After Becoming an Alpha, I Became a Charmer (GL) - Chapter 17

Xia Zhiyu returned with the microphone and said to Ruan Wu, “Ms. Ruan, after I announce the rules, you’ll be in charge of simply saying ‘start.’”

“Mhm.” Ruan Wu retracted her gaze and focused on Xia Zhiyu’s face. “Who were you talking to just now?”

Xia Zhiyu was surprised. “Ms. Ruan, you saw that?”

Ruan Wu’s eyes had unconsciously followed Xia Zhiyu when she left. She saw Xia Zhiyu stop halfway and chat with someone, but she didn’t see who the person was.

Ruan Wu didn’t like Xia Zhiyu interacting with people she didn’t know.

“It was Minister Li.” The mention of Minister Li made Xia Zhiyu smile.

Ruan Wu frowned. Minister Li again.

She remembered Minister Li was a Beta in his thirties whose child was in kindergarten. Was he worth her smiling like that?

Xia Zhiyu told Ruan Wu about the rumor she had heard from Minister Li. “I’ve been with you almost constantly, Ms. Ruan, and I haven’t seen anyone else approach you. I don’t know how they came up with that rumor.”

Ruan Wu looked at the smiling Xia Zhiyu with an unreadable expression: “…”

She’s smart enough to handle all her secretarial duties flawlessly, so why is she so oblivious to gossip like this?

“Have you ever thought that…” Ruan Wu started to tell her the truth, but then decided it wasn’t necessary. Whether she said it or not, it didn’t change that it was just a rumor, and even if the rumor was about Xia Zhiyu and her, their relationship was strictly professional.

“Thought what?” Xia Zhiyu asked, puzzled about why she suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence.

Ruan Wu lifted her wrist and checked the time. “Nothing. It’s two minutes until 2:30. You should announce the rules now.”

Xia Zhiyu saw that it was indeed time. She immediately took the microphone and announced the rules.

After the announcement, Xia Zhiyu handed the microphone to Ruan Wu. Ruan Wu stood up and walked into the sunlight. Her delicate face glowed white in the sun. She said, “Start,” but everyone’s first reaction wasn’t to rush into the orchard. Instead, they lingered, looking back over and over again until Ruan Wu sat back down under the parasol before they finally charged.

However, there were exceptions.

The three branch company managers who failed to corner Ruan Wu at noon handed the task over to their subordinates and walked toward Ruan Wu together.

They didn’t care about the honor of receiving an award from Ruan Wu personally. They weren’t the incompetent Betas and Omegas. Given their status, they felt their time was better spent chatting with Ruan Wu face-to-face.

“Ms. Ruan.” Xia Zhiyu immediately handed Ruan Wu a pair of sunglasses and whispered, “Anti-greasy Alpha, eye protection.”

Ruan Wu couldn’t resist a slight curve of her lips. She took the sunglasses and put them on. Half of her petite face was covered by the glasses, leaving only her well-shaped red lips and pointed chin visible.

Zhao Sheng, who had good eyesight, saw the smile on Ruan Wu’s lips from a distance and felt his heart warm. But before he could get another look, that beautiful face was half-covered by sunglasses. And the person who handed the sunglasses to Ruan Wu was Xia Zhiyu, the same person who had blocked them at noon.

Zhao Sheng frowned at Xia Zhiyu, mentally adding this to his list of grudges.

As the three approached, they all put on a gentle smile. “Ms. Ruan, since our last meeting, I’ve been dreaming of your beautiful face. I only came on this spring outing hoping to catch a glimpse of you and ease my longing. These sunglasses…”

“I don’t think you should wear them. Wearing sunglasses under a parasol is not good for your eyes,” Yu Chou immediately interjected.

Ke Miao, standing beside them, didn’t say a word but clearly agreed with their request.

They were general managers of Ruan Group branch companies and brought in countless revenue for the company every year. Having finally met the Ruan Wu they had longed for, they couldn’t even see her whole face. It was simply unacceptable.

Xia Zhiyu quickly explained with a smile, “It’s not that Ms. Ruan doesn’t want to take off her sunglasses. Her eyes were uncomfortable before we came, and the doctor advised her to wear sunglasses in the sun, or it could damage her vision. I know the three of you really want to see Ms. Ruan. Don’t worry, Ms. Ruan definitely won’t be wearing sunglasses at the evening banquet.”

