The Cold Alpha's Black Lotus O Strategy Plan (GL) - Chapter 7
“The pheromone genetic sequencing test showed that your compatibility is as high as ninety percent. An Alpha and Omega with such a high compatibility rating, especially after engaging in an intimate relationship, could never remain as rational as you appear to be.”
Qin Ming’s words seemed to echo in Lü Zhongcai’s ears once again.
Warm spring sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows. LĂĽ Zhongcai sat in her wheelchair, gripping the report as she bathed in the brilliant light.
Qin Ming had said, “That’s why your apparent calmness is rather abnormal.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai remained silent.
“Then I’ll ask you directly. During intimate moments, do you feel any particular desire to control your Omega?”
“No.”
“What about nesting behavior?”
An Alpha’s nesting behavior specifically referred to everything an Alpha did during their susceptible period to gather their Omega’s belongings into their nest.
During this period, a considerable number of Alphas would even confine their Omega in a place they considered safe, forcing them to remain together throughout the nesting phase.
The severity varied from person to person, but generally, the higher an Alpha’s rank, the more serious the behavior became.
An Alpha’s secondary gender granted them extraordinary intelligence and physical strength, but it would also weaken certain other qualities to maintain a kind of balance.
The most obvious difference was their ability to control their emotions during their susceptible period.
The emotional control of Alphas had always been a subject requiring further improvement.
There were not many S-class Alphas in the country, but specialized research had shown that in addition to emotional problems, S-class Alphas could also develop various physical health issues.
“There was once an S-class Alpha who was a genius in physics but only lived to the age of twenty,” Qin Ming said. “There was also an Alpha musician who chose to take her own life because she had become disappointed in human art.”
“Of course, some lived longer. Two of them were imprisoned after being arrested for abusing Omegas. After completing their sentences, they became research subjects.”
Qin Ming continued, “I can’t define your condition yet, but we can begin with a hypothesis. This may be a type of emotional disorder.”
“No,” Lü Zhongcai said.
“No to what?”
“Nesting behavior. I have never experienced it.”
Lü Zhongcai continued, “I respect my partner very much. She is an independent person. I shouldn’t control her life.”
Qin Ming suddenly asked, “What is your System 250 saying?”
Like a mad creature that had abandoned all human ethics, 052 continuously whispered into Lü Zhongcai’s mind:
“No. You should imprison her. Lock her inside a dark, bottomless basement. Train her. Enslave her…”
LĂĽ Zhongcai remained silent.
Qin Ming smiled.
“I can probably guess what it’s saying. Everyone has a dark side hidden inside them, especially Alphas. Think about it. When a powerful Alpha faces a weak Omega, it’s difficult not to feel…”
Qin Ming smiled.
“Vulnerability inspires affection. That’s simply how Omegas are, isn’t it?”
LĂĽ Zhongcai glanced sideways at her.
“She is a person. I should respect her, not regard her as a plaything.”
052 spoke sinisterly inside Lü Zhongcai’s mind.
“She’s an Omega. How could there possibly be equality between an Alpha and an Omega? She is a plaything. She can only survive by depending on an Alpha.”
“I believe you love her,” Qin Ming said.
“Ours is a contractual marriage lasting three years. She helps me deal with my family’s pressure to marry, and I repay her debts.”
Lü Zhongcai continued, “Long-term intimacy may cause us to develop some feelings for each other, but I believe time will wear them away after we separate.”
Qin Ming gave an acknowledging hum.
“Have you marked her permanently? If you have, it’s difficult to say what will happen… Discrimination may be a bad habit, but some people still care about those things.”
“No. Aside from those who need to know, our relationship has not been publicly announced. I also wouldn’t permanently mark her casually.”
“Your contractual marriage is confidential?” Qin Ming asked.
“Yes.”
“You’re wrong,” 052 said. “Only the black lotus refuses to publicly reveal your relationship.”
