Marking My Arch-Rival [Rebirth] - Chapter 7

Qi Mengying was a professional doctor at Venus, an upscale beauty and wellness center. She was also Jiang Boyan’s university classmate and longtime friend.

At 4:40 that afternoon, she saw off her final client of the day and waited in her office.

Not long afterward, Jiang Boyan knocked and entered.

“Boyan!”

Qi Mengying stood excitedly and moved to greet her friend, preparing to give her the same enthusiastic hug as always.

This time, however, she stopped three or four steps away from Jiang Boyan and stared at her in disbelief.

“You… you…”

Jiang Boyan sniffed herself.

She knew her friend’s unusual reaction was most likely caused by the Alpha pheromones still lingering on her body. But like someone who had lived in a room filled with orchids for so long that she could no longer smell their fragrance, Jiang Boyan found it difficult to understand how strong the scent was to others.

“Is it that strong?”

“Did you get a new batch?”

Qi Mengying cautiously approached, lowering her voice as she pulled Jiang Boyan farther inside.

“Where did you get these pheromones? They’re insanely powerful.”

Jiang Boyan said nothing.

Qi Mengying studied her expression. Combined with the message Jiang Boyan had sent yesterday—I got bitten by a dog—her face slowly began to crack.

“Wait. Don’t tell me…”

Jiang Boyan cut off her imagination.

“Arrange the examination.”

“Right!”

Qi Mengying was dependable when it came to work.

“I’ve already prepared the forms. I’ll draw your blood.”

The examination form included several routine tests, and Qi Mengying’s own name was signed at the bottom.

This was an understanding the two had maintained for years. Whenever the examination involved pheromones, Jiang Boyan would not reveal her identity.

But today, Jiang Boyan hesitated as she looked at the form.

Qi Mengying asked, “What’s wrong?”

“These are all routine tests.”

Jiang Boyan raised her eyes.

“Does it include testing for sexually transmitted diseases?”

Qi Mengying experienced a moment of dizziness and had to brace herself against the edge of the desk to remain standing.

She looked at Jiang Boyan, wanting to speak but stopping herself several times.

After a moment, she finally managed to form a question.

“When did it happen?”

Jiang Boyan’s expression remained unchanged, but the slight trembling of her eyelashes betrayed the disturbance beneath the surface.

“The night before last.”

“Mhm.”

Qi Mengying released a shallow breath of relief.

“You came in soon enough. Don’t worry. We’ll be able to test for them.”

Only then did Jiang Boyan nod and obediently extend her wrist.

Two minutes later, a young nurse took away the blood sample labeled with Qi Mengying’s name.

The test results would take time, so Qi Mengying led her into the neighboring treatment room.

“The same as before? A standard skincare treatment?”

“All right.”

Jiang Boyan nodded and voluntarily lay down on the treatment bed in front of her friend.

Her still-sore back and waist finally found support. She closed her eyes and swallowed two soft sighs of comfort.

“How have you been taking care of yourself? Your skin is even smoother than before.”

Qi Mengying circled her fingers along Jiang Boyan’s jaw.

Feeling her friend’s skin, smooth as fine mutton-fat jade, she looked surprised.

“Have you stopped staying up late recently?”

Jiang Boyan shook her head.

“Nothing’s changed.”

Seeing that her emotions were stable, Qi Mengying lowered her voice and went straight to the point.

“What exactly happened? Who marked you?”

A devastatingly beautiful face flashed through Jiang Boyan’s mind.

She frowned.

“We’re not close.”

“…”

Qi Mengying’s jaw nearly dropped.

“A one-night stand? Were you forced?”

Jiang Boyan lightly bit the tip of her tongue.

She secretly resented having such a good memory. Every detail of that night remained painfully clear.

Neither she nor Ji Shihuan had forced the other.

But if someone had to be blamed for taking the initiative and provoking the situation…

Jiang Boyan could hardly claim innocence.

Qi Mengying bit her lip, then suddenly thought of an even more serious issue.

“Does the other person know your identity? Could she use it to threaten you?”

Jiang Boyan finally answered.

“I’m waiting.”

“Hm?”

“Waiting for her to name her price.”

Qi Mengying’s hands stopped moving.

Her teeth trembled with anger.

“So she’s some promiscuous piece of trash who might even have an STD, marked you and ran away, and now she’s preparing to use your secret to blackmail you?!”

