Chapter 45

These past few days, Ye Chengxing had been staying at the hospital to keep watch over Li Jia. Although Risheng Gourmet Shop hadn’t closed down along with her absence, the portions of food available for sale were far fewer than usual. Many customers hoped they could sell more gourmet dishes.

Now that she finally had some time, Ye Chengxing decided to prepare extra batches for sale.

But no sooner had she stepped into the kitchen than she sensed the pheromones of an Omega drifting closer from a distance.

Ye Chengxing paused mid-motion.

…After that temporary mark last time, her sensitivity to Li Jia’s pheromones had truly become far more acute.

After this brief hesitation, Ye Chengxing resumed her work and spoke up. “Xiao Li, why are you here too? You need to rest more.”

Li Jia walked over and naturally began helping her prep the ingredients and adjust the utensils. “Then Sis, who looked after me day and night for days on end, should rest too.”

Her movements were fluid and assured now, well past the awkward phase of her early attempts at helping.

Ye Chengxing wanted to say more, but after uttering just a word or two, she heard Li Jia continue. “I know Sis feels bad for me, but…”

Here, she met Ye Chengxing’s eyes. “Sis, I’m worried about you too. So please don’t send me off to rest anymore, okay?”

Ye Chengxing hadn’t expected words like that from Li Jia. They left her momentarily stunned, and it took a long while before she raised a hand to her cheek, feigning composure as she murmured, “W-Well… but really, I’m not tired.”

Yet with an extra set of hands, their efficiency soared. It was far more relaxed than working solo.

The one exception? Why was her heart pounding so fiercely?

Was it embarrassment at being fussed over by a girl who seemed so much younger?

Ye Chengxing tilted her head slightly to the side—only for Li Jia to glance over at just that moment. Their gazes locked, and Li Jia curved her eyes into a sweet smile.

“…!”

Ye Chengxing jerked her eyes away, her face burning bright red in an instant.

Distracted, her hand slipped. Instead of slicing the vegetable, the knife nicked her fingertip. The blade was razor-sharp; blood welled up from the cut the next second. Ye Chengxing hissed in pain.

“Ah, Sis, you’re bleeding!” The Omega’s alarmed voice rang out from beside her.

Meeting Li Jia’s anxious gaze, Ye Chengxing managed an instinctive smile. “It’s just a little nick.”

She waved it off to show there was no need to worry, but before she could react, Li Jia captured her fingertip between her lips.

The tip of her tongue brushed gently over the cut.

A shiver raced up Ye Chengxing’s spine. Her eyes widened as she tried to pull away. “Wait—what are you doing?”

“Haa…” Li Jia raised her head. Her thumb wiped the corner of her mouth—perhaps a smear of blood had gotten there, lending her lips an even richer hue. “What am I doing?”

She tilted her head a fraction, still clasping the Alpha’s hand. Her lips grazed the injured fingertip, warm breath ghosting over it. Then she parted them to lick along the wound once more. “I’m disinfecting it for you in a hurry, Sis. I’ve seen lots of people do it this way.”

Yet even as she spoke, she nipped and suckled at the cut again.

A faint sting mingled with a tingling itch, shooting straight from Ye Chengxing’s fingertip.

Her face aflame, Ye Chengxing yanked her hand free. “N-No need! Really, you don’t have to disinfect it like that. I’m fine.”

“Is that so?” Li Jia echoed softly, her eyes glistening damply, her breaths coming uneven.

“Mm… Of course. I’m perfectly fine.” As Ye Chengxing spoke, she studied Li Jia’s face.

For some reason, Li Jia seemed inexplicably excited… Or was that her imagination?

Li Jia nodded at her reassurance, slipping back into ordinary concern. “Good, as long as you’re okay. I just lost it completely when I saw you hurt, Sis. Hang on—I’ll grab a Band-Aid.”

Ye Chengxing relaxed at those caring words and smiled. “Alright, thanks, Xiao Li.”

See? She really had misread the moment.

Unbeknownst to her, the instant the Omega left the kitchen, she slumped against the door and sank into a crouch. One hand covered most of her face, but from the corner of her eye to her cheek burned with a thick flush like smeared rouge. Excitement had dilated her pupils.

She knew blood well—the blood of those who’d died by her hand was invariably filthy, revolting. But now, lingering between her lips and teeth, there was no iron tang of blood. Just the taste of the Alpha’s pheromones.

“Haa… mm…” Sure enough, that last temporary mark had made her body so much more sensitive.

She was losing her mind. When had her self-control grown this frail? She’d nearly failed to hold back…

Even after summoning a driver and settling into the car, Ye Chengxing could still feel her heartbeat running wild.

Her gaze fixed on the Band-Aid adorning her fingertip, and her pulse grew more erratic.

…Right—Li Jia had applied that too.

How peculiar.

She was supposed to be keeping her distance, yet everything felt even more intimate than before.

She’d treated Li Jia’s wounds plenty of times in the past. Why hadn’t those moments stirred anything like this tangled mess of feelings…?

Ye Chengxing leaned back against the seat. The sunlight glared harshly; she curled her hand to shade her eyes.

Bathed in the sun’s warmth inside the car, the exhaustion of days without real rest crept over her. Before she knew it, Ye Chengxing drifted off.

Likely because Li Jia had filled her thoughts right before sleep, she dreamed of her.

In the dream, the Omega’s nose brushed hers. Watery eyes gazed up, shy and timid. “I like Sis so much. I want to be with Sis.”

Overjoyed, Ye Chengxing replied, “Actually, I—”

But the words died as the scene shifted. The girl turned cold and reluctant. “This is just treatment, not love. It’s not worth throwing away your whole life over.”

Ye Chengxing: “…”

She jolted awake with a start.

Her arm had gone numb from the prolonged position.

Lowering her hand, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Sigh. Li Jia saw her purely as a big sister. What nonsense was cluttering her head? She’d already been gently turned down once.

Or could it be… she’d been alone too long? Breeding notions she had no business entertaining?

Ye Chengxing let out a breath and fished out her phone to open Star Net. Her lashes lowered.

She’d tasked others with monitoring Star Net these past days. Public opinion was progressing exactly as anticipated.

Lin Que had deployed hired commenters for massive narrative control and snapped up front-page trends. Their orchestrated moves had propelled the scandal to peak frenzy.

Ye Chengxing eyed Starflash Entertainment’s official account—the tear-jerking press release that shamelessly twisted facts to vilify Li Jia. Spotting the line “Our company has always treated Miss Li generously,” she let out a mocking scoff.

She tabbed out of Star Net and fired off a message to her assistant.

…The moment had arrived.

These scum had reveled in impunity far too long. Time for their reckoning.