As Li Jia’s words hung in the air, the room seemed to fall into an unnatural hush. Stunned for a moment, Ye Chengxing parted her lips, wanting to respond, but her throat felt tight and dry.
Even though the words had already been spoken, they lingered in her mind, flashing one by one: No need… not worth it…
In the long silence that followed, Ye Chengxing finally averted her gaze. She nodded calmly, forcing her voice to remain as gentle as always. “All right. I understand.”
It made sense, really. On second thought, her earlier words must have sounded like nothing but a burden to Li Jia. For Li Jia to sacrifice her whole life for her sake would be a waste. She had such stunning talent—once she parted ways with Starflash Entertainment, she would shine even brighter. All she lacked was this one opportunity. A gem needed polishing, and after this ordeal, she would dazzle more brilliantly than ever. She would be surrounded by more and more remarkable people. And someday… she would have a true Alpha who loved her, someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Her own words had been presumptuous, nothing less. It wasn’t a small matter, but to Li Jia, her approach probably came across as “using a temporary mark to bind an Omega to her forever.” That must have put Li Jia in an awkward spot—wanting to refuse without being too blunt, so she had to phrase it so delicately.
Ye Chengxing thought back to why she had come to this world in the first place.
All she needed to do was pull Li Jia out of the darkness and watch her thrive. After that, it wouldn’t matter whether Ye Chengxing was there or not.
Her role was to fill Li Jia’s life with flowers and sunlight. The day Li Jia no longer needed her would be the day she left.
Put another way, once she completed her task, the System would send her back to her original world. Failure meant total death.
For now, she was nothing more than a wandering soul from another world, temporarily inhabiting this body.
The conversation had left the hospital room steeped in a heavy silence.
Ye Chengxing broke the wordless tension first. She curved her lips into a smile and spoke warmly. “It’s getting late. I’ll go prepare lunch. Xiao Li, will you rest here in the room?”
With that, she blinked, her tone light and playful. “Our Xiao Li can manage that, right?”
She was deliberately trying to lighten the mood, and Li Jia seemed to catch on.
The girl on the hospital bed straightened her back at once, as if to prove she could. It was an adorably earnest gesture. “Of course I can.”
Ye Chengxing smiled. “Good. I knew you could. Xiao Li is the best.”
After a few more lighthearted exchanges, the atmosphere between them warmed up again. Ye Chengxing opened the door to the room and stepped out, then carefully closed it behind her with a soft click.
The door shut.
Separated by that single door, the smile faded from Ye Chengxing’s face. She leaned against it, drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Then she patted her cheeks to rally her spirits and headed off to make lunch.
Inside the room, even though Ye Chengxing had left, Li Jia’s gaze lingered on the door. The emotions in her eyes were impossibly complex, though she suppressed them in the end. Her stare didn’t shift for a long while.
Considering Li Jia’s recent recovery, Ye Chengxing made lunch especially light—but not bland. It was still delicious, with every dish artfully plated. Color, aroma, flavor—all perfect.
Li Jia was indeed much better, though she still needed a few more days of observation in the hospital.
After two days of this, Li Jia started whining that she wanted to go home. But Ye Chengxing, who usually indulged her every whim, was firm on this point.
“Just two more days here at the hospital,” she said, then hesitated, pursing her lips as her tone softened. “Once you’re discharged, I’ll make you a small egg cake. How’s that?”
Her voice carried the soothing lilt of someone coaxing a child.
Li Jia looked at Ye Chengxing, then shook her head with an expression that screamed she was pushing her luck. “One small egg cake isn’t enough. I want other rewards too.”
Ye Chengxing’s tone had already melted. “Fine. What rewards does Xiao Li want? As long as you stay put in the hospital these next two days, get checked on time, and eat properly.”
Li Jia blinked. “I knew my sister was the best… I haven’t decided on the rewards yet. I’ll tell you when I do.”
The nurse happened to arrive for her routine check and couldn’t help laughing at their exchange.
Plenty of Alphas and Omegas came through the hospital, but she rarely saw such a close bond. And they weren’t even blood sisters. For non-sisters to be this affectionate was downright enviable. This Alpha had been run ragged these past few days, barely sleeping at night.
Everyone could see it.
