Song Jinzhi returned earlier than Gu Sijiu. Instead of resting, she quietly walked to the garden and sat on a bench, lost in thought. Just then, the vibration of her communicator broke the ongoing silence. Seeing who was calling on the screen made her nose tingle with emotion. She held back her feelings and waited until she felt more stable before answering.
"A'yu, how come you have time to call?" Song Jinzhi turned off the video, her voice already back to calm. Most people wouldn't have noticed the fatigue and hoarseness in her tone, but the person on the other end did pause noticeably upon hearing her voice.
"No matter how busy I am, I have to give you a call, A'jin, have you lost your mind? You finally moved out, why did you move back again? That scumbag has nothing to do with you, whether she lives or dies, why did you go back?" The voice on the phone belonged to Jing Yu, a female Beta and Song Jinzhi's closest friend. They met in university and had kept in touch after graduation. Song Jinzhi rarely shared her personal matters, and Jing Yu was the only one who knew the true nature of Gu Sijiu.
At first, Song Jinzhi didn't want Jing Yu to know about this, not because she didn't trust Jing Yu, but because she didn't want her best friend to worry about her affairs. Unfortunately, Jing Yu knew her too well. Even though Song Jinzhi tried to hide it well, the occasional appearance of some bruises on her body couldn't be concealed. Even the day when Gu Sijiu had left bruises on her neck, it was Jing Yu who had accompanied her to the hospital in the middle of the night. For Song Jinzhi, Jing Yu was the only person she could confide in now.
"A'yu, I don't want this either, but you know, there are some things that I really can't control on my own, I can't do anything about it." Song Jinzhi said softly. She struggled to control her emotions, but in front of her closest friend, the tension she had held onto finally relaxed, and her grievances spilled out. Song Jinzhi was well aware of her current situation, she had no way out, and it was impossible for her to back out of this marriage.
The Song family was wealthy and influential, but ultimately they were just merchants. Power surpassed wealth, and even though the Song family had money, they could not compare to the power of the Gu family. Song Jinzhi still remembered clearly the night of their engagement, how Gu Sijiu had pinned her against the wall, warning her not to mention anything about her body. If she disagreed, the Gu family would make sure the Song family disappeared from the empire.
Song Jinzhi understood that what Gu Sijiu said wasn't just an empty threat, she was indeed capable of it. With the Gu family's abilities, dealing with the Song family was too easy, and the disappearance Gu mentioned was definitely not a simple matter of business suppression. Every time she thought of what Gu Sijiu had done to her, Song Jinzhi felt nothing but disgust and fear.
Gu Sijiu was a very scheming person, sometimes using any means necessary to achieve her goals. In the beginning, to win her over, Gu Sijiu had put on a show in front of her own parents, creating such a good image. Now, even if she went to her parents to speak ill of Gu Sijiu, her parents probably wouldn't believe her. These were just immediate problems, the most difficult obstacle between them was their high compatibility rate.
In the empire, compatibility is one of the standards for determining whether an Alpha and Omega are suitable for marriage. When a high-compatibility Alpha and Omega come together, their intimacy during heat cycles and the children they have tend to be exceptional. The empire encourages high-compatibility pairings, and while it doesn't force them, once compatibility data is submitted, it becomes difficult to retract.
Gu Sijiu had taken advantage of this, she initially played the role of a very considerate and gentle Alpha. However, once the data was submitted, her true nature was revealed. Thinking about her and Gu Sijiu's 84% high compatibility, Song Jinzhi couldn't understand why she had such high compatibility with someone she didn't love and even despised. It was ironic that two people who felt this way toward each other had such a high compatibility. Just thinking about it made Song Jinzhi's face twist in disdain.
"A'jin, I don't want to see you unhappy. You know what kind of person Gu Sijiu is. Are you really going to marry her, be marked by her during your heat cycles, and bear her child?" As she spoke, Jing Yu's face turned pale, and Song Jinzhi remained silent, lips pursed. She knew about Gu Sijiu's physical issues, but her physical disabilities wouldn't hinder Gu Sijiu from marking her, she still had the ability to impregnate her.
Considering Gu Sijiu's unpredictable nature, Song Jinzhi couldn't imagine how difficult her life would be after marrying her. Overwhelmed by these thoughts, Song Jinzhi hugged herself helplessly, curling up in the chair like an abandoned child, silently crying. Song Jinzhi was so composed that even her cries were restrained, emitting no sound.
