The CEO Omega’s 'Soft Rice' Alpha - Chapter 85

Chapter 85

The room fell into another heavy silence. Compared to the agitation he felt when he first learned the truth, Jiang Mu had now calmed down. His face was somber, and he paced back and forth in front of the coffee table, one hand stroking his chin.

The movement made Lan Yan’s eyes ache, but talking with Jiang Mu for so long had significantly improved her mood. She was about to tell him to stop pacing when he suddenly leaned down, his hands bracing against the coffee table as he looked at her intently. “Lan Lan, there’s one thing I can’t figure out.”

“Mmh?” Lan Yan was startled, momentarily forgetting what she was going to say.

Jiang Mu continued, “Your little Alpha…”

As soon as he spoke, Lan Yan’s brows knitted together. “My friend’s.”

Jiang Mu: “…” Are we still being this reserved? Fine, ‘friend’ it is.

Jiang Mu cleared his throat. “Your ‘friend’s’ little Alpha is the sole daughter of the Su family. Even if it was to deceive your… friend, there was no need for her to sacrifice her own glands. The damage to those glands isn’t fake. Forget about her family being the richest in the US; even the richest in the world couldn’t produce medicine to reverse sterilization. Moreover, that medicine is legal here but a prohibited substance in the US. Becoming sterile is a massive deal. Lan Lan, at the very least, this proves the little Alpha’s feelings for your… friend are real.”

After talking for so long, he understood that Lan Yan still had feelings for the girl. She was likely just furious because the deception made her doubt the sincerity of everything else. Well, he had helped Lan Lan curse the little Alpha enough; her mood had likely lightened, and it was time to play matchmaker. Given the current trajectory, the two would reconcile sooner or later, and he didn’t want to be the villain in their story.

Looking at Lan Yan, who had fallen into deep thought because of his words, Jiang Mu added a final push: “Lan Lan, I have an idea. Let’s call her in in a bit. Don’t say anything, just watch…”

A knock on the door interrupted him. Lan Yan’s relaxed body immediately tensed, her lips pressing into a thin line. Is that dead rabbit trying something? I haven’t forgiven her yet—dare to come in and see what happens…

Jiang Mu thought of something, and his face turned a suspicious shade of red. He stood up quickly, only then feeling the lingering ache in his waist and legs. The person knocking definitely wasn’t Lan Lan’s little Alpha; that girl hadn’t dared to enter before and wouldn’t come in now without permission.

Therefore, it could only be the person he had spent the night with. They had slept together at his place last night, and the only reason he had rushed home was because of Lan Yan’s call—which was also why he had taken the day off and said it was inconvenient to pick her up. They had been quite… wild last night.

Looking at the suddenly serious Lan Yan, Jiang Mu felt a bit like laughing. Before opening the door, he said, “Relax, your friend’s little Alpha doesn’t have the guts to come in yet. It’s likely my… ahem… new boyfriend.”

Having said the “your friend’s” phrase so many times, he could say it naturally now; it was other things that made him feel awkward. After all, he had just been venting to Lan Yan about his scumbag ex a few days ago, and now he had someone new right when Lan Lan was having marital trouble. It felt ill-timed.

However, his new boyfriend was very restrained in front of others and wouldn’t flaunt their relationship in front of a miserable Lan Yan.

“Mmh.” Lan Yan didn’t say anything else, but her tense body relaxed. However, the look in her eyes was complicated—a mix of annoyance and a hint of loss. She hid her emotions well, so even Jiang Mu found it hard to detect.

The door opened, and as expected, it wasn’t Su Yi’an. A handsome man stood there holding two simple breakfasts, smiling somewhat unnaturally, looking quite honest and simple.

“Why did you prepare breakfast? Come in.” Jiang Mu suppressed a smile and took the food, but a second later, his expression froze. He said with certainty, “You didn’t make this.”

He had eaten this new boyfriend’s cooking before; it was barely edible. This breakfast looked, smelled, and tasted perfect—it clearly looked like the work of Lan Lan’s little Alpha. These two are really using me as a middleman, even ordering my new boyfriend around.

Wait, how does he know her? He said he used to work for the Su family in the US… could it be THIS Su family? Jiang Mu’s expression darkened.

