Don’t Want a Divorce (30)
“Feeling any better?”
Across from the bar.
In a private room on the third floor of a teahouse, Feng Qingyu held a porcelain cup in her hand, listening to her friends discuss topics she had no interest in. She remained silent, showing no intention of leaving, simply allowing the steaming tea in the small jade-green cup to gradually cool, leaving behind a shimmering tea soup of a jade-green hue.
Until someone noticed that Feng Qingyu hadn’t joined in the conversation about several TV dramas and recent entertainment news, and finally, someone couldn’t hold back, tapping the table with the back of their fingers, and asked:
“Hey, what are you so engrossed in?”
“That place across the street… it’s ‘Golden Enchantment,’ the hottest spot in town with the most gorgeous ladies and gentlemen. Are you interested? But Qingyu, I heard that on your last birthday, your wife was nothing like the rumors. She was very polite and exceptionally well-behaved. You aren’t planning to be one of those Alphas with mistresses outside while keeping the main relationship stable at home, are you? You don’t seem like that kind of person.”
A rather playful Beta friend leaned closer to Feng Qingyu. As soon as the words were spoken, she moved even closer to her face, as if wanting to seriously observe what kind of person she really was.
Feng Qingyu snapped back to reality, realizing the other person was quickly closing the distance between them. She suddenly stepped back.
Tea sloshed out of her cup, and the long wooden chair screeched loudly against the floor, startling some of the people playing cards and chatting in the teahouse.
Then, everyone collectively looked in their direction.
Feng Qingyu raised her eyes to look at the former classmate who was not very familiar to her, unsure through whose connection they had come close to her. Her eyes were deep and somber. Amidst the puzzled gazes of the others, her voice fell lightly and slowly:
“Sorry.”
“I’m not used to people getting too close.”
As soon as she said this, the Beta’s face turned awkward, and she rubbed her nose in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. She thought to herself, hadn’t everyone said that Feng Qingyu’s relationship with her Omega wife was just so-so? Didn’t they say Feng Qingyu wasn’t interested in Omega pheromones?
Why does it seem different from what was said?
Moreover, Feng Qingyu seemed a bit too cold.
Rumors misled me.
She raised her hand to pick up a tissue, intending to help Feng Qingyu wipe the tea that had spilled on her. After all, a small patch of her skirt on her leg was soaked. But Feng Qingyu still avoided her, not as dramatically as before, but it was still clear that her polite detachment was reflected in her movements.
“I can do it myself,” Feng Qingyu said.
Seeing the awkward interaction between the two, someone stepped in to ease the tension, subtly signaling the Beta to give up. “Qingyu, is Xu Jiao with friends across the street for a social event tonight?”
The speaker was someone who had attended Feng Qingyu’s birthday party before and had seen firsthand how Feng Qingyu’s gaze often lingered on Xu Jiao, easily guessing the reason she was now staring across the street.
As soon as these words were spoken, the others chimed in teasingly: “Oh, no wonder! We tried to invite her out a few days ago, and she said she was busy with filming. But today, by coincidence, she’s free? Turns out it’s not her who’s free, but Xu Jiao who’s free~”
“Oh! Nowadays, are people just sending themselves to be killed?”
“Qingyu, with so many people in there, you didn’t go over to keep an eye on her? Aren’t you afraid that someone with bad intentions might take her away?”
Feng Qingyu ignored the initial teasing, but upon hearing this, her fingers tightened around the cup, then quickly relaxed. She simply said, “She won’t.”
Whether it was herself or anyone else, Xu Jiao wasn’t interested.
And those whom Xu Jiao wasn’t interested in, no matter what tactics they used, couldn’t make her moved.
Hearing Feng Qingyu’s words, her friends misunderstood her meaning, thinking that Xu Jiao’s feelings for her were rock-solid. Immediately, they let out a chorus of teasing noises: “Ooh!”
……
12:15.
