Just a Look Down There

On the surface, Yun Huaizhu's words sounded like she was giving Lin Meng a chance, but Lin Meng felt a chill creep down her spine.

Although Lin Meng had agreed to Su Yutang's perverted costume game that night, she really hadn't done anything with Su Yutang.

Thinking of this, Lin Meng reached out and looked up, expression earnest. 'I swear, I really didn't do anything with her that night. We just slept—that's all!'

Yun Huaizhu's eyes curved into a smile when she heard this. 'Slept with her?'

Lin Meng's pupils shrank. Why were these two people's minds wired so strangely?

She hurriedly explained, flustered, 'Don't get the wrong idea! I mean slept as in sleeping, really, Zhuzhu... you have to believe me!'

As she spoke, Lin Meng anxiously clung to Yun Huaizhu's arm.

Yun Huaizhu's expression stayed dark as she glanced down at Lin Meng's arm in its fluffy pajama sleeve, wrapped around hers like a spoiled child seeking affection.

Lin Meng was so anxious she'd broken into a sweat. Yun Huaizhu finally seemed to let go of her grudge and cupped Lin Meng's face. 'Fine, then I'll believe you for now.'

Lin Meng nearly wept with relief at Yun Huaizhu's words.

Great! Yun Huaizhu finally believed her!

But the very next moment, Yun Huaizhu furrowed her brow and looked at Lin Meng with a grave, heartfelt expression. 'Mengmeng-jie, Su Yutang is not a good person. Don't let a few small favors from her blind you to what she's really like.'

Lin Meng wholeheartedly agreed with Yun Huaizhu's words; but Su Yutang was her CP, and no matter how bad the top was, in the end they still had to crawl into the same bed together.

From her tone, it was clear Yun Huaizhu's impression of Su Yutang hadn't improved at all.

If the two of them kept giving each other the cold shoulder like this, what was she going to do?

Lin Meng wanted to persuade Yun Huaizhu, but every time she remembered the terrifying look on Yun Huaizhu's face from moments ago, the words slid right back down her throat.

Lin Meng nodded obediently. 'Mm, I understand.'

Only then did the gloom on Yun Huaizhu's face gradually fade. She reached out with an expression of utter disgust and scrubbed viciously at the pheromones Su Yutang had left on Lin Meng's neck.

She rubbed so hard that Lin Meng's already fair, tender neck turned red. Lin Meng scrunched up her face and tried to stop her. 'Um... is there something on the back of my neck? Why have you been wiping at it this whole time?'

Only then did Yun Huaizhu remember that Lin Meng was a beta; no matter how high Su Yutang's pheromone rank was, Lin Meng couldn't smell it.

S-rank alpha pheromones could linger through touch. Su Yutang knew perfectly well that Lin Meng couldn't smell them, yet she'd deliberately left her scent anyway—a provocation aimed at Yun Huaizhu!

Yun Huaizhu didn't want Lin Meng to know about this sort of thing, but when she saw Lin Meng's innocent face, a different thought stirred in her heart.

As Lin Meng waited for Yun Huaizhu to speak, she suddenly felt her begin to tremble. Lin Meng quickly steadied her. 'What's wrong?'

A faint blush rose on Yun Huaizhu's cheeks. She took the opportunity to cling to Lin Meng's arm and lifted that face of hers that could look pitiful at the slightest frown. 'You... your body seems to have picked up a trace of an S-rank alpha's pheromones. That kind of pheromone is lethally attractive to us omegas. I... I can't resist it at all.'

Still clinging to Lin Meng's arm, Yun Huaizhu pressed herself against her almost instantly. Her lips nearly brushed the tip of Lin Meng's nose. 'I... I feel so awful. Mengmeng-jie, will you help me?'

Lin Meng felt as if she'd been struck by lightning, nailed to the spot. Her world started spinning; if Yun Huaizhu hadn't been clinging to her, she would have loved nothing more than to faint on the spot and play dead.

Lin Meng stood there dumbstruck for a long time. It wasn't until Yun Huaizhu's cool hand slid along her collarbone and slipped inside her pajamas that the chill snapped her awake.

As if by reflex, she instantly grabbed the hand trying to go further down. 'Zhu... Zhuzhu, I remember I bought some extra suppressants last time. I'll go find them for you right now.'

With that, she turned to leave and rummage through the cabinet outside for the suppressants.

