The Xie Family Residence.
Xie Yuqi sat alone in the small living room.
After hanging up her call with Ning Che, an expression of annoyance crossed her face, and a wave of irritation surged in her heart.
When it came to this relationship with Ning Che, she considered herself in absolute control, capable of pulling away at any moment. Yet, Ning Che cared about her intensely, sending texts and calling constantly every single day with the utmost sincerity.
It was starting to feel like a minor nuisance.
“Miss, dinner is served.”
Aunt Wang walked over to call her.
Dinner was a formal meal, a crucial time for the entire family to gather. Everything else had to step aside.
Just as Xie Yuqi was about to put her phone away, it rang. It was Xu Ziwen.
Xu Ziwen was the heiress of the prestigious Xu family, one of Yanjing’s elite. They had grown up together, along with Lu Niansheng from the Lu family.
Lu Niansheng was the daughter of Lu Ruilin, the elder sister of Madam Lu, making her Xie Yuqi’s direct maternal cousin.
The Lu family ranked third among Yanjing’s Big Four major clans.
The Eldest Daughter, Lu Ruilin. An S-class Alpha who married Xu Yisheng, the second daughter of the Xu family.
The Second Daughter, Lu Ruixuan. A top-tier Omega and a legendary beauty who shook Yanjing in her youth. She married Xie Xuan, the head of the Xie family, the leading house among the Big Four.
Lu Ruilin and Xu Yisheng shared an exceptionally deep bond, and their beloved daughter, Lu Niansheng, was the apple of their eye.
Xu Ziwen was the daughter of Xu Yi’an, who was Xu Yisheng’s older brother.
Looking closely at the genealogy, Xu Ziwen and Xie Yuqi were also related by marriage, essentially, Xu Ziwen was the niece of Xie Yuqi’s maternal aunt.
Moreover, though the Xu family wasn’t part of the Big Four clans, they possessed deep military backing. Xu Yi’an’s paternal aunt, Xu Aiyi, had married a powerful figure holding real authority in the imperial military. Furthermore, Xu Yi’an and Xu Yisheng’s older sister, Xu Yiping, was married to a military major general. Consequently, despite their low-profile demeanor, no one dared to cross the Xu family.
Xie Yuqi, Xu Ziwen, and Lu Niansheng had known each other for as long as they could remember. They had skipped school together, gotten into trouble together, and pranked hedonistic trust fund heirs together. Their bond was as ironclad as it gets.
Answering the call, Xie Yuqi said in a slightly annoyed tone, “Why are you calling me right at dinner time?”
Xu Ziwen burst out laughing. “I was afraid you’d be too full, so I specifically called right before you ate. Ye Lingyi, who just returned to the country, is hosting an old friends’ gathering tonight at her suburban villa. It starts at eight o’clock. She specifically asked me to invite you and Niansheng. Are you going?”
Without a second thought, Xie Yuqi replied, “No.”
Xu Ziwen adopted a more serious tone. “Actually, she wants to host this banquet specifically to apologize to you. Are you really not going?”
Xie Yuqi still didn’t hesitate. “No.” She then quickly added, “And you two aren’t allowed to go either…”
Xu Ziwen cut her off. “How tyrannical! You’re not going, and now you won’t even let Niansheng and me go?”
Xie Yuqi rubbed her temples. “I’m dealing with enough annoyance right now. How about this, after dinner, I’ll go find you guys for a small gathering instead.”
Xu Ziwen giggled. “Hear that, Lu Niansheng? I told you I’d win! Hurry up and hand over that new designer bag!”
A charming yet exasperated voice drifted through the phone. “Xu Ziwen, I haven’t even gotten this bag warm in my hands yet! How do you have the face to snatch it away? Yuqi, hurry up and help me out here!”
Only then did Xie Yuqi realize the two were together and had used her to make a bet. Flaring up with exasperation, she snapped, “Serves you right.”
Having successfully snatched the bag, Xu Ziwen replied triumphantly, “Then hurry up. Same old place, we’ll wait for you.”
Xie Yuqi gave an affirmative grunt, hung up the phone, and went to the dining room to join her parents for dinner.
At 6:20 PM, Ning Che arrived at Yipin Lou and entered the private dining room she had reserved in advance.
