Chapter 55

“The weather station forecasts that due to a cold front… the first snowfall of winter will arrive early Thursday morning…”

The clock ticked past 10 p.m., and the TV broadcast the news at low volume. Lin Xu narrowed her eyes slightly, resting her head on Shu Qingyou’s shoulder, her arms wrapped around Shu Qingyou’s waist, her whole body limp like it had no bones.

The living room lights were dimmed, casting a glow on the two of them, their overlapping shadows stretching across the wooden floor.

“The first snow…” Shu Qingyou murmured, gazing downward as she spoke to herself.

Lin Xu’s chin rubbed against her shoulder, inching closer to Shu Qingyou’s neck. Lately, Shu Qingyou hadn’t been using an Inhibitor Patch—undoubtedly thanks to her efforts.

She lazily twitched her nose, inhaling the faint strands of Pheromones, and caught Shu Qingyou spacing out with a glance. Lin Xu’s lips curved up.

“No way, you’ve never seen snow before?”

Sea City rarely got snow, but it wasn’t so rare as to warrant special emphasis. What a fuss over nothing…

At that moment, a vibration buzzed at her leg. Lin Xu shifted sideways, grabbed her phone, and swiped to unlock it. A string of messages from her assistant filled the screen, nearly overflowing the chat box.

It had taken a full day to investigate—decent efficiency.

Lin Xu hummed idly as she twisted her upper body, flipping to the side and lowering her head absentmindedly.

“In a month or two, I’ll take you north to see ice sculptures.”

Unlike Lin Xu’s leisurely mood, Shu Qingyou propped her chin with one hand and nodded perfunctorily, the dim yellow light flickering in her eyes.

Some memories were blurry and clear at once—blurry to the point of blankness. She couldn’t recall how she’d rushed to the hospital after receiving the emergency notice.

What was clear was stepping through the hospital doors as the sub-zero temperatures finally brewed Sea City’s first snow.

A few thin snowflakes drifted down from above, fluttering and melting on Shu Qingyou’s cheeks.

But her senses didn’t register the chill. The not-too-long path—perhaps she’d run part of it—left her body burning hot, scorching.

The emergency room light went out, and Shu Qingyou only saw the doctor emerge, mouth opening and closing. She never caught the words—maybe some comfort?

But when she saw her mother’s closed eyes, the whole world spun violently and crashed down.

Only the pain in her lower lip snapped her back. Shu Qingyou released her teeth from it and patted Lin Xu compensatorily. “If you want to go, I’ll come with you.”

Lin Xu sensed a shift but paid it no mind. She was still reviewing the summary report her assistant had sent about the medical history.

Psychiatry and psychology department, private clinic—treatment cycles and frequencies laid out clearly, with complex origins for the condition.

It probably had little to do with her, though. She chalked it up to Shu Qingyou’s low tolerance.

After Lin Xu’s mother died, she’d come to terms with it—no living in the past—and she’d quickly found a replacement.

Hmm… Shu Qingyou had indeed filled that role back then.

“Wasn’t it you who wanted to go?” Lin Xu snuggled back against Shu Qingyou. Her body heat was just right as Lin Xu rubbed her fingers—smooth and lustrous like white jade.

Lin Xu placed Shu Qingyou’s hand against her cheek. “We’ve never really traveled. Where do you want to go?”

Shu Qingyou was lost in heavy thoughts, recalling how her sister often hinted sideways not to forget Lin Xu’s past misdeeds. Even if not for herself, she had to think of their mother under the nine springs.

Mom wouldn’t want to see her moping.

“Anywhere’s fine.”

Lin Xu puffed out her cheeks and lightly nipped Shu Qingyou’s finger with her sharp tooth. “You’re so indecisive.”

Shu Qingyou didn’t want to bicker and cut straight to it. “Then northern ice sculptures it is.”

The perfunctory tone was obvious to anyone. Lin Xu flung her hand away, huffed, got up with a pout, grabbed her crutch, and shuffled toward her room like a snail.

Shu Qingyou watched her tall, slender back recede, the long shadow trailing behind her in silence.

Lin Xu was playing hard to get. At the doorway, she paused, turned back, lips downturned. “Haven’t decided yet?”

Bad moods shouldn’t burden Lin Xu, but this was Shu Qingyou’s best effort—compliance.

“Lin Xu, go wherever you want. I’ll follow you anywhere.”

Slam—!

The angry door slam echoed in Shu Qingyou’s ears, but her heart remained unmoved.

The air here was decent enough; it was just the incessant chirping of insects outside the window at night that grated.

Since regaining her memories, she’d tossed and turned countless times each night, flipping like a pancake before barely falling asleep.

Tonight, Shu Qingyou had seemed especially moody. Just because she’d mentioned never seeing snow? Had she touched some reverse scale?

Unless snow held special meaning—then as an outsider, she’d been hit by stray disaster.

Women’s hearts were needles at the bottom of the sea.

Whatever. Lin Xu pulled the covers over her head. After a while, she nearly suffocated in the bedding.

She checked her phone; the blue light illuminated her annoyed face sinisterly. Nearly an hour since getting into bed.

After mulling it over, she couldn’t tolerate Shu Qingyou getting bold enough to cold-shoulder her—especially when she didn’t even know the reason.

Fueled by this frustration, she didn’t knock, just twisted open the master bedroom door.

She already treated this house, its occupants—even the mop—as her possessions. No need for formality with what was hers.

A small lump rose in the bedding, rising and falling rhythmically with breaths.

