The CEO Omega’s 'Soft Rice' Alpha - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“Is your aunt doing okay? I noticed she didn’t seem to like the barbecue much,” Su Yi’an asked, sounding casual.

Lan Yin didn’t quite understand how the conversation had suddenly jumped to her aunt—they had been discussing the artwork just a moment ago. However, she didn’t overthink it and answered honestly: “She’s probably fine now. Little Aunt is busy, so she doesn’t tell me much. She used to like barbecue, but lately, she prefers lighter foods. Last night was all thanks to you, Senior Su.”

The main issue was the pheromones. Lan Yin was worried about her aunt, but the elders in the family were even more anxious, so it wasn’t really her place to interfere. Although she and Lan Yan were the only two female Omegas in the Lan family, they didn’t share everything. Usually, Lan Yin sought her aunt’s help with her own troubles, but she knew very little about her aunt’s private life.

“You’re welcome. Glad she’s okay,” Su Yi’an nodded. She stopped prying and focused on the painting in front of her, making the previous question seem like nothing more than a passing concern.

Lan Yin, however, became interested in her. “Senior Su, you seem to know a lot about art?”

The way Su Yi’an had analyzed the flaws in the “Spring Scene” painting earlier was incredibly professional.

Su Yi’an looked at the signature on the painting, her brows furrowing slightly. “I studied it for a while when I was bored.”

“I see! No wonder,” Lan Yin exclaimed, pointing at the piece. “This ‘Spring Scene’ is worth seven figures. It’s by a famous young overseas artist named Susu. My aunt and I both like her work. Unfortunately, Susu has never appeared in public. Rumor has it she’s from a wealthy family and only paints as a hobby, so she isn’t in it for the money. I had to pull many strings to buy this. There’s another one called ‘Starry Sky’ that I’ve wanted for a long time, but I haven’t been lucky enough to find it.”

“I think Susu must be an incredibly gentle girl who doesn’t care for fame or fortune. If I ever get the chance, I’d love to be her friend.”

To fund this exhibition, Lan Yin had borrowed a lot of money from her aunt. In fact, her aunt only liked the art because Lan Yin had spent so much time promoting it to her to justify the loans. When talking about things she loved, Lan Yin’s eyes sparkled, and she became quite chatty.

Su Yi’an felt a bit sheepish but couldn’t help a secret sense of delight. This painting was indeed something she had done out of boredom, and her father, “Old Man Su,” had been the one to promote it. She wasn’t exactly the person Lan Yin imagined, but if Sister Grape liked her art, she would be happy to create more for her. As for being “friends” with Susu… if things went well, Susu would end up being her other “aunt.”

Inside her mind, the System rolled its eyes. It admitted the Host was talented, but gentle and indifferent to fame? What a joke. If it had a physical body, it would grab Lan Yin by the shoulders and scream at her to wake up.

Seeing Su Yi’an remain silent, Lan Yin smiled. “What are you thinking about, Senior Su? Your ‘someone special’?”

The reason she had invited Su Yi’an today was because her friends wanted to see the “special” Alpha who had already declared she had someone she liked. Lan Yin was proud; she wouldn’t pursue someone taken. But her friends kept insisting that as long as they weren’t official, there was still a chance. Lan Yin had asked the question specifically to make them give up hope.

“Yes,” Su Yi’an admitted readily, the tips of her ears turning pink. She wondered how her “future niece” knew she was thinking about her aunt.

As expected, the mood of the girls around Lan Yin dropped. Only He Xia, who was busy bringing drinks, joked: “The person Xiao Su likes… it couldn’t be Junior Lan Yin, could it?”

Everyone looked at them. Lan Yin’s face reddened, and she stole a glance at Su Yi’an.

Su Yi’an’s expression darkened, and the blush vanished instantly. “No.” She paused, then added solemnly, “It’s no one here.”

The sheer finality of her words made Lan Yin feel a sting of disappointment but also a sense of relief. It was better this way. She wasn’t a mountain of gold; she didn’t need everyone to love her. Besides, not everyone was motivated by money—take the artist Susu, for example.

