Chapter 24

Yan Qingqiu stood frozen, her entire body going stiff.

Fu Ye grabbed her arm and shoved her toward the wall. She realized he must have caught a whiff of her pheromones, so she stopped using her own and started beating at his arm with her fists.

Fortunately, years of dealing with Song Qingre had given her some fighting experience, so Fu Ye couldn't fully overpower her.

But the strength difference was too great, and Yan Qingqiu was in heat.

She threw a few punches, but Fu Ye caught her wrist and slammed it against the wall. "Can't you be less violent? Last time you hit—"

Bang!

Su Xingjie's fist connected with Fu Ye's head.

His head snapped to the side, stars swimming before his eyes.

"Let go of her, or I'm calling the police!" Su Xingjie shouted.

Fu Ye staggered, dazed, and Yan Qingqiu seized the chance to break free and pull out her phone to call for help.

That scent was too much like omega pheromones.

Fu Ye let out more pheromones, and while Yan Qingqiu was fine, Su Xingjie nearly collapsed; her phone clattered to the floor.

Fu Ye grabbed Yan Qingqiu again, more directly this time. Since she wouldn't release pheromones, his fingers moved to her shoulder, brushing aside her hair, about to go for her gland. "Don't move, I just want to see..."

"See my ass..." He clearly wanted to touch her. Yan Qingqiu broke down. "Fu Ye, fuck you, you bastard! If you touch me, I'll stab you! I'll kill you, you rotten scumbag! Go die!"

She kicked wildly, so furious she was on the verge of tears.

As she cursed, Fu Ye suddenly tipped to the side.

Yan Qingqiu thought it was her own kick. She looked up and saw Song Qingre. She pounced toward her as if she were a lifeline, grabbing onto her clothes. "Wah, he tried to touch my gland! It hurts so much!"

Song Qingre's brow furrowed.

Fu Ye leaned against the wall, trying to explain, but Song Qingre didn't give him a chance. She kicked his knee, scraping it against the wall before he fell heavily to the ground, landing on one knee. He tried to stand, meant to fight back, but a crushing mental force flattened him.

That series of moves left him no room to retaliate.

Song Qingre was breathing a bit hard, whether from rushing over or from anger at the scumbag. Her dark, sullen eyes were full of contempt and fury as she looked down at Fu Ye, her black shoe tip looking like it could pierce his throat.

Song Qingre's mental force was formidable. Unlike male Alphas with their concrete bestial forms, hers was like a twisted alien space that would directly suck people in, tear them to shreds, and warp their minds.

Her mental force was as terrifying as her art.

"Qingre..." Fu Ye's lips moved. He tried to stand, his body wracked with tearing pain. "You..."

He was about to be torn apart. "Mental force... stop..."

The two omegas felt no impact at all—only the two Alphas were locked in battle.

Fu Ye frowned in pain, instinctively pressing his mental force against her, trying to make the fellow Alpha yield. But Song Qingre merely furrowed her brow and kicked him again. "Are you crazy?"

Song Qingre gave him a cold look. "You're releasing pheromones here?"

Her oppressive mental force crushed down on him again. Yan Qingqiu leaned against the wall, noticing Su Xingjie's condition was off, and tried to go help her. But once she bent down, standing back up was hard. Still, she had enough grit to hold herself up without falling.

She wanted to curse.

Song Qingre didn't clash with Fu Ye head-on.

She first bent down to help Yan Qingqiu up, then saw Su Xingjie collapse as well, and quickly reached out to grab her.

Su Xingjie was in bad shape, clenching her fists. When Song Qingre grabbed her, her fingers burned. Su Xingjie explained, "I pressed back with my pheromones... I couldn't win... He was trying to touch Qiu Bao's gland just now."

Yan Qingqiu felt utterly wronged, her eyes red and puffy. "Right! He wanted to touch me with his filthy hands, disgusting!"

Fu Ye's gaze fixed on Yan Qingqiu like a wolf. He couldn't use mental force to sense whether she was an omega, so he used pheromones to lure her out. That scent was too strange—it was clearly coming from Yan Qingqiu.

He tried to take a step forward, but the mental force formed a barrier. Song Qingre's mental power was high enough to kill. Caught off guard, Fu Ye stumbled forward a step. The more he couldn't get past her, the more unwilling he became.

Yan Qingqiu was his prey.

"Bastard... you bastard..." Standing beside Song Qingre, Yan Qingqiu launched a relentless verbal assault, her lips flapping continuously. Her gland loved the scent, but every fiber of her being rejected Fu Ye's. "Your pheromones are fucking disgusting!"

