After Losing My Memory, I Went After My Archenemy - Chapter 5

Lin Xi, who caught the last bus, arrived home later than usual. A lamp was still lit on the second floor of the dilapidated civilian housing near the alley entrance.

Opening the door and entering the first floor, which housed her uncle’s antique shop, various strange and curious objects seemed to be haphazardly placed yet were arranged in an intricate order.

Their undeniable sense of age and musty odor always brought a chilly gloom to someone returning late, making the indoor temperature feel somewhat lower.

The wooden staircase would inevitably let out a creak underfoot. Just as she reached the corner, a middle-aged male voice came from above, tinged with curiosity and banter.

“You’re back? How did that Omega girl from your restaurant end up?”

Lin Xi didn’t rush to respond. Instead, she quickly finished the remaining steps, and as she reached the second floor, her peripheral vision caught her uncle sprawled on the sofa, shelling peanuts and sipping wine, his eyes fixed on the TV screen without sparing her a glance.

This guy always possessed a kind of lazy, relaxed demeanor that middle-aged men his age usually lacked.

“She should be fine.”

Lin Xi turned aside to calmly tidy her gear near the coat rack, using a less-than-certain tone.

After all, only she knew clearly the high compatibility value between herself and that Omega, and the impact of her pheromones was definitely not to be underestimated.

Just as she finished speaking and was about to leave, the man called out to her again.

“Hey, where are you going? Come watch some TV with your uncle.” The casual, hearty tone was like inviting a buddy for a drink.

“No, I have a date tomorrow.”

Watching her voice and her retreating figure vanish behind the door, Zhou Mingde belatedly reacted and quickly gossiped, raising his voice, “Are you finally going on a date?”

After a moment, a rather impatient reply came from behind the door: “I wouldn’t be that desperate to find an Alpha—it’s Chi Xiao.”

The man was a beat slower, muttering while looking at the TV: “Oh, so it’s Chi Xiao. I almost forgot she was back.”

In the small bathroom, the décor still maintained a style from the last century, a mix of old-fashioned and retro.

Lin Xi stood in front of the mirror, taking off her top, leaving only a black sports bra.

The woman in the mirror had a flat abdomen, clear ab lines, not an ounce of excess flesh around her waist, and the muscle definition in her arms was subtly graceful, not overly exaggerated.

Just as she raised her arm to tie up her shoulder-length hair as usual, the suppression patch on the back of her neck inevitably caught her attention, causing her to pause.

The Omega’s face involuntarily popped into her mind: the captivating image of her body going limp, leaning in her arms, her face flushed, and her pink lips slightly parted in a state of confusion.

In that instant, the Omega seemed like a fragile white flower that could be easily broken, everything under her control.

Just the forced, shallow recollection made Lin Xi feel a strange fire about to ignite within her body, which she habitually suppressed again.

She never liked this part of herself that was controlled by sex hormones, feeling no different from an animal unable to control its primal desires.

Waking up, it was the Saturday that Xia Rou least wanted to face.

Sitting in front of the mirror, she felt no interest in the table full of expensive cosmetics, partly due to her strong aversion to blind dates, and partly because of her physical state.

She had felt exhausted since waking up; even though she had slept right after getting home last night, she still felt worn out, as if she had pulled an all-nighter.

Her body usually didn’t react this strongly as her estrus approached.

This led her to recall again the moment she accidentally smelled Lin Xi’s released pheromones in the restaurant last night. A night had passed, and all the other negative reactions were forgotten, only the memory of how good it smelled remained, and a desire for even more.

She even felt a little regretful that nothing had happened between her and the Alpha.

A blush immediately rose to Xia Rou’s face after this thought, and she internally chastised herself, wondering if she was being too forward.

Immersed in her inner world, Xia Rou didn’t notice an extra person in the room until her mother’s slightly surprised voice came from above her head.

“Rou Rou, what time is it? Why haven’t you put on makeup yet?”

“Mom, I’m not feeling well. Can I skip today’s blind date?”

Xia Rou looked up and whined playfully.

Hearing this, the woman instinctively placed her hand on Xia Rou’s forehead to check her temperature. “It might be the discomfort from your estrus approaching, but based on the timeline, it shouldn’t be today. Besides, have you forgotten? Today isn’t a normal blind date; it’s a family gathering organized by your eldest uncle. So, be a good girl, get dressed, and prepare.”

Xia Rou had always resented why everyone had to obey her eldest uncle’s command and attend without fail, otherwise, it was considered disrespect.

Moreover, she genuinely disliked her arrogant Alpha cousin and her eldest aunt, who never had a good word for her.

“You need to hurry. I’ll wait for you downstairs.” Wu Daiyun gently patted her daughter’s shoulder.

So, what could she do despite the dislike and resentment? She had been trapped in this environment since birth, and it wasn’t something she could change overnight.

The location for this family gathering was the most high-end golf club in Linlu City. The Xia family also had shares there, and its privacy and service ensured that the entry ticket and consumption were not accessible to ordinary wealthy families.

By definition, only super-rich or specific high-ranking officials were qualified to enter.

Because of Xia Rou’s ‘slowness,’ when their car drove into the venue, a considerable number of people had already gathered in front of the building not far away. The central figure, and the core of this gathering, was none other than her eldest uncle.

“Eldest Brother, the second brother’s family has arrived.”

The speaker was Xia Jianchun, the youngest of the three Xia brothers. Before waiting for a reply, he added vaguely, “I remember the second brother’s family lives closest to this golf course.”

“Maybe Sister doesn’t want to go on the blind date and is throwing a tantrum at home,” the youngest brother’s daughter whispered, not forgetting to look around at the expressions of those nearby.

