After Being Clung to by a Gentle, Seductive Omega - Chapter 22

One whip after another, each strike heavier than the last.

They landed one after another on Ji Congyan’s back.

The speed and ruthlessness of the technique made it impossible to tell that Ji Quanchen was a middle-aged Alpha past her youth, much less that Ji Congyan was her daughter.

Ji Congyan’s waist and back straightened even more. Amid the whipping sounds, she secretly gritted her teeth and did not make a sound.

“Don’t hit Sister…”

Ji Xunwu seemed not to see the whip at all and rushed straight toward Ji Congyan.

Seeing that the whip was about to land on Ji Xunwu, Ji Congyan’s eyelid twitched hard. At the critical moment, she bent down and shielded her younger sister. In the end, the whip still landed on her.

Ji Quanchen was seized by lingering fear.

Her movement to swing the whip again paused for a moment, and only then did the two Omegas who had been pushed aside get the chance to protect Ji Congyan.

Gong Yu was furious. “Ji Quanchen, you’re sleeping outside tonight!”

Ji Quanchen pressed her lips together. “You only know how to threaten me with these things. Fine, I’ll sleep outside. It’s not like I haven’t before. One more night won’t make a difference.”

The Alpha was only wearing a thin shirt. After several lashes, the silk fabric was torn, and several red marks appeared across her back. Some places had already broken skin, with thin streaks of blood seeping out.

Ji Congyan turned back to look at her Alpha mother. There was not the slightest resentment in her eyes. Calm and composed, she asked, “If Mother feels it isn’t enough, you can hand the whip to my wife and let her hit me too.”

Respectful, yet provocative.

Ji Quanchen was furious, but Gong Yu was blocking her, and the whip had also been thrown aside, leaving her no way to strike.

Her new daughter-in-law was also standing firmly beside her eldest daughter, looking as if she would block every strike and be beaten with her if necessary.

“Mom, don’t hit her anymore. Sister is in a lot of pain.”

The little one looked at the red marks on her sister’s back, tears falling patter-patter as she sniffled.

“Sister treats Sister-in-law very well, and Sister-in-law treats Sister very well too. Mom hit Sister without knowing right from wrong. Mom is bad.”

Ji Quanchen: “…”

She crouched in front of Ji Xunwu. “Baby, your sister did something wrong. It was a very serious mistake. If someone makes a mistake, they should be punished, right?”

Ji Xunwu said, “Sister knows she was wrong, and she has made up for it by treating Sister-in-law well. Mom should give a lighter punishment. You shouldn’t punish her so heavily.”

Ji Quanchen was rendered speechless.

Gong Yu snorted coldly. “Ji Quanchen, at least our daughter was twenty-six and mentally mature when she got together with an Omega. What about you? You had just reached the legal marriage age at nineteen and got me pregnant. How are you any better than Congyan? Like mother, like daughter. You should bear half the responsibility for Congyan’s mistake today. Yet I don’t see you turning the whip on yourself.”

She stroked Ji Xunwu’s little head. “Xunwu, go to sleep first. Mommy will come tell you a story later.”

But Ji Xunwu stubbornly stood beside Ji Congyan and refused to leave.

Ji Congyan crouched down and softly said a few words to her. Only then did the little one reluctantly follow the butler upstairs.

The bloodstained whip lay casually on the floor. Ji Congyan watched her younger sister leave. The injuries on her back burned with pain. A servant brought over a medicine box, and the doctor on duty also stood nearby.

Bo Shuang accepted the trauma medicine. Looking at the savage wounds, her long lashes trembled. But the Alpha turned away, not letting her see the injuries.

“Congyan, bear with it. I’ll help you apply the medicine.”

Ji Quanchen said coldly, “Ah Shuang, just let her handle it herself. After making such a big mistake, she still wants her wife to help apply medicine? She can dream on.”

“Mother…”

Bo Shuang’s voice was gentle, but before she could say the next sentence, the medicated cotton swab in her hand was snatched away.

Ji Congyan tossed it casually, and the swab landed directly in the trash can.

“Mom is right. I can handle this injury myself. There’s no need to tire out my wife.”

Ji Quanchen gave another cold laugh.

Gong Yu said, “Congyan, wounds with broken skin can be minor or serious. Be careful not to get them wet. What your mom said just now was only out of anger. Back then, she was much worse than you.”

Ji Quanchen said, “Just keep spoiling her!”

“We’re going back to the courtyard.” Ji Congyan ignored the two of them echoing each other and left with Bo Shuang.

·

A cool breeze blew through Ji Congyan’s long hair. The strands brushed against her back, and a piercing pain instantly surged up.

