After Little Sweet Omega Runs with the Ball - Chapter 5

Lu Xing never expected that Ji Mingxue’s gaze would remain fixed on the omega employee.

This was supposed to be a gemstone selection event teeming with industry peers, yet Ji Mingxue seemed to see only Song Shuangtian.

Silently, Lu Xing mentally bumped Song Shuangtian’s importance up a few notches.

It seemed she wasn’t just a promising new hire.

After helping Song Shuangtian out of the awkward situation, the alpha sat on a sofa not far away. The long-curled-haired alpha woman idly plucked a plump, crimson strawberry from the crystal tray.

Even an alpha like Lu Xing couldn’t help but feel her throat go dry at the sight unfortunately, Song Shuangtian didn’t even glance in that direction.

“How long has Song Shuangtian been with the company?”

Ji Mingxue set the strawberry down, her gaze coolly settling on Song Shuangtian, who stood among the crowd.

“Six months.”

Six months wasn’t long for an employee. Most wouldn’t have achieved much in that time.

Ji Mingxue: “Six months isn’t short. If she can already draft jewelry designs independently, she has real potential.”

The alpha’s voice was soft and unhurried, her eyes half-lidded, as if merely being near Song Shuangtian was enough to satisfy her.

Even though they were discussing business, Ji Mingxue’s tone carried an ambiguous, almost intimate undercurrent.

“HR mentioned a new batch of interns recently. It might be good to let Song Shuangtian mentor them.”

Lu Xing’s expression twisted slightly.

Assigning a six-month employee to mentor interns was unconventional, to say the least.

Lu Xing and Ji Mingxue were distant relatives, though Lu Xing came from a collateral branch, nowhere near Ji Mingxue’s direct lineage.

Since Ji Mingxue took over M Group, Lu Xing had worked closely with her yet she’d never seen Ji Mingxue act so unprofessional.

It almost felt like abusing authority for personal gain.

Lu Xing had only been thinking it, but then Ji Mingxue picked up another flawless strawberry, toying with it absently.

“There should still be an empty office on my floor.”

Lu Xing: “…”

Lu Xing: “Understood. I’ll arrange for Song Shuangtian to move to your floor.”

Ji Mingxue was pleased with Lu Xing’s perceptiveness.

The alpha gracefully carried the strawberry over to her omega employee. Whether it was due to the earlier nuisance, the illegitimate son of ST Group’s chairman, Song Shuangtian now wore a distinctly displeased expression, like a disgruntled kitten.

“Be good.”

Song Shuangtian looked up in confusion, only to be abruptly enveloped by an overwhelming, icy magnolia scent Ji Mingxue’s alpha pheromones.

Her legs nearly gave out. Damn it, why is her pheromone presence so oppressive?

“President Ji?”

The gemstone selection had begun. At the center of the round table lay transparent cases on red velvet stands, each holding exquisite stones.

The centerpiece was a natural diamond nearly half the size of a palm, its flawless brilliance outshining everything else.

Song Shuangtian knew diamonds weren’t actually rare just tightly controlled by a handful of global giants. M Group was one of them.

The moment Ji Mingxue arrived, every gaze in the room, overt or covert, shifted to her.

M Group represented absolute authority in this world.

As the focal point of all gazes, Ji Mingxue had no business intentions in mind. Instead, she picked up a plump, red strawberry and pressed it against the omega’s lips.

“The strawberry is quite good.”

Song Shuangtian was momentarily caught off guard and instinctively parted her lips, obediently accepting the strawberry into her mouth.

With a slight bite, the sweet juice of the strawberry flooded her mouth, flowing over her tongue and coating every inch of its surface.

Song Jun’s gaze instantly turned icy.

Before he could even resist, he was immediately seized by the overly burly white bodyguard behind him and escorted out.

Damn this bitch.

Song Jun gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. He had exhausted all his connections just to get here, only to be dismissed with a single casual remark from Ji Mingxue.

Fuck!

So it was Song Shuangtian who had used some underhanded trick to seduce Ji Mingxue.

Song Jun squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, feeling utterly hopeless.

No, he had to achieve something, or his father would never publicly acknowledge him.

Before Song Shuangtian lay rows upon rows of gemstones, occupying nearly the entire surface of the round table. On either side of the table stood display cases filled with raw gemstones of the highest quality and perfectly cut, dazzling finished pieces.

Only the most exceptional gems were placed here.

“Can all of these be purchased?” Song Shuangtian whispered to Cui Yu.

Cui Yu, mindful of Ji Mingxue’s presence, kept her voice extremely low. “Everyone invited here is a potential buyer.”

