Chapter 41.1

Luo Yan, fleeing in a panic, didn’t notice that Xin Jingqiong was near her and Xue Wu. She only felt that staying any longer would only lead to continued embarrassment, and she might even abandon her principles because of a soft heart.

In fact, she hadn’t yet figured out how she and Xue Wu should move forward. According to her own thoughts… she felt there was no need to be together anymore. Although dating was sweet, it was also very bitter. Especially dating the big villain… it was even harder. She felt she completely didn’t know how to handle a romantic relationship.

Rather than constantly testing and fumbling like this, she felt it was better to forget it. There was no great need to trouble herself this much, right? As for the one-month request Xue Wu made, she would let her have it; it didn’t really matter. She would just let… their relationship take its natural course.

In the end, Luo Yan still didn’t eat the breakfast Xue Wu specifically gave her. She put the bag back in Xue Wu’s ward and then left.

Over the next two days, she had to prepare for the upcoming design final. She couldn’t afford to be careless again, or she would miss an extremely important opportunity.

As she left the hospital and was about to get into her car, she seemed to see a familiar silhouette standing at the hospital gate, but because she was in a hurry, she didn’t look closely.

So, naturally, she didn’t know that the person standing at the hospital gate was Xin Jingqiong.

Nor did she know that Xin Jingqiong had stood motionless in the corridor when she fled, her heart full of sighing reflections.

She had heard their conversation and seen their every move. She suddenly realized that their feelings were truly very deep, even if they appeared to be quarreling on the surface.

In her impression, the Xue Wu on the silver screen always had a cold and glamorous face, but in private, she wasn’t like that at all. She was actually someone who would act “shameless” toward her little Alpha; this was completely beyond her expectations.

To act shamelessly like a spoiled child toward an Alpha… even if that person were her own partner, it would ​stolen content​be an impossible thing for her.

Listening to their voices, her mind began to drift; it was simply unbelievable.

Consequently, she wasn’t in the mood to greet them at all. She just watched helplessly as Luo Yan passed her by, feeling an increasing sense of unreconciled longing in her heart.

She guessed they must have had some conflict, but it likely wasn’t a very serious one. Although Luo Yan appeared heartless, she felt… she was actually very indulgent and quite polite, truly different from the average Alpha.

If… Xue Wu really didn’t know how to cherish her, then it would be fine if she were the one to cherish her instead.

She wouldn’t mind.

Seeing her get into the car while still somewhat distracted, Assistant Lin cautiously asked: “President Qiong, are we still going back to the company?”

“Otherwise?” Xin Jingqiong snapped back and looked at him.

Under that gaze, Assistant Lin felt a mountain of pressure and didn’t dare ask more. He had the driver leave immediately, thinking to himself that his boss was truly a workaholic demon.

After resting for a while, Xin Jingqiong suddenly seemed to remember something and asked him: “Is the return gift I asked you to prepare for that Second Miss Luo ready?”

“…Wasn’t giving her a mine enough?” Assistant Lin asked uncertainly.

“Is a mine enough?” Xin Jingqiong asked back.

“…” Is it not enough? That’s not just a mine, Boss! It’s potentially our revenue for the next 5-10 years! It’s enough for a tenth of your dowry!

However, Assistant Lin was too afraid to speak and just waited for his boss’s orders.

“What do you think… that Second Miss Luo is actually lacking?” Xin Jingqiong had naturally investigated Luo Yan. In her position, she needed to be cautious in everything she did. Even being so cautious, she was still nearly set up at the venue last time and almost lost her purity.

Luo Yan’s appearance was too coincidental. For safety’s sake, she had investigated her. And… as the first person she liked, it was impossible for her not to understand her. So, for multiple reasons, she had Assistant Lin investigate her, only to find that the findings were vastly different from her actual performance.

This was unexpected. She didn’t believe Luo Yan was the “playboy trash Alpha” or “fickle womanizer” the investigation claimed; it was completely different from what she saw.

“As far as I know… that Second Miss Luo seems to be looking for a model of a watch that has been out of stock for a long time. And that watch… we happen to have it.” Assistant Lin saw that his boss was serious and had no reason to hide anything, so he told her directly.

