Jiang Qiu took the elevator down to the B1 level of the company. The Alpha leaned against her car window, lowering her head and closing her eyes.
Her slightly trembling fingertips were slowly clenched into a tight fist. Jiang Qiu took a deep breath, but the tip of her nose still felt sour, and her eyes throbbed with a dull ache. She was completely enveloped by an unspeakable wave of emotion, to the point where she felt a flash of nausea from the sheer distress. Opening her eyes, the Alpha pulled a piece of candy from her pocket and unwrapped it.
The sourness that hit her tongue made her frown.
The memory of the single time in her life she had lowered her pride and humbled herself was simply too deep. Because of it, Jiang Qiu found it incredibly difficult to calm her turbulent emotions.
And what stung the most was that even though she had bowed her head back then, it hadn’t brought about a single good outcome.
The Alpha crushed the candy between her teeth, snapped herself out of her thoughts, and got into the car. On the drive back, Jiang Qiu put in her earphones and called Yu Kunian.
“Yu Sheng can attend the award ceremony as Zhaoming Biotech’s second representative, right?” Jiang Qiu spoke up as soon as the call connected.
Yu Kunian fell silent for a moment on the other end, seemingly caught off guard and not entirely understanding the sudden shift, but she still answered.
“We can apply for another invitation.”
“Then let’s apply for it,” Jiang Qiu said without a shred of hesitation.
Astonished, Yu Kunian asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t want her to attend as your date anymore?”
Jiang Qiu gave a quiet “Mm” in response. “I’m bringing Xiao Yan.”
Yu Kunian pressed, “Did something happen? Did you two have a fight at the company?”
“Not exactly.” Jiang Qiu’s brows knitted tightly. “Kunian, I don’t really want to talk about it.”
The other end went quiet for a beat. After a brief silence over the receiver, Yu Kunian finally replied, “Alright, I respect your decision.”
When it came to anything regarding the two of them, it was difficult for Jiang Qiu to explain it to Yu Kunian. It was a chapter of her past that she was simply reluctant to dredge up.
She let out a soft sigh. Let it be.
“By the way, I just heard that your cousin, the one who does gland gene research, will also be attending this award ceremony.” Sensing her mood, Yu Kunian tactfully dropped the subject and pivoted to something else.
The car pulled up to a stoplight. Jiang Qiu cast her eyes down and asked, “Meng Yueyu?”
That Beta was known as the “Gland Architect.” She was a year older than Jiang Qiu and was currently the most outstanding talent among the family’s younger generation. She had resolved to enter gland gene research early on, likely due to the influence of her Omega mother, who held a position at the New York Gland Engineering Institute. Immersed in that environment from childhood, Meng Yueyu’s natural talent was nothing short of brilliant.
Initially, she had conducted gene research within the Gland Engineering Institute. However, she later turned down the opportunity to be promoted to an academician, turning around to plunge headfirst into entrepreneurship by founding the Scent Group. With gland gene technology as its core business, Scent Group had developed the Gland Invisible Decline Screening Kit right at its inception, a product of immense developmental value. Following that, the company expanded rapidly like wildfire, firmly establishing a rock-solid foothold in New York within a remarkably short period.
Everyone in New York knew this Beta was young, highly capable, and fiercely ambitious.
Furthermore, the person who had conducted Yu Sheng’s gland examination back then was none other than Meng Yueyu.
“Yes,” Yu Kunian said.
Jiang Qiu noted, “She did mention before that she wanted to expand her business domestically. Did something happen?”
“I was just thinking that if there’s a chance, it would be nice to get to know her,” Yu Kunian said softly. “But that’ll have to wait until I get back. We’ll talk about it then.”
Jiang Qiu nodded. “Alright.”
The call disconnected just as the red light turned green. Jiang Qiu drove back home. She had barely sat down on the sofa when she received several new messages.
