Chapter 23: Showing Goodwill

Bai Qingqing’s licking and biting was neither too heavy nor too light.

But her wet tongue kept circling that small patch of skin at Liu Qiu’s nape over and over again.

It felt so strange.

Liu Qiu couldn’t stop her tears at all, her cheeks a complete mess.

“W-wife…”

The gender dynamics of this world were truly hard to accept.

That gland was terrifying—just a touch to it and her mind nearly went blank.

Wasn’t it supposed to be omegas who reacted like this? Why did alphas react this way too?

Bai Qingqing released Liu Qiu’s neck and straightened up, brushing aside the damp black hair stuck to Liu Qiu’s tear-soaked cheek to reveal her delicate, pretty profile.

She flipped her over and sat astride her, looking down from above, her eyes and lips curved with a bewitching smile.

“Qiuqiu, if I said I want to do you, would you agree?” Bai Qingqing’s voice was gentle and lingering, the kind that made refusal nearly impossible.

With her gland no longer restrained, Liu Qiu could finally breathe. She clutched the small round object in her hand and looked at Bai Qingqing. Her tear-wet eyes, rimmed red at the corners, made her look pitiful beyond words.

Bai Qingqing lifted a hand and couldn’t resist stroking the drooping outer corner of her eye. Liu Qiu’s skin was thin and soft, damp to the touch—tender and supple.

“Wife…” That sticky, aggrieved tone again.

Bai Qingqing’s fingers slid downward and slowly closed around Liu Qiu’s throat.

“Wife.”

Liu Qiu was already nearsighted, and now with tears blurring her vision, she couldn’t see Bai Qingqing’s expression clearly at all.

The hand around her neck felt slightly cool. Liu Qiu blinked and sniffled. “Wife… but my hand is really sore.”

Bai Qingqing’s smile deepened. “Qiuqiu, this time let me do it, alright?” She didn’t want to play any more pretend sleeping games. She wanted Liu Qiu to know clearly that it was Bai Qingqing who was doing whatever she pleased with her.

Liu Qiu frowned faintly, thinking back to the previous times she had used her fingers on Bai Qingqing.

It seemed fine. It was just fingers, after all.

And this time she wouldn’t even have to exert effort. Thinking about it that way, it sounded acceptable.

She nodded lightly. “Okay. Wife, you do it.”

Bai Qingqing’s heart pounded violently. Liu Qiu really loved her.

In this world’s ingrained understanding, alphas were always the dominant side. Yet Liu Qiu had agreed without the slightest resistance.

Thud. Thud.

Her heartbeat roared in her ears. Her chest brimmed with emotions she couldn’t distinguish and didn’t want to analyze. Right now, she only wanted to entangle herself with Liu Qiu.

She released Liu Qiu’s neck, took the small ball from her hand, and leaned down with a low laugh. “Qiuqiu, how much do you love me?”

Liu Qiu wiped her tears. “Very much. Very, very much.” The original owner must have loved her—though it was hard to say. She suspected Bai Qingqing might have once been a substitute, but she certainly wouldn’t say she didn’t love her.

Desire shimmered at the corners of Bai Qingqing’s eyes, like a mountain spirit seducing mortals—just a single smile was vivid and intoxicating.

Unfortunately, Liu Qiu couldn’t see clearly without her glasses.

Liu Qiu’s brows were tightly knitted, her voice trembling. “W-wife, why did you put that ball inside?”

“It feels… so strange.”

A flush spread across Bai Qingqing’s face, her voice slightly hoarse. “Qiuqiu, don’t you know what that is?”

Liu Qiu gripped the bedsheets tightly. “I—I know.” But wasn’t it supposed to be for massage? Like the massage gun her roommate used to relax muscles?

“Wife, it feels numb.” And swollen.

Bai Qingqing laughed softly. “Be good. It’ll be over soon.” Liu Qiu was really hopelessly clueless.

Asking why it was being put in at a time like this—

Just like when she got drunk and asked why fingers were being put inside.

“…Wife.” The tremor in Liu Qiu’s voice grew more obvious.

Her whole body was trembling now.

It didn’t hurt; it just felt unbearably full.

Even now she had the spare thought to drift mentally—she’d never experienced this before. The small ball was thicker than Bai Qingqing’s fingers, but it was still manageable.

She even thought that if it were fingers, she probably wouldn’t feel much at all.

But later, all the thoughts in her mind turned to mush. She couldn’t speak anymore.

Every word dissolved into whimpers in her throat.

The overwhelming sensations left her body weak and boneless.

Soft, fragile sobs echoed in the room.

Liu Qiu pressed her fingers against Bai Qingqing’s shoulder, cheeks flushed red, crying miserably.

