Snatching My Stepsister's White Moonlight Omega - Chapter 6

Xu Chen made her choice in a split second. After all, Song Yanzhou seemed to harbor ulterior motives, and Song Jinshi’s smile hid a dagger. Only the cold-faced CEO beside her appeared relatively normal for now.

Moreover, she was confident she could extricate herself unscathed from any situation involving an Alpha. The comparison was a no-brainer.

“Sure,” Xu Chen replied casually.

The two walked back to Lin Xiangwan’s room in silence. Everything was exactly as they had left it, including the box on the coffee table.

“Pick out what you want to wear tomorrow and have Xiao Lin take it to your room. That way you won’t have to carry it later,” Lin Xiangwan said matter-of-factly.

Xu Chen initially thought it unnecessary, but realizing there must be a reason for the suggestion, she carefully selected a casual pair of pants and a top. Xiao Lin immediately found matching shoes and a backpack.

The backpack was a more spacious double-shoulder bag. Xiao Lin diligently found a small makeup bag, transferred all the cosmetics from Xu Chen’s clutch and the coffee table into it, and placed it in the backpack. She also tossed in the old-fashioned terminal, leaving Xu Chen with only her wrist terminal.

By this point, Xu Chen understood.

Xiao Lin left the apartment with a backpack containing clothes, shoes, cosmetics, and the old-fashioned terminal. Xu Chen let out a long breath. “What’s going on?”

Lin Xiangwan tapped the coffee table twice. The smart wheelchair projected a holographic screen displaying a security report log.

Abnormal Data Activity: Audio, video, and location data uploads detected. Device type: AuraSlate10 Standard Edition.

There were only a few manufacturers of old-fashioned terminals, and AuraSlate was one of them. Xu Chen frowned in annoyance. “What does this person… want?”

Lin Xiangwan looked at her across the coffee table, her gaze still calm and composed, devoid of joy or sorrow. “You’ve probably realized I have a history with these people.”

This was clearly just an opening remark, with a much longer explanation to follow.

But Xu Chen didn’t want to respond immediately. She studied Lin Xiangwan for a few seconds, staring into her eyes, and asked, “Can you take off those glasses?”

Lin Xiangwan hesitated briefly before agreeing. “When Xiao Lin returns.”

While waiting for Xiao Lin, Xu Chen had nothing to do. She opened her terminal and briefly told her adoptive mother about the events of the evening, but received no reply. This was perfectly normal; the woman was either drinking or gambling.

Closing the terminal interface, Xu Chen changed the subject. “By the way, I have a really weird adoptive mother.”

Lin Xiangwan nodded, signaling her to continue.

“She’ll try anything except drugs,” Xu Chen said, carefully watching Lin Xiangwan’s expression. “And she’s always asking me for money.”

Lin Xiangwan paused for a moment, then asked flatly, “Do you need me to do anything?”

Xu Chen was slightly taken aback.

Lin Xiangwan concluded, “I see. You just wanted to vent about your family problems or hear my opinion?”

“You’re…” Xu Chen frowned. “You’re pretty boring.”

“Indeed,” Lin Xiangwan admitted bluntly. “I’m dull and uninteresting, and I approach problems pragmatically. But I’ll listen if you want to talk.”

“Fine,” Xu Chen said, at a loss for words.

In the end, her attempt to probe Lin Xiangwan had been exposed, and her counterattack had failed. In every respect, she had come out on the losing end.

“If you want to talk, why not discuss your pheromones?” Lin Xiangwan asked calmly, meeting her gaze. “I’m using a suppressant, yet you’re still so… unrestrained. Being near you is really quite uncomfortable.”

Xu Chen pondered the suppressant. It seemed to only suppress the diffusion of one’s own pheromones, unlike a blocker.

“I was just about to explain that,” she said, her eyes widening with feigned innocence. “My emotional index tends to run a bit high, especially when I’m happy. My pheromones might leak out then.”

Seeing Lin Xiangwan nod thoughtfully, she continued, “But you’re not helping either. Why aren’t you using a blocker?”

It was a blatant attempt to shift the blame, but Lin Xiangwan didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she patiently explained, “Blockers prevent you from sensing others’ pheromones. Most of the time, suppressants are more useful.”

Xu Chen’s lips curled into a teasing smile. “You want it all, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Lin Xiangwan replied, her voice flat and steady. “I am greedy. Just like how my overall evaluation is only A-Class, yet I still want you. There’s an old saying: ‘If you eat salty fish, you must endure the thirst.’ I’m willing to pay the price for what I desire.”

Xu Chen was taken aback. She had only been joking, testing Lin Xiangwan’s magnanimity, but the response carried unexpected weight, almost too serious.

As she struggled to find a reply, a soft knock came at the door, and Xiao Lin entered the room.

Xu Chen immediately felt relieved. “First, take off your glasses and let me see your eyes.”

“Alright,” Lin Xiangwan replied, her tone carrying a hint of relief as well.

Xiao Lin, whose movements lacked human warmth, walked into the bedroom and emerged with a small box. It silently approached Lin Xiangwan, opened the box, and held it in one hand while bringing its other hand close to Lin Xiangwan’s face, waving it in front of her eyes.

Two thin lenses detached with the motion and were quickly placed back into the box.

Before Xu Chen could lean in for a closer look, Xiao Lin closed the box and walked away.

