Guide To Lying Flat And Getting Rich As A Kept Alpha - Chapter 39
39
After a night of drinking, Luo Hetu had consumed quite a bit, but her tolerance, honed alongside Ye Qingzhu, was solid. At most, she was slightly tipsy.
Ever the dutiful alpha for Cheng Youqing, she steadied her as they left, letting Cheng Youqing bury her face in the crook of her neck.
Cheng Youqing had downed nearly a full bottle of baijiu during the dinner. Her cheeks were flushed like peach blossoms, her body soft and pliant, practically draped over Luo Hetu. Naturally, this drew many sidelong glances.
Luo Hetu supported her back, draping a coat over her to shield her from prying eyes. Her hand rested firmly on Cheng Youqing’s waist beneath the coat, ensuring no one saw more than they should.
As the hosts, they had to see off each guest personally. With Cheng Youqing too drunk to stand on her own, Luo Hetu took charge. She smiled, exchanged pleasantries, arranged cars, and waved warmly to everyone, giving each person their due respect.
When the hotel entrance was finally empty except for the two of them, their car pulled up. Luo Hetu bent down, gently lifting Cheng Youqing into the car before sliding in herself. She glanced over to find Cheng Youqing’s eyes, clear and bright, fixed on her.
Luo Hetu chuckled. “I knew you weren’t that drunk.”
“How’d you know?” Cheng Youqing’s voice was much huskier than usual.
“You’re the chairman, after all. You couldn’t have avoided drinking before I came along.”
Luo Hetu wasn’t fazed in the slightest. She closed the car door, grabbed a blanket from the seat, and draped it over Cheng Youqing. Then she poured half a cup of sobering tea from a thermos and handed it to her.
Before Luo Hetu, these tasks had been handled by Xiao Zhang.
Xiao Zhang, now sitting quietly in the front seat, didn’t make a sound.
Cheng Youqing took the thermos cap, leaned her head against the car window, and spoke to Luo Hetu. “You think I drank a lot?”
“A lot.”
“And what do you think about that?”
“What do I think?”
“If I were your omega, would you want me drinking this much?”
“You are my omega.” Luo Hetu said firmly, stating it as fact.
Cheng Youqing’s fingers curled slightly.
“It’s for work, isn’t it? Besides, whether it’s by choice or necessity, drinking isn’t some forbidden act. If you need to drink, you drink. Unless you have a habit of getting drunk and beating me up, in which case, I’d definitely fight back. I’m not just gonna let you hit me.”
Her words were earnest, not a trace of joking in them.
Cheng Youqing fell silent for a moment, finished the sobering tea, and handed the cap back.
Luo Hetu secured it.
Before she could lean back in her seat, Cheng Youqing leaned closer.
“Not letting me hit you for free? What would you do, hit me back?” she asked.
“That’d be no good.” Luo Hetu slouched a bit, tilting her shoulder and neck toward Cheng Youqing to let her rest more comfortably. “Just pay me some compensation.”
Cheng Youqing went quiet again.
Every word from Luo Hetu landed in a place she didn’t expect.
“How much do you want?”
“You really planning to hit me?”
“Mm.” Cheng Youqing reached out and lightly patted Luo Hetu’s cheek. “How much is that worth?”
The omega, softened by alcohol, had melted half her usual coolness, her eyes now carrying a hint of allure.
Luo Hetu didn’t dare linger on her gaze and looked away. “A thousand.”
Cheng Youqing let out a soft scoff, her breath carrying the rich scent of alcohol, intensified by their closeness. “Pretty expensive.”
“You can haggle.”
“How do I haggle?”
Luo Hetu lowered her eyes, her throat bobbing.
Since her differentiation, she’d only been mildly affected by omega pheromones before. But now, that pull had grown exponentially. All evening, her senses had been filled with nothing but the cottony scent of Cheng Youqing, laced with alcohol.
She was reaching her limit. She wasn’t usually one to get drunk, but tonight, Cheng Youqing had her tipsy long before the wine hit.
And she was so close, staring at her, her scent gland tantalizingly near. Even with a suppressant patch, Luo Hetu could still smell her clearly.
The sensation of Cheng Youqing pressing against her earlier, emboldened by the alcohol, lingered vividly. It wasn’t just lingering—she couldn’t forget it.
Were all omegas this soft, or was it just Cheng Youqing?
Her back was so slim it tugged at the heart, yet she was so soft. Luo Hetu knew exactly how soft she was, especially tonight, with her in that qipao in front of everyone.
Luo Hetu, a newly differentiated alpha who’d only just tasted the barest hint of intimacy, felt tested beyond reason.
She turned her head toward the window.
“What, tired of me already?” Cheng Youqing’s words sounded absurd coming from her. Who could possibly tire of her? Some immortal bathing in gold?
Because Luo Hetu kept staring out the window, Cheng Youqing reached out and turned her face back. “What, waiting for me to sweet-talk you?” she said. “You’re the one who should be sweet-talking me.”
Luo Hetu let out a soft hum, like a kitten’s mew.
Cheng Youqing laughed lightly. “What, feeling wronged now?”
Luo Hetu wanted to say she wasn’t, but she didn’t dare speak.
Cheng Youqing continued, “Can’t you smell my pheromones?”
