It was 6:30 AM, and Jiang You’s internal clock woke her up right on time.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds, as yesterday’s events replayed in her mind like a movie: the engagement annulment, the fifty thousand, Wen Shaonian, the agreement, the one million, the secret marriage, getting their marriage certificate.
“Not a dream,” she muttered softly, sitting up.
The sky outside the window was just beginning to brighten. The sound insulation in the old residential complex was poor; the neighboring school was already playing its morning broadcast, and the oily aroma from the breakfast shop downstairs drifted in through the window crack. Jiang You took a deep breath and resignedly got up to wash up.
She had way too many things to do today.
After changing into her clothes and heading out, Jiang You walked along the familiar narrow path toward the breakfast shop, her mind already starting to calculate.
As for her mother and older sister, she could not give them too much money all at once.
It was not because she was stingy, but rather because those two were truly not the types who knew how to manage money. Especially Jiang Tang, who had never had to worry about money growing up and swiped credit cards without any concept of budgeting. Madam Jiang was slightly better, but not by much; after all, having lived as a wealthy corporate wife for the better part of her life, her sensitivity to prices was roughly equal to zero.
Besides, it was difficult to explain such a large sum of money. She was just a design team leader, so where would she get one million? Say it came from her boss? Then her mother would definitely ask why the boss was giving her so much money, and the secret marriage would blow right open.
Therefore, the safest approach right now was to give them some pocket money first and muddle through this period.
“Boss, three soy milks, six meat buns, and two sticks of fried dough strips, please.” Jiang You stopped in front of the breakfast shop and ordered smoothly.
“Coming right up!” The boss packed the items with quick, practiced movements.
Jiang You paid, carried the bags home, and found the apartment quiet; both Jiang Wanqing and Jiang Tang were still asleep.
Jiang You left the breakfast on the dining table and went to wake up her sister first.
Jiang Tang’s bedroom door was not closed tightly. She pushed it open, finding the curtains drawn and the room somewhat dim. Jiang Tang was curled up entirely inside the quilt, with only a small tuft of hair visible. Her sleeping posture was uninhibited, and one foot was even sticking out.
“Sis.” Jiang You patted the quilt. “Get up and eat breakfast.”
“Five more minutes.” Jiang Tang muttered incoherently, rolling over and dragging the quilt away with her.
Helpless, Jiang You walked over to the window and pulled open the curtains, letting sunlight flood in instantly.
“Ah, too bright!” Jiang Tang let out a miserable shriek and covered her face with a pillow. “Youyou, you are too cruel!”
“The soy milk won’t taste good if it gets cold.” Jiang You remained unmoved. “Get up quickly. I am going to wake Mom.”
Jiang Wanqing was much easier to wake; a mother was always more conscientious than an older sister.
Jiang You knocked on the door and said, “Mom, breakfast is ready,” and the rustling sound of changing clothes immediately drifted from inside.
“Coming, coming.” Jiang Wanqing opened the door, her face still carrying the blurriness of just waking up. “Youyou, what did you buy?”
“Soy milk, fried dough strips, and buns.”
“Oh, Mom is just hungry. You are so thoughtful.”
The family sat down to eat breakfast, the atmosphere warmly nostalgic for once.
Jiang You looked at the two faces across from her, one lowering her head to sip soy milk and the other chewing a bun with puffed-up cheeks, suddenly feeling that this kind of life was not bad either. Although they were not as wealthy as before, everyone was together and safe, which beat everything else.
Halfway through the meal, Jiang You put down her chopsticks and cleared her throat.
“Mom, Sis, I need to tell you something.”
Both mother and daughter looked up simultaneously, wearing identical expressions of solemnity.
“I transferred some money to you.” Jiang You took out her phone, opened her banking app, and transferred twenty thousand to Jiang Wanqing and Jiang Tang each. “Spend this first, and tell me if you need more.”
Jiang Wanqing’s brows immediately furrowed. “Twenty thousand? Why are you giving me so much money? I do not need it.”
