Jiang Hanguang received a notice from the company’s HR department early this morning, stating that her contract needed to be updated due to her change of agent. Accustomed to being an unnoticed nobody, she didn’t think much of it until a polite woman from HR led her into a luxuriously decorated private meeting room. Only then did she sense something was amiss.
Even if her current status was somewhat sensitive, updating a contract shouldn’t require an actual vice president to be present.
The meeting room, intended for private discussions, was not large. On the solid wood square table in the center sat an array of delectable dishes that served more as decoration than for actual consumption. The red wine in the glasses shimmered with an ambiguous light under the dimmable lamps.
The middle-aged male Alpha across from her had a pale and sallow complexion. His smile was gentle and refined, yet his eyes were like those of a venomous snake targeting its prey, sweeping over her entire body in an instant.
He Zhong, the head of the film and television projects department at Cheng’s Media, was considered the most powerful of the vice presidents. Previously, Jiang Hanguang’s knowledge of him was limited to his profile in the Cheng’s Media promotional brochure.
But now, Jiang Hanguang felt an unsettling, clammy sensation on every inch of skin his gaze had touched. That strange yet familiar feeling of being scrutinized like an object made every nerve in her body tense instantly.
She glanced at the door, which the woman from HR had just closed. Without sitting down, she stood just a step away from the door and offered the man a polite smile. “It’s just a contract update. Is it necessary for Boss He to come in person? I can just handle it with the HR department.”
Although her instincts were screaming for her to turn and leave, she reasoned that since He Zhong had chosen this time and place to meet her, he likely wouldn’t do anything too outrageous.
That being the case, it was best to try and leave politely.
The man didn’t take the olive branch she offered, still smiling like a weasel about to steal eggs. “Anyone can negotiate other people’s contracts, but for Miss Jiang’s, I insisted on handling it myself.”
Jiang Hanguang replied, “…You’re too kind, Boss He, but I don’t believe my status warrants a discussion with you. I won’t disturb you any longer.”
With that, she turned decisively to twist the doorknob.
“Miss Jiang, it would be best to reconsider,” he said. “I saw your performance yesterday, and it pained me. With your talent, aiming for the top tier is not out of the question, yet you’ve been overlooked until now. It’s truly a shame.”
The implication was clear: With my help, you have a chance to become a top-tier star.
Jiang Hanguang didn’t release her grip on the doorknob. She merely turned her head slightly, her face still fixed with an unshakeable smile. Neither servile nor overbearing, she said, “One’s path is one’s own to walk. Reaching this point is a natural consequence. I have no regrets, so there’s no need for Boss He to feel sorry for me.”
With that, she again moved to leave.
Seeing that enticement was ineffective, He Zhong instantly switched to intimidation. “Miss Jiang, surely you don’t believe that signing with the younger Boss Cheng means you can rest easy.”
At his sudden mention of Cheng Ying, Jiang Hanguang’s hand froze, and she stopped her movement.
Thinking he had hit a nerve, He Zhong hastily continued, “You should know this as well. The younger Boss Cheng is a boss in name only; she holds no real power. Whatever she can give you, I can give you tenfold. And what she can’t give you, I can provide as well.”
Jiang Hanguang sighed, turned back, and gave He Zhong a slight bow. “I am flattered by your high opinion, Boss He, but I am already quite content just being able to work like a normal artist. As for tenfold or a hundredfold more, I dare not be so greedy. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Seeing her determination to leave, He Zhong’s patience finally wore thin. He let out a soft, deliberate laugh. “The younger Boss Cheng can barely protect herself right now. By showing me such disrespect, Miss Jiang, aren’t you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?”
Cheng Ying?
Jiang Hanguang’s brow furrowed slightly. Perhaps Cheng Ying’s nonchalant attitude had influenced her, or maybe the wave of cheers and praise had blinded her, but she hadn’t carefully considered the consequences of the matter. Only now did she recall that Hua Ran was the great miss of Hua’s Heavy Industries. What Cheng Ying had done, intentionally or not, was to grind the heiress’s face into the dirt.
It was easy to imagine that Hua Ran would not let the matter slide.
Had Cheng Ying gotten into trouble because of her…?
Self-reproach and guilt finally managed to crack the solid mask Jiang Hanguang wore when dealing with those of ill intent, revealing a flicker of genuine emotion.
Evidently, He Zhong interpreted this as the panic of someone realizing their backer was about to fall.
A satisfied, magnanimous smile—the kind unique to conquerors and victors—spread across his face. “Now, is Miss Jiang willing to join me for breakfast?”
“…” Jiang Hanguang silently pulled out a chair and sat down.
He Zhong was a figure of real power within Cheng’s Media. If she truly offended him, it would certainly create more trouble for Cheng Ying.
He couldn’t possibly do anything to her here. All she had to do was eat the meal, agree to nothing, and then discuss the situation with Cheng Ying once she was out. That seemed like the best course of action.
Having made up her mind, Jiang Hanguang once again put on her impeccable smile. “I’m honored by your invitation, Boss He.”
