Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 58

On the way back, Song Yi and Zhou Zhou both remained silent, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.

When they got out of the car, Zhou Zhou was still holding the bowl of oden Miss You had given her, not a single bite missing.

As they entered the house, the sound of constant laughter could be heard coming from the living room. Zhou Zhou’s thoughts snapped back from her memories of the lotus pond, and she automatically returned to her role as the villa’s housekeeper.

“You’re back.” Su Yurong, keenly sensing the return of her daughter and her future girlfriend, looked up with joy in her eyes.

Song Hui and You Xuechu also looked over.

You Xuechu rested her chin on her hand, observing them with curiosity, sensing that the atmosphere seemed a bit off. Did something unpleasant happen while they were out?

Song Yi remembered she hadn’t greeted her current parents yet and walked straight toward them.

“Yiyi.” Su Yurong suddenly stepped forward and embraced her warmly, calling her by her nickname.

“Mom,” Song Yi called out awkwardly.

Perhaps sensing her stiffness, Su Yurong quickly let go of her.

Song Hui approached and lightly patted her shoulder. “How was the exam?”

“It’s not over yet, Uncle,” You Xuechu interjected habitually to bail Song Yi out, just as she had done for the past two years.

“Learn more from Xuechu.”

“I know, Dad.”

Song Yi couldn’t help but smile. In this regard, he was just like her original father; most parents in the world are probably the same.

After a brief reunion, Song Hui and Su Yurong announced they were leaving.

Song Yi was stunned for a moment. “Didn’t you say you could stay for two or three days?”

Song Hui explained that there was a new business deal to discuss. Su Yurong added happily that seeing her, Xuechu, and Zhou Zhou made this trip a complete success.

After seeing the two elders off to their car, You Xuechu said to Song Yi, “Shouldn’t we be leaving too? There is an exam tomorrow morning at eight.”

Song Yi agreed. After returning, her gaze hadn’t lingered on Zhou Zhou, but now that they were about to leave, a serious problem suddenly occurred to her.

If she remembered correctly, Zhou Zhou’s heat cycle was due in the next few days.

When Ding Chen helped with the treatment last time, he mentioned that Zhou Zhou’s first heat had been accelerated by a catalyst. She did not know if it would be delayed this time, but regardless, Song Yi did not feel comfortable leaving Zhou Zhou alone at the villa.

“Song Yi, let’s go. What are you thinking about?” You Xuechu was already by the car, looking back at Song Yi who had not moved an inch, her face full of confusion.

Song Yi suddenly turned her face toward Zhou Zhou. “Come with us.”

She used a declarative tone.

“Huh?” Zhou Zhou did not react immediately, blinking her eyes in confusion.

“Come with us,” Song Yi repeated in a softer tone.

Leaning against the car, You Xuechu waved at Zhou Zhou. “Come along, Zhou Zhou.”

In the end, Zhou Zhou agreed.

You Xuechu, showing great self-awareness, sat in the passenger seat to leave the back for the couple. There was a partition between the front and back seats, making it convenient if the couple wanted to do anything.

However, she forgot the fact that Song Yi suffered from motion sickness and was secretly anticipating things that would not happen.

Because Zhou Zhou was beside her, Song Yi did not fall asleep as quickly. She tilted her head and asked, “Aren’t you curious why I brought you along?”

Looking at the large bowl of oden on her lap, Zhou Zhou followed her lead and asked, “Why?”

Because…

“I want to eat the breakfast you make.”

Zhou Zhou felt that the answer provided by Miss Song was perfectly reasonable and thought nothing more of it.

After speaking, Song Yi turned to the side and slowly closed her eyes.

Only after a long while did Zhou Zhou dare to look over. When Miss Song was motion sick, her brow would furrow deeply.

Reaching into her pocket, Zhou Zhou felt her earphones. After opening the music app on her phone, her gaze lingered on the most played instrumental track, but she ultimately looked away and found another piece that was equally gentle and slow-paced.

Half-asleep, Song Yi sensed music flowing into her left ear, as if she were placed among clear springs and stones. Her tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed.

