After Little Sweet Omega Runs with the Ball - Chapter 53

Song Shuangtian said with a strained smile, “Since President Ji has no actual intention of feeding me, then stop pretending.”

Ji Mingxue wondered why Song Shuangtian had become increasingly sarcastic lately. She quickly poured half of the food out of the spoon, scooped a fresh portion, and held it to Song Shuangtian’s lips.

“Ah.”

The Alpha opened her mouth slightly, making a soft prompting sound. Ji Mingxue had never fed anyone before, except for Guanguan, of course; however, Guanguan was always well-behaved and used a spoon herself. Ji Mingxue’s movements were clumsy. She tapped the spoon against Song Shuangtian’s lips, signaling her to open up.

Watching her act so cautiously, her hand holding the spoon even trembling slightly, Song Shuangtian covered her mouth and giggled.

Ji Mingxue was baffled. Had she done something wrong?

“Chairman,” Ji Mingxue sighed helplessly, “please take a bite. Have some sympathy for how difficult it is to be your subordinate.”

Hearing herself called “Chairman” made Song Shuangtian’s ears turn red. After several more prompts, she finally swallowed a spoonful of rice. She was not usually fond of these feeding games, which she used to consider boring and overly sentimental. However, sitting regally on the desk in her fuzzy slippers, the Omega found she quite enjoyed seeing Ji Mingxue struggle.

“What is that draft on your desk?”

The harsh sunlight outside filtered through the glass wall, casting a hallowed light on the Omega’s long hair. She looked down lazily, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her face. Her gaze drifted toward a sketch Ji Mingxue had drawn by hand.

It was a stunning necklace. Even the harshest jewelry designer would find it flawless. Unconsciously, Song Shuangtian gripped her sleeves tighter.

“Which brand is important enough for President Ji to design for personally?”

The Omega’s voice was tinged with jealousy, making Ji Mingxue want to laugh.

“It is not for a brand,” Ji Mingxue replied. She brought the last spoonful of steamed egg with whitebait to Song Shuangtian’s lips, nudging her soft mouth with the silver spoon to indicate she should eat the final bite.

The cool silver touched her red lips, but Song Shuangtian kept her mouth shut, showing no intention of cooperating.

“Are you full?”

“Yes, I do not want any more.”

“But the books say a pregnant woman’s appetite should increase significantly.”

Ji Mingxue moved to check a reference book, but Song Shuangtian stopped her with a sharp glare. “Answer my question.”

Ji Mingxue pushed the dishes aside. She took the sketches of the necklace, ring, and earrings, folded them up, and stuffed them into her pocket.

“It is nothing important,” the Alpha said softly. “Just an insignificant draft.”

Song Shuangtian pursed her lips, feeling a wave of disappointment. “Since it is just a draft, I will throw it away.”

She reached for the paper in Ji Mingxue’s pocket, intending to tear it up and toss it into the trash. The Omega was too fast, and Ji Mingxue barely managed to stop her.

Deep down, Song Shuangtian had been secretly hoping Ji Mingxue was preparing a gift for her. Ji Mingxue had given her many things, nearly the entire fortune of the M Group, but a necklace felt different. Perhaps because of the romantic symbolism created by jewelers, she viewed a necklace as more significant than any other gift.

“Tiantian!”

Ji Mingxue cried out as she blocked her. She wondered if all pregnant women were this unreasonable. Tiantian was angry. Does she even need a reason? She puffed up like a pufferfish. She might have a phantom pregnancy, but her temper was very real.

“The necklace is for you. The draft is still being refined. I am going to craft it myself, and I did not want you to see a half-finished product.”

The Alpha used a tissue to wipe a smudge of sauce from Song Shuangtian’s mouth. She leaned her forehead against the Omega’s. They were so close they could smell each other’s pheromones.

Song Shuangtian’s hand stopped mid-motion. “Really? Do not lie to me.” She was still skeptical. “Why the sudden gift?”

The Omega had no idea how adorable she looked. Her cheeks were puffed out and flushed pink. Her eyes were questioning, yet they held a glimmer of anticipation. She kicked off her slippers, resting her feet against Ji Mingxue’s thigh. As expected, Ji Mingxue caught her ankle in her palm.

“Behave yourself,” Ji Mingxue said helplessly. She gave the slender ankle a light squeeze. “Strange. Why is your foot not swollen this time?”

Song Shuangtian remained silent. Was it possible because I am not actually pregnant? A mischievous smile played on the corner of her lips.

Ji Mingxue’s finger hooked the pearl necklace around Song Shuangtian’s neck. The pearls had lost their luster over the years, though they still carried an air of weathered elegance.

