Chapter 19.2

Sister Ji didn’t waste words with her. She sent over a string of numbers and let Zhai You contact him herself.

“Then… what’s the minimum amount for Jiang Bailu’s breach-of-contract penalty?”

“She signed while she was still an unknown. It should be the lowest-tier contract. Probably a few million.”

Zhai You began thinking about the possibility of borrowing money.

How could she borrow several million from someone without embarrassing Father Zhai?

The first person who came to mind was Su Luo.

Su Luo’s family owned a resort. That brat spent his days running around having fun and didn’t seem to have much financial pressure.

Among everyone Zhai You currently knew, he was the most likely person willing to lend her money.

She would wait and see.

*

The shopping street was unauthorized copy packed with clothing stores ranging from high-end luxury to accessible luxury brands.

A hundred thousand definitely wasn’t enough for true luxury brands, and Jiang Bailu only needed everyday clothes for now, so Qiao Yan took her into a niche affordable-luxury boutique.

The walls were covered with a dazzling variety of clothes.

Qiao Yan told Jiang Bailu to choose something herself first.

Jiang Bailu didn’t move.

She looked at Qiao Yan and asked directly, “Do you like Zhai You?”

From Qiao Yan’s behavior at the hospital, it was obvious she had feelings for Zhai You.

Perhaps there was no need to make things so complicated.

Maybe she could simply help bring Qiao Yan and Zhai You together.

Qiao Yan immediately became wary, assuming Jiang Bailu was testing her.

Remembering Zhai You’s instructions, she frowned. “Who would like that stupid woman?”

Then she thought about it and realized something was wrong.

Zhai You had also told her to say more good things about her.

“Actually, Zhai You is pretty decent.”

Insincere.

Jiang Bailu took a piece of clothing off the rack.

After hesitating for a moment, she checked the price tag.

This single item cost several thousand.

Although she intended to repay Zhai You later, this was still too much.

Who knew how long it would take her to pay everything back?

Jiang Bailu put it back, then selected another piece from the rack that she thought was more reasonably priced.

“How did you manage to pick the tackiest, most outdated thing on an entire rack of clothes?” Qiao Yan shook her head.

Aside from her exceptional natural beauty, Jiang Bailu really had no talent whatsoever when it [stolen content]came to attracting people.

And yet somehow, she had still managed to charm Zhai You completely senseless.

Wait.

Zhai You had told her to become Jiang Bailu’s best friend!

Qiao Yan jolted and immediately took back what she had said, replacing it with a warm smile. “But even though your taste is… special, it does make you unique, hehehe.”

There was nothing wrong with Jiang Bailu’s aesthetic sense.

She lowered her lashes. “This one is the cheapest.”

She was merely stating a fact.

“……” Qiao Yan was confused. “But Zhai You said she’s paying?”

“I still can’t.”

Thinking about the nature of her relationship with Zhai You, Jiang Bailu stopped talking.

Zhai You had specifically arranged for Qiao Yan to come shopping.

Maybe she simply wanted Qiao Yan to buy whatever she wanted?

A faint trace of confusion appeared in Jiang Bailu’s eyes.

So as not to waste the opportunity Zhai You had deliberately created—

“Then you choose.”

Perhaps buying clothes for Jiang Bailu was only an excuse.

The real purpose was to let Qiao Yan shop.

Watching Qiao Yan choose clothes,

Jiang Bailu unexpectedly felt a faint trace of envy.

How wonderful it must be to be loved by someone who went to such lengths for you.

Qiao Yan had a good eye for clothes, but she always reached for expensive things, having long developed the habit of ruthlessly slaughtering someone else’s wallet.

Not only were there pieces costing several thousand each, some were over ten thousand.

After picking five or six outfits, she landed almost exactly on the hundred-thousand limit.

She handed the selected clothes to Jiang Bailu. “Go try them on.”

Jiang Bailu took them instinctively.

Something still felt strangely off.

The sales assistant had already figured out who was in charge of this shopping trip.

She moved beside Qiao Yan with a flattering smile. “Miss, you have excellent taste. These are all some of our store’s featured pieces.”

Qiao Yan raised her brows, clearly enjoying the praise.

But after looking at Jiang Bailu, she still said, “She’s the one buying the clothes. You’re praising the wrong person.”

Zhai You could casually spend a hundred thousand buying clothes for Jiang Bailu.

The benefits she gave Qiao Yan probably wouldn’t be small either.

In that case, Qiao Yan might as well keep Jiang Bailu happy.

The sales assistant’s smile stiffened on her face.

She awkwardly turned and guided Jiang Bailu toward the fitting room.

A pleasant fragrance filled the fitting room.