The teahouse was filled with the sound of mahjong tiles being shuffled around, the rectangular green tiles being pushed back and forth across the table by several hands, creating a somewhat heavy clattering noise. The tiles collided continuously, eventually forming two neat walls resembling the Great Wall.
Feng Qingyu still sat by the table, staring out as if she were a faithful wife waiting for her husband to return.
Suddenly.
A Porsche pulled up in front of the bar. The person who got out was dressed in a neat suit. Even from this distance, Feng Qingyu felt a strong, unpleasant sense of hostility emanating from them.
Just by looking at the back, she knew it was Shangguan Yan.
What is he doing here?
Feng Qingyu stared at Shangguan Yan as he walked inside, her gaze fixed on the bar’s door for a long time without looking away. After a while, she seemed to think of something and suddenly asked the friend opposite her, who had been repeatedly brewing tea and sincerely inviting everyone to drink, “Does that bar across the street have a back door?”
“Yes,” the person replied, “since a lot of celebrities come here, sometimes there are paparazzi at the front door, so they leave through the back door. The back door leads to the film studio, and many lovers use it as cover, making it easy to slip away.”
After hearing this, Feng Qingyu immediately put down her teacup, stood up, and said, “I have to go.”
The person brewing the tea glanced at her cup and saw that the freshly poured tea hadn’t been touched, just sitting there getting cold. They immediately showed a pained expression, as if lamenting the waste, and waved Feng Qingyu away dismissively:
“Go on, go on, next time I won’t invite you all for tea.”
“Each of you, either flicking ash into the cup or not drinking a single sip, what a waste.”
Feng Qingyu’s lips twitched, as if trying to form an apologetic, friendly smile, but in the end, she showed nothing and simply left.
……
Inside the bar.
Xu Jiao couldn’t help but rub her temples as she looked at Qiu Yongli, who had initially said she’d just have a sip or two but was now passed out drunk. Xu Jiao’s gaze shifted from Qiu Yongli’s intoxicated face to the table.
On the table were still a glass of water, a Long Island Iced Tea, and a West Side Sunset.
Beside Qiu Yongli’s arm, six neatly arranged glasses sat.
None of them were empty.
Some of the glasses had just a little bit left, while others were half empty. Earlier, as Qiu Yongli drank, she had patted her chest and assured Xu Jiao, “Don’t be fooled by how quickly I get drunk at banquets; I’m actually just pretending. I can hold my liquor.”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Xu Jiao had actually believed her nonsense.
She had allowed Qiu Yongli to order a bunch of cocktails with strange names, and now the result was that Xu Jiao had to figure out how to call Qiu Yongli’s assistant and get her out of the bar.
Fortunately, both she and Qiu Yongli were Omegas, so even if they were photographed hanging out together, it would just be seen as a close sisterly bond, without any strange rumors. Otherwise, the trouble would have been even greater.
She took out her phone and walked a couple of steps toward a quieter area. Just as she heard two dial tones, she smelled a strong scent of pheromones coming her way, making her instinctively feel a bit uncomfortable.
Xu Jiao didn’t have a strong impression of this person’s pheromone scent; she only vaguely remembered it because Alpha and Omega pheromones are unique to each individual. Everyone’s scent is different, so she didn’t bother to discern the specifics. She just felt that today’s Shangguan Yan’s scent was more annoying than before.
Xu Jiao turned her head slightly and saw the man emerge from the dim light, a somewhat frivolous smile on his face. His deep voice carried a hint of amusement: “What a coincidence, we meet again.”
Just then, the call connected. Xu Jiao nodded at Shangguan Yan and pointed to her phone, indicating with her actions that she was on a call. At the same time, she softly greeted, “President Yan.”
After that, she shifted her attention away from Shangguan Yan and quickly explained the location and situation to Qiu Yongli’s assistant over the phone. After a few sentences, she ended the call.
Shangguan Yan hadn’t left yet.
Xu Jiao knew that Shangguan Yan had inexplicably taken an interest in her, but she didn’t want to delve into it. She turned to leave, but at that moment, Shangguan Yan’s pheromones suddenly became much stronger, seemingly intentionally blocking her from leaving.
