How Long Are You Going to Keep Acting Like A Beta? ABO - Chapter 16

“The performance goals for the next quarter…” The branch manager was giving a presentation on stage. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the serious, almost gloomy expression on Qi Qing’s secretary’s face. His heart sank. He wondered if he had made a mistake somewhere and became even more nervous.

The person being described as having a gloomy expression, Shu Qian, was actually so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She wasn’t listening to a word, but she was forcing herself to stay awake during the meeting. She had already prepared these materials, so it didn’t make much difference to her whether she listened or not.

Finally, when the break came, Shu Qian lowered her head, pretending to organize her documents. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

“Shu…” Qi Qing stopped herself. Seeing her so exhausted, a moment of guilt flashed in her heart. But if given the chance again, she would still be unable to resist the desire to possess the Omega and would indulge all night long.

When the ten-minute break was over, Qi Qing was about to call her when she saw Shu Qian open her eyes on time, just like an alarm clock, staring blankly at the projector screen.

Qi Qing looked at her a few times, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

After they finished this morning, she saw that Shu Qian was exhausted and collapsed on the bed, so she told her to rest and not attend the meeting.

However, the Omega only took a few breaths before she painstakingly rolled to the edge of the bed and slowly got off. She didn’t even look up as she replied, “What happens in bed is our private business. My job is my responsibility. Business is business; private is private.” She insisted on going to work.

She never expected the Shu family to raise a child like Shu Qian. It was a good thing those people had no vision.

When it comes to competitors, you have to know yourself and your enemy to win every battle. So Qi Qing had had contact with a few of the Shu family’s potential successors.

Her impression from their few encounters was that they were too mediocre. And while mediocrity could still be a way to maintain the status quo, these few people were arrogant and didn’t put much effort into their work, only dreaming of making it big overnight. That was why the Shu family’s company was still run by the old guard.

“CEO Qi… do you have any instructions for me?” Shu Qian was just sleepy, not in a coma. She had noticed Qi Qing’s gaze a while ago. She endured it for a long time, but Qi Qing never looked away, so she had no choice but to ask in a low voice.

“I’ve seen your academic records. Why didn’t you go to work at Pinyuan?” With the Omega by her side, Qi Qing had no interest in listening to the branch’s report, which she had already seen and was now being repeated. She simply took advantage of the situation to chat with her.

Pinyuan was the Shu family’s company. In the early days, both companies were food manufacturers. They happened to catch the wave of economic liberalization, and the public’s income increased, so the food industry flourished. Pinyuan and Huayu both benefited. In the early days, the Shu family’s Pinyuan had an edge over Huayu and had a larger market share.

But as the companies grew, the differences in their business philosophies became apparent.

To increase revenue, Pinyuan first cut costs on ingredients to increase profits. Qi Qing’s family, Huayu, on the other hand, chose to continuously develop ways to improve the food’s texture and taste, and also invested more in safety and hygiene equipment.

In the beginning, Pinyuan did indeed take on many orders with its low costs. Its financial reports and revenue growth looked very good, and it was a moment of glory. However, when it came to food, the most important thing was the ingredients. When there were problems with the raw materials, and Pinyuan was not as meticulous as Huayu in hygiene management, it led to a few food safety issues, which damaged Pinyuan’s image.

Huayu seized the opportunity. When Pinyuan was in trouble, they released a few ads, showcasing their factory equipment and opening it up for public inspection. They were confident that their food was the safest and also delicious.

This battle established the Huayu Food brand, and they finally caught up to and then surpassed the Shu family.

Shu Qian was silent for a moment. Her eyes were still fixed on the documents in her hand, not willing to give Qi Qing a single glance. She said, “Not all families are as open-minded as yours, CEO Qi.”

Qi Qing also had a younger sister, Qi Yue, who was also an Omega. She was currently in charge of Huayu’s public relations department. She often appeared as an interviewee in PR and marketing cases.

“The Shu family… is a very traditional family. No matter how outstanding an Omega is, she will eventually be married off. Therefore, there’s no need for her to work in the company. A married woman is like, a ‘spilled cup of water.’ It’s funny, isn’t it? It’s been twenty years since the equal rights law was enacted, and Omegas can study and work freely, yet the elders of the Shu family still hold on to this kind of thinking.”

What’s more, she was a person whom they found annoying in the Shu family.

If her last name wasn’t Shu, and she wasn’t indeed Shu Yao’s daughter, she might have been kicked out long ago.

So what if she was outstanding? It would only make her already difficult situation even harder. Having seen through her identity early on, Shu Qian had always kept a low profile and hid her talents, secretly saving up the capital to leave and waiting for the right moment. This time, when she became the candidate for the arranged marriage, she left without hesitation.

