The Scumbag Who Bowed for Money - Chapter 21

I met Yan Yu today. I can’t quite describe the feeling. My susceptibility period also started. It feels like I did something wrong. But Le Shi didn’t blame me. She said she really valued me and appreciated what I have to offer.

At first, Xie Yuanwei didn’t understand what Le Shi truly meant. She was just used to listening to Omegas. But Le Shi seemed to notice this right away. She gave a soft laugh without explaining, then took hold of the red lead rope and pulled Xie Yuanwei along gently.

“The moon is beautiful tonight.”

Xie Yuanwei thought to herself that it really was a perfect evening.

The two of them walked slowly along a small path. The evening breeze lightly lifted their hair. A red thread connected them closely, and even the wind seemed gentler because of it.

They were dressed in a similar style. Le Shi wore a thin, long-sleeved shirt that wasn’t see-through. Her hands were behind her back as she swayed the red thread lightly.

Xie Yuanwei lowered her gaze. The sensation on her wrist made her momentarily lose focus. In the next second, the red thread slipped from her fingers. She heard Le Shi call her name.

“Xie Yuanwei!”

She lifted her head and looked at the Omega. She turned her hand and grabbed the thread again, walking slowly toward Le Shi. Her voice was carried softly by the wind, but it was still clear enough for Le Shi to hear.

“There are stars in the sky tonight. Look.”

The Omega’s fingertip curled around the thread. As she looked up, her hair was blown gently toward Xie Yuanwei. The Alpha raised her hand, and soft strands of hair brushed against her fingers before falling gently back down.

The tree shadows swayed softly beside them. Starlight scattered across the night sky, making everything feel peaceful and slightly warm.

They didn’t return to the hotel until almost dawn. Xie Yuanwei yawned constantly on the way back. As soon as they entered the room, Le Shi told her to take a shower first.

She handed Xie Yuanwei a set of pajamas. Xie Yuanwei stared at them for a few seconds before speaking in a small voice.

“Is this really okay?”

Le Shi gave a half-hearted smile.

“Are you going or not?”

“I’m going.” Xie Yuanwei rushed into the bathroom faster than she ever had before.

Le Shi raised her eyebrows slightly, then took a small bunny keychain out of her pocket along with some crafting supplies she had bought. While Xie Yuanwei was showering, she started working on it.

When Xie Yuanwei came out, she saw Le Shi focused on her phone case, adjusting something carefully. The Alpha was drying her hair and intentionally slowed her steps. She took off her slippers and walked over barefoot.

Le Shi was so focused that she didn’t notice her at first. Only when the cool drops of water from Xie Yuanwei’s hair touched the back of her neck did she react. She quickly stood up and hid what she was working on behind her back before turning to face her.

Le Shi lifted her chin slightly. Her face showed no sign of panic as she questioned Xie Yuanwei.

“Why do you walk so quietly?”

She glanced down and saw that Xie Yuanwei was barefoot. With a small pout, she used one hand to gently push against the Alpha’s chest, trying to move her back.

“I saw it.” Xie Yuanwei caught her hand and stepped closer. This time, there was a hint of authority in her voice.

“Why are you attaching that to my phone case?”

Le Shi’s arm was pulled forward. She held onto the item tightly with her other hand and leaned slightly back. Only then did her eyes meet Xie Yuanwei’s. The Alpha’s gaze was deeper now, more serious, but not overbearing.

Xie Yuanwei smiled softly. She reached behind Le Shi to take the item, but Le Shi blocked her gently with her knee. Her leg pressed lightly against Xie Yuanwei’s stomach without force.

“Wait.”

Le Shi finally spoke. The hand Xie Yuanwei had grabbed moved downward and stopped at her shoulder. Then Le Shi pushed down slightly, lifting herself onto the edge of the table.

Her knees slid downward. Xie Yuanwei felt the soft touch falling lightly along her body. It tickled a little. Her breathing grew heavier, but she didn’t move. Instead, she took two steps closer.

“My little puppy,” Le Shi said as she released the item in her hand. She leaned in with a slight curve of her back. “Give it to me.”

Xie Yuanwei looked at her and shook her head.

“You gave it to me. I’m not giving it back.”

Le Shi let out a small laugh. She lowered her legs and gently freed her hand from Xie Yuanwei’s grasp.

“Since you saw it, do you like it?”

