Chapter 12

Father Zhai was dressed in a black suit jacket and short skirt, with a white chiffon blouse underneath. The neckline had an asymmetrical cut, making her look both sharp and elegant.

Charismatic and striking, she was genuinely the father—a female Alpha.

Everyone in the Zhai family was exceptionally good-looking. Aside from Zhai You, both her parents were blessed with outstanding looks that seemed untouched by time.

Now, the two of them were embracing in front of the dining table, clearly a deeply affectionate couple.

Zhai You picked up the rib that had fallen into her bowl and gnawed on it while thinking.

This was an ABO society.

The mother was the one who gave birth to the child, while the father was the one who got the mother pregnant.

After spending quite some effort accepting this fact, Zhai You looked at Father Zhai’s cool, beautiful face and called tentatively, “Dad?”

“Mm.” Father Zhai didn’t react much. It seemed Zhai You had called her correctly.

Aside from that, Zhai You also realized something else.

Something very important.

Important enough that even the ribs no longer tasted quite as good.

After forcing away the last traces of awkwardness in her heart, Zhai You also put down her chopsticks. “I’m full.”

“You’re both full?” Mother Zhai looked at Zhai You and Jiang Bailu.

Her gaze lingered on Jiang Bailu for a moment. Perhaps she didn’t want her husband to see her ugly side, because she merely frowned and said nothing.

“I came home late.” Father Zhai sat down beside Mother Zhai and noticed that the food in her bowl hadn’t been touched. “My darling wife specially waited for me. I’m so happy.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Mother Zhai pursed her lips, sounding like she was shyly scolding her.

“……”

“Then Bailu and I will go back upstairs first.”

In front of her parents, Zhai You extended a hand toward Jiang Bailu, a faint trace of indulgence in her eyes.

Jiang Bailu’s eyes were cool and quiet, revealing little emotion. She looked at that slender, fair hand and fell into another brief daze before finally placing her own hand in it.

Zhai You had told her she didn’t need to say much.

Just stay quiet and that would be enough.

Jiang Bailu was happy to take it easy, so she didn’t speak either. She simply followed Zhai You’s lead, playing the part of a beautiful and obedient canary.

They went upstairs. At the corner, Jiang Bailu quickly pulled her hand away, took a step back from Zhai You, and looked at her with obvious rejection on her face.

The moment they were out of Father Zhai and Mother Zhai’s sight, she couldn’t even be bothered to pretend anymore.

“I understand the contract now.”

Jiang Bailu took a deep breath.

“You want me to act as your wife and stop other people from getting close to you, right? Don’t worry. I’m still fairly confident in my acting. I won’t give us away.”

“But in private, could you please not touch me?”

Zhai You lowered her eyes and looked at her now-empty palm.

Her expression became unreadable.

She had nearly forgotten what kind of person she was in Jiang Bailu’s eyes.

Slipping her hand into her pocket, Zhai You felt a very obvious sense of disappointment. She let out a long breath. “Go rest in my room first. I’ll have the butler prepare another room for me.”

Jiang Bailu’s palm still felt faintly warm. She was sick right now, something Zhai You had already been thinking about while they climbed the stairs.

But she hadn’t expected Jiang Bailu to pull her hand away so quickly.

They had only held hands for a few minutes, and Zhai You was already reluctant to let go.

As she thought about finding more opportunities in the future to take Jiang Bailu out so she could openly take advantage of her, Zhai You couldn’t resist adding, “Don’t think too much right now. Once you’re better, we can discuss everything properly.”

For a moment, Jiang Bailu’s expression became unnatural.

She didn’t dare look at Zhai You again, unwilling to admit that she was afraid she might come to depend on her.

When Zhai You held her hand and led her upstairs, there had been an inexplicable, indescribable sense of security in her heart.

After saying that, Zhai You sent Jiang Bailu into the room and casually closed the door behind her.

With the door tightly shut, Jiang Bailu could no longer see outside. She stood completely still, even her breathing gradually slowing. Only when she looked toward the bed not far away did she understand why.

Perhaps being straightforwardly kept as a mistress would have been better.

That way, emotions wouldn’t become ​stolen content​involved, and she would still be able to live with everything clearly defined.

Downstairs, Father Zhai was feeding her wife. “You don’t seem to like that girl.”

“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” Mother Zhai had been eating happily, but the moment the subject came up, her mood worsened.

“Then we won’t talk about it. Eat first.” Father Zhai coaxed her wife.

“Now I want to talk about it again.”

“……”

Mother Zhai leaned against her and said softly, “Honey, what kind of person am I in your eyes?”

“Of course my wife is the best.” Father Zhai lowered her head.

She remembered the days when they had been students.

“I can tell our daughter genuinely likes her. Normally, if ​bailiantales.com​she’s someone our daughter likes, I should respect that.” Mother Zhai found the situation strange, and worry appeared on her face.

“But the moment I see her, I feel this uncontrollable dislike. Yet after she leaves, I realize that dislike has absolutely no reason behind it.”

