After an Alluring Alpha Provokes an Unhinged Omega 17

Chapter 17: The Door Lock

“Teacher Yan, you’re back?”

As long as one was sharp enough, even if the other person acted no different than usual, one could still detect the change. A smile hung on Jiang Mi’s face, and the night did not obscure the brightness in her eyes. Even her tone was still full of joy, but Yan Wei could still feel that she was different.

What was it? Detachment, avoidance, and sadness?

Yan Wei approached. Before she could speak, Jiang Mi smiled. “Auntie and Mo Xi will definitely be happy to know you’re back. I’ve caused a lot of trouble for your family today, so I’m quite embarrassed. I won’t disturb you any longer. Goodbye, Teacher Yan.”

Jiang Mi smiled and walked past Yan Wei.

“Did they say that?”

Jiang Mi turned her head. “What?”

Yan Wei: “That they would be happy I’m back.”

Jiang Mi paused, remembering what Mo Xi had said. She didn’t mention Mo Yun. “Mo Xi misses you a lot.”

The air fell silent.

After a long moment, the corners of Yan Wei’s lips curved into a silent, cold smile. Her voice was always so cold. She said, “Go back.”

Jiang Mi pursed her lips. “Teacher Yan.”

She asked the question that had been on her mind for a long time.

“Do you hate me?”

Under the mask, the cool and indifferent expression loosened slightly. After a long moment, Yan Wei said, “I wouldn’t say that.”

Just ‘wouldn’t say that.’

Not ‘don’t hate.’

The tip of Jiang Mi’s nose felt as if it had been touched by an onion peel, an uncomfortable sensation, but her expression didn’t change. She smiled faintly, nodded, and said, “It’s cold outside. Teacher Yan, you should go home quickly.”

This time, she made a gesture of farewell.

Her pace was faster than when she had arrived—no, faster than she had ever left before.

Yan Wei was still standing there, watching the figure that was gradually fading into the darkness, her eyes deep. At this moment, she had a very new emotion, one that was not pleasant. As for what she wanted to do, or what she hoped Jiang Mi would say? She was also thinking.

Jiang Mi hailed a taxi and headed straight back to the hotel.

The wind from the window was a bit chilly, but she was reluctant to close it, because the stuffy, smoke-filled air would be even more unbearable.

Group messages kept popping up.

Zhou Shanshan had tagged her several times, saying that a friend had fresh Australian lobster and had sent a few to everyone. Her share had been sent to Jincheng, addressed to her mother, Jiang Youshu.

Jiang Mi: [Thanks, rich lady.]

Shanshan: [No problem, kowtow to me.]

Jiang Mi: [gun.]

Shanshan: [Alrighty then.]

Shanshan: [What’s Big Sister Jiang been up to lately? Haven’t heard from her in a while, don’t know if she’s changed her address?]

Jiang Mi: [She has too many homes, who knows?]

Jiang Hu: […]

Shanshan: […Are you blind? You don’t reply to my many messages, but you reply as soon as Mimi sends one?]

Two seconds later, Jiang Hu: [Just saw it.]

Zhou Shanshan got even angrier: [You’ve used that excuse eight hundred times! Eight hundred times!]

Watching the two of them bicker, Jiang Mi’s heavy heart lightened considerably.

Jiang Hu had been adopted by Jiang Youshu from an orphanage when she was ten. She was three years older than her. Because they weren’t very young when they met, and Jiang Hu had an independent personality, having fought her way to become the undefeated champion of the neighborhood, her temper had gotten even worse after she presented as an Omega at fifteen. She was only obedient in front of Jiang Youshu.

She had never called her ‘sister.’

But although they had argued since they were young, the bond of having the same mother was still there, so they could manage.

She watched the group messages pop up one by one, as if the people were talking right next to her. Jiang Mi missed her friends, and she missed Jiang Youshu. She even missed Jiang Hu a little.