“When she claims that it must remain confidential, is she really doing it for your sake? Or is she waiting until the three years are over so she can pursue her unforgettable first love without any concerns?”
Qin Ming said seriously, “I’m surprised. After obtaining a partner, the first thing many Alphas do is eagerly announce their ownership to the entire world.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai turned toward the window.
Pedestrians hurried beneath the spring sunlight.
After watching them for a while, she said coldly, “No. I don’t love her.”
—
The moment Zhu Wanqing opened the bathroom door after showering, her sunflower-scented pheromones poured out and filled the entire dormitory.
Someone complained, “Wanqing, did you forget to turn on the ventilation again? The whole dorm smells like you!”
“Oh, come on.”
Zhu Wanqing waved dismissively.
“I’m not in heat. What is there to be afraid of? I’ll close the door, all right?”
Everyone was helpless against Zhu Wanqing, so they turned toward Jin Sique.
“Sique, hurry and control her.”
Jin Sique smiled and said to Zhu Wanqing, “Wanqing, remember to turn on the ventilation next time. Don’t do this again, all right?”
Jin Sique’s voice was soft and husky.
It was not clear like a fresh spring. Instead, it resembled fine grains of sand gently flowing beneath the water, carrying the faintest hint of sensual hoarseness.
Zhu Wanqing leaned closer to Jin Sique.
“Something’s wrong.”
Jin Sique continued writing her final paper on her laptop.
“What is it?”
“Your voice sounds hoarse. Have you been staying up late recently?” Zhu Wanqing asked.
Jin Sique froze and raised a hand to touch her throat.
“I performed The Drunken Beauty several times. I may have overused my voice.”
Zhu Wanqing was horrified.
“What the hell! Why aren’t you taking proper care of your throat? You have a golden voice! What will you do if you damage it?”
Jin Sique smiled.
“I won’t. I know my limits.”
Zhu Wanqing dragged a chair over and sat beside Jin Sique.
“Where did you perform? Why didn’t you invite me to watch?”
“Hmm.”
Jin Sique turned around. Smiling with her lips pressed together, she tilted her head slightly and studied Zhu Wanqing’s curious expression.
“I’m not telling you!”
Zhu Wanqing: “…”
Zhu Wanqing froze. Her face immediately turned red, and she lowered her head, burying it in her hands.
“What’s wrong, Wanqing?” Jin Sique asked.
Zhu Wanqing shrugged, collapsed across the desk, and pretended to be a corpse.
Jin Sique anxiously nudged her.
“I’m sorry. I really can’t tell you… You know the reason.”
“It’s nothing,” Zhu Wanqing mumbled.
She secretly raised her head and glanced at Jin Sique.
“I just thought you were too adorable. It made me a little embarrassed.”
Jin Sique froze, then smiled with pursed lips. Two faint patches of red also appeared on her cheeks.
“I can’t take this anymore,” their roommate wailed from the side. “I’m begging you two. Could you stop acting like a couple?”
Zhu Wanqing chuckled.
She stood and slapped the roommate on the shoulder before suddenly leaning down and pecking her cheek.
“Xiaobai, are you jealous?”
Xiaobai screamed, jumped onto her chair, and crouched there while covering her cheek. She glared furiously at Zhu Wanqing.
“Zhu Wanqing! Today, I’m going to teach you why flowers bloom so brilliantly!”
Jin Sique laughed helplessly.
She checked the time, stood, and began tidying her desk.
“I won’t be staying in the dormitory tonight.”
The two women stopped fooling around and turned toward her.
“You’re going home?” Xiaobai asked.
Jin Sique zipped up her backpack and smiled.
“Mm. A family member is being discharged today. I’m going to pick her up.”
The dormitory door closed behind her.
Xiaobai and Zhu Wanqing exchanged a glance. They immediately released each other and rolled their eyes.
“She’s going back again. You’re so close to Sique. Who exactly is this family member she keeps mentioning?”
