Staying Alive by Clinging to the Cold O CEO - Chapter 5

It took a good while for Meng Li to stop coughing. Her cheeks were stained with the color of peach blossoms, a flush spreading toward her temples like pale pink clouds at dusk.

She pulled out a tissue and hurriedly wiped her lips. Because she rubbed them so hard, her already vivid lips turned even redder—like crushed, ripe cherries. A light poke felt as if it would send translucent, succulent juice flowing out.

“The coffee was too hot,” Meng Li explained.

A damp mist gathered at the corners of her eyes. Her light-colored pupils shimmered with light, looking more like melting caramel than ever.

Ming Yufu poured a glass of water and pushed it over. “Drink slowly.”

Meng Li didn’t have time for pleasantries and downed several gulps. Lemon slices soaked in the water, spreading a faint acidity that cleared the thick bitterness and burning sensation from her mouth.

Her itchy tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth. After a moment of recovery, she asked, “Do we… now?”

The words passionate kiss sounded foreign, let alone the practice of one. It felt like a taboo; once the words rolled off the tip of her tongue, she swallowed them whole, letting them sink into her heart, not daring to savor them.

Her downcast peach-blossom eyes darted around erratically, inevitably landing on the other woman’s lips.

The lip line was soft, the shape thin. Yet the flesh was not thin; it had just the right curvature. The color was like a pink rose in April—not yet in full bloom, but with the pink shyly peeking out, delicate and tender, truly moving.

They looked like they would be easy to suck and linger upon.

Stopping her runaway thoughts, Meng Li uncomfortably pursed her own lips. Her lip shape was entirely different from Ming Yufu’s. The numbness on her tongue seemed to have surged into her heart, burning beneath her nerve endings.

“After we move in together,” Ming Yufu decided calmly, her cool voice spilling from her thin lips. “Let things happen naturally, step by step.”

She was used to thinking logically. Although she didn’t understand love, logic was the ultimate truth of everything. Like the steps to solving a math problem: after writing “Solution,” there must be a derivation process in the middle to reach the answer. Kissing should be the same.

The “fat oriole” in Meng Li’s heart finally let out a sigh of relief. Its round body softened, collapsing into a flat puddle. The alarm bells that had been ringing in her mind were finally silenced.

“Oh, right.” Speaking of moving in together, Meng Li remembered a vital matter she had forgotten.

She leaned forward slightly and asked, “Can the place where we live be closer to Jingda University?”

Ming Yufu looked back with her long eyes. “You like living near there?”

“I’m a student at Jingda. If I live too far away, it might be inconvenient for classes.”

Meng Li thought for a moment and added, “The apartment I’m renting now is right near the university. Though it’s not big, it’s enough for two people. Or, do you have a place in mind?”

Ming Yufu was uncharacteristically silent for a long time. Her gaze lowered slightly, and her tone carried a complexity that was almost imperceptible. “What year are you in?”

“Sophomore.”

The exquisite appearance of the desserts was tempting, but facing the inquiry, Meng Li retracted the fingertip she had been secretly inching toward the dessert stand and sat up straight. She didn’t usually eat sweets, but she still wanted to try these “not-too-sweet” yet cute pastries.

Before transmigrating, Meng Li was a junior majoring in Fine Arts—worlds away from the Mathematics department the original host was currently enrolled in.

“…”

Ming Yufu’s expression stiffened slightly. Her gaze swept over the girl from head to toe.

Before choosing to enter a contract marriage with her, she had considered that the girl was pleasing to the eye, that the way she looked at her was clean and pure, and that her character was loyal and kind. She should be a qualified partner. Once the two-year term ended, both could detach calmly and peacefully.

As for age—a piece of data that could be roughly inferred from a person’s demeanor and appearance—Ming Yufu had subconsciously ignored it; she simply hadn’t thought of it.

She didn’t pay excessive attention to others’ looks; her impression of Meng Li’s face was simply “flawless.” Thus, it had never occurred to her that the girl might be five or six years younger than her.

Until now.

Once noticed, it could no longer be ignored.

The beautiful girl without makeup looked even more sharp and distinct than the other day. Her youthful posture looked like she had never left the ivory tower, like the vibrant dawn light struggling out of the morning grey. She was permeated with a youthful vitality.

