So This Is the Kind of Play You Like

Su Yutang had been in a good mood lately. And when she was in a good mood, she bought things—this time, a huge haul of imported toys, all the latest models.

She saw no shame in displaying her collection. In all of Jing City, few could climb high enough to call themselves her friends; even getting an audience with her to flatter her was considered an immense stroke of fortune.

This time, Su Yutang had the new arrivals placed inside a transparent glass display case, and she invited over the people she deemed just barely worthy of her notice to come admire them.

Huo Yi had originally had no intention of coming. She found Su Yutang's tastes vulgar and depraved.

But there was no avoiding it—the Huo Family and the Su Corporation had a new inhibitor project to discuss. Su Yutang was normally so elusive that she came and went without a trace; the only way Huo Yi could talk business with her was to catch her at one of her play sessions.

Su Yutang first gave a few people a tour of her toy room, then settled into a leather sofa and opened a bottle of jasmine brandy.

When Su Yutang asked if Huo Yi wanted a glass, Huo Yi accepted the glass she was offered.

Su Yutang downed two glasses; the light, floating sensation in her body gave her immense pleasure.

She gazed at her room full of collectibles with a dreamy smile. "By the way, I recently found a very cute little puppy. If I brought her here, do you think she'd be scared to tears?"

Huo Yi rolled her eyes inwardly. This was just like Su Yutang—all talk and bravado.

Ever since her S-rank pheromone concentration grew strong enough to leave ordinary omegas mindless or even comatose, Madam Su had strictly forbidden her from bringing stray cats and dogs home from the streets. The only person left who could tolerate her twisted personality was probably Yun Huaizhu.

Though the Yun family's standing in Jing City was hardly top-tier, Yun Huaizhu had at least spent twenty years as a pampered, precious young miss. Even with the Yun family now in decline, she likely had little desire to become Su Yutang's dog.

What Su Yutang wanted was a dog that belonged exclusively to her—one that could bear the full brunt of her rage when she was angry, one that would accept her depraved kinks.

Unfortunately, her requirements for this dog were so harsh that she still hadn't found the one meant solely for her. Which left her no choice but to fantasize while staring at her room full of toys.

Huo Yi set down her glass and sighed softly. "I've told you before—Yun Huaizhu spent so many years as a young miss. Humiliating her like this really isn't appropriate. I heard you cut off the several-hundred-million deal you'd promised her family. Yun Huaizhu has been flying all over the country this past month, just to fill that gap."

Su Yutang had been in a wonderful mood today, but the moment Huo Yi brought up Yun Huaizhu, an inexplicable irritation flared in her chest. "Why are you taking her side too? Do you have feelings for her?"

This time Huo Yi didn't bother hiding it at all; she rolled her eyes dramatically. "You think everyone's like you, treating people like dogs? Besides, Yun Huaizhu may seem humble and obedient, but I actually think she's deeply calculating. You'd better be careful she doesn't bite back."

Su Yutang took another sip of wine. As if she'd heard a great joke, she tipped her head back against the sofa and burst out laughing. "Never mind that the Yun family is in decline now—even when they were at their peak, Yun Huaizhu wouldn't dare do anything to me. Someone who sells herself like a product—of course I'll treat her like a commodity. For someone like her, getting to shine my shoes is already a fortune earned over several lifetimes."

Huo Yi shook her head helplessly. "If you're going to buy her, then why cut off her family's business? Yun Huaizhu has been run off her feet this past month. If you want to properly train her, shouldn't you at least keep her by your side?"

At that question, the slight upward curve of Su Yutang's lips turned downward. She slammed her glass onto the table, anger flickering across her brow. "Because... she pissed me off. Not only does she have no self-awareness that she's a dog, she dares to cheat on me—does she think I'm dead?"

Huo Yi's heart skipped a beat. She quickly glanced around; fortunately, the people who'd come to admire Su Yutang's toys weren't paying attention to this corner.

Huo Yi leaned in closer, eyes lighting up as if she'd heard something novel. "What? Yun Huaizhu cheated on you? Really? You saw it with your own eyes?"

Su Yutang was a little drunk by now. Seeing Huo Yi so eager, she shot her a displeased sidelong glance. "Why are you so happy to hear she cheated on me?"

