Leng Xuelang actually knew that Jiu Yi wasn’t afraid of snakes. She hadn’t been afraid of that massive snake this morning, even subduing it instantly, so she would be even less afraid of this one.
Naturally, Leng Xuelang didn’t want to expend useless effort, but she also didn’t want Jiu Yi to turn this page so easily. Even though she didn’t really know what she was angry about or what she was so unwilling to accept, she had always been this willful.
Since she couldn’t mess with her nephew right now, wasn’t it just as fine to mess with Jiu Yi first?
She wouldn’t carry any psychological burden over it.
Moreover, even though Leng Xuelang didn’t want to admit it, she felt that Jiu Yi’s influence on her seemed somewhat significant, she just didn’t know how to put it into words exactly.
She was supposed to have the kind of condition akin to skin hunger, which made things quite uncomfortable for her. However, with the increase of her age and the development of pharmaceutical treatments for this condition, the symptoms had improved significantly over the years.
It had been a very, very long time since she had felt this uncomfortable.
Yet, the moment Jiu Yi touched her body, she suddenly noticed something amiss.
She didn’t know how to describe it. It felt like a condition that had been suppressed for a long time was suddenly flaring up again, catching her completely off guard.
She would absolutely never crave an Alpha’s touch and embrace. That was completely impossible.
“CEO Jiu told your nephew just now… that we slept together last night and slept until dawn… Were you trying to tell him… that we have a one night stand kind of relationship?” Leng Xuelang approached her, coming so close that she was nearly brushing against her lips, her breath as fragrant as orchids.
“Didn’t I take care of you the entire night? Without even untying my clothes,” Jiu Yi moved her face a bit further away, speaking to her with what could even be called earnest, well-meaning advice. “You are still young. Whatever you do, don’t become a ‘love-brain.’ Men’s words can never be trusted.”
“You must focus heavily on your career. I will also do my utmost to nurture you.”
“But I really like him. I can’t leave him. What do you suggest I do?” Leng Xuelang said, looking deeply melancholy as her eyes grew red once more.
“That’s very simple.” Jiu Yi wiped the corner of her eye, looking as though she genuinely pitied her.
“What is it?”
“Work as my assistant while doing your planning work. This will guarantee you are busy enough that you won’t have time to think about those pointless things. I’ll also pay you double wages.”
“Why aren’t you speaking? Is my method not good?”
Leng Xuelang really wanted to pinch her face to make her stop telling these hellish jokes.
At the same time, she subtly manipulated that little snake, which had silently coiled around Jiu Yi’s ankle, to creep up bit by bit, trying to find a fragile and sensitive spot to give her a bite.
However, Jiu Yi had long discovered the snake’s presence. She reached down, caught the young snake in her hand, and pinned it by its seven inches mark so it couldn’t move.
“Don’t be afraid, this snake isn’t venomous.” Jiu Yi didn’t seem surprised by the snake’s appearance in the car. She even comforted Leng Xuelang right away, clearly remembering how she had been frightened by a snake in the original host’s manor room just moments ago.
“It might not be non-venomous.” Leng Xuelang’s feelings were complicated, but she could actually sense that the snake caught by Jiu Yi seemed very happy, actively coiling around Jiu Yi’s wrist and refusing to leave.
“I am more venomous than it is.” Jiu Yi didn’t pull the snake off either, unexpectedly carrying it with her as she got out of the car.
Leng Xuelang truly couldn’t understand. “You… you’re going inside carrying it like that?”
“It looks like it likes me very much.”
“…How can you tell?”
“The weather is getting cold, so snakes need to find a place to hibernate. Doesn’t my spot happen to be perfect for it?”
“…Aren’t you afraid of it treating your wrist as a nest? What if it really bites you…”
“Hmm, are you worried about me?” Jiu Yi felt that she was talking quite a bit, and her attitude toward her seemed a little friendlier. Her disgust value hadn’t gone up either. Though she didn’t know the reason, not blackening was a good thing.
She leaned her face closer, seemingly wanting to see clearly into her thoughts.
Leng Xuelang’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her gaze, thinking to herself that she definitely wasn’t worried about her.
Even if she were worried about her, she would be worried that the snake’s venom wasn’t strong enough to bite her to death.
“Alright, let’s get out of the car. Qingzhi must be waiting anxiously.” Jiu Yi even adjusted the snake on her wrist to a more comfortable position to let it stay there before opening the door to step out.
Jiu Yi didn’t want to ride a wheelchair into the auction. In fact, because this auction was massive in scale and featured all sorts of items, both cheap and expensive, coupled with the fact that the original host had indeed signed a massive deal here in Hong Kong, it meant that the pressure Jiu Yi faced would not be small, but enormous.
After all, many people would definitely want a massive contract like that. Yet, even under such circumstances, she had defeated all competitors to secure it.
Next, this project in her hands would be able to fully enter Hong Kong and become her new lucrative market.
Before her project could fully enter Hong Kong, the overt and covert struggles she would face would not be few. It could be said that for someone like the original host sitting in such a position, even if she was paralyzed, there would still be countless crises waiting for her until she was powerless to resist and fought to elimination.
Lo and behold, before she could even steady herself after stepping out of the car, she heard an extremely piercing voice ring out from not far away. “Yo, CEO Jiu, we meet again. I heard that last night your precious sword remained sharp as you took one Omega after another from the ‘Treasury’ to indulge yourself? You even snatched your nephew’s Omega without paying? I wonder if those crippled legs of yours can handle managing two at once?”
