The Live-in Alpha Only Wants to Be a Quiet Salted Fish - Chapter 12

In regular society, people judge by appearance, and the most insulting thing is being called ugly or unattractive. In an ABO society, where pheromones are key, it’s being told your pheromones stink or are unpleasant.

As a soft, sweet Omega, this was the first time in Su Mo’s life that someone had pinched their nose and called her “smelly.”

It was an utter humiliation!

“You silly Alpha, stupid Alpha, stinky Alpha! You stink, you stink the most!!”

Fueled by alcohol, the enraged Omega picked up every available “weapon” around her, determined to teach that silly Alpha a lesson.

“What are you doing! Are you drunk?!”

Pillows flew. Lin Mu was about to dodge but then remembered the hangover soup she’d painstakingly prepared on the coffee table and held back.

There weren weren’t many pillows to begin with, and seeing them about to miss, Su Mo simply grabbed them and launched a continuous assault, a chaotic dance. A bystander might think they were having a pillow fight.

While fluffy pillows didn’t hurt when they hit, being inexplicably hit was still somewhat infuriating.

She had stayed up half the night to serve this drunkard, painstakingly making hangover soup. Not only did she not get a single word of thanks, but now she was being pelted?!

It was simply going too far!

Anger flared. Lin Mu’s head got hot, and she lunged forward.

“That’s enough!”

She straddled Su Mo, pinning her wrists with both hands, forcibly restricting her movements, pressing her against the backrest so she couldn’t move.

Their breaths mingled, their soft bodies pressed tightly together. The posture held a hint of ambiguity, but unfortunately, the two, with bloodshot eyes, were completely oblivious. They glared at each other, eyes almost crossed, neither willing to back down.

“Let go!” Su Mo struggled, but couldn’t break free. The Alpha’s superior strength was undeniable at this moment.

“You promise not to hit me first, then I’ll let go!” Lin Mu wouldn’t be outdone, puffing out her cheeks, fuming.

“You let go first, and I’ll promise.”

“You promise first, and I’ll let go!”

Their words went back and forth, childish like two kids arguing. The scene was at a stalemate, another round of glaring, as if whoever gave in first would lose.

Her nose caught that faint pheromone scent again. Her nape throbbed. Su Mo gritted her teeth and pulled out her trump card.

“Let go immediately! If you don’t, I’ll deduct your pay!”

The money-grubber’s heart tightened, weighing deduction versus being hit.

“Then if I let go, you can’t hit me again. Truce!”

“Alright, get off me now!”

Having secured the promise, Lin Mu promptly got up, springing back a meter to create distance, wary of the enemy re-engaging.

Su Mo rubbed her wrists, white skin marked with red rings. Her thighs were numb, tingling like ants were biting them. She was so angry she wanted to kick Lin Mu again.

How dare a dignified Alpha fight an Omega? Have some shame!

Seeing Su Mo had no intention of striking again, Lin Mu got fired up. She couldn’t swallow the indignation bubbling inside her.

“How can you be so petty? You reek of alcohol, and when I mention it, you get mad and even hit me!”

The Alpha’s accusation made the Omega pause.

Alcohol smell? She wasn’t talking about my pheromones?

Su Mo belatedly realized, reaching up to touch her nape, where she felt a thin plastic film.

That’s right, she went to a drinking party and put on a inhibitor patch. Naturally, there wouldn’t be any pheromone leakage. So, just now, she was…

“I stayed up half the night, working hard to make you hangover soup, and what do I get? A good beating…”

The Alpha’s accusations continued, listing her “crimes” on her fingers, making Su Mo feel somewhat remorseful.

The scene was a little delicate, like a wronged young wife accusing her heartless husband, and she… was that husband.

Su Mo involuntarily shivered, suppressing the chill in her heart.

“Alright, stop nagging. Just tell me what you want.”

Proud as Miss Su was, admitting fault was out of the question. She could tell, despite this person’s words sounding wronged, her eyes were darting around, probably harboring some sneaky thoughts to take advantage of the situation.

Lin Mu’s eyes lit up like a flashlight. When it came to this, she wasn’t wronged anymore.

“You said it! I want a raise!” She had a saintly glow about her, looking like a warrior fighting against capitalists.

Su Mo rolled her eyes. She knew it. After a long day, she was too tired to argue with her.

“Fine.”

This straightforwardness actually surprised Lin Mu. She had planned to play the victim and battle it out for a few rounds, but it was so easy that she was momentarily unsure what to do.

“Are you really giving me a raise? There aren’t any hidden conditions, right?”

“If you don’t want it, then forget it!” Su Mo shot her a sideways glance. Hidden conditions? What does she take me for?

“Yes, yes, yes, Daddy, I want it!” Lin Mu heard this and became anxious, her voice unconsciously taking on a hint of coquetry.

That melodious, low-pitched “I want it” sent shivers down Su Mo’s spine. She had never imagined an Alpha could sound so… provocative!

“Get out! Are you disgusting?! Don’t call me Daddy!”

“Then what? Mommy? Mommy, hungry, food!”

“Ah!!!”

“What are you doing? Let’s talk this out, don’t hit me! Be careful with the soup! At least tell me how much of a raise I’m getting first!”

