“Ah!”
Lin Xu curled up with a splitting headache. Before she could open her eyes, her face made brief intimate contact with the floor.
Her stiff body slowly adapted to the environment, and only then did she open her eyes.
From the unfamiliar ceiling to the culprit behind her fall—this old beige sofa was covered with a blanket, most of which had been dragged to the ground.
She rubbed her head and sat up halfway, surveying her surroundings as last night’s memories flooded back bit by bit.
She had traveled thousands of miles with her daughter to find the other mom, only to stumble upon Shu Qingyou in an intimate moment with someone else, showing no sign of refusal whatsoever.
It was clear she was starting a new romance.
Drowning her sorrows in alcohol had done nothing. She clenched her fist and pounded her head. It seemed Shu Qingyou had forgotten all about her.
Their relationship was only sustained by the child—how pathetic. She was such a failure.
Her biggest failure was yesterday, when she had begged and pleaded shamelessly, clinging to Shu Qingyou and crying.
Irritated beyond measure, Lin Xu hugged her head and rolled back and forth on the floor. After who knew how many rolls, her eyes gradually dimmed, and she murmured, “If they’re together, what am I supposed to do…”
“I won’t even be able to openly bring the child to see her anymore. I’ll just be even more of a nuisance.”
The more she thought, the worse it got, and she rolled even harder.
Just as she wallowed in her misery, Shu Qingyou emerged from the bedroom and paused. Was Lin Xu mopping the floor with her body?
“Sober now?” She tiptoed slightly to check on Lin Xu, who was alive and kicking but stubbornly refusing to look at her.
Shu Qingyou went to the kitchen. Before preparing breakfast, she fetched the honey she’d prepared—pure and natural, untainted—and mixed a cup of honey water.
“Hey…”
A listless voice suddenly sounded behind her. Shu Qingyou’s shoulders stiffened. She turned around and handed over the cup. “How do you walk so quietly?”
Lin Xu lowered her gaze, took the cup, and stared at the ripples inside, catching a faint sweet fragrance.
After a moment’s thought, she gulped it down in defiance and said sullenly, “If I didn’t walk quietly, how would I catch you cheating?”
Shu Qingyou’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I told you, we’re not in a relationship. You have no right to accuse me of cheating.”
Lin Xu slammed the cup down, pulled out a chair, and sat. Her eyes still avoided Shu Qingyou’s.
“Right, I have no right to interfere in your love life. But at least, as your former… partner and the child’s mom, you should give me a heads-up.”
She spoke with such conviction, as if she held all the moral high ground. “Even if I could accept her now, have you asked Rongrong? She’s so little. Suddenly having three moms—can she handle that?”
Shu Qingyou sat across from her, listening earnestly to her righteous analysis and nodding repeatedly. “You make a valid point…”
Lin Xu thought she’d convinced her. She looked up in surprise, her tone brightening. “Right? For the child’s psychological well-being, isn’t this just a seamless connection?”
To sabotage her romance, Lin Xu was willing to spout any nonsense. Shu Qingyou’s expression remained unchanged.
She had already rejected that Japanese young lady, but teasing this one in front of her was quite amusing.
Shu Qingyou propped her chin on her hand, pretending to ponder.
Lin Xu alternated between glancing at her and fiddling with her fingers.
Shu Qingyou tapped the table with her fingertip. “So Rongrong stays with me from now on.”
Lin Xu’s mind blanked. “Huh?”
“It’s what you said. You’re worried about Rongrong’s mental state, so she’ll stay with me. I’ll settle down here, you stay in Hua Country, and we’ll mind our own business. Rongrong still has two moms.”
Even so, Lin Xu widened her peach-blossom eyes, looking even more innocent. “So I won’t be part of this mom thing anymore?”
Shu Qingyou agreed naturally, then stood to make breakfast, leaving Lin Xu dumbfounded in place.
Lin Xu shifted from sitting to sprawling across the table, back and forth for ten minutes or so, her eyes misty again before she knew it.
The aroma of frying eggs wafted from Shu Qingyou’s direction. She stared at her back, unable to let go.
Shu Rong toddled out of the room in her little slippers just then. She wasn’t surprised to see Mommy half-dead—not really; Mommy was always like this, and she was used to it.
Mommy was making breakfast, so Shu Rong quickened her steps to hug her.
But Lin Xu struck first, yanking her forcefully onto her lap. Shu Rong tilted her head in confusion. “Mommy?”
Lin Xu held her close and burst into tears, whispering accusations. “Your mom is so heartless. She wants to separate us mother and daughter.”
“We’ve only been together such a short time. The bond we built with such effort—I love it so much, Rongrong. You were born to be my daughter. You don’t want to leave me either, right?”
Shu Rong: “???”
Chattering away, her gaze fixed on Lin Xu’s moving mouth, completely uncomprehending.
Shu Qingyou couldn’t listen anymore. Lin Xu was painting her as some wicked villain. She turned her head and shot Lin Xu a warning glare, which finally shut her up.
She stepped forward, picked up her daughter, and set her in a seat. “Don’t fill Rongrong’s head with this nonsense. You think you can threaten me with my daughter? No way.”
With that, she served three portions of eggs and poured milk for each of them.