Smiling teasingly, the nurse said, “Miss Ye really cherishes her little sister. She’s got her cradled in the palm of her hand.”
Ye Chengxing neither confirmed nor denied it, her expression growing even softer. “Of course. She’s my one and only treasure.” I hold her so carefully, I’m afraid she’ll shatter.
As she checked Li Jia over, the nurse sighed again at Ye Chengxing’s words. “It’s so enviable.”
Ye Chengxing coughed lightly, a bit embarrassed. “Thank you… I think my sister is adorable too.”
Realizing Ye Chengxing had misunderstood, the nurse burst out laughing. The checkup was done anyway, so she simply gave her standard instructions, packed up her things, and left the room.
Li Jia had been listening to the whole conversation from the side. When she heard “She’s my one and only treasure,” her heartbeat quickened.
She knew Ye Chengxing meant it platonically, without a hint of romance—but that didn’t stop her heart from racing.
Once the nurse was gone, Ye Chengxing pressed a finger to the spot between her brows.
Li Jia had been watching her closely and didn’t miss the small gesture.
Thinking about it, the biggest difference between her sister and the Ye Chengxing from her previous life was how this one seemed clueless about certain Alpha-Omega norms. Yet over these past few days, she had tended to every detail, scarcely closing her eyes, caring for her without end.
But she was human, not a machine. Humans got tired, even Alphas with their superior stamina. Exhaustion had crept into Ye Chengxing’s features.
That weariness vanished the moment she turned to Li Jia, replaced by boundless gentleness that hid any trace of fatigue.
Li Jia’s fingertips curled slightly. “…Sister, take a break. You’ve been working too hard these days.”
“I’m fine,” Ye Chengxing said, ruffling the Omega’s hair. A pang of heartache showed in her eyes—the image of Li Jia lying limp and delirious on the bed was still vivid in her mind. “Just focus on recovering. That rejection reaction was so severe; it still upsets me to think about it. What do you feel like eating today? I’ll make it.”
She added, “No spicy or cold raw foods, of course.”
Li Jia’s breath hitched for two seconds. “You don’t need to go to extra trouble. I’ll eat whatever you make, Sister.”
Just that simple ruffle of her hair felt like an invisible touch to her heart.
The concern in Ye Chengxing’s eyes was so evident.
In her past life, being cared for like this had been unthinkable. No one would care for her—her pain only excited others.
No matter how many times she was treated with such precious regard, Li Jia felt like she was dreaming.
The Alpha stood before her, leaning in slightly to speak, her faint, pleasant scent enveloping Li Jia like a veil. Sunlight from the window illuminated her jade-like profile, softening her striking features into something tender and intent. Her gaze, especially—clear and moist, as if one blink would shatter the sunlight into rippling specks of starlight.
Meeting Ye Chengxing’s eyes, Li Jia felt herself drowning in them.
…Did she know that the kinder she was, the more Li Jia wanted to keep her trapped by her side forever?
She even selfishly imagined locking her away, so that no one else could be near her, so that her eyes saw only Li Jia.
She didn’t know how to love properly, but if she did that, Ye Chengxing would hate her.
They still had plenty of time together.
If Ye Chengxing liked her harmless facade, Li Jia could keep up the act. She could suppress the possessiveness clawing at her heart. If she held on long enough, wouldn’t the flower bloom someday?
The emotions and thoughts in her eyes nearly spilled over. Abruptly, Li Jia turned to the window, masking them as she spoke. “Sister, look—the sunlight outside is so nice.”
Her shift in mood was seamless. Ye Chengxing noticed nothing amiss and followed her gaze outside.
Li Jia’s room was on the first floor, overlooking lush greenery. Gentle sunlight filtered through the layered leaves, motes of dust dancing in the air. It was all so serene and beautiful that simply looking at it eased the mind into tranquil calm.
After a moment, Ye Chengxing agreed. “The sunlight really is lovely today.”
The instant Ye Chengxing turned to the window, Li Jia’s gaze returned to her.
The Omega’s voice grew softer, almost an inaudible whisper meant only for herself—and indeed, Ye Chengxing didn’t catch it. “Yeah… if only this warmth could belong to me forever.”
Her eyes settled back on Ye Chengxing, her heart silently pleading.
Sister… could you be my sun forever?