He Xia realized she’d made things awkward and quickly tried to fix it. “Look at me and my big mouth! Don’t take it to heart, juniors. I thought Xiao Su was just making up an excuse at first, but I see now she’s serious.”

“Wait until Xiao Su catches her person, then we’ll have a dinner and see what kind of stunner could make her so devoted! As they say, there are plenty of fish in the sea, why stick to one Alpha? I’m pretty good too! If I had an Omega, I’d treat her like a queen. Juniors, don’t you think I’m a bit handsome too?”

He Xia’s goofy faces made the girls laugh. “Forget it, Senior He. You’re so ‘handsome’ you’re meant to stay single!”

The atmosphere lightened. Watching He Xia navigate the group with ease, Su Yi’an relaxed. Catching Sister Grape and treating them to dinner… For once, she liked what He Xia had to say.

As she looked toward the entrance, she spotted two suspicious figures standing under a century-old willow tree across the street. When Su Yi’an made eye contact, they quickly turned away.

“What’s wrong?” He Xia asked.

Su Yi’an shook her head. “Nothing. Just… everyone be careful lately.”

She felt those men were up to no good. She didn’t have enemies in this country, unless you counted the people she beat up last night. The four drunks were in the police station, and the “rabid” Alphas were handled by Lan Yan’s guards. She wasn’t worried about herself, but if Lan Yin and the other fragile Omegas were targeted, it would be dangerous.

“Oh, Xiao Su, you’re being paranoid! Let’s go look at the paintings,” He Xia dismissed her. The others didn’t care either; knowing Lan Yin was a member of the powerful Lan family, they didn’t think anyone would be bold enough to touch her.

After the exhibition, Su Yi’an skipped the group dinner. Perhaps due to her gland injury, she felt exhausted. She went back to the dorm, checked for a message from Lan Yan (there was none), and fell into a deep sleep.

She woke up at 6:00 PM. Still no message from Lan Yan. She felt a wave of disappointment, but the rest had done her good. He Xia wasn’t back yet.

Su Yi’an grabbed her bag to head out for food when a stranger’s number called. she declined it. They called again; she declined again. Then, a text message arrived.

Su Yi’an’s face went cold as she read:

“Hey pretty boy, want to save your girls? From now on, you have one hour to get to the abandoned Warehouse No. 1 in the west of the city. Don’t call the police, and don’t tell anyone, or these beautiful little Omegas are done for.”

The tone matched the thugs from the hotpot shop. Su Yi’an immediately called He Xia—phone was off. She tried Lan Yin—the same. She realized the suspicious men she saw earlier had indeed made their move.

She didn’t care about “others,” but Lan Yin was Sister Grape’s niece—her future niece. She had to save her.

She reached for the door but stopped. Lan Yin was a Lan. After last night, her protection should have been doubled. How could she be snatched so easily? Did Sister Grape know? Was there more to this?

Trusting her gut, she dialed Lan Yan’s number.

Meanwhile, Lan Yan was having a nightmare of a day. The rival company had used underhanded tactics to poach almost her entire design department. She was in a high-stakes meeting, her phone on silent.

“That’s all. I want a feasible plan by next Monday. Dismissed!”

As the meeting ended, her secretary rushed in with a pale face. Once the room was empty, she whispered, “President Lan, Miss Lan Yin has been taken by a group of thugs.”

Lan Yan turned white. “Where were the bodyguards?”

“They were intercepted by the Zhang family.”

The Zhangs were trying to force Lan Yan into submission. First the designers, now Lan Yin. It was a blatant attempt by Zhang Baiyang to force her into a marriage.

“Call the police,” Lan Yan said without hesitation. She picked up her phone and finally saw the missed calls and the message from Su Yi’an. She tried to call back, but Su Yi’an’s phone was now off.

“Get our people. We’re going to Warehouse No. 1 in the west,” Lan Yan said, gripping her phone tightly. “And keep this quiet for now.”

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