Chapter 40

That night, Ji Kailan was extraordinarily gentle.

...

Su Louzhi watched Ji Kailan, who lay beside her with his eyes closed, holding her in his arms. Her lips curved into a soft smile as she traced the lines of his sleeping face. She remembered everything that had happened yesterday clearly, and now that her mind was clear, she understood. Ji Kailan's cold expression yesterday had merely been a lesson—a way to teach her not to be so reckless, not to disregard her own safety like that. But at the time, the drug had robbed her of her ability to think. All she could do was wallow in the bitter thought that he wasn't being as gentle as before, and wonder if that meant he didn't want her anymore. And so she had cried, miserable and hurt.

But Ji Kailan had wrapped her in his arms the instant her tears fell, comforting her without hesitation.

A little swell of pride rose in Su Louzhi's chest. Ji Kailan was still the same as always—utterly doting on her, setting aside his principles to soothe her the moment she cried.

Feeling the depth of his unconditional favoritism, her smile widened until the corners of her eyes crinkled.

Ji Kailan opened his eyes to the sight of her beaming, her eyes crescent-shaped and her lips curved upward. He couldn't help but smile in return. Waking up to such a beautiful scene was enough to make anyone's day start on a bright note. His voice was still low and raspy from sleep as he asked, "Zhizhi, what's got you so happy this early?"

Su Louzhi looked at him with sparkling eyes, reached out, and gently traced two characters on his bare chest: *Like you.*

Ji Kailan felt the strokes on his skin, and the smile in his eyes deepened. He pressed further, his voice still husky: "Does Zhizhi like me, or does Zhizhi like what we did last night?"

Su Louzhi's cheeks flushed, but she still traced her answer firmly across his chest: *Both.*

...

Ji Kailan let out a light chuckle. "Then I'll work from home today." He leaned over and kissed the corner of her lips. "Once I'm done here, I'll have Assistant Xue send all the work to my email. That way, I won't miss a thing."

Su Louzhi internally rolled her eyes at his reasoning, but seeing that he'd already made up his mind, she just let him have his way.

By the time Ji Kailan finally settled down, it was close to noon. Su Louzhi had been pulled into his rhythm the moment she woke, without even a bite of breakfast, and she was famished. Fortunately, Ji Kailan had taken a break earlier to order lunch from Huafu Restaurant, and the delivery arrived right as he finished. After a brief rest and a shower, Su Louzhi was ready to eat.

The two of them finished their meal, and neither felt like taking a nap. Ji Kailan led Su Louzhi into his study to handle his work.

Before long, the doorbell rang. Su Louzhi looked at Ji Kailan, puzzled.

Ji Kailan smiled lightly. "Probably that thing I ordered for Zhizhi."

Su Louzhi was even more confused. What thing could she possibly have?

Ji Kailan went to answer the door and quickly returned to the study with two small boxes. Su Louzhi looked at the two jewelry-box-like containers and suddenly remembered the suppressant patch she'd mentioned to Ji Kailan yesterday. But didn't she only need one? Why were there two? Did he want her to switch between them?

Ji Kailan sat back down in the study's executive chair and opened both boxes. "Zhizhi," he said, taking out the contents, "this one's a necklace, and this one's a bracelet. Wear them together."

Su Louzhi looked at the two pieces of jewelry with pleasant surprise. She had expected that even if the suppressant patch was made into jewelry, it would have to be bulky to serve its purpose of blocking scent, making it hard for it to be delicate. But the necklace and bracelet Ji Kailan had given her were both so exquisitely small that she fell in love with them at first sight. As for why there were two, she figured maybe it was because Ji Kailan, being an enigma, had such a powerful scent that he'd bought two to be safe.

Ji Kailan helped her put on the necklace first, then picked up the bracelet and fastened it around her wrist. "Zhizhi, this necklace is the suppressant patch. Wearing it will significantly reduce your scent." After securing the bracelet, he couldn't resist lifting her hand to admire it, speaking in a casual tone: "And this bracelet here is a tracker, so I can see where Zhizhi is at all times."

Su Louzhi's eyes widened in disbelief, staring at him.

"So what I want to tell Zhizhi is," Ji Kailan raised his eyes to meet her gaze, speaking seriously, "you can take off the necklace, but don't take off the bracelet, okay?"

Su Louzhi was momentarily stunned. It wasn't that she objected to the tracker—after all they'd been through, she'd grown somewhat accustomed to Ji Kailan's ways. What really surprised her was how direct he was being this time. Was he no longer trying to hide it?

She looked at his calm, unbothered expression, as if he simply expected she wouldn't refuse him, and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Fine. She wouldn't waste energy arguing with him over this.

She was more concerned about something else. What had happened with the spiked orange juice yesterday? She picked up her phone and typed: [Do we have any leads on what happened to me yesterday?]

