Her Alpha - Chapter 5

“Hello, just a black pepper steak will do,” Chi Qingwei quickly placed her order.

Shen Zuofeng was taken aback. “Is that all you’re having?”

“Yes,” Chi Qingwei replied, looking at Shen Zuofeng with a smile as she nodded.

Shen Zuofeng was completely stunned. She had originally intended to gauge Chi Qingwei’s tastes based on her order, but judging by the way she ordered, it seemed as though she didn’t really want to eat dinner at all, it felt more like a mere formality.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to order?” Chi Qingwei asked knowingly, even though she had already guessed the reason for Shen Zuofeng’s silence.

Shen Zuofeng remained quiet for a moment before ordering the same steak as Chi Qingwei. Then, based on her own assumptions, she randomly added a few more dishes before finally setting down the menu.

“Miss Shen, may I ask who came up with the idea for the game ‘Sword Quest’?” Chi Qingwei rested her chin on her interlaced fingers, looking at Shen Zuofeng with keen interest.

The game’s concept was something she had never encountered before, and she thought the person who came up with such a novel idea must be quite interesting.

“I provided the general outline of the setting, but it’s thanks to the team at the company that it was able to be presented to the public as it is now,” Shen Zuofeng replied, feeling a slight sense of awkwardness. The game’s premise had taken advantage of the fact that this world had no concept of xianxia, allowing it to quickly capture people’s attention. If this were modern society, such a theme would have long been overused, and standing out would have required much more effort.

“Oh? Then I’m curious, how did you come up with these ideas?” Chi Qingwei nodded thoughtfully.

Shen Zuofeng rubbed her nose, a bit embarrassed, and said, “Actually, these ideas aren’t mine. I just took the legends left behind by our ancestors and presented them in this format.”

This was something Shen Zuofeng found rather tricky. How could she possibly explain that she was a transmigrator, not originally from this world, and that her knowledge came from another reality?

“Hmm? Passed down by ancestors?” Chi Qingwei touched her chin, looking somewhat surprised.

“Yes,” Shen Zuofeng continued calmly, “Perhaps it’s because the legends weren’t widely spread, so you haven’t heard of them.”

Chi Qingwei nodded. “I see.”

Fortunately, Chi Qingwei didn’t press further on the topic, and the rest of their conversation flowed more easily. This first private meeting left a positive impression on both of them.

“I had no idea Miss Chi enjoys rock climbing!” Shen Zuofeng exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Oh? Is it not obvious?” Chi Qingwei took a sip of her wine, smiling.

“Not at all,” Shen Zuofeng shook her head honestly. “I thought you’d be the type to drink tea and read books in your free time. It seems my assumptions were too narrow-minded.”

At this thought, Shen Zuofeng couldn’t help but laugh. People really can’t be judged by appearances alone. Who would have thought that someone who looked so elegant and gentle would privately have a passion for such a physically demanding extreme sport?

“I never imagined I came across as so serene in your eyes, Miss Shen. It seems I’ve disappointed you.”

“Not at all. On the contrary, I’m pleasantly surprised. Thank you for letting me see a side of you I didn’t know existed.”

Shen Zuofeng gently rubbed the handle of her cutlery and said earnestly, “People have many facets, and it’s precisely these facets that make each person rich and complex.”

Chi Qingwei gazed into Shen Zuofeng’s deep brown eyes, suddenly feeling a strong urge to understand the other facets of her personality.

“Miss Chi!”

A young man’s voice, brimming with delight, suddenly rang out. Both turned to look and saw a man in a burgundy suit striding quickly toward them, his handsome face visibly lit up with joy.

Chi Qingwei’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before smoothing out, replaced by a polite, professional smile. “Mr. Li, what a coincidence.”

“Yes, I never expected to run into you here, Miss Chi. I thought you didn’t like Western food?” The man was practically beaming, his eyes fixed intently on Chi Qingwei, completely ignoring the woman seated across from her.

Shen Zuofeng watched this unexpected intruder, her full red lips pressing together slightly. From their interaction, it was clear they knew each other.

And Chi Qingwei didn’t like Western food?

No wonder she had shown little interest in the meal since they started ordering.

Outside the glass window, the night was adorned with colorful neon lights. However, the restaurant’s interior lighting was so bright that the faint glow from outside couldn’t penetrate it. Yet Shen Zuofeng felt as though her own expression was shifting like those vibrant neon lights.

She felt a pang of regret, she knew far too little about Chi Qingwei.

“Just trying something different for a change. Is there something you need, Mr. Li?” Chi Qingwei clearly had no intention of engaging in further conversation with him.

“No, no, I was just excited to see you unexpectedly.” Mr. Li quickly denied, but as his eyes lingered on her radiant face, his heart began to stir restlessly.

Chi Qingwei’s brows immediately furrowed again, and she instinctively leaned back, a trace of displeasure already surfacing on her face.

