On Saturday, Lin Keqin sent a car to pick them up.
The driver was Lin Xi’s original driver. He silently opened the door for them, not daring to speak to Lin Xi.
Zhong Xiu and she sat in the back, both looking out the window, and neither spoke.
However, while Lin Xi was genuinely looking out the window, Zhong Xiu watched her in the rearview mirror.
The white shirt truly suited her. The clear features and soft, fragmented hair, defined by distinct lines of sunlight and shadow, made her look incredibly youthful.
The black shorts she wore were a formal pair of suspender pants.
On her, they looked dignified without being overly severe, and lively without being too casual.
Zhong Xiu looked down at her own feet. The shoes she was wearing today were put on her by Lin Xi herself.
Perhaps no one could ever refuse an Alpha like this.
The banquet venue was even livelier than expected.
The open-air parking lot outside the company was full, and there were many security guards maintaining order. The car Zhong Xiu and Lin Xi were in drove directly into the underground garage, where the light suddenly dimmed.
When the car door opened, a hand held Zhong Xiu’s forearm.
“Miss, there’s an elevator straight to the second floor here,” the driver finally spoke.
Lin Xi didn’t reply, leading Zhong Xiu directly toward the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, she slightly rotated her arm, allowing Zhong Xiu to naturally link her arm with hers.
Zhong Xiu’s heart inexplicably sped up. This felt like they were walking into a wedding ceremony.
The entire second floor was a ballroom. The west side was the beverage area, where adults discussed business and professional matters, serving drinks like red wine and orange juice. The east side was the food area, where the children of the elite gathered.
Lin Keqin hosting a birthday banquet for her was clearly more than just a simple birthday party. He wouldn’t do anything that didn’t serve his interests; he was merely using this as a pretext.
Lin Xi led Zhong Xiu to the east side. Most of the guests had already arrived. Lin Yucheng, dressed in a black suit that looked intentionally mature, stood next to Shen Zhiqiu, who was wearing a princess dress, solicitously asking her if she wanted something to eat.
“Lin Xi,” Shen Zhiqiu spotted Lin Xi instantly and smiled, but then her gaze landed on Zhong Xiu holding Lin Xi’s arm.
Near the cake, Lin Yucheng looked at Lin Xi with eyes full of hostility, jealousy mixed with mockery, and suppressed resentment hidden beneath indifference.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to them. Zhong Xiu tried to pull her hand away, but Lin Xi squeezed her arm slightly, preventing her.
At the same time, Lin Xi looked at Lin Yucheng with a touch of rivalry.
Was it because he was here that Zhong Xiu didn’t want to hold her?
“Ah, there she is,” an adult male voice came from behind them. “Lin Xi, come, come meet these uncles and aunties. They are all our company’s business partners and used to have a very good relationship with your parents.”
Accompanied by the crisp sound of leather shoes on the tile floor, a middle-aged man with impeccably combed hair, holding a stemmed wine glass, walked over with a smile.
“This niece of mine is very obedient and has good grades. I don’t know how many times more obedient she is than Xiaocheng.”
Alphas aren’t Omegas, so why should they be obedient? Everyone politely agreed, unsure of his intention.
“It’s just too pitiful. If my brother and sister-in-law hadn’t been in the accident, this birthday banquet should have been held for her sooner, and it would definitely have been grander than it is now.”
The topic shifted to the main point. In the adult world, interest in the car accident of Lin Yuanhao and his wife clearly surpassed interest in Lin Xi’s birthday.
“Lin Xi, how are your parents doing?”
“PVS. The doctor said there’s a 50% chance they’ll wake up.”
“When will they be able to wake up?”
“The possibility of recovery is highest within six months. After six months, the chance of regaining consciousness upon waking will decrease.”
The initial questions were just probing. When everyone saw that Lin Keqin made no attempt to stop them, the questions became increasingly inappropriate.
“Isn’t that a vegetative state? Are they brain dead? Will their intelligence still be that of an adult if they wake up? Can they still take over the company?”
“They are not brain dead. The chances of regaining consciousness are high…”
A group of adults surrounded Lin Xi, asking questions that touched upon the sensitive topic of her parents’ car accident. Even as a top-tier Alpha, Lin Xi looked very fragile in the center of it all.