He Zhong admired her as if she were a trophy, taking in Jiang Hanguang’s every move, which was so graceful and proper it seemed to have been trained a million times over.
He loved these Omegas who feigned modesty. They were like precious porcelain vases on a glass shelf—exquisite, noble, beautiful, and seemingly inviolable.
And it was for this very reason that pinning them beneath him, tearing their facades to shreds, injecting his pheromones into their bodies, and turning them into his exclusive playthings was the ultimate way to display his own nobility as an Alpha.
And even as a man who had “experienced” countless Omegas, He Zhong had to admit that Jiang Hanguang was the most beautiful one he had ever seen.
So much so that when he saw that video, he had, for the first time, felt a sense of his own inadequacy.
But that feeling was quickly followed by immense excitement and the desire to conquer.
Such a beautiful piece of porcelain would surely be even more beautiful when smashed to pieces.
Of course, first he had to confirm whether this Omega was truly, as the rumors claimed, “unused.”
Before her facade was torn away, He Zhong remained reasonably polite. Combined with Jiang Hanguang’s deliberate efforts to be agreeable, the atmosphere of this semi-coerced meal became strangely harmonious and friendly.
He Zhong repeatedly raised his glass. Jiang Hanguang refrained at first, but after He Zhong had two or three glasses himself with no ill effect, and his invitations grew more insistent, she finally relented and took a couple of sips.
The slightly astringent red wine slid down her throat, leaving a sweet and fragrant aftertaste. It was indeed a fine wine, but Jiang Hanguang tasted a hint of danger in it.
The more a person gives, the more they naturally expect in return.
He Zhong had even brought out such fine wine for her. Even if she managed to leave this time, she feared he would continue to pester her in the future.
At this thought, Jiang Hanguang felt an even greater urgency to leave.
The meal was mostly finished. Now she needed to find an opportunity to leave, and quickly.
He Zhong, however, remained oblivious to the Omega’s arrow-like desire to leave. He had been lulled by Jiang Hanguang’s feigned compliance, believing the Omega to be a sensible person who understood the way of the world.
Flushed with wine, he finally broached the main topic. “Ah, Hanguang, there’s something I’ve been curious about for a long time. There are all sorts of rumors in our circle, but I imagine you’re one of the few people who knows the real answer. I wonder if you’d be willing to satisfy my curiosity.”
A sudden sense of foreboding rose in Jiang Hanguang’s heart, but she could only say, “Please ask. If I know the answer, I will tell you the truth.”
“Ahem,” He Zhong cleared his throat, then suddenly craned his neck forward with a conspiratorial expression and lowered his voice. “I’ve heard some people say that President Feng is a naturally defective Alpha—that he’s not only incapable in… that regard, but he can’t even mark someone. Is that true?”
“…”
She looked up at He Zhong. The man’s face was flushed a strange red with anticipation, his eyes filled with a fanatical desire she could not comprehend.
She was reminded of Feng Nan’s expression when he learned it wasn’t entirely impossible for him to have an heir—the fanatical gaze, the ragged breathing, the grip as hot and inescapable as red-hot pincers.
A wave of nausea and fear rose within her, but Jiang Hanguang forced it down before it could show. She struggled to keep her smile from looking too stiff. “That is President Feng’s private business, and we are already divorced.”
“Oh, I see.” He Zhong feigned disappointment and slowly sat back. “Since Miss Jiang is unwilling to speak on it, I won’t press you. However, you must answer my next question, Miss Jiang.”
The moment he finished speaking, the phone in Jiang Hanguang’s pocket began to vibrate. Seeing Cheng Ying’s name, she felt a surge of joy, as if a savior had appeared. She answered the call and was just about to speak.
The man across from her suddenly stood, reached over, and snatched her phone, hanging up the call without a glance.
Cheng Ying, clearly sensing something was wrong, immediately called back.
He Zhong casually placed the phone face down on the table and looked at Jiang Hanguang with a grin, enunciating each word. “I want to know… has Miss Jiang ever been marked?”
Jiang Hanguang tightened her grip on her wine glass, avoiding a direct answer. “Boss He, I was in a marriage that lasted ten years.”
“It seems Miss Jiang is unwilling to answer this question either. In that case,” He Zhong’s tone suddenly hardened, “I’ll just have to see for myself.”
Before the words had even left his mouth, his pheromones erupted from him. The almost tangible scent shot forward like a sharp arrow, aimed directly at Jiang Hanguang’s face.
“Ngh!” The sudden assault caught Jiang Hanguang completely off guard. A searing pain erupted from the gland on the back of her neck. To fend off the Alpha’s attack, her rose-scented pheromones were forcibly released to neutralize He Zhong’s, protecting their master and preventing her from being forced into heat.
This was all, of course, within He Zhong’s calculations. As lecherous as he was, he wouldn’t do something like that in the company building. He merely wanted to confirm whether Jiang Hanguang possessed the “assets” that would make his continued pursuit worthwhile.
