Chapter 72

Ye Chengxing hadn’t planned on leaving in the first place.

They had been indulging themselves quite freely lately, so she had stocked suppressants in every convenient spot she could think of—one box here, another there, just in case.

She had only gone to fetch one from the drawer under the table moments ago.

But now…

She drew a little closer.

Li Jia lightly pressed her foot against Ye Chengxing’s shoulder.

In the bright indoor light, the Omega’s body resembled the snow falling outside the window—snowy white and slender, perhaps even more exquisite than the snow itself.

Ye Chengxing paused for a moment, then wrapped her fingertips around Li Jia’s ankle.

Her lips trailed kisses downward from there.

Though they hadn’t quite touched yet, the small patch of fabric on the sofa deepened in color, soaked by the kisses.

She left a mark in a spot that would be hidden once clothes were back on.

Kissing with lips felt entirely different from touching with fingertips.

Leaning against the sofa behind her, Li Jia found she couldn’t muster any strength, her body going a little numb.

All she could hear in her ears were those sticky, sweet sounds.

The tip of the tongue was warm and soft, and the straight bridge of the Alpha’s nose occasionally brushed over her from above, making her clutch at Ye Chengxing’s clothes.

From this position, her view looked down imperiously.

She watched as Ye Chengxing knelt halfway between her legs.

It felt like she was melting, yet she arched up slightly to grasp the woman’s long, pale hand.

“Here too.”

Ye Chengxing lifted her eyes to meet Li Jia’s gaze.

Li Jia’s voice had long since fallen into the same erratic rhythm as her breathing.

Her misty eyes fixed on the Alpha, whose beautiful face now glistened with transparent wetness below those eyes—an indescribably erotic sight.

It felt so pleasurable.

Li Jia raised a hand to press down on her head, her words coming in broken phrases amid the rising desire, tender and reluctant. “Sister, you’re so beautiful.”

Those eyes hooked straight into her heart.

The wet sounds wouldn’t stop; that bit of fabric on the sofa was nearly drenched through.

Ye Chengxing gently kissed Li Jia’s tear-dampened eyelashes, then scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom.

…

Afterward, Ye Chengxing drained and refilled the bathtub.

She cleaned and tended to the woman in her arms with gentle movements, her gaze lingering on the nape of Li Jia’s neck, exposed unconsciously.

The skin at the gland was delicate and soft, its pheromones tied to their owner’s moods and sensations. Right now, the pheromones seeping from the gland were in liquid form.

In moments like this, Li Jia’s pheromones were like a ripe, juicy peach, tempting Ye Chengxing to take a bite.

Lowering her eyes, she gave it the lightest lick, her teeth grazing the Omega’s gland countless times.

She could feel the pheromones growing more pronounced, her body instinctively urging her onward—as if one injection of her own pheromones would bind them completely to each other.

But in the end, Ye Chengxing held back from marking her.

—No matter how hard her instincts raged, she wouldn’t give her a complete mark.

She pulled away from the nape, pressing a cherishing kiss to the Omega’s damp hair instead.

Even with her mind foggy, Li Jia had clung to her tightly from start to finish, as if holding her close would keep her from ever leaving. Ye Chengxing found these little gestures utterly adorable.

Still, they couldn’t stay in the tub forever, so she murmured soft coaxing words into her ear, urging her to loosen her grip a bit—they needed to get dressed.

Coaxed by such tender, honeyed phrases, the suspicious, obsessive little deviant finally eased her hold, seeming to take the words to heart.

Ye Chengxing dressed her, then carried her back to the bedroom.

She adjusted the hairdryer to the perfect temperature and speed.

The way she blow-dried Li Jia’s hair was gentle and rhythmic. Li Jia, who had started to rouse a little, ended up squinting her eyes again, like a cat being petted into drowsy contentment on a lazy afternoon.

By the time her hair was dry, she hadn’t stirred. Instead, she simply leaned into Ye Chengxing’s embrace, half-asleep as she toyed with the occasional stray lock of long hair that fell down.

The strands still carried a hint of dampness, cool to the touch.

The room was warm and cozy. Having tidied herself up as well, Ye Chengxing looked at Li Jia. “Are you sleepy?”

Li Jia couldn’t quite put words to the feeling in that moment. She wasn’t really craving sleep, but the faint, clean scent of the Alpha on her brought such profound peace—a sensation that made even her fingertips too lazy to move, as if she could stay like this with her forever.

Hearing the question, she shook her head, then nodded. “I don’t know.”

A smile curved Ye Chengxing’s lips as she reached out to stroke her hair. “Then sleep for a bit.”

Stroked so soothingly along her hair, Li Jia let out a soft hum. The warm, lingering atmosphere was too perfect; she drifted off without realizing it.

She had fallen asleep in Ye Chengxing’s arms and woken on the bed—but Ye Chengxing was still by her side.

The Star Calendar sat on the bedside table.

Spotting it, Ye Chengxing picked it up to calculate exactly when New Year’s Day fell.