“If you really can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I can take over for you.”
“He Lishui, do you have a cuckold fetish?”
“What?”
“Otherwise, why are you always coveting other people’s partners?”
The person spouting nonsense at Jiu Yi was none other than another female Alpha. This Alpha happened to be one of the competitors in this project bidding, but she had never managed to beat the original host even once, always being effortlessly humiliated in return.
Over time, they had become mortal enemies.
This time was no exception, as she casually delivered herself to be tormented by Jiu Yi. Not tormenting her would simply be un-human.
“Si Jiuyi, I’m just afraid a double legged cripple like you won’t be able to handle it. I heard your gland has even run into issues, making you unable to mark Omegas. Now that I’m trying to share your burdens, you actually look at me this way? Truly disappointing.”
“Well, that’s still better than certain people who can’t even protect their own partners, who later… ended up marrying your mother and becoming your stepmother.”
Jiu Yi found it hilarious. “He Lishui, before you mock me next time, can you weigh how many ounces you’re worth? This matter of yours is no secret in Haicheng either. I wouldn’t mind letting all of Hong Kong know about your past ‘glorious deeds.'”
“Si Jiuyi! Do you dare to horse race with me?! If you win, I’ll call you my ‘living mother’!” He Lishui seemed genuinely infuriated by her. Originally, she had been completely certain of winning this bidding, but Si Jiuyi, that coward, had unexpectedly held a hidden trump card that caused her to lose entirely, suffering far too many losses.
Her stomach was full of anger with nowhere to vent, and being stimulated by Si Jiuyi like this made it strange if she could remain calm.
“No need to compete with you, I am already your ‘living mother’.” Jiu Yi wouldn’t fall for her provocation at all, feeling that the condition she offered held zero value. Speaking even one more word with her felt like a waste of time.
“Let’s go.” Jiu Yi glanced at Leng Xuelang and Zhao Qingzhi, leaned on her cane, and began to walk forward.
“CEO Jiu, let me support you.” Zhao Qingzhi was extremely proactive, directly grasping her wrist and even wanting to hold her hand to walk shoulder to shoulder with her, looking deeply affectionate.
Jiu Yi didn’t refuse either, turning her head to look at her with a smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, I… I didn’t know you were actually this tall when standing up.” Zhao Qingzhi was so enchanted by this smile that she nearly lost her soul, not quite daring to look at her anymore.
Yet, she couldn’t seem to bear not taking stolen glances at her.
[Host, Zhao Qingzhi’s heart rate is soaring again, ah, ah, ah! If only her affection value for you could make up for Leng Xuelang’s disgust value toward you!]
“What is the disgust value at now?”
[90.]
“There’s still a buffer of 10 to rise. We’ve gained.”
[Leng Xuelang has been watching you and Zhao Qingzhi from behind this whole time. Aren’t you going to pay some attention to her?] The system asked out of curiosity again.
Jiu Yi wanted to say there was no need to pay attention to her, since she was a very humane boss. But after thinking about it, she really should show some care for her subordinate so she wouldn’t be too shocked, after all, large-scale, socially-dead gossip scenes like this wouldn’t be rare in the future.
It was better for her to get used to diligently eating popcorn on the sidelines early on.
“Ah!”
However, before she could turn her head to look at her, she suddenly heard Zhao Qingzhi give a panicked “Ah” from the side. Jiu Yi instantly turned her head to look at her.
She saw that the little snake, which had originally been sleeping soundly on her wrist, had woken up at some unknown point. It was currently coiled on her wrist, hissing at Zhao Qingzhi.
It looked entirely displeased with Zhao Qingzhi.
Zhao Qingzhi feared these soft, squishy, and terrifying creatures the most. She was so frightened that she almost collapsed to the ground, her face completely filled with terror.
“No need to be afraid, it doesn’t bite,” Jiu Yi comforted her.
“You… a snake is coiled on your wrist… you… why didn’t you tell me! Did you… did you want to see me make a fool of myself?”
Heaven knew what Zhao Qingzhi felt when she suddenly touched her wrist and felt a cold, clammy snake. She felt that Jiu Yi did it on purpose, she didn’t actually like her but put on a show of being interested and polite.
In reality, she wanted to watch her make an embarrassment of herself.
She had seen plenty of superficial Alphas like this, but she hadn’t expected Jiu Yi to be one of them. Her heart was filled with disappointment, and she simply couldn’t accept it.
“That’s not the case, this snake isn’t venomous…”
“This is a juvenile five-pacer snake. It’s highly venomous. CEO Jiu, how could you say it’s non-venomous?”
Leng Xuelang spoke up at the perfect time, putting on a show of worrying about her: “CEO Jiu, I wanted to warn you when you got out of the car just now, but you insisted on having your way. I… I couldn’t do anything about you either.”
“CEO Jiu… I didn’t think you would truly look down on me to this extent… you… you even want me dead!” Zhao Qingzhi seemed to believe Leng Xuelang’s words. She looked at Jiu Yi with extreme disappointment and grief, tears practically welling in her eyes.
Without waiting for Jiu Yi to explain, she directly turned on her high heels and left.
Jiu Yi: ?
[Leng Xuelang’s disgust value -1 -1 -1]
Jiu Yi: ?