Chapter 55

Everyone on the bus knew exactly what was going on. The Shen family only had Shen Su; where would any relative have come from?

Aside from pure curiosity, that bold colleague also harbored a petty desire to watch a joke unfold.

To everyone’s absolute surprise, Shen Su smiled and replied, “She’s my girlfriend.”

Lu Yan’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink, and she turned her head away.

Shen Su guided Lu Yan to sit in the window seat, leaning close to her ear to whisper, “Is that okay?”

Lu Yan bit her lip, pretending to be oblivious. “Is what okay?”

“Can you be my girlfriend?” Shen Su pressed incredibly close, her chin lightly resting on Lu Yan’s exposed shoulder.

Lu Yan could almost feel the subtle flutter of her eyelashes. She originally wanted to agree right then and there, but looking at how intently Shen Su was watching her, the words caught in her throat. She swallowed them back down and said, “Let’s talk about it later.”

They couldn’t just start something like this without proper clarity. There was a phrase for it: to love and leave.

Shen Su nodded, linking her arm with read the original at bailiantales.comLu Yan’s. “Alright. It just so happens there are some things I want to explain to you clearly.”

At that moment, the male Alpha sitting in front of them stood up and turned around. His gaze darted back and forth between the two of them as he spoke up, “Hey, when do you two plan on getting married?”

His tone carried a distinct hint of malice.

Shen Su glanced at the male Alpha, catching the disdain buried in his eyes, and understood instantly. They had concluded she was just playing around and wouldn’t take it seriously, so they wanted to humiliate Lu Yan in public.

Lu Yan understood immediately as well. This man was using the opportunity to mock her simply because he had lost a promotion race against her last time.

“That will depend on Yan Yan’s wishes.” Shen Su tilted her head to look at Lu Yan, her eyes brimming with warmth as the two shared a knowing smile.

The male Alpha curled his lip and sat back down.

By the time they reached their destination, it was already past ten o’clock. The group went down to the stream first for a barbecue.

Shen Su and Lu Yan picked a spot at the very edge of the area. After setting up the grill and lighting the charcoal, they began cooking.

“About that day… I’m sorry.” Shen Su placed the ingredients onto the grill grate, lifting her eyes to look at Lu Yan opposite her. “Some of the things I said were a lie. I just didn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

Lu Yan clutched the wooden skewer in her hand, lowering her head with a soft “mm.”

Shen Su continued, “I heard everything you said outside the door, too. I never treated you as anyone’s substitute. You are the first person I have truly loved, and the first person I’ve ever wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with.”

Lu Yan released her grip on the skewer. Watching Shen Su’s practiced movements at the grill, her eyes shimmered with emotion. “But if you really wanted to spend your life with me, why did you drive me away that day? An Omega accompanying the Alpha they love through a rut is supposed to be a beautiful, happy thing.”

Hearing this, Shen Su understood completely. The incident from that day was like a thorn wedged deep in Lu Yan’s heart; if she didn’t explain it clearly, Lu Yan would always doubt her.

She didn’t want to mark Lu Yan because she would eventually have to leave this world. An S-rank Alpha’s permanent mark would make an Omega abnormally dependent on them. Without that Alpha, the Omega’s heats would become agonizing—a level of pain that even suppressants could not alleviate. She didn’t want to undergo the agonizing process of removing her own gland again either, so she absolutely could not mark Lu Yan this time.

But she couldn’t say that bluntly, so she had to find another excuse.

Shen Su pondered for a moment, then spoke softly: “Because at that time, we were just friends. I didn’t want us to start without proper clarity. A confession, becoming a couple, and then the marking—I believe the order of these three steps cannot be altered. Plus, I was afraid you’d read too much into it. But I’m sorry; it seems I still ended up making you sad.”

System: Remind me, who was it that marked the target first and got together later in the last world?

“Is that really why?” Lu Yan tilted her head half-believingly, looking out at the clear water rippling down the stream. She said softly, “Then why did you say in front of everyone just now that I’m your girlfriend? And those messages you sent me… can you explain them a bit more clearly? I’m a bit foolish, I don’t quite understand…”

Shen Su let out a soft laugh. How was this foolish? She clearly knew exactly what she wanted. Lu Yan was demanding a definitive answer.