The man paused, glanced at Su Yi’an outside, then at Jiang Mu. Once inside with the door closed, he lowered his voice: “Didn’t I tell you I used to work for the Su family in the US? The person outside was my employer. She made this breakfast. Since she was my boss, A-Mu, help her out…”

Jiang Mu remained expressionless. “You get out, too!”

Slap! Before the man could finish his sentence or even change his shoes, he was clutching his right cheek and was ushered out the door.

Bang! The door slammed shut. Jiang Mu squeezed out a smile and brought the breakfast to Lan Yan. “Lan Lan, eat. Your friend’s little Alpha made it. Might as well eat it; being angry shouldn’t stop us from eating, right? Come on, let’s just do what we need to do.”

Lan Yan: “…” She was startled by the sudden outburst. A minute later, she remembered the “dead rabbit” had mentioned sending someone to protect Jiang Mu.

Could it be that Jiang Mu’s new boyfriend was that very person? That dead rabbit is really a menace to herself and others. Because of this realization, Lan Yan’s face darkened again, but perhaps influenced by Jiang Mu, the familiar aroma of the food made her realize she was hungry. She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

“Did he lie to you?” Lan Yan asked.

“No,” Jiang Mu said, eating happily with his eyes squinted. “It’s just that I was stupid and didn’t guess it. But don’t worry, Lan Lan, I usually vent my anger on the spot. One slap and I’m fine. I’m not like your ‘friend,’ who can’t bear to lay a hand on her own little Alpha.”

If it hadn’t been for today, he might never have known. But the little Alpha had some conscience; knowing he was being bullied by his ex, she had sent someone to protect him.

Surely the man saying he liked him wasn’t also an instruction from the Alpha? No, feelings can’t be assigned. So, venting his anger now was fine; he’d still use the new boyfriend when needed.

Lan Yan: “…” Who can’t bear to touch that dead rabbit? I just… I just don’t want to act like a shrew. I’ve never laid a hand on anyone. But for some reason, seeing Jiang Mu’s way of handling things felt strangely satisfying. Unfortunately, she wasn’t Jiang Mu, and the “dead rabbit” wasn’t that man; she truly couldn’t treat her that way.

The two ate breakfast inside in an unexpectedly good atmosphere. Outside, however, the two people were in a weirdly silent standoff.

“Your face…” Su Yi’an looked at the handprint on the man’s face and spoke first. Her Sister wasn’t that violent, so it had to be Jiang Mu. Did he lie to Jiang Mu, too? She had only told him to protect Jiang Mu, not to lie about his identity. It seemed she couldn’t rely on this former subordinate. Su Yi’an shook her head and sighed. Now there were two of them kicked out by their wives. She couldn’t imagine what the two angry Omegas were saying inside. She was already considering the possibility of taking the marriage certificate and running away to hide temporarily.

“I’m fine,” the man said, appearing not at all angry. “Miss, A-Mu told me to give you a message. He said you should come in in ten minutes.” He knew Jiang Mu’s personality; the slap meant the matter was settled. Once the Miss and her wife left, he could still go back to him.

He didn’t mind, but the new Madam looked so cold and hard to coax; his Miss might have to suffer quite a bit. Moreover, he suspected A-Mu wanted the Miss to go in just to make things difficult for her. But he couldn’t say that, so his Miss would have to fend for herself. Regardless, after being with A-Mu, he wouldn’t return to the US to serve the Su family.

“What did you say? Sister wants me to go in?” Su Yi’an was confused, her voice full of uncertainty. Was Jiang Mu really helping her? Did Sister’s anger vanish that quickly? Joy overcame her logic. She took out her phone, watching the timer, ready to knock the moment ten minutes passed.

“No,” the man emphasized. “A-Mu wants you to go in.”

Su Yi’an’s face immediately fell. Her grip on her phone tightened, and her joy vanished. If it wasn’t Sister asking for her, what was the use? If it weren’t for her consideration for Sister, she would have entered with her when Jiang Mu called earlier. Sister had said she didn’t want to see her the moment she stepped out; standing here was already pushing it, even if she technically wasn’t in front of Sister’s own door.

Seeing her expression, the man quickly explained, “The Madam didn’t say anything, but she seemed to tacitly allow A-Mu’s words. It might be useful to listen to him.”

That made sense. Usually, when people have relationship problems, they consult close friends. Maybe Sister really would listen to Jiang Mu’s advice. But when she first arrived, Jiang Mu had called her in and Sister had remained silent then, too.