Huo Yi realized she'd been a bit too obvious. She pressed her lips together, feigning composure. "What are you talking about? I'm just curious. After all, the entire Yun family is still counting on you, Eldest Miss Su, and yet at such a critical moment, she cheated on you!"

Su Yutang's face twisted with disgust. "Exactly. An ungrateful wretch. So this time I only cut off the orders I'd promised the Yun family instead of blacklisting them across the industry—that's already showing Yun Huaizhu some leniency. I hope she learns her lesson. Then, as her master, I can toss her a bone."

Seeing Su Yutang's sour expression, Huo Yi knew the cheating was very likely true. Gleefully, she patted Su Yutang's shoulder. "There are plenty of fish in the sea. Since she already has someone she likes, why not show some mercy, Eldest Miss Su, and let this star-crossed pair go?"

Su Yutang turned her head to look at Huo Yi. "If you weren't always putting on that holier-than-thou, abstinent act, I'd have arranged for someone to cuckold you too—and see if you'd let the star-crossed pair who cuckolded you off the hook."

Huo Yi laughed it off. "It's fine. I've always been generous and I don't like forcing things. If someone's unwilling, I won't take them by force."

She raised an eyebrow at Su Yutang. "Besides, with your status as Eldest Miss Su, there are plenty of people willing to throw themselves at you. Why fixate on Yun Huaizhu alone? And I'm genuinely afraid that if you push her too far one day, she'll stab you to death. I'm just looking out for you."

Su Yutang's lips curled into a contemptuous smile. "Yes, Yun Huaizhu certainly doesn't have the right. Besides, I've recently found a new toy—I don't have the energy to train that sour-faced dog anymore. I haven't revoked all the business I gave the Yun family. Let Yun Huaizhu run around for a while; consider it her penance for angering me. It's just a pity she got away last time. Otherwise, I really wanted to see if she could still put on that holier-than-thou act after being whipped..."

Su Yutang seemed drunk. She had never liked people like Yun Huaizhu—those who approached her for ulterior motives yet refused to submit willingly.

But then Huo Yi caught on to the "new toy" Su Yutang had mentioned. She looked at Su Yutang in surprise. "Wait—so the 'cute little puppy' you mentioned from the start wasn't Yun Huaizhu?"

Su Yutang snorted as if she'd heard a joke. "You must be mistaken. How is she cute? I meant her lover is quite cute. I want to play with her now."

Huo Yi: "......"

Well, Su Yutang had truly become an emperor. Now she not only wanted to forcibly take Yun Huaizhu, she wouldn't even spare Yun Huaizhu's sweetheart.

Truly worse than a beast!

Huo Yi let out a dry laugh of disapproval, then brought up the reason for her visit. "Our family's latest inhibitor has been developed. This one has no side effects and works for both alphas and omegas. Next, the Huo Family plans to move into pheromone inducers and modification agents. Will your team continue to follow up?"

Su Yutang frowned in confusion at Huo Yi's words. "Modification agent? What's that?"

Huo Yi explained, "It's a drug that can temporarily turn a beta into an alpha or omega. Nothing like it exists on the market yet, but from what I know, temporary beta-modification agents have been circulating on the black market for a while."

Su Yutang's interest was piqued. She straightened up from her slouched position.

"Where there's demand, there's a market. The modification agents on the black market vary wildly in quality. If we join forces to develop one without side effects, the Huo and Su families could secure a place internationally in pheromone pharmaceutical research."

Su Yutang's eyes, slightly red from the alcohol, held no trace of desire for profit—only the longing to use this drug on her most beloved toy.

She smiled a devastatingly alluring smile. "Alright. The Su Corporation's top team will follow up as well. Whatever the Huo Family invests, I'll match. Only—if this thing actually gets made, I want to be its first user."

Su Yutang was always like this: whenever she wanted to do something wicked, her smile turned dazzling. As for who she'd use the modification agent on, that wasn't something Huo Yi could concern herself with.

Huo Yi smiled, her goal accomplished. "Naturally. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

Su Yutang nodded, granting her leave. But just as Huo Yi turned, Su Yutang called out as if she'd remembered something. "Wait..."

Huo Yi glanced back, raising an eyebrow. She was actually worried Su Yutang might use this collaboration to make some demand for her own benefit.

Su Yutang was no fool—any new project would run at a loss initially. Even if someone asked her to invest over a billion to gamble on a project with no guaranteed success, she'd have to weigh it carefully.

