Moonlight Allure - Chapter 17

After dinner, Jiang Xueyin stood at the end of the second-floor corridor and pushed open the window. Looking down into the courtyard, she saw Jiang Tingshuo and Song Zhiya strolling hand-in-hand. Their intimacy was clear; they were a couple truly in love.

She grew momentarily dazed, thinking of her own divorced parents from her original world. As far back as her memories went, they had never been that close. Even in the wedding photo hanging on the wall, her Beta mother was the only one smiling.

According to her mother, her father had once loved an Omega. However, a Beta could not soothe an Omega during their heat cycle, and the Omega eventually initiated a breakup. Her parents had met through a matchmaker and shared a brief period of relative closeness, but that ended abruptly when her mother discovered her father’s “White Moonlight.”

Whenever she had found herself drowning in her own unrequited, hopeless crush, her mother would remind her with a cynical tone: “Don’t end up like your father chasing shadows and coming up empty-handed. In the end, an Omega will always look for their naturally compatible Alpha.”

Jiang Xueyin withdrew her gaze and reached up to stroke the back of her neck, her fingertips brushing against the smooth skin of her gland. She wasn’t used to wearing scent-blocking patches, so she usually removed them at home and only wore them when heading out.

A cool evening breeze drifted in. She closed the window, let out a long breath, and walked toward Jiang Jue’s room. She knocked softly.

“Come in,” Jiang Jue’s steady voice called out.

Jiang Xueyin slipped inside and closed the door with exaggerated care.

Jiang Jue raised an eyebrow. “There’s no need to act like a thief.”

“I’m not.” Jiang Xueyin pouted slightly.

“You want an invitation?” Jiang Jue asked calmly.

Jiang Xueyin grinned. “As expected, Brother knows me best.”

Jiang Jue let out a light chuckle and placed a gold-embossed invitation on the desk. “Go ahead. Just don’t play too hard.”

He thought to himself that Jiang Xueyin’s recent “change” must have been a fluke. His Alpha sister hadn’t changed at all; she was just as much of a playgirl as ever.

“Is there nothing you need me to do, Brother?” Jiang Xueyin picked up the invitation, admiring it for a moment while testing the waters with an offhand remark.

“I don’t expect much from you. Just have fun and stay out of trouble,” Jiang Jue said. His smile faded slightly, though his tone remained warm.

“Thanks, Brother!” Jiang Xueyin left the room, looking perfectly delighted.

The moment the door closed, the smiles vanished from both of their faces.

Inside, Jiang Jue opened his laptop and stared at a newly received email regarding the cruise. He suddenly felt a twinge of regret for giving her the invitation. If she caused a scene he thought for a moment, then deleted the email, acting as if nothing had happened.

Outside, Jiang Xueyin sighed. She hated this double-dealing. To stay in the Jiang house, she had to maintain the facade of the “original” Jiang Xueyin. She had to be especially vigilant around Jiang Jue; he was the most suspicious of her, and it would be disastrous if he noticed something was wrong.

Only in front of Xiao Nianru did she dare to be herself.

Back in her room, she examined the invitation under the lamp. It came with a ruby ring. She snapped a photo of it and sent it to Ruan Mingyue.

Jiang Xueyin: There might be illegal transactions happening on this cruise. Do you guys want to look into it?

A moment later, Ruan Mingyue replied: Are you trying to join the police force?

Jiang Xueyin knew she was interested. This was working.

Jiang Xueyin: I wouldn’t say no. Is there anything you need me to do to cooperate?

Ruan Mingyue: Then study hard and get your fitness up. We don’t do “backdoor” hires here.

Jiang Xueyin: I’m talking about the cruise.

Ruan Mingyue: Fine. Can you come to the station tomorrow morning? You’ll need to pick up some wiretapping and surveillance equipment. I’ll brief you on the precautions.

Jiang Xueyin: No problem!

Jiang Xueyin felt lucky that this was a detective/investigation-style novel rather than just a stereotypical “dog-blood” melodrama. The Female Lead’s aura was incredibly useful, everything she pointed at turned into a lead!

Shortly after her conversation with Ruan Mingyue, Xiao Nianru actually initiated a message. Jiang Xueyin clicked the notification with excitement, only to see: “The other party has recalled a message.”

The status at the top showed “The other party is typing.”

Jiang Xueyin waited patiently until her eyelids grew heavy. Suddenly, the typing status disappeared, leaving only the nickname she had set for Xiao Nianru: ” Niannian.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she took the lead.

Jiang Xueyin: Niannian, is there anything I can help you with?

After a while, Xiao Nianru replied: Are you going to the cruise party hosted by the Li family?

Jiang Xueyin was stunned. Had Ruan Mingyue told her? No, Ruan Mingyue wouldn’t tell anyone before an operation.

Jiang Xueyin: You want to go?

Xiao Nianru: Can you take me with you?

In the original novel, the cruise incident was the catalyst for Xiao Nianru’s ruin, and the original “Scum Alpha” had been the one to drag her there. Jiang Xueyin was confused, why was Xiao Nianru asking to go this time? Was there something she didn’t know?

Jiang Xueyin: Why?

A few beats passed before the reply came.

Xiao Nianru: There might be news about my sister there.

Sister?

Jiang Xueyin suddenly remembered that in the novel, Xiao Nianru did have a sister who had been missing for years. Xiao Nianru believed it was her fault, but in reality, her parents had given the sister up for adoption and lied, saying she was lost, just to keep Xiao Nianru shackled by guilt. In the original ending, the protagonist found the sister, only to discover she was in prison for murdering an Alpha.

Jiang Xueyin hesitated, then finally agreed.

Jiang Xueyin: Alright. I’ll wait for you at Yudu Square at 6:00 AM tomorrow.

The next morning, Jiang Xueyin had Uncle Wang drop her at the square. She couldn’t go straight to the police station or the driver would tell her parents.

Two minutes later, Xiao Nianru’s car pulled up. This was the first time Jiang Xueyin had ever sat in Xiao Nianru’s passenger seat. Her heart raced, and she couldn’t stop herself from grinning.

“That happy?” Xiao Nianru asked softly. She glanced at the “Favorability” meter jumping above Jiang Xueyin’s head, her eyes flickering.

Jiang Xueyin nodded. “Being with you makes me happy.”

“Which pier?” Xiao Nianru started the car.

“Actually, the police station. Ruan Mingyue is waiting for us,” Jiang Xueyin said, turning to her with a smile.

“The police station?” Xiao Nianru looked at her with surprise. “What are you up to this time?”

Jiang Xueyin blinked playfully. “Assisting the police in catching some criminals!”

Yudu Square was very close to the station; they arrived in just three minutes.

“I’ll wait for you in the car,” Xiao Nianru said, turning off the engine.

“Okay,” Jiang Xueyin replied.