A Fishing-Type Omega Always Wants to Possess Me - Chapter 4

Before Joyce could reach the entrance of the boutique, two tall female bodyguards stepped forward and blocked her path.

“Zhizhi!” Joyce called out in her somewhat clumsy Imperial language, her expression bursting with excitement. “Is that really Zhizhi?”

Gu Wanlan frowned slightly and waved a hand. One of the bodyguards immediately stepped forward, her tone still relatively polite.

“I’m sorry. Miss Jiang is here on a private outing today and cannot be disturbed.”

“It really is Zhizhi!”

Clutching her phone, Joyce became so excited that her voice rose in pitch.

“I only want to see Zhizhi up close! I won’t disturb any of you, I promise!”

Afraid that Jiang Zhi might be displeased, Gu Wanlan intended to personally persuade the woman to leave. However, the moment she reached the entrance, she stopped.

“Mianzhou?”

The polite expression on Gu Wanlan’s face stiffened for an instant.

At the sound of that name, Jiang Zhi and the employees inside the boutique all looked over.

Seeing that both women had noticed her, Yu Mianzhou silently sighed and stepped forward.

“Miss Gu. What a coincidence. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

She knew that Gu Wanlan and Jiang Zhi were continuing their search for a wedding dress today, but she had never expected that they would happen to meet here.

Had she known, she would never have agreed to Joyce’s demand to enter this shopping center.

Realizing that Joyce seemed to have come with Yu Mianzhou, Gu Wanlan’s gaze moved back and forth between them. She quickly understood and asked:

“Is this your… girlfriend?”

The instant the question was asked, the air seemed to slow once more.

A soft, sweet fruit fragrance began to permeate every breath.

Yu Mianzhou did not look inside the bridal boutique even once.

“Yes,” she replied calmly.

The moment the word fell from her lips, the sweet lychee fragrance in the air abruptly turned cold and sharp.

Its sugary sweetness was suppressed until it became faint, revealing instead a cool pinewood scent, mingled with the slight scorching warmth of burning vegetation.

As an S-class Alpha, Gu Wanlan was extremely sensitive to changes in an Omega’s pheromones.

She instinctively looked toward Jiang Zhi.

Just as she began to find it strange, Yu Mianzhou explained:

“She’s only a fan of Sister Jiang Zhi, not a stalker. I picked her up from the airport and brought her here for lunch. I didn’t expect the two of you to be here too.”

By this point, Joyce had also begun to understand the situation.

“You actually know Jiang Zhi?!”

Her eyes widened as she stared at Yu Mianzhou in disbelief.

“Why have you never told me?”

Had she known, she could have gotten Jiang Zhi’s autograph ages ago!

Since Joyce was Yu Mianzhou’s girlfriend, Gu Wanlan instructed the bodyguards to release her and said with a smile:

“Mianzhou never told you? Jiang Zhi is her older sister.”

Joyce glanced at Yu Mianzhou’s expressionless face, then shook her head.

She knew Yu Mianzhou had many secrets.

Was this simply one more among them?

As they spoke, Jiang Zhi lifted the hem of her wedding dress with the help of a boutique assistant and slowly walked out.

“Are you Mianzhou’s friend? It’s lovely to meet you.”

Her eyes curved gently, her voice warm and refined, and her smile soft and delicate.

Looking at such a gentle Jiang Zhi, Gu Wanlan noticed that the lychee fragrance she found so pleasant had once again become soft and sweet.

She assumed she had simply overthought things and misread the scent earlier.

“Yes! My name is Joyce! Oh my God, Jiang Zhi, you’re a thousand—no, ten thousand times more beautiful in person than you are in videos!”

Joyce seized the rare opportunity to introduce herself to her beloved idol.

Jiang Zhi had always treated her fans kindly.

At Joyce’s request, she took a photograph with her. Then she smiled until her eyes curved and said:

“I haven’t chosen my wedding dress yet. Would you mind not posting this photograph on social media?”

Joyce’s attention was instantly consumed by her idol. Her cheeks flushed with excitement as she hurriedly nodded.

“Of course!”

In any case, now that she had Yu Mianzhou as a connection, Joyce believed she would have plenty of opportunities to take photographs with Jiang Zhi in the future.

“It’s almost lunchtime.”

Seeing that the atmosphere had relaxed, Gu Wanlan extended an invitation with a smile.

