My Omega Rival in Love [Interstellar] - Chapter 33

Upon entering the drawing room, Gu Jin was surprised to find that Elder He was not alone; both He Yu and He Yi were also present.

Realizing this was likely just a coincidence, Gu Jin kept her gaze steady. After exchanging pleasantries with Elder He, she was introduced to the siblings. Gu Jin feigned complete ignorance of their past acquaintance, going against her conscience to exchange a round of empty flatteries with them.

“I have long heard that Mr. Carlo is young and promising. Truly a talent of his generation; the youth are to be feared,” Elder He remarked, quietly observing “Carlo” while trying to discern the motives of this newly-minted richest man of Planet Loca.

Prepared for such scrutiny, Gu Jin offered a light smile. “There is no ‘talent of a generation’ here, Prime Minister. You flatter me. I am merely fortunate enough to have a family estate to inherit.”

Rumor had it that seven years ago, a wealthy man had appeared out of nowhere on Planet Loca, eventually controlling ninety percent of its industry and transport. Before his sudden rise, there had been no word of him. Furthermore, this tycoon’s background was a mystery; he had no family history, as if he had simply sprung from a crack in a rock. No matter how deep one dug, his origins remained untraceable.

Seeing “Carlo” broach the subject himself, Elder He hesitated. Planet Loca was a lucrative prize that everyone coveted, but with the Imperial family’s policy of non-interference, no one dared to make a move. Now that the Loca tycoon had approached him directly, it felt suspiciously like a trap.

As a seasoned statesman, Elder He’s mind raced through a thousand possibilities, yet his expression remained calm. He did not dwell on the topic, steering the conversation instead toward how Gu Jin was adjusting to life on the Capital Star.

“It is acceptable, though being in an unfamiliar place naturally brings some discomfort.” While the Capital Star’s military power and political status far exceeded Planet Loca’s, in terms of sheer prosperity, it lagged slightly behind.

“That is true,” Elder He said, glancing at He Yi. “He Yi has just returned as well. Perhaps you two could…”

“I do not want to—” He Yi interjected, having no desire to spend time with this shady-looking tycoon.

“There is no need—” Gu Jin added, equally uninterested in wandering around with He Yi.

As they both spoke their rejections simultaneously, He Yi gave Gu Jin a look of disdain. Gu Jin, however, ignored him and turned toward He Yu, who had been acting as part of the background. “I have long admired Miss He’s reputation. I never had the chance to visit Planet Sasha to pay my respects, so I consider myself very lucky to meet you here.”

Elder He gave He Yu a complex look before regaining his serious composure. He cleared his throat and took a sip of tea. “Ahem. He Yu.”

Since her grandfather had spoken, He Yu could no longer pretend not to hear. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of… annoyance toward this tycoon. It was a familiar kind of irritation, yet she could not pinpoint its source.

“It is my honor,” He Yu replied coldly. She returned to her role as a background observer, turning away from Gu Jin’s eager gaze to face her grandfather.

Feeling a pang of disappointment, Gu Jin retracted her gaze and continued chatting with Elder He. As “Carlo” showed no signs of stopping, Elder He grew anxious. After finishing his fifth cup of water, he sighed inwardly. “He Yu, since Mr. Carlo is new here, why don’t you show him around over the next few days?”

“That would be a great favor, Miss He.” Gu Jin stood up to thank her before He Yu could refuse. He Yu was stifled, feeling more than ever that this man was the physical embodiment of the word “annoying.”

Once Elder He relented, Gu Jin immediately stopped her rambling. After exchanging contact information on her new optical computer with He Yu, she left satisfied, not even staying for the planned meal.

The moment Gu Jin departed, Elder He’s face darkened. “What exactly is this Carlo’s background? Why has he come to the Capital Star out of the blue?”

“Grandfather, did you not know him before?” He Yu asked, puzzled. If they were strangers, why would Carlo send a formal visit request to the He family the moment he arrived?

Elder He shook his head as they walked back. “It is not that we are complete strangers. He handles more than half of the trade between the three nations. I have dealt with him before, but it was always through subordinates or digital transactions. I have never met him in person.”

