Forced to Romance the Omega Psychiatrist - Chapter 30

Xu Chuan stood in the corner of the banquet hall, leisurely sipping soda water from his glass, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the long table adorned with red velvet, laden with desserts and champagne towers at the other end.

Bai Shuixi was over there, holding a champagne flute and exchanging pleasantries with a few other young people from prominent families. Her expression suggested she was somewhat bored, engaging in idle chatter with little enthusiasm, as if she couldn’t be bothered.

Under the dazzling brilliance of the crystal chandeliers, Bai Shuixi truly resembled an exquisite gemstone without a single flaw, a piece meant to be displayed in the most luxurious and refined showcase.

Unfortunately, the company she kept was far from fitting.

Noticing that Bai Shuixi’s gaze never strayed too far from Xia You, inadvertently revealing an excessive level of concern, Xu Chuan frowned slightly and turned to his secretary. “It’s been quite some time. Where is that young lady who had some friction with Miss Xia?”

The secretary lowered his head slightly. “President Song borrowed a room to discuss matters with someone. Miss Zhou is currently free and chatting with others outside the venue.”

Xu Chuan nodded. “Then go inform her. There’s work to be done, she shouldn’t be idle.”

The secretary nodded and turned to leave.

Xu Chuan set down his champagne glass and walked toward Bai Shuixi, stopping only when he reached her side. “President Bai, regarding the upcoming projects, there are a few documents the company’s executives would like you to review.”

“Hmm?” Bai Shuixi frowned. “What documents?”

She wasn’t particularly inclined to move.

Attending this event at all was already giving face to the host. Tianyin wouldn’t be involved in the subsequent projects anyway, why bother reviewing documents now?

“Concerning the competition in the latter half of the year,” Xu Chuan reminded quietly.

So, plans had changed?

Bai Shuixi couldn’t recall whether the original work had hinted at this part. In any case, the main text only mentioned that the original character, after seeing Xia You embrace Li Wei, had flown into a rage and taken Xia You back to torment her, not leaving the bedroom for days even doubling the number of toys inside.

The work-related aspects were barely mentioned at all, making it difficult for Bai Shuixi to dig for details.

Bai Shuixi glanced at Xu Chuan, then turned to set down her champagne flute, deciding to adapt as things unfolded. “In that case, let’s discuss it together. You can!”

The second half of her sentence was directed at Xia You. Bai Shuixi wasn’t entirely sure whether she should bring Xia You along.

After all, Xia You was a new assistant who had only recently joined. Bringing her to the banquet was one thing, but having her sit in on a high-level private meeting might lead some to perceive her as overstepping, inviting unpleasant remarks.

Bai Shuixi could certainly silence anyone who dared gossip, but she’d much prefer Xia You never had to deal with such comments in the first place.

“The lounge is just upstairs from the banquet hall,” Xu Chuan added softly, as if reading Bai Shuixi’s thoughts. “Miss Xia can rest there. If moving seems too troublesome, my secretary can accompany her instead.”

As he spoke, he glanced back. The secretary who had just left the banquet hall happened to return at that moment, walking respectfully toward Xu Chuan and Bai Shuixi.

Bai Shuixi also took a moment to study the silent beta.

She wasn’t particularly keen on handing the female lead over to someone else but this might be an opportunity to naturally facilitate Xia You’s interaction with Xu Chuan’s people.

In the original story, the female lead and Xu Chuan’s faction were already allies. If they interacted, it might help advance the plot.

Bai Shuixi turned to Xia You: “What do you think?”

Xia You considered for a moment. It was just a meeting, probably wouldn’t take too long, and moving around would indeed be troublesome. Besides, if Li Wei wanted to find her, the lounge might not be as safe as the bustling banquet hall.

“I’ll stay here,” Xia You said, looking at Bai Shuixi.

“Alright,” Bai Shuixi nodded, then turned to Xu Chuan’s secretary. “Then you stay with Miss Xia. Don’t leave her sight, don’t take her out of the banquet hall, and don’t respond to any strange people approaching her.”

“No, no, it’s not that serious. Secretary Chen, you can just go about your own business.”

