Chapter 19

In a rather dramatic twist of fate, the assistant director had spent several days checking the weather forecast just to schedule this riverside scene.

Every forecast had shown nothing but clear blue skies.

In the end, they had no choice but to create artificial rain.

Yet now…

Just as Gu Qian fell into the river—

The sky suddenly darkened.

Within moments, rain poured down in sheets, like the Milky Way spilling from the heavens, turning the already turbulent river into an even more violent torrent.

“Qi Yu? Get back! It’s dangerous!”

“Teacher Jiang Lan, be careful! The riverbank is slippery!”

“I can’t see Teacher Gu anymore! Hurry!”

“Little Qi, come back!”

As the icy river water closed over her ears, the frantic shouting above became distant and muffled.

Cold water flooded her nose, stinging all the way down her throat.

Her long lashes were soaked.

Her eyes burned red.

“Gu Qian!”

Ignoring the discomfort, Qi Yu shouted Gu Qian’s name before plunging headfirst into the raging current.

She searched desperately for her.

Inside the swirling river, Qi Yu swam toward the place where Gu Qian had disappeared.

The moment her fingertips brushed against a floating piece of clothing…

She immediately pulled the other woman into her arms.

Her free hand reached out through the water until their fingers intertwined.

Only then did Qi Yu finally breathe a sigh of relief.

With every ounce of strength she had, she struggled upward.

Breaking through the surface while holding Gu Qian tightly, Qi Yu gasped desperately for air.

After spending so long submerged in the freezing water, her body had almost gone numb.

Yet…

A sudden warmth blossomed around the edge of her ear.

It felt as though someone had pressed a heated iron against it—

Burning…

Tingling…

Impossible to ignore.

Gu Qian’s eyes remained closed.

Even while coughing violently from the river water she’d swallowed, she wrapped her arms tightly around Qi Yu’s neck.

Pressing herself against Qi Yu’s ear, she murmured between ragged breaths,

“And you still…”

“…say…”

“…you don’t like me?”

Qi Yu’s body trembled.

The fingers that had turned pale from the cold fumbled helplessly beneath the water.

She nearly lost her grip.

“Stop moving!”

Floating together amid the surging river, Gu Qian remained pressed tightly against her.

While struggling…

Her thigh accidentally slammed hard into Qi Yu’s lower abdomen.

“…Hiss!”

Qi Yu sucked in a sharp breath.

River water rushed into her nose.

The pain was so intense she nearly cursed aloud.

“You…”

Gu Qian’s drenched eyes filled with confusion.

“Teacher Gu!”

“Little Qi!”

“Grab the life buoy!”

Before Gu Qian had time to think further, one of the rescue workers leapt into the river and threw over a bright orange life ring.

Qi Yu panicked slightly.

She did her best to avoid too much contact between Gu Qian and the lower half of her own body while supporting her toward shore.

“Is Teacher Gu still conscious?”

“Little Qi, get some rest!”

“Where are the medics?”

“Hurry!”

---

Once they reached land, Gu Qian was soaked from head to toe.

Her eyes remained shut.

The crew carefully laid her on the ground.

Qi Yu immediately lifted her upper body, lowering her head to help drain the muddy river water from her nose and mouth.

She rapidly patted Gu Qian’s shoulders and back.

“Gu Qian?”

“Gu Qian!”

Just moments ago…

Gu Qian had still been responding beneath the water.

Why had she lost consciousness now?

Qi Yu called her name anxiously.

“Where are the medics?”

Director Wang shouted.

“Get over here and give her mouth-to-mouth!”

The head of the medical team had already been standing nearby.

Seeing how professionally Qi Yu had handled the initial rescue, they hadn’t interrupted.

At Director Wang’s order, they immediately stepped forward.

Qi Yu frowned.

Before the medic could reach out…

She gently laid Gu Qian flat on the ground herself.

Pinching Gu Qian’s nose shut…

Surrounded by the familiar fragrance of hibiscus…

She lowered her head.

Their lips met.

“Mmph!”

Something soft and wet suddenly brushed against her.

Startled, Qi Yu jerked back.

Gu Qian had opened her eyes.

