Chapter 36 Part 2

The tablet and phone were both on the vanity, but Chi Yumo showed no intention of picking them up to communicate with Shi Youwan.

She merely nodded in response.

Shi Youwan’s makeup today seemed heavier than usual, her blush especially prominent. Her hair wasn’t in an updo but tied in a low ponytail.

Paired with the suit, it should have been a sharp, energetic look, but Chi Yumo felt no vitality from her at all.

“It’s getting late. I won’t hold you up from doing your makeup and changing.”

Shi Youwan’s smile was forced. She was afraid of staying another second and coughing uncontrollably. “I haven’t told you yet, but you look even better in a gown than I imagined. Green, white, black, blue… every color looks great on you.”

【Thank you.】

This was the simplest sign language, the second time Chi Yumo had used it with Shi Youwan.

She had heard similar compliments before—from Shen Muxi, her manager, the stylists, and some people at the show.

“Get back to it. See you next time.”

Every time Chi Yumo signed in front of Shi Youwan, it pierced her heart doubly.

Enduring the pain in her heart and throat, Shi Youwan turned and left the lounge. The moment she stepped out, she clutched her fist to her lips and coughed.

“President Shi…”

“Don’t talk. Outside.”

Was Shi Youwan ill? Was the heavy makeup to cover a sickly complexion?

Was Shi Youwan’s illness directly related to that night she had kept vigil by her bedside? The cough—was it from catching a cold? But it had been eight days; why wasn’t it better?

—Little Mo, no, I have a cold.

—It’s fine, sister. I’m strong; give me your cold. You don’t have to move; leave it all to me. I’ll help you sweat it out.

—Don’t mess around. Colds aren’t something you can just pass to whoever you want. Ridiculous… mm.

—I say it works, it works. Wait for me, sister; I’ll turn off the light.

How long ago was the last time Shi Youwan had a cold? Last year? No, November the year before.

It had been serious—coughing, high fever, chills, sore throat, stuffy nose, hoarse voice, headaches, dizziness, multiple symptoms hitting at once. Sleep and appetite were wrecked too.

It wasn’t anyone’s heat cycle or susceptible period. She had clung to Shi Youwan for three straight nights.

Holding her to sleep every night, asking Qiao Ke daily if Shi Youwan’s cold was improving. By the fifth day of illness, Shi Youwan’s symptoms had faded, but she had caught it.

Before bed, Shi Youwan had made her drink cold-prevention tonic too. Though invaded by the virus, she recovered in just three days.

Those were also three days without seeing Shi Youwan; her cold had come and gone without a trace.

Shi Youwan still didn’t know.

The Shi Youwan in her memories was too seductive, too heartbreaking. Chi Yumo pressed her throbbing temples; both body and mind felt awful.

Only after Shi Youwan and Qiao Ke’s footsteps completely faded did Chen Qiuxue re-enter. “Miss Mo, Hua Jie says she’s at the banquet hall waiting for us. Xi Jie isn’t coming.”

【Okay, I’ll change and head out.】

The flowers Shi Youwan had personally given her were discarded backstage, just like the bouquet Qiao Ke had brought last year.

Backstage was full of deliberately “forgotten” flowers—baskets and bouquets numbering twenty or thirty. Weren’t they all from contestants’ friends, family, or fans?

What relationship did she have with Shi Youwan? The flowers from Shi Youwan were nothing special.

Some things couldn’t be taken or left behind, like the moon peeking through clouds. Others had expiration dates, like green plants or flowers uprooted from soil—they’d wither even if taken.

Forcing it would only trap her; accepting her place would clear the fog and reveal a bright path.

In the car, Chi Yumo received a text from Qiao Ke.

【Qiao Ke: Miss Mo, congratulations on the win. The flowers from your graduation performance last year and today’s bouquet were all personally selected and arranged by President Shi for the florist to package. Each centered on hyacinths, with butterfly orchids as accents, plus imported tulips and such.】

Suddenly mentioning the bouquet’s arrangement—what was Qiao Ke trying to tell her? Hyacinths, butterfly orchids, tulips—weren’t they all common?

Chi Yumo patted the back of the passenger seat and signed to Chen Qiuxue, who turned around: 【Xue Jie, got an Inhibitor Patch?】

She had injected an Inhibitor before the afternoon competition.