“Little Sister Mianzhou, why don’t you bring your girlfriend and have lunch with us?”

“No, we—”

Yu Mianzhou had barely begun to refuse when a hand viciously pinched the soft flesh at her waist.

She raised her eyes and saw that Joyce’s pale-blue pupils were brimming with expectation and pleading.

“Hey, Elowen,” Joyce whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear. “I don’t know why you told them I’m your girlfriend, but I can help you. You need to learn to read the room too, understand?”

Yu Mianzhou had been the one to teach her the phrase “read the room.”

She had never expected Joyce to use it against her one day.

Yu Mianzhou felt rather helpless.

Joyce took her silence as agreement and happily raised her head, only to meet Jiang Zhi’s gaze.

Perhaps it was merely her imagination.

But Jiang Zhi’s eyes seemed to pause for a moment on the hand Joyce had placed against Yu Mianzhou’s waist.

Her gaze was faint, yet it inexplicably made Joyce’s fingertips go numb.

For some reason, Joyce withdrew her hand. Then she smiled at Gu Wanlan and Jiang Zhi.

“Of course. It would be our honor to have lunch together.”

Gu Wanlan took charge and selected a century-old restaurant on the top floor so Joyce could properly experience the Empire’s cuisine.

She led the others upstairs while Jiang Zhi remained behind to change out of the wedding dress.

Yu Mianzhou walked at the rear of the group and heard Jiang Zhi’s clear, cool voice behind her.

“The skirt is too long. Find me something shorter…”

Yu Mianzhou did not clearly hear the rest.

Nor could she be bothered to listen.

The restaurant operated on a membership system and offered excellent privacy.

Gu Wanlan was clearly a regular. She accepted the menu with practiced ease, ordered several signature dishes, then smiled at Yu Mianzhou and Joyce across from her.

“Mianzhou, Miss Joyce, have a look and see what you would like.”

“I’ll order. I know what Mianzhou likes.”

Joyce immediately slipped into her role. After studying the menu, she recited several dishes in strangely accented Imperial language.

“Make the fish soup lighter. No black pepper sauce on the steak—replace it with truffle butter. And we’ll have port wine after the meal…”

Gu Wanlan looked somewhat surprised, but soon smiled gently.

“Miss Joyce certainly understands Mianzhou’s tastes very well.”

“Of course.”

Joyce lifted her chin, half boasting and half complaining.

“I was the one who looked after her during all those years abroad. Mianzhou might look picky, but she actually has no standards when it comes to food. As long as it fills her stomach, she’s satisfied. She never bothers seasoning anything properly—”

At that moment, a server pushed open the private dining room door.

Jiang Zhi had changed back into the black dress she had worn when she arrived. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and her lips were naturally crimson despite the absence of lipstick. She was as beautiful as a woman from a painting.

She swept her gaze over everyone at the table and could tell that the atmosphere was harmonious.

Her slender fingers brushed over Gu Wanlan’s shoulder before she sat down beside her.

“What are you talking about that has everyone so happy?”

“We were saying how close Mianzhou and Miss Joyce are,” Gu Wanlan replied with a smile.

Now that Jiang Zhi had arrived, Joyce became even more enthusiastic.

“You have no idea! Once, I personally watched Mianzhou eat an entire steak. It looked delicious, so I became curious and tried a bite. My God, it had no flavor at all! She hadn’t even added salt! I still don’t know how she managed to eat the whole thing without changing her expression.”

Her words were ordinary yet intimate.

To any outsider listening, they sounded like proof of an exceptionally close relationship.

The dishes were soon served.

Gu Wanlan was skilled at looking after others. She continuously gave Joyce new topics to discuss and kept the atmosphere lively.

Joyce unleashed the full force of her social-butterfly personality. Although she stumbled through the Imperial language, she and Gu Wanlan were soon chatting animatedly.

Yu Mianzhou listened in silence, occasionally replying with a few words.

Gu Wanlan sat across from her, Joyce was on her left, and Jiang Zhi was on her right.

That fresh, sweet lychee fragrance continued to drift beneath her nose.

It was extremely faint, yet it seemed to seep into everything.

Yu Mianzhou felt the gland at the back of her neck begin to tingle, as though tiny electric currents were passing through it.