Though her face remained pale and she was coughing violently…

Her eyes still sparkled with unmistakable amusement.

She looked directly at Qi Yu.

The surrounding actors and crew quickly crowded around them, complaining that Gu Qian clearly couldn’t swim, so how had she managed to fall into the river in the first place?

Qi Yu stood up.

Taking several steps backward until she stood outside the crowd…

She replayed those brief moments of intimacy in the water.

Her face alternated between scarlet and deathly pale.

---

After spending an entire afternoon filming in the rain…

Then unexpectedly falling into the river and nearly drowning…

Although Gu Qian was no longer in danger, she soon developed a high fever.

The production immediately sent her to the nearest hospital.

Gu Qian lay sleeping in a VIP hospital room, hooked up to an IV.

Outside the room…

Qi Yu paced anxiously back and forth in the hallway.

While we were in the water…

Did Gu Qian notice anything strange about me?

Coco walked over and gently patted her shoulder.

“Sister Qi.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Sister Gu just has a fever.”

Qi Yu forced a smile.

Inside, she couldn’t stop scolding herself for acting so impulsively.

There had already been plenty of rescue personnel nearby.

Why had she insisted on jumping in herself?

“Sister Qi…”

Coco looked worried.

“You don’t seem well either.”

“Do you want to get checked out?”

“I’m fine.”

Qi Yu shook her head.

Just then…

The hospital room door opened.

A young nurse stepped outside.

Her cheeks were bright red as she secretly stole glances at Qi Yu.

“Um…”

“Miss Gu is awake now.”

“You can go in and see her.”

Qi Yu hesitated.

She had barely taken a few steps before noticing the nurse still hadn’t left.

Instead…

She remained standing there, staring at her dreamily.

Qi Yu awkwardly touched her own face.

“Excuse me…”

“Is there something else?”

“Ah!”

The nurse suddenly snapped back to reality.

She laughed awkwardly.

Her gaze darted around as she struggled to find the right words.

Several seconds later…

She suddenly inhaled deeply and declared,

“I support you and Best Actress Gu!”

“If you’re in love, don’t worry about what society thinks!”

“Good luck~”

Coco: “Pfft.”

Qi Yu: “…”

---

Not wanting to play third wheel, Coco quickly found an excuse to leave.

Inside the room…

The faint scents of disinfectant and hibiscus lingered in the air.

Gu Qian leaned calmly against the headboard.

A thin IV needle pierced the back of one pale, slender hand.

Seeing Qi Yu enter…

She quietly set aside the book she’d been reading to pass the time.

“Where’s Xiaofan?”

Qi Yu asked casually.

“Manager Zhou’s probably scolding her.”

Gu Qian answered lightly.

Tilting her head gracefully, she reclined lazily against the pillow.

“Why are you standing so far away?”

“What?”

“Afraid I’ll eat you?”

“I…”

Qi Yu immediately changed the subject.

“I’ll peel an apple for you.”

She hurriedly grabbed one from the bedside table and escaped toward the sink.

Watching her retreating figure…

Gu Qian smiled faintly.

Earlier…

Xu Man had called to check on her precious cash cow.

She’d sounded genuinely concerned, afraid something serious had happened.

But…

What interested Gu Qian far more was something Xu Man had said before hanging up.

“Are you sure Qi Yu is really an Omega?”

Gu Qian had frowned.

“Why do you ask?”

“You know how Alphas naturally reject one another.”

Xu Man replied.

“The last time I was in your room…”

“…Qi Yu’s presence felt strange.”

“You think Qi Yu isn’t an Omega?”

“Her pheromones smell normal enough.”

Xu Man had shrugged.

“Maybe I’m just overthinking it.”

Now…

Gu Qian narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

Her pale fingertips tapped rhythmically against the soft blanket.

Thinking back over the years…

Everything she’d believed about Qi Yu’s secondary gender had come solely from Qi Yu’s own words—

And the Omega pheromones she carried.

Using medication to disguise one’s secondary gender wasn’t impossible.

But…

Why would anyone do it?

Originally…

Gu Qian had only intended to force Qi Yu into admitting she cared about her.

Unexpectedly…

She had stumbled upon an entirely different possibility.

