After the Top Idol Omega and I Started Living Together - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lu Zhao’s old mansion was a typical style from the 1930s, with a square building sitting amidst lush greenery, its perfectly symmetrical structure exquisitely refined.

Two Roman columns stood on the porch at the entrance, and though time left uncontrollable marks on them, they remained elegant.

Lu Zhao skillfully pushed open the door, leading Sheng Jingyu into the building, where the interior decor continued the architectural style from outside.

The sofa and chairs were clearly valuable antiques at first glance, and the displayed ornaments were luxurious yet restrained.

Though Sheng Jingyu could tell Lu Zhao tried to tone down the room’s arrangement, the house’s long history, built on years of accumulated wealth, was undeniable, its style deeply embedded and impossible to conceal.

If the house was worth a billion, the interior decor would likely double that value.

Sheng Jingyu had seen a copy of the property deed, which indeed bore Lu Zhao’s name.

This little-known artist was actually the owner of such a house.

If she could afford to live in a place like this, why would she want to share it with a roommate?

Her thoughts stopped there abruptly.

Sheng Jingyu made this analysis only to get a general sense of her future living environment. Though she had investigated Lu Zhao through certain means, it was only to make contact, not to pry into her privacy.

Continuing down that line of thought would be intrusive.

Sheng Jingyu discreetly reined in her thoughts and heard Lu Zhao introducing beside her: “This room was originally a butler’s room, but my grandmother had mobility issues, and it was hard to install an elevator, so she converted it into a bedroom.”

“After my grandmother passed away, my mother lived here, and after they both passed, the room stayed empty.”

Lu Zhao spoke briefly, without any landlord arrogance.

The contract clearly stated that Sheng Jingyu had the right to know the purpose of all rooms.

So, Lu Zhao raised her hand to open the door for her.

But before she could complete the action, Sheng Jingyu’s raised hand timely interrupted: “Is that a small parlor?”

Her gesture was clean, her eyes free of any hint of prying into others’ privacy.

Lu Zhao paused for a moment, then lowered her head with a slight smile, answering Sheng Jingyu: “Yes, the white camellias in the back garden are blooming, and you can see them from the floor-to-ceiling window there.”

—It seemed her tenant was a very tactful person.

The huge lattice floor-to-ceiling window occupied an entire wall, making Sheng Jingyu, standing in front of it, appear small.

Light poured down like an intangible waterfall, enveloping her as if to swallow her, yet her posture remained straight as a pine or cypress, unshaken by the vast window, exuding an indescribable lonely resilience.

“This place is…”

The words in Lu Zhao’s throat stopped abruptly. She halted her steps just before entering the small parlor, unwilling to disturb this quiet beauty.

The lush green leaves clustered around the camellias, peeking through the window frame.

Sheng Jingyu stood by the window, her pure white cotton dress echoing the flowers’ color, radiating a soft coolness in the stifling afternoon heat under the scorching sunlight.

Sheng Jingyu stood with her head held high, the dappled light and shadow outlining her jaw and profile, refined like a masterpiece crafted by the creator over millennia.

Yet no matter how vibrant the summer sunlight was, it couldn’t dispel the faint coldness between her brows, tinged with a delicate, sickly air, a fragile yet morbid beauty like a tender sprout.

As if a breeze blew, it stirred Lu Zhao’s stray hair.

This was the first time she saw such solitary aloofness in an Omega, the scene so beautiful it felt like a painting, giving her the sensation of intruding into someone else’s world.

Even though this was her house.

“Can I put a piano here?”

As Lu Zhao was watching, Sheng Jingyu’s eyes met hers.

She turned to ask Lu Zhao, her sign language calm and silent.

Lu Zhao felt a bit guilty for her偷窺, her eyes flickering, then nodded in agreement: “Of course you can.”

Seeing that Sheng Jingyu didn’t seem to notice anything, she steadied herself, stepped forward, and precisely landed on a small dent in the floor: “This spot was originally meant for a piano.”