They happened to be from the very person they were just discussing over the phone. Meng Yueyu. She said she was arriving in Lihua City and wanted Jiang Qiu to pick her up from the airport. The Alpha scanned the text and simply dialed a voice call back. The other side picked up quickly, she was likely already on her way to the airport.
“Are you coming to pick me up or what, my dear cousin?” Meng Yueyu sounded like she was in a stellar mood, her tone lifting significantly.
Jiang Qiu replied, “Send me your flight details.”
“Why is your reaction so lackluster?” Meng Yueyu picked up on the lifelessness in her tone. “As the VP of Zhaoming Biotech, do you really have no desire to see the famous me? I’m talking about me, the actual controller of Scent Group. So many domestic enterprises are begging for a chance to meet me, yet you aren’t grabbing the opportunity at all…”
Hearing her exaggerated tone, Jiang Qiu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Your information network is that fast?”
Meng Yueyu boasted, “Of course. If I’m going to expand in Lihua City, how could I not scout out the situation in advance?”
“So, you’re coming to be Zhaoming Biotech’s competitor?”
“No, no, no. I’m here to build friendly cooperations with various enterprises,” Meng Yueyu said lazily.
“Then I wish you a successful cooperation.” Jiang Qiu didn’t pry further. She wasn’t particularly interested anyway.
Meng Yueyu asked, “That’s it?”
“What else do you want? Should I throw you a high-profile welcome banquet?” Jiang Qiu teased.
“Someone else has already taken care of that, so I won’t trouble my cousin. However, when you came to New York a while back, I happened to miss you because of a business trip. I still haven’t met the Omega you’re getting engaged to.”
Understanding her implication, Jiang Qiu said, “I’ll ask her in a bit if she has time to come with me to pick you up.”
“I’ve prepared a massive red envelope to congratulate my dear cousin on finally settling down,” Meng Yueyu remarked with feeling.
Others might not know the details, but Meng Yueyu had met Yu Sheng. She had witnessed Jiang Qiu and Yu Sheng dating, and she had watched them break up. Meng Yueyu had been a firsthand witness to everything involving the Alpha during her time in New York.
Meng Yueyu arrived in Lihua City in the afternoon, accompanied by her assistant. Jiang Qiu brought Wen Yan along to pick them up.
The Beta was tall and striking, sporting her signature French wavy hair that never seemed to change. Upon spotting Jiang Qiu, Meng Yueyu flashed a bright smile and waited for the two to walk over. Her gaze fell first onto Wen Yan. After sizing up the Omega for a brief moment, Meng Yueyu smiled and extended her hand.
“We finally meet, Miss Wen.”
Wen Yan shook her hand and returned the smile. “Hello. I have also heard of Miss Meng’s great name for a long time.”
“When is the engagement banquet being held?” Meng Yueyu asked next.
Jiang Qiu answered, “It hasn’t been set yet.”
“Well, let me know when it is. If I haven’t left Lihua City by then, I’ll definitely attend.” As Meng Yueyu spoke, she pulled out a pre-prepared red envelope and pressed it into Wen Yan’s hand. “A meeting gift. You must accept it.”
Wen Yan felt a wave of trepidation and instinctively tried to decline, but the Beta’s sharp, dark-brown eyes made it impossible to voice any rejection. Though her tone wasn’t particularly aggressive, her face carried an innate severity when she wasn’t smiling. Wen Yan opened her mouth, but ultimately remained speechless.
Jiang Qiu lightly patted her shoulder and said in a gentle voice, “Just take it. It’s just a token of her regard.”
Wen Yan looked down at this “token of regard,” her anxiety multiplying. The red envelope felt very thin, inside, it wasn’t cash, but a check.
The amount written on it was sixty thousand.
Meng Yueyu’s meeting gift was far too heavy. Wen Yan felt like she could barely hold it.
“Jiang…”
The Omega clutched the Alpha’s sleeve, silently urging Jiang Qiu to return it. She had no justification for taking Meng Yueyu’s money, let alone such a substantial sum.