Ji Kailan read the message, and a flicker of murderous intent passed through his eyes so fast it was gone in an instant. He suppressed it, returning to the gentle demeanor he always showed Su Louzhi, and spoke softly with a smile: "Last night, the manager at Heavenly Land had already figured out what happened and reported it to the owner. It's blown up quite a bit. You were drugged, and so was Qin Qingyan."

Su Louzhi's heart jolted. Qin Qingyan was drugged too? Wasn't she the one who drank the orange juice in her place? She quickly typed: [How did Qingyan end up drugged too?]

Ji Kailan said flatly, "I'm not entirely sure. Helian Cheng sent a message saying Qin Qingyan drank the spiked drink right in front of her father."

Su Louzhi froze, then immediately called out to the System in her mind: *System, has the plot already progressed? Can you tell me what exactly happened?*

The System answered succinctly: [Qin Ya coveted Qin Qingyan and set up the drugging, intending to have her way with her. Shen Boyang arrived in time and foiled the scheme, stopping Qin Ya's despicable act. But since Qin Qingyan was already drugged, Shen Boyang ended up spending the night with her.]

Su Louzhi was thunderstruck.

What?! The person who drugged her... was Qin Ya?! But isn't she a woman?!?!

Oh, right—this was an ABO world.

So that Qin Ya was a female alpha?!

How could she have forgotten! She'd seen plenty of male-female couples at the amusement park with Ji Kailan. Why hadn't she thought about this before? She really was such a fool!

What was done was done. Su Louzhi could only sigh. Qin Qingyan had ended up with Shen Boyang after all.

But... then she reconsidered. This was probably just the unavoidable pull of the original plot. The story had to develop this way; no matter what she did, she couldn't stop it. Besides, the moment she'd heard Qin Ya was the culprit, her heart had clenched in panic. But when she found out it was Shen Boyang...

Maybe it was because she had a comparison, but she actually felt that Shen Boyang wasn't so bad. At least he was a proper, upright male lead, and he seemed like a decent person.

Ji Kailan saw Su Louzhi's stunned expression and thought she was confused about why Qin Qingyan had fallen for it, despite her warning. He wanted Su Louzhi to be more vigilant and learn to protect herself better, so he tightened his arms around her, speaking gently: "Zhizhi, I know you and Qin Qingyan are close. But there are some things we shouldn't interfere with. Warning her was enough; there was no need to take the blow for her."

He tilted his head, burying his chin in Su Louzhi's hair, and his voice grew even softer: "Because in my heart, my Zhizhi is far more important than Qin Qingyan. If something happened to my Zhizhi because of this, I would be heartbroken. So, Zhizhi, you need to protect yourself better in the future."

Then, thinking of the way Su Louzhi had wept helplessly yesterday, he quickly added: "Of course, I'll always be by Zhizhi's side, watching over her and protecting her. So if Zhizhi doesn't manage to protect herself, it's fine. I'll take care of it."

Su Louzhi nodded, showing she'd taken his words to heart. She typed: [I understand. I'll protect myself. And I'll always stay by Senior Ji's side, so that he can keep an eye on me. How about that?]

Ji Kailan nodded with satisfaction, then changed the subject: "So, Zhizhi, how about we go to Helian Cheng's gathering this Saturday?"

Su Louzhi tilted her head in confusion.

Ji Kailan explained gently: "Helian Cheng is the owner behind Heavenly Land. Qin Qingyan may have been publicly exposed as not being the Qin family's biological daughter, but she's still been raised by the Qin family for years, and she's the one in Shen Boyang's heart. I know Boyang; he probably still considers her his fiancée. So Qin Qingyan's status isn't to be underestimated."

He paused. "And you, you're my beloved. The two of you being drugged at the same time is a big deal. If not handled properly, it could offend the Shen, Qin, and Ji families all at once. So when Helian Cheng learned what happened last night, he sent me a message saying he wants to host a dinner on Saturday to properly apologize."

Su Louzhi typed: [Will Qingyan and the others be there too?]

Ji Kailan glanced at the message. "Helian Cheng invited them as well. I don't know if they'll go, but knowing them, they'll agree."

Su Louzhi nodded. [Alright, I'll go too.]

Ji Kailan replied, "Good. I'll take you there the day after tomorrow."

With that settled, Ji Kailan got back to work. He'd been away from the office from yesterday afternoon through this morning, so a full day's worth of work had piled up, and he needed to catch up urgently.

Su Louzhi had far less work to do. During a break, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Qin Qingyan: [Silent Little Tail: Qingyan, I heard from Senior Ji that you were drugged too... Are you okay?]

The message went out, but it was met with silence.

