Chapter 33

Yan Qingqiu knocked on the door, but no one answered. After a few seconds, she knocked again, still nothing. She bit her lip, stepped back, leaned against the railing, and tapped her fingers on it.

She really wasn't going to open the door. How infuriating.

Yan Qingqiu turned, pressed her arms against the railing, and let her fingertips trace along it. She looked down at the living room below.

The maid was cleaning downstairs. She glanced up and saw the omega young lady standing in a skimpy nightgown, thin straps hanging off her shoulders. As she moved, they slid down to her elbows.

Because her arms were crossed, she looked fuller, her fair skin like creamy pudding in a box, about to ooze sweetness.

She stood there, lost in thought. A moment later, she walked back to the door, raised her hand to knock, then hesitated. Instead, she flicked her finger against the door—too hard, making her wince in pain. She clutched her finger, unsure whether to put it in her mouth or press it against the door, and finally settled on pressing it to her cheek, frowning as she winced.

The young lady is adorable!

Du Huan had been about to ask if she was hurt, but the young lady raised her hand again, let it fall without knocking, and slowly ambled back to her room.

Not long after she left, the door suddenly opened.

Song Qingre, fully dressed, came out and glanced at the door next to hers. She stood there longer than Yan Qingqiu had, long enough that even the beta maid downstairs seemed to catch a whiff of her alpha mental energy.

Although she appeared angry, she closed her door very gently, showing no sign of urgency.

The maid thought to herself: Miss Song is really restrained. So patient. If it were me, I'd have rushed straight into the young lady's room.

The maid lowered her head and continued tidying the living room. She swept the floor, and when she looked up again, she saw the young lady crouching by the door, stuffing something through the gap.

"!!!"

Wait, is Miss Song going to come out too...?

With this back-and-forth in the middle of the night, are they trying to get me to ship them?

··

Because no alpha had helped relieve her body, Yan Qingqiu burned all night. By morning, she was listless, feeling like she'd had dreams, though she couldn't recall them clearly. Recently, she'd been dreaming a jumble of things—sometimes she'd remember them when she woke up, but by the time she got out of bed, they'd vanish completely.

She thumped her own head. Was she losing her memory from lack of sleep? Or was that damn System messing with her?

Song Qingre was outside in the courtyard talking with the Butler. They seemed to be discussing something, pointing at a wall together, as if planning to knock it down and connect the two villas.

Yan Qingqiu yawned, leaning against the door as she asked the maid, "What are they talking about?"

The maid said, "They're discussing how to tidy up the yard—whether we should go help or hire specialists to handle it."

Yan Qingqiu hadn't even finished her yawn when she paused and said, "...Why the rush?"

"The grass is withered now, so it's convenient to clean up the yard. While there's still sun, we can haul the stuff inside out to air. It's just easier to manage," the maid said.

There was actually another important reason. Song Qingre was an alpha after all, and staying at home with her, an omega, wasn't really appropriate.

Though Mr. Yan hadn't brought it up, Song Qingre had mentioned that she ought to keep her distance.

"This morning I heard her tell Mr. Yan that she should avoid suspicion."

Yan Qingqiu furrowed her brow. "Avoid suspicion?"

The maid nodded.

,

This was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

Hadn't she and Song Qingre already had plenty of contact? Did they still need to avoid suspicion?

Just then, a phone rang inside the room.

Yan Qingqiu turned her head and saw that it was Song Qingre's white phone ringing.

Yan Qingqiu glanced at the two people outside, then went over to help fetch it. Seeing an unfamiliar number on the screen, she felt an urge to answer it for her, to hear what the person on the other end might say. But at that moment, her own phone rang too.

The two phones ringing together was a bit noisy. Song Qingre heard it from outside, came in, looked at her, and asked, "Why aren't you answering?"

Yan Qingqiu's fingers shifted to grip her own phone, squeezing it hard as she swiped to answer.

The call was from Su Xingjie, who said excitedly, "Qiu Bao, are you free today? If so, I'll take you to check out the runway—they're having the first autumn show today. Let's go soak it in."

