Does An Inferior Omega Also Have To Marry First, Then Fall In Love? - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Ji Qingyu Sat in the Passenger…

Ji Qingyu sat in the passenger seat. The car was so quiet it made him nervous. Fu Han hadn’t said anything. Ji Qingyu was still holding the warm white fungus soup, which Fu Han had handed him from the back seat, saying Wang Sao had packed it for him.

Since Fu Han wasn’t talking, Ji Qingyu didn’t know what to say either.

The scenery outside the window was quite pleasant. It was already thin-sweater weather, with a slight chill of early autumn. Ji Qingyu was sensitive to the cold. He quietly reached for the heater button on his side.

Fu Han ignored him and rolled down a small crack in his own window.

“Luo Sheng said you’re a good child and spoke highly of you. Why is it that everyone around me likes you after you married me?” The car was parked and unstarted. Fu Han seemed to have nothing else to do, intentionally wasting time with Ji Qingyu.

Ji Qingyu slowly ate his white fungus soup, then, as if remembering something, glanced at Fu Han and secretly handed him the photo.

“That, well, you weren’t there just now, so we took it first,” Ji Qingyu said. “I left a space for you. If you need it, I can add you in.”

He didn’t know how to use Photoshop, but he could probably ask Nannan for help. Nannan had shown him her own masterpieces. He didn’t understand why a perfectly fine little girl would Photoshop herself into an alien.

Fu Han took the photo, looked at it, and put it aside expressionlessly.

“Ji Qingyu,” Fu Han’s voice was flat, his hand cupping his chin. “Do you have any other plans later, like releasing songs or an album? I can help you with all of that. Consider it… a thank-you gift for helping me find my mother.”

He didn’t actually have many plans. He used to write songs simply because he wanted to, but after six years, he lacked inspiration.

But hearing Fu Han say this still made him happy.

Ji Qingyu felt that Fu Han didn’t seem as angry anymore. He slowly finished the white fungus soup, and his stomach felt warmer.

“However,” Fu Han’s voice turned cold again. He finally started the car and began driving home. “Don’t think that the past can be completely wiped clean.”

“Ji Qingyu, you have no credibility with me anymore,” Fu Han stated a fact. Ji Qingyu didn’t fully register the words; the moment of warmth had melted into an ice cave. His heart sank again.

“I’ll tell you some good news. I never found that female Omega back then, but someone recently ran into her in Jing City again. Tell me, if I catch her, won’t you two have a chance to catch up?” Fu Han’s voice was slow and mocking. “After all, you’re old friends.”

“I… I don’t want to see her,” Ji Qingyu’s hand clutched the hem of his sweater. Fear and panic surfaced with the mention of that name.

“Of course you don’t want to see her. You two—one murderer, one accomplice. After doing such a thing, one dropped out and went home, and the other simply fled, fearing the consequences. You truly have a tacit understanding.”

Fu Han spun the steering wheel sharply. The car drifted violently. The tires screeched loudly against the ground. Ji Qingyu reached out and grabbed the car’s handle, but his body still uncontrollably lurched toward Fu Han.

Fu Han avoided him as if he were scalding hot. Ji Qingyu’s body hit the center console. The car nearly went into neutral and slid several times on the cold road. Fu Han slammed the brakes, barely managing to stop by the roadside.

Ji Qingyu lurched forward due to the loss of balance. He raised his hand to press against the front windshield, but his head still painfully hit the car body. It hurt badly. He covered his head, and a sharper sting shot up his wrist.

This was completely unexpected. Before Ji Qingyu could react, Fu Han grabbed his wrist again. Ji Qingyu tried to push him away, but his wound was seized. He squeezed out a few trembling words between his teeth, “Let go! Release me!”

“Let go?” Fu Han seemed to hear a huge joke. The bubble of warmth popped. He reverted to his arrogant and indifferent self. He wouldn’t allow himself to be vulnerable, nor would he permit anyone to disobey, his words alone full of lethality. “Ji Qingyu, you provoked me first. Why didn’t you let me go back then? And now you have the nerve to ask me to let go?”

Ji Qingyu was stunned into silence by Fu Han’s intense aggression. He fell quiet again. A ball of tension was stuck in his chest, heavily settling in his lungs. His eyes were wide.

“I… I only wanted your money and power. If you let go now, I won’t be able to get what I want, which is exactly what you wish for, isn’t it?” Ji Qingyu argued. He thought this would satisfy both parties. Once Lin Ying had her surgery, he could leave. Fu Han wouldn’t have to see him every day and find him an eyesore.

Fu Han’s grip on Ji Qingyu’s wrist tightened, his gaze fixed on Ji Qingyu. The outward display of emotion was fleeting, quickly disappearing.

“Whatever choices I make are my business, but you have no choice,” Fu Han finally, mercifully, released Ji Qingyu’s hand. “You only need to be obedient.”

Ji Qingyu looked at his wrist. Outwardly, there was no change, but internally, it was already bruised and battered, just like his relationship with Fu Han. It looked like there was still room to maneuver, but it was already full of holes.

The rest of the drive was silent. Fu Han drove the car home. “What I said still stands. Think about the songwriting yourself.”

“Fu Han…” Ji Qingyu mustered his courage. “A few days ago, you asked if I was hiding something from you. What exactly were you referring to?”

Fu Han glanced back at Ji Qingyu but didn’t answer. The photo was forgotten in the car. Ji Qingyu sighed and picked it up.

They were supposed to attend the dinner party together. While changing clothes at home, Fu Han received a call and left early, leaving a car for Ji Qingyu.

