Perhaps it had been too long since she last received praise, because Jiang Yi felt a little embarrassed. She reached out, pushing Jiang Sixian’s shoulder as she said, “Alright, alright, I know I’m a good person.”
As she spoke, she pressed Jiang Sixian down onto the bed, pulled the covers over her, and coaxed her like a child: “Go to sleep now. I’ll finish reading this myself, and we can discuss it afterward.”
Jiang Sixian lay on the bed, gazing up at Jiang Yi with eyes as soft as a young animal’s: “If I fall asleep, will you leave again?”
Over the past few days in bed, Jiang Yi had grown accustomed to seeing her as a peerless enchantress, a femme fatale. But this pitiful, vulnerable expression was something she was seeing for the first time.
Jiang Yi’s heart softened. She reached out to stroke Jiang Sixian’s hair and said, “You’ve already tracked me down to my home—where else could I go?” After all, Jiang Sixian had been the one to accompany her through her rut. Jiang Yi couldn’t help but feel something special for her.
“Sleep. Don’t push yourself. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”
Jiang Sixian stared straight at Jiang Yi, her eyes misting over. After a long moment, she finally whispered, “Okay.”
She obediently closed her eyes and, wrapped in Jiang Yi’s scent, drifted into sleep. Once Jiang Yi was sure she was asleep, she carefully reviewed Jiang Sixian’s contract, added a few clauses, then got dressed and went downstairs.
Da Huang had finished his dog food and was now napping on the floor. Jiang Yi walked over, ruffled his head, then grabbed a rag and cleaned the living room.
Even a new apartment gathers dust after a month of being unoccupied. After finishing the cleaning, Jiang Yi took out the trash, then stopped by the supermarket downstairs to stock up on groceries and drinks.
By the time she got home, it was already 5:30 PM. Jiang Yi decided to start cooking. Soon, the aroma of food filled the apartment.
Jiang Sixian was sleeping soundly. After finishing dinner, Jiang Yi went upstairs to check on her, but there was no sign of her waking up.
Generally speaking, alphas had far more stamina than omegas. A single alpha could easily satisfy a single omega in heat, but satisfying a rutting alpha was something most omegas struggled with.
This had been Jiang Yi’s first rut. Even though she’d tried to restrain herself, it had still been exhausting. Jiang Sixian, somehow, had endured it for days—and even after it ended, she’d still chased after her.
Maybe this was what her love for Jiang Yi looked like.
Thinking this, Jiang Yi figured Jiang Sixian must have reached her limit after holding on for so long. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to let Jiang Sixian sleep and eat by herself.
Jiang Yi turned and went downstairs, leaving a portion of food for Jiang Sixian before eating on her own.
Halfway through her meal, Jiang Yi thought for a moment, then sent a message to her comrade’s widow: “How’s your sister doing?”
The widow’s surname was Yu, and her name was Yu Yu. Jiang Yi had met her a few times—she was a gentle but resilient woman. The younger sister, surnamed Xu and named Xu Meng, hadn’t presented yet and was still a high school kid.
Though Jiang Yi had managed to give them money after much persuasion, she didn’t contact them often, only checking in occasionally about the illness.
Yu Yu replied quickly: “Xiao Meng’s condition is stable, but we’re still waiting for a bone marrow match. The professor says there haven’t been any suitable donors yet. Once we find one, she can have the surgery.”
Jiang Yi didn’t know what to say. Some things depended on whether fate allowed survival. After a moment of silence, she replied: “I hope you find one soon. Is the money I sent last time enough?”
Yu Yu said, “It’s more than enough. There’s plenty for Xiao Meng’s surgery.”
“Don’t worry about us—I can take care of her. You’re still young yourself; you should think about your own future too.”
Jiang Yi fell silent. “Sister Xu saved my life. Her family’s matters are my matters. If you need money, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll find a way. If there’s any news about Xiao Meng’s bone marrow match, let me know.”
Yu Yu replied, “Okay. Thank you so much. You’ve already done more than enough for our family.”
Enough? No matter how much she did, it would never make up for a life.
Jiang Yi didn’t reply further. Instead, she immediately transferred 200,000 of the 300,000 she’d earned from her recent job, then threw 50,000 into the stock market.
After doing all this, Jiang Yi looked at the remaining 50,000 in her account and felt a surge of satisfaction. If she kept landing jobs like this, she might be able to buy a house soon!
In high spirits, she played a few rounds of games—and won every single one.
By the time Jiang Sixian woke up, it was already past 10 PM. She groggily sat up in Jiang Yi’s bed, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings before remembering—this was Jiang Yi’s place.
Her Jiang Yi’s home.
Realizing this, Jiang Sixian got out of bed and walked to the closet, pulling open the door to see it filled with Jiang Yi’s clothes.
The moment the closet opened, she was enveloped in that familiar, beloved scent. Jiang Yi herself seemed to love the smell of mint—back in school, she’d even used mint-scented body wash.
Breathing in the fragrance, Jiang Sixian reached out, gathered a handful of Jiang Yi’s hanging clothes, and pressed her face into them, inhaling deeply.
This scent—it was unique to the clothes Jiang Yi had worn. No matter how many perfumes or body washes she used, none could replicate it.
