Don’t Want a Divorce (12)
“Really don’t want it?”
“This red wine is produced by a winery in Toronto, and the taste is quite good. However, the Omegas I knew before generally preferred sparkling wine because its taste is sweeter and more easily accepted.”
Lu Xun poured a small amount of wine into Xu Jiao’s glass, then promptly moved the bottle away. The clear wine glass held the deep red liquid, and the polished rim reflected the crystal chandelier above their dining area, with its sparkling light adding a touch of enchantment to the wine, exuding a sense of opulence and decadence.
Xu Jiao pinched the tall glass neck, raised the glass to Lu Xun in a gesture of thanks, lightly sniffed the rich wine aroma, then tilted the glass to her lips and took a small sip.
The wine had a hint of oak, with a slight bitterness mixed with astringency, but after spreading on the tongue, it returned to a sweet aftertaste.
Just one small sip seemed to encapsulate the finest essence of the estate’s grapes.
Upon seeing the change on Xu Jiao’s face, Lu Xun knew that this wine seemed to suit her taste very well. He watched her, after tasting it, drink the remaining wine in the glass in one go. The elegant arc of her raised neck was like a swan’s curved neck. The collision of red wine and red lips, the deep red wine gradually disappearing, leaving only the slight movement of the snow-white skin at her throat.
Lu Xun smelled the sweet floral fragrance wafting over from the person beside him—
Coupled with the elegant posture of the beauty drinking, it made his throat itch slightly.
He picked up the red wine again, intending to pour Xu Jiao another glass. As he approached, Xu Jiao’s hand, holding the neck of the bottle, suddenly paused.
She noticed that the heavy woody scent beside her suddenly became more intense, as if it wanted to seductively approach the back of her neck. Just when Xu Jiao was about to shiver at this sudden and blatant signal…
That woody scent suddenly withdrew.
The tip of her nose belatedly caught the bitter fruit-like scent.
Before she could turn her head, a plain white arm suddenly extended beside her. A slender gold watch was clasped on her wrist, its exquisite design retaining its original function while serving as an adornment, highlighting the slender and elegant wrist bones.
Such a beautiful hand pressed against Xu Jiao’s hand, carrying a warm heat.
Feng Qingyu’s voice sounded beside her ear, but it was directed at Lu Xun:
“Jiaojiao is not very good at drinking; I’ll drink this cup for her.”
Lu Xun’s eyes carried a hint of a smile as he met Feng Qingyu’s gaze. On the surface, one seemed like a smiling tiger, and the other was gentle and non-aggressive. However, beneath it all, their pheromones avoided Xu Jiao and fully pressured each other.
The competition between Alphas is often this subtle, with even the clash of swords and blades happening where no one can see.
Xu Jiao vaguely sensed the undercurrent but had no intention of paying attention to it. She glanced at Feng Qingyu’s hand covering her own. She initially wanted to habitually pull away but then remembered her current relationship with Feng Qingyu…
No matter what the original owner had done.
At least in this script and role, Feng Qingyu’s help was beneficial to Xu Jiao.
She remained still as Feng Qingyu took the wine glass from her hand and drank the red wine inside.
After drinking, Feng Qingyu calmly put down the glass and moved closer to Xu Jiao as if no one else was around. Her voice sounded almost against Xu Jiao’s cheek, making their relationship appear intimate but not too much to draw excessive attention from others.
“I remember there were two bottles of Bordeaux in the wine cellar at home two months ago. If you like, I’ll open one for you to taste when we get back.”
Xu Jiao looked up at her and saw that Feng Qingyu’s tenderness when speaking to her was almost indistinguishable from the real thing. She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly:
No wonder she is a seasoned actress.
“Even the loving interactions of a married couple in ordinary life can be acted so convincingly.”
Just by looking at Feng Qingyu’s current attitude towards her, who could imagine how much Feng Qingyu actually dislikes her in private?
Impressed as she was, outwardly, upon hearing Feng Qingyu’s words, she cooperatively responded with a “Sure.”
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After speaking, Xu Jiao lowered her head and picked up the chopsticks to grab some food. The people who had previously toasted had already left. Qui Yongli was now drinking with Director Zhen and Shangguan Yan. If she didn’t take this opportunity to eat a few more bites, she might end up going home with just a stomach full of alcohol tonight.
It isn’t appropriate to stay at the table all the time. If the main actors go to make a toast and she doesn’t go, it would make Xu Jiao appear to not know how to read the room, like a block of wood, completely ignorant of social niceties. Other people would inevitably gossip about her.
If she went and was too eager, it wouldn’t work either, making it seem like she was trying to steal the spotlight from the main actors. After all, she is just a supporting role, not the youngest, not the most famous, and not the most experienced in acting. Strictly speaking, her position in the crew is somewhat awkward.
Xu Jiao couldn’t be bothered to think too much about these matters. She planned to take a few more bites, find an excuse to go to the restroom, and then come back when the dinner was almost over.