Xiaobai stood before the mirror and adjusted the back of her neck, smoothing down the scent-blocking patch Zhu Wanqing had wrinkled.
Zhu Wanqing shrugged.
“I don’t know. She never tells me those things.”
Xiaobai gave an awkward sound.
“Isn’t she an orphan?”
“Probably a girlfriend or boyfriend,” Zhu Wanqing said.
The two exchanged another glance and sighed together.
—
“Sique, why did you come? Don’t you have classes today?”
Outside the hospital, Aunt Guo placed Lü Zhongcai’s personal belongings into the trunk one by one.
Jin Sique opened the car door and helped LĂĽ Zhongcai into the vehicle.
“I don’t have any more classes today. I couldn’t relax knowing Zhongcai was being discharged.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai thanked her.
Jin Sique nodded with a smile, then went to help Aunt Guo organize the luggage.
“Are we going home, or…?”
After closing the door, Jin Sique sat beside LĂĽ Zhongcai.
Aunt Guo was in the front passenger seat and turned around when she heard the question.
“Take me to the company,” Lü Zhongcai said.
“Shouldn’t you rest for another couple of days?” Jin Sique asked quietly.
LĂĽ Zhongcai shook her head.
She reached out, brushed a loose strand of hair from Jin Sique’s temple, and tucked it into place.
“You should go home first. I’ll return after work.”
Jin Sique smiled with pursed lips.
She sat upright, creating some distance between herself and LĂĽ Zhongcai, then took out her phone and began playing music. She removed one earphone and handed it to LĂĽ Zhongcai.
The two leaned together and listened to music side by side.
One was cold, while the other was warm.
One was quiet and reserved, while the other was gentle and talkative.
The Alpha wore a suit and tie, appearing abstinent and distant.
The Omega wore a cropped shirt with a pleated skirt that fell to her knees. She resembled the first touch of fresh green appearing upon a branch, vivid and full of life.
The Omega nestled beside the Alpha.
As they leaned together and selected songs on the phone, they appeared beautifully harmonious.
Aunt Guo withdrew her gaze and smiled with relief.
Although Jin Sique’s family background was ordinary, there had never been anything about Jin Sique herself that anyone could criticize.
“You like this song?”
Lü Zhongcai looked at the pop playlist on Jin Sique’s phone. Jin Sique had already repeated the same song three times.
“I do.”
“You’ve listened to it several times.”
“Mm.”
Jin Sique spoke absentmindedly. Her faint grassy fragrance slipped into the Alpha’s nose.
“I’ll listen until I grow tired of it.”
“Are you tired of it yet?” Lü Zhongcai asked.
Jin Sique looked at her in confusion.
She raised her chin slightly and blinked innocently, resembling a simple little animal.
“I’ve been listening to this song for many years.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai gave a quiet acknowledgment.
She stopped speaking and turned toward the window.
Jin Sique lowered her gaze and discreetly examined her.
“Are you still experiencing auditory hallucinations?”
“I’m nearly recovered,” Lü Zhongcai replied.
She added, “They don’t affect my work or daily life.”
In reality, 052 was chattering frantically inside her mind.
“Oh, oh! The black lotus is moving closer! She smiled! She’s secretly smelling your pheromones…”
“It has been half a month since the last marking. She’s hinting that it’s time for you to fulfill your marital duties.”
The car stopped beneath Fengyue Tower in A City’s financial district.
Floors twenty-three through twenty-seven of the office building were occupied entirely by LE’s China branch.
LĂĽ Zhongcai had been absent from the workplace for nearly a month.
After the accident, her secretary had brought all her work to the hospital, allowing her to work remotely. The company had barely remained stable thanks to several capable assistants.
“Would you like to come inside for a while?” Lü Zhongcai asked.
Jin Sique shook her head.
She was still a student. Facing the bright, spotless, luxurious office building filled her with a timid fear of unfamiliar surroundings.