Noticing Li Jia stirring awake, she turned with a gentle look. “How come Xiao Li’s awake?”

As the words left her mouth, she realized something and added softly, “Did I wake you? Want to sleep more?”

Freshly roused, Li Jia looked lazily content. She looped her arms around Ye Chengxing’s waist and nuzzled into her chest. “No, you didn’t wake me. Keep calculating the date, Sister.”

With that, she stayed wrapped around her, watching as Ye Chengxing figured it out.

The Alpha’s pale, elegant fingertips made even the Star Calendar look more refined.

After watching for a while, Li Jia spoke up. “Sister, how long until New Year’s Eve?”

Ye Chengxing had just finished her calculation. “A little over half a month—twenty days.”

Twenty days. Not terribly long if you thought about it that way, but not exactly short either.

Li Jia gave a soft murmur in response.

…Only a little over half a month left.

She could only keep her for that much longer.

The clarity of time yanked her abruptly from this indulgent, tender haze.

Though unmarked, Li Jia’s fingertips still brushed her nape discreetly.

As expected…

She hadn’t marked her this time either.

Looking back, the only mark she’d ever received was that temporary one from long ago, done as treatment.

Even then, she’d had to scheme a bit—making them think suppressants no longer worked for her, that she rejected all other Alphas’ pheromones except Ye Chengxing’s—before it happened.

But this time, even after deliberately forcing her into a susceptible period, Ye Chengxing hadn’t marked her at all.

Her thoughts conjured the image of that beautiful, rational face.

Why wouldn’t she mark her?

…Did she really have no desire to?

Ye Chengxing must feel so helpless about it all.

She didn’t want any of this, yet she was helplessly detained, helplessly catering to her whims. To spare her feelings, she granted nearly every request, never showing negativity toward her—instead, always soothing her darker moods.

Moments like this made Li Jia want to push even further, her possessiveness an endless void. A shadowy monster lurked in her heart, teetering on the edge of losing control now that Ye Chengxing was near—yet she couldn’t cross that line, forcing herself to pull back.

After answering, Ye Chengxing saw Li Jia fall silent again and assumed she’d dozed off. But a sidelong glance met the Omega’s direct gaze.

“Sister, tell me again what we do for New Year’s.” Her voice was soft.

Hearing the question, Ye Chengxing set the Star Calendar aside as she replied. “It’s not too complicated—make dumplings, prepare a New Year’s Eve dinner, post couplets… and further back in tradition, just watch some fireworks…”

Li Jia committed the list to memory, asked for a few details, then pondered. “We could make the fireworks into holographic electronic ones.”

With that, she got up and pulled Ye Chengxing to a room on the third floor.

The equipment inside was dazzlingly arrayed. Following Ye Chengxing’s description of the desired effect, Li Jia quickly assembled a mini electronic firework prototype.

She handed the control button to Ye Chengxing and drew the curtains. “Try it, Sister. Is this what you meant?”

It was Ye Chengxing’s first time watching Li Jia work on something like this. Taking the button—before even seeing the result—she couldn’t help praising, “Xiao Li, you’re amazing.”

Pressing the button, a palm-sized mini firework rose before them, bursting into dazzling splendor before scattering down—

“Exactly this. So pretty.”

The Alpha’s voice held a smile.

Listening to her, Li Jia took her hand and pressed the button several more times. “This is the continuous effect. If it looks good to you, Sister, I can tweak the settings for outdoor use later.”

Fireworks bloomed one after another in front of them, like a private mini fireworks show.

The room dimmed, the brilliant colors reflecting in their eyes.

Ye Chengxing had been to the third floor before but never entered these rooms—their bedrooms were elsewhere, and with just the two of them in the villa, many spaces went unused. But after seeing these fireworks, curiosity piqued; everything now seemed intriguing and novel.

It was then she noticed the third floor held many such rooms, filled with complex equipment.

She peered into one after another, and Li Jia answered every question.

Pushing open another door, Ye Chengxing looked up—not at equipment this time, but at row upon row of… wedding dresses.

Each one was exquisitely designed, displayed in glass wardrobes.

Seeing Ye Chengxing freeze, Li Jia paused for two seconds before speaking. “Actually, I wanted to warn you before you opened this door, but I didn’t get the chance.”

“I kept imagining us wearing them together, and by the time I snapped out of it, I’d ordered and bought so many…” She met her eyes, her voice even, but Ye Chengxing sensed a faint plea beneath. “So, Sister, will you wear one with me? Just once?”

Stunned at first, Ye Chengxing heard her out and curved her lips, about to agree—when suddenly, an electronic tone rang in her mind.

Though electronic, it wasn’t 001’s voice. Compared to 001’s emotionally tinged tone, this one was icier, more mechanical, perfectly precise, with identical pauses between each word.

【Current world automatically detects a Retained Tasker. Querying: 1%… 10%… 30%…】

【Scan complete. Verification confirms that you meet the conditions for departure. Do you wish to leave the current world?】