Guide To Lying Flat And Getting Rich As A Kept Alpha - Chapter 47
47
Luo Hetu’s proposal was undeniably tempting.
Cheng Youqing didn’t respond directly, but a faint glimmer of interest flickered in her eyes.
“Alright then, it’s settled. Tomorrow, I’ll go to work with you.”
“Tomorrow is tomorrow.”
“Today, I’ll take you to eat and have some fun. But let me warn you upfront—the food I’m taking you to is definitely delicious, but it’s not anything fancy. Don’t you dare complain.”
They got out of the car, and Cheng Youqing walked beside her. “As long as you can satisfy me.”
Luo Hetu immediately perked up, a spark of excitement in her eyes.
As they entered the bustling commercial street, their first stop was Shanhe Tuling. Luo Hetu pushed open the door, greeted by the enthusiastic chorus of “Welcome, we’re happy you’re here!” She walked up to the counter to chat with Chen Fang.
With the automatic ticketing system in place, there wasn’t much of a queue anymore. Cheng Youqing was about to find a seat when Luo Hetu grabbed her hand.
Chen Fang, who had seen Cheng Youqing a few times before, gave her a knowing look and then glanced at Luo Hetu. “Girlfriend?”
Luo Hetu glanced at Cheng Youqing, who remained expressionless. Emboldened, she nodded. “Yup, girlfriend.”
It was her own little selfish indulgence—calling her “girlfriend” felt somehow more intimate than “wife,” despite the marriage certificate.
“Wow, congratulations! No wonder you were so sweet to her the few times I saw her before.” Chen Fang teased.
Luo Hetu coughed lightly. Had she been that obvious? She didn’t think she’d treated Cheng Youqing any differently. She was always principled, wasn’t she?
Cheng Youqing stayed silent throughout the exchange, but notably, she didn’t pull her hand away from Luo Hetu’s grasp.
Once their milk tea was ready, Luo Hetu grabbed the two cups and led Cheng Youqing out the door, turning into a narrow alley.
She often rode her bike around the area and was familiar with the commercial street, knowing exactly which places served the best food.
As they pushed open the door of a small restaurant, Luo Hetu called out sweetly, “Sis!” She grabbed a tissue and wiped down the seat for Cheng Youqing.
The restaurant’s lady boss approached with a pen and notepad, her tone bright and cheerful. “Xiao Luo’s here! What’ll it be today?”
“Water-boiled fish, chicken soup with tofu threads, sweet-and-sour ribs, and stir-fried eggs with garlic shoots.”
“Got it!” The lady boss jotted it down with a smile. “What do you think of this dress I’m wearing today? You said purple looks good on me last time, so I bought this one specially. Only ten bucks!”
“It looks great, Sis! You totally suit these understated colors—they make you look especially young and pretty.” Luo Hetu said, her compliments flowing as if they cost nothing.
Cheng Youqing waited until the lady boss fluttered away like a butterfly before letting out a soft scoff.
What a “people-pleaser.”
Luo Hetu casually grabbed two enamel cups, scalded them with hot water, and poured it out. Noticing Cheng Youqing’s reaction, she asked curiously, “What’s up?”
“You sure have a lot of friends. I used to think Ye Qingzhu was the only one. Turns out, you fall for everyone you meet.”
Luo Hetu hurriedly clarified, “That’s not how it works! You don’t hit someone who’s smiling at you, right? When you’re out and about, getting to know people makes it easier to help each other. As for love? I don’t love any of them. How could I fall for everyone? You’re the only one I’ve got.”
Her sweet words came out as smoothly as they had when she was charming the lady boss moments ago.
Cheng Youqing scoffed again and turned to look out the window.
Luo Hetu studied her. While she had a natural knack for reading people and understanding their needs—even someone as reserved as Cheng Youqing—she was starting to find her harder to decipher lately.
After mulling it over, she ventured cautiously, “You don’t want me to be too friendly or get too close to others, do you?”
“Do whatever you want. I only stipulated that you can’t cheat.”
