After a flurry of activity, Tang Jianxi finally managed to use her authority to establish a preliminary charter for the new research project.
The only remaining issue was the Fountain of Freedom. The board of directors wanted to delay its release for a while, confident it would become a trump card that would sweep through the upper-class omega circle. Tang Jianxi had no objections, but a knot of unease remained in her heart.
She wanted to change the name.
Is freedom that comes at a high price truly freedom?
Although Tang Jianxi was born into a wealthy family, she couldn’t agree with this point. She had seen many darker scenes. Compared to the glamorous banquets and balls of the upper-class world, in another, dustier world, even inhibitors were a luxury.
Her original plan was to launch the product first and then gradually lower the price later. But she knew that no matter how much she lowered it, it would never reach the level of Lucia’s products.
Therefore, it wasn’t freedom, but a privilege. In comparison, her previous joyful anticipation that this inhibitor could improve the situation for omegas, her hope that it could at least play a small role when the law was passed to criminalize alphas marking omegas in heat without consent, now seemed like a joke.
Tang Jianxi returned home with a heavy heart and saw another person who had just returned in the parking lot.
Unlike her, this person had been angry when she left in the morning, but now her face was radiant, visibly happy.
Tang Jianxi pulled up the car’s driving record on her optical computer. After a glance, she suddenly felt a sense of amusement mixed with exasperation.
She had spent the entire day at the Imperial Library. It was just as she had said before; this precious antique of a young lady was genuinely looking forward to reading.
Thinking of Yun Chuji’s attitude that morning, Tang Jianxi gave up the idea of going over to say hello—she had never been good at mending relationships with others.
She guessed it was due to her own unreasonable coldness yesterday, but she had no intention of abandoning that distance. The polite facade this morning was just an uncontrollable slip due to heightened emotions. Tang Jianxi still believed Yun Chuji was dangerous.
First, she was an alpha.
Second, she didn’t dislike her.
She even found herself inexplicably caring about her at times.
Tang Jianxi, who was determined to free omegas from alpha control, would not allow herself to fall into any alpha’s trap. After all, a mark could be washed away, glands could be removed, but feelings… no one knew how to deal with those.
Their relationship was already very dangerous. The various hormonal enhancements a permanent mark brought to an AO pair forced them into an ambiguous situation. However, it couldn’t continue. Tang Jianxi reminded herself of Lucia’s brilliant yet despicable face, which reappeared before her eyes. To fight against someone like that, she needed an incredibly strong will.
Yun Chuji had naturally noticed Tang Jianxi as well. She knew nothing of this world and had no responsibilities, so she approached without any psychological burden, her tone still gentle, a smile on her face.
“Good evening, Miss Tang.”
Since the person had already walked over, she couldn’t just turn away with a sour face. She didn’t want to be too close to Yun Chuji, but that didn’t mean they had to act like enemies.
“Good evening.” By rights, she should have said something more, but Tang Jianxi’s mind was a complete blank from work, so she blurted out the S-District catchphrase, “Have you eaten?”
Unexpectedly, Yun Chuji’s eyes lit up. “Not yet. Have you, Miss Tang?”
Tang Jianxi let out a laugh. “Of course I have, it’s so late.”
The words had barely left her mouth when her stomach let out a very inopportune growl.
Yun Chuji showed an understanding expression. She knew many women had the habit of dieting and was surprised to see it persisted even in this new century. However, Yun Chuji didn’t approve. Her mother had taught her that a woman should be loved and respected for her virtue; relying on looks to serve a man was ultimately a lesser path. Just like the concubines at home, there would always be younger ones brought in.
So she advised, “Would Miss Tang like to eat something with me? I think Miss Tang has a perfectly proportioned figure and truly has no need to diet.”
Tang Jianxi was about to refuse—what a perfect, ready-made excuse.
But before she could speak this time, her stomach growled again, making her extremely embarrassed.
“This, I, ah, I’m not usually like this…”
“I understand. May I ask if Miss Tang likes noodles?”
