”
Ma Qingyu narrowed her eyes, downed the red wine in her hand in one gulp, and said casually, “You’re talking a bit too much today.”
Wu Quan trembled all over, bowing beside her hand, not daring to speak. Ma Qingyu gently stroked his long hair, her fingers slipping under his shirt and gliding over his collarbone. “Without it, you wouldn’t have had the chance to fall in love with me. Wu Quan, am I right?”
“Yes,” Wu Quan replied, trembling bitterly. “Are you going to send me away?”
“No.” Ma Qingyu glanced at his profile, then straightened his collar, covering that beautiful collarbone. “You can only be mine.”
It was heartbreaking and melodramatic, yet it ended in an unimaginable happy ending. Che Xiayun was stunned after reading it. She always felt that Ma Qingyu’s feelings for Wu Quan couldn’t be called love but rather a kind of bond in other words, Wu Quan had appeared by Ma Qingyu’s side at just the right moment when she needed someone.
However, after revisiting the dream just now, Che Xiayun noticed three chilling details:
1.Ma Qingyu started drinking heavily only after Che Xiayun’s death, whereas before that, she had never been fond of alcohol.
2.Whenever Ma Qingyu sent someone to investigate Che Xiayun’s cause of death, they were always inexplicably blocked, as if pushed back by an invisible force. But when Ma Qingyu took matters into her own hands, she quickly uncovered that Che Xiayun had been murdered. After that, Ma Qingyu’s relationship with her parents deteriorated significantly.
3.Wu Quan’s collarbone closely resembled Che Xiayun’s as described in the original book.
After observing these details, Che Xiayun analyzed them and drew two conclusions:
1.Ma Qingyu likely harbored some indescribable (and twisted) obsession with Che Xiayun’s collarbone, and Wu Quan was merely a substitute. However, Ma Qingyu wouldn’t have any reason to harm Che Xiayun herself, as her death would bring Ma Qingyu no benefit.
2.The person who murdered Che Xiayun was undoubtedly beyond her own ability to uncover, but it was highly likely connected to Ma Qingyu’s parents.
Based on these two conclusions, Che Xiayun deduced two key points:
1.To survive longer, she must cling to Ma Qingyu for protection while remaining cautious of Ma Qingyu’s parents.
2.Protecting her delicate, flower-like collarbone would be a challenging task.
The thought of Wu Quan, covered in wounds, sent a shiver down Che Xiayun’s spine. Would Ma Qingyu treat her own tender, delicate body the same way?
No, probably not. After all, she was far more likable than Wu Quan, and as a steadfast alpha, she wouldn’t be intimidated by a fierce omega.
After reassuring herself, Che Xiayun finally shifted her focus back to reality.
The morning classes were halfway over, and it was now the long half-hour break. Most students had gone out to play, leaving only a few in the classroom. Che Xiayun stood up and stretched, her slender figure arching gracefully into a beautiful curve in the air.
Shi Xiaoya still held a pen in her hand, her head lowered as she stared at a few formulas on her draft notebook, earnestly pondering the example problem the physics teacher had just explained.
Che Xiayun glanced at her draft notebook and flashed a look that seemed to say, “What an idiot.” Such a simple problem wasn’t worth wasting after-class time on. She snatched the pen from Shi Xiaoya’s hand, saying, “Stop writing. Come out and play with me.”
Shi Xiaoya looked at her blankly, as if she were as puzzling as the physics problem itself. “…?”
Che Xiayun snapped the draft notebook shut and crossed her arms. “Do I need to repeat myself?”
What’s the point of constantly doing homework? It’ll ruin your health. When it’s time to rest, you should rest.
“Okay,” Shi Xiaoya quickly agreed, tidied her desk, and followed Che Xiayun out for a stroll.
Class 17 of Grade 10 was the last class in the grade and also a gathering place for underachievers. Although Shi Xiaoya ranked first in her class, she didn’t even make the top 100 in the entire grade.
At Shengzhe High School, classrooms were arranged from the lowest to the highest floor, with four classes on each floor. The fifth floor housed only Class 17 of Grade 10, while the other three rooms were a multimedia control room, a storage room, and a dance studio.
Class 17 was the farthest from the dance studio.
Next to the teaching building was the sports field. At a glance, Che Xiayun could see countless couples sneaking around holding hands. She averted her gaze, strode forward with her long legs, and headed toward the small grove behind the sports field.
“Young Master!” Shi Xiaoya hurriedly jogged to catch up, panting as she called out cautiously, “Could you walk a little slower?”
Che Xiayun rubbed her chin. “No.”
Seeing Shi Xiaoya’s expression gradually fall, Che Xiayun kindly added, “But you don’t have to follow me now. Go buy me a pair of earplugs and bring them back to the classroom for me.”