The man seemed oblivious, as a strong, oppressive scent of gunpowder began to permeate the air.

Shen Zuofeng’s expression darkened as she spoke, “Sir, your pheromones are affecting others.”

“Huh?” The man seemed to notice Shen Zuofeng for the first time. Seeing her remain unfazed under the pressure of his pheromones, he guessed she must be an alpha on par with himself.

“And you are?” The man’s sense of rivalry instantly flared. An alpha who could match him, and one with whom Chi Qingwei was dining at a Western restaurant his gaze toward Shen Zuofeng was now filled with hostility and exclusion.

“Shen Zuofeng. Could you please restrain your pheromones, sir?” The scent was truly unpleasant and irritating, severely affecting her appetite.

Seeing Chi Qingwei, who already had little appetite, push her plate away completely, Shen Zuofeng’s mood soured even further.

Upon hearing Shen Zuofeng’s name, the man’s gaze sharpened instantly. Shen Zuofeng, the dark horse of Huai City’s younger generation and a top-tier alpha.

However, instead of reining in his pheromones, the man intensified them, to the point where it began to disturb the restaurant staff.

Shen Zuofeng’s expression turned cold. Without hesitation, she released her own pheromones, a refreshing blend of lime and alcohol enveloping the man’s gunpowder-like scent and preventing it from spreading further. Her pheromone concentration far surpassed his, immediately pressing down on him until beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead, making him look rather ridiculous.

Watching Li Xuanyi’s state, Chi Qingwei could guess he was being suppressed by Shen Zuofeng’s pheromones. Yet despite Shen Zuofeng releasing enough to overwhelm him, the scent Chi Qingwei detected remained faint clearly, Shen Zuofeng was deliberately controlling her pheromones to avoid affecting her or spreading to others in the restaurant, targeting only Li Xuanyi.

At this thought, Chi Qingwei felt a complex mix of emotions. As a top-tier alpha, Shen Zuofeng could easily send every omega in the restaurant into heat if she wished. Yet she remained so restrained, just as she had remained unmoved when faced with an omega in heat, instead offering an inhibitor.

“Sir, you cannot release pheromones freely in public. Are you unaware of this?” The restaurant manager approached, speaking sternly to the pale-faced man under suppression.

Shen Zuofeng withdrew her pheromones, glancing with disdain at the man who seemed to sigh in relief. She turned to check on Chi Qingwei, relaxing only when she saw she was unaffected.

Li Xuanyi’s face flushed red as he pointed at Shen Zuofeng. “She released hers too! Why aren’t you saying anything to her?”

The manager replied coolly, “If you hadn’t provoked her, she likely wouldn’t have released her pheromones. Moreover, she didn’t affect anyone else.”

Seeing Chi Qingwei’s cold indifference, Li Xuanyi’s lips trembled. He gritted his teeth. “So Miss Chi has already found such a fine alpha, no wonder you look down on me.”

Hearing this, Chi Qingwei glanced at him, amused. “Even before she appeared, when did I ever show interest in you?”

Chi Qingwei nearly pitied his lack of intelligence. Dropping all pretense of politeness, she said coldly, “I’ll let today’s disrespect slide, but if you ever do anything to displease me again, don’t expect me to spare your father any face.”

Li Xuanyi paled at her words, shocked. “You didn’t deny it! I’m supposed to be your fiancé! What is she compared to me?”

Shen Zuofeng frowned.

Chi Qingwei massaged her temples, unwilling to let misunderstandings about her relationship with Li Xuanyi persist. “We never agreed to any marriage alliance with your family. Please refrain from spreading rumors, as there will be consequences.”

Her gaze turned dark and intense as she stared at Li Xuanyi.

Shivering under her stare, Li Xuanyi finally realized the engagement had always been his family’s wishful thinking. He had treated Chi Qingwei as his possession because of it, while the Chi family had never consented.

“Sir, please refrain from causing a disturbance in our restaurant, or I will have to ask you to leave,” the manager said, bowing slightly and gesturing toward the exit.

Other diners watched curiously. Feeling their eyes on him, Li Xuanyi’s face burned with humiliation. Before leaving, he pointed at the calm manager and snarled, “You’ll pay for this.”

“And you.” After saying this, she cast one last glance at Shen Zuofeng before striding out of the restaurant.

“Apologies for the unpleasant experience this has caused you both. Your dinner tonight will be on the house. We hope you enjoy the rest of your meal,” the restaurant manager said, turning to the two guests.

“That won’t be necessary. We share some responsibility for what happened,” Shen Zuofeng declined. Noticing Chi Qingwei staring intently at her, she asked in confusion, “What are you looking at?”

“I’m wondering if this counts as another side of you.”

Chi Qingwei smiled a clear, elegant smile that captivated Shen Zuofeng’s gaze.

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