Chapter 66

At six o’clock in the morning, as the rising sun cast its first rays upon the gates of the Fifth Prison, a beam of light landed just outside the heavy entrance. Within the heavily guarded perimeter, a duty officer meticulously processed a release registration.

“Name.”

“Li Rang.”

The release date was June 6th—a very auspicious number.

“Alright, sign here.”

As Li Rang signed her name and gazed at the sunlight beyond the iron bars, the darkness long buried in her heart felt like a cold wind, seeping out from her spine in gusts.

Defrauded of money, her Omega stolen by another, her reputation ruined, and her career in shambles—the darkness she had lived in for nearly a year finally met the light on this day.

The iron lock was pulled back with a metallic screech, and the heavy gates creaked open. With a calm expression, Li Rang stepped out. She looked up at the sun and spread ​Read on BaiLianTales​her palms to soak in the warmth for a moment before clenching them tight. Everything she had lost, she would take back.

A black Bentley was parked outside. Her driver had already stepped out to receive her. Butler Du was her personal driver and handled various miscellaneous affairs. A graduate of an Alpha military academy, Du had struggled to find suitable work due to her humble background until a chance encounter led her to the Li family.

Seeing her young mistress dressed in a high-end navy-blue custom suit, her hair tied in a high ponytail reaching her waist, wearing light makeup and silver earrings, Du noticed how striking she looked, as if she had prepared meticulously.

Du offered a smile. “Miss Li, the Master and Madam are busy, so I’ve come to fetch you.”

Li Rang adjusted her cuffs, revealing a pale wrist. “Did you bring the medicine?” she asked.

Du handed her a small bag. Li Rang took out a syringe and the medication, tucking them into her suit pocket. She smoothed her jacket. “Did you find Wang Xue?”

Wang Xue—alias “Xinran”—had been sentenced to three years for extortion. After being swindled out of several million by her, Li Rang was still fuming. She couldn’t believe she had been played for a fool by a common con artist.

“Miss, we have located her address,” Du replied as she turned the wheel.

A sinister smile touched Li Rang’s face. “Let’s pay her a visit.”

Li Rang leaned back, her hands folded. On her well-defined thumb was a dark green jade ring, which she toyed with idly. Her expression was grim and her movements slow; Du couldn’t help but shiver.

“Miss, you’ve just been released. If you confront her, please remember not to cause any trouble.”

Du knew her mistress better than anyone. On the surface, Li Rang was cultured, kind, and gentle; underneath, she was deeply jealous, vindictive, and possessed a brilliant but unpredictable intellect. To Du, a formal military graduate, Li Rang carried an unmistakable air of malice.

The car pulled into a low-end apartment complex. Du followed Li Rang into the elevator to the 23rd floor. When they reached the door, Li Rang said, “Once the door is open, wait outside. No matter what you hear, do not come in.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Li Rang stood out of sight of the peephole, her gaze locked on room 2301.

Knock, knock. Footsteps sounded inside. “Who is it?”

“Miss, I’m from property management,” Du said in a low voice.

The moment the door opened, Li Rang flashed forward, blocking the gap with her hand. She looked down at the woman, arching an eyebrow. “Xinran, long time no see.”

The voice terrified the woman. Her first instinct was to slam the door. Li Rang thrust her hand in and wedged her leg into the crack. “Old friend, I’ve come to visit. Why the cold shoulder?”

How could a petite Omega’s strength rival that of an Alpha? She struggled against the door. “What… what are you doing here? I’ll report you for trespassing!”

Li Rang smirked. “Go ahead. And while you’re at it, let’s see how much prison time you get for swindling three million.”

Xinran went silent instantly. Her shoulders slumped, her gaze turned fearful, and her voice became fragile. “A-Rang, I… I didn’t mean it. Please let me go. I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?”

Li Rang wasn’t fooled by the con artist’s calculated submissiveness. She pushed her way in and gently closed the door. Only the two of them remained. The Alpha’s presence was overwhelming, and Xinran stood frozen in the corner.

Li Rang scanned the room—simple decor, [bailiantales.com]cheap furniture, a mediocre neighborhood. She sneered. “After stealing so much from me, you choose to live in a place like this?”

She paced the room before seating herself arrogantly on the sofa, crossing her legs. She looked at the woman before her. Xinran was in wrinkled cotton pajamas, her hair messy, her sleepiness replaced by pure terror.

But a con artist never stays at a disadvantage for long. Xinran calmed herself, and seeing that Li Rang hadn’t made a move, she poured a glass of water and placed it before her.