Alright, the ambiguous phase ends here—

“Because I like you.” As Shen Su spoke, she flipped the food on the grill, her eyes locking onto Lu Yan with a burning intensity.

Across the veil of rising smoke and earthly life, she took in every detail of Lu Yan’s face. From this moment on, even if she closed her eyes, she would be able to trace her lover’s features perfectly in her dreams.

Lu Yan’s heart rate accelerated violently. She thought to herself that regardless of whether Shen Su was being sincere, she was completely content.

Yet, she still couldn’t resist asking, “Why do you like me? I’m just a C-rank Omega, entirely ordinary, with no outstanding family background. Before this, we were just online friends.”

She didn’t see anything about herself that was worthy of someone like Shen Su falling for her. But on the flip side, she had absolutely nothing to her name; what would Shen Su even gain from deceiving her?

“Chatting online for a year made me realize what an incredibly interesting girl you are.” Shen Su paused, a warm smile gracing her lips as she recalled their first meeting. “Do you remember the first time we met? I suppose it qualifies as a rather unusual twist on ‘a hero saving a beauty’.”

Lu Yan nodded. “Yes, I’m so grateful to you for getting me out of that situation back then. And it was only then that I realized you were the person I had pined for all those years. That’s why I cut ties with Sheng Suyu so decisively. She probably couldn’t accept it, which is why she did those things afterward.”

“Yan Yan, you aren’t ordinary at all. You are very beautiful.” If she weren’t in the middle of grilling, Shen Su really wanted to reach out and caress Lu Yan’s cheek. “In my eyes, you are the most beautiful.”

“So it was love at first sight?” Lu Yan placed the grilled skewers onto a plate, dusting them with seasoning and brushing on the sauce.

“Not in the strict sense of love at first sight. I was already deeply interested in you while we were chatting online,” Shen Su ​bailiantales.com​said with a laugh. “Besides, I’m not that shallow of a person. I love your kindness and your resilience, and your professional capability is incredibly impressive. So, stop selling yourself short. You really are wonderful.”

Hearing such praise, Lu Yan’s face flushed red. “Really? Am I really that good?”

“You are!” Shen Su wrapped a tissue around the ends of the skewers and handed them to Lu Yan. “You really are wonderful.”

“But why am I only a C-rank Omega?” At the thought, Lu Yan’s eyes dimmed slightly. “If I were an A-rank Omega, wouldn’t I be a better match for you?”

The look in Shen Su’s eyes softened completely as she said slowly, “Rank doesn’t dictate everything. Look at the position you hold right now—it’s something many Alphas covet. Omegas already face so many systemic restrictions in society, yet you carved out a place here. You are far more outstanding than the Alphas in your same position.”

“Thank you, Sugar.” Lu Yan’s eyebrows arched into a peaceful, tender smile. “No one has ever taken the time to sit down and tell me so much.”

Shen Su asked, “Then… can you give me a chance to court you?”

Lu Yan walked around the barbecue grill, stepping right up to Shen Su’s side. Standing slightly on her tiptoes, she whispered, “But I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be with you right now.”

“Alright.” Shen Su leaned down slightly, pressing a gentle, fleeting kiss to Lu Yan’s lips. “Then from this moment on, you are my girlfriend, right?”

Lu Yan licked her lips and nodded. “Yes. Once we go back, you can do whatever you want.”

“You said it, not me.” Shen [Read on BaiLianTales]Su smiled, adding a silent condition in her mind: except marking you.

Once everyone finished the barbecue, they gathered around in a circle to play a thrilling and intense round of Werewolf.

They played the variant with the Wolf Beauty and the Knight. Lu Yan drew the Wolf Beauty role, while Shen Su drew the Witch. In the end, the Knight’s sword broke, the Wolf Beauty took the Witch down with her, and the Werewolves won the game.

The losing side had to face the penalty of Truth or Dare.

Shen Su was sitting right next to Lu Yan. Leaning close to her ear, she murmured, “Showed absolutely no mercy, did you?”

Lu Yan joked, “It’s just a game! I could tell you were the Witch; if I didn’t chain you, who else would I chain?” When the Wolf Beauty is voted out, she takes the person she charmed during the night down with her. Commonly known as dying for love.

Shen Su was the last person left to receive a penalty. The game was hosted by the female Beta who had a decent relationship with Lu Yan. She asked with a smile, “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Shen Su said, looking for a bit of excitement.

