Chapter 56

Ning Xueqing, blushing with embarrassment, demanded an answer: “So you do have that many friends?”

Holding down on the comment to delete it would look like a clumsy attempt to cover it up, but leaving it would invite misunderstanding—she was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

Ming Nuo said with absolute seriousness, “This private account doesn’t have many contacts, only about one or two hundred.”

Compared to her work account, which easily had thousands of contacts, it really wasn’t many. But compared to a WeChat Moments page that had seen zero likes or comments for ten years, it was a massive crowd.

Ning Xueqing stepped up to her, her beautiful face flushed red beneath her fair skin, looking just like a freshly steamed crystal bun.

“You’re still looking.” Ning Xueqing waved her hand between Ming Nuo and the phone. “One or two hundred friends—we must have quite a few mutual friends. Why did they never like or comment on your posts before? Today, the moment I helped you break your zero-comment streak, everyone showed up.”

Ming Nuo obediently lifted her face, turning her gaze from the phone screen to Ning Xueqing’s watery face, a gentle smile in her eyes. “Everyone usually ignores me. They only showed up out of respect for you, to show their support.”

Would Ning Xueqing actually believe that? She held out her hand. “Let me see.”

Ming Nuo’s expression was innocent. “See what?”

“Your phone.”

“See what on my phone?”

“Your WeChat Moments.” Ning Xueqing was determined to find out exactly how Ming Nuo’s privacy settings were configured.

Ming Nuo agreed, “Alright. But before I let you look, let me post a reply first.”

Ning Xueqing sat down beside her, the fluffy quilt dipping down beneath her weight. “What are you going to reply? I need to watch you to prevent you from playing any tricks.”

“Me?…” Ming Nuo laid the phone flat on her lap, openly operating it right before Ning Xueqing’s eyes. She clicked on her “Summer is here” update and left a unified reply in the comment section:

【Accompanying [bailiantales.com]my mother on a trip to Lanyu, happened to run into Teacher Ning’s family, having late-night snacks together ^-^】

Xing Cai replied: 【Oh!】

Chi Shu: 【Is it delicious? Recommend a few places so I can check them out next time!】

Du Heng: 【What a coincidence, have fun!】

Ning Xueqing watched with amazement as Ming Nuo executed this smooth sequence of operations, dissolving the awkward social media situation just like that.

“Here.” Ming Nuo handed the phone to Ning Xueqing and stood up to grab a change of clothes. “Take your time looking, Sister. I’m going to wash up.”

“Mm…” Taking the phone, Ning Xueqing felt even more self-conscious in the face of Ming Nuo’s frankness. Her request to see the phone had been half out of embarrassment and half as a joke. She didn’t think her relationship with Ming Nuo was close enough to inspect each other’s phones. Besides, even between lovers or family members, one shouldn’t casually violate the other’s privacy.

“I won’t…” Ning Xueqing placed the phone back on the nightstand untouched. Just as she was about to say she was only joking, Ming Nuo had already entered the bathroom and closed the door.

“…”

Ning Xueqing turned to stare at the closed frosted glass door of the bathroom, the sound of the shower pattering inside. Inexplicably, an image surfaced in her mind—hot water pouring over the Alpha’s face, pitch-black long hair wrapping around fair shoulders, water trailing down in winding streams.

A pane of frosted glass cut off the air between the inside and outside; otherwise, Ning Xueqing would have smelled the scent of cherry wine diffusing through the steam. She could even use her memory to picture the tremor of the muscular lines as the Alpha moved her arms.

Ning Xueqing pulled back the quilt and lay down exactly where Ming Nuo had been sitting. Turning on her side, she buried half her face in the pillow, slipping her left hand underneath to embrace it tightly.

The tranquil lake, the cool room, the comfortable bed, and the subtle sound of the shower—everything made Ning Xueqing feel at peace.

“Huff…” Ning Xueqing let out another large yawn. Turning toward the bathroom, she spun around in a circle like a child before burrowing deep into the quilt. Her heavy eyelids felt like fan blades losing power, fluttering once, then twice…

The night was thick, and moonlight drenched the surface of Baiou Lake.

With a soft click, the bathroom door opened from the inside. A white mist of heat billowed out as Ming Nuo walked out wearing a loose black cotton dress. A towel was piled on her head, and her eyelashes were beaded with tiny droplets of water.

“Eh?” Ming Nuo looked toward the bed. Her phone and the [bailiantales.com]eleven roses sat on the nightstand, while the white quilt enveloped a soundly sleeping Omega. Ning Xueqing’s sleeping face was serene, a faint smile hanging at the corners of her mouth.

She fell asleep.

Ming Nuo walked to the nightstand. As the sensor light flickered on, she bent down to turn off the master switch. Picking up her phone, she saw that the unlocked screen remained exactly as it had been when she handed it over, meaning Ning Xueqing hadn’t looked through it.

Holding her phone, Ming Nuo lightly tapped her fingers against the case a few times. She leaned over to look at the sleeping Ning Xueqing, a helpless smile appearing on her face.