By the time they reached their destination, it was already evening. The sun was no longer visible, but a purple glow lightly tinted the horizon.

Zhou Zhou only took one glance before returning her gaze to Miss Song’s face. She did not know what Miss Song was dreaming about, but a sweet, joyful smile played on her lips.

She must be dreaming of someone she likes.

You Xuechu was the first to get out of the car. She stood outside waiting for several minutes, casually took a photo of today’s sunset, and posted her second ever update to her Moments.

After waiting a while longer, Song Yi and Zhou Zhou still had not come down.

No way. They had so much time in the car; whatever they wanted to do should be finished by now.

Why aren’t they coming down yet?

Wait a bit longer. It is understandable that a couple in love would find it hard to part, even if it is not a real separation.

When her patience was finally exhausted, You Xuechu could not help but knock on the car window. “I am going up first, I am not waiting for you.”

The sound of the knocking broke the silence in the back seat. Zhou Zhou finally remembered that Miss You was with them.

Not knowing how long Miss You had been waiting for them, Zhou Zhou’s face flushed slightly. She removed the earphone from Miss Song’s ear and gently pushed her.

Song Yi opened her eyes and found that the world had turned dark. The sky outside was a peculiar color; it was the first time she had seen a light purple sunset.

“Are we here?” Song Yi asked drowsily.

Zhou Zhou gave an affirmative hum, opened the car door, and said, “Miss You has already gone up.”

Song Yi also opened her door, her long legs stepping onto the ground. “I’ll take you up.”

This was a small white apartment. From the second floor balcony, one could see clusters of flowers, likely roses, swaying in the evening breeze as if waving to them.

When they entered, You Xuechu had just unwrapped the gift her parents had asked her aunt and uncle to bring back.

To her surprise, it was a custom chess set. Inside the box was a letter and something that looked like an invitation.

“What are you looking at?” Song Yi walked over and asked.

You Xuechu did not hide it from her; after all, Song Yi knew her family situation all too well.

“An invitation to an international chess tournament.” After a moment of silence, Song Yi asked, “Did your parents sign you up?”

You Xuechu did not speak, but her silence served as her answer.

Zhou Zhou did not know Miss You’s specific situation, so she stood aside silently, taking out her phone to order takeout and buy ingredients for tomorrow’s breakfast.

“The chess set is also from your parents.”

“Yeah, they said it was a birthday gift sent through my aunt and uncle.”

Song Yi could see that You Xuechu was somewhat happy. Her pale fingers gently stroked the ivory-white custom chess pieces; she clearly loved them.

“Aren’t you going to open the letter?” Song Yi asked.

There were three items in total, and the only thing left unopened was the letter with the rose-patterned envelope.

You Xuechu took a deep breath, put the letter back into the box, and said, “I will wait until all the exams are over to read it.” She was afraid that if it were just a printed letter, it would drain the good mood she had just gathered.

For dinner, the three of them ate the takeout Zhou Zhou had ordered. The oden was not wasted either; Zhou Zhou heated it up in the microwave, and they finished it together.

After eating, each packed up their own containers and placed them by the door.

The delivery driver for the groceries arrived soon after. Zhou Zhou went to the door to bring in the vegetables, along with two types of fruit: a yellow-fleshed watermelon and two boxes of cherries.

Song Yi came over to help, and the two walked into the kitchen together. One washed the watermelon while the other washed the cherries. You Xuechu repeatedly suppressed her urge to help, telling herself not to interfere with the couple’s bonding time, so she took her birthday gift back to her room.

In the kitchen, hearing You Xuechu’s footsteps fade away, Song Yi turned her head. Zhou Zhou had just finished washing the cherries and turned off the faucet. As she moved to turn around, she was caught off guard by Song Yi’s gaze and subconsciously looked away.

Song Yi asked, “Zhou Zhou, what do you think would be a good birthday gift for Xuechu?”

Zhou Zhou shook her head.

She asked again, “Zhou Zhou, when is your birthday?”

