Chapter 42 Part 2

Zhu Lexing grew more and more baffled. “Turn me down? I already gave her the gift.”

Qiao Qiao pressed, “And then?”

With Zhu Lexing’s personality, she would normally launch into a novella about Yan Mian’s reaction after receiving the gift—eight hundred words gushing over Yan Mian and two hundred hyping herself up.

In truth, that’s exactly what Zhu Lexing had planned to do. But every time she tried to start, her mind flashed back to that sudden embrace on the Ferris Wheel and the overwhelming lily of the valley fragrance as Yan Mian filled her arms.

Zhu Lexing fell quiet. Qiao Qiao had to call her name repeatedly before she brushed it off. “Yeah. It was just a gift—don’t read into it. If you’re bored, take Xu He out somewhere.”

Qiao Qiao had been dying to ask for dating advice anyway. She hung up the call in an instant.

Zhu Lexing took a bite of her pizza and thought life was getting more interesting by the day.

She had originally planned to take Yan Mian out for some fun after classes, but Yan Mian was under such tight supervision that it had completely quashed any notions of indulgence. Seeing her even once more today was already a stroke of luck.

Zhu Lexing had figured she could venture out on her own, wander around, and pick up some souvenirs for the group. But the gap between intention and reality was vast. She slept away half the day, and when she finally stirred, evening was fast approaching.

It was just like her old days on set—her sleep schedule utterly reversed. Whenever she woke, a profound sense of alienation washed over her, as if she no longer belonged in the world and the world had no place for her.

Her Moments feed was already flooded with over twenty posts from Qiao Qiao about the amusement park adventure, each one a flawless shot from killer angles.

By contrast, Xu He had polished her photos to perfection with filters and posted just the one.

In the group chat, Qiao Qiao was still badgering everyone to like her posts. Zhu Lexing rolled her eyes at the shamelessness, freshened up, and booked her ticket for tomorrow.

The moment she stepped out of the hotel, a flyer was thrust into her hands. It was garish and eye-catching, but the message was straightforward: an open-air concert tonight at the S City seaside.

Zhu Lexing scanned the lineup of performers, looked them up one by one, and reached a verdict: she didn’t recognize a single name.

It wasn’t far from the hotel, though, so she decided to swing by if time allowed. She was mulling over whether to call Yan Mian when her phone buzzed and the ringtone cut through the air.

Zhu Lexing glanced idly at the screen, expecting a spam call.

Instead, the caller ID read simply: Yan Mian.

“I skipped evening self-study. I’m already down in the hotel lobby,” Yan Mian’s voice carried a hint of tension. “Zhu Lexing, there’s a concert tonight. Want to… go with me?”

For a moment, Zhu Lexing couldn’t find the words to capture her feelings.

She froze in place as a breeze swept by. Yan Mian picked up on something. “You’re not in the hotel?”

Zhu Lexing finally managed to reply. “…I’m outside.”

She turned toward the lobby. Yan Mian had changed into casual clothes and must have been waiting for some time. Spotting the look, she pushed against the flow of people and waved at Zhu Lexing.

Deep autumn had arrived, and darkness fell with unusual speed.

In the car, Zhu Lexing murmured, “How did you just show up like that? I…”

If she’d already left, Yan Mian’s trip would have been for nothing.

Yan Mian gave a small smile. “It’s not far.”

A wasted trip wasn’t the end of the world, then.

Zhu Lexing fell silent, an instinctive unease nagging at her, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

From there, they rode in quiet companionship until they reached the seaside. Night had fully descended, with faint stars twinkling overhead. The beach thrummed with energy, bonfires flickering to life. Waves lapped gently, their shimmer dancing across the water, while the sea breeze carried a briny tang.

Vendors had clustered along the sand, their stalls draped in strings of tiny lights. At first glance, it wasn’t brightly lit, but a closer look revealed a subtle romance in the glow.

They’d arrived late—the concert was already underway. It was clearly a labor of love from the performers, a self-organized event, but the promotion had drawn a solid crowd.

No tickets required, and the speakers were cranked up loud. The instant they stepped out of the car, Zhu Lexing caught a piercing, soul-shattering high note.

She went quiet for a few seconds. “Do they sell earplugs around here?”

Yan Mian paused, then burst into laughter. “No idea. Let’s find out.”

With the sea breeze brushing their faces, they wove through the throng amid waves of laughter and chatter. Much of it was in the local S City dialect, which Zhu Lexing couldn’t follow. Yan Mian, who’d recently made friends with some locals, translated for her. “She’s saying it’s a bit pricey and hoping for a deal.”

It was a stall selling roses.

Unlike the casual open-air setups around it, the shopkeeper had cleverly bundled the flowers into bouquets, driving up the prices accordingly. A young AO couple stood haggling fiercely with her, fingers intertwined. By the end, even Yan Mian struggled to keep up.

In the finish, no sale—the pair stormed off in a huff, hands still firmly linked.

Yan Mian glanced down at her own empty hand.

Zhu Lexing didn’t notice the look at first. Then cool fingertips brushed her dangling hand—soft and warm. Zhu Lexing halted and turned to Yan Mian.

Their fingers hooked together at the knuckles. Zhu Lexing fell silent for a beat. “Do you… want a rose?”

Yan Mian’s original hope had been for Zhu Lexing to hold her hand like the other Alphas did. But this idea sparked even more delight.

Zhu Lexing couldn’t say what had come over her.

A mere nod from Yan Mian, and Zhu Lexing gritted her teeth and joined the line—

All around them were lovestruck pairs. She and Yan Mian blended right in—conspicuous yet perfectly ordinary.

Nothing seemed amiss at first glance.

But who was she? The venomous side character!

And Yan Mian? The female protagonist!