“But later, the piano was moved out, and this place has stayed empty.”

Lu Zhao’s tone was light, with a hint of a smile, like dark humor before a taboo.

She didn’t want to dwell on this topic and turned to ask Sheng Jingyu: “Would Miss Sheng like to go to the second floor now? There are a few bedrooms up there; you can choose one you like after visiting.”

The sunlight cast shimmering patterns through the window frame, and Sheng Jingyu vaguely sensed a shift in Lu Zhao’s emotions.

But being naturally reserved, she only nodded in cooperation: “Okay.”

The staircase spiraled gracefully to the second floor, sunlight streaming through a curved, elongated glass window, illuminating the narrow space.

The carved railings exuded a steady charm, and looking down from the small parlor revealed the first-floor living room, a design that remained timeless even today.

Sheng Jingyu followed behind, slowly appreciating the mansion, which far exceeded her expectations, under Lu Zhao’s introduction.

Lu Zhao, familiar with the place, led her to two side-by-side rooms to the left of the small parlor: “These two rooms are bedrooms, designed completely symmetrically. This one is my bedroom, and this one is a guest bedroom.”

“There’s a big locust tree outside this room’s window, so it’s especially cool.” Lu Zhao opened the bedroom door for Sheng Jingyu as she spoke. “Since it’s so close, I used to sleep in this room during the summer, and at night, I could see stars while soaking in the bathroom.”

Sheng Jingyu walked in upon hearing this.

The locust tree she had seen in the backyard now filled one side of the window, lush and green, indeed providing shade and coolness.

There were no stars in the daytime, but Sheng Jingyu’s mind flashed back to Lu Zhao’s earlier words.

She said she used to stay in this room during the summer.

The summer heat made the breeze less refreshing, always reminding one of the sea breeze.

The sweltering heat easily carried away scents, and the fragrance on that small white piece was fading bit by bit, leaving no trace by today.

But Sheng Jingyu needed those traces.

She needed them to linger, to stay closer to that scent.

“The closet here is a bit small. If Miss Sheng has a lot of clothes, it might not fit.” Lu Zhao professionally listed the room’s pros and cons, then recommended the unused master bedroom to Sheng Jingyu. “The room by the study is larger, the master bedroom. Miss Sheng can take a look later.”

“No need.” Sheng Jingyu raised her hand to politely decline Lu Zhao’s suggestion to see other rooms. “I think I’ll stay in this one from now on. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” Lu Zhao wasn’t fussy. Though she had planned to move into this room herself when it got hotter in a few days, since Sheng Jingyu asked, she agreed readily. “The bedding is changed and aired out by the housekeeper every week. Miss Sheng can move in today.”

Sheng Jingyu nodded: “I don’t have much stuff. The moving company will pack and deliver my things later.”

Though they had only spent a few hours together, Lu Zhao was satisfied with her new roommate from their brief interaction and said to her: “Great, I’ll help out when the time comes.”

.

The evening cicadas’ chirping didn’t relent, and voices bustled in the old mansion shaded by greenery.

The moving company Sheng Jingyu hired was very professional. Lu Zhao had eagerly prepared, even putting on a mask to avoid being recognized while helping, but now, standing aside, she found no chance to pitch in.

Perhaps this was what specialization meant.

Lu Zhao comforted herself inwardly, adjusted her stuffy mask, and noticed Sheng Jingyu responsibly overseeing the movers unloading from the truck.

The summer sun seized every second to release its heat, still radiating warmth as it hung halfway down the mountain.

Sheng Jingyu had tied her long hair into a low bun, her fair neck slightly raised, with a glistening layer of sweat clearly visible on it.

Her lips were a bit pale, perhaps from standing too long in the sun.

Lu Zhao genuinely worried that she might get sick from the heat and proactively called her to rest: “Miss Sheng, let’s sit in the pavilion for a bit. It’ll take some time to unload everything from the truck.”

Sheng Jingyu meant to refuse, but before she could speak, a shout came from afar: “A-Zhao—!!”

