VBNWDW - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

To be honest, in all the time Xi Zhoulu had lived in this manor, tonight was the first time she had ever set foot in the kitchen.

It wasn't that she was completely inept. The private school she had attended always included interest classes like baking and handicrafts alongside the main curriculum. Xi Zhoulu hadn't particularly liked them, but she still earned an A every time.

As for heating milk, it wasn't a complex task. The only trouble was the height of the counter. Reaching for it from her wheelchair was always somewhat inconvenient.

For this reason, Xi Zhoulu even had to struggle to her feet with the help of her cane. And that heartless Alpha next to her offered no help, just stood there watching with a smile.

It was hard to tell who the employer was, who the master of this house was.

The refrigerator door closed. The cane tapped the floor before being set aside. Xi Zhoulu leaned against the marble countertop, frowning as she twisted open the glass bottle.

Luo Yueqing stood beside her, her gaze dropping for a moment before quickly looking away.

The woman's condition was better than she had imagined. She had originally thought Xi Zhoulu was completely paralyzed and unable to move, but it turned out she could stand with some effort. Her legs, however, were clearly weak. Even leaning against the counter, she was a bit unsteady, and a fine sheen of sweat quickly appeared.

The milky white liquid poured into the transparent glass, making the hand gripping its side appear even paler.

Luo Yueqing suddenly asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful hands?"

The stream of liquid faltered. The fingerprints on the glass became more distinct.

Xi Zhoulu couldn't be sure if this was a passing whim or a deliberate ploy. After all, it was late at night with no one else around. They were two single AOs who had shared a trivial moment of ambiguity. All these factors made the topic sensitive.

She pressed her lips together before giving a simple answer: "No."

"What about other things?" Luo Yueqing, unconcerned by her hesitation, tilted her head. Strands of her light red hair cascaded down, veiling the fair skin of her shoulder and neck.

Compared to the lazily postured woman, Xi Zhoulu seemed more cautious. "Such as?"

"Such as complimenting you on being good-looking, beautiful, that sort of thing."

Luo Yueqing had quite a few quirks in her speech. Her words always seemed to twist and turn, the ends of her sentences drawn out with a rising inflection, making her sound both seductive and excessively flippant.

Xi Zhoulu glanced up at her and gave a vague reply, "Occasionally."

She then added with emphasis, "More than that, I prefer when people acknowledge my abilities."

The glass was placed in the microwave. After the timer was set, it began to beep, and a faint scent of milk lingered in the air.

Luo Yueqing chuckled, her tone laced with an inexplicable meaning. "What abilities?"

Xi Zhoulu frowned instantly. She felt she had made herself perfectly clear, yet coming from this woman's mouth, the words somehow took on a different meaning.

Her face fell at once, and she said coldly, "Miss Luo, watch your words."

Her pale gray-blue eyes narrowed, and her well-defined jawline grew sharper as it tensed. Despite a long day's work, the top button of her shirt remained fastened.

Rigid and ascetic.

Luo Yueqing couldn't help but be distracted, recalling the woman's paranoid and crazed state in the later stages of the story. Like a god dragged into the abyss. No, she was already in the abyss, just wearing human clothes and pretending to be normal.

Her tongue licked over her moist red lips. The scent of roses with a hint of red wine leaked from her blocker patch, mingling with the milky aroma in the air, becoming almost sickeningly sweet.

Just then, the microwave beeped, signaling that the time was up.

Xi Zhoulu braced herself on the counter with one hand and opened the microwave with the other, taking out the glass.

"Your milk," she said, holding it out, her demeanor turning cold and businesslike.

Luo Yueqing took a step forward, seemingly to take the glass, but her hand only feigned a grip. Her real target was Xi Zhoulu. With her other hand, she braced herself on the counter, trapping the woman in her arms.

Light red hair brushed against black as Luo Yueqing looked down at her.

Normally, Xi Zhoulu was always in her wheelchair, and her powerful aura made one assume she was quite tall. Unexpectedly, she was a few centimeters shorter than Luo Yueqing herself. Her frame was slender, her body soft and thin. It felt as if a tighter embrace could hide her away completely, not letting a single part of her show.

The woman in her arms struggled, but not only was she unable to push Luo Yueqing away, her weak legs nearly caused her to fall.

This gave Luo Yueqing the perfect opportunity to wrap an arm around her waist and support her.

The glass still in her hand wobbled, nearly sloshing the milky white liquid out.

"Luo Yueqing, let me go," Xi Zhoulu said, no longer being polite. Her icy voice carried a warning.

