Chapter 17

Chu Yue didn't wake up until the afternoon. Still hungover, her mind was a little foggy. She vaguely remembered biting Ji Mingfei's gland in her dream, but she couldn't recall any of the specific details.

Chu Yue pressed her brow, her hand groping around beside her pillow for her phone.

13:07

My plane ticket is for 4:30 PM.

Chu Yue stared at the ceiling for a full three minutes before getting out of bed. She took a shower first, then made some simple, light meals, intending to soothe her stomach, which had been neglected for several days.

After cooking, Chu Yue habitually went to call Ji Mingfei from next door to eat together, but after knocking for a while, she remembered that Ji Mingfei was going home today. Suddenly, the memories marked with Ji Mingfei's name in the hallway became clear; it wasn't a dream after all…!

I never imagined our last meeting this year would end with him so drunk! I don't even know if the temporary markings he made while he was unconscious will last until after the New Year.

What's most worrying is, what kind of family is open-minded enough to accept their omega daughter's premarital pregnancy? Just thinking about the family pressure Ji Mingfei will face, Chu Yue couldn't help but feel worried for her.

Wanting to know her situation but not wanting to investigate someone else's family background on her own, Chu Yue was so anxious that she wished she could run to Ji Mingfei's doorstep and catch the mother and daughter who had been thrown out of the house.

Chu Yue suddenly remembered that Ji Mingfei seemed to have a private account, which wasn't linked to a phone number or his circle of colleagues. She immediately called Deng Jie and asked him to send her the app download instructions and Ji Mingfei's username.

The thoughtful assistant knew that her boss never used these kinds of entertainment apps, so she quickly wrote her a detailed guide on how to use the app.

Chu Yue skimmed through the beginner's tutorial, then downloaded the same app from the app store. She followed the software's built-in, user-friendly instructions and was finally able to use it normally.

Ji Mingfei's online name is "Bitter Coffee That's Sweet Even Without Sugar," and her profile picture is an adorably ugly bear. Her latest post reads, "We have a holiday on the 16th this year. The new boss is awesome! [Happy][Heart emoji]"

The next post reads, "The newly appointed general manager is actually my one-night stand partner! This is too unbelievable! [Frustrated][Crying]"

The comments under this post are also the most lively.

"I've already imagined 30,000 words of a domineering CEO's runaway little wife! Woman, is my pheromone not alpha enough?"

"What happened next? What happened next? Just give me a piece of your mind."

"How are your kidneys, OP? Hahaha"

…

Chu Yue sniffed her own pheromones; she'd been used to the scent for over a decade, and it was practically undetectable unless she paid close attention. Did A mean alpha?

Chu Yue unfolded the first comment and then saw the original poster's reply.

"So hot it makes your legs weak! Anyone I glare at will get pregnant! (Excitedly twisting and turning)"

"..."

Is this really Ji Mingfei's account?

Chu Yue spent twenty minutes scrolling through Ji Mingfei's entire homepage. Her completely unrestrained and roguish image online was nothing like the gentle and quiet omega Chu Yue had in mind.

Could this woman have a split personality?

Because she accidentally glimpsed Ji Mingfei's inner world, Chu Yue kept thinking about it the whole way, even forgetting about her chronic motion sickness.

It was already dark when Chu Yue arrived home. She took a taxi and called home. Her mother was chatting and laughing on the other end of the line, telling her that dinner was almost ready and they were just waiting for her to come home.

Chu Yue felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It wasn't until she rang her doorbell and the person who answered the door cleared up all her doubts.

Shen Qing'an, wearing a floral apron and with her hands covered in flour, said, "I was just talking about you! You're back. I just learned how to make dumplings from Auntie, try my cooking later!"

"Why are you here? I didn't hear you say so." Chu Yue carried her suitcase into the house and saw that the living room was full of wrapped dumplings.

Shen Qing'an smeared flour on Chu Yue's face and said with a smile, "You didn't tell me you were going home today! Were you afraid I'd see you bringing your girlfriend home?"

As Mrs. Chu came out of the kitchen to serve dumplings, she overheard Shen Qing'an's words and began to scold Chu Yue again, "If only she had a girlfriend! How old is she now? She doesn't even care about her own affairs. Her father and I are so worried about her!"

"Auntie, don't worry about her. There are enough omegas who like Chu Yue to line up from your house to the company. It's just that she has high standards."

"If I had known that having an alpha daughter would be so difficult, I would have preferred to have a well-behaved omega like An'an!" The more Chu's mother looked at Chen Qing'an, the more she liked her.

"If you like me, Auntie, I'll be your daughter from now on." As Shen Qing'an spoke, her eyes were fixed on Chu Yue beside her.