However, before she could utter a word, Meng Yueyu leaned in slightly closer to her. Her eyes were completely devoid of emotional ripples, so calm that it was impossible to discern whether she was pleased or angry.
“You two remember to treat each other well. Since you’re getting married, make sure to adjust to one another. It’s best if you can achieve mutual understanding.”
Even though she was looking directly at Wen Yan, these words were actually directed at Jiang Qiu.
After speaking, Meng Yueyu cast a cool glance at Jiang Qiu. After a brief pause, she added, “Have you bought the wedding rings in advance?”
Jiang Qiu lowered her gaze slightly. “We haven’t found any that caught our eye yet.”
Meng Yueyu didn’t reply immediately. She simply stared at Jiang Qiu for a long moment before turning around and murmuring casually, “You aren’t planning to use that previous ring, are you?”
The Alpha stated, “No.”
“You still haven’t thrown it away?” Meng Yueyu pushed.
Jiang Qiu offered no answer, causing the Beta to tilt her head back toward her. The furrow of her brow made Meng Yueyu’s expression look incredibly stern. But she chose not to pursue it further. Instead, she started walking toward the exit, changing the subject:
“Buying them now should be just right.”
Wen Yan intervened, saying, “I was the one who felt it was a bit too early, which is why we haven’t bought them yet.”
Meng Yueyu countered, “There’s nothing wrong with buying them a bit early. Let me take the lead and help you two pick a pair.”
“There’s no need…” Hearing this, Wen Yan hurriedly waved her hands in refusal.
If they did that, wouldn’t it be an exorbitant expense?
“Xiao Wen, we’re all family. Why be so polite?” Meng Yueyu offered her a thin smile, her tone brooking no argument.
Faced with this, Wen Yan cast a pleading look toward Jiang Qiu. The Alpha let out a soft sigh. “We can just look for them ourselves. You’re usually so busy your feet barely touch the ground, where would you even find the time?”
“I’m not busy these next two days. I have time.” Meng Yueyu spoke with absolute finality, this wasn’t a negotiation, it was an announcement.
Having said her piece, she gave them no room to keep declining, moving right along. “I don’t have a place to stay since I just arrived. How about it? Do you have a guest room at your place where I can crash for a few days?”
“Yes, stay as long as you like,” Jiang Qiu said.
The corners of Meng Yueyu’s eyes curved upward. “You two can rest easy in the master bedroom. I won’t bother you.”
Jiang Qiu clarified, “You don’t need to worry about that. Xiao Yan lives in the other building. You won’t be bothering anyone either way.”
“You don’t live together?”
Meng Yueyu was visibly taken aback by the fact that they were living in entirely separate buildings. Weren’t they supposed to be fostering their relationship here in Lihua City? They were practically on the verge of marriage, yet up to this point, they still looked like they were maintaining an awkward distance.
Before Jiang Qiu could explain, Meng Yueyu beat her to it. “You two move into one place, and vacate the other house for me. Xiao Wen, what do you think?”
Jiang Qiu opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. Wen Yan blinked, instinctively nodding her head. “That works.”
Meng Yueyu declared, “Then it’s settled.”
“You could have refused her,” Jiang Qiu whispered, looking at the Omega and shaking her head gently.
Wen Yan replied, “It’s fine. I don’t have much luggage anyway, so staying in the guest bedroom is more than enough.”
Truthfully, she had already felt that the house was far too empty and hadn’t quite grown accustomed to living alone. She didn’t have a compelling reason to insist on staying there by herself anyway.
Once they returned to Chanyue Mingyuan, Jiang Qiu went to tidy up the guest room in her own apartment, while Wen Yan escorted Meng Yueyu upstairs. The Omega’s luggage was incredibly easy to pack, taking no time at all to sort out. Meanwhile, Meng Yueyu took a brief tour of the apartment’s layout before finally leaning against the bedroom doorframe, watching Wen Yan zip up her suitcase.
Suddenly, the Beta asked out of nowhere.
“Xiao Wen, have you seen Yu Sheng recently?