Diva Alpha Meets Her Biological Daughter on a Parenting Variety Show - Chapter 3

Ming Nuo worried that Ning Xueqing might continue asking questions. After all, failing to manage one’s personal pheromones during a cycle was considered uncivilized.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t prepared, but because of Ning Xueqing, her cycle had suddenly turned chaotic. This was a truth she couldn’t possibly say out loud.

—I was so affected by you that I went straight into my Interaction Period.

Ming Nuo just wanted to curse herself for being a rogue.

Naturally, Ning Xueqing didn’t press further. While she could be absent-minded in daily life, a woman who had reached the peak of the entertainment industry and swept every major award was crystal clear on critical matters. She knew exactly how to handle boundaries.

Ning Xueqing sat up straight, letting go of Ming Nuo’s waist. She caught only a small corner of her shirt and said softly: “It seems inconvenient right now. Is there anything I can help my sister with?”

The words Ming Nuo had spoken to Ning Xueqing by the river were now being used back on her, except Ning Xueqing had changed “Older Sister” to “Little Sister.”

Ming Nuo gripped the handlebars and pushed the pedals, the tires making a faint rustling sound on the path.

She took a deep breath, pretending her uneven breathing was from the physical exertion of cycling. “I’m sorry. It was supposed to be tomorrow; I forgot to take my medicine tonight. The symptoms aren’t strong, so it shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll bike faster to get you back.”

“Sister Xueqing, do you have any more scent-blocking patches? If so, could I borrow one?”

With a patch on, neither of them would be stained by the other’s scent.

Ming Nuo brought the bike to a stop. A flicker of bitterness flashed in her eyes. She paused, then added: “It’s more appropriate this way—just in case someone is waiting for you at home.”

Ming Nuo hadn’t originally intended to add that last part, but she couldn’t suppress the curiosity and jealousy gnawing at her. She wanted to test the waters, hoping to glean some information from Ning Xueqing about the child—and the child’s other parent.

Ning Xueqing had only posted that she had a daughter. She hadn’t responded to the “Keep the daughter, ditch the Alpha” rumors. Despite the internet being in an uproar, as long as she didn’t disclose the truth herself, all speculation remained unreliable.

Currently, Ning Xueqing was on vacation. If she was with family, then besides her parents, she must have her daughter and her partner with her.

Who did Ning Xueqing have a child with? How did they meet? Who fell in love first?

What is that person like? Are they good to her? Is their life together happy?

If Ning Xueqing really just wanted the child and not the Alpha, why? Was she mistreated? Or was it a mutual, peaceful breakup?

Ming Nuo desperately wanted the answers. Her heart felt stifled and her teeth ached at the thought of Ning Xueqing being held intimately in another Alpha’s arms, giving birth to a lovely baby after a night of passion. It made her feel uncomfortable all over.

But she wasn’t even a “best friend” to Ning Xueqing—merely an acquaintance. What right did she have to ask about private matters that hadn’t been made public?

An actor’s privacy is worth more than gold, especially for a top star like Ning Xueqing. Ming Nuo respected that privacy, and even more so, she respected Ning Xueqing herself. If Ning Xueqing didn’t take the initiative to confide in her, Ming Nuo would never overstep.

The night sky was clear, and the small path was drenched in pale moonlight. A row of straight streetlamps cast a warm yellow glow all the way toward the riverbank ahead.

Ming Nuo balanced the bike with one foot on the ground. Behind her, Ning Xueqing lowered her head to rummage through her bag, the sound of cosmetics and jewelry clinking together.

Ming Nuo listened to the faint sounds behind her. When several seconds passed without a response from Ning Xueqing, Ming Nuo’s heart sank for no reason, like a mild sense of weightlessness. It was unpleasant.

Silence and “read but not replied” are an adult’s most polite forms of rejection.

“Found it.” Ning Xueqing finally fished a scent-blocking patch out of a side pocket.