Luo Hetu nodded in realization. “Don’t worry, I’m just keeping things polite with them. Purely social.”
Cheng Youqing didn’t respond.
Luo Hetu noticed her hand resting on the table. After drinking her water, she hadn’t pulled it back.
So, Luo Hetu reached for it.
Cheng Youqing glanced at her. “What?”
“Nothing.” Luo Hetu suspected her expression might look a bit mischievous, but she couldn’t help it. “Just want to hold it.”
Cheng Youqing let out another scoff. “What’s the point of holding it?”
“No point. I just like it.” Luo Hetu’s cheeky tone persisted. “Your hand’s so small.”
Cheng Youqing glanced at her, a barely perceptible smile tugging at her lips.
When the lady boss brought the food, she complimented Cheng Youqing’s looks. Luo Hetu suddenly piped up, “My girlfriend.”
The lady boss beamed. “Wonderful! Come back often, and I’ll give you a discount.”
Luo Hetu grinned. “No need for a discount. Just keep the fish fresh and tasty.”
“You can count on us for quality!”
After chatting a bit more, the lady boss went back to work. Cheng Youqing’s fingers tightened briefly, digging into Luo Hetu’s palm before she let go and finally deigned to start eating.
After dinner, they left the restaurant, and Luo Hetu asked, “Want to try roller skating?”
Cheng Youqing gave her a look, as if to say, Do I look like someone who’s ever skated?
“I haven’t either. Let’s just check it out. If it’s not fun, we’ll leave.”
They arrived at the biggest roller-skating rink on the street, where the latest disco music blared, and the place was packed with young men and women, the air thick with the vibe of couples in love, holding hands and gliding around in their skates.
At the shoe counter, Luo Hetu paused and told the staff, “Two new pairs.”
Cheng Youqing wasn’t about to—and shouldn’t have to—wear used skates.
When the shoes arrived, Luo Hetu crouched down. “Come here.”
She helped Cheng Youqing take off her heels.
Cheng Youqing was wearing wide-leg pants, her feet easily hidden by the cuffs, but Luo Hetu’s quick hands caught one, resting it on her knee.
As she adjusted the straps on the new skates, Cheng Youqing’s foot stayed on her knee.
Cheng Youqing’s lips tightened, her toes curling slightly, as if tickling Luo Hetu’s knee.
“Hm?” Luo Hetu finished adjusting the skate and slipped it onto her foot.
The second shoe went on more smoothly, and Cheng Youqing seemed more at ease, her foot sliding forward along Luo Hetu’s pant leg, her toes brushing against her skin through the fabric.
Luo Hetu looked up at her.
Cheng Youqing’s expression was calm yet intrigued.
“Still want to skate?” Luo Hetu asked, her voice a little tight.
Cheng Youqing’s toes had reached the top of her thigh, lightly grazing. “We’ve got the shoes on. Let’s skate.”
Alright, then. Skate it was.
Luo Hetu put on her own skates and led Cheng Youqing onto the rink, holding her hand.
Cheng Youqing was quick to learn, picking up balance in no time and soon skating with confidence.
Luo Hetu let go, letting her skate on her own, watching with delight. But she also noticed the heated gazes of the Alphas around them fixed on Cheng Youqing.
Cheng Youqing’s striking appearance and aura made her impossible to ignore.
Luo Hetu frowned, but Cheng Youqing was clearly enjoying the thrill of this trendy activity, skating faster and faster.
At a turn, Luo Hetu suddenly opened her arms and grabbed both of Cheng Youqing’s hands.
Cheng Youqing: ?
“I’ll skate with you.”
“No, you’re too slow.”
“I’m worried you’re not safe.”
“No.”
Cheng Youqing, for once, showed a bit of temper.
Luo Hetu reluctantly let go. “Alright, just be careful. I’ll stay nearby.”
So, Cheng Youqing skated freely, enjoying herself for over half an hour without a break.
When she finally slowed down, Luo Hetu casually skated over and took her hand.
