Chapter 6

Song Qingre walked over as she had instructed. The thin black suit draped her beautifully, with sculpted seams at the waist and a low V-neck. Her hair was pinned up, revealing a pale neck and delicately defined collarbones. Beneath the open jacket, a white blouse peeked through—the black-and-white contrast giving her an undeniably sultry air.

Her approach carried an imposing presence that made one want to step back, but Yan Qingqiu had paid good money, and her boldness held firm. She loosened her grip on her long skirt and said, "You. Sit on my lap."

"Alright."

The black suit weighed down on Yan Qingqiu's legs, also pressing against the white rose chain on her skirt hem. The office window had been open all along, light streaming in the whole time—it was only now that she felt how intense it was.

A sliver of light caught Yan Qingqiu's eye, and she leaned back to dodge it. Song Qingre's lips pressed close, but Yan Qingqiu turned her head, staying true to her purpose. "Call me 'big sister' first."

"But I'm older than you," Song Qingre said. "It's a bit hard to say."

They were so close that speaking felt like whispering directly into each other's ears.

Yan Qingqiu said, "You have to. Otherwise why would I keep you? I like my women dressed like professionals, calling me 'big sister,' and begging me to kiss them."

"So you're into that flavor?"

Not really—she was into everything.

She happened to notice Song Qingre's suit jacket draped over the back of the chair. Couldn't let it go to waste.

Song Qingre was wearing the suit, radiating an irresistible aura of restraint curbed—never mind the fact that artists had an uncontainable charm about them. Right now, two buttons of her blouse were undone.

Yan Qingqiu didn't dare look down. If her lips moved forward, she'd be kissing Song Qingre's chest.

"Say it." Yan Qingqiu wouldn't give her a chance to back out. She'd spent the money, so she'd be indulgent.

"Qiujiu big sister." Song Qingre's red lips parted slightly.

Yan Qingqiu's bones went soft with pleasure, and for a moment she didn't know what to do with her. Her fingers found Song Qingre's arm and pinched hard.

·

Yan Qingqiu watched Song Qingre pull back, then reached up to grip her chin, running her thumb back and forth over it.

She said, "Kiss me harder."

She could barely breathe; her mind went blank, like a severe hypoxia patient about to faint at any second.

Suddenly, pain shot through her thin lips.

Yan Qingqiu leaned back, her spine pressing into the sofa, dazed.

Song Qingre leaned in and brushed the hair from her ear. "Had enough?"

Yan Qingqiu thought she had. She called out to the System.

"Mm?" Song Qingre narrowed her eyes at her.

Yan Qingqiu bit her lip, her mind thoroughly scrambled.

The System said: 【Friendly reminder, you were the one who kissed her to the point of suffocation, not the other way around.】

"I said... not enough." Yan Qingqiu looked at Song Qingre again. That million was worth every cent. She pressed Song Qingre into the sofa and kissed her deeply.

This time, she didn't kiss right away—she reached out and tried to pinch Song Qingre's nose. Song Qingre grabbed her wrist, frowned, then let go. Yan Qingqiu, in turn, pressed one hand over Song Qingre's arm and pinched her nose with the other.

The moment she pressed down, Song Qingre arched up, their bodies colliding, hearts pounding with dull pain.

Song Qingre was like a fish on a chopping board, letting her do as she pleased. She let out a muffled groan, breath catching in her throat, her body lifting slightly. Her cheeks flushed; she couldn't breathe.

Yan Qingqiu reached out and touched Song Qingre's lips.

Song Qingre kept her eyes closed, and Yan Qingqiu patted her cheek.

Song Qingre's lashes fluttered, her mouth opening wide as she gasped for air. "Qiujiu, why do you always want to pinch my nose? It feels like from the very first kiss you've been trying to kiss me to death—to suffocate me."

Her fingers slid around to the back of Yan Qingqiu's neck, gently rubbing that small patch of skin as if she held Yan Qingqiu's lifeline in her grasp.

Yan Qingqiu's cheeks flushed, and what made them redder was the System's notification in her mind that the task had passed.

She met Song Qingre's bright gaze and panicked.

Song Qingre hooked her arm around Yan Qingqiu's neck and pulled her into her embrace, then shifted sideways. Yan Qingqiu let out a muffled grunt as Song Qingre's fingers touched her thin lips, her leg lifting to press against Yan Qingqiu's waist, pushing her deeper into the sofa, her body blocking the light from the window.

Yan Qingqiu had nowhere to retreat, pressed against Song Qingre.

Song Qingre asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"

Yan Qingqiu didn't respond.

"No lying, okay?"

Yan Qingqiu panted, not daring to move.

Song Qingre's fingertip tapped her thin lips. "Qiujiu, still kissing?"

"Mm..."

