Chapter 40: Wei Qingyu, Can You Trust Me This Once?
The round light above cast a soft glow, enveloping the frail girl.
Ji Xiao saw this and hurriedly squatted in front of Wei Qingyu, helping her up while asking, "Wei Qingyu, are you okay?"
Wei Qingyu, who had just entered her heat cycle, still had some awareness. She struggled to stand up with Ji Xiao's arm.
Once she steadied herself, she said to Ji Xiao, "I'm fine, please leave first."
Ji Xiao knew that it was indeed inappropriate for an Alpha to be in an Omega's room during the heat cycle. She nodded, released Wei Qingyu's arm, and said, "Do you need me to get the suppressant for you before I go?"
Wei Qingyu avoided Ji Xiao's gaze, lowered her eyes, and shook her head, "No, thank you."
The originally mild air was tinged with a drop of peach brandy scent from this Alpha because of Ji Xiao's presence.
Wei Qingyu's highly sensitive nerves caught the sharp sweetness, causing her already restless heart to stir.
"Get out quickly..." The girl restrained her desire with great effort, her voice becoming somewhat hoarse.
Ji Xiao nodded quickly, said "Alright," and then walked out of the room.
Wei Qingyu supported herself with the table and walked to the bookshelf beside the desk.
The brandy scent seeped into the girl's heart, the aggressiveness that Hao Hui described ravaged her heart.
But during the previous heat cycles with Ji Xiao, she never had such a reaction.
It was as if the soldiers guarding the city opened the gates just before the enemy arrived.
Without any threat or intimidation, the soldiers behind the gates were already in disarray.
Wei Qingyu looked at the medicine box on the shelf, her outstretched arm trembling weakly.
‘Crash…’
The sound of many things falling from a height broke the silence of the hallway. Ji Xiao, who had just stepped out of the room, immediately turned back.
The light cast a gentle glow in the empty room, appearing serene over time.
But in the unnoticed corner, Ji Xiao saw a mess on the floor.
The pink and white medicine box had fallen awkwardly, with various medicines scattered everywhere.
The girl's slender arm still grasped the edge of the bookshelf, but she had already collapsed from exhaustion.
A cylindrical medicine box rolled several times on the floor, finally stopping at the foot of the bed.
The suppressant slowly seeped out of the broken glass, soaking the thick carpet and pooling under the girl who had fallen to the ground.
From her knees to her wrist resting on the ground, her reddened skin was covered with a large amount of the liquid.
The mint scent was full of the unsolvable distress from the Omega before her.
The messy mint scent was like the rattle in the hand of a desert witch, instantly awakening the beast sleeping in Ji Xiao's heart—the most primal impulse ingrained in every Alpha's genes.
She looked at the girl in front of her. If she marked her temporarily at this moment, the girl, powerless to resist, could only accept.
Then she could enjoy the mint scent of this Omega that she had missed countless times, letting the fragrance fill her heart little by little...
Although Wei Qingyu was trapped by her heat cycle, her consciousness had not been swallowed by lust.
She saw the girl casting a shadow at the door and felt her heart tighten. The nightmare of being dragged from the utility room to the small dark room by Ji Xiao resurfaced in her mind.
Wei Qingyu watched Ji Xiao warily, her voice much weaker than before: "You... why did you come back again?"
Her voice was faint and weak, like smoke blowing from the horizon, dispersing with a wave of a hand.
Yet it instantly pulled Ji Xiao's nearly out-of-control mind back.
She should not take advantage of someone's vulnerability.
"I heard a noise and came back," Ji Xiao replied, walking towards Wei Qingyu. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"
Wei Qingyu watched Ji Xiao approach and felt increasingly nervous.
She almost instinctively shrank her legs beneath her and shakily shook her head, pretending to be fine: "I... I'm okay... you... you should leave..."
But her voice was still very weak, showing no sign of being alright, which did not convince Ji Xiao.
