One hand pressed against the door handle carved with iris patterns, and from behind the door appeared a fair, delicate face.
The youth who walked into the lounge looked about fifteen or sixteen, slender in build, wearing the white uniform of the Omega Academy’s Rose Division, with an exquisitely packaged bag still in his hand.
Seeing Yan Qiongyu sitting on the sofa, the youth smiled and called out, “Brother Yan.”
He looked very respectful toward Yan Qiongyu, his gaze carrying admiration.
He walked over with light steps, set the item in his hand on the tea table in front of Yan Qiongyu, opened it to reveal baked pastries inside, and quite naturally gathered up the teacups left behind by the previous guests on the table, replacing them with fresh tea.
“Brother Yan, try the new pastries I made?”
Yan Qiongyu picked one up and took a bite, chatting with him like an older brother about everyday matters: “Mm, have fourth-years started culinary classes now?”
“Yes, but I don’t like those. I still prefer what Brother Yan taught me.” The youth looked innocent and artless, then suddenly blinked and asked, “I just received the information about Brother Yan’s engagement banquet with my Sister Wang Luan. I’ll be going to the Wang family estate that day as well.”
Yan Qiongyu set down the pastry he had taken a bite of and glanced at him unhurriedly. “Don’t cause trouble that day.”
The youth replied in an obedient tone, “How would I cause trouble? That’s Brother Yan’s engagement banquet with my own sister. If it weren’t for you two, I probably wouldn’t have had the chance in this lifetime to even take a look at the Wang family estate.”
This youth’s surname was also Wang—Wang Siyu—one of the Wang family head’s illegitimate children, Wang Luan’s half-brother.
He was considered rather fortunate. An A-grade Omega, he was able to enter the Rose Division to study and enjoy the treatment of a young master of the Wang family, though he had no official status to the outside world.
After all, he was illegitimate, and also an Omega. This identity became the best reason for the noble students to bully and ostracize him when he first entered the academy. That was when Wang Siyu came to know Yan Qiongyu.
A grade leader four years above him, the most special student in the entire Omega Academy.
They had known each other for a long time. When Yan Qiongyu first listed Wang Luan as a candidate to be evaluated for his marriage contract, it was also because of Wang Siyu’s recommendation and instigation at the side.
“My sister is said to be meek in temperament and definitely won’t get in your way, how great is that! This way, we can even be considered family!” Wang Siyu had repeated these words countless times in front of him not long ago.
Having cultivated this assistant for several years, Yan Qiongyu knew very well what kind of personality he had, and did not trust a single word of his feigned obedience. He only instructed, “Do as you like, just don’t ruin my business.”
“Brother Yan, how can you not believe me? I really won’t make trouble… all right, at least I won’t provoke my Sister Wang Luan. Being looked down on again, she’s still the only child my father is willing to acknowledge. How would I dare do anything? I just heard that all of us illegitimate children will be going then, and I want to get to know the other brothers and sisters, that’s all.” Wang Siyu muttered with an utterly innocent and harmless expression.
“All right. Did you bring the things I asked you to get?”
“I did.” Wang Siyu took out a palm-sized package from his pocket.
It didn’t look large, but with current compression and folding technology, many items could be packed this way—such a palm-sized parcel could hold three cubic meters of things inside.
Because he was meticulous and his identity was suitable, over the past two years some of the research materials and consumables Yan Qiongyu needed had all been purchased by Wang Siyu on his behalf, then handed over to him privately.
After obtaining what he wanted, Yan Qiongyu soon had him leave. Wang Siyu still wanted to sit a while longer, but did not dare go against his wishes and could only stand up reluctantly.
“Wait a moment.” Yan Qiongyu remembered something else and called him back, saying, “Tomorrow, bake a batch of pastries and bring them over to me.”
Wang Siyu thought it was for him to eat, and agreed happily. The next day he brought over a batch of small cookies with especially beautiful packaging. After tidying himself up, Yan Qiongyu took this handmade batch of small cookies with him to see Wang Luan.
This time the two met at the Wang family estate, in Wang Luan’s private small building. Today, the Wang family’s exclusive designer was to select the attire for their engagement banquet.
A noble family like the Wang family was always keen on displaying its extravagance at such banquets. Even if, for certain reasons, the engagement banquet was arranged hastily, many things could not be done perfunctorily.
These past two days, Wang Luan had truly experienced what life as a noble scion was like. The original body had lived here for more than ten years, yet had not seen as many male and female servants as she had in these two days.
Her originally neglected, quiet, and secluded small building had been renovated from top to bottom with speed and efficiency, and suddenly gained twenty permanent servants.
The ordinary clothes in Wang Luan’s room that were changed monthly by the life steward were taken away, and the new clothes delivered were clearly several grades higher in quality than before, not to mention food and daily necessities—the food brought before her was all fresh and plentiful.