Zhou Zhou hesitated for a moment and still shook her head, this time burying it very low.

Song Yi bit her lower lip hard. Moving her hand away from the round watermelon, she casually wiped the water off on her clothes before gently resting her hand on Zhou Zhou’s head, giving it a soft rub.

After a brief moment of comfort, she took a knife and sliced the yellow watermelon, handing the first piece to Zhou Zhou.

Zhou Zhou took it and said softly, “Thank you, Miss Song.”

Song Yi felt an uncontrollable pang of heartache. Zhou Zhou did not know when her birthday was. She had been in the orphanage for as long as she could remember. The director said she could use the day she entered the orphanage as her birthday, but Zhou Zhou did not because she always believed her biological parents would come looking for her.

But so far, there had been no news of Zhou Zhou’s parents or her fiancée.

Song Yi felt she had to do something.

“I will go call Xuechu to eat some watermelon,” Song Yi said as she left the kitchen. First, she knocked on You Xuechu’s door to tell her to come out for fruit, then she went back to her own room to make a phone call.

It was the same person she had contacted last time, a core member in charge of information gathering at the Song Corporation named Song Yuan. He was a distant relative of the family who reached his position through a combination of a talent for sensitive information and a little bit of nepotism, making him quite well-qualified for the role.

“Miss Song, you are looking for me regarding the matter you asked me to investigate last time, right?”

Song Yi appreciated Song Yuan’s directness. “How is the investigation going?”

“After further screening, we have narrowed it down to 20 sets of cases that match the information you provided. Among them, there are quite a few superstitious, old-fashioned families who favored boys over girls and intentionally abandoned female infants, reporting them as missing. There are also families where large businesses handled conflicts with employees poorly, leading to retaliatory kidnappings. Then there are those abducted by human traffickers.”

After listening, Song Yi’s expression darkened like a sky full of storm clouds.

“Are there any families with the surname Song among them?”

The sound of rustling paper came from the other end, followed by Song Yuan’s report: “Yes, there are three families named Song. However, all three are developing abroad, and their business interests barely involve the domestic market anymore.”

“Miss Song, why the sudden interest in this?” Song Yuan finally asked the question he was curious about.

This undisputed heir to the Song Corporation had never cared about company matters before and had never contacted him. Such a major move was truly unexpected.

“It is nothing. I met a new friend, and I feel there is more to her background than meets the eye, so I wanted you to look into it.”

A matter this serious based on a… feeling?

Song Yuan could not help but grumble internally: Miss Song is as unreliable as ever.

He had no idea that Miss Song had already been replaced by someone who held a rough version of the script.

“Send me the information on those three families. I want to see it.”

Song Yuan was very efficient. A few seconds after hanging up, Song Yi received the documents. But before she could look at them, there was a knock on her door.

“You called me out to eat fruit, so what is with you hiding back in your room?”

Song Yi opened the door. “I am coming out now.”

“Did you bully Zhou Zhou?” You Xuechu glared at her, looking as though she were about to demand justice for Zhou Zhou.

Song Yi was speechless, remembering that she had accidentally brought up Zhou Zhou’s sad past, which could be considered bullying her indirectly.

“Just as I thought.” You Xuechu rolled up her sleeves. “Song Yi, sometimes I really want to hit you, you know that?”

“Mm.” Song Yi did not stay put but walked down the hallway toward the living room. She was desperate to see Zhou Zhou’s current mood.

Zhou Zhou’s eyes were a bit red. She was not crying, but she looked quite aggrieved.

“I am going down to take out the trash.” Zhou Zhou wanted to go out for some fresh air.

Song Yi followed her immediately, saying it was not safe to go out alone at night. Zhou Zhou froze for a moment but did not refuse.

Watching the two leave together, You Xuechu thought, this is how it should be.

However, she had not expected Song Yi to be so thick-skinned when actually in a relationship.

On the way downstairs carrying the takeout boxes, both were unusually quiet. Song Yi followed silently behind Zhou Zhou.

