This wasn’t really a formal confession. Ning Manqing’s tone wasn’t one of promise, but more like a gentle, calm statement of Li Chu’s rightful privileges.
“You don’t have to be so cautious. Maybe I haven’t been enthusiastic or obvious enough. With my love, you should be unrestrained.”
Ning Manqing clearly saw Li Chu’s face flush, yet she continued, her voice lifting with a hint of laughter.
Li Chu’s mind short-circuited. Even though she knew Ning Manqing liked her, who could resist such gentle directness? Certainly not Li Chu.
“Then I’ll go see you tomorrow!” Li Chu chirped, speaking quickly, then immediately contradicted herself. “No, today, I’ll go today!”
“I’ll book a flight now!”
Apart from wanting to see Ning Manqing as soon as possible, Li Chu couldn’t think of anything else.
Li Chu departed that afternoon. After several transfers, she finally arrived at Ningsu First Hospital past one in the morning. Ningsu Town, where Ning Manqing was filming, wasn’t directly accessible from the airport. Li Chu rushed from the airport to the high-speed rail station, caught the last train of the night, then hired a car.
Standing at Ning Manqing’s ward door, Li Chu didn’t hesitate. She pushed the door open and walked in. When she saw the person lying on the bed, her throat tightened with nervousness, and her heart pounded.
“Teacher Ning, I’m here.”
Li Chu grasped Ning Manqing’s hand, finally releasing the breath she’d been holding.
As their hands clasped, she realized how icy her own were. She tried to pull back, afraid of chilling Ning Manqing, but Ning Manqing’s grip held her fast.
“Holding your girlfriend’s hand is perfectly natural, isn’t it?”
Meeting Li Chu’s gaze, Ning Manqing not only didn’t let go, but pulled Li Chu closer, completely enveloping her hand in her own.
Li Chu fell silent, her eyelashes fluttering with quiet shyness.
Ning Manqing had no visible external injuries and, after two days of rest, was able to sit up. She reached behind Li Chu’s ear, her fingers hooking the thin strings of her mask and pulling it down.
“Are you tired?”
Li Chu nodded slightly, her face showing the fatigue from the journey. To avoid being recognized, she hadn’t taken off her down jacket hood or mask the entire time.
But it wasn’t the exhaustion of the trip that made her dazed; it was the warmth of Ning Manqing’s fingertips against her ear.
Later, Li Chu belatedly realized how familiar that gesture felt. After all, Ning Manqing was quite adept at removing other things besides masks.
“Come lie down.”
Ning Manqing patted the empty space beside her on the bed, gesturing for Li Chu to join her.
“Will I crowd you?” Li Chu looked at her slender, newly minted girlfriend, then at the space on the bed, feeling apprehensive.
“No, I’ll sleep better with you beside me.”
Ning Manqing spoke directly, without a trace of affectation.
Li Chu thought that if Ning Manqing truly wanted someone to fall for her, no one could escape her web of affection.
“What are you thinking about? Take off your coat.” Ning Manqing pinched Li Chu’s nose, her fingers resting on the zipper of her jacket.
Li Chu somewhat sluggishly took off her down jacket and slipped into the soft, warm blanket. The faint scent of Cloud Mist Tea surrounded her, providing a sense of familiarity and security.
After a while, Li Chu realized something was amiss. Ning Manqing seemed far too comfortable with this shift in their relationship. She was even smoother than before, so natural that Li Chu hadn’t even reacted. But none of that mattered now; she had more important things to do.
“Teacher Ning, let me see your injuries.”
This was Li Chu’s real purpose in coming. She had to see with her own eyes that Ning Manqing was unharmed.
There were no surveillance cameras in the ward. Since her girlfriend wanted to see, Ning Manqing didn’t hide anything.
Besides the scrapes on her face, Ning Manqing had abrasions of varying degrees on her arms and legs. The most severe injuries were on the back of her head and her back, where a large bruise bloomed. The bump on her head hadn’t subsided yet.
Li Chu carefully touched Ning Manqing’s injuries, thinking that it was fortunate that, according to this world’s setting, alphas had better physical resilience than betas and omegas. If Ning Manqing weren’t an alpha, she would have definitely broken a few ribs.
“Will you tell me it’s just a cold next time?” Li Chu, no longer hesitant or apprehensive, asked with righteous indignation, her eyes fixed on Ning Manqing as if they could cut.
At the mention of this, Ning Manqing’s confidence faltered. She shook her head at Li Chu. “I won’t.”
Her sincerity was evident.
Li Chu felt a surge of satisfaction. This was the first time she’d gained the upper hand over Ning Manqing, and it felt pretty good. However, she didn’t show it on her face, maintaining a serious expression.
“If there’s a next time, I won’t come see you. I won’t pay any attention to you.”
These were empty threats, of course. Even if there were a next time, Li Chu knew she couldn’t not come see Ning Manqing.
Spit, spit, spit. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be a next time.
“Ow… my back hurts a bit.”
Ning Manqing didn’t dare continue this topic with Li Chu and quickly changed the subject, feigning pain with a frown.
