The Amnesiac Omega Who Reels Me In Every Day – Chapter 47

Becoming an Adult

【Decide quickly.】

【Decide quickly.】

            

Ji Xiaoqin returned home in a wretched state. When she opened her phone, the first thing she saw was this text message from Wen Ye.

Looking in the mirror, her eyes were swollen and red from crying, and she looked incredibly haggard. Ji Xiaoqin didn’t dare reply to Wen Ye, nor did she know how to, but… it seemed she had no other choice.

She wasn’t a good girl. She was degrading herself. In Xu An’s eyes, she had already become this kind of person, and she had become the same in Xiao Jin’s eyes too.

            

She wasn’t a good girl. She was degrading herself. But she had no other choice—she couldn’t afford to pay her back…

Feeling helpless and desperate, Ji Xiaoqin sent her a reply: 【Okay.】

【Come here tonight.】 Wen Ye sent over an address. Ji Xiaoqin found the line of text incredibly glaring, and her shoulders began to tremble.

            

It was too humiliating.

Ji Xiaoqin vaguely remembered that several years ago, an Alpha had also threatened to keep her as a mistress, constantly harassing and intimidating her. But not long after, Jiang Jinyi appeared. Jiang Jinyi wasn’t afraid of threats; she took her in to work and live with her. Back then, Jiang Jinyi was the only light in her life.

Back then, she had really, truly wanted to stay with Jiang Jinyi like that for the rest of her life.

            

But she could feel that Jiang Jinyi was now deliberately keeping her distance. She could also feel Jiang Jinyi’s reliance on Jiang Youwan. Ever since Jiang Youwan appeared, she was no longer important to Jiang Jinyi—she had become dispensable.

She was now a marked Omega. She was no longer worthy of Jiang Jinyi. No, she had never been worthy of Jiang Jinyi, nor was she worthy of Xu An. She was just a lowly, humble person from the bottom of society.

At that thought, Ji Xiaoqin’s eyes welled with tears again, making her already swollen eyes even worse. She retrieved two ice packs from the refrigerator to apply to her eyes. Wen Ye had said she didn’t want to see her with swollen eyes; it looked ugly.

            

Jiang Jinyi’s gallery was currently undergoing renovations, so there wasn’t any work for her to do for the time being. To be precise, Jiang Youwan had already arranged more capable, professional people to handle all of Jiang Jinyi’s affairs. Jiang Jinyi only needed to paint, while she herself seemed to have lost all purpose.

…

Ji Xiaoqin dressed herself according to Wen Ye’s demands: a long skirt, straight bangs, looking entirely docile.

            

When she went downstairs, she saw a car waiting to pick her up. It was a driver arranged by Wen Ye.

It was an upscale residential complex. Ji Xiaoqin entered the passcode to step inside the apartment. The apartment was large—incredibly large to her—but it was cold and desolate, with barely any signs of habitation. This wasn’t Wen Ye’s home; it was likely just one of her many properties.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Ji Xiaoqin sat on the sofa and waited for a while. Soon, the bathroom door opened. Wen Ye emerged wearing a loose bathrobe, drying her hair with a towel as she walked over with a half-smile.

            

“Quite obedient, arriving right on time.” Wen Ye was beautiful—gorgeously, flamboyantly beautiful. She usually wore heavy makeup, but her fresh-out-of-the-bath look didn’t detract from her beauty at all. Instead, it had a unique charm of its own.

Ji Xiaoqin kept her eyes lowered, refusing to look at her.

Ji Xiaoqin sat on one end of the sofa, while Wen Ye sat lazily on the other. Staring at Ji Xiaoqin like a predator eyeing its prey, she beckoned with her finger. “Come here.”

            

Ji Xiaoqin’s long eyelashes trembled, her palms clenching tight. Seeing her hesitant, awkward behavior, Wen Ye let out a soft laugh, her tone gentle yet carrying a hint of a warning. “Xiao Qin, don’t you know? The most important thing about being a mistress is to be obedient and please your patron.”

Wen Ye didn’t like disobedient people.

Wen Ye didn’t like this feeling at all—the feeling of being resisted and detested from the bottom of someone’s heart.

            

It was highly uncomfortable. What she needed was an obedient mistress who would be at her beck and call.

Hearing this, Ji Xiaoqin gritted her teeth, stood up, and walked toward her. Wen Ye reclined lazily, patting her own thigh. “Be good. Sit over here.”

As she drew closer, Wen Ye began to release her pheromones—the scent of roses. It carried a fierce aggressiveness, causing Ji Xiaoqin’s body to tremble involuntarily.

            

She knew what she was about to endure. She felt that someone like Wen Ye must be incredibly filthy, but she had become filthy too.

What made her even more ashamed was that her body was helplessly drawn to her.

Because she had been marked by her. Although the mark had mostly faded, there were still lingering traces, making her instinctively attracted to Wen Ye’s pheromones.

            

Along with this attraction came fear—the instinctive terror an Omega felt when about to be marked.

Ji Xiaoqin hesitated to sit down. The moment she thought of her current identity and what kind of person Wen Ye was, she felt sick to her stomach, her entire being resisting.

She truly couldn’t fathom what she was doing.