The downside of work was that just when you wanted to stay home, you had to go out on assignment. Yan Qingqiu loved looking at beautiful women. Normally, at Su Xingjie's mere suggestion, she'd rush over immediately, but now she'd rather keep an eye on Song Qingre.

What if she went out to have fun, only to come back and find that Song Qingre had moved away entirely, leaving no one to give her massages anymore? Just thinking about it made her feel a bit anxious.

Maybe she should bring Song Qingre along to watch the show too.

Su Xingjie asked again, "Qiu Bao, are you listening? Why aren't you answering me?"

Song Qingre was also looking down at her own phone.

"I'm listening. I'm asking..." Yan Qingqiu noticed Song Qingre's gaze land on her, waited a few seconds, but heard nothing from Song Qingre.

She said, "Alright, then come pick me up."

Yan Qingqiu hung up the phone and thumped her own waist, then said, "I'm going to watch the model show this afternoon."

"Go ahead," Song Qingre said. "But do you have enough money?"

With that, she handed her a card.

Yan Qingqiu glanced at it, about to ask how much was on it, but held back her greed and said, "I'm not going shopping, I'm going to learn."

Su Xingjie arrived early. When she entered, Song Qingre had just handed the keys to the Butler and the two of them walked next door.

Su Xingjie cast a curious glance, then called for Yan Qingqiu to get in the car. Yan Qingqiu picked up her bag, clapped her hands, and a bodyguard opened the car door for her.

"This..." Su Xingjie looked at the eighteen burly men and instinctively took a step back, a little startled.

Yan Qingqiu was very calm, patting her shoulder to comfort her, letting her get in the car first. But when she was about to get in herself, she paused and glanced toward the house next door.

Song Qingre had been living there ever since she returned to the country. From initial fear, Yan Qingqiu had now grown used to it.

Sigh, Yan Qingqiu felt like she'd gotten used to coming and going with her. Now that Song Qingre was suddenly moving out, she felt a wave of unease.

"Stop the car here for a moment, we'll head out later," Yan Qingqiu called to the front.

The bodyguard pulled the car over. Yan Qingqiu looked toward the door, walked up to the entrance of Song Qingre's courtyard, and saw the desolate, overgrown grass inside, with vines tangling all around the villa. She called two more bodyguards over to come with her.

Yan Qingqiu walked to the door of Song Qingre's villa—it was so lifeless and dreary.

【That lock faces inward, locked from the inside. She's locked herself in there.】

Yan Qingqiu thought of the description the Butler had given her, lowered her head to look at the lock, and touched it with her finger. The lock wobbled, clanging against the iron door.

Perhaps because they were about to clean the yard, the lock hadn't been secured tightly. It hit the door with a dull, rusty thud, hissing like a broken electric current. Yan Qingqiu took two steps back.

Su Xingjie had been waiting by her side all along, not understanding what she was doing. When Yan Qingqiu got back in the car, she asked, "Don't you hate Song Qingre?"

"Ah... yes," Yan Qingqiu said, feeling her own words lacked conviction.

Luckily, Su Xingjie didn't press further, or she really wouldn't have known how to answer.

She hadn't eaten at home in the morning, so Su Xingjie took her to a restaurant for breakfast, and Yan Qingqiu temporarily forgot about the moving matter.

Home cooking was getting worse and worse. If it weren't for her status, she'd have wolfed down her meal at the restaurant.

Being a rich young lady really meant eating worse than when she'd order takeout back in the day. She didn't understand how the wealthy lived—it was pure suffering.

After eating, the two strolled around outside for a while, with Su Xingjie occasionally buying her things. As they walked, Yan Qingqiu felt a bit idle and asked in confusion, "Don't I need to go to the office and clock in?"

Su Xingjie thought it over. Having Yan Qingqiu accompany her would be great. "You can if you want."

Yan Qingqiu sighed. "Sis, you need to act like a boss and teach me how to be a model. Don't treat me like some precious ancestor." As she spoke, she took the things from Su Xingjie's hands. "You're making me feel embarrassed."

Su Xingjie let out an 'oh,' nodded, and looked at her with a smile at the corner of her lips, saying, "I'll try. I'm just a bit shy."

