After a Disabled Alpha Marked a Yandere Female Lead - Chapter 26
Chapter 26: VIP
Zhu Qingluo sits at the dining table and begins to eat in silence. Jiang Yun, having just woken up, looks tired and seems to have no interest in talking to her. The absence of a person in the house makes no difference to Jiang Yun. Zhu Qingluo has a good appetite and eats an extra bowl of rice. As long as Jiang Yun doesn’t approach her, she won’t take the initiative to speak. This dynamic between them has become a habit.
No one mentions yesterday’s events, as if it were just a past interlude. Zhu Qingluo later learns that before Liu Zi left, Jiang Yun had signed an agreement with her, guaranteeing she would continue to take the nutrient agent regularly. In return, the Jiang family would provide additional financial support.
The meal is uneventful.
At 3:30 p.m., the sun is high in the sky. Zhu Qingluo comes out of her room and stops in the hallway. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, she sees a car parked outside. She rubs her eyes, and as her vision clears, she sees the car is still there. The driver is Assistant Wu, who is sitting inside, looking as if he has been waiting for a long time.
Zhu Qingluo sees the butler approaching. “Has Miss Jiang not returned yet?” she asks.
The butler hesitates, glances at the clock, and replies, “She was expected back in half an hour… Anyway, please get in the car first.”
Zhu Qingluo thinks for a moment, wondering what Jiang Yun is up to. Led by the butler, she wheels herself out the villa’s main door.
After Zhu Qingluo gets into the car, Assistant Wu looks back and gives her his signature smile. “Miss Zhu, it’s good to see you. You look well. I heard you’ll be holding a jewelry exhibition soon?”
She has a good impression of Assistant Wu, and it’s not surprising that he knows about the exhibition; being around Jiang Yun, he must have a lot of information about her.
Zhu Qingluo’s expression is calm. “It’s just a plan,” she says. Even though Jiang Yun provided the opportunity, holding it now would be like being “pushed” onto a high stage. There’s no rush.
Assistant Wu adjusts his glasses, his hands on the steering wheel. “I understand. Please do it at your own pace.”
As the car starts moving, Zhu Qingluo looks at the villa receding behind them before turning her gaze forward. She already knows her destination: a seaside manor, famous for its beautiful scenery for decades.
About an hour later, Zhu Qingluo sees the scenery change. The car is surrounded by large mangrove forests. The sky is low, making the clouds look heavy. A building with red tiles and white bricks comes into view.
Assistant Wu brakes and says in a lower-than-usual tone, “We’ve arrived.” He gets out of the car, walks to Zhu Qingluo’s door, and helps her out.
After she gets out, a butler-like figure approaches them and says politely, “Welcome, both of you. Our young miss has been waiting for a long time. By the way, where is Miss Jiang?” The steward looks into the car, his tone full of doubt. Assistant Wu walks over and whispers something to her. The steward’s face brightens with understanding and she smiles at Zhu Qingluo again. “Please follow me.”
Zhu Qingluo’s expression is calm, as if she didn’t hear their conversation. She follows the steward. When the doors open, the smell of mixed liquors hits her.
The place is magnificent. Champagne flutes are stacked high, and in the center of the red carpet, a crowd of people is gathered in groups. Xie Ke, in a white dress, is standing close to a young woman. From their interactions, Zhu Qingluo can tell that this is “Little Li.” Li Wusi is Professor Shen’s most promising student and the owner of the manor. Other people are gathered around Li Wusi, and the atmosphere is lively and pleasant.
Xie Ke is not the center of attention, but she is an indispensable part of the crowd. After greeting some people, a companion reminds her that Zhu Qingluo has arrived.
“Miss Zhu,” Xie Ke says, holding her wine glass and walking toward her. She is very polite.
Zhu Qingluo slowly turns to face her.
“It’s so good to see you here. We didn’t get to talk much last time. Do you need anything?”
Most people would soften their attitude in the face of such a greeting. Zhu Qingluo looks at her smile and gently shakes her head. “No, thank you.”
Xie Ke’s smile lessens slightly. Under the soft light, she studies the young woman in the wheelchair, who looks calm and at ease. On the surface, nothing seems to have changed.
“A-Yun told me a few days ago that you’ve been unwell, and she got you some nutrient agents to help you recover. I wonder how you’re doing now?”
Xie Ke knows she “took” it, and she’s testing her. Zhu Qingluo calmly replies, “The effect isn’t significant.”
Seeing her serious expression, Xie Ke is relieved. “I’m sure you’ll feel better soon. Please don’t worry, Miss Zhu.” She then offers Zhu Qingluo a tray of drinks. Zhu Qingluo glances at them, and they are all hard liquors.
