Chapter 18: Handholding

The soundproofing in the CLUB was excellent. Even though the music inside was a deafening roar, only a few faint melodies drifted out, making the night at the abandoned factory feel even more desolate in contrast.

Qin Qizhen had run wild in the nightlife scene for years without resistance. Part of it was the backing of the Qin family, but another part was his talent for “picking dishes based on the guest.” He never offended anyone more powerful than himself, but for the “ants” he could trample into the mud, he made sure to break their spines.

He knew many social circles in Nanjiang, but he had absolutely no impression of this imposing Omega girl before him. Furthermore, the Alphas she commanded were nearly all top-tier in rank, with movements that showed military-grade professional training—they were leagues ahead of the useless thugs he usually hired.

“Aaargh! I was wrong, I was really wrong, please—” When a club smashed into his legs and forced him into a kneeling position at a bizarre angle, Qin Qizhen broke into a cold sweat. He finally realized with horror that this female Omega was a complete lunatic! She didn’t care about the consequences at all!

“Actually, I don’t really like using violence to stop violence,” Wen Xi’s smile gradually faded as she took two steps back. “But I have to say, sometimes it’s necessary. However you had your men hit Cheng Si, just return the favor to him.”

Wen Xi didn’t strike him again herself. But every time she spoke, the Fox-masked Alpha would land a heavy blow on Qin Qizhen. He looked casual, but only Qin Qizhen knew that every hit landed on a vital spot. The pain was so intense he nearly fainted; tears and snot smeared his face as he let out a howl like a slaughtered pig.

The Fox-masked Alpha shook his head lazily. “This body is so weak, it can’t take a hit…”

Qin Qizhen slumped on the ground, shaking like a sieve. He looked at Wen Xi and said in extreme terror, “Truly, you can’t hit me anymore. I’m not as tough as Cheng Si… someone will die…”

It would have been better if he hadn’t mentioned Cheng Si. The moment he did, Wen Xi thought of those shocking wounds, and a wave of irritation surged in her heart.

“If you’re afraid, then learn to behave yourself.” Wen Xi beckoned over an Alpha who had been holding a phone to capture Qin Qizhen’s pathetic state. She opened one of the photos and thrust it in front of the dying Qin Qizhen’s face. “If you ever dare to trouble him again, I guarantee these photos will spread across all of Nanjiang.”

Her tone was calm, but to Qin Qizhen’s ears, it sounded like a blade piercing his heart. The higher the social status, the more they cared about reputation. If these humiliating scenes were leaked, let alone him, the entire Qin family would struggle to hold their heads up in Nanjiang.

Qin Qizhen’s pupils shrank. His lips trembled as he swallowed his resentment. Like every ant whose spine he had once broken, he nodded frantically while weeping: “I won’t… I’ll never look for him again…”

Wen Xi gave a satisfied smile and tossed the phone back, telling the Fox-masked Alpha: “You guys handle the rest.” Fox-masked Alpha: “?” “I have business, I’m leaving first.” Wen Xi had run out of patience.

The Fox-masked Alpha “tsk-ed” in protest: “Is this the evil capitalist way? Calling people for overtime on a big weekend, only for the boss to leave first? Is there no justice! No humanity! Is there no…”

“Shut up!” Wen Xi’s temples throbbed. She said expressionlessly: “All expenses tonight are on me.” “Right on! Roger that!” With that, he professionally delivered another punch to the back of Qin Qizhen’s head.

The circle of Alphas let out a whistle: “The Boss is generous!”

When Wen Xi stepped out of the factory, she saw Cheng Si still standing where she left him, looking up at the crescent moon hanging in the ink-black sky. He had taken off his mask. Moonlight flowed down the sharp lines of his face, and that hazy glow made his gaze look exceptionally devout.

“Let’s go,” Wen Xi said softly. “It’s all settled.” Hearing her voice, he turned around, his eyes brightening. “Okay.”

“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?” Wen Xi walked to his side, returning to the CLUB with him. “I do,” Cheng Si looked at her uncertainly. “Can I ask?”

Wen Xi was in a good mood and nodded generously. “Only for the duration of this walk.”

From here to the CLUB was only about two hundred meters—a three-minute walk. Cheng Si didn’t want to waste time and asked quickly, “Did you come here specifically for me tonight?”