Driving around the lake in the middle of the night to come over, asking if we could open a room because she had no one to keep her company, stripping naked to blink her eyes behind the door… and yet the moment she got into bed, she was the first to fall asleep.

Ning Xueqing, oh Ning Xueqing, you have absolutely no credit.

Thinking of this, Ming Nuo couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth upward. She just found her incredibly adorable—a clever, mischievous mind mixed with a touch of dorkiness.

Ming Nuo lowered her head, stopping just a hair’s breadth from the top of Ning Xueqing’s head, her lips lightly brushing against her strands of hair.

“Sweet dreams.”

While dreaming, Ning Xueqing felt unsettled. She dreamt she won 200 million yuan, but on her way to claim the prize, the lottery ticket was blown away by the wind.

When she woke up, she felt the touch around her wasn’t right either. This lack of rightness wasn’t discomfort—she had slept very well—but rather a sense of mismatch, like things hadn’t gone the way she anticipated.

Ning Xueqing kept her eyes closed, reaching out to feel beside her. The other side of the large bed was completely cold. That shouldn’t be; Alphas were always very warm. She knew Ming Nuo’s body temperature was very cozy.

She felt from the pillow to the quilt, then hooked her foot downward. There really was nothing there.

Where was Ming Nuo? Where did her giant Alpha go? Could it be…

A jolt shot through Ning Xueqing, waking her up completely. She pulled back the quilt and sat up. Mellow sunlight filtered through the curtains, lazily illuminating the crisp white sheets. A vase had been added to the nightstand, holding the fiery red roses.

Ning Xueqing looked around; sure enough, the place was empty, with no sign of another person. She hurriedly climbed out of bed, one foot slipping into a slipper while the other stepped onto the floor.

“Ming Nuo?”

Ning Xueqing pulled back the curtain. Outside was the balcony built over the lake surface; the outdoor sofa was completely vacant.

Ning Xueqing looked down at herself. She hadn’t drunk any alcohol last night; she had simply been too tired and sleepy. If anything had happened, she would definitely know. So Ming Nuo went to sleep in another room last night?

Ning Xueqing ran a hand through her hair, a sudden wave of irritation washing over her for no reason. Walking back to the bedside to put on her shoes, she draped a thin sheer wrap over herself, intending to check the other rooms.

As she reached the door, a foil bag sitting on the small tea table caught her attention. What was this? Did Ming Nuo leave it?

Smoothing the hem of her camisole dress from behind, Ning Xueqing sat on the small leather sofa and gently opened the bag. With a rustle, the bag fell open, and a pile of delicate little items slid out. Ning Xueqing picked them up one by one to look.

Suppressants, isolation patches, suppressant injections, pheromone-neutralizing sprays, soothing air fresheners.

There were also birth control pills, water-soluble lubricants, painkillers, cleansing solutions, creams, and soft wipes… The birth control pills were the type specifically formulated for Alphas.

“…”

In the early morning, a crimson blush flooded Ning Xueqing’s cheeks. These items proved that Ming Nuo had set two paths for herself: restraint, or submission. And the right to decide and control either path lay entirely in Ning Xueqing’s hands.

With her cheeks and ears burning hot, Ning Xueqing sluggishly packed the items back, tied a neat knot, and placed the bag into the refrigerator to chill. Leaning against the refrigerator, she pressed her forehead against the door, tapping her temples with the heel of her palm as if she had a headache.

To decline, or to accept. Beside these choices, Ning Xueqing had taken a third path: Falling. Fast. Asleep.

Truly, she never wanted to sleep heavily like that ever again.

Ning Xueqing opened the master bedroom door. As the air circulated, the scent of incense from the living area drifted over with the fresh breeze, brushing against her warm face.

Sunlight from the French windows illuminated the wine-red grand piano. Ming Nuo’s ink-black long hair cascaded down as her fingers danced gracefully over the black and white keys. The light, the piano, and her—everything reflected directly into Ning Xueqing’s eyes.

Ming Nuo was always deeply invested when playing the piano and writing music. It wasn’t until ten minutes later, when she clumsily finished writing a musical score, that she spotted Ning Xueqing’s smile in the reflection of the glass.

“Good morning.” ​unauthorized copy​Ming Nuo turned around, her eyes bright. “What do you want for breakfast?”

Ning Xueqing walked straight over, sitting down beside her on the narrow piano bench. “You went back on your word.”

Ming Nuo closed the score. “How so?”

Ning Xueqing tapped her fingers against the piano keys—a few high notes, a few low notes. “Where did you sleep last night?”

Ming Nuo’s smile was warm as she pointed toward the secondary bedroom on the other side of the living area. Ning Xueqing followed the direction of her finger; the clothes rack in the secondary bedroom held the T-shirt Ming Nuo had worn last night.

This… counted as keeping her company for the night. The same unit, just different rooms—how could that not be considered keeping her company?

Ning Xueqing was temporarily at a loss for words. She thought that even if she fell asleep, Ming Nuo would still sleep beside her. Who knew Ming Nuo would maintain such rigorous self-restraint toward her sleeping self?

Ming Nuo asked her, “What’s wrong?”

Ning Xueqing let out a silent exhale. “Nothing, just a bit of a regret.”