As they spoke, they walked towards the villa. It was then that Tang Jianxi suddenly realized something far more dreadful than eating with Yun Chuji—eating food made by Yun Chuji.
Tang Jianxi quickened her pace to block the young lady’s path to the kitchen and decisively told a lie. “No need, I have to prepare for a banquet. I can’t eat for the next two days.”
It seemed the topic could end there. Then they would part ways, she would go get a good night’s sleep, and Yun Chuji would have her late-night snack.
However, tonight was destined to be Tang Jianxi’s night of suffering.
Auntie Chen, who had been waiting for her to come home, emerged from the kitchen. She hadn’t heard what Tang Jianxi had just said, so she loudly dismantled her excuse. “Miss, you just sent me a message saying you wanted wonton noodles. I’ve already made them for you. The wontons are filled with your favorite shrimp.”
The atmosphere froze.
Tang Jianxi slowly raised her head.
She saw Yun Chuji’s inscrutable expression.
She said, “So, my cooking is not to Miss Tang’s taste, is that right?”
A bitter taste filled Tang Jianxi’s mouth. Auntie Chen, why did you have to be so fast! Shouldn’t wontons be made to order?
But Yun Chuji didn’t look angry. She apologized earnestly, “I’m sorry, Miss Tang. In the past, my handmaidens often praised my cooking. I can’t quite judge my own skills, so I didn’t realize I was making you suffer.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “If something like this happens again in the future, Miss Tang can tell me directly. You don’t need to worry too much about my feelings. There is already so little I can do for you. If I’m only causing you more trouble, then I would feel truly ashamed of all the kindness you’ve shown me.”
Yun Chuji had a gentle yet dignified appearance, the kind that mothers-in-law in ancient times particularly favored. The corners of her eyes drooped slightly, and her round eyes gave off a sense of sincerity. Her nose was neither too big nor too small, perfectly proportioned. She had a standard oval face, fair skin, and a gentle smile often played on her lips. At a glance, she seemed like an easy person to get along with.
But Tang Jianxi, thinking of her own “kindness,” felt too guilty to reply.
Auntie Chen, standing to the side, had no idea what this little couple was talking about, but just from the content, the outcome seemed to be good—Xiao Yun was already pouring her heart out!
She quickly and enthusiastically called out to the young couple who were too busy being in love to eat, “Xiao Yun, I made a bowl for you too. You must be hungry after working so late. You two shouldn’t just stand there, hurry up and eat. You can rest after you’ve finished.”
And then hurry up and have a little alpha or a little omega.
Yun Chuji didn’t catch Auntie Chen’s unspoken meaning and thanked her with a normal expression before bringing out the two bowls of noodles. But Tang Jianxi, sitting and waiting at the dining table, had suspiciously red ears.
She belatedly realized that pretending to be a couple seemed to be forcing her and Yun Chuji into an ambiguous situation.
A miscalculation.
Auntie Chen had already been persuaded to go rest, so with no outsiders present, Yun Chuji took the opportunity after finishing her noodles to raise what she considered a very difficult problem with Tang Jianxi. “Miss Tang, my cooking skills are not good right now, but besides cooking for you, I don’t know how else to prove to others that we are a loving couple. Could Miss Tang please instruct me?”
What is she up to? Is she trying to probe my ideal type?
That was Tang Jianxi’s first reaction.
Her second reaction was that she was overthinking it.
Because Yun Chuji was indeed genuinely troubled. “My mother taught me that a loving husband and wife should be like raising the tray to eyebrow level, living in harmony like the qin and se. The woman manages the household for the man, and the man must value his wife’s dignity. But now, playing the qin and se seems to be outdated. Raising the tray to eyebrow level happens in our room where others can’t see. As for managing the household, your home has its own clever devices, so my efforts would only cause more trouble. The only thing left is to wash my hands and make soup, but I’m about to give that up due to my poor cooking skills. So, may I ask, Miss Tang, in your experience, what should a loving couple be like?”
