Chapter 12: You almost saw it

Liu Qiu lay on the bed, exhausted to the extreme today, both physically and mentally drained, and the moment she closed her eyes, she fell asleep.

Yet less than ten minutes later, the bedroom door was gently pushed open, and a tall figure stepped inside.

Standing by Liu Qiu’s bedside and gazing at her peaceful sleeping face, Bai Qingqing’s eyes transformed into eerie vertical pupils.

Once had clearly not been enough.

She still wanted more.

Liu Qiu was not sleeping very deeply.

Bai Qingqing’s gaze burned so intensely it felt almost tangible.

Liu Qiu’s long lashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

A flash of crimson entered her vision.

Before Liu Qiu could even cry out in shock, her consciousness blurred, and she fell back into sleep once more.

Her breathing was light and steady.

Bai Qingqing bent down, carefully studying Liu Qiu’s features.

A charming smile curved her lips as she reached out and gently poked at Liu Qiu’s soft cheek.

“Almost let you see.”

Warm body heat seeped through their touching fingertips.

Her fingers slid downward, slowly undoing the buttons of Liu Qiu’s shirt one by one.

A large expanse of pale skin came into view.

Liu Qiu’s frame was slender, yet not gaunt.

On the contrary, her flesh was supple and evenly shaped, slim and beautiful in a way that made her especially alluring.

Bai Qingqing licked her lips.

She liked Liu Qiu’s body very much.

Warm.

Soft.

It always made her cold serpent body feel exceptionally comfortable.

Bai Qingqing climbed onto the bed, bracing her hands on either side of Liu Qiu’s arms.

A faint flush bloomed across her snow-white face—radiant and captivating, like peach blossoms in full bloom.

She parted her red lips and exhaled slowly.

“Qiuqiu, don’t make me grow tired of you, alright?”

Liu Qiu could not hear her words.

The only response was her faint breathing.

A wisp of vital essence slipped from between Liu Qiu’s lips and was completely absorbed by Bai Qingqing.

Demonic energy solidified within her body and spread to where she pressed close to Liu Qiu, linking them together.

Bai Qingqing’s face carried a startling allure.

The saying that snakes are inherently lustful was far too true.

She had once been able to suppress even her heat cycle.

But after tasting flesh, she could no longer restrain herself.

Liu Qiu slept deeply, never waking no matter what Bai Qingqing did.

Nor did she feel the strange changes occurring within her body.

This was a carnival that belonged to Bai Qingqing alone.

After an unknown amount of time, a white long serpent appeared, coiling tightly around Liu Qiu’s body.

Sharp fangs pierced into the back of her neck, slowly injecting venom.

Bai Qingqing’s serpent body writhed and gradually tightened.

Liu Qiu’s warm body temperature made her reluctant to let go.

As expected, the demon race still preferred using their true form.

So tired…

That was Liu Qiu’s first thought upon waking.

She got up and went to the bathroom.

Staring at her increasingly pale reflection in the mirror, worry suddenly rose in her heart.

Could it be that the original owner of this body had some illness?

She felt exhausted every single day.

And last night, she had dreamed of a pair of terrifying crimson vertical pupils—cold and snake-like.

Liu Qiu changed out of her pajamas.

Looking at the reddish marks scattered across her body, she sighed softly.

[System, can you help me check what these red marks are? Am I having an allergic reaction?]

They didn’t look like insect bites.

The system replied: [Host, this is not an allergy. It’s likely because your skin is delicate. You may have pressed against it while sleeping, which caused these marks.]

It could not see Liu Qiu’s entire body—only some of the marks on her arms.

After scanning her, it reported: [There are no abnormalities. However, Host, compared to normal human baseline stats, your physical condition is weaker. You should exercise properly.]

Liu Qiu put on her clothes and asked in confusion: [But isn’t this the original owner’s body?]

The system responded in an inscrutable tone: [From the moment your soul fused with it, this virtual body became yours. It adopts your personal attribute values.]

[Ah, is that so?]

Liu Qiu thought about it briefly and decided it didn’t really matter whether it was hers or not.

Once she finished the mission, she would leave anyway.