Somehow, the napkin beside her hand slipped from the table and fell to the floor, landing beside Jiang Zhi’s leg.

The fabric rested against Jiang Zhi’s jade-white calf. Beneath the black dress, her skin appeared even softer and more delicate.

Yu Mianzhou bent down to retrieve it, deliberately keeping her fingertips away from Jiang Zhi.

However, just as her fingers were about to touch the napkin, that pale calf suddenly moved and pressed directly against her fingertips.

The delicate sensation spread across the pads of her fingers, like brushing over white porcelain steeped in moonlight.

Jiang Zhi had clearly been the one to move closer.

Yet Yu Mianzhou could distinctly feel a faint trembling beneath her skin.

She was as soft as a cloud melting apart, as though the slightest pinch could squeeze water from her.

The cool touch beneath Yu Mianzhou’s fingertips turned scorching hot in an instant.

Yu Mianzhou understood the reactions of this body better than anyone else.

She abruptly raised her head.

Jiang Zhi was listening to Gu Wanlan with a smile, every inch the dignified and elegant young lady of a prestigious family.

As though the person whose legs had weakened beneath the table was not her at all.

Yu Mianzhou withdrew her hand and casually passed the retrieved napkin to a nearby server.

Only after chatting for quite some time did Gu Wanlan notice that Jiang Zhi had barely touched her food.

She picked up a slice of Iberian ham and moved to place it in Jiang Zhi’s bowl.

“She doesn’t eat mango.”

Before Gu Wanlan could put it down, Yu Mianzhou grasped her wrist.

Gu Wanlan froze.

Only then did she notice the golden slice of mango beneath the ham.

Almost simultaneously, both Gu Wanlan and Joyce turned to look at Yu Mianzhou.

It was only when their gazes landed on her that Yu Mianzhou realized what she had done.

Her brows drew together slightly, and she released Gu Wanlan’s wrist.

“Sorry.”

It had been nothing more than an instinctive reaction.

But on second thought, she was nominally Jiang Zhi’s younger sister. It was perfectly reasonable for her to know about Jiang Zhi’s allergies.

“I’m the one who should apologize.”

Just as Yu Mianzhou expected, Gu Wanlan did not think too deeply about it. Instead, she looked slightly remorseful.

“I’m sorry, Zhizhi. I still don’t know enough about you—”

Jiang Zhi suddenly smiled.

The smile spread through her eyes as she reached out and clasped Gu Wanlan’s wrist, which was still suspended in midair.

Following the movement of Gu Wanlan’s hand, she parted her lips slightly and bit into the ham together with the slice of mango beneath it.

“It’s all right,” she said softly. “I’m not allergic anymore.”

The juice left her lips glistening, coating them in a delicate sheen that carried an indescribably sensual quality.

Yu Mianzhou tugged at the corner of her mouth but said nothing more.

Even someone as slow to notice subtleties as Joyce could vaguely sense that the atmosphere at the table was no longer the same as before.

The second half of the meal passed in uncomfortable awkwardness.

After leaving the restaurant, Joyce reluctantly bid Jiang Zhi farewell.

“Zhizhi, I’m leaving now. I hope we can meet again sometime.”

Gu Wanlan smiled.

“Perhaps we’ll see each other again at the Jiang residence tonight.”

Only then did Joyce learn that Yu Mianzhou intended to bring her home to meet the Jiang family!

Although she desperately wanted to see Jiang Zhi again, she still widened her eyes innocently and turned to Yu Mianzhou.

“I’m sorry, darling. I’d love to go home with you, but I don’t have time today. I have several good friends I need to meet. You should have told me earlier…”

“Where are you going?”

Yu Mianzhou did not take it to heart.

“I’ll drive you there. We can arrange the meeting for another day.”

After saying goodbye to Gu Wanlan, Yu Mianzhou left with Joyce.

Once the two of them were gone, Gu Wanlan stood beside the street, replaying Yu Mianzhou and Joyce’s intimate interactions in her mind.

Could she and Jiang Zhi be like that too?

Remembering the tender, lingering smile Jiang Zhi had given her when eating the ham, Gu Wanlan suddenly felt slightly more confident.

She reached out, intending to hold Jiang Zhi’s hand.

Before her fingertips could touch her, Jiang Zhi abruptly pulled her hand away.

Gu Wanlan’s hand froze in midair.