Yet the improvement in material living conditions made Wang Luan feel that her life had become even worse.
First of all, most of those coming and going were male and female Alpha bodyguards with OO, and male stewards and male servants Beta with OO. She could not accept them coming close to her at all. The otherworldly life she had only just barely adapted to was being severely disrupted!
During the observation period before she had determined whether she could mark Yan Qiongyu, during the time without a marking task, she could stay in her studio every day, researching mecha models, mecha, and other intelligent mechanical products she was interested in.
She could dismantle and assemble things like playing a game, staying up all night without anyone caring. When going to school, she could dress casually and head out with a face lacking sleep.
But now she couldn’t anymore. Now, every night at nine o’clock, she had to wash up and go to the bedroom to rest as required, otherwise the newly assigned personal steward would have people forcibly take her to the bedroom to make her rest.
As long as she left the bedroom, even if she didn’t go out, she had to have herself groomed from head to toe until she sparkled.
According to the Wang family’s chief steward who had been busy with her engagement banquet recently, she should feel happy about this, because this was the dignity the Wang family head was giving her. Her father was finally planning to acknowledge her status as an heir at her engagement banquet.
Since that was the case, then the engagement banquet was also her first appearance in social circles. From then on, what she represented was the Wang family’s face, and she could no longer embarrass the Wang family as casually as before. She had to get used to all of this as early as possible.
Whatever the Wang family head gave her, she could not resist or refuse—she could only accept it, and even bark excitedly while accepting it… but she was no longer the Wang Luan who once yearned for all this. What is honey to one is poison to another; she could only endure in this feeling of being plunged into deep waters and blazing fire.
After several days without meeting, when Yan Qiongyu saw Wang Luan this time, he could tell from her eyes that she wasn’t doing well. She looked just like an animal that had just been shut into a cage, pressed down by the narrow space and harsh rules until she couldn’t muster any spirit.
“Miss Wang Luan, these are pastries I made by hand. I specially brought them over for you to taste,” Yan Qiongyu said gently, placing the pastries Wang Siyu had helped make in front of Wang Luan.
Wang Luan was a little surprised upon hearing this. In her mind, Yan Qiongyu was already an agent with ulterior motives and a duplicitous exterior—he actually even made pastries… Could these be weapons made into pastries? Did he put something inside the pastries to facilitate their secret communication?
She had nightmares all night yesterday, dreaming that she had gotten many Omegas with indistinct faces pregnant, a group of people with big bellies tugging at her, frightening her into a cold sweat. She woke up with lingering fear and didn’t eat much in the morning.
Now, smelling the sweet fragrance of the pastries, she still gave Yan Qiongyu face and picked one up to nibble on it.
It was just ordinary pastries. There was nothing strange inside at all, and they were actually quite tasty.
Taking another look at Yan Qiongyu’s deceptively gentle appearance, Wang Luan felt that it was only normal.
It was said that the male and female Omegas here were all strictly cultivated according to the standards of good household helpers and good wives. Yan Qiongyu was an especially outstanding person, so it was normal that he could make delicious food.
Even if in her previous life she had been a girl, she still couldn’t compare to someone whose profession was being a wife.
“How does Miss Wang Luan find the taste? Do you like it?” Yan Qiongyu watched her, looking forward to her response.
Glancing at the male and female servants each carrying out their own duties, Wang Luan replied vaguely, “Mm, it’s pretty good. You’re really amazing.” She couldn’t bake small cookies.
Yan Qiongyu accepted this praise without the slightest guilt.
Of course he could make pastries. He had studied this course before as well, but he felt that doing such things was a waste of time. Aside from dealing with the teacher in class, there was no need to personally do such meaningless things in his spare time.
Today’s batch of cookies was a prop he used to display his goodwill toward Wang Luan.
Under normal circumstances, after three markings, this Omega of his should already have developed affection and dependence toward the Alpha who marked him. What he was doing would seem perfectly normal to others.
When it came to acting, no one was more experienced than he was. He treated wherever he was as a stage, everything around him as props he could use, employing everything to achieve his goals.
But Wang Luan was completely the opposite of him. She looked like someone who couldn’t act at all, and was becoming more and more passive even in cooperating with him. Seeing that she was in low spirits, Yan Qiongyu thought to himself: it seems I need to mobilize her enthusiasm a bit, otherwise she might cause me trouble.
Yan Qiongyu and Wang Luan confirmed several sets of formal attire together. The two didn’t communicate much, yet there was a different kind of tacit understanding. After the attire selection was finished, Yan Qiongyu suddenly spoke up with an invitation: “Miss Wang Luan, I wonder if you would be willing to introduce the Wang family garden to me?”
