Chapter 6

After sending the message, Chi Yumo paced back and forth in the corridor, eagerly awaiting a reply.

Cheng Xiangxiang had family and friends to share her good news with, but Chi Yumo only had Shi Youwan—and she only wanted to share her joy with Shi Youwan.

Shi Youwan had once asked her, “Xiao Mo, do you have a dream?”

She had replied, “Yes. I want to become a stage actor, and one day in the future, enter the Capital Drama Theater.”

Although majoring in performance hadn’t been her original intention, after four years of immersion, she had come to appreciate the charm of acting and fallen in love with the field.

Back then, an art exam training institution had spotted her potential, offering to train her for free to apply to Jinhuai Drama Academy. In exchange, as long as she got in and helped with school promotions, she would return during winter and summer breaks to serve as an assistant teacher for a week each time—and they would cover all her tuition for four years of university.

To ease her grandmother’s burdens, she had readily agreed to the deal.

After gaining prominence at school, several talent scouts and agencies had approached her, wanting to sign her as an artist.

During her freshman and sophomore years, she had been busy caring for her seriously ill grandmother, who needed hefty medical bills, and she had wavered. But her grandmother didn’t want her to enter the entertainment industry or bend her principles time and again for money, doing things she didn’t like.

Her grandmother had said that in the late stages of cancer, every extra day was agony. Being able to watch her grow up healthy and become an adult meant she could die without regrets and had fulfilled her duty to her parents.

There was a big difference between stage actors and film actors.

What she loved was the immersive, exhilarating performances on stage, not the repeated “action” and “cut” calls under the glare of countless eyes.

Becoming an outstanding actor at the Capital Drama Theater was also the wish she had made at her grandmother’s grave.

[Shi Youwan: Congratulations! That’s amazing!]

[Shi Youwan: Come back to the Old Mansion tonight to celebrate. What do you want to eat? I’ll have Aunt Han prepare it, or have someone buy it and send it home.]

The moment she saw Shi Youwan say they would meet tonight to celebrate for her, Chi Yumo’s happiness was no less than when she had first seen the acceptance notice.

They hadn’t been in touch for a full five days, and for those five days, she had tossed and turned in bed. Heaven knew how much she regretted storming off without eating dinner that Sunday out of spite. Heaven knew how much she missed Shi Youwan.

As she lowered her head to type, someone patted her shoulder.

“Yumo, let’s celebrate together tonight—have dinner, just the two of us. I’ll book a private restaurant.” It was Cheng Xiangxiang who had come out.

Chi Yumo quickly hid her phone and refused without thinking, “I have plans tonight. Next time.”

She caught the disappointment in Cheng Xiangxiang’s eyes. Thinking of the performance and their morning conversation, she relented, “After the celebration banquet for Dream in a Dream of Me, I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Cheng Xiangxiang had helped her a lot. If she hadn’t confessed her feelings and made her instinctively pull away, they could have been even better friends.

“Sure.”

With Chi Yumo’s promise, Cheng Xiangxiang’s mood lifted. Seeing that Chi Yumo wasn’t in the mood to chat more, she didn’t press. “Then I’ll head back to the dorm to rest. I’ll come back when it’s time.”

After Cheng Xiangxiang left, Chi Yumo returned to the rehearsal room, staring blankly at the chat window in low spirits.

She calculated: since her birthday last year, Shi Youwan hadn’t dined alone with her at a restaurant outside for a full year. Their alone time outside had always been when she was acting as Shi Youwan’s personal bodyguard, fulfilling her duties.

[Chi Yumo: I want coconut chicken.]

[Shi Youwan: Okay, see you tonight.]

…

They had just finished discussing serious matters that afternoon and hadn’t even left the rehearsal room when Chi Yumo overheard classmates gossiping: “Whoa, #Shifeng Group President Clarifies Unmarried and Childless# has hit the hot search!”

“Shifeng Group? Shi Youwan? Wasn’t there a rumor that her kid was already a teenager?”

“Someone like that peerless Omega wouldn’t just marry anyone casually, right? She’s rich and powerful—with so many Alphas lining up to leech off her, she could play with them one by one, how fun!”

“Her reputation isn’t that bad, is it? Whether she’s married or has kids is her private business. It’s the paparazzi spreading lies that ruins people’s reputations.”

…

Chi Yumo frowned and hurried out, jogging all the way to a secluded spot on campus before connecting her Bluetooth earphones and tapping the hot search.

The first item that popped up was a clip of Shi Youwan at a press conference, speaking frankly to the media: “Regarding marriage and children, I’ll share the good news myself when it happens.”

The implication was clear: if she got married or had kids, she would announce it openly herself, not hide it and let gossip media fabricate stories.

Before her official announcement, all external rumors about her marriage or children were false.