Wen Xi thought it was a redundant question. “Otherwise? Do you think I’m crazy enough to come here and suffer?”

The music was deafening. The drinks were terrible. The mixed scents of pheromones made her want to gag. Dealing with those smelly Alphas was a massive pain. If it weren’t for Cheng Si, she never would have come.

The girl’s expression was lazy, her eyes filled with obvious disdain, but Cheng Si’s eyes crinkled with a suppressed smile. Great, he wasn’t abandoned. Confirming this made him want to be even closer to her.

“Those people just now… the one in the mask,” Cheng Si hesitated but seized the chance to ask. “He called you Boss. Are you close with him?” Wen Xi hummed. “He’s already graduated from university.” Seeing his surprise, Wen Xi explained: “Their startup failed last year, and by chance, I reinvested in their project. As the person ‘dropping gold coins’ for them, is it too much for them to call me Boss?” Cheng Si was amused by her self-description. “Not too much. It’s only right.”

“We’re almost there,” Wen Xi suddenly stopped. “Anything else?” Cheng Si thought for a few seconds and shook his head. “No.”

Wen Xi’s brow twitched. She felt a flicker of confusion. She had thought Cheng Si would ask questions about Pei Huanzhou, but he hadn’t mentioned a word.

“I almost forgot—” Cheng Si spoke up suddenly. Wen Xi thought he had finally lost his patience, but in the next second, he held out the leash wrapped around his hand toward her. Wen Xi looked up to see him lowering his head, asking in a small voice: “Can we… walk while holding this?”

Wen Xi’s gaze paused. She stared at the chain, her heart feeling as if it had been plucked. “You held it earlier,” Cheng Si’s eyelids fluttered as he mumbled, afraid she would refuse. “Canines are loyal to their masters. If you don’t hold it, people won’t know who I belong to… I might be led away by someone else.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. With tonight’s theme, staff members like him were mostly in service roles; that chain would be tugged around by passing guests. He didn’t want to be tugged by anyone else, which was why he had wrapped it around his own hand.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t hold it,” Wen Xi laughed softly. “Stretch out your hand.”

Cheng Si obediently held out his hand, offering the chain.

Wen Xi’s lips curved. She raised her hand and brushed aside the cheap chain. Her slender fingers rested on his broad palm, and then, following the lines of his palm, she squeezed into the gaps between his fingers. She interlaced her fingers with his, fitting them together perfectly.

“I want to hold this.”

The moment she said those words, Cheng Si looked up sharply. His swelling heart felt as if a lock had been snapped shut, and with a click, the key was handed entirely to Wen Xi.

The two returned to the CLUB. Luo Wanran was still having a blast on the dance floor. Wen Xi didn’t want to ruin her fun, so she didn’t rush to leave.

However, just after they sat down at the booth, an angry Omega figure stormed over from the bar, shouting at Cheng Si: “Cheng! Si! Where the hell did you go? I’ve been looking for you for ages! Do you have any idea how busy it is tonight? I can’t handle the bar alone!” “I only agreed to let you try this job because you told the manager you could do it. And you’re slacking on your first day? Are you kidding me!”

The newcomer wore a rabbit mask and had pouting red lips. His collar was wide open, and unlike Cheng Si’s long uniform pants, he wore very short hot pants with bells tied at his waist, exposing nearly half his buttocks.

Cheng Si finally seemed to remember he had a job. He reluctantly let go of Wen Xi’s hand and apologized to the Rabbit Omega: “I’m sorry, I’ll get back to my post immediately.”

“A lot of customers are waiting, hurry up!” The Rabbit Omega huffed and turned his backside to leave. Wen Xi suddenly spoke up: “Can you help me with something?”

Both Cheng Si and the Rabbit Omega looked at her. The latter asked, “What kind of help?”

He scanned Wen Xi from head to toe. Though she was in a JK uniform, he could tell the clothes were expensive—especially the suppression bracelet hidden under her sleeve; its functions were on a completely different level from a standard one. She wasn’t someone an average person could afford.

Too bad she’s just a ‘good girl’ student sister. People like her usually came for the novelty. Getting them to book a booth was as good as it got; there was no chance to squeeze a fortune out of her.

The Rabbit Omega’s tone wasn’t very friendly: “Don’t tell me you want me to mix you a glass of milk or juice—”

He stopped abruptly because Wen Xi pulled out her wallet and took out a stack of cash.