Xia You didn’t know what Bai Shuixi was guarding against, but hearing her give such detailed instructions made her blush slightly. She tugged at Bai Shuixi’s wrist and whispered, “Stop it, I’m not a child. I can judge for myself.”

“Oh, really?” Bai Shuixi turned back, glancing down at her with a faint smirk. “Then I’m the child. Big sister, why don’t you take care of me instead?”

Xia You froze, inexplicably sensing a hint of flirtation in Bai Shuixi’s words. Her face instantly burned crimson, and she gritted her teeth, squeezing out a few words in a voice as soft and delicate as a kitten’s.

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Bai Shuixi chuckled quietly, her eyes still gleaming with amusement when she spoke again. “Then I’ll head over now.”

Realizing her reaction was a bit odd, Xia You coughed lightly in embarrassment, trying to regain her composure though the tips of her ears remained flushed, impossible to hide even under makeup. “Mm.”

Bai Shuixi soon left with Xu Chuan, the two walking out of the banquet hall one after the other. Xia You’s gaze followed Bai Shuixi until the doors blocked her view.

With mixed emotions, Xia You withdrew her gaze. Seeing Secretary Chen standing silently before her made her feel awkward.

“Secretary Chen, you really don’t need to stay with me. Just go about your own business.”

Secretary Chen neither agreed nor disagreed, merely pausing thoughtfully. “I heard this hotel’s desserts are specially supplied, especially their mousse cake. Would you like to try some, Miss Xia? I can fetch some for you.”

Xia You relaxed slightly.

Truthfully, she didn’t care much about the mousse, and Secretary Chen surely knew that. This was just an excuse to create some distance, making both of them more comfortable.

“Then I’ll trouble you,” Xia You said gently, nodding at Secretary Chen.

Secretary Chen gave her a perfunctory smile before turning and walking deeper into the banquet hall.

As she passed by a Romanesque decorative pillar, a graceful and alluring Omega in emerald green brushed past her.

“No more than fifteen minutes,” Secretary Chen said flatly, without any inflection.

Zhou Wanwan curved her lips and strode toward the center of the hall in her high heels.

There, the gentle, harmless-looking Omega who seemed utterly naive was sitting idly on a sofa, holding a glass of sparkling water disguised as champagne.

Zhou Wanwan’s gaze swept over Xia You’s slender neck and softly curved shoulder blades, suddenly thinking that perhaps not dieting too strictly had its advantages.

“Long time no see.” Zhou Wanwan gracefully walked up behind Xia You and spoke with a cheerful smile.

Xia You seemed startled, quickly turning around to look at her.

“Hi,” Zhou Wanwan curved her eyes into a lovely smile. With her naturally innocent appearance, she deliberately softened any hostility, looking like a freshly weaned fox cub when she smiled so sweetly. “It wasn’t convenient earlier, so I didn’t get to catch up with you. Hope you don’t mind?”

As she spoke, she casually took a seat beside Xia You.

Xia You frowned slightly but didn’t show any impolite expression. “I don’t think we have any past connection worth catching up on.”

“Ah, why say that? At the very least, we’ve shared the same alpha,” Zhou Wanwan glanced back at her, her beautiful eyes carrying a mix of reproach and grievance. “Why so distant?”

Xia You instinctively leaned back now she understood why Zhou Wanwan was so popular. The woman truly exuded charm with every smile and glance, even blending in a touch of youthful liveliness.

But her words…

“What do you mean, ‘shared the same alpha’?” Xia You asked in a hushed voice.

This time, unlike their last encounter, Zhou Wanwan wasn’t aggressive. She merely rolled her eyes. “I don’t think this is the right place to talk. Don’t you agree?”

Xia You frowned and scanned the surrounding guests. After a brief silence, she lowered her voice. “I won’t go anywhere with you.”

“Where did your mind wander to?” Zhou Wanwan laughed, her gaze drifting until she spotted a quiet corner. She pointed and said, “How about we chat over there?”

Her finger happened to land on the exact spot where Bai Shuixi had secretly observed Xia You and Li Wei earlier.

Xia You hesitated, then turned to look for Assistant Chen. After a few glances without finding him, she relented.

“Just for a little while,” Xia You said, turning back to Zhou Wanwan.

