Chapter 41: Secretly Toying with Big Sister’s Eyelashes

Lu Zhixia cracked first, bursting into laughter as she withdrew her mischievous hand. “Alright, no more fooling around. Thanks for playing along, Lady Shen Baobao. Just know we’re total plastic sisters and call it good.”

Shen Wanqing merely smiled and let the comment slide, turning instead to Qin Zheng’s injuries.

Qin Zheng had wounds on her back and the backs of her thighs. Shen Wanqing suggested getting a formal injury assessment tomorrow to smooth the path to divorce.

Qin Zheng lay on the bed, looking pale and listless, in no mood for words.

Lu Zhixia tried to reassure her. “If you need someone to go with you, I’ll tag along. Don’t put it off—once we have the report, you can start treatment right away.”

Qin Zheng hated imposing on anyone, least of all Lu Zhixia.

After lying there a while until she mustered some strength, she pushed herself up. “My place is a disaster anyway. You two should head home.”

Shen Wanqing rose to her feet. “I’ll go downstairs first. Take your time if there’s more to say.”

She headed down and called in the bodyguards to sweep up the broken glass from the floor and doorstep.

Lu Zhixia settled on the edge of the bed and let out a long sigh, urging Qin Zheng to look on the bright side.

To hear her tell it, three-legged frogs were rarer than hen’s teeth, while two-legged men were a dime a dozen.

“I’d recommend a female Alpha next time,” Lu Zhixia said after consoling her at length. “If you’ve got any sticky problems, spill them. Strength in numbers.”

Qin Zheng shook her head and eased herself upright, propping against the pillows at the headboard. Her eyes were still red and puffy as she murmured her thanks.

A thousand words wouldn’t cover it. She knew Shen Wanqing had stepped in today because of Lu Zhixia. But Lu shook her head. “Nah, I doubt it. She’s got a natural sense of justice, that’s all.”

Lu Zhixia wasn’t so self-absorbed as to imagine Shen Wanqing had done it for her sake. She managed a wry, helpless smile. “You’re too pure for this world. What I said earlier was just banter—she let it slide to save my face.”

Lu Zhixia brushed it off, but Qin Zheng lifted her tear-streaked gaze. “I don’t think Shen Wanqing’s the type to toy with feelings. I bet she likes you.”

It was late, and with Qin Zheng hurt so badly, Lu Zhixia had no head for romance talk.

She couldn’t pretend Shen Wanqing left her cold. Their pheromones matched, no denying that, and during those marking sessions, Shen Wanqing’s reactions made one thing clear: she didn’t dislike Lu Zhixia, at least.

As for actual liking? Lu Zhixia cautioned Qin Zheng. “Don’t go all love-struck. Stay rational—not everyone needs romance to get by.”

Lu Zhixia herself would never lose her head to love. The feverish knotting left her mind blank, gasping for air, thoughts scattered… while Shen Wanqing probably stayed cool and collected through it all.

She didn’t care to dwell on what lay between them. Any fantasies she cooked up would just be fooling herself.

Qin Zheng refused to let Lu Zhixia stay the night, but Lu Zhixia couldn’t bear leaving her alone. As they reached a standoff, Qin Zheng gave a bitter laugh. “All these years, wasted. You’re the only one still here for me.”

“Quality over quantity,” Lu Zhixia shot back, digging in her heels. “You can’t stay here anymore. Not until the dust settles on this mess—at the very least, you two shouldn’t be under the same roof.”

In the end, Lu Zhixia helped her pack a few essentials and guided her downstairs.

The downstairs gleamed like new. Shen Wanqing stood by the door and turned as they appeared together, looking unsurprised.

She proposed Qin Zheng stay at her place for now.

Her reasoning was sound. “She’s in no shape to be alone. Take her home with you, and tonight’s sorted—but what about tomorrow? Or the day after?”

Shen Wanqing had staff who could look after Qin Zheng. Qin Zheng shook her head vigorously. “We’re not family. I can’t impose like that.”

“Don’t you know Lu Zhixia?” Shen Wanqing said mildly, flicking a glance her way. “Even if our sisterhood’s only skin-deep, I’m still her big sister.”

A big sister looking after her little sister was only natural.

Lu Zhixia felt bad about the trouble, but Shen Wanqing was right—it was the best option, with proper care on hand.

She joined in persuading Qin Zheng until, after much coaxing, Lu Zhixia promised to make good on any debts incurred.

The group returned to Cloud Water Manor. Even forewarned, Qin Zheng gaped in astonishment.

“All this… is yours?”

Shen Wanqing gave a faint hum. Lu Zhixia stared wide-eyed. “This isn’t some fancy neighborhood? You live here by yourself?”