The recycling bins were behind the apartment. Two groups of people had gathered there, looking like they were about to fight. Various strange-smelling pheromones permeated the air. Song Yi felt Zhou Zhou become somewhat paralyzed. She told her to wait there, took the takeout boxes from Zhou Zhou’s hands, and walked past the two groups as if nothing were wrong. After throwing away the trash, she quickly headed back.

Zhou Zhou’s legs had already gone weak; she could barely stand by leaning against the wall.

In the air, pheromones smelling of cigarettes, chili peppers, and privet flowers subjected her sense of smell and her body to double torture.

While feeling nauseous, she also felt her body heating up, very similar to the signs of her last heat cycle.

Her vision gradually blurred as she struggled to brace herself against the wall.

“Miss Song… Miss Song’s pheromones smell much better,” Zhou Zhou could not help but murmur softly, her voice as sweet as honey collected by bees in the early morning.

Just as Zhou Zhou was about to collapse, Song Yi rushed over and caught her just in time. Her hands slid down to hook under her knees, lifting her up in a bridal carry.

“Miss Song… Miss Song…”

“I am here,” Song Yi responded with heartache, quickening her pace upstairs.

Zhou Zhou’s heat was already due soon and was unstable to begin with. Being stimulated by those Alpha pheromones had triggered it early.

“Open the door.” Song Yi was holding Zhou Zhou and could not easily get her keys, so she knocked with her elbow.

You Xuechu was eating watermelon and watching a chess match on TV. Hearing Song Yi’s voice felt annoying, but she still got up to open the door.

“What happened to Zhou Zhou?”

Seeing Zhou Zhou in Song Yi’s arms, You Xuechu was alarmed. “What did you do to Zhou Zhou? Wasn’t she fine when she went out?”

“She was stimulated, and her heat came early,” Song Yi explained briefly.

Belatedly, You Xuechu realized the air was beginning to fill with a faint, sweet cherry scent, but she had just eaten cherries and had not paid much attention.

Having taken biology classes, You Xuechu was not worried. With an Alpha to comfort her, an Omega in heat would not come to any harm. She even felt that this was another catalyst to enhance the couple’s relationship.

Song Yi carried Zhou Zhou toward her own room. She placed Zhou Zhou gently on the soft bed and began releasing her pheromones to comfort her.

The cherry-scented pheromones and the red wine-scented pheromones seemed to like each other very much, showing no rejection at all as they blended together smoothly.

Zhou Zhou felt her pain ease slightly. She opened her heavy eyelids and saw Miss Song kneeling by the bed, holding her hand.

She suddenly became much more alert. “Miss… Miss Song, we… we cannot do this. I cannot have your pheromones.”

While saying words of rejection, Zhou Zhou struggled to pull her hand away.

Song Yi did not let go of Zhou Zhou’s hand and asked in confusion, “Why?”

“Miss Song already has someone she likes. I cannot have your pheromones. Please ask Miss You to come in.”

In her effort to reject the pheromones, a thin layer of sweat had broken out on Zhou Zhou’s face. Her skin was flushed a rosy white, looking as if it had been soaked in milk and then bathed in sunlight.

Fragrant and soft, she looked incredibly tempting.

Song Yi could not stop her heart from racing, but Zhou Zhou had actually said something so unexpected.

What did she mean by “she already has someone she likes”? And she even wanted her to call Xuechu in.

Wasn’t the person she liked Zhou Zhou?

“I am not leaving.” Song Yi tightened her grip on Zhou Zhou’s hand and asked softly, “Why do you say that?”

Zhou Zhou closed her eyes and uttered four words: “The Omega of your dreams.”

She added, “So I absolutely cannot take Miss Song’s pheromones again.”

“This is a misunderstanding.” Song Yi could not help but lean down, brushing aside the stray hairs on Zhou Zhou’s forehead that were wet with sweat.

Zhou Zhou opened her eyes in surprise. Had she misunderstood Miss Song?

“I just felt like falling in love,” Song Yi tilted her head, explaining with a bit of embarrassment.

She released even more concentrated pheromones.

“Zhou Zhou, I am staying here to sleep with you tonight.”

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