Too many injections had side effects; she couldn’t get addicted like a drug.

But who made her an S+ Grade Alpha?

Her sensitivity to Pheromones and resistance to Inhibitors far exceeded ordinary Alphas and Omegas. Half a day later, her Glands were acting up.

“Got one.”

Chen Qiuxue, a B-Rank Alpha, knew Chi Yumo was S+ Grade and always carried plenty of Strong Suppressants and Inhibitor Patches when out.

She pulled out an Inhibitor Patch specially supplied by Shen Muxi for Chi Yumo. “Want me to apply it?”

【Give it here; I’ll do it myself.】

“You brought the ring Xi Jie gave you? Wear it tonight.”

【Got it; I’ll put it on after the patch.】

Thanks to being “mute,” the other contestants weren’t overly enthusiastic toward her. Even amid the scandal and her championship win, no one openly kicked her while down or fawned excessively—mostly onlookers.

She hadn’t come to compete for friends anyway. She rarely used her tablet, so no one crowded her. Peaceful was fine.

After applying the Inhibitor Patch and putting on the ring, Chi Yumo checked her phone battery: 36% left.

Unsure how long the banquet would drag on, she set it to vibrate and handed it forward. 【Xue Jie, charge my phone for me.】

The tablet was a new one from Shen Muxi, an upgraded model from the last one that “died.” Much better waterproofing and dustproofing.

It could connect to WiFi or hotspots but no SIM card—perfect for places banning comms devices, as a communication tool.

Thinking of the flowers Qiao Ke mentioned, she opened a search engine.

Hyacinth—

Meaning: Victory, competition, joy; igniting the fire of life, enjoying a rich existence. Also, reborn love—forget past sorrows, start a new romance.

Butterfly Orchid—

Meaning: Everlasting unity, happiness arrives.

Shi Youwan, what… exactly are your feelings for me?

You wouldn’t let me like you, love you. In the past, you hoped I’d soar; now you hope I’ll turn back.

Is it just because I didn’t soar your way, slipped your control, and perched on another fine branch, that you’re filled with regret?

Shi Youwan, your world is dazzling, full of glamour and gold. Mine is quiet, bland, ordinary. Why force a merge?

What do I still owe you?

But what do I still owe…?

…

The celebration banquet was held at another five-star hotel in the city center.

When Chi Yumo arrived, the LED screen at the entrance scrolled: “Warm congratulations on the successful conclusion of the New Fashion Model Competition! Champion: Mo Yu! Runner-up: xxx! Third place: xx!”

Inside, life-sized standees of the top three stood at the banquet hall entrance, styled in the final round’s brand outfits from the day before yesterday. Their hair and bodies sported post-added “champion/runner-up/third-place” crowns and sashes.

Seeing her pause, Chen Qiuxue asked, “Want to take a photo?”

Chi Yumo shook her head.

Nianhua came out from inside and called from afar, “Mo Yu, come in. Let me introduce you to…”

The ones more at ease at the banquet than on the runway were the sponsor bosses and execs. Every contestant here was “merchandise” or “prey” for their appraisal.

“Mo Yu, this is President Li from Fanya Jewelry…”

“Mo Yu, this is President Wang from Lilan Cosmetics…”

“Mo Yu, this is President Xie from Lianglai Medical…”

That night, Chi Yumo wore a bright white mulberry silk blouse with a navy patterned silk scarf, paired with dark blue high-waisted nine-minute flared jeans. To give the bosses some height face, she wore only 5cm thick-heeled black ankle boots.

Two hours later, overwhelmed by alcohol, Chi Yumo rushed to the bathroom and vomited into a squat toilet.

Chen Qiuxue followed, handing her tissues and mineral water. Seeing Chi Yumo suffer, she couldn’t find the right words.

For Chi Yumo, tonight was a rare chance to build bridges with sponsors.

Every cup she puked up was one she had to drink.

She had taken lessons on socializing. She knew the stakes. So she toasted and drank with everyone Nianhua introduced.

Earlier, when Shen Muxi took her to drinks, she hadn’t drunk this much. Back then, she was a nobody; most ignored her toasts, some sipping lightly for Shen Muxi’s sake.

