“It’s not too bad,” Li Jia replied. Concerned by the question, she packed away her books and capped her pen. “I’m not extremely tired.”
Hearing that only made Ye Chengxing feel more distressed. “Then let me give you a massage. We can wash up afterward.”
“A massage? Won’t that trouble you too much, Sister?” The omega looked a bit hesitant.
“Not at all.” Ye Chengxing’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she gathered Li Jia’s long hair and draped it forward. “You can just sit there.”
Li Jia still seemed a little shy but obediently tugged her clothes down a bit.
Ye Chengxing’s fingertips paused, and she couldn’t help clearing her throat. “No need… to take off your clothes.”
Li Jia’s movements froze at the words, her expression puzzled. “I was just exposing my shoulders a little to make it easier for you. Why would I need to take off my clothes?”
She asked it so earnestly.
Ye Chengxing realized she’d overthought it, and her face flushed red in an instant. She wanted to crawl into a hole.
Come to think of it, the same thing had happened last time when she’d helped Li Jia bathe.
Sigh, she really was overthinking everything.
Li Jia was clearly innocent of it all—her actions were pure happenstance. Misinterpreting them like this left Ye Chengxing feeling deeply embarrassed.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Ye Chengxing waved it off hastily. “Let’s just get started.”
Besides, exposing a bit of shoulder really did make it easier to massage.
The pale shoulder gleamed like fresh snow, shimmering with a soft luster under the lamplight.
Ye Chengxing had read up a little on massage techniques before, though she hadn’t had much chance to practice. She wasn’t sure how well she was doing.
Standing behind Li Jia, she couldn’t see her expression, so she asked, “How does it feel? Is the pressure too light or too heavy? Tell me if you feel anything off.”
At her words, the omega let out a soft gasp. “It’s a bit light… Could you press a little harder, Sister?”
Ye Chengxing obliged, adding more force.
“Mm… Sister, you’re amazing. It feels so good…”
Li Jia’s voice came in soft, intermittent bursts with each motion. Ye Chengxing bit her lip, feeling her own face heat up.
It was just an innocent act, she reminded herself firmly—
This was all Li Jia acting without any ulterior motive.
Li Jia didn’t know a thing, and here she was overanalyzing it to the point of blushing shamefully.
Right then, the omega glanced back at her with a puzzled look. “Is my room hot? Why is your face so red, Sister?”
Ye Chengxing’s hands stilled, and she felt like she was practically steaming with embarrassment. She changed the subject at lightspeed. “I think that’s enough for now. Let’s go wash up.”
Li Jia stood and rolled her shoulders, apparently oblivious to the deflection. “Okay, but it really felt wonderful with you massaging me like that…”
Before she could finish, Ye Chengxing had already risen and headed into the bathroom. Her muffled voice drifted out through the door. “I’ll go first, then help you after.”
Li Jia’s lips curved into a smile, and she murmured her assent.
In truth, though, what she’d said earlier was the opposite of how she really felt…
Being touched by Ye Chengxing only made the discomfort worse.
A massage wasn’t a bad idea, though. A full-body one would probably feel incredible.
But that would mean Ye Chengxing would notice—notice the instinctive reaction her touch provoked.
Better to take it slow. She didn’t want to scare her off.
Li Jia schooled her expression and stepped into the bathroom.
After finishing her own wash-up, Ye Chengxing considered the situation. Li Jia’s palms were injured and couldn’t get wet, so she’d just help her with her face.
That shouldn’t take long, and afterward, Li Jia would probably head back to her own room.
Things unfolded more or less as she’d anticipated.
The omega obediently tilted her face up as Ye Chengxing cleaned it, then wrung out the towel and hung it to dry.
Ye Chengxing looked at Li Jia and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. As she opened her mouth to say Li Jia’s name, her wrist was suddenly grasped.
Li Jia met her gaze.
Her face was dry now, but her eyelashes still looked a little damp. “Sister… could we sleep together tonight?”
Ye Chengxing blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
“I mean, sleep together.” Li Jia tugged her wrist closer and nuzzled her cheek against Ye Chengxing’s hand. “It feels so nice having you by my side. Could you stay with me a bit longer?”
Ye Chengxing finally caught on—Li Jia just wanted to spend more time together.
Still, phrasing it like that… it was so easy to misunderstand.
She couldn’t help reflecting on herself for a moment.
How could Li Jia possibly mean anything like that? She really was overthinking it.
But it was clear Li Jia was deeply attached to her.
Lately, Ye Chengxing had been genuinely busy, and she hadn’t given Li Jia enough attention.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, she reasoned that it was just sisterly affection—nothing more than sharing a bed for a simple night’s sleep. There was no harm in it; she was overthinking again.
After all, it was only natural for a little sister to cling to her big sister, especially since Ye Chengxing was the one who’d brought Li Jia out of that place.
After weighing it all, Ye Chengxing hesitated only briefly before agreeing. “Sure, we’ll sleep together tonight.”
She emphasized “tonight” deliberately.
In her mind, it was just for this one night. But once Li Jia had broached the topic, it wouldn’t stop there—she had ways to turn one night into countless ones.
Ye Chengxing, however, was blissfully unaware of that dynamic. If she’d realized it, she probably wouldn’t have agreed so readily.
Li Jia, on the other hand, knew exactly how little Ye Chengxing grasped this. She didn’t give the alpha time to overthink it. Hearing the agreement, she put on a deeply satisfied expression, sidled closer, and threw herself into Ye Chengxing’s arms before she could second-guess. With her eyes curved in delight, the omega spoke in a soft, joyful voice. “You’re the best, Sister.”