“I won’t. Come home early tonight.”
052 said, “If you insist strongly enough, she’ll have no reason to refuse.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai nodded to Jin Sique and supported herself as she climbed out of the car.
Aunt Guo and the driver had already removed the wheelchair from the trunk.
The executive secretary from the president’s office had come downstairs in advance and was waiting beside the vehicle for Lü Zhongcai.
“See you later.”
Jin Sique lowered the window and carefully waved.
LĂĽ Zhongcai smiled.
“See you later.”
“If she wanted to come, I wouldn’t need to say anything,” Lü Zhongcai finally replied to 052 inside her mind.
052 said, “President Lü, you’re far too quiet. Haven’t you noticed? From the moment you got out of the car and sat in the wheelchair, you became the center of everyone’s attention.”
The executive assistant pressed the elevator button.
When the doors opened, LĂĽ Zhongcai guided her wheelchair inside.
Only after the doors closed were the curious, investigative, and pitying gazes finally shut out.
No.
There was still one gaze.
The elevator chimed and opened.
The executive assistant carefully pushed Lü Zhongcai’s wheelchair, almost wishing that she could stop breathing entirely for fear of disturbing the office.
The president’s office, administrative headquarters, and finance department were located in separate areas on the twenty-seventh floor.
Today, the entire LE branch displayed an unusually quiet atmosphere.
052 said, “They’re trying to reduce their presence. By pretending to work seriously, they can prove that they aren’t looking around.”
“They’re afraid that if they see their disabled president and accidentally reveal a sympathetic expression, they’ll be fired the next day for stepping into the office with their left foot first.”
“Do I look like that kind of person?” Lü Zhongcai asked.
The executive assistant was horrified.
She lowered her voice and asked, “President Lü, do you have any instructions?”
052 laughed.
“Ahahaha.”
“Arrange a meeting,” Lü Zhongcai ordered.
“Yes!”
“The office must be incredibly lively right now,” 052 continued. “Everyone is probably discussing how President Lü became paralyzed below the waist at such a young age, before even turning twenty-six…”
LĂĽ Zhongcai turned on her computer, accessed the company system, and began reading the minutes of the senior management meetings she had missed over the past month.
052 continued, “You don’t believe me? I’m one hundred percent certain. Rumors only grow more outrageous as they spread. Someone is probably already saying that President Lü doesn’t have long to live.”
“Of course, an S-class Alpha’s presence is always powerful. The employment rates of each secondary gender at LE are approximately equal, which means a considerable portion of the company consists of Omegas.”
“Even though you’re disabled, plenty of them would still be willing to be with you.”
“Therefore, the black lotus truly doesn’t know how fortunate she is…”
LĂĽ Zhongcai paused.
After thinking for a moment, she responded to 052’s earlier statement.
“Then what should I do to prove that I’m healthy?”
This was the first time LĂĽ Zhongcai had asked 052 for help.
052 immediately became excited.
“You need an enormous party.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai tugged expressionlessly at the corner of her mouth.
The meeting began half an hour later.
Aunt Guo had ordered Lü Zhongcai’s wheelchair from Germany. It possessed basic lifting functions, at least allowing Lü Zhongcai to maintain her tall, cold, unapproachable bearing while her legs were still injured.
As a result, the employees feared that their already decisive and ruthless boss might have become even more unreasonable because of her severe injuries.
Everyone appeared extremely cautious while reporting their work.
I’m home.
Jin Sique sent her a message.
LĂĽ Zhongcai lightly tapped her fingers against the conference table.
The HR director, who was in the middle of delivering a report, abruptly stopped and stared at LĂĽ Zhongcai in alarm.
Mm.
LĂĽ Zhongcai sent the brief reply, then gestured for HR to continue.
“Yes…”
The HR director stumbled over her words.
After listening to the report, LĂĽ Zhongcai raised her brows slightly.
