Chapter 36

Shu Qingyou believed her hint had been obvious. She waited at the elevator entrance without pressing the floor button. The click of high heels approached from behind, growing louder.

The scent of perfume wafted into her nose first, followed by vibrant big waves of hair entering her view.

Shu Qingyou smiled and nodded. “Miss Gu, hello.”

Out of politeness, she took the initiative to show friendliness. She pressed the elevator button for the ground floor, and the red light lit up.

“Hello.”

Gu Huaiyuan immediately took a good look at Shu Qingyou. Their previous brief encounter had left only a fleeting impression of someone quiet and reserved.

Ever since investigating Shu Qingyou’s background, she had felt a bit hostile toward this family. She had suspected that Lin Xu might have been lured in by Shu Qingyou, but the two Shu sisters knew nothing about the incident from back then.

Given Lin Xu’s personality, it was impossible that she hadn’t thoroughly investigated. Besides, the other side had no power or influence—even if Lin Xu had destroyed Shu Qingyou’s family and covered it up, it would have been effortless.

The only possibility was that Lin Xu had chosen not to pursue it.

She caught the scent of Shu Qingyou’s hair—it was the same shampoo as Lin Xu’s. For someone as germaphobic as Lin Xu to share bath products with an Omega was a bit horrifying.

“Were you waiting for me just now, Miss Shu?”

Shu Qingyou shifted her gaze from the descending floor numbers and turned her face away. Her voice lowered, unhurried. “Actually, I have a favor to ask. Thank you earlier.”

Gu Huaiyuan liked dealing with straightforward people. She had even told Lin Xu directly while observing the little girl, but she preferred to be a close-range spectator munching on the drama.

“No problem. I just didn’t expect Lin Xu to have a secret lover tucked away.”

It was pretty humorous. Shu Qingyou’s smile deepened a little. “She’s changed a lot. It… took me some time to adjust.”

This Omega didn’t seem particularly special at first glance—aside from being good-looking, her personality wasn’t all that likable. What exactly did Lin Xu like about her?

Ding—

Gu Huaiyuan stepped out of the elevator first, eager to get the full scoop. “How did you two meet?”

Shu Qingyou headed toward the 24-hour convenience store on the first floor. Without thinking, she replied, “My studio went bankrupt, and she handed me a tissue.”

What a cliché meet-cute. Gu Huaiyuan let out an “ah.” “That’s such a low-level move, and you fell for it?”

She hadn’t eaten dinner before rushing Shu Rong to the hospital that evening. When she saw Lin Xu, she had felt starving. She picked out a triangular tuna rice ball.

“It wasn’t exactly falling for her. It was just a coincidence. When you’re feeling down, kindness from a stranger can come with a halo effect.”

Gu Huaiyuan burst out laughing. Angel face with a devil’s heart, huh? She grabbed a can of cola and checked out. “Did Lin Xu trick you?”

“Could you heat these two rice balls?” Shu Qingyou handed them to the cashier, then turned back, a bit embarrassed. “She was really good to me at the beginning.”

Such an honest admission. So Shu Qingyou had experienced Lin Xu’s scummy side firsthand—and still chose to stay with her. This Omega seemed to have a touch of Stockholm syndrome.

“If she bullies you, you can always call the police. It’s a society governed by law. For domestic violence, you can apply for a restraining order.”

Gu Huaiyuan thought of the little girl and added, “So you’re even willing to have a child with her? How did she manage to hide it from us for so long? She lives with her grandma, ha—turns out she’s a time management master.”

Incredible. Gu Huaiyuan tapped her index finger on the cola can and pulled the tab up. Bubbles bubbled out, sliding from her fingertip to her palm in a sticky mess.

She frowned. Shu Qingyou pulled out a wet wipe. “Let me hold your cola for now.”

“Uh, thanks.”

Gu Huaiyuan carefully wiped her hands clean and balled up the tissue. She paused slightly. “How old is your child?”

The cola was ice-cold. After holding it briefly, when Shu Qingyou handed it back, her fingers had a layer of chill and were slightly red. “Three years old.”

Their fingertips brushed. Gu Huaiyuan noticed it too—her hands were freezing. Could it be some postpartum issue?

She quickly calculated the timeline, then slowly opened her mouth and gave a thumbs-up. “Lin Xu… she’s like this.”

The two walked out together. Shu Qingyou insisted on escorting her to the parking spot. “You’re misunderstanding. Lin Xu never knew she had a daughter. We broke up four years ago.”

“Damn, that’s wild,” Gu Huaiyuan said, gulping down the cola. So refreshing. “I knew she was a scumbag. You should dump her quick.”

“I’ve thought about it, but her situation…” Shu Qingyou shook her head helplessly, her eyes clear and gentle. “Miss Gu, I hope you won’t tell her for now.”

“Of course. But she’ll remember eventually. You…”

Though they hadn’t known each other long, Shu Qingyou was clearly far more mature than Lin Xu. She pulled out her phone and added Shu Qingyou on WeChat. “If she bullies you again, I’ll teach her a lesson for you!”

“Okay.”

After seeing her off, Shu Qingyou shivered. The night sky held no stars. She hurried back to the inpatient ward, recalling the time Shu Rong had a fever and refused to eat.

She blamed herself. Rongrong’s constitution had always been weaker than other children her age, so she rarely took her on long trips. But Rongrong’s rare excitement had been hard to disappoint.

The situation wasn’t too severe, but after this illness, she worried if her child could ever be like a normal kid.

The food in the bag was still warm. Lin Xu stood guard at the door, her eyes darting between Shu Rong’s room and the elevator.

As soon as Shu Qingyou emerged, Lin Xu strode forward, took the convenience bag, and pulled her into a tight embrace. The force seemed to melt her into her body, her breaths heavy against her neck.

