Moonlight Allure - Chapter 16

“No, it’s just that I don’t like being photographed,” Jiang Xueyin paused. “Besides, the source of these photos is Shengyun Group, the Jiang family’s rival. In short, I’m the one who dragged her into this.”

“Shengyun Group.” Li Han murmured, thinking for a moment. After confirming that none of their recent partners were associated with that company, she let out a sigh of relief. “In that case, you can leave us here.”

“Alright.” Jiang Xueyin let go, watching the two figures walk away.

She thought to herself: It’s a good thing Li Han is a Beta.

“Miss Jiang,” Lu Qian’s voice sounded from behind her.

A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Xueyin’s eyes. “You haven’t left yet?”

“No. I thought I should address your concerns,” Lu Qian said, her expression remaining neutral. “Personal feelings aside, as the second young miss of the Jiang Group, any studio you start will be highly attractive. If I can do a good job, it will be incredibly beneficial for my future career. Therefore, I will give my absolute best to the work. I would never let personal feelings interfere with my professional duties.”

The two locked eyes. Some things didn’t need to be said out loud; they both understood the underlying subtext.

Jiang Xueyin nodded absentmindedly. “I understand. I need to think about it. I’ll give you an answer in two days, alright?”

“Fine.” Lu Qian nodded slightly. “Do you need a ride back?”

“Thanks, but no.” Jiang Xueyin looked toward the entrance, but Xiao Nianru was already gone. Her eyes dimmed. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Back in her car, the driver, Uncle Wang, asked, “Miss, where to next?”

She remained silent for a moment before saying, “Just park here for a bit. I need to think.”

Even though Lu Qian was a Beta, she wasn’t afraid to express her feelings.

Jiang Xueyin couldn’t help but recall herself in the real world—someone who lived in the shadows, only daring to look up at the “White Moonlight” in her heart from a distance.

She reached up and brushed her hand against the back of her neck, feeling the warmth emanating beneath the scent-blocking patch. She slowly closed her eyes.

Now that I’m an Alpha, I should be qualified to get close to Xiao Nianru, right?

At least she could look at her from a closer distance. Once the divorce was finalized, everything could start over.

“To the company,” Jiang Xueyin said, lowering her head to message Jiang Jue.

Jiang Xueyin: Brother, are you at the office? I have something to ask you.

Jiang Jue: Out on business. What is it?

Jiang Xueyin: It’s about Lu Qian. She said she knew me from before. What did she tell you?

Jiang Jue: Alright, here’s the thing: she’s liked you for a while. I never agreed to play matchmaker before, but seeing how exhausted you’ve been lately because of the divorce, I thought I’d let her look after you a bit.

Having received a definitive answer, Jiang Xueyin looked up. “Uncle Wang, no need to go to the office. Let’s go home.”

“Understood.”

Jiang Xueyin understood that the person Lu Qian liked wasn’t actually her, and she saw no need to exploit someone’s feelings for her own gain.

That evening, she sent a very polite rejection message. While acknowledging Lu Qian’s capabilities, she made it clear she didn’t share those romantic intentions.

By the time Li Han dropped Xiao Nianru back at her apartment, she had sobered up.

Before leaving, Li Han glanced back at Xiao Nianru, who was rubbing her temples, likely dealing with a headache from the alcohol.

“There’s no need to delay the divorce certificate anymore,” Li Han sighed. “Otherwise, things like today will just keep happening.”

Xiao Nianru took a sip of water, her expression unreadable. “I know.”

“Nianru, don’t you think you’ve been running into her a bit too often lately? Could she have installed a GPS tracker on your phone like she did before?” Anxiety clouded Li Han’s features. She had already had the phone checked, and though nothing was found, she worried Jiang Xueyin might be using more covert methods.

“Probably not. It might just be a coincidence,” Xiao Nianru paused. “Who was that Beta with her today? Do you know her?”

“No. Why do you care?” Li Han asked warily.

Xiao Nianru smiled faintly. “Nothing. Just asking.”

“I’m heading out then. Get some rest.”

“Okay.”

After Li Han left, Xiao Nianru was alone again. Whenever she was by herself, her thoughts drifted back to the warm memories from before she transmigrated, memories she had revisited countless times.

But the vibration of her phone reminded her that those days were gone.

Xiao Nianru picked up her phone and saw messages from her parents in this world. Her expression darkened. They were “debt collecting” again. She had been so busy the last two days that she forgot to transfer money, and they were already in a panic.

Suddenly, her stomach churned. A wave of nausea hit her.

She scrambled to the bathroom and threw up until her stomach was empty, even retching up bile. Looking at the pale face in the mirror, she suddenly broke down into hysterical tears, sinking to the cold tile floor.

Over the next two days, Jiang Xueyin finished the paperwork for her studio at the Bureau of Industry and Commerce. She posted job listings online and interviewed several candidates, eventually settling on a Beta named Zhao Shu as her assistant. Zhao Shu had an impressive resume, but a three-year career gap due to childbirth.

Zhao Shu had been rejected by many companies because of that gap. Having been a Beta herself, Jiang Xueyin wanted to give her a chance and hired her.

Hiring was a long process; besides an assistant, she still needed an operations manager and a makeup artist. But there was no rush.

On Friday evening, the Jiang family sat down for dinner.

When Song Zhiya asked about the company, Jiang Tingshuo shook his head. “It’s hard to say. Rumor has it the heir of Shengyun Group is about to enter a marriage alliance with an Omega from the Li family. If that’s true, things will get complicated.”

There were four major families in the capital: the Jiangs, the Lis, the Xies, and the Lins. They operated in different industries and generally minded their own business, but with recent trends in industrial integration, friction was becoming inevitable as they sought new breakthroughs.

Shengyun Group was a rising star, led by a female Alpha in her early forties.

Jiang Xueyin’s eyes flickered. Thinking of her plan regarding “Li Jiannan,” she spoke up. “Li Jiannan is hosting a party on a cruise ship this weekend. Should I go and scout things out?”

Although Li Jiannan was the only Alpha of his generation in the Li family, he was a disappointment, the same type of person as Song Siyuan.

A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Jue’s eyes as he warned her quietly, “That party doesn’t seem entirely reputable.”

“Exactly. Why would you go to a place like that?” Jiang Tingshuo’s gaze darkened. “Stop mingling with those people.”

Jiang Xueyin gave a soft hum of agreement, but her mind was elsewhere: she had to find a way to get an invitation from her brother.

Seeing that his daughter didn’t seem to care much, Jiang Tingshuo added another warning: “That cruise ship isn’t as simple as you think. It’s a den of iniquity. If the police dared to raid it, they’d catch everyone in one go. I have no desire to go to the police station to bail you out again.”

If they know the police could catch everyone, Jiang Xueyin wondered, why don’t they just report it? Why let these people run wild?

For some reason, she didn’t ask the question out loud.