Halfway through her sentence, she froze, remembering her current situation and realizing she had practically nothing left in her account.
“Mom, just take it.” Jiang You smiled. “My job is doing okay right now. I can support you both.”
Jiang Wanqing’s eyes grew slightly red again. “You are just a young girl, your salary is only so much, and you have to support both of us.”
Jiang Tang caught on. “Wait a minute, Youyou, where did you get so much money?”
Jiang You had already prepared her excuse: “Project bonuses. The company has been doing really well lately.”
“What kind of project bonus is this big?” Jiang Tang asked suspiciously.
“Sis, just don’t ask. Anyway, it was neither stolen nor robbed.” Jiang You deflected the topic. “The main point is that I am going away on a business trip for a while, and I do not know how long it will take before I can come back. I am a bit worried about the two of you staying here alone.”
“What is there to worry about!” Jiang Wanqing said immediately. “Mom is not a child; can I really starve myself?”
Jiang You thought of that pot of carbonized pork ribs from yesterday and fell silent for a second.
“Mom, why don’t you hire a nanny?” She suggested tentatively. “She doesn’t even need to live in, just come every day to cook two meals and tidy up the place. I calculated it, five or six thousand a month should be enough.”
“Five or six thousand?” Jiang Wanqing’s voice pitched up a notch. “That expensive? No, no, way too wasteful!”
“Mom, our nanny used to cost twenty thousand a month.” Jiang Tang chimed in from the side.
“That was the past!” Jiang Wanqing glared at her. “Can now compare to then? Do you know how hard your younger sister works for her money? Hiring a nanny for five or six thousand a month, how much extra overtime would she have to pull?”
Jiang You opened her mouth to say something, but Jiang Wanqing had already started making arrangements.
“We can just cook for ourselves at home, or order takeout if worse comes to worst.” Jiang Wanqing said with absolute finality. “Don’t worry about us, just go focus on your business trip. Work comes first.”
“Right, right, right.” Jiang Tang nodded along. “Takeout is super convenient, much less troublesome than cooking.”
Jiang You thought to herself that since one of them could not cook and the other refused to cook, they would undoubtedly end up eating takeout for every single meal. But on second thought, takeout was at least safer than letting them cook themselves; it would at least keep them from setting the kitchen on fire.
“Then promise me you won’t touch the gas stove.” Jiang You looked at them, saying every single word clearly. “And no induction cooktops either.”
Jiang Wanqing guiltily looked away. “Understood.”
Jiang Tang obediently nodded instead. “Don’t worry, Youyou, even if I starve to death, I will never step foot in the kitchen again.”
Jiang You felt that this guarantee was somewhat reliable.
The family continued eating. Halfway through, Jiang Tang suddenly put down her chopsticks, her expression turning serious.
“Youyou, I want to discuss something with you.”
“Hm?”
“I want to find a job.” Jiang Tang said. “You are working too hard supporting the family alone. Even though I don’t know how to do anything, I can learn. I majored in design in college too, so I am basically in the same field as you. Maybe I can help you out.”
Jiang You nearly choked on her soy milk.
Sis, do you honestly have no idea how you even graduated from that college? You failed half of your major courses across four years, and your graduation project was even done by someone else. You claim you studied design when you cannot even tell different layers apart.
“Sis, I think there is no rush.” Jiang You weighed her phrasing. “Just rest at home for now, and we can talk after Dad’s situation stabilizes.”
“No.” Jiang Tang shook her head. “I am the older sister, I should be taking care of you. How can I let you keep supporting me?”
“I looked at recruitment websites, and some assistant positions don’t require experience. I can go try those.” Jiang Tang pulled out her phone to show Jiang You the bookmarked positions. “Look at this one, administrative assistant, monthly salary of forty-five hundred.”
Looking at the densely packed job listings on her sister’s phone screen, Jiang You felt a complex mix of emotions.
