Chapter 4
Don’t smile at me like that. I won’t be able to resist.
A bright gleam flickered in Zhai You’s eyes as she smiled softly. “Get in.”
“Mm…”
Jiang Bailu got into the car. She pursed her lips slightly, placed her hands properly on her knees, and kept a certain distance from Zhai You.
The assistant driving in front discreetly glanced at the two women in the back seat, completely baffled. What was going on? Was Sister Zhai planning to take Jiang Bailu somewhere for fun?
Why did she need him there as a third wheel?
Distracted by his thoughts, he happened to see Zhai You resting her elbow against the car window, a satisfied smile hanging at the corner of her lips.
Tsk. He couldn’t figure it out.
After the car had been driving for a while, Jiang Bailu looked at the roads outside, unable to tell where they were headed.
“Didn’t you say we were going to register our marriage?” The moment she finished speaking, the assistant slammed on the brakes and nearly crashed into a utility pole.
“You can’t even drive properly?”
Zhai You raised her eyes coldly, but the corners of her lips were fucking rising uncontrollably. There wasn’t the slightest trace of anger on her face.
It scared the assistant half to death.
The assistant stammered, “S-Sister Zhai You, you’re getting married?”
“Mm.” Zhai You’s throat moved as she gave a brief response, then she couldn’t resist adding, “Are you going to give us wedding money?”
…What a dog. The assistant cursed inwardly while putting on an ingratiating smile. “Sister Zhai You wouldn’t care about the little bit of wedding money I could give. Don’t joke around.”
Zhai You: “I care.”
“……”
“You have no idea how seriously ill our Bailu’s mother is. This is exactly when she desperately needs money, so why would she be polite with you? Don’t worry. No matter how much you give, it’s the thought that counts. I won’t blame you.”
Skinflint Zhai could barely contain her smugness, speaking with such animated delight that she forcibly made the assistant transfer two thousand yuan to Jiang Bailu.
Jiang Bailu didn’t want to accept it. She didn’t know the assistant, and besides, this was only a fake marriage.
She couldn’t figure out what Zhai You was trying to do.
A mere two thousand yuan probably wasn’t even enough to cover one of Zhai You’s meals, yet she still wanted to squeeze it out of her own assistant.
“Take it. You’ll have to give it back someday anyway.” Zhai You glanced at her lazily. Only after seeing Jiang Bailu accept the transfer did she nod.
“Oh, right. I still haven’t added you.”
After all that, this was her real goal.
Having tragically lost two thousand yuan, the assistant no longer had any interest in watching the drama and drove straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
After getting out of the car, he ground his back teeth. “Wish you both a happy marriage!”
“I also hope you find someone soon,” Zhai You replied politely.
“……”
“Preferably before you quit. Otherwise you won’t get your wedding money back. What a pity.”
“……” Screw you.
Even if someone gave the assistant ten extra lives, he still wouldn’t dare say that aloud. He could only watch helplessly as Zhai You and Jiang Bailu walked side by side into the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Jiang Bailu didn’t seem to be in very good health.
The distance from the car to the Civil Affairs Bureau was short, yet by the time they entered, the corners of Jiang Bailu’s eyes had already turned slightly red. Her face was completely bloodless as she covered her lips with one hand and coughed several times.
A handkerchief was offered beside her. Jiang Bailu followed the hand upward with her gaze.
“Thank you…” Jiang Bailu smiled at Zhai You, her curved brows and eyes looking exceptionally gentle.
“Are you sick?” Zhai You frowned.
Her gaze swept around the lobby, and she noticed some hot water not far away. “Wait here. I’ll get you a cup of water.”
Hearing this, Jiang Bailu became anxious and coughed several more times. She hurriedly waved her hands, flustered and overwhelmed by the attention as she tried to say there was no need.
By then, Zhai You was already walking toward the water dispenser.
With no other choice, Jiang Bailu found a seat and sat down. Afraid of passing her illness to someone else, she deliberately chose a spot with no one sitting on either side.
A young couple walked over with blissful smiles on their faces and sat down beside Jiang Bailu, making her heart rise nervously into her throat.
“……” Jiang Bailu coughed softly twice more and was just about to quietly move somewhere else when the young couple stopped her.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Jiang Bailu lowered her head, appearing somewhat timid. “I’m fine.”
“Where’s your Alpha?”
Both members of the young couple were Betas. In this society, Betas made up the majority of the population, nearly eighty percent.
Omegas and Alphas, on the other hand, were comparatively rare.
In such an environment, an unspoken rule had gradually become accepted: delicate Omegas were supposed to be cared for by powerful Alphas. So their first instinct was to ask Jiang Bailu—
Where was the person responsible for taking care of you?
Jiang Bailu subconsciously looked toward the water dispenser. Only then did the young couple sigh in relief. “Why come register your marriage when you’re sick? It wouldn’t hurt to wait a while.”
Jiang Bailu opened her mouth and said softly, “I can’t wait.”
The young couple: “……”
Her mother was still lying in a hospital bed. Every day they delayed meant the chances of a successful operation dropped a little more.
