Shi Wei Yue once again saw the same sharpness in Wen Ruxing’s eyes as last night.
Her mind blanked for a moment, but she wasn’t some naive college girl fresh out of school. Over the past twenty-something years, she had encountered all kinds of people, so she naturally knew how to handle Wen Ruxing’s seemingly inexplicable questioning.
First of all, Wen Ruxing and the original host had only married on paper as part of an agreement.
As the story’s major antagonist, Wen Ruxing’s unfortunate family background and traumatic childhood were standard ingredients for a twisted psyche. Born into an upper-middle-class family, she had never been valued much at home. Later, when the Wen family fell into trouble, they forced her into a marriage alliance with the more powerful Shi family to resolve the crisis.
Resorting to marriage alliances in times of trouble was practically a staple of old-school novels. The original host must have promised the Wen family something in exchange for their cooperation, which was why Wen Ruxing agreed to marry her.
Shi Wei Yue couldn’t recall the specifics right away, but she forced herself to maintain her composure, she couldn’t afford to appear weak in front of this woman.
Straightening her posture, she slowly nodded and met Wen Ruxing’s gaze.
“Of course, I remember.”
The response earned her a cold scoff.
Satisfied, Wen Ruxing turned and headed into the bathroom to freshen up. About ten minutes later, she emerged with her hair neatly styled and light makeup applied, already on a phone call. Shi Wei Yue was still sitting on the bed, lost in thought, when the sound made her glance up. Her gaze inadvertently landed on Wen Ruxing’s slender waist.
Wen Ruxing had an enviable figure long legs, a narrow waist, and full but not exaggerated hips, creating a stunning waist-to-hip ratio. When Shi Wei Yue’s eyes drifted upward, they met the pronounced curves already restrained beneath clothing. She averted her gaze almost immediately, as if burned.
The lingering heat from last night seemed to resurface, swirling in her cheeks and mind, but she forcefully pushed it away. By the time she regained her composure, Wen Ruxing had already removed her Bluetooth earpiece and was about to leave.
Seeing this, Shi Wei Yue instinctively asked,
“Where are you going?”
Wen Ruxing didn’t even bother turning to look at her, tossing back a cold reply:
“Do I need to report to you?”
Shi Wei Yue: “…” Fine, then.
The plush bed in the luxury hotel was so comfortable that she didn’t want to get up. Long ago, Shi Wei Yue had dreamed of becoming wealthy sitting by a floor-to-ceiling window in a high-rise, watching the city lights glitter and cars stream by below.
But now that the dream seemed to have come true, she didn’t feel the slightest bit happy. Instead, she felt utterly unlucky.
She was an Alpha yet she had ended up in bed with another Alpha.
It was said that Alphas, even female ones, weren’t soft, but last night’s Alpha had felt like liquid limbs supple, warm, and flexible. In this world where “like repels like,” she had somehow found herself unable to resist an Alpha. Maybe it was the drugs, but even now, Shi Wei Yue’s mind was filled with disbelief.
Did this count as being gay in two different ways?
Though Wen Ruxing hadn’t said anything, Shi Wei Yue guessed the woman probably wasn’t willing to divorce right now. The original host had agreed to a three-year marriage contract, and they had only just gotten married. That meant she still had to endure about two and a half more years with this unpredictable antagonist.
In the plot, the original host drugged Wen Ruxing, forcing her into a group encounter with the male and female leads, which was later made public. Although the incident was quickly suppressed by the combined efforts of the male lead and Wen Ru Xing, it still left lasting damage, both to her reputation and her psyche.
It was after this that Wen Ruxing harbored deep resentment toward the original host. From then on, the original host, as if possessed, continued to stir up trouble until the main antagonist could no longer tolerate it. After seizing the Shi family’s assets and sending the destitute Shi family members to prison, she personally executed the original host.
Yet, the original host and Wen Ruxing were like grasshoppers tied to the same string, bound together by fate. Not long after the original host’s death, Wen Ru Xing was also eliminated by the male and female leads.
Their existence seemed almost solely to pave the way for the male and female leads’ perfect love story.
Faced with such a hellish starting point, even Shi Wei Yue, who usually had a strong mindset, found it hard to accept. As she was struggling to process everything, the system’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind:
“Host, don’t lose heart. Do your tasks well, you’re in for quite the romantic fortune.”
“If by ‘romantic fortune,’ you mean waking up in bed with the main antagonist right from the start,” Shi Wei Yue retorted sarcastically as she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, “then I’d gladly pass that ‘fortune’ to you.”
The system fell silent.
It wasn’t until she finished freshening up and found her phone in the bedside drawer that she realized what the system had meant by “romantic fortune.”
The original host had multiple accounts, and one of them, clearly a secondary social media account was flooded with dozens of messages from different people. Shi Wei Yue skimmed through them as quickly as possible. The general gist was:
“Hey babe, when should I come over?”
“Sweetheart, standing me up isn’t cool, is it?”
“What’s the room number again?”