The HR director immediately held her breath, her entire body turning rigid.
“Have they been hired?” Lü Zhongcai asked.
“We’re still negotiating. Headquarters means to—”
“Send their résumés to my email.”
“…Yes.”
“Next issue,” Lü Zhongcai said.
The meeting did not end until the afternoon.
Afterward, LĂĽ Zhongcai remained in the conference room for a moment.
When she finally wheeled herself out, she happened to encounter several employees heading to the break room for water.
“She’s becoming even more unapproachable. It appears that the accident caused President Lü considerable trauma.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai happened to hear that sentence.
She remained silent and deliberately waited until the employees had left the break room before returning to her office.
“You actually became distracted during today’s meeting?”
Lu Baimei held a cup of coffee in one hand while using chopsticks with the other to search through the boxed meal delivered by the LĂĽ household for the dishes she liked.
“Your wife is an excellent cook,” Lu Baimei said.
A trace of appreciation appeared in Lü Zhongcai’s eyes.
“Mm. She has always been studying how to cook.”
052 interrupted, “That doesn’t mean she likes it. She may have forced herself to learn because she believes it is the standard expected of a wife.”
Lü Zhongcai’s smile disappeared.
She concentrated on reading the documents.
052 immediately began complaining that the material was making her dizzy.
Lu Baimei looked up at LĂĽ Zhongcai with amusement.
“Hey, I think that Dr. Qin’s explanation makes a lot of sense.”
Only then did LĂĽ Zhongcai lift her head from the mountain of documents.
The moon shone brightly outside, surrounded by only a few scattered stars.
Without realizing it, it had already become eleven at night.
LĂĽ Zhongcai rubbed her brow and looked toward the boxed meal.
Only then did she remember that the villa’s driver had delivered it that evening.
It was probably prepared by Jin Sique.
When the receptionist delivered the meal, she had specifically mentioned that the person who brought it had instructed LĂĽ Zhongcai to eat on time.
052 said, “Are you thinking that Jin Sique prepared this food, yet not only did you fail to eat it, you also forgot your promise to return home early?”
“Your meal must already be cold,” Lu Baimei said. “You might as well give it to me as a midnight snack.”
“No,” Lü Zhongcai said coldly.
“Oh—”
Lu Baimei deliberately drew out the sound.
“Didn’t you say you don’t love her? Surely this romantic possessiveness over a single boxed meal isn’t happening to the real President Lü?”
LĂĽ Zhongcai raised a hand, indicating that Lu Baimei could do as she pleased.
Lu Baimei happily took the meal, heated it, and ate enthusiastically in front of LĂĽ Zhongcai.
“Not bad. Not bad at all.”
The fragrance of food spread throughout the president’s office.
Slightly irritated, Lü Zhongcai rubbed between her brows. She swept one finger across the keyboard and rejected two résumés sent from LE Capital’s headquarters across the ocean.
“Seriously, aren’t you going to consider hiring a vice president?” Lu Baimei asked. “The company nearly exploded during the month you were absent.”
“You were here.”
“Sorry, but you severely overestimate me. Without you overseeing the company, I couldn’t even access your company’s financial reports.”
Lu Baimei continued, “Aside from being occasionally ordered to visit you, I was so idle that I was practically living in paradise.”
LĂĽ Zhongcai smiled faintly.
“My apologies. It seems the chief financial officer has suffered. I can compensate you.”
“It was wonderful,” Lu Baimei teased. “How many people dream of having a job where they receive a salary without working? Most people couldn’t even imagine it.”
052 said, “I don’t think I possess the ability to dream.”
There was a ten-hour time difference, and the companies in the foreign financial district had not yet opened.
LĂĽ Zhongcai shut down her computer, activated her wheelchair, and left the office with Lu Baimei.
“Want to have a drink?”
Lu Baimei handed LĂĽ Zhongcai her phone, showing her the location of a bar two kilometers away.