But to Huo Yi's surprise, Su Yutang didn't bring up anything of the sort. A flicker of anticipation appeared on the woman's tipsy face. "The puppy I found this time is different from all the others. She's really cute. When the time comes, you should come and see her."

Huo Yi let out a breath of relief, then looked at Su Yutang with helpless exasperation. "Got it."

With that, she walked out of the exhibition room filled with all of Su Yutang's beloved toys.

Huo Yi wouldn't claim to understand Su Yutang one hundred percent, but she knew Su Yutang only made friends with two kinds of people: those who matched her status, and those who caught her fancy.

The puppies or toys she took a slight liking to were nothing more than passing distractions. Once she was done playing, she discarded them—even someone like Yun Huaizhu was no exception.

......

Lin Meng walked out of the bank's ATM vestibule wearing the glasses she'd recently gotten fitted.

This was the last snowfall of spring. During the New Year, she'd made a token phone call home but hadn't returned to her hometown. The family ties in this world were as thin as they'd been in her original one.

Lin Meng knew she had essentially appeared out of thin air in this world—her background, her relationships, all conjured from nothing. Everyone followed the script, and no one found her sudden existence strange.

She went to work and came home as always, scrolled through her phone like in her original world, living her most ordinary days.

The world she lived in seemed to have changed, yet seemed not to have changed at all.

When Lin Meng stepped out, her glasses fogged over. She took them off, pulled a cloth from her bag to wipe them, put them back on, and gazed across the street at the snow-dusted pine hedge with a deep sigh.

Lately, in her efforts to save Yun Huaizhu and Su Yutang—that ill-fated pair—she'd bought gifts, commissioned a listening device, and spent on miscellaneous travel expenses. Her savings were quickly running dry.

Realistically speaking, her salary wasn't on the low end. But Jing City was a top-tier metropolis. Her rent alone was three thousand a month. After food, clothes, and other necessities, saving even one or two thousand a month was doing well.

Take the earrings she'd given Yun Huaizhu—she'd have to save at least half a year's salary to afford them. Lin Meng had saved up as a precaution, and also to send money to her parents in this world.

Even though her identity and story had materialized out of nothing, she still had a filial duty to fulfill. She couldn't offer familial affection, so she could only send money—just like in her previous world.

There were still over three thousand five hundred yuan left in Lin Meng's bank account. It was two weeks until her next paycheck, and she had rent due this week.

Because she was so broke, she'd considered that necklace from Yun Huaizhu—but only a tiny bit. After all, the thing was too valuable. If Yun Huaizhu ever changed her mind and wanted it back, Lin Meng wouldn't be able to repay it even if she sold herself.

Forget it. After rent, she'd have five hundred left. Cut down on transport, eat less—she should be able to scrape through the week.

......

The address Yun Huaizhu gave Lin Meng was a large flat in the city center. Lin Meng knew this complex—surrounded by bustling commercial streets, over a hundred thousand per square meter. She couldn't afford it even if she worked another five hundred years.

Every time Lin Meng met Yun Huaizhu, she marveled: her idea of "almost bankrupt" and Yun Huaizhu's family's "almost bankrupt" were clearly not the same thing. Because even on the verge of bankruptcy, Yun Huaizhu still lived in a place this big and drove luxury cars.

At four in the afternoon on Saturday, the bus was fairly empty. Lin Meng got off at her stop and walked straight into the complex, but there was a security gate. She messaged Yun Huaizhu on her phone.

Moments later, a poised middle-aged woman in her forties, dressed elegantly with a calm, steady demeanor, appeared before her. "You must be Miss Huaizhu's guest?"

Lin Meng nodded slightly. "Yes..."

Seeing her keep her head down, the woman gave her a gentle smile. "Don't be nervous. My surname is Wang; I'm Miss Huaizhu's housekeeper. You can call me Aunt Fang."

Lin Meng quickly said, "Hello, Aunt Fang."

Aunt Fang led Lin Meng into the elevator. Lin Meng looked around curiously—this might be her only chance in this lifetime to come here, so of course she had to take it all in.

The prosperity of Jing City's commercial district was no exaggeration. But every day after work, Lin Meng was exhausted. Even when she wasn't tired, she'd go find something to eat or drink, or scroll through photos of pretty girls on her phone to relax.

A dazzling night view of neon lights like this—she was seeing it for the first time.