Without showing it, she bit her lip slightly and drove the sightseeing cart back to the small courtyard with a cold expression.

She sent Bo Shuang to the entrance washroom, lifted the suppressant patch at the back of her neck, and the scent of clear wine atop a snowy peak drifted out, rushing to surround the beauty.

The Alpha’s voice was low. “Smell it, then rest early.”

But Bo Shuang shook her head. “The pheromones in my body are sufficient. I don’t need them for now. Congyan, your injuries are serious. Let me treat them for you. I’ll hold the box in your hand for you.”

After getting off the sightseeing cart, Ji Congyan seemed to have taken a white object like a medicine box from the drawer and was gripping it tightly in her hand.

Ji Congyan unnaturally slipped her hand into her trouser pocket, sliding the box inside.

“No need. Didn’t you hear what my mom said? She told me to dream on. Rest well. I’m going back to dream now.”

“Congyan…”

Bo Shuang held the doorframe. The dim courtyard light covered her.

Her gentle brows and eyes held obvious worry.

“Miss Bo should focus on taking care of your own body.”

Ji Congyan closed the washroom door for her and stood quietly beneath a tree in the courtyard.

The savage injuries on the Alpha’s back were never shown before Bo Shuang’s eyes.

Alphas cared very much about face.

The sound of shower water came from the washroom. Her ears moved slightly, and she unnaturally walked a few steps farther away, until the white noise in the air completely covered the sound of water.

After Bo Shuang finished bathing and returned to her room, Ji Congyan entered the bathroom.

She tore open her clothes and stood sideways before the mirror.

The wounds on her back had already clotted. Each mark was savage and ugly.

She picked up a cotton swab and carefully disinfected the wounds. Whenever she accidentally touched an injured area, her temple would faintly twitch once. By the time she had treated most of the wounds, she was already drenched in sweat.

Sweat seeped into the wounds, and a stabbing pain that nearly reached her bones surged up.

Her fingertips gripped the washstand tightly. All ten fingers turned completely white, and her breathing gradually grew heavy.

The more troublesome matter was bathing.

Not a single drop of water could touch the wounds. For Ji Congyan, this was practically harder than climbing to heaven.

She swept all her long hair to the front. She had to bend her neck severely to prevent water from flowing onto her injury-covered back.

After finally cleaning away the bacteria with difficulty, Ji Congyan returned to her room in a loosely worn bathrobe.

She opened the white box, poured out three pills, and swallowed them dry.

The label on the box had already been torn off, but by looking carefully at the shape of the pills, one could tell it was the appearance of a health supplement.

After bathing and taking the medicine, her whole body was weak, and she was unbearably sleepy.

Ji Congyan had no energy to apply medicine to her wounds again. She lay face-down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The recovery of her wounds consumed too much of her body’s energy. Ji Congyan entered deep sleep, completely unaware that at three in the morning, the door handle was gently pressed down and a slender figure, holding a medicine box, silently walked in.

·

“Sister, Director Wu is calling for you.”

The beauty slowly opened her eyes.

She had just fallen asleep, only to wake again.

She tidied her costume.

Wu Langli called her over. “For the next scene, there are quite a few emotional breaking points. Tell me your thoughts.”

The actor she would be acting opposite was also beside Director Wu. Bo Shuang gently and methodically explained her understanding of the next scene.

As the two listened, amazement appeared in their eyes.

Bo Shuang did not only thoroughly explain her own character’s part. She also explained the other actor’s role as well.

The two of them, both wearing costumes, had an in-depth discussion under the blazing sun.

Bo Shuang was wearing a heavy black costume. In the story, she was already four months pregnant at this time and could not be exposed to cold wind. Clothes, hat, face covering—her entire body was covered tightly.

The weather in July was far too hot. Even though Bo Shuang was not someone who sweated easily, a layer of sweat now covered her forehead.

Finally, their discussion ended. All the staff finished preparations, and the new scene began filming.

Liu Fan sat in Sister Bo’s exclusive resting seat, holding the water Sister Bo would drink later and watching with great interest.

The remaining assistants had behaved much better these days, perhaps because they knew Film Queen Bo had married into the Ji family.

Liu Fan thought this honestly.

One assistant’s phone screen lit up.

She was confused and walked farther away to answer the call.

“Chairwoman Yue, do you need something?”

“Mm. Is Bo Shuang filming?”

“Yes. Sister Bo is in very good condition.”

“Good. With you helping keep an eye on Bo Shuang, I’m relieved.”

The assistant smiled and scratched her head, looking very embarrassed.

Yue Hong’s tone suddenly changed. “I have a task for you. Have both of your parents been hospitalized recently?”

