Cool Alpha Pregnant with a Dryad’s Cub - Chapter 1

“Snap.”

The warehouse lights flickered on, and a small figure zipped under the storage shelves in a flash. Zhuo Ti closed the warehouse door behind her and shook the bag in her hand. “Apple, it’s me.”

A moment later, an orange cat’s head popped out from beneath the shelf, glancing around shiftily. Once it recognized the visitor, the kitten crawled out and dashed to Zhuo Ti’s feet, rubbing its head against her calf.

Zhuo Ti knelt down to scratch its head and chin. “Good boy, I brought you some dried yellow croaker today.”

The orange cat purred contentedly, eyes half-closing at her touch. Hearing about the treat, it let out a lazy meow that sounded like a “Yes.”

Zhuo Ti scooped the cat up and carried it to the back of the warehouse. The half-meter gap between the shelves and the corner was a little sanctuary she had built for the cat. She poured the dried fish into Apple’s bowl, cleaned the litter box, and changed the water. When she turned back, Apple was already buried face-first in the meal, eating happily.

She crouched nearby, watching for a while before speaking. “I have something to do tomorrow night, so I won’t be coming to the bar. I’ll have Xiaomu bring you food. Don’t bite him, or you’ll go hungry.”

Apple, whose head was bobbing up and down as it ate, froze for half a second. It immediately turned and jumped onto Zhuo Ti’s lap. She caught its rear with both hands, even as a piece of dried fish remained clamped in its mouth.

Apple smacked its lips, swallowed the fish, and looked up at Zhuo Ti. “Why?”

“I have a job tomorrow,” Zhuo Ti said, rubbing its hindquarters. “I took a night off.”

“What job? What’s a job?” Apple stared at her.

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Anyway, I’m not coming tomorrow…” As Zhuo Ti’s hand played with its back leg, Apple’s paw gave a sharp twitch.

“Ow,” the kitten let out a pained cry.

“What is it?” Zhuo Ti looked down, gently parting its hind legs to find blue bruises at the base of its thighs.

“What happened?” Zhuo Ti’s brow furrowed, her fingers lightly brushing the swollen area. “Did you bump into something, or did someone bully you?”

“Kicked me,” Apple lay in her arms.

“Who?”

Apple swiped a front paw across its face. A cat might not remember a kind soul clearly, but it always remembered an enemy with perfect clarity. “Fatty. The fat man with his hair tied back.”

Zhuo Ti thought for a moment. “The one with the tattoo on his neck?”

“That’s him,” Apple confirmed.

The injury wasn’t severe; aside from the swelling, there was no other damage. Fortunately, Apple was a very alert kitten and could usually find an escape route quickly if harassed.

Zhuo Ti blew gently on its wound. “How many times have I told you? Don’t run to the front of the house, it’s chaotic out there.”

Apple closed its eyes, neither looking nor answering. It was an animal, after all; no matter how obedient it was, it couldn’t fully override its instincts. Zhuo Ti didn’t truly intend to lecture it. She rubbed its head and set it down. “Be good. I’ll get revenge for you.”

Zhuo Ti closed the warehouse door. The sound of music had already reached this area. She took a pair of black soft leather gloves from her pocket and pulled them on. As she walked through the dressing room hallway, the music grew louder and closer. When she pushed open the door to the main hall, the beat slammed directly into her ears.

At ten o’clock at night, the party at the bar was just beginning.

Zhuo Ti opened the computer on the bar counter. There were plenty of orders. She lifted the dust cloth from the glasses and began mixing drinks, her movements both fast and precise.

Xiaomu placed an empty tray on the counter, finally finishing his round of deliveries. He tapped the surface. “Sister Zhuo…”

Before he could finish, Zhuo Ti, her head still down, pushed an orange drink toward him. Xiaomu’s eyes lit up as he took it. “Only Sister Zhuo truly understands me!”

“Help me feed Apple tomorrow, thanks,” Zhuo Ti said.

“Cough!” Xiaomu nearly sprayed the drink back out. He looked reluctant. “It bites me.”