Elsewhere, Ji Shihuan, who was driving, inexplicably sneezed several times.

She looked back at the wrapped oil painting in the rear seat and truly could not imagine what kind of unexpected problem might arise during tonight’s meeting.

The car’s intelligent voice assistant offered a warm reminder:

“The interior temperature and humidity have been increased. Master, please take care of your health~”

“It probably has nothing to do with the temperature.”

Ji Shihuan glanced at the screen.

“Zero, check today’s fortune for me.”

The adorable little girl on the screen nodded and lifted a magnifying glass to begin searching.

Two seconds later, her sweet voice sounded again.

“Master’s overall fortune score today is sixty-two. You will encounter your destined romantic partner~”

Ji Shihuan asked, “My fortune barely passes, yet I’m going to meet my destined partner? Don’t you think that’s contradictory?”

The little girl leaned against the edge of the screen and stared at her.

“Master, asking a technological product about metaphysics is also contradictory!”

Ji Shihuan smiled.

Back in the treatment room, Qi Mengying finished cursing and did not forget to warn her.

“Boyan, you need to stay far away from that scumbag!”

Jiang Boyan released a very soft sigh.

“The initiative isn’t in my hands.”

Qi Mengying thought for a moment.

“Tell me who she is.”

Jiang Boyan opened her eyes.

“Hm?”

Qi Mengying bent closer.

“I’ll ask my brother-in-law to…”

Before she could finish, someone knocked on the treatment room door.

Without waiting for permission, the visitor hurriedly turned the handle and pushed it open.

“Well, well! You told me you were busy today, but it turns out you were here treating another client!”

Qi Mengying froze, put down what she was holding, and stood.

“Miss Gu?”

Gu Xiyue walked toward her and grabbed Qi Mengying’s hand, exaggerating dramatically.

“Sister Qi, you have no idea how important tonight’s date is to me. You absolutely must do my treatment today!”

Qi Mengying immediately adopted her professional demeanor.

“In that case, could you wait for me in the Omega treatment room across the hall?”

At that moment, Jiang Boyan propped herself up on the treatment bed and looked over, meeting Gu Xiyue’s gaze.

“Huh!”

Gu Xiyue was briefly stunned, then broke into a smile.

She released Qi Mengying and confidently greeted Jiang Boyan.

“It’s you, beautiful sister!”

Jiang Boyan remembered their first meeting at the café and politely nodded.

Qi Mengying looked surprised.

“You know each other?”

“Mhm!”

Gu Xiyue nodded and walked directly toward the other treatment bed.

“There’s no need to go next door. We can do it together!”

Qi Mengying knew how difficult this longtime client could be.

She looked toward Jiang Boyan. Seeing that her friend showed no objection, she did not argue.

“…Fine.”

“My name is Gu Xiyue.”

After lying down, Gu Xiyue continued trying to become friendly with Jiang Boyan.

“What about you?”

“Jiang Boyan.”

“Wow, that sounds so nice.”

Gu Xiyue turned her head toward her, her eyes filled with admiration and curiosity.

“Sister Jiang, are you single?”

Jiang Boyan was silent.

Qi Mengying stepped in to rescue her friend.

“Ahem. Didn’t Miss Gu have an especially beautiful girlfriend?”

“Oh, her.”

Gu Xiyue pouted.

“We already broke up.”

“You broke up?”

Qi Mengying raised an eyebrow.

“Hmph. The prettier a female Alpha is, the more…”

Gu Xiyue stopped herself in time.

She changed her phrasing.

“It was my fault for being young and too easily deceived by appearances.”

Qi Mengying smiled.

She placed a cleansing mask over Gu Xiyue’s face.

“When the old leaves, the new can arrive. Don’t worry. After this treatment, you’ll definitely capture the heart of your new date tonight.”

“Ah…”

Gu Xiyue’s face wrinkled.

“It isn’t someone new.”

“Hm?”

“It’s that ex-girlfriend.”

Even the mask could not stop Gu Xiyue from chatting.

She glanced at Jiang Boyan.

“Sister Jiang has met her too.”

Jiang Boyan had cream applied to her face and was resting with her eyes closed.

Qi Mengying asked curiously, “You’ve already broken up, so why are you still meeting her?”

“She’s beautiful. Just having her beside me is pleasing to the eye.”

Gu Xiyue lifted her chin.

“When we were dating, I couldn’t bear to order her around. Now that we’ve broken up, I finally have the chance. I’m going to make her work for it.”