Why on earth was she queuing up to buy her roses?

The more Zhu Lexing dwelled on it, the more absurd it felt.

Yan Mian, though, seemed utterly unfazed—her expression serene, a trace of pleasure lurking beneath.

Zhu Lexing’s suspicions deepened. Yan Mian’s attitude toward her felt all wrong somehow.

Her favorability hadn’t budged, though. Zhu Lexing was sure she hadn’t done anything off—surely the System wasn’t malfunctioning?

Lost in her spiraling thoughts, she realized it was her turn.

The shopkeeper’s eyes flicked between them: two young women, one with a frosty expression, the other wearing a faint smile. The frosty one looked downright petulant, like they’d had a spat.

She addressed Yan Mian. “Bouquet’s twenty bucks. Grab one for your little Omega girlfriend?”

“Not my girlfriend,” Zhu Lexing shot back on reflex.

“She’s an Alpha,” Yan Mian said.

They spoke in perfect unison, but their words drew soft chuckles from the onlookers.

Their rapport was so seamless that the shopkeeper covered her mouth and chuckled. “Ah, my mistake. You two aren’t together yet, are you? You’re both so awkward—”

Smiling at Zhu Lexing, she added, “Why don’t you buy one for your Omega friend?”

Zhu Lexing: “…”

Zhu Lexing wanted to pick a fight with her too.

Though inwardly displeased, Zhu Lexing still paid up honestly.

Yan Mian cradled the rose in one hand while her other brushed the back of Zhu Lexing’s hand once more.

This time, even Zhu Lexing—dense as she was—sensed something amiss.

She glanced around. No vendors in sight, nothing Yan Mian could possibly want.

Zhu Lexing could only turn to Yan Mian.

The Omega parted her lips, flushed pink, and said bluntly, “I…”

“…”

A sea breeze swept past as Zhu Lexing watched her intently, unwilling to miss a single expression.

But Yan Mian fell silent and simply took her hand.

Zhu Lexing went quiet for a few seconds before murmuring, “Yan Mian.”

Yan Mian turned to look at her.

Incredulous, Zhu Lexing asked, “Are you—”

Yan Mian: “…?”

“Are you trying to cure my illness?” Zhu Lexing hesitated but blurted it out anyway. “We’re… still outside. Tone it down a bit—”

Yan Mian went quiet.

Zhu Lexing fell silent too, mirroring her stillness.

After a long moment, Yan Mian sighed. “Zhu Lexing, what on earth are you thinking?”

Zhu Lexing had to admit her own thoughts were pretty out there.

But Yan Mian didn’t know who she really was. Why else would she suddenly hold her hand like this if not to help with her condition?

Emboldened, Zhu Lexing straightened up, leaving Yan Mian at a momentary loss for words before she chuckled helplessly. “If that’s how you want to see it… then sure, call it curing your illness.”

“Let’s go.” Yan Mian tightened her grip just a fraction, exhaling to shove her nerves down deep. “To hear… some singing.”

But their plan to catch some street music got derailed halfway.

As they passed the Instant Photo Shop, Zhu Lexing had zero interest in Polaroids themselves but couldn’t help being curious about snapping a photo together. Ever since arriving in this world, she didn’t think she’d taken a proper picture with Yan Mian.

She said nothing, merely letting her gaze linger on the booth for a few seconds. Yan Mian picked up on it right away. “Want to take one?”

Zhu Lexing played it cool. “Mm…”

Yan Mian smiled at her gently. “I want to take one with you.”

Zhu Lexing’s heart skipped a beat. Her pretense of aloofness evaporated as she stammered, “O-okay—”

It wasn’t until the Polaroid camera was practically jammed in her face that Zhu Lexing realized what she’d agreed to.

The boss instructed, “Each of you make a gesture. Anything goes.”

Without a second’s hesitation, Yan Mian formed half a heart. Zhu Lexing had never imagined her doing something so cute. She dithered for a few seconds but, prodded by the boss, mirrored the gesture with her own half-heart.

Click. The photo developed in warm sepia tones, their halves merging into a perfect heart. Zhu Lexing had figured her expression came out stone-faced, but the finished print revealed the faintest smile tugging at her lips.

They took two more shots. By the time Zhu Lexing was drawing a blank on photo poses, Yan Mian called it. “That’s enough.”

Zhu Lexing assumed they were done, but Yan Mian blinked and asked, “Lexing, want to take a solo shot?”

Zhu Lexing: ?

What did that have to do with her—

Yan Mian had already pressed the rose into her hands and whispered, “I want to see you pose with it.”

Those three little words—I want—melted away any thought of resistance.

Zhu Lexing stared mutely at the flower, shot Yan Mian a glance, and was still pondering her pose when the boss mistook her contemplation for the actual gesture and snapped the shot.

That photo never made it into Zhu Lexing’s possession.

She didn’t even get a chance to see how she looked in it before Yan Mian whisked it away—and snapped a couple pics of it with her phone for good measure.

Zhu Lexing yelped in alarm. “You’re not posting that to Moments, are you—”

If it turned out hideous and the others saw it, she’d never hear the end of it. She could already picture their teasing dragging on for days.

Yan Mian just smiled. “I won’t post it.”

Zhu Lexing: “…Why not?”

Yan Mian deadpanned, “It’s too good-looking. I don’t want anyone else seeing it.”

Zhu Lexing knew it was probably just teasing, but she still choked on her words, cheeks heating as she shot back, “If it’s that good, why not show me? Am I just ‘anyone’ to you?”

Yan Mian shook her head, fixing Zhu Lexing with a steady gaze for several seconds before echoing yesterday’s words: “Lexing isn’t just anyone.”

“She’s my very close Alpha.”