Soon, Aunt Fang led her into Yun Huaizhu's home. What caught Lin Meng's eye was the entire wall of floor-to-ceiling tempered glass windows in the main hall—the perfect spot to take in the night view.

Aunt Fang asked what she'd like to drink. Lin Meng wasn't picky; she said plain water was fine, then sat down on the leather sofa facing the night scenery.

Aunt Fang brought her a glass of water and said respectfully, "Please wait a moment. Miss is still changing. She'll be here shortly."

Lin Meng quickly waved her hand. "It's fine, it's fine. No rush."

Aunt Fang smiled and nodded before leaving.

Once the vast living room was empty, Lin Meng let out a slight sigh of relief. Then she began nervously biting her finger again—Yun Huaizhu had said that as long as she satisfied her this time, she'd destroy the "evidence."

Honestly, coming to see Yun Huaizhu this time felt like being a thief. Logically, Yun Huaizhu's heat should be spent with Su Yutang.

But she could sense that Yun Huaizhu really didn't like Su Yutang right now... though that wasn't Yun Huaizhu's fault. If she put herself in Yun Huaizhu's shoes, she wouldn't like the current Su Yutang either, with her violent tendencies.

What should she say to Yun Huaizhu when they meet? Maybe first suggest she learn taekwondo or Muay Thai—at the very least, she should be able to protect herself when facing Su Yutang.

No, wait... if that happened, wouldn't the two of them start fighting the moment they met? Then could they still end up sweet and loving together?

Just as Lin Meng was agonizing over this, her phone buzzed. It was already six in the evening. Apart from her boss who made her work overtime on weekends, the only person who'd message her at this hour was that one person.

She opened her phone and, sure enough, saw a message from "Scumbag Su": [Where are you right now?]

Lin Meng nearly dropped her phone at this interrogation.

What should she do—did Su Yutang find out she was meeting Yun Huaizhu at night? Maybe she should just run now?

But Yun Huaizhu still held the evidence of her crime.

Lin Meng's heart felt like it was being wrung out. Her hands trembling slightly, she typed: [I'm at home.]

Not long after she sent it, the reply came: [Alright, get ready. I'm coming to pick you up.]

Lin Meng: "??"

[No no, don't come!]

Scumbag Su: [Why? I'm treating you to dinner, you know. You think everyone gets this honor?]

Lin Meng typed frantically: [My place is a mess, and I haven't washed my hair. I'm all dirty.]

Su Yutang was amused by this message: [It's fine, go wash first. I'm not in a hurry. Is an hour enough? If you don't have a change of clothes, send me your measurements and I'll buy you an outfit.]

Lin Meng's heart dropped to rock bottom.

How was she supposed to placate Yun Huaizhu and rush back to deal with Su Yutang within an hour?

Just as she was panicking, unsure what to do, a figure in a white bathrobe suddenly appeared from around the staircase corner. Her footsteps were as silent as ever.

"Who are you chatting with?"

At the sound of that familiar voice, Lin Meng's phone clattered to the floor. She froze for a moment, then turned her head and saw Yun Huaizhu's fair, delicate face.

Lin Meng's breath caught. Then, like a child caught misbehaving, she scrambled to pick up her phone and pressed the power button.

Never mind for now—she'd deal with Su Yutang after handling Yun Huaizhu.

Lin Meng pretended to be casual as she slipped the phone into her bag. "N-nothing."

Though she was trying hard to hide it, Yun Huaizhu still caught the guilt in her eyes. Yun Huaizhu circled around the sofa and sat down beside her.

As she walked over, her long, shapely legs peeked out from beneath the bathrobe. Lin Meng had never seen beauty like this on her phone.

Though Yun Huaizhu's legs were lovely, Lin Meng's mind was strung taut. When Yun Huaizhu leaned toward her, she scooted away.

Seeing this, Yun Huaizhu stood up with a helpless look and strode over to stand in front of Lin Meng. Lin Meng had nearly reached the edge of the sofa. When Yun Huaizhu's shadow fell over her, she realized she had nowhere left to retreat.

"Um, I'm a beta..."

Lin Meng muttered under her breath, but before she could finish, the other woman lifted a leg and straddled her. Lin Meng's eyes flew wide open.

Seeing her so frightened she couldn't even make a sound, Yun Huaizhu laughed. "I know. It's precisely because I know you're a beta that I called you here."