As someone with experience, Mrs. Chu immediately understood what was going on. She pushed her daughter over and said with a smile, "You young people can talk things through. You don't need to help with the kitchen; your uncle and I will take care of it."

Mrs. Chu happily carried the dumplings back to the kitchen, leaving the spacious living room for them.

"The contract with Palm Oil is almost finalized, and the bank loan has been approved. The funds should be disbursed next month. I've sent the details to your email. Let me know if you have any questions." Chu Yue draped her coat over her arm and, supporting her suitcase, walked towards the bedroom.

Shen Qing'an followed him to the room door, looked around, and asked curiously, "Are you staying here tonight?"

"Spend the Chinese New Year with my parents."

"How have you been lately? Every time I call you, we barely exchange a few words. You're either in a meeting or socializing. I feel like I can't keep up with you anymore!" Shen Qing'an walked up behind Chu Yue and suddenly hugged her from behind.

Chu Yue put the clothes into the closet, looked down at the hand holding her, and sighed, "If my mom sees this, she'll misunderstand again."

"Isn't your aunt in a hurry for you to get married? I'll use the entire Ansheng Group as your dowry, what else could Mr. Chu possibly be dissatisfied with?"

“Shen Qing’an.”

"Okay, okay, I know what you're going to say. You won't give me the person, but you won't even let me hug you?" Shen Qing'an smiled and let go of her hand, sitting on the edge of the bed watching her pack her things, then suddenly asked, "Do you have another omega outside?"

Chu Yue closed the cabinet door, pulled Shen Qing'an out of bed, and made the bed with her back to her, saying, "Which one are you asking about?"

Shen Qing'an smiled, "Looks like you're living a pretty comfortable life."

Chu Yue threw the pillow on the bedside table, turned around and sat down to start chatting nonsense with Shen Qing'an, saying, "How can an alpha who is always out socializing resist other people's advances? The omega girls in nightclubs are all fruit-flavored, and of all the girls, I like the King of Fruits the most."

Shen Qing'an looked disgusted. "Top-tier? I heard that the omegas in nightclubs have all had surgery, which is why their pheromones are so addictive."

Chu Yue's expression changed, and she asked in a surprised tone, "No wonder you can't stop thinking about me after you went there. Could I have been poisoned?"

"How should I know?" Shen Qing'an rolled her eyes. "Go ask your King of Fruits!"

"That makes sense. Let me make a call." Chu Yue picked up her phone from the table and started scrolling through her contacts.

Shen Qing'an's eyes widened in disbelief as she asked, "You even left your phone number with an omega at a nightclub? Aren't you afraid of getting a disease?"

Chu Yue calmly waved her hand, made a "shush" gesture, and put the phone to her ear to wait for the call to connect.

Shen Qing'an stomped her foot and angrily went to complain to Chu's mother. Chu Yue watched her walk away, put down her phone, ran to the door, and craned her neck to look.

A moment later, Chu's mother kicked open Chu Yue's bedroom door, holding a strainer, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Chu Yue! What's going on with the nightclub's top hostess?"

"Huh?" Chu Yue turned her chair around and looked honestly at her mother who burst through the door. "The dumplings are ready?"

"You look like a dumpling! An'an said you were messing around with an omega at the nightclub, what's going on? I was wondering why you're not in a hurry to get married at your age, turns out you've been going to those dirty places to fool around!"

Standing behind Chu's mother, Shen Qing'an added with a wronged expression, "She even said that other people's pheromones smelled like fruit!"

Chu's mother's temper flared up instantly. She slapped Chu Yue twice, exasperated, and yelled, "Fruit flavor! Strawberry, apple, or banana? If you can't tell me today, you're not eating!"

Shen Qing'an hadn't expected Chu's mother to be serious, and was so frightened that she forgot all about the nightclub and rushed over to break up the fight, saying, "Auntie, please don't hit her, she just has too many social engagements..."

Chu Yue hugged her knees and curled up in the chair, explaining haltingly, "It's... the king of fruits!"

"The King of Fruits...?" Mrs. Chu was stunned at first, then burst out laughing. She kicked Chu Yue, both amused and exasperated, "You're the one who delayed me! My dumplings were almost overcooked!"

As she spoke, she ran back to the kitchen with small, quick steps.

Only Shen Qing'an was confused, "..."

Chu Yue rubbed her aching back and showed her Baidu Encyclopedia entry on her phone: durian is also known as the king of fruits.

"..."

Enraged, Shen Qing'an kicked Chu Yue again, nearly knocking her off the chair.

Chu Yue, who had been both beaten and scolded, came out sulking and holding her back, saying, "...Just kidding! You guys are taking it too seriously."

The television broadcast the weather forecaster's sweet voice: "...Most parts of our province will experience their first snowfall of the year, with temperatures dropping by more than 10°C. Please take precautions against the cold."