Jiang Zhi stared in the direction the Bentley had disappeared. She took a silk handkerchief from her bag and meticulously wiped her hand, carefully cleaning every space between her fingers.

She was clearly still smiling.

Yet the smile was entirely different from the one she had worn at the dining table.

“Gu Wanlan,” she said, her voice cold enough to pierce bone. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Gu Wanlan’s face instantly turned as white as paper.

A handkerchief came flying toward her face, but the soft, sweet fragrance of lychee reached her first.

After throwing it, Jiang Zhi could not even be bothered to look at Gu Wanlan again. She turned and walked directly toward the parking lot.

That evening, the atmosphere in the Jiang family’s dining room was so cold that it seemed capable of shedding fragments of ice.

Not only had Joyce failed to appear, but neither Gu Wanlan nor Jiang Zhi had returned.

Yu Shu’s fingernails nearly dug into the back of Yu Mianzhou’s hand. She lowered her voice, her tone urgent.

“Where is your girlfriend? Why didn’t you bring her back?”

Yu Mianzhou behaved as though she felt nothing and quietly pulled her hand away.

“She was busy today. I’ll bring her back in a couple of days.”

Jiang Yingqiu summoned one of Jiang Zhi’s bodyguards, who leaned down and whispered several words into her ear.

Jiang Yingqiu’s gaze remained on Yu Mianzhou’s face for a moment.

In the end, she merely turned to Yu Shu and said:

“Let’s eat.”

Seeing that Jiang Yingqiu did not ask any further questions, Yu Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Zhi did not return until after dinner, and she came home alone.

Jiang Yingqiu looked behind her, her expression darkening.

“You came back alone?”

Jiang Zhi changed her shoes, her voice careless.

“Who else would there be?”

“What kind of attitude is that?”

Jiang Yingqiu gently placed her teacup on the table.

Her expression did not change at all. She merely swept an indifferent gaze toward Jiang Zhi, yet the oppressive presence of someone long accustomed to authority made it difficult for everyone to breathe.

“Have you forgotten everything you were taught as a child?”

Jiang Zhi casually leaned back against the sofa, lazy and boneless. She smiled.

“This is simply my attitude. Is there something wrong with it, Mother?”

She called her “Mother” in an intimate and coquettish voice.

Yet every servant attending them in the living room lowered their head in terror, wishing they could shrink themselves into a tiny ball.

Yu Shu also instinctively moved closer to Yu Mianzhou.

Jiang Zhi, however, continued smiling, her eyes curved as though she did not care in the slightest.

Jiang Yingqiu’s expression grew frighteningly dark.

In the end, however, she did not order Jiang Zhi to kneel in the ancestral hall.

Instead, she said coldly:

“Since you’re about to be married, I won’t punish you by sending you to the isolation room. But if you continue behaving this way after your marriage, you won’t be the only one losing face.”

Jiang Zhi did not listen at all.

She let out a light laugh, turned, and went upstairs.

Yu Mianzhou waited until Jiang Zhi had been upstairs for ten minutes before rising and telling Jiang Yingqiu and Yu Shu that she was returning to her room.

She went back to the third floor.

When she emerged from the shower, her body still carried a faint veil of moisture.

But there was now another person inside her room.

Jiang Zhi, who should have been in her own bedroom, was lying on Yu Mianzhou’s bed. She propped her chin on one hand while reading one of Yu Mianzhou’s books, her slender, luminous calves crossed and swaying in the air.

Yu Mianzhou stood motionless.

Her gaze unconsciously traveled downward.

The pale nightdress rested softly against the woman’s waist like a hazy layer of cicada wings, outlining her graceful curves with perfect subtlety.

Yu Mianzhou’s breathing tightened almost imperceptibly.

She looked away and glanced at the lock on her door, which remained perfectly intact.

Then she sat down at the desk and began preparing to dry the damp ends of her hair.

Her misted strands rested against her palm.

Before she could turn on the hair dryer, a soft body pushed past her arm and settled directly onto her lap.

The plush curve of Jiang Zhi’s hips pressed almost seamlessly against the top of her thighs.

A sensation she had not felt in a very long time.

Jiang Zhi lifted a hand and swept her hair aside, exposing the fragile, sensitive skin at the back of her neck directly before Yu Mianzhou.

Her tone was perfectly matter-of-fact.

“Apply my medicine.”