“Wuu… wife…”

One of Bai Qingqing’s hands held Liu Qiu’s nape while the other moved in tandem with the vibrating sphere.

Liu Qiu cried until she looked like a little tabby cat, her pale pink lips plump and damp with tears.

Bai Qingqing pressed her nose against Liu Qiu’s neck and inhaled her scent carefully.

She couldn’t smell pheromones, but she could catch the fragrance of Liu Qiu’s body wash—clean, pleasant, faintly sweet.

“Qiuqiu, why do you cry so much?”

Crying so adorably, trembling so much—it made her want to swallow her whole.

The night stretched long and quiet.

Liu Xia lay in bed, turning over restlessly.

These were notes from eight years ago.

March 7, Sunny. Liu Xia has changed a little. She has made good friends and is gradually leaving me behind. I feel sad. Aren’t we family?

August 21, Light rain. The wind was strong. Someone confessed to Liu Xia. She’s excellent; it’s normal for people to like her. She’ll probably marry a beautiful omega in the future. I’m so jealous of omegas. Why wasn’t I born one?

January 12, Sunny. Liu Xia received a guaranteed admission spot. I’m unhappy. The gap between us is getting bigger. I don’t want to be left behind, but I’m too stupid. No matter how hard I try, I can’t learn.

Every entry revolved around her.

Liu Xia slowly closed the notebook and let out a long sigh.

In Liu Qiu’s eyes, she had been too perfect. But she was never that good.

She had felt disdain before—why hadn’t Liu Qiu grown up even after so many years?

She had often ignored her too. In their youth, she had carried a pitiful kind of pride.

Liu Qiu wasn’t pretty, often hunched over. Standing beside her, Liu Xia could always feel disdainful gazes.

Gradually, she began distancing herself, though in front of Liu Qiu she maintained her gentle facade.

She treated Liu Qiu as family—because they were children of the same orphanage, and because Liu Qiu was pitiful.

Liu Qiu’s love had disgusted her. How could familial affection turn into romantic love?

At the time, it felt like her own younger sister had fallen in love with her—so revolting she wanted to vomit.

And the wall of secretly taken photos—that kind of behavior had filled her with despair.

But now, after so much time, that intense disgust had long faded.

Only a faint melancholy remained. She had once said they were family.

When one is young and immature, it’s natural to explode, to collapse, even to resent.

Feelings can’t be forced. She couldn’t make herself give Liu Qiu hope. Leaving had been the best choice.

Liu Xia closed her eyes gently. Time truly was the best medicine.

Yet Liu Qiu’s lively figure from earlier that day surfaced in her mind, and a flicker of worry crossed her eyes.

Liu Qiu had said her wife looked like her.

When she told Liu Qiu, ‘You just like people with my kind of face,’ it had been a lie.

She was worried Liu Qiu’s wife might be her substitute.

That would be unfair to that person.

When alone with her, Liu Qiu hadn’t behaved strangely. She wanted to see how Liu Qiu acted with her wife.

She hoped Liu Qiu wasn’t treating that person as a replacement.

Night receded and daylight arrived.

Liu Qiu’s eyelids were heavy. Even though she was mentally awake, she didn’t want to open her eyes.

“Qiuqiu, awake?” Bai Qingqing’s voice came from behind her.

Liu Qiu slowly buried her face into the pillow. Her voice was hoarse. “Wife…”

“Qiuqiu.”

Liu Qiu’s fingers tightened abruptly—Bai Qingqing had touched her gland again.

“It’s a little swollen. Does it hurt, Qiuqiu?” Bai Qingqing’s tone lifted lightly, sounding pleased.

Liu Qiu didn’t want to speak. Last night had been humiliating—she had lost control several times.

She hadn’t been able to control her body at all, only able to cry and beg to be let go.

But Bai Qingqing never listened. She kept pressing against her.

Last night’s Bai Qingqing had felt different—something about her… Liu Qiu couldn’t describe it.

Before, even brushing against her clothes would earn disgust. Yet last night Bai Qingqing had held her the entire time, kneading her as though trying to rub her into her own body.

If it weren’t Bai Qingqing, she would never have imagined two people could press so close together.

An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back into an embrace. Bai Qingqing’s lips pressed against the gland at her nape. Liu Qiu trembled. “D-don’t…”

Bai Qingqing licked the swollen gland, her voice low and laced with sensuality. “We won’t do it again.”

She actually still wanted to. The way Liu Qiu trembled all over at her touch excited her.

“Was it fun, Qiuqiu? Next time you can play with me too.”

