After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 21.2

Her time of death hadn’t come, but the Jiang family went bankrupt. Xin Ran and Su Qi were happily together now, their on-and-off relationship over the years playing out like some cheesy urban drama. It was speculated they’d get engaged in the second half of the year.

Of course, before that happened, Xin Ran’s company would have to go bankrupt first.

But she still had doubts about the omega kidnapping incident. After learning Ruan Xin was actually an omega pretending to be an alpha, the only thing she couldn’t figure out was why Ruan Xin would kidnap Su Qi at the engagement party, followed by being trapped on an island for three whole years.

First we had AA relationships, and now were we going to have OO relationships? But Ruan Xin didn’t seem to have any special feelings for Su Qi at all.

The biggest change, however, was that in the original story, Ruan Xin’s identity as an alpha and illegitimate child had been concealed until the end. Now, everything had come to light—the villain had made her triumphant return, turning the final showdown with the protagonist into an unknown outcome.

Jiang Ruosheng sat down opposite Ruan Xin and tapped the table to order a low-alcohol mojito.

“What, no ‘Lemon End’ tonight?” Ruan Xin teased, her previously cold demeanor melting away as a smile played at her lips.

Jiang Ruosheng shot a glare at the talkative Yang Lin. How dare an employee leak her boss’s private preferences.

“I don’t always drink that,” she said, poking at the mint leaves atop the ice cubes with her straw. The faint clinking of ice was crisp and pleasant.

The bar’s stage no longer featured that dazzling solo singer, but rather an unknown band with a flamboyant long-haired guitarist at center stage. One hand on the stand mic, eyes closed in rapture, his shouts mixed with the pounding drums in an ear-splitting cacophony.

Yet the atmosphere in the crowd was oddly divided—those in front rows screamed along while those in back remained unusually silent. Jiang Ruosheng rubbed her ears and asked Yang Lin, “This is a small bar, not a concert venue. Didn’t I tell you to find a quieter band?”

Even someone as musically ignorant as Jiang Ruosheng could tell how awful the tuneless howling was.

Yang Lin rolled her eyes. “You know we’re just a small bar, right? Do you have any idea how much a decent band costs? I had to find some no-name startup group.”

Jiang Ruosheng blinked. “Weren’t last month’s profits good? Don’t tell me you embezzled—”

“All that money went into your renovations!” Yang Lin fumed. “The moment we have spare cash you want to expand. I never realized you were so ambitious.”

She then glanced furtively at Ruan Xin sitting nearby. “Well… after that person quit and went to sing elsewhere, she took some regulars with her. Business hasn’t been the same since.”

Jiang Ruosheng knew Yang Lin meant the previous singer, though she couldn’t even remember the woman’s name.

“Can’t you do anything right? Find someone else,” Jiang Ruosheng said with a disapproving frown.

And whose fault was that? None other than a certain femme fatale’s.

Jiang Ruosheng added, “And what’s with those people in the front row? Did you pay them to be cheerleaders?”

Yang Lin scratched her cheek sheepishly. “I saw other bars doing this—fake it till you make it. Besides, they’re easy to handle. No payment needed, just free food and drinks to keep them shouting all night.”

“Isn’t this just freeloading?” Jiang Ruosheng glanced at the rowdy crowd in front, their hands never pausing as they devoured snacks and drinks. “This isn’t some homeless shelter, you know.”

“Pfft—” Suddenly, Ruan Xin, who had been sitting quietly beside her, burst into laughter.

Jiang Ruosheng rubbed her nose. “What’s so funny?”

Ruan Xin replied, “Since I was the one who scared them off, it’s only right that I find replacements. I’ll take care of the live singer situation.”

Jiang Ruosheng cleared her throat. “No need. This has nothing to do with you. I’ll handle the bar’s matters.”

Ruan Xin tapped her fingers lightly on the table, then looked up at Yang Lin. “Hmm… but now it has everything to do with me.”

Jiang Ruosheng was baffled.

Yang Lin quickly interjected, “Boss, it’s good news! Ms. Ruan here wants to invest in the bar and become our partner.”

Partner? Jiang Ruosheng shot Yang Lin another glare, the icy stare making her shrink back.

Who would turn down free money? Besides, it was obvious this Ms. Ruan had a special connection with the boss.

Jiang Ruosheng said, “Ms. Ruan, we don’t need a partner. Lemon End is just a small bar—hardly worth your investment.”

“Whether it’s worth it is for the investor to decide. Ms. Yang here has already agreed,” Ruan Xin teased, and Yang Lin nodded eagerly in agreement.

Who would complain about extra cash?

Yang Lin tugged at Jiang Ruosheng’s sleeve, throwing her a series of meaningful looks.

