Cheng Ying remembered reading a dubious piece of information in a miscellaneous book titled 《All About Omegas》.
A rise in room temperature helps to increase the speed at which pheromones spread.
Although the production team hadn’t been deranged enough to rip out their air conditioner, judging by the weathered marks on its casing and the strained rumbling it made while running, the unit was likely not much younger than the house itself. Consequently, its cooling effect was very limited. After Miss Jiang appeared, wrapped in a cloud of hot steam, the temperature in the room instantly rose a notch.
At least, that’s what Cheng Ying felt.
The unique rose scent of Jiang Hanguang’s pheromones lingered around her nose. The faint floral fragrance permeated the warm steam, and a single breath filled her mouth with its sweet aroma.
Cheng Ying barely managed to stop herself from foolishly taking deep breaths, wiping her smooth forehead in a transparent attempt to cover up her reaction.
She tried not to look at Jiang Hanguang, but failed again.
Jiang Hanguang’s hair was longer than Cheng Ying’s and wasn’t easy to dry. The woman took a more absorbent towel, sat down properly, and meticulously began to dry her hair.
Watching her from behind, Cheng Ying was suddenly reminded of how long-haired cats would devotedly groom themselves after a meal.
She recalled the fine, soft feel of Jiang Hanguang’s hair. Now that it was wet, it would probably feel even better to touch…
Stop thinking about it. Cheng Ying covered her face in frustration, flopped onto the very uncomfortable hard-plank bed, and pulled the blanket over her face.
Jiang Hanguang was simply too terrifying.
For so many years, Cheng Ying had played the part of a public-facing playgirl. She had seen countless omegas famous for their sex appeal and had even spent her days in the constant company of Bai Ruo and Xu Ning.
But until now, not a single person had been able to stir up those sordid thoughts she believed she would never have—not like Jiang Hanguang could.
And yet, the woman herself was completely oblivious, utterly unaware of how dangerous she was.
This made Cheng Ying feel even more ashamed. While she had never considered herself a good person, she had never realized she was a bad person in this respect.
Perhaps that sentence from 《All About Omegas》 had some truth to it.
You might find it difficult to feel physical attraction toward people who are widely considered sexy, but that doesn’t mean you’re abnormal or an ascetic. The most likely reason is simply that they aren’t your type. This problem will naturally resolve itself when you meet the one person who can truly arouse your desire.
After finally getting her hair dry, Jiang Hanguang turned to see Cheng Ying buried under the blanket, playing dead. She asked, somewhat puzzled, “Xiao Ying? Aren’t you hot like that?”
“…” Cheng Ying said nothing. She didn’t dare provoke Jiang Hanguang right now.
Then she heard Jiang Hanguang stand up, turn off the light, and come towards her. She quickly squeezed her eyes shut.
In the pitch-black room, she felt the blanket on her face being gently lifted away, followed by a sudden, intense fragrance of roses.
The woman’s cool hand gently brushed her forehead, feeling like a light breeze in early winter. Cheng Ying clenched her fists under the covers, not daring to move in the slightest.
Fortunately, it seemed Jiang Hanguang’s touch was just to confirm she hadn’t developed a fever from exhaustion. The woman tucked the blanket in for her, returned to her own bed, and settled down to sleep with quiet movements.
Cheng Ying still didn’t dare open her eyes. She just listened quietly to Jiang Hanguang’s breathing. Only when the woman’s breaths grew steady, even, and deep did she cautiously turn on her side to look at her.
Most houses aren’t perfectly dark after the lights are turned off, let alone this dilapidated little farmhouse. The small, square window was covered with a blue sun-blocking, anti-peeping film, but it couldn’t keep out the faint moonlight.
The light wasn’t bright enough for Cheng Ying to see Jiang Hanguang clearly, but it was sufficient to trace the delicate outline of the woman’s profile.
The woman’s chest rose and fell gently with her slow breathing, and Cheng Ying’s gaze slowly roamed over her.