She still didn't stop walking towards Wei Qingyu. Seeing the mess on the floor and the wariness in the girl's eyes, she said, "I'll help you up and inject the suppressant for you."
Those golden-orange eyes lit up again in Wei Qingyu's sight. But this time, with some remaining clarity, she did not accept Ji Xiao's kindness. Two forces shouted in her muddled brain.
Rationality warned her that this person was not to be trusted—had she forgotten the lesson of the small dark room? Yet emotions pushed her to get closer to the girl emitting a comforting scent.
Wei Qingyu's eyes were still full of wariness and warning, but Ji Xiao could see the wavering beneath them.
She understood that through these days of interaction, her impression in Wei Qingyu's heart had improved somewhat.
So Ji Xiao pinched her palm hard, suppressing the throbbing in her heart, and continued to walk towards Wei Qingyu.
The mint scent grew stronger, rampaging wildly in her heart, but the girl's gaze remained warm and firm. "Wei Qingyu, can you trust me this once?
"I am no longer the person who would bring you danger."
With that, Ji Xiao slowly raised her arm within Wei Qingyu's sight, extending her hand towards her.
Wei Qingyu's mist-covered eyes trembled slightly, and suddenly many emotions surged in her heart.
Not long ago, she had cursed her for being ungrateful and threw her into the small dark room with ill intentions.
Now, she was telling her that she wouldn't bring her any danger anymore.
Is that possible?
Time ticked by, and Ji Xiao could clearly smell the increasingly strong scent of mint in the air.
The hand by her leg was pinched so hard that her palm turned deathly white.
Anxious, uneasy.
Ji Xiao looked at the few unbroken doses of suppressant on the ground, deciding that even if Wei Qingyu refused her, she would still help inject it.
Just as Ji Xiao resolved to do so, she felt a slightly cool warmth in her palm.
The light fell just right between them, and the girl's trembling fingers finally landed in the hand Ji Xiao had extended to her all along.
Perhaps it was due to an Omega's natural trust in an Alpha.
Or maybe it was the interference of the floating peach brandy scent in the air.
Or perhaps it was simply someone who, after countless sunless nights, was about to drown in pain and despair and finally awaited a promise, unsure if it was real or not.
But no matter what, Wei Qingyu ultimately chose to trust Ji Xiao again.
Seeing the sincerity in every move of the girl before her, she let go of her last bit of wariness.
The mint scent became pure and intense at this moment.
Wei Qingyu leaned powerlessly on Ji Xiao's shoulder, clinging to the last shred of her sanity, and whispered, "Ji Xiao... help me..."
"Mm, I understand." Ji Xiao nodded, gently supporting the exhausted Wei Qingyu. She picked up the intact suppressant she had spotted earlier.
The girl's fingers pushed the cool syringe, efficiently expelling the air, and she held her breath as she approached Wei Qingyu.
The top buttons of Wei Qingyu's shirt were already undone, revealing a large expanse of pale skin.
A few glistening beads of sweat slid down her long neck in Ji Xiao's sight, falling onto her beautiful collarbone.
Subtle and hidden, yet filled with mint-scented pheromones, it was a clear allure to an Alpha.
Ji Xiao swallowed, but still lifted the suppressant to Wei Qingyu's neck.
With a voice tinged with heat, she spoke in the girl's ear.
"Wei Qingyu, if it hurts, you can hold onto me."
The Alpha's sense of security enveloped Wei Qingyu completely. She softly replied, "...Mm."
The girl leaned gently on Ji Xiao's shoulder, her hair slightly moving as she nodded almost imperceptibly. The sharp needle pierced her silk-like delicate skin.
The pain spread through Wei Qingyu's slightly dazed body just as Ji Xiao had said.
She involuntarily tightened her grip on Ji Xiao's arm, tears welling up in her misty eyes.
Like a child seeking comfort, she leaned closer to the enticing peach brandy scent, curled into Ji Xiao's embrace, and let out a weak moan in her ear, "Mm..."
At that moment, her rosy lips accidentally brushed against Ji Xiao's neck.
