Chapter 29
The moment Shen Shu entered and saw Xu Jinnan, her eyelashes fluttered, then she quickly lowered her gaze, hiding her surprise.
“Ah Shu.”
Xia Chun’s soft voice drew her attention. “Can we talk later?”
“Excuse me,” Shen Shu interrupted, glancing towards Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan watched the two of them talking by the entrance, then noticed Shen Shu looking at her.
Their eyes met.
Shen Shu walked towards her, ignoring the curious stares of the other guests.
“I’m late,” she said.
Xu Jinnan hid her surprise and chuckled, playing along. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
Shen Shu raised an eyebrow. “I just wanted to see if you would bring another woman.”
Xu Jinnan’s throat tightened at her playful tone.
“I wouldn’t dare,” she replied.
“Miss Xu.”
Xia Chun’s gentle voice came from behind Shen Shu.
Xu Jinnan looked at Xia Chun, as if noticing her for the first time. “Xia Chun, we meet again,” she said, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“This time, Miss Xu remembers me.”
Xu Jinnan chuckled, looking down at Shen Shu and winking. “And this time, you know who I am.”
Xia Chun’s smile faltered.
Xu Jinnan didn’t see Xia Chun as a threat, but with so many people watching, she had to assert her position.
“I forgot to thank you last time. Thank you for taking care of my Shu Shu on set,” she said to Xia Chun.
“You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure,” Xia Chun replied, her tone suggesting something more.
“Good to know you’re taking care of her. You better treat her well,” Xu Jinnan said, putting an arm around Shen Shu’s waist.
Shen Shu stiffened slightly, then relaxed, leaning against Xu Jinnan.
“Don’t I treat you well enough?” Xu Jinnan whispered, her voice low and intimate, only for Shen Shu to hear.
To others, they looked like a loving couple flirting.
There was a hint of genuine grievance in Xu Jinnan’s tone, and Shen Shu couldn’t tell if she was acting or not.
Xu Jinnan glanced at Xia Chun, whose expression had darkened.
She had found Xia Chun’s behavior strange. While Xia Chun was Shen Shu’s official partner in the book, she hadn’t appeared in the first half. Logically, they should only be colleagues.
Yet, Xia Chun’s hostility was obvious.
Although Savage Lover was a lesbian romance novel, it focused on the main character’s journey. Besides the angst-ridden relationship between the original Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu, and a few minor romantic subplots, Xia Chun’s name had only appeared once.
Xu Jinnan suddenly considered another possibility – could they have known each other before?
Watching their interaction, Xia Chun struggled to maintain her composure, the complex emotions in her eyes difficult to conceal.
Just then, Han Wenling sent someone to summon her, and she excused herself.
“Enjoying the show, Second Miss Han?” Xu Jinnan asked, turning to Han Wenfang.
Han Wenfang’s playful tone vanished. She called over a waiter and offered Shen Shu a glass of wine. “Miss Shen, we meet again.”
Shen Shu accepted the glass, clinking it against Han Wenfang’s with a faint smile.
Han Wenfang wasn’t one to overstay her welcome. After her teasing remark almost caused offense, she excused herself and left.
As soon as she was gone, Xu Jinnan took Shen Shu’s wine glass and replaced it with a fruit drink.
“Your mother sent you, didn’t she?” Xu Jinnan asked.
Shen Shu took a sip, glancing around the room. “Have you seen her?”
“Yes, she told me you would be here.”
“Then why were you surprised?”
Xu Jinnan’s gaze lingered on Shen Shu’s wrist. “I thought you would bring a date.” But she had realized it was just an optical illusion; Shen Shu had been walking alone, not with Xia Chun.
“I just bumped into her at the entrance,” Shen Shu said calmly.
“I know,” Xu Jinnan replied. “Are you going to find Mrs. Wei?”
Shen Shu shook her head. “No need, since you’re here.”