Not until Ji Kailan finished his work and she was leaving with him did she still have no reply from Qin Qingyan. Su Louzhi felt a mix of worry and hesitation. She worried because it was already evening of the next day, and Qin Qingyan still hadn't responded. She hesitated because what if the message had hit a sore spot, or what if Qin Qingyan was busy investigating the incident today and her intrusion would be unwelcome?

Ji Kailan noticed her inner turmoil and asked gently: "What's wrong, Zhizhi?"

Su Louzhi frowned in concern, opened her phone, and showed him her chat history with Qin Qingyan.

Ji Kailan understood at once. He raised an eyebrow. "So Zhizhi is worried that Qin Qingyan hasn't replied, and something might have happened to her?"

Su Louzhi nodded anxiously.

Ji Kailan looked at her innocent, naive expression and couldn't help but want to laugh. But fearing that she'd get upset, he forced back the urge to laugh out loud, keeping his voice steady and gentle despite a barely contained tremor: "Zhizhi, do you remember... how long we went the first time?"

Su Louzhi froze in his arms, her face going red-hot in an instant.

—

At least, before going to bed, Qin Qingyan finally replied.

But after Ji Kailan's little hint, Su Louzhi was no longer so innocent. She couldn't help but compare internally: Why was it that her first time with Ji Kailan lasted a whole five days and five nights, while Shen Boyang could only manage one day and one night with Qin Qingyan?

Of course, she wouldn't dare ask Ji Kailan that.

She was afraid that if she asked, he would feel compelled to prove that his stamina was more than just five days and five nights. Even though she knew she wouldn't escape his clutches tonight anyway, she had figured out that Ji Kailan with stimulation and Ji Kailan without it were two completely different versions, and she'd gotten very familiar with that difference by now.

So Su Louzhi could only pin her hopes on the System. While Ji Kailan was in the shower, she hurriedly asked in her mind: *System, do you know why Ji Kailan took five days and five nights with me the first time, but the male and female leads only took one day and one night before Qin Qingyan could reply to my message?*

The System's somewhat exasperated voice sounded: [In the ABO world, not every time requires a full seven days and seven nights. If that were the case, this world wouldn't function at all. Only during heat or rut would there be a need for seven days and seven nights. Normally, it just depends on personal stamina.]

The System paused, then added: [Also, I should remind you that Ji Kailan going five days and five nights the first time was already him being considerate of you. If he ever found out you were comparing his five days and five nights to other men's, he would go mad.]

Su Louzhi fell silent. Of course, she knew that. Ever since she saw that his susceptible period cycle was seven days and that Ji Kailan had indeed regained his sanity on the seventh day, she had a rough idea. When he'd regained his wits, he was still a bit unsatisfied, but those five days and five nights had already pushed her to her limits. He must have realized she couldn't take more, and with his clarity returning, he'd stopped.

Thinking about it, Su Louzhi breathed a sigh of relief. At least his pheromone meltdown only happened once a year.

She wondered, with Ji Kailan's frequent 'training,' whether she'd be able to survive seven days and seven nights by this time next year...

She quickly snapped herself out of those thoughts before they went somewhere that would make her blush. Instead, she asked, *System, what's my next task?*

The System relayed: [During the school sports meet on April 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2027, you must sign up for the shot put event.]

Su Louzhi: ...

She asked in disbelief: *Dude, are you kidding me?*

[No, this is the task.] The System answered steadily.

Internally, Su Louzhi was losing her mind: *Dude, I'm an ordinary person! In this ABO world, my strength can't even compare to an omega's. You want me to throw a shot put? Where am I supposed to throw it? I'd probably struggle just to lift the thing!*

[Trust the System's tasks. There will be a reason for them.] The System's voice remained calm and reliable.

Su Louzhi fell silent. She couldn't help but speculate that maybe during the shot put event, something significant would happen in Qin Qingyan and Shen Boyang's relationship.

But she was still highly doubtful about whether she could even lift a shot put in this world. She was just an average person who struggled to unscrew a bottle cap.

Before long, Ji Kailan finally walked out of the shower.

Su Louzhi quickly shut down that train of thought and stopped her conversation with the System.

That night, as she'd predicted, she didn't escape Ji Kailan's clutches.

—

The days flew by, and Saturday arrived.

Today was the day Su Louzhi and Ji Kailan were meeting Helian Cheng.

She'd been counting down to this day. Since she and Qin Qingyan had been drugged, she hadn't seen Qin Qingyan at all and had no idea how she was doing. As far as she knew, Qin Qingyan and Shen Boyang probably weren't officially together yet. Having sex before they were in a relationship... Su Louzhi felt that must have been a blow for her.

But to her surprise, the dinner was still at Heavenly Land, only this time in a private room instead of the huge main hall. Inside, she saw Qin Qingyan for the first time in two days. She looked a bit worn out, but her overall energy seemed okay. Seeing that, Su Louzhi finally let out a real sigh of relief.

