The Omega from Last Night Is My Blind Date - Chapter 3

The VIP box on the third floor of the Langyue Restaurant.

Bai Yue arrived fifteen minutes early. She chose a light gray suit, impeccably tailored with exquisite fabric. She buttoned her shirt to the very top because her mother’s exact words were: “You are not allowed to reveal a single hint of impropriety.”

The waiter led her to her seat and asked in a low voice if she would like to order drinks first. Bai Yue requested soda water with ice.

Outside the window, the city night view glittered, and cruise ships on the river drifted by, illuminated by neon lights.

Bai Yue tapped her fingers against the glass in a rhythm of impatience. She hated these arranged occasions, especially blind dates that were essentially business transactions: two families swapping resources, thinly veiled by the facade of a romantic encounter.

But she hated her mother’s endless phone calls even more.

So, she came.

At 6:58 PM, the door to the box was pushed open gently.

Bai Yue looked up.

The person who entered wore a cream-colored dress that fell to her knees, the fabric soft and draping perfectly. Her long black hair rested on her shoulders, the tips curled slightly. She wore light makeup, her lips a soft, pale pink. She held a light-colored handbag, her fingernails neatly trimmed and unpolished.

She stood at the doorway and bowed slightly: “I apologize. Am I late?”

Her voice was very soft, carrying a well-measured gentleness.

Bai Yue stood up and pulled out the chair opposite her: “No, I arrived early.”

Jiang Manru placed her handbag aside and smoothed her dress perfectly as she sat: “Thank you, Ms. Bai.”

“Just call me Bai Yue.” Bai Yue sat back down as the waiter presented the menu at the perfect moment.

Jiang Manru’s voice was soft: “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

“None at all. Please, choose whatever you like.”

The box fell into a brief silence.

Bai Yue scrutinized the woman across from her. She was exactly the same as the person in the profile photo, perhaps even better behaved. Her jasmine pheromones were very faint; she was truly the pure and clean type, smelling like a garden covered in morning dew.

Boring.

Bai Yue made her judgment internally, but she knew she had to perform her role well.

“I heard from your mother that you just returned from the UK?” she opened the conversation, her tone the gentle one elders preferred.

“Yes, I studied Art Management at Central Saint Martins.” Jiang Manru raised her eyes, her amber irises looking clear as crystal under the lights. “I just returned to the country last month.”

“Do you like London?”

“I do. There are many museums and galleries there, and I often went to exhibitions on the weekends.” Her voice stayed at a consistent volume, neither too soft nor too loud. “Does Bai Yue travel abroad often?”

“For work, yes, quite frequently.” Bai Yue picked up her soda water and took a sip. “Ms. Jiang is interested in art management. Do you plan to work in a related field in the future?”

“I have not decided yet.” Jiang Manru lowered her head slightly, revealing a pale, slender nape. She was not wearing an inhibitor patch, yet her pheromone control was excellent. “My family hopes I will take some time to rest.”

The typical wealthy Omega excuse. No work was needed, only to marry well.

Bai Yue’s impatience grew, but her smile remained unchanged: “Indeed, having just returned, you should take time to relax.”

The appetizer was served. Exquisite plating, but the portion was pitifully small. Jiang Manru used her utensils with standard etiquette, chewing in small bites, barely making a sound.

“Does Bai Yue have any hobbies?” she asked, her eyes fixed on the food on her plate, avoiding direct eye contact with Bai Yue.

“Work keeps me busy. Occasionally, I play golf or go horseback riding.” Bai Yue fabricated the answer effortlessly; these were the activities her Alpha mother favored, but she herself barely touched them once a year.

“That sounds very healthy,” Jiang Manru said softly. “I usually just read books and learn flower arranging. It is quite monotonous.”

“Not at all. A quiet life is good.”

The dialogue was like a rehearsed script, question and answer, without a ripple. Bai Yue could almost predict her next sentence: asking about her work, then chatting about the weather, recent exhibitions, and every safe, harmless topic.

And the facts proved exactly that.

“What fields does Bai Capital primarily invest in?” Jiang Manru cut the fish on her plate with elegant movements.

“Technology, medical, and new energy. We cover them all,” Bai Yue answered concisely. “Recently, I have been focusing on the Southeast Asian market.”

“Southeast Asia.” Jiang Manru appeared thoughtful. “My father says the art market there has great potential.”

“Is that so? Then Ms. Jiang might consider developing your career there in the future,” Bai Yue said with hollow politeness.

“I might not be suited for that.” Jiang Manru set down her knife and fork and gently wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “My family would be worried if I went that far away alone.”

The hint was clear enough. She needed a partner, an Alpha who could accompany her, or rather, keep her in check.