Tang Jianxi maintained her final shred of vigilance. “Doesn’t the original Yun Chuji know?”
She had figured it out long ago. This person also had the memories of that other Yun Chuji; otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to get home.
“That doesn’t seem to work. The fantasies of a loving couple in Miss Yun’s memory are all about either hitting or cursing.” Yun Chuji shook her head gently in distress. Then, considering that this might be a custom of this era, she asked cautiously, “Does Miss Tang also think that hitting and cursing are normal expressions for a loving couple?”
“That pervert!” Tang Jianxi cursed under her breath. To defend the reputation of her era, she replied firmly, “Of course not! Normal lovers don’t hit or curse each other. In daily life, there’s a lot of physical contact, and they say many sweet nothings. They hug, hold hands, and kiss. In short, it’s not about hitting and cursing.”
“Oh.” Yun Chuji seemed to have a sudden realization. “I understand. Thank you for your instruction, Miss Tang.”
“But, do we have to kiss in front of everyone?” Although the other person was also a woman, such an intimate act still made Yun Chuji feel very shy.
Tang Jianxi sucked in a breath. What had she said!
“No, we don’t have to go that far!”
Yun Chuji let out a sigh of relief as if granted a pardon. “That’s good.”
What’s so good about it? There’s still holding hands, hugging, and sweet nothings!
Tang Jianxi was very uneasy. Going through this whole routine, she felt like she was selling herself out.
So she reminded her, “We only need to do this in front of my relatives and acquaintances. In front of strangers, we can just act normally.”
Yun Chuji’s sigh of relief was even more pronounced. “Okay!”
Glancing at the time, Yun Chuji stood up and took the bowls and chopsticks back to the kitchen, saying to Tang Jianxi, “Then that’s all for tonight. Good night, you should get some sleep early.”
“Good night,” Tang Jianxi replied stiffly. After one night’s sleep, it’ll be tomorrow. This is simply, ah, unimaginable.
That’s a living, breathing alpha!
Tang Jianxi, how could you actually teach her!
As her thoughts ran wild, Yun Chuji had already come out of the kitchen. Seeing Tang Jianxi still sitting in her original spot, she was a little puzzled but didn’t dwell on it. Since Miss Tang hadn’t gone back to her room…
Then—
“Miss Tang, could we practice first? I imagine a real loving couple would be quite familiar with these actions, but I have no experience in this area. I’ve never even held hands with my closest friends, so I’m afraid of making a mistake.”
“Huh?” Tang Jianxi didn’t react.
Yun Chuji walked over and sat down beside her, taking her hand.
It was indeed very clumsy. It was less like holding and more like just resting her hand on top.
Figuring it was better to get it over with, Tang Jianxi taught Yun Chuji the correct way to hold hands, palm to palm. The unfamiliar warmth made Tang Jianxi’s heart panic.
How ridiculous. Haven’t we already done everything?
Despite this thought, Tang Jianxi quickly let go of her hand and said, “Yes, just like that. Okay, I’m going to bed. Good night!”
Without waiting for Yun Chuji’s reply, she bolted up the stairs.
Left behind, Yun Chuji looked at her own hand, lost in thought.
An hour later, Tang Jianxi was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. She felt as if something was stuck to the hand that had been held, and it was uncomfortable no matter what.
She sat up fiercely and cursed, “Tang Jianxi, get a grip!”
And then, she fell asleep.
On the other side of the wall, Yun Chuji had just finished her shower. She still couldn’t quite accept her body, barely daring to open her eyes or let her hands wander, which made showering quite a chore.
She yawned.
She glanced at her left hand, the one she had just held.
Her brow furrowed slightly. Why is Miss Tang’s hand so soft? Softer than the finest silk quilt at home. It felt wonderful to the touch.
We are both women, so how did the original owner’s hands become so rough?
Her experience from her past life made her think that in this world, between the two female genders of A and O, alphas seemed to be at a bit of a disadvantage.
