Chapter 81: Unlocking and Ending
Ming Fei’s breath hitched.
Not only was the key in her pocket, but the other end of the silver handcuff was also in her hand. As long as she didn’t unlock it, she could stay close to Zhu Yiqiao.
It was a simple thing, requiring no effort at all, so much so that her pheromones couldn’t help but express their joy, even proactively offering a tempting opening to the playful raccoon cat.
Ming Fei pursed her lips slightly: “…Jiejie.”
Zhu Yiqiao looked up and met her gaze: “Mm?”
“Don’t you want to?”
The few seconds between breaths stretched into an eternity. Ming Fei hesitated to speak, her metaphorical ears drooping, remaining silent.
She did want to.
This could greatly satisfy her possessiveness.
But…
Zhu Yiqiao didn’t ask again. She slightly moved her handcuffed hand, confirming that her movements weren’t greatly restricted. She led Ming Fei to sit down and spent ten minutes finishing the remaining pages of the book.
Closing the light blue cover, she looked sideways at Ming Fei: “Are you sleepy?”
Ming Fei replied, “Mm.”
Zhu Yiqiao said, “Let’s renew the marking before resting.”
Ming Fei’s face flushed slightly: “Okay.”
In the next five minutes, she followed the steps Zhu Yiqiao had taught her in the previous sessions, carefully applying another temporary marking. Throughout the process, she paid close attention to Zhu Yiqiao’s reactions, suppressing her own desires while ensuring the best and gentlest marking experience for Zhu Yiqiao.
After the marking, neither of them spoke, breaking the silence.
They embraced each other, Zhu Yiqiao’s fingertips resting on Ming Fei’s neck, watching as the jade-white of her ears gradually turned a lotus pink.
Then, she deliberately said, “Ah Fei, your ears are red.”
As soon as she finished speaking, not only did Ming Fei’s ears turn redder, but her entire face flushed.
She tried to explain, “This is a normal physiological reaction, doesn’t it happen to Jiejie too?”
Zhu Yiqiao teased her, “I don’t know, should we check?”
Ming Fei’s heart pounded, and she released Zhu Yiqiao.
“Jiejie, let’s rest.”
“Okay.”
The warm bed in the third-floor master bedroom was spacious. Ming Fei slept on the right side, Zhu Yiqiao on the left, about half a meter between them.
Only the automatic night light illuminated the room. Just as Ming Fei was about to say goodnight, Zhu Yiqiao suddenly moved closer, and the pine and fir scent wafted towards her.
A click—
The other end of the handcuff was fastened to Ming Fei’s wrist.
Meeting Ming Fei’s surprised gaze, Zhu Yiqiao said calmly, “This way, I won’t leave Ah Fei, right?”
[Yes.]
[This is how it should be.]
[She’s handcuffed, the key is in your hand, she can never leave you.]
The possessiveness of her heat cycle was like a sharp blade piercing Ming Fei’s heart, her rationality, calmness, and restraint draining away like blood. Just as the blood was about to run dry, she grasped the sharp blade and began to examine her increasingly lost self.
Hesitant, clingy, sensitive, bewildered, lacking a sense of security, not stopping Zhu Yiqiao after she put on the handcuffs, even being gradually consumed by the satisfaction Zhu Yiqiao brought her.
All of these were sides of her that she usually wouldn’t show.
She realized that things were developing in an uncontrollable direction. Although she had clarified her feelings for Zhu Yiqiao and was certain that she couldn’t stop liking her, she hadn’t fully thought about what to do next.
Therefore, she couldn’t help but ask herself—
Ming Fei, what are you doing?
Without fully understanding, weren’t your current actions… offensive, transgressive, even harmful?
You clearly knew that she had been hiding her true self for so many years, you clearly knew that she didn’t like this side of alphas, yet you indulged yourself.
—Ming Fei.
This wasn’t liking.
You were hurting her.
This realization made Ming Fei’s heart clench. She used all her strength to break free from the shackles and the blade, the tug-of-war between reason and desire almost tearing her apart.
“—Ah Fei.”
A clear, spring-like voice rang out beside Ming Fei’s ear, her consciousness gradually clearing. After opening her eyes, Ming Fei looked at the person in front of her intently.
Then, she took the key from the bedside table and swiftly unlocked the handcuffs that bound them together. The cold, hard handcuffs fell onto the soft bedding. Just as Zhu Yiqiao was about to speak, Ming Fei covered her mouth.
Her hand, fully opened, could cover Zhu Yiqiao’s entire face. Now, it loosely covered the lower half of her face, her palm almost touching Zhu Yiqiao’s lips.
“…Jiejie.”
She said, “I’m not sure how much longer this heat cycle will last, but for the remaining time, except for the agreed-upon temporary markings, I won’t let myself get close to you again.”
“I admit that I really, really want to follow you every step of the way, to indulge myself and not unlock these handcuffs, and I can’t completely control myself. But I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want to…”
She erased the last part of her sentence, changing the subject, “Our agreement didn’t include any further comforting. Thank you for taking care of me, Jiejie, and I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you.”
“I’ll go downstairs now, goodnight.”
After saying that, she got out of bed without hesitation, packed up the bite blocker and handcuffs she had brought, thoughtfully placed a glass of warm water on the bedside table for Zhu Yiqiao, and then left the room.
And from beginning to end, Zhu Yiqiao didn’t say a word. It wasn’t until the security door automatically closed, and the display screen not far away lit up again, that she looked sideways at the green crystal bracelet Ming Fei had left on the bed.
