Wake Up, I’m A Beta - Chapter 3

“Sister, thank you.”

Last night, Mu Suiyun had urgently pushed Mu Huan to get the matter settled for her instead of leaving it until the next day.

So first thing in the morning, she came over to curry favor with her cousin, deliberately showing up at Mu Huan’s home to have breakfast together.

The Mu family was small and uncomplicated. Grandma Mu had two daughters. The elder gave birth to Mu Suiyun, while the younger gave birth to Mu Huan.

Mu Suiyun and Mu Huan had both spent their childhoods living at the old residence. Having grown up together, their bond was no different from that of biological sisters.

Both of Mu Suiyun’s mothers had passed away early, so the rest of the Mu family doted on her all the more, wanting to make up for what she had lost.

Now, seeing the obedient smile on her younger sister’s face, Mu Huan snorted coldly, picked up a bottle of spray, and spritzed Mu Suiyun a few times.

Mu Huan was an alpha. She sniffed, making sure the icy pheromone scent clinging to Mu Suiyun was gone before stuffing the spray into her hand. “You’re covered in someone else’s scent and still running around everywhere.”

“Scent?” Mu Suiyun was startled. She immediately grabbed her clothes and sniffed them frantically. She really did have a bit of a cleanliness obsession, so Mu Huan’s words made her panic. “How could that be? I showered last night, and I even sprayed a little perfume before I left this morning.”

Stupid beta.

Mu Huan said, “Your fiancée’s pheromones rubbed off on you.”

The two cousins didn’t look particularly alike, though there was some resemblance around the eyes and brows. Compared to Mu Suiyun’s gentle demeanor, Mu Huan looked every bit like a ruthless capitalist—dignified, aloof, and rarely smiling.

But in front of Mu Suiyun, Mu Huan would still smile occasionally.

Like now.

There was a trace of amusement at the corner of her lips. “Looks like your relationship really is pretty good. You’ve actually managed to build something between you. Now I can finally relax.”

Mu Suiyun didn’t understand why Mu Huan had suddenly said something like that. Her face reddened slightly. “What was there to worry about? Zhifan and I have always gotten along really well.”

Looking at her like this, Mu Huan sighed inwardly.

How could she not worry?

She only had this one younger sister.

Ever since Mu Suiyun got engaged, Mu Huan had been worrying about her.

She had met Ning Zhifan before the engagement.

Back then, Ning Zhifan had been the unattainable beauty of Jiangcheng’s upper-class social circles, endlessly pursued by young people. Mu Huan had personally seen how distant Ning Zhifan was toward her admirers.

She could tell that Ning Zhifan was an omega who would never be content to become someone’s accessory.

Beneath that cool detachment was pride.

Later, the Ning family’s business ran into trouble and desperately needed financial support. The Mu family took advantage of the opportunity to arrange a marriage alliance with them.

Mu Huan had immediately thought it was a bad idea.

She had argued with Grandma about it, but in the end, she failed.

Her younger sister still became Ning Zhifan’s fiancée.

How could Mu Huan not worry?

An omega so proud that she looked down on even the most outstanding alphas in their social circle—how could she willingly remain trapped beside a beta?

Especially under circumstances like these, when she had fallen from an admired, untouchable beauty into a commodity pushed into an arranged marriage.

So from the moment Mu Suiyun and Ning Zhifan got engaged, Mu Huan had kept a close eye on Mu Suiyun, worried she might be mistreated or unhappy.

More than a year had passed.

Fortunately, Mu Suiyun was still the same as before, with no real changes.

Only then had Mu Huan slowly begun to relax.

And now, smelling Ning Zhifan’s intensely possessive pheromones on Mu Suiyun—so domineering it was practically trying to brand her—Mu Huan could finally let go of half the worry hanging over her heart.

As an alpha, she knew pheromones revealed something far more genuine.

They were biological instinct.

Not something that could be compared to a few empty words.

Still, Mu Huan needed to remind Mu Suiyun of something.

