The Omega from Last Night Is My Blind Date - Chapter 2

Bai Yue stepped out of the shower, her damp hair clinging messily to her forehead. She found herself thinking again of the two hundred-yuan banknotes on her bedside table. They were crisp, without a single crease.

They were not spare change pulled haphazardly from a wallet; they had been prepared intentionally. Or rather, they were intended as a deliberate insult.

She spun her phone in her palm, unlocked it, and opened her contact list. The Omega from last night had not left any contact information, and the encounter at the bar felt like a carefully orchestrated, one-night hallucination.

She walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The view from the top floor was expansive, and the morning breeze dried the droplets on her skin, bringing a sobering chill. Her formidable self-control as an Alpha allowed her to bring her overflowing pheromones back to normal levels within half an hour.

However, some traces could not be erased.

For instance, the slight stinging sensation below her neck. She looked toward the glass pane and, in the reflection, saw the clear, distinct tooth marks. They were not deep, but they were enough to leave a mark.

When the other person had bitten her, she had been pressed against the pillows, chestnut-colored hair sweeping across her cheeks. In the dim light, those amber eyes had looked like burning honey. Sweat trickled down the stranger’s temples, dripping onto her collarbone, scaldingly hot.

Bai Yue reached up to touch the bite mark, then turned and walked back to the bed. She picked up her shirt from the scattered pile of clothes. Three buttons were missing, and the collar had been torn.

She suddenly laughed.

It was not anger; she just found it interesting.

The legend of “Lost” bar, the youngest CEO of Bai Capital, an Alpha who always got her way in the game of love, woke up this morning to find she had been “paid for.”

She put on her trousers and the ruined shirt unhurriedly. Walking to the small bar counter to pour a glass of water, she glanced at the corner of the counter as the rim of the glass touched her lower lip. Something was reflecting the light.

A tiny metal badge, the size of a fingernail, was made of silver with slightly worn edges. An abstract bird was engraved on the surface, one wing spread wide, its lines sharp and fierce. It was the mark of a top-tier member at “Lost,” limited to only fifty pieces.

Bai Yue picked up the badge, her thumb rubbing over the surface. It was ice-cold. Her own badge was kept in a collection cabinet at her apartment; she rarely wore it.

…Was this dropped by the Omega last night?

She shoved the badge and the two banknotes into her pocket. The metal pressed cold and hard against her thigh.

Her phone rang. It was her assistant, Lin Wei.

“Director Bai, should we postpone the video conference with Rico Capital at eleven?” Lin Wei’s voice was as calm and professional as ever. “I noticed you did not return to your apartment last night.”

“No need to postpone.” Bai Yue walked toward the door, taking one last look around the suite. “I will be at the company in forty minutes.”

“Understood. Also, Chairman Bai called just now to confirm the details of your dinner with Miss Jiang Manru this evening. Do you need me to send you her profile in advance?”

Bai Yue’s hand paused on the doorknob for a second.

“Send it to my email,” she said.

“Understood.”

The call ended. Bai Yue pulled the door open; the hallway was empty. She stepped into the elevator. The mirrored walls reflected her current state: hair half-wet, shirt slightly open, the red marks on her collarbone clearly visible. She looked every bit the dissipated, debauched Alpha.

She straightened her hair in the mirror and buttoned her collar, barely managing to cover the marks.

That woman last night had a pair of deceptive eyes. They looked like honey, but tasted like poison.

The elevator descended, the numbers counting down.

Reaching the underground parking garage, the doors opened.

Her red sports car was parked in its designated spot. She unlocked it, opened the door, and slid into the driver’s seat. The scent of leather and ebony oud pheromones enveloped her; this was her territory.

The car left the garage and slipped into the flow of traffic.

At a red light, Bai Yue’s fingers tapped the steering wheel unconsciously.

Her phone vibrated on the passenger seat. She glanced at it; it was “Mother.”

She answered, and the car’s Bluetooth connected automatically.

“Yueyue, you did not go home again last night?” Her mother’s voice carried a tone of restrained reproach. “I have told you how many times: I do not care how you play around before marriage, but you must take this engagement seriously. Miss Jiang is a proper young lady; do not go scaring her off.”