Seeing the situation, Fu Ye was inwardly panicking. He had only wanted to test whether Yan Qingqiu was an omega, not to create conflict. But now things seemed to have gone off the rails.

"I'm sorry."

Yan Qingqiu felt only disgust and hatred for him.

But he still had to ask, "Qiu Qiu, why don't you use your pheromones?"

Su Xingjie's condition wasn't great. While looking out for Yan Qingqiu, Song Qingre also pulled Su Xingjie along. She cast a cold glance at him. "There's an omega right here. Who are you trying to suffocate with your pheromones, who are you trying to embarrass?"

"I..." Fu Ye asked again, "Then what about mental force? What about hers?"

Song Qingre didn't answer. She led Yan Qingqiu away from him, not forgetting Su Xingjie, grabbing her shoulder and dragging her back too.

Su Xingjie's tuberose scent was especially strong. Even Song Qingre could hardly bear it. She frowned. "Rein in your pheromones."

Both omegas looked at her. Yan Qingqiu wondered if she'd been found out, but she didn't know how to suppress omega pheromones. I haven't learned that yet.

Su Xingjie hmmed. "Sorry."

Su Xingjie was clearly in worse shape than Yan Qingqiu. She had tried her full strength to crush Fu Ye's pheromones, but his were just stronger.

An omega's pheromones clashing with an Alpha's—leaving aside who was stronger, the omega herself took a toll. She staggered a few steps. "I have suppressants in my office, help me in first."

Fortunately, after all the tugging around, Su Xingjie's office was just down the hall.

"Where are your people?" Song Qingre asked.

"All sent upstairs, busy." Su Xingjie gritted her teeth. Even her teeth ached. Her body felt weak and numb, strength draining fast.

She bent down and made a call. Soon the elevator doors opened, and people quickly blocked Fu Ye from getting any closer.

Su Xingjie pushed open the door to her office and made a beeline for her desk. The momentum slammed her into the chair, and she quickly pulled a suppressor from the drawer, jabbing it into the back of her neck.

She pressed the plunger with her fingertip, injecting the suppressor, eyes narrowing as she leaned back. From the heat, a patch of her chest was damp.

"Mm..."

Outside the door, Yan Qingqiu also let out a muffled groan, her legs going weak. She stumbled forward, her chin landing on Song Qingre's shoulder. Song Qingre half-embraced her, gently stroking the back of her neck.

So fragrant.

She liked this scent.

Compared to the lively, desperate state when she had craved Fu Ye's pheromones, she preferred this—gentle, tender, able to soothe her restlessness.

From a distance, Fu Ye watched the scene, hesitant to approach. He watched the two embracing in the doorway, their hands intertwined.

Song Qingre's eyes narrowed slightly. She was clearly savoring the embrace, the emotion in her gaze like something lost and found, intoxicated and unwilling to let go.

Caution and warning both pushed him back.

Fu Ye felt like many things were wrong.

Yan Qingqiu spoke incoherently and hated him to the core. Song Qingre's deep affection for him was also fading. Was it love receding?

It was too fast.

Why had Song Qingre, who once liked him, become an enemy trying to snatch away his prey?

Su Xingjie's people rushed over and kept blocking Fu Ye. Fu Ye's people, who had been in negotiations upstairs, heard their boss had been beaten and came charging down in a panic. The two sides tussled, pheromones clashing fiercely in the air.

They tried to reason with the ER people, but ER wasn't stupid—you targeted our company and nearly sent our director into heat.

Forget about getting past; I'm not letting you leave now. A crowd of people blocked off the entire company, waiting for Su Xingjie to come out and pass judgment.

Yan Qingqiu buried her face in Song Qingre's shoulder, breathing in her scent.

Clean, reassuring.

Su Xingjie pushed the door open and came out. She was a little stunned at the sight outside, her gaze lingering for a few seconds. She asked, "Qiu Qiu, do you want a suppressor? I have alpha suppressants here."

A thin layer of hot sweat coated Su Xingjie's neck, with a small bead of blood clotting on the side.

Yan Qingqiu tried to stand, but her legs only trembled.

"No need." Song Qingre patted Yan Qingqiu's shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Just now, she held back her mental force because of you, took two hits, and now she's in no state to use a suppressor directly. Go deal with your company's business first. I'll take her home."

Song Qingre led her out, and Su Xingjie chased after to see them off. But glancing back at Fu Ye, fury surged in her chest.

The company's people surrounded Fu Ye, refusing to let him anywhere near Yan Qingqiu. As she passed, Yan Qingqiu shot him a vicious glare.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She wanted to scream at Fu Ye, fuck you, fuck you, but the bastard's actions had nothing to do with his mother. So, standing in the elevator, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "Fu Ye, I hope your whole family dies! You hear me? Your whole family dies!"