Should she go or not? Su Yi’an was conflicted, feeling her EQ was insufficient. She felt the current Sister was even more unpredictable than when they first met. Back then, she could sense hints of Sister’s emotional shifts; now, there was only a bone-chilling coldness.

Maybe I used the wrong method from the start. I shouldn’t have approached her with a hidden identity. I could try something else; it couldn’t be worse than this. Su Yi’an finally faced the issue. She had no one to talk to, so she spoke to the System: “Crybaby, tell me, was I wrong? Yes, I was wrong—grievously wrong. Maybe being persistent or even forceful would have been better?”

The System comforted her: “Host doesn’t need to be so self-reproachful. According to this System’s deduction, that was the only way to get close to Lan Yan at the time. Because of your first meeting at the bar, she had no good impression of you. If you had approached her with your true identity, it would have been much harder to reach her heart. If the Host hadn’t acted fast, Lan Yan would have ended up with Zhan Ming, the mission would have failed, and both the Host and Crybaby would have been scrapped.”

“Furthermore, given Lan Yan’s personality, whether you were persistent or forceful, you would have only pushed her further away. She despises those kinds of Alphas. For Lan Yan, the ‘kept man’ route was indeed the only way in. So many Alphas from great families in the capital like her; if it were that easy, she wouldn’t have been single until now.”

The System’s comfort made Su Yi’an feel slightly better. She looked at the time; ten minutes had passed. There was no more time for hesitation. Life or death, she had to try. She decided that no matter what Jiang Mu asked her to do, she would do it.

She thought this right up until she knocked and walked into Jiang Mu’s home. Then she saw the needle in Jiang Mu’s hand—much larger than usual—as he said with a smile, “Lan Lan is sick and needs you to take an injection for her.”

It was utterly absurd. Why do I have to take a needle if Sister is sick? Was Jiang Mu maliciously retaliating? She hadn’t done anything to him; she had even protected him. Su Yi’an’s face turned deathly pale. She didn’t dare look at the needle, only stole a glance at her Sister, who was sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed, seemingly resting. Finally, she bit her lip and nodded.

It must be because Sister got sick from anger, so Jiang Mu giving me a needle is perfectly logical. It was so “logical” that Su Yi’an felt like crying. She suddenly felt that Sister slapping her would have been better, just like Jiang Mu did to his boyfriend.

As Su Yi’an walked toward Jiang Mu, her legs shook uncontrollably. Jiang Mu was very satisfied with her attitude. He deliberately shook the syringe—which looked like it could hold half a bowl of water—and gestured for her to sit on the opposite sofa. “This is my first time using such a large needle. If my hand shakes later, please bear with me, Miss Su. Oh, right, a veterinarian friend left this behind; I don’t have any other syringes. Don’t be afraid, I know what I’m doing.”

Actually, he had originally bought it to deal with his scumbag ex, but since he got a new boyfriend, he hadn’t used it. Using it now to scare Lan Lan’s little Alpha served the same purpose. Who told her to lie to her wife?

Su Yi’an was terrified of the title “Miss Su.” First Sister used it, now Jiang Mu; it sounded like a death warrant, making her heart frantic. Why does Jiang Mu have such a huge needle? If I’m not mistaken, that’s for a pig. Is he going to perform a ‘one-meter flying needle’ on me like they do to swine? She had accidentally seen such videos before; at the time, aside from a sympathetic shiver, she had found them a bit funny. Behind a screen, they weren’t as scary as in reality.

Now that she was seeing it for real, she just wanted to faint. Especially since Jiang Mu specifically explained it…

However, was this Sister’s idea? Probably. Otherwise, Sister wouldn’t let Jiang Mu run wild like this. Since it was Sister’s wish and punishment, she had to accept it, no matter how terrifying. She didn’t know how else to appease her; if a single injection could win her back, she would consider herself lucky.

Su Yi’an looked calm on the surface, but the sweat pouring down her forehead and her trembling limbs betrayed her terror. As the needle drew closer, her fear intensified, and her teeth began to chatter. Yet, she didn’t utter a single word of refusal and sat exactly where Jiang Mu pointed.

Lan Yan sat not far to her right, still motionless as if asleep. But only Jiang Mu knew that the person who had just finished every bit of the breakfast made by her little Alpha was secretly eavesdropping. Jiang Mu didn’t expose her; this was his idea to test the Alpha’s sincerity. You didn’t even need to test seriously; the fact that she unconditionally believed him—or rather, brainlessly doted on Lan Lan—proved everything.