“If you want to give her money and resources, Sister won’t say anything. The Mu family doesn’t care about that little bit.”

Mu Huan continued, “But Suiyun, you can’t let someone lead you around by the nose. The moment she asks you for help, you rush to get everything done for her. The faster you do it, the less she’ll value the thought behind it. That’s human nature.”

This wasn’t the first time Mu Suiyun had asked her for help because of Ning Zhifan.

Mu Suiyun took a bite of her sandwich.

She didn’t like talking while eating.

So Mu Huan watched her chew and chew, her cheeks puffing out, looking like she still hadn’t grown up.

She poured Mu Suiyun a glass of milk and pushed it toward her. “You never like listening to anything Sister says. You only listen to your fiancée.”

Mu Suiyun swallowed, then smiled. “What are you talking about, Sister? When have I not listened? I’m thinking seriously.”

“I know what you’re worried about.”

Her expression became much more serious.

“But this is how I see it.”

“Zhifan can’t get any meaningful support from the Ning family. If she had a choice, would she really choose to ask me, her fiancée, for help?”

As Mu Suiyun spoke, her brows furrowed faintly.

She was actually feeling sorry for Ning Zhifan.

“And in a situation like hers, she chose to trust me and ask me for help. How could I not get things done for her as quickly as possible?”

“I want her to feel at ease sooner.”

It wasn’t as though she couldn’t tell Ning Zhifan had deliberately been hinting at her.

But that was simply Ning Zhifan’s way of asking for help.

Her fiancée had no one she could truly rely on. Like duckweed floating on water, she was struggling to escape her circumstances, put down roots, and grow.

And during that process, if Ning Zhifan had already begun trying to ask her for help, why shouldn’t she shelter her from the wind and rain and make the path ahead a little smoother?

You couldn’t demand that someone incapable of revealing their true feelings strip away every barrier around their heart when they still felt unsafe.

Just as you couldn’t demand that a frightened, overstimulated cat immediately calm down and roll over to expose its belly.

Mu Suiyun believed she should provide Ning Zhifan with a safe environment.

She should become someone Ning Zhifan could depend on.

Because they were about to become wives.

That was a wife’s responsibility.

Mu Huan was silent for several seconds.

Then she pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on.

Mu Suiyun quietly sped up her eating, deciding she should leave early so she wouldn’t trouble her sister any further.

“Eat slower. No one’s rushing you,” Mu Huan said. “You’ll feel awful if you choke.”

“Oh.”

Mu Suiyun obediently began chewing more slowly.

Her phone vibrated.

She took it out and looked.

[Zhifan: Breakfast was delicious. Thank you, Suiyun.]

[Zhifan: I’ll be rather busy these next two days. Can we wait until the weekend?]

Mu Suiyun picked up her phone and replied:

[Okay. I’ll have them send the dresses directly to the old residence.]

Ning Zhifan replied with a sticker of a cat nodding.

Mu Suiyun’s eyes curved slightly. She immediately saved the sticker and sent the exact same one back.

Only then did she put down her phone.

Seeing her like this, Mu Huan felt there was no need to even ask who she was talking to.

Forget it.

What was she worrying about anymore?

Her younger sister had already offered up her whole heart.

Mu Huan thought Ning Zhifan was a smart woman.

Smart people knew how to choose what benefited them.

She knew how she should treat Suiyun.

She would keep coaxing Suiyun, just as she had for more than a year.

Mu Huan suppressed the unease in her heart.

Since Mu Suiyun sincerely wanted to treat Ning Zhifan well, then as Mu Suiyun’s sister, Mu Huan would extend her affection to Ning Zhifan as well.

Before Mu Suiyun left, Mu Huan handed her a card. “Adding a little more to your private stash. You’re getting married soon, so there’ll be more things to spend money on.”

“Wow.”

Mu Suiyun didn’t bother being polite with her sister. “Thank you, President Mu. I’m so happy the domineering CEO dotes on me so much.”

Grandma Mu doted on Mu Suiyun even more, but because Mu Suiyun herself refused to participate in the family business, Grandma Mu kept those matters separate.

