Chapter 55: In This Lifetime, She Could Do Without an Alpha

The car drove all the way until it reached the underground garage of Lu Yixue’s residential complex, when Guan Yueying finally noticed that Lu Yixue had fallen asleep.

Even in sleep, the woman sat ramrod straight. If Guan Yueying hadn’t called out to her with no response, she wouldn’t have realized it at all.

Should she wake Lu Yixue or carry her back?

After some thought, Guan Yueying chose to contact Pei Shijin.

Being blocked didn’t matter—heh, she had more than one number for her.

“Hello, hello? May I ask who this is?” Pei Shijin picked up the unfamiliar call. This was her work number, the one she’d given to patients at the clinic before, so she answered unknown numbers without much caution.

“Hello, Dr. Pei. Someone here has fainted.” Guan Yueying pinched her throat to disguise her voice.

“Call 120,” Pei Shijin said coldly. She recognized Guan Yueying’s voice immediately.

“Hey, hey, I’m not joking. Otherwise, let’s video call. Lu Yixue really passed out.” Guan Yueying quickly tapped the video icon.

Pei Shijin hesitated, but her hand moved faster, accepting the call.

What came into view were somewhat dry and pale lips, two thin pieces pressed tightly together.

As the camera pulled back, Lu Yixue’s entire face appeared. Her complexion was terrible. Her eyes were closed as she leaned against the seatback, looking like a frail sleeping beauty.

A vein throbbed fiercely on Pei Shijin’s forehead, signaling its owner’s worry. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. She said she was seeing a psychologist and only let me pick her up and drop her off, not follow inside. She looked even worse when she first came out, but she was still somewhat conscious. Now she has zero awareness.” Guan Yueying wasn’t lying.

She had just added a bit of artistic flair to the sleeping state.

Lu Yixue was the type who liked to act but not talk. Pushing through psychological trauma for love was such a praiseworthy sacrifice, but it seemed she had no intention of telling Pei Shijin.

How could that be? In the process of pursuing someone, you had to let them see your efforts.

You had to move them!

“Send me the address. I’m coming over now.” As Pei Shijin said this, she was already rushing out.

She messaged her teacher for leave and immediately called a car on the app.

By the time Guan Yueying sent the address, Pei Shijin was already in the taxi.

Her mind went blank. Trembling, Pei Shijin fastened her seatbelt, her fingers numb as she poked the buckle several times before it clicked in.

The driver kept glancing over, suspecting she was a patient who’d snuck out of the hospital.

Guan Yueying waited for Pei Shijin to arrive. At first, she worried Lu Yixue might suddenly wake up.

After observing for a while, she saw that Lu Yixue was sleeping deeply. She found a blanket to cover her, then hugged her phone and started gaming.

Knock knock. The glass window was tapped. Guan Yueying hurriedly shut off her phone, dropping it in her panic.

Pei Shijin’s face appeared outside the window. Guan Yueying didn’t dare pick it up. She swallowed, adjusted her expression, and opened the car door.

“You finally came!” Guan Yueying acted like she’d seen her savior and dragged Pei Shijin to the other side of the car. “Come take a look at her quick.”

“Besides you, I really didn’t know who else to call. She’s even keeping the doctor visit from Auntie Gao.”

Seeing Lu Yixue in person, she looked even weaker than in the video. Pei Shijin carefully lifted her wrist to check her pulse.

“Hm?” Lu Yixue’s eyes fluttered open in a daze. Seeing Pei Shijin, she thought it was a dream and naturally reached out with her other hand to pinch Pei Shijin’s cheek. “Dreaming of you?”

Pinch pinch pinch. It felt real.

Wait, no?

The next second, Lu Yixue snapped awake. Her eyes widened. “Why are you here?”

“I called her.” Guan Yueying popped up from a spot not blocked by Pei Shijin, right in front of Lu Yixue. “My mom called me home for dinner, so I’m heading out first, haha.”

Lu Yixue: ?

With that, Guan Yueying bolted, sprinting at top speed.

By the time Pei Shijin turned around, she only caught a blurry figure vanishing around the corner.

So which parts of what Guan Yueying had just said were true, and which were made up?

Pei Shijin placed Lu Yixue’s wrist back on her leg. From the pulse, there was some qi disruption, likely caused by shock or fear.

“Have Gao Yi make you some calming soup.” Pei Shijin said.

Lu Yixue’s face gave nothing away, so she nodded. “Thanks.”

“I’ll walk you upstairs.” Pei Shijin said.

Lu Yixue’s lips moved without sound. After a moment of silence, she said thanks again.

Both women’s hearts were in a flustered mess right then, yet they buried their emotions deep, leaving the other unable to read them or know what to say.

As Lu Yixue stepped out, holding the car door, her legs buckled the instant her toes touched the ground. Her fingers tried to grip, but they were too weak.

Her whole body pitched straight forward toward the floor.

Before Pei Shijin could react, her hands had already reached out, pulling the woman into her arms.

She pressed her lips together without a word, looking quite aloof, yet she scooped Lu Yixue up into a princess carry.

Kicking the car door shut with her foot, Pei Shijin carried her into the elevator just like that.

Lu Yixue’s cheek pressed against Pei Shijin’s chest, her eyes fixed on the woman’s stunning jawline. Her fair neck bore no adornments, but on closer look, there was a color difference—the skin where she wore the inhibitor ring long-term was even paler.