Lin Meng didn't know where to look. Yun Huaizhu's bathrobe was loose and carelessly tied; the slightest movement would reveal glimpses of the beautiful flesh Lin Meng had long fantasized about.

But this was wrong. Just because she liked to look didn't mean she wanted to be the other woman.

A stunning beauty like Yun Huaizhu—being allowed to hold her would be enough. Anything else, she wouldn't even dare imagine.

Of course, if Yun Huaizhu and her official partner were making love, Lin Meng could watch for a whole study session.

When Lin Meng came back to her senses, Yun Huaizhu had already gripped her chin and tilted her face up. "Am I that frightening? You won't even look at me. Where's the courage you had when you were a sasaeng fan?"

Lin Meng slowly raised her hand to pull Yun Huaizhu's fingers away from her chin, but she tried once... and couldn't move them. Yun Huaizhu's grip only tightened.

Yun Huaizhu was like a bewitching fox spirit, baring her pale neck. If she pulled the robe down any further, her entire shoulder would slip out.

Lin Meng could feel the heat radiating from her body, just like the day of her first differentiation.

Though Lin Meng loved beauty, rationality snapped her back to her senses. She pushed with both hands and shoved Yun Huaizhu, who was practically pressed against her, away.

Yun Huaizhu hadn't expected Lin Meng to push her. She stumbled, lost her balance, and fell backward. Though Lin Meng wouldn't covet another's wife, she didn't want to see Yun Huaizhu get hurt either. Quick as a flash, she caught her.

Yun Huaizhu crashed straight into her arms. Their current position was even more reckless than before.

Yun Huaizhu's hand had somehow ended up gripping Lin Meng somewhere—Lin Meng didn't dare move at all. Yun Huaizhu was a delicate omega; Lin Meng was afraid she might accidentally hurt her again, so she simply let her arms hang down and played dead.

Yun Huaizhu resumed her earlier position on Lin Meng's lap. Her slender arms wrapped around Lin Meng's neck, and she leaned close to Lin Meng's ear, whispering softly: "You should've said so earlier. So this is the kind of play you like. If you want, I can blindfold you and let you chase me. My heat lasts several days anyway—we can play as long as we want."

Her warm breath carried the scent of a recent bath, making Lin Meng's heart itch. But she restrained herself with all her might; apart from her increasingly red ears, not a trace of arousal showed on her face.

Just as Yun Huaizhu's eyes turned tender and she reached to cup Lin Meng's face for a kiss, Lin Meng turned her head away. Like a startled animal, she finally couldn't bear it anymore and pushed Yun Huaizhu off.

Of course, she pushed Yun Huaizhu in a safe direction—and sent herself tumbling off the sofa, landing hard on the floor.

Yun Huaizhu's gaze was no longer gentle.

She didn't understand. A sasaeng fan should anticipate this moment more than anyone. To be able to spend a night with your idol—that was a dream come true for countless people. This person's wish was about to be fulfilled, yet now she played hard to get.

Lin Meng scrambled up from the floor as if terrified and ran to a corner far from Yun Huaizhu. She decided to just say everything: "Miss Yun, I am your fan, yes. The reason I started following you was because I was moved by your kind and beautiful character. But... I'm a beta. I don't have what it takes to soothe you. I want you to live well, so please—take an inhibitor and let me go!"

Everything she said was true, except she'd gotten one thing backward: she'd fallen in love with Yun Huaizhu's face first, and only then learned of her beautiful character.

Hearing this, the gloomy frustration that had just accumulated in Yun Huaizhu's heart suddenly dissipated.

She stared in disbelief at the trembling little lamb cowering in the corner as if badly frightened—so I'm this noble in her eyes? She gave me a listening device only because she wanted to hear that I'm doing well, with no sordid intentions at all.

With that thought, everything before made sense.

Like how this person had found her mid-differentiation and completely defenseless, yet still held onto her principles—even taking her to a hotel and caring for her diligently.

And in all the time since they'd known each other, most of the messages this person sent were about protecting her.

Though their meeting couldn't be said to be free of calculation, actions matter more than intentions. Lin Meng had never once said a word coveting her body.

Lin Meng saw Yun Huaizhu fall silent, even a hint of a frown and unshed tears appearing on her face, and knew her earlier words had been inappropriate.