Downstairs, a new round of chaos ensued. Upstairs, as always, heads were lined up.

These past few days, Su Mo had returned home late, so night-shift maids were naturally arranged. Unfortunately, after Lin Mu came out, she was intercepted by Aunt Liang, the head of the fan club.

“Aunt Liang, why did the son-in-law call Miss ‘Mommy’?” A young maid blushed.

“That’s just a little bit of fun between the young couple, you wouldn’t understand. You heard it, but don’t spread it outside, or the young couple will be embarrassed.” Aunt Liang spoke with the air of an experienced elder, looking at the brawl below and sighing:

“Their relationship is so good!”

Good?

The young maid looked down at the scene, where the son-in-law was being hammered by Miss on the sofa. She remembered Aunt Liang’s saying, “hitting is affection, scolding is love,” and nodded knowingly.

Yes, it’s really good!

••••

The previous night’s brawl ended with the “fragile” Omega delivering a knockout punch to the “scrawny” Alpha. The next day, Lin Mu emerged with dark circles under her eyes, ready to face everyone’s scrutiny.

The cooled hangover soup eventually found its way into Su Mo’s stomach. Although the alcohol had worn off, it was better than nothing; at least she didn’t wake up with a headache, so it was somewhat effective.

Lin Mu’s raise once again came to nothing. She tried to gain an advantage but ended up worse off. She could only hope for better luck in the future, that her day would come.

After this incident, a kind of unspoken understanding developed between the two. Lin Mu began her routine of staying up late. Every time she heard a commotion, she’d go out to grab a bottle of sparkling water.

Sometimes, they would only briefly glance at each other, silent. Other times, Lin Mu would be sent running around by Su Mo, not only cooking hangover soup but even preparing a full dish to fill her empty stomach. As for the originally assigned night-shift maids, they were nowhere to be seen.

Days passed by unhurriedly like this. Half a month later, Lin Mu woke up for breakfast, still a little groggy when she saw the figure in the dining room.

“Did I sleep until night?”

She glanced at the wall clock, then at the bright daylight outside, realizing she was being foolish. She ignored the eye-roll sent her way and sat down calmly.

“Why didn’t you go out today? Are you done with work?”

The conversation flowed naturally, simple yet harmonious, as if rehearsed thousands of times. No one noticed anything amiss, and no one could tell that they were complete strangers just a month ago.

“It’s mostly wrapped up for now. I can rest for a few days.” Su Mo wiped her mouth, looking at the wolfing-down Alpha with disdain. “Eat slower. No one’s snatching it from you. What’s the hurry?”

She naturally placed a napkin beside Lin Mu, then took two exquisitely packaged small boxes from beside her and pushed them over.

“Put these on after you eat.”

“What are they?”

Lin Mu swallowed her noodles, wiped her mouth, and opened the gift box.

As soon as she lifted the lid, a flash of light seemed to hit her eyes. Only two words remained in her mind: big and bright!

“Is this for me??” The husky’s eyes lit up, her face screaming “money-grubber.” She probably would have wagged her tail so fast it’d leave afterimages.

Inside was nothing else but a diamond ring with a “pigeon’s egg”-sized stone, eight hearts and eight arrows, blindingly brilliant.

It was the first time Lin Mu had ever received a ring. There was no deep emotion or sentiment, just a greater sense of “graspable happiness” compared to a mere play-acting marriage certificate.

Girls all love shiny things, let alone something so valuable.

With a grateful heart, the money-grubber was about to reach for this walking RMB (Chinese yuan) when a jade-like hand intercepted, picked up the RMB, and calmly placed it on her own finger.

“Wrong one, this is the Omega design. Yours is this one…”

Su Mo curved a sly smile, opened the other gift box, and watched Lin Mu’s expression shift from delight to disappointment.

While still sparkling, the Alpha design, which advocated simplicity and solemnity, was undoubtedly much dimmer compared to the Omega design, which prioritized luxury and grandeur. The wedding band styles weren’t vastly different; the only distinction lay in the diamonds. The Alpha design lacked the “pigeon’s egg,” and even the other diamonds seemed significantly smaller, making the entire design extremely understated.

The… contrast was quite stark.

“Um, can I…”

“No, don’t even dream about it.”

Knowing her character so well now, Su Mo was quite adept at handling her.

Having finally won a round, she was in a great mood. She chugged half a glass of milk in one go, leaving a ring of white mustache on her lip, a rare moment of indiscretion.

Lin Mu pouted, reluctantly putting on the ring.

“Tch, it’s just a diamond. What’s there to be so proud of? You’re talking about me, but you can’t even drink milk without getting it all over your mouth. Wipe your mouth.”

The napkin was tossed back. The sudden appearance of the ring also puzzled Lin Mu.

“Why do I need to wear a ring? I’m staying home, not going anywhere. Is it necessary?”

Su Mo put down her glass, giving her a faint glance. “It’s not necessary at home, but… tomorrow there’s a gala, and you need to attend with me.”

A gala??

Lin Mu looked down at the ring on her hand. While they had agreed to cooperate with the “showmance,” they hadn’t said it would be continuous. She had a feeling wearing this ring was a trap, and she probably wouldn’t be able to take it off!