Chapter 41: Last Time

Disgusting humans—always so fond of sweet talk.

Bai Qingqing could not help but recall how Liu Qiu used to say she loved her the most.

Yet in truth, she had never loved her at all.

But considering how she herself had treated Liu Qiu, it was only natural that Liu Qiu did not love her.

She no longer felt anger.

Now, when she replayed those memories, every second only deepened the bitterness in her heart.

The little snake’s hissing was somewhat sharp.

Shi Ran’s gaze lowered, and she noticed the snake’s head poking out from Liu Qiu’s long sleeve.

A snow-white head.

Crimson vertical pupils.

Shi Ran narrowed her eyes slightly.

She remembered now.

The last time she had wanted to kiss Liu Qiu, it had been this snake.

When they had almost kissed, it had also been this snake.

Setting everything else aside, the mere fact that it always interfered with her was enough to make it irritating.

Still, judging by appearances, it was probably Liu Qiu’s pet snake.

That was a bit unexpected.

Liu Qiu did not seem like someone who would keep a snake.

Drawing her gaze back from the snake, Shi Ran continued, “Liu Qiu, what’s your answer?”

Liu Qiu’s lips trembled.

After a long moment, she still did not respond.

She simply did not know how to handle someone as direct as Shi Ran.

Everything Shi Ran did and said was straightforward, without any twists or turns.

Anyone could clearly see what she wanted.

“I… I’m sorry, Shi Ran.”

Shi Ran did not grow angry.

Instead, she said, “I was too impatient.”

“Liu Qiu, you don’t need to apologize. Are you free today? I want you to listen to a new song I composed.”

Liu Qiu slowly lowered her head.

Shi Ran let out a soft laugh.

“I understand your meaning now, Liu Qiu.”

“But can’t you at least listen to it once? It’s my only wish.”

There was a note of pleading in Shi Ran’s voice.

It did not suit her personality at all.

She must truly want Liu Qiu to hear it.

Liu Qiu gripped the fabric of her pants.

Her eyelashes trembled intensely.

Shi Ran had clearly not taken her words from that night to heart.

She knew this was unfair to Shi Ran.

Shi Ran had scolded her before, but that had been based on a misunderstanding.

Even without clearing up that misunderstanding, Shi Ran had still stood up for her when she saw others bullying her.

Bold and passionate.

Her hatred was direct, and so was her love.

The more someone was like that, the less Liu Qiu wanted to approach them.

She was only a task executor.

She would not respond to any emotions in this small world.

If Shi Ran sank deeper, she would only be hurt more in the end.

Liu Qiu exhaled softly.

Of course she had to stand firm in her position.

She had almost wavered just now.

Liu Qiu lifted her eyes.

Her pale pink lips parted slightly as she prepared to speak.

But a sudden voice interrupted her.

“Liu Qiu, long time no see.”

The uniquely magnetic voice drifted slowly into her ears.

Liu Qiu instinctively turned toward the source.

A light-colored qipao.

Hair pinned up at the back of her head, with a single strand falling by her temple.

As she walked, the ornament on her hairpin swayed gently, captivating the eye.

Song Ciyu approached Liu Qiu, stopped before her, and gave a slight nod in greeting.

“Did I arrive a little too early?”

All the words Liu Qiu had meant to say to Shi Ran stuck in her throat.

Looking at Song Ciyu, she stammered, “No.”

Song Ciyu had said she would come pick her up.

After Liu Qiu’s repeated refusals, she had not insisted.

She had not expected Song Ciyu to arrive so early.

She had left home more than half an hour ahead of their agreed time, intending to check for part-time job postings nearby.

Instead, she ran into Shi Ran first, and now Song Ciyu had also come early.

Unconsciously, Liu Qiu turned to look at Shi Ran.

With Song Ciyu here, she finally had a reason to send Shi Ran away.

“Shi Ran, I’m going out with my friend.”

“So… I’m sorry.”

Shi Ran slowly clenched her fists.