Seeing the Alpha look terrified yet enduring it for the injection, Jiang Mu felt a sudden urge to tease her. Seeing that neither was looking at him, he approached Su Yi’an and wickedly took one of Lan Yan’s fingers, using it to poke the arm Su Yi’an had extended for the needle.

Su Yi’an, who had felt a bit less scared because she could smell her Sister’s scent, flinched back at the sudden touch. Her eyes reddened. Between the lack of sleep and the exhaustion, her eyes were bloodshot; she looked like a total “pitiable little thing” on the verge of tears.

“Sister…”

Su Yi’an hadn’t seen Jiang Mu’s movement. Her mind was entirely on her Sister and the impending needle. Although it felt slightly off, she attributed that poke to the pain of the injection. All her traumatic memories of needles were awakened, making her want to throw herself into her Sister’s arms for comfort. But she didn’t dare do anything; she could only digest the fear silently and softly call out to her Sister.

That single “Sister” made Jiang Mu’s heart soften. He felt that no matter what mistake the little Alpha made, she could be forgiven. This little Alpha really knew how to act cute in front of Lan Lan. If she acted like this in front of other Omegas, she would have been devoured long ago.

These days, it wasn’t just Omegas who were in danger; Alphas were, too—especially one that was exactly Lan Lan’s type.

This version of the Alpha was quite different from the “Miss Su” in the videos; perhaps that was why Lan Lan never suspected her. However, this side of her was only visible to Lan Lan. Normally she was silent around them, which he had thought was shyness, but now he knew was actually coldness. Perhaps this was her true personality around loved ones, and the outside world just saw the mask. Regardless, the fear of needles wasn’t an act, and the gland damage wasn’t an act.

He concluded that the little Alpha truly loved Lan Lan, and Lan Lan wasn’t entirely without feelings for her. That one “Sister” had touched him, and he assumed it touched Lan Lan too. Her eyelashes were trembling just as much as the finger he had used to poke the Alpha; she probably couldn’t keep up the act much longer.

Jiang Mu suppressed a smile. When Su Yi’an turned back, he slowly brought the needle out again, lying through his teeth: “Miss Su, you see, our Lan Lan’s illness is quite severe. You might need another shot.”

Another one? Su Yi’an’s hair stood on end, but she gritted her teeth and endured. Her extended hand shook violently, and she still didn’t dare look. Only by smelling her Sister’s scent could she keep herself from fainting immediately.

Su Yi’an wasn’t stupid; she knew Jiang Mu was maliciously messing with her. If Jiang Mu weren’t Sister’s friend, and if he weren’t doing this in front of her, he would have ended up like Madman Wang. She just held onto a sliver of hope that after Jiang Mu had his fun, Sister’s anger might dissipate. She didn’t even dare hope they could go back to how things were.

At that moment, Lan Yan suddenly opened her eyes. Her cold, unreadable gaze swept over Jiang Mu and Su Yi’an. She grabbed her bag and stood up. “I have things to do. I’m going back.”

Actually, even before Jiang Mu used her finger to poke Su Yi’an, she had wanted to end this farce. To an outsider it might be funny, but it only made her heart more chaotic. She knew the Alpha was terrified of needles, yet she was letting Jiang Mu toy with her because of her…

Maybe Jiang Mu was right; she was angry at that “dead rabbit,” but she truly couldn’t bear to see her hurt. Even after being deceived, she still had her in her heart. Just like when her parents lied to her; she might not show much joy on the surface, but she still loved them.

Seeing Lan Yan’s expression, Jiang Mu knew he had gone a bit too far. He quickly put the needle away. “I’ll see you out.” Lan Lan was clearly still holding on, perhaps unable to let go of her anger yet. If he had told Lan Lan beforehand how he was going to test her Alpha, she definitely wouldn’t have agreed.

Looking at Lan Lan’s attitude, there was still a long way to go. But today wasn’t a total waste; there was some progress. Just have a bit more patience, and this might work out. Lan Lan was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Conversely, her little Alpha seemed warm on the outside but was cold on the inside—they complemented each other.

The moment Lan Yan left, Su Yi’an couldn’t sit still. Forgetting the needles, she immediately followed. “I’ll drive Sister.”

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