Ming Nuo was eager to break the awkward atmosphere brought on by her earlier abruptness. She quickly kicked down the bike stand and warned Ning Xueqing to be careful: “Sister, hop off first. I’ll use my phone to put it on under the streetlamp.”

To apply a patch accurately from the ear to the back of the neck, one needed a mirror. Lacking one, she had to use her phone’s camera. Ming Nuo held her phone up awkwardly to see her neck, her other hand holding the patch, unable to hit the right spot.

Ning Xueqing let out a soft laugh, as melodious as a cool mountain spring.

Ming Nuo turned her face away in embarrassment. Ning Xueqing walked over to her side, her cherry-red lips curving as she reached out. “I’m right here. All you had to do was ask. Here, give it to me. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you…” Ming Nuo put away her phone and obediently handed over the two patches.

Ning Xueqing stepped behind her. Ming Nuo was half a head taller, so as Ning Xueqing held up the patches to align them, she found it difficult. She used her fingers to tap Ming Nuo’s spine through the fabric, which was warmed by her body heat. “Lower your head a bit.”

Ming Nuo leaned forward slightly. She felt several delicate fingertips brush gently over the sensitive skin behind her ear. It was a bit tingly, but mostly it felt incredibly soothing, as if her very soul was being comforted.

The thin patch was quickly applied to the heated area—icy cold, and carrying a faint scent of peach.

There are many types of scent-blocking patches on the market. Their primary function is to calm the glands and block pheromones, and they come in various scents and styles. This transparent “Crystal Peach” was the one Ning Xueqing had used for years. She had even recommended it on Weibo. Ming Nuo also bought this brand, but instead of peach, she bought Lemon and Mint, wearing one of each behind her ears.

Ming Nuo knew Ning Xueqing loved sweet fruits, which was why she preferred peach or strawberry. This brand didn’t have a cherry scent. Ming Nuo had once sent an anonymous email to the brand’s official account, hoping they would develop a cherry flavor. Unfortunately, years had passed, and while they had released Banana and Coconut, there was still no Cherry.

Is my cherry scent some kind of niche fragrance? She wondered.

Hmph.

Despite the slight grievance, Ming Nuo was determined to use the same brand as Ning Xueqing. Perhaps every secret admirer has that little thought: “As long as I use the same item as her, I’m a little bit closer to her.”

Feeling the cool sensation of the patch Ning Xueqing had personally applied to her neck, Ming Nuo secretly curled her lips into a smile.

The faint scent of cherry wine in the air quickly dissipated. They got back on the bike and rode forward into the night breeze.

They chatted casually. They talked about the weather in Brisbane over the last few days, what they had eaten in Australia, and where they had visited.

Ming Nuo mentioned that while snorkeling, she was nearly pinched by a grumpy crab. Ning Xueqing laughed so hard she trembled, asking Ming Nuo for a few photos of the Great Barrier Reef.

Ming Nuo talked about the Australian fish oil she had bought for Ming Yan. Ming Yan had complained about her wasting money while simultaneously posting a nine-photo grid on WeChat Moments with the caption: “My daughter is so filial,” followed by hundreds of exaggerated “like” emojis.

Ning Xueqing listened to these domestic stories with great interest, saying that Ming Nuo’s mother was very popular and that having hundreds of likes was impressive.

Tucking back her long hair that had been scattered by the wind, Ning Xueqing said softly: “My mother hasn’t been sleeping well lately, so I brought her here to relax. She’s been feeling better the last two days and is helping me watch the baby, so I could come out for a walk.”

Ming Nuo was slightly startled. She hadn’t expected Ning Xueqing to take the initiative to talk about her home life.

“…”

Now that the topic had reached this point, Ming Nuo didn’t know how to respond. It felt as if anything she said would be inappropriate.

“That sounds like a lot of hard work.” After a moment, Ming Nuo only dared to use the concern of an ordinary friend. “Are you… doing okay lately?”

“Mm.” Ning Xueqing nodded with a smile. “My family and I are doing very well.”

