Instincts often react faster than the mind can think. Before Pei Yuzhang could come up with a good excuse, she hastily muttered something about needing the restroom and darted away like an arrow from a bow.
With her long legs, she moved quickly, so fast that Zhao Manlin only caught a fleeting glimpse of a woman leaving the table before sitting down beside Yu Zhiwan.
"Your new friend? She in a hurry?" Zhao Manlin asked, her curiosity piqued.
To maintain her cover, Pei Yuzhang had chosen a modest restaurant—nothing too fancy, just clean and decent. Thankfully, Yu Zhiwan wasn't picky. The Omega, with her elegant posture and calm demeanor, was sitting quietly on a wooden chair, her hands gently folded in her lap. She replied to Zhao Manlin without missing a beat.
"Her name is Xiaoyu."
Though curious, Zhao Manlin didn't pry further. She cared deeply for Yu Zhiwan but was aware that she was an adult, capable of making her own decisions. So she held back her questions.
However, she didn't plan on leaving immediately. She decided to stay and meet Yu Zhiwan's new friend before taking her home. After all, it wouldn't be polite to just take Yu Zhiwan and leave without acknowledging her companion.
As this thought settled, Zhao Manlin took a seat at the table, refraining from using her phone, her gaze wandering over the used utensils and plates.
Minutes passed—one, two, five, then six. As time ticked closer to ten minutes, Zhao Manlin's suspicions grew. She stood up and quietly walked to the restroom, only to collide with someone coming out.
She was about to apologize when she looked up and recognized the face in front of her. Her expression shifted rapidly as she blurted out,
"Pei…"
She caught herself just in time, remembering to show some restraint. With a complicated look, she corrected herself, "Miss Pei."
Today, Pei Yuzhang was dressed casually in washed-out jeans and a stylish windbreaker, which showed off her figure. She was quite noticeable in this small, modest restaurant. Zhao Manlin had only managed a quick glance at the person sitting opposite Yu Zhiwan earlier, but now, seeing Pei Yuzhang here, her expression became even more complex.
Pei Yuzhang was just as surprised to see Zhao Manlin coming to pick up Yu Zhiwan.
But since they had already encountered each other, continuing to hide her identity seemed pointless and would only make her look suspicious, as if she had ulterior motives.
So, she offered Zhao Manlin a composed smile and said,
"I've been trying to make friends with Miss Yu. We sometimes meet up for a meal. You're welcome to join us next time."
"Make friends? For a meal?" Zhao Manlin repeated, her tone tinged with disbelief.
Those who had worked at the company for a while knew that this eldest daughter of the Pei family was known for her lavish lifestyle. Although she wasn't from the most prestigious family, her spending habits were extravagant, often surpassing what one might expect from the daughter of the boss of Yuerong. She had a reputation for being a spendthrift, which caused her father, Pei Jinhuai, no small amount of grief, though he was powerless to stop her.
As they stood talking, the unpleasant smell of the restroom kept wafting into their noses.
The ceiling in the restroom was stained yellow in the corners, and the faucet was surrounded by a half-empty bottle of hand soap, its surface sticky with residue. The mirror was spotted with water marks, the result of countless customers shaking off excess water after washing their hands.
Though the food here was good and the restaurant clean, the restroom had not been updated during renovations, making it the least pleasant part of the establishment. Pei Yuzhang and Zhao Manlin were stuck standing in the doorway, with Pei Yuzhang leaning a long leg against the wall, thinking that she couldn't let Zhao Manlin leave just yet.
She wasn't ready to reveal her identity!
Zhao Manlin couldn't hold back any longer and sarcastically remarked,
"Miss Pei's tastes sure are unique."
Trying to woo Yu Zhiwan was one thing, but bringing such a beautiful Omega to a place like this?
Before Zhao Manlin could say more, the sound of a wheelchair moving across the floor reached them. Moments later, Yu Zhiwan's clear voice called out from outside the restroom,
"Are you two done in there?"
Pei Yuzhang didn't want her cover blown now—it would be hard to undo—so she gave Zhao Manlin a warning look before stepping forward to help push Yu Zhiwan's wheelchair. As she did, she explained,
"Manlin and I hit it off, so we chatted for a bit at the door."
Yu Zhiwan sniffed the air, picking up on the unmistakable odor. Covering her nose with her pale fingers, she said dryly,
"You two have unique tastes."
Pei Yuzhang: "…"
Oops, she had forgotten how sensitive Yu Zhiwan's nose was.
**
In the end, Zhao Manlin chose to temporarily yield to Pei Yuzhang's subtle warning, though it was unclear whether she would report this encounter later.
Pei Yuzhang felt that her cover was on the verge of being blown.
But this wasn't a game where she could simply abandon her account and start over. Fortunately, the heroine's blackening value and her own cannon fodder score were still within normal ranges. With this in mind, Pei Yuzhang shifted her focus to familiarizing herself with the company's business while simultaneously investigating the mysterious person who had approached Liu Huanran.
There were no surveillance cameras in the old neighborhood, and the person had changed clothes and used a fake license plate after leaving, making it nearly impossible to trace them. So, Pei Yuzhang started by digging into Liu Huanran's background. The Pei family had both money and connections, and within days, they had uncovered everything there was to know about her.