Her dense eyelashes, her small and straight nose, her full red lips, her long, snow-white neck.
Everything further down was hidden beneath the unromantic grey cotton blanket.
Jiang Hanguang slept very still, barely moving at all.
Cheng Ying watched her just like that, until the chaotic surrounding noises slowly faded, until her troubled thoughts settled into tranquility, until only Jiang Hanguang’s face remained in her mind, until the woman’s breathing assimilated her own.
Boss Cheng, whose sleep quality was usually extremely poor, fell into a sound sleep and didn’t wake until dawn.
The next day, she was woken by a large loudspeaker hanging outside the main farmhouse building.
Zhang Zeyun’s voice, tinged with the hoarseness of someone who had just woken up, came through: “Everyone, please gather in the dining hall in ten minutes. Breakfast has been prepared.”
Cheng Ying, sporting a messy bedhead, struggled out from the tangled heap of blankets wrapped around her. Her eyes were still hazy with sleep when she saw Jiang Hanguang, already neatly dressed, sitting on a chair and watching her with an amused, faint smile.
I can’t believe the sound of her washing up didn’t wake me. I must have been really exhausted yesterday.
“Morning.” Cheng Ying patted her face a couple of times, her voice hoarse.
Jiang Hanguang placed a cup of warm water on her bedside table. “Drink some water. I’m going to the dining hall first.”
Cheng Ying watched the woman’s departing back, silently picked up the cup, and took a large gulp.
The warm water soothed her parched throat. Cheng Ying smiled slightly and swung her legs out of bed.
Despite the heavy labor of the previous day, an alpha’s recovery abilities were formidable. Cheng Ying’s palms were still a little swollen and sore, but her muscles no longer protested being used.
She washed up with lightning speed and rushed to the dining hall.
Four steaming hot breakfasts were already laid out on the table—milk, eggs, meat, and white bread. From this breakfast alone, Cheng Ying could deduce that the day’s work would be just as strenuous.
Cheng Ying and Jiang Hanguang sat opposite each other and began to eat. There was no sound from Xie Chengcheng and Li Wan’s bedroom. Just as they were about to finish, the pair finally made a tardy appearance.
Xie Chengcheng clung to Li Wan like an invertebrate, whining, “Wanwan, my whole body aches…”
Li Wan maintained her awkward yet polite smile, placating Xie Chengcheng as one would a child.
“There, there, Chengcheng. Let’s have breakfast first, shall we?”
Jiang Hanguang felt a light kick on her foot. She was just putting a small piece of fried egg into her mouth and looked up in confusion, only to see Cheng Ying opposite her, shooting her a look with a mischievous grin.
The alpha first glanced at the bickering pair, then shot a sidelong look at the production crew observing coldly from the side. Her thin lips moved, but no sound came out.
Watch the show.
Jiang Hanguang read Cheng Ying’s lips, her curious gaze landing on the other two.
She watched as the pair finally managed to sit down at the table, only to be interrupted before they could start eating.
A beaming Zhang Zeyun appeared again and picked up their plates of ham and eggs. “My apologies, but since you two failed to arrive at the dining hall within the allotted time, this dish will have to be swapped out.”
The steaming, fragrant ham and eggs were mercilessly removed, replaced by some pickled vegetables that looked thoroughly unappetizing.
“Huh?” Xie Chengcheng watched helplessly as the ham and eggs were snatched away. The rims of her eyes immediately turned red as she protested, “I only overslept for a little while…”
Zhang Zeyun shook her head, cutting her off. “Not a little while. A full twenty minutes.”
Seeing that there was no room for negotiation, Xie Chengcheng dejectedly began to poke at the pickled vegetables, muttering, “Wanwan, why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”
“I did call you. You were the one who refused to get up, alright?” A crack appeared in Li Wan’s practiced smile. Anyone who’d had two consecutive meals ruined by someone else would inevitably feel a spark of anger.
Cheng Ying had no doubt that if not for the money, Miss Li would have jumped up and slapped this childish brat with a negative EQ and IQ.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Jiang Hanguang watched the farce play out before looking back at Cheng Ying.