“It won’t anymore,” Zhuo Ti said, refilling his glass. “Did that tattooed guy with the ponytail show up today?”

“Which one?”

“The one who caused trouble in the bar last week,” Zhuo Ti said.

That rang a bell for Xiaomu. He turned his head and gestured with his chin toward a certain direction. “Booth 19. Because of him, nobody dares to sit in Booth 18 next to him.”

Zhuo Ti looked up. Booth 19 was in the back row. People dancing on the circular central stage blocked her line of sight, and the lighting was dim, but Zhuo Ti had excellent vision. She spotted the tattooed man dancing wildly in his booth.

“Don’t worry, Sister Zhuo,” Xiaomu said. “I’m keeping an eye on him. If he starts trouble again, I’ll call the police immediately.”

Zhuo Ti placed a finished drink on the tray in front of him. “Table 33.”

Xiaomu picked up the tray and turned to leave, then looked back with a grin. “Sister Zhuo, your little fangirl is back.”

Zhuo Ti didn’t look up. A moment later, a woman’s voice appeared at the counter. “Zhuo Ti, I’m here.”

“Mm,” Zhuo Ti responded flatly.

“The usual. One ‘Dancing in the Clouds,’ your specialty.” The woman leaned against the bar, her head nearly reaching in front of Zhuo Ti.

Zhuo Ti mixed the drink before finally looking up at her. The woman immediately gave her a bright smile.

Zhuo Ti’s gaze shifted behind her. The group in Booth 19 was still dancing. She took one look and then lowered her eyes to continue mixing drinks.

Wang Chun took a small sip of her drink, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at Zhuo Ti. “Zhuo Ti, do you only talk to me if I buy alcohol?”

Just as she spoke, a menu appeared in front of her. Zhuo Ti said, “Which one do you want?”

“Which one gives you a commission?” Wang Chun asked.

“Everything on here does,” Zhuo Ti replied.

Wang Chun glanced at the menu. “Why is it so expensive?”

“Sold by the bottle,” Zhuo Ti said, noticing a new order from Booth 19 pop up on the screen.

While Wang Chun carefully combed through the menu for something cheaper, Zhuo Ti began mixing drinks again. Wang Chun’s eyes were instinctively drawn to her. Honestly, Zhuo Ti was so cool. She was beautiful to begin with, and her serious, stoic expression while working gave off a sharp, stylish aura. The glasses in her hands seemed like puppets, moving exactly as she commanded.

Of course, Zhuo Ti was just as stoic when she wasn’t working.

Zhuo Ti added a high-proof Qingli White to the mix. Wang Chun clicked her tongue. “Who is so tough? Mixing it like that, they’re going to pass out cold.”

Once the drink was ready, Zhuo Ti rang the bell on the counter. A waiter came by to take the special mix. Her eyes followed him until the drink was delivered to Booth 19.

Wang Chun toyed with her long hair. “Zhuo Ti, if I buy a whole bottle, will you hang out with me after you get off work?”

Zhuo Ti wiped a water stain off the bar, her attention fixed on the computer screen. “Sorry, we don’t offer that service.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that,” Wang Chun said. “I’ve been pursuing you for over a month. Give me some face and have a late-night snack with me?”

“I don’t eat snacks,” Zhuo Ti took her water bottle and unscrewed the cap for a sip.

“Sigh…” Wang Chun slumped against the bar. “You’re so hard to get. Tell me then, what will it take for you to have a meal with me?”

“I don’t like you, so I won’t eat with you,” Zhuo Ti said, concise as ever.

“Beep beep.” The computer gave a notification. Zhuo Ti looked over instantly. Booth 19 had ordered several sweet drinks. The corners of Zhuo Ti’s mouth twitched upward slightly.

Xiaomu returned with an empty tray and sat next to Wang Chun. “Our Sister Zhuo loves money. Why don’t you try throwing some cash at her?”

Wang Chun sat up straight. “For real?”

“Who knows?” Xiaomu took a sip of his unfinished drink and laughed. “Sister Zhuo is incredibly popular. If you counted up all the customers who like her, there’d be more than the people on the dance floor. None of them have caught her yet.”

