"I told you to act sooner, but you insisted on playing the innocent lover. Now look, she's been snatched away. How are you going to win her back?"
In a smoke-filled internet café room, a female Alpha with long hair adjusted her blue-light-blocking glasses, irritatedly scratching at her bangs.
The man standing beside her wore a mocking smile, his face openly displaying disdain. On the computer screen, Chen Lulu's birthday party livestream was playing. It was a semi-public stream, accessible by entering Chen Lulu's birthday as the password—a simple task.
Liu Huanran had no interest in the actress's birthday celebration. The person who had infuriated her had already left early, making her almost certain that they hadn't come to see the star but to flaunt their relationship. Even though neither of them had mentioned it, nor had they noticed Liu Huanran watching them, an unquenchable anger burned within her.
Whenever she saw Pei Yujang, a little voice in her head raged, imagining her head crowned with green fields of jealousy.
Liu Huanran regretted not following her companion's advice and marking Yu Zhiwan, foolishly hoping this cold-hearted Omega would fall for her like in the story.
No, she had been certain that in the original story, she would have a happy ending with Yu Zhiwan. In the story, this Omega was supposed to fall for her, even bearing her child.
When Liu Huanran first transmigrated into this ABO world, she was thrilled to be an Alpha. She looked forward to having a wife, children, and a successful career. But ever since Pei Yujang arrived, everything had veered off course, as if the plot had been forcibly twisted in another direction.
She had been outmaneuvered by Pei Yujang, forced to leave Yu Rong and join a new company. At first, she was underutilized until she submitted some of Yu Rong's secrets in a slightly altered form to her new boss. However, she made some modifications to the information.
The boss was so impressed with her designs that he promised her a share of the profits when the new product launched.
Liu Huanran was in charge of product planning but not the actual manufacturing. The boss assured her that his team would handle everything. Dreaming of the profits, she was blindsided when many testers reported that the product didn't suit their skin.
The formula was too harsh for their skin types, but reducing the intensity compromised the product's effectiveness. The boss asked Liu Huanran how to fix it, but she wasn't a specialist in this field, and neither was the original owner of this body. How could she know how to solve the issue?
In no time, the boss turned on her, calling her useless and blaming her for wasting the company's resources on a faulty product that delayed the next launch.
The product was pulled just before release, and a backup plan was put into action. Furious, the boss transferred Liu Huanran to another department to do menial tasks with no perks, even cutting her salary. Liu Huanran knew he wanted to push her out.
Labor laws prevented the boss from firing her without just cause. If Liu Huanran made a fuss, it would damage the company's reputation, so the boss devised this nasty tactic to force her out.
Gritting her teeth, Liu Huanran persevered while searching for a new job. When Yu Zhiwan left, she hadn't paid the rent for the next six months. The rent was high, and Liu Huanran had to take out a loan to cover it.
Since coming to this world, Liu Huanran had been a spendthrift, with no savings. She had nearly blacked out when she saw the rent. After struggling to pay off the loan, she was now living in a rundown one-bedroom apartment, barely scraping by on her meager salary, her high-spending lifestyle reduced to poverty.
She knew Yu Zhiwan was secretly wealthy, but it hadn't mattered to her before. Now, watching Yu Zhiwan get stolen away from her, she felt a different kind of loss.
The man beside her continued to taunt her with sarcastic remarks. Already annoyed, Liu Huanran suddenly slammed her hand down on the table, sending the half-eaten bowl of instant noodles flying. The lukewarm, sticky broth spilled all over the keyboard, dripping down onto the floor.
Ignoring the mess, Liu Huanran grabbed the man by the collar and cursed:
"Shut up! Say one more word, and I'll send you to the police! Get lost!"
Her Alpha pheromones filled the air, creating a tense, oppressive atmosphere. But the man remained unfazed, still staring at her twisted, furious face with a mocking smile. His tone was as if he were trying to coax a stubborn child:
"Oh, so you're an Alpha? I almost forgot, considering how incapable you seem of marking Yu Zhiwan." He paused. "But shouldn't you be grateful that Pei Yujang isn't an Alpha? Hey, that Omega hasn't been marked yet, right?"
He spoke as if he were appraising a piece of fresh produce at the market, but his words carried a strange power that calmed Liu Huanran's anger.
Liu Huanran slowly looked up, meeting his confident gaze.
On an otherwise ordinary night, Pei Yujang went to check on the water plant again, and Yu Zhiwan was returning home from the hospital. As she reached a secluded, surveillance-free spot, she suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and lost consciousness.
When Yu Zhiwan woke up, she found her hands bound.
A beautifully crafted scented candle sat on the table, yet to be lit, beside a pink lighter. Two wine glasses and an unopened bottle of expensive-looking red wine were also on the table.
Summer had quietly arrived. Despite the meticulous application of insect repellents and herbal sprays, there were no annoying flies or mosquitoes in sight. As Yu Zhiwan slowly opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a familiar face.
