The CEO Omega’s 'Soft Rice' Alpha - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

“Sister, do you believe in… supernatural events?”

After answering that her wound was fine, Su Yi’an noticed that Lan Yan hadn’t replied for a long time. She felt compelled to find a topic they could discuss without it seeming too abrupt.

As expected, Lan Yan replied quickly this time: “I studied it out of interest during university; I even started a club. But my original intention was to debunk feudal superstitions. So far, I haven’t actually discovered any supernatural phenomena.”

Su Yi’an sent a photo of the club application form she had filled out earlier: “Is it this club you’re talking about, Sister? I just joined today. We’re even going for an outdoor practice session this weekend.”

Just then, Lan Yan received a message from her niece, and her expression became incredibly complex.

The little Alpha had joined the Supernatural Research Club too? And she was going to Mount Miao with them this weekend? No wonder she suddenly asked that question.

The scene of her niece, the little Alpha, and herself going to Mount Miao together felt like a return to those tense moments at home over the past two days, fearing their relationship would be discovered at any second… No, this feeling was too terrifying and tested her sense of shame too much. If her niece discovered her relationship with the little Alpha, she wouldn’t be able to face this group of her niece’s classmates ever again.

“Mm.”

Lan Yan replied absently with a single character, then clicked on her niece’s WeChat avatar. She weighed her words, wanting to say she wouldn’t be accompanying them to Mount Miao.

However, before she could finish typing, she received another message from the little Alpha: “Sister, I feel like the trip to Mount Miao organized by President Lan Yin is very dangerous. It’s said to be haunted. Sister, do you think it’s true?”

Not a single word mentioned being afraid, but even through the screen, Lan Yan could imagine the little Alpha’s body trembling at the mere mention of the word “ghost,” just like her fear of needles.

Lan Yan chuckled, deleted the half-sentence she had written to Lan Yin, and said to Su Yi’an: “Mm, it might be true. It’s better to believe these things exist than not. If it’s that dangerous, don’t go. Little sister, are you afraid of ghosts?”

There was a hint of subtle teasing in her voice.

Is Sister making fun of me? Just like when she asked about the fear of needles before.

Su Yi’an was back in her dorm now, sitting in her chair eating grapes. She nearly choked on these words. How could she be afraid? She didn’t believe such things existed in this world at all. The only reason she brought it up was out of fear that if her sister knew she was going to Mount Miao with Lan Yin, her sister would stay away to avoid suspicion.

Su Yi’an chewed the grape in her mouth with a slightly distorted expression, her fingertips almost cracking the screen as she typed, yet the words that came out were tender: “But Sister, I am the only Alpha in the club.”

If the Omegas aren’t afraid, how can an Alpha be? She was definitely going to Mount Miao. Given the chance, she would let her sister experience for herself whether she was truly “afraid” or not. However, if acting scared could win her sister’s concern, that was a different story. Su Yi’an didn’t say it explicitly; she left the point hanging.

Lan Yan, of course, understood the meaning behind her words.

“Alright then.”

Lan Yan shook her head and said no more. However, she didn’t click back into Lan Yin’s WeChat, nor did she say anything about not going to Mount Miao. The little Alpha had such strong self-esteem; she was clearly terrified yet insisted on going just to save face. Truly…

It was almost time to get off work. Lan Yan checked the time, put away her phone, quickly finished the documents at hand, stood up, and took her coffee to the window. She watched the cars passing below, her eyes dark and unreadable.

Chen Zhi was coming to Beijing soon. It was said the Zhang family wanted to hire her as a spokesperson for their products. Should she intercept that? Although Zhang Baiyang had been dealt with so severely he had no chance of a comeback—even making Old Man Zhang angry enough to end up in the ICU—she didn’t know much about the newly promoted Zhang Bailin.

Forget it. One thing after another lately had exhausted her. It would be better to relax with her niece and the others. Thinking of that youthful, beautiful little Alpha, a flush crept onto Lan Yan’s face. Would an “old auntie” like her look out of place among a group of students? If the little Alpha followed her niece’s lead and called her “Auntie,” cough… she didn’t dare imagine it.