Late at night, a cool breeze swept through, and Pei Yuzhang sat on her small balcony, sipping the milk tea that the housekeeper had made for her, her eyes fixed on Liu Huanran's dossier.
Pei Yuzhang had already reviewed Yu Zhiwan's information. Her parents had passed away, but before her legs were injured, she had worked at a car parts company. The company offered good benefits, and she had a high position and education, so it made sense that she had savings.
As for Liu Huanran, she had been a troublemaker since childhood. Her parents were still alive, but they had a distant relationship, and they had little contact after she grew up. In her teens, she had gotten into a fight over an Omega, which resulted in the other person's leg being broken. Though she had no criminal record as an adult, she still came across as a "phoenix girl"—someone with a troubled past but a promising future.
Pei Yuzhang even used her connections to check Liu Huanran's bank accounts. Initially, she wanted to see if there had been any unexplained large deposits recently, but she found that Yu Zhiwan was transferring a fixed amount of living expenses to Liu Huanran every month.
The amount wasn't huge, certainly not enough to support a lavish lifestyle, but it was more than sufficient for someone living a normal life in Yicheng. Plus, it seemed that Liu Huanran wasn't paying rent, which made it clear that while they seemed like roommates, Liu Huanran was essentially freeloading.
The more Pei Yuzhang read, the more her brows furrowed. She took another sip of milk tea, but the once-sweet taste now seemed bitter.
She continued reading, but her focus was interrupted by the sound of an electronic lock clicking open. She instinctively closed her laptop and looked out to see Jiang Wenxiu coming in, dressed in a short sweater, shivering as she kicked off her slippers and glanced around.
Jiang Wenxiu, clearly freezing, hopped around the living room a few times before wrapping herself in a small blanket. Spotting Pei Yuzhang with a cup of hot tea, she hurried over, her small legs moving quickly as she exclaimed,
"Sis, let me have a sip!"
Before Pei Yuzhang could respond, Jiang Wenxiu grabbed her cup, ready to take a drink.
Pei Yuzhang's lips pressed into a thin line, her delicate features taking on a colder edge. She didn't say a word, but Jiang Wenxiu's hand trembled, and she sheepishly put the cup down.
A minute later, Jiang Wenxiu was sitting at Pei Yuzhang's feet, wrapped in a blanket and sipping her own freshly made milk tea through a straw.
It was late, the housekeeper had gone to bed, and one of the maids was on leave while another was showering. Jiang Wenxiu had been fumbling around on her own, and Pei Yuzhang, unable to bear it, had directed her to make her own brown sugar milk tea.
Recently, Jiang Wenxiu had been much more obedient under Pei Yuzhang's watchful eye. She had also noticed that her sister had changed significantly, no longer living a life of debauchery. With their mother, Fan Zhaozhao, constantly reminding her that she might need Pei Yuzhang's help in the future, Jiang Wenxiu had developed a bit more respect for her sister.
Fan Zhaozhao was a beauty, and Jiang Wenxiu took after her, making her fairly easy on the eyes when she wasn't causing trouble. Now, she sat curled up in a ball, looking up at Pei Yuzhang with eyes that were almost identical to their mother's, trying to win her over.
"Sis, I went to a nightclub today," Jiang Wenxiu started, her tone trying to be endearing.
Pei Yuzhang remained silent, her long fingers resting on the nearby drying rack.
Jiang Wenxiu's voice suddenly became more urgent,
"It was after school! A regular club—Qingfeng, you've heard of it, right? I only went because I heard there was a transgender performer dancing today. I left right after the show!"
Pei Yuzhang's fingers tightened.
"And guess who I saw there? I saw that Liu Huanran!" Jiang Wenxiu exclaimed, her tone full of curiosity and disbelief.
Nightclubs were, by definition, places for nighttime entertainment. Though not all bars and clubs were seedy, they were typically frequented by singles looking for a good time, often leading to spontaneous encounters.
Pei Yuzhang had already heard enough about Liu Huanran's lack of restraint and wasn't particularly interested in her affairs.
"Oh?" Pei Yuzhang responded coolly. "And then?"
"And then I saw her, drunk as a skunk, bragging about how she'd show them what a real top-tier Omega looked like next time." Jiang Wenxiu clicked her tongue in disbelief. "Has she found someone new? She couldn't possibly be talking about Yu Zhiwan, right?"
Jiang Wenxiu had visited the company during the summer, and although she hadn't put her good memory to academic use, she was quick to recognize faces and names. Pei Yuzhang frowned deeply as she listened.
After sending Jiang Wenxiu on her way, Pei Yuzhang opened a rental website, searching for suitable low-cost apartments.
After browsing for a while, she noticed that the prices for units in the same neighborhood were significantly higher on the upper floors, and there were very few high-rise units available.
Pei Yuzhang exited the site and checked the latest news, only to realize that she hadn't paid much attention to the weather since arriving here. Now it was late autumn, and Yicheng was prone to severe storms caused by strong oceanic air currents in the winter.
Autumn floods were rare, but Yicheng's climate was unique. Historical records showed that this had been the case for over a century. Pei Yuzhang looked up at the starry night sky outside her window and opened it, catching the faint scent of water in the crisp autumn air.
A torrential storm was on its way to Yicheng.