The scent filled the air, making Xu Jiao feel as if she were forced to inhale secondhand smoke. She wished she could hold her breath and expel all the air from her lungs.
She turned her head to look at Shangguan Yan and feigned ignorance, asking, “President Yan, is there something you need?”
Shangguan Yan’s aura was overwhelming, and his pheromones were equally domineering, yet his words were surprisingly polite: “It’s a rare coincidence to meet here. Won’t you share a drink with me before you go?”
Xu Jiao smiled slightly. “Sorry, President Yan, but Li Zi is drunk, and I can’t leave her alone in the private room. Maybe next time.”
Shangguan Yan then asked, “When will next time be?”
Xu Jiao, tired of this pointless back-and-forth, decided to be direct: “President Yan, your persistent advances are making it easy for me to have unnecessary misunderstandings—”
Shangguan Yan raised his sharp eyebrows and let out a “Oh? What kind of misunderstandings?”
Xu Jiao’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “It would make me think President Yan is interested in me.”
Shangguan Yan stood in the dimly lit area of the corridor, and neither of them could clearly see the other’s emotions. He only felt that Xu Jiao’s eyes were too pure and beautiful, and he wondered who could forever hold the attention of those eyes.
He was always a strong, straightforward type.
Since Xu Jiao wasn’t the kind to play hard to get or engage in ambiguous flirtation, he continued just as directly: “What if I really am interested in you?”
Xu Jiao’s remaining traces of a smile vanished.
She paused for several seconds, her expression turning slightly resigned and somewhat reluctant to continue the conversation. Her gaze wandered around for a moment before she finally said to Shangguan Yan:
“Didn’t Lu Xun tell you?”
“I’m not interested in men.”
“And you don’t need to persuade me to try. No matter how sincere your feelings are, whether it’s a momentary whim or something else, I don’t want to explore it because emotions I’m not interested in are worthless to me. Do you understand?”
For the first time, Shangguan Yan was directly, assertively, and even arrogantly rejected.
Worthless.
No one had ever used that word to describe him before.
For a moment, a surge of anger rose within him towards Xu Jiao’s insolence, but more than that, he felt an overwhelming desire to prove himself. He wanted to see Xu Jiao regret, admit she was wrong, or something else.
Just as these thoughts formed, another voice suddenly appeared behind him:
“President Yan, you’ve pursued and been rejected, so you got what you wanted.”
“In that case, perhaps you could consider not making things difficult for my people any longer?”
The voice was cool and indifferent, as if devoid of much emotion.
The voice was no longer as gentle as it used to be.
Like a murmuring brook in spring that suddenly freezes in the dead of winter, its once clear and melodious flow turned into a beautiful but icy stillness, exuding a sense of cold beauty.
Xu Jiao and Shangguan Yan simultaneously turned to look and saw Feng Qingyu walking toward them from another passage.
They were all Alphas, and in this civilized society, Shangguan Yan couldn’t possibly forcefully take someone in front of Feng Qingyu. And when it came to pheromone suppression, it was said that no male Alpha in the entertainment industry had ever managed to embarrass Feng Qingyu.
He pressed his lips together.
After a long pause, Shangguan Yan finally said to Xu Jiao, “I hope that the next time we meet, you’ll have a different opinion of me.”
Xu Jiao gave no clear response. She watched him turn and leave, paying little attention to any further exchange between Shangguan Yan and Feng Qingyu. She then turned and headed back to the private room. After a while, Qiu Yongli’s assistant arrived.
She followed the assistant and watched as they effortlessly carried Qiu Yongli out. When they exited the private room, Xu Jiao was surprised to find Feng Qingyu waiting outside, not having left.
Xu Jiao glanced up at her and heard Feng Qingyu say, “I’ll take you home.”
Though it was a statement that sounded like an offer of care, her tone was as if she was carrying out an order with bureaucratic precision.
