Chapter 51

Lu Yan froze slightly as a flush of crimson crept up her cheeks. She couldn’t possibly bring herself to describe most of her dreams aloud, so she picked what she could share and recounted it with feigned composure. “I have, actually. For instance, I dreamed that we rescued a tabby cat from the bushes together. But that dream was a long time ago—I think it was the first time I stayed at this apartment.”

Shen Su: It’s all over. QAQ

As she feared, that exact bug was right here in this room!

“I see…” Shen Su swallowed a spoonful of her porridge, feeling the soul drain out of her. “You haven’t had any strange dreams lately, have you?”

Lu Yan shook her head. “No.” They were mostly beautiful dreams.

Seeing that Lu Yan’s expression didn’t look forced, Shen Su figured she hadn’t yet dreamed about her “death exit.” I need to find a reason to move out of this apartment immediately!

Once they finished eating, Shen Su drove Lu Yan to work. She then took the day off to hire cleaners for another apartment and buy a brand-new set of cat supplies. She left almost everything in the original apartment untouched, bringing only the kitten along with her.

Mao Mao remained perfectly well-behaved in the new environment, acting as [bailiantales.com]though she could adapt to any surroundings.

After finalizing everything, Shen Su fabricated a casual excuse, claiming that the original apartment had to be sold. She told Lu Yan she had changed to a new place to raise the cat and sent her the new address. As for why she had brought the kitten with her, it was partly because she couldn’t leave her alone in that apartment, and partly… to isolate a variable. If Lu Yan kept having these dreams even after moving to the new apartment, then the source of the problem would be blindingly obvious.

That evening, to celebrate her “housewarming,” Lu Yan wanted to treat her to dinner.

Shen Su dressed up a bit and went to wait for Lu Yan downstairs outside her office building. While waiting, she took the opportunity to check the maintenance progress with the System.

Shen Su: How’s the bug fix coming along?

System: We’re already working on it, dear~

Shen Su: …You said the exact same thing over half a month ago.

Realizing she couldn’t rely on the System for this, she shifted the topic back to things within its actual capabilities.

Category: Sheng Suyu is currently in the mental asylum, right?

System: Yes, dear.

Shen Su: What about her parents?

System: They are currently on their way to the airport.

Shen Su: Their destination?

System: We won’t know for sure until they actually board the plane.

Shen Su narrowed her eyes. It was likely Africa. That meant the scene from her dream where the uncle and niece confronted each other would happen very soon. She rubbed her hands together expectantly, waiting to reap the benefits while sitting idly by.

Looking up, she saw Lu Yan stepping out of the building. After glancing around the entrance, Lu Yan quickly locked her eyes on her location and walked toward where her car was parked.

“Where are we going?” Shen Su asked with a smile as Lu Yan got into the car.

“I’ve already booked a table. I’ll send you the address.” Lu Yan tapped on her phone for a moment, then hesitated before asking, “Sugar, did something happen at home? Why the sudden need to sell the apartment? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Huh?” Shen Su had just set the final destination on her GPS. Hearing Lu Yan’s question, she went blank for a second before snapping back to reality. “No, no, everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”

In truth, she hadn’t sold that apartment at all. Mostly, she couldn’t bear to part with it; it held far too many memories. But because she didn’t want Lu Yan to recover her memories of the previous world, she could only lie and say it was sold.

“Really?” Lu Yan blinked. “Even if I might not be of much help, if you just tell me, I’ll do everything in my power to support you!”

“There’s really nothing.” Shen Su smiled and patted Lu Yan’s head. “Let’s go, time to head out.”

Lu Yan had chosen a Cantonese tea restaurant. The decor was refreshing and very pleasing to the eye.

The moment Shen Su stepped into the restaurant, the System tipped her off: Sheng Ze is here too!

She scanned the premises but didn’t see Sheng Ze anywhere in the main dining hall. Was he in unauthorized copy one of the private rooms?

“What’s wrong?” Lu Yan asked when she noticed Shen Su stop in her tracks. “Is there something wrong with this place?”

“Nothing. I thought I spotted an acquaintance.” Shen Su narrowed her eyes slightly. “Let’s eat first.”

Lu Yan nodded, refraining from asking immediately who the acquaintance was. They entered the private room Lu Yan had reserved, and the server brought out the appetizers shortly after.

