Chapter 40: Flower

Liu Qiu could not see very clearly; she only knew Bai Qingqing had arrived because of the increase in the Green Hat Value.

The snow-white little snake was watching from the doorway, and the sense of shame exploded instantly.

Liu Xia’s hand was already about to touch her when Liu Qiu’s breathing hitched, and she grabbed Liu Xia’s wrist.

Her long lashes lifted slightly.
“Liu Xia, I don’t like this.”

“I see you as family.”

Liu Xia’s gaze fell on the slender pale fingers wrapped around her wrist.
“I know. You only love Bai Qingqing.”

“Liu Qiu, when you chose Bai Qingqing in the beginning, was it really not because of me?”

She raised her hand, guiding Liu Qiu’s fingers to her lips and pressing a soft kiss against them.
“That day in the hospital, you actually kissed me. You mistook me for Bai Qingqing.”

“Your kiss—I was the first to receive it.”

Liu Qiu’s fingers trembled slightly.
She let go of Liu Xia’s wrist and averted her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know I did something like that.”

Liu Xia curved her eyes.
When she smiled, she was always bright and beautiful.
“It’s okay, Liu Qiu. Thinking about it now actually makes me very happy.”

“I just want to say that no matter who you treat me as, I don’t mind.”

“Or rather, I hope you treat me as Bai Qingqing.”

“I just want you to be happy.”

Liu Xia would not force Liu Qiu to do something she disliked.
Since Liu Qiu had clearly expressed her discomfort, she would not continue.

But her words and actions were already no different from a confession.
There was no need to hide anymore.

Bai Qingqing, at the doorway, could not bear to listen any longer.
She had never said such things to Liu Qiu before.

What if Qiuqiu softened and fell in love with this human?

And this human actually wanted to replace her.

Bai Qingqing slithered across the cold tiles toward Liu Xia.

Her slender tongue flicked in and out, her eyes filled with icy hostility.

Liu Qiu did not notice the little white snake approaching.
All her attention was on Liu Xia.

Her expression was complicated.
Did Liu Xia even know what she was saying?

No one wanted to be someone else’s substitute.
Liu Qiu pulled her skirt down to cover her thighs and pressed her lips together.
“Liu Xia, don’t say things like that. I won’t treat you as anyone else.”

Liu Xia looked at her, those long, beautiful eyes brimming with disappointment.
“Liu Qiu, I’m sorry. What I said must have made you uncomfortable.”

“I—”

Before she could finish, a sharp pain struck her neck, and her consciousness vanished instantly.

Her body toppled sideways and hit the ground with a dull thud.

Everything happened too fast for Liu Qiu to react.

She only saw a white little snake crawl out from Liu Xia’s neck, slither to her feet, raise the front half of its body, and flick its tongue.
“Qiuqiu.”

“I…”

Bai Qingqing could not finish her sentence.
It was the first time she had seen such a cold expression on Liu Qiu’s face.

Liu Qiu felt utterly helpless.
Bai Qingqing had hurt someone again.

She crouched down and lifted Liu Xia into her arms, letting out a tired sigh.
Her eyes revealed deep exhaustion.
“Bai Qingqing, you’re always like this. I’m getting tired.”

Bai Qingqing was a demon.
Human rules could not restrain her.
Liu Qiu knew that.

But knowing was one thing.
Seeing it with her own eyes was another.

She could not accept Bai Qingqing hurting people whenever she disagreed with something.

Fortunately, the progress bar was almost full.

Bai Qingqing began to sob.
“Qiuqiu, I’m sorry.”

She had made Qiuqiu unhappy again.

That cold, weary gaze made her heart ache so badly it felt like it was crying too.

She truly wanted to learn.
But she could never control her actions.

She did not want others to touch Qiuqiu.
She did not want Qiuqiu to look at others.
She did not want Qiuqiu to fall in love with someone else.

She was not as tolerant as she imagined herself to be.
Her possessiveness ran too deep.

She had clearly told herself to endure it.

She had endured when that beta touched Qiuqiu’s knee.
Why couldn’t she endure those words?

The little snake followed behind Liu Qiu, her childish voice sounding like that of a small child.
“Qiuqiu, don’t be angry.”

There was a thin sob in her voice, pitiful to hear.

Liu Qiu did not turn back.
She carried Liu Xia to the bedroom and gently laid her down.

“Qiuqiu, don’t be angry, please.”

“I really won’t do it again.”