Remembering something, she asked in even greater disbelief, “Those luxury cars I saw the other day—they’re all yours?”

“Mm,” Shen Wanqing replied offhandedly.

Lu Zhixia was floored. Just how loaded was Shen Wanqing?

It was getting late, so Shen Wanqing showed Qin Zheng to a guest room and instructed the housekeeper to tend to her.

She turned back to Lu Zhixia. “This work for you?”

Lu Zhixia nodded at once. “Perfect.”

Shen Wanqing told Qin Zheng to head out early, then called Lu Zhixia to the room they shared.

As they walked, Lu Zhixia said, “Even though you don’t need the money, I should still make it up to you somehow. Thanks for the help.”

She figured she’d just give her some cash, but Shen Wanqing cut her off. “There are plenty of ways to make it up to someone. It doesn’t have to be money.”

Lu Zhixia blinked, conceding the point. But then… how?

She hurried to catch up. “So, what kind of compensation do you want?”

“We’ve got plenty of time for that later,” Shen Wanqing replied coolly. “Tonight, all you need to do is wash up and go to bed.”

Lu Zhixia was exhausted, so she took a quick shower before slipping away to the Forest Log Cabin.

She fired off a message to Shen Wanqing: I hit the buttons for the fireplace and the window.

No reply came. Lu Zhixia burrowed under the covers, stripping down to just her panties and stretching out luxuriously with a contented little hum.

Right in the middle of her happy murmuring, the door opened. Shen Wanqing stepped in, and Lu Zhixia yanked the blankets tight around herself.

Shen Wanqing had blow-dried her hair and now carried the faint scent of body wash as she sat on the edge of the bed. She motioned for Lu Zhixia to scoot over toward the wall.

“Why are you sleeping here?”

“This is my house.”

“I know… I mean…”

“You’re already making excuses, and I haven’t even asked for compensation yet.”

Lu Zhixia shuffled inward in silence before issuing a stern reminder. “You can’t crawl under my covers, though.”

Shen Wanqing rested a hand on the blanket, her gaze cool and composed. “How do you know that’s what I had in mind?”

The blanket was plenty big—even after Lu Zhixia wrapped herself up, there was extra room to spare. Shen Wanqing slipped underneath.

Lu Zhixia eyed her warily. Shen Wanqing rolled onto her side and gazed at her, one hand resting on the covers—before suddenly landing a punch on her arm.

“What was that for?” Lu Zhixia huffed, though she wasn’t truly upset.

“Others could hit you, but I can’t?” Shen Wanqing drawled lazily.

Lu Zhixia paused as realization dawned. “You mean Qin Zheng?” She let out a tsk and grumbled, “It’s not like you think.”

Shen Wanqing’s lips curved in amusement. She teased, “Like I think? And what’s that?”

Seeing the smile softened Lu Zhixia’s tension, and she spilled the whole story.

Back in college, it had been the four of them—four Alphas, with Qin Zheng as the lone Omega among them. They’d all gotten along great as roommates. Lu Zhixia had been one of the top Alphas, and Qin Zheng was the school beauty.

“A lot of people used to tease us about it. At first, we’d both deny everything, but eventually I got fed up and just said I had a girlfriend.” She’d only meant to shut down the rumors and spare them both the hassle, but right after she cleared things up, Qin Zheng had gone cold on her.

As a straightforward Alpha, Lu Zhixia had no clue about the nuances of a young woman’s heart. She couldn’t figure out why Qin Zheng had suddenly started ignoring her.

“So I went to confront her. I hadn’t done anything wrong—why was she ghosting me, right?” Even now, recounting it, Lu Zhixia seethed with indignation. She glanced over at Shen Wanqing, who had her eyes closed, seemingly fast asleep.

Lu Zhixia pressed her lips together and fell silent.

She reached back to switch off the wall lamp, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside light.

Bathed in that warm light, Shen Wanqing looked gentle and docile—like a wild kitten retracting its claws.

Lu Zhixia leaned in a little closer and noticed how Shen Wanqing’s eyelashes curled upward like the folds of a fan.

They looked so soft and delicate, nothing like Lu Zhixia’s own, which stood straight as arrows. Ye Lanxi had griped about them once: “Your lashes could kill someone—look at this.” A single black eyelash had been poking into the pad of her fingertip, courtesy of Lu Zhixia.

Lu Zhixia’s fingertip crept forward, tentative as a mischievous child up to no good.

Just as it brushed near those perfect curls, Shen Wanqing’s lashes fluttered. Her eyes snapped open.

Mortified, Lu Zhixia jerked her hand back—but Shen Wanqing caught her by the wrist. “I thought you were asleep,” Lu Zhixia stammered.

