Guide To Lying Flat And Getting Rich As A Kept Alpha - Chapter 6

6

In short, Luo Hetu became Ye Qingzhu’s lazy and gluttonous subordinate, “Nineteen.” No one dared to envy the money she earned at her market stall. She was fair and followed the rules—first come, first served, no favoritism. She sold 20 books a day and left once they were gone, maintaining strict fairness. Her good looks and likable personality meant that even those who couldn’t buy a book didn’t get upset; they just enjoyed chatting with her.

A few days later, a male beta suddenly appeared at the bookstall and said to Luo Hetu, “My lady reserved a book here. Does the boss remember?”

Luo Hetu looked at him and replied, “I remember the order, but she needs to come in person.”

The man got angry, clearly used to throwing his weight around, and was about to argue when a soft, fair hand gently patted his suited shoulder.

The man immediately fell silent, lowered his head slightly, and stepped aside to make way.

The beautiful lady was dressed in a tailored suit today, with delicate diamond stud earrings and high heels. Her makeup was impeccable, but she looked tired, as if she had just dealt with something mentally exhausting.

Her eyes met Luo Hetu’s as she spoke, “Sorry, I’ve been held up with some matters. Does the boss still have the book?”

Luo Hetu pulled a cloth-wrapped package from under her stool and handed it over. “15 yuan.”

The man took it, eyeing the dusty cloth package with slight disdain before opening it and handing the book to the woman.

“I heard the series has five books in total. Do you have the other four, boss?” the woman asked.

Luo Hetu replied, “I reserved the first book for you, but not the others. If you want them, I can hold them for you, but it’ll take some time to gather the full set.”

Her response was reasonable, firm, and polite—slightly bold in the eyes of the privileged, but perfectly fair to the onlookers.

The man wanted to say something but held back, mindful of Cheng Youqing’s presence. Cheng Youqing nodded and instructed the man, “Pay her.”

The man pulled out a 100-yuan bill, which Cheng Youqing took and leaned forward slightly to hand to Luo Hetu.

Luo Hetu was momentarily stunned. At her stall, most people just tossed money her way due to the low counter. Cheng Youqing could have done the same or had her attendant do it.

Luo Hetu reached out and took the bill.

Perhaps because they were closer now, a faint, pleasant scent wafted from Cheng Youqing. This time, it was clearer—like sun-warmed cotton cloth in winter, toasted by burning wood.

A shiver ran through Luo Hetu, comforting and pleasant.

In a daze, she imagined herself as a small dog, rolling happily in a cotton shirt while snow fell outside and a fireplace crackled indoors.

Luo Hetu blinked, snapping out of it, and carefully took the money.

“This is a deposit,” Cheng Youqing said. “I’ll come back when I have time. You’re always here, right?”

Luo Hetu, still a bit distracted, nodded and added, “If I’m not, just ask around the market. You’ll find me.”

Cheng Youqing nodded. “See you then.”

And with that, the beautiful lady left, the male beta scurrying after her like a loyal lackey.

Luo Hetu stood there, dazed, her throat tightening. When she took money from the next customer, her hands felt weak.

…What’s this feeling?

She suddenly realized she’d forgotten to mention something about Chun Yuyan.

But then, this wasn’t the right setting, and even if she had brought it up, Cheng Youqing might not have listened.

Looking at the 100-yuan bill in her hand, Luo Hetu belatedly realized it was too much.

Tch.

Her mind buzzed with thoughts, but her face remained impassive. The crowd around her continued buying books and gossiping:

“Boss Xiao Luo really favors Boss Ye. No need to ask—she’ll reserve the whole set for her. No matter how pretty or rich this Omega is, there’s still a hierarchy.”

“Young as she is, Xiao Luo’s got principles, even if she’s got a thing for pretty ladies. She’s a good one.”

Luo Hetu snapped, “…I said no gossiping about the boss to my face!”

Not far away, the woman who had just left overheard the crowd’s chatter. The man opened the car door for her, and she paused briefly before getting in.

Once inside, Cheng Youqing asked, “Who’s Boss Ye?”

“The head of the local toughs, a female alpha named Ye Qingzhu,” the beta replied.

Cheng Youqing said nothing more, and the car drove off.

It pulled into a quiet residential area. Cheng Youqing, who had kept her eyes closed, opened them, grabbed the book, and headed upstairs to knock on a door.

The door opened, and a teenage girl lit up with excitement upon seeing her. “Sister!!”

“Mm,” Cheng Youqing responded, stepping inside. “Where’s your mom?”

No need to ask—the aroma of braised pork ribs was already wafting from the kitchen.

Cheng Youqing’s tense nerves finally relaxed. Shedding her usual flawless demeanor, she casually kicked off her high heels at the entrance and pushed the roughly bound book into the girl’s hands. “Got it for you.”

“Wow! My beautiful, amazing sister! I love you 120 points today!!” The girl hugged Cheng Youqing’s waist and planted a big kiss on her.

The girl had recently differentiated as a beta, and being family, her scent didn’t bother Cheng Youqing. She didn’t mind, just playfully pushed her away. “Do well on your exams, and you’ll get the rest of the series. Fail, and you’re out of luck.”

“Don’t worry, Sister! Mission accomplished!”

The kitchen’s exhaust fan shut off, and Sun Jin emerged with a plate. The girl darted back to her room like a monkey.

“You got it for her?” Sun Jin asked.

“She asked me to reserve it ages ago. I just hadn’t picked it up.”

“I say you’re spoiling her. It’s just a book—borrow it from a classmate.”

Sun Yinuo’s voice echoed from her room. “None of my classmates got it! I’m the only one, hehe!”

“You better not take it to school. If your teacher calls me about this, I’m confiscating all your extracurricular books!”

