Divorcee O Finds Me Irresistible - Chapter 35

The young couple’s second weekend together arrived as promised. Xu Qing had agreed to take her younger sister to look at cars and woke her up at 8 AM. But the soundly sleeping Omega had completely forgotten their plans, burrowing deeper into the covers with morning grumpiness, muttering and refusing to get up.

Defeated, Xu Qing decided to go alone. While brushing her teeth, she checked her email and discovered that the SUV she had sent to the 4S store for repairs was ready for pickup.

The SUV was her father’s—an old workhorse that had served the Xu Family for years. To them, it was long overdue for replacement, like an aging employee. During its time in the shop, no one had bothered to check on it except the insurance company. Lao Xu had other cars to drive, and if necessary, he could use Madam Min’s vehicle. Thus, this “old employee” had effectively become Xu Qing’s personal car—serviceable enough for commuting and perfect for driving her Omega sister to and from work, shielding her from sun and rain without worrying about traffic tickets.

Torn between “looking at new cars” and “driving the old one,” Xu Qing decided to retrieve the SUV first. She planned to take her sister for a drive that weekend before considering whether to return it to Lao Xu.

Last weekend, when Min Se came to visit Xu Qing, she hadn’t given the woman a warm reception. Objectively speaking, Xu Qing was living in her parents’ house and driving her father’s car, so she really should at least pretend to be a dutiful daughter to make things seem right.

Even if she didn’t care about herself, she should consider her homeless girlfriend and provide her with a stable haven.

With a mix of complicated emotions, Xu Qing left the house, simultaneously calculating how much salary the job she was currently negotiating might offer.

At her government job, Xu Qing took home 6,000 yuan a month, barely reaching 10,000 yuan even with hidden benefits. This was a far cry from the compensation she had secured abroad. If it weren’t for her current comfortable life with her girlfriend, Xu Qing would undoubtedly regret being tricked back to China by Madam Min.

How much could this foreign company offer? The construction industry was facing a harsh winter, with news of layoffs everywhere. How could a recent graduate like Xu Qing compete for a position against seasoned veterans?

The news was full of stories about college graduates facing immediate unemployment, with masses of new graduates crowding into government jobs. Xu Qing, who should be enjoying the stability and benefits of the system, instead resembled someone trapped inside a walled city, restlessly yearning to climb over the walls.

In the past, she would have hesitated, but now Xu Qing had made up her mind.

During her work breaks, she often checked Wish’s account on foreign social media. She saw Wish living on a lush farm with the girls, where they fed animals, picked fresh flowers, and shared daily posts about homemade food and textiles. Even short video clips of the children interacting with the animals garnered countless likes online.

Just a few days ago, a newborn foal had arrived on the farm. Within days, it was already frolicking across the meadow, its short legs moving with surprising speed. The fluffy creature shook its body with delight, its pure eyes reflecting the girls’ cheerful smiles.

Xu Qing knew her Omega younger sister loved animals. Besides cats, she had kept dogs, rabbits, hamsters, and even had experience caring for cold-blooded creatures. If she could take her to stay with Wish for a while, she would be overjoyed.

I hope I can negotiate a salary of 15,000 yuan for this new job, Xu Qing thought. My industry isn’t thriving, but at least I have a master’s degree from abroad and a portfolio of past design work. I can’t be completely certain, but I could tell the supervisor at the new company really liked my designs.

After getting a new job, Xu Qing felt much more confident about supporting her girlfriend. Next time they encountered a designer dress costing several thousand yuan in a mall, she could grit her teeth and afford it.

It was already November, and the temperature in Sheng Yuan was dropping rapidly. Xu Qing saw several people wearing down jackets on the street, both men and women. Overall, she rarely encountered female Omegas on the streets these days, and even male Omegas were scarce.

The subway was even more peculiar, completely overrun by lower-class Betas working overtime on weekends.

As Xu Qing exited the subway and prepared to hail a taxi, Fu Shuang finally woke up and sent her a message: “Where did you go?”

Fu Shuang woke up to find the apartment empty, not even Koala was around. It felt as if she had suddenly been abandoned by the world.

Intense emotions flooded her, though she didn’t show it outwardly. The simple four words “Where did you go?” revealed nothing of her turmoil. Fu Shuang never expected her Alpha Sister to understand her current mood. Though pampered, she had endured the loss of her mother and her father’s affair with a mistress. She could handle a certain degree of setbacks and disappointments, and she knew she should process her negative emotions internally and consider others more…

A phone call erased the disappointment from Fu Shuang’s face. She swiped to answer.

“Darling, are you awake?” Xu Qing’s voice sounded slightly different over the phone, less steady than when they spoke face-to-face. The electromagnetic waves seemed to have distorted her voice, yet it remained captivating.

Fu Shuang mumbled, “Just woke up. When did you leave?”

Xu Qing chuckled. “I just got out of the subway station myself. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you. It’s rare to have a day off.”

Fu Shuang obediently hummed in acknowledgment. “Did you go look at cars?”

“Not yet. Let’s go together when you’re free. I’m picking up my dad’s car first—the shop said it’s fixed. Once I settle things with the insurance company, I’ll be done. I should be home around 10:30. Think about where you want to go today, and I’ll take you around.”

Fu Shuang’s lips curved into a smile, her mood brightening considerably. She replied calmly, “I have my part-time job this afternoon, and the same tomorrow. I need to finish tutoring this student first—probably another month or so.”

Xu Qing expressed her surprise again. “You’re giving lessons? You…”

The unspoken question hung in the air: Aren’t you just eighteen? Normally, someone your age would still be in school. How could you be working full-time and tutoring on the side? Something doesn’t add up.