She just turned an adult. Zhong Xiu understood Lin Keqin’s wicked intentions.
“I heard the ICU is not easily accessible. I’ve been thinking about taking Zhiqiu to the hospital to see them sometime.”
The one who said this was Shen Zhiqiu’s father. Shen Zhiqiu glanced at her father, wanting to speak but holding back. Finally, she lowered her head and said nothing.
“Alas, didn’t your Shen family used to be very close to the Lin family? Now that Lin Xi has differentiated into an Alpha, is your Zhiqiu planning to get engaged to her?”
Children from prominent families like theirs would typically get engaged once they differentiated and became adults.
An engagement was one of the most powerful business contracts.
“I’d like to, but Lin Xi differentiated into a top-tier Alpha. Zhiqiu’s rank isn’t high enough for her,” CEO Shen smiled evasively, pushing the reason for not having Shen Zhiqiu engaged to Lin Xi onto the pheromone rank.
Everyone present was shrewd and understood the underlying meaning: Lin Xi, whose parents were in a vegetative state, had fallen out of favor.
“President Lin, haven’t you thought about getting Lin Xi engaged?”
“Yes, the child is so pitiful. As her uncle, you should also consider her lifelong marriage.”
Aside from the Lin family company, a top-tier Alpha was highly sought after. Their powerful genetics, even without strong economic power, were excellent bargaining chips.
Having already anticipated this situation, Lin Keqin smiled and said,
“Of course. This child has a difficult fate. As her uncle, I must consider her. Xiaoxi’s fiancée has already been decided, and she is very beautiful.”
“She’s a beautiful Beta.” Lin Yucheng walked up to his father, finished his sentence for him, and gave Zhong Xiu a challenging eyebrow raise.
She looks beautiful today, but what a pity.
“What? A Beta?”
“A top-tier Alpha with just a Beta?”
“But she’s a top-tier Alpha! President Lin, aren’t you going to reconsider?”
This was likely the scene Lin Keqin wanted to see. Zhong Xiu, standing next to Lin Xi, already felt humiliated, and Lin Xi must have felt uncomfortable too. At this moment, Zhong Xiu felt she was terribly wrong; she shouldn’t have appeared here.
Her presence would bring great shame to Lin Xi, a shame that neither her appearance nor her clothes could conceal. An Alpha with a Beta would become a joke for everyone after dinner.
She still overestimated her resilience and underestimated the scrutiny of the world.
“This was Xiaoxi’s own choice. Now that Alphas, Betas, and Omegas have equal rights, and love is free and equal, I respect her choice.” Lin Keqin, certain that Lin Xi wouldn’t publicly refute him, shook the wine glass in his hand and said with a smile.
Lin Xi couldn’t deny it here because denial would be useless. Without her parents’ protection, she had no right to speak; she was merely an appendage of Lin Keqin.
This was the unspoken rule of high society.
Sensing that the person next to her seemed unwell, Lin Xi relaxed her arm.
Her hand dropped. She really did want to distance herself from her. Zhong Xiu felt her heart sharply struck by something. She desperately wanted to flee this place.
But the next moment, her hand was gently taken, and the Alpha’s reassuring voice sounded in her ear:
“Uncle is right. I chose her myself. She is my fiancée.”
Zhong Xiu looked up at her, her eyes slightly red.
“We just got engaged, so I ask all the uncles and aunties to be considerate and not to frighten her.” Lin Xi put her other arm around Zhong Xiu’s waist, leading her away from the center of the crowd. Every move remained calm and elegant.
“Tsk, tsk, a top-tier Alpha differentiated for nothing, only to end up with a Beta.”
“Yeah, such a high rank, what a waste.”
“If I were her parents, I would slap her. Eighteen years of raising her, wasted.”
Lin Xi ignored the comments over there. She brought plates of pastries, one by one, to Zhong Xiu, seemingly trying to cheer her up, though her movements were a bit awkward.
Actually, Zhong Xiu wasn’t that distressed anymore.
From the moment Lin Xi held her hand, she felt much better, even if their situation was still precarious.