“Are you talking about the Kayali Moon Phase watch my grandfather left me?” Xin Jingqiong recalled his words and asked.

“Yes.”

“…That is our Xin family heirloom; it’s too precious.”

Assistant Lin guessed she would say that and felt a strange sense of relief. You can be crazy, but please don’t be too crazy, Boss!

“However, while that specific watch won’t do, I remember we have quite a few others of the same type. We can give her one of those.” The Xin family was, after all, massive. They had actually started in watch repair before gradually moving into luxury watch design and eventually reaching their current status as a luxury brand. They only invested in other industries after accumulating significant wealth.

The Kayali Moon Phase watch Assistant Lin mentioned was the Xin family heirloom of many years; it was impossible to give to Luo Yan unless… she married into the Xin family. But thinking about that was also impossible, so she put those thoughts aside.

However, besides that specific Kayali model, there were others similar to it. Their watch collection was as large as a villa—what couldn’t they find? She could find a model for her. She guessed she was likely preparing for the jewelry design final in two days.

To be honest, she was also looking forward to her next performance.

“Alright, Boss, I will follow your instructions and send it to Second Miss Luo.”

“Within today,” Xin Jingqiong emphasized. “And don’t reveal the Xin family name.”

“…Alright, President Qiong.” Hearing her say this, Assistant Lin actually wanted to complain. You’re pursuing someone but won’t reveal your name? How will the little Alpha know it’s you?

But Assistant Lin didn’t dare say much and could only do as she said.

Thus, at noon, Luo Yan unexpectedly received the vintage moon phase watch she had been looking for for a long time. There was no signature, but there was a message of blessing, which truly surprised her.

“May your competition be as full as a full moon, and your future be bright…” The warm, sweet voice of an Omega suddenly came from her side, giving Luo Yan a start. She didn’t even need to turn her head to know who it was, and then she heard her continue commenting: “Quite poetic.”

Luo Yan instinctively straightened her back, wanting to move a few steps away from her. She didn’t know how she had gotten here. This was her private design studio; how did she enter without any greeting?

“Miss Luo, this watch must have been sent by someone ​Read on BaiLianTales​else? Does it relate to your design?” Xue Wu glanced at the design draft on her desk and then at the watch in her hand, guessing.

“…How did you get in?” Luo Yan decided not to be led by her line of thought and asked directly.

“I just walked in. Your door was open; am I not allowed to enter?”

Luo Yan looked and saw the glass door of the studio was indeed open. She rubbed her brow, suddenly feeling a bit of a headache.

“I see your design actually leans more toward another style. I have that model of watch; I can give it to you.” Xue Wu actually had some knowledge of watches, mainly due to Old Master Xue and her own needs. Seeing that Luo Yan seemed to need one, she spoke.

“I don’t need it.”

“I’m only lending it to you, calculated by the day. You’ll still need to return it to me when you’re done.”

“Having this watch is actually enough for me; I don’t need others.” Luo Yan still stuck to her stance, seemingly unwilling to have any involvement with her.

“Miss Luo, what are you afraid of? You can’t be so afraid that you won’t even accept a small watch, right?”

“Miss Xue,” Luo Yan finally looked back at her. “It’s not a question of whether I can afford it or accept it, but that it’s simply unnecessary. I’ve already said there’s no possibility between us.”

“Are you willing to lose the competition because of our relationship?” Xue Wu asked again.

“Will I win just because I have your watch?” Luo Yan countered.

“Fine. Very well. I understand.” Xue Wu appeared to be angered by her. Her pheromones fluctuated for a moment but quickly returned to calm, as if nothing had happened. She didn’t say another word to her and turned and left.

Luo Yan waited until her footsteps completely faded before turning to look back. The place was empty. She had successfully driven her away, but her heart felt even heavier.

She felt that saying goodbye to the big villain in this situation was truly too hard. Steeling her heart against her didn’t mean she felt any better; there was zero pleasure in revenge. She just felt the threads in her mind were even more tangled.

The more you try to cut it, the more tangled it becomes… so that’s what it means.

Luo Yan sighed and sat back down at the design table, forcing herself to stop thinking about Xue Wu. But remembering her pheromones had fluctuated for a moment just now, and she was still in the monitoring period, she should still pay attention, right?

