VBNWDW - Chapter 30
Chapter 30
The early morning hours were always quiet, especially in a manor insulated by gardens. Aside from the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind, the only thing slipping through the open window was the scent of fresh grass. A recent rain had left the air damp with the smell of earth.
Sunk in the soft, large bed, Luo Yueqing turned her head toward the window, her eyes filled with the daze of waking up after drinking.
This was Xi Zhoulu's room.
How did she end up back here…
The potent taste of alcohol lingering in her mouth slowly surfaced, pulling her memories back to the first half of the night.
Xi Zhoulu had carried a drunken her away from the party and brought her home. She had thrown a tantrum, refusing to go to her own room, insisting on sleeping in the same room as Xi Zhoulu.
How had Xi Zhoulu responded?
She had been in her wheelchair, the unopened door to her room on her left, and the Alpha, kneeling on the floor and acting shamelessly, on her right.
The light from the hallway sconce fell upon her, making her black trench coat seem even darker, like a pool of ink that wouldn't dissipate. It made her skin appear paler, so much so that one could almost see the pulse throbbing in her neck.
"Are you sure?" Xi Zhoulu had asked, her gloomy, exquisite features betraying no emotion. Her pale, grayish-blue eyes were downcast as she spoke the ambiguous words.
"Luo Yueqing, I've already given you a chance."
It was as if a ruler had exhausted all their patience and was about to discard their last shred of superfluous mercy.
And how had Luo Yueqing answered?
Her mind, clouded by alcohol, failed to detect the ominous signal. She just kept acting spoiled and unreasonable, demanding that the other woman agree to her request.
And so, Xi Zhoulu had opened the door, turned sideways, and gestured inside, pointing toward the pitch-black room.
And then?
Luo Yueqing's memory was a blur of alcohol, as if every bottle in the manor had been moved into the room. Empty bottles were tossed to the floor, only to be immediately replaced by new wine poured into a glass.
She knelt by Xi Zhoulu's legs, leaning against the sofa, coaxed into drinking one glass after another.
"I've had so much…" The once cunning and clever little fox drew out her words, her tone sticky and coquettish.
A shimmering mist veiled her peach-blossom eyes. Amidst the charm, there was a hint of drunken bewilderment. Gone was her usual practiced and habitual flirtatiousness, replaced by a raw, slow-witted attempt to please.
"Xi Zhoulu, I've had so much," she said, gesturing with her hands to show just how much.
Xi Zhoulu leaned down slightly, her coolly elegant features unchanged, the corners of her mouth hinting at a smile as she coaxed, "Is that all an S-Class Alpha can drink? I know C-Class Alphas who can drink more than Luo Luo."
"But…" Luo Yueqing wanted to argue but didn't know what to say.
In the end, Xi Zhoulu cut her off, adding, "How about I drink with Luo Luo? The wine is already here. It would be too much trouble to have them take it all back down."
Her tone was uncharacteristically gentle and considerate, making Luo Yueqing nod in spite of herself. "You have to drink with me," she said earnestly.
Xi Zhoulu smiled, as if to praise her for being so well-behaved. She reached out and patted Luo Yueqing's head, her voice soft. "So good."
And so, the little fox turned into a little puppy, wagging her tail as she held up her glass, proudly declaring, "A full glass! Fill it to the top!"
The mischievous cat, of course, agreed. She took the bottle and, as requested, filled the entire glass with the amber liquid, right up to the precarious brim.
The next second, she picked up her own glass, which had remained at the same level for a long time, and lightly clinked it against the one held by the little puppy.
"Cheers!"
Spilled wine trickled down from her jaw, along her slender neck, and dripped onto her straight collarbone. The white shirt that had been casually draped over her was nowhere to be seen, leaving only the unconcealed bite mark.
Luo Yueqing had just finished her drink and hadn't even put down her glass when she heard Xi Zhoulu mutter, "Luo Luo is cheating."
Luo Yueqing looked at her, bewildered, her face a mask of confusion.
Xi Zhoulu pointed to the corner of her mouth and chuckled. "Look, you drink half and spill the other half."
