Cheng Ying had only intended to pressure Jiang Hanguang into saying a few nice things so she could take the opportunity to forgive her. She never, ever expected that this woman, who usually didn’t even dare to speak more than a few words, would suddenly embrace her.
Her body went incredibly stiff in an instant, the woman’s scent filling her senses.
But miraculously, she didn’t hate it.
The woman’s body was slender and soft, posing no threat. On the contrary, it gave Cheng Ying a strange sense of security.
The gentle stroking on her back was just right, leaving her with no desire to resist.
Most importantly, Cheng Ying couldn’t sense any ill intentions from Jiang Hanguang. On the contrary, Jiang Hanguang trusted her wholeheartedly, believing that Cheng Ying would not hurt her.
Cheng Ying’s body gradually relaxed, and a wave of drowsiness made her involuntarily nuzzle against Jiang Hanguang’s shoulder.
Jiang Hanguang stopped what she was doing and took two steps back to look at her.
The expression on the woman’s face was still cautious, but her eyes, like a child gauging an adult’s mood, held a hint of inquiry.
It was as if she was trying to determine whether Cheng Ying had been successfully placated.
Cheng Ying expressionlessly picked up the contract termination papers from the coffee table, tore them to shreds, and tossed them into the trash. Then, she flopped onto the sofa, sprawling out.
“I’m going to take a nap. When I wake up, I want dinner—four dishes and a soup.”
The cautious look on Jiang Hanguang’s face instantly faded, replaced by a smile as radiant as the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm.
“Okay.”
The old-fashioned house had poor soundproofing. Even though Jiang Hanguang deliberately tried to be quiet, Cheng Ying could still hear the clatter of pots and pans from the kitchen.
Saying she was going to sleep was just an excuse to save face. Usually, when she slept at home, her room had to be completely silent. Even then, she would jolt awake mid-sleep eight out of ten times. So how could she possibly sleep now, on an unfamiliar sofa, with the incessant chirping of cicadas outside and a low-decibel kitchen symphony inside?
How could she possibly fall asleep?
Cheng Ying slowly closed her eyes. A moment later, her hand went limp.
The sense of insecurity that relentlessly pursued her, clinging like a shadow, seemed to have been temporarily dispelled by Jiang Hanguang’s gentle coaxing.
When Jiang Hanguang came out, she saw the Alpha—who was young but looked even younger—curled up pitifully on the narrow sofa, which was clearly too small for her, sleeping soundly.
She picked up a small blanket from nearby and gently draped it over her.
The person on the sofa furrowed her brow but didn’t wake up.
Jiang Hanguang’s gaze fell on Cheng Ying’s right cheek, which was a ghastly color, and her eyes began to sting with unshed tears.
She hadn’t expected Cheng Ying to appear, but the moment she saw her back, her own muddled heart felt as if it had been violently ripped open from the inside, the pain so sharp she couldn’t think of anything else.
Heartache and guilt tormented her. She had deceived Cheng Ying. She had betrayed her trust.
Yet Cheng Ying had still shielded her without a moment’s hesitation.
Was she… worthy of such protection from Cheng Ying?
Jiang Hanguang couldn’t answer that herself. Fortunately, Cheng Ying already had.
Since Cheng Ying was still willing to take her in, she absolutely could not let her down again.
Jiang Hanguang watched Cheng Ying in silence for a moment before quietly getting up and leaving.
After she went into the kitchen, the “soundly sleeping” Alpha on the sofa slowly opened her eyes and sniffed the blanket.
It was likely one of Jiang Hanguang’s personal belongings. A faint scent of roses mingled with the smell of laundry detergent, with no other unpleasant odors.
Satisfied, Cheng Ying snuggled deeper, burying the lower half of her face in the blanket, and fell asleep again.
Meanwhile, Lu Sigui, having barely survived her mother’s clutches, dragged her exhausted body home. Her mind was filled with lectures like, “If you’re not getting married, are you planning to cultivate immortality?”
Unsure if Jiang Hanguang was home, she let herself in with her key. But upon entering, she frowned and sniffed the air.
Besides Jiang Hanguang’s pheromones, there seemed to be someone else’s in the room…
An Alpha’s pheromones!
How could Jiang Hanguang possibly bring an Alpha home?
Could it be a burglar?
Lu Sigui’s alert gaze swept across the room. When she saw a human-shaped lump under a blanket on the sofa, her pupils contracted. She snatched up a nearby broom, rushed forward, and swung it down at the figure.
