Chapter 9
“I!…” Qiao Yan’s gaze moved over Jiang Bailu’s face several times.
For some inexplicable reason, her own face turned red.
She gritted her teeth. There was no way she was willing to give up on Zhai You. If Jiang Bailu could latch onto her, then why couldn’t she?!
A dark, obscure light flickered in Qiao Yan’s eyes. Suddenly, she darted over and threw her arms around Zhai You’s neck.
Qiao Yan was short, so she had to stand on tiptoe to reach her. And precisely because she was short, she ended up practically hanging off Zhai You’s entire body, making Zhai You think this woman was trying to strangle her to death.
Before Zhai You could grab her arms and fight back for the sake of survival, Qiao Yan quickly let go again.
She saw Jiang Bailu’s slightly parted lips and seemingly shocked expression. For some reason, she felt a little smug.
“Hmph!”
Qiao Yan gave a huff, tossed her head, and walked away proudly.
“……”
“……”
What just happened? Completely baffling.
No, I’m no longer pure! Zhai You finally reacted. Ignoring the ache in her neck, she turned around and complained to Jiang Bailu, “Weren’t you supposed to help block people for me? You didn’t! How am I supposed to stay faithful now?!”
The corner of Jiang Bailu’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Was this somehow her fault?
No. Zhai You’s eyes flickered. Jiang Bailu had failed to perform her duty properly, so Zhai You had the right to punish her!
“You.” Zhai You spoke in a muffled voice. “Come over and massage my neck. I think I twisted it…………”
That girl Qiao Yan really was strong. Or perhaps it was because she had hung her entire body weight off Zhai You’s unfortunate neck.
Either way, Zhai You had strained her neck.
After registering Zhai You, the doctor dutifully examined her and said, “As an Alpha, how can you be this fragile? You should probably do less of that in the future. Your body is too weak.”
Zhai You’s expression froze. “I am not weak!”
Doctors all knew that these Alphas would protect their dignity so fiercely that even after being cremated, their mouths would still be stubborn.
“Fine, you’re not weak.” The doctor turned to Jiang Bailu. “As her wife, take better care of her. She’ll recover in a few days.”
Zhai You pursed her lips.
Hehe. She was actually rather happy.
Jiang Bailu was her wife. If something like this happened, of course she should take care of her. Even the doctor had said so!
But the next second, she began groaning miserably while rubbing her neck. Then, because of what the doctor had said, she could only keep a dark expression and remain silent.
What do you mean my body is weak? Anyone would be weak if this happened to them. That’s a neck! A flesh-and-blood neck, not one made of iron!
Still, why had Qiao Yan suddenly done something like that?
Zhai You felt like this trip had truly been cursed. A family of three, and they had somehow visited three different departments in one hospital.
After Jiang Bailu led her out, she felt somewhat guilty. According to the contract, she really was supposed to block people for Zhai You. “I’m sorry.”
She stopped walking, her slightly thin figure standing at the side as she spoke seriously.
Zhai You paused.
If Jiang Bailu really had tried to block Qiao Yan, the result might have been much worse than a strained neck. Zhai You gritted her teeth. “It’s all Qiao Yan’s fault. Just wait.”
She got a little emotional and moved her neck.
The pain nearly made her knees buckle.
No, no, no… Zhai You distractedly glanced at Jiang Bailu. Since she couldn’t move her neck, she couldn’t see very clearly.
She only felt that Jiang Bailu looked especially helpless right now.
Come to think of it, she was sick too. There was no reason she should still have to take care of Zhai You.
Zhai You sucked in several breaths of cold air, her voice trembling slightly. “Let’s just go home first.”
“Okay.” Jiang Bailu didn’t say anything else this time. She really should go home with Zhai You and take proper care of her. Jiang Bailu hurried over to drive.
Watching her retreating figure, which looked as though a gust of wind could blow her away, Zhai You’s eyes filled with worry.
Jiang Bailu had a fever.
What if driving caused them both to get into an accident?
Considering how unlucky today had been, it really wasn’t impossible.
Without thinking, Zhai You called her assistant. Right now, she couldn’t lower her head, so she had to keep her neck lifted high, making her look exceptionally arrogant.
The way she stared straight ahead without glancing sideways gave off an aura that said she was not to be messed with.
People passing by instinctively gave Zhai You a wide berth.
Holding her phone level with her eyes, Zhai You called her assistant. “I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself.”
On the other end, the assistant had apparently stared nervously at his phone for who knew how long. The instant he received her call, he rushed over without delay to resume his role as chauffeur.
Before the assistant arrived, Jiang Bailu had already driven the car over.