Between her and Song Ciyu, Liu Qiu had chosen Song Ciyu?

It was infuriating.

A dull pain spread through her heart.

Shi Ran closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, her gaze toward Song Ciyu now openly hostile.

She had never regarded this alpha as a threat before.

But now Liu Qiu was resisting her, rejecting her approach, and yet accepting this alpha.

She had been the one to invite Liu Qiu first.

Shi Ran clicked her tongue lightly.

“I’m coming too.”

As if she would ever allow Liu Qiu to be alone with someone else.

Liu Qiu felt troubled.

Song Ciyu curved her lips slightly.

“If Liu Qiu doesn’t mind.”

Shi Ran’s gaze fixed tightly on Liu Qiu.

“You’re going to refuse me even for this?”

Liu Qiu sighed inwardly.

In the end, she nodded.

Bai Qingqing had already withdrawn her head back into Liu Qiu’s sleeve.

For now, it seemed no one would do anything excessive to Qiuqiu.

These two humans would likely restrain each other.

Bai Qingqing extended her tongue and lightly brushed it against Liu Qiu’s skin.

Qiuqiu belonged to her.

Song Ciyu walked ahead, leading Liu Qiu and Shi Ran toward her car.

Then she said to Liu Qiu, “Liu Qiu, come with me for a moment.”

Liu Qiu was still holding the bouquet of roses Shi Ran had given her.

She responded blankly, “Oh,” and followed Song Ciyu to the trunk.

Song Ciyu said, “I thought about it for a long time.”

Then she opened the trunk.

An entire trunk full of white tulips flooded into Liu Qiu’s vision.

Song Ciyu lowered her eyes, a faint smile curving her lips.

“Not as vibrant as roses, but exceptionally pure.”

Beside them, Shi Ran ground her teeth.

This alpha was truly despicable.

Liu Qiu felt genuinely troubled now.

Another bouquet.

But Song Ciyu had not given her roses.

Her conduct was measured and proper.

It should simply be a gift between friends.

Liu Qiu’s thoughts twisted and turned before she concluded she had been overthinking.

She offered Song Ciyu a faint smile.

“Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

Seeing Liu Qiu smile, Shi Ran dug her nails into her palm.

Was she truly that repulsed by her?

No smile for her, yet a smile for this detestable alpha.

Shi Ran suppressed the swelling resentment in her chest.

Her dislike for Song Ciyu reached its peak.

This arrogant alpha was even more irritating than Bai Qingqing.

The three of them got into the car.

Liu Qiu sat in the passenger seat, while Shi Ran sat in the back.

Bai Qingqing poked her head out and peered through the gap in the seat toward the trunk.

A faint wisp of pale green mist slipped from her mouth and drifted toward the flowers.

The bright, beautiful blossoms began visibly wilting.

Within moments, they yellowed.

Bai Qingqing slithered up Liu Qiu’s arm.

Liu Qiu felt a tickling sensation but was too embarrassed to lift her sleeve to see what Bai Qingqing was doing.

The snake climbed to Liu Qiu’s collar and pressed her mouth gently against Liu Qiu’s skin.

After turning into a snake, she could kiss Qiuqiu’s cheek without being rejected.

After a few gentle touches, she slithered back down and coiled obediently around Liu Qiu’s wrist.

Her actions were utterly incomprehensible.

The atmosphere in the car was quiet.

Liu Qiu looked out the window, wondering how much longer it would take before she could leave this world.

Perhaps if she deliberately kissed someone more, Bai Qingqing’s green-hat value would skyrocket.

But she no longer knew whom she could kiss.

Shi Ran would not work.

Liu Xia would not work.

Song Ciyu would not work either.

She simply could not bring herself to take the initiative like that.

About half an hour later, the car stopped.

Song Ciyu glanced at the bouquet Liu Qiu had been holding.

She opened the trunk.

“Liu Qiu, put your flowers here first.”

Liu Qiu looked inside and abruptly widened her eyes.

“The flowers… what happened to them?”

