Soft Lips with a Faint Fragrance

Three hours earlier.

Huo Rui'an had searched every stop on that bus route, but in the end she still couldn't find Tan Qixia. She was worried sick—desperate enough to consider using less-than-legal means to track her down.

Huo Yi, meanwhile, kept her cool and went to the police station to pull surveillance footage from the streets after Tan Qixia had left. Tan Qixia had been wearing a floral shirt when she ran out, making her easy to spot; scanning the footage, Huo Yi found her during the hottest part of the afternoon.

She looked very unwell, and the person supporting her as they walked away was a woman in slippers. Something about the woman's build felt strangely familiar to her.

So she zoomed in on a frame where the woman's face was visible... and what she saw nearly knocked her off her feet. The person who had walked off with her mother was Lin Meng!

She had once driven over to the neighborhood where Lin Meng lived and cruised around for a bit. What was Lin Meng doing here?

With Huo Rui'an on the verge of losing her mind if they didn't find Tan Qixia soon, Huo Yi swallowed her confusion and took her straight to the floor where Lin Meng was.

...

In the end, Huo Rui'an's surprise didn't make it to their twenty-second wedding anniversary.

But once Tan Qixia heard her explanation, tears streaked her face, and the two of them ended up kissing passionately right in front of Huo Yi and Lin Meng.

At the sight, Lin Meng flushed red and hurriedly turned away.

Once the misunderstanding was cleared up and everything was over, Huo Rui'an took Tan Qixia's hand and bowed to Lin Meng again and again in gratitude. "Miss Lin, thank you for saving my wife. I really don't know how to thank you enough. Oh—do you want a house? A sports car? Bags? Perfume? Just name it and I'll make sure you get it!"

Lin Meng was so startled by these words that she kept backing away.

This person had just barged into her apartment, frantically explained herself to that auntie, and then kissed her... Lin Meng was already dazed, still hadn't figured out what was going on, and now this person was offering her a house...

It was completely baffling!

Seeing how flustered Lin Meng was, Tan Qixia quickly pushed her behind her. "You're scaring Mengmeng baby. If you suddenly say things like that to the baby, she'll think you're a bad person."

As she spoke, a faint blush colored Tan Qixia's cheeks, and she gazed tenderly at Lin Meng. "Mengmeng baby, this is the wife I told you about—the one I was arguing with. She only meant to thank you. She doesn't mean any harm, so don't be afraid."

Lin Meng's eyes widened helplessly. She looked at the couple, then glanced at Huo Yi, who stood off to the side with a sour expression, stewing in silence.

Earlier, Huo Yi had called that woman "Mommy"...

So the auntie she'd brought home today—her daughter was actually Huo Yi!!

Lin Meng felt her worldview take another blow. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. How could something this absurd exist in the world?!

Lin Meng stood frozen, not knowing what to say. Whenever she got stuck in an awkward silence like this, panic started to bubble up inside her.

Tan Qixia and Huo Rui'an exchanged a glance. They simply waited for Lin Meng to speak.

And that was when Huo Yi stepped forward and gently pulled Lin Meng to her side. "Mom, Mommy... you don't have to do all this. If you really want to thank her, just take her out for a meal—or give her a year's worth of meal vouchers."

As she spoke, Huo Yi lowered her head with a mischievous smile. "Our Mengmeng here is a little foodie, you know."

Tan Qixia was astonished by the way Huo Yi addressed Lin Meng. She covered her mouth. "Baby... you—you already knew Mengmeng baby?"

Huo Yi's smile grew smug. She draped an arm around Lin Meng's shoulders. "That's right. Mengmeng and I are good friends. Actually, when Mommy and I saw Mengmeng in the surveillance footage, we both thought the world was way too full of coincidences."

Huo Rui'an still hadn't caught up to why her daughter would be friends with an ordinary beta, but Tan Qixia was already tugging her hand toward the door. "Oh, I see! Well then, we'll leave the rest to you, baby. I have something to discuss with your Mommy!"

With that, the two of them vanished through the doorway like a gust of wind. Tan Qixia even thoughtfully closed the door behind them.

Once they were gone, Huo Yi let go of Lin Meng and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, Mengmeng. You had to witness that little scene. Those two are my mothers; they had a bit of a misunderstanding while they were on vacation. I'm really sorry for the trouble."

