The Cold Alpha's Black Lotus O Strategy Plan (GL) - Chapter 31

At eighteen, Jin Sique was still a delicate flower no one had ever plucked—or perhaps a tender green shoot that had only just broken through the soil.

She rested her head on one arm, her eyes lightly closed. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, her features sharply defined and the corners of her eyes tilting upward.

She possessed the unmistakable innocence of youth, yet also resembled a seductive spirit who understood every indecent trick in the book.

“What happens after three years?” she mumbled, sounding as though she had fallen asleep.

The faint scent of her pheromones drifted into Lü Zhongcai’s nose.

Lü Zhongcai stood, draped her coat over Jin Sique’s shoulders, then returned to her seat and continued responding to the work messages she had left unfinished.

Jin Sique’s breathing remained calm and steady.

One hand rested on the edge of the table, while the other appeared to hang naturally at her side. But where Lü Zhongcai could not see, her fingertips slowly clenched.

What would happen after three years?

According to the contract, once the three years ended, Jin Sique would move out of Jingwan Villa and cease to be Lü Zhongcai’s wife.

Lü Zhongcai would then pay her an agreed sum of money—compensation Jin Sique had earned for the companionship and treatment she provided during those three years.

Lü Zhongcai had never looked down on Jin Sique, nor had she intended to objectify an Omega.

She respected Jin Sique and believed that whatever she demanded of her spouse during their marriage, she should also demand of herself.

But anything beyond those three years did not fall within the scope of their agreement.

Afterward, they would probably become nothing more than familiar friends.

They had not come together because of love. Both of them had understood that from the very beginning.

Jin Sique had openly admitted that she needed someone to repay her debts, while the only thing she could offer in exchange was the body of an Omega.

Lü Zhongcai was an excellent choice.

Whether in terms of family background, personal ability, appearance, or everything she could provide Jin Sique, she was hundreds of times better than the Alphas who treated playing with Omegas as entertainment.

And reality had proven exactly that.

Lü Zhongcai was too perfect.

So perfect that the only thing anyone could criticize was that she had never developed feelings for Jin Sique beyond the contract.

Lü Zhongcai was a businesswoman—and an honest one.

She followed the terms of the agreement, paid the necessary costs, and received an equivalent return.

Anything outside the contract had never entered her consideration.

From the day they signed the agreement two years earlier, Lü Zhongcai’s silence had already been her answer.

Why had Jin Sique continued asking?

Even when Jin Sique had been targeted by sexual rumors, placed on the trending list, and forced to go to court, Lü Zhongcai had remained calm and detached.

Was that the reaction an Alpha should have toward an Omega whose pheromone compatibility with her reached ninety percent?

The machine was probably defective.

Jin Sique lowered her head and quietly exhaled.

Then she raised a smile and stepped through A University’s gates.

“Sique.”

“Hi.”

Jin Sique smiled brightly and greeted the students passing by.

“Hi.”

She appeared natural and poised, her face clear and beautiful.

Although she had a pair of seductive eyes, their depths were so pure that they seemed untouched by the slightest impurity.

The pitch-black scandal that had once clung to her was now nothing more than a scrap of paper stuck to her clothes.

One sweep of her hand, and it fell away.

Several members of the media had slipped onto campus and were waiting near the entrance.

The moment they saw Jin Sique, they immediately approached her.

“Student Jin—”

“Hello.”

Jin Sique smiled and inclined her head, then pointed at the watch on her wrist.

“I still have class. Excuse me.”

The reporter: “…”

“She’s so composed,” the reporter muttered.

The cameraman said, “Why does it feel like nothing ever happened to her?”

—

That afternoon, Class A of the Theater Department underwent physical fitness testing.

Jin Sique and Zhu Wanqing stretched off to the side while rumors and gossip drifted into their ears with the warm spring breeze.

“You really know how to endure things.”

Zhu Wanqing looked at Jin Sique admiringly and gave her a thumbs-up.

Jin Sique closed her eyes and let the sunlight fall across her face.