Before she could act, she saw Shangguan Yan, who had just clinked glasses with Qiu Yongli, finish his drink. After his assistant poured him another glass, he suddenly raised his glass towards the main actors from a distance:
“Today, during my visit to the set, I saw that everyone is working very hard. I have a feeling that the results of this work will definitely meet everyone’s expectations. This glass is my toast to everyone.”
The boss proactively made a toast, and no one dared not to drink. Almost at the moment Shangguan Yan finished speaking, Director Zhen led the crew to stand up and raise their glasses in salute to Shangguan Yan.
After one round—
Shangguan Yan was not done yet. After clinking glasses with Director Zhen and the others, he then clinked glasses with Qiu Yongli and Lu Xun. After that, his gaze fell on Feng Qingyu and Xu Jiao.
Xu Jiao could clearly perceive the hostility in Shangguan Yan’s eyes.
She knew that Feng Qingyu would not be taken down anytime soon and had no intention of becoming a thorn in the side of the big boss from the capital. Finding an opportunity, she left the table and headed towards the restroom.
……
“Detected that the female lead is being harassed by the big boss from the capital, please proceed to help immediately.”
In a restroom that had the same decorative style as the lobby, with tiles reflecting light, Xu Jiao was standing there playing a puzzle game on her phone when she suddenly heard the system’s voice in her mind.
Her fingertip movements paused for a moment, and after thinking for a moment following that mechanical voice, she said, “Are you sure that two Alphas confronting each other need an Omega like me to mediate? With my small frame, can I drink on behalf of Feng Qingyu, or scare Shangguan Yan away?”
To Feng Qingyu and Shangguan Yan, both Alphas, she was just a weak, pitiful, and helpless little three of spades.
System: “…” Following Xu Jiao’s words, the system thought for a moment and surprisingly realized that this time it had drawn an identity for Xu Jiao that seemed to be a case of shooting itself in the foot.
Xu Jiao lowered her head again to play her puzzle game, waiting for the system to cancel this absurd task. After waiting and waiting, all she could hear was still: “Detected that the female lead is being harassed by the big boss from the capital, please proceed to help immediately.”
Xu Jiao: “?”
The system calmly said: “You are Feng Qingyu’s wife. Shangguan Yan currently lacks legitimate authority and cannot take Feng Qingyu away in front of everyone.”
Xu Jiao finished the round she was playing, took a light breath, and sighed in her heart: “…I can’t tell, but this little smart brain of yours is quite bright.”
It had even learned to analyze the situation for her to save the female lead indirectly.
Xu Jiao found herself with no reason to slack off anymore.
System: “…”
Just as her inner world was about to be bombarded by the system’s mechanical voice, Xu Jiao put away her slightly warm phone, opened the door, and walked out. She dragged out her tone and replied to the system, “Got it, I’m going to do the task now.”
……
Feng Qingyu was a bit drunk.
She was usually very measured and planned to stop drinking before reaching her limit, but Shangguan Yan always seemed to find a reason to drink with her and the other main actors.
In an unguarded moment, she drank a little too much.
Qiu Yongli could only lie on the table, mumbling, with her cheeks flushed red. Lu Xun had to call her assistant to come and pick her up. Director Zhen sat in his seat, holding his cup, watching Shangguan Yan’s posture. He furrowed his brows as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, said nothing.
After all, he was the boss.
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Even though their relationship is very good, he still can’t publicly embarrass Shangguan Yan by blaming him for getting the main actors drunk.
Director Zhen made a quick plan in his mind, estimating that those who drank too much wouldn’t be able to get up until after noon the next day. So in the morning, they would first shoot the scenes involving the background actors and supporting roles.
He had no intention of probing Shangguan Yan’s motives, nor did he want to stay here and let the alcohol affect his state. So he simply stepped out to call his screenwriter wife. Before leaving, he instructed another assistant director, who could hold his liquor well, to keep an eye on things and remember to notify the assistants of those who were drunk to come and pick them up, and finally, to put the bill on President Yan’s tab.
When Xu Jiao came out of the restroom, the table was a mess—
Qiu Yongli was nowhere to be seen, and some other staff and important supporting actors who couldn’t handle the drinking had left early. The only ones remaining at the table were Shangguan Yan and his assistant, Lu Xun, and Feng Qingyu.
Feng Qingyu’s cheeks didn’t show any obvious signs of drunkenness, but her neck had already turned a light pink. She still sat upright, her eyebrows arched in a smile, as if she were laughing.
Xu Jiao had just taken a step in her direction when she saw that the smile on Feng Qingyu’s face became genuine. She warmly smiled at her, her voice carrying a hint of hoarseness from the alcohol, yet her tone remained gentle, exuding a mature woman’s charm.
“You’re back,” she said.
Xu Jiao responded with a soft “Mm,” and took her seat in her previous position. Suddenly, Shangguan Yan said, “It’s so late, and you’ve all had so much to drink. It would be inconvenient to go back. How about I give you a ride?”
