On the day Li Jia was discharged from the hospital, Ye Chengxing kept her promise and made some small egg cakes. She also prepared a bouquet of fresh flowers.
“Happy discharge!”
She handed the flowers to Li Jia. The brilliant, vibrant bouquet was almost too much to cradle in her arms, let alone carry the cake too. Ye Chengxing held the cake in one hand while clasping Li Jia’s with the other, leading her toward the parking spot.
The fragrant blooms filled her arms with their rich perfume, and Li Jia’s gaze lingered for a moment before drifting to the cake dangling from Ye Chengxing’s free hand.
The cake was exquisitely crafted, and its packaging radiated meticulous care.
Actually… there was no need for all this effort. They could have simply made it at home—that would have been far easier and less taxing, wouldn’t it?
That was what she’d thought before, and she had even voiced it. But Ye Chengxing had insisted it was not only necessary but profoundly important.
Li Jia drew her gaze back, a touch dazed.
If pressed to name the difference between the two options, it was this unmistakable sensation of being cherished—of mattering deeply.
In her reverie, she felt transported back to the moment they had first met. Ye Chengxing had carried her to the hospital just like this, and later clasped her hand to bring her home.
Perhaps from that very instant when Ye Chengxing had taken her hand to lead her home, some subtle shift had occurred, planting the seeds of emotion.
When they reached the car, Ye Chengxing opened the door for Li Jia to climb in first. She fastened the Omega’s seatbelt securely before circling around to the driver’s side.
From the hospital room to the car, Ye Chengxing never released Li Jia’s hand, gripping it steadily. After all, they were in a hospital, teeming with people and the chaotic swirl of pheromones from unfamiliar Alphas.
This was one of the doctor’s specific instructions. Even though Li Jia had weathered her heat period, the recent stimulation had left her acutely sensitive to other Alphas’ pheromones, prone to triggering another rejection reaction. To ward that off, Ye Chengxing should remain close—ideally with physical contact. A highly compatible Alpha like her could shield Li Jia from the discomfort caused by outsiders’ pheromones.
And so, Ye Chengxing held on to Li Jia’s hand the entire way.
After the ordeal, Ye Chengxing reflected on her everyday habits, resolving to be more vigilant.
The more she dwelled on it, the more alarmed she grew at the severity of Li Jia’s reaction. The doctor was unaware, but she knew: Li Jia had been unknowingly dosed with aphrodisiacs for so long. This episode might well be the lingering backlash.
Those drugs wreaked havoc on the body. She needed to research Li Jia’s diet carefully, finding ways to nourish her without overdoing it—lest it backfire and harm her further.
Though Li Jia was essentially recovered, Ye Chengxing hadn’t made a large cake. She had dialed back the sweetness and substituted ingredients to cut high-calorie elements.
Cakes like this often sacrificed flavor for health, ending up bland or worse. Ye Chengxing’s initial batch had indeed tasted off. The one she’d packaged for Li Jia now was the result of several iterations—perfectly healthy yet retaining the cake’s indulgent delight.
Li Jia took a bite, and her eyes curved into delighted crescents. “This cake is delicious.”
After that first taste, she eyed the neat slice on her plate and ventured, “But making something this elaborate must have been a hassle, right?” A simple version—or none at all—would have sufficed, yet Ye Chengxing had crafted it with such precision, packaged it lovingly, and delivered it in person…
Hearing the praise, Ye Chengxing’s lips curved into a smile. The Alpha propped her chin on one hand and beamed. “No hassle at all. I’m glad you like it. It’s all for you—and it always will be. Just say the word next time, and I’ll whip one up anytime.”
Li Jia tightened her grip on the dessert fork and murmured a soft acknowledgment.
She was always like this—so unconditionally kind. Each interaction sharpened the awareness, stirring in Li Jia, who had long deemed herself unworthy of such care, the improbable sensation of being a treasured gem.
Unbidden, those words from the hospital room echoed in her mind: Ye Chengxing’s smiling claim, “I only have this one treasure.” Li Jia’s breath caught, but she concealed it seamlessly. With practiced poise, she sliced off a piece, speared it, and held it to Ye Chengxing’s lips. “Sister, you eat some too.”
Ye Chengxing’s smile widened at the gesture. She parted her lips on instinct—but in that instant, she detected the faint trace of Omega pheromones clinging to the fork. Realization dawned: Li Jia had used this very fork.
In the past, she would have eaten without a second thought. Back then, she understood neither AO dynamics nor her feelings for Li Jia. But now, sharing utensils felt… improper.
“You eat it,” Ye Chengxing said. “I don’t have much of an appetite right now.” The morsel hovered at her lips, so she pressed on to preempt any misunderstanding. “It’s not you—it’s just me. Thanks, Xiao Li,” she added warmly.
Ye Chengxing’s hesitation had been fleeting, scarcely a second or two. Yet Li Jia caught it.
No appetite?
Somehow, she doubted that.
Ye Chengxing had finished speaking, but Li Jia hadn’t withdrawn the fork.
The Omega froze, as if the words hadn’t quite registered.
“Why?” she asked, her young voice pure and direct, laced with innocent confusion. “Sister looked like she wanted to eat it at first…”
Ye Chengxing paused, conceding it did sound abrupt.
But Li Jia’s question opened the door perfectly; she’d been pondering the right moment to broach it.
Noticing the fork still extended, Ye Chengxing took it with a helpless sigh—Li Jia’s arm would tire otherwise—and returned the bite to her plate uneaten.
Li Jia’s gaze sharpened briefly, flicking to the fork before she lifted her eyes with a smile. “What’s this, Sister? Are you keeping your distance now? Pushing me away?”
“No, it’s not distance or pushing away,” Ye Chengxing replied, shaking her head as she gathered her thoughts. “I’m your sister, but I’m also an Alpha…”
Moreover, ever since that temporary mark from the treatment, her sensitivity to Li Jia’s pheromones had intensified.
She spoke her mind plainly.
The manuals she’d pored over confirmed it: proper AO relationships maintained boundaries, nothing like their easy intimacy.
“So, unless it’s for treatment, we should… keep a bit of distance. I’ll be more mindful going forward,” Ye Chengxing said. Li Jia’s eyes dropped, silent, and Ye Chengxing hurried to clarify. “It doesn’t mean we’re growing apart or anything like that.”
Her words hung in the air, unanswered.
Just as doubt crept in—had she phrased it poorly?—Li Jia looked up.
Red tinged the corners of the Omega’s eyes, lending her an air of quiet grievance. “I understand…”
She flicked her gaze to Ye Chengxing, then away just as swiftly—long enough to reveal the sheen of gathering tears.
“But if Sister won’t even eat the cake I cut… does that mean I can’t act spoiled around you anymore?”