The two sisters started getting bashful with each other line by line. Their show was in the evening, so they strolled around for a long time before heading to the venue.

Luo Xi came in force with a group of people, lying in wait at the restaurant next to the venue. Their goal was to intercept Yan Qingqiu. Fu Ye might not want to bother with her, but she wasn't so easygoing. She was definitely going to avenge her Brother Fu.

Her information was quick—she'd long heard that Yan Qingqiu seemed to be preparing to debut, and Su Xingjie would probably bring her today to network.

One of her sisters nudged her with an elbow. Yan Qingqiu's car had arrived.

Luo Xi followed her pointing finger and saw four cars stop at the entrance of the venue. The doors of all four cars opened almost simultaneously, and eighteen burly men in black poured out. They wore sunglasses and black earpieces, hands clasped in front of their stomachs. The two at the front were even wearing black tank tops, their arm muscles bulging with tattoos, as if suits couldn't contain their robust frames, so they had to wear tank tops for easier brawling.

The gull-wing door of a blue Sibeil in the middle rose slowly, and a blonde female bodyguard stepped out. A few seconds later, another blonde female bodyguard emerged—with hair exactly the same shade as Yan Qingqiu's, even roughly the same height. Finally, Yan Qingqiu came down with Su Xingjie, and standing next to them, you couldn't tell them apart.

Yan Qingqiu also wore sunglasses. She glanced around, then removed her sunglasses, and the two female bodyguards beside her took theirs off in sync with her movement.

Luo Xi, who prided herself on decent composure, was completely dumbfounded by the spectacle and cursed, "She even has body doubles?!"

Luo Xi's close friend was also stunned. Even though they were all from wealthy families, no one had ever pulled off a show like this. "Even foreign presidents don't have this much flair. How scared of getting beaten is she?"

"I don't think she's scared of getting beaten—she's scared of getting shot. She's seriously unhinged!" Luo Xi said indignantly. "Psycho!"

"So, are we still going to fight?" The friends looked at their own group of four or five, all with skinny arms and legs, feeling like they could be swatted to death with one slap. They muttered, "...I only heard your brother got beaten, but no one said he was ganged up on by eighteen people? How embarrassing. If my boyfriend got beaten like that, I'd break up with him."

The sisters didn't dare charge in recklessly and started trying to persuade Luo Xi. "Honestly, I think you don't have to hang yourself from one tree. There are plenty of handsome men in the world. Those two body doubles next to Yan Qingqiu are pretty hot."

"Yeah, yeah. Fu Ye getting beaten has nothing to do with you, and even less with us. No need to throw yourself in there. Getting beaten out on the street would be pretty humiliating if it got around."

"Shut up!"

Luo Xi wasn't stupid either. She was outnumbered and outmatched, so charging in now would just be asking for it. But not giving Yan Qingqiu a piece of her mind would also be humiliating. She cursed, "That bitch is already 24, and she still likes 18-year-olds that much? Everything she does, she needs eighteen people."

She raised her hand, then forced it back down, clawing at the table in frustration.

So infuriating.

Yan Qingqiu took off her glasses and raised her hand. Her personal bodyguards followed her as she walked toward the venue, standing in neat rows on either side, almost shouting, "Welcome, young lady, to the car."

Yan Qingqiu frowned slightly, and they immediately changed to, "Welcome, Miss Su, to the car."

Su Xingjie nearly tripped in her flats.

Though the scene was a bit cheesy, it was thrilling and impressive.

As a child, Yan Qingqiu had often dreamed of putting on such a show. She'd sit under a big plane tree, and the orphanage door would open, with eighteen cars driving in. Row after row of suit-clad elites would get out and say to her, "Welcome home, young lady. Mr. and Mrs. have arranged a private jet for you in countries A, B, C, D, just waiting for you to return and enjoy steak and champagne."

Then, she'd become the coolest kid in the entire orphanage.

Look, look, my dad really does love me.

Fulfilling her childhood dream for her sister—totally worth it.

Yan Qingqiu asked Su Xingjie, "So, sis, do you like it? I prepared it specially for you. Thanks for signing me."