Shen Zhiqiu kept watching them, wondering what she was thinking. A shadow crossed Lin Yucheng’s eyes. The awkward scene he had expected from Lin Xi never materialized.
Like every time before, she always appeared composed and in control.
What is she pretending for? He didn’t believe she felt no imbalance inside.
“How can she achieve anything like this? A love-struck fool. She’s ruined her fate as the heiress of a business empire.”
Seeing her crouch down in front of a Beta to coax her into eating cake, the guests in the hall shook their heads.
“Are you all saying that a child eating cake cannot achieve anything, or that one cannot become the heiress of a business empire if one is not a top-tier Alpha?”
A strikingly cold voice rang out from the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention.
The top-tier Alpha, dressed in a black women’s suit, stood quietly in the center, radiating a compelling aura, despite having smooth, straight black hair and delicate features.
“President Zhou… I didn’t mean that.” The person who spoke before glanced at the surroundings, deeply embarrassed, wishing he could swallow every word he had just uttered.
Zhou Nan waved toward the dessert table. A little girl, who hadn’t differentiated yet and was wearing a hat, ran towards her, with cake still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
This little girl, Zhong Xiu tugged on Lin Xi’s sleeve, was the same one they had seen in the Buick last time. She was incredibly cute, fair-skinned, and left a very deep impression.
Lin Xi nodded slightly, knowing what she wanted to say.
“Why is your mouth all messy?” Zhou Nan bent down and used a tissue to wipe the cake from the corner of her mouth. Her voice lost the assertiveness it had moments before, becoming extremely gentle, with a smile in her eyes.
“Mommy,” the little girl was very shy and didn’t like being watched by so many people. She hugged her mother, burying her head in her shoulder.
She was wearing a white dress today, and her long hair was black and lustrous, identical to her mother’s.
This was the rightful heiress of a business empire, the precious treasure held by the four wealthiest families in C City: Zhou Yan, whose pre-differentiation report indicated a high-rank Alpha, but not top-tier.
Feeling the pressure of an adult top-tier Alpha again, Lin Xi thought, It seems Young President Zhou’s gender followed her Mommy.
This little Alpha was the golden branch every company in C City wanted to cling to.
“President Zhou,” Lin Keqin beamed with a wide smile. Seeing that Zhou Nan didn’t respond, he turned to greet Zhou Yan. “Young President Zhou, is the cake delicious?”
“It’s okay. Not as delicious as Mommy’s cooking,” Zhou Yan lifted her head from her mother’s shoulder, answering seriously, with a child’s sincerity and honesty. She was speaking the truth.
She hasn’t learned the adults’ insincere tactics. Maybe she hasn’t seen it much and will never need to learn it, Lin Xi thought.
“Of course, the chef’s skills here certainly can’t compare to President Zhou’s wife,” Lin Keqin flattered her without any embarrassment. “I wonder if President Zhou’s Omega came today. Please forgive us if our hospitality is inadequate.”
Zhong Xiu got goosebumps all over.
A person’s demeanor can truly change drastically in an instant.
However, the flattery was completely misplaced. President Zhou is gay, Lin Xi quietly observed the farce.
Sure enough, Zhou Nan frowned and coldly replied, “Mine is very busy.”
“Ah, being busy is a good thing.”
With the other party constantly shutting down the conversation, Lin Keqin couldn’t keep up the awkward chat, except to smile.
Having caused such unpleasantness, or rather, having made President Zhou frown, Zhou Nan took her daughter and left immediately. Lin Keqin was full of regret.
Lin Xi alone was not as important as a business deal with the Zhou family. Getting a familiar face would have been better than leaving such a poor impression.
“Dad,” Lin Yucheng tried to say something else.
“Go play somewhere else,” Lin Keqin impatiently waved him to shut up.
“Is the person in her family the Alpha from last time?” Zhong Xiu finally realized something, a little surprised.
The little girl just now was clearly a smaller version of the two Alphas combined. Her eyes looked exactly like the doctor’s, and her nose and mouth resembled Zhou Nan’s. Furthermore, Zhou Nan’s ring finger wore the same ring as the doctor from last time—a low-key metal, worn by a striking person.
“Mhm. However, President Zhou has never mentioned that Alpha publicly, so people don’t know that her spouse is an Alpha.”