While she had never thought about what age a contract wife should be, wouldn’t a gap of only two or three years be more reasonable?

Meng Li tilted her head, sensing the unusual atmosphere in the silence. She blinked her bright eyes slowly and choked out, “President Ming… you couldn’t have failed to consider my age, right?”

The President remained silent. Silence was more vocal than words at this moment.

Meng Li understood—she really hadn’t considered it. But this proved in reverse that the woman trusted her, enough to ignore her age and other minor details.

Meng Li said, “I don’t think age is an issue. In a contract marriage, personality, values, and sense of responsibility are all more important than age.”

The opportunity for close physical contact was rare, and Meng Li didn’t want to miss it. Her lips and brows curved into a sincere arc, her palms slightly damp. She tried her best to look sincere and reliable.

If Ming Yufu thought she was too young, she could even add a few years. After all, she was around twenty both before and after transmigrating—added together, she was a “Schrödinger’s forty.” Twenty was just her physiological minimum age.

Ming Yufu’s gaze stayed on Meng Li’s face—a peaceful gaze, neither overbearing nor heavy.

Meng Li resisted the urge to look away and stared back.

From Ming Yufu’s perspective, she could see Meng Li’s countless thick eyelashes pressed close together, spreading out like fans. The lashes brushed against her light-colored eyes, and her face was written with obedience. Yet, in the deepest part of her pupils, she caught a glimpse of hidden trepidation.

Ming Yufu: “?” Was the girl worried she would change her mind?

A strange feeling stirred in her heart. Ming Yufu didn’t want to see the girl look at her with such an expression.

Her voice was cold and slow, sounding like an explanation. “That is also what I am considering. Age is not that important.”

Meng Li’s brow smoothed out. The corners of her lips twitched upward as she teased, “So, a President doesn’t investigate the background of her contract marriage partner in advance?”

Ming Yufu gave a very soft “Mm.” “I didn’t.”

Meng Li chuckled. “I didn’t either. It’s fair.”

Ming Yufu’s tone was calm. “Do you want to know?” There are no files, but she could speak now.

“No need.” Meng Li propped up her chin and tilted her head with a smile. The beauty mark under her eye was the finishing touch, bright and dazzling. “I’ll get to know you slowly as we spend time together.”

President Ming was a “Good O.”

Meng Li sat on the sofa, a cup of fragrant black tea by her side. She bit into a crunchy almond crisp; the aroma of nuts and cream danced on her taste buds. She was so happy she felt like she was blowing bubbles.

She had said she would get to know her slowly, but on the very first day, she had reached a firm conclusion.

At the end of their meeting, of all the sweets on the stand, Meng Li had eaten two while Ming Yufu only ate half of one. The rest were untouched. As Meng Li was debating whether to eat two more before leaving, Ming Yufu had the waiter pack them up and give them to her.

Meng Li ate them one by one in order of preference until she got tired of the sweetness halfway through. She put the rest on a porcelain plate and tucked them in the fridge.

She spent an hour reading the contract marriage agreement from start to finish. Every aspect was handled thoroughly; she couldn’t think of anything to add for now.

[A Little Oriole]: President Ming, I’ve finished reading the contract. No problems.

[Rain]: Good.

[A Little Oriole]: Where will we be living?

After some discussion, Meng Li decided to move into Ming Yufu’s detached villa near A University. The main reason was that she remembered Ming Yufu had difficulty walking; living in her current cramped apartment would restrict the woman’s movement. Therefore, she didn’t mention having her stay at the rented room again and agreed to move in directly, planning to terminate her current lease early.

Checking her schedule, Meng Li had a class tomorrow morning on “Basic ABO Knowledge and Ideology,” but no classes in the afternoon. She could move then.

[A Little Oriole]: I can move in tomorrow afternoon.

[Rain]: What time?

[A Little Oriole]: Around two or three.

[Rain]: Okay, I’ll send a car for you.

Meng Li typed slowly.

[A Little Oriole]: What kind of car? A moving van?

[Rain]: If you like.

Meng Li’s eyes widened. She typed quickly, fearing Ming Yufu would decisively book a massive freight truck.

[A Little Oriole]: No need! All my stuff fits in one suitcase. [Proud Fat Oriole.jpg]

In front of her kitchen counter, Ming Yufu took a sip of ice water from a glass. She looked down at the cute emoji on her screen—a round, chest-puffing fat oriole. It looked exactly like the expression the girl would make.