Jiang Ruosheng suppressed her irritation and shooed Yang Lin away before turning back to Ruan Xin. “Why are you going to all this unnecessary trouble?”

“Unnecessary? Is it really?” Ruan Xin picked up her frosted glass, took a sip, and immediately winced as the sharp, sour lemon flavor hit her nose. Her eyes watered slightly.

“This is awful. How can sparkling water be this bitter?” Ruan Xin stuck out her tongue, fanning it as the sourness lingered.

Jiang Ruosheng chuckled, the refreshing taste of mint swirling on her tongue. “It’s our signature drink, Partner Ruan.”

Ruan Xin pouted slightly and pushed her lemon sparkling water toward Jiang Ruosheng, swapping it for the mojito.

Finally washing away the tart lime flavor, Ruan Xin smacked her lips as if coming back to life.

Jiang Ruosheng wasn’t sure how many drinks she’d already had. Now, she rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the alternating yellow and blue hues through the frosted glass.

Her soft, pink cheeks bunched up adorably from the pressure.

“I thought you’d prefer camellia fragrance over lime,” Ruan Xin murmured, her eyes fixed on Jiang Ruosheng as she delivered what sounded like a flirtatious remark.

Back when Ruan Xin was still an “alpha,” Jiang Ruosheng’s favorite thing was holding her close, burying her face in the sweet-scented crook of her neck, inhaling that delicate floral aroma.

Pleasant and subtle—it hardly smelled like an alpha’s pheromones at all.

Jiang Ruosheng had never felt repulsed. Instead, she was addicted, just like her love for those vibrant red blossoms.

“You once said you wanted to open a little bar after graduation. I never thought you’d actually do it. ‘Lemon End’—the name I came up with sounds nice, doesn’t it? Remember how you insisted on calling it ‘Sheng Sheng Ruan’? That sounded more like a sushi place.”

A vision of Jiang Ruosheng’s cold, stubborn expression flashed through Ruan Xin’s mind, making her smile with crescent-shaped eyes.

“Is Qiao Nan still following you around? It’s a miracle you haven’t been driven crazy by her constant chatter. Remember when you skipped Old Chen’s class with me to play games at the internet café? She covered for us, saying we were at the school clinic—me having an episode and you staying by my side.”

“Then Old Chen called Chen Mo, and everyone found out they were actually siblings.” Ruan Xin poked Jiang Ruosheng, who remained unresponsive. “That weekend, we were even forced to stay behind and write self-criticism reports.”

“I think I even asked you back then—if my pheromones weren’t camellia-scented, would you still like them?”

Jiang Ruosheng tightened her grip on the glass. “Because I liked you back then, Ruan Xin. Even if it was just ‘love me, love my dog,’ of course I’d like your pheromones. Looking back now, I really was an idiot. Alpha pheromones naturally repel each other instead of blending, yet I romantically believed we were a perfect match.”

Ruan Xin’s face paled abruptly. Jiang Ruosheng had so easily spoken of her past affection—as if… it meant nothing at all. This wasn’t eavesdropping; she was hearing Jiang Ruosheng’s confession firsthand.

Jiang Ruosheng took a few more sips, the alcohol warming her. “But… those days are long gone. People have to move forward—you included, Ruan Xin.”

Ruan Xin: “What?”

Jiang Ruosheng: “If I’m wrong, just consider it me being overly self-absorbed.”

“If you’re saying all this because you want to get back together, then I’m sorry—you’ve miscalculated.”

Clatter—The glass in Ruan Xin’s hand suddenly fell to the ground, shattering with a crisp sound.

A deafening roar filled her mind, the gears of thought grinding to a halt. Any coherent thinking became impossible as she stared blankly at Jiang Ruosheng’s expressionless face, her hand instinctively reaching out to grasp her arm.

Her fingers clenched the fabric, feeling the warmth of the other’s body, yet a chilling cold seeped into Ruan Xin’s heart.

The sensation of something once under control suddenly slipping away left her dizzy. Her fingers whitened from the force of her grip, but what she wanted to hold onto had already drifted beyond reach.

She heard her own hoarse voice say, “…I… I didn’t mean it like that…”

Her throat felt clogged with iron, too heavy to form words. A bitterness even sharper than before flooded her chest, suffocating her.

Unable to speak for a long moment, Ruan Xin felt the sleeve between her fingers being pulled away.

Jiang Ruosheng stood up. “I just remembered something urgent at the company, so I’ll cut this short. Enjoy your drinks—as partners, tonight’s tab is on the house.”

On the house, my ass.

Yang Lin, who had been standing nearby like a decorative pillar while secretly eavesdropping, had worn an expression of stunned disbelief at the unfolding secrets—until Jiang Ruosheng’s absurd parting line shattered her composure.