Yun Huaizhu pouted unhappily. She grabbed Lin Meng's arm and pulled her into her embrace. 'But... Mengmeng-jie, I feel terrible right now. Injections hurt so much. You're the one who went out philandering and came back with someone else's scent—so why should I have to suffer through a suppressant injection?'

Hearing Yun Huaizhu's tearful accusation, Lin Meng's conscience twinged.

But only for a moment.

She couldn't be the mistress on Su Yutang's side and then turn around and be the mistress on Yun Huaizhu's side too; that would make her the villain both ways, wouldn't it?

Then again, she couldn't smell pheromones at all. How was she supposed to know Su Yutang's pheromones were still on her?

When she'd gone out with Su Yutang, the pheromones on her body had clearly been removed. Why was there still a trace left now?

That damned Su Yutang—she knew that woman was up to no good!

Besides, if Su Yutang's pheromones had riled Yun Huaizhu up, then she should go get reimbursed by Su Yutang.

At that thought, Lin Meng looked up at Yun Huaizhu, whose expression was full of discomfort—though she suspected Yun Huaizhu probably wanted to just stab Su Yutang to death right now.

To keep things from escalating, she still wanted to break free from Yun Huaizhu's embrace and go get the suppressants.

She explained bitterly, 'Zhuzhu, the suppressant needles these days are small and painless. Just think of it as a mosquito bite. Um... let go of me first.'

Yun Huaizhu nuzzled against her neck. Lin Meng could feel the warm breath she exhaled; it was a little cooler than when she went into heat—less scorching, more tender.

It made her ticklish.

Yun Huaizhu let out a muffled hum like a spoiled child, then pinched Lin Meng's face and turned it toward her. 'But Mengmeng-jie, I really don't want the suppressants. I want you to help me.'

Looking at Yun Huaizhu's seductive, alluring face, the sense of morality in Lin Meng's heart suddenly weakened a little.

Seeing her dazed, Yun Huaizhu's lips curved upward.

Ordinary fans usually fell for an idol's face first. Even if Lin Meng didn't say it, Yun Huaizhu knew she must love her looks.

There were so many beautiful people in the world. Yun Huaizhu knew she was just one flower among ten thousand. If Lin Meng liked her for her face today, then tomorrow she'd see someone prettier and like them instead.

Yun Huaizhu absolutely would not allow that to happen. She would use her current advantage to seduce Lin Meng; she would use every means at her disposal to make this person realize that what Yun Huaizhu wanted, she would get.

All she had to do was make sure that by the time Lin Meng came to her senses, she'd already fallen into the elaborate web Yun Huaizhu had woven, unable to escape.

While Lin Meng stared at her face in a daze, Yun Huaizhu's hands gently unbuttoned her pajama top.

The chill on her shoulder snapped Lin Meng back to her senses. She hastily grabbed Yun Huaizhu's hand as it tried to strip her clothes. 'Um... Zhuzhu, let's just do the suppressant, okay? If we do this, you'll only end up wronging yourself.'

Yun Huaizhu narrowed her eyes into a gentle smile at her words. 'I don't feel wronged at all. On the contrary, I'm happy right now. If Mengmeng-jie lets go of my hand, I'll be even happier.'

Though her tone was soft, the strength in her hands hadn't lessened at all. Lin Meng, as if sworn to protect Yun Huaizhu's virtue to the death, clung tightly to her pajamas that were about to be pulled off.

She'd truly had enough of these days where she couldn't even protect her own clothes! Next week on her day off, she absolutely could not lie around like a salted fish—she was definitely going to the gym!

Under the tug-of-war between them, Lin Meng's pajamas gradually began to give. This set was the one she'd worn the longest; she was reluctant to see it ruined, so she closed her eyes and let go.

The poor pajamas slid to the floor.

Lin Meng's moral bottom line dropped another notch. Whatever—Yun Huaizhu just wanted that kind of hugging-and-cuddling help; she'd just consider it her good deed for the day.

Yun Huaizhu laughed at Lin Meng's earlier surrender. She grabbed Lin Meng's hand and, with a slight exertion of force, pushed her onto the bed.

Lin Meng didn't know why, but something felt off. Just as she wanted to do a crunch to sit up, she was shocked to find Yun Huaizhu's hands already hooked on her pajama pants, ready to pull them down.

Like a startled animal, Lin Meng shouted, 'No! Not that!'

As she yelled, she clutched her pants for dear life.

Yun Huaizhu frowned slightly. She crawled onto the bed and brought her face close to Lin Meng's. 'Why not? Did you really do something with Su Yutang that night, so you don't dare let me check, don't dare let me look?'