The next second, the darkened screen lit up again. The notification sound rang out, echoing in the clean, empty, and lonely living room. The shadow of the woman’s wheelchair stretched across the marble tiles, elongated and distorted by the light—like a silent beast lurking in the dark, feeding on silence.

Ming Yufu set down her glass; the base hit the counter with a crisp clink.

[A Little Oriole]: Great! Then I’m going to pack! See you tomorrow~! [Happy Fat Oriole.jpg]

A sense of vitality spilled from the screen. It hit Ming Yufu’s eyes, dispersing the lingering, silent gloom.

[Rain]: See you tomorrow.

She definitely wouldn’t finish packing during the day tomorrow. Full of fighting spirit, Meng Li planned to start now.

There were many bits and pieces in the room. She organized them one by one, packing them neatly into her suitcase. She picked up a textbook from last semester, and a letter tucked inside fell out, landing by her feet.

She leaned down to pick it up. When she saw “To my dear Shushu” written on it, her features scrunched up. Opening the letter, she found it was a love letter the original host had written to Ming Shu but which had been rejected.

The page was covered in “honey,” “sweetheart,” and “darling.” It was full of overbearing lines like “I’ll give you my life” and “Babe, I went fishing today; my love for you is undying.”

Meng Li’s brow twitched. It was so cheesy her teeth ached. She stuffed it into the deepest layer of her suitcase. Out of sight, out of mind.

She packed straight until 2:00 AM. Except for basic toiletries and sleeping essentials, everything was packed. Her energy was completely depleted; exhaustion wrapped around her weak body. She fell asleep almost the moment her head hit the pillow.

She entered a sea of dreams.

Time reversed. After a flash of blinding white light, Meng Li was back on the day she faked being Ming Yufu’s lover to repel the “Phoenix Man” Alpha.

After mockingly asking the man if he wanted to see them passionately kiss, she glanced at Ming Yufu.

Ming Yufu’s voice was cold, and her soft white fingers interlaced with Meng Li’s. “If he wants to see, let him.”

Meng Li instinctively agreed. “Okay.”

Ming Yufu asked, “Do you know how to kiss?”

Meng Li said, “Uh, no.”

The woman looked at her for two seconds, then wrapped her arms around Meng Li’s shoulders and leaned toward her lips. “It’s fine.”

Meng Li’s breath hitched. She watched the holy, vivid, beautiful face get closer and closer. Her nose caught the cold scent of sandalwood mixed with an indefinable scent of sea salt or mint. Strands of it tangled with her breath; every pore on her body shivered.

They were at a distance just shy of kissing—noses touching, lips so close they almost brushed, a torturous itch in her heart. The woman spoke, her breath lingering. “Kiss me.”

Meng Li’s eyelashes trembled. She couldn’t restrain the budding desires in her heart. A moment before the spark of reason could burn into a fire and consume her, she leaned down and kissed the woman’s lips.

It was like kissing a cloud made of water.

…

The person in the dream suddenly opened her eyes. The humid air held every inch of Meng Li’s skin hostage. She was sweating heavily; her clothes clung to her back. The darkness in the room was like thick ink, with only a silver sliver of moonlight falling on the bed.

The dream was too vivid, the boundaries between reality and fantasy blurring. It took a long time to pull away from the bizarre memory.

Meng Li lost all desire to sleep. She brushed back her long hair, moving the damp strands sticking to her neck. The gland at the back of her neck was slightly hot. Her knuckles reached back and touched the peeling edge of the suppressor patch.

She neatly ripped the patch off, threw it in the trash, took a change of clothes, and went into the bathroom.

The sound of water flowed, washing away the lingering traces of the hazy dream. She shivered, squinted, and turned the handle toward the red mark for hot water.

The water temperature rose bit by bit. Mist filled the space, clinging to the translucent glass partition, gradually condensing into fine beads of water that meandered down with gravity.

The water flowed from the showerhead, tracing the elegant curves of her body. Amidst the haze, a moist, seductive flush appeared at the corners of Meng Li’s eyes. Before her eyes appeared those thin, colorless lips.

In the dream, the lips of that cold, iceberg-like Omega were unexpectedly soft and warm.