Chapter 22: Unlike Myself

Xu Man’s voice pulled Song Ciyu’s gaze back from Zhou Yue.

Her eyelashes trembled lightly as Song Ciyu pressed her fingers to her temple.

She had been impulsive—uncharacteristically so.

Rushing out of the hospital.

The string of conditions she had laid out for Liu Qiu.

And just now, questioning Zhou Yue.

All of it had been too impulsive.

This wasn’t like her.

Liu Qiu’s tears had pricked at her heart with a strange ache, an unfamiliar emotion that irritated her even as it hurt.

Liu Qiu seemed to be influencing her a little too much.

Song Ciyu’s gaze swept across everyone in the office as she said coolly, “In the future, don’t believe baseless rumors so easily.”

“You’re all adults.”

“Get back to work.”

The pressure around her was suffocatingly low.

Even wrapped in bandages and looking somewhat disheveled, no one dared to speak.

Song Ciyu turned to Xu Man.

“Let’s go.”

Xu Man wiped her cheek with a tissue and asked, “Old Song, did Liu Qiu really leave?”

Song Ciyu’s tone was flat.

“Yes.”

She left thoroughly.

The two of them headed toward the elevator, one after the other.

Xu Man clicked her tongue softly.

“Liu Qiu’s pretty pitiful too, getting smeared like that by an omega.”

“Who knows what kind of grudge that was.”

“If I were Liu Qiu, I’d hate that omega to death.”

“Ding.”

The elevator doors opened.

Song Ciyu stepped inside and said in a low voice, “Xu Man, shut up.”

Xu Man chuckled and made a zipping motion across her lips with her fingers.

Song Ciyu’s departure finally allowed Zhou Yue to breathe.

She collapsed into her chair, her fingers slowly curling into fists.

The looks directed at her from all around were filled with disgust and contempt.

“Oh my god, Liu Qiu is way too miserable. I really owe her an apology. Director Song said they’re friends—no wonder they were always together.”

“Rumors are terrifying. I’ll never casually believe people again.”

“Zhou Yue is disgusting. I comforted her so much, and it turns out she staged everything herself.”

“Damn, we should’ve realized sooner. She always said she only went out by car or had a driver pick her up. Why would she suddenly take the bus? So it was premeditated. If there hadn’t been surveillance footage, who knows if Liu Qiu could’ve survived this round of cyberbullying.”

The whispers seeped into Zhou Yue’s ears bit by bit.

She bit her lip hard and stood up, shouting, “I already said Liu Qiu didn’t do anything! You’re the ones who insisted on thinking she harassed me!”

Her shrill voice grated on everyone’s nerves.

Someone immediately snapped back, “Zhou Yue, you were the one guiding us! And you still have the nerve to bring it up?”

“Exactly! Disgusting! I can’t believe I work with someone like you.”

“Forget it, stop talking to her. Next time we might be the ones she frames.”

The overlapping voices drowned her out.

Zhou Yue’s face turned deathly pale.

Her hair and clothes were slightly damp, a clear handprint marked her cheek, and dried blood clung to the corner of her lips.

Anyone looking at her now would think she was pitiful.

Unfortunately, not a shred of sympathy arose.

“Hey, stop it. Her family owns a company, right? We normal people can’t afford to offend her.”

“Just work. Management must be furious about this. Don’t give anyone a reason to target you.”

Under the scornful gazes and mocking words, Zhou Yue’s eyes filled with hatred.

She was an omega.

She hadn’t done anything excessive.

What right did these people have to speak to her like that?

A bunch of idiots.

The only mistake she had made was not getting someone else to act in her place.

She shouldn’t have personally taken the stage.

Director Song must hate her.

Thinking of the look Song Ciyu had given her before leaving, Zhou Yue shuddered violently, fear creeping into her heart.

Her feelings for Song Ciyu vanished completely.

Song Ciyu wasn’t as beautiful as she had imagined.

There was clearly no place for her here anymore.

Just her colleagues’ curses were already unbearable.

The “rat in the street” had shifted from Liu Qiu to her.

And she would still have to face Song Ciyu in the future.

That gaze had been too vicious.

She wouldn’t let her off.

If Song Ciyu were only a director, she wouldn’t be this afraid.

But Song Ciyu was the eldest daughter of Guangming Group.

Crushing her would be as easy as crushing an ant.

Zhou Yue fled the office in a sorry state.

She ran into the restroom, trembling as she pulled out her phone and opened the comment section of the video.

—Disgusting omega. Why don’t you just die!

—How can someone be this vile? Zhou Yue, right? Isn’t her dad the boss of XX Tech? Is this how he raises his kid?

—Damn it, I’m so sorry to that alpha. I cursed her so much because I’ve been through something like that. I hate things like this. But it turns out I abused an innocent person. That makes me furious.

—She got fired? The company’s trash too. That alpha is so pitiful.

—Is this omega an idiot? Lock her up already. And those marketing accounts are idiots too.

The screen full of hatred made Zhou Yue smash her phone to the floor.

She had thought that even if the truth came out, people would side with her because she was an omega.

Instead, everyone turned on her—and even more viciously.

Her looks.

Her family.

Everything about her was dragged out.

Zhou Yue broke down in tears.

She had grown up pampered.

She had only wanted to drive Liu Qiu out of the company—

---

Liu Qiu told Bai Qingqing about being fired and about everything that had happened online.

There was nothing to hide anyway.