Bai Qingqing slithered up along Liu Qiu’s pale calf.
The icy touch made Liu Qiu shiver all over.
She bent down, grasped the snake’s body, and lifted her up.

Bai Qingqing wagged her tail.
“Qiuqiu.”

The little snake was pure white, delicate and pretty, not damp and sinister like ordinary snakes.

Liu Qiu’s expression remained blank.
“Bai Qingqing, leave this place tomorrow morning.”

The slender tail froze abruptly.
Disbelief filled her voice.
“Qiuqiu, you… you’re driving me away?”

Liu Qiu replied calmly, “Yes.”

Suddenly, Bai Qingqing felt as if she could not hear anything anymore.

All her emotions drained away, leaving only one word in her mind—

Qiu.

The snake’s tail tightened around Liu Qiu’s wrist as tears fell in drops.
“I don’t want to.”

“Qiuqiu, don’t drive me away.”

“I didn’t hurt anyone.”

Her voice turned sharp and desperate, as if she had suffered a tremendous grievance, sorrow spilling from every syllable.

Hearing that, Liu Qiu’s expression softened slightly.
At least Bai Qingqing now understood that she could not casually hurt people.

She loosened her grip.
Bai Qingqing immediately wrapped herself around Liu Qiu’s wrist.
“Qiuqiu, don’t abandon me.”

After tucking Liu Xia in and adjusting the air conditioner to a suitable temperature, Liu Qiu returned to the bathroom.

Bai Qingqing clung tightly to her.
Liu Qiu tried to pry her off.

Bai Qingqing only tightened further.
“Don’t abandon me, Qiuqiu.”

Something must have happened in between.
Bai Qingqing had become so pitiful.

Having faced Bai Qingqing naked before, and now that she was just a small snake, Liu Qiu did not feel much embarrassment.

She removed her nightdress and quickly took a shower.
The snake coiled around her wrist was soaked by the warm water along with her.

By the time she finished and returned to her room, it was already past one-thirty in the morning.

Liu Qiu was exhausted.
The moment her head touched the pillow, sleep overtook her.

Before drifting off, she murmured, “Bai Qingqing, you’re not allowed to burrow in again.”

Bai Qingqing did not fully understand what she meant, but she hurriedly promised, “I won’t, Qiuqiu. I’ll listen to you from now on. I’ll only do what you tell me to do.”

“Mm…”

Sleep came fiercely, and Liu Qiu’s breathing soon became steady.

Bai Qingqing loosened her coil and moved aside.
Her snake body gradually enlarged, transforming into a naked human form lying beside Liu Qiu.

She lowered her eyes to gaze at the sleeping Liu Qiu.

Her trembling hand reached out to gently touch those long, straight lashes.

Qiuqiu.
Her Qiuqiu.

Remembering the omega who had kissed Liu Qiu earlier, Bai Qingqing clenched her fingers, then slowly bent down and pressed her lips softly against Liu Qiu’s.

She did not want Liu Qiu to carry anyone else’s scent.

After lifting her head, Bai Qingqing looked at Liu Qiu’s slender knees, faintly pink.
That beta had touched them.

Moving closer, Bai Qingqing began planting light kisses on her knees as well.

Qiuqiu smelled sweet, as if the fragrance seeped from her very flesh, intoxicating beyond measure.

As she kissed, tears began falling again.

She regretted it so much.
Why had she been so foolish?

She wanted to remarry Qiuqiu.

She no longer wanted separate bedrooms.
She wanted kisses, embraces, and to hear Qiuqiu call her “wife” again.

She hated being addressed as Bai Qingqing or Miss Bai.

She hated having no right to stop others from approaching Qiuqiu.

Bai Qingqing lay down carefully beside Liu Qiu, wrapping an arm around her waist and nestling closer, burying her face in Liu Qiu’s chest to breathe in that faint fragrance.

Bit by bit, bitterness seeped into her blood and bones.

Now she could only secretly hold Qiuqiu like this.

If only they still had a marriage contract.
She longed desperately to return to the beginning.
She would learn how to be a qualified partner.

“Qiuqiu, I regret saying those things to you.”

There was too much she did not understand.
Even now, she did not know what words would make Liu Qiu happy.

She was just a foolish, clumsy demon.

Her voice was soft, almost a murmur.
Liu Qiu was sleeping too deeply to hear it.

Little by little, Bai Qingqing tightened her arms, embedding herself completely into Liu Qiu’s embrace and greedily savoring her warmth and scent.

She loved Liu Qiu so much she wished they could merge into one.

