Captivating Beauty 9

Chapter 9

Zhou Pei had chosen a newly built, exclusive resort. It was a four-story building with four suites on each floor.

Since it wasn’t officially open yet, the only guests were VIPs trying out the facilities. The environment was elegant and exceptionally quiet, meeting all of Xu Jinnan’s requirements.

After a glass of wine, Xu Jinnan settled in for a pleasant afternoon nap.

She turned over in her sleep and found a woman lying beside her. The woman’s figure was alluring, her sweet scent intoxicating. Dreamily, Xu Jinnan reached out to embrace her from behind…

Before she could make contact, she was jolted awake by her ringing phone, as if an earthquake had shattered the dream.

Annoyed, Xu Jinnan didn’t bother checking the caller ID and swiped to answer.

“Xu Jinnan!”

Xu Jinnan pulled the phone away from her ear, frowning, her voice still raspy with sleep. “Who is this?”

“Who is this?! It’s your father!”

“…”

The already irritated man on the other end erupted.

“Are you out gallivanting again?! Not only are you wasting your time, but you dare interfere with the bidding process?! Get back here this instant!” It was Xu Tao, the original Xu Jinnan’s father.

Xu Jinnan rubbed her temples and sat up. The bidding results would be announced today. If her calculations were correct, the Xu family would win the project.

“You’re becoming more and more reckless! I’m not dead yet, and you dare do this behind my back, Xu Jinnan…”

“Calm down and listen to me.”

“Listen to what? You don’t know anything!”

Xu Jinnan suppressed her annoyance, taking a sip of water as her father continued to rant. When he paused for breath, she said calmly, “You dismissed that small plot of land, but your competitors are desperate to acquire it. They’ve even made a deal with the bidding committee.”

“If you don’t believe me, investigate. Someone at the HP Group will be panicking soon. Then you can investigate what’s so special about that land.” Xu Jinnan’s tone was always serious when discussing business. Perhaps realizing this, she softened her voice.

“Dad, I wouldn’t mess with the company, no matter how irresponsible I am.”

“Haven’t you done enough reckless things already?”

“…”

Xu Tao grumbled, “If I find out you’re messing around, I’ll skin you alive.”

Xu Jinnan understood his anger. Based on the original Xu Jinnan’s behavior, this kind of move would usually be an act of revenge or a whim.

The call ended, and the world was quiet again.

That seemingly worthless piece of land would soon become the most prosperous amusement park in North City, thanks to the upcoming urban development plan. Its value would skyrocket.

In the book, the Han family rose to prominence through this land, partnering with the authorities and gradually overtaking the Xu family.

However, the Han family hadn’t obtained the information through their own abilities. Someone had tipped them off.

Thinking of that person, Xu Jinnan smiled faintly.

…

Xu Jinnan opened the curtains, letting in the warm afternoon sun.

From the third floor, she could see the large, sparkling blue pool below.

After a moment, she kicked off her slippers and pulled off her silk dress, her pale skin bathed in the golden light.

The glass was mirrored from the outside, so she walked to the closet and chose a relatively modest swimsuit from a collection of skimpy bikinis.

It was a black one-piece with open sides and back, perfectly accentuating her figure.

She decided she needed to discuss her new preferences with Zhou Pei.

Perhaps because the resort wasn’t officially open, the poolside loungers were empty. Only one other person was in the pool.

Xu Jinnan dove into the water.

After two laps, she realized the other person seemed to enjoy underwater swimming as much as she did. They kept crossing paths, swimming in opposite directions.

Xu Jinnan surfaced, her body, unused to exercise, already feeling tired after just three laps.

Wiping the water from her face, she was about to take a break when a figure emerged from the water on the opposite side of the pool.

Xu Jinnan froze, her first reaction not surprise, but…

Captivation.

Utter captivation.

Droplets of water clung to the Omega’s long lashes, sliding down her exquisite face, shimmering in the sunlight… Xu Jinnan’s gaze didn’t travel any lower.

The expression on the other woman’s face was the opposite.

Seeing her, Shen Shu’s surprise quickly turned to wariness and hostility.

Shen Shu quickly backed away to the edge of the pool, her voice laced with anger. “You’re following me! Cough, cough…” She choked on the water, her fair skin turning crimson.

“…Take it easy, don’t choke. I’ll get out,” Xu Jinnan said, climbing out of the pool and wrapping a towel around herself. Water dripped onto her face, and she casually brushed it back.

