The White Moonlight Omega Has Amnesia and Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 28

Tiny dust motes floated in the air. Iron bookshelves were placed in organized rows, and the exposed book spines, having been repeatedly assaulted by sunlight and damp air, had long become brittle and wrinkled.

Qin Huai’s gaze swept over the bookshelves and settled on a book in the highest corner. Calling it a “book” wasn’t quite accurate, as it wasn’t bound with glue like the others. Instead, it was stapled together, giving off an air of simple perfunctory effort.

Her fingers, which hung by her side, curled slightly. As if drawn by something, Qin Huai’s steps uncontrollably led her in that direction. She then stood on her tiptoes, her expression earnest and solemn in the choking air.

Zhou Yue was looking for a photo album in the storage box on the desk. After the inhibitor research succeeded, many businessmen saw the opportunities hidden in the meager profits and paid high prices to break up the entire team. At that time, Gu Qing had been missing for a long time, and the institute no longer had any value in continuing. Zhou Yue simply packed up and moved everything home. She locked up all the value of her youth and the isolated despair after the team’s dissolution in the storage room.

The dust on the storage boxes grew thicker each year, but she had never taken the initiative to tidy up.

“Found it.” Zhou Yue rummaged through five or six boxes without regard for her appearance and finally found the album in a box piled with random booklets.

The cover of the photo album was still new, but the pattern alone indicated it was an old model from over a decade ago.

Zhou Yue excitedly turned around with the photo album, then her body froze slightly.

Genetics is sometimes a very mysterious thing. Just as Gu Qing’s personality was as fiery as the sun, Qin Huai’s personality was as cold as frost. Gu Qing would laugh uproariously, while Qin Huai would only pull at the corners of her mouth with a stern face. Yet, beneath all these vastly different outward appearances, some things engraved in the body and imprinted in the genes would not change at all.

Just like when Gu Qing picked up a book, she would sit down, regardless of time or place, or lean against a bookshelf, to finish reading the whole thing.

Qin Huai was the same.

Even some subtle expressions were identical.

Zhou Yue was momentarily lost in a daze, as if she saw the one who was forever…

The book Qin Huai held was actually a notebook, filled with messy equations. It wasn’t that the equations themselves were messy, but that the handwriting of the person who wrote them was truly awful. She shook her wrist and quickly flipped through one volume, suddenly noticing an interesting little detail: while the equations on each page looked like corpses lying crisscrossed on a battlefield, at the bottom of every page, there was a list of recipes written in small, neat standard script.

Reading one volume was enough to deduce that the owner was a foodie.

The corners of Qin Huai’s mouth curved into a faint smile. In the sunlight, that trace of a smile melted the frost on her face, making her look exceptionally bright. She put the notebook back in its original place, turned around, and saw Zhou Yue staring at her, frozen by the desk.

Qin Huai retracted the smile and apologized for looking through someone else’s belongings, “I’m sorry, Teacher Zhou.”

Zhou Yue blinked, quickly snapping back to reality. She first glanced at where Qin Huai had placed the book, then walked over with the photo album, picked up the notebook, and said with a smile, “There’s no need to feel embarrassed. These are all your mother’s things.”

“Are those recipes at the bottom of the notebook hers too?” Qin Huai really couldn’t connect the omega who wrote the witty remarks with the slender omega in the photos at home.

A long time had passed, and Zhou Yue had already forgotten the recipes Qin Huai mentioned. She took the notebook and flipped a page. The moment her gaze fell upon it, tears instantly welled up.

“She was a foodie who could never gain weight.” Zhou Yue’s fingers traced the handwriting, as if the black ink could still stain her skin. “She liked to write these when an experiment wasn’t working out.”

Qin Huai felt exceptionally unfamiliar with her mother. The only memory she had was a video she secretly watched at her grandparents’ house when she was very young. In the video, the omega wore a white dress, her paper-thin body sitting on a balcony without a railing. At a height of over ten meters, the omega’s hair was as black as the deep night. In the fragmented sunlight, she closed her eyes like a kite. The kite string could snap at any moment, and the omega could fall at any moment.

That was the image Qin Huai tried with all her might to remember when she was six years old, because her maternal grandparents came back that day and chased her out.

Transparent teardrops splashed onto the paper sealed by years of dust. Zhou Yue’s eyes held a deep yearning for the past. She closed the notebook and asked, “How did your mother pass away?”

Zhou Yue’s expression when she spoke was completely different from a few days ago. She had moved past the memory of losing her best friend, leaving only a hint of calmness and acceptance in her eyes.

But this expression only lasted until the moment before Qin Huai spoke. Because the moment Qin Huai finished speaking, her body staggered, as if she were about to fall. Qin Huai quickly grabbed Zhou Yue’s wrist.