Her cool fingertips brushed past the corner of Luo Yueqing's mouth. Xi Zhoulu drew her hand back, licked her fingertip, and smiled again. "Such good wine, and you're deliberately wasting it. You should be punished."
Xi Zhoulu was a person who rarely smiled. Even in the insincere world of social gatherings, she would only curve her lips slightly as a matter of courtesy. Otherwise, her expressions were either mocking or threatening. Even in front of Luo Yueqing, her occasional smiles were faint.
But for some reason, tonight it was as if Xi Zhoulu had been taken captive by the night, revealing a side of herself she would never normally show.
Like the moon had fallen into the mortal world; one could simply reach into the lake and scoop up a handful.
Flippant and decadent.
Luo Yueqing couldn't find the words to refute her, nor did she notice that the other woman's glass hadn't emptied at all. She willingly accepted her punishment, glass after glass.
Soon, the floor was littered with empty bottles, and Luo Yueqing was so drunk she was answering on pure instinct.
Xi Zhoulu swirled the glass in her hand. The handmade crystal was etched with intricate patterns that scattered the light, creating a dazzling fire.
Luo Yueqing's hands rested on her lap, her head leaning against her as well, her eyes following the fractured light.
Deciding the time was right, Xi Zhoulu finally spoke. "Is she very beautiful?"
Luo Yueqing's response was slow. It took her a while before she asked, "Who?"
"Shen Xianyun."
To think that after all this time, Xi Zhoulu was still fixated on the same question.
Luo Yueqing even tilted her head, trying to remember who that was, before slowly giving her answer. "She's alright."
"Do you like her?"
Luo Yueqing suddenly burst out laughing, as if the other woman had told a hilarious joke. "Like her? Like teasing her, you mean?"
The word 'tease' appeared again. The hand swirling the wine glass stopped abruptly, and the pale, grayish-blue eyes grew colder.
Xi Zhoulu continued to press, "Why do you like teasing her?"
"Because it's fun," Luo Yueqing answered, utterly self-righteous.
Normally, she would have already sensed that something was wrong with Xi Zhoulu and figured out a way to placate her. But because of the alcohol, she could only answer woodenly, even though every answer was not what Xi Zhoulu wanted to hear.
Xi Zhoulu's brow tightened as she tried to find a better way to ask. "Then why did you keep looking at her?"
She couldn't help but add, "Is it because I'm a cripple that you look at other people…?"
Perhaps because of the earlier provocation, the suppressed pain surged up once more—inescapable, relentless, seeping into every thought and suspicion.
But compared to her suppressed turmoil, the drunk Luo Yueqing seemed utterly carefree. Her intoxicated gaze traveled down from that impeccably beautiful face to the fair, well-proportioned fingers, and she replied with satisfaction, "Nonsense. She can't compare to you at all."
Xi Zhoulu: "…Then what were you looking at just now?"
Luo Yueqing, self-righteous and even a little impatient, repeated, "She's fun to tease!"
The atmosphere grew heavier, almost affecting Luo Yueqing on the other side. A drunk person's intuition is always the sharpest.
She shrank back and forced out an excuse: "Her diamond necklace was really shiny."
Xi Zhoulu's expression froze. She tried hard to recall if Shen Xianyun had even been wearing a necklace, but having been stewing in jealousy all night, how could she remember such details? She frowned and thought for a long time, but came up with nothing.
She could only grit out, "I'll buy you a mine."
When had she ever mistreated Luo Yueqing? Not long ago, she had sent over plenty of finished pieces for her to choose from. She just hadn't known Luo Yueqing liked diamonds, and because her stepmother had soured her on them, she had only sent colored gemstones. She never expected to have discarded the most correct option.
And now, here was Luo Yueqing, staring wistfully at someone else's necklace.
Xi Zhoulu nearly ground her molars to dust. She felt that the person before her, while lovely when drunk, was also infuriating.
She took a deep breath, about to speak, but Luo Yueqing beat her to it. The woman looked up at her and said with a grin, "Your friends are all quite interesting."
Xi Zhoulu's brow remained tightly furrowed. She couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
"They just are."
Talking to a drunk person was always exhausting. Xi Zhoulu had only heard about it before, but now she was experiencing it firsthand.