There were also unanswered video calls, voice messages, and pop-up notifications. The original host had set the phone to silent otherwise, it was hard to imagine what kind of chaotic scene last night would have turned into. Just thinking about it made Shi Wei Yue’s temples throb.
After drugging Wen Ruxing, the original host had decided to have some fun herself and had invited three Omegas over to “serve” her all at once.
Fortunately, the original host had been cautious enough to only pay a deposit and hadn’t disclosed the location. And last night’s version of her wouldn’t have been able to keep the appointments anyway. Still, Shi Wei Yue decided she’d get herself checked out at some point.
She had no intention of contracting some unspeakable disease at such a young age.
Shi Wei Yue couldn’t be bothered to deal with them. Since it was all anonymous, there was no way they could know who she was, so she simply blocked them all, out of sight, out of mind.
Wen Ruxing was a screenwriter. After a few of her scripts gained traction, she had become a rising star in the industry, earning some recognition. As a result, she had demanded that the original host refrain from any scandalous behavior during their marriage to avoid affecting her reputation.
Meanwhile, the original host happened to run a talent agency, managing a roster of unknown artists. Despite pouring resources into them, none had made a splash. As she got ready, Shi Wei Yue briefly skimmed through the original host’s memories and found that the company was a complete mess.
The artists were constantly scheming against each other, the agents loved stirring up drama, and many were more interested in shady shortcuts than actual work. Financial records were vague, with subordinates easily glossing over discrepancies. They sweet-talked promising talents into signing, only to chase clout without providing decent scripts. The entire operation was run on a whim.
This company, backed by the Shi family, may appear glamorous on the surface, but it had long been rotting from within. The original owner had no grand ambitions, she started the company purely for fun. After her mother passed away, her immediate family consisted only of her father, an older sister, and her grandmother. Seeing that the original owner was hopelessly incompetent, the Shi family gradually stopped caring about her.
Handing such a mess over to her now? She’d be lucky if the company didn’t shut down before she even warmed the CEO’s seat.
In short, it was a big, glaring problem.
After organizing the information, Shi Wei Yue packed up her things, planning to head downstairs and leisurely enjoy a seven-star hotel breakfast. But just as she reached the door, she suddenly remembered something and turned back. She grabbed a stool, stood on it, and felt around the curtains, soon pulling out a miniature camera.
The original owner’s plan had been to get those three people to play a game in this room, record it, and then leak it to the media. Shi Wei Yue had nearly forgotten about this little device, and the moment she found it, a cold sweat broke out down her back.
With her transmigration, her memories were a bit jumbled. She couldn’t recall whether the original owner had turned the camera on or not, but she could easily imagine that if Wen Ruxing ever found out about this, her fate would be anything but pleasant.
Shi Wei Yue calmly tucked the tiny camera into her bag, then thoroughly inspected the room again. The used finger cots were wrapped in paper and tossed into the trash, and she even took the garbage bag with her when she left.
Given the typical tropes of old-school novels, the hotel’s surveillance was practically useless. Shi Wei Yue leisurely finished her breakfast without anyone coming to confront her. It wasn’t until she checked out and left that the tension in her chest finally eased.
**
“Miss Wen, are you alright?”
At this moment, Shi Wei Yue had no idea that Wen Ruxing hadn’t actually left the hotel. Instead, she was in a discreet meeting room in the building behind. Sitting across from her were two people, a strikingly handsome man and a beautiful woman who looked like a perfect match on the surface. However, the woman seemed slightly uneasy around the man, occasionally stealing glances at him.
Ye Jia Lan was the female lead of this script. It was her first time in a leading role, so she was understandably nervous. After arriving at the hotel last night, she had been restless and wanted a glass of wine to calm her nerves only for some strange, beautiful woman to snatch it from her.
But later, she realized the wine might have been laced with sleeping pills. After just a small sip, she quickly fell asleep and even felt uncomfortably warm, forcing her to wake up in the middle of the night to take a shower.
She had no idea what happened to the woman who drank her wine.
Ye Jia Lan soon noticed that Wen Ruxing also seemed a bit off. Rumor had it that Wen Ruxing was a decisive and formidable woman, yet today, during their conversation, she seemed slightly distracted.
“My apologies,” Wen Ruxing snapped out of her thoughts, politely declining the water Ye Jia Lan offered. “I’m fine.”
This meeting wasn’t particularly pleasant for Wen Ruxing. Ye Jia Lan wasn’t her ideal choice for the female lead, she was passable but unremarkable. What truly unsettled Wen Ruxing was the attitude of Ye Jia Lan’s superior, the one who had signed the contract with her, President Fu.
Once Ye Jia Lan left, only the two of them remained in the room. Fu Ting Shen’s sharp, handsome features grew even more imposing as he leaned forward, his hands braced on the table. Under the sunlight, his towering shadow completely engulfed Wen Ruxing.
“The price I can offer is roughly within this range, and apart from me, other options don’t seem to be your best choice.” Fu Ting Shen paused, a cold glint flashing in his ink-black pupils. “After all, you’re in urgent need of money right now, so the upper hand should be mine, shouldn’t it?”
Wen Ruxing remained silent.
