Alpha, Straight To The Crematorium - Chapter 4
4: Preparations
It had been a long time since Li Yuan last saw Jin Qin, and it had been just as long since she’d traveled far from home. So, for the blind date her mother had been nagging her about, she enlisted Jin Qin’s help to book a stylist to spruce up her appearance. She also planned to buy a couple of outfits and some daily necessities.
After all, a minimum level of respect was still necessary.
The stylist wasn’t some big-name professional but a male beta stylist who was a close friend of Jin Qin’s. Though not famous, his skills were exceptional, especially when it came to styling sweet, omega types like Li Yuan.
Jin Qin, a manager at an entertainment company with a few struggling artists under her wing, handled work calls while Li Yuan was getting styled.
A few hours later, Jin Qin looked at the transformed Li Yuan standing before her and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Babe, are you sure you don’t want to try breaking into the entertainment industry?”
She meant it sincerely—Li Yuan’s overall qualities were just too perfect.
Li Yuan stood there with a radiant smile, her narrow shoulders, slim waist, and long legs accentuated by the light green dress she wore casually today. The dress perfectly outlined her waist, and her innocent, almost deceptively sweet face looked like a work of art. But her most striking feature was her deep, dark eyes. When she gazed at you, it was impossible to speak harshly to her or deny her anything.
In that moment, it felt like you were the only one in her world, her everything.
Li Yuan’s ears turned a lovely shade of pink at her friend’s praise. The stylist, seeing this, chimed in earnestly, “She’s right. It’s honestly a pity you’re not in the industry. I’ve worked with hundreds of people, and your qualities are top-tier.”
“Our little Yuan is amazing!” Jin Qin beamed with pride, playfully pinching Li Yuan’s round cheeks.
“Alright, we won’t take up more of your time. Next time, dinner’s on me!” Jin Qin waved goodbye to the stylist.
After parting ways with the stylist, the two grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant, then headed to the mall to pick out a few outfits for Li Yuan. Finally, they ended up at a supermarket to stock up on household essentials for Li Yuan’s new place.
Jin Qin pushed the shopping cart behind Li Yuan, which was filled mostly with snacks Li Yuan loved, alongside some practical items.
Meanwhile, Si Rong sat in her office, her head throbbing with frustration.
Her desk was cluttered with a thick stack of documents—profiles of popular online illustrators, complete with their portfolios and quotes.
Si Rong had been studying these documents all day, but she still hadn’t found anyone more suitable than Li Yuan. It wasn’t just her opinion; the entire art and planning teams felt the same.
But Enchantment wasn’t a small project. They had to have a backup plan.
Rubbing her temples, Si Rong picked up the phone and dialed an internal line. “Secretary Chen, come in for a moment.”
“Yes, President Si.”
Soon, there was a knock at Si Rong’s office door.
“Come in.”
Secretary Chen entered respectfully, his nose twitching almost imperceptibly as he approached Si Rong.
Was she in her susceptible period?
Si Rong, unaware of his subtle reaction, handed him a few barely passable profiles she’d shortlisted. “These are somewhat acceptable. If my meeting with her falls through the day after tomorrow, have the planning team choose one from these.”
“Yes, President Si.” Secretary Chen took the documents. As he turned to leave, he hesitated, then diplomatically suggested, “President Si, if you need it, there’s a pharmacy downstairs.”
Si Rong blinked, momentarily confused. But as she processed his words, embarrassment washed over her. She quickly reined in the pheromones she’d unintentionally let slip.
Secretary Chen quietly sighed in relief.
Though he was also an alpha, his genetic level was lower than Si Rong’s, and the influence of a higher-grade alpha was palpable. The moment he’d caught her pheromones, a thin layer of sweat had formed on his back.
“Sorry,” Si Rong said, rubbing her temples again, clearly exasperated. “I’m fine. Just haven’t been resting well lately.”
Secretary Chen nodded expressionlessly. “If you need anything, just let me know. I can have suppressants sent up.”
Si Rong waved dismissively, clearly eager to drop the topic.
Once Secretary Chen left, Si Rong cursed under her breath. Letting her pheromones slip in front of a subordinate? How professional.
The lingering scent of her pheromones still hung in the air. She got up, opened the office window, and rummaged through her drawer for something—only to come up empty. In the end, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
The flame flickered to life, and she lit the cigarette. Taking a deep drag, she exhaled a cloud of smoke, feeling a fraction of her frustration dissipate.
She’d run out of her backup pheromone suppressants, so this was her temporary fix to mask the scent.
It wasn’t like she meant to smoke in the office.
Right.
As the white smoke curled upward, Si Rong’s thoughts drifted with it.
She hadn’t been lying to Secretary Chen about not resting well. She hadn’t slept properly since her business trip, and now, with the added stress of the upcoming blind date, she hadn’t had a single moment of peace.
Running a hand through her hair in frustration, she thought to herself, I need to cut loose soon, or I’m going to lose it.
As for tomorrow’s blind date?
She’d just reject them outright.
They probably weren’t thrilled about it either.