Crazy (Lily ABO) - Chapter 22

Xin Ruofan received a call from her cousin, Xin Yufei, asking her to return and represent the Xin Corporation at a cocktail party. Xin Ruofan didn’t hesitate to refuse; she planned to attend as Teng Lin’s partner. The cocktail party brought together elites from various fields, and many well-known artists received invitations, with Teng Lin’s name prominently listed.

Teng Lin initially didn’t plan to attend the party. She wasn’t good at socializing, and more importantly, she didn’t want to see Xin Deming. However, given the current situation, she needed more connections, as her career couldn’t remain under Xin Deming’s suppression. So, Teng Lin listened to Xin Ruofan’s suggestion.

“This time, I’ll attend with you as your partner.”

“Partner?” Teng Lin looked questioningly at the Omega nestled in her arms.

“What? You don’t acknowledge me as your girlfriend? Are you planning to deny me after we get out of bed?” Xin Ruofan propped herself up, pinching the Alpha’s chin, her eyes slightly narrowed.

“I, I didn’t mean that!” Teng Lin frantically shook her head. The overwhelming Omega pheromones made her feel suffocated.

Xin Ruofan hummed, released her hand, reined in the anger in her eyes, and reassuringly kissed the Alpha’s lips. “Don’t worry, the old fox only dares to play dirty tricks behind the scenes. With so many people at the party, he won’t dare to do anything excessive.”

••••

On the night of the cocktail party, Xin Ruofan, dressed in a pure white fitted suit, entered the banquet hall, arm in arm with Teng Lin, who wore a black suit. Their black and white couple’s attire instantly drew everyone’s attention. Many noticed that the Omega in the pure white suit was the daughter of the Xin Corporation’s Vice Chairman. Curious and gossiping glances immediately turned towards the Xin Corporation’s chairman nearby.

Xin Ruofan ignored the other gazes. Across the crowd, her eyes met Xin Deming’s. For a moment, the air seemed to solidify, thick with tension. She smiled, but the warmth didn’t reach her eyes. On the other side, Xin Deming’s face instantly darkened, looking as unpleasant as possible.

Xin Yufei stood timidly by his side. Not only had he failed to completely cut off all of Teng Lin’s collaborations as his father instructed, but he also failed to simply bring Xin Ruofan home. He instinctively cast a pleading look towards his aunt, but to his surprise, Xin De’en watched with cold indifference, as if it had nothing to do with her.

“Useless.”

His father’s icy gaze only fell on him for a moment, and Xin Yufei’s heart instantly filled with a cold chill. They were both pawns being used, yet his father looked at him with such disdain, as if he truly were trash. Simply because he was a useless beta. The man’s hands, hanging by his sides, clenched into fists, staring intently at the Omega’s back not far away, his eyes filled with malice.

Xin Ruofan paid no further attention to the Xin family’s affairs, rejoining the party’s socializing with Teng Lin. As she had said, Xin Deming wouldn’t play tricks in front of so many people. Aside from the initial exchange of glances, they had no further interaction with the Xin family members until the party ended.

As they were about to leave, they saw Xin Yufei standing by the elevator door, a practiced fake smile on his face. “Ruofan, we didn’t get to talk much tonight. I booked a private room in the restaurant upstairs. Shall we go up and catch up?”

“If it’s anything, we can chat on WeChat. We’re in a hurry.” Seeing the fake smile on the man’s face nearly crumble, Xin Ruofan’s mood became especially pleasant.

“No… Auntie is also in the private room. She wants to talk to you.”

“I angered her into the hospital; she wouldn’t want to see me. Is Chairman Xin trying to threaten me again? Then I definitely don’t want to go.”

Xin Ruofan snuggled into Teng Lin’s embrace like a little girl, giving the man a faint glance, then immediately withdrawing her gaze. Then, she whined softly to Teng Lin, “Sister Lin, let’s go back quickly. I want you…” She said this while pulling Teng Lin into the elevator.

