The Pursuit of Love After Divorcing My Cold Omega - Chapter 76

She Had No Right to Bargain Either

She grew increasingly confused by what Yu Kunian was saying. “What kind of exchange is this?”

Wouldn’t being a driver actually cost her money instead?

Yu Kunian lowered her gaze. What she was exchanging for was merely a more guaranteed way to see Song Wenzhi. Drawing closer bit by bit was enough to satisfy her.

“It is just what I want. Is that alright?” Yu Kunian asked her.

Song Wenzhi fell silent. She looked at Yu Kunian. The prospect of this Alpha before her becoming her driver was an unexpected and alarming matter.

“President Yu, no,” the Omega finally refused.

Yu Kunian said, “I will not do anything outside the duties of a driver. Zhizhi, I will only be responsible for picking you up and dropping you off. I won’t say what shouldn’t be said, and I won’t ask or listen to what I shouldn’t.”

Song Wenzhi’s heart was a mess. She withdrew her gaze. Hearing Yu Kunian’s persistent tone, she admitted to herself that her heart had softened.

Because of Yu Kunian’s kindness, because of Yu Kunian’s care.

Because… it was Yu Kunian.

Song Wenzhi knew she still held onto hope—a tiny, flickering spark—but she had to pretend she didn’t. She had to play the part of being cruel and indifferent toward this Alpha who had once deceived her and who, to her, was no longer worthy of trust.

“I will draft two copies of the agreement tomorrow,” Song Wenzhi compromised. “When are you free, President Yu?”

Yu Kunian said, “Anytime. From now on, I will be on call every single day.”

“Tomorrow morning, then.” Song Wenzhi paused for a moment. “For a period of half a month.” After reflecting for a moment, the Omega stated the term for Yu Kunian’s service as her driver.

Too short, Yu Kunian thought. But it was better than nothing. Moreover, she had no right to bargain; she could only accept. “Alright.”

As the words fell, the atmosphere lapsed into a momentary silence until the food Song Wenzhi ordered was brought to the table. Yu Kunian glanced at the Omega and then said sensibly, “Zhizhi, I’ll take you back after you eat. I’ll wait for you in the car. No rush.”

Song Wenzhi wanted to say something, but her lips moved without a sound.

Yu Kunian turned, pushed open the shop door, and opened her umbrella as she walked toward her car. Sitting back in the driver’s seat, she noticed her dripping wet hair. Pulling out a few tissues to soak up the water from the ends of her hair, Yu Kunian turned on the car’s air conditioning. She then took off her coat, revealing the high-necked sweater underneath. A moment later, the Alpha sighed, her expression darkening.

The Alpha desperately wanted to share a meal with Song Wenzhi again.

But she didn’t even have the chance to stay in the shop and sit across from her. She was afraid that if she pursued too closely, the Omega would quickly grow tired of her. So she had to take it one step at a time, not daring to get too close, forced to maintain her distance. The Alpha lifted her eyes toward the restaurant. Song Wenzhi’s figure was right there. She watched from afar, staring longingly.

Even a simple meal had become a luxury. The Alpha couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile. Even when she saw Song Wenzhi and her instincts screamed to move closer—to want a hug, a smile—it was all an impossible extravagance.

Yu Kunian waited in the car until Song Wenzhi finished her meal, then drove to the front of the restaurant. Standing there, the Omega closed her umbrella and took her seat in the passenger side.

“Back to the Research Institute?” Yu Kunian asked.

Song Wenzhi gave a soft “Mm” in response, still unwilling to speak more to her.

Yu Kunian couldn’t find any topics to discuss. Their relationship had begun to turn into that of strangers here in New York. She wasn’t familiar with Song Wenzhi’s life, and she couldn’t even bring up matters from her own daily life to chat about. Along the way, the Alpha was forced into silence.

Song Wenzhi finally stopped looking out the window, but she remained silent throughout.

The car stopped at the gates of the Research Institute. Song Wenzhi took the bag containing the shoes and said a brief “Thank you” before getting out.

Yu Kunian watched the Omega’s figure leave until she vanished.

The car didn’t restart immediately. The Alpha remained silent for a long time. She closed her eyes and lowered her head against the steering wheel. This silence was interrupted a while later by the unexpected ringing of her phone. Yu Kunian frowned. She reached for the phone beside her, but the ringing stopped abruptly after only a few rings.

The caller was Jiang Qiu. When Yu Kunian called back, it was hung up. A message came back saying it was a mistake.

The Alpha felt a bit suspicious, but after Jiang Qiu asked about her situation in New York, the suspicion was pushed to the back of her mind. Yu Kunian sent a few messages over. Jiang Qiu’s replies were slow; she seemed to be busy.

Yu Kunian didn’t stay outside the Research Institute any longer. She needed to change her clothes, and Song Wenzhi likely wouldn’t need her again for a short while, so the Alpha drove home.

She didn’t have many clothes, and her wardrobe was still somewhat empty. Although she had been in New York for nearly a month, she hadn’t had the heart to buy new clothes; she had only bought a few sets at a nearby shop when Cheng Lu brought her there upon arrival. The Alpha pulled off the high-necked sweater. The ring hanging around her neck swayed a few times before Yu Kunian reached out to grasp it.

Her own wedding ring was still worn on her hand; she had never taken it off.