Fu Ting Shen, exuding an air of assured victory, saw Wen Ruxing lower her long lashes and stay quiet, assuming he had gained the advantage. After sparing a few more words, he stood up and tossed out a final remark:
“Take three days to think it over.”
Only when the door clicked shut behind him did Wen Ruxing finally exhale in relief, sinking into the soft couch cushions. She wrinkled her brows in disgust, taking a long moment to collect herself.
Fu Ting Shen was an Alpha.
Many Alphas had this unpleasant habit, an inexplicable confidence in their pheromones, often neglecting to properly apply Suppressant patches before going out. A slight leakage of pheromones outside of rut cycles was usually harmless, but Wen Ruxing was naturally sensitive to them.
Especially when that faint, lingering scent of fir and mint drifted through the room. Earlier, the Omega Ye Jia Lan sitting beside Fu Ting Shen had blushed and stolen glances at him several times. But to Wen Ruxing, the Alpha’s scent was like an overpowering whiff of turpentine, nearly overwhelming her olfactory nerves.
She had barely restrained the urge to hurl the celadon teacup at Fu Ting Shen’s face.
Once the dizziness set in, it would persist for a while. Pressing slender fingers to her temples, Wen Ruxing massaged them skillfully, suppressing the restless irritation churning in her chest.
She hadn’t had a sip of water since morning, leaving her throat parched and uncomfortable. Yet, her mind involuntarily conjured up a certain figure. As the silhouette solidified in her imagination, the crisp fragrance of pear blossom wine seemed to resurface. The memory of last night, the woman’s soft lips and the unprecedented warmth of their closeness flooded back, gradually easing her tension.
It was strange.
They had been married for nearly half a year. Once, Wen Ruxing had accidentally caught a whiff of Shi Wei Yue’s pheromones alcoholic, which she disliked, prompting her to hastily retreat. After that, they’d set ground rules: Shi Wei Yue was forbidden from releasing pheromones in her presence.
But last night, the woman’s scent had been different. The alcohol was far milder, overshadowed by a dominant, sweet aroma of pear blossoms. Even after Wen Ruxing suppressed it with medication, the fragrance lingered in her mind.
For convenience, Wen Ruxing had falsified her medical records after presenting, passing as an Alpha in all circles. This had spared her much unwanted attention. With her striking beauty and carefully adjusted makeup, her disguise had held flawlessly.
But in truth, she was an Omega. Inhaling an Alpha’s pheromones was dangerous.
Her marriage to Shi Wei Yue had been uneventful so far. Last night, she had checked into a hotel early to prepare for a project discussion, and Shi Wei Yue had unexpectedly insisted on joining.
Spoiled by her family, the woman often acted on whims. Still, most Alphas wouldn’t take interest in someone they perceived as the same secondary gender. Since Wen Ruxing wasn’t in heat, she had taken precautions and allowed her to come.
At first, Shi Wei Yue was lazily sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window playing games, paying her no attention. Little did she know, after drinking that goodnight cocktail sent by the hotel, things nearly spiraled out of control.
Wen Ruxing knew very well that she must have been drugged. As for who did it, the suspect pool was quite narrow.
Shi Wei Yue.
She silently mulled over this name in her mind, gradually calming her emotions. After a moment, she dialed a number and gave concise instructions:
“Find out what she’s up to.”
**
The first thing Shi Wei Yue did after going out was schedule a full-body checkup. It was Wednesday, and there were many appointments, but with her financial power, she managed to secure a VIP private examination room at a private hospital for a thorough checkup.
Adult female Alpha, pear blossom wine pheromone scent, normal functionality, never marked an Omega, all physical indicators normal. Shi Wei Yue was quite satisfied. After lunch, she went shopping and replaced her sky-high heels with more comfortable 5cm block heels.
By the time she finished everything, it was already afternoon. She’d grabbed a quick lunch at the mall when she received a call from a contact labeled “W,” which gave her pause before she remembered someone.
“W” stood for the person’s surname initial.
Shi Wei Yue had deliberately avoided thinking about last night’s absurd incident and had tried her best not to think about Wen Ruxing all day. But the moment she answered the call, her mood instantly soured.
“I’m done with work,” came the woman’s lazy voice through the phone. Wen Ruxing named a restaurant address and sent a shared location. “Come have dinner with me.”
Shi Wei Yue clicked her tongue.
She didn’t really want to interact with this major antagonist Wen Ruxing, but after checking the shared location and finding it wasn’t far, she had to search for an excuse to refuse. It was past 5 PM, claiming she wasn’t hungry at all wasn’t realistic. Quickly recalling that the original owner had been quite self-centered around Wen Ru Xing, she replied coolly:
“What dinner? Didn’t we agree to go our separate ways?”
“Is that so.”
Wen Ruxing’s voice came through the phone, slightly deeper now. Shi Wei Yue could tell she seemed displeased but didn’t plan to bother explaining. She waited silently for the other to hang up, only to hear a light chuckle instead.
Wen Ruxing’s voice softened, almost coquettish, with a lilting tone:
“But you already called me ‘wifey.’ How come you won’t even have dinner with me?”