The Cold And Straight Alpha Is Always Being Flirted With By The Goddess Aunt - Chapter 33

Since the failure of the kidnapping attempt on Yan Qing, the Zhao family had fallen into a death trap, like cornered beasts.

This was a desperate final move, a matter of life or death. Their original plan was to kidnap Yan Qing and secretly inject her with a toxin, the Zhao family, holding the only antidote, would then have the leverage to negotiate with Xi Zhaowan.

They had no choice. Xi Zhaowan’s recent crackdowns on them had been too ruthless and decisive. Under pressure and instructions from the Second Master of the Zhao family, Zhao Ziren resorted to this low tactic. However, they never expected that not only would they kidnap the wrong person, but the victim would be the heir to the Ji family.

That was the Ji family. Holding Ji Qianqian was not just a mistake, she was a “hot potato” that burned their hands and terrified their hearts.

When Zhao Ziren realized they had the wrong person, he nearly collapsed in fear before the Second Master, who was so livid he felt his soul leaving his body.

They hurriedly tried to kidnap Yan Qing again, only for her to rescue Ji Qianqian right under their noses and hand the kidnappers over to the police.

Fortunately, the kidnappers had signed a death pact and would never betray the Zhao family. Even so, the Second Master’s hair turned white from worry. He knew all too well that if Xi Zhaowan discovered the true target behind the kidnapping of the Ji heir was actually the Young Mistress of the Yan family, the Zhao family would be uprooted and destroyed by the Yan family’s sheer wealth and power.

The Second Master never expected Xi Zhaowan, despite her Zhao family origins to show them any mercy.

At this moment, kidnapping the wrong person became their best cover. To prevent the mastermind from being discovered and to further distract the investigators, the Second Master stroked his thinning beard and whispered a plan into Zhao Ziren’s ear.

That plan was to keep a close eye on Xi Zhaowan. But this time, it wouldn’t be them watching, nor new kidnappers, it would be the media.

Xi Zhaowan, 33 and unmarried, had kept her private life airtight for years. It was time for it to be exposed.

The rumors surrounding her were like a thin veil under moonlight, the more she was protected, the more curious people became. They would let the rumors of this “Rose of City H,” the peerless ice-beauty, muddy the waters of the elite social circles and leave her with no time to breathe.

The Invitation

The day after proposing a collaboration, Wei Weizhi showed great sincerity by inviting Xi Zhaowan to a comprehensive development seminar for the R7 Reagent, hosted by the Wei family’s research team.

On the surface, it was an invitation for Xi Zhaowan to share her views on the market prospects of the R7 Reagent. In reality, it was centered around her, with the Wei Group’s latest research findings being presented to her by core members as a gesture of sharing.

This invitation was undeniably tempting. From sending flowers to treating her to dinner, the “Little Demoness” of the Wei family had taken the advice of her banquet companions, she switched her tactics to offering scientific achievements to the woman she admired.

Even a few dozen minutes of sharing results represented a massive financial investment by the Wei Group.

Unlike the Yan family, which specialized in the field of inhibitor research, the Wei family had broad industrial interests. They dabbled in almost everything the four major families did. While they were “jacks of all trades and masters of none”, never reaching the industry peak in any single field, their diversified global investments secured them a powerful seat among the elite.

Their research into inhibitors was just one team Wei Weizhi had invested in during her youth, funded with significant annual capital. This meant that their accumulated results likely contained complementary insights that Xi Zhaowan’s team could learn from.

Wei Weizhi believed this invitation held enough sincerity to move Xi Zhaowan. The more she interacted with her, the more Xi Zhaowan’s every frown and smile tugged at her heartstrings. Her elegant demeanor, refined conversation, and those deep, silent eyes seemed to look straight into Wei Weizhi’s soul.

“Would I have the honor of inviting you to this seminar? It’s at the Riverside Hotel, where we first met,” she sent in a formal, soft-toned text message.

After weighing her options, Xi Zhaowan seemed moved by Wei Weizhi’s sincerity or perhaps her “scientific madman” persona took over regarding the R7 Reagent.

Only she knew the truth: she wanted to keep herself busier. She wanted to stay away from the Yan family, the Yan Corporation, and everything related to “Yan.” By doing so, she hoped to forget the memories of that night and the dejection of that gathering.

The Seminar

Wei Weizhi booked the entire Riverside Hotel and set up the grand conference hall on the top floor.

Xi Zhaowan sat at the conference table, dressed in a sophisticated suit skirt paired with a light blue blazer and a white inner lining. The outfit revealed her slender, porcelain neck, adorned with small water drop white jade earrings. The pale mole at the corner of her eye shifted with her focused gaze, she was a captivating blend of worldly charm and icy elegance.

She sat with perfect posture. The leader of the Wei research team, seeing the legendary “Rose of City H” for the first time, was momentarily dazed by her beauty. After regaining his composure, he reminded himself that her reputation in the scientific community was not merely that of a “pretty face.”

Adopting a serious attitude, he began reporting their findings. Under Wei Weizhi’s instructions, they withheld two-thirds of their research. However, he believed that with Xi Zhaowan’s years of expertise in R7 Reagents, even one-third would provide her with valuable insights.

Xi Zhaowan quickly identified the weaknesses in the Wei family’s progress. Though she listened intently at first, she gradually became distracted by a notification on her phone, a “Special Follow” alert.

The only person, besides one other, whom she had set as a “Special Follow” was Yan Qing.

Aside from the Yan mother and daughter, no one could affect Xi Zhaowan during a meeting. Yan Manxing usually called for emergencies, so this text must be from Qing’er.