But precisely because she loved her, she knew she could not do that.

During the time she had lost Liu Qiu, she had come to understand something—

Love is restraint.

Their savings were running low.

Looking at the remaining balance, Liu Qiu let out a deep sigh.
Perhaps she should find a job, at least to maintain daily living expenses.

Liu Xia had told her not to worry and that she could cover food and housing, but Liu Qiu could not let her shoulder everything forever.

Just as she was thinking this, her phone suddenly received a message.

It was from Song Ciyu.

– Liu Qiu, do you have time to hang out? We haven’t seen each other in ages.

Liu Qiu frowned thoughtfully, then decided to agree.

There was a faint awkwardness lingering at home.
It would be better to go out, maybe check if any places were hiring part-time.

Liu Xia was acting as if nothing had happened, just like before.

She had gone out today, saying she needed to handle some paperwork.

At home now, it was only Liu Qiu and Bai Qingqing.

After turning into a little snake, Bai Qingqing spoke like a child.

She did not do anything excessive, only loved wrapping around Liu Qiu’s wrist.

“Qiuqiu, there’s still a lot of money left from what you gave me. I’ll give it back to you.”

Liu Qiu put her phone away and refused.
“No need. Keep it yourself.”

That money had belonged to the original host.
She would not spend it.

Besides, she only needed part-time work until the task progress bar was full.

Bai Qingqing rubbed against Liu Qiu’s warm, smooth skin.
It was fine if Qiuqiu refused.
She could secretly transfer the money through a human phone later.

If Qiuqiu refused once, she would keep transferring it.

“Qiuqiu, I’m sorry.”

Liu Qiu had grown used to it.
Bai Qingqing had been saying that nonstop these past few days.

Raising her wrist, Liu Qiu looked at the little white snake and smiled faintly.
“You’re like a broken record.”

The little snake’s tail wagged happily.
“Qiuqiu, I’m sorry.”

Qiuqiu looked so cute when she smiled.

The more Bai Qingqing observed her daily life, the deeper her feelings grew.

Qiuqiu actually loved to smile.
Her smiles were faint, almost imperceptible, but when she spoke, the corners of her lips would lift slightly.

Cute.

When she lost at games, she would feel upset, her pale pink lips pressing together softly, plump and tender.

Cute.

She loved eating meat at meals.

Cute.

How could Qiuqiu be so adorable no matter what she did?

Bai Qingqing clung tightly, constantly brushing her snake body against Liu Qiu’s skin, savoring every sensation.

The little snake looked no different from a bracelet.
But if someone came closer, they would probably be frightened to discover it was a living bracelet.

When Liu Qiu stepped outside, she ran into Shi Ran.

Shi Ran saw her and laughed softly.
“Liu Qiu, I sent you so many messages and you didn’t reply once.”

“I’ve been waiting for days and finally caught you.”

Liu Qiu clenched her fingers and avoided Shi Ran’s gaze as if escaping.

Shi Ran raised an eyebrow and stepped closer, handing her a bouquet.
“I bought this for you.”

She had bought three bouquets, and only today’s had met its intended owner.

Shi Ran added, “Don’t want to accept it? I bought it from that little kid over there.”

She pointed across the street at a child sitting among bundles of flowers.

“I told her I was giving it to someone I like. She picked it for me. She’s still watching. Are you really not going to take it?”

Liu Qiu was rendered speechless.
Following Shi Ran’s gesture, she indeed saw a little girl with a bun hairstyle, bright eyes fixed eagerly on them.

Helpless, Liu Qiu accepted the bouquet and said softly, “Shi Ran, I don’t need this.”

Shi Ran smiled.
“I know. I just wanted to give you a small gift. What’s wrong with that?”

“If you don’t like it, you can throw it away.”

Liu Qiu lowered her lashes and pressed her lips together lightly.
Her continued indifference had not dampened Shi Ran’s enthusiasm at all.

To step outside and immediately see Shi Ran—who knew how long she had been waiting?

Liu Qiu glanced at the passing pedestrians and said slowly, “Shi Ran, you don’t need to do this.”

“What I said that night wasn’t a joke.”

Shi Ran’s gaze deepened.
“Neither were my words.”

“I’m not very good at expressing love.”

“I’ll try to show it through actions. Liu Qiu, don’t reject me outright. I’m far better than Bai Qingqing.”

Bai Qingqing, hanging from Liu Qiu’s wrist, lifted her head and stared at Shi Ran with deadly intensity.

“Hiss—”