Qi Mengying exposed her immediately.

“I think you regret breaking up.”

As she spoke, she glanced toward Jiang Boyan, confirming that her friend was not annoyed by her conversation with Gu Xiyue.

On the contrary, based on how well she knew Jiang Boyan, she was certain Jiang Boyan was listening.

Gu Xiyue denied it at once, but slowly added,

“There is one tiny regret.”

Qi Mengying prompted, “Hm?”

Gu Xiyue sighed mournfully.

“The duck flew away before I even got to eat it.”

Qi Mengying burst out laughing.

When she turned her head, she discovered that Jiang Boyan had actually opened her eyes.

Jiang Boyan thought for a moment.

“Didn’t you say she was… incapable?”

“Oh, come on.”

Gu Xiyue pretended to be embarrassed.

“That one time, I practically delivered myself right to her mouth. She still didn’t do anything and even helped me put my clothes back on, saying something like, ‘You need to be cautious about these things.’”

Then she asked Jiang Boyan,

“Sister Jiang, you tell me. Are Alphas really like that?”

Jiang Boyan had no relevant experience and shook her head.

“…I don’t know.”

Qi Mengying could not resist defending the ex-girlfriend she had never met.

“I actually think she sounds quite self-controlled and responsible.”

She also took the opportunity to compliment her client.

“To remain unmoved even when facing a great beauty like Miss Gu—she can’t be an ordinary person.”

Gu Xiyue did not react much.

Instead, Jiang Boyan, on the other bed, began to feel restless.

Self-control?

Jiang Boyan gave a cold snort.

She recalled applying medicine the night before and seeing the scattered kiss marks and bite marks across the sensitive flesh between her thighs.

That night had been utterly absurd.

Through Ji Shihuan’s black hair, she had watched the white canopy above the bed sway for the entire night.

During brief pauses, Ji Shihuan had fed her water twice.

Each time, she thought she would finally be allowed to rest.

But water she could not swallow spilled from the corners of her lips, and Ji Shihuan lowered her head to chase the droplets.

Her lips and tongue sparked a new wave of heat along the way, dragging Jiang Boyan back into the abyss of desire.

How could someone like that possess self-control or a sense of responsibility?

Qi Mengying looked surprised by her reaction.

“Am I wrong?”

Gu Xiyue, however, nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“Sister Jiang understands Alphas best.”

She reached her conclusion.

“She really is incapable!”

Jiang Boyan had no intention of helping clear up the misunderstanding.

Only the faint soreness in her waist returned.

Qi Mengying gave an awkward laugh.

Once she recovered, she said, “Then you shouldn’t have any regrets.”

Gu Xiyue merely muttered incoherently.

Qi Mengying washed away her cleansing mask and activated the equipment to begin the skin-rejuvenation treatment.

Halfway through, Gu Xiyue’s phone rang.

She picked it up and glanced at the screen.

“She’s here.”

Qi Mengying asked, “Your ex-girlfriend?”

“Should I speed things up?”

“No need.”

Gu Xiyue gestured for her not to rush, behaving every bit like a spoiled heiress.

“Let her wait.”

Qi Mengying smiled.

“That works too.”

“I’ll make her buy milk tea for us.”

Gu Xiyue acted on every sudden thought.

Without waiting for either woman’s agreement, she unlocked her phone, typed a message, and sent it.

Ji Shihuan had an excellent temper.

After seeing the message, she put down her phone.

“Zero, navigate to the nearest milk tea shop.”

After buying the drinks, she returned and followed the location Gu Xiyue had sent her to the treatment room.

She stopped outside and knocked.

Qi Mengying dried her hands.

Curious about what kind of great beauty could keep Gu Xiyue so obsessed, she raised her voice.

“The door isn’t locked. Come in.”

With permission, Ji Shihuan pushed the door open.

She was dressed in a more businesslike style today. Her thick, long hair was tied behind her head, revealing a smooth, beautifully shaped forehead and making her already striking features appear even more gorgeous.

The bag of milk tea in her hand did nothing to weaken her presence.

Instead, it softened the aggressiveness of her beauty and made her appear somewhat more approachable.

When she saw Qi Mengying in a white coat, she nodded and offered a polite smile.

Her clear black eyes immediately captured Qi Mengying’s attention.

“I’m looking for Gu Xiyue.”