The base notes reminded Jiang Bailu of Zhai You’s pheromones.

Without realizing it, she took several extra breaths.

When she realized what she was doing, Jiang Bailu froze in place.

Why had she deliberately tried to smell something resembling Zhai You’s pheromones?

Were Zhai You’s pheromones really that captivating to her?

The gland that had been marked gave a faint ache.

Jiang Bailu pressed a hand to the back of her neck.

Suddenly, her body began to weaken, and heat spread through her.

An Omega who had been marked wouldn’t enter heat again so quickly.

She had merely—

thought about Zhai You.

And she was already beginning to sink into it, as if that marking had been incomplete and her instincts wanted something more complete.

Her body was coaxing her into thinking in that direction.

Jiang Bailu braced herself against the wall, breathing rapidly as a hazy mist gathered in her eyes.

But because she had already been marked by Zhai You, her pheromones only leaked out very faintly, too subdued for anyone outside to notice anything unusual inside the fitting room.

Jiang Bailu bit her lower lip and turned her head away, as though doing so could put more distance between herself and Zhai You’s pheromones.

Then her hand brushed against the clothes Qiao Yan had chosen.

Jiang Bailu abruptly came back to her senses.

What pheromones?

There weren’t any.

It was just the store’s fragrance.

The fact that merely encountering a similar scent had affected her this badly made Jiang Bailu’s face flush angrily.

What frightened her even more was Qiao Yan waiting outside the fitting room.

Jiang Bailu was completely at a loss.

She might not hate Zhai You as much anymore, but that didn’t mean she liked her, right?

Zhai You already had someone she liked.

That person was right outside.

A contractual marriage.

It was only a contractual marriage.

Her relationship with Zhai You could only go this far.

Anything further would cross the line.

She would become the kind of person Jiang Bailu hated most.

It took Jiang Bailu a great deal of effort to calm herself down, but the faint heat inside her still had nowhere to go.

Biting her lip, she changed into the clothes and walked out.

“Miss, you look absolutely captivating in that. It’s practically made for you,” the sales assistant praised sincerely.

Jiang Bailu had a slender figure and cool, pale skin that suited most clothing styles.

Combined with her temperament, somewhere between gentle and aloof, she possessed a uniquely tempting beauty.

Even a Beta could fall for her.

“Looks like my taste is pretty good.” Qiao Yan nodded.

But something was strange.

Jiang Bailu had only changed clothes.

Why did she look like she had just gone through some intense activity inside?

The clothes weren’t that difficult to put on, were they?

Zhai You seemed to have mentioned that Jiang Bailu wasn’t in very good health…

Omegas really were delicate.

Qiao Yan felt a little envious.

If she were an Omega, maybe she could land even more rich patrons.

“Dressed like this, Zhai You will definitely like you even more.”

The moment Qiao Yan said that, Jiang Bailu’s body trembled.

She instantly sobered up.

She couldn’t let Qiao Yan misunderstand.

Jiang Bailu clenched her hand slightly. “Zhai You comes from an extremely wealthy family. Her standards Read on BaiLianTales must be very high. Even if she really likes this, it would only be because you chose the clothes well.”

Perhaps if she could get Qiao Yan and Zhai You together, she herself would finally be able to withdraw.

Qiao Yan’s lips curved upward, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t suppress the smile. “No. It’s definitely because you’re beautiful.”

As for Zhai You’s taste…

Qiao Yan didn’t really know how to comment on that.

But complimenting Jiang Bailu could never be wrong.

“How am I beautiful…” Jiang Bailu’s eyes trembled slightly as she looked at Qiao Yan’s sweet, cute face. “An Alpha should have someone cuter by her side.”

Qiao Yan became thoughtful.

Considering how good Jiang Bailu was at complimenting people,

she decided to befriend her after all.

She wouldn’t even charge Zhai You for it.

But she still needed to earn the other payment.

Qiao Yan remembered that she was supposed to praise Zhai You in front of Jiang Bailu. “It would be wonderful to meet someone as devoted as Zhai You.”

Jiang Bailu smiled faintly, but the smile seemed strained.

She herself didn’t notice it.

Inside, she thought: Qiao Yan keeps saying she doesn’t like Zhai You, yet she still keeps praising her. So she really does like her after all.

Once Qiao Yan and Zhai You got together…

Jiang Bailu shook her head, suppressing that faint, inexplicable, strange emotion she couldn’t understand. “Zhai You’s personality really is quite straightforward. The rumors outside are probably all misunderstandings. She’s a good person.”

Qiao Yan was speechless.

How was Jiang Bailu praising Zhai You even harder than she was?

Had Jiang Bailu been paid too?