Lin Meng was instantly stunned.

Wait, what kind of logic was this?

Hadn't this matter just been settled?

Afraid Yun Huaizhu would think she was the mistress, Lin Meng explained in a panic, 'No! Didn't I just swear? I really didn't do anything with her, and you believed me...'

Yun Huaizhu did believe she hadn't done anything with Su Yutang, but she wanted to look at Lin Meng down there right now. If she didn't say it this way, Lin Meng would never willingly let her see.

Through her panic, Lin Meng caught a glimpse of Yun Huaizhu's expression gradually turning gloomy.

Yun Huaizhu rose and knelt between her legs, looking down at her. 'But the way you're acting now, I'm starting to not quite believe you again.'

Yun Huaizhu's dark silhouette stretched long under the bedroom's incandescent bulb; Lin Meng was completely enveloped by her shadow.

Lin Meng was on the verge of tears. She'd always felt that proving one's innocence was truly difficult, because no matter how much you explained, it was useless against someone who didn't believe you.

Lin Meng really disliked these scenes of proving one's innocence, because in the novel Su Yutang had put Yun Huaizhu through them many times.

Every time they explained, every time there was a misunderstanding, until in the end Yun Huaizhu was tormented to the point of being broken in body and mind, and only then did that not-very-bright scumbag CEO Su barely believe her.

Lin Meng hated the plot device of people who had mouths but wouldn't speak, and of explaining one's innocence only to have no one believe it.

Yun Huaizhu's behavior made her a little unhappy, but when she thought of how many times Yun Huaizhu had been tormented in the novel—as someone with a god's-eye view, Lin Meng knew perfectly well that Yun Huaizhu was innocent every time, yet no one believed her.

Yun Huaizhu was pitiful in the novel—so pitiful that when Lin Meng read it, she wished she could jump in and slap Su Yutang with eighteen dragon-subduing palms.

But there was no helping it; an angst novel CP was still a CP. No matter the dynamic—sweet and happy or a sea of hatred under a sky of love—she was locking them together.

So even though Yun Huaizhu was questioning her now, Lin Meng didn't hate her; instead, her immersion deepened and she found her even more pitiful.

Because only when you know how wronged someone has been do you feel compassion for them.

So at this moment, Lin Meng looked up at Yun Huaizhu with a trembling gaze. 'Then what do you want me to do before you'll believe me?'

Yun Huaizhu was slightly taken aback by the steadily firming look in her eyes. Though her face showed no expression, panic was already rising in her heart.

Why did she seem a little unhappy? Had what I said just now hurt her? Had I made her uncomfortable?

Yun Huaizhu had barely managed to repair her relationship with Lin Meng. If Lin Meng became distant again because of what she'd just said, she really would slap herself.

Seeing the guarded yet deeply wounded look in Lin Meng's eyes, a stuffy, uncomfortable feeling welled up in Yun Huaizhu's heart.

She immediately stepped forward and hugged Lin Meng tightly. 'I'm sorry... it's not that I doubt you. I'm just too afraid she'll do something bad to you. I don't have to check; I just wanted to see if you were hurt. Waah... if you don't want to, then we won't look. Please don't hate me.'

Yun Huaizhu's reaction was completely beyond Lin Meng's expectations. She froze, stunned, letting Yun Huaizhu hold her.

Who knew how much time passed before she felt a warm wetness on her bare shoulder. Lin Meng realized Yun Huaizhu was crying and said in a panic, 'I... I don't hate you. Don't cry.'

Yun Huaizhu looked up at that, gazing pitifully at Lin Meng with a pair of tear-misted peach blossom eyes. 'Really? You're not lying to me?'

Yun Huaizhu's long, tear-studded lashes fluttered. Lin Meng felt like she couldn't even breathe with such beauty pressed so close to her face.

As if beyond her control, she reached out and wiped the tears from Yun Huaizhu's face. 'Really. So stop crying.'

Lin Meng didn't think she'd ever truly hated anyone, but she knew in her heart that if she really loathed someone, she'd loathe them to the point of physical revulsion—even seeing them would make her want to vomit.

Yun Huaizhu caught the hand Lin Meng was using to wipe her tears and, as if reluctant to let it go, pressed it to her own face. 'If you don't hate me, then can you send me good morning and good night messages like you used to? This past week, when you ignored me, I found that without those messages, without you greeting me, my heart felt like a piece had been hollowed out.'

Lin Meng was shocked at her words.

Was it really that serious?