Qi Mengying barely recovered from the assault of her beauty and pointed toward the treatment bed closer to the door.

“Over there.”

“Thank you.”

Ji Shihuan smiled again.

She had no idea that Qi Mengying’s mind was screaming at her to stop smiling.

She walked straight toward Gu Xiyue.

After placing the milk tea on the table, she gently asked, “Are you done?”

There was no trace of impatience in her tone.

Gu Xiyue glanced at her coolly.

“Can’t wait any longer?”

“I thought you might be eager to see the painting.”

Gu Xiyue snapped back, “I think you’re simply impatient.”

“Patience should be used on meaningful things.”

Ji Shihuan shrugged and removed a matcha brown-sugar milkshake from the bag.

“The milk tea you asked for.”

Gu Xiyue had to admit that she felt a small flicker of happiness at that moment.

“Tsk. You finally remembered what I like?”

“Huh?”

Ji Shihuan looked confused.

She removed the other two cups from the bag. They were identical seasonal drinks and placed them on the table.

The tiny flame of happiness that had just appeared in Gu Xiyue’s heart was extinguished completely.

At the same time, Ji Shihuan turned her head and unexpectedly met Jiang Boyan’s gaze on the neighboring treatment bed.

“…”

Ji Shihuan blinked very slowly twice.

Only then did she notice the sweet freesia-scented Alpha pheromones in the room.

The scene of their previous parting began replaying uncontrollably in her mind, and two unnatural patches of red appeared on Ji Shihuan’s cheeks.

Jiang Boyan coldly looked away.

She acted as though the person before her were merely an irrelevant stranger, not the sexual partner who had recently shared a two-meter-wide hotel bed with her.

Unfortunately, she still did not understand Ji Shihuan’s wicked personality well enough.

Had Jiang Boyan pretended to coexist peacefully with her, Ji Shihuan might have let the matter rest.

But the more Jiang Boyan avoided her, the more Ji Shihuan wanted to provoke her.

“President Jiang? What a coincidence.”

Qi Mengying gave her friend a confused look.

Ji Shihuan began arranging the drinks on her own.

She handed one to Qi Mengying, then carried the final cup toward Jiang Boyan.

“President Jiang, have some milk tea.”

Jiang Boyan gave her no pleasant expression.

“No, thank you.”

“What’s wrong?”

Ji Shihuan tilted her head and studied her.

She lowered her voice slightly, allowing a hint of ambiguity that only the two of them could understand to enter her tone.

“Do you have dietary restrictions while you’re bedridden?”

“That isn’t the reason.”

Jiang Boyan looked at her meaningfully.

“Something happened and ruined my appetite.”

Ji Shihuan laughed softly.

She had discovered that ever since her rebirth, her mood always became much lighter whenever she encountered Jiang Boyan.

Ji Shihuan could not understand why, so she maliciously attributed it to the special bond they shared from both being deceived in their previous lives.

“Then I’ll drink it myself.”

She pushed the straw into the cup and casually took a sip.

Sweet milk slid down her throat, followed by the faint bitterness of matcha. Ji Shihuan unexpectedly found the flavor quite pleasant.

Leaning against the foot of Jiang Boyan’s treatment bed, she looked toward Qi Mengying in her white coat.

“Doctor, what kind of treatments do you offer here?”

Qi Mengying returned to her senses and instinctively adopted her professional manner.

“Venus primarily specializes in skin concerns and physical wellness. We offer many kinds of beauty and maintenance treatments.

“What concerns do you have?”

Ji Shihuan stood before her, tall and straight as bamboo.

Although she had made no special effort with her appearance, it was impossible to find even the slightest flaw.

She seemed to shine from the inside out.

Other than simple skincare and maintenance, Qi Mengying found it difficult to imagine what services she could possibly provide for someone like her.

But the next moment, Ji Shihuan listed a string of symptoms as casually as if she were ordering dishes from a menu.

“My whole body feels sore and weak. I’ve been emotionally sensitive, and I haven’t been sleeping very well. It’s as though I have no sense of security.”

As she spoke, her gaze appeared to pause carelessly on Jiang Boyan for a moment.

Only then did she leisurely conclude,

“That’s about it.”

Qi Mengying stared at her in disbelief.

“Are these symptoms you’ve recently developed?”

Ji Shihuan’s lips held a smile.

She neither confirmed nor denied it and merely pressed,

“Do you have any recommended treatments?”

Qi Mengying nodded.