Though Xu Qing knew little about Omegas—much like how high school students in academic tracks knew nothing of vocational students’ lives—common sense told her that her girlfriend’s behavior didn’t align with the capabilities one would expect at her age.

Xu Qing had even applied to the same company where Fu Shuang was interning, but she hadn’t received an interview invitation. How could someone without formal education or experience get in?

So, Lulu lied to me?

Xu Qing suppressed her doubts and, speaking into the silent phone line, said with a smile, “You’re amazing, darling! Giving lessons already? I could never do that.”

Fu Shuang, perhaps sensing Xu Qing’s skepticism, offered a few perfunctory replies before remembering the main topic. “Older Sister, did you see Koala this morning?”

Xu Qing: “I was scooping litter this morning. He was clinging to me, begging for food. Why?”

Fu Shuang took a deep breath, her voice suddenly calm, as if she had transformed into a different person. “I’ve searched the entire house and called his name repeatedly, but there’s no response. I suspect the cat is missing.”

Xu Qing froze, never having considered such a possibility. “Missing?”

Fu Shuang paced through the house on the other end of the line, checking bedrooms, storage rooms, under beds, and beneath sofas. She sounded increasingly helpless. “I’m not sure. Normally, he comes running when I call him, but this morning he didn’t respond no matter how many times I called… Did you feed him this morning?”

“I gave him a can of food, but he only took a couple of bites and lost interest. He’s been a bit restless lately, could that be why?” Xu Qing said, thinking aloud. “I wasn’t paying much attention when I opened the door this morning. Maybe he slipped out?”

That’s really bad.

Xu Qing had already hailed a taxi and now hesitated, torn between going back to look for the cat and her concern for her Omega sister facing this situation alone at home.

A sudden surge of irritation washed over her. The thought of her beautiful, eye-catching Omega girlfriend searching for the cat in the neighborhood, vulnerable to unwanted attention, made her bl00d boil.

A strange sensation stirred in her glands, and her fangs itched, like a predator venturing out alone, anxious that its prey back home might be stolen. Primal instincts threatened to overwhelm Xu Qing’s rationality.

This is so strange, she thought, feeling as if she were being controlled by some foreign emotion. She barely recognized herself. The cat is missing, so why am I worried about my girlfriend first?

Fu Shuang’s voice crackled through the phone, sometimes distant, sometimes close, suggesting she wasn’t holding the device. Xu Qing’s heart pounded as she asked, “Have you checked everywhere? In the closets, boxes—cats love hiding in those places.”

“Not yet,” Fu Shuang replied, sounding surprisingly calm for a cat owner. “Koala’s pretty smart. Even if he got out, he wouldn’t go far. He’s timid and probably hiding somewhere, too scared to come out. Don’t worry too much. Let’s search the house thoroughly first. By the way, are there any places I don’t know about?”

Xu Qing never imagined she’d be the one being comforted by her girlfriend. Fu Shuang’s analytical skills surprised her—she was remarkably composed, nothing like the hot-tempered Omega who usually snapped at the slightest provocation.

Xu Qingxin thought, If she were truly just a simple, harmless, clueless Omega, I might never have been drawn to her at all.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “In the west-facing bedroom, there’s a small storage room behind the wardrobe. A few months ago, I drilled a hole near the door to run some wiring. It might be just big enough for Koala to squeeze through. Go check if he’s in there.”

“Nani nani!” Fu Shuang exclaimed, making a strange noise like she’d discovered a hidden level in a video game. “There’s really a weird place like that in the house?”

Xu Qingxin cleared her throat lightly. If not for finding the cat, she would never have mentioned the storage room. It was filled with dusty old things, and she dreaded what kind of embarrassing relics her girlfriend might unearth.

Like those cringeworthy cosplay photos from high school. The memories from her edgy phase were utterly mortifying. There might even be a pair of her old split-crotch pants from childhood!

As she rode in the taxi, still connected to the call at home, she heard the sound of a door being pushed open. Xu Qingxin immediately asked, “Is he there?”

A faint, timid meow came through the phone. Fu Shuang laughed, both exasperated and amused. “Seriously? You found him in a place like that? You crazy cat!”

Xu Qingxin couldn’t help but smile. Hearing Fu Shuang complain about Koala being covered in dust, she figured he must have squeezed into the storage room and then couldn’t get back out. Thank goodness she remembered that place.

After a moment, Xu Qing heard her girlfriend’s slightly dazed voice say, “Older Sister, are you there?”

“Yes.”

Fu Shuang gasped, as if she had been startled by something. Her voice trembled as she stammered, “Sis, you-you… before, you… you were originally named Xu, right?”

Xu Qing was baffled. Her girlfriend of half a month didn’t even know her real name—that was truly absurd. She replied, “I’m Xu Qing.”

Fu Shuang’s voice shook as she said, “No, no, that’s wrong! The household registration lists Min, Min… and the delivery address for your packages doesn’t use that name either. How could you be Xu Qing…?”

Xu Qing realized her sister had been mistaken about her name all along. It was a bit embarrassing, but she’d never had the chance to correct her. Perhaps Fu Shuang had stumbled upon old photo albums or yearbooks and finally realized the mistake.

“For a while, I used my mom’s name when sending things home. I got lazy and never changed it, and I never explained it to you. I’m really sorry.”

Xu Qing’s tone was calm. The misunderstanding was silly but harmless, and she didn’t think it would affect anything.

On the other end of the line, Fu Shuang hung up abruptly, clutching her dirty, chubby cat, and sank into self-doubt.