To be honest, Lin Xu did not mind Shu Qingyou’s initiative at all. She even welcomed it wholeheartedly. Every day, they did nothing but cling to each other, and twenty-four hours still wasn’t enough.
But Shu Qingyou had a habit of burying her negative thoughts deep inside, digesting them on her own unless absolutely necessary.
Lin Xu needed to take things slow, letting Shu Qingyou gradually accept her. Little by little, she was rubbing off on her the personality traits that Shu Qingyou had once found so annoying and frightening.
Shu Qingyou instinctively turned her face away. Even though they could now hug and kiss freely, they hadn’t gone all the way yet, so it didn’t seem that hard to accept.
Unexpectedly, Lin Xu steadied her shoulders, bent down at the waist, and deliberately widened her eyes.
“If I play with Rongrong, then who will play with you?”
Lin Xu knew full well that compared to that coercive half-push-half-pull relying on pheromones, it bordered on forcing her.
Shu Qingyou preferred it gentle, patient—or simply straightforward, with her taking the lead and Lin Xu passively accepting. That way, Shu Qingyou felt more at ease and relaxed.
They would both enjoy it, so why not?
Shu Qingyou’s lips parted slightly. The weight on her shoulders was light, the grip gentle, and her palms warm, like she was giving her a massage.
Prolonged kneading of clay inevitably damaged her spine, bringing aches and pains. Lin Xu’s massage technique—who knew where she’d learned it—was just right, perfectly relaxing her muscles.
Shu Qingyou was still convincing herself that Lin Xu hadn’t fully remembered the unpleasant past yet.
“No need to play with me.”
Lin Xu let out a disbelieving “Oh?” with her tone rising playfully, laced with easy delight. “But I’m still little. I need my big sis—”
She paused, seeing Shu Qingyou’s attitude soften, and tugged at the corner of her mouth. “No, I need… M-Mommy to play with me.”
“Mommy.” She enunciated it clearly, emphatically. The word lingered in Shu Qingyou’s mind, her ears filled only with Lin Xu’s sweet, clear voice and the mischief sparkling in her starry eyes.
Shu Qingyou’s gland began to stir faintly, clamoring beneath the inhibitor patch. It craved a kiss from Lin Xu, wanted her to scoop up her thighs and wrap them around her waist.
She bit her lip. “You’re not allowed to call me… Mommy.”
Before, it had been Lin Xu unilaterally declaring her the fiancée. Now it was Mommy. It wasn’t a whim—those days when Lin Xu felt she’d lost her mind, her thoughts muddled, acting on instinct alone.
It had brought Shu Qingyou endless trouble, yet she hadn’t been thrown out. Instead, everything had been accepted wholesale.
Today, Shu Qingyou wore light makeup, her lip gloss shimmering faintly. Her white teeth bit down, making her lips flush an even more alluring red.
Lin Xu’s hand pressed against her gland, feigning ignorance. “Ah, it’s so swollen.”
Her fingertips trailed upward slowly. She licked her lips and whispered, “This inhibitor patch isn’t working well anymore…”
Shu Qingyou’s gaze flickered, her eyes suddenly misting over. She drew in a sharp breath and gripped the fingers circling her gland. “Don’t mess around.”
“But…” Lin Xu’s lashes drooped as she leaned in dejectedly. “You won’t let me call you Mommy. Your friends call you Qingyou, big sis… You already have a little sister. It feels like there’s no name that’s just for me. I’m sad.”
The floral pheromone scent mingled with hers, turning the air thick and cloying.
Lin Xu put on an utterly aggrieved act, as if Shu Qingyou had betrayed her in some monumental way. Fortunately, she didn’t mind Lin Xu’s touches—in fact, she occasionally blushed despite herself.
Her fingertips dug into the other’s hand. “Before, you boldly claimed I was your fiancée. Isn’t that enough?”
“This one?” Lin Xu’s eyes curved up as she smiled wistfully. Under Shu Qingyou’s gaze, her lips drew near and pressed against those soft ones. “I was just talking nonsense. Don’t be upset. Besides, I’m yours—your little girlfriend?”
A secret lover. Shu Qingyou flushed with embarrassment. In front of friends, she truly didn’t know how to describe her relationship with Lin Xu.
Shu Qingyou neither confirmed nor denied it. Not a fiancée, then? An odd feeling stirred inexplicably in her heart.
She couldn’t think further. Lin Xu’s kiss made her gland burn. Gasping, she said, “Then… what do you want to call me? Just not Mommy.”
Lin Xu seized the moment, her tongue curling around Shu Qingyou’s tip, sucking gently, exchanging saliva. Her hands weren’t idle either, stroking her back and occasionally pinching the soft flesh at her waist.
It drew Shu Qingyou tightly into her embrace.
Lin Xu was starting to lose control herself. “You have a point. If I call you Mommy, Rongrong will get jealous.”
Shu Qingyou barely registered the exact words, her hands loosely draped around Lin Xu’s waist as she mumbled incoherently, “Mm…”
She opened her eyes to Shu Qingyou’s flushed cheeks, the little brown mole beneath her eye. Lin Xu’s tongue withdrew slightly, tracing the soft inner upper lip. “See, we’re girlfriends, right? So, how about I call you Baby?”
Shu Qingyou suddenly clenched her thighs, unsure if it was from Lin Xu’s teasing tongue or the pet name.
No one had ever called her Baby. As a child, she’d been quiet and reserved, seen as a precociously mature kid who spoke little but wisely. As an adult, everyone perceived her as mature and responsible.