She knew it was an accessory Ming Fei used to cover the scar on her wrist, and Ming Fei’s rationality and restraint tonight were like wielding a sword against her own desires during her heat cycle.
Thump, thump.
Feeling her abnormally fast heartbeat, a clear smile flickered in her eyes.
So, unknowingly, she had already become captivated. She thought.
Ming Fei’s first heat cycle lasted three and a half days.
For the three days after the first night, Ming Fei, as she had planned, isolated herself after each temporary marking, only leaving the second floor for meals or the next marking.
During this time, Zhu Yiqiao occasionally asked if she needed help, but Ming Fei refused every time. It wasn’t until Tuesday morning that Ming Fei completely recovered.
After washing up and going downstairs, Ming Fei learned from the message on 0619’s display screen that Zhu Yiqiao had gone to the Trial Court.
She replied to Zhu Yiqiao’s message, finished breakfast alone, and was about to go pick up Ming Zaozao when 0619 came up to her with a tray.
On the tray was a glass of clear liquid. 0619 explained, “Teacher Xiao Fei, this was made by Chief Judge Zhu early this morning. She said to drink it after breakfast, it’s very good for your health.”
Ming Fei guessed it was a supplementary prescription from Dr. Tang, to alleviate the lingering effects of her heat cycle.
“Mm, okay.”
As she drank it, 0619 added, “Chief Judge Zhu got up very early. She simmered it in the kitchen for half an hour~ But Chief Judge Zhu is really too busy, she even had to multitask and work during that half hour.”
Ming Fei’s heart stirred, but she didn’t say anything.
Seeing this, 0619 asked curiously, “Teacher Xiao Fei, how does it taste?”
Ming Fei: “It’s sweet.”
0619’s display screen lit up with colorful candies: “I guessed as much. Chief Judge Zhu was worried you would find it bitter, so she added a lot of honey.”
Ming Fei smiled, placed the empty glass back on the tray, gave 0619 a few instructions, then went to the garage and drove away in the hovercar.
During the journey, the answer she had been pondering gradually became clear. If she couldn’t stop, if she couldn’t be content with just being friends, then…
Thinking of something, she smiled, clearly in a good mood, even humming along to the music.
It took half an hour to reach Xu Zhou’s villa.
The hovercar entered the garage, and as soon as Ming Fei got out, she saw her daughter, whom she hadn’t seen for almost four days. Ming Zaozao was sitting in the pavilion, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan by her side, and a chattering peach-colored parrot perched on the table.
“Want fish, want fish!”
Ming Zaozao cupped her face in her hands: “Only kittens like to eat fish! Yima said that little birds prefer to eat worms!”
Ming Fei approached, following the robot butler. Xu Zhou, sitting opposite Ming Zaozao, was working on documents. Ming Zaozao, the first to notice Ming Fei, happily ran towards her.
“Mommy!”
Ming Fei hugged her and pinched her chubby cheeks: “Zaozao, did you drink your milk this morning?”
“Mm-hmm!” Ming Zaozao nuzzled her cheek. “Baby missed Mommy, and then Mommy came!”
Ming Fei softly coaxed Zaozao, and as she entered the pavilion, she noticed that the surrounding flowers were the same varieties as in Xue Xun’s garden.
The smile in her eyes deepened: “Jiejie.”
Xu Zhou, having finished her work, looked up at her: “Mm, have you had breakfast?”
Ming Fei: “I have.”
Suddenly, the parrot named Mao Mao flew away, and Ming Zaozao, after kissing Ming Fei on the cheek, took Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan and chased after it into the back garden.
In the fish pond next to the pavilion, the koi fish swam, their tails swaying. Ming Fei scattered some fish food, leisurely watching them eat.
She thought for a moment: “Jiejie.”
“Mm?”
“If… I…” Ming Fei hesitated, then stopped. “Forget it, I’ll tell Jiejie after I’ve thought it through.”
But Xu Zhou was more perceptive than she thought: “Want to talk about Chief Judge Zhu?”
Ming Fei scattered some more fish food: “Jiejie, there’s one last thing I’m not sure about.”
“Not sure about what?” Xu Zhou said, “Xiao Fei, don’t doubt yourself.”
Just as Ming Fei was about to say something, her phone in her pocket vibrated. She smiled and responded to Xu Zhou with an “mm-hmm,” saying that she understood, then looked down at the new message.
It was a group notification from the academy.
The previously scheduled elderly care home in the nearby rural area had been changed to another one, Xinmin Elderly Care Home. Ming Fei searched for its location and found that it wasn’t much farther, and Xinmin Elderly Care Home had a longer history.
She forwarded this message to Li Xing. When she looked up again, Xu Zhou finished her last cup of tea and said, “Xiao Fei, come with me.”
Ming Fei didn’t ask why: “Okay.”
She followed Xu Zhou out of the pavilion, through the living room, and straight to the study on the second floor. The study’s decor was completely different from the rest of the villa, looking very retro, like a style popular in the old century.
Ming Fei sat down on the sofa, and Xu Zhou turned and took out a small black sphere from the safe.
About the size of a grain of rice, easily overlooked by the naked eye.
She explained, “I found this in my bracelet yesterday.”
Ming Fei asked, “What is this?”
Xu Zhou didn’t answer. The moment she held the black sphere, the surrounding scene suddenly blurred.
In a void, Ming Fei saw two women.
—Both had black hair and black eyes. One had smiling almond eyes and was very gentle, the other had a naturally cold expression, but her eyes also held reluctance and affection.