Xiaomu wiped his mouth. “But Sister Zhuo works several jobs, she’s busy and loves earning money. Try the money approach.”

Wang Chun frowned at Zhuo Ti. “How much money for just one meal? Just one, only one.”

Zhuo Ti placed the sweet drinks on the counter and signaled Xiaomu with her eyes. “Booth 19.”

Xiaomu shrugged and quickly carried the drinks away.

“Just one meal,” Wang Chun held up a finger. “Zhuo Ti, just one.”

There was a small freezer under the bar. Zhuo Ti opened it, took out a serving of tiramisu, and placed it in front of Wang Chun. “Eat. This one’s on me.”

Wang Chun froze. “I didn’t mean this kind of eating. Let’s go to a restaurant… or you could come to my house, I’ll cook for you.”

“I’m not going,” Zhuo Ti replied again.

“Zhuo Ti,” Wang Chun blinked her large eyes, her gaze soft as water. “Just one meal. Have one meal with me and I promise I won’t pester you anymore. I swear.”

Zhuo Ti remained focused, her attention lingering on Booth 19 in the distance.

The BB Liu Bar was located in the heart of City A’s bustling downtown. From the air, it was a perfectly square building, not particularly tall, but unique because it was surrounded by an artificial lake, standing right in the center.

Two figures were floating in the air above the bar, a man and a woman. The woman wore a long white robe, her hair tied back simply with a single jade hairpin. The man beside her was dressed in a black suit. Both were looking down at the building.

“There’s a demon inside,” Xu Zhuangyuan said, pointing at the bar below.

Beside him, Gongsun Wu tilted her head slightly, studying the building for a long time. “What is this place?”

“A bar. A place for drinking and dancing,” Xu Zhuangyuan explained.

“A place for revelry.”

“You could say that.” Xu Zhuangyuan looked at her. “Boss, should we go in?”

Gongsun Wu nodded. “Let’s go take a look.”

The two landed lightly in front of the bar’s entrance. The security guards didn’t notice them. Xu Zhuangyuan asked, “How should we enter? Should I drop the barrier?”

Gongsun Wu didn’t speak. She simply walked straight through the door in front of the guards. The door never opened, but she had already passed through. Xu Zhuangyuan shook his head helplessly and quickly followed.

The music inside was deafening and the lights were dim; only the blurred silhouettes of people could be seen. On the circular high platform in the center, several men and women in revealing clothes were grinding together.

Gongsun Wu’s brow furrowed slightly. “Is this… okay?”

“It’s fine,” Xu Zhuangyuan said. “The world has changed. Men and women are equal now, and people are free to dress how they like.”

“Oh.” Gongsun Wu’s brow gradually smoothed. Fine, if that was the way of the world, she would respect it.

Gongsun Wu had never been to a bar. She found it quite novel, strolling leisurely through the crowd to get a general feel for the environment.

Most of the booths were full, but there was an empty one against the wall. Gongsun Wu sat down naturally.

The neighboring booth was packed and boisterous. A fat man slammed himself down onto the sofa.

The sofas were semi-circular, and the two booths shared a back-to-back connection. The impact caused the sofa on the other side to vibrate. Xu Zhuangyuan shot the man a look of deep disgust.

The fat man leaned back broadly. “Fuck! I’ve barely had a few sips tonight, why am I so dizzy?”

Xu Zhuangyuan moved to the other end of the sofa, away from the fat man and next to Gongsun Wu. Gongsun Wu leaned back comfortably, her eyes staring straight ahead. Xu Zhuangyuan followed her gaze.

Through layers of shifting silhouettes, across the entire diagonal length of the bar, sat a counter. There weren’t many people there, just a few scattered customers. One woman in a short white skirt was perched on a high stool, her upper body leaning across the bar as she talked to a bartender dressed all in black.

Xu Zhuangyuan noted, “The demon is over there.”

Gongsun Wu didn’t speak, her eyes still fixed on that spot. Xu Zhuangyuan was puzzled. “What is it?”

“That human,” Gongsun Wu said softly. “She can see us.”