The assistant’s heart tightened. “Yes, Chairwoman Yue…”

“This task can earn you enough money for your father’s medical expenses.”

Expectation appeared in the assistant’s eyes, but she instantly hesitated. “Please tell me what the task is first.”

“It’s very simple. Find an opportunity to get near Bo Shuang and try to trip her.”

“Chairwoman Yue, that won’t—”

“Listen to me finish first. I’m not asking you to make her fall. Just trip her lightly on flat ground or bump into her. Create an opportunity to accidentally touch her when you get close and see what reaction she has.”

“Ah?” What kind of strange task was this?

But helping Yue Hong watch Bo Shuang and forbidding Bo Shuang from coming into contact with any Alpha had already been strange enough. They had been keeping watch all these years too.

“Xiao Yi, this task won’t harm Bo Shuang, and it will let you earn your father’s medical expenses. What is there to hesitate about? If you hesitate, I’ll find someone else.”

“Please let me think about it…”

Xiao Yi hurriedly hung up, her eyes darting around everywhere, especially toward Bo Shuang and Liu Fan.

After confirming that the former was still acting and the latter was watching the scene with great interest, and that no one would pay attention to an artist’s unvalued assistant, she felt slightly relieved.

Yet the struggle in her heart grew even worse.

·

“Cut!”

“Perfect!”

Another one-take scene. Recently, Film Queen Bo’s condition had been getting better and better. Wu Langli saw the possibility of her breaking through her acting bottleneck.

Perhaps after Dawn aired, the current structure among actresses—two superstars and many strong contenders—would be rewritten into one god, one superstar, and many strong contenders.

“Shuang ah, to be honest, I thought you married into the Ji family because you wanted to break away from Yueyu.” Wu Langli looked at the image on the monitor and lowered her voice.

Bo Shuang’s expression did not change. She was as gentle as usual, but that gentleness carried distance, making it impossible to see what she was thinking.

Wu Langli knew she could not pry anything out of Bo Shuang’s mouth and did not mind.

The only thing in her eyes was the film.

As long as the film was shot well, she did not care what the person was like.

She smiled at Bo Shuang. “All right. Go rest.”

Bo Shuang politely nodded and turned to leave. Wu Langli looked at her back and fell into thought for a moment.

It seemed wealthy families were not that glamorous either.

Liu Fan held an umbrella and came forward to receive Bo Shuang, handing her water at the same time.

A burst of footsteps approached. For some reason, among that group of assistants who were usually lazy, Xiao Yi also held water and came running over.

“Sister Bo, your acting just now was really beautiful~”

As she ran, she unscrewed the bottle of mineral water for Bo Shuang. “Please drink… Aiya!”

“What are you doing, being so careless!”

“You usually don’t work, and the moment you come up, you bump into Sister Bo!”

Liu Fan roared.

“I’m sorry, Sister Bo…”

Xiao Yi could not stop in time and bumped into Bo Shuang’s shoulder. The force was not exactly light.

Half the bottle of mineral water also hit Bo Shuang’s costume. Fortunately, the bottle mouth faced downward, so most of the water splashed onto the ground.

Bo Shuang’s shoulder took the impact, and she subconsciously covered her lower abdomen.

Liu Fan hurriedly helped stabilize Bo Shuang’s body, preventing her from staggering and falling.

The bodyguards had already rushed out, but Liu Fan had been closer to Bo Shuang after all.

The captain stared at Xiao Yi. Her 1.9-meter-tall, burly figure was frightening to look at.

Xiao Yi’s back went cold from being stared at, and her voice trembled. “Sister Bo… I’m scared…”

“Captain, I’m fine. There’s no need to make a fuss.”

The bodyguards and Liu Fan surrounded Bo Shuang and helped her back into the RV. Xiao Yi stood helplessly at the door, her heart in chaos.

The captain said, “Madam, a fall can be either minor or serious. I suggest you dismiss useless assistants to avoid accidents like just now.”

Liu Fan also nodded vigorously beside her. “Who knows why she was suddenly acting attentive? In any case, it definitely wasn’t anything good.”

Bo Shuang said softly, “Xiao Yi, do you want to borrow money from me?”

“Next time, there’s no need to do this. I have Fanfan and the bodyguards Congyan arranged to take care of me. You only need to help Sister Hua carry things.”

Sister Hua was Bo Shuang’s makeup artist.

Xiao Yi’s hands were trembling, and she did not dare raise her head to look at Bo Shuang. “Yes… Could I trouble Sister Bo to lend me some money? My mom is still lying in the hospital.”

“Send me the diagnosis and fee list. I’ll transfer the money to you later.”

