Chapter 13

9 p.m.

LAMB Restaurant.

“I’ve wanted to come to this place for a long time,” Fu Haitang said, taking a seat by the window. “I’m not very good at booking restaurants. I hope you don’t mind, Sister Qing.”

The words “Sister Qing” were very pleasing to Ren Qing. She relaxed her brows: “It’s fine.”

The view from the window on the second floor was beautiful. Below, she could see the river and the pedestrian street, with bright lights everywhere. There were many alphas and omegas on dates.

Fu Haitang ordered what she wanted first, then handed the menu to Ren Qing. “I’m sorry, I ordered first. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Ren Qing: “Just order for me.”

Fu Haitang raised an eyebrow and handed the menu to the waiter. “Thank you.”

Two thick-cut steaks and grilled lamb chops, French foie gras, paired with a chicken taco, as well as grilled steak and pasta, and a bottle of red wine that Fu Haitang had pre-ordered to be decanted.

The dishes were served one after another.

Ren Qing joked: “This meal can’t be cheap.”

Fu Haitang: “It’s okay.” Compared to a car worth several hundred thousand, this meal was a bargain. The steak was medium-rare. Fu Haitang gently bit into it with the tip of her teeth, and the tender, fresh juice filled her entire mouth.

The omega’s eyes narrowed slightly as she savored the food with a slightly tipsy, intoxicated expression. The alpha gracefully cut her own steak and handed it to Fu Haitang. “You like it so much, this one is yours too.”

Fu Haitang opened her eyes. She seriously cut another piece of meat, put it into her mouth, and looked directly into Ren Qing’s eyes.

“Sister Qing,” Fu Haitang said meaningfully.

Ren Qing narrowed her eyes, looking at Fu Haitang. The omega was even more charming after a drink. “How long have you been in City A?”

Fu Haitang: “Less than three months.”

Ren Qing poured Fu Haitang more wine: “What did you study in college?”

“Oh, you got to work at a TV station right after you arrived?” Ren Qing was surprised.

Fu Haitang replied with something seemingly unrelated, “I’m a good driver.”

After a few pleasantries, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Fu Haitang reminded Ren Qing to drink less.

Ren Qing: “You care about me that much?”

Fu Haitang didn’t answer that.

Ren Qing added: “I see you often work overtime.”

Ren Qing: “It’s rare to see an omega with a background who works so hard.”

Ren Qing’s gaze was like a torch. She started to look at Fu Haitang’s clothes. “I’m actually a little curious about whether the things you do at the station are real or fake.”

Sweat gradually soaked her palms. Fu Haitang looked up and met Ren Qing’s knowing expression.

“Then I’ll get straight to the point,” Ren Qing said. “I’ll give you twenty thousand a month. You can come to my house during my rut, and we can meet at other hotels at other times.”

The knife and fork clattered onto the plate. Fu Haitang belatedly said, “President Ren? You… you don’t…”

“I’m sorry,” Fu Haitang said, surprised, like a little girl who had stumbled upon a secret and didn’t know what to do. “I didn’t know you… uh, do you like me? Or are you saying you want to be my patron?”

Fu Haitang’s face was filled with disbelief.

The more unbelievable she seemed, the more angry Ren Qing became. She was angry at being played and angry that she couldn’t find any evidence of being played on Fu Haitang’s face.

“We’re all adults,” a vein throbbed on Ren Qing’s forehead. She controlled her anger. “If you’re not happy with the price, I can add a little more.”

Fu Haitang didn’t hide her wariness. She said, “I’ve always gotten a perfect score in my omega hygiene and safety classes since elementary school.”

Ren Qing: “…”

…

…During rehearsal, Fu Yilan was constantly distracted. Lu Jing had called her out a few times, but she still seemed out of it.

The matter of Li Qingqing and Fang Qian throwing away their training outfits had caused a stir. Lu Jing had also heard about it, and now that the three of them were training together, the atmosphere in Class D was extremely strange.

“Stop,” Lu Jing shook his head. “That’s enough for today. Go rest.”

“Teacher, it’s only…”

Lu Jing interrupted the person, “The next day is the public performance. You’ll have a final rehearsal tomorrow night. I hope you’ll maintain your energy. Disperse!”

The crowd was unhappy but didn’t dare to talk back to Lu Jing. The trainees of Class D gradually dispersed. Lu Jing stopped Fu Yilan. “Number 56.”

The dispersed people slowed down their steps. Lu Jing gave them a warning look, and they reluctantly left.

Fu Yilan: “Teacher Lu.”

Lu Jing: “I heard about what happened to you.”

“Mhm,” Fu Yilan untied her hair, letting it loose.

Lu Jing’s breathing clearly hitched. He frowned and took two steps back, reminding her, “Your pheromones are very rare.”

Fu Yilan looked up, wary. “Is that why you came to find me, Teacher?”

Lu Jing was about to say something else, but Fu Yilan had already picked up her bag and turned to leave the practice room.

“Wait!” In a moment of panic, Lu Jing grabbed Fu Yilan’s wrist. “Fu Yilan, did you come to City A when you were little?”

Fu Yilan stared at the large hand and slowly met Lu Jing’s gaze. “Teacher Lu, don’t you know there’s surveillance in the practice room?”

Lu Jing lowered his head, his gaze on his own hand. “Answer my question!”

Fu Yilan tried to break free, but the alpha’s strength was too great. Fu Yilan gritted her teeth. In the next second, a loud slap landed on Lu Jing’s face.

“Lu—” Gu Jingjing heard that Class D had ended their practice early. She rushed over almost immediately. It was strange. Lu Jing had told her he was going to City W for a commercial shoot tonight and wouldn’t be able to return to City A until tomorrow. Why was he suddenly back to supervise Class D’s rehearsal?

Gu Jingjing remembered the inhibitor Fu Yilan had left behind in the afternoon, and her heart grew more and more uneasy, until she pushed open the door and saw Fu Yilan slapping Lu Jing’s face.

“Fu Yilan! You b1tch!”

…

The unfolding story was simultaneously transmitted to Fu Haitang’s mind. She had just taken a sip of wine and tasted the delicious foie gras when she started to choke, almost coughing to death at the table.

[Gu Jingjing and Fu Yilan are fighting.]

“I just remembered I have a video I haven’t reviewed yet!” Fu Haitang immediately stood up. “President Ren… um, I really don’t have any other thoughts about you. Goodbye!”

The omega hurried out. Ren Qing stood up and went to the window, then took out her phone and directly called the TV station’s HR department.

She saw Fu Haitang rush out of the restaurant, take out her car keys, and unlock a BMW parked on the side of the road.

An omega who was normally so low-key that she never wore clothes costing more than two hundred yuan, was suddenly driving a car worth hundreds of thousands to a dinner with her?

Ren Qing narrowed her eyes. Was she mistaken in her judgment?

Or, had Fu Haitang’s rejection been obvious from the very beginning? The “Sister Qing” she thought was a patron’s offer of an olive branch to be intimate outside of work.

But it was actually just a signal of treating her as an equal outside of working hours.

The call hadn’t connected yet when another call came in.

“President Ren, something’s happened!”