After all, someone as beautiful as Yun Huaizhu, an S-rank omega—where would she ever have been rejected? Back when she had millions of fans, flowers and applause followed her everywhere. Tonight she must feel terribly disappointed.

But there was no help for it. Lin Meng could only refuse.

Just then, as if struck by inspiration, she blurted out: "Um... Miss Yun, you could also find an S-rank alpha to help you through your heat, right? I remember Miss Su is an S-rank alpha. If you're not comfortable, I can help connect you two—"

Before she could finish, Yun Huaizhu appeared before her, face dark and murderous, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

The rest of Lin Meng's words lodged in her throat. She couldn't get them out no matter how she tried.

She had a premonition that if she continued, Yun Huaizhu might strangle her.

Because Yun Huaizhu, as if driven to fury, clamped a hand over her mouth.

Seeing Lin Meng's face turning red, Yun Huaizhu moved her hand down and pinched Lin Meng's cheeks hard, rendering her briefly speechless. "Perhaps you misunderstood something before. Let me say this plainly: I hate alphas. I hate them so much that if an alpha ever touches me, I will hack that person to pieces. Do you understand?"

Lin Meng was terrified by her expression. She nodded dumbly.

She understood. Because right now Yun Huaizhu looked like she wanted to kill not just alphas, but her too.

Yun Huaizhu's pupils were a beautiful glassy amber, but in Lin Meng's vision they seemed to keep expanding, as if about to devour her whole.

Yun Huaizhu pressed her forehead almost against Lin Meng's. "And I don't want anyone finding out I'm an omega. The thing I hate most in life is betrayal. If you dare betray me, I'll make you understand what it means to wish you were dead. Don't think that just because you live in a stable society, you can run to the police and that'll be the end of it. My vengefulness runs deep. As long as I'm alive, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth."

If Lin Meng had merely been too frightened to move before, now she was scared to tears by Yun Huaizhu's words. Cool tears slid from her eyes and dripped onto Yun Huaizhu's defined knuckles.

She nodded desperately, her words tumbling out incoherently: "Mm... mm-hmm, I know, I won't say anything... I won't tell anyone."

Only when Yun Huaizhu felt the wetness slide across the back of her hand did she realize Lin Meng was crying. As if guilty, she quickly let go.

Her tone turned slow and gentle again. "I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just giving you a warning in advance. I actually... don't hate you. That's why I'm willing to accept you during my heat, coming to me when I'm at my most sensitive and vulnerable."

Lin Meng was still shaken, but hearing these words, she felt that Yun Huaizhu was still the gentle Yun Huaizhu.

Yun Huaizhu was just too afraid of Su Yutang finding out she was an omega. After all, Su Yutang was an S-rank alpha—as long as Su Yutang deliberately wanted to torment Yun Huaizhu, Yun Huaizhu would never know peace.

Being an omega brought Yun Huaizhu no benefits whatsoever.

Lin Meng had her own fears too, so she understood the feeling well. She choked back a sob, reached up to wipe the tears from her face. "I'm sorry... I was overstepping. I swear I won't tell anyone. But... I also can't do anything improper to you."

Hearing this, Yun Huaizhu stepped forward and grasped her still-trembling hand. She could feel the coldness in Lin Meng's fingertips after the fright.

Without hesitation, she placed Lin Meng's hand against her chest, trying to warm it. "Not improper. Not improper at all. Try to smell it—can you detect my scent?"

During her heat, Yun Huaizhu's body temperature was scorching. The sudden warmth made Lin Meng's cold hand ache and tingle, but she didn't pay much attention to that right now.

She sniffed the sweet fragrance in the air and answered earnestly: "It's the scent of camellias."

As for which brand of body wash, she couldn't tell.

Yun Huaizhu's expression darkened for a moment at her answer, but she quickly restored her smile. She reached out and pulled the still-chilly Lin Meng into her embrace, gently pressing Lin Meng's head so she could smell the scent that should be on her body. "My pheromone is night jasmine. Remember that."

Lin Meng knew Yun Huaizhu was only hugging her, so she didn't resist much, instead obediently nodding in Yun Huaizhu's arms.

In truth, Yun Huaizhu knew perfectly well that the beta in her arms couldn't smell her pheromones at all. But what could she do?

She wanted Lin Meng to smell them. If only Lin Meng could smell her pheromones—then perhaps she could mark Lin Meng. Then this timid little lamb would surely stop refusing her, driven by the most primal, pure desire.