Xi Zhoulu opened her mouth, then decided that asking further wouldn't yield an answer. She simply said, "They're not good people."
They all knew each other inside and out, having grown up together. Though they all seemed cheerful now, the things they did behind the scenes were no cleaner than her own dealings.
Luo Yueqing nodded as if she understood. "So that's why you don't like them?" she said, as if in a daze.
Xi Zhoulu froze. Her hand, resting casually on her knee, unconsciously curled inward, digging into her flesh. "No," she said bluntly.
She was just like them. How could she reject them for that reason?
"Then why is it?" Luo Yueqing was like a curious child, pestering for an answer she hadn't received.
For a moment, it was unclear who was the one being plied with alcohol and interrogated.
Deep crescent marks were dug into her knee. Xi Zhoulu's expression grew darker. The calm before the storm is always particularly still.
She said flatly, "In this circle, I once had a friend who everyone thought was my friend."
She deliberately emphasized the word "friend," making it sound sarcastic.
"On the surface, she was a warm, cheerful, and helpful Alpha. She had a great temper and always defended me, tolerating my cold and harsh nature. In places where my bodyguards couldn't go, she was the one who pushed my wheelchair."
"In private, she was the most skilled little spy, secretly telling me who was calling me a cripple, who disliked my constantly cold expression."
Luo Yueqing mumbled, "They were awful."
But Xi Zhoulu countered, "They were right."
Xi Zhoulu turned to look out the window, an undeniable gloom in her eyes. After a moment of suppression, her tone became excessively cold. "How could anyone possibly like me? Like a useless cripple with disabled legs?"
"Even I can't help but despise myself. A good-for-nothing with nothing but money, forced to sit in a wheelchair all day, a burden to everyone."
But Luo Yueqing just blinked and said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Right, you have money. Just bury those talkative little bitches with it, okay?"
Drunken answers were always absurd. Xi Zhoulu chuckled, unconvinced, then suddenly returned to the previous topic. "Do you think this person, was she good to me?"
Luo Yueqing was slow-witted. She felt something was wrong but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Xi Zhoulu became the most patient of teachers, explaining, "If you want to know someone's secret, you have to give something in return."
"Even for something like badmouthing someone behind their back, you have to bring it up first, proactively express malice, and make others think you're being forced into it, that you actually despise her. Only then will others open up to you."
"So she wasn't good to you, then?" Luo Yueqing finally arrived at the answer to the previous question.
Xi Zhoulu raised her glass and took a small sip. "I don't care. Interactions between people are always tinged with purpose. What she sought was something I could and was willing to give, so I made an exchange with her. It's when someone approaches me pretending to want nothing that I find it terrifying."
A late-night breeze swept in from the window. Heavy black clouds gathered together, looking as if they were about to press down on the earth.
A drunk person's attention is always scattered. Luo Yueqing suddenly asked, "Where is that person now?"
The strong liquor ravaged her tongue, sliding down her throat like a knife. Xi Zhoulu spoke without a trace of emotion. "She confessed to me, said she liked me. I felt that was something I was unwilling to give her, so I told her to get lost."
"Oh…" Luo Yueqing drew out the sound, a misty sheen gathering into a bead at the corner of her eye, ready to fall.
"What about me? Have I ever asked you for something you didn't want to give, something you were unwilling to give?"
Xi Zhoulu looked down at her. The alcohol hadn't made her the least bit drowsy. Her pale, grayish-blue eyes were unnervingly calm and rational, like beautiful but emotionless glass marbles.
"No. Everything you've asked for is something I can and am willing to give."
Luo Yueqing let out a small sigh of relief, only to hear Xi Zhoulu speak again.
"But you haven't upheld your end of the bargain."
"Luo Yueqing, you haven't been good. You should be punished."
Xi Zhoulu's tone was calm, as if she were stating a simple, everyday fact, like picking up a leaf that had fallen to the ground.
"Hm?" The slow-witted little fox, still unaware of the approaching danger, rested her head on the predator's lap. Her long hair was draped casually over one shoulder, exposing the slender neck on the other side.
The black fabric, stained with wine, seemed even darker as it tightly hugged her fine curves. The stilettos she had been wearing were lost somewhere.
Probably by the door.