After washing up, she subconsciously reached for her glasses, only to remember she hadn’t brought them back last night.

Without them, her field of vision was a blur, though it didn’t affect her ability to walk.

Still, it felt strange.

Every time she woke up from this bed, she felt especially tired.

She didn’t have much time to dwell on it.

After all, she was now a nine-to-six corporate drone.

Once she got up and finished breakfast, she had to head to the company.

Today, there was only one serving of breakfast on the table.

Bai Qingqing sat across from her.

Liu Qiu softly greeted, “Wife, good morning.”

Bai Qingqing turned her head toward her, smiling enchantingly.

“Qiuqiu, good morning.”

It was an ordinary greeting between partners.

Liu Qiu let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Bai Qingqing’s attitude hadn’t changed.

If she had suddenly become overly affectionate because of last night, Liu Qiu would have felt uncomfortable.

After finishing her meal, Liu Qiu went to the entryway to put on her shoes.

Behind her came Bai Qingqing’s smiling voice.

“Darling, call me the moment you get off work, alright?”

After tying her shoelaces, Liu Qiu stood up and gave Bai Qingqing a shy smile, faint dimples appearing at the corners of her cheeks.

Without those old-fashioned, heavy glasses, her delicate and refined features were fully revealed.

Her large eyes were misty, tinged with a faint redness underneath, making her look somewhat pitiful.

“Wife, I will.”

Bai Qingqing’s gaze fell on that hint of red.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she reached out to touch the corner of Liu Qiu’s eye.

A cold, soft fingertip rested against her skin.

Liu Qiu instinctively shrank back.

Bai Qingqing noticed and let out a low laugh.

“Qiuqiu, why are you afraid of me? I’m your wife. Besides, we’ve already done even more intimate things.”

She emphasized the word intimate, making it sound particularly meaningful.

She had tasted every inch of Liu Qiu.

And she had allowed Liu Qiu to possess her as well.

Their intimacy had reached its peak.

Bai Qingqing extended her crimson tongue and licked her lips, a flicker of desire rising again.

She wanted to merge with Liu Qiu—‘you within me, me within you.’

Liu Qiu’s lashes trembled lightly.

Pressing her pale pink lips together, she said uneasily, “…Wife, I—I should go to work.”

Just now, for a split second, Bai Qingqing’s gaze had seemed strange enough to make goosebumps rise all over her body.

But when she looked carefully, she saw nothing but faint amusement in those eyes.

Bai Qingqing tapped the corner of Liu Qiu’s eye, then leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, “Qiuqiu, next time, don’t cry in someone else’s arms. Look, your eyes are still red.”

Human skin was truly fragile.

It felt like even a little more force would leave marks.

An indescribable fragrance wafted from Bai Qingqing’s body.

Liu Qiu gripped the strap of her shoulder bag tightly, her cheeks warming.

Her voice grew even softer.

“Wife, the company lights went out last night. It was very dark. I got so scared my legs went weak and I couldn’t walk, so… so Director Song helped me.”

“I won’t do that again.”

Bai Qingqing gave a soft hum of laughter and twirled a strand of Liu Qiu’s curled hair around her finger.

“Mhm, such a good girl.”

To be fair, Liu Qiu did have her merits.

Honesty was one of them.

“Can you see clearly without your glasses? How about I take you to work today, Qiuqiu?”

Her movements were intimate, her tone lilting and seductive, exuding temptation at every moment.

Liu Qiu deliberately looked slightly dazed before lowering her head shyly.

“N-No need to trouble yourself, Wife.”

Bai Qingqing released her hair and pressed a hand onto her shoulder.

“Be good. Listen to me.”

Liu Qiu sighed inwardly.

Bai Qingqing’s behavior was truly impossible to predict.

Why suddenly insist on taking her to work?

She didn’t even seem to care about her nearsightedness.

If she did care, she wouldn’t have walked away so quickly last night.

Liu Qiu pressed her lips together.

Forget it.

Overthinking wouldn’t advance her mission progress anyway.

She nodded gently, agreeing to let Bai Qingqing take her to work.

They walked down the hallway together.