Bai Yue stared at the road ahead, her tone dismissive. “I know.”

“You know? You do not know anything! The Jiang family’s channels in Southeast Asia are something we desperately need. Your mother has already spoken with Chairman Jiang; we are just waiting for you to finalize things on your end.”

“So did I not already agree to go on this blind date?”

“That is not an agreement; that is just you being perfunctory!” Her mother raised her voice. “I am warning you, Bai Yue: 7:00 PM, Langyue Restaurant. You get yourself there looking presentable. Do not wear any of those chaotic perfumes, and keep your pheromones under control.”

“Mom,” Bai Yue interrupted, “I am driving.”

There was silence on the other end for two seconds.

“Fine, I will not say anymore. Just remember this: Jiang Manru, 22 years old, Omega, pheromones are jasmine. She just finished her degree in Art Management in the UK. She has a quiet temperament and likes reading and flower arranging.”

Jasmine?

Bai Yue arched an eyebrow. It was the complete opposite of last night’s white peach.

“Sounds boring,” she said.

“Boring is good! Which one of those interesting ones you keep around could you ever actually marry?” Her mother became agitated again. “The Jiang family only has this one daughter; they dote on her. If you dare to mess this up, be warned.”

“Mom, the light is green.”

“Fine! I am done. 7:00 PM tonight, no tardiness!”

The call ended, and the car returned to silence.

Bai Yue looked at the highway stretching out before her and suddenly felt that all of this was absurd.

She, Bai Yue, 28 years old, an Alpha who owned a family business and her own capital empire, had to go on a blind date because of family necessity, to marry a jasmine-scented Omega who was allegedly quiet, well-behaved, and fond of flower arranging.

The car turned into the company’s underground garage.

The private elevator led directly to the top-floor executive office. Lin Wei was already waiting at the door with a tablet and coffee.

“Director Bai.” She handed over the coffee, her gaze lingering on Bai Yue’s collar for 0.1 seconds before moving away as if nothing was wrong. “The materials for the Rico Capital meeting have been sent to your email. Additionally, Miss Jiang’s file is attached as well.”

“Mm.” Bai Yue took the coffee and walked into her office.

Through the massive floor-to-ceiling window, the city skyline was in full view. She sat behind her desk, opened her computer, and clicked the PDF labeled “Jiang Manru – Basic Information.”

The file opened to an ID photo.

It was much like the one her mother had described: black hair straight and long, white shirt, a restrained smile. The photo was well-taken with soft lighting. The girl’s features were delicate and refined, her eyes large and round; it was a refined lady look that elders would love.

She scrolled down to the basic information.

Jiang Manru, Female, Omega, 22 years old. Pheromones: Jasmine (Pure type). Master’s degree in Art Management from Central Saint Martins, UK. No work experience (Note: Spent one year traveling in Europe after graduation). Hobbies: Classical literature, flower arranging, tea ceremony, calligraphy. No bad habits, no romantic history (based on information provided by the Jiang family).

Further down were several lifestyle photos.

One was in a library, wearing a beige sweater, head bowed over a book, her profile serene. Another was in a floral studio, holding pruning shears in front of an elegant vase. A third was in a tea room, kneeling on a tatami mat, performing a tea whisking ceremony.

It was too perfect to be real.

Bai Yue stared at the library photo and zoomed in. The girl’s eyelashes cast fine shadows in the sunlight, and the curve of her lips was just right.

She was not quite like the person under her last night.

The person from last night had slender, distinct fingers that showed beautiful lines when they exerted force. Her nails were trimmed very short and clean. The red marks she left on Bai Yue’s waist had not even faded yet.

Whereas this hand in the photo was fair and soft.

Bai Yue closed the PDF and took a sip of her coffee.

A bitter taste spread on the tip of her tongue.

At the same time, in a high-end apartment on the other side of the city.

Jiang Manru was soaking in a bathtub; the hot water flowed over her shoulders, and the dense steam blurred the mirror. She kept her eyes closed, her neck gland still throbbing faintly. Refusing the marking last night had caused her body to endure a double burden.