Screeech!

Fingernails scraped against the iron shelf, making a tormenting sound.

Qin Huai stood in a white shirt in the sunlight. When her vulnerable eyelids lifted, she recalled the bloody smear on the newspaper at home. The omega’s eyelids felt heavy, and she slowly closed them again. A trace of sorrow flashed in her eyes.

Zhou Yue needed time to process her friend’s suicide, so Qin Huai descended from the storage room first. The stairs in Shen Zhi’s house were the kind that required a turn. As soon as Qin Huai stepped onto the stairs, she heard a somewhat slick male voice.

The omega leaned on the intricately carved wooden railing and pondered. Going back to the storage room wasn’t feasible, so she could only stand awkwardly on the stairs.

In the living room, the slick male voice spoke again, sounding a little more fawning and eager, “Chairman Shen, this is a special tribute from me.”

Then a cardboard box was opened, and glass jars clinked onto the coffee table with a clear sound.

“I’ve quit drinking for a long time,” Shen Wen’s voice was gentle. “Mr. Lin, please take it back.”

The alpha, referred to as Mr. Lin, laughed twice, followed by a prolonged silence.

Qin Huai leaned against the steps, her toe resting against the railing, and yawned softly.

Just as the yawn ended, a thud suddenly echoed in the living room, like a heavy object hitting the floor.

Shen Wen hastily stood up, “Mr. Lin, please get up first.”

The sound of a man sobbing echoed in the living room, “Chairman Shen, please, for my sake, save my family. There’s a problem with the inhibitor batch number. I was truly blinded by greed for temporary profit. Now, only you can help me.”

Qin Huai stood in the dimly lit corner, recalling the news Shen Zhi had pushed to her a few days ago.

The city’s largest inhibitor manufacturer had a batch number error, replacing many original drugs with inferior ones, causing adverse reactions in many omegas after using the inhibitors.

Qin Huai despised these unscrupulous manufacturers from the bottom of her heart. Just as she was about to like the post, Shen Zhi replied with a message: Lin Qiu’s family.

So Qin Huai not only liked the post but also uncharacteristically commented, adding a sentence to the passionate curses of the vast number of netizens.

Shen Zhi sat on the single sofa, sipping tea and listening to Lin Qiu’s father pour out his troubles.

He started by mentioning the difficulty of running a business, then the difficulty of raising a family, and finally added that the market was sluggish.

Shen Zhi pursed her lips and let out a chuckle. The sound of her laughter mixed with the sobbing was particularly clear and bright.

Shen Wen reprimanded, “Shen Zhi.”

Shen Zhi remained unmoved. Instead, she crossed her legs, leaning back on the sofa. Compared to her alpha father’s gentle way of handling things, she was almost abrasive. “Mr. Lin, you’re mistaken. Besides our family, there’s also the Wang family.”

Upon hearing this, the man kneeling on the cold floor subconsciously shivered.

The three alphas present all knew what kind of person the head of the Wang family was. She was a beta of moderate standing, yet she managed to claw her way out of that wolf’s den, using ruthless methods to kill off all the alpha heirs and successfully ascend to power. She was impeccable when it came to managing the family business, but her private life was an absolute nightmare for all alphas.

As a beta unaffected by any pheromones, she enjoyed collecting alphas, particularly during their rut, when she would chain them up and watch them struggle helplessly.

Shen Zhi held the exquisite porcelain cup, her gaze lowered, watching the dark brown tea. She said softly, “I recall the Wang family sent you a message, didn’t they? Why haven’t you gone to see her, but instead came to us?”

Father Lin knelt on the floor, stammering, unable to speak.

Shen Zhi leaned forward, placed the teacup on the coffee table, and changed her sitting posture. Her voice carried a hint of shallow amusement, “Are you sincerely seeking help from my family, or do you have ulterior motives?”

Even if Father Lin had ten times the guts, he wouldn’t dare entertain that idea. His two hands pressed against the cold floor, his voice trembling with caution, “The Wang family did say they would help us, but that condition, I, I cannot accept.”

“What condition is that?” A hint of indifferent coldness surfaced in Shen Zhi’s eyes.

Father Lin closed his eyes, steeled his heart, and tears streamed down his face, “She actually wants me to give her my daughter. I only have that one alpha child. I’ve pampered her since childhood and diligently nurtured her. Although her temper is a bit unruly, she is still sensible. If I send my daughter over, wouldn’t I be pushing her into a pit of fire?”

Everyone in Jiang City knew that the alphas favored by the Wang family had only one path, which was death. That might be the best outcome for them, because some alphas, even if they lived, would have their scent glands surgically removed and be chained up like a dog, utterly devoid of dignity.