“Sugar, you mentioned before that Sheng Suyu’s uncle, Sheng Ze, holds the key evidence. Should we take the initiative to contact him?” Lu Yan asked once the server left. “But for a man like him, what kind of bargaining chip would I even have to offer to make him hand over that critical evidence?”

Shen Su shook her head and said with a playful smile, “Who knows? We might just catch a wolf with empty hands. Besides, Sheng Ze will probably come looking for us himself.”

Just as the words left her mouth, a knock sounded at the door. The person outside didn’t enter right away, waiting until Shen Su called out, “Come in.”

Sheng Ze walked in slowly, dressed in a sharp black suit. “Care to make a deal?”

Lu Yan cast a surprised glance at Shen Su, her eyes seemingly saying: How did you guess?

Shen Su smiled softly and gave Lu Yan’s hand a reassuring, gentle pat. “Mr. Sheng, please have a seat,” Shen Su invited, gesturing with her hand.

Sheng Ze closed the door, nodded slightly, and sat down opposite them. “I imagine neither of you is particularly satisfied with the current outcome?”

Shen Su gently held Lu Yan’s hand, looking up at Sheng Ze. A smile touched her lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “What else can we do? Sheng Suyu has a verified mental illness. It’s not like we can rewrite the law.”

Sheng Ze’s dark eyes were deep and unreadable, his tone entirely serene. “I can help you, Miss Lu. Is it convenient for us to speak in private?”

“Speak about what? How you plan to pocket the entire Sheng family estate? Or how you lured Sheng Suyu into your trap? If you want Lu Yan’s cooperation, you need to show some real sincerity,” Shen Su countered with a smile.

From the moment he walked in, Sheng Ze hadn’t taken this S-rank Alpha seriously. Only now did he truly look at Shen Su. Rumor had it that the heir of the Shen family was an S-rank Alpha who lacked ambition. Meeting her today, he found himself somewhat surprised. Even the Sheng couple hadn’t suspected him yet; how did this Alpha from the Shen family know so much?

Naturally, he would never suspect that Shen Su had a cheat code. Furthermore, just because Shen Su chose to focus her energy on her mission target didn’t mean she was actually incompetent.

Sheng Ze pondered for a moment, then spoke: “In a day’s time, the Sheng family will send [read the original at bailiantales.com]someone to find Miss Lu. I hope that when the time comes, Miss Lu won’t be swayed by bribery. As for my sincerity…” He crossed his hands over his chest, his gaze drifting between Shen Su and Lu Yan. “I wonder what interests the two of you?”

“Is there anything you want?” Shen Su turned to ask Lu Yan.

As their eyes met, Lu Yan parted her lips, but swallowed the words right as they reached her tongue. “Nothing.” What Lu Yan truly wanted was to shed the title of “friend.” She wanted them to entwine just like they did in her dreams, to remain together with Shen Su forever.

“Then how about this—you owe us one. In the future, if a need arises, we’ll come find you, Mr. Sheng,” Shen Su proposed with a laugh.

“Fair enough. Then I won’t disrupt your meal any further.” Sheng Ze stood up and walked toward the door. He suddenly paused, looking back at Shen Su. “I must admit I’m curious. Aren’t the two of you afraid I’ll go back on my word?”

Shen Su spread her hands. “I trust that given Mr. Sheng’s character, you wouldn’t stoop to such a thing.”

Sheng Ze let out a chuckle, turned, and left.

Once the door clicked shut, Lu Yan leaned close to Shen Su and whispered, “Does this Mr. Sheng actually have good character?”

“No idea.” Shen Su pulled out her phone and stopped the [unauthorized copy]recording. “But I recorded it, so it won’t be easy for him to deny it.”

“Sugar, you’re amazing!” Lu Yan gave her a big thumbs-up.

Shen Su smiled. “If you possessed the same information, you could maximize your leverage too.”

“But what if that Mr. Sheng doesn’t come back to find us?” Lu Yan asked curiously.

Shen Su shrugged. “Then he doesn’t. It’s not like we lose anything either way. Sheng Ze is definitely going to ruin Sheng Suyu regardless.”

“Sugar, why do you know Mr. Sheng so well?” Lu Yan’s voice was incredibly sweet, but Shen Su caught a distinct hint of sourness in the air—the familiar scent of jealousy.

“To know your enemy is to win a hundred battles!” Shen Su snapped her fingers. “Alright, let’s get some food in us!”

