The sudden itchy pain in her palm made Jiang Hanguang shudder. She subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but the Alpha held her wrist firmly, forcing her to look up and meet Cheng Ying’s eyes.
The young Alpha’s eyes, which usually held a hint of a smile, were now filled with questioning, as if asking how she could have let her hand get into such a state.
Jiang Hanguang felt an inexplicable wave of guilt. There were indeed less harsh methods, but she had wanted to be quick and chose the simplest, most direct one.
Besides, while the red marks looked alarming, they were far from serious—the kind that would heal after a night’s rest.
Although Miss Jiang looked like a delicate rose, she had been thoroughly toughened up since childhood and never considered herself a fragile flower in need of careful protection.
“It’s, it’s nothing. It’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
But now, facing Cheng Ying’s questioning gaze, she felt so guilty that her once-confident words came out as a stutter.
It was as if she had wronged Cheng Ying, even though she was the one who had gotten hurt.
Cheng Ying acted as if she hadn’t heard her, reaching out to unfasten the strap of the back-basket from her shoulder.
“I’ve learned how. I’ll dig the rest. You go rest under that tree over there. We’ll head back when I’m finished.”
“No need… I’m fine.” Jiang Hanguang instinctively grabbed Cheng Ying’s hand, which was holding her back-basket. Even for an Alpha, finishing the remaining work alone was too much.
“Hanguang.” The Alpha didn’t pull her hand away directly. Instead, she suddenly lowered her voice and called her name gently.
Jiang Hanguang’s hand faltered. The voice seemed to physically lift her chin, forcing her to meet Cheng Ying’s eyes.
Those eyes held not a trace of a smile, only an undeniable firmness and a faint… sadness.
“Don’t make me say it a second time.”
Jiang Hanguang couldn’t withstand that gaze for more than three seconds. She obediently released Cheng Ying’s wrist and said weakly, “Then I’ll wait for you over there… Don’t push yourself too hard. We don’t have a refrigerator; digging too many will just let them spoil.”
Cheng Ying finally seemed satisfied. The Alpha broke into a warm smile and said to the cameraman beside her, “Excuse me, could you ask them to bring us two bottles of sparkling water?”
Jiang Hanguang sat under a large, shady tree, holding a bottle of sparkling water that was hissing with cold air, fresh from the refrigerator. She watched Cheng Ying toiling away in the sweet potato field, which was being baked by the scorching sun.
Cheng Ying was a fast learner. Both her speed and her ability to keep the sweet potatoes intact had improved significantly.
But that didn’t mean the digging was effortless.
Jiang Hanguang had good eyesight, so even from a distance, she could see the glistening beads of sweat dripping from the Alpha’s forehead.
Although she had agreed without hesitation earlier, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret now.
She had been frightened so many times growing up that her heart had long grown numb. Why, then, was she so intimidated by Cheng Ying today?
Perhaps it was because Cheng Ying hadn’t actually threatened her.
What truly made Jiang Hanguang yield was Cheng Ying’s sadness.
Or perhaps… her distress.
Jiang Hanguang lowered her eyes, looking at the red marks on her hand.
It really wasn’t an injury worth making a fuss over.
But Cheng Ying seemed to care a great deal, and it was because of that concern that she had looked at her that way.
And because of that concern, Jiang Hanguang was willing to cherish herself a little more.
The sparkling water was twisted open with a hiss.
She didn’t want to make Cheng Ying sad, nor was she so unappreciative of the kindness.
Jiang Hanguang took a small sip, the cool sweetness melting on her tongue.
She smiled faintly.
Cheng Ying’s task was not easy. To prevent any contrarians from claiming she had taken it upon herself to give Jiang Hanguang a break and was thus slowing down the team’s progress, she worked exceptionally hard, aiming to accomplish the work of two people by herself.
However, just as she emptied the second half-basket of sweet potatoes onto the ground under the tree and was spiritedly preparing to rush back to dig more, her sleeve was tugged.
