Chapter 49

Shu Qingyou was the type who chewed her food slowly and thoroughly. Her chopsticks hovered over the rice bowl, above the last piece of potato that Lin Xu had picked for her. She lifted her gaze and asked reservedly, “Do you have paranoia?”

“How could I?” Lin Xu trusted her sixth sense—it was a bit superstitious, but it worked. “Anyway, I just feel like nothing good is going to happen.”

“Help me brainstorm?”

As an outsider to their family, Shu Qingyou had always believed she had no right to make decisions for Lin Xu.

It was just a meal; there was no need to make a big deal out of it. But Lin Xu clearly looked troubled.

Moreover… the strawberries on Lin Xu’s neck were too glaring. They had started as fresh marks, but now they looked like deep-colored strawberry jam.

Lin Xu had kept insisting she take more bites, persistently begging for an Omega’s reverse marking as an Alpha. It was the first time Shu Qingyou had ever seen such a thing.

An inexplicable sense of responsibility compelled Shu Qingyou to comfort her.

“She’s your fiancée; you have a responsibility to help her deal with her family. You can brush off the questions you need to…”

The more Shu Qingyou nagged with good intentions, the more downcast Lin Xu became, her brows drooping.

She hooked her warm index finger around Shu Qingyou’s finger, right in front of Shu Rong, and rubbed meaningfully from the base upward.

The skin that had been stroked itched all the way to her heart. Shu Qingyou slightly lifted her foot under the table and lightly kicked Lin Xu’s leg, then gripped her mischievous hand in return.

“Were you even listening?”

Lin Xu readily agreed. “Of course. So, will you come pick me up?”

“No matter how late, I’ll pick you up and take you home.”

The next day’s meal with Gu Huaiyuan’s parents wasn’t satisfying enough, and Lin Xu got poured quite a bit of alcohol.

There were over a dozen unfamiliar elders and peers; all the time was wasted on superficial pleasantries and maintaining polite smiles.

What made Lin Xu even more uncomfortable was being forced to hold hands with Gu Huaiyuan and show affection, while the younger ones hooted along.

Lin Xu was utterly exhausted. The text message came at just the right time. She made up an excuse about feeling ill and left first, her steps a bit unsteady.

Gu Huaiyuan followed her. Lin Xu caught the strong perfume scent along with some biting cold remarks carried by the wind.

“I’ll take you back.”

“You’re so weak right now—just that much alcohol and you can’t handle it? If you’re weak, train more.”

Who wanted to be called weak? Lin Xu stuck out her neck in defiance. “My girlfriend won’t let me drink more.”

Lin Xu’s face was flushed from the alcohol, like blooming peach blossoms. When she mentioned her girlfriend, she looked so coquettish—not at all like an Alpha.

Gu Huaiyuan curled her lip. Was there any need to be so clingy, calling her girlfriend at every turn? “You’re so henpecked. I won’t invite you to any fun activities from now on.”

That sounded great. Lin Xu didn’t spell it out too bluntly. As they reached the restaurant entrance, she said, “We’ll talk about what to play later. Alright, you head back first—my girlfriend’s here.”

Gu Huaiyuan looked up and scrutinized. The wind was pretty strong; she narrowed her eyes.

Night had deepened. Under the dim yellow streetlights, scattered leaves drifted about. Across the street, a sedan was parked, its lights casting on a slender figure that looked lonely and isolated.

Gu Huaiyuan thought to herself that this Omega wasn’t from their world at all. How Lin Xu had ended up with her was baffling.

She teasingly pushed Lin Xu forward. “Not that I’m saying, but you really need to treat her right.”

It was the second time. Lin Xu figured she was already quite dutiful toward Shu Qingyou. She let the words go in one ear and out the other, stumbling dizzily toward Shu Qingyou.

Gu Huaiyuan glanced at Shu Qingyou again. The other woman politely smiled at her, her smile like a melting iceberg.

Actually, this type of Omega wasn’t beyond her.

Lin Xu was still somewhat sober. When Shu Qingyou didn’t pay attention to her, she started making a fuss for no reason. “Hey, hey, why are you smiling at her?”

Shu Qingyou stepped forward to support her arm. Lin Xu’s flushed face was full of coquetry. “What’s wrong? She’s your fiancée—can’t I get along with her peacefully? Do you think I want to be the third wheel?”

Lin Xu had forgotten about that. She switched to a regretful expression and chuckled awkwardly. “Give me some time, and I’ll definitely talk to Grandma about calling off the engagement. Then we can get married openly.”

The word “marriage” felt too distant. Shu Qingyou wasn’t thinking about that now; she just wanted to live in the moment, one step at a time.

She helped Lin Xu into the car and fastened her seatbelt. Lin Xu leaned in from her side above, whispering lightly into her ear like a feather brushing by.

“Shu-jie smells so good. I want to lick, to bite, even more to drink.”

The alcohol breath mixed with floral scent teased her nose. Shu Qingyou lowered her gaze and was silent for a few seconds. Lin Xu thought her teasing had gone too far and was about to apologize.

Shu Qingyou asked, “When you say marriage, do you mean it?”

Lin Xu froze for a moment. The window was still open, Shu Qingyou’s hair reaching her waist, now scattered across Lin Xu’s lap. She cupped her cool face with both hands.

Their eyes met, her heartbeat pounding like drums, one after another against her chest. She didn’t know if Shu Qingyou could hear it, so she took her hand and placed it over her heart.

Lin Xu had thought she was only slightly tipsy, but as she gazed through misty eyes into Shu Qingyou’s alluring, captivating ones—the beauty mark at the corner of her eye making her porcelain skin even more striking.