Xia Zhiyu didn’t miss the cold look in their eyes as they looked at her, but she didn’t care much. In the novel, these three were just low-level cannon fodder. After Ruan Wu exploited them and squeezed out their remaining value, their endings were all miserable.

Ruan Wu had already secretly sent people into the three branch companies to collect evidence of their bribery, selling of company core secrets, and tax evasion. They had less than half a month before they would be dealt with.

The three still refused to leave, even though they couldn’t see Ruan Wu’s entire face. They shamelessly stood beside her and continued to chat with her. Ruan Wu, with her “gentle nature,” generally answered every question, except for the few times their words became too suggestive. Xia Zhiyu immediately steered the conversation away, not giving Ruan Wu a chance to reply.

Just as Zhao Sheng and the others began to look impatient, the competition ended, and the three had to return to their teams for the gathering.

The resort staff were in charge of weighing the fruit. In the end, Yu Qingyi, the representative for the Tech Department, won first place for his department.

Although he was an Omega, he had picked twice as much fruit as many Betas.

All the Tech Department employees walked onto the podium, basking in everyone’s envious glances. Every one of them was beaming with joy.

Ruan Wu took the trophy from Xia Zhiyu’s hands. She walked onto the stage and presented the trophy to Yu Qingyi. “You are excellent.”

Yu Qingyi’s hands were trembling with excitement as he met Ruan Wu’s gaze up close. “Thank you, Ms. Ruan!” he said, his cheeks flushed.

Ruan Wu felt a slight sense of closeness toward Omegas. She patted Yu Qingyi’s shoulder and walked off the stage.

With the group activity concluded, it was now free time. Employees could wander and enjoy the resort until the evening banquet.

Ruan Wu planned to return to the courtyard to work for a while. She couldn’t avoid the toasts at the banquet, and she never handled work after drinking.

Xia Zhiyu asked, “Ms. Ruan, do you want to eat some fruit? How about I go pick some fresh ones for you?”

Ruan Wu had already figured out that Xia Zhiyu loved all kinds of food. She didn’t stop her, knowing that Xia Zhiyu was just offering to pick for her as an excuse to satisfy her own cravings.

“Go ahead,” Ruan Wu said.

After all, she had two bodyguards following her. It didn’t matter if Xia Zhiyu wasn’t with her on the way back to the courtyard.

However, Ruan Wu hadn’t walked far when Xia Zhiyu suddenly caught up with her, holding a small bucket of fruit. Ruan Wu was surprised. “Where did this come from?”

Xia Zhiyu certainly couldn’t have picked it that fast herself.

Xia Zhiyu was a little confused herself. As she started walking toward the orchard, an employee from the Tech Department suddenly appeared and gave her the bucket of fruit, saying it was a gift from Yu Qingyi.

Xia Zhiyu was briefly puzzled, then grew happy. She could roughly understand Yu Qingyi’s intentions: the fruit was both an apology for misunderstanding her earlier and a thank you for getting Ruan Wu to attend the spring outing.

But without Ruan Wu personally presenting the award, Yu Qingyi wouldn’t have been so excited as to send her fruit.

Ruan Wu truly is my Goddess of Fortune!

“It’s a thank-you gift from Yu Qingyi. I helped him with a small favor,” Xia Zhiyu said with a smile.

Ruan Wu saw her holding the bucket of fruit and looking very pleased. She searched her memory for Yu Qingyi’s information—a core staff member in the Tech Department, a male Omega.

An Omega.

Ruan Wu looked at the smile on Xia Zhiyu’s face, her mood completely different from before.

Her eyes grew cold. She raised her chin slightly at Xia Zhiyu. “Give the fruit to them.”

Xia Zhiyu hadn’t sensed the danger and felt it was inappropriate to trouble the bodyguards with such a task. She said, “It’s fine, Ms. Ruan. It’s not heavy. I can carry it myself.”

Ruan Wu stopped walking and stared intently at Xia Zhiyu.

Xia Zhiyu: “…” Got it. Handing it to the bodyguards immediately.

Xia Zhiyu couldn’t figure out why Ruan Wu was making such a demand. She could only guess the best-case scenario—maybe her boss thinks she’s doing a good job and is starting to care about her.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t she even let me carry a bucket of fruit?