Su Xingjie had never experienced this kind of scene before. In the past, they'd often faced dangers, mostly verbal spats with others. Actual fights... there had been some, but Yan Qingqiu was usually the bolder one.

It wasn't that she was cowardly or anything, just that she wasn't used to it. Su Xingjie thought about walking ahead to lead her in, but felt her aura was too strong, so she quietly stood beside her.

"You never used to be like this," Su Xingjie said.

"I never used to have Fu Ye beaten up either. This time is different. Someone will definitely want revenge on us. Being cautious won't hurt. When you bring models to a show, don't you also hire bodyguards?"

"Y-Yeah, that makes sense," Su Xingjie nodded.

"You hire more than this, right?"

"Right, at least twenty."

Yan Qingqiu said seriously, "I've offended so many people. There's bound to be plenty who want to get back at me. If we go on the offense first, we won't end up on the losing side, and it's easier to retreat in a fight. Besides, if we get into an argument, they've got one mouth, and we've got eighteen."

She'd beaten the male lead. With a blink, brainless side characters would charge into battle for him—either crazy for him, wild for him, or slamming into walls for him.

Honestly, she wasn't stupid. She wasn't about to come out and be a target for practice. Rushing in headfirst for the sake of face was idiotic. Look at who dared get close to her now.

She wasn't a brainless side character like Luo Xi, who lacked a brainstem.

Su Xingjie listened and felt the logic was a bit off, but she couldn't find a counterargument for a long time. She thought and thought, then said, "Qiu Bao, I feel like since you stopped loving Fu Ye, you've become smarter."

Yan Qingqiu smiled and shrugged. "Anyway, my dad has a yearly contract with the bodyguard company. He rarely uses it a few times a year, so I might as well put it to use for my own show. How about it?"

"It's fine. You don't care about others' opinions, and you don't feel awkward."

The model show started at seven. Su Xingjie led her around the venue for a while. When it was about time, they went in to watch the show without bringing the bodyguards. Yan Qingqiu figured that at an event this big, only an idiot would try to start a fight with her here.

Su Xingjie's models participated too—the dark-skinned hot girl Miaomiao from last time, wearing a trench coat from the new season, walking the catwalk with a sexy, elegant gait.

Yan Qingqiu observed from the side, knowing full well she was still out of her depth. She didn't even know basic runway steps. She'd thought it was just about shooting covers, but now she realized she was far from being a fashion model. She only got famous because her sister propped her up.

Su Xingjie sat next to her and patted her hand. "Don't be nervous. I'll hire a teacher to train you later."

Yan Qingqiu nodded and continued watching. Someone nearby was recording a video, so she checked her phone's flash to make sure it wouldn't go off, then took two photos.

The venue was quite large, with people seated on both sides of the long T-stage. There weren't many attendees, but as Su Xingjie introduced them, it turned out everyone there was a celebrity.

Some were brand representatives, others were ambassadors for certain brands. After Su Xingjie sat down, many came to greet her. She was dressed in a white shirt and white trousers, the buttons straining against her full chest, long legs crossed, looking sharp and cool. She'd just nod slightly at those who approached, saying very little.

In the middle, she spotted Luo Xi. Their side happened to sit on the left of the stage, while Luo Xi's group sat on the right. Luo Xi was glaring daggers at them.

Yan Qingqiu was puzzled. Why was Luo Xi so tame today? She hadn't caused trouble or cursed her out.

Su Xingjie leaned in and whispered, "Qiu Bao, your sunglasses are too dark. I can't see clearly."

Yan Qingqiu smiled helplessly. Who wears sunglasses in a place this dim? She took them off and said, "Xing Xing, you're... a bit silly."

Su Xingjie was nearsighted at 300 degrees. She didn't wear glasses usually, but she always wore them for work. She pulled a pair of silver-framed glasses with a chain from her bag, put them on, and continued watching the show with a serious, studious expression.

Yan Qingqiu leaned back slightly. Today she wore a small blazer-style top designed by Su Xingjie, with a hand-embroidered rose and thorn pattern on the lower left hem, and black trousers with golden trim on the sides—a bit flashy and ornate.

The two chatted quietly, laughing at times, still standing out even among a crowd of sexy models.