All of them had turned yellow.

They looked nothing like they had thirty minutes ago.

Shi Ran let out a laugh of mockery.

“Miss Song sure goes big. Where did you buy flowers that stay fresh for only a few seconds?”

“You must have spent quite a bit. Tulips with such a short lifespan aren’t common.”

Song Ciyu lowered her gaze slightly, her expression unchanged.

She ignored Shi Ran’s sarcasm and instead apologized sincerely to Liu Qiu.

“I’m sorry you had to see this.”

She closed the trunk and opened the back door.

“Liu Qiu, put them here.”

“I didn’t expect them to wilt so quickly.”

Holding the bouquet was inconvenient anyway.

Liu Qiu placed it inside, fingers twisting nervously at her clothes.

“It’s fine.”

She thought she probably knew who had done it.

Who else could make flowers wither so quickly besides Bai Qingqing?

But wouldn’t Song Ciyu and Shi Ran find this strange?

Song Ciyu had brought them to a museum.

It was not overly crowded.

Song Ciyu smiled faintly.

“Liu Qiu, is this place alright?”

Liu Qiu’s eyes noticeably brightened.

She nodded.

“Yes.”

She quite liked places like museums.

Shi Ran walked beside them, listening as Song Ciyu spoke eloquently.

Everything she said seemed to make Liu Qiu’s eyes curve in a smile.

Liu Qiu had never smiled at her like that.

A dull ache spread in Shi Ran’s chest.

Shi Ran stepped forward and grabbed Liu Qiu’s hand.

“Liu Qiu, slow down.”

Liu Qiu shifted her attention to Shi Ran and slowed her steps considerately.

She did not pull her hand away.

“Okay.”

Song Ciyu asked, “Liu Qiu, is there anything you want to eat?”

“If there is, I can cancel the reservation.”

Liu Qiu turned to her.

“No.”

Song Ciyu brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Then tonight we’ll eat at the restaurant I booked.”

From the side came Shi Ran’s voice.

“Liu Qiu, I need the restroom. Come with me to find it.”

“…Okay.”

Once she received Liu Qiu’s agreement, Shi Ran pulled her quickly into the crowd.

Liu Qiu glanced back at Song Ciyu.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Song Ciyu’s gaze seemed slightly off.

Shi Ran dragged Liu Qiu all the way into the omega restroom.

It was only after being pulled into a stall that Liu Qiu realized they were not the same gender.

She had entered the wrong restroom again.

She grew nervous.

“Shi Ran, let me out.”

Shi Ran blocked the stall door.

Looking at Liu Qiu’s flustered expression, jealousy flickered in her eyes.

“Liu Qiu, I’m so jealous.”

“What does that alpha have that makes you like her?”

Liu Qiu clenched her clothes, stammering, “Shi—Shi Ran, what are you—talking about?”

Shi Ran curled her lips coldly and suddenly released her pheromones.

The sweet scent of green apple instantly flooded Liu Qiu’s nose.

It stirred the deepest cravings within her.

The sensation was fiercer than ever before.

Liu Qiu’s eyes reddened.

“Shi Ran, what are you doing?”

Shi Ran lifted her shirt and forcibly pulled Liu Qiu into her embrace.

Her fingers curved against Liu Qiu’s back and slowly moved to the sensitive gland at the nape of her neck.

“Liu Qiu, my heat came again. I didn’t bring suppressants this time.”

“Help me, okay?”

Her nose was filled entirely with Shi Ran’s scent.

Soft flesh pressed against her cheek.

Hot and slick.

Everything happened too quickly.

The moment Shi Ran hugged her, Liu Qiu had reacted.

But her body was affected by the pheromones.

Her limbs stiffened, unable to break free.

Now Shi Ran’s hand gripped the sensitive gland at her neck.

The cold rim of glasses contrasted sharply with warm, soft skin.

Liu Qiu struggled to breathe.

“Shi—Shi Ran, let—let me go.”

Shi Ran lowered her head and whispered, “Isn’t it soft? Isn’t it fragrant?”