Her roommates hadn’t arrived yet, so she asked for the menu to look it over while calling her mother, Li Siyuan.
After the mother and daughter chatted for a bit, her younger sister, Ning Heng, snatched the phone away.
Ning Che chatted with her sister for a while until Ning Heng stealthily asked, “Sister, are you with Sister-in-law? Can I talk to her?”
Ning Che quickly lowered her voice. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Ning Heng giggled over the line. “What are you being shy for, Sister? Your girlfriend is obviously going to be my sister-in-law!”
Ning Che had a defective gland, and doctors had confidently declared she would never be able to mark an Omega. This was practically a death sentence for her future marital prospects since being unable to mark meant being unable to have children. Because of this, her parents never dared to ask about her love life.
However, her younger sister, Ning Heng, was young and reckless, completely disregarding the prognosis. Every time Ning Che returned home, Ning Heng would relentlessly pry into her university life, constantly asking if she was dating anyone.
At first, Ning Che refused to say anything.
When Xie Yuqi had initially announced their relationship, she had explicitly told her. “Our relationship exists strictly between the two of us. It doesn’t involve our respective families. I don’t want you telling your family, and I certainly don’t want them coming to bother me.”
Ning Che had agreed, which was why she had kept her family in the dark about having a girlfriend.
But during one winter break when she was texting Xie Yuqi, Ning Heng had caught her off guard by sneaking up behind her, catching a direct glimpse of the chat logs.
“Wow, who is ‘Baby’? Is that your partner? Sister, are you in a relationship?”
Unable to hide it anymore, Ning Che had no choice but to confess she had a girlfriend. To stop Ning Heng from prying further, she frightened her by claiming her girlfriend didn’t know about her defective gland yet, warning that if Ning Heng ran her mouth, she would end up growing old and dying alone.
In short, she was forbidden from being loose-lipped or telling their parents.
Seeing how deadly serious Ning Che was, Ning Heng had promised to keep the secret.
She hadn’t expected her sister to blurt out “Sister-in-law” so easily now.
Noticing how tense Ning Che was, Ning Heng muttered with slight dissatisfaction, “Sister, Mom went to get busy in the kitchen, and there’s no one around me. Who could possibly hear? Besides, you and your girlfriend have been dating for four years. Her becoming my sister-in-law is bound to happen sooner or later, right?”
Ning Che realized her sister had a point. Still, out of deep respect for Xie Yuqi, she firmly instructed Ning Heng not to yell out such titles or leak any word, wanting to save the revelation as a surprise for their parents.
Ning Heng chuckled twice, her tone playful and mischievous. “Alright, Sister. Keeping this secret is totally doable, but shouldn’t a secret involve a secrecy fee?”
Ning Che laughed out of pure exasperation. “Fine, fine, fine. We haven’t seen each other in two months, and your skin is already itching for a scolding, huh? You actually dare to extort your own older sister! Just wait until I get back to deal with you.”
“Bleh, bleh, bleh,” Ning Heng stuck her tongue out at her.
Ning Che hung up, transferred 1,000 Federation Credits to her sister, and sent another 5,000 Federation Credits to her mother.
Out of her 10,000 credit prize money, 4,000 remained. Tonight’s roommate dinner budget was 2,000, leaving exactly 2,000 to serve as her living expenses for the month.
Just as she finished planning this out, the door to the private room was pushed open, and five bright, attractive young women walked in, chatting and laughing.
Her roommates had arrived.
Leading the group was Xu Fan. She was of average height but possessed an outgoing, highly social personality, always acting as the ringleader.
Walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Xu Fan was a fashionable, striking Alpha sporting an afro and wearing Bluetooth earbuds named Liu Xinxin. Liu Xinxin came from a scholarly family, yet she was highly unconventional and flamboyant.
Behind them were the remaining three.
On the far left stood a tall, sexy Alpha with flowing long hair. She was exceptionally beautiful but notoriously unsmiling, critical, sharp-tongued, and arrogant. Her name was Ling Shiya, and she had taken the Joint College Entrance Examination twice.
The first time, she had been offered early admission to Federation University. Wanting to prove her own strength, she rejected the placement. When the scores came out, her marks were more than enough to enter Federation University, but the issue was that she missed being the State Scholar by a mere three points. Unwilling to accept this, she gave up her spot and chose to repeat a year of study.