052 immediately shouted, “Go! Go! Go!”
“Is our dear president rushing home to pamper her wife?” Lu Baimei asked.
“Pheromones are too mixed in places like that,” Lü Zhongcai said.
“It’s not that bad. How can you prove whether you like the flower at home unless you smell a few wildflowers outside?”
“I’ll accompany you,” Lü Zhongcai said.
“Consider your offense forgiven.”
052 said, “The black lotus’s pheromones smell like wild grass. That isn’t a particularly flattering metaphor.”
Half an hour later, the two arrived at the bar.
Lu Baimei claimed a place at the counter.
The height of Lü Zhongcai’s wheelchair happened to place her at approximately the same level as a tall barstool.
People throughout the bar looked over, many of them desperately suppressing their laughter.
“That wheelchair is rather impressive,” Lu Baimei said.
“I can give you one if you need it,” Lü Zhongcai replied coldly.
Lu Baimei hugged her glass and burst into laughter.
“One whiskey,” Lü Zhongcai told the bartender.
The bartender handed her a glass and gave LĂĽ Zhongcai a friendly glance.
“Alpha?”
LĂĽ Zhongcai inclined her head.
“A lot of Omegas are watching you,” the bartender said with a smile.
“My apologies. I’m unable to respond to them.”
The bartender smiled and walked away.
Several Omegas exchanged looks with the bartender. After confirming from the bartender’s expression that this Alpha was not someone to provoke, they left in disappointment.
“A wheelchair can be part of the fun,” Lu Baimei said. “There’s no need to feel inferior because of it.”
052 said, “See? You’re still extremely popular. So many Omegas are watching you.”
“You’ve seriously misunderstood me,” Lü Zhongcai said.
The phone beneath her palm gently vibrated.
Jin Sique had sent a message saying that she had returned to the university and was preparing to sleep.
It was already close to midnight.
She had probably waited at home until very late.
Holding her phone, LĂĽ Zhongcai considered how she should respond.
—
“Hey, an absolute beauty just arrived.”
A female Omega sat down and squeezed between the people crowded onto the sofa until she created a space for herself. She crossed her long legs and lit a cigarette.
“What kind of beauty?”
“She’s in a wheelchair,” the female Omega said. “Judging by her presence, she seems to be an Alpha. Is anyone interested?”
“A wheelchair?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“Her body may be disabled, but her desires certainly aren’t.”
At a small booth beside the U-shaped sofa, Chen Xiaoyue perked up her ears to listen to the gossip.
She teased the Omega quietly watching the lights over the dance floor.
“That person in the wheelchair wouldn’t happen to be your unfortunate wife, would she?”
Jin Sique smiled faintly and withdrew her gaze.
“She should still be working overtime.”
“Oh.”
Chen Xiaoyue said, “I want to dance.”
“Go ahead,” Jin Sique replied with a smile. “I’ll take you back to your hotel afterward.”
“Don’t say that!”
Chen Xiaoyue wailed.
“You promised to pick me up at the airport, yet you made me wait an extra minute. Can’t you spend some time with me?”
“Oh, do you want to go home and accompany that contractual wife of yours?”
“She’s nothing but a scumbag Alpha. It would be cleanest if she died.”
Chen Xiaoyue complained and kicked Jin Sique’s chair from underneath the table.
“Aren’t you exhausted from acting every day? When will you finally return to being yourself? I barely recognize you anymore.”
Jin Sique was dressed like an ordinary student.
Her smile and natural-looking makeup seemed completely out of place in the bar filled with all kinds of strange and decadent people.
“Either way is fine. I don’t care,” Jin Sique said. “I was merely worried you might want an Alpha, and my presence would disturb you.”
Chen Xiaoyue laughed loudly.
“Of course not! It’s simply too late to go anywhere else, so the bar was the only place left for entertainment.”
Jin Sique did not comment.
She continued waiting for Lü Zhongcai’s message.