The mint scent, filled with tender ambiguity, left a tingling sensation on Ji Xiao's shoulder, neck, and behind her ear.
The pheromones Ji Xiao had been controlling were now released uncontrollably.
The suppressant patch on the back of Ji Xiao's neck was instantly overwhelmed, clinging desperately to her skin.
All this was caused by a single, unintentional kiss of Wei Qingyu's lips on her neck.
It couldn't even be called a "kiss."
Ji Xiao held the syringe, momentarily dazed.
She couldn't understand why her heart was beating so wildly. Was this the normal reaction of an Alpha facing an Omega in this ABO world?
Suddenly, Ji Xiao felt a heavy impact on her shoulder.
Wei Qingyu's round head had fallen heavily on her shoulder, snapping her out of her confusion.
The mint scent surrounded its owner, enveloping Ji Xiao along with it.
After the suppressant injection, Wei Qingyu once again fell asleep, curled up in Ji Xiao's arms, enjoying the sense of security there.
This time, the heat cycle was alleviated promptly. Her smooth black hair hung cleanly over her chest, with no sign of disarray.
Ji Xiao lifted Wei Qingyu from the ground, cradling her in her arms. Her slightly plump face rested on Ji Xiao's arm, a soft pink hue overlaying it.
The window framed the night outside into a tranquil picture, with the soft white bedding enveloping the girl's peaceful sleeping face.
It was as if the little devil who had stirred Ji Xiao's heart just moments ago was not her.
"Are you the white moonlight in their hearts, or the little devil in my world?"
Ji Xiao thought helplessly and secretly while tucking in Wei Qingyu.
....
The pitch-black night resembled spilled ink, with a few bright stars dotting the canvas of the lonely night.
Gradually, the sensation of light pierced through Wei Qingyu's heavy eyelids. The girl struggled to open her eyes.
In the familiar room, her usual plain incense was burning, and the soft quilt was snugly tucked beneath her.
The white carpet, stained by the broken suppressant, had been replaced with a light gray one, and even the corner of the overturned bookshelf had been restored.
Everything was exactly as it was before Wei Qingyu's heat cycle began.
Except for a plate of mangoes on the bedside table, with many already eaten.
The bright yellow color stung Wei Qingyu's eyes, causing her to frown.
‘woosh—’
At that moment, a faint flushing sound came from the bathroom, and Ji Xiao walked out of Wei Qingyu's bathroom, adjusting her school uniform skirt.
Seeing Wei Qingyu sitting up in bed, Ji Xiao was pleasantly surprised, "You're awake so early?"
She then sat down in the chair beside Wei Qingyu's bed and said, "I just used your bathroom because I had an urgent need. Hope you don't mind?"
"I don't mind," Wei Qingyu replied softly.
Watching Ji Xiao sit comfortably in the chair, Wei Qingyu asked, "How long have you been here?"
"Since you fell asleep again? It's been..." Ji Xiao glanced at the clock in Wei Qingyu's room, "about three hours."
"It seems like you slept for quite a while, but you slept pretty peacefully."
Hearing Ji Xiao's possibly teasing words, Wei Qingyu's cheeks felt slightly warm, and she blinked a couple of times uneasily.
Noticing her changed clothes, she lightly bit her lip and asked, "Since I fell asleep, have you been here alone?"
"Of course not. I asked Aunt Wu and the others to help clean your room and change your clothes. Then I called the family doctor to check on you," Ji Xiao explained. "But don't worry, the doctor said your body is fine, just a bit anemic, but all other indicators are normal."
"This heat cycle came on suddenly, but thankfully it was handled in time. Just keep injecting the suppressant on schedule for the next few days."
Wei Qingyu responded with a soft "Mm," a hint of unnoticed disappointment flashing through her turquoise eyes.
“Do you want some mango?” Ji Xiao remembered the mango she had placed on Wei Qingyu's bedside table when she came out earlier and asked warmly.