Bai Yue’s smile stiffened slightly.

She suddenly recalled the Omega from last night, the woman who forbade marking, left a tip, and did not even bother to leave a name. That woman’s eyes held fire, provocation, and unadorned desire.

And this jasmine flower before her was docile, soft, like a meticulously pruned potted plant, every leaf positioned exactly where it should be.

Boring to the point of suffocation.

“Does Ms. Jiang have any expectations for a future partner?” Bai Yue decided to steer the conversation toward the finish line and wrap things up quickly.

Jiang Manru’s eyelashes fluttered. She raised her eyes to look at Bai Yue, her gaze as clean as a newborn fawn.

“I hope the other person is steady and devoted,” she said slowly, every word carefully considered. “To provide me with a sense of security. I am not very good at handling complex interpersonal relationships, so I hope the other person can protect and take care of me.”

The perfect answer.

Every word struck the sweet spot for a marriageable Alpha.

Bai Yue almost wanted to applaud. If she had not seen so many such performances, she might have actually believed it.

“And what about Ms. Jiang’s dating history?” she asked, with a deliberate touch of probing. “With how excellent you are, you must have had many suitors, right?”

Jiang Manru’s face flushed slightly, showing just the right amount of shyness.

“None.” She shook her head, her voice even softer. “I am not good at interacting with Alphas. When I was in school, there were people who showed interest, but I rejected them all. My mother says one must be cautious with matters of the heart.”

“Your mother is right,” Bai Yue nodded, laughing internally.

After the main course was finished, dessert arrived. It was a delicate mousse, and Jiang Manru said she was full after only one small bite. Bai Yue did not have much of an appetite either and ate a few spoonfuls symbolically.

“What does Ms. Jiang think of me?” she set down her spoon and asked directly.

Jiang Manru seemed startled by the question. Her eyes widened for a split second, and her face grew redder. She lowered her head to look at her fingers, her voice barely a whisper: “You are very good. Mature, steady, and successful in your career.”

“Then, if I were to say that I am very satisfied with Ms. Jiang,” Bai Yue leaned forward, striking a serious posture, “do you think it is possible for us to pursue this further?”

Silence.

Jiang Manru’s fingertips traced circles on the tablecloth. Under the lights, her profile looked as soft as a classical oil painting.

“If Bai Yue does not mind that I am boring…” she said, her voice filled with cautious probing, “I am willing to try.”

The prey entered the net.

Bai Yue leaned back in her chair, her smile widening: “How could I ever think you are boring? A quiet girl is the best.”

She picked up her wine glass, this time filled with red wine, to celebrate the conclusion of this transaction.

“So, shall we consider this confirmed?” she asked.

Jiang Manru nodded lightly and picked up her glass as well.

The two glasses clinked in the air, emitting a crisp sound.

As she put the glass down, Jiang Manru’s fingertips accidentally brushed the water droplets on the side of the glass. The movement was natural, but Bai Yue’s gaze lingered on that hand for a second.

Long, slender, clear-cut joints. The fingernails were trimmed very short and clean.

It looked just like the hand she had pinned to the bed last night.

No, impossible.

Bai Yue withdrew her gaze, laughing at herself for being paranoid. The Omega from last night was a ball of fire, while the one in front of her was tepid water. How could they be the same person?

Just a similarity in hand shape. There are many people in the world whose hands look alike.

“Ms. Jiang has beautiful hands,” she complimented offhandedly.

Jiang Manru immediately pulled her hand back under the table, her earlobes flushing: “Thank you.”

See, she could not even handle a simple compliment. How could she possibly be the same person?

When settling the bill, Bai Yue paid naturally. Jiang Manru did not compete, only whispering “Thank you.” The two walked out of the restaurant together. When the night breeze blew, Jiang Manru shivered slightly and pulled her shoulders in.

“Are you cold?” Bai Yue asked, out of politeness.

“A little.”

Bai Yue took off her suit jacket and draped it over Jiang Manru’s shoulders. Her movements were gentlemanly, her distance appropriate. The jasmine pheromones mixed with the scent of oud wood swirled together in the night wind.

Jiang Manru clutched the edges of the jacket and said in a small voice: “Thank you. You are such a kind person.”

Bai Yue smiled and said nothing.

The driver had already brought the car to the entrance. Bai Yue opened the door, placing a hand above the roof: “Shall I drive you home?”

“No need, my car is right over there.” Jiang Manru pointed to a black sedan not far away. “I have already troubled you enough today.”

“Not at all.” Bai Yue looked at her: “Then, shall I call you tomorrow?”

“Okay.” Jiang Manru nodded and returned the suit jacket: “Goodnight, Bai Yue.”

“Goodnight.”