Returning from the group chat, Jiang Mi sent a message to Jiang Youshu. Then, remembering that apple hadn’t seemed to have spoken up recently, she sent her a private message as well.

[Busy lately?]

But the message was like a stone sinking into the sea. A long time passed with no reply.

She looked out the window again. The lighthearted mood had quietly slipped away. Her head rested against the glass window, her hat covering her face, revealing only a pair of tightly pressed lips.

I clearly said I didn’t need anything in return, so why does my heart ache so much?

**

A little past ten at night.

Mo Xi’s advisor had been leading her in academic research recently and had given her a rare day off today. She was begging Yan Wei to chat with her in the living room.

Mo Yun had already returned to the villa, leaving only her and Yan Wei in the living room.

“Sis, you didn’t eat dinner. Are you really not hungry?”

Yan Wei hummed in response. Her gaze fell on the table by the wall. In the vase was a bouquet of fresh lilies and calla lilies. This was something neither Mo Yun nor Mo Xi would buy.

She was a bit distracted, and she hadn’t heard everything Mo Xi said.

“What do you think of Sister Jiang Mi? You’re filming together, so you must be quite happy, right? Her personality is really so good.”

Yan Wei had heard this question countless times.

“She’s alright.”

Mo Xi: “She said she’s very happy filming with you.”

Yan Wei didn’t reply.

“I even asked if you two have a kissing scene.” Mo Xi covered her mouth and laughed. “Her reaction was so funny.”

The eyelashes next to her high-bridged nose lifted slightly. Yan Wei asked, “What was her reaction?”

Mo Xi said, “A little shy, her ears even turned red. She was so afraid Mom would hear. Don’t you think she’s very innocent? I mean, she makes you feel very comfortable, makes you want to get close to her. Do you have that feeling?”

Yan Wei closed her phone, bent down, and picked up the red wine on the table. “No.”

Mo Xi shrugged. “She even helped you fix the study door—I didn’t even notice until she said something. Anyway, I really think she’s a very good person.”

The hand holding the wine glass paused, like scalding seawater washing over her feet, her skin burning.

She looked toward the corridor and finished the wine in one gulp.

The slight astringency of the red wine exploded in her mouth. A compassionate smile touched her lips.

She remembered Jiang Mi’s expression when she left today. The annoyance she felt because of this person was no longer new.

Yan Wei stood up and said, “Let’s go to bed.”

“Sis.” Mo Xi sat cross-legged on the sofa, craning her neck to ask, “Mom and I both really like Sister Jiang Mi. Can we invite her over again next time?”

Yan Wei stopped, her expression suddenly becoming unpredictable. She narrowed her eyes. “You think she really likes Jiang Mi?”

This was what Mo Xi feared most about Yan Wei. Her smile froze on her lips. She pursed her lips, sat up straight, and cautiously called out, “Sis…”

Yan Wei was silent. After a long time, the heavy pressure dissipated.

She let out a soft laugh. “What are you afraid of?”

The study door soon closed.

Yan Wei stood at the door, her fingernail sliding over the lock, feeling the deadbolt. She could almost imagine Jiang Mi rolling up her sleeves, her head lowered, focused on the lock cylinder.

She moistened her dry lower lip, her gaze falling on the script on the table. The wind from the window rustled the pages, as if returning to the night a few days ago—

[Scene Three: Fitting room. Qin Shui kisses Liang Yongping’s neck. Yongping is restrained and resistant… Yongping forcefully clutches Qin Shui’s waist. (Close-up)]

The word “forcefully” in the last sentence was lightly circled in red pen by the Alpha.

Below it, she had noted—Don’t be too forceful.

Then she had carefully crossed it out.

Yan Wei closed her eyes, curled her fingertips, and her index finger poked at her already healed palm, sometimes lightly, sometimes heavily.

But compared to tonight, she seemed to prefer it when Jiang Mi was forceful.