“Do you think this could be…”

Father Zhai thought for a moment. “Just let things take their course. Youyou is grown up now. She has to learn how to handle things herself.”

“That’s true.”

Mother Zhai stopped thinking about it and continued eating with Father Zhai.

With no one disturbing them, they ate very slowly.

*

Unhappy.

Zhai You lay angrily on the bed. This was a room the butler had temporarily prepared for her. When the butler had asked why she wasn’t [bailiantales.com]staying in the same room as Jiang Bailu,

she had even flown into embarrassed anger and declared, “Bailu kicks off the blankets in her sleep. I’m not sharing a room with her!”

Butler: “……”

Zhai You: QAQ Even if she really kicks off the blankets, I wouldn’t mind at all.

She raised a hand toward the ceiling and spread her five fingers.

A moment later, an embarrassingly happy smile appeared at the corner of her lips again. Zhai You hugged the blanket and rolled around, thinking that her wife really was so, so soft. She wanted to hug her and rub against her.

They had already held hands so many times today.

Next time should be kissing, right?

After venting her emotions, Zhai You suddenly sat up again with a cold expression, perfectly demonstrating just how changeable a woman’s moods could be.

She called Sister Ji.

It was already nighttime, and her manager didn’t want to work either.

But she still answered.

“If you’re calling about Jiang Bailu,” Sister Ji got straight to the point, “the director may not agree.”

“Why?” Zhai You’s brows knitted tightly. She had already told Jiang Bailu about the role.

She had just been wondering whether she could find opportunities to get closer to her once they joined the production, only to hear this terrible news.

It really was terrible news.

“Not enough money?” She had completely forgotten to ask Father Zhai and the others for more money. Zhai You scratched her head.

“It probably isn’t about the money.” Over the phone, Zhai You couldn’t see Sister Ji’s expression. Judging only by her voice, Sister Ji still sounded very easygoing.

Mainly because losing her temper at Zhai You would be useless.

This woman was practically an ancestor.

“I went to see the director today. It seems filming still can’t start because of issues with the location.”

“He didn’t seem to be in a very good mood and even said he had never considered bringing Jiang Bailu into the production. After I brought it up, he said he’d discuss it with the screenwriter, but I don’t think the chances are good.”

Sister Ji lied without batting an eye.

She had been in the industry for so many years. If she couldn’t see through what was going on, then all that experience would have been wasted.

She was only saying this because she wanted Zhai You to give up.

Or rather, she wanted to prepare Zhai You psychologically so she would be willing to compromise when the time came.

“Director Guo is also a very proud and principled person. If you push him too far, he’d rather not film the drama at all.” Sister Ji cautiously tested Zhai You’s attitude.

“I can try my best to persuade him to let Jiang Bailu join the bailiantales.comcast, but I’m afraid your role will be gone.”

She was a perfectly good Alpha. Why was she so obsessed with playing an Omega?

“No.”

Either they both acted in it, or neither of them did… If only one person could join the production, maybe they should just find another drama.

Preferably one where Jiang Bailu had no romantic scenes.

But Zhai You rubbed the corner of her eye. Although in the original novel, Deliberate Love had been thoroughly ruined by the original owner, the author had devoted a lot of writing to describing

just how good the drama had originally been.

She didn’t want Jiang Bailu to give it up.

Zhai You took a breath. “Keep negotiating on your side. I’ll go find reinforcements.”

“……” Needless to say, Zhai You’s reinforcements were definitely her parents. If Father Zhai and Mother Zhai found out she was eagerly trying to play an Omega role, then if they didn’t break her legs, it would only be because they loved her too much.

“Go ahead.”

Breaking her legs might actually be good. She could stay quiet for a while and stop coming out to cause headaches.

Once she decided to do something, she did it immediately.

Zhai You never procrastinated. She went straight to Father Zhai, who had just finished dinner.

Although the Zhai family were nouveau riche who had made huge amounts of money through sheer luck, there were still business matters that had to be handled.

Even though Father Zhai also wanted to spend more time with Mother Zhai, she understood one thing.

Only by having money could she give her wife a better life.

So every year, there were certain periods when Father Zhai would work diligently.

Recently happened to be one of those periods.

After Zhai You knocked on the door, Father Zhai told her to come in.

She raised her eyes and looked at Zhai You. “Did you come to talk to me about that girl?”

“No.” Not entirely. Zhai You shamelessly walked over. “I came to ask you for money.”

“……”

If it was money, that was easy.

Father Zhai called her assistant and had money transferred into Zhai You’s account. In less than a few minutes, another string of digits appeared in Zhai You’s bank balance.

Such outrageous wealth made Zhai You absolutely adore this nouveau riche family and her identity as a rich second-generation heiress.

The original owner really hadn’t known how to enjoy life.

“There’s one more thing.” Zhai You didn’t leave immediately, lingering where she stood.

She had been thinking about this ever since Father Zhai came home.

“It’s about something physiological.”

Father Zhai’s pen paused, and she looked over as calmly as possible.

“It’s just… how do you get a girl pregnant?”