            

“Do I disgust you that much?” Wen Ye suddenly sneered mockingly. “Xiao Qin, you’ve already been marked by me. Disgusting me is just disgusting yourself, isn’t it?”

“You’ve already agreed to be my mistress, so why are you still acting so coy? Who are you putting on a show for? Xu An is not here. Though if she were, I’d actually love for her to see you being marked by me with her own eyes.” Wen Ye’s words were malicious. She knew Ji Xiaoqin couldn’t bear them, and she rather enjoyed the feeling. She grabbed Ji Xiaoqin’s hand and pulled her onto her lap.

Ji Xiaoqin’s eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively struggled. “No! Don’t!”

            

As if losing her patience, Wen Ye pinned her down and forced her to turn around.

During the time Ji Xiaoqin had spent with Wen Ye in Bei City, Wen Ye had particularly enjoyed treating her like this—pressing close from behind so she couldn’t see her face, where the scent of pheromones was at its strongest.

Trembling, Ji Xiaoqin felt Wen Ye brush aside the hair at the back of her neck. Inhaling her pleasant camellia pheromones, Wen Ye felt an increasing thrill. She whispered in her ear, “Xiao Qin, I’ve actually missed you quite a bit these past few days, you know? I really missed your pheromones.”

            

You don’t look like her at all, but your pheromones are so similar.

Without seeing your face, I can completely pretend you’re her.

“Remember what I said last time? I don’t like girls making noise.” Wen Ye became gentle again, like a da-jiejie instructing her little girlfriend.

            

The more she acted this way, the harder Ji Xiaoqin trembled. Feeling her draw closer, Ji Xiaoqin summoned an unknown courage and suddenly shoved her away. Wen Ye narrowed her eyes. “Don’t spoil the fun.”

How could she let her prey escape so easily? She intensified the release of her pheromones. It might not work as effectively on others, but to an Omega she had already marked, it would only make her knees buckle in submission.

Ji Xiaoqin’s body went limp. Her eyes were red as she looked at her pleadingly. “I’ve changed my mind. Let me go… No, please, don’t…”

            

Obviously, Wen Ye had no intention of accepting Ji Xiaoqin’s change of mind. She closed in step by step. Suddenly, a ringtone chimed. Wen Ye froze. It was the custom ringtone she had set for Liang Qi. She immediately turned to find her phone.

“Hello? Qiqi, what’s wrong?” Liang Qi rarely called Wen Ye, especially late at night, so Wen Ye’s tone instantly filled with concern.

From the other end of the line came Liang Qi’s slightly slurred, drifting voice: “Wen-jiejie, I’m drunk. Can you come pick me up?”

            

Without a second thought, Wen Ye replied, “Okay, send me your address. Don’t wander off, I’m coming right now.”

The call ended. Wen Ye didn’t give Ji Xiaoqin another glance as she grabbed her clothes to change. In less than two minutes, she was out the door.

Ji Xiaoqin slowly collapsed onto the floor. Once she was certain Wen Ye had gone far, she fled the apartment as if escaping from hell itself.

            

This residential complex was rather secluded. At night, there were few people and even fewer streetlights, making it impossible to hail a cab. She had no choice but to walk toward the downtown area on foot. Her clothes had been slightly torn by Wen Ye earlier, so she had to hold them closed with one hand while wiping away her tears with the other.

The night was dark and the wind was high; danger quietly approached.

Ji Xiaoqin gradually realized someone was tailing her. She walked faster, but the person behind her kept pace, closing the distance. Her heart hammered wildly, her panic written all over her face. With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone. Too frantic to think clearly or hesitate, she sent a WeChat message to the only person who could help her—Xu An.

            

【Xu An, someone is following me…】

Sensing that Ji Xiaoqin was messaging someone for help, the man behind her quickened his steps. Terrified, Ji Xiaoqin bolted, pressing the emergency SOS button on her phone.

The man immediately gave chase. Naturally, Ji Xiaoqin couldn’t outrun him. She screamed desperately for help, but there were few people around, and the few onlookers merely watched, standing idly by.

            

“Don’t run, I’m not a bad guy.” Her arm was grabbed, and a greasy, lecherous voice entered Ji Xiaoqin’s ears. She struggled with all her might, screaming for help, but the disparity in strength was too great. She was dragged into an alleyway. A demonic grin spread across the man’s chubby face. “What are you running for? Wandering around in the middle of the night dressed so beautifully, isn’t it just for this gege to look at? Why put on an act?”

“No, it’s not! Help!” Ji Xiaoqin cried, kicking at the man, only to be shoved hard onto the ground.

The man shook his hand, cursing, “Fucking bitch—”

            

Before he could finish, a fist slammed violently into his fat face. The man shrieked in pain. As he turned his head, another fist crashed down, sending his massive frame tumbling two meters away. “Fuck!”

Xu An stood there in a baseball jacket and a high ponytail, wearing slightly dramatic makeup. Her eyes burned with pure fury as she glared at him, looking ready to kill. The heap of fat scrambled up from the ground. “You fucking want to die?”

Without a word, Xu An lunged forward with another punch. She wanted to thrash him some more, but she was held back by bystanders who had just rushed over.

            

Once the man was pinned down by several people, Xu An turned around. She saw Ji Xiaoqin huddled in the corner of the wall, her eyes red-rimmed, tears streaming down her face as she trembled all over, looking at her with utter misery.