“What are you asking me?” Xie Yuanwei placed her hands on both sides of Le Shi. Drops of water from her hair slid down her neck. She swallowed and replied, “I like that you hung the bunny on it.”

Le Shi let out a short breath and reached up to wipe the water from Xie Yuanwei’s face.

“Then why were you sneaking a look?”

Xie Yuanwei lowered her head and laughed.

“Miss Le, aren’t you afraid others might laugh at you?”

“Let them laugh. I’ll just say you made it.”

Xie Yuanwei nodded.

“Alright, alright.”

Le Shi took out the keychain, attached it to the phone, and held it up in front of Xie Yuanwei, shaking it gently.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

“Okay.”

Xie Yuanwei couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She pressed her lips together and stepped aside to let Le Shi through. The Omega didn’t look back. She grabbed her clothes and walked straight into the bathroom.

The Alpha looked at the little bunny charm on the table that Le Shi had made. She couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

How could Le Shi be this adorable?

Xie Yuanwei placed the little dog charm she had next to the bunny and thought about hanging hers up later too. But would it attract attention?

She sighed helplessly, took a picture, and then put the little dog charm away.

Maybe next time.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, quietly shining on the table for a brief moment.

They had a morning flight. Bai Zhiqu got up early to see them off. Miss Bai was clearly unhappy and didn’t smile the entire time.

Xie Yuanwei found it interesting. This version of Bai Zhiqu was different from how she was described in the book. The novel said she was polite and graceful, always smiling when she met people.

But the person in front of her felt more alive, more genuine.

“Bye,” Bai Zhiqu said, clearly eager to send them off. “Come find me again next time.”

Xie Yuanwei and Le Shi both thanked her. Le Shi smiled.

“You’re welcome to visit us. I’ll take you out and show you around.”

Bai Zhiqu didn’t say whether she would or wouldn’t. She simply turned and walked away.

“Maybe next time. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Xie Yuanwei replied. After she spoke, she noticed Le Shi hadn’t said anything. Turning her head, she saw the Omega lost in thought.

“Miss Le?”

Startled, Le Shi gave a small shiver. She let out a slow breath, smiled helplessly, and said nothing more.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Their short business trip had come to an end, but Le Shi’s work didn’t stop. She told Xie Yuanwei to go home and rest. No arguments allowed.

Xie Yuanwei didn’t dare go against her boss. She just kept saying that if she felt unwell, she would go to the hospital. Eventually, Le Shi became so annoyed that she gave a firm order.

“Go home, now.”

She finally went home as told, but just as Xie Yuanwei finished unpacking her suitcase, she received a call from Yan Yu.

It was as if Yan Yu had already figured out her whereabouts.

“What is it?”

Yan Yu’s voice was calm. “Want to come out for a drink?”

Xie Yuanwei hesitated for a moment, then told her that she had recently undergone pheromone extraction and couldn’t drink at the moment.

There was a long silence on the other end. After a while, Yan Yu spoke softly, “It’s fine. Just come and talk with me.”

For some reason, Xie Yuanwei suddenly felt a strange sense of relief. She agreed, then ended the call.

Yan Yu was at a bar. Xie Yuanwei planned to drive over and informed Le Shi before leaving. She told her what car she was taking, where she was going, and promised she wouldn’t drink. Only then did Le Shi agree to let her go.

Xie Yuanwei followed the GPS to the bar. As soon as she got out of the car, someone came to greet her.

“Miss Xie, it’s been a while. Miss Yan is waiting for you inside.”

Xie Yuanwei composed her expression and gave a slight nod. The way the staff spoke showed that the original Xie Yuanwei had probably come here often.

And the place Yan Yu had chosen…

She took a deep breath and followed the person to a private room. There was only one person inside.

Although they had never met before, Xie Yuanwei recognized her immediately as Yan Yu.

Yan Yu wore gold-rimmed glasses and had her sleeves rolled up. When she saw her, she motioned for her to sit.

Both of them had distinct features. Yan Yu’s appearance was particularly deceptive. She looked gentle and romantic, especially with a teardrop mole beneath her eye.

“How was your business trip?” Yan Yu asked. “Are you tired?”

Xie Yuanwei didn’t know how the original her used to interact with friends, so she just tried to relax and leaned back on the sofa. She shook her head. “It was fine. That’s just how work is.”