After work, Lan Yan had originally intended to walk home; the company wasn’t far from where she lived. But for some unknown reason, she found herself sitting in her car and driving toward Beijing University. By the time she snapped out of it, she was almost there.

Since she was already here, she might as well check on her… niece.

Lan Yan parked the car, watched the students coming and going at the school gate, and called Lan Yin: “What are you doing?”

Normally, she should have gone back to accompany Xiao Bai, but looking at these groups of laughing young people, she suddenly felt her empty room was a bit too cold.

Lan Yin was painting and was shocked to receive this sudden call: “Does Little Aunt have something to ask me?” Otherwise, she wouldn’t suddenly ask such a thing. Usually, it was Lan Yin who called her Little Aunt when she needed something. Therefore, Little Aunt must have something on her mind.

Lan Yin mentally reviewed all possible occurrences but couldn’t figure out what could have made her Little Aunt like this recently. Could it be that her heart was broken by “Auntie Tutu,” and she wanted someone to talk to? Little Aunt didn’t seem like that kind of person; if such a thing happened, she would just endure it in silence.

Worried that something had really happened to her Little Aunt, Lan Yin didn’t even have time to put away her painting tools. She threw on her shoes and rushed out of the dorm. However, just as she stepped out, her Little Aunt calmly said it was nothing and continued: “Have you eaten? I’m outside your school gate. I’m just stopping by to see you since I was in the area.”

Lan Yin: “…I can still eat a bit more with you, Little Aunt.”

Passing by our school? How could she not believe that? She felt Little Aunt definitely had something going on but wasn’t willing to say it over the phone. What choice did she have? It was better to go see for herself. If that Alpha really hurt Little Aunt, she could tell her Fourth Uncle immediately.

The dormitory door made a loud bang, startling the other three girls inside. Undergraduate dorms were different from graduate dorms; they were four people to a room.

Zeng Wei and the others looked at each other, worry in their eyes: “What’s wrong with Sister Lan? It’s the first time I’ve seen her in such a rush.”

“Yeah, Sister Lan is always so dignified and elegant. Could something have happened? Should we follow her and check?”

“Didn’t she mention Little Aunt just now? Maybe Little Aunt needs her for something.”

As the three spoke, they put on their shoes and ran out the door. Seeing Lan Yin slowing her pace, they called out: “Sister Lan, do you need help?”

Lan Yan heard this and said seemingly casually to Lan Yin: “Your little classmates? Perfect. Since the accident last time, I haven’t had the chance to properly thank them. Why don’t I treat them all to a meal?”

Lan Yin: “Okay.”

Didn’t Little Aunt just have clothes sent to them this morning? To thank them over and over again—Little Aunt didn’t seem like such a passionate person. And wasn’t she busy with company matters lately? Lan Yin had begged her for ages just to get her to go to Mount Miao. A Little Aunt like this didn’t look like someone in trouble. She couldn’t figure it out.

Could it really be that she was just “passing by” and came to see her? But she had been studying at Beijing University for over three years, and this was the first time Little Aunt had ever been “in the area.” But since Little Aunt had suggested it, should she call Senior Su and Senior He as well?

When Lan Yin explained the situation to the three younger sisters behind her, they happily agreed: “Wow, Little Aunt is treating us again? This is great! Good thing I didn’t eat too much for dinner.”

“If Little Aunt is treating, we have to go! And the two seniors—we definitely have to call them. After all, the one who actually saved you that day, Sister Lan, was Senior Su.”

Graduate Apartments

Su Yi’an was dazed after another dead-end conversation with her sister when she suddenly received a call from Lan Yin. She was stunned, followed by boundless joy and a bit of disbelief: “What did you say? Sister is outside the school and wants to treat us to dinner?”

Lan Yin emphasized: “It’s Little Aunt.”