Her phone vibrated once. She reached out and grabbed it. On the screen was a message from her mother: [Manman, do not forget your meeting with the Bai family’s daughter tonight. I have sent you the file, take a look. She is an Alpha, but I hear her private life is a bit messy. But the Bai and Jiang families are well-matched. Just go and see her first; you can say no if you do not like her.]

Jiang Manru did not click on the file. Instead, she switched to another chat window. The pinned contact was labeled “Lost – Bartender K.”

She typed: [Is that Miss Bai from last night a regular?]

A few seconds later, the reply came: [Yeah, Bai Yue. A legend at “Lost.” What, did something happen last night?]

Jiang Manru’s lips curled up: [Does she usually take people home?]

[Occasionally. But you are the first one she proactively invited for “Midnight Flight”! She has only offered that drink to three people, and the first two were, ahem, you know.]

Jiang Manru smiled and exited the chat.

She stood up from the tub, water droplets sliding down the curves of her body. She walked to the mirror and wiped away the steam with a towel.

In the mirror, her chestnut hair was wet and clinging to her neck, her amber eyes slightly reddened from lack of sleep. Her shoulders, chest, and waist were covered in ambiguous red marks and finger-shaped bruises. The Alpha from last night had not been gentle, but she had given as good as she got.

She stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped herself in a silk bathrobe, and walked into the living room. In one corner sat an unfinished flower arrangement, and the bookshelves nearby were packed with books on art history and philosophy.

It certainly looked like the home of a quiet and well-behaved Omega.

Bai Yue.

She repeated the name silently.

From the photos, she was the type of elite Alpha: sharp features, piercing gaze, looking like trouble at a glance. But in the dim lighting of the bar last night, the woman who had proactively invited her for a drink had an air of casual temptation in the corners of her eyes. Ebony oud mixed with whiskey, cold and scorching, as contradictory as the woman herself.

Jiang Manru took a sip of ice water, the burning sensation in her throat easing slightly.

Her phone vibrated again. It was her father’s call.

She picked it up: “Dad.”

“Manman, did you read the file?” Her father’s voice was gentle but unquestionable. “Bai Yue is a bit of a player, but she is highly capable. Cooperation between the Bai and Jiang families is beneficial for both. Just go see her, treat it as making a friend.”

“I know,” Jiang Manru said softly. “I will go.”

“Good. Remember to use inhibitors in advance, do not let any incidents happen during the meeting.”

“Mm.”

The call ended. Jiang Manru set her phone down and walked to the liquor cabinet, retrieving a bottle of whiskey from a hidden compartment—the same brand Bai Yue had been drinking last night. She poured half a glass, added no ice, and took a sip.

The searing liquid slid down her throat.

She looked down at the inside of her wrist.

There was a faint scar there, left by an Alpha years ago who had tried to force a mark. Although it was barely visible now, the memory in her skin remained.

That was why she had set her own rule: no marking, not even temporary ones.

When Bai Yue had asked her why last night, she had almost blurted out the truth because she had not cared for a long time. But in the end, she did not. One-night stands do not need the truth; they only need rules.

Jiang Manru walked to her desk and opened the bottom drawer. Inside was a velvet box containing the various bar badges she had collected.

Two people who frequented the same bar, yet had never crossed paths—until last night.

Jiang Manru closed the box and locked the drawer.

Langyue Restaurant, 7:00 PM.

She was going to meet that Alpha heiress, Bai Yue, whose private life is a bit messy. And Bai Yue was going to meet the quiet, well-behaved, flower-arranging Omega, Jiang Manru.

Jiang Manru walked to the full-length mirror and looked at herself. She smiled, and there was not a hint of quiet and well-behaved in it, only the excitement of someone on the hunt.

“Jasmine,” she whispered, her fingertips brushing over the red marks on her collarbone. “Fine. Then I shall perform as a jasmine.”

She wanted to see what kind of proper persona the hyper-controlling Alpha from last night would put on at a blind date.