Chapter 26: The Chaebol Heir’s Canary — “I’m So Heartbroken. You Have to Make It Up to Me.” Part 2

Jiang Qiuyan gripped her slender ankle, fingers inching upward, locking around the crook of her knee.

“Sweet Baby, hold on to me, or you’ll fall.”

Shi Yu stood on one leg, wobbling unsteadily. The intertwined pheromones were so rich and scorching that she quickly forgot to resist, hooking her arms around Jiang Qiuyan’s neck and pressing herself against her.

Alpha and omega were naturally drawn to each other, and with their bodies fitting together, the instinctive attraction was impossible to resist. Besides, the receiving side always felt more pleasure in matters like these. She had no reason to refuse.

Even so, Shi Yu bit Jiang Qiuyan’s shoulder in retaliation and muttered, “Bully!”

Jiang Qiuyan couldn’t help but laugh. Her chest vibrated gently, her heartbeat seeming to transmit through flesh and bone. That scorching warmth soaked through Shi Yu’s entire body, making her heart race and craving grow.

Jiang Qiuyan had thought she was the impatient one, but the little cat in her arms seemed equally restless. Her slender waist swayed gently against her, her breath hot and searing.

She swallowed hard. She had clearly reached her limit, yet forced herself to ask, “What’s wrong, Sweet Baby?”

She was teasing Shi Yu.

If she had a cat teaser wand in her hand, she would hold it just out of Shi Yu’s reach.

Jiang Qiuyan appeared aloof and untouchable on the outside, and outsiders all thought she was frigid. Only Shi Yu knew just how greedy and mischievous she really was.

Shi Yu knew she was doing this on purpose, but this time she wasn’t going to give in.

She reached up and grabbed a fistful of Jiang Qiuyan’s hair, commanding in tone, “Stop dawdling. Hurry up.”

One corner of Jiang Qiuyan’s lips curled up in smug delight. “As you wish.”

…

Waking up in the birdcage again, Shi Yu felt as though an age had passed. The light was dim and the surroundings quiet. She had no idea what time it was.

She sat up and rubbed her sore waist. Beside her lay neatly folded clothes and a sticky note. In Jiang Qiuyan’s bold, unrestrained handwriting were words that left her speechless.

[Breakfast is on the table. Just heat it up and eat. Wife, I’m off to work. Be good and wait for me at home.]

Shi Yu focused on the word “wife.” She stared at it for a long time without understanding Jiang Qiuyan’s intention.

Whose wife? Mine?

She noticed that ever since she came back, Jiang Qiuyan had been in a strange state, as if on the verge of losing it at any moment.

Did something happen during the month I was away?

The pure cotton loungewear was soft and breathable. She liked it. Shi Yu stood up and stretched, then gently pulled at the birdcage door. To her surprise, it opened.

If she wasn’t planning to lock me in, why make me sleep in a birdcage?

Shi Yu was silent for a moment before stepping out, thinking to herself that her understanding of Jiang Qiuyan was still too shallow.

She had just heated up breakfast when the doorbell rang. Assuming it was Jiang Qiuyan, she opened the door without much thought.

Standing at the door were Bai Lingshuang and an alpha of imposing bearing. From their intimate posture, Shi Yu guessed the alpha must be Jiang Qiuyan’s mother.

“Madam, you… you all…”

Shi Yu tended to get tongue-tied when nervous.

Bai Lingshuang smiled and patted her head. “Don’t be nervous. We were running errands nearby and stopped by to see you.”

She said “to see you.” So she knew Jiang Qiuyan wasn’t home before coming.

Jiang Han looked Shi Yu up and down, her gaze softening somewhat. She glanced into the house and her expression stiffened slightly.

“Let’s go.” She turned around.

Bai Lingshuang hurriedly asked, “Just one look? That’s all?”

“Do we need to stay for dinner?”

Bai Lingshuang chuckled and turned to wave at Shi Yu.

Shi Yu watched them walk away. When she closed the door, she noticed something on the floor: an elegant handbag containing a small cake and a black card.

[This is pocket money for you. The PIN is XXXXXX]

Shi Yu turned the gold-edged card over in her hands, a question forming in her mind:

Is this for Jiang Qiuyan or for me?

