Zhang Zeyun’s gaze roamed up and down the Alpha leaning against the main door. Shortly after returning home yesterday, she had received a message telling her to come to this place at nine o’clock today.
The message wasn’t signed, and it self-destructed the moment she finished reading it.
At that moment, Zhang Zeyun’s heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Ever since being inexplicably dumped by Qin Guanyu, her life had been uneventful, with nothing happening that she couldn’t comprehend.
The achievements that others marveled at and praised were, in reality, all within her expectations.
She had always been a person who knew exactly what she was doing.
Take, for instance, the matter of deliberately provoking Cheng Ying. From the very beginning, her target had never been Cheng Ying herself.
If a person truly cared about their own reputation, they would never have allowed it to become so tarnished.
She had originally planned to carefully observe Cheng Ying through the trouble stirred up by those two unreliable guests, hoping to find some clue to another side of her during the filming of the show.
It was a long shot, with a high probability of yielding nothing.
But on the way to Little Little Farm, Zhang Zeyun thought of a faster, more effective method.
She saw in Cheng Ying’s eyes, as she held Jiang Hanguang, how much she cared for her.
Jiang Hanguang was Cheng Ying’s weak spot. By attacking it, even if she couldn’t expose Cheng Ying, she could at least infuriate her.
As for the consequences of angering her, Zhang Zeyun figured they would be severe.
The woman who could take Qin Guanyu away without leaving a single trace could probably also destroy everything she owned without any trouble.
But she didn’t care. Even if she truly ended up with nothing again, as long as she could see Qin Guanyu, it would be worth it—even if they descended into hell together.
So after receiving the message, she hadn’t slept all night, and had come to this place alone early the next morning.
But she had never expected to see Qin Guanyu so suddenly.
Before she even had time to feel puzzled, she saw the other woman trying to flee in a panic.
And so, that trivial bit of confusion transformed entirely into fury.
You’re the one who cast me aside without a single reason. I went to such great lengths to find you, and you’re still trying to run away?
Zhang Zeyun let out a cold laugh. “I didn’t expect you to still remember my name, Sister. I’m truly flattered.”
Qin Guanyu pressed herself against the solid door, her mind—capable of making multiple decisions within an hour—now a complete blank.
Escape was impossible. She knew Cheng Ying’s methods; if she wanted to, she could lock anyone up anywhere until the end of time.
But she couldn’t face Zhang Zeyun, either. She knew how much she had wronged the other woman, and besides… she still loved her.
As Zhang Zeyun’s bitingly sarcastic words struck her, Qin Guanyu couldn’t summon even a shred of anger.
All she felt was a profound heartache and guilt.
Zhang Zeyun had never spoken to her like this before. Of course, they had argued, and there were even times when she had made the other woman angry.
But even at her most furious, Zhang Zeyun would never resort to cruel words.
At most, after being placated, she would give her a playful, coquettish bite and say, “If you make me angry again, it won’t be this gentle.”
Despite her words, Zhang Zeyun had never actually bitten her hard enough to cause pain.
This woman, two years her junior, had always been the more tolerant one in their relationship.
Qin Guanyu closed her eyes. There was nothing she could say.
She couldn’t mention Cheng Ying, and as for her story with Zhang Zeyun, there was nothing worth telling.
It was simply the story of a scumbag who toyed with someone’s affections and then abandoned them without reason. The fact that Zhang Zeyun hadn’t slapped her across the face by now was a testament to her restraint.
Looking at the Alpha before her, eyes shut tight, Zhang Zeyun felt a profound sense of powerlessness for the first time. And for the first time, she began to wonder if she had been too obsessive.
For years, she had tried to see Qin Guanyu, failing time and again, until she was finally forced to take the desperate risk of provoking Cheng Ying.
The other woman was avoiding her. In her heart, Zhang Zeyun knew this was the correct conclusion, but it couldn’t compare to the pain of witnessing Qin Guanyu’s rejection with her own eyes.
Perhaps she should have given up long ago. It would have been a release for both her and Qin Guanyu.
But, but…
Zhang Zeyun gazed at Qin Guanyu’s face. The face that had disturbed her dreams countless times was now covered in overly formal makeup, making her look somewhat old. The crease between her brows was deeper; she probably still had the habit of frowning.