She wore a blue-and-white tracksuit that day, with a matching sports headband across her forehead.

Her hair was gathered into a high ponytail, its ends swaying gently in the breeze.

At that moment, several people slowly approached.

Gradually, the group surrounding them grew larger.

Zhu Wanqing’s expression changed from confusion to vigilance.

She frowned at them.

“What do you want? Have you come to make more sarcastic comments?”

Jin Sique tapped Zhu Wanqing with one finger.

“Wanqing…”

Someone in the crowd spoke first.

“Sique, I’m sorry. I misunderstood you before.”

Zhu Wanqing froze.

She quickly glanced at Jin Sique and stood there in bewilderment.

Jin Sique smiled.

“It’s all right. It’s already over.”

An Omega looked at her, her nose reddening as tears began to fall.

“I’m sorry, Sique…”

Jin Sique froze, then smiled helplessly.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Another Omega reached out and hugged her.

“I’m sorry, Sique… Sob…”

An Alpha called from the outer edge of the crowd, “Sique, they’re here to apologize, but I’m different! I never believed those diary entries were about you!”

Someone immediately agreed.

“That’s right! Neither did I!”

“Sique…”

“You were incredible. You even dared to sue the university. I’m an Alpha, and even I admire you!”

More and more Omegas gathered around Jin Sique, surrounding her in the center.

They wanted to hug her or say a few words to her.

Most of the Betas and Alphas remained on the outside, apologizing and expressing their guilt from a distance.

Jin Sique smiled outwardly, but her heart remained perfectly calm.

The smile never reached her eyes, though she concealed it with great skill.

It was like a ripple spreading from the bottom of a placid lake, disappearing before it could ever reach the surface.

Zhu Wanqing unhappily pushed the others away.

“Hey, what’s wrong with all of you? Has your maternal instinct suddenly overflowed?”

Jin Sique laughed as well and raised her hands in surrender.

“Sorry, but don’t look at me with such pity. Admiration is acceptable, though.”

Everyone burst into friendly laughter.

“What are all of you doing? The teacher is taking attendance.”

Xiaobai returned from the restroom and looked around at the harmonious yet strange scene in confusion.

She squeezed through the crowd, grabbed Zhu Wanqing and Jin Sique from either side, and pulled them toward the assembly area.

“What happened?” Xiaobai whispered.

“Their consciences condemned them, so they came to apologize to Sique,” Zhu Wanqing replied quietly.

Xiaobai gave a meaningful “Oh.”

Jin Sique pressed her lips together and let out a soft laugh.

The physical education teacher was a young Beta holding an attendance sheet.

When she called Chen Gang’s name, the surroundings first fell silent, followed by several contemptuous laughs.

Many gazes landed on Jin Sique.

She looked toward the teacher with gentle, peaceful eyes.

“Absent? No one is covering his attendance today?”

The Beta teacher’s expression remained unchanged as she continued calling names.

A short while later, she called, “Fang Xiaohe.”

The surrounding gazes once again turned uniformly toward Jin Sique.

Xiaobai loudly explained, “Her trial is today. She went to court.”

The teacher nodded and continued.

After finishing attendance, she organized the fitness test.

“Omegas run eight hundred meters, Alphas twelve hundred, and Betas one thousand.”

“Spread out and prepare. We’ll test five at a time according to student number. Class sports representative, come record the times.”

Everyone dispersed and began the tests one group at a time.

The atmosphere had become far more relaxed.

Jin Sique blended into the class once again.

Someone enthusiastically approached her to gossip.

“Sique, Fang Xiaohe went to court. Aren’t you going?”

“Will she be sentenced?”

Jin Sique smiled.

“I have a lawyer representing me. Besides, if I miss the fitness test and Old Mu fails me, what will I do?”

The others exchanged glances.

Someone still could not resist asking, “Isn’t Fang Xiaohe afraid of failing? She could have hired a lawyer to represent her too.”

Jin Sique moved her arms and legs, then tilted her head slightly.

