Dawn was about to break. A sliver of grey light leaked through the gap in the curtains, and the night color was fading away little by little.
Bai Yue lay on her side on the bed, holding the Omega who had been intimate with her all night in her arms. Her arm loosely looped around the other person’s waist, her face buried in the back of the other person’s neck, with the tip of her nose resting against that warm patch of skin just below the scent gland.
The scent of white peach was still very strong, but it was no longer as aggressive as it had been in the night. Instead, it was lazy, mixed with agarwood, and drifted away in the air.
Her lips unconsciously brushed against that patch of skin, causing the person in her arms to shift.
“I should go.”
The Omega’s voice sounded, carrying the hoarseness of satisfaction and a strange clarity, as if she had been awake for a long time, just waiting for her to let go.
Bai Yue did not open her eyes, but her arm tightened slightly.
It was quiet for a few seconds.
The Omega said again, “Did President Bai go back on her word?”
Bai Yue was completely woken up by this title of President Bai, and she opened her eyes. The light was still very dim, and she could only see a blurry outline with her back to her, revealing half a shoulder and the side of her neck. There were fresh marks on it, the ones she had left last night.
Bai Yue looked at those marks and suddenly felt a little reluctant to let go.
Still, she let go.
Her arm slid away from that person’s waist and fell onto the bedsheet.
The Omega sat up.
The morning light had not yet fully broken, and the room was a suggestive grayish blue. Bai Yue lay on her side, watching her turn her back to herself and put on her clothes one piece at a time.
The movements were very light and very slow, as if deliberately slowing down to let her watch.
Bai Yue looked at that slender and flexible back, and suddenly spoke up, “We will meet again.”
The Omega’s movement paused for a second. She did not look back, did not speak, and simply continued putting on her clothes.
Bai Yue did not expect an answer.
She just wanted to let the other person know that this was not the end.
The Omega finished dressing, stood by the bed, and looked down at her.
In the morning light, that face was still unclear, facing against the light, with only a silhouette.
“Goodbye,” she said.
Then she turned and walked toward the door.
The door opened and then closed, and the room fell quiet again.
Bai Yue stared at that door for a few seconds. She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow where that person had lain.
The scent of white peach still lingered, very strong.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she woke up again, the light was completely different. Sunlight squeezed in through the gap in the curtains, painting glaring white lines across the floor.
Bai Yue’s consciousness was not fully awake yet, and she first felt the change in light at the door, as if someone had come in.
That person’s footsteps were very light, walking to the bedside and stopping. Then, a hand covered her forehead. Warm, soft, testing the temperature.
Bai Yue’s eyelids fluttered.
She suddenly raised her hand and grasped that hand.
“Don’t go,” she muttered indistinctly, her voice unrecognizably hoarse.
That hand paused, and another voice sounded, “I’m not going.”
Bai Yue’s eyelashes trembled.
This voice was not white peach.
It was another familiar, gentle voice that she heard every day.
Bai Yue opened her eyes. She saw a familiar face. Her long black hair was loose, and amber eyes were looking at her with concern.
Jiang Manru.
Her wife.
Bai Yue stared at that face, the haze in her eyes fading bit by bit.
“Awake?” Jiang Manru asked softly, her hand still held by her. “Did you have a nightmare?”
Bai Yue looked at her and let go of her hand.
“No,” she said. She sat up and rubbed her hair. “When did you come in?”
“Just now.” Jiang Manru pointed to the bedside table, where breakfast and coffee were placed. “Eat something first. You’re not feeling well. Are you still going to the company today?”
Bai Yue glanced at her phone, threw off the quilt, and got out of bed.
“I am going,” she said. “There’s a meeting.”
She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Facing the mirror, she pulled down her collar, and her collarbone was covered in marks.
Bai Yue stared at those marks for a moment, turned on the faucet, and washed her face with cold water.
When she came out, Jiang Manru had already laid out her clothes for her. “I put them here for you,” she said. “Remember to eat breakfast. Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach.”
Bai Yue nodded.
Jiang Manru walked over and helped her straighten her collar.
The movement was very light and very natural.
She stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to Bai Yue’s cheek.
“Then I’ll go back first,” she said. “What do you want to eat tonight? Call me, and I’ll prepare it.”
“Mm,” she said. “Sorry to trouble you.”
Jiang Manru smiled and said no more.
Bai’s Capital.
Bai Yue pushed open the office door and sat down behind her desk.
Lin Wei followed behind and placed the documents in her hand on the desk. “President Bai, the meeting materials are all here.”
“I have something for you to do.” Bai Yue ignored the pile of documents, pulled her phone out of her pocket, brought up that chat box, and handed the phone to Lin Wei.
“Check the owner of this number,” she said. “Name, address, occupation, social relations, the more detailed the better.”
Lin Wei took the phone and glanced at the string of numbers. There was no particular expression on her face, but her mind was already running wild with imagination.
Having followed Bai Yue for five years, she had seen countless people trying every possible means to get close to her boss. Sending flowers, sending gifts, creating accidental encounters, it was always other people investigating her.