“Then his visit is within the realm of reason?” He Yu did not share her personal feelings with her grandfather, but she could not shake that sense of familiar annoyance. She liked few people, but she hated even fewer; this feeling was baseless, yet it felt strikingly well-known.

“He actually came to discuss a batch of mecha raw materials, yet today he did not mention business once. He only discussed trivial matters. To be honest, I cannot figure out his intent.” Elder He was equally perplexed.

He Yi snorted from the side. “He is clearly a degenerate! He has designs on my sister! He is driven by lust and obsession. Given the chance, I will definitely give him a beating he will not forget!”

“Five idioms in one sentence, and you got four of them wrong. He Yi, is your education level still stuck in the womb?” He Yu could feel it too, but she could not tolerate her brother’s butchering of the language. “What do you mean by ‘obsessed’? Am I a ghost?”

“Stop arguing, He Yi,” Elder He interrupted. “Before you hit him, you should consider whether you can actually win in a fight.”

“He Yu,” Elder He continued as He Yi hung his head in defeat, “Carlo will certainly seek you out again. Be careful and try to find out what his true objective is.”

He Yu nodded, watching her grandfather leave. She also wanted to know where that familiar sense of loathing originated.

Once the elder was gone, He Yi scratched his head and sighed. “If only Young Marshal Gu were not injured, she could surely beat that Carlo to death.”

He Yu immediately rapped her brother on the head. “What does this have to do with Gu Jin? If I hear you mention her name again, I will let you experience being beaten to death yourself.”

He Yi thought, What kind of violent sister is this? Young Marshal Gu, please just take her away!

Gu Jin, elsewhere, thought, Kill myself? And take in He Yu? I am too busy for that.

Gu Jin did not even return to her hotel. Leaning back in her aircraft, she checked the time and sent a message to He Yu: “Are you free tonight? I have reserved a table at the Yuhe Restaurant. Would you do me the honor, Miss He?”

After waiting for a long time without a reply, she instead received an aggressive summons from Gu Ting: “Gu Jin, I am giving you three minutes to get your self back here!”

Gu Jin was baffled. She felt her mission was going quite well; she had not caused trouble and had only spent a “small” amount of Gu Ting’s money. Surely that was not the issue?

After much thought, she concluded that Gu Ting must be entering early menopause. Alpha tempers in that state were as volatile as those going through adolescent differentiation.

Despite her inward complaints, Gu Jin moved quickly. She returned to the hotel and made her way secretly back to the palace.

The moment she entered, Gu Ting nearly strangled her in a headlock. “Gu Ting! This is murder! I am going to tell our Imperial Uncle!”

“Tell whoever you want!” Gu Ting was used to her antics. He let go and steadied his breathing. “I sent you to gather intelligence. Instead, what did you do? Saving people at the spaceport, getting into fights at a club… in half a day, you have caused a scene without doing a single piece of actual work!”

“Nonsense! I just came back from the He residence, did I not?” Gu Jin felt wronged. How was that not work?

“And the result?” Gu Ting rolled his eyes, having no expectations left.

“The result is that I have approached He Yu! What a major breakthrough!” Gu Jin, having completely forgotten the original task, relied on her sheer audacity to remain unfazed.

Gu Ting told himself, Do not get angry. If I die of rage, it only benefits this brat, and the Weize Empire will be finished.

“You have three days. If you do not figure out the situation between the Wen and He families, do not bother coming back. I never want to see you again.” Gu Ting’s voice was calm, but he patted Gu Jin’s shoulder with enough force to crush it.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Gu Jin did not dare to act up further and slipped away.

After a nap at the hotel, Gu Jin found that He Yu had finally replied: “Honored.”

Two words, but it was an acceptance.

Yuhe Restaurant

Gu Jin tapped on the table, chatting with a robotic server shaped like a coat rack. “What do you have here that is suitable for a pregnant woman?”

“All of our food adheres to the strict dietary standards of the Weize Empire, regardless of age or gender…”

“Stop. Do you have any alcohol that a pregnant woman can drink?” Remembering how He Yu had passed out after one drink last time, Gu Jin thought a drunk He Yu might be easier to talk to.

“No.”