Cheng Youqing only cared about delivering the book; her niece’s fate was her own problem. She washed her hands, shed her suit jacket, and sat at the dining table in a camisole, ready to eat.

Braised pork ribs, pickled vegetable fish, stir-fried lotus root, eggplant in garlic sauce, and egg drop soup.

Cheng Youqing ate with focus, her posture elegant and refined, though her appetite was hearty. She sipped the fish soup until it was gone and went for more.

Sun Jin watched her. “Worn out lately?”

Cheng Youqing hummed, focused on her food.

Sun Jin, Cheng Youqing’s second aunt, was a deputy director at the city’s Public Security Bureau. Capable and adept at navigating the system, she handled workplace stress well but took a laid-back approach to life. She didn’t fuss much over her daughter’s grades, despite her occasional nagging. With years in a high-profile role limiting her social life, she avoided invitations and found joy in cooking at home—a treat Cheng Youqing craved.

Sun Jin had always been kind to Cheng Youqing since childhood. Her perspective and advice carried weight, and her easygoing nature meant she didn’t meddle. Sun Yinuo was one of the few kids Cheng Youqing didn’t mind, so when she was exhausted, she came here to eat.

“How’s your health? Too much stress can mess with your heat cycle. Make sure you’re taking supplements.”

This reminded Cheng Youqing. Though her heat wasn’t due yet, her glands had been acting up lately.

Her last heat had arrived nearly a week early, and Chun Yuyan had been pestering her then. Thankfully, Chun Yuyan was also an Omega, or it could’ve been a disaster.

Sun Jin’s comment made her notice that her glands had been warm since earlier.

“Does it… smell obvious?” she asked Sun Jin.

Sun Jin shook her head. “Not really. I’m a beta, though.”

Betas were the least sensitive to pheromones—practical, career-focused folks who didn’t get caught up in romantic nonsense.

Cheng Youqing glanced at her aunt with a touch of envy, finished eating, and indulged in some laziness. “I’m gonna rest a bit.”

“Guest room’s sheets are fresh,” Sun Jin said, propping her chin. “Don’t stress too much. The Cheng Corporation isn’t your baby—if it collapses, it’s not your fault.”

Cheng Youqing smiled faintly and held out her hand. “Snacks.”

After indulging in some snacks, she lay down in Sun Jin’s guest room and fell asleep, drifting into a hazy dream.

A slender, long-legged alpha’s scent wafted faintly, like plants dampened by rain, reminding her of a forest after a storm.

She eagerly clung to the alpha, who held her close, chin resting on her shoulder. Despite heavy breathing, the alpha didn’t touch her glands. This alpha was a woman, her body soft yet firm, her calloused hands gently soothing her through touch and friction, her voice low and comforting:

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Her voice was gentle, but her hands were bold, the rough calluses igniting sparks across her skin, sending shivers through her.

Cheng Youqing arched her neck, instinctively pressing herself into the alpha’s hands.

In the end, during her heat, she wasn’t marked—not even temporarily. Yet the alpha’s physical touch alone soothed her, easing her desires and lulling her into a deep sleep.

Cheng Youqing jolted awake, staring at Sun Jin’s ceiling, breathing heavily and covering her eyes with her hand.

Why am I dreaming about that day again?

Her heat must be coming early again, her body already preparing.

She sat up, opened the bedside drawer—where she kept suppressants for her occasional stays—and felt her heated gland. She tore open a suppressant packet and injected it around her gland.

It hurt.

And it wasn’t good for her body.

Like alphas, Omegas were designed to be easily swayed by their urges, which is why Cheng Youqing believed the world belonged to betas.

Especially top-tier Omegas.

Beyond their exceptional intelligence, they became clingy and insatiable during heats, secretly called “natural seductresses.”

Meanwhile, top-tier alphas in rut could recklessly overpower anything—animals, even motorcycles—acting like beasts unbound by morals. Compared to Omegas, who cried in distress during heats, alphas were far more unrestrained.

Cheng Youqing smirked at the thought, waiting for the suppressant’s pain to fade. Unbidden, her mind drifted to that night, to the alpha who hadn’t taken advantage of her.

As a top-tier Omega, few alphas could resist her pheromones during a heat.

If an alpha could, they were either impossibly disciplined or, more likely, an “infertile alpha”—one who couldn’t fully differentiate.

Infertile alphas were always alphas, never betas or Omegas. They appeared normal, hiding their lack of a rut cycle, a secret only their partners would know. Mocked and despised, some even hunted for their glands on the black market, they hid their status at all costs.

In this world, infertile alphas were the bottom of the food chain.

Cheng Youqing mused that the alpha’s scent was pleasant.

If she was an infertile alpha, it’d be a pity. Cheng Youqing didn’t see anything shameful in it—they were just another kind of beta, and she admired betas. But life for an infertile alpha was tough, and many developed issues like antisocial behavior, often ending up at society’s fringes or exploited.

That alpha from that night was gentle, her emotions and touch steady.

Cheng Youqing felt a pang of sympathy, hoping she hadn’t been deceived and could live a stable, happy life.

She left Sun Jin’s house and returned to her own. Even with suppressants, a top-tier Omega needed rest during a heat to minimize pheromone leakage.

After lying down at home, her doorbell rang.

“Why’s it early again?” Zhou Chenghuan swept in, dressed like a flamboyant peacock.

Cheng Youqing ignored her, knowing she’d help herself to a drink. She slumped on the sofa, embodying the lethargy of a top-tier Omega overusing suppressants.

Zhou Chenghuan drank some water, washed her hands, and checked Cheng Youqing’s glands with a portable device. “It’s definitely early, and your body temperature’s higher than usual. Did something trigger you?”