Remembering Qi Yu’s reactions in the river…

Combined with Xu Man’s suspicions…

Gu Qian found herself studying Qi Yu with renewed scrutiny.

Ridiculous…

But what if it were true?

---

Feeling Gu Qian’s intense gaze on her back, Qi Yu’s scalp prickled.

While slicing the apple, she nearly cut herself.

“Come here.”

Gu Qian called softly.

Qi Yu steeled herself.

Walking over felt like marching toward an execution ground.

“After nearly drowning…”

Gu Qian frowned slightly.

“I think my ears are ringing.”

Qi Yu didn’t suspect anything.

Immediately leaning closer, she asked,

“Did water get trapped in your ears?”

“Maybe it wasn’t cleaned out properly.”

She carefully lifted Gu Qian’s ear to take a look.

Then she reached toward the call button.

“I’ll ask the doctor to examine—”

Before she could press it…

Another cool hand covered the back of hers.

Using the hand without the IV…

Gu Qian wrapped her fingers around Qi Yu’s wrist.

Then she gave a gentle tug.

Caught completely off guard, Qi Yu stumbled forward.

She instinctively braced one hand against the headboard.

Her body leaned over Gu Qian…

Casting her entirely beneath Qi Yu’s shadow.

“Ever since I fell into the river…”

Gu Qian’s voice was low.

“You’ve seemed terribly nervous.”

The distance between them shrank until even their noses nearly touched.

Their breaths intertwined.

Tilting her head slightly, Gu Qian turned her face.

Her lips lightly brushed beneath Qi Yu’s jaw as she whispered beside her ear,

“We’ve known each other for so many years…”

Qi Yu forced herself to retreat half a step.

“…haven’t we?”

“Is that so?”

Gu Qian let out a quiet, careless hum.

Suddenly…

She grabbed the front of Qi Yu’s shirt.

Then leaned backward.

Pulling Qi Yu down with her.

Afraid struggling too hard might dislodge the IV, Qi Yu had no choice but to follow the movement.

Until…

She was practically lying on top of Gu Qian.

Gu Qian’s black hair spread across the soft white pillow.

Several loose strands curled around Qi Yu’s fingers where they supported her against the bed.

Like mysterious…

Dangerous…

Seaweed beneath dark waters.

“You’re still on an IV.”

Qi Yu looked utterly helpless.

“Stop fooling around.”

She tried to sit up.

“Worried about me?”

Gu Qian smiled as though nothing mattered.

Ignoring the IV completely…

She wrapped both soft arms around the back of Qi Yu’s neck and pulled her closer.

In an instant…

Their positions reversed.

Qi Yu now lay sideways on the hospital bed.

Gu Qian hovered partially above her.

Concerned about the IV in Gu Qian’s hand…

Qi Yu didn’t dare struggle.

“You already belong to me.”

Gu Qian lazily tapped Qi Yu’s forehead with one finger.

“So why won’t you admit it?”

Perhaps because of the fever…

The scent of hibiscus had become strangely hot.

Even the refreshing aroma of mint now felt heavy…

Almost sticky.

“Big Sister…”

Qi Yu turned her face slightly away, subtly creating a little distance.

“Can we wait until you’re finished with the IV before talking?”

She sounded completely helpless.

“I’m just curious.”

Gu Qian smiled faintly.

“When we were in the water…”

“…why were you so nervous?”

She paused deliberately.

“Could it be…”

“…you’re hiding some kind of secret from me?”

Qi Yu inhaled deeply.

Quickly grabbing the inquisitive hand reaching toward her, she explained,

“I’m just… very ticklish.”

“If you kept moving around in the water…”

“…it would’ve been dangerous.”

“I might not have been able to hold onto you.”

Gu Qian narrowed her eyes.

Her expression darkened.

“Xiaoyu.”

“Do you know…”

“…what I hate most?”

The IV needle had already slipped free.

A bright bead of blood welled up from the back of Gu Qian’s pale hand.

It rolled down onto the white hospital blanket…

Blooming like a crimson flower.

“I hate it most…”

“…when something that belongs to me…”

“…slips beyond my control.”