“You’re holding back pretty well. A top-tier alpha shouldn’t be like this.”
“I’ve made up my mind.”
She patted Luo Hetu’s cheek. “We’re legal now, so why hold back? Don’t you agree?”
Yes.
Cheng Youqing closed her eyes, looking as if the alcohol had finally overwhelmed her. “Come to my room tonight.”
Luo Hetu’s throat bobbed again. “You’ve thought it through. I’m not forcing you.”
“Mm.”
“And tomorrow morning, you can’t say I took advantage of you while you were drunk.”
“Mm.”
Luo Hetu opened her mouth to say more, but Cheng Youqing frowned. “Why so many words?”
Luo Hetu felt a bit wronged. You’re the one who’s been talking more all night.
“One more thing,” she said, swallowing hard. “I… I don’t know how.”
Cheng Youqing opened her eyes, looking at her.
Luo Hetu swallowed again, genuinely nervous now. She wasn’t lying—she hadn’t exactly studied this world’s “instructional videos.” She knew “Platonic” love, but biting? She hadn’t learned that.
What if she bit for ages, even drew bl00d, and still got it wrong? What then?
Would Cheng Youqing kick her out?
Cheng Youqing said nothing more. When they got home, diligent little Luo helped her back inside.
They went to their respective bathrooms to shower without a word. Luo Hetu, mid-shower, sneaked a look at some “educational” videos online, which made her shower take extraordinarily long.
Long enough for someone to knock on the door.
Thankfully, Luo Hetu had already put on her pajamas. Rubbing her hair with a towel, she opened the door to see Cheng Youqing, her face cold and clearly displeased.
Cheng Youqing glanced at her once before turning back to her room.
Luo Hetu hurriedly dried her hair and slipped quietly into Cheng Youqing’s bedroom.
Cheng Youqing was leaning against the headboard, reading a book.
Luo Hetu lifted the blanket and slid into bed, nervous, unsure if she should interrupt her reading.
Then she noticed a bottle of red wine on the bedside table, already opened, with a delicate stopper.
She crawled over, grabbed the bottle, and pulled out the stopper.
“Need some liquid courage?” Cheng Youqing asked.
Luo Hetu tilted her head back and chugged half the bottle. Setting it aside, she wiped her mouth, though a smear of red wine lingered, trailing from her lips to her cheek.
She knelt on the bed, took the book from Cheng Youqing’s hands, and tossed it aside.
Cheng Youqing looked at her. “What, you’re only brave enough after drinking?”
“No need,” Luo Hetu said, leaning closer. “I’ll get the hang of it.”
She’d been holding back all night, her whole body tense with pent-up frustration.
“If it hurts, sister, just tell me. Or… you could teach me,” she added softly.
Zhou Chenghuan had worked the night shift and dragged herself home at 9 a.m. After a shower, she threw herself onto her bed, stretched luxuriously, and was just about to drift into blissful sleep when her phone rang.
Groaning, she reached for the clunky device, grumbling about how they’d been promising a new, palm-sized mobile phone—far more convenient than this “big brother” brick—and why it still wasn’t out.
The caller ID showed Cheng Youqing’s number. Zhou Chenghuan’s mind flashed to the last time Cheng Youqing’s alpha wife ended up in the hospital after a night together.
A bad feeling crept in. No way she’d wrecked her again, right? Her wife was a top-tier alpha now, wasn’t she?
“What’s up?”
After a long pause, a husky, just-woken voice came through. “Nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re sacrificing my post-night-shift sleep for nothing?”
“Just wanted to tell you—”
She paused for ages before continuing, “Top-tier alphas are, indeed, quite useful.”
Zhou Chenghuan: …
“You called me just to say that?”
“Partly to mess with you, but I do have a question.” She paused, dropping the soft, husky tone. “Could I get pregnant?”
When Luo Hetu woke up, she stared at the ceiling, her mind blank for a long while.
She was thirsty—not just her throat, but a deeper craving for pheromones.
Rolling over to seek out the scent she loved, she found the bed empty.
She let out a miserable whimper, burying her face in the pillow beside her, inhaling desperately.
Cheng Youqing returned to the bedroom to find her alpha, bare-backed, clutching and sniffing her pillow with alarming intensity, looking like she might even bite it.
She frowned.
As expected, top-tier alphas were like this—unable to control their urges, often coming off as downright sleazy.
But considering Luo Hetu’s stellar performance last night, she swallowed her irritation. Still, she hesitated to get back into bed. She’d left to make a call earlier to avoid waking her, but truthfully, she wanted to crawl back in.
An alpha’s pheromones were comforting, and she was still a little greedy for it.
After a moment’s thought, she spoke. “Luo Hetu.”
Luo Hetu released the pillow and turned to see her.
The alpha, hair mussed from sleep, lit up with a bright, sparkling smile. “You’re up so early.”
Cheng Youqing’s irritation softened.
She said, “Go take a shower.”
Though she wasn’t used to morning showers, thinking about how exhausted she’d been last night, she figured a wash was in order and obediently headed to the bathroom.
When she emerged, clean and dried off, she thought they’d head to breakfast. But Cheng Youqing hooked the belt of her bathrobe.
Her eyes were calm, as if discussing the weather.
“One more time.”