Seeing how pitiful Yun Huaizhu looked, Lin Meng couldn't bear it. She quickly nodded. 'Of course.'

Only then did Yun Huaizhu's tears turn completely to laughter. But after wiping her eyes, she asked in a soft, pleading tone, 'Then can I look at you down there? I really just want to check if Su Yutang did anything bad to you. After I look, I absolutely won't bring it up again!'

Lin Meng: '...'

Seeing her frozen in place, Yun Huaizhu clung to her arm and shook it. 'Please?'

Lin Meng suddenly felt she'd been played, but she couldn't put her finger on how. At this moment, as if she'd run out of options, she swallowed. 'Really just a look?'

Yun Huaizhu widened her eyes and gazed at her with an utterly sincere expression. 'Mm, just a look.'

...

When the first ray of morning sunlight shone through the small window of the rental apartment, Lin Meng opened her eyes and, somewhat dazed, reviewed everything that had happened yesterday.

How could she have let Yun Huaizhu look down there?

Sure, Yun Huaizhu had looked because she suspected Su Yutang of fooling around, but could you really tell anything just by looking?

No wait! Was now the time to be thinking about that?

The problem was, what had she been thinking yesterday? How did she let Yun Huaizhu look?

What was there to even look at?!

Still, just looking probably didn't count as being the mistress, right? Looking wasn't actual contact; it was much less than hugging and cuddling, wasn't it?

Just as Lin Meng's brain CPU was about to overheat, Yun Huaizhu, who had buried her head in Lin Meng's chest and slept sweetly all night, slowly opened her eyes.

She raised her head gracefully like a beautiful ragdoll cat and looked at Lin Meng with the most alluring smile of the morning. 'Good morning, Mengmeng-jie.'

At the sight of Yun Huaizhu's face, all the jumbled thoughts in Lin Meng's mind suddenly seemed to be shoved aside. Right now, her heart and eyes were filled with the beautiful Yun Huaizhu.

Lin Meng nodded. 'Morning.'

She'd originally wanted to get up, but Yun Huaizhu was holding her, and she was held fast as if bound, unable to move at all.

Yun Huaizhu seemed to be in a great mood this morning. She kept her head buried in Lin Meng's embrace and murmured, 'Mengmeng-jie, if you ever lack anything or want anything in the future, just tell me. But you must never accept anything from that person surnamed Su, because taking her things comes with a price.'

Lin Meng frowned. Yun Huaizhu's attitude toward Su Yutang now was about the same as toward an enemy. How was she supposed to matchmake them?

The most crucial thing was that Yun Huaizhu was currently sleeping in her arms, and her intuition told her she couldn't spoil Yun Huaizhu's mood right now.

Besides, she'd already known all that long ago. She not only wouldn't take Su Yutang's things; she wouldn't take Yun Huaizhu's either.

Yun Huaizhu continued, 'If that person surnamed Su tries to take you away, tell me in advance. I'll go help you.'

Only then did Lin Meng's brow smooth out a little.

Yun Huaizhu's words probably meant she wanted some interaction with Su Yutang. Her efforts these past days to bridge the two of them were finally paying off.

But then again, if Yun Huaizhu took the initiative to go see Su Yutang, Su Yutang would only humiliate her again.

At that thought, Lin Meng's face fell again. 'But... I don't want you to be put in a difficult position.'

Hearing this, Yun Huaizhu's heart was instantly filled with a feeling sweeter than eating cotton candy. Like a cat kneading its paws while acting spoiled, she nuzzled further into Lin Meng's chest.

Her warm, tender breath brushed against Lin Meng's sensitive spot. Lin Meng felt ticklish and strange, but in the end she didn't push her away.

Yun Huaizhu's tone was sweet and coaxing. 'It's not difficult. We're friends, aren't we? After all, you only met that bad person because of me, so I naturally have an obligation to protect you.'

Lin Meng thought about it for a long time after hearing this... Forget it. As long as the two of them stopped tormenting each other when they met, that would count as a victory. She'd leave it at that.

She nodded somewhat helplessly. 'Mm.'

After waking up, Yun Huaizhu clung to Lin Meng and nuzzled her for another hour. She only stopped once she'd rubbed her own pheromones all over Lin Meng's body.

Half an hour ago she'd ordered seafood porridge online, and it arrived right on time. As she put on her shoes and prepared to answer the door, she saw the pink checkered bedsheet tossed to the side, dotted with a few drops of fresh blood.

Yun Huaizhu paused, her cheeks instantly flushing red.