“What regret?”

“I fell asleep too early last night and didn’t get to talk to you much.”

Ming Nuo smiled gently. “The future is still very long.”

Ning Xueqing’s gaze wandered over her defined features for a moment. Suddenly, she realized that without her knowing when it started, she had been led by the nose by this person. She had become anxious and uncertain because of Ming Nuo, harboring expectations and feeling low, wanting her to see through everything immediately yet wanting to hide it all so she would guess slowly.

—Wanting you to know I miss you, yet not wanting you to know I want to.

The words of affection spoken aloud were merely the least conspicuous colored sequins left behind after the curtain fell on a confession. Greedy as she was, she insisted on waiting until the Alpha couldn’t resist taking possession of her, just to satisfy her own wicked vanity.

You’re willing to endure so much and give so much, so why can’t you be the first to say ‘I like you’? Or is it that a similarly competitive spark of vanity beats inside Ming Nuo’s chest as well?

Ning Xueqing let out a soft cough, pretending not to care as she stolen content reached up to turn a page of the score on the stand. “So artistic so early in the morning.”

“I truly think so. Given current medical technology, we can live to at least seventy or eighty. As long as you don’t block me, counting from now, we can still talk for forty or fifty years. Is that still not long enough?”

“It is.” Ning Xueqing glanced at the hotel breakfast menu on the TV screen. “I want to eat steamed er-si (rice noodles).”

“Alright.” Ming Nuo’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she used the smart tablet to order.

Ning Xueqing stretched her back in the sunlight. She went to wash her face, brush her teeth, and put on a facial mask while video-calling Mengmeng. By the time breakfast was delivered, Ming Nuo sat opposite to eat with her.

“Mm, delicious. Yours smells so fragrant, I want to add some too.”

“You can’t eat spicy food.”

“Don’t you avoid spicy food for your singing too?”

“I can eat it, it just hurts my throat, so I can’t have too much.”

“I just want a tiny bit.”

“Alright, here.”

“Did you take the birth control pill?”

“Take—”

Ming Nuo: “?”

Wait a minute, what did Ning Xueqing just say?

Ming Nuo froze with her chopsticks mid-air. She had left the medicine in the master bedroom because she wanted Ning Xueqing to understand her intent; she had absolutely never imagined Ning Xueqing would ask such a question face-to-face so grandly.

Ning Xueqing turned her face away, her voice carrying a soft, slightly nasally note: “Um, I’m sorry about last [bailiantales.com]night… I fell asleep first.”

Ming Nuo felt her blood rushing a bit fast, the artery in her wrist throbbing. “What is there to be sorry for? When you’re tired, you need to rest well. I’m very happy you and Mengmeng brought me so many snacks.”

Ning Xueqing nodded, using her chopsticks to wind the noodles in circles. “Those medicines… I’ve put them away for now.”

“Anyway… they won’t go to waste.”

Ming Nuo’s ears buzzed. Won’t go to waste meant they would be put to use sooner or later. Which one would be used, and how?

Ming Nuo kept her head down, lifting her eyelids to sneak a glance at Ning Xueqing’s face. Unfortunately, her bangs obscured half her eyes, masking her emotions.

Once breakfast was finished, Ming Yan—unable to find her daughter back at the villa—called over in her booming voice. Without blinking an eye, Ming Nuo lied, “I’m out running. Cen Hong told me there’s a friend in Lanyu I need to meet. I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

Ning Xueqing had mentioned during her earlier video call that she would return by noon. The time Ming Nuo stated happened to work perfectly to drop her off before looping back.

“Auntie Ming called you? The cruise ships [unauthorized copy]are running this morning, it’s very fast.”

“Chartering a boat takes half an hour; driving takes me two hours.” After Ming Nuo finished, Ning Xueqing met her gaze and curled her lips.

I want to spend an extra hour and a half with you—do you want that?

Ning Xueqing: “Driving is better.”

The sun was bright. Ning Xueqing put on her hat and sunglasses, walking out of the courtyard to wait for Ming Nuo to bring the car over. Just as the car pulled up, the driver’s door opened, and Ming Nuo stepped out, walking around to the passenger side to open the door for Ning Xueqing.

“Are we meeting tonight?” Ning Xueqing’s lashes fluttered up, her eyes shimmering. “I paid an extra two hundred yuan for the roses, what do you think?”

Ming Nuo propped her hand on the upper edge of the door frame, leaning in slightly. “Then I won’t leave this afternoon. I’ll wait for you to get in the car tonight—”

“Aren’t you out running?! You brat, who are you spinning lies to while hiding out in a car?!”

A thunderous, booming voice shattered the quiet tree-lined avenue. Both Ming Nuo and Ning Xueqing’s ears buzzed. They spun around to find Ming Yan and Auntie Wang strolling over, quickly closing the distance.

Ming Yan raised her palm and slapped it against Ming Nuo’s back. “Who taught you to tell lies! Being so half-hearted—are you worthy of your Mama’s and my upbring—”

The words ground to a sudden halt. Ming Yan had just spotted Ning Xueqing, who didn’t dare make a sound in the passenger seat.