This was the first time Shi Wei Yue had heard Wen Ruxing speak in such a tone.
Wen Ruxing had never been courteous to her. Apart from maintaining a facade of harmony in public, her attitude toward Shi Wei Yue in private could only be described as hostile. Though Shi Wei Yue disliked being treated this way, she also knew that this was simply the temperament of the great antagonist, few could earn her respect.
This great antagonist had a terrible temper, and since their marriage was merely contractual, it was only natural for her to treat Shi Wei Yue poorly. But today, Shi Wei Yue had prioritized Wen Ruxing in everything at the Wen family home, even waiting silently for an entire afternoon just to maintain the illusion of a loving, harmonious relationship, if only to lend Wen Ruxing some support within the Wen family.
Yet now, the sight of Wen Ruxing burying herself under the covers, unwilling to spare her even a glance, left Shi Wei Yue with a faint sting in her heart. Even if she didn’t care whether the great antagonist liked her, even if their relationship was nothing more than a contract that would dissolve once its term ended being so blatantly rejected would leave anyone feeling unsettled.
So eager to make her leave, so uncomfortable even sharing the same space, it seemed Wen Ruxing truly detested her.
Was she really that loathsome?
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Pressing her lips together, Shi Wei Yue ultimately said nothing and withdrew from the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind her.
The moment she disappeared from Wen Ruxing’s sight, the Omega, who had been hiding her face beneath the covers, finally let out a soft, delicate whimper.
With that sound, it was as though an invisible restraint had been broken. Wen Ruxing had clenched her teeth, determined to hold out until the end, but the instincts of her body were impossible to resist. She found herself inhaling greedily, desperate for the lingering traces of Shi Wei Yue’s scent in the air.
Her hands fumbled blindly over the blankets until they closed around the coat she had carelessly stuffed beneath them days ago. The scent on it had already faded, but it was better than nothing. Bringing the collar to her nose, she took a deep, desperate breath, but the faint, elusive pheromones did little to soothe her agitated nerves.
Wen Ruxing’s beautiful, alluring cat-like eyes were tinged with crimson. Under the dangerous restlessness of her approaching Heat period, she had long lost the composure she usually maintained.
After forcing herself up to draw the curtains, she returned to bed, only to find the Alpha’s pheromones in the air growing even fainter. Shi Wei Yue hadn’t released much to begin with, only the barest hint of her natural scent. Feeling her blood simmer, Wen Ruxing hadn’t expected her own reaction to be so intense.
She was an Omega. Sharing a space with an Alpha was already risky enough. If she were to develop a dependence on this Alpha, the danger to her as an Omega would be self-evident.
But she no longer had the luxury of carefully considering whether Shi Wei Yue had done this intentionally or not.
Her blood felt as though an electric eel were darting through it, leaving behind tingling numbness. Barely managing to drag herself to the bathroom, Wen Ruxing flicked on the light and caught sight of her reflection her face flushed, the crimson hue spreading down to her ears and neck.
Her fair, translucent skin made the rosy tint all the more obvious. As her breathing grew heavier, Wen Ruxing realized just how wrong her current state was.
Before the onset of her Heat period, Omegas are always particularly sensitive. The Heat period arrives almost like clockwork every month, lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days. Since marrying Shi Wei Yue, she had rarely seen her at home, so they had naturally coexisted peacefully.
Moreover, she had never been particularly fond of Shi Wei Yue’s pheromones before.
Wen Ruxing stepped into the bathroom, shedding most of her clothes as she prepared for her bath, leaving only the faintly scented pear-blossom wine jacket draped over her shoulders. Shi Wei Yue was taller, with a slightly larger frame, so the jacket hung loosely on her. With a slight tug of her fingers, it covered most of her exposed skin.
Her long, slender legs remained bare, soon submerged in the water once the bathtub temperature was adjusted.
This was Wen Ruxing’s favorite automatic massage bathtub, voice or remote-controlled, with 3D simulated soft silicone lining the bottom and sides. After a long day of work, soaking in a petal-filled bath was both relaxing and comfortable.
Her cabinet was stocked with plenty of bath bombs, but she didn’t use any today. As the water soaked into the jacket, the lingering fragrance of pear-blossom wine was fully released, the remnants of pheromones swirling in the steam, brushing against her cheeks.
**
Shi Wei Yue returned to her room to wash her face when the buzzing vibration of her phone in her pocket caught her attention. She wiped her hands casually and pulled it out to check.
Years of habit had taught her to restrain her sharp edges and emotions, mastering the art of patience. The earlier displeasure had already been easily dismissed. The message was from her “work” assistant, but before she could read it clearly, the chat system displayed a notification:
“Li Qun has recalled a message.”
It was past seven in the evening, well past working hours. Puzzled, Shi Wei Yue sent a question mark in response. Assistant Li quickly explained:
“Apologies for disturbing you, Second Miss. It was a company matter, but it’s already resolved. No need to worry.”
Though Li Qun was technically the original owner’s assistant, his role mainly involved coordinating various company affairs, a busy job. The original owner had no interest in managing the company, leaving everything to others. Profit or loss didn’t matter; the family would cover it anyway. With a large staff under her, some of whom she didn’t even know the purpose of, a hefty payroll was issued every month.
Shi Wei Yue had been busy handling various matters these past few days and had completely forgotten about this. Now that the assistant had reached out, she replied:
“Arrange for me to visit the company tomorrow.”
Without further questions, Assistant Li asked for the time. Shi Wei Yue gave a standard working hour and instructed him to arrange for a driver to pick her up first. After hanging up, her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t even had dinner yet.
The housekeeper had already left. The original owner disliked disturbances, so the housekeeper lived nearby, only coming when summoned. Since it was past dinner time and she hadn’t asked the housekeeper to stay and cook, the kitchen was spotless.
Shi Wei Yue paused at the entrance, then decided to head upstairs first to inform her nominal wife.
Standing a short distance from the room, she asked politely:
“Do you want to eat together?”
No response.
Fearing the room’s soundproofing was too good and the person inside couldn’t hear, Shi Wei Yue stepped forward and knocked on the door with one hand. After several knocks, there was still no response.
Withdrawing her knocking hand, Shi Wei Yue coldly turned to leave down the stairs.
But remembering the woman’s nearly broken state earlier, a side of Wen Ruxing she’d never seen before, Shi Wei Yue hesitated to simply walk away, worried she might later bear the brunt of her anger. Besides, it was indeed strange for her to lock herself in the room without a word. With no other choice, Shi Wei Yue turned back, pressed her face against the door, and raised her voice:
“How are you? If you don’t answer, I’m coming in, Wen Ruxing?”