“This necklace is too old-fashioned. I think a younger style would suit you better.”

Song Shuangtian blinked. “But this was my mother’s.”

Ji Mingxue sighed almost imperceptibly. She forced the Hetian jade bracelet off her left wrist and placed it on a stack of documents. This was the bracelet she could never take off before, no matter what method she tried. Perhaps she had lost weight while taking care of Guanguan, or perhaps it was a fated coincidence that allowed it to finally slide off.

Song Shuangtian’s heart hammered against her ribs. She looked down at the bracelet lying on the black and white documents. It was her mother’s.

For the first half of her life, Song Shuangtian had tried to prove to everyone that she was her mother’s successor. She knew now that such proof was meaningless. Even though she had started over and succeeded, she had never taken off that necklace. It was a piece of art, but it felt more like a shackle around her neck.

The Alpha leaned into her ear. “You are wonderful. This necklace does not do you justice. Our Chairman Song should be adorned with jewelry of finer craftsmanship and higher value.”

With a click, the necklace was unfastened and tossed carelessly onto the jade bracelet. The Alpha kissed her lover’s lips, pressing her down onto the desk and sweeping the useless documents to the floor. Ji Mingxue’s kisses fell thickly on Song Shuangtian’s chin, then her throat, and finally toward the gland at the back of her neck.

No, absolutely not. What was Ji Mingxue thinking? In the office? Was she crazy? Just because she asked about the necklace, she started acting like this?

Without the necklace, Song Shuangtian felt as though her soul were bare. She instinctively curled up, her eyes stinging as she felt the urge to cry. Just as she was about to speak, something was pressed into her mouth. It was a fountain pen.

“Bite it,” Ji Mingxue commanded. “I do not want to hear you say no.”

Her Tiantian deserved better. That woman—Song Shuangtian’s mother—had indeed been kind to Ji Mingxue, but so what? She had projected her motherly love onto Ji Mingxue; however, did she ever ask if Ji Mingxue actually wanted it? Ji Mingxue was selfish. Compared to the so-called bond with her mentor, she would rather be a cold yet free person. She was free to love Song Shuangtian, and that was enough.

Song Shuangtian did not know what this madwoman was thinking. Biting the pen, she could only let out muffled whimpers. Her breathing grew shallow, and every breath was a suppressed sob. It was just a marking, but this bastard was acting as if they were going all the way.

Under the cool office lights, the Omega on the desk looked helpless and pathetic, like a dish waiting to be tasted. Bastard. Madwoman. Bullying a pregnant woman.

By the end, the fountain pen in Song Shuangtian’s mouth had cracked from the pressure of her teeth.

Ji Mingxue raised an eyebrow. “I did not realize our Chairman had such a strong bite. No wonder you like biting my neck.”

Song Shuangtian’s brow twitched. She had no energy left to be angry. She wrapped herself in a fuzzy blanket and curled up on the sofa like a kitten.

After Guanguan finished school, the three of them took a family photo. Song Shuangtian had suggested inviting her aunt, but her aunt was currently undergoing heart examinations and was confined to bed.

As Song Shuangtian prepared to drive Guanguan home, Ji Mingxue stopped them. “Take the keys. I have other things to do.” She tossed the keys to her luxury red convertible.

Ji Mingxue then remembered, “Oh, right. Pregnant women should not drive. I will have the driver take you.”

“No need,” Song Shuangtian replied coolly. “Do not let the child develop a habit of luxury from a young age.”

Guanguan looked from one mother to the other. She did not understand how liking a car counted as luxury. She did not even know what that word meant.

Ji Mingxue opened her mouth to argue, but Song Shuangtian said with a smirk, “I am not interested in a sports car that is slower than an electric scooter. I would rather walk home.”

Ji Mingxue was speechless. Guanguan looked sad.

From inside the black sedan, Song Shuangtian watched Ji Mingxue wave goodbye. “Has your mother been very busy lately?” Song Shuangtian asked while holding Guanguan. “What is she working on?”

Guanguan shook her head. “I do not know. Mother did not tell me.”

Song Shuangtian fell silent and said nothing more.

For several days, Ji Mingxue did not come home on time. When Song Shuangtian called the M Group, she was told that Ji Mingxue left the office every afternoon alone. Even Lu Xing did not know where she went.

Looking at the empty house, Song Shuangtian felt a pang of unexplained bitterness. On the phone, Lu Xing asked, “Do you want me to look into President Ji’s whereabouts for you?”