“Looks well-behaved and pretty enough. Just don’t know if she’ll last with Yanyan.”

“Your daughter is willing to fall out with you to be with her, and you’re still worried about whether it’ll last?”

Bai Lingshuang gave her a sidelong glance, haughty and exasperated. Jiang Han recalled something, reached over to pinch her waist, and whispered in her ear, “Young people know how to have more fun than us. Should I have a cage made for you too?”

“You old scoundrel!” Bai Lingshuang swatted her hand away and walked off on her own.

Jiang Han strode after her with long legs, one arm hovering lightly at her waist. Their retreating figures were a picture-perfect match.

That evening, when Jiang Qiuyan returned, Shi Yu told her what happened. Jiang Qiuyan looked at the card, her expression shifting from grave to relaxed, and finally she laughed.

“It’s for you. Consider it their approval of their daughter-in-law.”

Her mother had stopped giving her pocket money after she came of age. Whatever she wanted, she had to earn through equivalent labor.

Daughter-in-law. What a foreign word. Did they think she would marry Jiang Qiuyan? But…

Shi Yu pushed the card back and said to Jiang Qiuyan, “If that’s the case, then I can’t accept it.”

Jiang Qiuyan’s heart sank, though she kept her expression breezy. “If they gave it to you, just take it. They’re not forcing you to marry me right away. Besides, would you really break their hearts?”

Thinking of Bai Lingshuang’s warm smile, Shi Yu wavered.

Whether at the Jiang Family Manor before or now, Bai Lingshuang had never said anything to her. She was a gentle, warm-natured woman of a prestigious family.

But this black card was simply too hot to handle.

“Can’t you hold onto it yourself? Or find a chance to give it back to your mother?”

“Once a gift is given, it’s never taken back. My moms have more money than they know what to do with. Just keep it. Tomorrow I’ll take you shopping. Whatever you like, we’ll buy it all.”

Shi Yu imagined that scene and thought it was extravagantly ruthless, yet impossible to refuse.

She had always fantasized about doing this one day if she ever had money. Now the chance was right in front of her. What was she hesitating for?

Jiang Qiuyan reached out and pulled her onto her lap. “I’ve gotten rid of all the clothes in the closet. From now on we’ll buy whatever you like. The decor in the house can be changed too. Whatever style you prefer, whatever colors you like, we’ll switch to.”

Shi Yu looked at Jiang Qiuyan, and Jiang Qiuyan looked back at her. Their gazes met for a long while, and the first to yield was Jiang Qiuyan.

She buried her face in the crook of Shi Yu’s shoulder and said, muffled, “I had no idea what colors Pei Shuyu liked. The reason I prepared pinks and blues was because I thought you would like them. After all, girls your age all like bright colors, don’t they?”

Shi Yu said “oh,” which counted as reluctantly accepting her explanation.

Thinking she didn’t believe her, Jiang Qiuyan added, “There was never any stand-in nonsense. From the very beginning, the person I liked was you.”

Love at first sight.

Otherwise, with her self-control, she wouldn’t have let an omega have her way with her, let alone crave her without satiation for a full three days.

During the rut, the feverish desire drove her to like her. After coming to her senses and seeing her sleeping face, she liked her even more, wanting immediately to bring her before her mother and announce she wanted to marry this omega.

But while she was secretly overjoyed with these thoughts, the little cat had slipped away when she wasn’t looking.

“If you still don’t believe me, I can call Pei Shuyu over and ask her in front of you. Before you, I only ever met her once. It was purely to appease my mother.”

Shi Yu quickly said, “No need. I believe you, okay?”

She didn’t want to see a single person from the Pei family.

Jiang Qiuyan lifted her head slightly, resting her chin on Shi Yu’s shoulder, and asked weakly, “So about this card…”

From Shi Yu’s angle, Jiang Qiuyan was looking up at her with a gentle, innocent expression, like a fierce wolf shedding its disguise to become a big puppy.

Her unreliable brain turned over. She figured it out: Jiang Qiuyan was playing the pity card.

“I’ll use it.”

Fine. She wouldn’t expose her.

Jiang Qiuyan sat up straight, a flash of scheming triumph crossing her eyes. She cupped Shi Yu’s face and kissed her deeply, dizzying her until she nearly ran out of breath.