In the past, even when she received no reply, she would always leave one final Good night in their chat.
Chen Xiaoyue leaned over to look and almost sighed toward the heavens.
“You shouldn’t pay any attention to her, Sique!”
“It’s fine.”
“Fine?”
Chen Xiaoyue leaned closer and carefully studied Jin Sique’s face.
“Then were the injuries I saw on your body fake? Sique, she abuses you—”
Jin Sique’s expression changed.
A dangerous glint entered her eyes.
She was about to say something when her phone began vibrating.
Lü — Incoming Call
Chen Xiaoyue pointed at Jin Sique’s phone in confusion.
“She’s actually calling you? Did she discover you aren’t at home and call to check up on you?”
Jin Sique shook her head, indicating that she did not know.
She stood and left the booth.
“I’ll answer outside.”
“All right.”
Chen Xiaoyue stood as well and stepped onto the dance floor.
“Call me if anything happens. Don’t go too far.”
“I know.”
—
“All right, I understand. You win.”
Lu Baimei was utterly defeated by LĂĽ Zhongcai.
She surrendered and asked permission to smoke a cigarette beside the road before leaving.
“President Lü, have we even been here for half an hour? We only just arrived, and you already want to leave. Could you stop ruining the mood?”
The pheromones inside the bar were too chaotic.
Even now, Lü Zhongcai’s gland still felt uncomfortable and swollen.
Sitting in her wheelchair, she said coldly, “My apologies, but I haven’t fully recovered from a serious illness.”
“She didn’t answer?” Lu Baimei asked.
LĂĽ Zhongcai gave a quiet acknowledgment.
052 said, “I’m guessing the black lotus went out to fool around, just like you.”
“I wouldn’t prevent her from having a normal social life,” Lü Zhongcai said with a frown.
“A bar is a temple for single people,” 052 replied. “Just look at Lu Baimei.”
Beside the road, Lu Baimei had somehow already begun flirting with a female Omega.
Several Omegas and uninformed Alphas nearby were still discreetly examining LĂĽ Zhongcai.
When LĂĽ Zhongcai met their gazes, those people immediately sensed the pressure and turned their heads away.
Then, abruptly, LĂĽ Zhongcai saw a figure she did not recognize at first.
The woman wore a simple hoodie and jeans. The blue fabric made her appear particularly obedient.
Her inward-curled, slightly wavy hair had been tied into a high ponytail.
She carried a backpack about the size of a notebook, with a cluster of grass leaves embroidered on the side facing LĂĽ Zhongcai.
Sique?
LĂĽ Zhongcai frowned and looked down at the phone in her hand.
The call had automatically ended after ringing unanswered for too long.
Jin Sique leaned against a utility pole.
She slipped her fingers into the roots of her hair and lazily loosened her ponytail.
Her face held no expression. She merely stared at the night sky and waited quietly for two minutes before returning Lü Zhongcai’s call.
The phone vibrated.
052 said, “She lied.”
Lü Zhongcai answered and quietly said, “Hello.”
Jin Sique’s obedient, slightly hoarse voice came through the receiver.
“Zhongcai? Have you finished working?”
“Mm.”
At that moment, LĂĽ Zhongcai suddenly realized that she did not seem to understand Jin Sique very well.
“Where are you?”
Jin Sique silently curved her lips in a mocking smile.
“I’ve returned to the university. I left a midnight snack for you in the pot. If you’re hungry, you can—”
“Sique.”
Lü Zhongcai’s voice carried an electric rasp through the receiver. It seemed mixed with an icy chill that caused the hairs on the Omega’s body to stand upright.
“Where are you?”
Jin Sique fell silent for a second and straightened.
“I’m at the university.”
“Turn around,” Lü Zhongcai said.
Jin Sique instinctively looked back.
She had not yet had time to adjust her expression.
On her beautiful face, framed by red lips and white teeth, her peach-blossom eyes were cold and utterly merciless.
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