After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Alpha, I Was Pampered by a Paranoid Omega - Chapter 12

She went to the third floor and found that only the bedroom light was on. Holding the tray, Bai Manruo freed one hand and knocked on the door.

There was no response. Thinking the boss was busy and hadn’t heard her, she knocked a few more times, but still, no one answered.

The boss wouldn’t have fainted from hunger, would she?!

Worried, Bai Manruo set the tray down. Just as she was about to pound on the door, she rested her hand on it and gave a gentle push—the door opened.

It wasn’t locked? Bai Manruo didn’t have time to overthink it; worried about the boss, she burst straight into the room.

However, both the living area and the bedroom were empty. Bai Manruo searched around in confusion.

Huh? Where did the boss go?

It suddenly occurred to her that the “thief” from before used to stay in this very room of the boss’s.

Could the boss have met with some foul play?!

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Throwing caution to the wind, she snatched a teapot off the table to go “rescue” the boss. She had thought the thief had fled out of fear days ago, but she hadn’t expected them to actually return.

Since the entire third floor was empty, the only possibility was that they had gone to the fourth floor. Although she had never been to the fourth floor, she wasn’t afraid now that she knew the person “playing ghost” wasn’t an actual spirit.

The fourth floor was a bit dark. Bai Manruo dimmed her phone light and felt her way along the wall. After just a few steps, she bumped into a soft body. Her phone was knocked out of her hand, and with the loss of light, everything instantly turned pitch black.

Bai Manruo immediately gripped her teapot tight, but before she could strike, she heard a familiar voice: “What are you doing up here?”

Bai Manruo hesitated and didn’t answer. Instead, she reached out to feel around in the dark. Her slender fingers brushed past Ji Yingqing’s cheek and moved to the top of her head. Feeling the soft strands of hair against her palm, she couldn’t resist giving it a bold, gentle rub.

She withdrew her hand, her heart finally settling.

The person in front of her was half a head shorter than her; it was the real boss, no doubt.

The touch of those fingers sent a strange sensation through Ji Yingqing’s heart. Her exquisite brow furrowed slightly. She tried to suppress this uncontrollable feeling spreading within her, but no matter how she tried to ignore it, it wouldn’t go away.

Bai Manruo picked up her phone from the floor, turned on the flashlight, and explained, “I went to the third floor to bring you food, and when I saw you weren’t there, I thought something happened. That’s why I ran up to the fourth floor.”

The flashlight beam illuminated the space around them. Bai Manruo lowered her head, waiting for the boss’s reprimand. Although she had special permission to enter the third floor, the fourth floor was strictly off-limits.

By the light, Ji Yingqing saw the woman in front of her bow her head, revealing her pale nape. Her delicate skin had a soft glow. This woman, despite being an Alpha and older than her, behaved with a style that lacked the maturity and steadiness one would expect at her age.

Is this how she was with those Omegas before? Showing weakness like this, wantonly tugging at their heartstrings while wandering through a garden of flowers?

Since she had allowed her near the castle, she had naturally investigated her background. She knew this Alpha had many “romantic entanglements.” Her dossier was detailed from the moment of Bai Manruo’s birth to the present, so she was well aware of her infamous exploits in the entertainment industry.

However, she didn’t care. She only needed a “catalyst” to temporarily soothe her Pheromone Deficiency Syndrome.

“Miss Ji? Aren’t we going downstairs?” Bai Manruo reached the top of the stairs only to realize the person behind her wasn’t following.

Ji Yingqing pulled her thoughts back, gave her a pensive look, and then walked forward at a leisurely pace.

Bai Manruo stood at the stairs with her flashlight to guide her. Ji Yingqing watched the path of light laid out for her; it looked so bright in the dark space.

Truthfully, Ji Yingqing didn’t need it. She had walked every corner of the fourth floor countless times and could navigate it perfectly in the dark. Yet, she paused for a moment, and her steps instinctively turned toward the path Bai Manruo was illuminating, walking toward her unhurriedly.

Bai Manruo waited there for her, and they went downstairs together.

The food on the tray had gone cold. Bai Manruo intended to make another portion, but Ji Yingqing said it wasn’t necessary, so she obediently went back to her room to sleep.

Before falling asleep that night, Bai Manruo’s mind drifted through hazy thoughts.

The boss is so thin and barely eats… could she really be something non-human?

As she pondered, she eventually closed her eyes and drifted off.

At that moment, a figure pressed tightly against her back. The person held her body possessively, like someone claiming their exclusive territory, burying their face in her neck to inhale greedily. The moonlight hit her eerily beautiful face, revealing an expression of utter contentment.

After a while, the person behind her didn’t leave coldly after being satisfied as she usually did. Her pale, slender arms stayed locked around the girl’s slim waist. Leaning into her embrace, she slowly closed her cool, grey eyes.

A voice in her head was saying:

There was no episode tonight. Why did I come?

But every time she replenished her pheromones, a wave of grogginess would wash over her. She didn’t have time to think too deeply, following her instincts and falling asleep.

Waking up the next morning, a groggy Bai Manruo sat up and suddenly felt a bit of pain in her waist.

She frowned, lifted her shirt, and saw some red marks on her lower back.