She remembered the day she was first recognized and brought back three months ago, when Jiang Tang had worn a limited-edition dress, stepped in high-heeled stilettos, styled her hair in exquisite large waves, and radiated the word “socialite” from head to toe.
And now, that very same wealthy young lady was seriously researching a monthly salary of forty-five hundred for an administrative assistant role.
Jiang You suddenly felt a stinging sensation in her nose.
“Sis, don’t rush.” She reached out and pressed the screen of Jiang Tang’s phone dark. “Let’s talk about job hunting after I get back from my business trip.”
“But—”
“If you are really that bored, study English at home and read some books.” Jiang You interrupted her. “When I get back, I will help you look over your resume and prepare for interviews.”
Jiang Tang looked at her with a pouting mouth, but ultimately nodded.
“Promise me then. You will help me find a job the moment you get back.”
“Promise.”
Jiang You smiled, but what she was actually thinking was that she did not even know when she would be able to come back. And honestly, if Jiang Tang went out to look for a job in her current state, she would genuinely worry about this naive sister of hers getting scammed.
There were simply too many fraudsters these days, specifically targeting young women who had yet to experience the real world. Jiang Tang had been sheltered so well since childhood that she barely understood worldly sophistication. If she really stepped into the corporate world, Jiang You shuddered to imagine what sort of chaos might ensue.
Sigh.
She had a sinking feeling that something was bound to go wrong.
“Youyou, stop sighing.” Jiang Tang sensitively caught her mood. “I promise I won’t do anything reckless, I will just stay home obediently and wait for you to come back, okay?”
“Mom will be obedient too.” Jiang Wanqing raised a hand in assurance. “I will definitely not touch the kitchen and definitely won’t cause trouble for you.”
“Call me or Dad if anything comes up.” Jiang You cautioned. “Never make decisions on your own, understand?”
“Understood, understood.” The mother and daughter chimed in unison, nodding like garlic pounders.
Looking at those two earnest faces, Jiang You sighed inwardly once more.
She walked out feeling heavy-hearted. As she walked, she pulled out her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and dialed a number.
Her busy father, who had been running everywhere trying to secure money and investments, had not been heard from in two days.
After ringing five or six times, the other side finally picked up.
“Hello? Youyou?” Her father Jiang Muyuan’s voice came through the earpiece, carrying obvious exhaustion and a faint, hard-to-detect trace of alcohol. “What is wrong? Did something happen at home?”
“Dad, nothing is wrong, everything is great at home.” Jiang You said quickly. “Mom and Sis are both fine, you can rest easy.”
The person on the other end let out a clear sigh of relief. “That’s good. That’s good.”
Jiang Muyuan’s voice sounded very dry, as if he had been drinking quite a bit and his throat was a little hoarse. Jiang You felt a twinge of pain in her heart. He used to be such a dignified man, always dressed in a sharp suit, laughing and chatting fluently, full of spirited confidence in the business world. Now, for the sake of collecting debts and pulling in investments, he had been running around entertaining and drinking every day for months straight.
“Dad, how is your situation over there?” Jiang You asked, her voice softening slightly.
“Sigh.” Jiang Muyuan sighed. “Not too great. That batch of goods we shipped out, the payment has been impossible to recover. The other company is drowning in debt too, just passing the buck back and forth. As for investments, we’ve reached out to everyone we could find, but not many are willing to step in, and their terms are pretty harsh.”
Jiang You fell silent for a moment before beginning to lay the groundwork in advance.
“Dad, I want to tell you something.” She took a deep breath. “Our company’s boss, Wen Shaonian, has recently been looking into some new investment projects and might be interested in our field. I’ll chat with her today to test the waters. If she shows any interest, would you be willing to come back and talk to her face-to-face?”
The other end of the line went silent for three seconds.
Then Jiang Muyuan’s voice spiked sharply: “What did you say? Wen Shaonian? President Wen of Shaohua Group?”