Though it was called a gemstone selection event, it was essentially a seller’s market.

Jewelry companies were always in need of gemstones, but mining companies never struggled to find clients.

Song Shuangtian’s palms were slick with cold sweat. According to the information she had obtained, the quality of the gemstone materials her company could secure this year was several grades lower than last year’s.

It would be nearly impossible to satisfy the high-end clients who had long-standing custom orders with ST Group.

Her heart ached faintly. She closed her eyes briefly, masking the longing in her gaze as she looked at the gems.

Buzz. Buzz.

Her phone vibrated twice inside her handbag. Song Shuangtian carefully unlocked the screen, deliberately avoiding Ji Mingxue’s line of sight.

Yuan Yin: Heard you’re in France. How’s it going?

Song Shuangtian: If I told you Ji Mingxue is going to buy half of everything here, and the other half will be divided among a dozen other companies, leaving us with nothing, would you be happy?

**Yuan Yin:I know you’re anxious, but don’t panic yet.

Yuan Yin: I drew a card for you. You’ll get what you want.

Half a minute later, a tarot card appeared in the chat.

Song Shuangtian: 6.

Song Shuangtian couldn’t help but laugh at the message. She knew her friend was obsessed with mysticism but had never taken it seriously.

Now, it seemed that if ST Group went under, Yuan Yin could always set up a fortune-telling stall on the streets.

With a bitter smile, Song Shuangtian slipped her phone back into her bag, plastering a flawless smile on her face while inwardly sighing like a disheartened kitten.

In stark contrast to Song Shuangtian’s gloom, Ji Mingxue, clad in a black velvet glove, toyed with an exceptionally high-quality emerald.

The moment Song Shuangtian’s gaze landed on the emerald, it felt as if she had been scorched.

An alpha had once given her an emerald.

It was still tucked inside her handbag.

“Song Shuangtian, come here.”

Ji Mingxue beckoned, and Song Shuangtian immediately lowered her head and hurried over. “Yes, President Ji?”

Ji Mingxue had over a hundred gemstones laid out beside her, collectively worth more than a billion. “What do you think of this one?” she asked.

Song Shuangtian had been exposed to gemstones since childhood, encountering dozens of times more than the average person would in a lifetime.

“Judging by the color, it’s likely Colombian. By eye, I’d estimate it’s over five carats. Emeralds show impurities much more visibly than diamonds, but this one has none detectable to the naked eye. Even under a magnifying glass, they’d be minimal probably meeting the criteria for a flawless specimen.”

Her analysis drew subtle glances from the industry veterans present.

At her age, Song Shuangtian shouldn’t have been able to speak with such certainty.

It seemed another formidable competitor had emerged.

Ji Mingxue gave a slight nod, but Song Shuangtian’s attention had already wandered fixated on Ji Mingxue’s fingers, clad in black velvet gloves.

The gloves seemed slightly short, revealing a sliver of pale skin above her wrist with each movement. The black velvet accentuated the length and definition of her fingers, each joint clearly outlined.

Beneath the gloves rested a snug-fitting Hetian jade bracelet, its warm luster holding its own among the dazzling array of gemstones.

“Good. Then, as Song Shuangtian suggested, what if I bought all of these?”

Ji Mingxue gestured to the hundred-plus gemstones before her each of a standard no less impressive than the emerald just described.

Song Shuangtian: “…”

She reminded herself of her role as a corporate spy.

Closing her eyes briefly, she finally spoke. “I noticed ST Group isn’t participating in this selection?”

The moment the words left her mouth, not only did the surrounding crowd react, but even Cui Yu’s eyes widened in shock. Why bring up a competitor now?

Do you not want to keep your job?

Don’t you know our boss despises anyone mentioning that group in her presence???

Cui Yu had heard rumors of some deep-seated grudge between Ji Mingxue and ST Group. For years, the two companies had avoided direct confrontation like kings refusing to meet. Now, it seemed their boss took pleasure in watching ST Group’s decline.

Lu Xing’s breath hitched.

This junior employee really dares to bring it up. I’ll personally approve her resignation.

Ji Mingxue’s voice was cool. “You want ST to participate?”

Song Shuangtian thought, It’s not a matter of wanting, I already am.

Surprise. The spy is right beside you.

Aloud, she said, “I just thought ST Group must be in dire need of these gemstone materials, yet they didn’t send anyone.”

Ji Mingxue scoffed. “Those people are too busy with internal power struggles. Ever since that lady died, they’ve been on a steady decline. And they still call themselves a legacy jewelry house?”

Song Shuangtian stiffened slightly. The “lady” Ji Mingxue referred to was undoubtedly her mother.