··

The two of them were interrupted when Fu Ye arrived. His company was only a thirty-minute drive away, and he charged in headfirst. Song Qingre only had her secretary and assistant there, and the two women couldn't hold him back.

Sheng Huajian already disliked him, and when she couldn't block him any longer, she snapped, "What else could they be doing? Two people together, kissing!"

"What?"

Fu Ye stood frozen, wondering which strand of his hair had turned green.

Yan Qingqiu's task was complete, and she was ready to go. She stood up, fixed her skirt, and headed for the door. Song Qingre got up and pulled at her clothes.

"What?" More?

"Eat before you go. Aren't you hungry?" Song Qingre asked.

She was a little hungry, actually.

Yan Qingqiu walked over to Song Qingre's desk, and Song Qingre pulled out the chair for her to sit at the desk. In her original world, Yan Qingqiu had been a downtrodden office worker, her workspace just a desk crammed in with a bunch of people.

This chair was softer than her old bed.

The insulated lunch box kept the food warm, still hot inside. The chef at home had cooked an elaborate spread—hot soup, noodles, and little pastries. Yan Qingqiu ate a pearl-skinned meat bun and drank some soup. After she finished, she covertly observed Song Qingre. Song Qingre ate slowly and gracefully, showing no sign of being upset.

Logically, being kept by someone should make a person angry, right?

She was so quiet, so cooperative. What did that mean?

Song Qingre wiped her lips with a tissue. "Should I go buy some mouthwash?"

"No need, too much trouble," Yan Qingqiu said.

Song Qingre said, "It's no trouble. Even if I keep it in the office, we'll use it sooner or later."

Yan Qingqiu thought, don't tell me you want me to bring you lunch every day. Delivery fees are expensive.

She had the maid pack up the lunch box, then carried it out of the office.

Song Qingre didn't come out to see her off.

Yan Qingqiu walked out of there feeling like she was strolling through spring breeze. In her hand, she clutched a contract—the kept-woman contract Song Qingre had drawn up, in duplicate.

The terms were detailed.

Song Qingre kissed her to the point of suffocation, and the two of them played with each other's bodies.

Of course, the contract wasn't that blunt; the wording was more euphemistic.

Fu Ye was sitting in the waiting room, and Yan Qingqiu's gaze swept over him as she gave a cold snort, not sparing him a single glance.

Yan Qingqiu held her chin high and walked past, heedless of everything.

Fu Ye couldn't figure it out, couldn't understand. Yan Qingqiu used to love him desperately. No matter how awful he was, how coldly he spoke, she would wait for him. One look from him, and she'd be overjoyed.

The last time she hit him, he'd just thought she was furious, trying to prove she existed. She'd come back to him eventually, apologize, and beg for forgiveness.

Now she wouldn't even look at him.

Something in his chest ached, and he actually wanted to chase after her. He took a step, but Sheng Huajian knocked on the door and said, "President Fu, you can go in now."

Fu Ye furrowed his brow and pulled his foot back. Yan Qingqiu stepped into the elevator, and the doors slid shut, hiding her pretty face from view.

In the past, Yan Qingqiu had been cold and proud with everyone, growing cold toward Song Qingre too, but only with him did she drop her guard, always sweetly calling him "Brother Fu."

Now, thinking back, there was a faint sense of loss.

He pushed open the door. Song Qingre in the office sat with her long legs crossed, her eyes on him carrying an icy smile, her red, slightly swollen lips pressed together in a thin line.

·

In the elevator, Yan Qingqiu flipped through the contract. It was all written in plain language. She asked the System, "I can enjoy life now, right?"

Song Qingre worked so hard and was almost schemed against by that scumbag. Yan Qingqiu was worried she'd have to fight corporate battles someday. She knew she wasn't cut out for it.

The System said: 【Not necessary for now. Rest assured.】

Yan Qingqiu wanted to relax but dared not. She'd finally gotten into the game, and as a rich heiress, she wanted to be a couch potato, lying at home eating and drinking, spending a million a month on whatever she pleased.

Isn't living off easy street great?

Wah wah wah.

She didn't want to be some grinding, hustling workhorse at all.

Yan Qingqiu: 【If the plot ever forces me to work in the future, please give me advance notice.】

The System: 【Minor issue. You can rest easy about that~】

Yan Qingqiu had never trusted the System much, but for this, she raised its favorability by 0.01.

Looking at the million written on the contract, she felt a pang of sadness. The million hadn't even warmed in her hands before she gave it straight to Song Qingre.

Thinking about it, it was pretty sweet... very worth it. If there was ever another opportunity like this, she'd pawn everything she owned just to keep Song Qingre again.

When she reached the main entrance, Sheng Huajian jogged after her, holding something in her hand. She said, "Miss Song asked me to give this to you. Her art exhibition is next Saturday. She'd like you to come."