Just as she was about to connect, the motionless person on the sofa shot up as if they had eyes in the back of their head, dodging the blow by a hair’s breadth and scrambling to the side.
The broom struck the sofa with a heavy thud. Only then did Lu Sigui get a clear look at the person’s face.
She was handsome enough, but her right cheek was swollen like a pig’s head.
Cheng Ying, a mixture of lingering fear and indignation, stared at the deep mark the broom had left on the soft sofa.
Good thing she was a light sleeper and had woken at the sound of the door; otherwise, she’d probably have another swollen lump on her body by now.
The person who had attacked without a second thought actually had the nerve to point at her and demand, “Who are you?”
Cheng Ying knew who the other woman was, but after that kind of welcome, she wasn’t about to debase herself by offering an introduction. The two just glared at each other in silence.
Fortunately, the commotion in the living room alerted Jiang Hanguang, who was in the kitchen.
She thought Cheng Ying, a restless sleeper, had fallen off the sofa. Without even putting down the soup ladle, she rushed out of the kitchen.
And there she saw them: an Alpha and an Omega, one crouching and one standing, flanking the sofa. Both wore hostile, murderous expressions.
Including herself, they formed a perfect three-way standoff.
Jiang Hanguang: “…”
At that moment, both of them turned in unison, their four gazes landing on her.
Miss Jiang felt the pressure mount instantly, but she decided to disarm Lu Sigui first.
“Sigui, put the broom down. This is Cheng Ying, my agent… She’s not a bad person.”
“Oh.” Lu Sigui put the broom back against the wall and offered Cheng Ying a perfunctory apology. “Sorry, sis. My mistake. I own a bar and run into all sorts of shady people, so I’m a little jumpy. My apologies.”
Cheng Ying: “…” Was the woman calling her shady, or was she apologizing?
Still, since the other woman had offered an out, and Cheng Ying didn’t want to make things difficult for Jiang Hanguang, she forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “No problem. You didn’t hit me anyway. Just try not to be so impulsive next time. Not everyone is as quick as I am.”
Seeing the two relax, Jiang Hanguang breathed a sigh of relief. “Sigui, you’re back just in time. Clear the table and wash your hands; it’s time for dinner.”
Dinner was, as Cheng Ying had requested, a standard four dishes and a soup. The dishes, a mix of meat and vegetables, were all lightly seasoned, likely with Cheng Ying’s injury in mind.
Lu Sigui watched as Jiang Hanguang helped Cheng Ying to a seat beside her and even served her rice and soup first. The corners of Lu Sigui’s mouth turned down in a slight pout.
An unknowing observer might have thought she’d injured her hands, not her face.
Cheng Ying hadn’t intended to be so dramatic in front of a third party, but the moment she saw Lu Sigui’s displeased expression, she felt a surge of satisfaction.
She resolutely settled into her role as the injured party, enjoying the treatment. If she weren’t afraid of being too dramatic, she would have even asked Jiang Hanguang to feed her.
So there, she thought. That’s what you get for hitting me. Does Jiang Hanguang serve you rice?
But then she saw Jiang Hanguang serve soup to Lu Sigui as well.
This time, it was Cheng Ying’s turn to pout.
The creamy white mushroom soup mixed with the perfectly steamed, fluffy rice. The stewed chicken was so tender the meat fell off the bone at the slightest touch, melting in her mouth with a delicate, savory flavor.
After just one bite, Cheng Ying felt that the meals prepared by robot chefs, who rigidly followed recipes, were practically inedible by comparison.
So, the completely unreserved Boss Cheng, enduring the pain from her swollen cheek and the cut in her mouth, finished one bowl and found it wasn’t enough.
When she handed her empty bowl to Jiang Hanguang for a refill, Jiang Hanguang looked both flattered and a little uncertain.
“Another bowl?”
If this had been yesterday, Cheng Ying would have certainly teased, “What, Hanguang? Worried you can’t afford to feed me if I eat too much?”
But having just thrown a tantrum today, Boss Cheng wasn’t yet in a carefree enough mood to joke so thoughtlessly. So she just gave a short assessment, “Yes, it’s delicious.”
Hearing the affirmation, Jiang Hanguang beamed. She packed Cheng Ying’s second bowl of rice so tightly that it was almost difficult to stick her chopsticks in.