Liu Qiu’s lashes trembled violently. “Okay.” She’d better take the dominant role next time. She didn’t want to experience something so embarrassing again.

She had nearly babbled nonsense.

Bai Qingqing pulled Liu Qiu completely into her arms, utterly satisfied.

For some reason, she felt intensely pleased—so pleased she didn’t want to get up at all, just wanted to hold her like this forever and take her whenever she wished.

“Grrr…” Liu Qiu’s stomach growled.

She pressed her lips together, cheeks heating in embarrassment. Even more humiliating.

Bai Qingqing narrowed her eyes and pressed a hand to her stomach. “Qiuqiu’s hungry.”

“Mm… a little,” Liu Qiu replied softly.

Bai Qingqing got out of bed, threw on a dress, and walked out of the room.

Liu Qiu watched her back, then flopped onto the bed in a starfish shape.

[System, don’t you think Bai Qingqing is a little strange?]

The system made a crunchy sound, apparently eating something. [A little. She kind of acts like a dog—kept biting your neck last night.]

Liu Qiu: […System, could you actually see clearly?]

System: [Not really, everything was blurred mosaics. But I just scanned your neck—there are quite a few bite marks, and they’re pretty deep.]

Chatting with the system, Liu Qiu felt no embarrassment at all. Probably because it was artificial intelligence. She spoke bluntly: [Oh my god, System, you have no idea. Last night she did this and that—I was stretched to the limit.]

[And she kept grinding. It was exhausting.]

The system hissed. [Host, how do you feel now? Does it hurt a lot?]

Liu Qiu closed her eyes. [It doesn’t hurt. I’m just really tired.] The process had actually felt good—but losing control like that had been mortifying. Was that loss of control part of it? So strange.

[Why did Bai Qingqing put that ball inside? I still don’t understand.]

System: […]

Its host was hopeless—played like that and still fixated on why the ball had been used.

[Host, how many adult films have you watched?]

[Just the one you showed me.]

Liu Qiu had never looked into these things. She focused on studying and didn’t date.

The system fell silent again. So its host was a bookworm. No wonder she was clueless.

[By the way, Host, don’t you feel repulsed doing that with Bai Qingqing?]

Liu Qiu sat up slowly. [No. From the original owner’s perspective, she and Bai Qingqing are wives. Of course she wouldn’t reject doing that, nor feel repulsed.]

System: […]

[Host, you’re really dedicated.] Anyone who fell for her in the future would be blessed.

Liu Qiu accepted the compliment, got out of bed, and prepared to return to her own room to wash up.

Her bedsheets had been soiled last night, so Bai Qingqing had carried her to another room. She was now in Bai Qingqing’s bed.

Her body didn’t hurt, just felt weak and sore.

She had no job now, so she didn’t need to wake early.

But she wanted to clean up and tidy the bed. She was going to Shi Ran’s performance tonight.

“Director, this is Team A’s project plan.”

Song Ciyu lifted her eyes toward the employee standing before her. “Leave it on the desk.”

The employee set the documents down and hurried out as if fleeing.

Song Ciyu didn’t pick them up. Her gaze returned to the now-empty desk across from her.

Before, all she had to do was look up to see Liu Qiu’s figure.

Though she hadn’t often come into the office.

Her fingers tapped lightly against the desk. Tap. Tap.

Her mood was inexplicably irritable.

She took a sip of coffee. As for Liu Qiu—she was merely somewhat interested.

Did Liu Qiu have any strengths? No.

They hadn’t known each other long, but Liu Qiu was easy to read.

Kindly put, she was honest and well-behaved. Less kindly put, dull and rigid, with zero emotional intelligence.

Her only passable trait was her face. But Song Ciyu had seen countless beautiful people. Liu Qiu wasn’t remarkable among them.

So why was she so restless?

Perhaps because she hadn’t obtained what she wanted. Because things hadn’t gone according to plan.

She had never failed to get what she wanted.

Song Ciyu opened her phone. She still had Liu Qiu’s contact.

Her gaze was deep, like a dark pool hiding some unknown creature.

The company had already released an apology statement.

Though Liu Qiu likely didn’t need it.

Leaning back in her chair, lashes lowered, Song Ciyu sent a message.

—Liu Qiu, do you want to go out this weekend?

She still had a chance. At least Liu Qiu didn’t dislike her.

What would an alpha like Liu Qiu enjoy?

Treasures? Jewelry?

She would try a different method. She didn’t know how to pursue someone, but giving gifts was simple—just pile up enough money.

Gifts were only a gesture of goodwill. More importantly, she would cultivate affection through continued contact.

Her expression remained calm, but her thoughts churned.

She didn’t want to let Liu Qiu slip away so easily.