Seeing this, Xu An felt as though a knife had carved a gash into her heart. She slipped off her jacket, knelt down, and draped it over her, wrapping her up tight. “It’s okay now,” she said softly.

“Xu An…” Ji Xiaoqin whimpered, her voice shaking. Heartbroken, Xu An reassured her once more, “It’s over now. Don’t be afraid.”

            

Ji Xiaoqin bit her lip. At this very moment, she desperately wanted to embrace her, but the thought that Xu An had already begun to detest her—and that she herself was so filthy—made her feel unworthy. She didn’t deserve to hold Xu An, nor did she deserve her concern.

She lowered her head and buried her face between her thighs, sobbing. Xu An’s arms froze mid-air, then slowly tightened and retreated. She simply stayed by her side, guarding her.

Before long, the police arrived, and Xu An accompanied Ji Xiaoqin to give her statement. The man was a repeat offender who frequently staked out this deserted street late at night, specifically targeting women who were alone and appeared weak.

            

He would receive his due punishment. By the time the two left the police station, it was already the early hours of the morning. Ji Xiaoqin had stopped crying, though her eyes were heavily swollen. She walked shoulder to shoulder with Xu An, her head lowered, both of them silent the entire way.

Reaching the roadside, where Xu An’s car was parked, Xu An glanced at her and said, “I’ll take you home.”

Ji Xiaoqin paused, then nodded.

            

Once she sat in Xu An’s passenger seat, Ji Xiaoqin barely raised her head again. Yet, she couldn’t stop her eyes from darting toward Xu An, noticing a dark bruise on her arm—likely sustained while defending her.

Ji Xiaoqin felt a sharp pang in her heart.

Xu An didn’t say a word during the drive. Any thoughts of scolding, blaming, or questioning vanished, leaving only a profound sense of relief that she had arrived in time.

            

Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

They remained silent throughout the half-hour drive until the car entered Ji Xiaoqin’s residential complex. Parking below her building, Xu An spoke. “We’re here.”

Now that they had arrived, Ji Xiaoqin was supposed to get out, but she didn’t budge, stammering as if wanting to say something. Thinking she was simply too shaken to walk up the stairs alone, Xu An remained silent, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out. She walked over to the passenger side, opened the door, helped unfasten her seatbelt, and said, “Come on. I’ll walk you up.”

            

“Mm…”

Once upstairs, Ji Xiaoqin unlocked her door but didn’t go in. She gripped the doorknob tightly while Xu An stood right behind her, making no move to leave.

“You—”

            

“Your arm is injured.” Ji Xiaoqin suddenly turned around, looking at her with a hint of trepidation. “Let me apply some medicine for you.”

Xu An blinked and didn’t refuse, following her inside and closing the door behind them.

Ji Xiaoqin retrieved a first-aid kit and took out some ointment. Holding Xu An’s arm, she applied it with extreme care, her movements gentle out of fear of causing her pain.

            

Xu An watched her for a long time, gritting her teeth repeatedly before finally losing her restraint. “What did you go to that place for? Were you looking for Wen Ye?”

Ji Xiaoqin’s hand jerked. “…Yes.”

Xu An knew it. The faint hope she had harbored was shattered, and she forced a strained smile. “Then why did she dump you on the main road all by yourself? She didn’t even drive you home?”

            

Detecting a hint of mockery in Xu An’s voice, Ji Xiaoqin kept her head low and remained silent. Tears welled in her eyes, accidentally dripping onto Xu An’s arm. Xu An froze, and Ji Xiaoqin quickly wiped them away, repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Crying the moment Wen Ye was mentioned—this meek, submissive look was incredibly painful to look at. Xu An couldn’t hold back any longer. She yanked her arm out of Ji Xiaoqin’s grasp. As Ji Xiaoqin froze, Xu An cupped her face in her hands, forcing her to look up.

A tear-stained face was captured in Xu An’s gaze.

            

Ji Xiaoqin immediately tried to pull away in a panic, but Xu An was unyielding, refusing to let her budge. She asked with growing agitation, “Ji Xiaoqin, did Wen Ye do something to you? Did she threaten you? Stop crying and tell me, is that it?!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ji Xiaoqin bit her lip, letting the tears stream down without speaking a word. Xu An’s brows knitted tight, her heart slowly turning cold again. After a long pause, she let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Or is it… even though you know she’s a playgirl¹, you’re still willing to—”

“No!” Ji Xiaoqin shook her head frantically as she wept, her tear-filled eyes looking at Xu An in anguish. She rushed to explain through heavy sobs, “It’s not like that, it’s not! That day she came to find me, and we got into an argument. I accidentally dropped her bracelet into the river, and we couldn’t find it. It was incredibly expensive—worth several million RMB. I could never afford to pay her back in this lifetime. She threatened that if I didn’t pay her back within three days, she would take me to court. Unless… unless I agreed to be her mistress for three months…”

            

It was as though Ji Xiaoqin were tearing away her last shred of dignity; it was with immense difficulty that she managed to utter those words. Xu An was stunned for a moment. “You agreed to that?”

Ji Xiaoqin shook her head, choking out, “I agreed… but then I ran away. That’s why…”

Xu An was so exasperated she laughed, pinching and kneading her cheeks in mock retaliation. “Are you fucking stupid?”