She had already resolved it.

Bai Qingqing always spoke gently, but the slight upward lilt at the end of her words hooked at people.

“Qiuqiu, it’s alright.”

“If there’s no job, just find another.”

“Oh, and the one called Zhou Yue—that’s the colleague you mentioned, right?”

Looking at the petite woman in the video who had thrown herself into Liu Qiu’s arms, Bai Qingqing let out a low laugh.

“She’s quite malicious. Qiuqiu, were you very upset?”

How dare she touch Liu Qiu—and cause her to suffer such absurd slander.

Her possession.

How could she be bullied like that?

Liu Qiu’s soft voice came through the phone.

“Wife, I’m already fine.”

“Wife, my friend who just returned to the country asked me out for dinner. Can I go?”

Bai Qingqing scrolled to the next video.

It showed Liu Qiu with reddened eyes, pink lips trembling as she said in a nasal voice, “I didn’t do that.”

She looked utterly wronged.

Bai Qingqing’s grip tightened abruptly around her phone.

Her breathing grew light.

“Qiuqiu, why didn’t you tell me you were upset?”

“Am I not your wife?”

Liu Qiu was such a withdrawn and dull person, yet she had been forced to record a video like that.

Hearing the question, Liu Qiu froze.

Although they were nominally married, Bai Qingqing didn’t really care about her.

Even if she said something, Bai Qingqing probably wouldn’t have any extra reaction.

So she had naturally overlooked her—and hadn’t expected this question at all.

After thinking carefully, she came up with an excuse.

“Wife, I… I was afraid you’d worry.”

She loved Bai Qingqing too much, even fearing to trouble her with something like this.

“Is that so? Qiuqiu is so good.”

Her voice through the headset sounded slightly distorted.

“Then wife, can I go have dinner with my friend?”

“Of course. But send me the address.”

After saying that, Bai Qingqing transferred several thousand yuan to her.

“Qiuqiu, have fun. Don’t be too upset.”

She needed to deal with Zhou Yue.

It might take some time.

After hanging up, Liu Qiu immediately received a call from Liu Xia.

“Liu Qiu, are you free now?”

“Yes.”

Now she was officially unemployed.

She had plenty of time.

“Then let’s go eat. You have to show me around the city.”

“Okay.”

Perfect timing.

Bai Qingqing had just transferred her six thousand yuan.

She was rich now.

She could treat Liu Xia to a meal.

---

By seven in the evening, Liu Qiu returned home.

The moment she opened the door, she saw Bai Qingqing standing in the entryway, as if waiting for her.

Startled, her eyelashes trembled violently, but she quickly steadied herself.

“Wife.”

Bai Qingqing smiled.

“Qiuqiu, you’re back.”

Remembering that Shi Ran’s performance was tomorrow night, Liu Qiu took two tickets out of her bag and held them up.

“Wife, shall we go watch Shi Ran’s performance together?”

Her voice was soft and small, her chin slightly raised.

From Bai Qingqing’s angle, she could see her trembling lashes and delicate nose.

Shall we?

It sounded almost like coquettish pleading.

Liu Qiu told her everything.

Now she was even asking her sweetly to go together.

Her feelings seemed a little too deep.

A strange emotion surged in Bai Qingqing’s chest.

Her heart seemed to beat a little faster.

Her eyes darkened for a fleeting second.

“Alright. But can you fulfill one wish of mine?”

Seeing Liu Qiu’s pale cheeks, an urgent desire rose within her.

She wanted to have her desperately.

Liu Qiu’s fingers tightened around the hem of her clothes.

“W-what wish?”

It couldn’t be that again, right?

Her hands were still sore.

Bai Qingqing stepped closer, hooked a finger under Liu Qiu’s chin, and removed the glasses covering most of her face.

Her gaze fixed on the reddened corners of Liu Qiu’s eyes.

“Qiuqiu, I bought some toys. Will you try them?”

Toys?

What toys?

Liu Qiu got her answer after being coaxed onto the bed.

Holding the small oval object in her hand, she stared blankly.

Bai Qingqing let out a soft laugh.

“Darling, come here.”

Liu Qiu didn’t move.

Bai Qingqing pressed a hand to the back of her neck and began stroking her gland.

The moment it was touched, Liu Qiu’s cheeks flushed, her body trembling.

“W-wife, don’t…”

Bai Qingqing narrowed her eyes, moved behind her, lifted her long hair, and pressed her fingertips heavily against the reddening skin.

Liu Qiu let out a muffled sound and collapsed onto the bed.

Something beneath her shifted, and the small object in her hand began to vibrate, making her palm tingle.

She turned her head, eyes already wet.

“Wife, ah—”

Bai Qingqing had bitten down on her nape.

Liu Qiu’s eyes widened as her body shook uncontrollably, tears streaming down.

“W-wife…”

Bai Qingqing licked the bite mark she had left.

“Darling, if we do this together, you won’t feel sad anymore.”

In this world, an alpha’s gland was more sensitive than anywhere else.

Holding down Liu Qiu’s arm, Bai Qingqing bit her again.

In the corner Liu Qiu couldn’t see, a red glint flashed through Bai Qingqing’s eyes.

Her fingers tightened.

Liu Qiu’s cheeks and eyes flushed completely red as the suction at her gland drove her mind blank.

What was Bai Qingqing doing?

She clearly disliked Liu Qiu’s touch before.

But now she was actively biting her nape like a wild beast.