Shen Wanqing kept hold of her wrist, cool skin feeling nice against her own, though the grip was firm. Leisurely, she said, “You haven’t finished the story yet.”

“Ah…” Still pinned in place, Lu Zhixia squirmed awkwardly. “So I went to ask her, but she wouldn’t say a word. She just kept hitting me.”

“You didn’t hit her back?” Shen Wanqing asked coolly.

“No way could I hit an Omega, no matter what,” Lu Zhixia said earnestly. “Her punches weren’t that strong anyway. Once I hugged her, she couldn’t budge… Hey! You’re holding on way too tight!”

Shen Wanqing tugged on her wrist, yanking Lu Zhixia toward her.

Lu Zhixia nearly toppled right on top of her. In that instant of falling back onto the bed, Shen Wanqing flipped over and straddled her.

Those stunning heterochromatic eyes gleamed like jewels as they fixed on her. Unhurried, she asked, “Did you hold her this tight?”

With subtle pressure, she squeezed until Lu Zhixia’s circulation faltered. Her palm turned pink, her fingertips swelling into cute little plump rounds.

“No,” Lu Zhixia answered honestly. “I wasn’t as big as you back then either. Why are you so strong?” She genuinely didn’t understand. “I learned in biology class that top-tier Alphas suppress Omegas with absolute dominance. I don’t think anyone could suppress you.”

Lu Zhixia didn’t struggle, letting her hold on.

Shen Wanqing gripped her with one hand while pressing the other to her chest, leaning in slightly. “Do you like Qin Zheng?”

Lu Zhixia looked puzzled. “Why do you ask that?”

“Answer me.”

“No.” She paused to think, then added, “I don’t like her personality.” She even analyzed her own standards for a partner in earnest. “My temperament isn’t the best. Someone too even-keeled would just let me walk all over them, and I don’t like people who are too straightforward either. It’s better if we’re evenly matched—that way, life stays interesting.”

Shen Wanqing released her hand and leaned in even closer. “What were you planning to do to me just now?”

Lu Zhixia froze for a second, then remembered. A bit embarrassed, she said, “I saw how curly your eyelashes were, and I wanted to touch them.” She brushed her fingertip over her own lashes, mumbling in a studious tone, “Mine are kind of stiff and prickly.”

Shen Wanqing rolled off her and lay on her side, eyes closed. “Go ahead and touch them.”

Lu Zhixia was caught off guard, her cheeks flushing pink. “Really?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Then I’m touching.” Her fingertip grazed them gently, as if greeting a pair of friendly little snails. Lu Zhixia murmured, “Your eyelashes are so soft.”

The instant Shen Wanqing opened her eyes, she caught the hand starting to pull away. In a calm voice, she asked, “Do you still think I’m hard to suppress?”

Lu Zhixia’s gaze flickered uncertainly, unsure what she was getting at.

Shen Wanqing guided her hand to rest against her own cheek, her palm warm.

Her eyes gleamed brightly, bright enough to catch Lu Zhixia’s reflection mirrored in their depths.

Gazed at like that, Lu Zhixia felt her heartbeat quicken.

Shen Wanqing’s lips curved into a smile. “There are countless ways to win someone over. The key is picking the one that fits—not just the simplest or most straightforward.”

Lu Zhixia blinked her big eyes. Shen Wanqing tapped her forehead with a fingertip. “I’ll teach you bit by bit. For now, sleep.”

It sounded so simple, yet it was the most complicated thing. Lu Zhixia spent the whole night tossing and turning, still none the wiser about what Shen Wanqing truly meant.

Monday dawned, and the start of another hectic week.

Before heading to work, Lu Zhixia stopped by to check on Qin Zheng, firmly turning down Shen Wanqing’s offer for a ride.

Qin Zheng remained in a deep sleep. The nanny reported she wasn’t resting well—dozing fitfully, jolting awake from nightmares, and crying out more than once.

After thanking the nanny, Lu Zhixia left Cloud Water Manor.

She paused at the entrance, struck anew by the sheer grandeur of the estate nestled amid mountains and waters—especially now that she knew it all belonged to Shen Wanqing alone.

Shen Wanqing commanded vast wealth, along with looks and a figure anyone would envy. Her background was the stuff of others’ wildest dreams.

What dreams and ambitions did someone like that hold?

For most people, after all, goals were inextricably tied to money.

Clutching the warmth of her weekend with Shen Wanqing close to her heart, Lu Zhixia arrived at the company. She resolved to study her better, to figure out how to connect on a deeper level.

But the moment she stepped into the President’s Office, the sight that greeted her hit like a splash of ice-cold water—not just chilling her face, but piercing straight to her heart.