Marked by the Milk-Soft Alpha I Picked Up (Entertainment Circle) - Chapter 12

When Lin Ruoyun went downstairs, Qin Yeli’s black Porsche was already parked in front of her building. The luxurious car looked out of place next to the small, run-down apartment building.

Qin Yeli was wearing a white, fitted shirt and black skinny jeans. She leaned against the car door, her long, narrow eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses looking intently at Building 24. When she saw Ruoyun come out, Qin Yeli took her hands out of her pockets, turned, and opened the passenger door. She put her hand on Ruoyun’s head to protect her as she got in, then went back to the driver’s seat.

After fastening her seatbelt, Qin Yeli turned her head to look at her. 

“Where do you want to go?”

“You can decide,” Ruoyun said.

Lin Ruoyun reached for her seatbelt, but Qin Yeli was faster. She leaned close, pulled the seatbelt over, and reached for the buckle next to Lin Ruoyun’s seat.

Lin Ruoyun instinctively leaned back. She looked up and saw a cold, melancholy face peeking out from a gap in the curtain of her attic window.

Qin Yeli started the car, and the headlights came on. The cool, white light swept over Guan Yinghan’s face. In the gap, a glimmer of tears shone in her half-open black eyes.

Lin Ruoyun’s heart felt as if it had been pierced by something, and the pain was excruciating. The pain came on quickly and fiercely, as if from the very depths of her soul.

Qin Yeli seemed to sense her unease and asked with concern, “Ruoyun, what’s wrong?”

Lin Ruoyun turned her face away. After the dull pain passed, she turned back and said softly, “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

It was almost Christmas, and the mall was packed with people. Every store had a Christmas tree at its entrance, and the holiday atmosphere was thick. 

Lin Ruoyun stood on the escalator. Qin Yeli was behind her, protecting her from the crowds. Qin Yeli was tall and good-looking, with a faint smile on her lips. An Alpha like her was already very eye-catching in the crowd, not to mention her faint cypress wood pheromones—the kind of pheromones only a top Alpha would have, which made many Omegas secretly glance at her.

But Qin Yeli seemed unaware of this. She led Lin Ruoyun slowly through the different floors, seemingly enjoying the pleasure of shopping with her. 

The escalator stopped on the fifth floor, where all the luxury brands were located. Next to the escalator was a women’s clothing store that Qin Yeli often went to. She pulled Ruoyun inside, pointed to a suit on a mannequin, and said to the sales associate, 

“Xiao Wang, you said you had new arrivals. Is it this one? Take it down for Miss Lin to try on.”

Lin Ruoyun shook her head, not interested. 

“There’s no need. My closet is almost full from all the things you had someone buy for me before.”

“But you didn’t like those. I’ve never seen you wear them,” Qin Yeli said with a smile.

She seemed to be particularly accommodating and considerate towards Ruoyun. “So today, I brought you to choose for yourself. I’m sure we’ll find something you like.”

Lin Ruoyun stood there expressionlessly, her face polite and distant. 

“Yeli, thank you, but I don’t want to buy clothes.”

“Why are you always so formal with me? You’re my fiancée. Don’t always say ‘thank you.'” As she spoke, Qin Yeli gestured for the sales associate to hand her the dress. She held it up to Ruoyun. “I’m happy to spend money on my fiancée. Come on, go try it on.”

Her fiancée?

Lin Ruoyun’s body stiffened. She stared blankly at Qin Yeli’s rose-colored lips, her mind in a daze. When and where did I agree to Yeli’s proposal? What was the weather like? What was the environment like? Why is this memory so vague and pale? Why is there only a sudden outline left in my mind? It doesn’t even feel real, as if it was forced into my brain?

Lin Ruoyun took a deep breath. The words that came out were light and soft, yet they hit Qin Yeli’s heart like thunder.

 “Yeli, five years ago, I was sick. You took me to China for treatment and took great care of me. I… am very grateful to you. But what I feel for you is just… a good friend…”

“Ruoyun!” Qin Yeli seemed to know what she was about to say. She quickly cut her off, not letting her continue. “If you don’t like this dress, then don’t try it on. How about we go and shop somewhere else?”

Lin Ruoyun had no interest in shopping anymore. She said a quick goodbye. 

“Yeli, I’m sorry. I can’t stay with you anymore.”

She walked towards the elevator. Qin Yeli reached out to pull her back. 

“It’s too late. I’ll drive you home.”

Lin Ruoyun subtly stepped back. Qin Yeli’s hand fell through the air, and a cold breeze passed through her fingers. Lin Ruoyun smiled as she politely refused her offer. 

“No need. It’s easy to get a taxi here.” Lin Ruoyun didn’t even let Qin Yeli see her off to the ground floor. She hurried into the elevator, her back disappearing from Qin Yeli’s sight.

Qin Yeli stood there, separated from her by a crowd of customers, watching her slowly walk away. Her face grew darker and darker, as if covered by an unmelting layer of ice. When an Alpha is unhappy, the pheromones they release fill the air with a sense of oppression.

The sales associate, Xiao Wang, was just a regular Beta. She endured the discomfort and approached her. 

“Miss Qin, you and the Second Madam have always been so kind to me… There are some things I don’t know if I should say.”

“Say it,” Qin Yeli said, trying her best to control her emotions and slowly retracting her pheromones.

“Miss Lin loves acting. With your financial resources, you could get her better resources in the entertainment industry. That would be much more useful than giving her clothes and jewelry.”

Qin Yeli slowly pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses. A cold glint flashed on the transparent lenses. “Ruoyun is too proud. If I lift her up, once she reaches a high enough position, she’ll fly away. 

Only by breaking her wings will she obediently stay by my side and never fly away.”

Lin Ruoyun was worried about Naitang. She was afraid that she would be scared being alone at home and that she might accidentally touch an electrical outlet and get hurt. Her heart was a little anxious. She kept urging the driver to go faster, but it was already past ten o’clock when she got back to her apartment complex.

Only the window on the sixth floor of the building was still glowing with a warm yellow light.

That’s… my home…

Lin Ruoyun’s heart was instantly filled with warmth, as if the sun was shining on it. She had long been used to walking down the dark hallway alone. She had never thought that someone… would leave a light on for her, waiting for her to come home.

The feeling of being cared for… felt so good!

Lin Ruoyun looked down at the chocolate in her hand. She had bought it at the 24-hour convenience store at the entrance of her complex after she got out of the taxi. She always felt that she had to bring a gift back for her little one whenever she went out. Naitang would be so happy.

Lin Ruoyun didn’t know why she was so eager to get home. On the walk from the complex entrance to her building, she couldn’t help but look up at that warm light.

Under the warm yellow glow, a beautiful face appeared. But when Ruoyun looked up again, the figure was gone.

What was going on? Naitang is… hiding from her?

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