Although modern society, out of consideration for equal rights, did not officially grade Alpha and Omega pheromones, the ability to discern the strength of a rival or prey was an innate skill for every Alpha and Omega.
Generally, the pheromones of an Omega marked by an Alpha would be tinged with the marker’s scent, rendering them no longer pure.
But there were exceptions. When an Omega’s pheromone intensity far surpassed that of their marker, even a permanent mark might not be detectable in the shallow layer of their normally released scent.
Such Omegas were exceedingly rare, as it was an indisputable fact that most Omegas were physically weaker than Alphas, and the strength of an individual’s mind and body were crucial factors influencing pheromone intensity.
Nevertheless, a mark was still irreversible. To find out if one of those Omegas had been marked, one had to force them to release their deep-layer pheromones, where the marker’s trace would linger.
He Zhong closed his eyes, taking an almost ecstatic breath of the rose fragrance that now filled the room. The scent was so fragrant and pure, completely free of the trace of any Alpha’s possession.
Jiang Hanguang felt as if she had been forcibly submerged in a pool of He Zhong’s pheromones, each breath as difficult as choking on water.
She had not yet entered her heat, but her mind and body were extremely uncomfortable, agitated by the aggressive pheromones that were not her own.
At this point, she could no longer be bothered with politeness and rose to leave.
But as an Alpha, He Zhong was far less affected by the pheromones than she was, and he moved much more quickly.
Just as Jiang Hanguang’s hand landed on the doorknob, He Zhong’s hand came down over it.
Perhaps due to his excitement, the man’s palm was hot and damp. For a moment, Jiang Hanguang felt as if the back of her hand had been licked by the foul, sticky tongue of some animal.
She snatched her hand back.
He Zhong kept a firm grip on the doorknob, reined in his pheromones slightly, and smiled at her. “My apologies, I was a bit impulsive just now. But since you chose to stay, Hanguang, at least hear me out. You won’t be disappointed.”
Jiang Hanguang lowered her gaze, refusing to meet his lewd stare. Her peripheral vision caught the half-full wine glass on the table, and she suddenly wondered if she could throw it in his face and use the opportunity to escape.
But doing so would render all her prior tolerance meaningless, and He Zhong would still cause trouble for Cheng Ying…
She pressed her lips together, took two steps back, and looked He Zhong straight in the eye. “Please, say what you have to say.”
“I don’t like to play fancy games,” He Zhong said bluntly, still blocking the door. “Hanguang, if you’re willing to be with me, I can directly approve two leading roles for you in S-plus investment projects. Follow-up promotions and other projects will be arranged. I guarantee that within a year, you’ll be famous across the nation.”
Perhaps realizing she wouldn’t be able to leave today without giving him an answer, Jiang Hanguang was no longer flustered. Instead, she felt a bitter smile tug at her lips. Why did she always hear these kinds of offers? Did she really look like the type of person who would sell herself for money?
“An Omega is destined to serve an Alpha. If you learn these things well, you can marry a rich man in the future. That’s better than anything.”
“After you marry me, stop acting. The Feng family can’t afford the embarrassment. Instead of wasting your time on that, you’d be better off pleasing me. Whatever I casually give you will be more than you earn from those worthless plays.”
Everyone wore a mask of acting in her best interest, speaking different words that all carried the same underlying message.
Your efforts are worthless. Your life exists only to please others.
But all she wanted was to act in her own plays. Even if only one person in the audience enjoyed it, as long as she wasn’t hurting anyone or betraying her own principles, that was enough.
Why was that so difficult?
She closed her eyes, a chaotic reel of images playing in her mind before finally freezing on the image of Cheng Ying’s carefree smile.
“Don’t overthink it. I chose you purely because I think you’re going to be famous. A huge star.”
“I only do well when you do well. We’re in this together, you know.”
A ray of light pierced the dense black fog that had long enveloped her heart. Though it might seem insignificant, to someone who had lived in darkness for so long, it was blindingly bright and warm.
A direct refusal would undoubtedly infuriate him, but at least for now, she had Cheng Ying.
Jiang Hanguang opened her eyes and smiled. “Thank you for the generous offer, Boss He. But I must discuss it with Boss Cheng first. I can’t just accept without informing her, can I?”
He Zhong had been patiently awaiting her answer. Now, hearing what he considered to be a virtual acceptance, he became pleased to the point of smugness. “What is there to discuss with her…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the doorknob in his hand was suddenly forced down. The person on the other side, as if possessing X-ray vision and a specific desire to run him over, shoved the door open with irresistible, brute force.
He Zhong was practically flung backward, crashing to the floor.
A faint, woody scent entered first, followed by a tall, long-legged Alpha. She strode in, leaned casually against the doorframe, and twirled a ring on her index finger with a smile.
Her tone was as light and gentle as ever, but her words were far less pleasant.
“It seems I’ve come at an inopportune moment,” she said. “To think I’d frighten Boss He into performing such a grand bow.”