            

“Don’t you still have me? Why didn’t you ask me for the money? Although I’m not as rich as Jiang Jinyi, I can easily come up with a few million, alright?” Xu An wanted to give her a proper scolding but couldn’t bring herself to do it, settling for pinching her cheek instead. “I really don’t know what to say to you. Do you have any idea how mad you made me yesterday?”

Ji Xiaoqin blinked her damp eyelashes, lowering her gaze as her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. “I did think about telling you…”

Without thinking much of it, Xu An asked directly, “Then why didn’t you?”

            

Back then, she hadn’t had the chance to speak before running into Wen Ye again. Wen Ye had bullied her, using her status as a creditor to lay hands on her. She had been too terrified to resist, which Xu An had witnessed, leading to everything that followed.

Ji Xiaoqin didn’t say any of this, remaining silent. Xu An also felt remorseful, recalling the harsh words she had said to her yesterday. Overwhelmed by an unprecedented wave of guilt and remorse, she suddenly pulled Ji Xiaoqin into a tight embrace, holding her in her arms. “I’m sorry. Everything I said yesterday was just out of anger. I was so furious. I’m so sorry, truly. I was wrong, I deserve a slap. I’m sorry, please don’t take it to heart, okay?”

Ji Xiaoqin hadn’t actually felt that aggrieved anymore, but hearing Xu An’s apology, her tears began to flow uncontrollably again, rubbing off onto Xu An’s collar and soaking her clothes.

            

“Xu An…” She didn’t dare embrace her back.

Anxious only to make up for the pain she had caused, Xu An blurted out her feelings incoherently: “I take back everything I said that day. I still like you so much—I can’t stop liking you. Do you have any idea how panicked I was when I saw your message? My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, and I wanted to murder that guy. You don’t need to fear Wen Ye’s threats. I can easily produce a few million. Leave this matter to me, alright?”

“Ji Xiaoqin, I really… like you.”

            

Listening to Xu An’s frantic confession, Ji Xiaoqin couldn’t describe the emotions stirring in her heart. She only felt immensely apologetic, feeling completely unworthy of her affection.

“Xu An, I…”

Xu An released her, cutting her off. “You don’t have to give me an answer right now. Don’t carry any mental burden. Just let me handle that piece of trash Wen Ye. You don’t have to worry about owing me money either—I’m not short on cash. You can pay me back whenever you have it. In any case, we still have decades ahead of us, so you can take as long as you need.”

            

Decades…

Looking at her, Ji Xiaoqin felt from the bottom of her heart that Xu An was truly too good, too sincere, and too clean. She didn’t deserve her. She simply didn’t deserve her.

“Xu An…”

            

“Go ahead,” Xu An said, sensing she wanted to say something.

“I… I’m an Omega who has already been marked by someone else. I’m already filthy, and I don’t deserve you.” Ji Xiaoqin had no idea how much courage it took to utter those words. Once she finished, she didn’t cowardly look away, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with Xu An.

Xu An’s eyes widened. “What nonsense!”

            

She seemed furious—not because Ji Xiaoqin had been marked by another Alpha, but because of her way of thinking.

“Xiao Qin, she took advantage of you when you were vulnerable. It wasn’t your fault at all. Besides, what determines whether a girl is pure has never been her chastity, has it?”

---

The next morning, Jiang Jinyi was awakened by the sound of voices. She felt her head throbbing and heavy. Opening her eyes with difficulty, she tilted her head and saw two blurry figures. As her vision slowly focused, she made out the side profile of Jiang Youwan.

            

Jiang Youwan was sitting on the edge of the bed while a doctor in a white coat stood before her, reporting on something.

Before long, the doctor left. Jiang Youwan turned her head, and seeing that she was awake, gently caressed her face with aching tenderness. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Jiang Jinyi rubbed her eyes and tried to sit up. Jiang Youwan supported her, pulling her toward her chest, but Jiang Jinyi did not yield, merely leaning against the headboard. “What’s wrong with me?” she asked weakly.

            

Jiang Youwan patted her head. “Xiao Jin, did you catch a cold last night? You have a slight fever right now, but it’s nothing major. The doctor just said you’ll be fine after taking some medicine and getting some rest.”

Jiang Jinyi turned her head away and gave a quiet “Mm.”

Jiang Youwan withdrew her hand. Looking at her averted face, her eyes filled with tender concern, she coaxed softly, “Don’t be afraid. The discomfort will pass soon.”

            

Jiang Jinyi remained silent. The atmosphere between them felt a bit different from before. Jiang Youwan sensed it keenly but assumed Jiang Jinyi was simply feeling too miserable and was in a bad mood. Though she desperately wanted to hug her, she refrained from any more intimate gestures and quickly went downstairs to get breakfast.

Only after Jiang Youwan left did Jiang Jinyi slowly turn her head back. She pulled out her phone and checked the time. It was already past nine in the morning. At this hour, Jiang Youwan should have been at work, yet she had stayed home because she was sick. See, you’ve caused her trouble again.

Jiang Jinyi’s mood was exceptionally low—depressed because she was sick, depressed because she had troubled Jiang Youwan again, and depressed out of insecurity.