Luo Yueqing was not only undeterred, but she even replied with a smile, "Are you sure? Aren't you afraid of falling?"

Xi Zhoulu had never met someone so shameless, who only pressed closer after being warned, pinning her tightly against the marble countertop.

"Luo Yueqing!"

Before she could finish, a thumb pressed against her lips, the rougher knuckle sliding over their soft surface.

Luo Yueqing said, "Do you like milk?"

Xi Zhoulu frowned at her, even wondering if the woman had been secretly drinking.

Seeing her silence, Luo Yueqing asked again, "Do you want to try a sip?"

A faint, tingling pain arose where the knuckle had brushed. Thankfully, Xi Zhoulu kept her lips pressed tightly shut, otherwise the touch would have met the moisture within, leaving another damp trace.

Outside, it was quiet. The round moon was hidden behind dark clouds. The wind blew petals from meticulously cared-for flowers, and damp dew condensed silently.

Inside the house, it was just as quiet. The wine-red silk nightgown outlined a fine figure. The light slid over the slight protrusion of her scapulae, landing in the shallow dimples of her lower back.

Xi Zhoulu turned her head to avoid the touch, but Luo Yueqing's leg pressed forward, flush against hers. The searing heat passed through the thin fabric; even her numb, weak limbs could clearly feel the scorching temperature.

The marble countertop against her back felt colder and colder. Rose vines entangled her, extending countless tiny thorns. They weren't very painful, but their presence was impossible to ignore.

Xi Zhoulu closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice, "Luo Yueqing, I'm warning you one last time."

As if to hide something, she kept her eyes closed, but it did nothing to diminish her beauty.

Her exquisitely delicate features could have been framed as a painting, hung on a wall for the world to admire.

But now there was only one spectator, who was not only forbidden from approaching but also told to retreat.

Luo Yueqing looked down at her. Her trembling, thick eyelashes seemed to be her last shred of restraint.

The glass was shifted. Luo Yueqing held the warm glass in one hand and gripped the other woman's waist with her other, chuckling. "And then what?"

"What kind of punishment does Miss Xi plan to use this time to… make… me… remember?" The last few words were deliberately emphasized.

This bold, fearless Alpha was once again treading on the edge of danger.

Xi Zhoulu opened her eyes. Her pale gray-blue irises were clearer and more dazzling than any gemstone, and just as still and cold as stone, reflecting the gorgeous, bewitching face before her.

She said, "Luo Yueqing, you should know exactly what you're doing."

The lurking beast tensed its spine, waiting for the final moment to sink its teeth into its prey's neck.

"I think Miss Xi does, too," Luo Yueqing said, still smiling, her expression full of nonchalance as she began to peel back the deliberate pretenses, one by one.

"From our very first meeting, you were watching me."

"Did you like the black stockings? Or the pencil skirt? Or…"

"...me." She took a sip of milk, a white mustache forming on her lip. It did nothing to make the Alpha look innocent; instead, it made her seem even more dangerous.

"The first time we met, you looked me over from head to toe. Was it out of curiosity?"

"Were you wondering why this Alpha in front of you had such a high compatibility with you?"

"And it's precisely because you already knew that you were able to break free so easily during the first guidance session. Because you were on guard against me the entire time."

Although checking pheromone compatibility before marriage is explicitly forbidden, that doesn't mean people with special privileges will obediently comply.

And given Xi Zhoulu's personality, she wouldn't have been at ease without thoroughly investigating this person and weighing the pros and cons at length.

Besides, if she were to give in so easily, why would she have resisted her heat alone for so long, even pushing herself to the point of a mental power disorder?

The most absurd part was that Xi Zhoulu's most trusted doctor and her loyal butler would actually allow Luo Yueqing to act so recklessly, supposedly for Xi Zhoulu's own good. They even proposed that Luo Yueqing move into the hospital room to assist.

Her milky breath coiled around Xi Zhoulu's nose. Her silence was a tacit admission.

Luo Yueqing continued, "Are you wondering when I figured it out?"

She wasn't one to keep people in suspense. In the next second, she gave the answer: "From the moment I saw the title of the book you were holding."

"Dr. Li Xunyang's A Study on the Degree of Influence of Pheromone Compatibility. If I recall correctly, most of that book discusses the benefits of high compatibility."

"What a coincidence, right? It just so happens that you and I are highly compatible, and it just so happens you were reading that book…"

She went on, "Shall I guess your objective as well?"