The Beta pulled out a deck of penalty cards. “Draw one. You can also choose to forfeit, but you’ll have to finish that entire bottle of alcohol over there.”

“Fair enough.” Shen Su casually drew a card. After reading the contents, her lips curled into a smile: Kiss the person of the opposite gender sitting next to you for half a minute.

History really had a stunning way of repeating itself.

Shen Su took hold of Lu Yan’s hand on her right side, asking softly, “Is that okay?”

Meanwhile, the female Beta sitting on her left let out a massive sigh of relief. She was just an intern and absolutely couldn’t afford to play a dare like that. Hearing Shen Su’s question, she turned to look at the two of them, instantly feeling a sweet rush of vicarious romance.

“It’s okay,” Lu Yan said, her fingers tightly interlocking with Shen Su’s in her nervousness.

This was their first proper kiss, and it was happening right in front of so many people.

Shen Su held Lu Yan’s hand with one hand, using her other hand to cup her face, her thumb gently brushing against her soft lips. The others couldn’t help but hold their breath in anticipation.

“Close your eyes.” Not only did Lu Yan close her eyes, but everyone else closed theirs as well.

Lu Yan felt their lips press together without a single gap. Then, like a beginner, Shen Su carefully and delicately explored, tracing the shape of her lips and savoring every single corner.

“Alright, time’s up.” A flash of mischief crossed Shen Su’s eyes. What a perfectly innocent kiss—it fit her persona of someone who had never loved anyone else before flawlessly.

Lu Yan opened her eyes with a flaming red face, instinctively covering her burning cheeks with her hands.

Someone let out a loud whistle from the crowd, starting a bailiantales.com chant: “Another one! Another one!”

“Alright, it’s just about time for rafting. Let’s head out,” the female Beta hosting the game intervened, picking up on Lu Yan’s intense embarrassment and breaking the tension.

The group set off together toward the rafting site. Shen Su and Lu Yan walked at the very back of the crowd.

“Sugar, that couldn’t have been your first kiss, could it?” Lu Yan leaned close to Shen Su’s ear, asking in a low whisper.

Shen Su could clearly feel the soft brush of Lu Yan against her arm, and her breath hitched. After taking a moment to steady herself, she said, “It was, actually. Yan Yan has to take responsibility for me now.”

“I’m willing to take responsibility for the rest of my life,” Lu Yan said with absolute solemnity.

Shen Su pinched Lu Yan’s cheek. “Alright… But what if I have bad luck and end up dying before you?”

Lu Yan’s eyes widened in shock. “Sugar! How can you say something like that?!”

Shen Su’s eyes flickered subtly. “We don’t need to treat it as a taboo. Life and death are simply paths everyone must walk.”

Lu Yan bit her lip and nodded. “In any case, I’ll follow you in life and death, just like in the game.”

Dying for love. Lu Yan didn’t utter the words aloud, but Shen Su already knew her answer. She let out a quiet sigh. But you said you wanted to take responsibility for my whole life. If you follow me into death, who’s going to visit my grave and burn spirit money for me? Who’s going to remember me?

“Sugar has a point…” Lu Yan nodded thoughtfully. She naturally assumed this was a matter for decades into the future, a time when their hair would be stark white, and the world would have passed them by, leaving just the two of them keeping each other company until the very end.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s put on our life jackets first.” Having said her piece, Shen Su picked up a disposable raincoat and a life jacket from the table, handing them to Lu Yan. But seeing that Lu Yan didn’t reach out to take them, she blinked with an unreadable look.

Shen Su raised an eyebrow. “Want me to help you put it on?”

Without waiting for Lu Yan’s reply, Shen Su slipped the raincoat over her head, fastened the buttons down the front, slipped the life jacket over it, and finally pulled the zipper up. “All done.”

“Thank you, Sugar!” Lu Yan gave a sweet smile, picking up a raincoat and life jacket to help Shen Su put them on in turn.

Fully prepared, the two lined up and boarded the rafting boat. The moment they settled into their seats, a staff member asked, “Ready? We’re heading out—”

The two gave an “OK” gesture, and the staff member released the rope. The little boat shot down along the rushing stream. The jostling boat suddenly got wedged in a narrow bottleneck; above them, a continuous torrent of water came surging down, and water instantly came splashing inside.