They sat together watching, and occasionally Su Xingjie introduced the models, explaining how she'd built them up and how she'd do the same for Yan Qingqiu later.

Yan Qingqiu asked in confusion, "Why is no one wearing what I've got on? Isn't this your company's new style?"

Su Xingjie explained, "Yours is one-of-a-kind, personally crafted by me. How could I let them wear the same as you?"

Yan Qingqiu was touched. Su Xingjie was truly a treasure of a best friend.

As the models walked on stage, Yan Qingqiu took a liking to a trench coat worn by a model with a cool, aloof vibe and asked softly, "How much is that? How do I check the price?"

Su Xingjie said, "It's not for sale, it's just for display. If you want it, I'll contact the organizer to get it for you. Which one do you want?"

"That... the one with the contrasting panels."

Su Xingjie glanced over and said, "I'll ask about it later."

The show continued, and Yan Qingqiu didn't want to keep talking, so she squeezed Su Xingjie's wrist in thanks.

Su Xingjie pressed her lips together. She'd gotten into this business purely because she loved handicrafts—knitting sweaters, crocheting flowers, weaving bracelets to match outfits. Back then, her drawer was always stuffed with handmade items, and she'd give one to Yan Qingqiu. Classmates joked that she'd make a good wife and mother, not a lover, but she'd be perfect as a spouse.

Yan Qingqiu didn't like hearing that. Wearing the bracelet she'd woven, she said, "What do you mean 'good wife and mother'? Don't insult people. With skills like ours, Xing Xing is definitely opening a shop. She's going to be a big boss, a top designer."

Later, she became the director and head of ER.

··

They came out of the model show with a lot gained. Yan Qingqiu had picked up some runway presence and basically had a grasp of the industry now.

By the time they came out, it was already dark. They handed the clothes they'd bought to the bodyguards and walked along the food street. Yan Qingqiu planned to sneak off with Su Xingjie for hotpot—home cooking was too bland, she couldn't take it.

They'd just found a place, bought the vouchers, and opened the map app when her phone rang. Song Qingre sent her a message saying she didn't need to pick her up from work, as she was going to meet Fu Ye to pay his medical expenses.

"Going this late..." Yan Qingqiu bit her lip, feeling a bit annoyed. Song Qingre had such delicate arms and legs; if Fu Ye bullied her, that would be terrible.

"What's wrong?" Su Xingjie asked.

Seeing her staring at her phone, Su Xingjie asked, "Did something happen?"

Yan Qingqiu shook her head. "It's nothing."

After a while, as they neared the hotpot place, she couldn't hold it in and said, "Here's the thing. Didn't I beat up Fu Ye yesterday? Song Qingre is helping me pay his medical expenses."

"She's paying for you?" Su Xingjie also felt something odd and said, "Did Fu Ye ask you for medical expenses? Is he that shameless now?"

"Not exactly. Song Qingre said that if he comes asking me later, we'll shut him up first, to prevent him from using the medical expenses to pester me."

Yan Qingqiu understood all too well. She'd been trapped by money for a long time, with too many disputes arising over it.

It was the same with her and Song Qingre—money, money, money. She owed her, and she owed her.

Owing one person was enough; she absolutely couldn't give Fu Ye an opening.

Su Xingjie was silent for a few seconds. Song Qingre's actions made some sense, but it was just too strange.

"How about this..." Su Xingjie thought it over and said, "If you're not hungry, I'll go with you to the hospital. We can see what Song Qingre is up to."

"...To keep an eye on Song Qingre?"

Yan Qingqiu hit the nail on the head with one sentence, nearly choking Su Xingjie. She nodded. "You're suspicious too, aren't you? Let's go check it out."

She really didn't know the specifics of how things had developed between Fu Ye and Song Qingre—she mostly had to piece it together from imagination. She didn't know much of the details, and when Yan Qingqiu had asked a few times, Su Xingjie just looked at her in surprise and said, wasn't it you who told me all this?

In the past, all the grievances between her and Song Qingre were narrated by her, while Su Xingjie listened.