After all, when asked for help, she rarely refused, even if she was a hundred percent unwilling. She never let it show in her words or actions.
Shu Qingyou’s heart melted into a puddle. She chided her without real threat, “I’m several years older than you. I should be the one calling you Baby.”
Lin Xu was thrilled at the idea of being pampered by Shu Qingyou. She beamed with delight. “I’d love that. From now on, you call me Baby.”
She’d been outmaneuvered. Shu Qingyou pushed her away, steeling her resolve. “No.”
Lin Xu helplessly nuzzled her with her fluffy head, her voice soft. “You won’t have this, you won’t have that.”
“Just call me ‘hey’ then. Any name suits me less than my actual name—and it’s a million times nicer sounding.”
She hadn’t expected Lin Xu to get so worked up over a pet name. Shu Qingyou lifted her pointed chin with a finger. Her lips were a bit swollen, her expression pitiful, on the verge of tears.
She sighed and offered a compromise. “How about before bed? I’ll call you Baby then. Sweet dreams.”
Lin Xu pondered, then confirmed one thing first. “Are we dating?”
Shu Qingyou paused. Their relationship was complicated; a few words couldn’t define it. But given how they interacted now, “couple” was the only fitting term.
Reluctantly, she nodded slightly. Lin Xu practically bloomed with joy. Satisfied, she bit down through the thin inhibitor patch.
Her marking fangs pierced the eager gland, releasing a rich floral scent that intimately blended with the sweet orange one.
Lin Xu pulled her close, leaving no gaps. Her breathing had long lost its rhythm.
Shu Qingyou’s state was even worse. Tears welled up against her will. She wasn’t sure if Lin Xu had briefly marked anyone else since they’d been together.
The freshly cleaned gland was like newborn petals—fragile beyond measure, easily crushed.
Shu Qingyou trembled violently all over. Her scant reason crumbled at the edge. Limp, she pleaded, “Gentler… please…”
The beastly Alpha instinct made it hard to stop marking. The O’s pheromones were too sweet, perfectly compatible. Hearing that soft, powerless voice, Lin Xu’s heart throbbed as something surged from her chest.
She held her soothingly.
“Okay, I didn’t bite through. It doesn’t count… Just a shallow mark. It’ll be gone after a nap.”
The doctor hadn’t been wrong. The concussion recovery had been short; in a few weeks, her intelligence had clearly improved too.
It was only a light prick on the gland’s surface. Not much A pheromone entered, and it recovered quickly.
Just like their high-frequency markings from before.
Besides, Lin Xu liked using both hands and mouth.
Sometimes, when they were together, under the pretext of wanting water, the “water” she drank was…
Just thinking of that scene, with her gland mouth constantly being… tongued, made Shu Qingyou want to crawl into a hole.
Lin Xu interrupted her thoughts again. “No more injections from now on. I saw you buying several boxes at the convenience store the other day. Too many aren’t good for your body.”
It’s all your fault, Shu Qingyou grumbled inwardly. Lately, her heat period had been erratic; every morning, she needed an extra shot or two to combat the sudden cravings.
Shu Qingyou saw through her little scheme. “From the sound of it, there’s more to this.”
Lin Xu pecked her lips like a little bird. “Baby’s the smartest. I’ll be your suppressant.”
“Wait,” Shu Qingyou countered, not one to back down. She covered the soft mound in front of Lin Xu and kneaded it. “I didn’t agree to you calling me Baby.”
Lin Xu let her play, letting out an “Eh” before deciding on her own. “But it’s my freedom. Just like how I like you—no need for your permission.”
On second thought, she was right. But why did it feel like she was the one losing out?
The next morning, just before dawn broke.
Lin Xu, full of energy, suggested they go see a movie together. Shu Qingyou hesitated—mainly because taking a kid to the theater limited the options.
Kids’ shows were inevitably noisy and chaotic.
Lin Xu brushed it off. She’d gotten up unusually early that day to make breakfast, reheating the chicken from last night and cutting it into pieces.
She watched with immense satisfaction as Shu Qingyou slowly chewed and swallowed bite after bite.
Untying her apron, she discussed with Shu Qingyou, “Rongrong’s three now, almost kindergarten age. It’s time she saw some grown-up movies.”
She pulled out her phone and analyzed the recent hot releases one by one.
“Look at this one—deep-sea monster flick. Just watch the monster; no brain required.”
A massive octopus-like beast’s tentacles filled half the screen. Shu Qingyou smiled. “Definitely no brain needed—and best not to bring eyes either. You forgot Rongrong’s scared of everything. If she cries, you’re handling it.”
Lin Xu scratched her cheek. Tricky.
Seeing a movie was her selfish motive. She vaguely recalled some text messages—probably her inviting Shu Qingyou to a movie, then standing her up, making her wait an entire afternoon.
Maybe she could make up for it now?
She couldn’t remember which movie they’d planned, so she guessed blindly. Given her pre-amnesia personality, she’d surely pick something she liked.
She loved thrillers now.
Lin Xu scrolled through the options. “Fine, you pick then, Qingyou. Do you prefer artsy films? Yeah, that fits your vibe.”
“This one’s good—foreign arthouse hit, but too stream-of-consciousness.”
Shu Qingyou glanced. “Anything but the sea monster.”
She rarely watched arthouse films. People had stereotypes, but she actually liked horror and thrillers.
Then, she lifted her gaze lightly. “Rongrong, you pick.”