“Zhou Pei arranged this. I didn’t know you were here.” Xu Jinnan wiped her face with the towel, her eyes softening in the sunlight, her voice gentle. “If you think about it, you’ll understand. If I wanted to hurt you, would I have waited until now?”

Shen Shu knew this was true, but the fear lingered.

She looked up at Xu Jinnan. “Then why did you force me into this marriage, do those things to me?”

“I’d like to explain.” Xu Jinnan’s legs felt weak, so she sat down on a lounger. “Are you willing to listen now?”

Shen Shu remained silent.

Xu Jinnan looked at her, about to speak, when her vision blurred, images overlapping, a ringing in her ears.

This time, she was certain it was related to Shen Shu, but it felt different…

More like that first night.

The excitement. The urge.

Images of Shen Shu flashed through her mind. Xu Jinnan’s fingers twitched. She could almost feel the smoothness of the Omega’s skin…

Her heart pounding, Xu Jinnan mumbled something about going upstairs and talking later.

She wasn’t even sure if that’s what she’d said; she could barely hear herself.

Stumbling, she barely managed to avoid falling as she made her way upstairs.

“Who is that? How much did she drink to be that drunk?”

Cai Ying, in a bright yellow bikini, walked over with a glass of juice, watching the tall, unsteady figure. “She has a great body, though.”

“Xu Jinnan,” Shen Shu replied.

Cai Ying choked on her juice. “What’s she doing here? Following you?!”

Shen Shu shook her head.

She didn’t know. She wasn’t sure anymore.

Before, she wouldn’t have hesitated to accuse Xu Jinnan, but something in Xu Jinnan’s demeanor just now had seemed… genuine.

Genuine. That word, applied to Xu Jinnan, seemed absurd.

After dinner, the sky had darkened, and the resort was shrouded in a heavy mist.

They were sitting in the resort’s cafe when Shen Shu received a message from the company, her face darkening. Then a waiter approached them.

An Alpha in a VIP room on the third floor was experiencing a severe rut.

The emergency doctor had administered medication, but the other guests on the floor had been disturbed, especially the Omegas, who had been moved to other floors and needed to be appeased.

Cai Ying’s father wanted her to take over the family business, and this resort was a test run. So, it fell to Cai Ying to deal with the upset guests.

“Be careful,” Shen Shu cautioned.

Cai Ying grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll just check on things and reassure the other guests.”

Shen Shu didn’t say anything more, but after over an hour, Cai Ying still hadn’t returned. Her calls went straight to voicemail.

She asked a waiter and learned there had only been two Omega guests on the third floor. They had been taken care of long ago. Cai Ying should have returned over half an hour ago.

After searching everywhere, they still couldn’t find her.

A waiter mentioned seeing Cai Ying going back upstairs alone. A bad premonition washed over Shen Shu.

“Do you know which floor she went to?” she asked.

“Probably the third floor,” the waiter replied. “There’s still one Alpha guest on that floor. The fourth floor is empty.”

Shen Shu, accompanied by two waiters, went up to the third floor. Before leaving, she’d grabbed a knife from the front desk.

After checking the empty rooms, she stopped at the only occupied suite.

After returning to her room, Xu Jinnan took the emergency medication Professor Qin had given her, her breathing and heartbeat finally slowing down.

She lay on the bed, too weak even to change her clothes. She wanted to call Professor Qin, but her phone was on the table…

Then she passed out.

She didn’t know how long she slept before being jolted awake by persistent knocking. Her scent gland was still throbbing, her body feeling worse than before.

She had a premonition – she was about to lose control again, just like that night.

…

Shen Shu stood at the door, knocking repeatedly without a response. “Have you checked the security footage?” she asked the waiter.

The waiter spoke into his earpiece, relaying the question to the front desk.

He understood Shen Shu’s concern. An Alpha on this floor had just experienced a severe rut. Alpha pheromones could sometimes trigger a reaction in other Alphas.

And Cai Ying was an Omega…

But the chances were slim.

And wouldn’t it be better to check the footage before knocking? If they offended a guest, they would have to apologize.

Shen Shu’s palms were damp with sweat. She knew from experience that nothing was guaranteed.

“Found her!”

The waiter listened to the response in his earpiece, then said to Shen Shu, “Miss Shen, she’s already gone back to her room.”

Shen Shu sighed in relief. But before she could fully exhale…

The door suddenly swung open from the inside, and she was pulled inside before she could react…