            

She truly had so many bad habits, being both willful and overbearing. Upon waking and seeing Jiang Youwan’s worry for her, she had actually entertained the urge to throw a tantrum and force Jiang Youwan to stay away from that Lu Jing.

But she exerted immense effort to suppress it. She thought that, as a meimei, she was truly terrible. For her own selfish desires, she had almost made things difficult for Jiang Youwan again.

Jiang Jinyi told herself that Jiang Youwan had her own life. She had to be more sensible, or else Jiang Youwan would get exhausted.

            

She couldn’t be willful anymore, nor could she throw tantrums.

Before long, Jiang Youwan returned carrying a bowl of porridge. She wore no makeup and was dressed in a casual loungewear gown. Her long hair was pinned up, with a few loose strands framing her jaw. Her appearance was both sensual and gentle—the very picture of a gentle housewife.

Jiang Jinyi merely glanced at her before casting her eyes downward.

            

“Have some porridge first to fill your stomach, then you can take your medicine.” Carrying a bowl of pork porridge, Jiang Youwan sat on the edge of the bed, naturally scooping up a spoonful to feed her. When Jiang Jinyi didn’t open her mouth, she nudged her lips gently with the spoon, smiling. “Has Jiejie’s Xiao Jin burned her brain out? Open up.”

Perhaps because she was sick, Jiang Youwan was even gentler than before—a gentleness that could make even the fiercest puppy submit. Jiang Jinyi’s heart was locked in a fierce struggle; on one hand, she craved this warmth, but on the other, she felt she shouldn’t behave like this anymore.

She pouted, but instead of opening her mouth, she took the spoon from Jiang Youwan’s hand and grabbed the bowl. “I’ll eat by myself.”

            

She then added calmly, “You’re making me look like a three-year-old child. Don’t pamper me like this anymore.”

Jiang Youwan raised her eyebrows, staring at her unblinkingly. “Xiao Jin wants to be an adult now?” she asked with a smile. “In Jiejie’s eyes, aren’t you always a little kid?”

Jiang Jinyi fed herself a spoonful of porridge and said seriously, “I am already an adult. I’m already twenty-three. People will laugh at me if they see me like this.” And having a meimei who never grows up will only make Jiejie very tired.

            

Seeing her solemn, self-serious expression as she fed herself, Jiang Youwan had no idea what had prompted her to suddenly think this way—wanting to be an adult who didn’t need Jiejie to coax her to eat.

But Jiang Youwan was absolutely certain that this resolve of Jiang Jinyi’s wouldn’t even last until it was time to take her medicine.

The bowl of porridge was soon empty. Jiang Youwan took the bowl away and went to prepare the fever medicine. A few minutes later, she returned with it.

            

The moment Jiang Youwan stepped into the room, Jiang Jinyi smelled the foul odor of the medicine, instantly feeling a physical wave of nausea. Watching her furrowed brow, a smile tugged at the corner of Jiang Youwan’s lips.

Xiao Jin hated taking medicine the most. Every time she fell ill, she had to be coaxed for ages, with all sorts of conditions agreed to and rewards promised. Yet even then, she would always back out the second the medicine reached her lips, requiring her to be forcefully fed. Once she was forced to swallow it, she would weep from grievance, needing to be held and comforted for a long time.

Every single time she had to take medicine when sick, it was like this. There were no exceptions.

            

Jiang Youwan was very confident that the Xiao Jin who had just claimed she wanted to be an adult would definitely end up crying in her arms later, soaking her clothes before she would finally calm down.

“It’s time for medicine.” With her slender fingers, Jiang Youwan gently stirred the medicine in the cup, looking at her with a half-smile.

Jiang Jinyi’s gaze was full of disgust—absolute, utter disgust. She remained silent and kept her mouth tightly shut, clearly unwilling to drink a single drop.

            

This is so annoying. Why is this body still so fragile even after differentiating into an Alpha? Catching a cold just from a bit of wind—there’s simply no comparison with other Alphas. That fellow Xu An hasn’t had a fever in years.

“You have to take your medicine to get better,” Jiang Youwan coaxed with immense patience. “Be good, and Jiejie will give you a reward after you drink it.”

Jiang Youwan was coaxing her again. Jiang Jinyi thought to herself that she couldn’t be so dramatic anymore. She couldn’t keep relying on Jiang Youwan like this.

            

The struggle within Jiang Jinyi was intense. She stared at the cup of medicine, almost biting her inner lip to the point of bleeding. Taking a deep breath as if summoning all her courage, she swiftly snatched the cup from Jiang Youwan’s hand. Before Jiang Youwan could even react, she watched as Jiang Jinyi scrunched up her face, tilted her head back, and gulped the entire cup down in one breath.

Jiang Youwan’s expression was one of surprise. Jiang Jinyi had actually drained the cup all on her own. When she finished, her entire face was flushed red, her brow furrowed as she fought to keep from throwing up. Jiang Youwan quickly took the empty cup and set it aside, intending to pull Jiang Jinyi into her arms to praise and reward her. But before she could move, Jiang Jinyi burrowed under the duvet, turning her back to her and curling into a ball.

“I want to sleep now. Go do your work,” she muttered miserably.

            

Jiang Youwan was slightly stunned. After a brief silence, she didn’t leave immediately but leaned over and pulled back the duvet covering Jiang Jinyi’s head. “You need to breathe.”