Xi Zhaowan pursed her lips, her fingers twitching with the urge to open the phone, though she suppressed it. While appearing to listen to the robotic drone of the researcher, her mind was entirely elsewhere: What did Qing’er send?

Has she returned safely after rescuing Ji Qianqian? Is she with her now? Or, after receiving my ‘goodbye’ text, does she have something she wants to explain?

Xi Zhaowan felt a faint sense of anticipation, yet she also resisted it. Undeniably, the flashing notification from her “Special Follow” was like a stone thrown into a deep bay, unsettling the peace of her heart.

Every one of Xi Zhaowan’s movements was captured by Wei Weizhi, who sat opposite her. She watched as the furrow in Xi Zhaowan’s brow finally smoothed out the moment she picked up the phone. After reading the message, those calm eyes were suddenly clouded with a complex, indecipherable emotion.

It was an expression Wei Weizhi didn’t understand. She only felt that the ethereal, goddess like Xi Zhaowan had, in that moment of reading the text, been touched by the warmth and complications of the mortal world.

It was as if she were anticipating the approach of a lover, yet simultaneously burdened with the melancholy of indecision, torn between acceptance and rejection.

Rumors in City H claimed that Xi Zhaowan had rejected countless Alpha suitors over the years because she secretly preferred “Omega-Omega” relationships. Wei Weizhi didn’t buy it. After the last banquet, she had sent her subordinate, Xiao Zhang, to investigate. The results showed that Xi Zhaowan’s private life was incredibly monotonous. Combining this data with her own intuition, Wei Weizhi felt a surge of confidence in her ability to pursue her.

However, Xi Zhaowan’s reaction to the text message was peculiar, instantly making Wei Weizhi curious about the identity of the sender.

Her curiosity didn’t have to last long. The person who most closely fit Wei Weizhi’s suspicions arrived, planting a seed of doubt in her mind regarding those “Omega-Omega” rumors.

The reason was simple, the conference was scheduled for two days, yet Yan Manxing made a sudden appearance at the Riverside Hotel after the first day concluded. She even booked a room directly opposite the adjacent rooms of Wei Weizhi and Xi Zhaowan.

Xi Zhaowan never expected Yan Manxing to arrive at the Riverside Hotel so quickly.

During the meeting, she had received a text from Yan Manxing stating that she happened to be passing through on a business trip and would stay the night. Having heard Xi was in a meeting, Yan said she’d drop by to see her.

Sometimes Yan Manxing would be so busy she’d disappear for months; other times, she would drop in unexpectedly every few days. Xi Zhaowan was used to it, but she found it strange how quickly Yan Manxing had learned about this specific seminar and how focused she seemed on it.

After all, for a reagent like R7 that hadn’t even entered clinical trials, this exchange of results was merely “the icing on the cake”, a chance to gain a few new perspectives. It didn’t seem worthy of the personal attention of the Yan Group’s Chairwoman.

After the day’s session ended, Xi Zhaowan returned to the room Wei Weizhi had arranged for her. She sat before the vanity, the screen of her phone frozen on a message thread she had been staring at for an hour.

“Sister Wan, I want to see you.”

“Ji Qianqian has been rescued and is safe. Regarding the diary, I want to explain everything to you in person.”

“Will you give me a chance? I miss you very much right now.”

“Actually, I don’t like Ji Qianqian. Will you believe me?”

The messages flooded Xi Zhaowan’s vision like a surging tide. That phrase, “I miss you very much”, softened her expression, and she could almost see Yan Qing’s desperate to explain face in her mind.

Her slender, pale fingertips traced every word until she reached the final message: “Where are you?”

The woman let out a soft sigh. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. She started, momentarily hallucinating that Yan Qing had actually arrived, but when she opened the door, it was Wei Weizhi.

The young head of the Wei family stood there holding a bottle of ’78 Château Schneemann and two sparkling crystal goblets. She arched an eyebrow with a smile. “Aren’t you going to invite me in for a drink?”

As the red wine was poured, Xi Zhaowan shook her head. “If you have something to say, we can talk here.”

Wei Weizhi took a sip from one glass and filled the other, insistently holding it out to Xi Zhaowan.

“I think I’ll drink this glass on behalf of President Xi.”

Before the person even appeared, her voice preceded her. Yan Manxing, having ditched her gold-rimmed glasses, arrived in a gold and white suit. The rhythmic tap-tap of her high heels carried an overbearing aura of authority.

Wei Weizhi narrowed her eyes. She certainly remembered not inviting Yan Manxing.

“Chairwoman Yan, what wind blew you to our seminar today?”

“When there’s an opportunity for collaboration and exchange with the Wei family, how could I not come to show the Yan Group’s respect?”

The two exchanged a few polite pleasantries. Yan Manxing naturally positioned herself between Xi and Wei, reaching out with practiced ease to take the wine Wei Weizhi had poured for Xi Zhaowan.

“My little sister Wan is allergic to alcohol. I’ll just drink it for her.”

Wei Weizhi’s mind snagged on the words: My… little sister Wan?

Xi Zhaowan watched the scene with composure. She remembered quite clearly that she was not allergic to alcohol. However, while she felt grateful for Yan Manxing’s protection, the thought of Yan Manxing’s daughter, Yan Qing, made her feel deeply uneasy.

They say a daughter takes after her mother, but as Qing’er grew older, she seemed less and less like her mother.

Her years of friendship with Yan Manxing made the situation with Yan Qing feel like a “fishbone caught in the throat” a constant, painful complication.