The information from Su Xingjie wasn't necessarily accurate, because she trusted 'her' blindly. Sometimes when she'd have doubts, Yan Qingqiu would change the subject and she'd nod along.

Yan Qingqiu couldn't help but sigh, "Sis, what are you going to do in the future? I'm worried about you." She patted Su Xingjie's shoulder. "When you start dating, I have to vet the guy for you. Can't let some scumbag fool you."

Su Xingjie shook her head and said coldly, "I've already decided. I'm not dating anyone in this lifetime."

Yan Qingqiu said, "What a shame. You know such pretty models, and in the end, they're just coworkers. That's so tragic. But whatever feels comfortable for you is fine. You don't have to follow the crowd. Everyone has their own preferences and tempers."

"Mm-hm." That familiar feeling Su Xingjie had crept up again.

Yan Qingqiu knew exactly which ward Fu Ye was in. Fu Ye texted her every day, begging her to come see him. She just had to follow the address.

Su Xingjie drove over. She said, "You used to tell me that Song Qingre schemed to harm you, framed you, pretended to be a white lotus, refusing Fu Ye on one hand while getting close to him on the other. Whenever you were about to win Fu Ye over, she'd pop up and cause trouble, being utterly disgusting."

From the perspective of a vicious female supporting character, it really did seem like Song Qingre's fault.

Thinking about it, Luo Xi hated her for the same reason.

It really wasn't worth it over a man who straddled three boats.

Coincidentally, when they drove into the hospital parking lot, Song Qingre's car was parked right next to theirs. Yan Qingqiu lowered her head to look and saw Song Qingre enter the inpatient building.

They waited a while, let Song Qingre go in first, then slipped in behind her and stood outside the door listening.

On the thirteenth floor, Fu Ye lay in bed with a bandage wrapped around his neck. Seeing who came in, his eyes lit up slightly. Remembering the promise he'd made to Yan Qingqiu, he held back from getting up to greet her. He just complained as usual, "Qiuqiu, really, you went too far this time."

He waited for Song Qingre to soothe him with her gentleness.

Song Qingre walked in carrying a black bag. She sat down, opened the bag, and took out an envelope—thick, clearly stuffed with money. She placed it on the bedside table.

Fu Ye looked at her, frowning. "What do you mean by this?"

"Medical expenses." Song Qingre's tone was frigid.

Fu Ye couldn't believe she could say something so cold. "Are you learning from Qiuqiu to insult me?"

Song Qingre took out another stack of bills. "Is this enough?"

Under Fu Ye's shocked gaze, she said slowly and deliberately, "I hope you'll stop harassing Qiuqiu from now on. Best to let go of what should be let go. Clearly, she doesn't like you anymore." She folded her fingers together and said coldly, "This money is for your medical expenses. Take care of yourself. If you pester her again and end up in the ICU, there won't be any of this."

The words fell on Fu Ye's ears, cold and devoid of any warmth. Though she said nothing sharp or provocative, it felt as if she'd strangled and crushed his heart.

Fu Ye looked seriously at Song Qingre. Her expression was icy, hard to read any warmth, like the moon before rain—cold, with dark clouds shrouding her body.

She was pitch black all over.

She could almost say in the next breath, Can't you tell? Qiuqiu loves me very much now.

Fu Ye forcefully shook off that thought.

At first, Fu Ye had thought Song Qingre was in the same grade as him, but Fu Ye was always fighting and causing trouble, the school's famous bully. Later, his family held him back a grade, making him the same year as Yan Qingqiu.

In that same year, he'd known Song Qingre. She was excellent, with great grades, seemingly capable of anything. She often played piano in the grand chapel, her slender fingers playing beautiful pieces. Best of all, she could paint, winning many awards every time.

School events would have her as host, and every time, the seats were packed.

Everyone would fall quiet when they saw her, just to catch a glimpse of the school beauty's elegance.

Song Qingre was always gentle and patient with everyone, the dream girl of every boy in the class.

At first, Fu Ye felt she was a bit fake. Who could always be so overflowing with emotion and nice to everyone? He didn't take Song Qingre seriously.

It wasn't until that one fight, when Song Qingre came to the police station to pick up Yan Qingqiu, holding her hand nervously and looking her over from head to toe.