In her second year, she placed second again, missing the State Scholar title once more.
Her family had practically forced her to report for enrollment this time, otherwise, she would have gone back to repeat the year yet again.
In the middle was a quiet, scholarly Alpha named Fang Lin, who wore black-rimmed glasses and conservative clothing, sporting a neat, ear-length bob. She looked exactly like a model student.
The girl on the far right immediately called out to Ning Che upon entering, offering a timid smile the moment Ning Che acknowledged her.
She was somewhat thin and frail, on the shorter side, with her hair tied in a ponytail. Possessing a plain, ordinary face and wearing a white T-shirt stamped with the Federation University logo, she appeared completely unremarkable among the five.
This girl was Shen Qingzhi, the only Beta in the dorm.
As a Beta, breaking through the fierce competition of millions to get into Federation University required effort far exceeding ordinary people, alongside an exceptionally high IQ.
But among those who entered Federation University, who wasn’t a chosen child of heaven?
Consequently, no one paid any attention to Shen Qingzhi. In fact, due to her status as a Beta, the others looked down on her to varying degrees.
However, Ning Che treated her with genuine sincerity, making them the closest friends in the room.
As the group took their seats, Liu Xinxin immediately asked, “Ning Che, I heard your girlfriend is coming?”
Ning Che blanked for a moment. Before she could come up with an explanation, Ling Shiya chimed in with a sarcastic tone, “Oh wow, four years have passed, and it’s finally our turn to see this girlfriend of yours. The young mistress sure is tied up with thousands of daily matters!”
Xu Fan stepped in to smooth things over. “Penalty drinks, penalty drinks! Ning Che absolutely has to down three cups as a penalty today!”
Ning Che glared at her. “You’re the one who spread that rumor, right? Today is an internal dinner for our dorm. I never intended to bring a partner.”
Xu Fan knew her well. Hearing this tone, she instantly realized Ning Che had never planned on bringing Xie Yuqi in the first place. She quickly corrected herself, “Stop bluffing. Since she’s your partner, she counts as one of us. What’s wrong with eating together?”
Liu Xinxin took off her Bluetooth earbuds. “Ning Che, is your girlfriend coming or not?”
Fang Lin muttered, “Looks like she stood us up.”
Shen Qingzhi walked over to Ning Che’s side and asked in a low voice, “What’s going on?”
Ning Che stated cleanly and directly, “Xu Fan misheard. This dinner is just a small gathering for our dorm. Yuqi has things to take care of and couldn’t make it.”
Xu Fan cooperatively covered for her, laughing, “Haha, I misheard, my bad! I heard the young mistress’s advisor is nicknamed King Yama, even she can’t handle him. Who knows how she’s being tortured right now! Come on, come on, Ning Che is footing the bill today, so don’t save her any money.”
Ning Che nodded. “Yes, Yuqi is approaching graduation and is extremely busy. Don’t be polite, everyone, order whatever you like.”
Ling Shiya remarked coldly, “Either she doesn’t think much of us, or she doesn’t think much of you. Just the typical ‘true colors’ of a wealthy young mistress.”
Ning Che’s expression shifted slightly, a wave of profound discomfort washing over her heart. This Ling Shiya truly had a toxic mouth.
Xu Fan hurriedly stepped in again to smooth things over, finally managing to liven up the atmosphere.
Once the dishes arrived, Ning Che drank three penalty cups. Her chest still felt tight and suffocated. Taking out her phone, she stepped out of the private room and sent a message to Xie Yuqi.
“Baby, I’m having dinner with my roommates. If only you were here too, everyone wanted to meet you.”
After waiting a while without a reply, she couldn’t help but send another.
“I miss you so much.”
A moment later, Shen Qingzhi came out. Locating Ning Che, she asked, “Why are you suddenly being so reckless with money? I saw them ordering so many expensive dishes. Do you have enough on you?”
Ning Che felt a faint warmth in her heart. Patting Shen Qingzhi’s shoulder, she replied, “Don’t worry, I have enough. Eat up.”
Shen Qingzhi couldn’t resist asking, “We’re graduating soon. Are you really not going to bring your girlfriend to meet us?”
