Chapter 52 Part 2

Ever since Lan Wei, she had realized that whenever Shi Youwan was around, her fear of the dark didn’t seem so intense. The dreams she had were no longer those headless, terrifying scenes or the perilous experiences she had once lived through. Instead, they were warm, real memories that had actually happened.

Some involved her family, others Shi Youwan.

Shi Youwan appeared to be asleep on the side by the window, but her position was only slightly off the center line of the bed.

—Then return it today.

Should she return it?

Chi Yumo asked herself in her heart.

The person on the bed was lying on her side, with only her head exposed. Her sharp chin was hidden at the edge of the blanket, and her long hair was spread out on the snow-white pillow, beautiful like a painting.

In the past, she rarely had the chance to see Shi Youwan’s sleeping face on the bed. Either it was in the darkness, or Shi Youwan had gotten up and left home earlier than her.

Many of the happy moments now were things she wouldn’t have dared to imagine when she was Shi Youwan’s “bodyguard lover.”

She tiptoed back to the bedside and lifted the blanket only to discover that Shi Youwan wasn’t wearing anything.

Hadn’t she worn a bathrobe??

Where was the bathrobe??

At that moment, Shi Youwan opened her eyes, smiling at the corners of her mouth and eyes as she looked at her. “Xiao Mo, the hotel bathrobe is too stiff. It’s uncomfortable to sleep in.”

Chi Yumo swallowed hard, flustered as she quickly put the blanket back. She rummaged through her backpack for a relatively loose long-sleeved T-shirt and a new pair of disposable underwear, then brought them to the bed for Shi Youwan to put on.

She sat on the edge of the bed with her back turned, and Shi Youwan was very obedient, putting on the clothes properly. “Xiao Mo, I’m dressed. Come up.”

The shampoo and body wash both smelled nice, but the scent Chi Yumo clearly detected was the fragrance on Shi Youwan’s body.

It was irresistibly alluring.

She, who had only marked one Omega—Shi Youwan—and loved only one Omega—Shi Youwan—how could she not be dependent on Shi Youwan’s pheromones?

Chi Yumo brushed away the worries in her heart and slipped under the blanket.

Shi Youwan snuggled over and hugged her. She went with the flow, sliding her right arm under Shi Youwan’s neck, using her left hand to gently turn Shi Youwan around, and embraced her from behind. She buried her face in the crook of her neck, greedily inhaling the lotus scent.

They were already sharing a bed—why make things hard on herself? Besides, they had already kissed and done it, so what was sleeping while hugging compared to that?

The Omega’s body trembled slightly, her breathing became erratic, and from inside to out, she felt a tingling numbness. Both body and heart stirred with desire.

But she still forcibly suppressed her craving for the Alpha, covered the Alpha’s hand placed in front of her, and said, “Good night, Xiao Mo.”

…

At the other end of Yinzhou City’s bustling city streets, Qiao Ke stood dazed on the balcony. She had been out of the room for a while, and her body, clad only in pajamas, had long been chilled by the night wind carrying hints of rain.

A warm embrace wrapped around her from behind. “Baby, haven’t you finished handling work? You’re getting so cold out here.”

Her back and the backs of her hands were warmed by her girlfriend, and Qiao Ke’s heart warmed too.

She turned and threw herself into her girlfriend’s arms, her eyes hot and wet. She couldn’t tell if it was frustration, sadness, or something else, but her voice was muffled. “Let’s get married.”

Her girlfriend was delighted and hugged her even tighter.

She had proposed mid-year, but Qiao Ke had said to wait a bit longer. She couldn’t just focus on her own happy love life; she needed to wait until she accompanied President Shi in recovering her health a bit and until President Shi’s emotions stabilized before she could marry and go on honeymoon with peace of mind.

“Baby, I’m thrilled that you’ve agreed to my proposal, but are you happy?”

Her girlfriend stroked Qiao Ke’s hair and kissed her forehead. “Is something not going well at work? Did you run into something bothersome?”

“I…” Qiao Ke kept work and life very separate. She rarely talked to her girlfriend about Shi Youwan’s business matters, let alone private ones.

Should she say it?

The one who’s not doing well isn’t me—it’s President Shi.

But if President Shi wasn’t doing well, how could she be?

She felt upset, sorrowful, melancholic… Part of it was for President Shi, and part for herself?

That evening at the restaurant, when she saw Chi Yumo, she had genuinely felt happy. But Chi Yumo’s words—”Consider it a small thank you for the Lan Wei trip”—instantly killed her joy.

Because Chi Yumo’s heart was still cold.

Even after the days spent together in Lan Wei, Chi Yumo’s heart hadn’t fully opened to them again.

How long did it take to warm a heart that had gone completely cold?

She wanted to know the answer.

And she was afraid to know it.

She feared President Shi pouring all her passion into the glacier, only to leap off after failing to melt it. She also feared that after Chi Yumo broke through the glacier’s protective shell, she would suffer another invisible hurt.

She leaned against her girlfriend’s neck. “I’m just a bit tired.”

“If you’re too tired, stop and rest. President Shi is like an iron person because the burden on her shoulders is heavy—it’s her destiny as the eldest daughter of the Shi Family from the moment she was born. We’re different from her. Especially you—there’s no need for you to turn yourself into someone who doesn’t distinguish day from night, who doesn’t complain about being tired, bitter, or in pain. You know I always understand and support your work, and I’m very grateful for President Shi’s appreciation and promotion of you. But Qiao Ke, besides work, you have your life, your family, me. You don’t plan to put me behind President Shi and work for the rest of your life, do you?”