“Obviously,” Zhou Wanwan replied nonchalantly. “It’s not like I’m sneaking around with you.”

“…” Xia You was taken aback by her bluntness, stiffening for a moment before frowning and following her.

The two walked one after the other to the floor-to-ceiling window. Xia You stopped a few steps away.

“So, what exactly do you want to say?”

Zhou Wanwan ignored the question, pulling out an elegantly designed flat metal cigarette case from who-knows-where. “I feel like having a smoke. Do you think it’s okay to light up here?”

Xia You took another step back. “I don’t know, but I’m not fond of the smell.”

“Hmm, it’s mint-flavored. You might like it,” Zhou Wanwan said with a coquettish glance, her slender fingers bringing a delicate cigarette to her lips. Her words came out slightly slurred as she held the filter between her teeth. “You won’t know until you try.”

With that, she lowered her eyes. A soft click later, a flame flickered to life, lighting the cigarette.

Xia You frowned. “I don’t want to waste time on nonsense. Did you know Bai Shuixi before?”

“Huh?” Zhou Wanwan looked up in surprise, her thick lashes lifting as her beautiful eyes filled with confusion. “What? Why are you asking about President Bai?”

Xia You faltered, awkwardly averting her gaze. “Oh, nothing. Just asking casually.”

Zhou Wanwan tilted her head in thought for a moment, then seemed to understand. She moved closer to Xia You with interest, circling halfway around her: “Oh! You’re afraid I might also have something going on with President Bai, huh? What a pity, if I did, I wouldn’t have needed to cozy up to Song Zhe.”

Mentioning Song Zhe made a buried nerve in Xia You twitch. She turned to face Zhou Wanwan: “So what exactly is your relationship with Li Wei? Didn’t you say you and her. Then what’s the deal with Song Zhe?”

“Are you interrogating me?” Zhou Wanwan brushed it off casually. “I’ll be with whoever I like. Do I need to file a report and wait for approval?”

Xia You unconsciously furrowed her brows, at a loss for words.

“But actually, there’s nothing substantial between Li Wei and me,” Zhou Wanwan leaned lazily against the decorative wall nearby, cigarette in hand, speaking with careless ease. “We’re just old friends who’ve known each other for years. Sometimes boundaries get crossed, but neither of us has ever acknowledged anything.”

“What do you mean by ‘crossed boundaries’?” Xia You asked quietly, eyeing her.

“Well…” Zhou Wanwan tilted her head, searching for the right words. “We might have seemed overly intimate?”

Xia You fell silent, choosing not to dwell on the inconsistencies in that statement and instead pressing further: “Then what did you mean by saying you’d ‘shared the same alpha’?”

“Of course that was a lie,” Zhou Wanwan laughed. “Otherwise, how could I have gotten you to come with me?”

Xia You quietly exhaled in relief, no longer caring much about what Zhou Wanwan might say next. At least she’d confirmed what she needed to know.

But Zhou Wanwan wouldn’t have approached her without some ulterior motive.

She wondered what had suddenly made Li Wei and Zhou Wanwan act so out of character. Were they planning to trick someone again?

Lowering her gaze, Xia You asked calmly, “So, you called me here just to clarify your relationship with Li Wei?”

“Ah, just clearing up past misunderstandings,” Zhou Wanwan said playfully, putting on an innocent expression. “I didn’t realize how serious it was back then just said those things on a whim. Li Wei didn’t even know about it. I won’t get between you two anymore, so how about being the bigger person and forgiving me this once?”

Xia You studied her for a moment before replying, “Li Wei already explained everything to me. I know.”

Zhou Wanwan froze, her expression turning oddly strained as if caught between mockery and maintaining her smile, leaving her lips in a strange half-twist:

“Oh? So she’d already planned to explain things to you? I had no idea.”

She genuinely seemed unaware.

Xia You sighed softly, too weary to untangle this messy web any further: “I understand what you’re saying. If you’re referring to that time backstage at the variety show, I won’t hold a grudge.”

But other matters were different.

She still remembered how Zhou Wanwan had inexplicably triggered her heat cycle. If it hadn’t been Bai Shuixi who entered the consultation room that day. Even if it was Bai Shuixi, she hadn’t been willing at the time.