Jiang Jinyi didn’t move, keeping her eyes closed.

“Xiao Jin has grown up. She can take her medicine on her own now,” Jiang Youwan murmured to herself, though she didn’t praise her for it. Instead, she said, “Sleep well. You won’t feel miserable once you wake up.”

            

With that, she pressed a soft kiss against Jiang Jinyi’s flushed cheek, fulfilling the reward she had promised.

Jiang Jinyi’s eyelashes trembled, but she didn’t say anything, forcing herself not to curl up further.

She desperately wanted to tell her: Don’t kiss me anymore.

            

…

Jiang Youwan took the day off to work from home, solely to accompany her sick little aggrieved thing. Not long after she took the medicine, Jiang Youwan measured her temperature; the fever had already broken. When she woke up and was asked if she felt unwell, Jiang Jinyi also replied that she was fine.

She didn’t have her lunch or dinner in the bedroom. Jiang Jinyi properly went to the dining room to eat, unlike in the past when she would take advantage of being sick to demand Jiejie wait on her hand and foot.

            

After dinner, Jiang Jinyi sat on the sofa playing with Xiao Yu. A kitten was truly the most healing creature in the world. Xiao Yu was incredibly perceptive, seeming to know that Jiang Jinyi was sick and in a bad mood. She mewled softly while rubbing against her face, even giving a little wink, instantly melting away any lingering gloom.

Jiang Jinyi held its little paws, cooing in a babyish voice, “I’m sleeping with Xiao Yu tonight. Do you have any objections?”

Xiao Yu, being a simple and sweet little dummy, gave a soft “Meow” in agreement.

            

Jiang Jinyi pulled the kitten in for another round of cuddling, completely oblivious to the soft smile on Jiang Youwan’s face beside her.

When it was time to sleep, Jiang Jinyi carried Xiao Yu back to her bedroom. Just as she was about to lie down, Xiao Yu suddenly squirmed out of her arms and slipped through the door. Jiang Jinyi quickly chased after it, only to watch it dart straight into Jiang Youwan’s room.

Her grip on the doorknob tightened. Jiang Jinyi didn’t chase after the kitten. With a despondent expression, she shut the door, returned to her bed, and lay down.

            

Hold it in. No crying.

During the entire day she was sick, she hadn’t acted spoiled once, nor had she thrown a single tantrum with Jiejie.

She thought to herself: I’ve grown up.

            

Yet in the room next door, Jiang Youwan felt entirely unaccustomed to this sensation.

She had waited for a long time, but her Xiao Jin never came to reclaim the kitten.

Is she still feeling unwell and fell straight asleep because she was too tired?

            

Jiang Youwan walked into Jiang Jinyi’s room with light steps. Gazing at her peaceful, lovely sleeping face, Jiang Youwan thought that while Xiao Jin had played at being an adult on a whim today, she hoped that once she recovered tomorrow, she would return to her usual, childlike self.

---

The next morning, Jiang Jinyi woke up at eight o’clock. She deliberately claimed she was still sleepy and dragged her feet to avoid getting up. Jiang Youwan came to check on her once, and after confirming she was just tired and that her fever was gone, she let her sleep in.

Jiang Jinyi lingered in bed until Jiang Youwan had left for the office before finally getting up. She was still feeling downcast and sluggish. Realizing belatedly that her thoughts were still entirely consumed by Jiang Youwan, she decided to distract herself and asked Xu An to take her out.

            

For some reason, Xu An was initially reluctant. But at Jiang Jinyi’s repeated insistence, she finally sent her an address—it was a park. In fact, it was Luo City’s largest and most luxurious amusement park.

This was Luo City’s largest and most luxurious amusement park.

Jiang Jinyi could never have imagined Xu An coming to an amusement park. But on second thought, it was probably to cheer up Ji Xiaoqin, so it wasn’t that strange. A girl like Ji Xiaoqin would likely enjoy amusement parks.

            

They must have made up, right?

The moment Jiang Jinyi stepped out of the car, she spotted Xu An nearby. Wearing a floral shirt and her hair in a half-up high ponytail, Xu An looked vibrant and youthful. She held two ice creams, smiling as she handed one to Ji Xiaoqin. Taking it, Ji Xiaoqin took a small lick and murmured softly, “Thank you, An’an.”

An… An?

            

Jiang Jinyi had known Xu An for so long and had never called her that. Xu An, you’ve really outdone yourself.

Ji Xiaoqin was the first to notice Jiang Jinyi. With a slightly flushed face, she greeted her bashfully.

Xu An’s gaze toward Jiang Jinyi, however, was filled with a bit of disdain, as if looking at a third wheel who had crashed their date.

            

Not “as if”—she was exactly that.

“Let’s go inside.”

The three of them walked in side-by-side. Jiang Jinyi glanced out of the corner of her eye; the two of them weren’t holding hands, so it seemed they weren’t together yet.

            

“Miss, have you eaten yet? How about we get some food first? You look a bit weak…” After walking for a bit, Ji Xiaoqin said considerately.

During the four years she had spent with Jiang Jinyi, she had never seen her visit an amusement park, assuming she disliked them.

However, Jiang Jinyi’s state was quite the opposite. She was looking around, her eyes shining with obvious excitement. But hearing Ji Xiaoqin’s comment, she furrowed her brow and stubbornly retorted, “My body is not weak at all.”