She didn’t understand why this Senior Su was so obsessed with calling her Little Aunt “Sister.” Weren’t Senior Su and herself from the same generation? Being called that made her feel like she was suddenly a generation younger; it was uncomfortable.

Su Yi’an’s eyes twitched, and the tips of her ears turned red: “…Okay. He Xia and I will be down immediately. Please… ask Little Aunt to wait a moment.”

She couldn’t let the reputation her sister had worked so hard to salvage for her be ruined over an unimportant detail. In front of classmates, she would call her Little Aunt; in private, she would call her Sister. She just didn’t know what her sister would think. Regardless, she felt it was both shameful and hard to describe. After all, she harbored such “bad intentions” toward her.

He Xia overheard the call. She looked at Su Yi’an suspiciously for a while and joked: “Junior Su is so easy to invite today. As expected, our Junior Lan Yin’s words are more effective.”

She meant it as a casual remark, but it made Su Yi’an’s heart nearly jump into her throat. Su Yi’an hung up, smoothed out her expression, and said indifferently: “Lan Yin is the President.” Meaning: since I joined the club, I have to listen to the President.

He Xia didn’t think much of it and agreed: “Right, right. She is the President, after all. Girl, I understand you. To be honest, the President of the calligraphy club I joined… I have to listen to her too…” Another long-winded rambling began. Su Yi’an didn’t want to hear it and automatically filtered it out. She usually gave the cold treatment to the unimportant information from He Xia’s mouth.

He Xia seemed used to her coldness and didn’t mind talking to herself. Su Yi’an put the clothes from the bag on the table into her closet. Looking at the clothes inside, her hand brushed over the most expensive, out-of-place dress, lingering for a moment before finally choosing the blue and white short outfit she had bought herself.

The T-shirts her sister bought for He Xia and the others—she had one too. Therefore, this dress she brought back and the dozen or so sets of clothes at her sister’s house were all given to her specifically by her sister. She hadn’t realized it before, but thinking about it now, her sister was different toward her after all.

She wanted to wear the dress, but wearing it would look intentional and didn’t fit her current image. Her heavy glasses alone were a terrible match for the dress and would more easily arouse Lan Yin’s suspicion. There was no benefit to exposing her identity now.

Su Yi’an was wearing the same outfit she wore when she went to Lan Yan’s house. Although it wasn’t dirty, it was reasonable to change. Seeing her change, He Xia looked at her own clothes, which she had also worn for over two days, and changed into a new set as well. After all, if Junior Lan Yin was there, her girlfriend Zeng Wei would certainly be there too. To see her girlfriend, she had to pay attention to her image.

Junior Su is also paying so much attention to her image. If I didn’t know she was always clean and that the Omega she likes isn’t here, I’d suspect she was actually going to see her sweetheart. He Xia was amused by her own strange thought.

Su Yi’an finished changing and gave her a look as if she were an idiot. It was bad enough that she was dawdling, but she was giggling to herself too. Su Yi’an finally urged her impatiently: “Hurry up.” Her sister was outside; how could she keep her waiting? If only Lan Yin had notified her earlier, she wouldn’t be in such a rush. She didn’t strictly have to wait for He Xia, but since Lan Yin had suggested it, not waiting would make her seem too eager. It would also lead people to speculate wildly about her relationship with He Xia. Although Su Yi’an didn’t care about He Xia as a person, it was different in the eyes of others; they were roommates who had gone through life and death together.

“Okay, okay, immediately! Junior Su, you’re in such a rush today—honestly, are you just hungry?” At Su Yi’an’s reminder, He Xia stopped giggling and sped up her changing, though her mouth still wouldn’t stop moving. Su Yi’an glanced at her and said nothing, which was taken as a silent confirmation.

The two changed and headed out. Su Yi’an’s steps were steady but extremely fast. As they walked, He Xia couldn’t keep up and had to jog: “I say, Junior Su, slow down and wait for me!”