Gu Sijiu stood at the doorway, watching this scene unfold. She took a step forward but then retreated, choosing to remain still and observe Song Jinzhi chatting on the phone. After a while, the call ended, and Song Jinzhi took out a box of cigarettes from her bag, lit one, and began to smoke slowly. Gu Sijiu hadn't expected Song Jinzhi to smoke, her demeanor was so refined that smoking seemed out of character for her. Yet, in this moment, it didn't feel out of place, it was surprisingly beautiful.
Song Jinzhi's way of lighting the cigarette was unique, she didn't bite it like most people do but gently touched it with her lips. She didn't use a lighter but pulled out a delicate matchbox, taking a long match from it and striking it to ignite. She enjoyed watching the flame grow strong before bringing the cigarette to her lips just as it was about to extinguish.
Pale gray smoke drifted from Song Jinzhi's slightly parted lips as she tilted her head back, tears slipping from her eyes down her cheeks. She held the cigarette between her fingers, the tip stained with her lipstick. This scene was stunning, the garden was dimly lit, and nothing shone as brightly as the glowing tip of her cigarette. She sat there in the darkness, quietly shedding tears.
Gu Sijiu watched for a long time, only realizing after her legs grew sore that she had been standing there for 10 minutes. Gu Sijiu had a cleanliness obsession, she drank but didn't smoke because she hated the smell of smoke and didn't want to carry its scent. Yet in this moment, she found that smoking wasn't so unpleasant, simply because the smoker was Song Jinzhi.
As Song Jinzhi finished her cigarette and headed back inside, Gu Sijiu had already returned and settled onto the sofa. She planned to have a talk with Song Jinzhi, even if they couldn't improve their relationship, she at least wanted to make it clear that she had no interest in this so-called marriage. After all, she was straight and only liked men. Even if she were to consider women, Song Jinzhi would be the last person she'd choose.
When Song Jinzhi returned inside, she immediately saw Gu Sijiu sitting on the sofa. She took a half-step back, feeling as if she were facing an insistent ghost, and just wanted to head upstairs immediately.
"Song Jinzhi, I want to talk to you, if possible..."
"Sorry, I'm tired and just want to rest." Song Jinzhi turned to walk upstairs, but Gu Sijiu hurried over and grabbed the hem of her shirt.
"I just want to say a few words, it won't take up much of your time. If you don't want to sit down and talk, then I'll just say it here."
Gu Sijiu felt a bit frustrated, Song Jinzhi's stubbornness was annoying. "Fine, what do you want to say?" Song Jinzhi turned around, crossed her arms and looked at Gu Sijiu. It was a defensive gesture, causing Gu Sijiu to step back slightly. Of course, she didn't plan to reveal that she wasn't the original Gu Sijiu. After all, talking about transmigration was too unbelievable, and even if she said it, Song Jinzhi might not believe her.
"I was telling the truth this morning when I said I lost part of my memory. I know we've had some unpleasant experiences, and regarding the marriage, there's no need to rush. If we can't annul it, let's just go through with the wedding for now. I promise I won't touch you." Gu Sijiu spoke softly. She didn't feel guilty towards Song Jinzhi, she was merely discontent with the original owner's actions.
She was a woman, and so was Song Jinzhi. While she admitted that Song Jinzhi was beautiful, Gu Sijiu thought she was not lacking either. She wouldn't change her se.xual orientation just because she was in this world. Gu Sijiu innocently thought that even if two women got married, it shouldn't be a problem, as she had no intention of being intimate with a woman. Gu Sijiu naively pondered this, unaware of the nature of pheromones in this world.
Gu Sijiu thought she was being sincere, but when she looked up, she saw Song Jinzhi staring at her with a mocking and disdainful look in her eyes. "You said you won't touch me?" Suddenly, Song Jinzhi spoke up. Gu Sijiu nodded, but as soon as she did, Song Jinzhi forcefully pulled her and pushed her against the wall by the shoulders. Gu Sijiu was shocked, it was her first time experiencing such a forceful move, being "cornered" by another woman, and technically her wife at that.
Moreover, wasn't it unusual for an Alpha to be pressed against a wall by another Omega?
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