The elevator's acoustics were excellent—not only did Fu Ye hear it clearly, but so did everyone in the ER building. They couldn't help but be shocked. Had the lovesick puppy finally come to her senses and turned around? Not bad, she had spine.

Fu Ye's ears were ringing from Yan Qingqiu's shouting, but he still wanted to go after her. Even though she was cursing without any refinement, at least she was talking to him. What if this time passed and she refused to see him at all? "Everyone get out of my way."

He roared, but the encirclement was too tight.

Fu Ye felt like he was even more of a lovesick fool than Yan Qingqiu had been.

Yan Qingqiu relied entirely on Song Qingre's help to get out of the elevator. There was an ambulance at the entrance. She panicked, looking at Song Qingre, about to say she didn't want to go to the hospital, when she heard that clinging voice again, "Qiu Qiu!"

Fu Ye had actually broken through the encirclement. Yan Qingqiu was done. She picked up her bag and hurled it at him. The bag missed and fell to the ground. Yan Qingqiu yelled back at Su Xingjie, "Xing Xing, pick up my bag! Call security, call security! Don't get near him!"

Fu Ye took a deep breath; his blood pressure was rising.

Yan Qingqiu was led out by Song Qingre, her legs giving out beneath her. The nurse quickly brought over a stretcher and got her onto it. Yan Qingqiu, in a panic, only wanted to get off.

Song Qingre soothed her. "Don't worry, we're just going in for an assessment to see what level of harm he caused you, and then we'll make him pay."

Yan Qingqiu truly had no strength left. Her neck felt like it was burning, but she couldn't bear to let Fu Ye off. Fu Ye was still running toward her, still following her relentlessly.

"Stay away from me!"

Yan Qingqiu propped herself up and continued shouting, "Even if I die, rot away, and my bones are ground to dust, I will never like you!" Yan Qingqiu was jostled back down but propped herself up on her arms to yell again. "Give up that dream! You lunatic, bastard! You think you can threaten me with money, and marriage? Pfft!"

The nurses could barely hold her steady and said helplessly, "Miss Yan, rest a bit, or you might faint in the car."

Hearing that made Yan Qingqiu feel even worse, and she tried to get up again to curse Fu Ye. She had been lively a moment ago, but now Fu Ye had her on the verge of collapse.

"Want to be with me? Dream on!"

Song Qingre helped press Yan Qingqiu's hand down. "Alright, don't get up. I'll curse him for you, okay?"

With that, they managed to carry her into the ambulance.

Yan Qingqiu didn't want to go, but she had no strength left at all.

Her voice was already hoarse, but she still wanted to keep going. Song Qingre said again, "Later, we'll get a megaphone and shout in front of their company, okay? Just lie down."

Yan Qingqiu imagined that scene and finally felt at ease.

She lay quietly on the stretcher, thinking that if she died tomorrow, she'd die of embarrassment and would rather beat Fu Ye to death.

On the ambulance, she still remembered to ask the doctor, "What tests are we doing? I feel like I don't need that many."

"Don't worry... Uncle invested in this hospital before; it's just a quick check." Song Qingre said, "If there are aftereffects later, wouldn't Uncle worry even more?"

Yan Qingqiu saw the logic. Song Qingre added, "It's not a gender test or anything where you'd have to run back and forth. One trip is enough."

Yan Qingqiu lay back down. It hurt so much, like a nerve in her neck had snapped, and she couldn't lift her head at all.

When they finally reached the hospital, Yan Qingqiu panicked, afraid of the examination. She wanted to get up but couldn't, straining to lift her body several times.

"What do you want?" Song Qingre asked.

Yan Qingqiu breathed out. "I feel like no ordinary person would go to someone's company and shout curses at them. That has to be me. Let me up."

The nurse transferred her to a gurney, and everyone was speechless at how much she could fuss. It was a first for all of them—someone laid out on a stretcher, too weak to get up, yet her mouth stayed that tough.

Some people fall down, but their mouths stay alive.

"Alright, behave and get the check-up." Song Qingre waited outside the door, gently soothing her restless mood with each word.

Yan Qingqiu wasn't unreasonable. When the doctor examined her, she didn't squirm or refuse to cooperate—she just looked utterly resigned.

If the doctor said she was an omega, she would...

"Your gland is overreacting. Just apply some soothing ointment."

"Huh?" Yan Qingqiu immediately sat up on the bed. The doctor looked at her and teased, "You're a medical miracle, bouncing right back like that."

Yan Qingqiu didn't say much. She glanced at Song Qingre. Once she was moved to a regular room next door, she settled down, stealing glances at Song Qingre a few times before murmuring, "Sorry..."