“A-Rang, I had no choice. My grandmother has Alzheimer’s, my father is paralyzed, and I have a younger brother in school. I only tricked you because I was desperate. I’ll… I’ll get the money back to you as soon as possible. Please don’t call the police.”

Xinran knelt at her feet, tears quickly flooding her cheeks.

Li Rang let out a short laugh. “Should I believe the words of a liar?”

“I’m really not lying to you.”

“And to think I trusted you so much,” Li Rang interrupted, her eyes boring into her. “I kept waiting for word from you, terrified that something had happened to you. And it turns out even your name was a lie.”

The woman looked up with a tear-stained, aggrieved face. “A-Rang, I’m so sorry. ​unauthorized copy​I’ll pay you back in a few days, I beg you.” She reached out to touch Li Rang’s hand.

Li Rang glared at her and brushed her off. “Don’t touch me.”

The woman’s gaze went vacant. She covered her face, and as she trembled, she released a hint of pheromones, hoping to soothe the Alpha’s rage. “I’m so sorry… I’ll find the money.”

“I don’t want your money,” Li Rang said, looking down at her. “I doubt you have it anyway.”

Xinran stopped crying, thinking Li Rang was being merciful. She looked up excitedly. “A-Rang, if you truly won’t report me or make me pay it back, I’ll do anything you want.”

Li Rang curled her lip. She stood up and pulled a syringe and a vial of red liquid from her suit pocket. She walked toward her slowly.

Terrified, the Omega scrambled backward until she was sitting on the floor. The Alpha drew the liquid into the needle, blew a droplet from the tip, and knelt down, pinching the Omega’s throat with one hand.

“W-what are you doing?” The Omega, terrified of needles, assumed it was a lethal poison.

“Don’t be afraid. This is my latest formulation, and I haven’t found [Read on BaiLianTales]a volunteer yet. Xinran, congratulations—you get to be my first.”

Xinran knew Li Rang had been imprisoned for illegal pharmaceutical work; the drug could be nothing good. She beat against Li Rang’s wrist. “No! Let me go!”

Between prison and an unknown injection, she would have chosen prison.

Li Rang pinned her to the floor, her knees pressing against the woman’s waist. “No! No!” the woman screamed until her voice went hoarse. The fragile Omega’s throat was held tight; her hands lost their strength, leaving only her legs to thrash against the floor.

Li Rang flipped her over and sat on her back, pinning her hands behind her. The Omega wept and begged for mercy. Ignoring her, Li Rang ripped off her scent-blocking patch and plunged the needle into the tender gland.

“Ah!”

The Omega resisted violently at first, but as the liquid entered, her gland turned a deep crimson. Her thrashing body gradually went still, her screams faded, and only steady breathing remained.

Once finished, Li Rang gently closed the door. She instructed Du to have someone watch her and report any abnormalities immediately. Back in the car, Li Rang pulled out a wet wipe and cleaned the sticky residue from her fingers, one by one.

Du swallowed hard, watching her through the rearview mirror. “Miss, where to next?”

The woman’s dark eyes looked up. “Zhongshan Hospital.”

Xiao Yun now had a basic understanding of the world of Alphas and Omegas—the nutrient solutions, suppressants, and soothing gels—but researching these drugs was far more difficult. It was a completely foreign field.

Xue Ning watched as she prepared another test sample and shook her head. “Sigh, why are you pushing yourself so hard? You aren’t an Omega; you don’t have to endure the agony of needing a mark during heat.”

Xiao Yun’s face was slightly pale. “It’s fine. It’s just a small patch test to see the level of irritation.”

“Tsk, tsk. Even the legendary herbalists didn’t go this far. Who is all this for?”

Xiao Yun didn’t answer. Enduring the stinging on the back of her hand, she methodically packed away the syringe. She looked at Xue Ning. “Professor, in an Omega-Omega relationship, when the heat is uncontrollable and a mark is necessary… is soothing gel the only option?”

Xue Ning, who was drinking water, choked on the question. “You… ahem, that’s a question.”

Xiao Yun apologized immediately. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked such a private question.”

Xue Ning put down her cup. “Well, regarding that… my girlfriend and I have faced it. Soothing gels only work for a few years. Eventually, you still need an Alpha’s mark. So, we’ve agreed that when we reach a certain age—around forty—we’ll get pheromone-suppressing injections or have surgery to remove the glands. Once we aren’t controlled by them, we can be together happily.”