Ye Chengxing’s train of thought derailed successfully. She thought to herself that Li Jia was this thrilled over such a small thing—she really needed to spend more time with her.
Once everything was tidied away, the lights went out, and moonlight filtered into the room.
Whether before or after arriving in this world, Ye Chengxing had always slept alone. Having someone beside her now felt a little strange.
In the dimness, where Ye Chengxing couldn’t make out her expression, Li Jia boldly let her eyes roam over the alpha. She couldn’t help pondering just where this Ye Chengxing had come from.
At first, she’d thought she’d been reborn into a parallel world. But later, she realized everything matched her previous life—except for the woman before her.
And the more she interacted with this Ye Chengxing, the more complex the feelings she evoked.
She didn’t seem like someone from this world at all.
Her understanding of alpha-beta-omega dynamics felt profoundly unfamiliar—superficial at best, with instinctive reactions that were utterly foreign. Otherwise, Li Jia’s few pitiful pleas wouldn’t have convinced her to share a bed so easily.
Not only that, but she made delicious foods that had never existed before, handling the cooking with such practiced ease.
To Li Jia, she was like light.
But light was the hardest thing to hold onto.
Would she stay by her side forever? How could someone so good be kept?
In the dead of night, thoughts often ran wild. Li Jia found herself wondering again why Ye Chengxing was helping her like this.
Was it really just because she enjoyed helping others?
Wouldn’t that make her savior persona too one-dimensional?
Li Jia gazed at Ye Chengxing’s faint silhouette in the moonlight, her eyes narrowing slightly.
The advantages of her rebirth were overwhelming, and with her recent preparations, those who once seemed untouchable now looked as insignificant as specks of dust. She’d been ready to accelerate her plans, but now… perhaps she could milk Lin Que’s side for a bit longer. He still had some use. If Ye Chengxing just liked the feeling of helping her, enriching that plot thread could give the whole story more depth—and make Ye Chengxing feel more invested.
And her own persona—
A fragile yet pure, diligent and resilient omega—that had to be the image of “Li Jia” in Ye Chengxing’s mind.
Li Jia contemplated it all calmly, utterly at ease with factoring herself into the scheme. She ran through scenarios in her head, calculating how to draw Ye Chengxing deeper into the drama. If this was a play, she wanted the curtain never to fall. She could become any version Ye Chengxing desired without seeming out of character.
As long as she stayed by her side.
Having mapped out the next steps in her mind, Li Jia betrayed nothing on her face.
The distance between them felt too great. Dissatisfied, she scooted closer to Ye Chengxing.
Until their skin touched, and the omega’s voice came as a soft murmur, like a whisper. “Sister, you have to stay by my side forever, okay?”
Li Jia’s skin carried a chill, cool like ice at the first touch. Ye Chengxing hadn’t quite caught her words and asked, “What did you just say? I didn’t hear clearly. Could you repeat it?”
Of course, repeating herself was out of the question. Li Jia tamped down the covetous desire surging within her and pressed even closer to Ye Chengxing’s body. “Nothing… I just said it feels a bit cold.”
Ye Chengxing instinctively took hold of her hand. With skin this icy, how could it not be cold? She gripped it tighter, hoping to warm her up.
Compared to Li Jia’s, Ye Chengxing’s palm felt like a warm hearth.
As she rubbed warmth into Li Jia’s hand, Ye Chengxing gently patted her back and hummed a soft, soothing lullaby—an unknown melody meant to coax her to sleep.
For the moment, neither of them spoke. The room settled into a peaceful quiet.
Moonlight filtered through the window, mingling with the warmth of a soft body laced with a faint fragrance, and the barely audible whispers of gentle coaxing in her ear.
Li Jia greedily breathed in the trace of oolong tea-scented pheromones wafting from Ye Chengxing, pulling the Alpha even closer. She wasn’t really in the mood for sleep, but after so much tender coaxing, drowsiness began to creep in.
In that moment, she realized a simple embrace like this was rather nice. Her body might not be fully sated, but her heart brimmed with the same joy and fulfillment.
…She didn’t want to let go.
Ye Chengxing felt the Omega cling even tighter, and pity welled up in her heart.
She really is so insecure.
The embrace was indeed too tight, too intimate—their heartbeats and breaths nearly intertwining—but in the end, Ye Chengxing let Li Jia hold her just like that.
It was only a big sister’s hug for her little sister, after all. If it gave Li Jia a greater sense of security, Ye Chengxing was more than willing to linger a while longer.
With those thoughts in mind, she kept on humming to soothe the Omega toward sleep. Eventually, she wasn’t sure if Li Jia had drifted off; she herself was starting to feel sleepy.
Her original plan had been to slip back to her own room once Li Jia was out… That had been the plan.
But acting on it now seemed tricky.
Leaving aside her own drowsiness, the biggest problem was how tightly Li Jia was holding on.
Ye Chengxing stole a glance at the Omega’s sleeping face in the moonlight. Li Jia appeared to be asleep, yet her arms remained locked around her even in slumber.
Tentatively, Ye Chengxing reached out to touch her arm. Li Jia stirred slightly as if sensing it, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she nestled her face deeper into Ye Chengxing’s chest.
Ye Chengxing let out a soft chuckle but didn’t move again.
Truth be told, she was exhausted. She might as well sleep like this.
What she didn’t realize was that soon after she herself had nodded off, the Omega in her arms—who should have been fast asleep—opened her eyes and gazed at her, apparently dissatisfied with their position.
With the lightest touch, Li Jia guided Ye Chengxing’s hand to rest on her waist. Now it looked as though Ye Chengxing were the one holding her.
Satisfied at last, Li Jia savored the sensation a moment longer before closing her eyes once more.