Song Qingre glanced at her. "It's not your fault."

Yan Qingqiu thought of Fu Ye's words. "Fu Ye said my dad owes him a hundred million."

And it's my fault.

Yan Qingqiu's head ached. How could she be so stupid? Even if you love the male lead, you don't gamble with your own family's future! What good did it do you!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"I won't do that again."

"It's not your fault, so why punish yourself over someone else's threats and bullying?"

Hearing that, Yan Qingqiu's nose suddenly stung, and the last bit of stubbornness crumbled. "I'm sorry. I just feel like I shouldn't have gone."

"If you hadn't gone, would your friend have been able to get through her crisis? Many things are unknown. You can't let the unknown affect you."

Yan Qingqiu breathed in, feeling relieved. "I mean, I don't really understand what you're saying."

Song Qingre looked at her seriously, patiently using simpler words to comfort her. "Helping your friend this time was a good thing. You can't fault yourself for it, not even doubt yourself. Fu Ye bullying you—that's Fu Ye being despicable. Never put yourself down, got it?"

Her eyes were bright, and Yan Qingqiu saw herself in them. She felt like she'd heard those words somewhere before. She nodded. "Got it."

Song Qingre picked up an orange and offered it to her. "Want one?"

She needed to cool down right now. Yan Qingqiu nodded. Song Qingre moved to grab a knife to cut it, but Yan Qingqiu instinctively flinched at the sight of the blade. "No, no, something else."

Song Qingre swapped the orange. Yan Qingqiu took it herself, dug her fingers into the peel, tore the whole orange apart messily, and handed half to Song Qingre.

"Do you always peel oranges like this?"

"Yeah." Only after saying it did she react, looking up at Song Qingre. Fu Ye's earlier remark about her not being herself had scared her—did Song Qingre suspect the same?

It's just an orange. It shouldn't matter, right?

But Song Qingre's pheromone was citrus.

What if "she" used to use tricks to bully her all the time?

Yan Qingqiu shifted her reasoning. "So many years have passed. I've grown up, learned quite a few tricks, so I don't really use the ordinary way to eat them anymore."

Her fingers were stained with juice, sticky at the tips. Song Qingre handed her a tissue, and Yan Qingqiu wiped her fingers herself. Song Qingre sat on the chair, speaking softly, her feelings hard to read. "So you've gotten tired of the new tricks and gone back to the old way?"

So it was the same as before.

Scared me half to death.

Yan Qingqiu said, "The classics are the best-tasting."

She popped a piece into her mouth.

A nurse came and knocked on the door. "Family member, could you step out for a moment?"

"Coming." Song Qingre hadn't eaten the piece in her hand, so she handed it to Yan Qingqiu. Yan Qingqiu, worried the nurse might expose her, crept over and pressed her ear to the door.

Thankfully, the nurse didn't reveal her. "Nothing serious. Just don't let her get any more shocks in the future. Look what state her gland is in."

"Alright, thank you."

Song Qingre took the lecture.

When she came back in, Yan Qingqiu scrambled back onto the bed. Song Qingre said, "Want to sit a while longer, or head straight back?"

Yan Qingqiu felt that going home now might also make things too obvious. "Let's wait a bit. Pour me a glass of water, will you?"

Song Qingre made her a cup of tea. Yan Qingqiu held the cup—it was jasmine tea—blew on the leaves, and took a sip. It was pretty good.

Song Qingre sat quietly beside her, not smiling. Yan Qingqiu gripped the cup, the heat of it burning her fingers.

Yan Qingqiu took another sip. "Don't tell my dad."

"With all this commotion, it'll be hard for him not to know."

Yan Qingqiu realized—right. Go set up a speaker outside his company and shout insults, and that would just make things even bigger.

"Go home and talk to Uncle properly. Don't lie, and he won't be angry with you."

Yan Qingqiu felt she was right. When Song Qingre lectured her, it kept reminding her of the updates the butler wrote.

Whenever "she" made a mistake, Song Qingre would teach "her," and "she" would listen sometimes and not others. Song Qingre never could manage her, but she never scolded—she would even helplessly beg her to be good. Her gentleness and patience were always reserved only for "her."

Song Qingre really had a good temper. Occasionally she liked to "force-hug" her, but mostly it was playful, not forced—unlike Fu Ye, who wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, insisting on touching her gland.

That evening, the rain eased up a bit. The two had come over by ambulance, and their umbrellas and raincoats were all left at the ER building.

Song Qingre took off her suit jacket and draped it over Yan Qingqiu's head. She hailed a car, then helped Yan Qingqiu in.

"Here for a prenatal checkup? My wife also had her checkup today." The driver was chatty.