Zhai You told her to wait for the assistant to drive.
Jiang Bailu’s gaze trembled slightly. She lowered her eyes and said nothing, thinking it was perfectly normal that Zhai You didn’t trust her.
But after that, no matter what happened, she refused to stand within three steps of Zhai You.
Three steps. Exactly three steps.
Zhai You stood completely straight, staring forward. She couldn’t even sneak glances at Jiang Bailu, so inwardly, she added another major offense to Qiao Yan’s record.
“Do you want to go home first and pack some clothes?” Zhai You suddenly asked when the silence between them grew heavy.
She remembered that in weather cold enough to easily catch a cold, Jiang Bailu was still wearing such a thin dress. Could it be that she simply didn’t have other clothes to wear?
Rather than take her home and risk her being mistreated by Father Zhai and Mother Zhai, she might as well take her shopping first.
She had money now, after all. She could support her own woman and let her spend whatever she wanted.
Even if the money technically came from her parents.
Zhai You really couldn’t resist trying to move her neck. The moment she tilted it even slightly, she hissed again.
Before she could add yet another offense to Qiao Yan’s record, a slightly cool hand reached over and gently pressed against Zhai You’s neck.
Jiang Bailu’s fingers were cool, and when they pressed against her neck, it felt extremely comfortable.
Jiang Bailu’s hand moved along the side of her neck. From the side, the two of them looked remarkably intimate, as though they were fooling around playfully.
No one could see just how serious their expressions actually were.
Zhai You’s mind was completely filled with, So comfortable. I want to purr.
Jiang Bailu, meanwhile, pressed her lips together and blamed herself for not doing her job properly. She applied a little more pressure with her hand, trying to ease Zhai You’s discomfort.
The massage made a restless heat flare inside Zhai You.
And it wasn’t just emotional. Because of the position and the distance between them, they stayed close for quite a while, and Jiang Bailu soon caught the fragrant scent of rose pheromones.
The scent made Jiang Bailu’s pupils lose focus for a moment, and the movements of her hands became even gentler.
Zhai You wanted to tell her to keep going. Her fingers felt amazing.
As she thought that, her hand unconsciously reached toward Jiang Bailu.
The sweet, cloying scent also surrounded the tip of her nose, making her want to pin Jiang Bailu down and knead her fiercely.
Unexpectedly, when Zhai You reached toward her, Jiang Bailu didn’t dodge.
Zhai You knew she was also being affected by the pheromones.
And since she was already sick, her resistance was even weaker, causing her to fall into a daze. Under normal circumstances, even if Zhai You flamboyantly released enough pheromones to flood the whole street, Jiang Bailu could grit her teeth and endure it with reddened eyes.
What a tenacious Omega.
Just as Zhai You’s hand boldly landed on Jiang Bailu’s chin and looked ready to slide downward along her neck—
A terribly mood-killing voice rang out.
That person was trembling. “Sister Zhai, you’re out on the street. Can’t you control yourself a little and wait until you get home?”
After saying that, the assistant cautiously glanced at Jiang Bailu.
That single glance immediately snapped Jiang Bailu back to her senses. She calmed down, and just as Zhai You had expected, the corners of her eyes turned red.
“Sigh.” Zhai You sighed.
“What is it, Sister Zhai You?” The assistant had already taken the keys from Jiang Bailu and was preparing to drive them back to the Zhai family mansion, ready to atone for his mistakes.
“You’ve added another offense to your record.”
“……” Petty bastard. If I hadn’t reminded you, tomorrow’s trending search would be you going into heat right in the middle of the street!
What kind of society were they living in now? How could there still be people who couldn’t control their own pheromones?
Zhai You didn’t say anything either. She clicked her tongue and got into the car, inwardly savoring the lingering sensation on her fingertips.
Jiang Bailu looked thin and fair, but when touched, she was genuinely so soft.
She wondered whether, once she got the chance in the future, Jiang Bailu would feel even softer.
Jiang Bailu sat on the other side with a calm expression, keeping her distance from Zhai You.
She was also savoring the memory…
Zhai You’s fingers were strong, yet she controlled her strength carefully enough not to hurt her. When they touched her body, Jiang Bailu could clearly feel Zhai You’s presence.
She should have hated it or felt repulsed, just like she had imagined before.
Strangely, not only had she not felt repulsed, if the assistant hadn’t reminded them, she really might have passively slipped into heat.
What kind of society were they living in now? How could there still be someone who couldn’t control herself?
And that person was her.
It was far too embarrassing.