A small lamp cast a dim light nearby, illuminating Liu Huanran's white wedding dress. The yellowish light made the fabric look unevenly stained, ruining the aesthetic. As an Alpha, Liu Huanran had a naturally advantageous figure, with long legs and a slim waist. Her back was exposed as she fussed with the bed, the movement revealing her smooth, pale skin.
After shaking out the pillows, Liu Huanran breathed a little heavier, finishing the preparation of the "bridal bed" for the night. She casually adjusted her strapless gown. Some Alphas had a "flat chest," and Liu Huanran was one of them. The strapless dress, better suited for an Omega, didn't fit her well, forcing her to keep pulling it up.
However, on closer inspection, it was clear that the dress was too small for her. It clung tightly to her body, uncomfortable and unflattering. Liu Huanran should have worn an XL or L size, but this wedding gown would have fit a medium-sized Omega like Yu Zhiwan, who was 165 cm tall and weighed about 100 pounds.
Yu Zhiwan narrowed her eyes slightly, letting her gaze linger on Liu Huanran before looking away.
She was sitting on a pile of dry straw in the abandoned house, the damp, decaying smell invading her nostrils. Liu Huanran had brought her to this place, locked the door, and left her wheelchair out of sight. Moss and wild mushrooms grew in the damp corners. With her hair disheveled, Yu Zhiwan's pale, delicate face looked doll-like as she parted her lips to criticize:
"You're a complete lunatic."
Liu Huanran's attempt at seductive breathing stopped, and her sharp gaze locked onto Yu Zhiwan's eyes. As their eyes met, Yu Zhiwan casually tugged at her slightly lowered neckline, teasingly revealing her collarbone.
Liu Huanran's eyes traced Yu Zhiwan's flawless, well-maintained skin. Even without the use of arousing scents, Liu Huanran felt her mouth go dry, a fire igniting in her lower abdomen.
She couldn't help but imagine the feel of Omega's skin under her touch, the softness of her waist, like water, like tofu.
Her mind filled with countless shameful fantasies, but Liu Huanran laughed derisively, taking two steps forward. Her gaze was that of a predator sizing up its prey, the resistance only fueling her excitement.
"So, you can see after all. You were lying to me this whole time, you little tease." Liu Huanran gleefully gave her various nicknames, while her hands moved to pinch the face she had long coveted, her fingers trailing down Omega's neck. "I hear the harder a woman's mouth, the softer she is..."
Yu Zhiwan tried to back away, but Liu Huanran grabbed the rope binding her hands. Standing up slightly, she found the rough rope irritating and began untying it while trying to seize Yu Zhiwan's delicate wrist.
But just as the rope came loose, Liu Huanran suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if someone had kicked her. The kick wasn't particularly strong, given Omega's lack of strength compared to an Alpha, but it caught her off guard, leaving her stunned for a few seconds and costing her precious time.
As her vision blurred, Liu Huanran felt a prick in her neck. The sting of the needle and the pressure of the injected air made her eyes widen, but her vision was unfocused, and every nerve in her body rapidly numbed.
Liu Huanran's eyes filled with blood, but her arms felt as if they had been drained of strength. Her once nimble limbs were now useless, as if filled with cotton. Meanwhile, Omega's sweet voice echoed in her ears, sometimes near, sometimes far, as if coming from right beside her or deep in the abyss.
"Don't worry, it's just air. It won't hurt much."
Seeing Liu Huanran's eyes lose focus, Yu Zhiwan kindly stopped the injection and dropped her to the ground like a discarded rag. She picked up Liu Huanran's phone, quickly typed a series of numbers, sent a message, then blocked the contact and tossed the phone aside.
"Is this your gift for me?"
Yu Zhiwan seemed to notice the tightness of the wedding dress, wrinkling her delicate nose in an exaggerated, adorable display of disgust. Liu Huanran, her vision blurred, couldn't see clearly, but the tone sounded almost playful.
It was the first time this Omega had spoken to her in such a soft, sweet voice, yet Liu Huanran couldn't enjoy it.
Omega tapped her stiff neck, then wiped her hand clean, her voice gentle yet scornful:
"You've already worn it, so gross. I don't want to wear it."
"But since you gave me a gift, it wouldn't be right if I didn't give you something in return…"
In her hazy state, Liu Huanran heard Omega's murmuring as she slowly walked toward the small lamp. Her steps were unsteady, but the sound of her movements reached Liu Huanran's ears. Yu Zhiwan bent down, tapping the lamp's removable shade, seemingly satisfied with the warmth she felt. She turned to Liu Huanran, her face blooming into a smile.
Liu Huanran's vision was too blurred to see clearly, but she heard Omega approach her again, her voice calm and even.
"Before Pei Yujang arrives, why don't we have a little fun, Huanran?"