When her breathing evened out, Shi Yu asked, “Can you let me go?”

“Am I holding you too tight?” Jiang Qiuyan loosened her grip slightly, but not entirely.

Shi Yu didn’t answer. She worked at prying the other’s hands off. Jiang Qiuyan simply watched her, her eyes brimming with overflowing tenderness.

Just before Shi Yu lost patience, Jiang Qiuyan conveniently released her, letting the little cat “escape” on her own.

Shi Yu sat at the other end of the sofa, far from the dangerous individual. Jiang Qiuyan giggled and, when she wasn’t looking, scooted over and lay down with her head on Shi Yu’s lap.

“If you’re sleepy, go sleep in bed.”

“No. Your lap is more comfortable.”

Jiang Qiuyan closed her eyes, rolled over, and buried her face in Shi Yu’s belly. The little cat’s tummy was indeed soft, perfect for petting and nuzzling.

Warm breath fell across her abdomen. Shi Yu sat rigid and didn’t dare move. It was a long time before she let her hands down.

And Jiang Qiuyan, breathing in her sweet scent, slept beautifully.

She woke feeling refreshed, grabbed the little cat who was trying to sleep, and peppered her with kisses and cuddles, acting shamelessly sweet for a good while before finally stopping.

Standing before the birdcage, Shi Yu frowned lightly. “Why are we sleeping in the birdcage again?”

Jiang Qiuyan hugged her from behind, nose nuzzling the back of her neck. “Obviously because… aren’t you sleepy? Go to sleep.”

With that, she pushed Shi Yu inside and helpfully began to undress her sleepwear.

“No need. It’s more comfortable to sleep in clothes.”

Shi Yu tugged the sleeve from her hands and dove into the blanket, wrapping herself up tightly. When Jiang Qiuyan lay down, she watched her without blinking, on guard like she was fending off a wolf.

Jiang Qiuyan laughed and said helplessly, “Baby, share a little blanket with me or I’ll freeze to death.”

It was already late autumn. Though Hai City’s temperatures weren’t low, they weren’t warm either. Sleeping without a blanket at night wasn’t an option.

Seeing her curled up, Shi Yu generously shared a bit.

“Why don’t you go sleep in the bedroom?”

“What kind of talk is that? Of course I should be by your side.”

She slipped into the gap and wrapped her arms around Shi Yu, clamping her legs around the girl’s and enclosing her tightly.

Shi Yu struggled. Jiang Qiuyan kissed her forehead and said, “It’s too cold. This is perfect. Go to sleep.”

Her voice was low, with a soft, husky warmth. Hearing it, Shi Yu quieted down and slowly closed her eyes.

Jiang Qiuyan watched her sleeping face, a faint smile floating in her eyes. If only it could be like this forever. Even without hearing the little cat’s answer, they were already like a married couple.

Of course, it would be even better if the little cat liked her. She wanted to personally slide a ring onto her beautiful finger and give her a grand wedding.

“I really… like you so much.”

After speaking, she glanced at Shi Yu. Finding her still asleep, she breathed a sigh of relief and pressed the girl against her chest, chin resting lightly on the crown of her head, falling asleep with a smile.

Faint alpha pheromones drifted into her nose. Shi Yu actually became more alert. Listening to Jiang Qiuyan’s steady, strong heartbeat, the words from moments ago seemed to echo in her ears, disrupting her own heartbeat’s rhythm.

What exactly is liking?

Wanting to be with someone. Feeling happy at the scent of her pheromones. Does that count?

Shi Yu couldn’t see through herself anymore.

The next day wasn’t a weekend, but Jiang Qiuyan still took Shi Yu shopping. The mall was owned by the Jiang family. If Shi Yu so much as glanced at something, the clerks were already preparing to wrap it up.

“That’s enough. I can’t use this much.”

Shi Yu stopped Jiang Qiuyan in time to prevent her from buying a multi-million jewelry set without blinking.

She didn’t even go out for social events. Wouldn’t all this just end up as display pieces? Jiang Qiuyan really didn’t know how to manage a household.

Jiang Qiuyan relented and pointed at a diamond necklace. “Then how about this one?”