She was clearly a bit angry, but the moment Yan Qingqiu said she was hurt, she swallowed her anger, concerned about where she was injured, and even patted her head.

That gentleness was like water, like light, quickly warming people.

It was also then that Fu Ye learned Song Qingre was Yan Qingqiu's neighbor. Every time he asked Song Qingre to help deliver something, she'd agree without ever finding him troublesome.

Only then did he realize Song Qingre wasn't fake—it was just that the light hadn't fallen on him. He'd never enjoyed that warmth. Sometimes, he envied Yan Qingqiu.

Later, when he found out Song Qingre actually liked him and had been delivering letters for him for so long, he felt guilty, yet Song Qingre never once blamed him.

When the light finally shone on him, he understood how terrifying gentleness could be. Once you crave it, there's no cure, like someone who's never seen light desperately chasing after that sliver of it.

The tighter Yan Qingqiu chased him, the more he couldn't forget Song Qingre's tenderness.

He could never forget how she'd endured pain without showing it, still gently telling him, "It's fine. You can ask me to deliver letters again. It's no trouble at all."

Whether in school days or before they came of age, winning Song Qingre had satisfied his vanity to a great extent.

His pursuit of Song Qingre, his relentless pursuit, was precisely because he'd never truly had her. He could tell Yan Qingqiu he'd let Song Qingre go and move on, but when Song Qingre truly appeared, she was like the moon of his first love—impossible to forget for a lifetime.

Before Song Qingre arrived, he'd prepared himself mentally to tell her they'd never see each other again. But Song Qingre's coldness came first, throwing his heartbeat into chaos.

"Are you misunderstanding something?" Fu Ye grew anxious and immediately tried to stop her cruelty.

Song Qingre coming to see him filled him with gratitude. She was much better than Yan Qingqiu. When he called Yan Qingqiu, she'd start cursing him within a few sentences, almost deafening him. He said, "Did Qiuqiu ask you to come?"

Song Qingre looked at him helplessly, her gaze practically saying, Are you crazy? Can you stop spouting nonsense based on your own assumptions?

Her patience had run out. She stood up and said, "I came today for Qiuqiu's sake, nothing else. When I went abroad, I made it very clear: no more contact. I'll say it again now."

"Qingre." Fu Ye called out to her, interrupting.

Song Qingre said calmly, "Given my disappointment in you, I'll tell you directly from today on: please call me Song Qingre, or if you're being polite, Miss Song."

Fu Ye choked up, unable to believe his ears. Song Qingre was being this cold to him?

Song Qingre stood, picked up her bag, and once she turned, she showed no mercy. Fu Ye still tried to chase after her, getting out of bed and taking a step, but quickly let out a hiss, looking quite pathetic.

"Someone..." Fu Ye's face turned pale.

Song Qingre frowned and said seriously, "Mr. Fu, please show some self-respect. Even if you call your bodyguards to stop me, I'm leaving today. Matters of the heart require loyalty and constancy. Don't try to play both sides."

"And I'm an alpha."

Song Qingre said coldly, the meaning clear: if you keep pestering me, don't blame me for being rude.

Fu Ye watched her retreating figure and raised his voice, "Qingre!"

Song Qingre didn't reply. She was about to open the door and leave, her fingers resting on the handle.

Fu Ye spoke up first, "Do you like Qiuqiu now? You weren't like this before!"

The question was too sudden, shouted at the top of his lungs, making Song Qingre stop in her tracks. Outside the door, Yan Qingqiu's heart also leapt, squeezed up to her throat.

The fingers on the door handle tapped lightly, like a dragonfly skimming water.

"Your attitude right now is strange. Why are you so good to her now? Before, you... I could clearly tell... something changed." Fu Ye said. "You used to endure Qiuqiu's beatings and scoldings for me. Was all that humility you showed for me a lie?"

He remembered clearly how Yan Qingqiu had cursed her, hit her, insulted her, and she'd taken it all.

Once, he couldn't bear to watch and asked Song Qingre, "Does it hurt?"

Song Qingre would just smile and shake her head: It doesn't hurt. I can take it.