“My father made a mistake and needs someone to smooth things over with the Han family. My mother wanted me to bring you here…”
This kind of banquet wasn’t important enough for Xu Tao to attend personally. It was usually Lu Yun, but she was in the hospital.
That was why Wei Wuqing had targeted Xu Jinnan.
“Why didn’t you ask me to come with you?”
As she spoke, Xu Jinnan leaned closer to Shen Shu, her arm brushing against Shen Shu’s through the fabric of her dress. Shen Shu quickly pulled away, pretending to adjust her glass.
“How is your mother?” she asked, avoiding the question.
“She’s fine,” Xu Jinnan replied. “Don’t worry about the investment. That eight million wasn’t just my money. You have a share in it.”
“What?” Shen Shu was confused.
Xu Jinnan smiled at her bewildered expression. “It was earned after our marriage. Technically, it’s joint marital property. I only contributed four million.”
Shen Shu: “…”
“Don’t tell your mother that,” she said, imagining Lu Yun’s reaction.
“Alright, I won’t. But it’s the truth. It’s the law,” Xu Jinnan said casually.
Her lipstick was a shade brighter than usual, a velvety matte red, complementing her black dress. She was wearing a dark green quartz watch.
Despite her relaxed demeanor, she exuded an air of authority.
Her casual tone and words, combined with a subtle hint of indulgence and affection, created an intriguing contrast.
“If they can’t repay it, do whatever you need to do,” Shen Shu said.
Xu Jinnan touched her lips. “As you wish.”
“…”
Shen Shu looked at her for a moment. “You’ve been acting strange lately.”
“How so?”
“Too agreeable.”
“…Is that a bad thing?”
Shen Shu shrugged. It was good, of course, but too good, almost unreal.
The coldness of the past few days seemed to have vanished.
She considered it. It wasn’t unpleasant.
Xu Jinnan, rarely attending such events, naturally became the center of attention, with many people approaching her for a toast, which she mostly ignored.
After a while, she checked the time. “Let’s leave in five minutes.”
“We can’t just leave,” Shen Shu whispered.
Her voice was soft, and for some reason, Xu Jinnan detected a hint of gentleness.
Without thinking, she said, “Okay.”
Just then, someone called out, “Miss Xu.”
She looked up to see Xia Chun and a woman in a purple dress approaching. From the way others addressed her, Xu Jinnan guessed she was Han Wenling, the eldest Han daughter.
The woman had single eyelids, but her eyes were strikingly beautiful, like a fox’s.
Xu Jinnan felt a sense of danger as Han Wenling looked at her.
“Miss Shen,” Xu Jinnan said, turning to Shen Shu.
“?”
She had noticed that Xu Jinnan often used this formal address when she wanted something, or when she was about to say something nice.
Xu Jinnan’s arm brushed against Shen Shu’s.
A subtle nudge.
She nudged her again, twice, and for some reason, Shen Shu had the strange feeling that Xu Jinnan was acting coquettishly.
She instinctively pulled away, then, just as Xia Chun and Han Wenling reached them, she linked arms with Xu Jinnan.
Han Wenling, taller than even Xu Jinnan, said, “It’s not easy to get a meeting with you.”
Her tone was unreadable. Xu Jinnan smiled faintly, turning to Xia Chun. “You’re quite influential, being able to invite Xia Chun.”
Han Wenling chuckled, her fox-like eyes glancing from Xu Jinnan to Shen Shu. “We’re all old friends. Our Han family’s wine isn’t bad, is it? Why aren’t you two drinking?” She offered Xu Jinnan a glass. “This isn’t like you. At least three glasses, right?”
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Her condition wasn’t stable yet. The handcuff incident at the hotel had likely been triggered by alcohol.
She definitely couldn’t drink tonight.
Xia Chun, standing beside them, said jokingly, “Miss Xu’s tolerance isn’t very high. She was drunk after only three glasses last time.”
“Impossible,” Han Wenling said. “She can handle at least three bottles of brandy.”
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Just as she was about to speak, Shen Shu interrupted.
