Chapter 4

Chi Yumo had seen Shi Youwan in numerous videos, heard about her from others’ mouths, and even caught sight of her in person at certain work events.

No, it was President Shi, the president of Shifeng Group.

The spotlight-shining President Shi was solemn and unapproachable, noble and upright. Even the occasional official smile she showed was like a snow lotus blooming in isolation amid an icy wasteland, something otherworldly with an innate extraordinary grace and aloof temperament. Ordinary folks would automatically keep their distance upon seeing her.

If Shi Youwan hadn’t reached out to help her back then, if Shi Youwan on their first meeting hadn’t been so gentle and considerate that it made her forget they belonged to two different worlds, she and Shi Youwan never would have crossed paths afterward, let alone grown so intimately close today.

“Sister.”

Still shaken by the fear, she hugged Shi Youwan and buried her face in that tender skin, drawing in the lotus scent that soothed her body and mind.

“Don’t be scared. It’s fine. Take it slow; practice more and you’ll get it,” Shi Youwan said. When she received the photo and text report from Zhang Kai, worry had stirred in her heart too.

She hadn’t immediately called Chi Yumo to comfort her, not because Yin Man was there making it inconvenient, but because she wanted Chi Yumo to face the sudden incident independently, to build her mental resilience and grow stronger day by day.

With her status, she certainly had the power to create an airtight shelter for Chi Yumo, a fortress of iron walls. But Chi Yumo wasn’t her possession, not a canary she kept caged. She shouldn’t “imprison” her in a gilded cage.

After two years together, Chi Yumo was no longer the cautious, guarded girl she’d been in front of her.

Shi Youwan was delighted and gratified by Chi Yumo’s changes, but she knew the best way to respect and protect this raw jade was to urge and accompany her growth, not to handle everything for her, forcing her to lose her independence and self-reliance.

For a fleeting moment, Chi Yumo wanted to voice her true feelings to Shi Youwan—tell her she was afraid of driving, that she didn’t want to or like driving.

But the words on her tongue turned into: “Sorry, I dented the car. Put the repair fees on my tab.”

She needed to gain one more skill useful to Shi Youwan, just to increase her chances of staying by her side a little longer.

With no family or possessions to her name, she could serve as Shi Youwan’s bodyguard before, as her Inhibitor now, and as her driver in the future.

With that thought, her fear ebbed away again.

Shi Youwan lifted the head nestled against her neck and kissed her cheek. She removed Chi Yumo’s hat and gently combed the stray hairs from her forehead.

“Alright, all on the tab. Once you start working, pay it back bit by bit.”

The kissed one felt her worries scatter like clouds, her face brightening as her brows curved into a smile.

She caught Shi Youwan’s hand and kissed it too. “Sister, will the money I owe you take a lifetime to pay off?”

If it took a lifetime to clear the debt, then she could stay with Shi Youwan forever. Even if it meant being just a little lover like this for life, she’d willingly accept it.

“Silly talk.”

Shi Youwan lightly flicked her nose. “First, I’m not some usurious loan shark who rolls over interest until you’re drowning in debt. Second, you’re exceptional in your field. After graduation, your future will be boundless. Earning enough for an Old House won’t stump you—you might settle it with me in a year or two.”

Settle the debt?

That had been Chi Yumo’s mindset two years ago when she signed her first repayment contract with Shi Youwan.

How could she have imagined then that two years later, she’d wish to owe Shi Youwan a lifetime’s debt, even mortgage herself to her like an object?

“Sister, I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

In daily life, Chi Yumo wasn’t good at masking her emotions. The more nonchalant she acted, the easier it was for others to see through her.

Seeing her feign cheer while clearly downcast, Shi Youwan’s mind raced.

But she had an important meeting at one in the afternoon and couldn’t spare more time or energy for a heart-to-heart right then.

After lunch, Shi Youwan dove seamlessly into the second half of her workday. Chi Yumo went upstairs for an hour’s nap, then headed to the study to read.

This large study on the third floor was shared by everyone in the Shi Family, stocked with a full three thousand six hundred and fifty-two books.

They covered domestic and international economics, philosophy, science, literature, and more.

Three thousand six hundred and forty-seven belonged to the Shi Family; the extra five were professional books Chi Yumo had brought, filling a category the study previously lacked.

This study was her third-favorite place.

As she read, her good friend and classmate Cheng Xiangxiang called. “Yumo, are you free this afternoon or evening?”

Ever since Cheng Xiangxiang confessed to her last year, Chi Yumo had rarely accepted her private invitations. “Sorry, Xiangxiang, I’m at my sister’s house. I’ll head back after dinner. What’s up? We can meet at school tomorrow.”

Cheng Xiangxiang was an S-Grade Omega, the campus belle of Jinhuai Drama Academy, the dream goddess of countless Alphas.