Right on cue, the server walked in bearing their meals. “Please enjoy your food—”

“Would you like some alcohol?” Lu Yan asked.

Shen Su smiled and shook her head. “No. Look, didn’t you order Mango Pomelo Sago?”

“I heard my colleagues saying that this shop’s Mango Pomelo Sago is delicious and an absolute must-order, so I got it. Want to try it first?” A flash of mischief crossed Lu Yan’s eyes. She picked up a spoon, scooped up a portion of the dessert, and held it to Shen Su’s lips.

Shen Su raised an eyebrow slightly, parted her lips, and took the entire spoonful of the sweet dessert into her mouth. As she chewed, her beautiful lips moved subtly, and Lu Yan felt her own heart flutter along with the movement. For a fleeting split second, she wondered if this was crossing the line for mere friends. But she quickly cast the thought aside. It didn’t matter; as long as Shen Su stayed by her side, she didn’t care about anything else.

“Is it good?” Lu Yan asked, keeping her face completely neutral while her gaze remained anchored to Shen Su’s lips.

“Delicious,” Shen Su smiled warmly. “The coconut aroma is rich, the mango is perfectly sweet, and there’s the fresh fragrance of pomelo. Even the sago pearls are prepared very well. Do you like it?”

“Let me taste.” Lu Yan scooped another portion, using the exact same spoon she had just used to feed Shen Su. “It really is good!”

Shen Su naturally noticed Lu Yan’s little maneuver. Curving her lips into a smile, she said, “In that case, I can try making this dessert at home. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Wonderful!” Lu Yan put down her spoon, clapping her hands with a beaming smile.

Since they were talking about making desserts at home, didn’t that mean she had yet another excuse to spend time with Shen Su? Yay!

After dinner, Shen Su took Lu Yan back to the new residence to see the cat and invited her to stay the night. Lu Yan was more than happy to agree; she wished for nothing more than to spend every possible moment with Shen Su.

Mao Mao was incredibly sweet upon seeing Lu Yan, acting extremely clingy. Although Shen Su couldn’t visually distinguish any difference between Mao Mao and the previous world’s Mu Mu, she had a faint feeling that Mao Mao seemed even more well-behaved than Mu Mu.

That night, Shen Su managed to catch a peaceful night’s sleep, but Lu Yan in the next room was not having nearly as tranquil a time. Her blanket had been kicked entirely onto the floor, leaving her body completely exposed to the direct chill of the air conditioning. Lu Yan lay curled in a tight ball, shivering almost imperceptibly as a single tear escaped the corner of her eye.

The next morning, Lu Yan woke up with a textbook cold—a sore throat and a runny nose. She allowed herself to lounge in bed for a rare few minutes before forcing her aching body upright.

Lu Yan and Shen Su emerged from their respective bedrooms at almost the exact same time. Shen Su instantly noticed that Lu Yan looked listless, entirely drained of energy.

“Yan Yan, are you feeling unwell somewhere?” Shen Su stepped forward and took Lu Yan’s wrist. It felt noticeably hot. Could she have a fever?

“I think I caught a cold…” Right on cue, Lu Yan let out a loud sneeze. She walked over to the coffee table in the Read on BaiLianTales living room, pulled out a tissue, and mumbled, “Last night I had a nightmare and ended up kicking off my blanket. The AC was running, so… this happened.”

Lu Yan tossed the used tissue into the trash bin and sat on the sofa, letting her head droop heavily.

Shen Su’s eyes flickered. She sat down beside Lu Yan, offering comfort. “What kind of nightmare? Don’t dwell on it, dreams are always the opposite of reality…”

Before the words could fully leave her mouth, Lu Yan suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Shen Su’s waist, her voice muffled against her. “I dreamed that your scent gland was surgically cut out. There was so much blood everywhere.”

Though it was a beautiful scenario to have a soft, fragrant Omega in her arms, Shen Su felt a profound chill wash through her heart. She stared at the kitten happily munching on her kibble, slowly closed her eyes, and let her mind race at lightning speed.

In a low voice, she comfortingly said, “It was just a dream. You can touch my gland and see for yourself. It’s still right here.”

“Really?” Lu Yan released her hold on Shen Su, looking at her blankly. “The gland is an Alpha’s most vulnerable spot. You’re truly willing to let me see it?”