“I heard she’s applying for a leave of absence.”

“What? Why?”

The Omega asking the question was shocked, then had her sleeve tugged by a friend.

She looked at Jin Sique in surprise.

Jin Sique performed several leg stretches.

She did not avoid their probing gazes, merely smiled.

“I’m going to take my test.”

Only after her graceful figure became part of the scenery on the running track did the Omegas gradually return to their senses.

“She’s taking leave? Is that true?” one asked.

“Probably. Honestly, even taking leave sounds too lenient.”

“Why hasn’t the university expelled her?”

“I don’t know. Maybe her family paid someone off? How do you know whether Fang Xiaohe and that guy ever…”

“They’ll probably expel her. The university itself has been sued. If the administration doesn’t show some sincerity in apologizing, do you think the media will spare them?”

“Haven’t you noticed how tightly controlled the campus entrance has been these past few days?”

—

As the sky gradually darkened, Fang Xiaohe returned to the building where she rented a room.

She had lost the trial that afternoon.

The result was exactly as Jin Sique had predicted.

She had possessed no ability to resist.

Chen Gang was still in the hospital.

Once he woke, those videos and photographs would certainly be released.

The only thing she could do now was leave the city as quickly as possible.

Fang Xiaohe took a deep breath and searched her bag for her keys.

Suddenly, her gaze stopped.

Several paint cans lay scattered beside her feet.

Her eyes traveled upward.

Two enormous characters had been painted in dark red across the wall:

WHORE

The insult was displayed openly before her, as though she herself had been stripped bare.

—

“The university has decided to persuade you to withdraw.”

The dean of student affairs spoke while packing her belongings into a cardboard box.

“I’ve also been demoted. Ah, I still have to personally find Jin Sique and apologize.”

“Fang Xiaohe, you should… do whatever you believe is best.”

“And from now on, don’t come to this office when you’re alone, all right?”

Fang Xiaohe stood there in a daze.

Paint still stained her clothes.

She swayed unsteadily, tightly gripping her application for a leave of absence before turning and walking away numbly.

She had returned discreetly, entered through a side gate, and even deliberately changed her clothes.

She had never believed matters would develop this far.

Fang Xiaohe’s body jerked slightly with every step she took up the long staircase.

Suddenly, the bell rang.

She raised her head and saw a stream of students passing before her on their way to the cafeteria.

Jin Sique walked in the center of the crowd, surrounded by people.

Her smile was sweet and radiant, like a blade of grass with stubborn vitality.

Fang Xiaohe’s gaze followed her.

She saw Jin Sique turn around and accurately locate her on the staircase.

Then Jin Sique gave her the smile of a victor.

…

“Chen Gang is awake.”

Lü Zhongcai answered the phone.

After listening, she replied coldly, “I’ll leave it to you.”

The other person acknowledged her and ended the call efficiently.

“What are you doing?” 052 asked.

Lü Zhongcai did not answer.

At that moment, her executive assistant scanned her access card and entered, handing her a stack of documents.

“This is Miss Xie’s information,” the assistant said.

Lü Zhongcai acknowledged her.

The assistant hesitated before continuing, “Miss Bai is restructuring the human resources department. She said…”

“How long has she been here?” Lü Zhongcai interrupted.

“One week,” the assistant answered.

Lü Zhongcai nodded.

“Write an email to Wall Street headquarters saying that Miss Bai’s business trip has concluded and request that she return ahead of schedule.”

“Send an identical copy to William.”

William had been Lü Zhongcai’s mentor during her internship on Wall Street and still wielded considerable influence at headquarters.

The executive assistant nodded.

“All right.”

052 sighed and finally found an opportunity to speak.

“If you want to understand the black lotus, why not simply ask me?”

“Why investigate Xie Ying? She’ll definitely defend the black lotus.”

“Ask you?”

Lü Zhongcai exchanged no more than five sentences a day with 052.

“I’m afraid your account would be somewhat biased.”

052: “…”