She’s working so hard, the thought flashed through Lu Yixue’s mind. As an Alpha, whether wearing an inhibitor ring or being unable to mark an Omega, it all went against her nature.

To persist for so many years was truly exhausting.

Lu Yixue knew Guan Yueying’s intentions, but she didn’t like this approach.

Right now, it was she who wanted Pei Shijin. She should clear all obstacles between them. Listening to the heartbeat by her ear, Lu Yixue formed a plan in her heart.

Soon, they reached the door.

Pei Shijin stopped there without moving, unwilling to test if her fingerprint was still in the lock.

Whether it was or wasn’t, it hardly mattered.

Lu Yixue stared at Pei Shijin for a moment before raising her hand to press the fingerprint lock.

Pei Shijin carried her straight into the bedroom. Before she could set her on the bed, Lu Yixue struggled to stop her.

“Change clothes first.” Unless she was completely unable to move, Lu Yixue never slept in outerwear. “Can you grab me a set of pajamas?”

“Mm.” Pei Shijin set her down on the fluffy rug at the foot of the bed and walked step by step toward the walk-in closet.

She flipped on the top light. The empty closet reflected harshly in many spots, somewhat blinding.

Pei Shijin didn’t know what she was hoping for. The closet was like the car she’d once driven regularly—everything related to her had been cleared out.

Is this how you want me to come back?

After looking around, she picked out a set of black pajamas and brought them to Lu Yixue.

In those short few minutes, Lu Yixue had fallen asleep again, sprawled at the foot of the bed.

Pushing down all negative emotions for the moment, Pei Shijin strode over and scooped her up.

Her brows furrowed tightly. Pei Shijin couldn’t figure out how a psychology session could leave her looking this drained, like her essence had been sucked out.

After changing her into pajamas and placing her on the bed, she checked her pulse again carefully.

The conclusion was the same as before. Pei Shijin set Lu Yixue’s wrist back down, got up, and headed to the kitchen.

The kitchen was just as it had been when she left—probably because Lu Yixue never used it.

Pei Shijin found the ingredients for calming soup with ease, washed them clean, and set them to simmer in the clay pot. Then she gathered what was in the fridge and steamed some sweet potatoes and shrimp egg custard.

Lunchtime was approaching, so she made rice while she was at it.

Once everything was set and just needed time, Pei Shijin sat at the island counter and poured herself a glass of water.

Ding— Her phone rang. Guan Yueying, in the middle of lunch, saw “Pei Shijin” on the screen and instantly found her chicken leg unappetizing.

This woman isn’t coming to chew me out, is she?

But maybe she was calling to thank her. Guan Yueying’s imagination ran wild. She took off her gloves and answered. “Hello.”

“What happened during the treatment? Don’t say you don’t know.” When Pei Shijin wasn’t showing her gentle side, she came off as hard to approach—especially with a stern face, her voice icy cold.

“Heh heh,” Guan Yueying gave a dry laugh. “I really don’t know. But A-Xue recorded it herself. I was driving when she watched it, so I didn’t see.”

“Where’s the recording?” Pei Shijin asked.

“If you didn’t take it when you got out, it should still be in the car.” Guan Yueying said.

“Okay, thanks.” Before Pei Shijin could finish, Guan Yueying cut in. “Don’t hang up, don’t hang up. I still want to chat with you.”

“Chat about what?” Pei Shijin moved her hand from the end call button. She stood and headed to the underground garage.

“You must have felt how A-Xue’s been with you these past few days, right? She’s really realized her shortcomings and wants to change. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be like this today.” Guan Yueying loved going straight for the goal, usually exaggerating along the way. Since Lu Yixue wouldn’t speak up, she always wanted to help say it.

“We’re not right for each other. Don’t meddle. I’ll make it clear to her.” Pei Shijin watched the changing numbers in the elevator, her heartbeat hard to calm.

Her greatest wish in this life was for the person she loved to be safe and sound. Why was Lu Yixue putting herself through this?

The current inhibitors had already eliminated many side effects, and Lu Yixue was developing new ones herself. In this lifetime, she could do without an Alpha.

There was no need to see a psychologist.

When she first found out, Pei Shijin thought it was absurd. Even now, she still did.

She truly couldn’t understand Lu Yixue anymore, didn’t know what she was thinking.

It felt like watching a drama where the female lead broke through all obstacles regardless, just to be sweetly together with her lover.

In fact, Lu Yixue’s behavior these past few days had, in certain moments—actually, many moments—made Pei Shijin feel like she might be that female lead’s lover.

But that empty walk-in closet just now had dumped a bucket of cold water over the head of Pei Shijin, who loved dreaming and fantasizing.

Guan Yueying wanted to argue for Lu Yixue, but after shouting her first sentence, she realized the call had ended.

Calling back, she wasn’t blocked, but no one answered.

Damn it!

Pei Shijin stood by the passenger side window, peering in. She easily spotted a palm-sized object wedged between the seat and the center console, mostly screen visible.

The car door had a fingerprint lock. As Pei Shijin pressed her thumb to it, she felt like she was awaiting judgment.

If it doesn’t open…

Before she could finish the thought, the door unlocked. Pei Shijin leaned in and picked up the recorder.

Without exiting right away, she turned her gaze to the spot on the dashboard where an ornament had once sat—residual adhesive still lingered there.

It looked so out of place. She reached out and carefully pried it off bit by bit.