“Nannan isn’t feeling well tonight, Miss Han. I’ll drink with you.” She took a glass from a passing waiter, leaning closer to Xu Jinnan, her eyes sparkling. “Is that alright?”
Xu Jinnan’s heart skipped a beat.
Han Wenling’s gaze flickered between them. “Of course. But one glass isn’t enough. At least three, right?”
Her tone was challenging.
Xia Chun looked at the glass in Shen Shu’s hand, about to offer to drink in her place.
But Xu Jinnan took the glass from Shen Shu.
“We have to leave soon,” she said calmly. “Just this one.”
Han Wenling looked at her for a few seconds, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, clinking her glass against Xu Jinnan’s. “Just kidding. It’s a banquet, not a drinking contest. I wouldn’t force anyone to drink.”
They finished their drinks. Just then, someone called Han Wenling away. She turned to Xu Jinnan. “I have to attend to something. I’ll treat you two to dinner next time. Please do me the honor.”
After she left, Xia Chun also excused herself, her expression even grimmer than before.
Although the wine wasn’t harsh, Xu Jinnan still felt a slight burn after finishing half the glass in one gulp.
A waiter approached with a tray of fruit juices. Xu Jinnan picked up a glass of grape juice and a glass of water.
Her hands were beautiful – pale, smooth, and slender, the kind that were easy to remember.
Her fingers, holding the deep purple juice, looked elegant and captivating.
“Aren’t you going to drink?” she asked Shen Shu.
Shen Shu took the juice, staring at it silently.
Remembering Shen Shu’s earlier behavior, Xu Jinnan smiled faintly. “You wouldn’t actually drink for me, would you?”
Shen Shu looked at her, but didn’t reply.
“…”
“Can I ask you something?” Xu Jinnan said, suddenly serious.
Shen Shu looked at her, puzzled. “What?”
Xu Jinnan leaned closer. “Do you think I’m… incompetent? No, I mean… weak…?” She raised an eyebrow, unable to find the right word.
Shen Shu looked at her, her voice calm. “At least your alcohol tolerance isn’t very good.”
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Ouch.
She gestured for Shen Shu to step aside. Although the handcuff incident was embarrassing enough, she still had to ask. “Did I do anything else at the hotel that day?”
She hadn’t felt anything unusual before, but now, with Xu Jinnan so close, she could smell her sunny pheromones.
Anything else?
That day at the hotel, her scent gland, beneath Xu Jinnan’s fingertips…
A shiver ran down Shen Shu’s spine.
Then, her gaze stopped on a figure walking through the crowd – Song Ronghui.
She quickly composed herself. “Be careful of Song Ronghui.”
“…Huh?”
Xu Jinnan hadn’t expected the sudden change of topic. She paused.
Most of the guests were gathered around the bar and food area, but a few were scattered around the room. Shen Shu leaned in close, whispering in Xu Jinnan’s ear, “She suspects you’re not an Omega. She also knows about your differentiation defect.”
She briefly explained what she had overheard by the fire exit, although she hadn’t heard everything clearly.
She had intended to tell Xu Jinnan about this yesterday.
“They play dirty. Be careful.”
“Okay.”
To Xu Jinnan, it didn’t matter what those people suspected. She was an Alpha now.
But it was different for Shen Shu.
Her gaze drifted downwards, lingering on Shen Shu’s exposed neck, the elegant lines of her green qipao and her upswept hair accentuating its delicate curve.
It was an incredibly alluring sight for an Alpha.
Xu Jinnan looked away, wondering if she should tell Shen Shu the truth now.
As people moved around them, Shen Shu was suddenly bumped into. Xu Jinnan quickly caught her. The person who bumped into her apologized profusely.
Shen Shu, startled, spilled her purple drink all over Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan felt the cold liquid trickle down her chest.
She pulled her hand away from Shen Shu’s back. Shen Shu, seeing the stain on her dress, said, “I’m sorry.”