If it could be abandoned so easily, an obsession wouldn’t be called an obsession.
Since you won’t talk, let’s see what your body has to say.
Let’s see if it misses me the way I crave you.
In a flash of malice, by the time Zhang Zeyun realized what she was doing, the rich scent of red wine pheromones had already enveloped them both.
Qin Guanyu’s tightly shut eyes snapped open, and she stared at her in shock. “Zeyun, you…”
So you’re finally willing to talk?
Zhang Zeyun gave a reckless, all-or-nothing smile, strode forward, grabbed the Alpha by the collar, and kissed her fiercely.
Before Qin Guanyu could react, her lips were bitten hard.
The bite was harsh. She instinctively opened her mouth in pain, and the Omega’s tongue plunged inside without a care.
It carried the faint taste of blood, along with Zhang Zeyun’s anger, powerlessness, and years of unrequited longing.
Qin Guanyu had missed this red wine-flavored kiss so much that her reason fled. Her hands moved almost instinctively to support Zhang Zeyun’s waist, and her tongue tangled in response.
They were far too familiar with each other, and bodies that had been deprived for years were even less able to withstand such torment than they had been in their days of tender passion.
Both had long forgotten the kissing techniques they once practiced, now like two beasts tearing at each other, just fiercely devouring each other’s lips.
The slight feeling of suffocation didn’t make them stop; it only ignited a deeper desire to conquer.
Break her. Devour her.
Another, more intense aroma of liquor escaped uncontrollably from Qin Guanyu’s body, seeping into the originally bittersweet, mellow red wine pheromones and cloaking them in a layer of fierce intensity.
Qin Guanyu was pulled along by Zhang Zeyun, stumbling into the house until they both collapsed onto the soft sofa in the living room.
Her last shred of reason had her desperately suppressing her pheromones. As a result, this office-bound, out-of-shape Alpha was unsurprisingly losing the battle.
The living room had a huge floor-to-ceiling window, and the sunlight was perfect. Zhang Zeyun released Qin Guanyu’s lips.
The sunlight on her eyes brought Qin Guanyu back to her senses. She frantically grabbed Zhang Zeyun’s hand as it tore at her collar.
“Ze-Zeyun, calm down.”
“Calm down?” Zhang Zeyun looked as if she’d heard a terrible joke, a sarcastic smile twisting her lips.
Qin Guanyu’s blood smeared across her lips, giving her an inexplicably bewitching look.
At this moment, she finally shed her pretense of decorum, exposing the scarred heart within.
“Sister,” she said, tears mixing with her laughter as they fell, “I’ve been going mad for seven years. What’s there to be calm about?”
She tugged hard, and Qin Guanyu’s expensive silk shirt, unable to withstand the abuse, ripped open. Buttons scattered silently onto the thick carpet.
Just like Qin Guanyu herself.
“When we leave this place, President Qin can feel free to sue me for assault. I’ll be waiting to go to prison.” Zhang Zeyun bit down on Qin Guanyu’s neck again.
“Hiss!” Qin Guanyu cried out in pain, only to break out in a cold sweat as the Omega immediately followed the bite with a soothing lick.
She had to grit her teeth. The only thing she could think to say was, “The window…”
Zhang Zeyun seemed quite pleased that she wasn’t continuing to resist. She stopped biting her and, while continuing to kiss her unapologetically, answered her question with a mischievous tone. “Don’t worry, Sister. A villa like this comes standard with one-way glass. Unless the owner enjoys being watched, no one can see us.”
Noticing something, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Qin Guanyu with a teasing smile. “Aren’t you enjoying this?”
Qin Guanyu wanted to die. She was no saint and had been living an abstinent life for years.
Given what Zhang Zeyun was doing, if she showed no reaction at all, she’d probably be broken.
Zhang Zeyun asked again in a teasing tone, “You haven’t been with anyone all these years, have you?”
Qin Guanyu still couldn’t answer. To say yes would be to admit she still harbored old feelings, which would inevitably lead to the question of why she had broken up with her.
To say no, and she might genuinely be broken by Zhang Zeyun on the spot.
So she could only keep her mouth shut, maintaining a stance of neither rejection nor encouragement, and let Zhang Zeyun do as she pleased.
Zhang Zeyun didn’t get the answer she wanted, but she didn’t get the worst one, either.