She looked at Xiao Yun and noticed her expression had dimmed. “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Yun’s face fell. She didn’t respond, but her mind was stuck on the answer: soothing gels were only temporary, and overusing them was harmful. An Omega’s ultimate fate was either to follow an Alpha or to undergo a gland removal.

Gland removal sounded incredibly painful. If the surgery went wrong, the patient could die on the table, and even if successful, most patients didn’t live past fifty. To think of a successful Omega working hard to build her empire, only to face the end of her life right as she reached retirement.

Her heart felt as if it were bleeding.

A moment later, a figure outside the window blocked the light. Xiao Yun looked up to see Jiang Cha in a little white dress and subtle makeup, waving at her with a radiant smile.

Unable to hear her, Xiao Yun watched her gestures. Jiang Cha beckoned her to come out.

Should I go? No. Or should I? What would I even say?

If she went, they would eat together, go home together, hold hands, kiss… and once in bed, who knew what other “out of line” things would happen. She forced a difficult smile and shook her head, waving a chemical test tube to mouth the word “Busy.”

Jiang Cha’s hand froze in the air. Her eyes drooped, the corners of her mouth went flat, and she slowly lowered her hand, her head bowing.

Xiao Yun’s heart ached. She hadn’t yet found the right time to explain her intentional coldness over these past few weeks. Her nose stung and her eyes felt heavy, as if tears were about to fall.

A moment later, Jiang Cha pulled out her phone and held it to her ear, looking directly at her. The phone rang. Xiao Yun immediately stripped off her gloves and answered. “Hello.” She tried to sound composed.

Jiang Cha was just a few feet away, but her voice came through the phone. “Overtime again today?”

Xiao Yun gripped her lab coat. She suppressed a shiver and forced out a single word: “Mhm.”

Jiang Cha stared at her, her lips pouting visibly. “Are you sleeping in the study again tonight?”

“Mhm.” Still a simple answer.

They locked eyes. Jiang Cha suddenly looked at the floor. “I thought you were being lazy, but you really are busy.” She shuffled her feet before looking up with a smile. “Yunyun, remember to rest.”

“Mhm.”

“Drink plenty of water.”

“Mhm.”

“Don’t eat too fast. It’s bad for your stomach.”

With the last of her voice, Xiao Yun squeezed out: “Mhm.”

She had expected that after being ignored for so long, Jiang Cha would demand an explanation or get angry and ignore her back, allowing their contract to end naturally. She hadn’t expected the “little kitten” to be so simple-hearted, still worrying about her health.

It was noon, and the sun was high. Jiang Cha stood under a row stolen content of ginkgo trees, the light filtering through the leaves onto her face. Her smile was brighter than the sun.

“I bought you some water. I’ve asked a nurse to bring it to you. Bye-bye.”

With that, Jiang Cha hung up and waved as she walked away.

“Jiangjiang, I—” Xiao Yun’s words caught in her throat. she desperately wanted to tell her what she was planning.

Xue Ning stood beside her, looking from her to the receding silhouette. “A lovers’ quarrel? Why didn’t you go see her? Don’t say I’m too strict to let you go on a date.”

“She’s already gone. I’ll talk to her later.”

A moment later, a nurse walked in. “Dr. Xiao, your wife brought you some water.”

She took the thermos of warm water—it was her favorite orange juice. Attached was a pink sticky note with cute, rounded handwriting: “Baby, I bought you orange juice. Even though it’s summer, you shouldn’t drink cold things. Love, your wife.”

This was likely for the benefit of the staff too. Xiao Yun took a sip, the sweet and sour taste read the original at bailiantales.com filling her mouth and her heart. No, no. I shouldn’t let Jiang Cha continue this. Whether it was a public display or something else, they couldn’t continue this relationship.

She had to clear things up. With a surge of determination, she ran out toward the window.

Jiang Cha headed to the rehabilitation department to help Liu Zehui practice walking. As they walked, they talked about Xiao Yun. Even Liu Zehui knew Xiao Yun had been busy lately.

“When are you two going to stop being so busy?” Liu Zehui mused. “Having a child is more important than fame and money. You already have more than you can spend in a lifetime.”

Jiang Cha was very protective of Xiao Yun. “She has her pursuits; she’s passionate about what she likes. Just like me and dancing—I want to reach the peak. Mom, didn’t you get injured for the same reason?”

“It’s different,” Liu Zehui said sternly. “You two need to hurry up with the child. Once you have a child, it’s not too late to work hard. A child gives you more motivation.”