......

At seven-thirty in the evening, Su Yutang drove her flashiest McLaren out of the garage to pick up Lin Meng.

As for Lin Meng's address, she'd found it from the questionnaire Lin Meng filled out when she was discharged from the hospital.

But even without that questionnaire, she'd have found where Lin Meng lived sooner or later.

After all, Lin Meng had known her true identity the moment they met. If this person had no one behind her, Su Yutang wouldn't believe it for a second.

But after investigating, this person truly had no one behind her. The company she worked for wasn't even one Su Yutang had heard of in Jing City, let alone a deliberate setup to get close to her for some purpose.

Su Yutang thought: her identity must have been told to that person by Yun Huaizhu. Damn Yun Huaizhu—she'd blab about even this.

Fortunately, Lin Meng had no ulterior motives. Otherwise, she'd settle scores with both of them.

Lin Meng rented a place in an old residential complex—the kind of ancient relic from who-knows-how-many years ago. The roads were narrow and winding; it took Su Yutang considerable effort to drive to the entrance of Lin Meng's complex.

She'd messaged Lin Meng from the car, but the dozen or so messages she sent after all went unanswered.

Normally, Lin Meng replied to her messages within seconds. But this time, over half an hour had passed since her first message, and the person still hadn't responded.

She'd gotten bold!

As time dragged on, the pedestrians on the street grew fewer. Only the occasional passerby would pause at the luxury car parked outside the old complex and marvel.

"Wow! What a cool sports car—first time I've ever seen one!"

"Looks so expensive. When did our complex get such rich people!"

What Su Yutang couldn't stand most was being gawked at like a monkey. Finally unable to bear it, she got out and walked toward the complex on foot.

The building numbers in this rundown complex weren't even in normal order. It took Su Yutang another twenty minutes just to find Lin Meng's home. When she finally found the address, she knocked on the security door with suppressed anger.

Knock, knock, knock—

Once, twice... several times in a row. No sound came from inside.

Su Yutang restrained the urge to smash the door down. She pulled out her phone again and messaged Lin Meng: [Didn't you say you were home? I'm at your door right now. Open up!]

She sent the message and waited two minutes. Still no movement from inside. The last thread of her rationality snapped.

Su Yutang pounded on the door, nearly beside herself with rage. "Lin Meng! I'm right outside your door. I'll count to three. If you don't open this door, I'm breaking it down!"

"One!"

"Two!"

Before she could say the last number, a sharp-featured little old woman with graying hair emerged from the neighboring unit. "Bang, bang, bang! What the hell are you banging for? You little brat, I'm an old woman with bad ears and you woke me up! Stop knocking—there's no one in there. She went out this afternoon."

Su Yutang's brow twitched violently at the news that Lin Meng had gone out long ago. She stepped forward, tamping down her temper, and asked the old woman: "The person living here is Lin Meng, right? You're sure she went out this afternoon? What time?"

The old woman eyed the fashionable, good-looking woman sidelong. "Yes, I may be old but I'm not blind or senile. She left at four."

Hearing this, Su Yutang felt like her entire body had been set ablaze with fury. She let out a strange, almost hysterical laugh. "Good... good. Lying to me, huh? Clearly not home, but telling me you're home taking a shower!"

Su Yutang muttered to herself as she descended the stairs, filled with boundless resentment. "Fuck! How many people beg for my attention and I don't even glance at them!"

How many people would give anything to lick her shoes? Today she'd personally come to take this ordinary beta—who wouldn't stand out in a crowd—out to dinner, and not only did the beta lie to her, she ignored her messages.

Utter humiliation. Truly utter humiliation!

Su Yutang pulled out her phone as she walked and dialed a number: "Find out where that Lin Meng went today. Report everything to me in detail, and be quick about it!"

"Yes, Eldest Miss."

After the call, Su Yutang finally seemed to lose control. She smashed her phone violently onto the ground.

To make matters worse, just as she was about to drive back, she discovered a parking ticket stuck to the window of her beloved sports car.

Su Yutang ripped the ticket off, crumpled it furiously into a ball, threw it to the ground, and ground it under her heel. "Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!!"

TL Note:

sasaeng fan (私生) = obsessive stalker fan who invades a celebrity's privacy; originally a Korean term.