Unable to see the glasses, Xu Chen decided to focus on the person who had removed them. She stood up, moved to Lin Xiangwan’s side, and sat down close beside her. “Turn around and let me see.”

Lin Xiangwan let out an almost imperceptible sigh and turned to face Xu Chen.

The moment their eyes met, Xu Chen froze. Lin Xiangwan’s true eyes were undeniably young, as clear and bright as any twenty-something’s, lacking the usual scrutiny.

Yet these eyes were also complex. After studying them for a moment, Xu Chen detected a hint of hidden pain.

The pain was subtle but genuine, carrying a weight that made Song Yanzhou’s superficial heartache seem utterly fake and contrived.

Xu Chen continued to observe, noticing a trace of compassion. This compassion was equally faint, like the occasional incense lit in a dilapidated temple rarely visited by people, its smoke drifting and indistinct through the leaky roof.

Why would a twenty-five-year-old have compassion in her eyes? Xu Chen seriously doubted her own perception.

“Have we met before?” she asked, her gaze fixed on those eyes.

The deep black pupils suddenly contracted. Xu Chen almost knew the answer, but the owner of those eyes didn’t reply, only furrowing her brow slightly, a hint of resistance flickering in her gaze.

The overwhelming fragrance of lilies erupted without warning, saturating the air with a cloying sweetness tinged with the faint, earthy tang of soil.

Lin Xiangwan’s gaze instantly lost focus, her long lashes trembling as her lips parted slightly of their own accord. A delicate blush crept across her pale skin.

“You look so beautiful like this,” Xu Chen murmured, her eyes fixed on Lin Xiangwan’s dazed expression. She reached out to touch her cheek. “Tell me… did you know me before?”

A hand, icy cold, suddenly pressed down on Xu Chen’s shoulder. Startled, she turned to find Xiao Lin standing silently behind her.

“Ms. Xu, your actions violate the Pheromone Control Act. Please cease immediately,” the robot stated mechanically.

Lin Xiangwan’s voice was barely audible. “…Standby.”

“Standby refused,” the artificial idiot replied, showing no deference. “Shall I deploy the Pheromone Clearing Spray?”

“No,” Lin Xiangwan said, her voice sharp and decisive.

The robot released Xu Chen’s shoulder, no longer restraining her, but didn’t retreat either. Xu Chen turned back to find Lin Xiangwan collapsed on the sofa, her lashes damp and lowered, strands of wet hair clinging to her flushed cheeks, and her breathing ragged.

“Ms. Xu, for your safety and Ms. Lin’s well-being, please immediately cease releasing pheromones and consent to the application of the Pheromone Clearing Agent,” Xiao Lin said from behind her.

Even without the robot’s urging, Xu Chen felt she had gone too far. She had only intended to slightly suppress… or perhaps entice… Lin Xiangwan, but the woman’s reaction had far exceeded her expectations.

“Wait a moment,” Xu Chen said, halting the pheromone release. She reached out to touch Lin Xiangwan’s face, finding it alarmingly hot.

With mixed emotions, she ordered, “Apply the Clearing Agent.”

The wheelchair glided forward silently. Fine mist sprayed diagonally from above one of the armrests, the crisp, chemical scent of the Clearing Agent rapidly dispersing, diluting the cloying sweetness of the lily pheromones.

The spray stopped, and within seconds, the lily fragrance vanished completely. The person slumped on the sofa struggled to open their eyes, casting Xu Chen an almost helpless glance.

“I’m sorry,” Xu Chen murmured.

“Mm,” Lin Xiangwan responded ambiguously, closing her eyes again.

Xiao Lin approached from the water bar area, handing Xu Chen an opened bottle of electrolyte water with a straw already inserted, then gestured toward Lin Xiangwan.

The fact that a robot was instructing a human to perform tasks gave Xu Chen a peculiar feeling. But since she had created this situation, she obediently took the bottle and brought the straw to Lin Xiangwan’s lips.

Lin Xiangwan took a few sips through the straw, glanced up, and then drank more than half the bottle.

After releasing the straw completely, she said in a low, hoarse voice, “I feel much better now.”

Xu Chen set down the bottle and apologized earnestly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the consequences would be this severe.”

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you,” Lin Xiangwan replied weakly.

The robot standing nearby clearly disagreed. “Ms. Xu, please review Section 2, Chapter 4 of the Pheromone Control Act regarding the side effects of Suppressant medication. This incident has been recorded and cannot be deleted.”

Xu Chen stared in disbelief. “Wait… who does this thing listen to?”

“Today’s data is encrypted at the highest level,” Lin Xiangwan said with a sigh. “Its… the robot’s first principle is federal law.”

Xu Chen was speechless. The situation had spiraled out of control, and her impromptu interrogation plan had completely fallen apart. At this point, would it be too much to ask those questions?

“I’m sorry, I’ve worked up quite a sweat. I’d like to take a shower. Could you wait for me a bit?” Lin Xiangwan asked.

Xu Chen nodded without hesitation. “Sure.”

Lin Xiangwan staggered into the bedroom and closed the door. Xiao Lin stood silently by the sofa, showing no intention of helping its boss.

Xu Chen glanced at the closed door, then at Xiao Lin, who seemed to be silently rebuking her. She opened her terminal, typed “Pheromone Control Act Section 2, Chapter 4,” and clicked search.