“How could I put you behind President Shi and work?” Qiao Ke bit her girlfriend’s face and retorted. “During your susceptible periods and when you’re sick, haven’t I always taken leave right away to come take care of you?”

“Ouch, that hurts. It’s fine, it’s fine—beating is affection, biting is love.” Her girlfriend laughed playfully. “Baby, how about switching to an easier job? I can support you. My salary and the family finances are all yours.”

“I don’t want that. If you gave me all the money, your two moms would feel sorry for you, right? They didn’t raise you just to turn you into an ATM for someone else.”

“No, no, they know you’re capable, that your salary is higher than mine, and that you work hard—they always feel sorry for you. Besides, are you ‘someone else’? You’re my wife, their daughter-in-law. Just the other day, they asked me again if it was because my wife-to-be hadn’t saved enough that we hadn’t gotten married yet. They even said they’d give me a bit more subsidy to get us a bigger house, then bring your mom to live with us, and hire a housekeeper. I’m busy during the week, sure, but my days off are regular, and I don’t travel. I might have more time to spend with her than you, and I could take even better care of her. After all, I’m… mmph.”

A doctor.

After a deep, affectionate kiss, Qiao Ke’s face flushed hot. “Thank you, and thank your moms, for being willing to accept such an imperfect me.”

“Silly talk. You’re perfect in my heart. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and don’t take everything on your shoulders. President Shi has plenty of capable people around her.”

“…” Perfect? Where was she perfect?

From an ordinary working-class single-parent family, a master’s from an ordinary university, ordinary looks, not gentle in personality, not good at housekeeping.

Besides her respectable job where she was diligent and responsible, there was nothing praiseworthy.

—This plan was made by you? Mm, not bad. For a newbie, doing this well the first time deserves praise and encouragement, but there are many areas needing optimization and improvement. There are a lot of people in the company—come to my place tonight, and I’ll go over it in detail with you.

—Qiao Ke, don’t be ungrateful. My time is very precious. It’s your honor that I’m willing to spend time guiding you to improve. Don’t forget, whether you pass probation is up to me.

—Getting through three rounds of interviews to join our company wasn’t easy. If you’re fired during probation for clashing with your superior, inappropriate behavior, or plagiarizing others’ work, think about it—once word gets out, which company would dare hire you later?

—Everyone’s done good work. Have fun drinking, then head back. The driver and little Qiao can take me home. Tomorrow—tomorrow at work, don’t be late.

She was ordinary to the extreme. When she first entered the workforce, she was humiliated and tormented by her superior. If not for that day in the garage, when she accidentally fell in front of Shi Youwan’s car while fleeing her drunken boss’s sexual harassment, where would she be now? Probably at some other company, doing some equally ordinary job.

“Reluctant to leave President Shi?”

“Mm.” Thinking of the past and the present, Qiao Ke’s nose soured. “If not for President Shi giving me a chance, I couldn’t have lived so glamorously today. If not for following President Shi, I wouldn’t have met you.”

Met the person who spoiled her like a child.

She just wanted President Shi to have a happy and fulfilling love too, wanted President Shi and Xiao Mo to mend their broken relationship and make up for all the regrets they had missed.

Had she become overly sentimental? Tonight, she even missed the past a little.

She missed the spirited President Shi of before, missed the Miss Mo who used to laugh and act spoiled, and missed the carefree lightness when she, Miss Mo, and Zhang Kai occasionally hung out together during standby times.

Time passed so quickly.

Back then, they were all still young. Now, none of them seemed to have anything to do with “youth” anymore.

“Alright, alright, I know President Shi is good to you, and I know she’s extraordinarily important in your heart. I’m not jealous, and I’m not sulking.”

As she spoke, she took Qiao Ke’s hand and placed it on her chest. “Don’t you know how broad my heart is?”

“Rogue!”

“If I wasn’t a bit roguish, how could I make you miss me so much?”

Her girlfriend had heard about that experience from Qiao Ke long ago. She held her and cooed, “Then how about applying for a long vacation first? If your physical and mental state isn’t good, how can you help President Shi with her worries or do your job well? Look, I’ve been submitting my verbal wedding leave report to the director for almost half a year now…”

Qiao Ke could no longer hold back her tears. She buried her face in her girlfriend’s shoulder and sniffled miserably. “I’m so fragile now because you’ve spoiled me. What to do? I seem to be liking myself less and less. What if one day you don’t like me anymore?”

“Baby, I’ll only like you more and more because I see all your goodness. Even though you’re too busy to take care of home, whenever you have time, you video call me and the moms, check on our daily life, housing, food, and checkups. You buy us gifts on business trips, remember everyone’s birthdays, quickly provide solutions when the moms need help, and during holidays, you’re the one giving us emotional support. You don’t cry, make a fuss, or waste money. You’re cheerful, generous, and can earn well. Not everyone is as lucky as me to find such a great girlfriend, such a great wife. Of course I have to spoil you.

“But I have a few harsh words to say too. We’re not twenty-something girls anymore. Approaching middle age, our mindset naturally steps up with experience. We’ll reflect on the rights and wrongs of the first thirty years, worry about the goods and bads of the next thirty, leading to self-doubt, self-denial, and other mental drains. That’s a normal phase everyone goes through. We have to face these psychological changes…”

“Stop!”

Qiao Ke, who had already been coaxed and stopped crying, burst into laughter through her tears. She pressed her finger to her girlfriend’s lips. “You’re so good at talking. This mouth of yours must get along great with colleagues at the hospital, huh?”

“No, no, at the hospital I keep my mouth shut tight. I only say these things at home, just for you to hear…”