“Why don’t you come work for my company? I’ll give you a position where you won’t have to do much. I’ll take care of you.”

Yan Yu said it with a smile, so it was hard to tell if she was joking or serious.

Xie Yuanwei paused for a few seconds and still declined. “Better not. I’m still engaged to Le Shi.”

“Is this really about your engagement?”

Yan Yu put down her wine glass and fixed her eyes on Xie Yuanwei. Her voice trembled as she continued, “It’s strange. You have the exact same face, but I can feel the difference.”

Xie Yuanwei wasn’t surprised to hear this. She lowered her head and sat up straighter.

Yan Yu pressed her lips together. She turned her head away and wiped her eyes, trying to stay composed. “Even though I don’t want to believe it, this is the truth, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Xie Yuanwei didn’t plan to hide anything. “I’m not the Xie Yuanwei you knew. I accidentally became her.”

She didn’t doubt for a moment that Yan Yu had figured it out. A childhood friend changing personalities overnight was impossible to ignore.

She had probably been confirming it over the past few days and only needed this meeting to be sure.

Yan Yu covered her face. After a few seconds, she asked, “Do you know where she went?”

Listening to Yan Yu’s choked voice, Xie Yuanwei didn’t dare look up. She gently shook her head and was about to speak when she paused, conflicted. After a moment, she looked directly at Yan Yu and said, “Maybe she went to the world I used to live in. Or maybe she went somewhere else entirely. We’ve never met.”

“I’m sorry I kept it from you all this time.”

Yan Yu was silent for a few seconds. Then she stood up and turned her back to Xie Yuanwei. She stayed like that for a long time before breaking down in quiet sobs. The lighting in the room was dim. Xie Yuanwei didn’t offer a tissue; she just sat silently.

There was no one to blame. No one had done anything wrong.

Even Yan Yu couldn’t decide who was at fault. She struggled to turn around, her chest rising and falling with emotion.

“It wasn’t easy to ask you out tonight. I just wanted to confirm things. I’m sorry. I’m a bit overwhelmed right now. You should go. I’ll contact you later.”

Xie Yuanwei nodded, gave her a faint smile, and walked out of the private room.

As soon as she stepped out of the bar, the smile faded from her face. She really wanted to curse, but when she thought about it, there was nothing to be done. The whole process was painful, and it must have been just as hard on Yan Yu.

She took a deep breath and had just sat down in the car when she heard a soft notification sound.

It was a special alert she had set for messages from Le Shi.

Le Shi: “Did you meet her?”

Le Shi: “I saw your car. Come out. I’m in a good mood tonight, so I came to take you home.”

Xie Yuanwei looked up in surprise. She saw Le Shi standing nearby, waiting for her. The Alpha hurriedly got out of the car and jogged over.

“You saw Yan Yu?” Le Shi’s voice carried a light, teasing tone. “Weren’t you supposed to be resting at home?”

Xie Yuanwei gave a soft hum and replied in a quiet, slightly aggrieved tone, “I told you where I was going.”

“Let’s get in the car first. Someone will take care of your car. I’ll drive you home.”

Le Shi opened the door and got in first. Xie Yuanwei stood by the passenger side for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and composed herself before getting in.

But it seemed the Omega had already sensed her mood. As soon as she sat down, Le Shi reached out and cupped her face. Xie Yuanwei met her gaze directly.

Le Shi asked, “Why do you look upset?”

Xie Yuanwei was dazed for a few seconds, then shook her head. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“Why did you come here?”

Xie Yuanwei had sent the location earlier, but she was surprised that Le Shi had actually come in person.

Le Shi raised her eyebrows slightly. Her fingertips tapped the steering wheel casually. “I was tired too. So I skipped work and came home. Figured I’d pick someone up on the way.”

Just as she was about to start the engine, Xie Yuanwei suddenly wrapped her arms around her neck. The warmth of her skin made Le Shi tremble.

Xie Yuanwei’s face was flushed. Her hand instinctively pressed against Le Shi’s scent gland. Her breath was warm against the Omega’s skin, and she held her tightly.

“I… I feel terrible. Why is this happening to me?”

The small space quickly filled with the scent of green citrus pheromones. Le Shi tilted her head back and gasped. Her hands braced against Xie Yuanwei’s shoulders, her eyes slightly dazed. She arched her back and spoke with effort.

“Xie Yuanwei, your susceptibility period has started.”

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