Qiu Yongli’s assistant waited for her for two seconds but was signaled by Xu Jiao to go ahead.
As the assistant’s muffled footsteps faded away, Xu Jiao turned to Feng Qingyu and softly said, “There’s no need. I can go back by myself. You probably don’t want to be associated with me anymore, right? So don’t force yourself.”
Feng Qingyu lowered her gaze, and just as Xu Jiao brushed past her, she suddenly raised her hand and grabbed Xu Jiao’s arm. Her grip was firm, making Xu Jiao feel as if she had been caught in a vice, with a faint pain in her arm bones.
At that moment, Feng Qingyu met Xu Jiao’s gaze and, in a tone completely contrary to her forceful action, slowly said, “Not wanting to be associated with you is one thing—”
“Not wanting to lose face is another.”
“You saw it just now; your charm seems to be growing. Every Alpha who sees you is interested in you… I don’t want to see headlines the next day about me being cuckolded or you having ambiguous relationships with other celebrities or CEOs.”
“I don’t want to trend because of you anymore, so today, I’m taking you home.”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Her words were unusually forceful.
So much so that Xu Jiao found herself momentarily stunned, realizing she didn’t have much reason to refuse Feng Qingyu’s offer.
Curious whether Feng Qingyu’s intentions were as straightforward as they seemed, Xu Jiao raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling on the hand gripping her arm. She then tugged at the corner of her lips and replied:
“Alright, I agree… can you let go of me now?”
Feng Qingyu followed her gaze to her own hand, then slowly released her grip, finger by finger.
Because the hold had been so tight, as Feng Qingyu gradually loosened her grip, Xu Jiao felt like her arm, deprived of proper blood flow, was now experiencing a slow, tingling sensation, akin to the feeling of blood returning to her muscles.
She hadn’t expected Feng Qingyu to have such strength.
As she walked past her, Xu Jiao couldn’t help but recall that during their times in bed, she would often have faint marks on her body, but they would quickly fade. Back then, she had thought that was Feng Qingyu’s lack of control.
Who would have thought…
It turned out that Feng Qingyu had always been holding back.
……
The wind howled through the alley.
Perhaps due to the city’s proximity to the sea, the wind always carried a hint of moisture. If one got closer to the beach, they might even catch the salty, humid scent in the air.
Xu Jiao walked forward, feeling the wind against her face, while Feng Qingyu followed at a certain distance behind her. The streetlights cast their shadows long and thin on the ground, occasionally overlapping, like the fleeting embrace of lovers or the brief interaction of strangers, drawing near and then drifting apart.
Feng Qingyu watched their shadows intently.
Xu Jiao, however, inexplicably reached up to tug at her collar. She felt a warmth spreading from within her, as if the alcohol she had consumed earlier was only now starting to take effect.
And it was very strange.
She felt as though the scent of Shangguan Yan’s pheromones still lingered in her nostrils.
It was as if something was wrong with her sense of smell.
Moreover, the closer she got to the hotel, the stronger the scent became, as if it wanted to leave an imprint on her body. Yet her instincts were clamoring to resist this smell, creating a fierce conflict within her, making her body feel even hotter.
“Shh.”
A sudden sound interrupted her thoughts.
Xu Jiao’s shoe soles scraped against the gravel on the cement ground as she suddenly turned around and started walking back, causing Feng Qingyu, who had originally planned to see her to the hotel and then leave, to stop as well.
Feng Qingyu looked deeply at Xu Jiao, who was now walking away again, and asked, “What are you doing?”
Xu Jiao casually replied, “Going to the hospital.”
Feng Qingyu was momentarily stunned. “Why?”
Xu Jiao sniffled, her voice thick with nasal congestion, and said offhandedly, “My nose feels uncomfortable, and so does my body. So I’m going to the hospital to get it checked out.”
Feng Qingyu was about to follow her but, upon hearing that it was just a minor issue like temporary rhinitis, she couldn’t help but remind her:
“The ENT (ear, nose, and throat) department is closed at night; only the emergency room is open.”