“Liu Qiu, mark me.”

“Shi Ran.”

[Green-hat value +5]

Bai Qingqing climbed up from Liu Qiu’s wrist, crying as she moved.

Why was Qiuqiu not pushing her away?

Why was she pressed so closely, so ambiguously, against that omega?

It hurt.

Like countless needles piercing into her veins.

The pain trembled through her soul.

She suddenly shot out from Liu Qiu’s collar, raised her body, and bit down on the wrist touching Liu Qiu’s neck.

Shi Ran felt the pain and frowned, but did not care much.

A snake that could stay by Liu Qiu’s side was likely non-venomous.

But before long, her body began losing strength.

Bai Qingqing’s eyes glowed red as she forced Shi Ran to release Liu Qiu.

If not for her incomplete recovery and lack of demonic power, she would not have needed such proximity to control an ordinary human.

Qiuqiu was hers.

No matter how many times she told herself to endure, she simply could not tolerate others touching Qiuqiu.

Jealousy and killing intent surged.

They twisted her mind.

She had already tried her best not to bite these disgusting humans to death.

Liu Qiu regained her freedom and did not dare linger for even a second.

She flung open the stall door and rushed out.

Heat?

Shi Ran’s last heat had not even been a month ago.

She had clearly lied.

Liu Qiu straightened her crooked glasses and ran outside.

She had barely gone far when she ran into Song Ciyu coming toward her.

She did not want to stay here any longer.

Her body was burning.

The gland at her neck was burning.

She had experienced this once before.

Her heat.

She had to leave.

She brushed past Song Ciyu and ran toward the exit.

Her heart pounded violently.

As if it would burst from her chest.

Song Ciyu ran after her.

She had caught the scent of an omega.

An inferior alpha was easily induced into a false heat by an omega.

“Liu Qiu.”

She followed her outside.

Fortunately, Liu Qiu had not gone far.

She leaned against a lamppost to rest.

But the next second, Song Ciyu’s eyes widened sharply.

She sprinted toward Liu Qiu at astonishing speed.

“Liu Qiu!”

“Ahhh!” Screams rang out around them.

Liu Qiu’s body had gone limp.

She saw a car speeding toward her.

But she had no strength.

“Bang!”

The world spun.

She was pulled into someone’s arms.

When they hit the ground, Liu Qiu trembled as she struggled to stand.

She moved toward Song Ciyu, who lay beneath her, blood pooling around her.

“Song—Song Ciyu, you—”

Song Ciyu’s eyes were barely open.

Blood blurred her vision.

Only one eye could still see Liu Qiu clearly.

Seeing that Liu Qiu was unharmed, Song Ciyu smiled faintly.

“Just a little more.”

Just a little more and she might not have protected her in time.

Her body hurt terribly.

Her legs felt numb.

Perhaps it would be better if both legs were broken.

Then Liu Qiu would stay by her side for a lifetime out of guilt.

“When it comes to you, I never have any rationality.”

The moment she saw the car rushing toward Liu Qiu, she had thought of nothing else.

Only protecting her.

Large tears streamed down Liu Qiu’s face.

[System! Help me—help me save her, please.]

She had never wanted anyone to die.

It was her fault for standing by the roadside.

She did not want Song Ciyu to die.

Song Ciyu tried to lift her hand, wanting to wipe away Liu Qiu’s tears.

“Don’t cry. Someone as bad as me isn’t worth your tears.”

She did not know if the words had left her lips.

She could no longer hear.

Her consciousness slowly faded.

Her gaze remained fixed on Liu Qiu.

“Liu Qiu, I love you.”

The first time she said it aloud.

Perhaps the last.

In her otherwise perfect life, was there anything she regretted?

Only one thing.

She had guided others into driving Liu Qiu out of the company.

She had regretted it long ago.

From the very moment Liu Qiu disappeared from her sight at work.

If she had not schemed like that—

If she had been sincere instead—

Would the ending have been different?