“How about trying our full-body essential-oil massage? It helps relax the body, soothe emotions, and improve sleep.”

After hearing this, Ji Shihuan lowered her eyes and openly looked toward Jiang Boyan.

The next second, she bent down.

Feeling the warm heat radiating from the woman on the bed without touching her, Ji Shihuan asked with a smile,

“Does it work?”

Jiang Boyan’s heart trembled faintly.

She could sense no malice from Ji Shihuan.

The woman’s provocations were always measured, stopping precisely at a boundary that left Jiang Boyan unable either to advance or retreat.

Of course she was displeased, but she could not genuinely lose her temper.

“Results vary from person to person,” Jiang Boyan said calmly.

She openly met Ji Shihuan’s gaze.

“Besides, I don’t suffer from Miss Ji’s condition, so I can’t offer any advice.”

Ji Shihuan was just about to ask, Really? when Gu Xiyue’s merciless laughter came from behind her.

She instinctively sensed something was wrong.

“Hm?”

Gu Xiyue finally managed to stop laughing and clutched her stomach.

“Ji Shihuan, don’t avoid treatment out of embarrassment. A beauty salon can’t help with your problem. You need to visit a proper Alpha rehabilitation hospital.”

The Alpha rehabilitation hospital she referred to was similar to a men’s sexual-health clinic, specializing in treating and improving an Alpha’s sexual ability.

The amusement in Jiang Boyan’s eyes could no longer be concealed.

Even Qi Mengying gave Ji Shihuan a sympathetic look.

Ji Shihuan finally understood that Jiang Boyan had dealt her a vicious counterattack.

She shrugged, showing no embarrassment.

Instead, she leaned close to Jiang Boyan again and lowered her voice.

“Does President Jiang not know whether I have a problem in that area?”

Jiang Boyan tilted her head, her loose hair giving her an exceptionally languid appearance.

She glanced at Ji Shihuan, then extended one hand.

Her fingertips pressed against Ji Shihuan’s shoulder through the thin spring fabric and pushed her away.

Ji Shihuan once again caught the outrageously sweet scent of freesia teasing the tip of her nose.

Jiang Boyan had barely used any force, yet Ji Shihuan obediently retreated beyond normal social distance.

To ease the awkwardness, she took a deep sip of her matcha milkshake.

Both its sweetness and bitterness had a distinct charm.

After completing her skin-rejuvenation treatment, Gu Xiyue needed to go to the Omega-only treatment room across the hall for a follow-up session.

Before leaving, she ordered Ji Shihuan to wait outside.

Ji Shihuan nodded and sat on a bench in the corridor.

She was tall, and worse still, her body proportions were exceptionally good. Her long legs had nowhere to go. One stretched and one bent across the walkway as she focused on her phone.

A young assistant came over carrying test results.

She stared at Ji Shihuan in a daze and failed to watch where she was going, nearly tripping over her.

Ji Shihuan quickly reached out and steadied her.

As the assistant thanked her, Ji Shihuan caught sight of the large words Blood Test Report printed across the kraft-paper envelope.

She then watched the assistant enter the office where only Qi Mengying and Jiang Boyan remained.

Ji Shihuan slowly narrowed her eyes.

Inside the office, Qi Mengying finished reviewing all the data and finally felt the heavy weight in her heart lift.

“Nothing’s wrong. All the indicators are normal.”

The result also matched Jiang Boyan’s expectations.

She nodded and prepared to say goodbye to her friend.

“Wait!”

Qi Mengying grabbed her.

After hesitating for a moment, she still spoke.

“I’m not making this up. Compared with before, the pheromone levels in your body have improved by far more than just a little.”

Because Jiang Boyan had long used powerful suppressants while also being exposed to artificial Alpha pheromones, her health had always been one of Qi Mengying’s greatest worries.

In the past, Qi Mengying had sighed bitterly whenever she examined Jiang Boyan’s test results.

This was the first time Jiang Boyan had ever heard good news from her.

“Why?” she asked.

Qi Mengying rubbed her nose.

“What else could it be?”

She glanced meaningfully at the gland on Jiang Boyan’s neck.

The suppressant patch she had taken from Ji Shihuan that day was still attached there.

“Top-tier natural Alpha pheromones are more effective for you than any medicine.”

Jiang Boyan was silent.

“Who is that person?”

Qi Mengying attempted to offer a solution that would satisfy both sides.