Qi Qing was silent.

Perhaps it was because of the unpleasant memories, but Shu Qian was in a bad mood all day. After work, she returned to the hotel, said a cold goodbye to Qi Qing, and left.

For the next few days, Shu Qian maintained a professional attitude. There were no extra words when she faced Qi Qing. Everything revolved around work, and she did what Xu Yuxi asked, staying in her place.

The close call from that night seemed to have never happened. The two of them had a tacit understanding to forget it. Shu Qian finally put her anxiety aside, and her life returned to her planned state, which finally put her at ease.

On the last day, they were supposed to meet with a supplier and leave in the afternoon, but the supplier was too enthusiastic. The other party was a long-time partner of Huayu and also knew Qi Qing’s parents. He insisted on inviting her to dinner.

Qi Qing couldn’t refuse. The other party was an elder who had watched her grow up, so she had no choice but to agree.

They went directly from the supplier’s office to the most luxurious hotel in the area. As soon as they entered the private room, the table was already set with wine.

“…” Shu Qian’s eyelids twitched.

Qi Qing noticed her expression and also remembered the first night. She suddenly said, “If you’re not feeling well, just take a few sips.” Her voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear.

The quick-witted people around her immediately chimed in, agreeing.

Shu Qian paused and met Qi Qing’s gaze. “Thank you, CEO Qi.”

“Is Secretary Shu not feeling well?” one of the managers asked. He immediately told a waiter, “Bring us a pitcher of your signature juice.”

Having avoided the wine glass, Shu Qian was visibly relaxed during dinner. The conversation didn’t involve her, so most of the time, her mind was blank.

All the dishes on the table were exquisite, but what she liked most was the pitcher of juice that had been brought especially for her. It was sweet and sour, and even had a scent. She poured herself cup after cup.

While talking to someone else, Qi Qing suddenly smelled a hint of apple scent and immediately turned her head. She saw Shu Qian’s face was a little red, and her eyes were misty. “What’s wrong?”

Shu Qian looked up at her. “Hm? Nothing’s wrong with me.” She was still holding her cup of juice.

When Qi Qing saw the drink in her cup, she frowned. She poured a cup for herself and brought it to her nose to smell it. Her expression hardened.

Who ordered this juice? To Alphas and Betas, it was just ordinary juice, but the passion fruit in it could prematurely induce an Omega’s heat cycle.

Shu Qian’s heat was already near, so it was even more likely to be induced.

Qi Qing immediately decided to leave with Shu Qian.

After leaving early, she had the driver quickly take them back to the hotel. After taking her back to Shu Qian’s room, she put the now-feverish Omega on the bed and looked for an inhibitor in her suitcase.

Just as she finally found the inhibitor in a small pocket, a warm body pressed against her from behind.

“Shu Qian?” Qi Qing turned around, and Shu Qian naturally fell into her arms. “Wait a minute. I’ll give you the inhibitor.”

“No, no inhibitor…” When she heard the words “inhibitor,” Shu Qian resisted and hugged her. “My heat cycle has started…”

Qi Qing held the inhibitor and was silent. In her usual way of doing things, if they were just rational partners who solved each other’s physiological needs, she wouldn’t have even hesitated.

But this was an accident. She had mistakenly drunk an aphrodisiac juice, which was why she was being so clingy…

Qi Qing thought for a few seconds and decided that there should be fewer accidents between them. She pushed Shu Qian’s long hair aside, revealing the nape of her neck. Just as she was about to inject the inhibitor, she suddenly frowned and her body stiffened.

“Do you… know what you’re doing?” Qi Qing looked down at Shu Qian, who had suddenly started smiling in her arms. In the area hidden by their bodies, Shu Qian was brazenly holding her cock.

“I told you, my heat cycle has started. Or do you not understand such a formal way of speaking?” Shu Qian unzipped Qi Qing’s pants and boldly reached into them. Through a very thin layer of underwear, her thumb rubbed against the tip. “I’m in heat. I’m going to get on top of you.”

No Alpha could resist an Omega’s invitation to mate. What’s more, Qi Qing, who was trying so hard to restrain herself, was instantly ignited by the Omega’s flirtatious actions. Her expression became a little dangerous.

“We haven’t been to the Health Center yet…” Even though Qi Qing was already aroused, her thin lips still uttered words of resistance.

“I went yesterday. We picked up our things,” Shu Qian said, revealing her first smile in days.

“So…” she said, pushing the bottom layer of her underwear aside. Her soft palm held the already-awake cock and slowly rubbed it. “Are you still going to give me the inhibitor?”