The alpha was gulping down her milk, but Jiang Hanguang still saw the corners of her lips twitching upwards.
Jiang Hanguang waited for her to swallow the last mouthful before lightly tapping her foot. Her red lips parted as she mouthed a single word.
Bad.
After the less-than-harmonious breakfast ended, Zhang Zeyun directed the crew to carry cans of quick-drying, non-toxic paint into the living room.
“Thanks to yesterday’s efforts, our little farmhouse is starting to take shape. The clutter has been cleared, and the dining room and bedrooms have been cleaned out. Today, I hope you’ll all keep up the good work. Besides cleaning every room thoroughly, you’ll also need to paint the living room walls.”
“The production team will be responsible for everyone’s lunch, but the rules for dinner are the same as yesterday. I hope your work will satisfy me.”
Zhang Zeyun drifted away amidst Xie Chengcheng’s wails, leaving the four of them to stare at each other in dismay.
Cheng Ying didn’t hesitate to draw a clear line. “We’ll clean the second floor, you two clean the first. Finish before noon.”
With that said, she ignored the glare from Li Wan that could have bored holes through her, grabbed Jiang Hanguang, collected their tools, and made a swift exit.
“You don’t have to be that scared, do you?” Jiang Hanguang was stunned by Cheng Ying’s expression, which looked as if she were fleeing for her life.
“No, you don’t get it. It’s enough that you have to carry one useless teammate—me,” Cheng Ying said gravely.
A moment later, Jiang Hanguang looked at the windowsill, which remained a complete mess even after Cheng Ying had wiped it, and finally understood what she meant.
Boss Cheng, who had barely done any housework in her life, was fine with physical labor, but when it came to detailed cleaning, she was completely clueless.
Amused and exasperated, Jiang Hanguang took the rag from her. “Let me do it. You can be in charge of changing the water.”
For once, Cheng Ying looked embarrassed. “You can teach me. I’m a fast learner.”
Jiang Hanguang smiled and shook her head, her bright eyes gazing at her gently. “Between us, we don’t need to distinguish our tasks so clearly.”
Cheng Ying was utterly defeated. “…I’ll go get the water.”
Fortunately, while Cheng Ying was clueless about housework, she had strength in spades. After learning how to wring out a mop, she immediately took over all the support tasks like washing towels and mops and changing the water, allowing Jiang Hanguang to focus on the cleaning itself.
The two worked together in perfect sync, making surprisingly fast progress. They finished cleaning with a full hour to spare before lunch.
Cheng Ying peeked downstairs and saw Li Wan furiously wielding a mop, with a sullen-looking Xie Chengcheng trailing behind her, rag in hand.
Perhaps motivated by the black bread, the two of them were actually doing a decent job.
Cheng Ying decisively pulled Jiang Hanguang down to sit on the freshly mopped steps. “Let’s wait a while before going down.”
Jiang Hanguang glanced worriedly at the other pair, the atmosphere between them growing increasingly tense. “Do you think they’ll start fighting?”
“Probably,” Cheng Ying said, not caring in the least about their fate. Jiang Hanguang was already tired enough from carrying her. She glanced at the sympathetic look on the woman’s face, sighed, and added, “Even if they do, they brought it on themselves. Romance is supposed to be about mutual, unspoken affection. Miss Li is with Chengcheng for the money, but then they come to this godforsaken place where money is completely useless. Aren’t they just asking for a fight?”
“Mm, you’re right.” Jiang Hanguang nodded, but her expression still held a trace of pity.
Not wanting to see that look on her face, Cheng Ying poked the woman’s soft cheek and teased with a grin.
“From the looks of it, Hanguang must really like me as a person. You haven’t gotten tired of me yet.”
The woman, who had just been playfully taken advantage of, didn’t get angry. Instead, she turned to look at Cheng Ying seriously. “That’s right. You’re so wonderful, why would I ever get tired of you?”
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