Yan Qingqiu took the card and got into the car.

At noon, the car went to the hospital.

Yan Qingqiu needed a full physical checkup, in case there were any post-transmigration side effects. She also wanted to check her brain, to see if she could get rid of the System.

That thing...

Yan Qingqiu simply didn't trust it from the bottom of her heart.

She'd been lured into this transmigration, clearly. The System had bound itself to her brain without her consent, and if she didn't complete her tasks, she'd die. Such a hassle.

To put it bluntly, it wasn't much different from human trafficking.

No matter how her life had been in the original world, dragging her here without warning was ill-intentioned.

She still had some money in her various payment apps. Payment could be done with face or fingerprint recognition, and a few thousand yuan could last her a long while.

The driver opened the car door for her, puzzled. "Why not have Brother Chen arrange it? You can go straight to our designated doctor. If you go now, you'll have to wait in line."

"I just want to see for myself." Yan Qingqiu was being cautious. After all, she'd transmigrated here—some details might not match up. If others found out, it would be too dangerous. She couldn't just plant landmines anywhere.

She went in and queued up herself, spending three hours completing several checks. They all said her body was perfectly fine, in tip-top shape.

For the last check, Yan Qingqiu was especially eager—she'd specifically done a gland examination to find out what her pheromone scent was.

The doctor held the test result, examining it repeatedly, then looked at her body.

"Are you sure this is your test report?"

Yan Qingqiu nodded. "Is there a problem?"

"...Well, do this—go do another test. Give this to the examining doctor; you won't need to queue."

Yan Qingqiu took the doctor's referral and went back downstairs anxiously. When she returned, she sat in front of the doctor, clenching her fingers.

The doctor said, "You're a beta, right?"

"Huh? I'm an alpha."

"The report shows you're a beta. You don't have a gland. But your ID says alpha... Did you register wrong before?"

Yan Qingqiu had looked up what a gland looked like before—a slight bump at the back of the neck. "But I can smell pheromones. I even smelled an alpha's pheromones today—it was really fragrant, like citrus."

The doctor said, "Alpha and alpha can't smell each other's scent; they'd be repelled by it..."

"We were repelled too—I smelled her scent, and my body got really hot at night."

"Pfft." The doctor laughed. "That's even more wrong. Repulsion means it smells nauseating on contact. Why would you like the smell? Here's what—ask the person if they're wearing perfume. If they're not, come back for another check. Usually there's no problem..."

"And if there is a problem?"

"If there is, you might be a late-developing omega."

"!"

Yan Qingqiu shot up from the chair, pointing at herself. "Doctor, take a good look. I'm 24 this year. I'm still developing at this age?"

The doctor glanced at her and said, "You still have room to develop."

"This might be uncommon for you, but for us, it's routine. Some alphas discover they're pregnant after marriage, then re-examine and find they've secondarily differentiated into omegas. Oh, right." The doctor reassured her, "It hasn't gotten to that point yet. It's possible the person was just wearing perfume, and you have slight hormonal imbalance. Oh, and—if you've been sexually active recently, be extra careful. If it really is secondary differentiation, you're very prone to pregnancy at this stage."

"Huh?"

Yan Qingqiu couldn't snap out of it.

She clutched her test report and walked out in a daze, holding it up to the sunlight.

She more or less understood what had happened. Given her personality, she must have first differentiated as a beta, but she wouldn't accept that, so she registered as an alpha.

But... Yan Qingqiu still refused to give up. She folded the report and went back for a brain scan, to see if the System had caused it. There was clearly a System in her head, but no matter how the doctor examined her, he said her brain was completely normal.

As if on purpose, the System chose that moment to pop up: 【Congratulations, Host! Plot unlocked: 5%. Current total: 35%! Host is so fast, already surpassing 99% of people! This time you have ample time to prepare for the next plot point!】

Congratulations my ass.

Don't think I don't know what the second plot point is!

Yan Qingqiu clutched her test report in one hand and a pamphlet titled "Things to Note for Secondary Differentiation into Omega" in the other. The blazing sun made her head spin. Nothing was more worrying than thinking she was an alpha, only to find out she was actually a beta.

She flipped a page and read: 【Secondary differentiation is extremely rare. Generally, it involves: 1. Breast enlargement and heightened sensitivity to scents; 2. Stronger libido than before, most frequent at night; 3. Pain and heat at the back of the neck...】

Damn, every single one fit. So there it was.

Meaning she couldn't even pass as a beta pretending to be an alpha anymore. She was turning into an omega. She was differentiating.

Under the scorching sun, Yan Qingqiu clutched the pamphlet, sweating profusely in the heat. She couldn't figure out which was the ultimate form. The original world was better—there were only two forms: human or pervert.

Her neck hurt.

How troubling. She wanted to cry. She'd rather be a pervert.