Not only beautiful and talented, her family background was elite too. Suitors from inside and outside school lined up endlessly, nearly wearing down the doorstep of their classroom.

Yet this white moonlight in everyone’s hearts had confessed to her.

— Yumo, I like you. Would you consider turning me from a friend into your girlfriend?

— It’s okay if you reject me; we’ll still be friends. Until you accept me, I promise not to let anyone notice my feelings for you or cause you trouble.

— But can you promise not to grow distant? After graduation, I’ll ask you again. If you still don’t like me then, I’ll give up and just be your friend.

Cheng Xiangxiang kept her word, hiding her affection deep inside. At school, she treated her like any ordinary friend, no different from before.

So Chi Yumo honored her promise too, not deliberately avoiding her at school.

The year her grandmother passed, several close classmates, including Cheng Xiangxiang as class rep, came to pay respects.

Teachers and classmates knew she and her grandma had depended on each other. They’d raised some money for her, but she’d refused and donated it as class funds.

Cheng Xiangxiang had tried helping privately too, but she’d turned her down.

Not long after, she’d accepted Shi Youwan’s help.

“Your sister’s house?”

Cheng Xiangxiang paused before recalling the “sister” Chi Yumo mentioned was the much older Omega she’d met while working, who had helped her immensely.

Chi Yumo had only said her sister was single, revealing nothing about her identity. It was precisely because of this mysterious Omega sister that Cheng Xiangxiang had felt a sense of crisis and confessed.

After that, Chi Yumo hadn’t breathed a word about her sister. This was the first time since the confession that she’d mentioned her.

“You two… are you and that sister together now?” Cheng Xiangxiang asked bluntly, voicing her suspicion.

This time, it was Chi Yumo who fell silent.

Cheng Xiangxiang was the only one close to her who knew “sister” existed. If she didn’t trust her, she never would have told her.

As she pondered how to respond, the half-closed door behind her was gently pushed open.

Her hearing was sharp, but with noise-canceling earphones on while focused on the call in the study, she hadn’t caught the faint sound.

Shi Youwan wore slippers, her steps light. Taking a break, she came to recharge her weary body with her little Alpha.

“Xiao Mo.” She drew close, leaned slightly to embrace Chi Yumo, and planted a light kiss on her neck. “What are you reading?”

The phone on the desk was screen-off.

The Bluetooth earpiece in her ear was muted on both ends.

Startled by the kiss, Chi Yumo hurriedly tapped the left earpiece twice to hang up, then slipped it into her pocket discreetly.

Whenever alone with Shi Youwan, she tried not to wear earphones. She loved Shi Youwan, loved hearing her voice.

Her breaths, her heartbeat, every rhythm and melody of those exquisite… moans.

“There’s still one professional book left to finish.” Chi Yumo felt ticklish from the kiss.

She placed her hand over the one on her back, turning her head to seek Shi Youwan’s lips, but the latter straightened up in time and moved to sit on a nearby high stool.

The window was half-open, pages rustling in the breeze.

Shi Youwan swept her hair aside, exposing the slightly swollen Glands at the back of her neck. “Xiao Mo, give me your Pheromones.”

Counting from Friday, this was the third day of her Heat Period. She’d tangled with Chi Yumo each day, filled to the brim with coconut-scented Pheromones, feeling almost no discomfort day or night.

At this moment, it was less her need and more fulfilling Chi Yumo’s.

She’d noticed her little Alpha harbored something she hesitated to share, so she wanted to soothe her heart this way.

Two days and nights of Temporary Marks had left the punctured Glands unhealed. Chi Yumo approached, kissing it tenderly.

Only sensing Shi Youwan’s body relax did she release more Pheromones, wrapping an arm around her waist. Her sharp Gland teeth pierced effortlessly into that warm softness it craved, slowly infusing it.

Minutes later, Shi Youwan pulled Chi Yumo close, trapping her between the desk and herself.

Sitting on the high stool, she leaned perfectly against Chi Yumo’s chest.

“Has something happened lately? Whether it’s school, life, or work, any trouble you can’t solve, you can tell me.”

The room’s bookish aroma couldn’t mask the lotus and coconut scents, nor could reason suppress the flush on their faces.

Through thin fabric, their body heat rose in competition.

Chi Yumo held Shi Youwan, arms careful not to squeeze too hard, lest she wrinkle her crisp shirt and force a change before work downstairs.

Shi Youwan had promised her so many “cans.”

She could come and go from the Old Mansion, stay overnight in the bedroom, browse the study’s books freely, contact anytime, seek any help.

But the “help” she craved, the “can” she yearned for, had nothing to do with school, life, or work.

“Sister.” The sweet lotus scent lingering on her lips gave her courage, urging her to confess her love boldly. “Can I love you?”