A hint of joy spread across Shi Xiaoya’s face. “Okay.”
Che Xiayun waved her hand. “Go on.”
After Shi Xiaoya left, Che Xiayun entered the small grove. Unfortunately, she hadn’t taken more than a few steps before she ran into a disheveled, passionate couple.
She changed direction from a distance, but her exceptional S-level alpha hearing still picked up some of their conversation.
The man: “I’m this amazing, and you’re not reacting at all?”
The woman: “You idiot, I think someone’s coming.”
The man: “It’s even more exciting with people around.”
The woman: “And you’re not embarrassed to let others see your tiny needle?”
Che Xiayun’s lips twitched. This guy really isn’t up to par.
She wandered around the grove and finally found a secluded, uninhabited corner. She stopped and called out to the air, “Shadow guards.”
Two shadow guards emerged from the shadows, simultaneously cupping their fists and saying, “Young Master!”
Che Xiayun scrutinized them carefully. “Which shadows are you?”
They replied in unison, “Shadow Four (Five).”
“Mm.” Che Xiayun nodded slightly. “What have you found out about last night’s incident?”
Shadow Four and Shadow Five exchanged glances. Shadow Four stepped forward. “Reporting, Young Master, your three lovers accepted medicine and money from a merchant to drug you. However, when we tracked it down overnight, the merchant was already dead. The cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage.”
As expected, no leads just as she had speculated.
Che Xiayun nodded. “I understand. There’s no need to investigate further.”
Though Shadow Four and Shadow Five had their doubts, they did not argue. “Yes!”
Che Xiayun thought for a moment and instructed, “If I’m alone with Ma Qingyu and I shout for help or make some other noise, you two.”
Ansi cleverly cut in, “We definitely won’t disturb you and Madam!”
“No,” Che Xiayun said with a serious expression and a grave tone, “You must come to rescue me.”
The two hidden guards were even more confused, but they still replied in unison, “Yes!”
Considering that Ma Qingyu might have some kind of alphabet fetish, Che Xiayun felt extremely afraid, worried that one morning she might wake up tied up and thrown into a dark room to be served with a whip.
The more afraid you are of someone, the more frequently that person appears in your life.
Che Xiayun thought of this saying the moment she received Ma Qingyu’s call on her way back to the classroom.
Ma Qingyu had just stepped out of the conference room, leaning halfway back in her high-backed chair, exhausted and having been harassed by several shareholders. “Hello? Xiayun.”
The shareholders’ sanctimonious words disgusted her they were merely questioning her, an outsider, for not being qualified to manage the Che Group, yet they insinuated sarcastically that she had the energy to run the company but no time to build a relationship with Che Xiayun, which was why the young mistress hadn’t even attended her birthday party the night before.
Although Ma Qingyu had retorted sharply, she knew very well that this was only a temporary solution to an urgent problem.
Che Xiayun steadied herself and replied calmly, “What do you want?”
Ma Qingyu’s jade-like, fair fingertips tapped lightly on the desk. “How about having lunch together?”
Lunch together?
Che Xiayun’s internal alarm bells went off, and she refused outright, “No, Xiaoya and I will eat at home.”
Ma Qingyu chuckled softly and casually wrote a few words on a piece of paper with her pen. “You’re overthinking it. I’m going home to eat too.”
Che Xiayun was instantly speechless. “Oh.”
Ma Qingyu glanced at the figure eavesdropping outside the door and asked casually, “How’s the injury on your forehead?”
Huh? Why is she asking about my forehead injury?
Che Xiayun immediately connected it to her strange fetishes and replied warily, “It’s still swollen.”
Ma Qingyu said with concern, “I have a friend who’s a doctor. He recommended a very effective ointment for promoting blood circulation and reducing bruising. I’ll bring a tube home for you at noon.”
She wants my injury to heal quickly? She must have some ulterior motive. I can’t let her succeed.
So, Che Xiayun replied haughtily, “No need. With my S-level alpha self-healing ability, it’ll heal soon enough.”
“Mm.” Ma Qingyu’s lips curled slightly, and her tone became intimate. “Xiayun, as an S-level alpha, you really are something.”
After hearing this, the person eavesdropping by the door quietly left, but they didn’t escape Ma Qingyu’s notice.
Che Xiayun broke out in goosebumps. Why is she suddenly being so sweet? It left her at a loss, her heart both startled and fearful, her deer-like eyes darting around nervously.
The class bell rang just in time. She hurried into the classroom in a few quick steps. “Class is starting. I’m hanging up.”
Ma Qingyu closed her eyes slightly, listening to the dial tone from the receiver. Recalling Che Xiayun’s last words, she recognized the tone flustered yet feigning calm, just as fake as when she was a child and broke a vase, questioned about it. It was utterly impossible for her to hide her feelings.
She could even imagine the panic in those clear eyes.