Jiang Manru turned and walked toward her own car, her footsteps light, her dress swaying slightly. Before getting in, she looked back and waved at Bai Yue.

Bai Yue waved back.

Only when that black sedan disappeared into the traffic did the smile on Bai Yue’s face vanish completely. She got into her own car, undid the top button of her collar, and was finally able to breathe normally.

The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror: “President Bai, heading home?”

“Yes.”

The car started. Bai Yue leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes to rest.

The evening went smoothly. The other party was a standard good girl, easy to control and unlikely to cause trouble. After marriage, she could continue living her own life, only needing to perform as a good wife on necessary occasions.

And the resources brought by the Jiang family were crucial to the Bai corporation.

A win-win.

She opened her eyes, reached into her pocket for her cigarette case, and lit one. The mint-flavored smoke helped her focus.

The city scenery outside the window sped backward, and the neon lights left long trails of light on the glass.

She thought of the badge forgotten in the hotel again.

And those two bank notes.

What was the Omega from last night doing right now?

Probably in some place, continuing her hunt for beauty. That kind of woman would never stay for anyone.

Bai Yue exhaled a cloud of smoke, which diffused inside the car.

That was fine, too.

Marrying a well-behaved jasmine flower was stress-free. As for those exciting, dangerous, and heart-pounding encounters, they would stay in the lost path of the night.

Daytime had its own rules; the night had its own laws.

She kept them clearly separated.

Her phone buzzed; it was a message from her mother: “How did the meeting go?”

Bai Yue typed a reply: “Very well. She is very well-behaved.”

The reply was almost instantaneous: “That is great! Waste no time spending more time together, get things settled early!”

“Understood.”

Bai Yue turned off the phone and looked out the window.

The city night had only just begun. But for her, the night was already over.

At the same time, inside the black sedan.

Jiang Manru leaned against the back seat, her gentle expression having long since vanished. She opened the window, letting the night breeze blow in to dispel the lingering scent of oud wood from her body.

She was almost certain that Bai Yue had not recognized her. It was not because of her black hair and jasmine pheromones, but because this playgirl simply had not bothered to remember her face at all.

Jiang Manru took a small bottle from her handbag and sprayed it twice on her wrists.

She looked down at her own hand.

When Bai Yue complimented her on having beautiful hands earlier, she had almost failed to suppress a laugh.

This hand had been pressing down on the other person’s waist last night, leaving behind finger marks. Yet tonight, when it was praised as beautiful, its owner had to shyly hide it under the table.

Ironic.

Jiang Manru leaned back and closed her eyes.

Bai Yue’s performance was perfect. That deliberately crafted steadiness and seriousness, that tolerance and concession toward a well-behaved Omega, and that Alpha demeanor of being in total control.

If she had not seen what the other person was like in bed, she might have believed it too.

But precisely because she had seen it, this play was all the more interesting.

A cold, mirthless curve touched the corners of Jiang Manru’s lips.

Steady and devoted? Protecting her and taking care of her?

I am afraid what Bai Yue is thinking inside is: “trouble-free,” “easy to control,” and “will not disturb my nightlife.”

Perfect.

She also needed a marriage to deal with her family. An Alpha wife who appeared reliable would put her parents at ease and stop those annoying board members from nagging.

As for after the marriage?

Each would play their own games. She would continue to be her jasmine flower, and Bai Yue would continue to be her serious Alpha. They would not interfere with each other, cooperating only in their performances for necessary occasions.

Fair enough.

Her phone buzzed; it was a call from her mother.

Jiang Manru answered, her voice instantly switching back to the gentle mode: “Mom, I just finished.”

“How was it? How is that Bai Yue child?”

“She is quite nice. Very gentlemanly, very steady.”

“That is great! Spend more time with her, take her out for a meal when you have time.”

“Okay, I will listen to you,” Jiang Manru replied in a well-behaved manner.

The call ended. She looked at the city scenery speeding backward outside the window and suddenly remembered those unfathomably deep eyes when Bai Yue was holding down the back of her neck last night.

The scent of oud wood mixed with the pheromones of whiskey, burning and cold at the same time.

A completely different person from the Alpha wearing the gentleman’s mask tonight.

“Then let us get married, Bai Yue,” she whispered, like a secret only she knew. “Let us see how far this play can go.”

Outside the window, the city was ablaze with lights. A story that began with lies, maintained by acting, with an unknown ending, was unfolding. But Jiang Manru had a premonition that this would be the most interesting play she had ever acted in.

Because her opponent was another actor of equal brilliance.

The car drove into the villa area and slowed to a stop. Jiang Manru adjusted her expression and pushed the door open.

In the night breeze, the scent of white peach pheromones permeated the air once again, as if it had never been tainted by any dangerous odor.