Shi Wei Yue froze for several seconds.
Realizing her interpretation had been completely off from Wen Ruxing’s actual meaning, her ears burned hotter than when she’d been preparing to receive that kiss moments ago. Fortunately, Wen Ruxing didn’t notice her current embarrassment, lost in her own thoughts with growing suspicion in her eyes.
Their relationship was far from good, making Shi Wei Yue’s cooking gesture completely unexpected.
There were no hidden drugs, no prank ingredients like chili powder or bitter coptis – if Shi Wei Yue claimed this was purely an olive branch without ulterior motives, Wen Ruxing would never believe it.
“Cut the pretences. State your demands directly. I dislike roundabout talk.”
Truthfully, Wen Ruxing couldn’t imagine what Shi Wei Yue could possibly want from her.
Money? The Wen family couldn’t compare to the wealthy Shi conglomerate. Physical attraction? As an Alpha, Shi Wei Yue theoretically shouldn’t be interested in another “Alpha.” Yet that night… she still couldn’t tell how sober Shi Wei Yue had been. Alpha and Omega bodies differed – even between women, an Omega’s physique would be softer than an Alpha’s.
If Shi Wei Yue discovered her secret…
Shi Wei Yue felt the atmospheric pressure drop as she met Wen Ruxing’s cold, dangerous gaze, silently agreeing with the system’s assessment of this woman’s mercurial temperament.
From harmonious to hostile in minutes. But Shi Wei Yue had no intention of confrontation. Composing herself to mask the earlier awkward tension, she met Wen Ruxing’s eyes seriously:
“We’re still nominally married. For these two years at least, I don’t want things to become ugly.”
Wen Ruxing gave her a skeptical glance.
The villainess’s gaze was razor-sharp. Had this been their first meeting after hearing about her reputation, Shi Wei Yue would have frozen in fear. But after these days together, her impression had softened slightly – Wen Ruxing wasn’t as petty as rumors suggested.
As long as she didn’t threaten Wen Ruxing’s interests or cross certain lines, the woman probably wouldn’t snap easily.
Shi Wei Yue cleared her throat:
“That’s all I’ll say. Believe it or not.”
With that, she turned toward the stairs without further discussion.
“Hey.”
The familiar voice stopped her at the landing, spoken just loud enough to carry. Shi Wei Yue turned to see the woman by the staircase toying with her collar, eyes slightly averted yet words perfectly clear.
The bright lighting accentuated the tear mole beneath those eyes – both sharp and alluring, especially when she lifted her gaze. Shi Wei Yue couldn’t help admiring again how Wen Ruxing’s natural beauty could captivate even without makeup.
No wonder the male lead in the plot would be ensnared by this venomous Alpha villainess.
“Thank you for today,” Wen Ruxing said after a moment of silence, seeming a bit hesitant but still expressing her gratitude. She added awkwardly, “The porridge was quite good too.”
Shi Wei Yue took a couple of steps forward, nearly reaching her room before stopping and turning back to ask, “Would you like some more tomorrow?”
**
Early the next morning, Shi Wei Yue got up to rinse the rice and ordered a delivery service to bring fresh chicken breast. While waiting, she did a set of yoga exercises.
Her current physique wasn’t bad, after all, she was an Alpha. The advantages of being an Alpha had significantly increased her strength compared to before. Though she wasn’t particularly fond of exercise, she still planned to work out occasionally to maintain her figure.
Today’s dish was shredded chicken and vegetable porridge. The greens were finely chopped and mixed with the shredded chicken breast. A pinch of salt was enough to bring out the delicious flavor. The aroma was rich after a quick boil, but letting it simmer longer would have made it even better.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to wait.
By the time she finished preparing everything, it was almost time to leave. Shi Wei Yue left a small note under the vase on the dining table and hurried to her car, heading to the company. She made sure to arrive a bit earlier today to avoid being seen at the entrance.
For the original owner of this body, going to the office was definitely a rare occurrence.
The company had a bold name: “Yue Xing Entertainment.”The ‘Xing’ in the name shared the same pronunciation as ‘star’, and Shi Wei Yue had initially worried it was the same character, making it sound like a ship name between her and Wen Ruxing.”
Yue Xing hadn’t been around for long, but it had managed to recruit quite a few people, mostly lured in by the original owner’s grandiose marketing campaigns. After all, to ordinary people, the Shi family was a behemoth. Even the smallest resources from them could easily sustain an entertainment company.
But after signing contracts, the original owner’s enthusiasm quickly faded, and she began neglecting her responsibilities. Competent agents refused to work under such leadership and resigned as soon as they sensed her indifference.
The artists’ contracts were even more restrictive, making it hard to break free. Those who couldn’t bear it anymore either paid hefty termination fees or simply endured. The rest either gave up or struggled along.
Shi Wei Yue had learned that the company’s management was riddled with nepotism and bribery, making it extremely difficult for signed artists to thrive. The entertainment industry was already murky, and shady deals were rampant. Most of the signed artists lacked strong backing, leaving them with only two paths to secure decent opportunities, attending drinking parties or offering bribes.
While artists and companies should ideally have a mutually beneficial relationship, here they were treated as commodities with clearly marked prices, squeezed dry of every ounce of value.
Yet beneath the rot was a glamorous facade. At the very least, the original owner had put effort into appearances. The European-style decor was elegant and pristine, with spotless windows. The cleaning lady was probably the most diligent and hardworking employee here, meticulously wiping the potted pine tree behind the automatic doors early in the morning.
There were still twenty minutes before official working hours, and the company was quiet with few people around. The cleaning lady at the entrance mistook the masked Shi Wei Yue for an unfamiliar artist and greeted her with a polite nod.
Shi Wei Yue discreetly surveyed the layout of the company, nodding slightly in return. After wandering around the first floor, she decided to head to her office first.
The office was on the eighth floor, the highest level of the commercial building. As the elevator ascended silently to its destination, the sound of voices reached her ears the moment the doors opened.
Laughter and the crisp jingling of keys mingled together, making Shi Wei Yue pause at the elevator entrance, momentarily wondering if she had taken the wrong path. It wasn’t until she heard a woman’s coquettish voice soft, intermittent, and sickeningly sweet, that she snapped back to reality:
“Isn’t this President Shi’s office?”
The sharp click of a key turning in a lock followed, accompanied by a man’s voice:
“Don’t worry, what’s there to fear? How long has it been since she last came? Besides, I already had the surveillance cameras turned off. Keep it down, we’ve got enough time…”
Listening to the unsavory commotion, Shi Wei Yue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She was about to step forward but hesitated, as if reconsidering.
Over ten minutes later, the clock-in time arrived, and the previously silent office gradually buzzed to life. Employees passed by the windows, their postures relaxed, oblivious to anything unusual inside the one-way glass surveillance room.
Seated in a swivel chair, Shi Wei Yue idly toyed with her neatly manicured fingers. When the clock struck nine in the morning, an alarm she had set at some point went off, which she dismissed with a casual flick.
Estimating that Wen Ruxing should be awake by now, she sent a message:
“Had breakfast yet?”
Surprisingly, Wen Ruxing replied instantly and this time, her words weren’t so terse as to kill the conversation. She responded:
“Not yet, just finished freshening up.”
An image flashed through Shi Wei Yue’s mind, a slender woman in pajamas, standing lazily on the balcony watering her plants. For some reason, her mood lifted considerably. Amused and yet tinged with the thrill of impending drama, she cleared her throat, pressed the voice message button, and asked softly:
“So, would you like to hear some juicy gossip first, or have breakfast?”