Jiang Cha wanted intimacy too, but Xiao Yun wouldn’t even sleep in her bed anymore. What was she supposed to do? “She’s so busy; her mind isn’t on that.”

“Chacha, her being busy is her business, but you have to strive for it! You’re already twenty-eight. By the time you give birth, you’ll be twenty-nine or thirty. You’re the one who will suffer then.”

Jiang Cha felt shy discussing this with her mother. She covered her face. “Oh, how can I strive for it alone? And I’m not twenty-eight yet.”

“Only two months to go. I won’t nag you.” Liu Zehui sighed. When Jiang Cha was born, her father had called her a “vixen” and “a piece of tender meat for Alphas to bully.” She hadn’t expected Jiang Cha to be so obedient. Even at her age, she had never really dated, and even after marriage, nothing was happening. She was worried. She let go of Jiang Cha’s hand. “Fine, fine. Go back. I can walk on my own.”

Jiang Cha didn’t know why her mother was so irritable, but seeing her increasingly healthy silhouette, her heart finally felt at peace.

Leaving the rehab building, the harsh sun hit her face. Jiang Cha shielded her eyes and ran toward a shaded area. Finally feeling cooler, she wiped her sweat as she walked. Near an air conditioning vent, a blast of cold air made her shiver.

She sniffled. The air smelled of disinfectant and a faint woody scent. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine. A hand smelling of sandalwood gently covered her mouth and nose, pulling her into a hospital corridor.

Regaining her senses, she saw a tall woman standing before her. Jiang Cha’s heart hammered; she didn’t need to see the face to know who it was. The person kept a hand over her mouth and signaled for silence. Checking that the coast was clear, she took off her hat. “Chacha, it’s me.”

Jiang Cha let out a muffled sound. Seeing her, her heart trembled—she was a little afraid of her.

The Omega’s timid eyes flickered. Li Rang felt a pang of heartache and quickly let go, awkwardly adjusting her collar. “Chacha.”

Having not seen her for nearly a year, Li Rang’s gaze lingered unrestrainedly on her. Jiang Cha was in a white camisole stolen content dress; her snowy skin was a shade brighter than the off-white fabric. Her figure was fuller, and her complexion was much better than before. For some reason, her small face was turning red.

Li Rang couldn’t control her hand and reached out to grasp the petite Omega’s waist. It had been so long since she had touched her that as soon as her hand landed, Jiang Cha resisted shyly.

“Don’t touch me.” Jiang Cha slapped her hand away. “When… when did you get out?”

Though the Omega’s body resisted her, she clearly still cared. Li Rang leaned a hand against the wall, effectively pinning the Omega in a half-embrace. She watched her expression and thought she was being shy.

“I just got out today,” Li Rang said, looking into her eyes.

Jiang Cha kept her hands primly in front of her, shielding her figure. Her shoulders shrugged. “Congratulations on being released.” She avoided the Alpha’s eyes, moving slowly to the right, her back scraping against the wall with the sound of fabric friction.

Seeing her dodge the embrace, Li Rang felt a flash of disappointment. Her Omega’s first reaction to seeing her shouldn’t have been this. She stepped forward to block her, grabbing her wrist with both hands. “Chacha, aren’t you happy for me?”

Her wrist was squeezed red. Jiang Cha kept her head down. “I am happy. But please don’t pull my hand. I’m married; I have to go home.”

Married. Go home. These words [unauthorized copy]instantly triggered the Alpha’s long-suppressed hatred and possessiveness. Married? To that fraud, Xiao Yun? Go home? To that fraud’s house?

No. Jiang Cha was her Omega.

The petite, lovely Omega before her fueled her possessiveness. Ignoring her protests, Li Rang pulled her into an embrace. She squeezed her back tightly, her chin resting on her shoulder as she inhaled the rose fragrance. Sensing the Omega’s fear, she released a hint of sandalwood pheromones to suppress it.

From a distance, they looked like lovers embracing after a long separation.

A flat shoe stepped on a fallen leaf, the crisp sound of it shattering echoed like something whole being torn apart. Xiao Yun’s chest felt tight. She dug her nails into her palm.

Shock, acceptance, and resignation—these emotions cycled through her eyes. Her white sneakers took a step back, leaving the corridor to the two of them.

Jiang Cha’s body trembled. After several seconds, she summoned all her strength and pushed the Alpha away. “Miss Li, please respect me.” Jiang Cha’s eyes were red as she glared at her.

Li Rang’s face went pale. “Chacha… what did you call me?”

Jiang Cha took a step away. “Miss Li Rang.”