The physical strength of an S-rank Alpha was truly superior; how could an normally inactive person like her compare? Is she really that hungry? To be in such a rush. He Xia ran until a fine sweat broke out on her forehead. Seeing Su Yi’an wasn’t reacting, she said hurriedly: “Forget it, forget it! You go first, don’t wait for me. I’ll rest for a bit, I really can’t keep up.”

Just then, as they were about to exit the school gate, Su Yi’an stopped. He Xia’s eyes lit up, she wiped her sweat, and made a final dash to Su Yi’an’s side: “I knew Junior Su wouldn’t have the heart to leave me alone…” Her voice cut off abruptly as she saw Lan Yin, her Little Aunt, and the others waiting not far away.

He Xia waved a greeting: “Hello, Little Aunt.” Seeing Su Yi’an standing there like a wooden block without speaking, she hurriedly nudged her shoulder.

Su Yi’an lowered her eyes to hide all her emotions, took a few steps forward, and walked to Lan Yan’s side: “Hello, Little Aunt.”

Perfectly behaved, perfectly obedient. But the title that slipped out made Lan Yan’s eyelid twitch. What did the little Alpha call her? Little Aunt? After they had done “that,” she called her Little Aunt? Was she reminding her of the age gap between them?

It took Lan Yan quite a while to steady her mind. She nodded gently, not looking at Su Yi’an: “What do you want to eat?” This was addressed to Lan Yin and the others.

Zeng Wei and the other girls: “Anything is fine with us.”

Lan Yin, however, looked at her solitary Little Aunt with a bit of disappointment and couldn’t help asking: “Little Aunt, didn’t Auntie Tutu come with you?”

Cough… Su Yi’an choked on her own saliva. Tutu… and Auntie? It was weird, but she had to admit her future niece had a decent eye for things.

Su Yi’an stole a glance at Lan Yan, only to meet her unreadable gaze. Their eyes met and intertwined; a trace of heat gradually spread through the air and silently seeped into their hearts.

Sister… Sister was still wearing the same black formal suit from when she dropped her off at school. So, Sister came straight from work without going home? Why would she suddenly treat everyone to dinner? Su Yi’an’s mouth was dry. She was the first to look away in a panic, her fingers unconsciously gripping her trousers. How can Sister suddenly be so seductive? It was as if there was a little hook in her eyes constantly reeling her in. She felt like she might not be able to hold back.

The corners of Lan Yan’s mouth turned up slightly. The little girl is still quite green. Earlier she called her an old woman, and now she calls her Little Aunt. Is she old? She could still captivate a whole group of youngsters, including her.

Lan Yan withdrew her gaze, her tone a bit heavy: “She didn’t come. Your Auntie Tutu… is busy.” Busy researching the supernatural, and busy calling her “Little Aunt” in front of her classmates.

“Pfft… Auntie Tutu.” He Xia couldn’t help laughing out loud. “So the woman we saw in Little Aunt’s passenger seat last night is called Tutu?”

Lan Yin froze and asked He Xia back: “You’ve seen Auntie Tutu?”

“Yeah, yeah! Little Aunt passed by our school last night.”

“Auntie Tutu is really beautiful. She matches Little Aunt very well.”

The other girls chimed in.

Lan Yin’s attention was instantly diverted, and she began talking with the other girls. He Xia also ran to her girlfriend’s side, leaving Lan Yan and Su Yi’an isolated.

It was getting late, and there were fewer pedestrians outside the school gate. The surroundings felt extremely quiet, making certain things impossible to ignore—like a rapid heartbeat, burning breath, and lingering gazes. Su Yi’an’s face turned bright red. She turned her head away to face the cold wind, trying to blow away the heat on her face. Auntie Tutu was truly embarrassing, especially when the words came from her sister’s alluring red lips. Though, secretly, she quite liked it.

Lan Yan glanced at the uncomfortable little Alpha. She withdrew all the charm she had been unintentionally radiating and put on a smile as pleasant as a spring breeze, changing the subject: “Do you want hotpot, barbecue, or stir-fry?”