Lin Xu said nothing. Once Shu Qingyou finished everything, she observed her closely—Shu Qingyou’s expression was calm, with a spark in her eyes. She wasn’t angry.
“Qingyou, I…”
Shu Qingyou hummed, smiling. “Go take a shower after eating. You’re filthy.”
Lin Xu instinctively sniffed her arm, then lifted her shirt to smell inside. She smelled fine.
She used to have OCD, but after meeting Shu Qingyou, it improved. Clean or dirty didn’t matter—even rolling in the mud for Shu Qingyou would be a breeze.
“Okay, I promise I’ll wash squeaky clean. And then…”
Shu Qingyou ate her egg elegantly, chewing slowly. Her beautiful eyes occasionally flicked caringly toward her daughter. Casually, she asked, “And then what?”
“And then I’m not leaving.”
“Why?”
“I think it’s pretty nice here. Mountains and clear waters, simple folk.”
What a sudden whim. Shu Qingyou tugged at her lip. “You know I won’t accept you, no matter how close you get. Even if you sleep on the sofa every night, it won’t change.”
Lin Xu held her head, troubled. “Are we really beyond saving?”
Shu Qingyou sipped her milk, her cherry lips growing even more moist and soft. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. “For now, not really.”
What kind of answer was that? “For now” meant anything was possible in the future.
Wasn’t that just stringing her along?
Lin Xu vented her frustration on the fried egg and milk, devouring them in two or three bites.
Shu Qingyou reminded her, “Eat slower next time.”
Lin Xu mumbled, “Got it. Thanks for caring.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what an ex should do.”
That did it—Lin Xu was furious. She held her breath and, feeling aggrieved, ran to the bathroom. She took deep breaths, turned on the faucet, and watched the water flow until she couldn’t hold back and cried again.
At the bathroom door, Shu Rong wanted to wash her face but stood still.
Shu Qingyou passed by, bent down, and stroked her daughter’s head gently. “What’s wrong?”
Shu Rong pointed with her hand, saying in her babyish voice, “Mommy, cry cry.”
Of course. Lin Xu’s temper had softened a lot lately, and she always compromised with her.
Shu Qingyou’s heart softened. She considered telling her the truth—she had no intention of dating that person.
But the door suddenly opened, and Shu Qingyou straightened up.
Lin Xu’s face was stern, lips pressed tight to keep from trembling.
“Why not stay in there longer?” Shu Qingyou suggested.
Lin Xu fixed her with a resentful stare and forced out the words. “I agree.”
“Agree to what?”
“To you being with that Omega.”
Shu Qingyou found it amusing. “Do I need your permission?”
Lin Xu raised her arms, draping them over Shu Qingyou’s shoulders, leaning down with firm eyes. “No, I mean, I agree to a one-O-one-A setup.”
A familiar fragrance enveloped Shu Qingyou’s nose—the scent that once made her feel infinitely safe, the pheromones she couldn’t leave behind.
At this moment, Shu Qingyou felt a mix of touched and shocked.
She bit her lower lip and countered, “What if I don’t accept?”
Lin Xu’s fragile heart, barely glued back together, shattered again under Shu Qingyou’s words. Her reddened eyes grew even deeper. “Then I’ll… step aside.”
“As long as you’re happy.”
Shu Qingyou’s lips parted as if to say more, but the weight on her shoulders lifted, and the figure before her vanished.
Soon, both she and Shu Rong heard Lin Xu crying.
Shu Qingyou couldn’t help asking her daughter, “Has she been this emotionally volatile the past few months?”
Shu Rong thought for a moment and nodded firmly. “Yes.”
Made of water or what…? With Lin Xu’s tear frequency, Shu Qingyou worried she’d ruin her health.
Snow blanketed everything in white; rooftops in the village were thickly covered.
By the window, Lin Xu hesitated before approaching Shu Qingyou, who was drinking coffee, to watch the snow with her. Without turning, Shu Qingyou said, “Finally cried yourself out from last night till now?”
How embarrassing. Lin Xu gazed at her hungrily. The woman was wrapped in a plaid shawl, her expression cool beneath long lashes.
“None of your business.”
Shu Qingyou’s lips curved. “Everything soft except that hard mouth of yours.”
Lin Xu bristled. “Don’t talk nonsense. My mouth is the softest part of me.”
Shu Qingyou took a sip of coffee, a ambiguous glint in her eyes. “Mm, that mouth is the softest.”
“What…” Lin Xu didn’t catch the implication at first. When she did, blood rushed to her face, her heart pounding wildly.
Right now, she just wanted to burrow into the icy snow outside.
Lin Xu covered her face and squatted down. “You’re too much… teasing me like that.”
Shu Qingyou: “I’m just returning your own words verbatim.”
Now Shu Qingyou had her completely pinned. Lin Xu wanted to cry but had no tears left. Reflecting, this was indeed the bitter fruit of her own making.
Lin Xu: “Anything else?”
Shu Qingyou: “Else what?”
“Any other words I said that hurt or upset you—you can throw them all back at me. Double if you want.”
“We’ll see later. I’m not as thick-skinned as you.”
Shu Qingyou couldn’t bring herself to say harsh things; it was too embarrassing. But Lin Xu could say shameless things without blushing. She had returned to Hua Country.
Using the lame excuse of visiting her daughter, she had flown to Japan countless times in the past two years.