She loved Shu Qingyou’s cold, bewitching features. Her fingertip traced that little mole, unable to let go. Her gaze gradually darkened, her voice low and husky. “Of course—heaven and earth can vouch for my sincerity.”

“I want to kiss you, but…”

Can I? The last two words mumbled in her mouth. Shu Qingyou pressed Lin Xu’s shoulders and kissed her lips. It wasn’t too late; passersby wouldn’t think it unusual.

Sensing Shu Qingyou’s lips and teeth pulling away, Lin Xu pressed the back of her head, their breaths mingling as she deepened the kiss. Her left hand gripped her waist, her palm so hot it felt like it would scorch her skin.

After the kiss ended, Shu Qingyou prepared to drive. She felt more intoxicated than Lin Xu—the kiss had been intense.

Lin Xu wasn’t idle in the passenger seat either. She stretched her arm, her curved fingers probing inward.

Through the scant fabric that did little.

Shu Qingyou curled up her legs, sinking into the seat. She nervously stopped her. “No, no, not here…”

“Mm.” Even through the fabric, Lin Xu’s fingertips were soaked. She licked them without restraint. “Sure, at home—hard, very hard.”

Shu Qingyou’s lower abdomen instantly tightened. What lewd words.

She suddenly felt like sitting on pins and needles, a bit afraid of the road home. Shu Rong was already asleep, so she didn’t need to drive too fast—too fast might make the drunk vomit.

This route wasn’t one Shu Qingyou took often; it passed a flyover. After rush hour, cars heading to the suburbs were sparse.

Lin Xu yawned and leaned against the headrest. She closed her eyes.

In the span of a cup of tea, Lin Xu couldn’t fall asleep no matter what. An ominous feeling surged again. She irritably opened her eyes, brows furrowed.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted a very ordinary cargo truck in the sparse traffic, its headlights on normally at night, following them unhurriedly.

On the road, if you encountered a big truck, either keep far away or overtake it directly.

Otherwise, danger was unpredictable. Lin Xu shook her head—it was probably overthinking.

Shu Qingyou gripped the steering wheel steadily, not driving fast, passed by several cars. She said, “If you’re drunk, sleep. Don’t push yourself. I’ll wake you when we get home.”

Lin Xu denied it. “I’m not drunk. I still have plenty of energy to go home and feed. You. Full.“

Did Lin Xu see her as that insatiable? Shu Qingyou huffed in annoyance. “I’m not unsatisfied…”

Lin Xu teased out of nowhere. “Aww, my girlfriend’s blushing again.”

Suddenly, Lin Xu’s pupils contracted sharply, as if she’d seen something terrifying. Her blood boiled, rushing to her head.

Shu Qingyou wanted to say something when a black shadow lunged at her. As her vision went dark, she gaped in shock.

Without time to think, Shu Qingyou was firmly held in Lin Xu’s arms.

“Don’t move!”

In that instant, the world seemed to tear apart with a deafening roar.

The violent impact flipped the entire car, slamming it sideways into the guardrail. The body deformed.

Lin Xu’s upper body tightly shielded Shu Qingyou’s head and shoulders, holding her dead in the gap by the steering wheel.

Another earth-shattering crash—the door twisted and caved in, glass exploding into countless sharp shards. Lin Xu bore the brunt of the large fractured steel plates and flying glass.

Her left shoulder and back took most of the impact. Adrenaline surged, briefly numbing the pain. The instinct to protect Shu Qingyou lingered.

The air filled with the smell of burning and blood. Shu Qingyou stared blankly at Lin Xu’s pale face, blood still oozing from her forehead.

Lin Xu felt something warm on her face. Liquid entered her mouth, seeping onto her tongue—sweet-tasting.

Shu Qingyou had so much blood on her face too. Lin Xu saw unprecedented panic on her face, her mouth opening and closing.

The whole world seemed slowed down.

Her eardrums buzzed from the shock; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hear what Shu Qingyou said.

The world flipped abruptly. Dizziness overwhelmed her vision, and she lost consciousness, plunging into darkness.

Lin Xu felt like she’d had a long, heavy dream—bizarre pain mixed with joyful laughter.

But fortunately, at the end, she saw a beam of white light close by.

She slowly and painfully opened her sore eyes. First came a blurry white wall, then the return of bodily functions.

Smell, taste, hearing all rushed in: disinfectant, bitter mouth, oxygen through the mask, white mist dispersing and reforming.

And the pain in her body—she couldn’t pinpoint where, and didn’t dare move.

“You’re awake?”

No kidding. Lin Xu frowned. Wait, that voice…

She glanced sideways. A woman in a blue-and-white hospital gown, disheveled hair, face as pale as the wall she’d just seen, beautiful phoenix eyes brimming with anxiety.

The woman’s eyes were bloodshot, dark circles under her lids, lips trembling as she said, “Why were you so stupid? Why did you block that for me? You were out for so long—I thought you’d… I’m sorry, it’s all my fault…”

With that, the woman gripped her hand, sobbing apologies nonstop.

What a hassle. Why cry? She wasn’t dead, was she?

Only then did Lin Xu suddenly remember. She froze slightly.

This wasn’t four years ago. They had just broken up, and afterward, she never saw her again.

Memories crashed in like tidal waves, overwhelming her all at once.

Too much information—including how she’d been schemed against, even calling Shu Qingyou’s phone, that number sealed away for four years.

She’d been confident Shu Qingyou would come find her. Until she lost her memories, lived with Shu Qingyou and her daughter for a stretch—not long, not short, utterly absurd days.

The fingertips being held stiffened.

Oh god…

Her mind was in chaos, her head splitting with pain. She let out a stifled groan. A hand gently stroked her forehead. “Sorry, I know it hurts a lot. Bear with it—the doctor will be here soon.”