What kind of Omega could make President Bai proactively investigate her? Truly a rare sight.
“Any problems?” Bai Yue asked.
Lin Wei came back to her senses and glanced at the string of numbers again.
“There’s a bit too little information,” she said in a calm tone. “I’ll try.”
Bai Yue leaned back in her chair and said nothing.
At three in the afternoon, Bai Yue’s phone rang.
She glanced at the screen, Mother Dearest.
Bai Yue rubbed her glabella and answered.
“Mom.”
“Yueyue, there’s a cocktail party tonight, and you must bring Manru along,” Bai’s mother’s voice came through the earpiece. “It’s a very important occasion, you must go.”
Bai Yue looked at the gloomy sky outside the window with little patience. “What cocktail party?”
“Old Master Li’s eightieth birthday,” Bai’s mother said. “The Li family and our family have years of friendship, and you even used to call him Grandpa Li when you were little. I had evening gowns sent over for you both. Remember to pick up Manru.”
Bai Yue was silent for a second.
She didn’t want to do anything today. She didn’t want to attend meetings, she didn’t want to see people, she didn’t want to talk, she just wanted to stay by herself.
But she couldn’t say that.
“Got it.”
“Don’t be late.” Bai’s mother paused, her voice softening. “Also, spend more time with Manru when you have free time. Don’t always be busy with work.”
Bai Yue didn’t speak.
The call hung up.
She tossed her phone onto the desk and listlessly stared at the ceiling. After a long while, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Jiang Manru.
[There’s a cocktail party tonight, I’ll pick you up at six.]
Jiang Manru replied almost instantly: [Okay, I’ll get ready.]
Bai Yue looked at that reply.
She always said okay.
She never asked what kind of cocktail party it was, never asked who was attending, and she wouldn’t ask anything.
Bai Yue put down her phone and continued looking out the window.
At six sharp, Bai Yue’s car parked right outside the house.
She leaned against the car door, waiting.
The evening breeze was a bit chilly, fluttering the collar of her shirt slightly. She lit a cigarette, took a drag, and then pinched it out.
Bai Yue raised her head and happened to see Jiang Manru coming out. She wore a champagne-colored evening gown, tailored to fit, with the hem sweeping the floor. Her long hair was pinned up, revealing her slender neck. Pearl earrings hung from her lobes, casting a warm glow in the twilight.
A scent drifted over.
Not jasmine.
It was white peach.
Bai Yue froze in place, watching Jiang Manru approach.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Manru walked up to her, tilting her head to look at her. “Doesn’t it look good?”
“No,” Bai Yue recovered her senses. “Get in the car.”
She opened the car door, and Jiang Manru got inside.
Bai Yue got in from the other side.
The car door closed, and the interior was permeated with that white peach scent.
Heavy, close, real.
Bai Yue held the steering wheel without moving.
“This perfume…” she began.
Jiang Manru turned her head to look at her and smiled. “My stylist helped me choose it.” Her tone was very natural. “They said it suits tonight’s gown very well. What, does it not smell good?”
Bai Yue looked at her. In those amber eyes, there was only innocent inquiry, nothing else.
“It’s fine,” Bai Yue looked away. “Just doesn’t quite suit you.”
She started the car and drove into the twilight traffic.
Jiang Manru leaned against the seat, looking out the window.
“Then what scent do you think I should use?” she asked casually.
Bai Yue was silent for a second.
“Lilies, I suppose,” she said.
Jiang Manru turned to look at her. “Lilies?”
“Mm,” Bai Yue stared at the road ahead. “Clean and light, smells very comfortable.”
Jiang Manru smiled. “I’ll switch to lilies next time.”
Bai Yue didn’t speak. But her hand gripping the steering wheel tightened slightly.
The scent of white peach still lingered in the car.
Refusing to dissipate.
Bai Yue took a deep breath and concentrated on driving.
The cocktail party was held in the banquet hall of a five-star hotel.
Bai Yue handed her car keys to the valet and led Jiang Manru inside.
Crystal chandeliers, champagne towers, guests in suits and formal wear, women adorned in jewels. Various pheromones blended together, the coldness of Alphas, the sugary sweetness of Omegas, the neutrality of Betas, weaving into a complex web in the air.
As soon as she walked in, Bai Yue began adjusting her state.
Tonight’s task was very simple, bring her wife to socialize, maintain the good Alpha persona, and don’t let anyone notice any flaws.
She turned slightly, letting Jiang Manru link her arm through hers.
“Don’t be nervous,” she whispered. “Just follow me.”
Jiang Manru nodded, smiling obediently.
As soon as they stepped into the hall, someone approached them.
“Bai Yue, long time no see!” It was a middle-aged man, an old client of the Bai family.
Bai Yue breathed a sigh of relief.
An acquaintance, but not that kind of acquaintance.
“Director Li,” she smiled and shook his hand. “This is my wife, Jiang Manru.”
“Oh my, Mrs. Bai is so pretty!” Director Li offered a few compliments and chatted for a bit before walking away.