Yan Qingqiu quickly put her hands back down. "Yes, yes, my wife is pregnant, several months along. We've even picked out a name."

The doctor was stunned. "I never would've guessed—so she's an omega."

Yan Qingqiu stole a glance at Song Qingre, sitting primly beside her. Song Qingre didn't seem upset; she was looking out the window, a faint curve at the corner of her lips, as if she were smiling.

"So weird."

The car stopped outside the villa. Yan Qingqiu was still under Song Qingre's jacket as they entered together. Yan Fu's car was parked in the courtyard.

Inside, Yan Fu was indeed at home.

Song Qingre had said not to lie, but she still told a small one. "I saw she was bored, and I happened to have something at the studio to handle, so I brought her along."

Yan Qingqiu entered and took off the jacket. The maids all crowded around her, fussing here and there. They all asked, "Miss, are you okay? You should've called the police and had Fu Ye arrested!"

Yan Fu's face was stern, but he wasn't angry at Yan Qingqiu. Clearly, this was Fu Ye's fault. What angered him was that his daughter had been bullied and he couldn't exact revenge.

He folded his fingers, pressing his thumb so hard the web turned white.

Yan Qingqiu walked over from the doorway and sat in the side seat. "Dad, don't keep it from me. I already know."

Yan Fu let out a breath. He would never be angry at his daughter. "He dared to use force on you? He doesn't want to live."

Yan Fu didn't hear her respond, so he had to say, "A hundred million is something I can scrape together. I'll sell a few houses and give him the money, then we'll never have dealings with him again. This has nothing to do with you, so don't take it to heart. Eat and drink as you normally would."

But it really was "her" doing. Yan Qingqiu had transmigrated without any records, and she'd never imagined the two families had that kind of connection.

But transmigrating is a trap.

The problem the system set was to smash that bastard's dog head. The conflict had been set up long ago.

This was a trap that even a deity couldn't break.

"Can we really scrape it together?" Yan Qingqiu asked worriedly.

"Who's your dad? Don't worry." Yan Fu said.

Yan Qingqiu looked at Song Qingre. Song Qingre stayed silent. Yan Qingqiu's heart thumped uneasily; she felt danger looming and wanted to bear it with everyone. But they all treated her like a little princess, which made her feel terrible about it, so much that she felt embarrassed to keep enjoying this material life.

Yan Fu smiled. "Go to sleep. I told you not to go out in the rain, but you keep running out every day. Go take a hot bath."

Yan Qingqiu hmmed and obediently went upstairs. She kept thinking about the matter, even in the bath, feeling glum.

When she came out, Song Qingre was sitting on the edge of her bed, holding a bottle of essential oil in one hand and a soothing ointment in the other. Yan Qingqiu was drying her hair with a towel when a maid knocked on the door.

"Miss, would you like me to blow-dry your hair?"

"No need, I'll do it myself." Yan Qingqiu lay face-down on the bed. Song Qingre took the hairdryer and started drying her hair. Yan Qingqiu was too lazy to get up, so she didn't stop her.

Yan Qingqiu pulled her little notebook out from under her pillow and wrote in it: 【Heroine saves the beauty, deducting 100,000】 Feeling it lacked sincerity, she added: 【Good after-sales service, bonus 10,000】

Song Qingre reminded her, "The massage hasn't been deducted yet."

【Essential oil massage 298】

Song Qingre said, "The oil is expensive."

"The oil is from my own house. You're just providing at-home service."

"That's fair. Qiu Qiu, you're so good at budgeting, so good at running a household."

She said it playfully, but Yan Qingqiu couldn't bring herself to laugh.

Song Qingre parted her hair and looked at the red bean-sized bump on the back of her neck. After being provoked, it had become hard and swollen.

"Today, Fu Ye actually tried to touch my gland..."

Song Qingre curled her finger and touched it.

"Gently. Damn it."

Her finger touched lightly, and Yan Qingqiu pressed into the bed, breathing hard. This wasn't soothing ointment at all—it was like chili pepper, searing her gland. She didn't want to lose composure, so she quickly grabbed her phone to distract herself.

"What are you doing?" Song Qingre asked.

"I'm ordering a funeral band online to wail at Fu Ye's doorstep and send a wreath to his house. I'll disgust him to death."

Yan Qingqiu frantically scrolled through shopping apps, but couldn't find such a service. She was about to switch apps when she saw trending topics pop up on Weibo.

#Su Xingjie releases all models' medical reports#

#ER declares refusal of illegal models#

#Fu Ye forcibly coerces omega, taken to police station#

"Xing Xing's awesome!"