"The heir to the Xi family doesn't want an arranged marriage, and is even willing to pay the price of suppressing her heat and suffering a mental power disorder. Yet, for some reason, she's being forced to marry. To avoid marrying one of the arranged candidates, she can only come up with the most helpless of solutions."

"Find an Alpha with extremely high compatibility, but one who is also easy to control."

"Because the children of highly compatible AOs have a high probability of being high-grade."

"As far as I know, the Xi family places extreme importance on the grade of its heirs. Your father lost his position as heir precisely because he was only a C-Class Alpha, and was forced by Old Master Xi to marry a highly compatible Omega to produce children."

Luo Yueqing clicked her tongue twice. "But before all that, the cautious Miss Xi not only had to investigate this person thoroughly, but also had to interact with them in person to confirm they were indeed harmless."

"So, wasn't I only able to act so recklessly because you allowed it?" She looked at the other woman, the shimmering light making her peach blossom eyes even more bewitching.

The exposed woman didn't get angry; instead, she smiled. Though seemingly at a disadvantage, she maintained the calm composure of a superior. She said, "You're a smart woman."

"So, when do you plan on marrying me?" Luo Yueqing raised an eyebrow. Now that everything was out in the open, speaking was much easier.

"I'm going back to the Old Residence tomorrow," Xi Zhoulu replied.

"Is there anything you need me to do?"

Xi Zhoulu said, "State your terms."

Luo Yueqing smiled and answered without hesitation, "Help me pay off my debts."

For Xi Zhoulu, this was practically nothing. She said immediately, "Done."

"My mother?"

"I'll arrange the best medical care for her," Xi Zhoulu replied just as quickly.

Luo Yueqing paused before stating her final condition. "We can delay the marking and bonding, but we cannot divorce."

As the words fell, Xi Zhoulu was visibly stunned. She hadn't expected such a condition.

To her, this marriage was merely a product of mutual exploitation. She didn't mind; marriage and a partner were dispensable things to her.

If she no longer needed Luo Yueqing in the future, and Luo Yueqing had found someone she loved, she wouldn't cling to her. She would even provide generous compensation.

But for the other woman to say this…

Luo Yueqing added with a strange seriousness, "Whoever initiates the divorce must transfer all their assets to the other and leave with nothing."

She thought for a moment and added, "Including the debts you paid for me and the medical expenses."

Blocking all paths of retreat, leaving herself no room to maneuver.

Xi Zhoulu looked at her, her eyes filled with uncertainty. After a moment of contemplation, she finally spoke. "Fine. I'll have the lawyer draft the contract."

The glass was placed back on the marble countertop. Luo Yueqing released her grip on the other woman. She spoke with a bright smile, "Then I'll be waiting for your good news, Miss Xi."

Xi Zhoulu supported herself with her hands. Though she didn't understand the other's intentions, she understood this was a deal that was entirely beneficial to her. So her expression was relaxed as she spoke casually, "I'll resolve it as quickly as possible."

"Alright. Out of courtesy, I should personally escort Miss Xi back to her room, but right now…"

Luo Yueqing smiled, and the corners of her eyes seemed to bloom with a pink, peach-blossom mist that spread in an instant, tinting the entire area around her eyes. Her already stunning features became even more bewitching, like a rose in full bloom, exuding an intoxicating charm.

She drew out her words lazily and continued, "My Susceptibility Period has arrived."

Without the slightest reservation, and unlike others who might express it indirectly, she stated it plainly. "In your Omega terms, it means I'm in heat. To prevent certain things from happening, I need to go back to my room now. Please have someone prepare inhibitors for me, Miss Xi."

She looked up at Xi Zhoulu, as if gazing at prey that had fallen into her web, ready to be devoured at any moment. She smiled and said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to see each other this week."

For unmarked AOs who could only rely on inhibitors, their cycles were longer, and the higher the grade, the longer they lasted. For an S-Class Alpha like Luo Yueqing, it would be about seven days.

With that, she turned and left. The lingering scent of milk was quickly driven away by the rich fragrance of roses, which completely filled the empty space.

Left behind, Xi Zhoulu's gaze was heavy. Connecting Luo Yueqing's abnormal behavior today—her increased appetite, fluctuating emotions, and restless, aggressive actions—she realized they were indeed signs of an impending susceptibility period.

She let out a breath and, with some difficulty, settled back into her wheelchair before contacting the servants who lived nearby.

The night wind howled, and the moon, once hidden in the dark clouds, finally emerged.

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