A Hidden Marriage Daily Life with the Film Empress O - Chapter 11

She had only just closed her eyes when the person beside her moved.

Si Beimuo hummed and mumbled in her sleep as she turned over, her arm unconsciously wrapping around Chang Qingyuan and pulling her tightly into her embrace. Her chin accurately rested against the top of Chang Qingyuan’s fluffy hair, and with a sleepy, hoarse voice, she murmured incoherently in her dream, “Yuanyuan… I really… like you so much… Don’t… leave me. Don’t leave me…”

Her warm breath scattered through Chang Qingyuan’s hair, carrying the weight of dependence.

Chang Qingyuan was completely gathered into her arms. The bruises on her back were pressed until they hurt terribly, and strands of sharp pain seeped out from between her bones. But she did not move. She allowed herself to nestle in this embrace that was both painful and reassuring.

She raised her head slightly, the tip of her nose brushing against the side of the Omega’s neck, where there was a faint scent of perfume.

Opening her mouth, she bit down on the other woman’s collarbone. Her movement was very light, yet carried unmistakable possession. Her teeth slowly rubbed against the delicate skin until they left behind a shallow, reddened bite mark. Only then did she let go, and her tongue slowly swept over that patch of skin.

“I won’t leave.”

She pressed close to Si Beimuo’s ear, carrying a madness that was almost like a curse.

“I will never leave.”

She wanted to become the shadow Si Beimuo could not shake off. She wanted to become the addiction in her bones and blood. She wanted this entanglement to sink deep into their marrow, until even death could not separate them.

The light outside the window grew brighter and brighter, shining through the curtains onto their intertwined figures. It was clearly gentle morning light, yet it could not disperse the thick, sick love filling the room.

So she closed her eyes and let Si Beimuo hold her tighter and tighter, pressing her even deeper into her embrace. From an angle no one could see, the corner of her mouth curved into a satisfied and dangerous smile.

This was how they were: gnawing at each other through pain and dependence, sinking together, using the maddest method to prove each other’s existence. This endless entanglement had only just begun.

Outside, it began to rain. The soft pattering sound gradually became a lullaby. Her consciousness tugged back and forth between wakefulness and drowsiness until, in the end, she simply let herself fall.

“You’re awake.”

Si Beimuo had already sat up. She leaned against the headboard. Although she was speaking, her gaze was not focused on Chang Qingyuan. Her fingers curled around Chang Qingyuan’s sleeve as she stared in a daze at the marks gradually turning purple.

Perhaps it was because she had not fully woken up, or perhaps because the sky outside was too dark, but Chang Qingyuan could actually see a faint layer of heartache at the bottom of the eyes of the person who had been full of hostility and alcohol the night before.

The clouds outside the window looked like crumpled sheets of lead-gray paper, pressing heavily against the horizon. The stingy light struggled through the cracks, casting a murky shadow inside the room, as if even the air had been dyed gray.

The damp smell of mildew spread from the corners of the walls, mixed with a faint earthy scent. It clung stickily to the skin, pressing down until one’s chest felt stifled, even making each breath heavy and sluggish.

Chang Qingyuan half leaned against the headboard, her back cushioned by soft pillows, yet her bones still ached from the pressure.

Her thoughts seemed like cotton soaked in water, slow and heavy. She wanted to take a deep breath to ease the tightness in her chest, but it felt as though a huge stone was pressing down on her, making even her lungs difficult to stretch.

She tilted her head slightly. The morning light fell over her overly exquisite features, casting faint shadows across her cheeks. Her thin lips, with their clear lines, were pressed into a pale line. Her lashes were long and dense, but at this moment, they were lowered, hiding the surging emotions in her eyes.

She was truly too thin. The loose sleepwear hung hollowly on her body, making her neck look even more slender. The outline of her collarbones was so clear it seemed carved by a blade, giving her a fragile, breakable vulnerability. Yet because of that face, she also carried a cold, distant air.

The room was frighteningly quiet. Only the delicate European-style wall clock kept moving tirelessly. The sound of “tick, tick” was infinitely magnified in the dead silence of morning, striking the heart again and again, adding a few more traces of irritation to the already stifling air.

Chang Qingyuan kept her eyes open, staring at the ceiling that was so white it almost seemed unreal. The obsession in her eyes was hidden extremely well, leaving only a calm, barren emptiness.

“Stay by my side. Be good, all right?”

Si Beimuo’s voice broke the silence. She slowly pulled Chang Qingyuan’s hand over, her movements so light it was as if she were touching a fragile jewel, afraid that even the slightest force would crush it.

The Alpha’s hand was pale and cold, her joints especially prominent because of how thin she was. Si Beimuo lowered her head, and her beautiful lips gently landed on the back of Chang Qingyuan’s hand. She was as devout as a messenger guarding a statue of a god, her kiss light and slow, carrying a cautious attempt to please.