Xie Ke frowns. “Who brought these out? Miss Zhu can’t drink these.”
“Can’t drink?” someone laughs. “There’s nothing else in this manor. You should try it. Our liquor is famous.” Then, someone else puts a glass in front of Zhu Qingluo.
“Really?” Zhu Qingluo says, a little intrigued. She picks up a glass. The sweet smell of fruit wine fills the air. She takes a sip, and the person wasn’t exaggerating. The hard liquor has the taste of fruit wine, with a unique and sweet aftertaste.
She talks and drinks with others, and soon she blends in. But when the glass is passed to a man next to Xie Ke, he looks straight through her. He’s an average-sized man in a nice suit. He turns his head and laughs with someone else.
Zhu Qingluo’s hand, holding the glass, pauses. The situation becomes awkward.
“Duan Yong, Miss Zhu is toasting you. You’re so funny…”
Duan Yong glances at Zhu Qingluo. “Ah, it’s Miss Zhu. I thought I had the wrong person and didn’t dare to speak to you.”
The person next to him plays along. “Who are you talking about? I don’t know her.”
“An old classmate of mine. Her character is terrible. She plagiarized her graduation project, and then did the same thing in an official competition. My senior sister worked her heart out, and the results were stolen… Because of her, our school’s reputation was ruined.”
The area suddenly falls silent. Duan Yong narrows his eyes and smiles slyly. “Oh, that’s right, I must have mistaken her for someone else. How could Miss Zhu be that kind of person?”
Zhu Qingluo looks at his face and has a vague impression of him. He was a competitor of hers in a previous competition and was resentful after losing. Now that he sees her, he can’t help but make sarcastic remarks.
“Of course, she’s not.”
Suddenly, an arrogant voice comes from behind Zhu Qingluo. Jiang Yun is wearing a tight-fitting black dress. The pearl necklace on her long neck glows in the light. She walks gracefully, and her aura is captivating. The crowd parts for her. Jiang Yun stands next to Zhu Qingluo and says nonchalantly, “And who is this? Do you invite just anyone in?”
Duan Yong’s face turns red, then white. He is a minor celebrity in the design world, but in Jiang Yun’s eyes, he’s a nobody. He forces a smile. “I am…”
But no one is paying attention to his introduction. “Miss Jiang, don’t mind him,” Li Wusi says, stepping forward with a smile. “He’s just talking nonsense.”
Duan Yong shuts up. It doesn’t matter if his gossip is true or not. Being humiliated like this in public, another word might get him “kicked out.” Before leaving, he gives Zhu Qingluo a resentful look. If the competition had been fair, he would have won first place.
…
When they sit down, Jiang Yun is on Zhu Qingluo’s left, and Xie Ke is on her right. Zhu Qingluo loves liquor, especially this high-quality one. When no one is paying attention to her, she drinks alone and watches the undercurrents.
She notices that Jiang Yun is like a magnet, effortlessly drawing everyone’s attention, even Li Wusi’s. Jiang Yun is talking to Xie Ke. Zhu Qingluo looks up. Jiang Yun is calm and smiling. Anyone would think she and Xie Ke are very close. Since she can’t read anything from Jiang Yun’s face, Zhu Qingluo changes her focus.
Xie Ke, in turn, is fully focused on Jiang Yun. As they talk, a strange emotion crosses her face. Zhu Qingluo is happy that she has some gossip to observe.
Suddenly, Xie Ke senses something and looks over, but Zhu Qingluo is just eating a dessert, seemingly uninterested in the conversation between her wife and others.
As Zhu Qingluo takes her third sip from the wine glass, she feels her wrist being held by another hand. Jiang Yun’s presence is close. A slow voice comes from above her head.
“Haven’t you had enough to drink?”
Zhu Qingluo is surprised. “I… I think so.” She thinks Jiang Yun is telling her to stop drinking and plans to follow her lead.
Jiang Yun’s eyes are filled with a smile. She gently shakes the wine glass in her hand. The warm orange light from above shines on the glass. As the liquid moves, it reflects a golden sparkle, like the shimmering water at sunset.
Zhu Qingluo’s gaze follows the movement. This wine is different from everyone else’s. It was specially made for Jiang Yun. She’s never had anything like it and wonders what it tastes like.
Jiang Yun seems to sense this. She smiles, twists the glass in her hand, and places it in front of Zhu Qingluo. When the rim passes by, Zhu Qingluo smells another kind of wine, mixed with the fragrance of Jiang Yun’s lips, giving it a uniquely rich and charming aroma.
“Why don’t you try a sip of mine?” Jiang Yun’s voice is as if it were a spell.
Zhu Qingluo looks down at the wine, which is tilted toward her. She sees the faint lipstick marks on the glass.