Hearing Shi Youwan’s words, Chi Yumo recalled the murmur she had whispered in Shi Youwan’s ear last Friday night, overwhelmed by jealousy.

—Sister, I don’t want to hear them say you have a child. Not even rumors.

So, had Sister made this clarification because… of her?

Shi Youwan cared about her feelings.

The video had been shot yesterday and only trended on hot search today. Qiao Ke held a tablet as she consulted Shi Youwan: “President Shi, do we need to handle this hot search?”

Shi Youwan watched it impassively. “No need.”

As Qiao Ke took the tablet and turned to leave the office, Shi Youwan stopped her.

“Wait, go pick up the necklace for me.”

The necklace? Wasn’t it scheduled for next week?

Qiao Ke was puzzled but didn’t pry, nodding. “Yes, President Shi.”

Shifeng Building was located in Yinzhou City’s financial center, the city’s third-tallest skyscraper.

The president’s office was on the top floor, 280 meters high. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of Yinzhou City’s most captivating urban scenery and its dazzling night lights.

But to Shi Youwan, all of it was dull. The only thing worth calling scenery was Chi Yumo’s every smile and expression.

The glass window seemed to reflect Chi Yumo’s smiling face. Shi Youwan unconsciously touched the gland at the back of her neck. It had only been five days since their last meeting, and she already missed Chi Yumo—missed her pheromones.

Her Heat Period was clearly over, and she had clearly decided to let Chi Yumo fly free, but she just… couldn’t bear to.

Fortunately, they would meet tonight.

She pulled her thoughts back and refocused on the thick stack of documents on her desk.

Her personal phone vibrated—it was Shi Youran calling. “Sis, why did you suddenly pull this move? Is it to coax your little lover?”

Shi Youran had also suspected the little lover might be Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi was an S-Grade Alpha, but her pheromones had an aggressive tequila scent. The scent Shi Youran had smelled at the Old Mansion that day was clearly sweet and gentle coconut.

Shi Youwan had mentioned Xiao Yi’s existence to her and their mother Shi Yan, saying only that she was a deceased friend’s child, entrusted to her care before passing. Everything had been arranged properly; no need to worry about details.

This time, Shi Youwan didn’t beat around the bush or evade. She admitted frankly, “You could say that.”

Shi Youran was stunned and pressed, “How much do you like this little lover? If her identity is sensitive and you want to protect her, you should at least tell me and Mom. We’re the ones who love you most and can help shield her—we wouldn’t harm you.”

“She’s still young. We’ll talk in a few years.”

“A few years?” Shi Youran was nearly speechless. “In a few years, you’ll be forty! You really think your body is made of iron and won’t age?”

“…”

“I’m not trying to discourage you, but do you know what the latest online rumors are saying? That your illegitimate daughter and your little lover are from the same Alpha—that you’re into pedophilia, a pervert, and that you stay unmarried and childless just to play with ‘raise-and-train’ games.”

“When I met her…” Flashes of distant memories crossed Shi Youwan’s mind. “Anyway, she’s an adult.”

“The point is, is she an adult or not?” Shi Youran felt like Shi Youwan would be the death of her one day.

“Sis, hear me out. If you can’t make your little lover’s identity public, at least have a child first. With a child, the Shi Family can raise it. If you don’t want exposure, have Mom come back to run the company for two years. Take a long vacation, go to some scenic paradise with your little lover, and have the baby in secret. It’s this day and age—having a kid with the person you love, unmarried? No shame in that.”

Shi Youwan’s mind was in turmoil. She brushed it off with, “I’ll think about it. Focus on your pregnancy,” and hung up.

If she really had a child with Xiao Mo, who would it resemble more?

…

Just thinking that Shi Youwan had made this unprecedented clarification to spare her feelings made Chi Yumo’s heart soar with joy.

She ran home at a brisk pace, covering the two-plus kilometers without even breaking a sweat.

She quickly showered off the light sweat in the bathroom, changed into low-key black clothes, and called a ride-hailing car.

As the car left the city, the scenery turned lush and the air fresh.

She rolled down the window, poked her head out, and closed her eyes slightly, letting her heart merge with nature.

She loved this road, loved every blade of grass and tree on it—because it led to the Old Mansion, to Shi Youwan. Even the wind tasted sweet.

The ride-hailing car’s destination wasn’t the Shi Family Old Mansion but a fruit and vegetable farm three kilometers away.

There, housekeeper Chen Han would send a car to pick her up.

At five in the afternoon, the sun slanted westward.

Chi Yumo wore a hat and mask, waiting under a tree, her slender figure shrouded in shade.

An unknown number called. Thinking it was the pickup arriving soon, she answered without hesitation.

An unfamiliar girl’s voice came through, tone hostile: “Chi Yumo, are you her lover?” Before she could respond, the voice rose in volume, furious. “I’m asking if you are?!”