Xi Zhoulu couldn't remember. She simply took off her own silver necklace and wrapped it, loop after loop, around Luo Yueqing's wrist, fastening it tightly once more.
"It hurts…"
The prey, caught in the trap, still didn't know danger was imminent. As usual, she whined coquettishly, thinking the other would easily let her go.
"Then I'll be gentler?" The deliberately softened voice was not the hunter's mercy, but rather a soothing gesture before the fangs sank in.
Luo Yueqing nodded blankly. Xi Zhoulu reached out and tore off the blocker patch on the back of her neck.
Her cool fingertips brushed unintentionally across her neck, and Luo Yueqing couldn't help but flinch. Then, she smelled the pheromones that had been lying in wait for so long, crashing over her like a tidal wave.
Luo Yueqing instinctively resisted, trying to back away, but Xi Zhoulu cupped the back of her head, forcing her to lean closer.
Xi Zhoulu bent down and bit her lips.
The scent of burning sandalwood swept over her, scorching hot yet filled with a desperate stillness. A stray spark ignited the corner of her clothes, and in an instant, flames engulfed her entire body, as if trying to drag Luo Yueqing into the sea of fire with it.
It's unbearable…
Her gland, aroused by the pheromones, grew damp. Rose and honey condensed into beads, trickling out drop by drop.
What did perfect compatibility mean?
Trapped in a sea of fire, Luo Yueqing was learning the textbook definitions through firsthand experience, memorizing them word by word.
First, it was impossible to resist the other's mental power invasion. Previously, Luo Yueqing only needed Xi Zhoulu to relax slightly to enter her sea of consciousness without any barriers. Now, with their positions reversed, it was just as easy.
It was like a long-awaited spring falling upon a desert, slowly moisturizing every grain of sand. She couldn't raise her guard; there was no choice but to retreat and accept.
Second, the other's pheromones were fatally attractive to her. Even though she wasn't in a special period, she still couldn't control her craving.
Luo Yueqing tried to tug hard at the silver chain, but her limbs were weak from the alcohol. Not only did she fail to break free, but she also exhausted the last of her strength.
So she could only tilt her head back as far as possible, pressing against Xi Zhoulu's lips in a pleasing, urgent manner, seeking some source of water to relieve the heat.
The corners of her eyes were tinged with a bewitching red. Her loose hair swayed with her urgent movements. Her original kneeling position became increasingly upright. This woman, who always maintained a nonchalant and languid posture, finally showed a look of unbearable need.
Xi Zhoulu, now in control, was in no hurry. It was as if the spreading pheromones had nothing to do with her. The hand on the back of Luo Yueqing's head loosened and rested casually on her lap. She no longer needed to bend down; if she retreated just a little, the little puppy would chase after her.
There was no need to rush. There was still plenty of time.
Xi Zhoulu chuckled softly. The watch she had just fastened to Luo Yueqing's wrist ticked away, the second hand turning ceaselessly, slow and methodical.
What had been just a small, casually given gift had now become the present that most pleased Xi Zhoulu.
A strange sensation climbed up from her ankles, paused at her tailbone, and then suddenly flooded through her. Even her senses, numbed by alcohol, could feel it clearly.
Her legs, kneeling on the carpet, couldn't help but inch forward. The delicate skin was scraped, but no one cared.
"Xi Zhoulu…" The pitiful little fox's eyes reddened as she called out, both dazed and helpless.
She had once wondered why some Alphas and Omegas, despite knowing the heavy price of marking—how it would bind two completely different individuals together for life, unless one of them died—still went ahead with it, so fearless and brave.
Luo Yueqing couldn't accept it. That was why, in their previous encounters, she had always done her utmost to restrain her pheromones, never even tearing off her blocker patch, maintaining her last shred of rationality.
Xi Zhoulu had done the same.
They had a tacit understanding not to mention it, and they had both made the same choice.
But now, everything was in chaos. Xi Zhoulu was deliberately seducing her, and Luo Yueqing, drunk and unable to maintain her reason, was acting purely on instinct.
The mist at the corners of her eyes condensed into a bead, which fell to the floor and shattered completely.
Xi Zhoulu leaned back slightly against the sofa, deliberately increasing the distance between them. But she didn't retract her pheromones; instead, they grew even stronger.