If Zhou Wanwan was behind that too, she wouldn’t let it slide so easily.

With that, Xia You left the corner by the window and returned to the lounge area where she’d been waiting.

Zhou Wanwan didn’t chase after her, and Xia You’s surroundings quieted down again. She simply sat on the sofa waiting for Secretary Chen, who returned holding several mousse cakes of different flavors, looking somewhat apologetic: “The dessert area happened to be out of mousse, so I waited there for a while. Did any strange people approach you?”

These were Bai Shuixi’s exact instructions.

Xia You smiled and took the porcelain plate from Secretary Chen: “It’s fine, no one came.”

Secretary Chen’s expression relaxed back into calmness, offering Xia You a faint smile.

Meanwhile, in the presidential suite serving as a temporary meeting room, Bai Shuixi’s expression was equally unenthusiastic. Holding documents in one hand and leaning on the armrest with the other, her entire demeanor radiated boredom: “So,  this is the document you wanted me to see?”

She had already realized this so-called impromptu meeting was just a ploy to keep her away.

The documents these people presented were practically a joke.

“How does this affect our plans for the second half of the year?” Bai Shuixi tossed the stack of papers onto the table, her tone indifferent as she addressed the attending executives.

The others didn’t dare speak up. It was Xu Chuan who finally broke the silence: “Just some preliminary preparations, better safe than sorry. If you wish to secure a partnership with any of them tonight.”

“I never had such intentions,” Bai Shuixi stood up, effortlessly cutting off Xu Chuan’s words. She glanced down at Xu Chuan with cool detachment, “If you can’t even discern whether those projects are worth pursuing, perhaps you should consider a different position. Vice president still seems a bit too high for you.”

Meeting Bai Shuixi’s aloof and aristocratic gaze, Xu Chuan’s fingers resting on the documents trembled uncontrollably. She barely registered the bluntness of Bai Shuixi’s words before impulsively calling out: “President Bo!”

“What is it?” Bai Shuixi turned back from the doorway, her expression impassive.

“It’s still quite cold outside,” Xu Chuan paused, taking a steadying breath, “Please take care to stay warm.”

Bai Shuixi gave her a look but said nothing, simply turning to leave.

After Bai Shuixi departed, executives aligned with Xu Chuan tried to console her: “Why put yourself through this? Didn’t we already see during the last meeting that such documents wouldn’t fool her?”

Xu Chuan merely stared in the direction Bai Shuixi had left, her gaze stubborn. After a long silence, she spoke as if delivering an unshakable decree to herself: “I have my reasons.”

Elsewhere, Bai Shuixi traversed the lengthy corridor, taking the elevator back to the banquet hall floor.

Xia You should be fine.

After all, Bai Shuixi was the antagonist anyone who needed her absence to approach Xia You was likely a positive character. Even if not, they at least wouldn’t pose any threat to Xia You’s safety.

As the attendant pushed open the banquet hall doors, the scene of revelry unfolded once more. Sure enough, Xia You sat safely in the lounge area, holding a porcelain plate while observing the center of the banquet hall, seemingly listening to those vying for the projects.

Bai Shuixi exhaled in relief and approached Xia You, giving Xu Chuan’s secretary a meaningful glance.

The secretary met Bai Shuixi’s eyes, silently rose, and discreetly departed.

After a moment’s thought, Bai Shuixi remained silent, simply raising her hand to gently cover Xia You’s eyes.

As her vision darkened, the light, cool lingering scent of perfume drifted into Xia You’s nose. She froze for a moment before smiling, pulling Bai Shuixi’s hand down and turning to look at her: “Are you done with your work?”

Bai Shuixi didn’t move, letting Xia You hold her wrist as she leaned against the sofa backrest, meeting her gaze: “Do you wish for me to be done?”

“Hmm?” Xia You blinked lightly, as if puzzled by the question.

“At the sky garden, I was only gone for a short while when your childhood sweetheart with unresolved feelings came looking for you,” Bai Shuixi released Xia You’s hand, walked around the backrest and sat beside her, saying with a faint smile, “Now that I’ve been gone for so long, wouldn’t some strange person have appeared again?”