It was Wang Sao who noticed Ji Qingyu’s wrist. Less than half an hour later, it was already red and swollen, likely a contusion.

Wang Sao fetched a spray and applied a few pumps to Ji Qingyu’s wrist. It couldn’t be bandaged; it would be too noticeable at the dinner party, so Ji Qingyu left it as it was.

The dinner party was hosted by the Ji family to discuss the long-term future commercial collaboration between the Ji and Fu families. The venue was a winery halfway up the mountain, reportedly an ancient building constructed by a noble who lived there in the last century. This gathering felt more like a private banquet for core members, attended mostly by prominent figures who knew each other, gathering in small groups.

Ji Qingyu was not good at handling such events. He found a corner to space out alone.

Fu Yunbai seemed unaware of Luo Sheng’s situation. He still maintained his arrogant demeanor, standing in the center of the ballroom, chatting with Ji Deyong, with a distant, fake smile on his lips.

Ji Deyong had a stunning beauty on his arm, a rising star, a rare new generation in the entertainment industry with both acting skills and looks.

Ji Qingyu felt annoyed just looking at Ji Deyong. Amidst the shimmering lights and clinking glasses, he hid behind a high wall built by the champagne tower and food. Few could see him, which made him feel slightly more comfortable. He hoped to stay this way until the end of the banquet.

The fruit at the banquet was fresh, however. Ji Qingyu picked up a few grapes and put them in his mouth. A waiter brought a cocktail, and he finished the entire glass quickly.

Perhaps the drink was too crisp; he actually wanted another one. Before he could call for a waiter, a hand adorned with expensive jewelry reached out from behind and offered him a cocktail.

“Thank you,” Ji Qingyu turned around to thank him, but his expression immediately froze. Just his luck—it was Ji Ran.

“A drink for children. This is all you can handle,” Ji Ran smiled affectionately at Ji Qingyu. His hair was styled volumized and structured. Every gesture exuded the aristocratic air of someone who had navigated high society for years.

Ji Qingyu put down the cocktail and tried to leave without a word.

Nothing good ever happened where Ji Ran was. He was like a shark that smelled blood, needing no hint to find his prey.

Ji Ran was dressed playfully today, like a naive and inexperienced child. He wore a brightly colored checked shirt under a white suit, with two buttons undone, revealing his beautiful collarbone.

“Brother, don’t leave. I brought you flowers to congratulate you on your successful performance,” Ji Ran magically produced a bouquet of white Lafa from behind him. It was a cheap variety of lily, with white, curved petals marked with black spots.

“No need,” Ji Qingyu said. “I don’t want these things.”

Especially not from you.

“You really don’t want to talk to me? Well, don’t force it. I’ll find someone else to talk to you,” Seeing that Ji Qingyu wasn’t going to respond, Ji Ran wasn’t bothered. He put the flowers aside, grabbed Ji Qingyu’s wrist, and shouted with a smile towards Ji Deyong and Fu Yunbai: “Dad, Uncle, look who I found!”

Ji Qingyu shook off Ji Ran’s hand and retreated two steps backward.

Ji Deyong and Fu Yunbai’s position had gradually moved next to the bar. Only then did Ji Qingyu notice a person standing behind the bar. He looked somewhat similar to Fu Yunbai but was middle-aged, dressed very modestly, and carried a weary, frustrated expression.

Ji Ran dragged Ji Qingyu over, barely looking at the middle-aged man who was mixing drinks, and then sweetly greeted the elders. “Brother and I were busy chatting and didn’t come to greet the elders.”

“Good boy,” Fu Yunbai smiled. In public, he didn’t disrespect Ji Qingyu, but he lowered his gaze and asked Ji Qingyu calmly, “Where is Xiaohan? Didn’t you come with him? Why isn’t he here?”

He hadn’t been informed by Fu Han.

Ji Qingyu thought, Doesn’t Fu Yunbai know what kind of character his son is? How could he have the leisure to tell me his whereabouts? He probably left ahead of me because he had something to deal with.

He shook his head. “Perhaps he was delayed. He’s very busy lately, with a lot of work.”

“CEO Fu is a young talent at the height of his career, unlike us. We’re getting old and just passing the days,” Ji Deyong was middle-aged and overweight, making the female celebrity next to him look even more petite. Ji Qingyu couldn’t stand it. Being close to this “father” made him feel physically ill. He shifted his gaze away from him.

“What are you saying, Brother Ji?” Fu Yunbai smiled casually, getting straight to the point. “We have many more collaborations that the two families need to bring to fruition.”

More tedious pleasantries. Ji Qingyu found it boring and wanted to turn and leave, but Ji Ran blocked his path.

Ji Ran showed his beautiful canines and tilted his head slightly. Ji Qingyu didn’t want to engage and tried to walk past him.

“Fu Han is indeed very busy.” Ji Ran leaned against the bar. The bartender handed Ji Ran a Dry Martini, his favorite and most frequently ordered drink—strong, bitter, and intoxicating. Ji Ran smiled softly, his eyes like clear, pure agate.

He stood up, leaned closer to Ji Qingyu, and whispered in his ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Fu Han arrived early. He’s upstairs right now. Coincidentally, I saw him. A beautiful Omega went up with him.”

Ji Ran tidied Ji Qingyu’s cuff, then lowered his eyes to look at his wrist. Ji Qingyu pulled his hand back. Ji Ran smiled again—a brilliant, malicious fake smile.

“Brother, I like you best, so I definitely have to help you. I’ll point the way for you. Do you want to go take a look?”