“Thank you, Sister Bo…”

Xiao Yi kept murmuring thanks and turned to leave, her back hurried.

Liu Fan huffed. “Sister, you spoil these people too much. They don’t do anything, and they’re even just dogs sent by Chairwoman Yue. Yet they still dare reach out to you for money. Why don’t they ask Chairwoman Yue?”

Bo Shuang said gently, “Both of Xiao Yi’s parents are in the ICU. She came from a small county to drift in the capital. None of it is easy. She needs this job too. Captain, please help keep an eye on her and support this child more.”

The captain still wanted to say something, but seeing Madam’s gentle yet firm eyes, she could not say anything after all.

·

Xiao Yi hid in a corner and replied to Yue Hong with a trembling voice. “I bumped… I bumped into her. Chairwoman Yue, when will you transfer the money?”

“Are you sure Bo Shuang’s complexion didn’t look good at the time?”

“Yes. Sister Bo’s face was rather pale, and it wasn’t a makeup effect. It was naturally very pale. It happened to fit the plot, and Director Wu even praised Sister Bo’s makeup for looking natural.”

“What else? Tell me every reaction Bo Shuang had after being bumped.”

“Mm… Nothing particularly special. Sister Bo was actually kind of amusing. It felt like she hadn’t come out of character. After being bumped, she even held her stomach…”

On the other end of the phone, Yue Hong revealed a thoughtful expression.

Very soon, the corners of her wrinkled lips lifted slightly. “Good child. I’ll transfer the money directly to your father’s medical account.”

“Thank you, Chairwoman Yue!” Xiao Yi said in surprise.

“Sister, your complexion is getting paler and paler. Do you need to rest for a while before going out to film?”

“There’s only one scene left. Let’s finish filming it properly. There’s no need to rest for now.”

In the makeup mirror, the beauty’s lip color was even paler than before.

The makeup artist fixed Bo Shuang’s makeup.

Outside the car, the script supervisor’s reminder sounded. Bo Shuang stood up, but suddenly, snowflakes filled her vision. In a panic, she supported herself on the table and panted lightly.

“Sister!”

Liu Fan cried out in alarm.

The discomfort in Bo Shuang’s body continued to worsen. Her vision alternated between black and white. Not long after eating, her stomach felt sunken and empty again, and she was so hungry her heart panicked.

The bodyguard stepped forward to support Bo Shuang and helped her back into the seat.

Bo Shuang’s voice was weak. “It’s fine. None of you need to make such a fuss. I’ll be better after resting for a while.”

“Sister, your dark circles were covered with several layers. Have you not been sleeping enough these past few days?”

“It has nothing to do with that… Perhaps the costume is too thick, and I’m a little overheated. I’ll be fine after resting. Is there anything to eat?”

The captain immediately handed over a food box. “Yes. It’s always prepared.”

As she spoke, she opened it. Bo Shuang ate a little.

However, her body still did not improve.

Her temples throbbed with pain, and she was also terribly sleepy. What showed outwardly was the unusual paleness of her lips.

Bo Shuang could not stop the buzzing by her ears.

Amid the chaotic sounds, she heard the captain making a phone call, mentioning something about a doctor.

Her forehead was burning hot. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw the note on the captain’s phone screen.

[Doctor Duty Room]

After the call ended, the next person to contact was—

[Miss]

“Don’t…”

Bo Shuang raised her hand, wanting to stop the bodyguard from calling Ji Congyan. But her hand was weak and powerless. It had only just been lifted before falling again.

As it fell, it happened to hit the bodyguard’s phone, which counted as successfully stopping her.

“Don’t call Congyan. It’s only been two days. The injuries on her back haven’t healed yet. She shouldn’t travel around, nor should she be overworked.”

Ji Congyan was very responsible toward the child in her womb.

If she knew Bo Shuang was unwell, if she knew her own child had suffered from heatstroke, she would definitely rush over from the company.

Moreover, Ji Congyan had only just quarreled with her mother and been whipped. If she put down work and came over now, who knew how angry her mother would be.

Bo Shuang saw the bodyguard’s hesitation and said gently, “How about this? You don’t need to contact Congyan in a hurry. After the doctor arrives, if my body still hasn’t recovered, it won’t be too late to contact her then. If Congyan blames you after we go home, I’ll take full responsibility.”

The bodyguard had nothing more to say and could only answer yes.

The doctors quickly arrived.

There would always be two doctors on duty at the Ji family manor at the same time, and both had come to the crew.

One practiced traditional Chinese medicine, and one practiced Western medicine.

The Western doctor concluded that the thick costume and hot weather had caused heatstroke.