As soon as he finished speaking, his assistant, who was very perceptive, chimed in with some difficulty, “But, boss, the car only has room for one more person.”
After a night of drinking, Lu Xun figured out what his boss was up to. These two cunning Alphas hit it off instantly; they didn’t even need to exchange a glance to understand each other’s intentions.
Right then, he said to Xu Jiao, “I noticed you were just focused on drinking earlier and didn’t seem to eat much. There’s a pretty good BBQ skewer place nearby. Wanna check it out? We can walk a bit and sober up.”
As he spoke, Lu Xun saw Xu Jiao’s eyes were on Feng Qingyu. He finished his sentence and then gave his boss an out: “With President Yan’s car here, you don’t need to worry about her.”
Xu Jiao smelled the thick scent of conspiracy in the air, and her lips curved up, like she found it amusing.
Even though she was the only Omega in the room, she didn’t show any fear of walking into the lion’s den. Instead, she just pretended not to understand anything, smiled at Lu Xun, and replied:
“Thanks for the invite, but it seems like Qingyu has had a bit too much to drink. I’m not too comfortable leaving her—”
Shangguan Yan cut in at the right moment, “If Miss Xu wants to go out with Ah Xun, Miss Feng… my assistant and I can take care of her.”
As he spoke, his pheromones subtly pressed in Xu Jiao’s direction.
His tone was polite and courteous, but his actions were a heavy blow.
Before Xu Jiao could react, she was suddenly surrounded by the mix of sweet and bitter from the bitter orange scent. The pheromones carried no extra emotion, neither aggressive nor teasing. They just gently spread around her, like a protective barrier, keeping her from being threatened by any bad smells.
She smelled that sweet and bitter fragrance, and the next moment, she looked towards Feng Qingyu, instantly locking eyes with her.
The corners of Feng Qingyu’s lips still held a slight smile as she gazed only at Xu Jiao, seemingly unaware that both of them had become someone else’s prey. Dazed and instinctively provoked by another Alpha’s pheromones, she just subconsciously wanted to protect this person.
When she saw Xu Jiao looking over, her smile grew even more beautiful. Xu Jiao couldn’t figure out what Feng Qingyu was smiling about, but she could see the joy in her expression.
With someone greeting her with a smile, Xu Jiao, no matter how cold, couldn’t keep her tone too harsh. Thinking about the system’s task, she then asked Feng Qingyu:
“You’re drunk, President Yan wants to send you home, what do you think…”
The words weren’t even finished.
The smile on Feng Qingyu’s face disappeared.
It was as if the entire land of China suddenly cooled down. The peach leaves on the branches, which had just shown a hint of green, were instantly frozen by the sudden frost, causing the budding flowers to wilt. Even the bright sunlight hid behind the clouds, leaving only a gloomy sky.
When her expression turned cold, Feng Qingyu abruptly reached out and grabbed Xu Jiao’s sleeve. Though her eyes were lowered and she didn’t say a word, anyone could see from her posture that she was rejecting what Xu Jiao had just said.
Xu Jiao assumed she was annoyed by the provocative pheromones from Shangguan Yan and Lu Xun. Seeing her cooperating with her own task, Xu Jiao could only give an apologetic smile to Shangguan Yan and Lu Xun, then pulled Feng Qingyu up to leave.
Watching them leave hand in hand, Lu Xun and Shangguan Yan exchanged a glance.
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Shangguan Yan looked at Lu Xun with frustration, like hating iron for not becoming steel, and said moodily, “Our number one guy in Yantian always gets things done efficiently, so why are you dragging your feet now?”
Lu Xun touched his nose and replied to his boss with a grin, “Because some things, if you get them too easily, they don’t seem as tasty, right, Boss Yan?”
Shangguan Yan: “Hmph.”
……
Downstairs.
Xu Jiao was ready to hand Feng Qingyu over to her assistant and casually planned in her mind, thinking the tasks in this world were a piece of cake.
Just as Luo Bo opened the car door and turned back to say to Feng Qingyu, “Sister Yu, we’re heading back to the hotel,” she saw that Feng Qingyu still hadn’t let go of Xu Jiao’s hand.
Luo Bo, bewildered, looked at their clasped hands, then raised her eyes to look at Xu Jiao, and then at her own boss.
Xu Jiao tried to pull her hand away and smiled at Feng Qingyu, “Your assistant is here to pick you up. You should head back to the hotel.”
Feng Qingyu remained motionless, as if she hadn’t heard. It was unclear whether she really didn’t hear or was just pretending.
Luo Bo’s heart was in turmoil, but anyone who could be an assistant to a top-tier celebrity had to be a people expert. No matter how astonished she was inside, on the surface, she continued sensibly:
“Miss Xu probably needs to go back to the hotel too, right? Why not go together? Sister Yu standing here like this… it’s not good for her to stand for too long.”