Hearing mango being mentioned again, Wei Qingyu's hand hidden under the blanket involuntarily clenched slightly. She knew that the plate of mangoes on the bedside table must have been brought by Ji Xiao, and she felt uncomfortable for some reason.
In silence, as Ji Xiao was about to pick up the fruit plate again, Wei Qingyu hurriedly interrupted, "Ji Xiao, I don't like mangoes."
Her tone was as cold as when she mentioned mangoes on the way home.
But perhaps because she had just woken up, there was a hint of childish stubbornness in her voice that she couldn't hide.
Ji Xiao paused, holding the small fork in her hand, her eyes full of puzzlement.
Seeing this, Wei Qingyu casually made up an excuse, explaining without changing her expression, "I feel uncomfortable when I smell mangoes, like an allergy."
The light cast on the girl sitting on the bed, her lips still pale with weakness from the heat cycle. Her turquoise eyes showed a hint of exhaustion and deliberate avoidance of mangoes, making her look genuinely uncomfortable.
“Why didn't you say you were allergic to mangoes earlier?” Ji Xiao asked, quickly getting up from the chair and moving the mangoes further away from Wei Qingyu.
Then she looked at the nearly empty plate of mangoes as if suddenly realizing something, turned to Wei Qingyu, and said, "Could it be that your heat cycle came four days early because the pheromones clashed with the smell of these mangoes?!"
"The doctor mentioned when examining you earlier that your early onset must be related to some factor affecting you. And now it seems that it's these mangoes!"
Wei Qingyu was momentarily stunned by Ji Xiao's words.
She was aware that some Omegas or Alphas might experience discomfort with certain smells after differentiation, and these smells could trigger early heat or susceptible periods. But she had eaten mangoes after differentiation before and had never experienced anything like today. Besides, she hadn't even smelled the mangoes in the house when she came upstairs earlier.
How could it be because of this...
"Miss, Miss Wei's medicine is ready," Aunt Wu said as she entered the room with the medicine.
Before Wei Qingyu could deny Ji Xiao's conjecture, Ji Xiao hurriedly instructed Aunt Wu, "You've come at the right time, go and throw away all the mangoes in the house."
Although Aunt Wu was accustomed to Ji Xiao's mood swings, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the expensive mangoes. "Miss, what's wrong with the mangoes? Do they not suit your taste? Or..."
"It wasn't me," Ji Xiao waved her hand, interrupting Aunt Wu. "It's Wei Qingyu. She can't stand the smell of mangoes, she's allergic to them. From now on, there must be no mangoes in the house, understood?"
"Yes," Aunt Wu nodded quickly.
Wei Qingyu was no longer someone they could bully; she was their Young Miss, whom they all had to serve.
Realizing her earlier behavior might have been inappropriate, Ji Xiao adopted a nonchalant demeanor, casually asking Aunt Wu, "But... don't you think it's a waste to throw away such expensive mangoes?"
"Yes... Miss... it's not mango season right now, and it took a long time to get mangoes of this quality," Aunt Wu replied meekly, keeping her head low.
"Hmm," Ji Xiao rubbed her chin in thought. "How about this, you and the other servants can take the remaining mangoes and eat them or see if you can return them... handle it however you want, just make sure they don't end up anywhere Wei Qingyu might go, got it?"
"Understood, Miss."
Aunt Wu, who moments ago had a gloomy expression, was now filled with joy.
Previously, she could never have imagined eating such precious mangoes, all thanks to Wei Qingyu's blessing.
"Alright, don't linger here, go and deal with it quickly," Ji Xiao said, pointing to the mangoes on Wei Qingyu's desk. "Take these too."
"Yes, Miss," Aunt Wu nodded and happily left with the mangoes, setting aside the medicine she had brought.
The room was once again left with only Ji Xiao and Wei Qingyu.
Ji Xiao leaned back in her chair, hands behind her, and said to Wei Qingyu, "So, am I nice enough for you?"