Seeing that Zhong Xiu seemed a bit more composed, Lin Xi uncharacteristically offered a few more words.
“I heard that President Zhou also has an Omega daughter, but that’s just hearsay. She has never brought her out in public.”
“Is she trying to protect them?”
“Probably.”
Alphas have far greater initiative in society than Omegas. To put it bluntly, Omegas are very much like a luxury item used to connect two families. A Zhou family Omega was worth a fortune.
The number of people who wanted to mark that Omega was countless.
“There’s another rumor,” the Alpha, who usually disliked gossip, said with some hesitation.
“What is it?” Zhong Xiu was quite interested in these things, perhaps because this entire family was especially good-looking, making one eager to know more.
“It says that Omega was adopted, and to prevent her from competing with Young President Zhou for the family fortune, President Zhou never brings her to public business events.”
“Ah?” This version sounded less pleasant. If that were true, Zhong Xiu’s impression of the Zhou family would drop drastically.
After the adults left, the area became lively again.
Many Alphas surrounded the sofa, asking Lin Xi why she chose to get engaged to a Beta, barely acknowledging Zhong Xiu’s presence.
Lin Xi repeated her previous words tirelessly.
Unable to get more answers, everyone found it uninteresting and went to get pastries nearby.
Until Shen Zhiqiu came over.
“Lin Xi, are you two really engaged?”
For some reason, being looked at by the Omega, Zhong Xiu felt like the villain who stole someone else’s partner.
“Yes,” Lin Xi nodded.
“How can you face Zhiqiu like this? You’ve been childhood friends for so long, and you just run off with a Beta. What does she have that’s worth your affection?” Shen Zhiqiu hadn’t even spoken, but her Omega friend next to her glared at Lin Xi and spoke up.
“It’s not her fault, it’s me—”
“Hey, how did you manage to hook up with a top-tier Alpha? Tell us Omegas so we can learn a trick or two.”
“…”
Zhong Xiu didn’t know what to say. She felt numb to these words now.
“Apologize,” Lin Xi looked at the Omega who had spoken.
“What? You want me to apologize to a Beta? Impossible.” The Omega said haughtily, “She should apologize to Zhiqiu.”
“Lin Xi! She’s an Omega!” Seeing Lin Xi stand up, Shen Zhiqiu thought she was going to attack the other person and quickly stopped her.
“Oh my gosh, Zhiqiu, she actually yelled at you for a Beta!” another Omega continued to fan the flames.
“You two, keep quiet,” Shen Zhiqiu knew the nature of these friends. They were used to being arrogant and speaking harshly, so they wouldn’t apologize to Zhong Xiu.
Lin Xi stared coldly at the Omegas, scaring them into hiding behind Shen Zhiqiu, wanting to speak but not daring to. The suppression of an Alpha over an Omega seemed naturally ingrained in the blood.
“I’ll take them over there,” Shen Zhiqiu knew Lin Xi was angry and decided to separate them to avoid conflict.
“I’m sorry,” the Omegas wouldn’t apologize to her, so Lin Xi had to apologize on behalf of the spoiled young ladies and gentlemen.
When Zhong Ruilin picked her up this morning, he had specifically warned her not to let Zhong Xiu be wronged. She had promised.
However, Lin Xi noticed that Zhong Xiu didn’t seem to be listening to them; her gaze was fixed in another direction.
Lin Yucheng.
That heavy feeling appeared in Lin Xi’s heart again.
She’s clearly my fiancée.
Zhong Xiu looked at Lin Yucheng entirely because the Alpha was huddled in a corner smoking, occasionally staring at them with resentment, clearly scheming something.
On his phone, he had asked Zhong Xiu to meet him on the balcony again.
She wasn’t that stupid. Zhong Xiu wouldn’t meet him privately at Lin Xi’s birthday banquet. If any bad rumors spread, it would cause trouble for Lin Xi.
While those Omegas were chattering, Zhong Xiu had heard Lin Keqin scolding him, likely saying he wasn’t half as steady as Lin Xi, calling him useless and saying he only knew how to fool around.
Lin Xi’s performance when facing people’s doubts was indeed calm and collected. Even though those people were insulting her, quite a few CEOs from other companies admired her.