She only wanted to hurry up and sign the contract with Zhai You, get the money, and pay for her mother’s treatment. That was why Jiang Bailu couldn’t wait. As soon as she had settled her mother’s care, she had eagerly called Zhai You.
Jiang Bailu dug her fingertips into her palm.
For her mother, she had even been willing to agree to a mistress contract, so getting married now was hardly anything in comparison.
Her gaze dimmed slightly, but the young couple didn’t notice. They were still talking happily about when to hold their wedding banquet.
Someone else walked in, bringing a gust of cold wind that blew over Jiang Bailu.
Her throat started itching again, her chest felt tight, and her breathing became short. She felt terribly uncomfortable. Just as she was growing restless, Zhai You returned with hot water.
“Here, hot water.” Zhai You sighed inwardly as she placed the cup in Jiang Bailu’s hands.
She had been a little too impatient.
She had been so eager to trick Jiang Bailu into this marriage that, when Jiang Bailu didn’t bring it up, she had even deliberately avoided mentioning that they still hadn’t signed the contract, planning to get the marriage certificate first and talk about it afterward.
But now, seeing Jiang Bailu’s normally fair ears reddened by the cold, Zhai You couldn’t stop her heart from aching.
Yet she couldn’t very well say anything, so she could only silently look at Jiang Bailu with her beautiful eyes.
The two people beside them whispered to each other. One of the young people called out to Zhai You, “As an Alpha, this is how you take care of someone? What about saying something caring?”
Zhai You turned around in confusion and looked at these two enthusiastic busybodies.
The moment they saw Zhai You’s strikingly beautiful, aggressively gorgeous face, both of them immediately quieted down.
“Actually… for someone like you, you’re already doing pretty well.”
“Hm?”
“Well, um…” The young person looked at Zhai You, then at Jiang Bailu behind her. “You’re Zhai You, right?”
Only then did Zhai You realize she had been recognized.
The two young people were so embarrassed they didn’t want to speak anymore. What were they supposed to say? This was Zhai You.
Zhai You was the kind of person who… unless someone specifically reminded you, you could almost forget she was an Alpha. All anyone remembered was that she was scummy and awful.
On variety shows, she didn’t care whether her opponent was an Alpha, Beta, or Omega. She would tear into all of them first and ask questions later. No one could rival her pettiness or arrogance.
Forget taking care of someone. It was already impressive if she didn’t bully them.
Entertainment-industry gossip accounts had secretly revealed that Zhai You had recently set her sights on a minor celebrity and forced her to sign a contract to become her kept woman.
After hearing about it, the soon-to-be married couple had clicked their tongues repeatedly.
In extremely gossipy tones, they had lamented how murky and filthy the entertainment industry was and how Zhai You was barely even human.
Now the very Zhai You they had cursed behind her back was standing right in front of them, so naturally they felt a little guilty. When the internet suddenly became reality, it really wasn’t a good thing!
Wait. Why was Zhai You bringing someone to the Civil Affairs Bureau? Wasn’t she supposedly keeping someone as a mistress?
Thinking this, they looked toward Jiang Bailu behind Zhai You and saw only the reddened corners of her eyes.
What an awful person.
They couldn’t curse her to her face, but they could curse her in their hearts. What they didn’t know was… Zhai You could tell exactly what the two of them were thinking just by looking at their expressions.
One rumor about her was absolutely true—she was petty.
If people cursed her behind her back and she didn’t know about it, fine.
But if they did it right in front of her and she still didn’t lose her temper, then she wouldn’t be Zhai You.
Besides, she was filthy rich now. She had every right to be arrogant! So what was she waiting for?!
Zhai You became so excited that she started speaking faster. “Why are you two sitting here telling other people what to do? You think I don’t treat her well enough? Then look at yourselves. Other than being lovey-dovey, what else do you have?”
What else did they have… besides being lovey-dovey? The young couple looked at each other.
Zhai You also realized there was something wrong with what she had just said, because between her and Jiang Bailu, the one fucking thing they lacked was being lovey-dovey.
She had managed to hurt herself instead.
Zhai You stiffened her neck, suddenly unable to think of what else to say, yet unwilling to admit defeat.
“That’s enough.” Jiang Bailu finished drinking the warm water and stood up, her voice extremely soft. “It’s our turn. Let’s go.”
“Hmph. I won’t bother arguing with them!”
Like a rooster that had just won a fight, Zhai You held her head high and followed Jiang Bailu to get their marriage certificate.
Behind them, the young couple were still whispering.
“Rumors really can’t be trusted.”
“Yeah. Why do I feel like this Zhai You is kind of stupid?”
“……”
Zhai You followed behind Jiang Bailu, looking at her back.
Jiang Bailu was a full head shorter than her. If Zhai You reached out, she could easily wrap her entire body in her arms.
“What is it?” Feeling her gaze, Jiang Bailu turned around. Her harmless doe eyes looked at Zhai You, Zhai You’s figure reflected in her pupils.
Her eyes really are beautiful, Zhai You thought.
“You haven’t told me I’m pretty today.”
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!