            

She was an Alpha now. How could she throw around the word “weak” so easily?

Ji Xiaoqin blinked. “Alright, then.”

Before coming here, Jiang Jinyi indeed had no interest in amusement parks. She had visited a few times when she was young, always brought by her mother. Back then, her mother would book the entire park just for her to play.

            

After doing that a few times, Jiang Jinyi had found it boring. It was better to just stay home and paint.

Yet coming to such a crowded amusement park now, she actually found it quite intriguing.

The lively, bustling atmosphere was wonderful, allowing her to temporarily forget her troubles.

            

“What do you want to ride? How about the roller coaster?” Xu An asked Ji Xiaoqin, staring at the multi-loop roller coaster in the distance with excitement. Ji Xiaoqin thought it sounded fine, tilting her head to look at Jiang Jinyi. “Miss, do you dare ride it?”

Did Xu An not know how timid Jiang Jinyi was? Something like a roller coaster was definitely beyond her courage—absolutely out of the question.

Thus, she said decisively, “She doesn’t dare. We can go by ourselves.”

            

Jiang Jinyi: “…”

Jiang Jinyi’s fists clenched. She felt utterly insulted.

If she were still an Omega like before, she could have confidently declared she didn’t want to ride, and she wouldn’t have cared even if others said she was afraid. But now…

            

At the thought that Jiang Youwan wouldn’t like a cowardly Alpha like her, her competitive streak flared up intensely, wanting to break past her own limits.

An Alpha must never say they don’t dare!

She glared at Xu An with absolutely zero intimidation factor. “Xu An, stop talking nonsense. Of course I dare!”

            

“Oh, really? Then let’s go!” Xu An arched her brow, grabbing Ji Xiaoqin’s wrist and heading toward the roller coaster. She added pointedly, “I heard that riding the roller coaster here once can make you forget all your worries—not a single trace left!”

Dragged along, Ji Xiaoqin looked down at her firmly grasped wrist, her lips pressed together and her earlobes turning slightly red.

Jiang Jinyi followed behind them, constantly psyching herself up.

            

Cheer up, keep going. I’m not afraid, not even a bit. I’m an SSS-class Alpha. If I’m afraid of a mere roller coaster, it would be too humiliating!

The three walked to the ticket counter, only for the staff member to say apologetically, “I’m very sorry, but our roller coaster is currently undergoing maintenance. You may try the other rides.”

“Ah… what a disappointment,” Xu An said, crestfallen.

            

“Yes, quite disappointing,” Jiang Jinyi chimed in, though in truth, a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and her trembling knees instantly steadied.

“How about we play on the bumper cars?” Ji Xiaoqin suggested.

It was a great suggestion, so they went. Each bumper car session lasted five minutes, with a total of twenty cars clashing in the arena. The eighteen-year-old Jiang Jinyi hadn’t gotten her driver’s license yet, so she was a bit confused on how to drive. She was hit relentlessly, especially by Xu An, who chased her down to ram her. Throughout the entire round, she was either being hit or on the way to being hit, with zero enjoyment.

            

On the contrary, Ji Xiaoqin and Xu An had a wonderful time. Refusing to admit defeat, Jiang Jinyi joined them for the next activity.

She could handle things like the pendulum swing, the flying chairs, and the carousel without her legs turning to jelly, until Xu An proposed going to the haunted house.

A haunted house…?

            

Jiang Jinyi had never been to a haunted house before and had no concept of what it was like, nor did she know if she would be frightened. She could only brace herself and agree.

---

On the other side of the park, Jiang Youwan finished her inspection and was preparing to head home. As if reading her mind, her secretary mentioned, “The Second Miss of the Jiang family also seems to be playing at this amusement park. She appears to be nearby.”

“Oh? Xiao Jin is here?” A flash of joy crossed Jiang Youwan’s eyes as she pulled out her phone. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

            

Secretary Lin offered an apologetic smile. “I was afraid of delaying your work, President Jiang.”

Jiang Youwan didn’t press further. Looking at the location tracking on her phone, she arched her brow in surprise. “The haunted house?”

---

The haunted house was named “Death Nursing Home.” Upon entering, it was pitch black, and the atmosphere was extremely eerie. Their only tool was the flashlight in Xu An’s hand. With one hand holding the flashlight, Xu An brushed off Jiang Jinyi’s repeated attempts to grab her other hand, giving her a look that clearly communicated: Don’t touch me.

            

She then pretended to search for clues, eagerly trotting over to Ji Xiaoqin’s side and saying, “If you’re scared, you can hold onto me.”

Ji Xiaoqin was indeed a bit frightened, but also rather shy. She merely gripped Xu An’s sleeve lightly, not daring to look at her.

Jiang Jinyi: “…”

            

Jiang Jinyi turned to glance back at the exit, which was already far behind. Swallowing hard, her eyes felt prickly, but she held back her tears and closely followed Xu An.

Wuu…

The three of them went up to the second floor, which was dark and filled with numerous rooms, resembling a labyrinth. Eerie paintings hung on the walls, and the corridor was littered with strange skeletons and dolls. Jiang Jinyi didn’t dare lift her head at all, keeping her eyes glued to the floor while her hands tightly clutched her clothes.