Lin Meng quickly waved her hands. "No, no, your auntie is very nice. She didn't cause any trouble at all." She paused, then added weakly, "It's just... I didn't expect her to be your mother."

Huo Yi squinted and smiled at that. "That's just how those two are. If they don't show off their love, they'll die. I still remember when I had just learned to crawl—they left me home alone because they'd gone out to celebrate their 'first meeting anniversary.' If the nanny hadn't been watching me, I probably would've crawled into the stairwell and rolled all the way down."

As she talked about her childhood, there was a hint of grievance toward her mothers in her tone, but her expression was happy.

Hearing this, Lin Meng gradually relaxed.

Seeing that Lin Meng was interested, Huo Yi strolled over to the sofa and sat down, squinting with a smile. "Come here. I'll tell you more about how awful those two are. It's a miracle I've survived this long."

Lin Meng was taken aback for a moment, but something in Huo Yi's words seemed to cast a spell, drawing her over.

Huo Yi sat with her and went on, describing how the unreliable pair, Huo Rui'an and Tan Qixia, would forget all about her just to celebrate one anniversary or another.

Their transgressions included, but were not limited to: losing her—a tiny little thing at the time—at an amusement park while celebrating the anniversary of the first time they shared the same ice cream; forgetting to pick her up from school because they were celebrating their first-kiss anniversary, which led to her being kidnapped by a human trafficker... and countless other incidents too numerous to list.

When Lin Meng heard that Huo Yi had been kidnapped by a human trafficker, shock filled her eyes. "That... that's way too irresponsible! Too much!"

Seeing Lin Meng get so angry on her behalf, a light, airy feeling suddenly rose in Huo Yi's heart.

Actually... she had gone with the trafficker on purpose. The man was far too stupid. He saw that she was an elementary schooler and assumed she was naive, trying all sorts of tricks to deceive her. She had used just a little cleverness to trick him into walking right into the police station.

Seeing Lin Meng's reaction, Huo Yi quickly pulled her into a hug to comfort her. "Don't worry, Mengmeng. See? I'm perfectly fine now. Those two have always been like this; I'm used to it. Later on, I had a car to take me to and from school, and nannies and bodyguards to take me to amusement parks. I'm not sad at all."

Hearing this, Lin Meng felt a complicated mix of emotions.

Huo Yi clearly had mothers, and yet after hearing all this, Lin Meng felt as if Huo Yi had lived like an orphan.

No wonder that unreliable couple had frozen their eggs ahead of time. They were afraid they hadn't caused enough chaos, so they'd pre-selected a backup account, hadn't they?

Too much. This was really too much!

A feeling of pity for Huo Yi suddenly welled up in Lin Meng.

Huo Yi continued, "Those two are a fated pair—love at first sight—so they have a lot in common. If they wanted to, they could celebrate an anniversary every single day. My mothers being so loving is something I'm happy to see, so Mengmeng, don't take these little things to heart."

Even so, Lin Meng still felt she was quite pitiful. No wonder the Huo Yi in the novel seemed so cunning, always stirring the pot and enjoying the drama. So... it was because her childhood had been too lonely. She wanted someone to play with her, to watch the fun unfold.

From that moment on, Lin Meng suddenly had the illusion that she wasn't inside a novel at all, but in the real world.

In the real world, ABO didn't exist, but there were still pitiful people like Su Yutang, Huo Yi, and even Yun Huaizhu. They were no longer flat characters defined by an author's pen; they were truly living, breathing people.

Oh, right—if Huo Yi had two mothers, then Yun Huaizhu should have another mother too, shouldn't she?

After her mother passed away, why had that other mother never appeared?

Yun Huaizhu had been so young when she lost her mother, and that person was completely irresponsible, never even showing her face—just like a deadbeat. Poor Yun Huaizhu had to bear so much from such a young age. If she'd had an adult by her side, she wouldn't have been bullied like that, would she?

Huo Yi looked down at Lin Meng, still in her arms, and noticed that her brows were tightly furrowed, lost in thought.

A mischievous impulse rose in her.

While Lin Meng was distracted, she slowly lowered her head, bit by bit. Lin Meng was immersed in sorrow for Yun Huaizhu and didn't notice at all that Huo Yi's silhouette was about to envelop her.