The movers’ figures busied about in the front yard, and a girl rode in on a pink electric scooter, completely out of place with the surroundings.

This was Lu Zhao’s life assistant, Chenchen.

The girl deftly parked the scooter, carrying two large bags as she ran toward Lu Zhao: “A-Zhao! I got everything! Pretty fast, huh?”

“Super fast, Chenchen darling!” Lu Zhao, without any celebrity airs, praised her and took one of the bags, introducing: “This is Miss Sheng, my roommate.”

Chenchen had heard about Lu Zhao finally renting out her house and immediately looked in the direction Lu Zhao pointed.

The warm breeze rustled the wisteria flowers, casting a pale purple shadow under the pavilion.

The sunlight illuminated Sheng Jingyu’s light-colored eyes, giving them a refined gem-like hue, pristine and unblemished.

Chenchen had seen many artists working with Lu Zhao, but such a presence was rare in the entire entertainment industry, and she forgot to breathe.

Wanting to make a good impression in front of such a beauty, Chenchen respectfully and exaggeratedly bowed to Sheng Jingyu: “Miss Sheng, hello! I’m A-Zhao’s assistant. Just call me Chenchen!”

Sheng Jingyu nodded slightly, polite but distant: “Hello.”

Unlike Lu Zhao, Chenchen couldn’t read sign language.

But she quickly realized this beautiful sister couldn’t speak.

The girl hadn’t taken an expression management class, and her thoughts were written all over her face.

Sheng Jingyu, used to this, watched her, then, noticing the movers carrying the piano into the mansion, nodded slightly to the two: “The piano’s here. Excuse me.”

The green leaves draped over the corridor, weaving a natural curtain.

With that, Sheng Jingyu walked toward the mansion, her slender figure weaving through, ethereal and picturesque.

Chenchen’s gaze followed closely, her expression growing more excited: “Oh my gosh, A-Zhao, how can your roommate be so beautiful! I’ve never seen such a stunning Beta!”

Lu Zhao, seeing Chenchen’s starstruck look, teased disdainfully: “She’s an Omega. How can you, an Alpha, not even tell an Omega from a Beta?”

“What? The beauty’s an Omega?!” Chenchen was shocked. “I didn’t sense anything when I talked to her!”

“Maybe the heat got to you.” Lu Zhao glanced at Chenchen’s sweaty forehead, thoughtfully tearing open the wrapper of an ice pop before handing it to her. “Here, cool off with this.”

“A-Zhao, you’re the best.” Chenchen took the ice pop and happily took a bite.

The girl’s mind always jumped around, and looking at Lu Zhao, a sly smile suddenly spread across her face: “But A-Zhao, you’re an Alpha living with an Omega. Won’t that be a problem? If the beauty wants to, she could eat you up, and you wouldn’t be able to resist…”

Chenchen’s smile grew wider as she spoke.

Lu Zhao knew from her expression that her little brain was already spinning some fanfiction.

To prevent herself from becoming Chenchen’s material again, Lu Zhao immediately protested loudly: “Please stop your unrealistic fantasies!”

Stopping her in time was one thing; dissatisfaction was another.

Lu Zhao, unconvinced by Chenchen’s fantasy, flicked her long hair as she spoke.

The sea breeze rustled through the dense flower trellis, making the green leaves quiver.

“Besides! I, Lu Zhao, S-tier Alpha, the most Alpha in the group, I’d be the one eating her up!”

“Miss Lu.”

Lu Zhao’s words had barely landed when a mechanical female voice interrupted.

The voice was eerie yet familiar, as if Lu Zhao had just heard it recently.

“…”

Though reluctant to face it, Lu Zhao slowly turned around.

The sunlight couldn’t pierce the interwoven wisteria flowers, casting a cluster of floral shadows on Sheng Jingyu’s shoulders.

Her drooping eyelashes were adorned with dappled, shimmering golden light, dense and curled, weaving a layer of solitude and aloofness.

Sheng Jingyu seemed to have something to discuss, having returned, and stood right behind her.