“If it’s not urgent, you can go tomorrow morning.”
Hearing this, Xu Jiao realized she had been a bit confused. She turned back towards the hotel. She had finished filming her scenes for the day, so technically, she could go back to Feng’s house tonight.
But whether Feng Qingyu had forgotten this or simply didn’t want her to return, Xu Jiao wasn’t sure. In any case, she decided to stay one more night at the hotel and take the opportunity to pack her things, considering whether she should move out of Feng’s house or make other arrangements.
“You can go back now,” Xu Jiao said to Feng Qingyu as she pressed the elevator button.
Feng Qingyu looked at her and realized that Xu Jiao seemed unaware that her pheromones were dispersing erratically. She moved her lips, wanting to say something, but ultimately, she just lowered her eyes calmly and said softly:
“It’s just a few more steps.”
Xu Jiao didn’t say anything more.
She endured the strange feeling in her body and patiently waited for the elevator. When it finally arrived at her floor, she walked quickly, as if eager to put some distance between herself and Feng Qingyu.
Seeing her reaction, Feng Qingyu’s lips tightened, as if she wanted to do something, but in the end, she did nothing.
Until—
At the door of her room, Xu Jiao took out her key card and casually swiped it twice without success, seemingly demagnetized. She lost her patience and reluctantly prepared to go to the lobby to resolve the issue.
Feng Qingyu took a step forward and held out her hand, “Let me try.”
Xu Jiao’s dark eyes glanced at her. She placed the card in Feng Qingyu’s palm. As her fingertips brushed against Feng Qingyu’s soft palm, an inexplicable tingling sensation spread through her, causing her fingers to tremble slightly.
It was unclear if Feng Qingyu noticed her movements. She took the card and walked to the door.
After a moment.
“Beep beep.”
The light on the door turned green, and the lock mechanism made a zipping sound. Feng Qingyu turned the doorknob and suddenly heard a dull thud behind her.
Xu Jiao had inexplicably fallen to the ground, her face flushed. Her entire face was covered in a large blush, making her look…
Maybe she had suddenly developed a fever.
Or perhaps she had been drugged at the bar earlier.
Feng Qingyu quickly placed the card by the entrance and helped Xu Jiao up from the ground. She took a deep breath and asked, “Did you… drink something you shouldn’t have at the bar?”
Xu Jiao couldn’t explain why she suddenly felt so weak. She just shook her head, “I feel a bit congested, and it seems like I keep smelling Shangguan Yan’s pheromones. It’s strange.”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Hearing her say this—
Feng Qingyu suddenly remembered an expensive inducer that could be mixed with Alpha and Omega pheromones, making anyone who smelled it involuntarily develop a liking for the other person.
But…
This method wasn’t very effective on an Omega who had already been marked.
An Omega would instinctively resist such foreign Alpha pheromones, triggering a heat-like response in front of their own Alpha.
But this was just instinct.
Suppressing her burgeoning thoughts, Feng Qingyu simply asked, “He must have used… never mind, do you need help?”
She asked very calmly.
Yet Xu Jiao seemed to see right through her, her gaze carrying a hint of meaningful scrutiny. Her consciousness wavered between clarity and confusion. After a long while, she asked in a hoarse voice, “How do you plan to help?”
……
Ten minutes later.
Ice-cold water poured over Xu Jiao’s body.
Her clothes, skirt, and hair were all soaked.
The extreme cold clashed with the burning heat inside her, making her rationality struggle in agony. She almost slipped but managed to grab the glass door handle beside her with one hand. She widened her eyes and stared at Feng Qingyu, who was calmly holding the showerhead, turned to its maximum setting, spraying her.
Seeing that Xu Jiao’s gaze seemed much clearer, Feng Qingyu’s lips twitched slightly before returning to normal. She then asked nonchalantly:
“How do you feel now? Any better?”
Xu Jiao: “…”
Discover more from Little Panda
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.