Blood Queen

September 16th, Monday.

The three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday had passed, just covering the most sensitive days before Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao's menstrual periods.

After over two months, Jiang Yan felt her body had completely adapted to this lifestyle rhythm, so she didn't apply for the special leave available to Hyacinth women.

These days of constantly taking big and little golden pills made Jiang Yan feel like a white-feathered broiler chicken in a poultry farm, having a sense of being "plump and robust" ready to leave the cage for the table in a short time.

On the first day back to work, Zhao Peng intercepted Jiang Yan with a surprised expression just as she walked out of the female employees' changing room.

Today, Jiang Yan had chosen for the second time the elegant black long dress outfit that Wan Yue had once specifically selected.

"Xiao Yan, how do you feel physically? Are there any other abnormalities?"

Zhao Peng looked at the somewhat confused Jiang Yan with a squinting smile, lowering his voice. Zhou Ping, who had just finished changing clothes and emerged from the changing room, also took the opportunity to lean over with a curious expression.

"Still... still okay I guess... some body temperature elevation."

Abnormalities? Does having my period today and swollen breasts count?

Jiang Yan blushed, thinking the other party was concerned about that aspect of things, feeling it didn't quite match Zhao Peng's usual personality.

Zhao Peng probably also felt his expression might be somewhat misleading, quickly clearing his throat as his expression returned to seriousness. "Your pheromone control is somewhat abnormal. If I'm not mistaken, you're about to advance as well."

"Ah! Xiao Yan is close too! That's so amazing! No wonder I felt Xiao Yan was different today! Sigh, I don't know how many more years my current Mid-tier Attendant rank will be stuck..."

Zhou Ping intimately pressed against Jiang Yan's side, almost squeezing Jiang Yan's arm into her chest, making Jiang Yan blush and feel flustered again.

"You two are quite strange, both showing advancement signs these past few days..."

Zhao Peng also blushed slightly, though his mood was obviously very good. "Fortunately, these are just precursor signs. Unlike Jiang Yao's last time, it's estimated to take about two more days. After work today, go home and pack some things. Don't go home after work tomorrow and stay here at the club. I'll have Xiao Dong and the others prepare in advance."

"Must one advance when the time comes?"

Jiang Yan felt that some colleagues at the club had been fewer these days, not knowing if they had gone out with Wan Yue on business. If she went into advancement hibernation, it would occupy considerable manpower to guard her, very likely affecting the club's daily operations.

"Theoretically, you can temporarily suppress it, but you're not Sister Wan and haven't reached that level of self-control. Prolonged suppression would actually harm your body and might affect future continued growth."

Zhao Peng walked toward the room where Jiang Yao had previously hibernated, while turning back to point at his own body. "Suppressing or delaying advancement, I might be able to manage with effort, but you and Jiang Yao are growing too fast, with other aspects of training severely lagging behind, so it's best not to think about such things."

"Sister Wan is currently suppressing her own advancement!? She's... Viscount? Earl?"

Jiang Yan became even more curious, completely unexpected that Wan Yue had been at the critical point of advancement hibernation all along.

"Sister Wan is currently at Upper-tier Baron peak, or rather, a half-step Viscount somewhat stronger than that. If it weren't for Hyacinth still being too weak, Sister Wan should have entered advancement hibernation years ago, but hibernation would occupy at least two to three years of her time...

"So, Xiao Yan, Hyacinth's hope rests on you all. Sister Wan is too tired. As for me, I'll protect you as much as I can!"

Zhao Peng's eyes began to slightly redden as he sighed and pushed open the door, calling Zhou Ping and others to begin arranging things.

Jiang Yan's whole body trembled as Wan Yue's unfathomably chaotic-like aura appeared in her mind. She even felt that Wan Yue's true strength was probably not as simple as the literal meaning of half-step Viscount.

The employee rest room before them had returned to its original state. In at most two days, it would again become the setup from when Jiang Yao hibernated, except the person lying on the bed would be Jiang Yan.

"What? My sister is also going into advancement hibernation?"

In the female employees' changing room, Xiao Ling was braiding several beautiful plaits for Jiang Yao to match her current traditional Chinese outfit. Including the hairstyling work, the entire process was extremely time-consuming.

In the slow-paced, leisurely Golden River Club, passing time really wasn't an easy matter. So when it didn't interfere with work, fussing with each other's styling in the changing room had become a nice special leisure entertainment activity for the Hyacinth women.

Before them, the hairstyle made from Jiang Yao's light golden long hair looked so brilliant and eye-catching no matter how you looked at it, making Xiao Ling quite envious.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't get up! The hair isn't finished yet!"