But today, she was the internet sensation, the “Model Competition Champion,” a valuable “prospect.”

The sponsors all praised her effusively, watching her moves and other brands, pondering collaborations to leverage her value for their gain.

Chi Yumo rinsed her mouth and leaned against the partition. Chen Qiuxue asked, “Feeling better?”

No.

Not at all.

Sorrow, like the faint flicker of a dying candle, wavered before Chi Yumo’s eyes and whooshed into them. She quickly signed going to the bathroom, shut the stall door, and let the tears flood.

In those two years by Shi Youwan’s side, she had barely touched alcohol. Strictly speaking, not quite—she had tasted and drunk from Shi Youwan’s mouth.

Red wine, baijiu, whiskey, beer, fruit wine… she had tried them all.

—Did you taste what kind of wine it was?

—Yeah, the wine Sister drank tonight was sweet wine.

—Sweet wine?

—Mhm, not that glutinous rice sweet wine. It was sweet wine mixed with lotus fragrance and rose aroma.

—Was it good?

—It was good. I want more.

Sister, the wine tonight is so hard to drink.

I don’t want to drink anymore. Can I stop drinking?

After staying in the bathroom for nearly ten minutes, Chi Yumo chewed the mint-flavored gum that Chen Qiuxue had given her a few times and spat it out. She straightened her appearance in the mirror, curved the corners of her mouth slightly, and returned to the banquet hall with a composed expression.

At ten-thirty, the guests dispersed as the drinks ran dry. In those few hours, Chi Yumo never saw that Omega who had splashed her dress—Shen Muxi must have “dealt with” her.

Someone like that deserved to be dealt with.

She felt top-heavy from the alcohol, her cheeks flushed a deep red that nearly matched her hair color.

Nianhua had also drunk quite a bit, but her tolerance was on par with Shi Youwan’s. She felt uncomfortable, but her mind remained clear.

Outside the hotel, Nianhua called for the company car and helped the thoroughly drunk Chi Yumo into it alongside Chen Qiuxue. “Qiuxue, after sending Mo Yu home, take care of her until she falls asleep before leaving, or just crash there for the night. There’s a post-race press conference tomorrow at ten a.m.—you both need to be at the company by eight at the latest.”

“Got it. Hua Jie, are you taking a cab?”

“My wife is coming to pick me up.”

“Then rest early too, Hua Jie. See you tomorrow.”

Chen Qiuxue sat in the back with Chi Yumo, who slumped crookedly against her, her head pressed to the car door.

Once the car started moving, she fumbled for the button and rolled down the window. The cool night breeze whistled in, tousling her hair across her face and dispelling some of the stuffy heat.

Along the roadside, scattered crimson petals fell silently into lonely desolation. The ground was covered in fallen red blooms that coalesced into Shi Youwan’s form under the moonlight—blooming, dancing, and drifting in the wind, filling her embrace with cold fragrance. That was her… desolate longing.

If only every encounter in this world could blossom and bear fruit deep in the river of time.

“Miss Mo, the wind is chilly. You’ll get a headache.” Chen Qiuxue reached to close the window.

Chi Yumo covered the button, refusing to let her.

Chen Qiuxue had been holding her coat the whole time and now draped it over her to keep her from catching a chill.

“Alright, alright, I won’t close your window, but you have to keep the coat on. Sit back a bit—don’t let your head or arms hang out. It’s dangerous.”

Chen Qiuxue coaxed Chi Yumo like a child, watching her every move closely.

They blew cool night air quietly for over ten minutes. Just as Chen Qiuxue thought she had fallen asleep and moved to prop her up and close the window, Chi Yumo suddenly grabbed her outstretched wrist and lifted her head to stare at her intently for a long while.

“Miss Mo, I was just trying to pull up your slipping coat. There’s a post-race press conference tomorrow, and MENAS will officially announce you as their brand ambassador. Lots of media will be there—you need to be in top shape.”

Chi Yumo released her hand, as if sobered by the wine.

Her eyes reddened as she signed crookedly and unsteadily: 【Xue Jie, I want to go to xxx Hotel. I forgot to thank her. I want to tell her thank you.】

I want to see her.

Thank her for protecting me completely—not for her flowers or her praise.