Ning Che replied, “We’ll see when there’s an opportunity.” With that, she headed back inside first.
Shen Qingzhi followed behind her, watching her back with a complex expression.
She silently guessed that Xie Yuqi must have given her bank card to Ning Che.
Shen Qingzhi had entered Federation University full of anticipation, believing she was about to reach the pinnacle of life. Only after entering did she realize that a chosen genius from a small town was nothing more than a background extra here.
Not only that, but as a Beta, she faced discrimination and exclusion at every turn.
It was only later, when she discovered Ning Che was a defective Alpha, that her heart found a sense of balance. She began paying closer attention to Ning Che, and they gradually became friends.
She had initially thought Ning Che was just as destitute and downout as herself, believing they shared common ground. Yet, it turned out Ning Che not only had an elite wealthy mistress as a girlfriend but also pulled in scholarships every single year.
To be honest, she was intensely jealous.
A private villa in Yanjing.
Xie Yuqi was enjoying a small gathering with her close friends, Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng.
The servants had been dismissed, and security personnel were patrolling outside.
In the center of the luxurious, brightly lit living room lay a precious carpet. The French windows were tightly obscured by royal blue curtains, and the coffee table was laden with various fruit platters and aged, vintage wines.
Xie Yuqi curled up alone in a single armchair. Xu Ziwen sat on the carpet, leaning her back against a leather sofa, while Lu Niansheng reclined gracefully like a royal concubine across the cushions, her head resting directly on Xu Ziwen’s shoulder.
The three women had their long hair draped over their shoulders, their bare feet exposed. Each held a glass of wine, slowly swirling the crystal stems as the liquid rippled with an alluring luster.
They were idly chatting.
Xu Ziwen asked, “Yuqi, Ye Lingyi wants to make amends with you. What do you plan to do?”
Xie Yuqi replied, “Ignore her. And neither of you is allowed to engage with her either.”
Xu Ziwen continued, “I heard my mother mention that Uncle Xie intends to arrange a marriage alliance with the Ye family. Is it true?”
Xie Yuqi said, “True.”
Xu Ziwen teased, “So are you annoyed about this, or are you annoyed that you won’t be able to keep your little puppy dog company after getting married?”
Lu Niansheng giggled. “Heehee, why don’t you call your little puppy dog right now and have her come over so we can catch a glimpse?”
Xie Yuqi muttered, “…I called you two here to help me brainstorm, not to create a mess.”
Xu Ziwen relented. “Alright, alright. If you don’t want to marry Ye Lingyi, we’ll definitely back you up.”
Xie Yuqi said, “Deal. That’s enough for me. Just wait for my signal.”
Lu Niansheng remained silent for a moment. She had heard about the marriage alliance from her mother and mommy. Xie Xuan was highly assertive, changing his mind would be incredibly difficult. Furthermore, her own parents also supported this alliance.
Wrinkling her beautiful brows, she grumbled delicately, “If you don’t like Ye Lingyi, just hurry up and find someone of equal social standing. That would make it a lot easier to get Aunt and Uncle to back down.”
Xu Ziwen agreed. “I think Niansheng is right. At the very least, you need an alternative option. Want me to help you pick someone out?”
Xie Yuqi didn’t speak.
Buzz. Buzz. Her phone received a message. Buzz. Buzz. Another one followed.
Xie Yuqi frowned instinctively, but she still picked it up to take a look.
Sure enough, it was a message from Ning Che, she had already sent eight of them today!
Her curiosity piqued, Xu Ziwen quickly scrambled up to sneak a peek, but Xie Yuqi blocked her just in time.
“Let me see! What are you getting so nervous for?”
“Wow, it wouldn’t happen to be from your little puppy dog, would it? You two have been together for four years and you’re still this clingy?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Lu Niansheng also leaped up. “I want to see too! I want to see too!”
Feeling both irritated and annoyed, Xie Yuqi stood up from the sofa, ensuring neither Xu Ziwen nor Lu Niansheng could see her screen. She rapidly tapped on Ning Che’s profile icon and set it to “Mute Notifications.”
Tossing the phone carelessly to the side, she remarked casually, “A little puppy dog should know their place. Right now, I just find her too noisy.”
Both women burst into laughter. “As expected of Queen Xie! Your dog training skills are truly something else!”