“Yes.” Jiang You tried to sound as calm as possible. “Dad, don’t get too excited yet. I just said she might be interested, it’s not confirmed.”
“Whether it’s confirmed or not comes later, Youyou, you are simply amazing!” Any trace of fatigue and powerlessness was instantly swept away from Jiang Muyuan’s voice, replaced by excited praise: “Wen Shaonian! That is a figure the entire business world is watching! If she is willing to invest, our family’s crisis is saved!”
The corners of Jiang You’s mouth curved up. “Then I’ll chat with her today and let you know immediately if there’s any news.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll wait for your good news!” Jiang Muyuan agreed repeatedly, his voice sounding much lighter.
Jiang You hung up, slipped her phone into her pocket, and walked toward the subway station.
Now she had to rush to the company, finish rewriting those damn data sets, and then face that ice-berg CEO who made her feel both terrified and she didn’t even know how to describe it.
When Jiang You walked into the design department, most of the desks were already occupied.
“Morning, Team Leader!” Xiao Lin popped out from behind her, holding a cup of Americano, her dark circles so thick they looked like she had taken two punches to the eyes.
“Morning.” Jiang You glanced at her. “Did you stay up working overtime again last night?”
“Of course I did. The new product proposal isn’t settled yet, and I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep.” Xiao Lin wailed, trailing behind her toward her desk. “Team leader, do you think we are being PUA’d by President Wen? That ‘disruptive innovation’ she mentioned last time, I’ve thought about it over and over for days, racking my brain and still couldn’t figure out how to disrupt anything. A calming patch is just a calming patch, what else can it turn into? Is it supposed to become edible?”
Jiang You was amused by her: “If you could invent an edible patch, that would indeed be pretty disruptive.”
“See, even you have no solution!” Xiao Lin sighed. “Let me tell you, yesterday I discussed things with Director Zhao until 11 PM. Over a dozen proposals, and every single one got rejected. Director Zhao said what I made was ‘too conservative’ and ‘lacks soul’. I told him, Director Zhao, I am a person whose very life is being tormented away, how do you expect me to craft a soulful design?”
Jiang You booted up her computer and casually chimed in: “Didn’t you say yesterday that President Wen herself is the one lacking a soul?”
Xiao Lin leaned in close abruptly, lowering her voice: “Team leader, don’t talk nonsense! I said President Wen is like an AI, I didn’t say she lacked a soul, even though she really does lack human warmth. You didn’t see her yesterday afternoon, when I ran into her in the elevator, I greeted her, and she gave me a look. That glance was so cold I instantly wanted to put on a down jacket right then and there.”
Jiang You held back a smile. “She probably just didn’t notice you.”
“How could she not notice! There were only two people in the entire elevator!” Xiao Lin protested aggrievedly. “She is just that kind of cold-blooded animal by nature. Aren’t Omegas supposed to be all gentle? How is she scarier than an Alpha.”
Jiang You didn’t reply, lowering her head to stare at her computer screen with a slightly complicated mood.
She wanted to say that Wen Shaonian wasn’t actually that cold, right? When they signed the agreement yesterday, didn’t she say, “You are quieter than those buzzing bees and butterflies”? Even though that sounded pretty cold too, it counted as deadpan humor at least, right? And that one-million-dollar “settlement fee” was handed over so cleanly and decisively that she really couldn’t bring herself to complain about her financial backer behind her back anymore.
“Team leader, why are you so quiet today?” Xiao Lin keenly sensed the abnormality, tilting her head to look at her. “Normally you are the most enthusiastic whenever President Wen is brought up. Last time she said you ‘didn’t bring your brain’ in a meeting, you came back and vented about it for a full afternoon.”
Jiang You: “…”
That was because she hadn’t signed an agreement with Wen Shaonian yet.
Now that she had signed it, how could she dare vent? In case word reached the ice-berg’s ears, she couldn’t afford a ten-million-dollar penalty.