The woman next to her immediately put on a show, pulling her daughter and loudly saying, “The match our eldest brother is arranging is such an honor! Xia Rou wouldn’t be so inconsiderate.”

Just watching their lip movements from a distance through the car window, Xia Rou guessed they weren’t discussing anything good, perhaps criticizing her family again.

In contrast, her mother, sitting next to her, maintained an elegant posture, reminding her to behave well later and not lose to the third uncle’s daughter.

Due to a one-year age difference, she and her third uncle’s daughter had always been subjects of comparison, from studies to looks, height to special talents. Luckily, Xia Rou had never lost.

But did she gain a blood-related enemy because of this?

To be precise, she was the one being antagonized.

After getting out of the car, it was the usual routine of greeting each other, calling names, and playing out a scene of surface harmony and familial love.

Then, the group walked together toward the direction of the golf carts, with the younger generation naturally trailing behind.

The sunlight was actually quite pleasant today, but the halo of light from above made Xia Rou feel increasingly drowsy. She reluctantly followed the group.

Noticing her listless appearance, Xia Zhi proactively approached her for a chat. “Sister, did you hear which distinguished young man Eldest Uncle arranged for you this time?”

“No interest.”

Xia Rou walked forward expressionlessly.

The faint reply made Xia Zhi suppress the urge to roll her eyes. She continued relentlessly, “It’s the second son of the Rongsheng Group!”

Hearing the subtle hint of schadenfreude in the tone beside her, Xia Rou paused, turned her head, and said, “Oh, is it that fat, ugly, and incompetent Alpha? I think he’s almost thirty, right?”

“He might be a bit older, but he’s very honest, and the Rongsheng Group is known in the circle for having the best cash flow. A successful marriage alliance would be very beneficial to our family business’s development.”

Xia Zhi spoke with excitement.

Xia Rou forced a slight, unnatural smile. “If you like him so much, why don’t you make the alliance?”

“Sister, you’re joking. I’m not even 20 yet. Besides, how can a younger sister marry before her older sister?”

Xia Zhi’s face turned pale then red, and she explained nervously.

“What does that matter? It’s the new society. You’ve passed the legal marriage age anyway.”

Xia Rou continued to tease. It wasn’t that she, the older sister, enjoyed being aggressive; it was just that the other person had fired the first shot, and she was justified in fighting back.

“I… I’m not ready yet.” In her awkwardness, Xia Zhi pretended to run towards the boy walking ahead to strike up a conversation. “Zhuowei Ge, can you teach me how to play golf later?”

Xia Rou walked behind, hands in pockets, watching the spectacle, thinking that it would be a miracle if he bothered to talk to her with his awful temper.

Sure enough, the next second, Xia Zhuowei shot Xia Zhi a fierce, impatient glare. “Go stand somewhere cool!”

Rebuffed and embarrassed, Xia Zhi retreated crestfallen. Just as Xia Rou was enjoying the sight, she unexpectedly found that Xia Zhuowei seemed to be waiting in place. Preparing to walk past him, she received a belated, teasing remark from him.

“I heard my dad is trying to introduce you to an ugly, fat Alpha nearing thirty this time. What, have you fallen that low?”

“It’s just a blind date. It’s not a done deal.”

Xia Rou tried to appear calm.

Xia Zhuowei made an ambiguous clicking sound, sized her up, and then dropped a line: “If you’re willing to beg me, I might consider solving this problem for you.”

“Don’t worry. If I had to beg you, I wouldn’t bear the surname Xia.” After saying that, Xia Rou quickly walked away, her heart pounding. What was wrong with Xia Zhuowei today? He actually offered to help her? Could he be secretly planning something malicious again?

“I’ve always wanted to play at Linlu’s most high-end golf club. I really owe you a favor today, Old Lin.”

On the green, infinite lawn, a girl with golden-brown curly hair, wearing a black golf uniform, swung her club, her eyes full of excitement.

“Don’t call me that. It makes me sound old.”

Lin Xi glanced at her disapprovingly, lowered her head, and set her posture, preparing to hit her own ball.

“We’ve known each other for how many years? I’m used to it and can’t change.”

The speaker was Chi Xiao, Lin Xi’s childhood friend. Before returning to China, they were neighbors for over ten years. Chi Xiao had applied to be an exchange student this semester, though they attended different universities.

“I’ve had a headache these past two days. You never told me the little sisters in Linlu were so clingy! I absolutely have to hide out this weekend…”

[It’s your fault for always flirting and not changing your habits.]

Lin Xi was about to retort but was interrupted.

“Hey, look, so many people suddenly arrived over there, like a group outing.” Chi Xiao’s voice forced Lin Xi’s attention to shift, and she looked in that direction.

In that area not far away, there were quite a few men and women, all wearing professional golf attire.

She immediately recognized one girl in a white golf shirt. Her flowing black, curly hair was subtly chestnut-colored in the sunlight. Her small face was fair and beautiful. As the breeze blew, a few strands of hair fluttered, and even from this distance, her captivating beauty was undeniable.

Lin Xi, who had been surprised a second ago, instantly understood. This golf club seemed to have shares held by the Xia family. It wasn’t strange for her to be here.

She withdrew her gaze, feigning indifference and a lack of interest, saying, “Oh, maybe it’s a family gathering.”

Chi Xiao didn’t lose her curiosity. Her gaze lingered in that direction, and she made a lovestruck expression, saying, “I spotted two beauties, and they both seem to be Omegas. Tsk, the taller one is even prettier!”

Chi Xiao didn’t notice Lin Xi’s slight change in expression.

“I didn’t expect to run into a romantic opportunity while playing golf today. Do you think I should go ask for their contact information later?”

Lin Xi frowned slightly, her tone acerbic: “Do you still want to play golf?”

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