Since Mu Suiyun didn’t want it, then naturally the majority of the group’s shares would go to Mu Huan and Mu Huan’s mother.

Those capable of managing it should be the ones to hold it.

That said, the money and assets Mu Suiyun already possessed were more than enough for her to live carefree for several lifetimes.

“Being cheeky again.”

Mu Huan flicked her lightly on the forehead. “Go on. Looking at you is giving me a headache.”

Mu Suiyun giggled and actually left.

“Good luck at work, President Mu. Keep making the company bigger and stronger. Your little sister’s leisurely life depends entirely on Sister’s hard work.”

Mu Huan thought, of course it depended on her.

Who else would it depend on?

Ning Zhifan?

“Remember to use that freshening spray I gave you,” she reminded her. “You can’t smell it yourself, so before you leave in the morning, ask Ning Zhifan if there’s any scent on you. If there is, spray yourself before going out.”

—

Mu Suiyun was currently an unemployed idler without a formal job, but she wasn’t exactly wasting her time either.

She was twenty-five this year.

She had graduated from graduate school overseas last year and returned home. Judging by her résumé, she was extremely accomplished.

Following the usual path, she should have entered the group as an intern first, then rapidly climbed the ranks until she became some sort of Little President Mu herself.

No, wait.

Mu Huan was already Little President Mu.

Then she would have to be Littler President Mu.

Unfortunately, Mu Suiyun genuinely had no interest in any of that.

She didn’t like being confined inside high-rise buildings.

She preferred being close to nature.

She loved looking at mountains and rivers, basking in the sunlight while a breeze brushed over her, breathing in the scent of grass and trees.

If she hadn’t been worried about Grandma’s health and tied down by her engagement, she would have started traveling everywhere long ago instead of staying in Jiangcheng.

Since she couldn’t leave for long periods right now, Mu Suiyun had been making preliminary preparations instead.

Exercising.

Learning wilderness survival skills.

Practicing photography.

And so on.

She had a good friend who was interested in the same things, so the two often spent time together.

“Huff… huff…”

Qi Yi panted heavily and shouted toward the person ahead, “Yunyun, slow down!”

“It’s no use telling me.”

Mu Suiyun laughed. “You have to tell Huahua to slow down.”

Huahua was the dog she was holding on a leash.

A slender Chinese hound.

Once it started running, it was practically a powerhouse. An ordinary person genuinely couldn’t keep up.

Mu Suiyun, however, looked completely relaxed.

After running around for quite a while and making several laps, Mu Suiyun finally brought the dog back to Qi Yi.

By then, Qi Yi was already sprawled across a bench without the slightest concern for appearances, legs spread apart and arms thrown wide, her forehead covered in sweat.

“Next time, I am absolutely not walking the dog myself. This is the kind of job a servant should do while riding an electric scooter.”

Mu Suiyun was sweating a little too.

But she didn’t sit down.

Her cleanliness obsession had clearly kicked in, and she had no desire to get anywhere near a creature drenched in sweat.

Qi Yi rolled her eyes dramatically at her.

“You only ever look at me with disgust.”

“I haven’t even complained about you tormenting me yet,” Mu Suiyun said. “If you want to raise a dog, raise your own. Why do you keep stealing mine just so you can walk it?”

Mu Suiyun smiled. “Because you’re my good friend.”

“Stop, stop. Don’t use that sappy trick on me.”

Qi Yi sat up straighter, finally breathing a little more normally.

“How does a beta like you have this much stamina?”

Qi Yi was an alpha.

Logically speaking, she should have more physical strength and endurance than a beta.

Mu Suiyun bent down and patted Huahua on the head.

Huahua excitedly flopped to the ground, inviting her to play.

Mu Suiyun drawled lazily, “What’s wrong? Did I hurt your fragile alpha pride?”

“Pah, pah, pah!”

Qi Yi protested, “I’m not an alpha chauvinist! Don’t frame me!”