For an 18-year-old Alpha to act this way was already rare.
After thinking about it, Zhong Xiu also sent a message back to Lin Yucheng.
— Are you very afraid? Afraid Shen Zhiqiu still likes Lin Xi? Are you afraid of Lin Xi’s top-tier pheromones? Afraid that you are inferior to her in every way?
— Too bad, it’s true.
After sending the message, Zhong Xiu picked up a piece of cake and put it in her mouth to conceal her rapidly beating heart. What to do? Kicking someone when they’re down felt so incredibly good.
Especially when she heard the sound of a phone being slammed heavily over there.
For the rest of the event, Zhong Xiu sat on the sofa drinking beverages, remaining aloof, leaving all the talking to Lin Xi.
As for the hurtful words, she could only digest them herself. She wasn’t that resilient; she still felt hurt when she should, and no one could bear that burden for her.
Having drunk too much water, Zhong Xiu needed to go to the restroom.
The restrooms for different genders were separated. The female Beta restroom was at the very end. When Zhong Xiu entered, it was empty. Most of the people attending the banquet were Alphas and Omegas.
Lin Yucheng obviously knew this, too. He extinguished his cigarette and followed Zhong Xiu.
Lin Xi gracefully admitted her Beta fiancée, didn’t she? He wanted to see if she could remain so composed when her fiancée was covered in another Alpha’s pheromones in front of everyone.
He actually hesitated for a moment. After all, Shen Zhiqiu was outside, and he didn’t want to leave a bad impression on her. However, Zhong Xiu wasn’t an Omega, so Shen Zhiqiu probably wouldn’t mind that much, right?
Otherwise, why was she still hung up on Lin Xi even after the engagement?
Thinking this, his angry pheromones uncontrollably leaked out.
The mint pheromones silently drifted into the Beta restroom. Zhong Xiu, washing her hands, still didn’t notice.
Suddenly, a loud crash of something breaking sounded outside. Zhong Xiu rushed out to look.
Lin Xi was gripping Lin Yucheng’s collar, hauling him up, and then punching him again.
“What’s wrong?” She looked very angry. Zhong Xiu was a little afraid to approach.
Receiving no response, Lin Xi slammed Lin Yucheng hard against the wall.
“Ugh, ah!” Lin Yucheng suddenly showed a look of pain. He clung to the hallway wall with both hands, his legs shaking non-stop, about to drop to his knees.
But he wasn’t so lucky. Lin Xi didn’t give him the chance to “almost.” As she released a little more pheromones, his kneecaps were pressed tightly against the floor, sticking like a layer of thick glue that couldn’t be pulled up.
The pressure of a top-tier Alpha’s pheromones was completely crushing to an ordinary Alpha. Lin Yucheng had no power to resist.
All his resentment and jealousy instantly vanished under the pheromone pressure. The tall Alpha knelt on the ground, shrinking into a small, trembling ball, like an ant.
This was comparable to Zhang Mingming’s treatment last time, but he was an Alpha. It wasn’t like he was releasing pheromones to seduce Lin Xi, was it?
“Lin Xi, what exactly happened?”
“You have his pheromones on you.”
Shen Zhiqiu had told her to restrain herself and not clash with Lin Yucheng, but she couldn’t take it anymore.
This time, Lin Yucheng didn’t have Zhong Xiu’s permission, and Lin Xi had caught him red-handed.
Looking down at her clothes, Zhong Xiu frowned, vigorously patting and brushing the fabric on both her arms, as if trying to clean off the pheromones.
Could it be? She looked at Lin Yucheng, who was still kneeling and huddled up on the ground, and suddenly understood. The mint scent wasn’t Lin Xi’s pheromones; it was his!
“Then what should I do? I don’t like mint. Can I get rid of it?” Zhong Xiu blurted out her true feelings and then instantly regretted it.
Hearing his pheromone scent being disliked, Lin Yucheng’s fingers twitched, but in his current state, he was incapable of resisting.
“Didn’t you say you liked the mint scent?” Lin Xi looked at the fickle Beta with confusion.
Facing her reasonable query, Zhong Xiu flushed, lowered her head, and spoke very softly.
“I thought… that was your pheromone scent.”