Who am I? Where am I?

My boss turns down an omega but still offers her free drinks—should I applaud her for being a gentleman or check how much water’s in her brain?

Unable to bear the sight of the utterly devastated omega, Yang Lin turned and strode after Jiang Ruosheng’s retreating figure.

Tall and long-legged, Jiang Ruosheng walked as if carried by the wind, making it hard for Yang Lin to keep up.

But the direction she was headed wasn’t the exit—it was the private lounge on the bar’s second floor.

When Yang Lin pushed the door open, she heard the sound of a wardrobe closing.

Yang Lin: “…”

Rustling noises came from inside the wardrobe before eventually fading into silence. Unsure what Jiang Ruosheng was doing curled up in there, Yang Lin could only sit quietly on a chair outside to wait.

“Hey, are you dead in there?” After about twenty minutes, Yang Lin called out, “If you can’t bear to break up, then don’t. From what I can see, you two seem pretty deeply attached.”

Jiang Ruosheng’s muffled voice came through weakly, “Ever heard of ‘letting go’? Ever heard how ill-fitting shoes hurt your feet? Ever heard how impure relationships are doomed to fail?”

“No, no, just come out already before you suffocate in there.”

Jiang Ruosheng pushed the wardrobe door open, looking somewhat dejected but still maintaining her usual aloof demeanor—far from the tear-streaked, wailing mess Yang Lin had imagined.

“It’s really over now.” The heavy stone that had been pressing on her chest finally dropped, leaving an emptiness in its wake, yet Jiang Ruosheng instinctively let out a soft sigh.

Seeing Jiang Ruosheng’s gloomy state, Yang Lin shook her head regretfully. “Such a beautiful omega, and she seemed so devoted to you.”

“No, she’s toxic.” Jiang Ruosheng spat out the words bluntly. She knew Ruan Xin always prioritized utility over emotion, ruthlessly exploiting and betraying even her closest allies. If she held onto even a shred of lingering affection, she’d be played for a fool sooner or later.

Jiang Ruosheng: “I’m fine here. Go downstairs and keep an eye on her. Make sure she calls her driver to pick her up.”

After Yang Lin left, Jiang Ruosheng exhaled softly and sat down in the chair.

Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. The caller ID showed it was the doctor she’d asked earlier that morning to investigate Ruan Xin’s health condition.

She answered the call. “…So, what did you find?”

The voice on the other end sounded hesitant and uncertain. “Ms. Jiang, I’d like to formally ask you a few questions. Please answer truthfully, alright?”

Huh? Jiang Ruosheng pulled the phone away from her ear to double-check it wasn’t a telemarketer.

Doctor: “Is this Ms. Ruan you mentioned your omega?”

Jiang Ruosheng: “…Well, she used to be. We broke up later. Why are you asking—”

The doctor cut in, “Seven years ago, you did engage in a series of complete marking behaviors with her, correct?”

Jiang Ruosheng: “Correct.”

Doctor: “Then… were you truly unaware of Ms. Ruan’s pregnancy?”

Jiang Ruosheng: “Huh… unaware… Wait, what did you say?!”

An awkward voice came through the line. “Director Jiang, based on the medication components, I’m certain they’re meant for omegas experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms during post-pregnancy abstinence.”

“Pregnant omegas develop an intense psychological dependence on the alpha who marked them. Without the soothing presence of their alpha’s pheromones, they can develop severe dependency disorders. These cases typically occur in pregnant omegas abandoned by their alphas. The Omega Protection Act has specific punitive regulations for such malicious incidents.”

Jiang Ruosheng was still reeling from the words “Ms. Ruan’s pregnancy,” struggling to process them. “What regulations?”

Doctor: “…Director Jiang, you truly had no idea about this?”

Jiang Ruosheng nearly crushed her phone in her grip. “Are you sure she was pregnant? Seven years ago… That’s impossible. I had no idea about this.”

The doctor replied, “Based on the description, we can confirm that Miss Ruan only had an extreme reaction to your pheromones. This indicates your complete mark was never erased. An omega in this condition cannot be marked by another alpha, as it would trigger even more severe rejection symptoms.”

“So…” Jiang Ruosheng murmured, momentarily speechless.

The doctor continued, “Yes, you have a child together. And the child is already seven years old. Should I offer my congratulations, President Jiang?”

“Dr. Jiang, I’ll call you back later.” Jiang Ruosheng pressed her lips together and ended the call. Her dazed expression quickly hardened into icy determination as she strode purposefully downstairs.

She needed to confront Ruan Xin about this face-to-face!

But when she arrived at the familiar bar counter, the seat was empty. Only Yang Lin remained, leisurely polishing a glass beside it.

Where was she???