Luo Yan knew her thoughts were contradictory. On one hand, she wanted to cut ties, but on the other, she truly couldn’t let go. However, she wouldn’t personally care for her from now on. She would only have her assistant handle things in various ways, without letting Xue Wu discover it was her.

After all… if something happened to the big villain, the entire plot would change. She didn’t want the current situation to be disturbed; at least the current situation was balanced, and she could live peacefully.

So, she might not reconcile with the big villain, but the big villain absolutely couldn’t have anything happen to her.

Just as she was about to ask Zhao Xin to have someone keep an eye on Xue Wu’s movements, Zhao Xin called her directly. She answered immediately: “Hello? What is it?”

“Second Miss… there’s news about the two Omegas you asked me to investigate last night.” For some reason, Luo Yan felt Zhao Xin’s voice sounded ominous. Had something major happened?

“Tell me directly.”

“…Those two Omegas, Hao Ya and Cai Xinrou, have both gone insane.”

“What? Both insane?” Luo Yan thought she had heard incorrectly. “Truly insane?”

“Yes.” This was worse than death—a living hell.

“…” Luo Yan calmed herself down. “What’s the situation?”

“According to the investigation, they went insane the day after meeting Miss Xue. But actually, Miss Xue didn’t do anything to them; she just asked them some questions to confirm the situation at the time.”

“…” The claim that she “did nothing and only asked some questions” wasn’t very reliable to begin with. Luo Yan sighed: “What was the status of the pheromone level recording instruments at the time?”

“…Second Miss, are you saying Miss Xue used her pheromones to…?” Zhao Xin had also guessed Luo Yan’s meaning.

“Yes,” Luo Yan added. “But… it might not be strange if it couldn’t be detected.” Xue Wu was a top-tier Omega; few people knew this. She only knew because she had read the book, and a top-tier Omega… what difficulty would there be in resolving two Omegas of lower rank without leaving a trace of blood, making them wish they were dead?

“…Second Miss, the pheromone level recording instruments showed no change at all. Everything was normal.” This meant there was no evidence.

“…” As expected.

Xue Wu’s method was not illegal in the ABO world; it might even be encouraged. unauthorized copyThe ABO world was just that magical—

And now, there was simply no evidence to prove she did it. No one could accuse her.

But why did she have to do this?

“After Hao Ya and Cai Xinrou went insane, they used their hands to stab a hole in their own abdomens… Cai Xinrou also slashed her own face. If you look at her now, you basically can’t recognize her original appearance.” Zhao Xin finally described the situation of the two women, also expressing her own reflections and sighs.

“…Zhao Xin, what do you think would happen if an Omega whose pheromone levels were already unstable went and did something like this?” Luo Yan asked suddenly.

When she read the book, she actually didn’t quite understand why the big villain had such a high rank yet was bullied by so many people. Now she likely had the answer; the book must have hidden a lot of information.

“…Her pheromone levels could only become more unstable, maybe even lose control!” Zhao Xin sounded a bit afraid. What was more worrying was that Xue Wu appeared completely normal so far. If she were truly normal, that would be fine, but if not… the consequences would be terrifying.

“Yes. She just came to find me, and her performance was completely normal. But she’s someone with pheromone disorder; it’s hard to say. Go find her and also tell her assistant about her condition,” Luo Yan instructed, forcing herself to stay calm.

“Second Miss, aren’t you going?” Zhao Xin thought she would be the first to look for her.

“…I’m not going. You arrange it. Don’t let her know I’m the one doing it. Just ensure her safety,” Luo Yan said again.

“…Alright, I’ll go right away.” Zhao Xin likely understood Luo Yan’s meaning. She just didn’t want Xue Wu to know she still cared for her, even though Luo Yan’s current “care” was worlds apart from before.

After arranging everything, Luo Yan forced herself to calm down and think about the design draft again. This design competition was actually semi-open. Although you were given a theme in advance and could prepare, it didn’t mean you could just hand in your final work.

The reason was simple: to prevent cheating and make the competition more watchable, an additional element would be added on-site for you to incorporate into your draft.

This was why Luo Yan was so troubled by this final. The competition format was truly difficult and innovative, making her… feel increasingly challenged.