Ye Chengxing couldn’t shake the feeling that Li Jia’s initial words had been something entirely different when she heard her say that.
Even though Li Jia’s expression looked utterly natural in that moment, Ye Chengxing trusted her instincts.
Pushing further probably wouldn’t yield anything, though. Li Jia clearly had no intention of repeating whatever she’d said first. Ye Chengxing reined in her curiosity on the surface, though deep down, she was already speculating about what it might have been.
Was it because she trusted her that much? Or…
Either way, it was a good sign—or at least pointed to things getting better between them.
Even without knowing the exact words, those thoughts made the tip of Ye Chengxing’s heart tingle with sweetness. “As long as you like it.”
As she said it, she remembered the reason she’d made the ginger sugar water in the first place. She pursed her lips, a touch of regret creeping in. “But try not to get caught in the rain again. I didn’t check the weather today, but if it happens once more, I definitely won’t…”
Li Jia shook her head at that, her lips still glossy and soft from the ginger sugar water. “But watching the stars with Big Sis was so much fun. I’d go again in a heartbeat.”
She said it with such sincerity that Ye Chengxing paused for a couple of seconds, embarrassment washing over her.
She didn’t know what was up with her today—the frequency of these awkward moments was skyrocketing.
For a few brief seconds, she racked her brain but couldn’t figure out how to respond to that.
Going again just to watch the stars with her… it was so sweet it was almost too much.
Ye Chengxing coughed awkwardly, averting her gaze a little as she changed the subject. “Drink up before the ginger sugar water gets cold.”
Li Jia blinked, apparently oblivious—or at least not calling out—Ye Chengxing’s deflection. She just smiled and agreed.
Pretending to be calm, Ye Chengxing glanced at the clock.
It really was getting late.
Li Jia seemed to love the ginger sugar water, downing quite a bit of it. By the end, Ye Chengxing hesitated. “That should be enough, right? Too much isn’t great for you…”
The Omega’s lashes fluttered slightly. “But Big Sis made it for me. I want to drink it.”
There was a faint stubbornness in her words.
Hearing that, Ye Chengxing didn’t overthink it. She figured Li Jia just hated to waste it and quickly replied, “No problem. We can use the smart storage compartment’s preservation mode so you don’t overdo it. And if you like it, I can make it for you anytime.”
Li Jia paused at her words. “Will Big Sis make it for me from now on?”
“Of course. It’s not a one-time thing.” Ye Chengxing chuckled a little.
She realized then that Li Jia probably wasn’t worried about waste—she just found it so precious she couldn’t bear to stop.
Thinking about it that way, the early villain was awfully cute.
Ye Chengxing’s eyes curved in a smile as she repeated firmly, “Anytime you want, I’ll be there.”
After all, she probably wouldn’t be separated from Li Jia—at least not in this world. She wouldn’t head home until the healing task was complete, and until then, they’d have a long, long time together.
That line about coming for her sake had been honest to a fault.
The Omega let out a soft hum in response, but it didn’t sound comforted. If anything, she seemed more restless. Her fingertips tightened on the rim of the porcelain-white bowl as she suddenly spoke up. “If I mess up again in the future, will Big Sis tell me straight? Please don’t ignore me, okay?”
Ye Chengxing’s smile froze on her lips.
She realized then that Li Jia could sense her avoidance. Ye Chengxing had been fooling herself into thinking the other woman hadn’t noticed, but in reality, Li Jia had likely spent days confused, troubled, and even hating herself over it.
She leaned forward, closing the distance a bit. She had plenty she wanted to say, but when her lips parted, what slipped out first was an apology. “I’m sorry…”
Li Jia cut her off before she could finish, lifting her gaze to meet Ye Chengxing’s with a hint of resentment in her tone. “Big Sis, do you really hate me that much? You know I don’t want to hear ‘sorry.'”
Now Ye Chengxing was truly at a loss.
She thought it over. From Li Jia’s perspective, her behavior had been pretty awful—showering her with affection one moment, then dodging her the next.
After a moment of self-reflection, she softened her voice. “I don’t hate you.”
She paused for two seconds after saying it, and then she heard Li Jia ask, “Really?”
The Omega looked like she could hardly believe it, inching closer in a tentative probe. “If it’s true… can Big Sis hug me?”
That look and tone melted Ye Chengxing’s heart into a puddle.
“Of course it’s true. I wasn’t avoiding you the past couple of days because of you—it was just my own issue.” Ye Chengxing spoke earnestly, hugging her back with a pang of guilt. “How could I hate you? I don’t even have time to like you enough.”