Xia You, who had indeed encountered the strange Zhou Wanwan: “……”

This was practically impossible to explain. Xia You felt a headache coming on: “Li Wei really isn’t my ex. She’s just,  we did grow up together, but there was never anything between us.Especially now, it’s completely over between us.”

“Oh?” This surprised Bai Shuixi somewhat, “It’s over?”

“Mhm.” Xia You responded quietly, turning slightly away to avoid looking at Bai Shuixi.

Bai Shuixi’s thumb unconsciously brushed over her knuckle, unsure whether Xia You’s words were just a temporary interlude or an actual new plot development. She could only ask: “Did you inform Li Wei herself about this ending?”

“How would I even do that?” Xia You hadn’t expected this question at all. She looked at Bai Shuixi in astonishment, her beautiful eyes widening as she retorted somewhat angrily, “Did she tell me when she got so close to Zhou Wanwan?”

“Fair point.” Li Wei deserved her misfortune.

Bai Shuixi smiled and stood up, taking Xia You’s hand and giving it a light shake: “Is there anything you’d like to eat? Don’t you usually have late-night snacks? Let’s go back and eat instead of wasting time here.”

Now Xia You was taken aback: “We can leave already?”

Bai Shuixi nodded: “There’s no need to stay any longer.”

After bidding farewell to the necessary people, Bai Shuixi and Xia You left the banquet hall together.

At first everything was normal, but from the moment they entered the elevator, Xia You seemed distracted, occasionally stealing glances at Bai Shuixi. This continued even as they were about to get into the car.

Bai Shuixi glanced at her: “Ask whatever you want to ask.”

Xia You hesitated: “Actually, it’s nothing much.”

“Alright. If you don’t ask today, after midnight I’ll start setting conditions for answering questions,” Bai Shuixi said casually.

Xia You: “Why?”

Bai Shuixi smiled: “I’m a businesswoman, after all. I might even charge compound interest, Dr. Xia.”

As Bai Shuixi’s rarely-driven Rolls Royce came into view, Xia You blurted out anxiously: “Did you know Zhou Wanwan before?”

“That’s all?” Bai Shuixi thought carefully, certain that neither her original self nor her current self had any connection with Zhou Wanwan, “No, I didn’t.”

Xia You sighed in relief, murmuring softly: “That’s good.”

She had almost thought Zhou Wanwan’s mention of ‘the same alpha’ referred to Bai Shuixi.

Bai Shuixi glanced at Xia You’s reaction, silently taking note but didn’t press further. She simply asked what Xia You wanted for supper and had someone prepare it in advance.

She thought the night would pass uneventfully, but as the car pulled up to the neighborhood entrance, the headlights swept across an unexpected figure, another uninvited guest.

Bai Ye spotted their car and happily bounced in place, waving excitedly. “Senior!”

This person again.

Bai Shuixi’s expression cooled at the thought of the person Shen Yanxin had pushed onto her.

She hadn’t had the chance to seek Bai Ye out yet, but here they were, running into each other.

Xia You was just rolling down the car window to ask why she was standing at the neighborhood entrance so late at night when the term “senior” drifted into the car along with the cold air outside. Both Xia You and Bai Shuixi, sitting side by side, heard it clearly.

“Oh, it’s our Dr. Xia’s dear little sister,” Bai Shuixi leaned back into her seat, crossing her long legs and resting her elbow on the armrest as she propped her chin on her hand, looking at Xia You as if waiting for an explanation.

Xia You: “…”

Bai Shuixi was never reasonable in such situations. With Bai Ye still waiting outside in the cold, Xia You could only sigh and say, “I told you, she’s just a junior I mentored.”

“Oh,” Bai Shuixi responded, watching Xia You. But before Xia You could turn to acknowledge Bai Ye, Bai Shuixi leaned in close to Xia You’s ear and softly murmured, “Senior.”

Bai Shuixi’s tone was always cool, carrying an unconscious air of aristocratic arrogance. Even when calling someone “senior,” it was nothing like Bai Ye’s sunny, cheerful, almost coquettish tone. Her voice was light and soft, laced with a hint of temptation.

Hearing this, Xia You shuddered involuntarily, though no one could say what exactly crossed her mind. Her breathing hitched, losing its rhythm.

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