“No need. Let her stay out there,” Song Shuangtian replied.

Lu Xing pushed up her glasses, her voice as calm as ever. “It is just that I have noticed President Ji has not been in good spirits lately. Sometimes she even falls asleep in her office.”

Song Shuangtian gripped her phone tightly. “I understand.”

She did not want to believe Ji Mingxue was seeing someone else. In fact, it was unlikely, unless she was seeing a Beta. Song Shuangtian had not smelled any Omega pheromones on her other than her own.

As the night grew dark, Song Shuangtian gazed at the moon. She touched her bare neck, her heart filled with complicated emotions. What if Ji Mingxue really was unfaithful? She could take Guanguan and leave forever. But then what? Money and time could be settled, but how could she settle the sincerity she had invested in Ji Mingxue?

The Omega curled into a ball on the sofa, biting an egg roll as if it were a cigarette. If Ji Mingxue really were unfaithful, this phantom pregnancy would be a joke. She stroked her flat stomach. “Baby, it is a good thing you have not come into this world yet.”

When the clock struck midnight, the door finally opened. A travel-weary Ji Mingxue hung her dusty coat in the hallway. “Tiantian, you are not asleep yet? The books say pregnant women should not stay up late.”

Song Shuangtian turned her head away, ignoring her. Ji Mingxue remained gentle, hugging her carefully so as not to press on her stomach. Everything was as sweet as it had always been.

Song Shuangtian glared at her. “Do not touch me.”

“But if I do not hold you, you will fall off the sofa,” Ji Mingxue replied.

Song Shuangtian bit the back of Ji Mingxue’s neck. Her teeth were not as sharp as an Alpha’s, so she did not break the skin. Ji Mingxue hissed in pain, but her arms around Song Shuangtian did not tremble. Seeing that the Alpha allowed her to bite her, Song Shuangtian felt a bit better.

“Where have you been? It is Guanguan’s fourth birthday soon. Do you have time to attend?”

“I have been busy with something, but I will not miss her birthday. I have already arranged the party.”

Song Shuangtian muttered, “You have a strange smell on you. Are you seeing another Omega?”

“No,” Ji Mingxue replied.

Song Shuangtian did not believe her. She pinned Ji Mingxue to the bed like a cat, sniffing her all over. There was indeed a smell. It was somewhat familiar. She pulled open Ji Mingxue’s collar and pressed her face against her clothes. The Alpha looked up at the crystal chandelier in the bedroom. Her Tiantian was so adorable, even when she was acting like a jealous wife.

Song Shuangtian tore at Ji Mingxue’s clothes. She sniffed left and right and found the scent very strange. Why would an Omega’s pheromones smell like lime and cement? She sniffed again. There was also a hint of sawdust. She found a speck of mud on Ji Mingxue’s shirt and rubbed it with her fingers. It was dirty.

“Oh?”

Ji Mingxue sighed. “Did Tiantian find evidence of me seeing someone else?”

“Tell me the truth,” Song Shuangtian said. “Is the M Group about to go bankrupt?”

Ji Mingxue did not immediately follow her train of thought. The Omega bit her neck again, harder this time. Her Tiantian’s teeth were very strong.

“The M Group is going bankrupt, so President Ji has to work at a construction site to pay the employees,” Song Shuangtian muffled against her hair.

“Thank you for your concern,” Ji Mingxue replied. “It is not going bankrupt. I am working hard to earn money for milk and a wedding.”

Having found no evidence of infidelity, Song Shuangtian felt temporarily at ease, but she did not stop her investigation. One day, under the blazing sun, Song Shuangtian’s black sedan followed Ji Mingxue’s red sports car at a distance. Ji Mingxue showed no signs of counter-surveillance and drove straight to a quiet villa district.

As she followed, Song Shuangtian realized something was wrong. Ji Mingxue’s car stopped in front of the old Song family residence. The Alpha in the red convertible was not wearing a suit. In the heat, she wore only a white T-shirt and denim shorts. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore industrial gloves. She did not look like she was meeting an Omega. She looked like she was going to work.

Song Shuangtian parked around a corner and followed on foot, hiding behind a wall. The Alpha’s physical condition was excellent. After some stretching, she efficiently moved construction debris to a corner to wait for the trash truck. Under the sun, her white T-shirt was stained with gray and black. She wore a hard hat and had sweat and paint on her face.

Did the people at the M Group have any idea their big boss was actually working on a construction site? Song Shuangtian felt a bit dizzy. She felt like a fool for suspecting an affair yesterday. Not only could Ji Mingxue only react to her pheromones, but no one would skip work to date a lover instead of just bringing them into the office.