Helian Cheng, as the host, had arrived early and was waiting in the private room for Su Louzhi, Ji Kailan, Qin Qingyan, and Shen Boyang.

This was also Su Louzhi's first time meeting Helian Cheng. He had the look of a carefree, wild playboy, but his mannerisms were the complete opposite. When he was introduced to Su Louzhi, he was nothing short of impeccable.

After a brief introduction, Helian Cheng spoke sincerely to the two women: "Miss Su, Miss Qin, this incident was due to poor management at Heavenly Land, which allowed both of you to be harmed. I sincerely apologize."

He raised his eyes to meet Su Louzhi's and Qin Qingyan's gazes, his tone growing even more earnest: "Is there anything you two need? As long as it's within my power, I'll do my best to make it happen, as a token of my apology."

Su Louzhi thought for a moment, then shook her head. Her life was pretty satisfying right now, and there was nothing she particularly wanted. Besides, with Ji Kailan by her side, she knew he would protect her no matter what. And after what happened with the drug, Ji Kailan's... handling of her... was actually quite nice. So she had no desire to ask for any compensation.

Qin Qingyan's reaction was vastly different. She frowned, hesitating for a long time, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Helian Cheng understood. Qin Qingyan was the Qin family's fake heiress, while Qin Ya was the true blood. Yet this true heiress had attempted to defile the fake one. That was already a huge scandal. And everyone in their circle knew that Shen Boyang always carried a torch for Qin Qingyan. There was no way he would let this go easily.

Two days had passed since the incident. Although Shen Boyang had carried Qin Qingyan away and left Qin Ya in the care of Heavenly Land's manager, Helian Cheng knew his people hadn't been able to hold her. Shen Boyang had already arranged for her to be moved elsewhere.

Qin Ya had touched Shen Boyang's heartline. He was determined to take this to the end. If the Qin family sheltered her, he'd take them on too.

Helian Cheng's mind raced, and then he spoke: "Actually, I do have a little piece of insider info, and I guarantee it's true."

He looked at everyone. "This Qin Ya was originally a member of the new girl group, Lucky Girl, in the entertainment industry. People like us don't really follow celebrity gossip, so you might not know, but the group was in the middle of a contract dispute recently."

Su Louzhi's eyes widened slightly. She knew about that news! When she was studying up on socialites and celebrities, she'd seen Lucky Girl and read about their contract dispute. She leaned in, straining to hear more.

Helian Cheng went on: "One of my close friends has a company that serves as Lucky Girl's management agency. After this incident, I had someone look into Qin Ya's background. When I found out she was a member of Lucky Girl, I went and asked him about it."

A hint of complexity crept into his tone, as if recalling what his friend had told him: "My friend told me that Lucky Girl is an all-female omega girl group. During their selection process, only omegas were accepted. At the time, Qin Ya's pheromone was rose-scented, and the person in charge assumed that rose scent meant she was an omega, so she was let into the group."

"But it turned out... she was one of those subpar alphas."

Helian Cheng let out a cold laugh. "Once she got into the omega group, she started coveting the other members. Using her fake omega identity, she harassed them in all kinds of ways. At first, the other omega members thought it was just close sisters enjoying physical contact, so they went along with it, letting her get away with a lot."

"Until one time during Qin Ya's rut, she tried to assault another omega member. That member fought back violently, drawing attention, and that's when her identity as an alpha was exposed."

"Once that got out, she couldn't stay in the group, so it sparked the contract dispute."

Su Louzhi's eyes grew wider and wider as she listened. God, that was disgusting! As far as she was concerned, it was like a man disguising himself as a woman to infiltrate a girl group and take advantage of the other women under the guise of being female. It was only when he tried to cross the line that he got caught. That was despicable! And what he'd done to Qin Qingyan was just as awful! How could someone be so vile?

But Su Louzhi was also confused. What exactly did "subpar alpha" mean?

Qin Qingyan, upon hearing Helian Cheng's words, suddenly began dry heaving uncontrollably.

The four of them in the room were all taken aback.

Shen Boyang immediately gripped her hand tightly, his eyes filled with undisguisable worry, his voice trembling slightly: "Qingyan? Are you alright?"

Qin Qingyan shook her head lightly and whispered, "It's just... I didn't think that person could be so disgusting. The thought that I was touched by someone like that, I just..." She retched again, unable to finish her sentence.

Su Louzhi looked at her with concern, debating whether to stop the conversation. Qin Qingyan's reaction to Qin Ya was clearly intense.

But before she could type anything, Qin Qingyan spoke again: "Acheng, what are you trying to tell us with all this?"

Helian Cheng smiled slightly and continued: "What I'm getting at is this—the reason this whole thing never got blown wide open, especially when Qin Ya was reclaimed by the Qin family without anyone knowing the truth, is that during her time in Lucky Girl, she secretly filmed many of the members."