Jiang Hanguang was quiet when she ate, and the other two, who disliked each other, naturally had nothing to say. The three of them finished their meal in a silent and “harmonious” atmosphere. Afterward, Cheng Ying slumped in her chair, rubbing her stomach. She hadn’t been this full in a long time.
Jiang Hanguang started clearing the dishes, and Lu Sigui stood up. “I’ll wash them.”
Their guest, Cheng Ying, continued to sit there tactlessly, rubbing her stomach. If Jiang Hanguang was willing to cook for her, she’d be happy to do the dishes every day.
By the time the three of them gathered in the living room again, the sky outside had begun to darken.
Lu Sigui looked at Cheng Ying. “Don’t tell me you’ve grown fond of my sofa, Boss Cheng. Are you planning to spend the night?”
Cheng Ying smiled brightly at her. “This sofa is quite comfortable, actually. It’s probably too old to find another one for sale, or I’d really consider getting one.”
With that, she turned to Jiang Hanguang. “I should get going. Come with me. I have a spare guest room. You can stay there for a few days while I find you a new place.”
“What?” Hearing this, Lu Sigui shot up as if her tail had been stepped on. “Why should she go with you?”
“Because of this.” Cheng Ying pointed to her own face, then gestured toward Jiang Hanguang. “Her father did this. It’s not safe here anymore. If I hadn’t been here today, she would have been the one to take that slap.”
“…She still can’t go with you. You’re an Alpha.” As Jiang Hanguang’s childhood friend, Lu Sigui knew perfectly well what a bastard her father was. Her anger instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, and her argument lacked conviction.
“That’s right, I’m an Alpha.” Cheng Ying looked at Jiang Hanguang with a grin. “Are you willing to come with me?”
“I am.”
Lu Sigui watched Jiang Hanguang nod with barely a moment’s hesitation, her eyes—so bright they could make one feel ashamed of their own inadequacy—filled with trust and hope.
She was abruptly reminded of a day eight years ago, when Jiang Hanguang, her eyes red from crying, had told her she had no other choice—she couldn’t act anymore, she had to marry Feng Nan.
Back then, Jiang Hanguang had trusted her just as much, hadn’t she?
But what had she done in return? Such a despicable thing.
The strikingly beautiful Omega pressed her lips together, letting out a suppressed sigh of concession.
“All right, then.”
Jiang Hanguang didn’t have many belongings, so packing was quick. In less than half an hour, the two of them stood at the door with two suitcases.
Lu Sigui’s expression was frosty. “Call me if you need anything,” she said to Jiang Hanguang.
Wasn’t that a pointless thing to say?
If anything happened, that annoyingly smug Alpha would naturally help her.
Jiang Hanguang’s trust was as precious as it was fragile.
Something she herself had shattered was now in the possession of another.
A heavy feeling settled in Lu Sigui’s chest, but she couldn’t say a thing.
She had brought this upon herself.
“Mm, I know.”
Jiang Hanguang nodded, stepped forward, and gave her a light hug. “Thank you for taking care of me all this time, Sigui.”
Lu Sigui forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. “If you keep being so formal, it means you don’t see me as a friend anymore.”
Jiang Hanguang blinked, then smiled too, gently conceding, “Okay.”
The two of them left. As the door closed, Lu Sigui looked around the small living room and felt, for the first time, how vast and empty it was.
Cheng Ying’s car sped along the road back to the new district. Jiang Hanguang stared out the window, her thoughts seemingly far away.
Cheng Ying hated the current silence, just as she’d hated the farewell scene with Lu Sigui, which had felt far too much like an ex-lover seeing off a new one.
After all, judging by Jiang Hanguang’s attitude, she and Lu Sigui were just friends.
Even if Lu Sigui had feelings for Jiang Hanguang, it was clearly a one-sided crush.
Besides, Jiang Hanguang was at a critical point in her comeback. It was better for her to focus on her career.
Having found a perfectly reasonable excuse for her own inexplicable annoyance, Boss Cheng bluntly interrupted Jiang Hanguang’s reverie.
“I can’t help but feel like I just ran off with you, snatching you from Lu Sigui’s hands. The way she was looking at me… it was like she’d caught a raccoon about to steal a melon from her patch.”
Jiang Hanguang turned to her, considered this for a moment, and replied matter-of-factly, “Then does that make me the melon that willingly ran off with the raccoon?”
“Hahaha… Hiss.”
She had pulled at her wound again.
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