When she realized her vision was gradually darkening, she snapped back in a panic. As she turned her head, she brushed against a pair of soft lips with a faint fragrance.

Lin Meng's eyes flew wide. She was so startled that she flailed, and Huo Yi let go of her.

After sitting up straight, Lin Meng realized just how intimate she and Huo Yi had been. She'd been so engrossed in the story that she hadn't paid any attention to boundaries.

Seeing Lin Meng move so far away, a flicker of displeasure rose in Huo Yi's heart, but she still wore a gentle smile. "Don't be scared, Mengmeng. That was just an accident. You were quiet for so long, I thought you didn't like hearing me talk anymore."

Seeing Huo Yi offer her an out, Lin Meng quickly took it. "Right... that was an accident. I was just quiet because I was wondering whether alphas and omegas all have two mothers..."

Huo Yi laughed. "Generally speaking, yes. Take your Tangtang, for example. You met her the other day—her mother is an A-rank alpha. S-rank alphas are very rare in this world, but the higher the rank of the alpha and omega pair, the more exceptional their children tend to be."

Lin Meng nodded, but she had noticed a slight oddity in Huo Yi's tone when she mentioned 'S-rank alpha.' She quickly looked up and smiled at Huo Yi. "Yiyi is a very exceptional child too."

Even with such unreliable mothers, she'd still grown up just fine.

Lin Meng didn't understand Huo Yi's worldview or her ways, but after more than half a year around Su Yutang and people like her, she knew that someone like Huo Yi was a rare breed among the wealthy.

When Huo Yi heard this, it was as if Lin Meng had touched a sore spot. "I'm not as good as you say... Tangtang and I grew up together, but she's an S-rank alpha and I'm only A-rank. Our family backgrounds are about the same, but she's always been a cut above me. Ever since we were kids, whenever we appeared together in public, she'd overshadow me. Everyone would have to see her before they'd even notice me..."

Su Yutang and Huo Yi were already at that level of status; whether one was first or second hardly seemed to matter. But Lin Meng could understand Huo Yi's feelings of forever being second best.

She quietly leaned closer to Huo Yi and gently patted her shoulder as if to comfort her. "Why compare yourselves? Yiyi is already wonderful. Besides, those people only prioritize Su Yutang because of her family background. If not for that, everyone would definitely prefer to be friends with someone as optimistic and cheerful as you."

Huo Yi's eyes instantly lit up. She lowered her head and looked at Lin Meng with eager anticipation. "Really?"

Lin Meng nodded with absolute certainty. "Mm-hm. Yiyi, you have a great personality and you're so easy to talk to. You'd definitely be popular out there."

Of course, setting aside family background and rank.

Huo Yi cared too much about others' opinions; she just couldn't let go of those factors. Thinking this, Lin Meng looked at Huo Yi. "It's just... I think even without all that, compared to Su Yutang, if I had to rank you, I'd put you ahead of her. I like the Yiyi who tells me stories."

Of course, that was assuming Huo Yi wasn't stirring up trouble or doing bad things.

A flash of light flickered across Huo Yi's eyes, and she pulled Lin Meng into her arms as if she couldn't wait. "Mm, I like Mengmeng too."

...

To thank Lin Meng, Huo Rui'an wanted to invite her to a meal at their estate, but Lin Meng politely declined—she had work and no time. It would have to wait until her annual leave.

Huo Rui'an said there was no rush; whenever Lin Meng had time, she could come over for a meal.

Of course, she did accept the year's worth of meal vouchers from Huo Yi.

Huo Yi explained that the vouchers were from a hotel she owned, meant as a reward for VIP customers. Since Lin Meng had saved Tan Qixia, she was even more deserving than a VIP. Huo Yi pleaded with her for a long time before Lin Meng finally accepted them.

After all, Huo Yi said, the vouchers had a limited quota. If Lin Meng didn't take them, they'd just go to waste—better to put them to good use.

Huo Yi didn't ask why Lin Meng had moved without telling her. After all, last time she'd gotten Lin Meng's address through Su Yutang, she hadn't told Lin Meng either.

This person's sensitivity to others' affection was practically zero. So the fact that Lin Meng had accepted her meal vouchers was already an unexpected delight.