Li Chu’s attention was immediately diverted. Her gaze fell on the large bruise on Ning Manqing’s back. Worried, she touched the skin around it, careful not to make contact with the injured area. Ning Manqing’s skin was already fair, making the bruise look even more gruesome.
Unable to think of any better solution, Li Chu resorted to the universal psychological therapy of blowing on the injury. Of course, she refrained from saying childish things like “pain, pain, go away,” which would be socially mortifying for an adult.
The gentle breeze reached Ning Manqing’s heart. Now, she wasn’t just in pain, but also a little itchy.
“Tao Tao, I actually have a better way.”
“Don’t even think about it!” Li Chu, now an official girlfriend, was different. She spoke with much more firmness.
Ning Manqing blinked, not wanting to pester Li Chu. She embraced her and went to sleep properly.
Li Chu still couldn’t quite believe it. She wasn’t the same Li Chu who had first met Ning Manqing. She now knew the depths of Ning Manqing’s flirtatious nature.
As it turned out, Li Chu’s judgment was correct.
The scent of pheromones blended into the air, thick as a net. The fragrance of Cloud Mist Tea surged, an invisible yet tangible presence filling every inch of the space.
Li Chu’s glands heated at the familiar scent. Her estrus cycle had already passed this month, but she was still involuntarily drawn in.
It was April, and Ningsu Town, located in the south, had been experiencing rainy weather. The continuous downpour of the past two days seemed to have used up ninety percent of the rainfall quota. Today’s rain was light and intermittent, gently tapping against the window.
The Cloud Mist Tea pheromones, carrying a hint of spring chill, quietly sprouted in the moist, fertile ground. It was irresistible yet undeniable, and when Li Chu reached out, she grasped only air.
It advanced slowly, then expanded to fill the space, making her feel as if she had fallen into a tea plantation.
Li Chu felt a swelling sensation. She abruptly sat up and looked at Ning Manqing lying next to her, her eyes full of suspicion.
Pheromones sometimes represented the inner desires of their owner. These desires could be unintentional or deliberate, and Li Chu found it difficult to discern. Before, she would have silently endured it, just like she had in the car a long time ago.
But now it was different. Li Chu said somewhat awkwardly, “Put it away.”
“What?” Ning Manqing’s eyelashes fluttered, her dark eyes appearing innocent in the light.
Seeing her like this, Li Chu was certain she was doing it on purpose.
“Ning Manqing!”
Inwardly, Li Chu was shaking Ning Manqing frantically. Could you please pay attention to your goddess image and not act like a hentai?
“Hmm?” Ning Manqing tilted her head slightly, as if she didn’t understand why Li Chu was reacting this way. But the amusement in her eyes betrayed her knowledge.
“Your head is injured, so behave yourself!”
Ning Manqing nodded, wiggling her fingers in the air, promising to be good.
Li Chu was about to relax when she couldn’t help but let out a muffled moan, her eyes widening.
“It has a will of its own,” Ning Manqing said, taking Li Chu’s hand and guiding her fingertips to the back of her neck. “It wants to be close to you, every time it sees you.”
Ning Manqing’s glands were slightly warm, and at the same time, the Cloud Mist Tea fragrance in the air grew richer, as if trying to completely dominate her senses.
Mixed within the Cloud Mist Tea scent was a hint of peach fragrance.
“I don’t believe you. It’s clearly you.” Li Chu’s eyes misted over. It was like a blunt knife scraping against soft flesh, a sour ache that made her want to pinch Ning Manqing in frustration. But Ning Manqing was still a patient, so Li Chu didn’t dare use much force. She grabbed the pillow instead.
“Mm, it’s me.” Ning Manqing didn’t deny it. Her pheromones were a part of her. She wanted to be close to Li Chu, so her pheromones acted accordingly.
Outside the window, the sparse rain beat against the leaves, creating ripples in a pool.
Soft moans and the sound of rain mingled, like spreading ripples, repeating endlessly.
Pale peach blossoms on the branches timidly bloomed in the spring rain, accepting the generous gift, gradually unfurling their petals.
“Teacher Ning…”
“Hmm?”
Li Chu’s voice was broken. She suddenly forgot what she wanted to say and changed the subject. “Why are you responding to me like this now?”
Before, calling her “Teacher Ning” wouldn’t have worked. Ning Manqing would have corrected her for using the wrong form of address.
“Since you’re mine now, any name is fine.”
The same words spoken by different people carried different meanings. The same form of address, spoken by the same person with a changed status, was also different. Previously, hearing “Teacher Ning” conveyed more respect than affection. Now, hearing it felt more intimate.
“Teacher Ning… mm… your filter… will shatter quickly.” Li Chu managed to get the words out, her tone teasing.
“Custom-made Cloud Mist Tea, no returns or exchanges.”
Ning Manqing wasn’t perfect. She knew Li Chu saw her as gentle, polite, and upright. But in reality, she was cold, possessive, and even harbored petty thoughts towards the person she liked.
If she didn’t like Li Chu, she wouldn’t care about that perfect image of admiration. But precisely because she liked Li Chu, she wanted her to see the real her.
Li Chu laughed. “No exchanges. I’ll give you a five-star review.”
Rain on peach blossoms, a languid spring breeze.
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