Last night, when she'd seen that beautiful, fair, plump flower, she suddenly felt a rush of heat surge to her head. By the time she came to her senses, her nosebleed had already dripped down.

Ugh... blame her for being useless. She'd wanted to look a while longer, but once Lin Meng saw the nosebleed she'd scrambled to get tissues, asked in a panic what was wrong, and even wanted to take her to the hospital.

So cute.

It didn't matter. One day she would pry that flower open and admire it slowly.

...

Although the past two days had been more exhausting than any rest day Lin Meng had ever had, she felt that having free and delicious food every day wasn't a bad thing either.

She just didn't understand why Yun Huaizhu, with such delicious seafood porridge right in front of her, kept staring at Lin Meng instead of eating.

Yun Huaizhu watched Lin Meng while eating her porridge. Seeing how slowly she ate, Lin Meng went ahead and ate the other portion sitting in front of Yun Huaizhu too—and of course, Yun Huaizhu didn't notice even after finishing her meal.

After breakfast, Lin Meng went to the bathroom mirror to examine her face carefully.

She felt a little puzzled and muttered to herself, There's nothing on my face.

Lin Meng usually didn't eat breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays; lunch depended on her mood, and sometimes when she stayed up late scrolling her phone and reading novels she'd wake up at eight or nine at night, which was when she'd have her dinner.

That was her daily life. As for her regular three meals, those were all forced on her by work.

Today she'd thought she could continue enjoying her salted-fish life, but unexpectedly, after breakfast, Yun Huaizhu wanted to drag her out shopping.

Lin Meng refused without even thinking.

She was really tired. Right now she just wanted to lie at home and scroll her phone!

Seeing her refuse, a hurt expression appeared on Yun Huaizhu's face. 'Mengmeng-jie, you can eat with that person surnamed Su, go shopping and buy clothes with her, so why can't you go out and have fun with me? Besides, last time you left your glasses at the hotel, and I accidentally broke them, so I have to compensate you with a new pair. Getting glasses requires going out anyway.'

First Su Yutang had ruined her clothes washing them and wanted to compensate her with new ones, and now Yun Huaizhu wanted to compensate her glasses.

Lin Meng suddenly felt a deep sense of exhaustion.

She pointed at the glasses on her face. 'No need, I already got a new pair.'

Hearing this, Yun Huaizhu slowly walked over to Lin Meng. She cupped Lin Meng's bespectacled face, then reached out and took the glasses off.

Lin Meng's world instantly became a blur. Just as she was about to ask what Yun Huaizhu was doing, Yun Huaizhu pressed her forehead against Lin Meng's so she could see her clearly. 'Mengmeng-jie, have you ever seen yourself without your glasses? You're really beautiful. So I think framed glasses are a burden for you. I want to compensate you with a pair of contacts, okay?'

Lin Meng was about to say 'no need,' but then Yun Huaizhu clung to her arm and shook it back and forth. 'Please...'

Lin Meng felt that refusing again would be too much, so she lowered her head and gave in.

...

Su Yutang seemed to be in a very bad mood this week. As if venting, she went to some boxing gym in Jing City and beat up more than a dozen professional fighters, then dealt with several old codgers from the Su family who specifically opposed her.

Anyone with eyes in their circle could see that Su Yutang was currently not to be trifled with, so even the people around her were cautious, not daring to say a single wrong word.

That afternoon, she'd just driven her new sports car back from outside when she discovered a middle-aged woman dressed elegantly with a calm, steady bearing standing in front of her villa's gate.

The woman, upon seeing her return, revealed a flawless smile. 'Young Miss, you're back.'

Su Yutang recognized her at a glance as Steward Ji, who served at her mother's side. She got out of the car looking extremely displeased and walked up to the woman. 'Why did my mother send you personally? What's happened?'

Steward Ji took a gold-foil invitation sealed with a wax stamp from her pocket. 'This is an invitation from the Cen family. The Cen family's young lady is an A-rank omega, and she likes you. Madam intends for you to attend the banquet.'

Su Yutang smiled as she took the invitation, then, in front of the woman, tore the exquisite card to shreds piece by piece.

Paper scraps fluttered through the air. Su Yutang smiled and looked down at Steward Ji, who could only keep smiling. 'Tell my mother that no matter how many times she sends an invitation, it's useless. There's absolutely no way I'm going to a blind date. If she has the ability, she can come tie me up again.'

Like a robot that only carried out its master's orders, Steward Ji smiled and nodded. 'Yes, Young Miss. I will report truthfully to Madam.'