Wen Xi stood up, hooked two fingers into his open collar, and stuffed the cash inside. Then she smiled. “Can you help now?”

“At your service.” The Rabbit Omega instantly beamed, wiggling his hips near Wen Xi as the bells at his waist jingled.

“…” Cheng Si watched this scene, wanting to say something. This person was standing too close to Wen Xi. And Wen Xi’s movements when giving the money were far too practiced.

Wen Xi glanced toward Cheng Si and signaled the Rabbit Omega with a gentle tone: “I want him to drink with me. Could I trouble you to work a bit harder tonight… and give him a chance to slack off?”

“No problem at all! Cheng Si, take good care of the little sister, okay? I don’t mind the hard work!” Having received the benefit, the Rabbit Omega’s voice turned sweet. He winked at Cheng Si, kissed the thick stack of cash, suppressed a scream of joy, and turned to leave. He had to take back his previous thought—this “sister” was too damn generous.

Cheng Si sat back down beside Wen Xi, opening a new bottle of wine. He pursed his lips. “Why did you give him money like that?” Her fingers had almost touched the skin.

Wen Xi graciously took a sip of the wine he gave her. “Are you jealous of him?”

She just said it casually, but Cheng Si hummed a serious “Yes.”

“…” Wen Xi was amused by his honesty. She didn’t forget to tease him wickedly, intentionally misinterpreting: “Since you’re jealous that I gave him money, how about you go over there and have him come here instead?”

“…” Cheng Si’s lips thinned as his spirit immediately deflated. That obviously wasn’t what he meant.

Wen Xi looked at his dazed expression, suddenly laughed, and pulled him a little closer to her. At such a close distance, she noticed his Adam’s apple was a bit red from being rubbed by the collar. She frowned and asked, “Can this be taken off?”

“Yes.” Cheng Si pointed. “The clasp is at the back of the neck.”

So Wen Xi reached out to unlock it. Her gaze inadvertently fell upon his already differentiated gland at the back of his neck. It looked different from before—a slight protrusion with even more fragile skin.

Perhaps it was the alcohol. Wen Xi couldn’t help but think of that “action education film” she had watched with Cheng Si not long ago—where the Alpha animalistically bit the Omega’s gland, marking them tenderly while roughly taking them.

Looking at this sexually attractive, unmarked gland before her, Wen Xi felt she suddenly had the same thought.

Since she thought it, she said it. “I really want to f*ck you.”

Hearing these words out of nowhere, Cheng Si’s eyes widened. He instinctively wanted to turn his head to look at her, but she gently pressed down on his nape. The force wasn’t heavy, yet it made him instantly unable to move.

His heart throbbed. He couldn’t believe it. Wen Xi used such an elegant tone to say such a vulgar word.

A moment later, Wen Xi ground her teeth, turned her head away in frustration, and let him go. “But I can’t.”

Her original plan to escape had been disrupted, and now everything was an unknown. If one more person knew she was an Alpha, the risk would be too high. True, her intuition told her it wouldn’t matter if Cheng Si knew—he had too many weaknesses and was full of holes. But if she let her desires run wild, once would lead to countless times.

An Omega who had been fucked over and over by her… it would be very hard for others not to notice.

Cheng Si heard the disappointment in her voice. He subconsciously assumed she was disappointed because, as a female Omega, she only had one set of sexual organs and couldn’t carry out that idea.

Cheng Si’s gaze flickered. Having stayed at the CLUB for a while, he had actually heard of many “novel” ways to play. Even if a female Omega didn’t have that, it wouldn’t matter much.

Thinking of this, Cheng Si blinked slowly. He tried his best to keep his voice from trembling, enduring the shame that was about to drown him, as he spoke indistinctly: “Actually… you could use a fake one.”

“Huh?” Wen Xi was stunned. “Fake what?”

Cheng Si looked into her clear, blank eyes, feeling a sense of guilt for “corrupting” an innocent girl. His neck began to burn with shame. He gathered his courage and leaned closer to her.

The music in the dance floor was intense, and the ambiguous light swept across his face, cutting it into shades of light and shadow. The Omega’s gaze was pure and devout, exactly as it was when he looked at the moon. Wen Xi heard a clumsy, seductive desire in his raspy voice. “The fake thing… that can f*ck me.”