Bai Yue continued walking inward.
Along the way, people kept greeting them.
Business partners, elders, peers.
And some other people. Their gazes lingered on Bai Yue for an exceptionally long time.
Omegas, young, pretty, with flamboyant pheromones.
Their gazes slid past Bai Yue’s face, landed on the arm linked through hers, and then slid away.
Carrying a hint of regret and ambiguity.
“Bai Yue.”
A voice sounded from the side.
Bai Yue turned her head.
An Omega wearing a wine-red long dress was walking over, holding a champagne flute. She looked at Bai Yue with a smile at the corners of her mouth.
“Long time no see.”
Bai Yue’s heart skipped a beat.
This person.
What was her name again?
Linda, Lily, or someone else?
“Don’t remember me?” The Omega stepped closer, her gaze shifting between her and Jiang Manru. “Well, you’ve seen too many Omegas, it’s normal not to remember.”
Bai Yue gave a dry laugh.
“How could that be,” she said. “How have you been lately?”
“Pretty good,” the Omega smiled. “I heard you got married? Is this…”
“My wife, Jiang Manru,” Bai Yue said.
The Omega looked Jiang Manru up and down.
“So pretty,” she said, her tone carrying a different meaning. “Bai Yue, you have good taste.”
Bai Yue maintained her smile.
The Omega glanced at Jiang Manru again, then leaned close to Bai Yue, lowering her voice to say, “Last time at Lost, you weren’t like this.”
Bai Yue’s smile froze for a second.
The Omega smiled as she stepped back, nodded to Jiang Manru, and turned away.
Bai Yue felt the hand on her arm tighten slightly.
She looked down at Jiang Manru.
Jiang Manru was also looking at her, her eyes clear.
“Lost?” she asked. “What kind of place is that?”
Bai Yue’s heartbeat missed a beat.
“A bar,” she said. “A place to talk business.”
Jiang Manru nodded and didn’t ask further.
Bai Yue breathed a sigh of relief.
They continued walking forward.
But they hadn’t gone far before someone stopped them again.
This time it was a short-haired Omega, wearing neat tailored trousers and holding a wine glass. When she saw Bai Yue, her eyes lit up.
“Bai Yue, it really is you!”
Bai Yue recognized her.
This was the one from three months ago.
She still couldn’t remember the name.
“Long time no see,” she said politely.
The short-haired Omega stepped closer, her gaze falling on Jiang Manru.
“This is…”
“My wife.”
The short-haired Omega was stunned for a moment, then smiled.
“Congratulations,” she said, her tone carrying a hint of regret. “When you said you didn’t want to get married before, I actually thought you meant it.”
Bai Yue’s smile froze for another second.
“That was in the past,” she said. “Now I’ve met the right person.”
The short-haired Omega glanced at Jiang Manru and smiled. “Then I wish you happiness.”
She raised her wine glass, gestured to Bai Yue, and turned to walk away.
Bai Yue’s back had already started breaking out in a sweat.
Because not far away, several other Omegas were looking at her.
One of them was raising a wine glass and smiling at her.
That smile clearly said that they would meet again.
Bai Yue bit the bullet and walked over.
“President Bai,” that Omega greeted with a smile. “Long time no see. This is…”
“My wife.”
The Omega’s gaze swept back and forth over Jiang Manru.
“Mrs. Bai is so pretty.” She looked at Bai Yue. “Last time you said you were busy, turns out you were busy falling in love.”
Bai Yue was speechless.
The Omega walked away with a smile.
Bai Yue took a deep breath and continued walking forward.
But this path seemed endless.
Every few steps, another Omega popped up.
“Bai Yue, long time no see.”
“President Bai, why haven’t you come around lately?”
“Bai Yue, is this your wife? I’m so envious.”
Every single one of them smiled, every single one of them spoke with ambiguity, and every single one of them made Bai Yue’s back run cold.
Because every word they said was telling Jiang Manru that her wife used to play quite wild.
While dealing with them, Bai Yue secretly observed Jiang Manru’s reaction.
Jiang Manru held her arm, smiling gently.
There was nothing unusual on her face.
As if she hadn’t understood anything.
As if she hadn’t noticed anything.
“Bai Yue.”
Another voice sounded.
Bai Yue turned her head.
A tall Omega stood before her, wearing a black long dress with a cold and stunning demeanor.
This one had left a deep impression on her.
She was the one who had pestered her the longest.
The Omega looked at her and then at Jiang Manru. “Finally settled down?”
Bai Yue smiled somewhat awkwardly.
The Omega didn’t say much. Just before leaving, she leaned close to Bai Yue’s ear and whispered that her wife was quite pretty, but looked too obedient, wondering if she could handle her.
Bai Yue stood in place, feeling the hand on her arm tighten once more.
“You know so many people,” Jiang Manru said softly.
Bai Yue’s heart tightened. “I met them all through work.”
Jiang Manru said, “They’re all very pretty.”
Bai Yue was speechless.
She didn’t know how to respond to that statement.
Jiang Manru smiled and leaned against her shoulder.