The inpatient area was constantly warm, but Lin Xu’s sudden bear hug made Shu Qingyou’s breath hitch. She felt the anxiety radiating from Lin Xu.

She freed one hand to soothe her. “It’s okay. The nurses are still here. Are you tired?”

Lin Xu nuzzled and rubbed against her grumpily, mumbling that the nurses were slumped over their desks asleep.

Then, with a bend at the waist, she scooped Shu Qingyou up into a bridal carry.

If they hadn’t been in a hospital, Shu Qingyou might have let out a soft yelp. Her heart dropped suddenly, and she wrapped her arms around Lin Xu.

“What are you doing? Put me down.”

On other matters, Lin Xu didn’t care much and could be carefree without issue, but Shu Qingyou’s eyes were slightly red and swollen—traces of tears.

Lin Xu understood. When a child was sick, no one suffered more than the mother.

Shu Qingyou must have cried quietly, not wanting her to know. Lin Xu had her own little scheme: passing by the half-open doctor’s duty room.

She got her wish, seeing the doctor’s incredulous expression.

The room held only Shu Rong that day. Lin Xu entered without putting Shu Qingyou down and sat her on her lap.

Lin Xu said aggrievedly, “Your phone was off.”

Shu Qingyou felt embarrassed. “I took too many photos and videos. The battery died, and I forgot the charger.”

“Put me down first.”

Lin Xu gripped her slim waist, refusing to let her escape. Their eyes met, and she teased, “Put you where? The next bed over?”

The beds were separated by curtains, and it wasn’t right to crash on an empty one. “Rongrong’s here. Behave yourself.”

Lin Xu’s tie was loosened to the side, two shirt buttons undone. Her soft form was wrapped in black fabric. Shu Qingyou turned back to look at her face.

She had to admit, Lin Xu cut a dashing figure overall. From her vantage point above, Shu Qingyou couldn’t help herself and pinched her cheeks in mild frustration. “Why didn’t you stay with your grandma?”

Lin Xu narrowed her eyes—Shu Qingyou’s hand actually cooled her face. She held the hand against her cheek.

“I’ve already broken my word twice—no accompanying you to the amusement park, and skipping dinner. Third time’s the charm. I didn’t dare not come back.”

“That doesn’t count as breaking your word…” Shu Qingyou’s skin chafed against the roughness. She furrowed her brow, flipped over Lin Xu’s hand, and saw the red welts crisscrossing it.

Lin Xu yanked it back immediately. “Ow, don’t look.”

She had come to her despite being injured. Shu Qingyou asked, “Did your grandma give you a hard time?”

Lin Xu’s eyes darted everywhere, avoiding the main point. “No, she was pretty nice to me. She even rewarded me with this. I just fell and hurt myself. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

It was indeed two slaps as a “reward.”

She even pressed the wounds deliberately—a stinging pain, but bearable. “My blood clots well. See, it’s almost scabbed over.”

Lin Xu picked up a chocolate truffle and held it up from below to Shu Qingyou’s lips.

“Eat this today while it’s fresh. It’ll get soggy tomorrow and lose its flavor. Try it—it’s got a molten center.”

Was this putting her on a pedestal?

Shu Qingyou brushed the hair from her cheek and opened her mouth. Her teeth bit down, splitting the chocolate. Golden molten filling oozed out. She flicked out her tongue and sucked some in.

Lin Xu’s fingers trembled as she watched that crimson little tongue and the movement in Shu Qingyou’s swan-like neck. Shu Qingyou licked the filling from her lower lip.

This was… too foul play.

Halfway through, Lin Xu stopped feeding her and popped the rest into her own mouth. “One half each.”

Shu Qingyou stared in shock. “That’s the one I bit…”

Lin Xu chewed the chocolate and played shameless. “I don’t mind your saliva.”

The words carried several layers of innuendo. Lin Xu watched her ear tips.

“Be good and let me down,” Shu Qingyou poked her between the brows and scolded softly. “If Rongrong wakes up and sees us like this, she’ll be confused.”

Lin Xu bounced her legs a few times. Shu Qingyou quickly covered her mouth, her pupils contracting slowly in disbelief. Her glands reacted a bit.

How mortifying—she felt like she could die of shame. Anger flickered in Shu Qingyou’s eyes.

Yet heat still flooded out from there.

She gripped Lin Xu’s arm tightly. “Stop fooling around, okay?”

Lin Xu hadn’t meant to go that far—just a joke to ease her tension. When Shu Qingyou returned to her usual composure, she stopped.

“Sorry, Qingyou. Rongrong getting sick is partly my fault. You couldn’t even sleep properly tonight.”

“It’s fine. The first year after Rongrong was born, I only slept a few hours a night. I’m used to it.”

Lin Xu felt even more heartbroken. Why have a kid at all? She vented her anger at the other irresponsible Alpha mother. “I’ve never asked—what happened to her other mom? You’ve divorced, right? Do you hate her a lot?”

For a single mom, raising a child alone was both tough and admirable.

If Shu Qingyou revealed where the other was, Lin Xu would actually feel hurt, but she had considered it: becoming Rongrong’s stepmom and helping Shu Qingyou raise her. It didn’t matter who handled inside or outside duties.

Shu Qingyou looked troubled. Lin Xu’s three rapid-fire questions left her unsure whether to answer and risk a slip-up.

She took too long to think, dodging the questions with a pensive expression.

The window was shut tight, yet Lin Xu felt a draft. Her upper and lower lips touched lightly as she stroked Shu Qingyou’s slender shoulders.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say if you don’t want to.”

Shu Qingyou looked up and habitually ruffled Lin Xu’s hair.

“Before I met you, I stopped caring about her long ago. Whether she’s doing well or dead or alive—I don’t want to know.”