Jiang Hanguang looked at her face, then shifted to make a large space on the cushion she was sitting on. “That’s enough. You should sit down and rest for a while, too.”
“No need, I’m not tired,” Cheng Ying refused without a second thought. Although she was sweating profusely, she was far from exhausted. The sensible thing was to seize the opportunity to dig more before the sun became too harsh.
Then she saw Miss Jiang rise gracefully and pick up the idle back-basket nearby.
“What are you doing?” Cheng Ying asked warily.
This time, Miss Jiang looked at her with confidence. “You don’t want me to work while I’m injured, and I don’t want to watch you work so hard. It’s the same thing.”
Cheng Ying: “…”
She was speechless. She knew that nothing she could say would work this time, so she could only sit down obediently in front of Jiang Hanguang.
Jiang Hanguang handed her the other drink, then took out her handkerchief and carefully wiped the sweat from her face.
The woman’s handkerchief carried a faint scent of roses. The soft fabric gently dabbed across the Alpha’s face before moving to the side of her neck.
Cheng Ying tightened her grip on the drink bottle and closed her eyes, pretending to rest. She avoided the woman’s gentle gaze, hopelessly wishing for her chaotic heartbeat to return to normal.
The handkerchief moved away from her neck, and a comfortable, cool breeze wafted over from her side.
Cheng Ying cracked her eyes open a tiny slit and saw Jiang Hanguang fanning her with a piece of stiff cardboard she had borrowed from a staff member.
Cheng Ying wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but she knew it would be useless, so she could only close her eyes again.
The sun gradually climbed higher. Fortunately, the tree’s dense foliage provided good shade, so it wasn’t too hot sitting beneath it. The two of them sat leaning against the trunk, with Jiang Hanguang tirelessly fanning Cheng Ying.
An unknown amount of time passed like this until Jiang Hanguang suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder. She turned in surprise to find that Cheng Ying had fallen asleep, leaning against her in what looked like a very uncomfortable position.
The Alpha resting on her shoulder had a relaxed expression, her breathing slow and steady. With that ocean of active information now veiled, she slept like a child.
A wave of tenderness washed over Jiang Hanguang. She carefully adjusted her posture to let Cheng Ying lean more comfortably, continuing to fan her as she looked up at the rising sun.
She still found it strange. She and Cheng Ying hadn’t known each other for long, yet they already felt like old friends who had known each other for years.
A month ago, she would never have imagined letting an Alpha lean on her shoulder, let alone feeling no fear at all.
Ultimately, it was because she had received the long-craved kindness and partiality from Cheng Ying.
When she made a mistake, Cheng Ying still helped her.
And every bit of kindness she showed Cheng Ying seemed to be returned at some point in a way that was impossible to refuse.
Just like now, making such a big fuss over a minor injury.
Jiang Hanguang didn’t find it annoying in the slightest; instead, it was as if more and more beautiful flowers were blooming in her heart.
She wanted to be even better to her, to repay her special treatment, and she wanted things to stay this way forever.
Of course, she had also considered whether their daily interactions were too intimate, given that they were an adult Alpha and Omega.
But she had never sensed that repulsive, desire-tinged malice from Cheng Ying.
Until now, she had been able to sense almost every Alpha who had designs on her.
Subjectively speaking, Cheng Ying probably had no romantic interest in her.
Objectively speaking, they were worlds apart, and it was impossible for them to be together.
As for everything else, why bother defining it so clearly?
Whether it was dependence or concern, in any case… she liked being with Cheng Ying.
And that was good enough.
Where Cheng Ying couldn’t see, the Omega’s captivating eyes curved into a smile, seeming to stir a sweet, fresh breeze.
The oblivious Alpha slept until nearly noon, only waking when Jiang Hanguang gently patted her.
“Wake up. We’re going home.”
She groggily sat up, rubbed her eyes, and actually said, “Morning.”
Then she heard the person beside her let out a low laugh.
“Mm, very early indeed.”
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