She paused, letting Qin Guanyu off the hook for the moment.
Compared to this emotional debt that might never be settled, there were more important things to do right now.
She missed Qin Guanyu terribly, too, and didn’t want to waste any more time.
No further preparation was needed. Everything fell into place naturally.
Like a sword, lost for a long time, finally returning to the embrace of its sheath.
Zhang Zeyun hardly needed to look at the Alpha’s expression. Acting on instinct alone was more than enough to pleasure Qin Guanyu.
After all, they were far too familiar with each other.
In truth, Zhang Zeyun wasn’t faring much better than Qin Guanyu. The only thing keeping her going was the anger that fueled her desire to torment the other woman.
She blinked, shaking the sweat from her eyelashes so she could get a better look at Qin Guanyu.
The Alpha’s face was flushed and covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
No makeup, no matter how expensive, could withstand such an ordeal.
At this moment, the inviolable facade Qin Guanyu had constructed was finally and violently stripped away by Zhang Zeyun, revealing the familiar face underneath.
But she still kept her eyes tightly shut, stifling her sounds and trying to maintain an unwilling facade.
The anger in Zhang Zeyun’s heart flared up again. She wanted to bite Qin Guanyu once more but was afraid of truly breaking her—after all, she planned to “use” her again in the future.
So she smiled and leaned close to Qin Guanyu’s ear. “It seems you missed me too, Sister. Since we can’t be lovers, how about we just keep things physical from now on?”
“Don’t say that…” Qin Guanyu’s voice trembled, her heart aching fiercely.
She could take any of Zhang Zeyun’s curses, but she couldn’t bear to be mocked by her in this tone.
Every word was a reminder of what she had turned the person she deeply loved into.
Zhang Zeyun smiled, tormenting her. “Then what should I say? That we start over?”
“Ngh!” The sudden assault made Qin Guanyu’s body tense up.
Zhang Zeyun frowned and bit her ear in dissatisfaction. “So you really haven’t been with anyone? Or are you just getting old?”
Qin Guanyu: “…”
Why couldn’t she answer a single one of Zhang Zeyun’s questions today?
Fortunately, the other woman didn’t seem to expect an answer.
“It’s all right. We have plenty of time. Let’s take it slow, Sister.”
The Omega placed a light kiss on her lips, and with that one breezy declaration, sealed her fate for the next three days.
The only thing Qin Guanyu could do was pray that when the time came, she would still have the strength to walk out on her own two feet.
Cheng Ying couldn’t care less about the joyous yet painful three days her duped subordinate was about to endure. Woken by the vibration of her phone, she grumbled and snuggled into something soft, her brow furrowed.
She had been having a wonderful dream, surrounded by huge clouds of cotton candy. She was happily munching on a piece when the noise woke her up.
The cotton candy seemed to have been disturbed by the annoying ringtone as well, as it trembled.
Cheng Ying opened her eyes and picked up her phone. “Hello?”
Cheng Liang’s voice came through the phone. “Come to the company now.”
Before she could react, he hung up, leaving the dial tone buzzing in her ear.
Cheng Ying: “…”
There were always a few days each month when she wanted to twist that guy’s head off and kick it like a ball.
“Xiao Ying…” The person sleeping beside her murmured drowsily. Cheng Ying turned her head and immediately understood what she had been “eating” in her dream.
There was a conspicuous wet patch on the chest of Jiang Hanguang’s plaid pajamas.
The guilty culprit immediately patted the victim’s shoulder gently and said softly, “Something came up at the company, I have to go. There’s breakfast in the kitchen.”
Jiang Hanguang, likely not yet fully rested, mumbled with her eyes still closed, “Okay. You eat breakfast, too.”
Cheng Ying’s heart melted at her soft, sweet voice. She leaned down and kissed the Omega’s cheek. “Got it.”
Then, with the secret delight of someone who’d gotten away with mischief, she got out of bed, changed, and left.
In the president’s office of Cheng’s Group, a refreshed-looking Cheng Liang toyed with a pen, smiling as he spoke into the phone. “You’re too kind, President Feng. It was no trouble at all.”
After hanging up, his gaze fell upon a script on his desk. Three large characters on the white cover were particularly conspicuous.
《Return》.
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