The two women left the store, each harboring their own thoughts.

Carrying clothes worth a hundred thousand, Jiang Bailu suddenly noticed something.

Qiao Yan hadn’t bought anything for herself.

“Aren’t you buying anything?”

Zhai You specifically created this opportunity for you to buy clothes.

Qiao Yan slowly produced a mental question mark.

She wanted to say that stingy Zhai You hadn’t paid her yet, and if she embezzled the clothing budget meant for Jiang Bailu, things probably wouldn’t end well.

She kept feeling that Jiang Bailu’s attitude was a little strange.

Even though she praised Zhai You, her expression seemed to imply something—

and yet also didn’t.

Qiao Yan explained that the store wasn’t a brand she usually wore, then asked, “Aren’t you married to Zhai You?”

Jiang Bailu stiffened slightly.

She frowned, wanting to explain that it was a contractual marriage, but she didn’t know whether saying that counted as revealing something and violating the agreement.

What exactly was Zhai You thinking?

While she was hesitating, Qiao Yan seemed to spot someone she knew.

She immediately went over affectionately, her gaze landing on the other person’s white sports car.

She had already missed that male Beta who came to flirt with her earlier.

She couldn’t miss another rich target.

Watching Qiao Yan act so eagerly, Jiang Bailu looked over in confusion.

What was this woman thinking?

One moment she was praising Zhai You.

The next she was showing interest in someone else.

Jiang Bailu suddenly felt that Zhai You deserved better.

And suddenly, she imagined a reason why Zhai You had sought her out for a contractual marriage.

Qiao Yan wasn’t an ordinary woman.

Zhai You must have had no choice but to resort to this.

Jiang Bailu subtly began feeling sorry for her.

That sympathy lasted until her manager called.

The moment Jiang Bailu saw the incoming call, her face turned pale as she remembered something unpleasant.

That day, after she left the hotel room,

her manager found out and called to berate her viciously.

She had said many things, especially about the breach-of-contract penalty.

At the time, Jiang Bailu hadn’t had the energy to think much about it.

After brushing her off perfunctorily, she had dragged her exhausted body to the hospital to care for her mother.

The next day, she married Zhai You.

During the days she was sick, she hadn’t received any calls from her manager.

Without realizing it, she had completely forgotten about this matter.

Looking at the incoming call, Jiang Bailu’s lips moved slightly.

With difficulty, she answered.

Unexpectedly, her manager didn’t yell.

Jiang Bailu immediately became suspicious.

Her manager asked in a gentle voice, “Bailu, why haven’t you answered my calls these past few days? I haven’t been able to reach you at all.”

“I was sick.” Jiang Bailu pursed her dry lips.

“Sick? It wasn’t serious, was it?” Her manager suddenly sounded anxious.

Jiang Bailu lifted her head and looked at the blue sky.

Beneath that vast sky, she was so very small.

“I’m almost fully recovered now.”

The manager paused for several seconds. “That’s good. Didn’t Zhai You seem dissatisfied with you before? Don’t worry. Now there’s another big shot asking me for your contact information.”

Her manager continued, “Just listen to me. All you have to do is have one meal with the big shot and you’ll earn tens of thousands.”

“If you’re lucky, you might even get an acting role—”

A meal?

Jiang Bailu didn’t even know how she managed to curve her lips into a smile.

She was no longer the innocent, untouched Jiang Bailu she had once been.

After what happened with Zhai You, Jiang Bailu understood very clearly what would happen after that meal.

For just tens of thousands,

her manager couldn’t wait to push her out.

Jiang Bailu’s breathing became rapid.

Her fingers tightened around the phone until her knuckles turned white.

She desperately controlled the grief threatening to overwhelm her.

To her manager’s ears, Jiang Bailu sounded so excited she could barely contain herself.

The manager gave a faint mocking laugh.

Sure enough, poor people were all the same.

Jiang Bailu was so desperate for money right now that mere tens of thousands were enough to make her lose control of her emotions.

“If you agree, tomorrow evening…”

Jiang Bailu didn’t hear the rest.

Her brain felt starved of oxygen, and her vision nearly went black.

Just as Jiang Bailu’s hand trembled and she was about to hang up—

“Why are you standing here all alone?” Zhai You had hurried back after leaving [stolen content]the company, only to discover that Jiang Bailu was standing by herself on the street.

Several shopping bags sat at her feet.

One had already fallen over.

And Jiang Bailu’s expression looked utterly lifeless and despairing, making Zhai You’s eyes widen.

Zhai You gritted her teeth. “No. I absolutely have to deduct her pay!”

“You…” Jiang Bailu hadn’t had time to hang up yet, and her manager called “Hello?” several times from the other end.