Her crushed lips were slightly swollen, her legs trembled as she tried to hold herself up, and the silver chain bit into her wrist, leaving red marks.
The little troublemaker had finally received enough punishment. Tears streamed down her face.
"Xi Zhoulu…"
"I'm begging you."
The little puppy's whimpers did not soften the other's heart. She couldn't hold on any longer. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto Xi Zhoulu's lap.
"It's unbearable…"
This torment was no less than the agony of a susceptibility period, and there were no inhibitors to help, only a mischievous Omega causing trouble at every turn.
The bone was dangling right in front of her, yet she couldn't touch it. This had to be the most torturous method in the world.
As a light rain began to fall, the wind outside grew more violent. The glass windows rattled, and the scattered wine bottles rolled around, creating a cacophony of noise.
"It itches…" A tearful voice sounded. Luo Yueqing clutched the other's trousers, wrinkling the once-crisp fabric.
Xi Zhoulu just looked down at her, looking every bit the tyrant they said she was.
A tyrant who appeared noble and aloof but was, in fact, cold-blooded and ruthless, turning hostile at the slightest displeasure.
Her loose hair veiled her eyes, revealing only a taut, sharp jawline. The collar of her white shirt was slightly open, exposing a sliver of her straight collarbone. The rest was hidden beneath the black trench coat. Her fingers, holding the wine glass, were slender and pale, stained with different colors by the amber liquid.
The carpet beneath her had become damp at some point. Glistening droplets clung to the tips of the precious fur, only to be crushed when Luo Yueqing turned over.
Her bound hands still found no release.
The drunken little puppy finally understood that this person would show no mercy, that she was determined to make her remember this lesson.
"Xi Zhoulu…" she cried out, her voice a mixture of grievance and complaint.
That person finally reacted, but only with a few simple words: "Do you know you were wrong?"
"Wrong?"
Luo Yueqing was bewildered and lost. Finally, she managed to say, "I did nothing wrong."
She didn't understand, didn't know why she was suddenly being punished.
Xi Zhoulu seemed to smile, then sat back in her original position.
Her final memories were a muddled haze. She only remembered curling up on the floor, crying over and over that she was wrong, begging Xi Zhoulu to come a little closer.
But that person remained heartless and cold. Until the very end, she only retracted her pheromones slightly, giving her a moment of relief. Then, the long-suppressed alcohol surged up, and Luo Yueqing passed out on the floor.
The memories faded. Luo Yueqing raised a hand to her face and felt the traces of tears that had not yet dried. Her freed wrist ached terribly; she didn't know if the skin had been broken.
She turned her head and saw that the culprit was still lying beside her, seemingly fast asleep.
Luo Yueqing tried to lift her leg and immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
Her knees were red and swollen, and they stung with a fiery pain at the slightest movement.
That bastard Xi Zhoulu!
She hadn't even done anything wrong!
A belated surge of anger welled up. Luo Yueqing threw off the covers, swung herself over, and straddled Xi Zhoulu, snapping coldly, "Xi Zhoulu!"
The other woman opened her eyes. Her pale, grayish-blue irises held no trace of sleepiness; instead, they were perfectly clear. She hadn't been asleep all this time.
She spoke faintly, "What is it?"
It was as if she had forgotten everything she had done, her expression perfectly normal.
Luo Yueqing grabbed the corner of her shirt with one hand, her voice filled with rage. "You went too far!"
Xi Zhoulu raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh?"
She continued, "But wasn't it Miss Luo who did something wrong first? You admitted it yourself. You were wrong, and I was just punishing you a little."
"That was clearly coercion! You got me drunk and forced me to admit I was wrong when I wasn't thinking clearly." Now that she was sober, Luo Yueqing wasn't about to fall foolishly into her trap again.
Before Xi Zhoulu could answer, she leaned down and pressed closer, saying resentfully, "Xi Zhoulu, you're finished!"
"You're really finished!"
Outside, the light rain started up again, pattering down and knocking yellowed leaves from the trees. A servant, up in the night, glanced out the window and muttered that the rain probably wouldn't end soon, wondering if it would stop by dawn.
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