By the time Huo Yi got home, it was already deep into the night. Tan Qixia, having been through a whole day of turmoil while still in her heat cycle, had gone to bed early. Just as Huo Yi was about to head to her room, she ran into Huo Rui'an coming downstairs in slippers and a robe.

When Huo Rui'an saw her, her brows knitted together. "You're back?"

Huo Yi yawned. "Mm... it's too late tonight. Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow."

Seeing that she wanted to avoid the topic, Huo Rui'an quickly reached out to block her. "Come to the study. I have something to say to you."

Seeing that she couldn't escape, Huo Yi followed Huo Rui'an to the study.

...

When Huo Yi was little, she loved to crawl around the house. Whenever she tried to sneak through a pair of redwood doors, Tan Qixia would always pick her up. "Baby, you can't go in there. That's where Mommy handles business. If you mess up the important documents inside, Mommy will get angry—and she'll spank your little bottom."

Before she turned twelve, before she'd had any contact with the company's core business, Huo Yi was always kept outside those doors. It wasn't until her investment return rate hit eighty percent that Huo Rui'an finally brought her into that place filled with the Huo Family's business secrets and century-old legacy archives.

Apart from major family decisions, Huo Rui'an rarely called Huo Yi here to discuss things. So when Huo Yi sat face to face with her mother at the redwood desk, she knew the woman was definitely going to say something that would make her unhappy.

Mother and daughter sat in silence for a long while. In the end, it was Huo Rui'an who couldn't hold back. "When did you meet that beta?"

Hearing this, Huo Yi looked at her mother with utter seriousness. "Mommy, please don't call her 'that beta.' She has a name. It's Lin Meng."

Huo Yi had hardly ever gone through a rebellious phase. From childhood to adulthood, she'd always been a sensible, shrewd child. Huo Rui'an truly hadn't expected her sensible daughter to suddenly snap back at her.

Helplessly, she rephrased. "I'm asking—how did you and Miss Lin Meng meet?"

Huo Yi answered honestly. "She's someone Su Yutang brought along."

Huo Rui'an frowned.

If she was someone the Su family's daughter had brought, then this Lin Meng shouldn't be living in such a small apartment. The Su family's daughter was famously generous.

It seemed this Lin Meng was just a passing diversion for the Su family's daughter. She hadn't expected her own daughter to have her eye on the same person as that Su girl.

Huo Rui'an looked thoroughly pained. "Although your mom and I don't object to you being friends with betas, have you really thought this through—spending the rest of your life with a beta?"

Huo Yi leaned back in her chair with an air of indifference. "In any case, there's no way I'll find my 'fated pair' and spend my life with them the way you and Mom did."

When Huo Rui'an heard her mention herself and Tan Qixia, a trace of anger surfaced on her face. Her fox-like eyes—so identical to Huo Yi's—fixed on the person before her. "What's so bad about a 'fated pair'? Your mom and I have been in love our whole lives, and we have you as our daughter. You're the sole heir of our family. Isn't a life like that happy?"

Huo Yi let out a cold laugh. "The reason you two are happy is that you fell in love at first sight and are perfectly matched. How many fated pairs in this world meet those conditions? I won't fall in love at first sight with an omega, and I won't marry a socially matched omega for the sake of family interests either. I know exactly what I'm doing, so Mother, you don't need to teach me how to live."

Huo Rui'an sighed as if resigned. "Since you've put it that way, then as your mother, there's nothing I can do." Her expression suddenly turned worried. "But no matter what, you can't steal someone from the Su family's child. You two grew up together."

At these words, it was as if a nerve had been struck. Huo Yi slammed the table and shot to her feet. "Mother, you think I'm inferior to Su Yutang too? I'm not allowed to compete for someone she likes, is that it?"

Huo Rui'an was startled by how agitated she was. "No... that's not what I meant. I just think it's not worth ruining your years-long relationship over one person, so..."

Huo Yi's expression was utterly resolute as she looked at her dear mother. "In your eyes, interests still matter more. Because you don't know Lin Meng, you think Su Yutang is more important to me than she is."

She let out a light laugh. "Yes, I did grow up with Su Yutang. I understand her, and I cherish that friendship. But that's one matter; this is another. Before Lin Meng has confirmed a relationship with anyone else, she is free. So Mother, you don't need to use the word 'steal' to describe what I'm doing. I'm fighting for my own happiness."