Song Shuangtian: “…”

Ji Mingxue tapped the surface of the emerald with a gloved finger. She and Song Shuangtian had been speaking in Mandarin, but everyone nearby was a seasoned industry professional, fluent in multiple languages, all ears pricked to catch the exchange.

Lowering her gaze, Song Shuangtian murmured, “If you were to concede this batch to ST Group, the next phase of collaboration could proceed smoothly.”

“Their management may be foolish, but they won’t turn down absolute profit. I’ve noticed your plans to expand into the global affordable luxury market ST Group has always excelled in that sector. A partnership could be.”

Song Shuangtian’s words came rather abruptly, but she had no other choice.

Might as well try the impossible as a last resort.

She had expected Ji Mingxue to coldly reject her, but instead, the alpha stopped tapping the gemstone with her fingers.

Ji Mingxue lifted her head, her dark, fathomless eyes silently fixed on the omega.

“You seem to have a deep understanding of both corporations.”

Song Shuangtian thought, Well, duh know your enemy and know yourself, and you’ll never be defeated.

Strike while the iron is hot.

In truth, if M Corporation wanted to collaborate with ST Group, it would be an honor for the latter. There was no such thing as an equal exchange of resources here.

In Song Shuangtian’s twenty-plus years of life, ST Group had been declining day by day, a far cry from its former glory under her mother’s leadership. To her, it was like being slowly cut by a blunt knife.

“Alright.”

Ji Mingxue gave Song Shuangtian a faint smile. “Business shouldn’t be conducted with too much greed. I’ll have my people handle the communication.”

Song Shuangtian: ?

Ji Mingxue patted the back of Song Shuangtian’s hand. “It’s about time. Let’s head back.”

“Oh, and one more thing, I’ll have someone inform ST Group that I despise that male alpha named Song Jun. If they want this batch of gemstones, they’d better keep him far away.”

Lu Xing’s pupils trembled in shock as she exchanged a bewildered glance with Cui Yu.

Wait, what???

Just like that, she’s giving it up???

Even after getting into the car, Song Shuangtian’s mind was still reeling.

You even paid for it???

For a moment, she felt dizzy.

She didn’t believe her charm was so overwhelming that the alpha had been blinded by lust.

“You’re right. Domestic corporations should indeed support each other’s growth.”

Ji Mingxue’s voice was soft, as if speaking only to herself.

She traced the Hetian jade bracelet on her wrist. Though Ji Mingxue had lived abroad for years and should have had little knowledge or fondness for Hetian jade, she always wore it.

“Shouldn’t we all strive for mutual success?”

Song Shuangtian: “Yes.”

Are you insane, or has the world gone mad?

Weren’t you the one who devoured ST Group’s overseas operations?

What kind of act are you putting on now?

A flush of disbelief crept across Song Shuangtian’s face. All she could think was that if Song Jun saw this, he’d probably cough up blood in rage.

Inside the luxury car, Ji Mingxue’s fingers slowly trailed up to Song Shuangtian’s shoulder. Her lips, painted with lipstick, lightly brushed against the omega’s scent gland.

With a sharp sting, the gland patch was roughly torn away.

Ji Mingxue’s teeth grazed the vulnerable skin of Song Shuangtian’s neck.

“What are you thinking about?”

The alpha’s voice was hoarse.

Ji Mingxue disliked crowded places. The mingling scents of alphas and omegas always made her, a perpetually single alpha who had yet to find a highly compatible partner feel uncomfortable.

At least Song Shuangtian was always by her side, exuding the orange blossom pheromones she adored.

Song Shuangtian’s mind was hazy. “I was thinking about Song Jun.”

Ji Mingxue narrowed her eyes. She knew her little employee was a model student orphaned young, surviving on student loans, her mind filled with nothing but studies. Even after joining the company, she worked diligently without ever getting involved in anything romantic.

Wasn’t there a saying? The worse the alpha, the more the omega loves them?

Ji Mingxue’s pheromones suddenly turned icy and dangerous. “If you like Song Jun, I can’t guarantee what I might do to him.”

Ji Mingxue’s hand slithered over Song Shuangtian’s body like a serpent.

“M Group has a medical division capable of performing complete gland removal surgeries.”

An alpha without glands is no different from a dead dog.

Logically, Ji Mingxue didn’t see Song Shuangtian as a lover, it was merely a mutually beneficial arrangement. But she accurately identified Song Jun as a rival.

Duels between alphas required no gentle prelude.

Song Shuangtian: ?

Like him? How disgusting.

Song Shuangtian growled and bit Ji Mingxue’s neck.

Ji Mingxue: ?

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