Song Qingre pressed her fingers together, eyes lowered, hair in front covering half her face. She said, "Not anymore."

Her tone was resolute, her fingertip pressing on the metal door handle with great force. If it came to that, she wouldn't mind getting rough.

The eavesdroppers outside couldn't see her expression, but Fu Ye felt she could destroy him. He swallowed hard, unwilling to accept it.

"Let's go." Su Xingjie called to Yan Qingqiu.

The moment Song Qingre opened the door, she'd see the two eavesdroppers outside.

Su Xingjie gently pulled Yan Qingqiu, signaling it was time to leave, but Yan Qingqiu's legs felt rooted to the ground. She was curious to hear how Song Qingre would answer.

Either answer would be thrilling.

"She'll definitely say she doesn't like him." Su Xingjie whispered.

Yan Qingqiu pressed a finger to her lips, wanting to keep listening.

Yan Qingqiu was even more curious. Why was her best friend so sure?

Song Qingre's voice rang out, unchanged, and so were the words she spoke: "It's never changed."

Yan Qingqiu didn't understand, and while she was dazed, Su Xingjie pulled her back.

She was about to speak, but Su Xingjie covered her mouth.

After they left, Su Xingjie finally let go. Yan Qingqiu was still pondering the meaning of those words, silent and brooding.

The sound of heels tapping lightly on the ground—somehow, it seemed Song Qingre suddenly walked toward them.

Yan Qingqiu pulled Su Xingjie to hide by the stairwell, both pressing their backs tightly against the wall to avoid being discovered by Song Qingre.

The two hardly spoke, holding their breath. The scent of Su Xingjie's perfume wafted over to Yan Qingqiu, who desperately wanted to cover Su Xingjie's neck.

But that was an omega's sensitive spot; even a close friend shouldn't touch it.

They only exhaled in relief when the footsteps faded into the distance.

The two blinked their big eyes. Su Xingjie covered her neck and breathed out, "Sorry, Qiu Bao. Are you okay?"

"Why would I be?" Yan Qingqiu's face was just a bit warm. Su Xingjie's tuberose scent was like an indiscriminate attack.

"Song Qingre has pretty sound moral principles."

Yan Qingqiu changed the subject. Song Qingre's sense of right and wrong was even clearer than hers. Every time she saw Fu Ye, she only wanted to argue.

When she talked to Fu Ye, he didn't dare shout back.

After Song Qingre got into the elevator, they took the stairs down. Song Qingre drove off first, and Yan Qingqiu got into her own car, picking at her fingers.

Yan Qingqiu buckled her seatbelt and said, "I don't know why, but I feel a sense of shame. Especially shame, I mean."

Su Xingjie was silent for a while, then said, "...I feel it too."

In the past, the two of them had often badmouthed Song Qingre, criticizing her behavior. No matter what she did, they'd find something to read into it.

But Su Xingjie's shame was different from Yan Qingqiu's.

"Maybe there were misunderstandings all along," Yan Qingqiu sighed. After thinking it over, she said, "However wrong it was, it's all that scumbag Fu Ye's fault!"

Su Xingjie nodded. She drove for a while and pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

Yan Qingqiu's heart felt heavy. She looked out at the neon lights and sighed softly, "I even hit her before..."

The atmosphere in the car grew too heavy, so Su Xingjie turned on the car's music, and the two listened to a cheerful song.

Yan Qingqiu was lost in thought, pondering what 'never changed' meant.

Some words aren't said outright, but to certain people, they're clear as day.

A few simple words, and those who understand feel them instantly in their hearts.

Someone steps out of the safe zone, and someone else shrinks back into theirs.

The car drove for a long time and stopped at a red light. Su Xingjie gripped the steering wheel, biting her inner lip hard enough to hurt, and said, "You used to say... that since we're all women, if anyone liked you, it was disgusting, and you'd kick them away without mercy."

This wasn't the first time Yan Qingqiu had heard those words, but every time she did, her heart still stung. She gritted her teeth hard.

The light turned green. Su Xingjie's fingers trembled slightly on the wheel, and her driving slowed a beat.

She smiled and said, "Hey, Qiu Bao, do you still think that way now?"