“I’ve got a date today too,” she said. “Um… it’s with Miss Wei from the Wei family. You don’t mind, right?”

Mu Suiyun looked surprised. “The Wei family? Why would I mind?”

Qi Yi carefully studied her expression.

“Don’t accuse your sister of betraying you. When love comes knocking, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Stop laying the groundwork.”

Mu Suiyun threw a ball for the dog. “Just say it.”

Seeing how genuinely clueless she looked, Qi Yi found it bizarre.

“You seriously forgot? You don’t mind Wei Chi anymore? She was your…”

She slapped a hand over her mouth and fell silent.

She was your fiancée’s former rumored love interest.

If the Mu family hadn’t suddenly stepped in, Wei Chi would have been the one engaged to Ning Zhifan.

And Wei Chi was an alpha.

Apparently, when the two families had been considering a marriage alliance, they had even arranged for Wei Chi and Ning Zhifan to undergo compatibility testing.

Their pheromone compatibility had exceeded eighty percent.

Which, by conventional standards, meant they were a perfect match.

They were supposedly destined to get along harmoniously and become lovers.

Mu Suiyun gave an “oh.”

“So it’s her.”

“Someone irrelevant.”

After saying that, she smiled again.

“Even if you think I care, what am I supposed to be, the emperor? Should I exterminate all nine generations of the Wei family and forbid everyone around me from ever going near them?”

Huahua brought the ball back and dropped it at Mu Suiyun’s feet.

“Good baby. Good dog, good dog.”

Mu Suiyun praised Huahua generously, then said to Qi Yi, “Go without worrying. I hope your date goes smoothly.”

“Got it!”

Qi Yi caught the ball Mu Suiyun tossed over. “You’re leaving?”

Mu Suiyun said, “I’m going to shower and change. I have a class.”

“What class?” Qi Yi asked.

Mu Suiyun thought about it.

There was no reason she couldn’t answer.

“Physiology.”

After what had happened yesterday, she felt she still hadn’t done enough.

So last night, she had booked an omega physiology course at Jiangcheng University.

She wanted to learn how to properly take care of her fiancée.

What the hell?

Qi Yi was completely confused.

If she didn’t already know what kind of person Mu Suiyun was, she might have suspected Mu Suiyun was talking about something indecent.

As an alpha, Qi Yi genuinely couldn’t understand why anyone would take seemingly pointless classes specifically for an omega.

Why did she need to learn about omega physiology?

Didn’t omegas know how to take care of themselves?

And if an alpha did something like that, they would definitely be treated like a pervert.

—

That evening.

Mu Suiyun returned home.

Ning Zhifan still wasn’t back.

Dinner time had already passed.

Mu Suiyun checked her messages.

Ning Zhifan had written:

[I’m at a business dinner. I’ll be home later.]

[You’ve worked hard.]

Mu Suiyun asked:

[Do you need me to pick you up?]

Ning Zhifan told her to rest early and said she had a driver.

Mu Suiyun had brought several books home.

She sat down in the study and began reading them carefully.

Partway through, her phone vibrated.

She thought it was a message from Ning Zhifan.

And…

technically, it really was about Ning Zhifan.

Qi Yi had sent her a photo, followed by a message.

[Yunyun, hurry over here! Someone’s about to steal your woman!]

Mu Suiyun opened the picture.

At the banquet, Ning Zhifan and Wei Chi were clinking glasses.

Wei Chi wore a smile, and the way she looked at Ning Zhifan held a lingering tenderness.

Another message from Qi Yi popped up.

This time, it was an address.

[Hurry, hurry!]

Mu Suiyun stared at Qi Yi’s profile picture.

Qi Yi had used that same picture for a very long time.

Because of that, Mu Suiyun’s thoughts suddenly drifted back to when news of her engagement to Ning Zhifan had first spread.

Qi Yi had wailed as though the sky were falling and desperately tried to talk her out of it, sending her a massive pile of articles about relationships between betas and omegas.

One of them had a downright terrifying headline:

[BO Couples: Infidelity Rate as High as 93%!]