Jiang Bailu quietly looked at her reflection in the car window. The redness at the corners of her eyes was obvious enough that anyone could guess what had happened.
Then she shifted her gaze slightly and looked through the reflection at the blurry image of Zhai You.
Her brows moved faintly, seeming to furrow and then relax. Jiang Bailu felt conflicted and could only recall the afternoon sunlight outside the hospital and Zhai You’s warm breath when she had leaned closer.
The breath had only brushed against her for an instant, yet the sensation had been far too vivid.
So vivid that she couldn’t forget it.
Jiang Bailu pressed her fingers together. Both her hands and feet were trembling.
Zhai You was also secretly watching Jiang Bailu through the rearview mirror. Ever since getting into the car, Jiang Bailu had kept staring out the window without speaking, forcing Zhai You to overthink.
They had gotten a little too close just now.
Once Jiang Bailu came back to her senses, she must have been terrified.
Be more patient, Zhai You told herself.
The assistant… the assistant focused seriously on the surrounding traffic and drove carefully, so they wouldn’t get into an accident.
They arrived at the Zhai family mansion.
Jiang Bailu tried to open the car door, but her hands and feet felt weak. She tried several times and couldn’t get it open.
Her eyes grew flustered. She lowered her head and tried several more times, beginning to wonder whether Zhai You had secretly told the assistant to make things difficult for her on purpose, just to establish dominance.
Zhai You got out of the car in an awkward posture.
When she noticed Jiang Bailu hadn’t gotten out, she paused, walked over, and opened the door for her.
Because she couldn’t lower her neck very far, she couldn’t clearly see Jiang Bailu’s expression. She could only say, “It’s okay. Go to my room first.”
Jiang Bailu visibly froze.
The assistant stayed glued to his seat and refused to get out, unwilling to interrupt Zhai You’s good time again. Inside, he was screaming wildly: Do rich people really have no restraint at all? You literally just brought her home!
Zhai You couldn’t even see Jiang Bailu clearly. How could she possibly spare another glance for the assistant?
In any case, she couldn’t see anything and didn’t know anything, so she continued reassuring Jiang Bailu. “My parents come home late and aren’t around much. You won’t run into them right away.”
The original novel had vaguely mentioned that the Zhai family owned so many mansions they couldn’t even live in all of them. Her parents were away most of the time, leaving the original owner free to do whatever she wanted at home.
Whether that meant bringing home minor celebrities or internet influencers.
She simply wanted to bring Jiang Bailu home first. She didn’t want her parents making things difficult for Jiang Bailu yet.
How could she bear to let that happen?
Jiang Bailu sighed in relief. The car door was already open, so all she needed to do was swing her legs out and get down.
The moment she started to move, Jiang Bailu noticed the dress she had been wearing for who knew how long. She had never cared about it before. Her family’s poor circumstances were a fact, so why bother hiding them?
But now she remembered what Zhai You had said outside the hospital about going home to pack clothes.
Did Zhai You dislike the way she dressed?
And had she specifically said they wouldn’t run into her parents because she was worried Jiang Bailu would embarrass her?
Jiang Bailu tried several times to speak. After waiting for a while, Zhai You, completely confused, stretched her hand out toward Jiang Bailu. A voice as beautiful as she was sounded beside her.
“Get out.”
Jiang Bailu stared at that hand and didn’t move, but she did step out of the car.
Zhai You withdrew her hand and didn’t think much of it.
The noise of the assistant driving back had long since been heard inside the mansion, and the butler quickly came out to greet them. He glanced at Jiang Bailu but asked nothing.
It was almost no more than a passing glance, as though he considered her completely unimportant.
“Young Master Su Luo called several more times afterward. He wants to invite you to the resort.”
Zhai You tried moving her neck again.
It still hurt.
Remembering the contents of her chat history, she had already guessed why Su Luo kept doing this. She replied coldly, “I’m not going. Don’t answer any more calls from him in the future.”
“Yes, Young Miss.” The butler had looked after Zhai You for many years and noticed something unusual about her neck. “Is something wrong with your neck?”
“I strained it…”
Zhai You didn’t want to say more. The doctor’s comment about her being too weak was still bothering her.
She absolutely did not want her family finding out about that. She decided to hide it completely.
While the assistant and the butler were talking, Zhai You told Jiang Bailu to follow behind her.
The two of them walked into the house.
Zhai You said, “My room is on the second floor. The room with the biggest bed is mine.”
She didn’t hear Jiang Bailu reply.
Instead, she heard a woman’s voice calling out with overwhelming affection:
“Baby, you’re back!”
Zhai You’s heart thumped.
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