            

Whether it was Xu An’s imagination or not, she kept hearing faint sobbing sounds coming from behind. Every time she turned around, she startled Jiang Jinyi, who was trailing close behind.

“W-What’s wrong?” Jiang Jinyi’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

After a moment of silence, Xu An said mysteriously, “It seems there are some wrongfully deceased spirits in this nursing home. Did you hear that? Those quiet sobs just now—honestly, they sounded so real.”

            

Jiang Jinyi froze, too guilty and embarrassed to say anything in reply.

After walking some more, they hit a dead end. Xu An began searching for a mechanism, calling out to Jiang Jinyi to check nearby. Unwilling to move, Jiang Jinyi clung closely to her. Xu An cast a suspicious look and leaned in to whisper, “Our SSS-class Alpha, Eldest Miss Jiang, you couldn’t possibly be scared, could you? Look, even Xiao Qin is searching for mechanisms on her own. Why are you sticking to me?”

Jiang Jinyi’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth but found herself speechless. In her heart, she cursed Xu An several times before trudging off to the other side to look for a mechanism.

            

About a minute later, Xu An must have triggered something. Suddenly, a ghost dropped down from the ceiling right above Jiang Jinyi. Jiang Jinyi’s pupils dilated, letting out a sharp shriek of terror as her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor. At the exact same moment, the door on the other side swung open. Without a second thought, Xu An grabbed Ji Xiaoqin’s hand and bolted. Seeing this, Jiang Jinyi scrambled to get up and run too, but in less than three seconds, the door slammed shut automatically.

Still sitting on the ground, Jiang Jinyi stared dumbfounded at the closed door, completely stunned. At that moment, the hanging ghost emitted a highly creepy laugh. Jiang Jinyi scurried backward. Unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears.

Tears spilled like a broken dam, pouring down her cheeks. Yet, she didn’t dare cry out loud, covering her mouth with one hand while wiping her tears with the other, sobbing as she begged the ghost not to kill her.

            

The hanging ghost had originally intended to wave his sleeves to scare her further, but seeing her state, he was also dumbfounded.

Her courage is way too small. The main act hasn’t even begun, and she’s already crying like this. If I actually scare her and she faints or falls ill…

“You…”

            

His voice startled Jiang Jinyi again, causing her to wail, “Don’t come near me! Wuu… Don’t, don’t come over! Let me out, wuu-wuu-wuu…”

The ghost: …didn’t dare to move.

“Wuu-wuu-wuu, wuu-wuu-wuu…” Jiang Jinyi regretted everything to death. Crouched in the corner, she didn’t dare budge, cursing Xu An countless times in her mind. She knew crying was incredibly embarrassing, but her tears refused to stop, and she even felt the urge to cry louder.

            

At the same time, she felt a trace of relief. Thank goodness Jiang Youwan was not here. If Jiang Youwan saw her in this state, she would definitely laugh at her. What kind of Alpha would be terrified to tears by a fake ghost? It was too pathetic.

She wasn’t the type Jiang Youwan liked. Jiang Youwan liked business elites like Lu Jing—Alphas with an aggressive edge and a powerful presence. Jiang Youwan didn’t like crybaby Alphas. At that thought, Jiang Jinyi wept even more bitterly, burying her face between her thighs, entirely unaware that the door had opened.

It was only when she heard footsteps behind her that her eyes snapped open. Thinking it was the ghost, she scrambled forward without a second thought. However, her collar was caught from behind. She immediately struggled frantically while wailing, “Let me go! Let me go!”

            

Having only recently differentiated, her emotions were highly volatile right now, causing her pheromones to spiral out of control and leak out unchecked.

Whether an Alpha or an Omega, one would instinctively release pheromones in moments of extreme panic to protect themselves or intimidate the opponent. But because Jiang Jinyi had just differentiated, her internal pheromones were highly unstable; what should have been aggressive pheromones had turned into an enticing invitation instead. Hit by this intense wave, Jiang Youwan’s body nearly went limp. Suppressing her own physical agitation, she said, “Don’t be afraid. It’s Jiejie.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Jinyi froze. She turned around, and as her gaze met Jiang Youwan’s, a trace of despair flashed in eyes, making her cry even more bitterly.

            

“Wuu-wuu-wuu, wuu-wuu-wuu…” It was all over. Just a moment ago, she was glad that Jiang Youwan would not see her in such a miserable state, but now everything had been witnessed. It was over; it was too humiliating. How could there be an Alpha like her in this world?

She had clearly promised to become an adult, yet she had been scared to tears by a fake ghost. It was too humiliating, wuu-wuu-wuu.

Suppressing the sheer discomfort of her forcibly induced heat, Jiang Youwan asked in bewilderment, “Are you scared out of your wits?”

            

If she wasn’t scared out of her wits, why was she crying so intensely upon seeing her? She cried so fiercely, and her pheromones were just as fierce, completely enticing her to go into heat right on the spot.

The enticing Alpha pheromones penetrated every corner of her body. Her voice grew slightly hoarse. “Don’t cry. Be good. It’s okay now.”

---

The author has something to say:

            

After writing ten thousand words today, Jiejie is so tired. Jiejie can’t do this anymore, Jiejie is going to just sprawl out. Goodnight, everyone.

---