Xiao Ling quickly pressed down Jiang Yao who was about to stand up, grabbing another hairpin to secure Jiang Yao's braided hairstyle. "What are you rushing for? Brother Zhao Peng said it will be at least one or two more days!

"That's fantastic! Now we should have eight Knights, right!"

Looking at the gradually taking shape classical, dignified, and playfully cute little beauty in the mirror opposite, Jiang Yao felt inexplicably smug.

Hehe, first time trying traditional Chinese styling. This should blind Zhong Jing's titanium alloy dog eyes again... Ptui, why am I thinking about him!

Jiang Yao inexplicably thought of those words Zhong Jing had nagged in her ear during hibernation. She suddenly suspected whether she had truly accepted his views subconsciously and was progressing along his aesthetic preferences.

Turning her head slightly, the mirror reflected the figures of several other Hyacinth women changing clothes.

Jiang Yao felt she probably wasn't as special as Zhong Jing claimed. If all the women here spent considerable time fussing in the changing room, which one wouldn't be devastatingly beautiful?

"By the way, Xiao Yao, you and Xiao Yan don't usually wear makeup? That's a bit of a pity..."

Xiao Ling completed the final step, stepped back a few paces with a satisfied smile, then thought of something and quickly pressed her head against Jiang Yao's shoulder, cheek to cheek, both staring at the mirror together.

"Sister Wan said when I wear makeup it's like I'm not wearing any, and I happen to lack patience. Leaving it as is quite convenient, saving time in the morning and evening."

Jiang Yao felt even more pleased with herself. After all, this natural appearance, even placed among a bunch of beauties in the club, was still top-tier.

"True, you and Xiao Yan are quite pretty even without makeup, but still use some light lipstick. You know, it's autumn now, and it’s quite dry.

“Speaking of it…,” Xiao Ling pulled open the dressing table drawer and began searching for things.

l this moment, Zhou Ping walked in, showing a mysterious smile to the women present.

"Listen, there’s a really cool and handsome guy accompanying Zhong Jing. They were stopped outside the club entrance by Brother Zhao Peng and they're standing there dumbfounded!"

My goodness, did Meng Huai really come!?

Jiang Yao was startled and almost jumped up. Now it was perfect—the lipstick directly drew a long red mark beside her mouth corner.

The autumn afternoon sunlight still carried summer heat. Meng Huai and Zhong Jing both wore formal attire, standing in front of Golden River Club's entrance.

"Sorry, Mr. Meng. This club operates on a member invitation system. Without a formal invitation from another member, I'm afraid entry for experience isn't possible. Please understand."

Zhao Peng wore a polite smile, skillfully blocking in front of Meng Huai.

Meng Huai nodded slightly without saying anything, turning to look at his younger brother.

Zhong Jing touched his nose, somewhat awkwardly avoiding his elder brother's gaze, then smiled at Zhao Peng. "Brother Zhao, I'm a member. I'll use my invitation quota to apply for a member experience."

Zhao Peng neither agreed nor refused, just smiled while looking at the calm and indifferent Meng Huai, waiting for the other party's response.

In his view, this brother of Zhong Jing's seemed to dislike having any involvement with his younger brother beside him, not to mention Meng Huai's true identity, which Wan Yue had already hinted at.

The atmosphere was somewhat at a standstill when the main door quietly opened a crack, revealing half of Jiang Yao's pretty face before the door quickly closed again. This scene was caught by both Meng Huai and Zhong Jing.

"Um... may I ask if Jiang Yan is inside?"

Meng Huai hesitated briefly before showing an inquiring look toward Zhao Peng.

"Miss Jiang Yan is currently checking the cleanliness of all private rooms. Since Mr. Zhong is acting as the new member's inviter, shall Mr. Meng come in and sit? Oh, by the way, Jiang Yan will go out of town tomorrow for professional training and probably won't return for a month."

Zhao Peng smiled again, stepped aside, and made an inviting gesture.

"No need, thank you."

After speaking, Meng Huai turned and walked toward the zebra crossing on the main street, apparently planning to leave.

Zhong Jing felt somewhat strange and quickly caught up with a few steps.

"Zhong Jing, stop wasting your life. While you're young, do more serious work..."

Crossing the street to a small landscaped garden on the opposite side, Meng Huai found a bench to sit on. Looking composed, his gaze still fixed on Golden River Club's entrance across the street, but his words were directed at Zhong Jing.

"Heh, you're no different from the old man... At least my firm's annual net income is over a million, far exceeding the height most people in society strive for their entire lives. How can you say I'm wasting my life?

"I may not be able to do great things, but I'm not the prodigal son you all think I am."

Zhong Jing sat beside his elder brother, took out cigarettes, lit one, and puffed smoke.