The slight smugness in the girl's eyes lit up in Wei Qingyu's gaze, but this time, Wei Qingyu didn't feel repulsed. In fact, she felt a sense of gratitude.
She remembered the morning not long ago when she almost threw the mango into the trash can herself. Her gaze became deep and mysterious.
With a hidden selfishness, she chose to tacitly accept Ji Xiao's mistaken assumption, rather than clarify it. She watched Ji Xiao, who had just protected her nervously, and silently thanked her.
Wei Qingyu nodded in agreement with Ji Xiao's words and whispered, "Thank you."
Ji Xiao smiled and tapped the bowl of medicine on the bedside table. "Well, if you're thanking me, then drink this medicine. It's for two heat cycles, and this is your third. The doctor just prescribed it for you. Drink it while it's hot, or it'll taste even worse when it's cold."
Wei Qingyu looked at the glass bowl containing the brownish-black traditional Chinese medicine.
She still remembered the last time, out of wariness towards Ji Xiao, even when Ji Xiao tested the medicine for her, she poured the medicine into the pot of green plants at the door of her room.
At that time, Wei Qingyu thought it was another retaliation and torment from Ji Xiao. However, two months had passed, and not only did the pot of plant not die, but it also flourished even more.
Soft white light fell on the lush leaves, radiating a bright green luster from within.
This bowl of medicine seemed to be genuinely prescribed by Ji Xiao to help her recuperate...
Seeing Wei Qingyu still not saying anything, Ji Xiao thought she still held a skeptical attitude toward the medicine she brought.
With a sigh, the girl picked up the bowl of medicine, intending to drink a sip herself to demonstrate its safety, just like she did last time.
The transparent glass bowl held a few brownish-black medicine beads at the girl's lips.
After two months, the taste of the medicine had not diminished; instead, it became even more bitter.
The strong bitterness, reminiscent of soil or bark, surged in Ji Xiao's mouth, relentlessly trampling on her tongue.
Then, with a slightly throat-burning spiciness, it rushed towards her delicate stomach.
After finishing the sip, Ji Xiao quickly took out a piece of candy from her pocket.
She stuffed the grape-flavored candy into her mouth and mumbled to Wei Qingyu, "See, nothing's wrong."
However, Ji Xiao's efforts to appear fine were betrayed by the agony written all over her face.
The creases on her forehead resembled an insurmountable mountain, deepening with pain.
There was no convincing anyone.
"I won't look at you. Just finish it, and remember to eat afterward."
With that, another candy, wrapped in iridescent paper, was tapped onto the table by Ji Xiao.
Before Wei Qingyu could react, Ji Xiao couldn't bear the tormenting bitterness surging in her throat any longer. She hastily left the room.
The room returned to its usual quietness in an instant.
Wei Qingyu sat on the bed, silently watching the door being closed again. The girl who had been with her in the room just moments ago had truly left.
The air thickened in the small room, carrying the bitterness of the medicine and the fragrance of mangoes.
And there was also the peach brandy that belonged to the girl from earlier.
Wei Qingyu inexplicably placed her hand on the small peach basket on her wrist, she felt the goose-tooth marks indicating the young girl's valor to protect her, densely on her soft fingers.
It was her, once again rescuing herself from the quagmire of fever.
It was also her, who disdainfully threw away the expensive fruit she had been craving, for her sake.
As time passed, the warm steam slowly dissipated from the warm medicine had completely vanished from this corner of space.
Wei Qingyu remembered the girl's golden-orange eyes and the furrows on her forehead, lightly tapping the glass medicine bowl with her fingers.
Tap, tap.
Subtle yet crisp.
The shadow on the wall reflected the girl's slender figure, her delicate arms covering the shadow of the glass bowl.
Wei Qingyu finally picked it up.
The gentle, soft light fell on the top of the girl's head, and the lip print on the glass bowl touched her nose.
With a gentle sip, her throat's movement gradually eased at some point.
Author's Note:
Kissed, but not really.
Cold Wei: Photographer, please cut these two segments for me. I want them on loop. Thank you.