Yan Qingqiu quickly tapped into the trending topics. Su Xingjie had released the models' medical reports at 7 PM, stating that they hadn't issued a statement earlier because they'd been busy screening the other models, and that Fu Ye had publicly released pheromones to coerce an omega!

The internet was now stacked against Fu Ye, supporting ER.

Yan Qingqiu jumped up. This was a chance! As long as the Yan family now accused the Fu family of breaking their word, their family could turn things around.

Yan Qingqiu hurriedly got up to find Yan Fu, wanting him to seize the moment. She turned her head—Song Qingre had already left at some point. Yan Qingqiu grumbled that she hadn't even gotten her massage yet, but she lifted her arm and sniffed. It smelled amazing. So she'd already given her one.

·

Song Qingre returned to her room, closed the door, and answered a call.

Xiao Fu: "Boss, the test results are out."

"What do they say?" Song Qingre asked.

Xiao Fu said, "If there's no other partner, no other sexual experience, and it's pure love between the two, then basically it's destiny."

After she finished, there was no response from the other end.

Xiao Fu tested the waters. "Boss?"

"Send me a photo of the report. I'll take a look."

Xiao Fu hung up, photographed the hospital report carefully, and sent it to her.

Song Qingre tapped on the image. It was written clearly.

Match rate: 99%

One percent more than hers. One percent.

She squeezed the phone hard. If it were paper in her hand, it would already be crumpled. A moment later, the screen cracked, and only then did she snap back to her senses and loosen her fingers.

◆◆

ER's statement was highly effective, restoring their reputation. Netizens cursed the Fu Corporation to the ground, and even the artists invested in by the Fu Corporation suffered.

You cancel contracts without even asking, showing no spirit of cooperation. Don't make your brownnosing so obvious. Blacklisted, blacklisted, get out of the entertainment industry.

ER also made bold threats that they would pursue breach of contract liabilities and called on peers to be wary of these backstabbing artists, as well as to screen internal models and employees, finally apologizing to everyone for the delayed response.

Who would still curse ER? Look around—which company could take a stand so firmly that they cut off their own arm? Everyone was heartbroken for them, loving Su Xingjie to death, adoring the cool and fierce director sister.

As for the scumbag who bullied her, Fu Ye was brutally vilified, with everyone spamming the capital prison's account telling him to go step on a sewing machine.

But the Yan Corporation's attempt to ride the trend didn't work well. The fact that Yan Qingqiu had chased Fu Ye obsessively wasn't just known within their circles; on the internet, it was no secret.

Rather than caring about the quality of Yan Corporation's products, people preferred watching Yan Qingqiu fight with her dad over openly targeting her crush, then continue to grovel after Fu Ye.

Yan Qingqiu was that kind of lovesick fool—truly an Ah Dou who couldn't be propped up. Everyone told her to learn from Su Xingjie, wondering how two sisters could be so different.

After reading the verdicts, Yan Qingqiu wanted to drag everyone to the ER building to watch, to show them how she had verbally torn Fu Ye apart.

Su Xingjie called her, asking if she wanted help clearing things up. She could pull the surveillance footage. She was worried about Yan Qingqiu and wanted to speak up for her online.

"Not yet. You have the advantage right now. If we do, netizens will think we teamed up to trap Fu Ye, and it'll all be over."

Yan Qingqiu sighed. "Make more money, sis. I'll definitely ask for your help when I need it. I won't be shy."

In case she was ever forced to, she might even want to borrow money from Su Xingjie.

After hanging up, Yan Qingqiu scrolled through the trending topics again.

Was this the effect of being a villainess? Everything she did turned into something bad. What about attaching herself to Song Qingre, leeching off her protagonist halo?

Thinking about it, she went downstairs, calling Yan Fu as she did.

Today had cleared up, the summer heat receding, with a pleasantly cool breeze. Song Qingre sat in the living room painting, the wind blowing through her hair. All the outside chaos seemed to have nothing to do with her—it was quite a pleasing sight.

The call connected, and she put it on speaker.

At that moment, Yan Fu was in a meeting in his office.

Yan Fu glanced at the people around him, signaling them to stay quiet.

The call connected, and a sweet, soft voice came through. The assembled executives were stunned. In the past, when Yan Qingqiu called Yan Fu, she was so hot-tempered she'd seem ready to blow up the company. She and Yan Fu were like bitter enemies. Privately, everyone said she'd been born into the Yan family to exact revenge.

"Dad, I just thought of something. Can you design a product for me—a special packaging based on my preferences? I've been using the family's essential oil these past few days, and it smells amazing. But the oil has no packaging. Can I design my own? I want to stand out!"