"Your starting point is higher than others. You could do better."

Meng Huai thought for a moment and placed his hand on Zhong Jing's shoulder. This was probably a rare heart-to-heart moment in the brothers' lifelong interactions.

"How much better do I need to be? When many people can't walk anymore, or when others can't catch up, they like to say such things. Regardless of which situation, it's using one's own thoughts to measure others' lives. Is that interesting?"

Zhong Jing exhaled smoke, stood up with a mocking expression, and walked away.

This was the true normal state between the two brothers—they could never find common ground in conversation.

During the afternoon business hours, Jiang Yao, due to a major upgrade in personal image novelty, was obviously much more dedicated, even playing poker with several customers, causing a pursuit among urban male elites and feeling elated for several hours.

Jiang Yan, meanwhile, occasionally observed through the one-way transparent glass exterior wall a certain young man sitting listlessly on a bench across the street, her expression slightly cold.

Some small whispers began spreading within Golden River Club. Several Hyacinth women, when bored, would secretly point at the distant sitting young man from behind the glass wall, frequently glancing toward Jiang Yan's direction with meaningful looks.

Unknowingly, time reached midnight. The last club customer had long since left, and Jiang Yan and others had reached closing time.

The main door successively saw over ten women exit, but Jiang Yan's figure was never seen.

Looking at his watch, Meng Huai stood up to pace back and forth a few steps, changed positions to sit down, then continued staring at Golden River Club's entrance, his body motionless like a clock.

Inside Golden River Club, the golden light curtains had long since dimmed. Jiang Yan stood by a section of glass wall in the second-floor corridor, expressionlessly watching the young man under the distant streetlight, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"Sister, time to go home. There's so much stuff to pack."

Jiang Yao, already changed into her clothes, called from the first-floor lobby.

"Brother Zhao Peng, I'll leave first. I'll come early tomorrow morning..."

After thinking, Jiang Yan still sighed, having no mood to change clothes in the dressing room. Instead, she directly put a white small jacket over her black long dress and turned toward the staircase.

Generally, Golden River Club didn't require everyone to change back into their own clothes before leaving work. If someone really liked a particular dress, they could directly pay to take it home.

Having noticed Meng Huai's strange vigil outside the club multiple times during the day, watching Jiang Yan's departing figure, Zhao Peng could only smile bitterly and turn his head.

Under the streetlight, the black-haired girl in a black dress with white jacket slowly crossed the zebra crossing, finally standing not far from the young man by the green belt. Jiang Yao, meanwhile, watched curiously from a distance, hiding behind a building corner on the other side of the street.

Remembering yesterday morning's scene in Meng Huai's hospital room when they encountered Embroidered Uniform Squad leader Han Xiao, Han Xiao's resentful and suppressed expression made Jiang Yan almost immediately understand what had happened.

Meng Huai's deliberate coldness toward the other party while easily communicating with herself made Jiang Yan feel she had become an unthinkable role in Meng Huai's heart, rather than a simple shield.

Now, Meng Huai had followed through on his words, maintaining vigil outside Golden River Club for an entire day. Jiang Yan could hardly find words to describe her current feelings.

"Meng Huai, we just met by chance. Is there some misunderstanding between us?"

Quietly looking at that angular, heroic face in the dim light, Jiang Yan's tone was somewhat helpless.

"You're off work... Are you really going out of town for training?"

Meng Huai didn't stand up, just turned his head to look at Jiang Yan. His face showed no particular emotion, and he didn't care at all about sitting from noon until late midnight.

"Mm, I need to go home and pack luggage in a bit. I'll depart early tomorrow morning."

Jiang Yan hesitated briefly before slowly sitting on another bench not far from Meng Huai.

The two people sat strangely on separate benches, occasionally exchanging glances.

"I also have to report to Army General Hospital tomorrow. It's a special task given by superior leaders to cooperate with clinical observation, probably lasting one or two months. I can't refuse."

Meng Huai stood up, straightening his suit, his expression returning to his habitual coldness. "Today was just to let you know. I'm leaving."

"Wait, Meng Huai, you haven't answered my earlier question!"

Jiang Yan also stood up, feeling a bit cold, a bit panicked, and a bit fearful.

"There's no misunderstanding. We just met very coincidentally, telling some normal stories, discussing some normal topics."

Meng Huai had his back turned, not looking back.

"Then... let's not meet anymore in the future, okay?"

"Okay!"

Meng Huai strode away, quickly disappearing at the end of the moonlit street.

Jiang Yan lowered her head slightly. Although the other party's answer made her feel somewhat relieved, for some unknown reason, a trace of sadness appeared in her heart, along with a trace of regret.