Today, they did not run into Shi Ran.

Liu Qiu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Shi Ran disliked her intensely.

If they ran into each other, it would likely end in another argument.

Rush hour was always packed with people and vehicles.

Taking the subway meant getting squeezed into a pancake, sometimes even missing your stop because you couldn’t push your way out.

The bus was slightly better.

Though traffic could be heavy, at least you wouldn’t miss your stop.

But it was still crowded.

Liu Qiu was small in stature.

The moment she got on, she was swallowed by the crowd and pushed toward the back.

She wasn’t short in reality.

Yet in this world, she was like a bean sprout, completely overshadowed by everyone else.

“Qiuqiu, where are you?”

Bai Qingqing’s voice came from behind.

Liu Qiu turned around but saw only the silhouettes of strangers.

She pressed her lips together.

Without her glasses, she couldn’t clearly see faces even slightly farther away.

She couldn’t find Bai Qingqing.

But Bai Qingqing could see her.

Her thin frame and pale face always drew attention immediately.

The hand gripping the pole looked slender and sickly.

Without glasses obscuring her features, she seemed less gloomy and more innocent.

Her gaze was directed straight out the window.

Sunlight streamed in, illuminating her eyes and adding a touch of brightness to her appearance.

Bai Qingqing stepped forward and moved close to her without a sound.

She clearly felt Liu Qiu tremble, as if startled.

Leaning down, Bai Qingqing blew lightly into her ear.

“Qiuqiu, is the scenery beautiful?”

Liu Qiu’s fingers tightened abruptly around the pole.

Her voice trembled.

“W-Wife.”

That scared her to death.

She had almost thought some pervert had gotten close to her.

Bai Qingqing reached out and wrapped a hand around Liu Qiu’s waist, gently stroking.

“Qiuqiu, I asked you if the scenery is beautiful.”

The touch made Liu Qiu’s waist feel ticklish.

She shifted her legs uncomfortably, trying to avoid the contact.

But in moving, she felt her hips brush against Bai Qingqing’s thigh.

Embarrassment rose in her chest.

She slowly adjusted her body, turning sideways to face her instead.

“Wife, I can’t see clearly.”

Everything outside was a blur.

She had no idea whether it was beautiful or not.

From the side, her long, dark lashes fluttered like small fans.

Her nose was delicate and straight.

Her lips were pale pink and full.

Her appearance was soft and utterly non-threatening.

Bai Qingqing licked her lips.

Her narrow eyes curved into a beautiful arc.

“Qiuqiu, next time, don’t forget your glasses.”

Liu Qiu nodded lightly.

“I won’t.”

The bus stopped and started repeatedly.

The number of passengers never decreased.

Liu Qiu still couldn’t find a seat.

Only three stops left.

Even in the morning, the summer sun was already scorching.

Beads of sweat formed across Liu Qiu’s forehead.

Bai Qingqing was pressed so close to her—wasn’t she hot?

Thinking this, Liu Qiu secretly glanced at her.

She found Bai Qingqing completely dry, not a single drop of sweat on her.

Unable to hold back, Liu Qiu whispered softly, “Wife, I’m a little hot.”

So could you move a little farther away?

Bai Qingqing raised an eyebrow.

“Qiuqiu, endure it. We should be there soon.”

“…Alright.”

As the bus moved along the road, Liu Qiu suddenly caught a strong scent of caramel.

Yet instead of finding it pleasant, she felt intense repulsion.

Her body began to tremble.

This feeling was the same as what Song Ciyu had given her.

Pheromones.

An alpha’s pheromones had erupted.

Most of the passengers were betas and couldn’t sense it.

But Liu Qiu was an alpha.

She could smell it clearly.

And this alpha’s rank was higher than hers.

Her body went weak.

A high-ranking alpha had absolute suppression over a lower-ranking alpha—she had read that online.

But she hadn’t expected the suppression to be this overwhelming.

It crushed any thought of resistance.

To keep herself from collapsing to her knees, Liu Qiu gripped the pole tightly.

Her already pale face turned utterly bloodless.

“Driver, stop the bus! An alpha’s in heat!” someone shouted.