Yun Xingze had just finished packing his luggage and was about to go to bed when he suddenly received a communication from Yun Changsheng.
Since his last encounter with the Yun family, apart from his younger brother Yun Wu, Xingze hadn’t developed much fondness for them.
Upon answering the call, the holographic projections of the Yun family members appeared in his room.
The three of them sat across from Xingze, each with different expressions.
“Xingxing, training must have been tough lately, hasn’t it?” Yun Changsheng was the first to speak, his face wearing a smile. “Tomorrow, you’ll be heading to Noah Star for the competition. I hope you perform well. If you make it past the group stage, I’ll reward you with a mecha.”
His younger brother, Yun Wu, chimed in, “Bro, I heard Noah Star has a lot of fun stuff, there’s even a carnival going on recently. Oh, and their fruits are famous too.”
Before he could finish, Qin Shuang cut him off, picking up where Yun Changsheng left off: “What’s with all this talk about fun? Your father is right, you should focus on performing well in the competition to elevate our family’s reputation. Don’t disappoint him, understand?”
Her words were laced with flattery toward Yun Changsheng.
Xingze listened quietly, then curled his lips slightly, his tone neither warm nor cold. “Thank you for your concern.”
Yun Changsheng added a few more words, essentially expressing his hope that Xingze would fulfill his own unfulfilled dream of competing in the NCLM and bring back a good result to make him proud.
After speaking, Yun Changsheng and Yun Wu left the call and went to bed.
Qin Shuang had initially intended to end the communication, but her finger paused abruptly.
Though it was late, she still wore flawless, exquisite makeup, her striking beauty undiminished in the holographic projection.
With Yun Changsheng and Yun Wu gone, she shed her earlier subservient housewife demeanor, her voice turning icy. “Yun Xingze, let me be honest—you’re an Omega. With your skills, you’ll only get beaten up in the NCLM. Your father is bound to be disappointed.”
“Oh?” Xingze lifted his gaze to meet hers and suddenly chuckled. “Then why didn’t you say that earlier?”
“Your father doesn’t like hearing it. Right now, he’s bragging everywhere, saying even his Omega son can pilot a mecha, so Yun Wu will surely become a general-level figure in the future.” Qin Shuang spoke slowly. “All in all, you’ve managed to surprise me.”
In front of Yun Changsheng, Qin Shuang was meek, submissive, and somewhat vulgar—a stereotypical, chattering Omega housewife.
But when Yun Changsheng wasn’t around, her words turned sharp, her eyes exuding the demeanor of a strong, independent woman.
Xingze recalled that when he had broken off his engagement with Chi Yu, Qin Shuang had acted the same way. No wonder the original owner had been afraid of her and obeyed her every word.
For a moment, Xingze couldn’t tell which version of Qin Shuang was the real one.
“Listen, your father dislikes weakness, but I don’t care about that.” Qin Shuang stared at Xingze, her tone commanding. “The competition doesn’t matter at all. Your marriage to Chi Yu is what’s truly important. Drop this childish attitude and rebind your pheromones with Chi Yu.”
Every time Qin Shuang spoke to Xingze, she brought up his marriage to Chi Yu.
In her eyes, Xingze’s only value lay in marrying Chi Yu.
“He likes strong people?” Xingze raised an eyebrow. “Then why do you act so obedient in front of him?”
Qin Shuang frowned slightly and, after a moment of silence, replied, “He likes strong women, but not those stronger than him.”
“From what I know, you’re an executive at Changsheng Mecha Corporation, a capable Omega.” Yun Xingze looked up at the woman in the hologram and asked slowly, “In your view, is an Omega’s only value in marriage?”
“You—”
Qin Shuang was momentarily stunned.
Under her upbringing, the original host had been an obedient child who always sought a powerful Alpha as a husband, naive to the world and thus hopelessly infatuated with Chi Yu.
But now, the questioning in Yun Xingze’s eyes made her feel almost unable to meet his gaze.
“Don’t change the subject,” Qin Shuang pressed her lips together. “You don’t understand the importance of the Chi family to ours.”
Yun Xingze parted his thin lips slightly. “I’d like to hear the details.”
“The Chi family has deep ties with the military. They have access to intelligence from the Mecha Research Institute. Though often fragmented or even discarded drafts, it’s enough to keep our company ahead of competitors.”
Qin Shuang spoke earnestly, analyzing how Yun Family’s current operations relied on the Chi family’s information.
After finishing, she seemed surprised at herself and scoffed, “Why am I even telling you this? What do you know about mecha? You’ve barely set foot in the company your whole life.”
“So, you’d sell your own son for scraps of intel from the Research Institute?” Yun Xingze asked coldly.
“Do you even know what the Research Institute represents?” Qin Shuang’s eyes widened slowly, her expression dripping with disdain. “Your worth can’t compare to that intel because it’s a place you’ll never set foot in your entire life. Understand?”
Yun Xingze took a deep breath. He had originally thought that if the Yun family showed any change, he might consider offering technical assistance to Changsheng Mecha Corporation.
He looked at Qin Shuang and asked slowly, “So you’re determined to force me and Chi Yu together, is that it?”
“Unless you can become a researcher at the Research Institute,” Qin Shuang said coldly, her pupils reflecting the sterile light of the virtual screen, devoid of any warmth, “or find a high-compatibility royal noble.”
Yun Xingze fell silent.
He knew neither would be easy to achieve.
“But both are impossible for you,” Qin Shuang stated matter-of-factly. “I raised you all these years, treated you well, all to fulfill your value as an Omega. Now, it’s time you repaid the Yun family.”
“What if I can?” Yun Xingze suddenly countered. “I don’t believe an Omega’s value lies solely in marriage. Given your contributions to Changsheng, you could survive in another company even if you left. That’s an Omega’s true worth.”
Qin Shuang seemed taken aback by his words, her gaze flickering momentarily.
But she closed her eyes briefly, quickly regaining composure, and looked at Yun Xingze with detached indifference. “If I leave Changsheng, no mecha corporation would let an Omega like me be an executive. This society gives Omegas no opportunities at all.”
With that, Qin Shuang ended the call.