What mattered more was that Ji Mingxue was personally renovating the small building, the building where only Song Shuangtian had once lived. The old building had been refreshed and looked like a new house. Young Song Shuangtian used to lean out of the second-floor window, watching her father bring home different lovers. She had also watched her mother rush home and then rush away again.

Song Shuangtian had always avoided the Song residence. She did not want to be near those old memories. From the unfastened necklace to this renovation, Song Shuangtian felt Ji Mingxue was slowly erasing her painful past. She had not expected Ji Mingxue to actually be moving bricks. Aside from a few workers, Ji Mingxue was doing the most work. The workers did not know who she was and assumed she was a hired hand.

Song Shuangtian watched as Ji Mingxue painted the walls layer by layer. Soon, her white T-shirt was unrecognizable. The walls were jasmine ivory. The backyard was being cleared for a garden. The open plan living and dining room reduced partitions for a more intimate space, and large windows let in natural light.

Song Shuangtian heard Ji Mingxue talking to a worker. “The walls can be beige, cream, or jasmine white. The owner is a quiet person. I will also purchase art to hang on the walls.”

The worker, who knew Ji Mingxue was the client, nodded and took notes. Song Shuangtian noticed Ji Mingxue’s arm had been cut by a piece of stone. She had not bandaged it properly, only wrapping a handkerchief around it.

It would be a lie to say Song Shuangtian was not moved. She made a call and, in the name of the property management, sent enough medical supplies to the house. Her Alpha was working hard to renovate their future home. Perhaps they would not live there often, but this was a gift from Ji Mingxue to tell her the past was over. The renovation itself was the most expensive gift.

The Alpha looked up as if sensing something. “Is someone there?”

She had felt a gaze. Since it was not an office or a secret location, people often looked in while passing by, so she did not think much of it.

“The building will have a smart home system and fresh air ventilation. We need to reserve space for the pipes,” the Alpha continued.

Song Shuangtian left with a heavy heart. She went home to wait. Ji Mingxue worked like a tireless ox, not returning until midnight. An average Alpha’s stamina was nothing compared to hers.

Song Shuangtian saw the medical gauze on Ji Mingxue’s arm. The Alpha hung up her dusty coat. “Tiantian, why are you still awake?”

After cleaning herself up, Ji Mingxue carried Song Shuangtian into the bedroom. “Pregnant women really cannot stay up late. I saw on the news that it can cause the baby to have three heads.”

Song Shuangtian stared at her. “Is it possible that I am not actually pregnant?”

“That is impossible,” Ji Mingxue replied.

Song Shuangtian rubbed her forehead. “Where did you go?”

“I had dinner with a client,” Ji Mingxue replied smoothly.

Song Shuangtian wondered if the client was actually a foreman. “What happened to your arm?”

Ji Mingxue lied and said she bumped into a door. Watching her struggle to invent an excuse, Song Shuangtian wanted to laugh. But soon, she would not be laughing.

Ji Mingxue hugged her from behind. “Tiantian, you need a prenatal checkup in January. I will go with you tomorrow.”

Song Shuangtian’s smile froze. What checkup? She was not pregnant. The Alpha, unaware of her inner conflict, lifted Song Shuangtian’s pajama top and pressed her lips against her soft abdomen. She then buried her face in her stomach and inhaled deeply.

“Our baby will be the cutest in the world. Oh, wait, the baby will be second. Guanguan is the cutest.”

Song Shuangtian felt that Ji Mingxue was perhaps not the smartest person.

“Is it still swollen?”

The sudden question made Song Shuangtian’s expression turn subtle. Her ears turned deep red. “It is late. Let us sleep.”

Ji Mingxue had no intention of letting her escape. She placed a hand over her, her fingers covering everything easily. It had gotten smaller. Ji Mingxue pinned her down, preventing any escape. The Alpha’s frame was much larger than the Omega’s.

Acting like an interrogator, she pinched her suspect’s chin. “The books say a pregnant woman will feel swelling for three to four months. Did you do something yourself?”

“I did not!” the suspect protested. Her phantom pregnancy period was over, so of course it was not swollen anymore.

The interrogator was not convinced. “Impossible. I need to check thoroughly. Confession leads to leniency; resistance leads to severity.”

Song Shuangtian’s Alpha seemed to have endless energy.

“Are you going to use torture to extract a confession?” the suspect asked softly.

“I am,” the interrogator replied sternly.

Tiantian’s expression went blank. Any lingering feelings of affection vanished. This woman was not worth it.

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