“Could you possibly buy her off with money?”

After knowing each other for so many years, Jiang Boyan immediately understood what she meant.

Bribe Huanji Technology’s new CEO into supplying her with Alpha pheromones…

Jiang Boyan’s breathing paused.

She then looked out the window. Her left thumb and index finger rubbed lightly together at her side, predictably catching nothing.

She drew back her thoughts and countered,

“Weren’t you the one who told me to stay far away from that kind of scumbag?”

“I was wrong! You can’t speak in absolutes!”

For her friend’s sake, Qi Mengying reversed her position at astonishing speed.

She attempted to use a convenient example.

“Think about Miss Gu and her ex-girlfriend just now. Although Miss Ji has certain… ahem… deficiencies in that area, at least she has a beautiful face.

“As long as you use them correctly, even scumbags can have their advantages!”

“What’s this?”

Jiang Boyan laughed at her.

“Were you also fooled by her appearance?”

Qi Mengying reacted immediately and shook her head.

“No. I wouldn’t dare.”

Jiang Boyan raised an eyebrow.

“Hm?”

Qi Mengying clicked her tongue twice.

“That Miss Ji looks like every strand of her hair has its own girlfriend.”

Jiang Boyan lowered her head.

Her empty fingertips suddenly felt faintly numb.

Her fingers seemed connected directly to her heart, disturbing her heartbeat as well.

After saying goodbye to Qi Mengying, she gathered her belongings and left.

Ji Shihuan was still in the corridor.

She had clearly been waiting for her.

The moment Jiang Boyan appeared, Ji Shihuan approached and placed an arm around her shoulders without explanation.

Jiang Boyan frowned and looked at her in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

Ji Shihuan deliberately moved extremely close.

Her lips were only about two fingers away from Jiang Boyan’s face, and every breath she released brushed across the delicate skin that had just undergone treatment.

“Aren’t you going to move away?”

Jiang Boyan did not retreat.

“Miss Ji has no reservations. Why should I hide?”

Ji Shihuan gave a faint scoff.

After clicking her tongue, she said,

“So you’re no longer worried that I might have infected you with some filthy disease?”

She had not seen Qi Mengying’s name on the test report.

Of course, even if she had, someone as clever as Ji Shihuan would still have guessed who the report truly belonged to.

Jiang Boyan calmly adjusted her cuffs, behaving as though Ji Shihuan were of no importance.

Only her eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, leaving Ji Shihuan utterly captivated.

“There were too many injuries. The examination wasn’t only for that.”

“Is that so?”

Ji Shihuan straightened and casually smoothed the collar she had wrinkled.

She lied without blinking.

“I don’t remember much.”

Jiang Boyan glanced sideways at her.

“Miss Ji has a terrible memory.”

“Words alone prove nothing.”

Ji Shihuan would never allow herself to lose verbally.

“How about President Jiang calls me the next time you apply medicine?”

Her lips curved wickedly.

“Since I caused the injuries, I should be the one responsible for them, shouldn’t I?”

Her voice was naturally clear and pleasant.

The upward lilt of that final “shouldn’t I?” brushed against Jiang Boyan’s ear like a feather.

Before Jiang Boyan could respond, the office door behind her opened.

“Huh?”

Qi Mengying looked at the two of them. She first greeted Ji Shihuan, then turned toward Jiang Boyan.

“Boyan, why haven’t you left yet?”

“I’m leaving now.”

Qi Mengying was in a hurry to go upstairs.

But as she passed Jiang Boyan, she stopped and tugged on her friend’s sleeve.

“Think carefully about what I said earlier!”

Jiang Boyan stood still without offering an opinion.

Qi Mengying knew that this expression meant her friend did not take her own health seriously at all.

She stamped her foot in frustration.

Yet with Ji Shihuan still nearby, she hesitated and used what she believed was a clever code phrase the two of them had used before.

“Just consider it a few more bites from the dog!”

Ji Shihuan had not intended to eavesdrop.

They were simply standing close enough that the words naturally drifted into her ears.

She raised her eyes toward Jiang Boyan and inwardly advised herself not to be overly sensitive.

But then the normally expressionless Jiang Boyan lifted one corner of her lips and revealed a rare smile.

By the time Ji Shihuan recovered, the two women had already left side by side.

She pressed a hand over her chest and took out her phone to continue reading the report Nie Zheng had sent.

But the text she had previously read with ease now refused to enter her mind.