The request was a bit unreasonable, but it also aligned with the thoughts of several executives. It was time to revamp the outer packaging. The traditional packaging was too low-end, like something cheap when given as a gift.

At the same time, they were also afraid. What if Yan Qingqiu ran off to Fu Ye with the products right now? That would make things worse.

Everyone exchanged looks, silently agreeing to stop her.

"Daddy, pleeeease~ Just give me a batch of inventory. I won't misuse it. I'll behave."

"Alright. Come by the company to pick it up."

Yan Fu hung up and told them to continue discussing follow-ups.

Everyone was dumbfounded, speechless.

As the words fell, the phone rang again.

Yan Fu thought it was his daughter calling back, but when he looked, his kindly brows instantly furrowed, and he nearly smashed the phone.

Fu Ye had sent him a message, asking succinctly: 【Has Qiu Qiu become an Omega?】

Yan Fu didn't reply. The other side said again: 【If you agree to let me marry her, I'll back off and help save the Yan Corporation.】

Fu Ye not only wanted the hundred million back.

Now he'd started playing rough with the Yan family, privately contacting several business partners to cancel their orders with the Yan family. Now the Yan family's goods were piling up in the warehouse, unable to sell for money, and the research institute's new products were forced to halt.

The Yan family's situation was growing more dangerous by the day. The mood in the meeting grew increasingly grim, and people began urging Yan Fu to think it over. The company wasn't his alone. What if that good-for-nothing daughter of his ran off to the Fu family with the products?

"Why not just agree to the wedding date? After all, your daughter's always wanted to marry him."

"Yeah, don't be so stubborn."

Yan Fu, normally gentle and refined, was enraged. Pointing at the speaker's nose, he snapped, "Get out, get out. How I handle my daughter is none of your business."

··

Yan Qingqiu hung up and looked at Song Qingre.

"Told Uncle?" Song Qingre asked.

Yan Qingqiu stuffed her phone into her pocket and hmmed. She sat on the sofa, her eyes wandering, until they settled on Song Qingre. She shuffled closer. She could see some of the Yan family's troubles through online gossip, and she really wanted to help.

She had an idea, but it was hard to bring up.

She looked at Song Qingre, nervous and uneasy, pinching her palm hard.

Song Qingre sat on the sofa, long legs crossed, and noticed the tension. She tapped the book cover with her fingers. "If you have an idea, go for it boldly. You'll never know if it works unless you try."

"But this is a critical moment where I can't afford to mess up." Yan Qingqiu sighed. "I feel like I've made too many mistakes before. If I make another, there's no making it right."

Song Qingre looked up at her, smiling as she asked, "Afraid there's no way back? Or no confidence?"

Yan Qingqiu felt too embarrassed to say it—both.

Yan Qingqiu thought about having Song Qingre draw the new packaging design. Song Qingre's art was incredible; her exhibition had dominated the trending topics for days.

She still had the money her dad had given her last time, not all spent. Song Qingre still owed her hundreds of thousands too—it would be perfectly fine to collaborate.

The problem was, if they didn't sell enough, it would be a net loss.

The plan was still in its infancy. She'd first spread the word, using Miss Song's fame to push the design, then set up a prize: buyers could enter a lottery to win one of Song Qingre's paintings. Maybe that would drive sales.

Just worried no one would buy... and she'd lose a painting too.

"Let me think more." Yan Qingqiu turned and went upstairs. She needed to come up with an easier way to boost sales. Damn it, why was her brain so useless!

The butler watched her run up and down and felt sorry for her. "Sigh, lately I've been upset seeing the young miss so distracted. It's all Fu Ye's fault, telling her about this."

Song Qingre held the book, speaking gently. "Maybe she's not as naive as she seems. She's quite clever."

The butler nodded. "Right. The young miss was sharp when she was little. It's just that she got lovesick when she grew up, and that's when she got dimmer."

Yan Qingqiu returned to her bed, lying down, rolling from the headboard to the footboard. She was just a small office worker who knew overtime and grunt work, not business strategy. How could she make up for the losses?

Think, think!

The main problem was time. If only there were more time.

A hundred million. She wanted to beat this body.

How could you do such a thing? Why did you let the family go bankrupt! Dad gave a million a month in allowance too. After bankruptcy, there'd be nothing, plus debt. Aren't you stupid, aren't you dumb!

Yan Qingqiu was starting to suspect that "she" had been swapped out at some point, that she wasn't the real daughter of this family.

Could there be a case of switched identities?

Please, no. Too melodramatic.

Yan Qingqiu adjusted her plan again. In the afternoon, she planned to go to the company to check the products. Thinking alone was useless. She changed into a more formal outfit—a shirt with jeans.

When she went downstairs, Song Qingre had already left.