The nightlight shone on Shu Rong’s messy hair atop her head. She smacked her little lips, half her face buried in the covers—a warm little bundle, like a hibernating hamster.

Lin Xu closed the door softly behind her. Her daughter might be simple-minded, but her looks were top-notch—not for nothing a mini Shu Qingyou.

Maybe this cuteness really could be food…

Lin Xu knew exactly where Shu Qingyou would be: the overly empty backyard at night, further out where the bugs chirped annoyingly.

Chirping nonstop, day and night.

The cold wind blew, rustling the ginkgo leaves back and forth, fallen ones drifting aimlessly from the branches.

The scent of ladies’ cigarettes wasn’t too pungent. Lin Xu wrinkled her brow tightly. Right in her direction, white smoke billowed from Shu Qingyou’s exhale, wafting straight into Lin Xu’s nose.

Shu Qingyou wore only a plain iron-gray woolen coat and a black knee-length skirt, her long hair draped behind her. Her slender frame nearly blended into the night.

Only the glowing red tip between her fingers anchored her to the real world.

Lin Xu instinctively looked down; several burned-out cigarette butts littered the ground.

“Qingyou.”

She called her name, but Shu Qingyou ignored her, stepping forward to squat and twist the nearly spent cigarette out on the concrete.

Leaving a dark smudge of ash.

Lin Xu approached slowly from behind, resting a hand on her head. The smooth hair lacked a bit of its usual softness.

“Cold?”

By the faint moonlight, Shu Qingyou hugged her arms, shivering. The wind was strong; Lin Xu draped her jacket over her.

She softened her voice. “Sister Shu, I can’t sleep.”

She continued rubbing Shu Qingyou’s hair, sliding down to pinch her chilled, reddened ears.

Lin Xu issued her ultimatum. “If you don’t sleep with me, we’ll freeze to death out here together.”

At that, Shu Qingyou’s shoulders relaxed, and she mechanically pulled tight the clothes carrying Lin Xu’s scent.

Pheromones could soothe an unstable Omega’s emotions to some degree, Heat Period or not. She was enveloped by Lin Xu.

“I don’t want to sleep with you.”

Shu Qingyou’s voice was cool as water. Lin Xu asked why.

“You’ll lie on top of me. You’re heavy.”

An unexpected answer—like a child sulking to Lin Xu.

She’d completely forgotten Lin Xu had no memories of sharing a bed with her. Lin Xu lowered her voice. “Oh, so I’m too fat now? Our love’s shelf life is so short, like fireworks.”

During her injury recovery, Lin Xu had gained a few pounds. Once, Shu Qingyou called her for breakfast, and in her daze, Lin Xu beckoned her into the room.

That morning, Lin Xu’s rumpled shirt rode up in sleep, exposing her pale, flat belly where her abs had been replaced by soft fat.

Fully awake and meeting Shu Qingyou’s meaningful gaze at her stomach, Lin Xu felt both angry and embarrassed.

All Shu Qingyou’s fault for fattening her up like a pig. She’d resolved to get back to fitness.

Shu Qingyou smiled. “Fireworks are pretty.”

She inhaled the crisp cold air deeply, the chill seeping into her body and showing on her skin. She stood, pulling Lin Xu’s hand.

“We can sleep, but no funny business.”

Lin Xu chuckled. “Just sleeping—not robbing a bank. Would I really mess around?”

Shu Qingyou’s tone was firm, unwavering, her gaze dropping. “I mean that hand of yours, stirring up trouble everywhere.”

“Oh… that’s not robbery. I go after what I want openly.” Worried about breaking character, Lin Xu yawned. “Let’s go.”

Who’d caused Shu Qingyou’s smoking habit went without saying—harming the body in more ways than one, probably.

She was responsible enough now, like drawing Shu Qingyou into her arms. A soft body pillow would guarantee good sleep.

Lin Xu’s hand rested on her waist, rubbing idly now and then.

Shu Qingyou poked her head out from Lin Xu’s chest worriedly. “Rongrong sleeping alone—I can’t relax.”

“It’s fine. I checked on her earlier; she’s out like a little pig.”

Only Lin Xu would describe her daughter that way… Shu Qingyou nestled in her arms for a moment. No, she couldn’t indulge in the warm Pheromones.

Besides, it had been years since she’d shared a bed with Lin Xu, and back then, Lin Xu hadn’t initiated hugs in sleep.

Her ear tips flushed red as she twisted. “I’ll still go…”

“Mmm… ah… Lin, you…”

Caught off guard, no foreplay—just plunged straight in.

Her pupils contracted sharply, forced to grip the other’s arms.

Lin Xu’s arms had healed slowest. A month post-discharge, her grip strength was still weak—no heavy lifting, no vigorous activity.

No matter; after so long resting, one indulgence wouldn’t be worse than a fracture.

“What’re you yelling for? Careful, you’ll wake Rongrong.” Lin Xu moved as usual, her voice soft and coaxing. “Cover your own mouth. Be good.”

Shu Qingyou was stunned.

Even an Alpha with great stamina needed a month and a half post-fracture for normal activity.

But the rising and falling left no room for thought. Lin Xu shamelessly released Pheromones to tempt her.

Shu Qingyou’s eyes stung red at the corners repeatedly.

After too long in the cold wind outside, now she was thoroughly warmed, covered inside and out, tended to completely.

“Mmm… so unfair…”

Just for not sharing a bed, forced into this. Shu Qingyou’s eyes misted over in the inky night; she couldn’t make out Lin Xu’s expression.

Lin Xu kissed her and leaned in to whisper, “Shh, don’t make a sound…”