“Then do you have something like… a sedative? Something that causes temporary memory loss but makes people tell the truth?” Gu Jin pivoted.

“Sir, this is a legitimate restaurant. We do not sell illegal items. The following is a list of prohibited substances in the Weize Empire…”

“Fine.” Gu Jin waved the robot away, checking the time. He Yu should be arriving soon. How am I going to get her to talk?

Before she could form a plan, He Yu arrived at the door. Seeing “Carlo” already there, He Yu was startled and hurriedly hid her hands behind her back. “Mr. Carlo, you arrived quite early?”

“I just arrived. Please, Miss He, come in.”

Pretending not to see her awkward movement, Gu Jin stood up and nodded with a smile, appearing quite the gentleman. He Yu felt embarrassed and brought her empty hands back into view with a forced laugh.

Both were preoccupied with their own thoughts. After ordering, they sat in the private room. He Yu felt the sense of familiarity growing stronger, yet she could not understand why.

“What would you like for dessert?” Gu Jin asked.

“Oh, anything is fine.” He Yu had not even looked at the menu and left the decision to her host.

While waiting for the food, He Yu focused intensely on her plate as if she could see flowers blooming in the ceramic. Gu Jin was also in a state of inner turmoil; this was the first time she and He Yu had ever shared a meal so peacefully. It felt surreal.

“A special gift for both of you. Please press the center button simultaneously,” the coat-rack robot announced. A circular interface appeared in the middle of the table.

Gu Jin looked at He Yu and placed her hand on it first, swearing to herself that she had not ordered this. He Yu followed suit.

Instantly, the bright room shifted into a warm, dim hue with a pinkish tint. Rose vines sprouted along the walls, and soft waves of light rose from the floor. Above them, the vines spread across the ceiling until, suddenly, bright red roses bloomed everywhere. A rain of petals began to fall to the sound of a romantic melody.

Gu Jin & He Yu: “…”

He Yu stared at Gu Jin. Gu Jin flinched and reflexively raised her hands. “I do not have such a tacky aesthetic. This was definitely not my doing.”

Looking at the desperate-to-clear-herself “Carlo,” He Yu felt the familiarity deepen. She was so close to figuring it out!

“It is fine. I did not arrange this either.”

The actual scene designer would have been heartbroken.

They found the button to start the display but could not find the one to stop it. They were forced to sit through the meal in a room filled with the scent of flowers and a stifling romantic atmosphere.

The dishes appeared one by one as the table rotated, but both ate distractedly.

“You—”

“You—”

They spoke at the same time. Gu Jin stopped first. “Miss He, please go first.”

Gu Jin thought this was truly a wonder of the world; she was actually being polite to He Yu.

“It is nothing. Mr. Carlo should speak first.”

“No matter. You go first, I have nothing important.”

“I have nothing important either.”

The awkward conversation ended in a stalemate. Every inch of the air was thick with tension.

Gu Jin, experiencing the feeling of tasteless food for the first time, set down her utensils and wiped her hands. She attempted to break the silence. “Miss He, what is your honorable age (guigeng)?”

He Yu: “…” Honorable age? Did this man graduate from the same school as He Yi? Oh, wait, and Gu Jin.

He Yu’s lip twitched. “Mr. Carlo, do you not think asking a lady’s ‘honorable age’ is quite impolite? How would you feel if I asked for your ‘fragrant years’ (fangling)?”

“I am twenty-seven… nine. Why?” Gu Jin had almost blurted out her real age and quickly corrected herself.

He Yu did not want to say another word. Looking at this man who was so different from the persona he displayed before her grandfather, she simply nodded. “I enjoyed the meal. Thank you, Mr. Carlo. It is late. Farewell.”

She decided to abandon her plans for the day. This “Mr. Carlo” appeared to be somewhat lacking in intelligence.

“Miss He, wait.” Gu Ting’s three-day threat rang in her ears. Even though Gu Jin wanted to escape the awkwardness, she had to stop her. “Miss He, I have something to discuss with you.”

Standing close behind He Yu, Gu Jin looked down and saw the back of He Yu’s neck. There, clearly visible, was a permanent mark belonging to an Alpha!

Gu Jin felt as if her brain had exploded.

Which scumbag did this?!

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