Over the next few days, she went to the Yan Corporation constantly. She didn't understand anything, and ideas that don't match real operations are just paper talk. Now that she was visiting the company and using their products, she felt more grounded. The family brand was genuinely great, especially the essential oils!

No wonder her dad was reluctant to change—quality alone was enough.

In the evening, the butler drove her back.

Coincidentally, she saw someone standing at the door of the Song residence next door. The man was also in a suit. She gave him a second glance, then had the butler stop the car. Curious, she asked, "A relative of Song Qingre's?"

"Probably not."

The butler knew the Song family's relatives, and none of them looked that shabby.

The man noticed them and came over on his own, asking, "Does Miss Song Qingre live here?"

As the window rolled down, he saw a very beautiful woman. She looked up and scanned him from head to toe, her bright eyes fixed on him—not with any disdain, but more like wariness.

Like she thought he was a bad guy.

"What do you want?"

"Well, I'm a real estate agent." Cai Wenxuan offered his business card through the window. The woman was so beautiful that he was afraid his card might have bacteria that would dirty her hand.

Yan Qingqiu grew even more suspicious of him. She didn't take it, and the card fell to the ground. She asked, "What are you even doing here?"

"Miss Song contacted us a few days ago about selling her house."

The butler was also surprised, turning to look at him. "Your joke's gone too far. Miss Song has no need for money. Why would she sell her house? What are you really here for?"

Cai Wenxuan, afraid of being mistaken and kicked out by security, quickly said, "I don't know the specifics either. Miss Song did contact us about selling a few days ago. We'd originally estimated the house at about three hundred million, but Miss Song said she was in a hurry and would take two hundred million. A buyer contacted us today wanting to buy it, so I came over, but Miss Song's phone isn't picking up."

"Go back for now. She's busy today and didn't take her phone." Yan Qingqiu had the butler drive on, ignoring Cai Wenxuan outside.

Once home, she went up to the second floor. The butler watched her, as if wanting to speak but stopping himself. After a while, he saw Yan Qingqiu standing at the window, occasionally rising on her toes to peek at the house next door.

Yan Qingqiu called Song Qingre. Song Qingre indeed didn't answer. Yan Qingqiu ground her teeth. By ten o'clock that night, Song Qingre still hadn't come home.

Yan Qingqiu took a shower and lay on the bed, poking at the essential oil with her finger.

Yan Qingqiu couldn't keep things bottled up. She wanted to get to the bottom of this, so she called again. This time, the call connected.

The sound on the other end was loud—a jumble of noise mixing together: sisters, brothers, come have a drink.

It didn't fit Song Qingre, the quiet artist.

Yan Qingqiu gripped the phone, making sure it wasn't her own phone malfunctioning. Frowning, she asked, "Where are you?"

"At a bar, working on a design. I'll change locations." Song Qingre talked with two other people for a moment, then covered the receiver, stepped out of the bar, and checked the time—it was already half past ten.

"Sorry, I got off work late today. Wait for me to come home and give you a massage?" Song Qingre's tone was gentle. "Please don't deduct the pay."

Yan Qingqiu said outright, "Someone came to look at your house today. You're planning to sell it?" She couldn't understand it. Selling the house was the last thing Song Qingre should do.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She waited for a response. The breathing on the other end was soft, but there was no speech. Yan Qingqiu continued, "Are you listening?"

"I heard." Song Qingre replied.

"Why are you selling your house?"

This time, Song Qingre paused for a long while again. The current carried her voice. She hadn't even said anything yet, but Yan Qingqiu felt her ears heating up. She knew the answer, yet she still asked. She couldn't explain what she wanted to hear.

"It's not being lived in anyway. It's all overgrown with weeds inside. Selling it is fine too."

Yan Qingqiu frowned. "Are you joking? Not even a ghost would buy that story."

In the dark of night, neither could see the other. They seemed to be at a standoff. Yan Qingqiu leaned against the headboard, not turning on video. When the screen went dark, she saw her own face—genuinely red.

Song Qingre didn't seem willing to talk about it. "Some things are better left known in your heart. Saying it out loud kills the art. I need to drive. Talk later."

Yan Qingqiu's heart was racing, as if the person on the other end were watching her. Her fingers gripping the bedsheet gradually grew warm.

"Understood," she said quietly.

"Hm?"

Yan Qingqiu's lips moved slightly. "You drive."

"Mm." Song Qingre was about to hang up, keys in hand. Then, suddenly, a single sentence made the key she was about to insert miss the hole entirely.

Yan Qingqiu said, "From today on... I'm your..." She clenched her fist and pounded the bed. "Little slave!"

After a pause, she called out softly, "Master."