Seeing Xin Ruofan about to leave, Xin Yufei immediately lost his smile and anxiously reached out to press the elevator door button. The other people in the elevator immediately gave him dissatisfied looks, so he could only awkwardly retract his hand, watching helplessly as the doors closed.

••••

In the parking lot, Teng Lin quietly let Xin Ruofan hold her hand as they walked. She hadn’t spoken much all evening. Because of her, Xin Ruofan had completely broken ties with her family. From the beginning, she understood that Xin Ruofan proposing to be her partner was nothing more than a declaration of war against the Xin family, to let everyone else know that the Xin family’s only Omega already had a partner. Most of the attendees at the party were from high society. In their eyes, an Omega who had been “tainted” was like devalued merchandise, no longer having commercial value.

“Don’t feel guilty. This is a choice I made willingly.”

Xin Ruofan gently scratched Teng Lin’s palm, soothingly saying, “Rather than staying at home and becoming a bargaining chip in their deals, I’d rather choose the freedom of being with you. Moreover, I like you, I love you, and I only want to be your Omega.” As Xin Ruofan spoke, she raised a hand to hook Teng Lin’s neck, actively pressing her crimson lips against hers, her exhaled breath carrying the faint scent of tuberose that lingered at Teng Lin’s nostrils.

Suddenly, a slight cough interrupted the intimacy between them. A black Maybach pulled up next to Teng Lin’s car. The rear window slowly lowered, revealing a woman in a high-necked dress, with mature and glamorous makeup, a benevolent smile on her face.

“Aunt Xuan?”

Zhou Zixuan crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two, then she said apologetically, “Sorry to interrupt you two.” Xin Ruofan’s expression was a little complex. She instinctively shielded Teng Lin behind her, growing wary. She didn’t know Zhou Zixuan well and wasn’t sure if she was working for Xin Deming.

Facing Xin Ruofan’s wariness, Zhou Zixuan didn’t seem offended, remaining calm and composed. “It’s just me here. They’re all in the private room upstairs. You know, the Xin family’s conversations never include outsiders.” One sentence clarified her position: in Xin Deming’s eyes, Zhou Zixuan was still an outsider. So, what was her deliberate approach for…?

Zhou Zixuan seemed to read Xin Ruofan’s thoughts and continued, “Ruofan, how about a collaboration? I’ll help you deal with Xin Deming.”

Xin Ruofan raised an eyebrow. “Since it’s a collaboration, what do you want from me?”

“I’m also a businesswoman. I want a taste of the Xin Corporation’s pie too. Sell me your shares, and I can help you pull Xin Deming down from his current position.”

Xin Ruofan fell silent, contemplating. In Xin Deming’s eyes, she would soon be a useless pawn, and before discarding her, he would undoubtedly try every means to reclaim the shares in her hands. This proposed collaboration was undoubtedly a great temptation. If she could exchange shares for a stable life with her beloved, it wouldn’t be a bad idea, but then they would have to live under others’ protection for the rest of their lives. And what about her mother? Since Zhou Zixuan wanted to share the Xin Corporation’s “pie,” then Xin De’en, who was in the same camp as Xin Deming, would inevitably be implicated. Could her mother’s health withstand it? She didn’t dare to gamble, and she wasn’t sure if Zhou Zixuan could be trusted. What if she was also a cunning fox?

“Thank you for your kindness. We’ll handle it ourselves; no need for you to worry.”

Teng Lin noticed the Omega’s heavy silence, so she stepped forward, took her hand, and stood beside her. Zhou Zixuan subtly observed the Alpha’s expression: very calm, eyes flat, good at hiding emotions. She narrowed her eyes slightly and sighed, “What a pity then.” Then she raised her hand and handed them a business card.

Teng Lin frowned, about to refuse, when Zhou Zixuan immediately said, “You will need it.”

“It’s okay if we can’t collaborate. I understand your concerns. This is just a small token of my goodwill, and my sincerity. Take it; it will help you.”

The Maybach drove away from the parking lot. Teng Lin looked down at the business card on her phone.

It was a business card for a public relations company.