—And it really was hard not to like Li Jia.
If she had a little sister, she’d be just like this—matching every ideal Ye Chengxing had ever imagined, from personality to everything else.
Out of Ye Chengxing’s sight, the “obedient” little sister she’d imagined curled her lips in a triumphant smile, though her voice remained pitiful and soft. “Then can Big Sis sleep with me again tonight? It’s hard to sleep without you.”
Ye Chengxing’s head throbbed at the words.
She remembered all too well that the night of that mortifying dream had been one they’d shared a bed.
Instinctively, she wanted to pull back.
But before she could, Li Jia released her first.
“Sorry, Big Sis… I’m too clingy.”
Seeing the guilt on her face, Ye Chengxing halted her retreat mid-motion, her hands instinctively drawing Li Jia back in. “No, you’re not.”
She looked at Li Jia. “I really don’t hate you. Sleeping together… sure, we can.”
By the end, Ye Chengxing’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Maybe it was the memory of that dream, but agreeing this time felt far more embarrassing than last.
Dodging like this would only unsettle Li Jia and leave her sad—and Ye Chengxing couldn’t come up with any defensible excuse for herself, either.
Li Jia was already misunderstanding it as hatred.
That wouldn’t do.
With that in mind, Ye Chengxing firmly shoved down the jumble of thoughts in her heart.
It was just sleeping together, after all.
That dream last time? Just a fluke.
Li Jia visibly brightened at her agreement.
The Omega asked again, ever so cautiously. “Really? Big Sis isn’t forcing herself?”
Hearing that careful tone made Ye Chengxing feel even guiltier. “No forcing at all. But I need to take a hot shower first. If you’re sleepy, go ahead and rest—no need to wait.”
As she said it, the embarrassment intensified, and she averted her eyes to call for Xiao Bai to clear the table.
Li Jia nodded obediently. “Okay, Big Sis. You go ahead and shower.”
But even after Ye Chengxing finished her shower, she found Li Jia still awake, clearly waiting on the bed.
Helpless yet with an indescribably good feeling bubbling inside, Ye Chengxing said, “It’s too late. You don’t have to wait next time.”
Li Jia shook her head, her eyes sparkling with no sign of sleepiness. “I want to wait so we can sleep together. Big Sis, will you hold me while we sleep?”
Standing by the bed, Ye Chengxing caught a subtle nuance in Li Jia’s words.
She’d assumed her Alpha status might make Li Jia wary, but there was no such barrier.
Maybe seeing Bai Tang today had sharpened her sense of Alpha-Omega dynamics. While showering, Ye Chengxing had mulled it over and decided their current dynamic felt off.
…Was she the one making Li Jia too dependent, to the point she’d forgotten all about it?
Ye Chengxing hesitated, weighing whether to speak up.
Li Jia really seemed to see her only as a big sister—nothing more.
Saying it outright… Li Jia was already mistaking her avoidance for dislike. Pointing it out again might hurt her.
In that moment of hesitation, Li Jia tugged her onto the bed.
With no defenses up against her, Ye Chengxing went with the pull.
As she nearly landed atop the Omega, she caught herself, breath hitching. “Wait…”
Li Jia looped her arms around Ye Chengxing’s neck, her tone innocent and puzzled. “It’s so late. Shouldn’t we sleep? Let’s turn off the lights.”
With her words, the smart sensor lights clicked off.
Ye Chengxing had just managed to hold herself up, but Li Jia’s tug sent her tipping again. She couldn’t rise, only managing a strained, “Xiao Li, let go first? Let me up, okay?”
Darkness enveloped the room. She couldn’t see Li Jia’s face, only felt the hand around her neck—and then Li Jia’s soft reply.
“No.”
Ye Chengxing’s eyes widened slightly. The next second, the grip tightened, pulling her fully into the Omega’s embrace.
The sweet scent of white peach enveloped her.
There was no escaping it now.
Ye Chengxing had hugged her before, but nothing had felt as vivid as this.
Held like that, a flush crept across her cheeks almost instantly.
“W-Wait…” She tried to shift, struggling to rise, but worried about hurting Li Jia with too much force. Caught between concerns, she ended up held even tighter.
“Shh.”
Li Jia’s breath brushed her ear, still gentle.
—Provided you ignored the strength of that embrace.
The Omega spoke as if oblivious, utterly harmless. “What are you hesitating about, Big Sis? If you don’t want to hold me, I can hold you instead.”