The others didn’t notice anything. After all, placing the current Su Yi’an and Lan Yan together, aside from their looks, the gap was too large. No matter what they thought, they would never imagine the two had that kind of relationship.

“Maybe barbecue? Most of us have already had dinner,” He Xia was the first to suggest. The others nodded.

Only Su Yi’an: “Stir-fry.”

Last time, her sister’s pheromones went out of control because of grilled meat. Although she wanted to be close to her sister, she didn’t want to see her in pain—and her sister certainly wouldn’t be happy losing control in front of so many outsiders. Since her sister came straight from work, she definitely hadn’t eaten yet. She didn’t know if she could stomach the food in a regular restaurant, but stir-fry was always better than barbecue. Su Yi’an really wanted to say she would cook for her at home, but currently, she had no standing to say that, nor could she say it out loud.

Everyone looked at Su Yi’an, including Lan Yan. He Xia slapped her forehead: “I almost forgot! Junior Su said she was hungry. Let’s do stir-fry then, it doesn’t matter to us.” The others nodded.

Lan Yan frowned, glanced at Su Yi’an, then turned around, her voice calm: “Let’s do both stir-fry and barbecue together.” She had just gotten off work. Looking at the schedule, the little Alpha should have finished class long ago. Why hadn’t she eaten so late? Was it because of money or something else? Had the money she gave her been taken by her family again? She remembered her second uncle and aunt asking for money the first time they met. Lan Yan felt a surge of unprovoked irritation, but more so a feeling of “hating that the iron won’t turn into steel.”

The others didn’t notice the low pressure she was giving off, but Su Yi’an sensed it keenly.

“Sister, are you angry?” Su Yi’an asked in a low voice. Lan Yin and He Xia were walking ahead as they talked, leaving Su Yi’an and Lan Yan behind. So, Su Yi’an took the courage to move closer to Lan Yan.

Lan Yan looked at her askance, her lips pressed into a straight line: “Call me Little Aunt.” Her voice was gentle, but it hidden a trace of undetectable lethality.

Su Yi’an: “…” She was certain her sister was indeed angry. But as for why, she really couldn’t guess. Surely it couldn’t be over an insignificant title? Wasn’t this to avoid suspicion from classmates?

In the end, the group entered a barbecue shop near the school, with a restaurant next door. Lan Yan ordered some dishes from both places first, then let Lan Yin and the others order the rest.

Su Yi’an looked at the Wangzai Milk the boss had specifically placed in front of her: “…” So, is this thing a standard requirement for eating with Sister now? She had eaten so many last time she felt sick. Should she eat it now or not? Since Sister gave it, she should eat it.

Su Yi’an hesitated for only a second before finishing off a plate of vegetables and barbecue that Lan Yan had pushed toward her. Seeing that Lan Yan barely touched her chopsticks, she couldn’t help but feel worried. While the others were talking excitedly, Su Yi’an leaned closer to Lan Yan again, her voice extremely low: “Is Sister not going to eat more?” As she spoke, she reached out to pick up a vegetable from that side.

The two were sitting together, so her leaning in was natural. Reaching for the food the same way didn’t make them look overly intimate; to Lan Yin and the others, it seemed normal.

Lan Yan didn’t make her call her Little Aunt this time. She only said as usual: “I’m not hungry. But you—you’ve been hungry until now?” If she hadn’t come today, had the little Alpha planned not to eat at all?

Su Yi’an looked a bit blank: “I ate, I’m just hungry again.” Actually, she wasn’t hungry, but since Sister was treating, she had to be hungry. Otherwise, how could she get close to her?

Lan Yan’s expression softened, and she pushed another plate of food toward Su Yi’an: “If you’re hungry, eat more.”

Su Yi’an: “…” Maybe next time I should just be thick-skinned and go to Sister’s house to cook for her. That way, Sister can eat happily, and I won’t have to eat until I feel like throwing up.

Their quiet whispering finally caught Lan Yin’s attention: “What are Little Aunt and Senior Su talking about?”