“I’m a bit tired.” Jiang You brushed it off. “Didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Were you also kept awake by President Wen’s terror?” Xiao Lin looked at her sympathetically. “Understandable, understandable, we are all poor souls oppressed by the capitalists. Oh right, what did she actually say about your proposal yesterday? Did she really not scold you?”
“She really didn’t.” Jiang You quickly changed the subject. “Alright, stop chatting and get to work.”
“Right, right, get to work.” Xiao Lin scuttled back to her desk in a flash.
Jiang You breathed a sigh of relief, opened the design software, and pulled up the document for the “Lingxi Patch” proposal.
She read through a few lines of the dense annotations and drafts on the screen, and her thoughts began to drift.
The core technology of the Lingxi Patch was detecting a partner’s pheromone frequency via sensors and then releasing a matched bionic pheromone, which theoretically increased compatibility between partners. The biggest pain point for similar products currently on the market was insufficient matching precision, resulting in patches that not only failed to soothe but actually made people more irritable.
Solving this exact problem was what her team had been tackling recently. The data model had run through hundreds of rounds, boosting accuracy from 65% to 82%, but it was still a far cry from the 95% demanded by Wen Shaonian.
Staring at the data model on her screen, a thought suddenly popped into Jiang You’s head.
The Lingxi Patch had an auxiliary function: once a match succeeded, it could release trace catalytic factors to promote the natural fusion of both parties’ pheromones. This feature was originally designed to help partners with low compatibility slowly build rapport, but if it were used on a single person…
What would someone as cold to the bone as Wen Shaonian look like if she truly lost control during her rut?
As she thought about it, Jiang You froze entirely. She pictured the cold plum blossom scent carried by Wen Shaonian, wondering what it would feel like if that scent were truly released, and thinking that if she leaned closer, just a little closer, would she be able to smell it?
“Team leader!”
Xiao Lin’s voice exploded from behind, scaring Jiang You so badly that her hand jerked and her stylus went flying.
“What, what is it?!” Jiang You whipped around, her heart pounding at 180 beats per minute.
Xiao Lin stood three steps behind her holding a stack of documents with an innocent expression: “I called you several times and you didn’t respond. Director Zhao wants me to ask if yesterday’s data has been revised yet. He needs it this morning.”
“Revised, revised it.” Jiang You bent down to pick up her stylus, the tips of her ears burning red. “I’m sending it to his inbox right now.”
“Oh, okay.” Xiao Lin looked at her suspiciously. “Team leader, why is your face so red? Are you running a fever?”
“No, it’s just a bit warm.” Jiang You tugged at her collar and said with feigned annoyance, “Go back to work.”
Xiao Lin chuckled and scurried away.
Jiang You sat back down in her chair, covered her face with both hands, and took several deep breaths.
She was completely, utterly losing her mind. Why did she keep thinking about such unreliable things?
Do not think about it.
Especially do not think about what the financial backer would look like during her rut, do not think about how the financial backer would react to wearing a Lingxi Patch, and do not think about what that sentence from the backer—”Physiological needs can be discussed later”—actually meant.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
Jiang You looked down, and her heartbeat skipped a beat.
Wen Shaonian: “Come to my office right now. Bring your ID and household registration booklet. By the way, ask your director for time off; you don’t need to work this afternoon. We’re going to get our marriage certificate.”
Jiang You stared at the message, her fingers trembling slightly, and replied: “Received.”
Then she stood up, picked up her bag, and walked out under the watchful gazes of her colleagues.
“Team leader, where are you going?” Xiao Lin shouted from behind.
“President Wen called for me.” Jiang You said. “Probably about the proposal.”
Xiao Lin’s face instantly filled with sympathy: “You’re done for.”
Jiang You didn’t reply and quickened her pace toward the director’s office. After securing her time off, she strode briskly out of the design department, touching the household registration booklet hidden inside her canvas bag as her heart raced wildly out of control.
How should she put it? It felt like an indescribably bizarre sensation.
It felt a lot like suffering and enjoying it at the same time.