Lost in thought, Jiang Sixian pulled out a long T-shirt, slipped on Jiang Yi’s slippers, and headed downstairs.
When she reached the staircase, she paused, watching Jiang Yi sitting cross-legged on the rug in front of the sofa, engrossed in her game. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she’d been transported back to her sixteen-year-old self, to those weekends when Jiang Yi never went out and just stayed home playing games.
Jiang Sixian tightened her grip on the railing, bit her lip, and walked toward Jiang Yi.
She stopped beside her and gently rested a hand on Jiang Yi’s shoulder.
Jiang Yi, who had noticed her approach long ago, tilted her head back to look at her, still wearing her headphones. The sight of Jiang Sixian’s long, slender legs, bare and pale, momentarily dazzled her.
Jiang Yi kept her grip on the controller, not bothering to remove her headphones. She glanced at Jiang Sixian, then turned back to the screen as if nothing had happened. “There’s food in the kitchen if you’re hungry. It’s nothing fancy, just something I made—edible, at least. You should eat something.”
“After that, I’ll take you home tonight.”
Jiang Sixian’s hand on her shoulder tightened abruptly. She bit her lip, tugged the hem of the T-shirt down, and sat beside Jiang Yi in silence, watching her.
Jiang Yi turned to look at her again, this time removing her headphones. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Sixian gazed at her tenderly. “You’re not going to let me stay? It’s so late already—can’t I spend the night?”
Jiang Yi was exasperated. “This place is tiny. It’s barely enough for one person—two would be way too cramped. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
After all, Jiang Sixian was a rich young miss. She was used to sprawling mansions—she’d never lived in a cramped little apartment like this.
Jiang Sixian hugged her knees, lips pressed together as she looked at Jiang Yi. “I already slept here earlier. For some reason, I sleep really well surrounded by your scent.”
Jiang Yi was momentarily speechless. She chuckled. “I don’t think that’s the reason. You’re just exhausted, sis. You’ve been running yourself ragged these past few days—you need the rest.”
With that, Jiang Yi set down the controller and stood up, resigned. “Fine, fine. Stay if you want. At this point, I think you just want to keep an eye on me 24/7 to make sure I don’t run off with your Jiang Yi.”
She turned toward the kitchen. “Since you’re awake, you should at least eat something. There’s nothing fancy here—just what I cooked. It’s not terrible, and it won’t kill you. Have a little.”
“I’ll heat it up for you.”
Jiang Yi walked off to the kitchen to reheat the food.
Jiang Sixian sat on the rug, staring unblinkingly at Jiang Yi’s retreating back until she disappeared. Then she picked up Jiang Yi’s discarded headphones, put them on, and took over the game Jiang Yi had been playing.
When Jiang Yi returned from the kitchen with the food, she saw Jiang Sixian holding her controller, continuing the game where she’d left off. Her eyes lit up. “Hey, you know how to play?”
Jiang Sixian looked up at her, smiling. “I’ve played this series before. I’m about halfway through this new installment.”
Jiang Yi was surprised. “I didn’t think kids from families like yours would be into these kinds of games.”
Jiang Sixian laughed softly. “I didn’t play much in school, but after graduating, I realized they were actually pretty fun, so I kept at it.” Of course, she only played specific series—all of which she’d discovered in Jiang Yi’s little villa.
Jiang Yi clicked her tongue. “Alright, the food’s ready. Go eat.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Sixian stood and went to the dining table. As she ate Jiang Yi’s decently cooked meal, she kept stealing glances at her, unwilling to miss a single moment.
Jiang Yi looked particularly serious when she played games, her brows furrowed in concentration, giving her a fierce expression. But Jiang Sixian adored this fierce side of her.
Before she knew it, Jiang Sixian had finished the meal—so much so that her stomach ached from being overstuffed.
Suppressing the discomfort, she returned to Jiang Yi’s side and waited until she finished her mission before poking her.
Jiang Yi took off her headphones. “What is it?”
Jiang Sixian smiled. “There’s something I need to tell you. This morning, I sent the DNA results to Mother Jiang. She and my mom were abroad, avoiding the heat and resting during the pregnancy, but they rushed back as soon as they got the news.”
“Barring any surprises, you’ll see them tomorrow.”
“So, I wanted to discuss this with you—tomorrow, we might have to go pick them up.”
At this, Jiang Yi’s pupils dilated. For a moment, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was like some cheap son-in-law about to meet the parents.
She set down the controller, suddenly finding the game far less interesting. She looked at Jiang Sixian seriously. “What are your moms like? Easy to talk to? More importantly—what’s Jiang Yi’s mom like? If she finds out I slept with you, is she going to break my legs?”
Jiang Sixian, seeing Jiang Yi’s genuine concern, couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Covering her mouth, she looked at Jiang Yi with eyes crinkled in amusement. “Your mom… doesn’t know about this yet. But my mom does.”
“Years ago, she told me that you and I aren’t related by blood, so… it doesn’t matter who I like. It doesn’t affect her.”
“Her life is hers, mine is mine. We each have our own paths.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yi couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up. “Your mom is a real one.”
Good. Her legs were safe.
Shoutout and huge thanks to Mel for picking up the complete EPUB book on the Ko-fi shop! Really appreciate the support!
If you’d like to read ahead and support me, you can request extra chapters or get the full novel as an EPUB.