The traditional Chinese doctor took her pulse, brows furrowing extremely tightly. “These past two days, you’ve been staying up quite severely… Lack of sleep, the weather is this muggy, and you were just bumped. Your body’s foundation hasn’t been nourished back yet. It can’t withstand this kind of torment.”

The two doctors discussed it and jointly listed a prescription.

With Liu Fan and the makeup artist, two outsiders, present, they did not mention a word about Bo Shuang’s pregnancy.

Bo Shuang lowered her lashes slightly.

Pregnant women were prone to sleepiness.

Her sleep time these past few days had not been long. In addition, in the middle of the night, she still needed to wake up and go to another room to do “improper things.”

As a result, she lacked sleep. On set, she closed her eyes to rest while doing makeup.

But that only supplemented a drop in the bucket of sleep.

·

At the top of the Ji Group.

Opposite the CEO’s office was the chairwoman’s office. The two offices were roughly the same size, but their interior decoration styles were different.

Ji Congyan’s was understated, luxurious minimalism, while Ji Quanchen liked to place famous paintings and antiques around. On her desk, two photo frames sat there unchangingly, giving off an old-money style.

One frame held a family photo of the four Ji family members.

The other held a photo of her and her wife, Gong Yu.

The middle-aged Alpha sat in the large boss’s chair and looked faintly at Ji Group’s CEO, Ji Congyan, who was separated from her by a desk.

“You’ve grown capable. You even know how to cold-war your mother.”

“What do you mean by that? I replied to every sentence you said, and I carefully carried out every request you made.”

“Stubborn. And you still say you aren’t cold-warring me? Listen to yourself. How many honorifics did you use in one sentence? How long has it been since you last used honorifics?”

Ji Congyan also leaned against the sofa, her back straight and kept some distance from the backrest.

“Your definition of a cold war is truly unique.”

Ji Quanchen said, “The injuries on your back don’t feel good, do they? You still haven’t leaned against the chair back.”

Ji Congyan curved her lips. “They’re all right. I’m twenty years younger than Mother, so my body’s recovery ability is naturally excellent. I don’t even need medicine for the wounds to heal quickly to this point.”

She leisurely leaned back and sighed comfortably.

The injuries on her back had indeed recovered faster than expected. Only the scabs on the wounds were a little itchy.

Ji Quanchen, who had just been indirectly called old: “…”

“You little brat. You’re only relying on being young. Without your wife applying medicine for you, that thick skin and rough flesh of yours can barely heal itself.”

Ji Congyan was silent for a moment, then her tone was full of showing off. “I was the one who refused to let her apply medicine. She was especially willing to apply it for me.”

“…” Ji Quanchen said, “Sharp-tongued.”

Ji Congyan said, “It’s only inherited.”

Annoyance flashed simultaneously in the similar eyes of mother and daughter.

They stared at each other in a deadlock, neither willing to retreat even half a step.

In the end, it was Ji Quanchen who lowered herself first.

She walked around to the front of the desk, leaned against it, and tapped the surface.

“It’s not good for you and me to keep cold-warring like this. Your mommy, Xunwu, and I haven’t even eaten together with our new family member yet.”

“Bo Shuang comes home every day. We can eat together at any time. But Mom hit me in front of my Omega, causing me to lose face before my Omega. You owe me an apology.”

Ji Quanchen irritably rubbed her brow. She really did not know who this child’s personality took after. How could she be so stubborn and care so much about face?

“You’re an Alpha. Why do you need face in front of an Omega? Your face is given by your Omega. If an Alpha cares too much about face, it’s hard for a wife-wife pair to get along.”

Ji Congyan said faintly, “Sophistry. You don’t need face, so you’ve been sleeping in the living room these past few days. I need face, so I have a room to sleep in.”

Ji Quanchen was choked speechless.

“Mom apologizes to you. Next time I hit you, I’ll choose a time when my daughter-in-law isn’t around.”

Ji Congyan nodded, accepting her apology with a serious response.

The two chatted for a while longer. The sky gradually turned orange. For once, they stopped speaking and sat by the window watching the sunset for a while.

Ji Quanchen suddenly said, “I suggest you hide a pillow and blanket under the sofa.”

Ji Congyan smiled confidently. “I’m not like you. My Omega and I respect each other like honored guests and have a very good relationship. She would never make me sleep on the sofa.”

Honest advice was hard to hear. If she would not listen, then so be it.

Ji Quanchen no longer reminded her.

Ji Congyan’s phone rang.

It was a call from the doctor at the manor.

The doctor’s voice was anxious. “Miss, please hurry to Huaji. Young Madam fainted just now.”