Shen Zhi naturally knew this; planning all of this was precisely for today.

The alpha rose from the sofa and slowly paced in front of Father Lin. Although her appearance was striking, the dimples on her face made it easy to bridge the distance between people.

Shen Zhi stopped in front of Father Lin, half-crouched, and lifted Father Lin’s arm, saying with a smile, “Uncle, you only have one daughter, but you have quite a few illegitimate daughters.”

Shen Zhi’s hands were merely resting loosely on Father Lin’s arm, appearing respectful but actually mocking. Father Lin was forced to stand up. When he saw Shen Zhi’s smile, his body suddenly felt colder than before.

The alpha’s smile widened at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes were chilling. The two faint dimples on her cheeks made her look exceptionally harmless.

As Father Lin slowly stood up, Shen Zhi released her grip. She pulled a tissue from the coffee table, and while deliberately wiping her hands, she said, “She’s just an illegitimate daughter. I think Lin Qiu is quite good, don’t you agree?”

Father Lin’s eyes lit up when he realized what she meant. He wanted to grab Shen Zhi’s hand to thank her, but just as he raised it, Shen Zhi was already seated on the sofa. Father Lin smiled obsequiously and nodded repeatedly, saying, “I understand. Thank you, Miss Shen.”

“You’re welcome,” Shen Zhi said with a sweet smile.

Since the main purpose of his visit to the Shen family was accomplished, Father Lin did not linger and hastily excused himself, preparing to leave.

Footsteps moved from the living room towards the door. Qin Huai instinctively took a step back behind the staircase.

She leaned against the white wall, her eyelids closed. After the footsteps faded into the distance, she opened her eyes again.

There was no trace of pity or sympathy in her dark eyes. The expression that spread over them was faint, calm, and utterly detached, as if the entire incident had nothing to do with her.

Since there had been a guest, it would have been awkward for Qin Huai to suddenly go downstairs. Now that the person had left, she was about to descend. Her foot was already on the step when Shen Wen’s hurried footsteps grew closer again. Qin Huai had no choice but to retract her foot.

“That man is still your elder. Can’t you speak to him more politely?” Shen Wen truly couldn’t understand. He and Zhou Yue were both relatively gentle-tempered people, so how could their alpha daughter have such a fiery personality?

With the homeowner in the middle of lecturing his child, it was even less convenient for her to go downstairs. Bored, she took out her phone and leaned against the wall to scroll through WeChat to pass the time.

Shen Zhi’s voice was lazy, “Dad, you need to be clear that he was begging me. I’ve already been polite enough.”

“But people will say you’re a difficult alpha to get along with. What if when it’s time for you to marry, the omega’s family asks around? They’ll worry about you being abusive.” Shen Wen lectured earnestly.

“Let them say whatever they want.” Shen Zhi was nonchalant and rather smug. “Someone wants me.”

Hearing this, Shen Wen was practically fuming. He sat on the sofa and said with a fake smile, “Are you still thinking about that arranged marriage?”

Qin Huai hadn’t checked the group messages for a long time. To avoid disturbing the parent lecturing the naughty child, she specifically clicked on the muted group chat to pass the time by browsing.

As a result, when Shen Wen’s unexpected remark about the arranged marriage echoed in the living room, Qin Huai was just reading a message sent by her advisor group this morning.

[Meeting at the office at 5 PM today! Everyone attend!]

Shen Wen’s lecture to Shen Zhi continued intermittently. The person in question barely paid attention, placating him with an indifferent “uh-huh.” The more Shen Wen saw her stubbornness, the angrier he became, and the more he got angry, the less he could stop. After about three minutes, Shen Wen stopped talking, preparing to drink some water to wet his throat and continue the next wave of lectures, when footsteps approached from the stairs.

Immediately after, a gentle female voice reached Shen Zhi and Shen Wen’s ears, “Huai Huai, what are you doing here?”

The phone screen had gone dark at some point. The omega still maintained her bowed posture. When someone spoke to her, she subconsciously pressed her phone. The screen lit up with a pale white light. Qin Huai suddenly snapped back to attention, then turned off the screen. Her mind was only focused on the meeting. She had forgotten the exact time but figured she should probably head over immediately.

Qin Huai stood upright, the top button of her white shirt fastened below her throat. When she lifted her chin, her jawline was sharp and cool. Even in the sunlight, the omega’s eyes were dark, making it impossible to discern any complex emotions. She apologized to Zhou Yue, “Teacher Zhou, I’m sorry, my advisor just notified me of a meeting. I have to rush back to school right away.”