Why is my waist swollen after just sleeping?

However, knowing she was a restless sleeper, she didn’t think much of it, assuming she had accidentally fallen out of bed or bumped something.

She went to the bathroom to wash up. Looking at herself in the mirror, she leaned in close and tilted her chin, revealing her white neck. She touched the red marks on her throat, thinking: I have to make sure the windows are shut tight tomorrow. These mosquitoes outside are too much!

They had bitten her into red welts, and they hadn’t even faded after a whole night.

After breakfast, she heard from the staff that the boss had left the castle. She took this opportunity to bring over her online purchases from the villa area. Since she was going to the show the day after tomorrow and didn’t have many decent clothes, she had bought some pretty outfits online.

She had originally planned to go to a mall to bargain, but a taxi from the castle was too expensive—her trip to the antique street had cost over a thousand yuan, and her heart was still bleeding. Moreover, the area around the castle was restricted; taxis could only stop far below, requiring a thirty-minute walk.

Because the boss had been home these past few days, her packages had piled up at the villa area until she finally found the time to fetch them.

She tried on several dresses. Looking in the mirror, she saw herself in a black, vintage, round-neck “Little Fragrance” style dress with butterfly prints on the back. The cinched waist showcased her curvaceous figure, and her slightly wavy hair fell over her neck, exuding a mature, charming vibe.

Bai Manruo took a few selfies and was very satisfied; her confidence for the variety show surged. She finished unpacking and packed everything she needed for the day after tomorrow.

Just then, the director messaged her on WeChat, saying they needed a set of photos to help with her pre-show promotion. Bai Manruo sent the photos she had just taken and went back to organizing. Once she was done—since the show would provide most supplies—she only had her new clothes to bring. She lugged her suitcase to the wall.

Just as she pulled out the Love Guide for a review, her phone chimed. The director had sent a Weibo link, excitedly saying her photos were trending.

Bai Manruo clicked in and saw a flood of reposts. When she opened the comments, she was nearly tripped up by the “thirsty” remarks; after just a few glances, her ears began to turn red. Netizens said the photos went viral because of her “god-tier beauty without filters.”

She felt a spark of pride, thinking: Actually, it’s not just no filters—it’s no makeup.

However, she didn’t care too much about trending. Her goal was to make money and buy her freedom, and she didn’t know if this kind of fame was good or bad yet.

As she scrolled, a notification popped up: a friend request. Thinking it was another director or collaborator, she hit “Accept.” The chat history showed a conversation from ten days ago. One look at the profile picture confirmed it was that “dog” of an agent.

Adding me back now that I’m famous? Bai Manruo sneered and immediately performed a “delete and block” combo. Whatever she had to say, she wasn’t letting her ruin her good mood. Once she was free, she wouldn’t let this trash agent off the hook.

Just as she was about to exit, she saw a topic rising rapidly. Gu Ran had posted similar “beauty shots,” and even the marketing angle was identical. It was obviously the agent’s idea.

Bai Manruo had no desire to compete, but then she saw Gu Ran replying to fans with subtle jabs at her. Following the principle of “I won’t attack unless attacked,” Bai Manruo decided that if she cared so much about a beauty contest, she’d give her one.

She took the remaining two photos she hadn’t sent to the director and posted them without a single word of caption.

Within ten minutes, the likes skyrocketed, eclipsing Gu Ran’s paid trending topic. Bai Manruo could perfectly imagine Gu Ran’s face twisting in rage as she threw her phone, and she felt a wave of satisfaction.

Having achieved her goal, she exited the app. The boss wasn’t back for lunch, and not wanting to trouble the chef to come all that way just for her, she planned to go to the villa for the staff meal.

However, the chef arrived anyway, saying it was Miss Ji’s order and could not be disobeyed. Seeing her insistence, Bai Manruo thought, Why should one worker make it hard for another? so she sat down to eat.

After a few bites, she heard a car outside. She dropped her fork and headed out.

She saw Ji Yingqing’s hair was a bit messy, and instinctively reached out to tidy the strands for her. Only after finishing did she realize her action was a bit over-familiar. She pulled her arm back and coughed lightly to change the subject: “I thought you weren’t coming back for lunch, Miss Ji. The food is being prepared; you’ll have to wait a moment.”

Ji Yingqing nodded but walked toward the dining table. Bai Manruo ate under the other’s gaze, but the deep, direct stare was hard to ignore.

Did the boss run into something unpleasant at work? She could only guess; after all, a little nanny like her had no right to ask. Bai Manruo sped up her eating, wanting to leave the table as soon as possible, fearing she couldn’t withstand that intense gaze.

Ji Yingqing’s brow furrowed slightly. Her grey eyes turned to her as she pushed a glass of water over: “Eat slower.”

This time, Bai Manruo obediently took the glass and took a sip, but thought: I’m eating fast because I can’t handle the way you’re looking at me.

Ji Yingqing had been staring since she walked in because she had seen the trending photos today. She usually never paid attention to such things, but the moment the notification pushed the name “Bai Manruo,” she couldn’t help but click.

She had always known the woman was beautiful, but seeing the frenzied fans online and their comments made her feel a strange, inexplicable irritation—as if something that belonged exclusively to her had suddenly been shared with the public.