The traces of rain on the window carried a hint of haziness. The cold air in the room made Yu Kunian’s fingertips turn chilly. She lowered her eyes and then pressed a light, fleeting kiss onto the ring in her palm.

Having at least half a month to be Song Wenzhi’s driver made Yu Kunian feel less gloomy.

The Alpha took a shower first. After drying her hair, she looked at her phone and saw there were still no messages from a stranger, feeling an inevitable sense of disappointment. After coming to New York, Song Wenzhi no longer used her old contact information. Although Yu Kunian did have ways to obtain the new number, she didn’t do so.

Even knowing that the number she gave would likely be ignored by Song Wenzhi, Yu Kunian still held onto hope, trying to wait for Song Wenzhi to contact her. She just didn’t know if that opportunity would ever come.

Yu Kunian sat down on the sofa. A text from Cheng Lu had come in half an hour ago, consisting of two short words: Done.

Yu Kunian tapped it and replied: What’s the fastest it can be?

Just as the message was sent, a call came in. It was someone from the Alliance. She answered and asked, “What is it?”

“President Yu, someone is here to discuss a partnership,” the person on the other end said.

Yu Kunian raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, “Someone from the Research Institute?”

“Yes. Do you need her to wait for you to come and discuss it?”

“Who is the person?”

“She said her surname is Xia.”

There was only one person in the Research Institute with the surname Xia that everyone knew. For Xia Weichi to personally come to discuss this partnership meant she took it very seriously. Yu Kunian lowered her eyes. “Is it just her alone?”

“Yes.”

“I won’t see her,” Yu Kunian refused decisively. “Tell her to go back.”

How could she possibly let Xia Weichi have her way so easily? Yu Kunian stood up and walked to the window before adding, “I won’t talk to her. Tell her I will only talk to Song Wenzhi.”

When Xia Weichi was informed of this, she was visibly stunned and then knitted her brows. Although she didn’t know how this “Nianzhi Alliance” knew about Song Wenzhi or what they were up to, she didn’t agree. Instead, she said, “I am not here on behalf of the Research Institute. Please tell your boss that I am representing myself personally and I am sincerely looking for a partnership.”

Yu Kunian’s call had long been disconnected. The person in the team communicating with Xia Weichi indicated they understood, but still reminded her, “Our boss wants to cooperate with the Research Institute. Director Xia, if you are here representing yourself, the possibility is likely not high. However, I will still report this to the boss. I also hope Director Xia can consider our boss’s requirement.”

Xia Weichi felt suspicious of that so-called “requirement.” After all, Song Wenzhi had only just formally joined the Research Institute. Aside from those within the institute, who would know about her?

Unfortunately, the boss of this alliance had never shown their face nor released any personal information, so Xia Weichi had no way of knowing who it was. Back when the CPP technology was first released, she had wanted to get to know the boss of the team, but due to confidentiality, she couldn’t learn the identity. After Song Wenzhi came to New York, she suddenly received bad news that all personnel of the CPP technology team refused all outside contact and would no longer discuss any partnerships. The boss was even harder to trace. Xia Weichi had been searching for a way.

And now, finding that the CPP team had come to New York, she was ecstatic, as if God himself were helping her. As long as she could collaborate with their team and use the new technology to process pheromones, then Song Wenzhi wouldn’t have to suffer so much.

She thought there was finally a solution, but today she was met with a bucket of cold water. After leaving the Nianzhi Alliance, Xia Weichi still couldn’t understand why the partnership specifically required Song Wenzhi, nor could she analyze the problem in such a short time.

But regardless, the other party’s motives were unclear. She couldn’t assume this cooperation was without danger, nor could she simply agree to the other party’s conditions. Furthermore, if the alliance had designs on Song Wenzhi, it was even more out of the question.

After thinking it over, Xia Weichi decided not to tell Song Wenzhi for now. She could make a few more trips; perhaps there would be a breakthrough.

On Yu Kunian’s side, hearing that Xia Weichi wanted a personal partnership made it even more impossible to agree. She had originally thrown out the olive branch to the Research Institute specifically for Song Wenzhi. How could she let Xia Weichi snatch it?

However, why would Xia Weichi have a personal need for the CPP technology? Yu Kunian didn’t quite understand. It was possible the Research Institute might use her technology, but for Xia Weichi… there seemed to be no necessity.

She hadn’t heard of Xia Weichi having any issues with her pheromones or glands. After all, the main use of this technology was to purify pheromones. For an Alpha with no gland issues, it wouldn’t be used.

Unless she wanted to obtain a certain Omega’s pheromones for preservation, or perhaps extract her own pheromones to create a soothing product for an Omega—just like the watch Yu Kunian had made before.

At that thought, Yu Kunian’s face instantly darkened.

Xia Weichi must want to extract pheromones for Song Wenzhi’s use. This was clearly an idea Yu Kunian had first. If it weren’t for the divorce, that watch would have been given to Song Wenzhi long ago. Now, Xia Weichi wanted to use her technology to take the credit with the Omega. Yu Kunian would not let her succeed.

Thus, Yu Kunian told the people at the Alliance that their attitude needed to change—except for Song Wenzhi, they were not to see anyone else, and there was nothing to discuss. Especially Xia Weichi; she was to be kept away, and any conditions she proposed were to be rejected.