“If I hadn’t come back, the Alphas in here would’ve had their eyes glued to the floor, and you’d have to pick them up one by one.”
Cheng Youqing glanced around, catching the fleeting or bold stares directed her way.
She smiled faintly. “That’s what you get for calling everyone ‘Sis’ all the time.”
Luo Hetu protested earnestly, “I said ‘Sis,’ not ‘sister.’ They’re different! Don’t twist my words.”
“You deserve it either way.”
What could Luo Hetu say? She had to pamper her wife. “Fine, I deserve it. Tired? Want to rest or keep skating?”
“You’re not worried about their eyes falling out anymore?”
“Let them fall. You can step on them a few times. Wait—no, better not. They’d probably enjoy it.”
Cheng Youqing, worldly as she was, didn’t quite get Luo Hetu’s quirky modern humor: ?
By the time they left the rink, it was late.
The streetlights weren’t particularly bright, and the streets were quiet. Luo Hetu held Cheng Youqing’s hand and didn’t let go.
“Heading back already?”
“Yup, heading back.”
Under the streetlight, Luo Hetu studied Cheng Youqing’s sharp, elegant profile. “There’s still plenty we could do, but it feels like there’s one last thing we can’t skip.”
“What?”
They stopped under the streetlight. Luo Hetu gently pulled Cheng Youqing’s hand, drawing her closer until she softly bumped into her.
“Sister, today, you’re my girlfriend.”
The term, tossed out casually earlier but long premeditated, hadn’t been rejected by Cheng Youqing, so Luo Hetu felt justified in using it.
Today, she was her girlfriend.
Cheng Youqing’s eyelashes fluttered, and she let out a soft “Mm.”
“There’s one last step to a lover’s date.”
Luo Hetu stood with her under the streetlight, leaning in, her hand sliding up to wrap around Cheng Youqing’s waist.
“Sister, I’m going to kiss you.”
…
The next day, Luo Hetu and Cheng Youqing went to the Cheng Corporation together.
Cheng Youqing instructed Xiao Zhang, “Tell finance to issue her a bodyguard’s salary.”
Xiao Zhang’s mind raced with wild theories but maintained a professional demeanor, nodding. “Yes, ma’am.”
Meanwhile, Chen Yuanyuan, eating breakfast, heard her father’s puzzled question:
“Yuanyuan, is this Cheng Youqing?”
Her father handed her a newspaper featuring a photo taken by a photographer.
Under the dim yellow streetlight, amidst the neon glow of the commercial district, bicycles left streaking trails in the background. Two beautiful women stood together, bathed in a hazy, intimate light. Their figures and auras were striking, their profiles elegant and refined. They gazed at each other, and even though the image wasn’t crystal clear, the mutual focus between them was unmistakable.
Anyone who saw it would think they were deeply in love.
Chen Yuanyuan nearly spat out her coffee. That woman tilting her head, her expression unmistakably devoted despite the blur—how could it not be Cheng Youqing?
Hahaha, Cheng Youqing, you’ve got it bad! You’re actually head-over-heels in love, aren’t you? That Alpha looks like trouble—thick lower lip, huh? Thick lips mean she’s full of desire. The Cheng Corporation is already strapped for cash, and here you are, shamelessly canoodling with this useless Alpha. She’s going to swindle you out of everything, even your underwear!
When Chen Yuanyuan couldn’t resist “dropping by” the Cheng Corporation later that day and saw Luo Hetu following Cheng Youqing into a meeting, her brain short-circuited. After the meeting, unable to hold back, she burst into Cheng Youqing’s office and let loose:
“Cheng Youqing, you’re done for! You’re so far gone for this useless Alpha that you bring her to work? You can’t bear to be apart from her? You’re really done for, I’m telling you!”
Luo Hetu overheard every word and whispered to Cheng Youqing, “Doesn’t she always mock you? Why does she sound so concerned about you?”
Cheng Youqing gave a calm “Mm” and said, “She’s a bit strange. Don’t mind her.”
Chen Yuanyuan: “Are you two even listening to me?!”