Huo Rui'an thought Huo Yi might really be going through a delayed rebellious phase. Otherwise, how could her usually calm, shrewd daughter suddenly lose her head like this?

Huo Yi yawned again. She said to the speechless Huo Rui'an, "If you think I'm beyond saving, you and Mom can always have another one."

Huo Rui'an's face instantly turned red with fury. She pointed at Huo Yi. "Yiyi, you're hot-headed right now. You're not thinking clearly."

Huo Yi nodded with absolute seriousness. "Yes. Just consider me not thinking clearly."

With that, she left without a backward glance.

After Huo Yi left, Huo Rui'an slumped over the desk, clutching her head. The first half of her life had been smooth sailing—a loving mother, a happy marriage, a brilliant daughter... Why did middle age have to bring such calamity?

Actually, the fact that Huo Yi had given those meal vouchers to that young girl was enough to tell her that Huo Yi had feelings for her.

After all, Huo Yi's hotel had never had a 'reward meal voucher' program. It was a carefully designed scheme to let the girl accept the gesture without feeling uncomfortable.

As her mother, she understood her daughter best—Huo Yi seemed generous and easygoing on the surface, able to chat with anyone, but deep down she was the coldest, most unfeeling person.

Could an iceberg disguised as a desert gradually reveal its true form and melt for an ordinary person?

...

Yun Huaizhu's secretly developed new energy technology was a huge hit in international markets, and the investment project she'd negotiated at the last international conference was now secured. The listing ceremony was set for the fifth of next month, at the World Trade Financial Building in the city.

As soon as Yun Huaizhu got the good news, she rushed straight to Lin Meng's place, wanting to be the first to tell her.

Just as she reached the upper floor, her heart full of joy, eager to see Lin Meng, she suddenly heard voices drifting from the hallway. "Really? Mengmeng, this restaurant is super expensive. I heard even a few casual dishes cost several thousand. You're really going to treat me to a meal here?"

Lin Meng lowered her head shyly. "Mm... Xiaoman helped me find an apartment, and I'm really grateful. Someone gave me some meal vouchers, and there's no point letting them go to waste. You have to come, alright?"

Seeing Lin Meng's shy expression, Tang Xiaoman felt a surge of delight. As if she couldn't control herself, she stepped forward and hugged Lin Meng. "That's wonderful, Mengmeng! Thank you so much!"

Lin Meng was caught off guard by the sudden embrace. Yun Huaizhu had said to keep her distance from omegas. Just as she was about to politely push Tang Xiaoman away, a pair of hands reached out abruptly and forcefully separated them.

Tang Xiaoman was still immersed in the joy of hugging Lin Meng, so when someone interrupted her, her anger flared instantly. "Who are you?! What do you want?!"

The words had barely left her mouth when Yun Huaizhu's face—so dark it could kill—loomed suddenly before her.

Tang Xiaoman had been furious, but when she saw the woman's expression, her heart couldn't help but tremble with fear.

If this person weren't Lin Meng's friend, she would have called the police immediately.

Lin Meng was stunned for a moment. When she snapped out of it, Yun Huaizhu had already turned toward her with a smiling, narrowed gaze. "Mengmeng-jie, I have something I need to talk to you about. Could you ask the irrelevant person to leave first?"

Tang Xiaoman: "?"

The "irrelevant person" she was referring to—that wouldn't happen to be her, would it?

Lin Meng had actually noticed earlier that Yun Huaizhu seemed to have given Tang Xiaoman a cold look. She was afraid that if the two of them stayed together, some unnecessary misunderstanding would arise.

She quickly took Yun Huaizhu's hand and walked to her still-open apartment door. Even then, she didn't forget to reassure the just-frightened Tang Xiaoman. "Xiaoman, don't forget!"

Hearing this, Yun Huaizhu couldn't maintain her smile any longer. Without giving Lin Meng a chance to speak, she grabbed her with her other hand and forcefully yanked her into the room, then slammed the door shut with a "bang" as if making a show of dominance.

Still outside the door, Tang Xiaoman's face twisted into an extremely ugly expression.

For someone with a face like a celebrity's, how could she still be so ill-mannered!