Xu Jinnan looked at her. “It’s fine. Let’s go.”
The purple grape juice, slightly pulpy, left a glistening stain on her chest, drawing attention.
Shen Shu looked away. “It’ll get sticky. You should wash it off.”
Xu Jinnan nodded. “Alright.”
The restroom was a short walk away.
A few minutes after Xu Jinnan left, a waiter approached Shen Shu. “Miss Shen, Miss Xu is in room 209 on the second floor. She asked you to go up.”
Shen Shu glanced towards the restroom, puzzled. “Why would she be on the second floor? What does she want?”
“She went to the restroom, but the one on this floor is being repaired. Something happened to her dress. She called while I was downstairs, so she asked me to tell you,” the waiter explained, then nodded and left.
Shen Shu called Xu Jinnan, but the line was busy.
She frowned, then headed towards the elevators.
Two minutes later, Xu Jinnan emerged from the restroom, which had been out of order, causing a slight delay.
“Oh, Miss Xu, what are you doing here?”
Xu Jinnan turned around.
A woman she didn’t recognize said, “Someone said you were on the second floor and asked Miss Shen to go up and find you.” Then, her expression changed, as if she had realized something.
Xu Jinnan’s heart sank. “When did this happen?” she asked, stopping the woman.
The woman, intimidated by her gaze, stammered, “J-just now. I was nearby… I overheard it. Room… 209, I think.”
Xu Jinnan rushed towards the elevators, calling Shen Shu as she went up to the second floor. Compared to the bustling lobby, this floor was quiet.
Too quiet.
A housekeeper emerged from a room, and Xu Jinnan pulled her towards room 209. She could already smell Shen Shu’s faint vanilla scent.
She pounded on the door, calling out Shen Shu’s name.
“Shen Shu!”
“I’m here…”
A weak voice came from inside.
Xu Jinnan’s face darkened. She snatched the master keycard from the trembling housekeeper and swiped it through the lock, bursting into the room.
“Shen Shu!”
The door slammed shut behind her.
Xu Jinnan didn’t look back, her eyes finding Shen Shu slumped on the floor.
Her face was flushed, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her body limp.
Xu Jinnan knelt beside her. “Drugs?”
“No…” Shen Shu gasped. “Pheromone induction…”
She had been pushed into the room, which had been filled with Omega pheromones.
Alpha and Omega pheromones could affect each other, and so could pheromones of the same type. Every Alpha and Omega emitted these inducing pheromones.
It was called pheromone induction syndrome.
Xu Jinnan finally registered the presence of another, unfamiliar Omega scent in the room.
Then, she heard a moan from the bed and looked up to see a woman she didn’t recognize looking at her pleadingly. “Please… mark me…”
There was an Omega in heat in the room…
The Omega’s pheromones intensified, filling the air.
With each increase in pheromone concentration, Shen Shu’s breathing became more erratic.
Xu Jinnan scooped her up and rushed to the door, but the electronic lock wouldn’t open. The hallway was silent.
The windows were sealed with plastic film to prevent the Omega’s pheromones from escaping before Xu Jinnan arrived.
She looked down at the courtyard below, but it was dark and deserted.
From the person who bumped into Shen Shu, everything had been planned.
No, it couldn’t be this simple.
Xu Jinnan frowned, her thoughts interrupted by the trembling of Shen Shu’s body in her arms.
Her own hands were shaking as she held Shen Shu.
As an S-class Alpha, she shouldn’t be affected by ordinary Omega pheromones. But if Shen Shu’s heat had been induced, and considering her own sensitivity to Shen Shu’s pheromones…
If she lost control—
Xu Jinnan took a deep breath, but it didn’t help, only increasing her anxiety.
She placed Shen Shu on the sofa, intending to check the windows.
Then, her gaze stopped on something in the corner of the room. She walked over to a tall plant stand, pushing aside the foliage and artificial flowers, and retrieved a small camera.
A red light blinked, like a watchful eye.
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