Her and her family. Family…

Does that include the Alpha she had the baby with?

Ming Nuo hoped Ning Xueqing would say more, but for the rest of the ride, Ning Xueqing remained quiet. She seemed a bit tired and yawned twice.

Following Ning Xueqing’s directions, Ming Nuo stopped the bicycle at a convalescent villa in Jacaranda Bay. It had a very cozy front garden filled with children’s toys: a slide, a swing, a mushroom table and stools straight out of a fairy tale, and a pink flamingo rocker… Ming Nuo could imagine what a lovely little girl must be playing there.

—That was the flesh and blood of the woman she longed for.

Even though it had nothing to do with her.

Ming Nuo looked at the cozy garden belonging to someone else and smiled faintly. The standalone villa was brightly lit, and the faint sound of cartoon songs drifted out.

Ning Xueqing opened the garden gate and turned back. The moment she twisted her waist, she revealed her graceful silhouette; her long dress clung to her legs as if she were dancing.

“Ming Nuo.”

Ming Nuo turned at the sound of her name. She saw her standing there, elegant and tall, her snowy neck long and her delicate skin glowing white in the darkness. With her bright eyes and red lips, the natural upward curve of her mouth made it look as though she were forever smiling at her.

Ning Xueqing’s lips moved slightly: “Thank you for bringing me back. Why don’t you come inside for a glass of honey milk?”

Years ago, whenever they met at banquets, Ning Xueqing would have her assistant give Ming Nuo a bottle of honey milk after the event. She said it was a family recipe from her mother to help sober up, and she always drank it that way.

Since Ning Xueqing’s retirement, Ming Nuo hadn’t seen her at a banquet for five years. It had been a long time since she tasted the honey milk Ning Xueqing gave her. The sweetness of the past seemed to reappear on her tongue. Ming Nuo desperately wanted to revisit that heart-warming fragrance.

Ming Nuo stood outside the garden gate. Between her and Ning Xueqing was a small stone path—very short. She could reach her in just a few steps, but Ming Nuo couldn’t find a reason to enter that garden.

In the dead of night, a single Alpha entering the home of an Omega who was already a mother? It wasn’t proper etiquette.

Light spilled from the villa’s windows. Through the half-drawn curtains of the living room, she could vaguely see a cream-colored sofa and a walnut-colored bookshelf filled with rows of colorful book spines—clearly a collection of various children’s picture books.

Ming Nuo blinked in the warm light. She quietly took half a step back and said softly to Ning Xueqing: “Thank you, but I really should be getting back.”

As she spoke, she gestured toward the back of her neck, implying she was in her Interaction Period and needed to return home to rest. Ning Xueqing understood immediately, telling her to be careful on the road and to message her when she reached the hotel.

“Okay.” Ming Nuo waved her hand. “Goodbye. Goodnight.”

She walked beneath a jacaranda tree and watched Ning Xueqing enter the villa before turning to push her bike.

In truth, this slight fluctuation of pheromones meant nothing to Ming Nuo, and with the patch on, it had no physical effect. What she truly feared was walking into that warm house and seeing a strange Alpha holding Ning Xueqing’s lovely daughter, greeting her and warmly introducing themselves: “Hello, I am Ning Xueqing’s partner…”

Thump.

Thud.

Her heart suddenly cramped. Ming Nuo clutched her chest in pain. A night breeze blew past, and her back was suddenly covered in a fine cold sweat.

Ming Nuo hunched over and gasped for air until her heartbeat slowly stabilized. She gripped the handlebars, intending to walk for a while before riding again.

She headed back the way she came. A road that had felt bright and leisurely on the way there now felt cold and lonely on the return trip.

All because the person on the backseat was gone.

Ming Nuo gave a bitter laugh and stepped on the pedal.

“Ming Nuo!”

Rustling footsteps came from behind. Ming Nuo looked back to see a flurry of blue running toward her. Ning Xueqing’s bangs bounced slightly on her forehead as she smiled brightly.