Of course, all this concern ultimately circled back to her future. After discussing what Yun Chuji had been doing recently and confirming that she wasn’t in major emotional distress, Yun Cheng asked her that age-old question: “Do you want to continue your studies, or do you plan to go to work next year?”
Yun Chuji bit her lower lip, blinking helplessly.
“I-I don’t know.”
Yun Cheng sighed. He was a professor at Imperial University. A few months ago, Yun Chuji had said she wanted to test into Imperial University, and Yun Cheng had been noncommittal about it. His wife would probably be happy, since Imperial University was closer to home than S University, but he didn’t think it was particularly important. Getting into Imperial University didn’t mean much; years of teaching experience had taught him that a resolute mind was far more useful than a clever one.
Unfortunately, his alpha daughter was the latter.
But now, it seemed she was about to lose even that.
“I will finish my studies.”
Alright, she had finally given a somewhat reliable answer.
Yun Cheng nodded. After a moment, his expression grew slightly more serious. “There’s no need for you to live at that omega’s place anymore. Come home.”
“Huh?” Yun Chuji’s eyes widened, and she quickly waved her hands. “No, I can’t. Miss Tang needs me.”
“I know, but there’s still no need to live with her. If word gets out that an unmarried AO pair like you are cohabitating, it will be bad for the omega.”
“Will it damage Miss Tang’s reputation?” Yun Chuji automatically translated his words into this question.
The male alpha’s gaze was deep as he looked at his daughter. “Yes. Our society hasn’t yet progressed to a point where such things are ignored.”
“Then, then I’ll talk to her about it.”
Yun Cheng let out a breath. He thought his daughter was still clinging to the idea. Why would an omega live under the same roof as an alpha who had accidentally violated her, unless she was afraid the alpha would run off before the marking removal surgery?
But now that they knew about it, no matter what happened a year from now, they would definitely bring Yun Chuji to free that innocent omega from the shackles of a permanent mark.
That being the case, there was no need to continue living together and add to the omega’s psychological stress.
Of course, he couldn’t be so blunt. Exposing his own daughter’s shameful deed wouldn’t help her become a better person. Yun Cheng softened his tone. “Yun Chuji, you need to think this through carefully. An innocent omega’s reputation is at stake.”
Yun Chuji’s heart jolted, and she clenched her fists. She certainly knew how important a reputation was. “Okay, I’ll move back home.”
She figured that, if worst came to worst, she could just go to Miss Tang’s house every day to provide pheromone comfort.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say the real reason she hadn’t immediately given up on living together—Yun Chuji truly didn’t understand the significance of pheromones to people in the ABO era, but the shameful reaction she had after every comforting session was enough to make her keep it a secret from anyone.
Yun Chuji checked the time and realized she was late for her appointment with Miss Tang. She quickly stood up. “Father, Mother, I’m heading back now.”
Qin Wan asked, confused, “Back where?”
“Back to Miss Tang’s place.”
Yun Cheng’s brow tightened. Had his words just gone in one ear and out the other?
Seeing his expression, Yun Chuji explained as she hurried toward the door, “I have an arrangement with Miss Tang.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll be back tomorrow.”
The door clicked shut.
Inside, the husband and wife looked at each other.
Qin Wan offered a theory. “Cheng, do you think… Xiao Ji likes that Miss Tang?”
Yun Cheng confirmed it. “It’s very likely.”
Qin Wan said with frustration, “If she likes her, why isn’t she pursuing her properly?”
“Alphas are all like that. Slow on the uptake when it comes to feelings, and they mature late.”
Qin Wan gave him a sidelong glance, smiling without a word.
Then she added, “But, do you alphas mature a bit after a permanent marking? I feel like Xiao Ji is a little more grounded than before.”
Yun Cheng frowned, troubled. In a professor’s mind, one couldn’t draw conclusions without empirical evidence. Finally, he said vaguely, “Not necessarily. But we haven’t seen her in almost a year, right? It’s normal for her to have grown a little.”
“Is that so?” Qin Wan replied.
“Yes,” Yun Chuji said in the car, biting her lower lip. After a moment, she repeated, “They said this would damage your reputation.”
“So you really plan on going home?”
“Yes,” Yun Chuji said again.
“As for the comforting, Miss Tang, I’ll come to your house every day.”
“Ah…”
Tang Jianxi found this a bit problematic.
When she first brought Yun Chuji home, it was not only for convenient treatment but also to keep a close eye on her.
But now that she understood her character and personality, there was theoretically no need to worry about such things.
And yet, precisely because she had come to understand her character and personality, this sudden distancing… to be honest—
She was quite reluctant.
The person beside her was still waiting obediently for her reply. The talk of reputation seemed to have genuinely frightened her. Her slender body was hunched slightly, her gentle features lowered. The scent of orchid drifted faintly from the nape of her neck. Tang Jianxi exhaled.
Those two words surfaced in her mind again: Dangerous.
She was indeed very cute, and very likable. If only she were a beta.
An omega would have been fine, too.
But she just had to be an alpha.
“Alright.” Tang Jianxi turned her head. Those eyes that made one want to illuminate them with gemstones lifted slightly as she asked, “Are you leaving now?”
“No, I’ll leave tomorrow.” As if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Yun Chuji relaxed completely, her features softening once more. “I still have to pack today… and there’s your comforting, Miss Tang.”
She said the last part more quietly than the rest.
“Oh.” Tang Jianxi uttered the single word, and then fell silent.
The car started moving.
Quickly.
The seemingly transparent car window smoothed out all the harsh external light, filtering in a gentle, faint play of light and shadow that fell upon their faces. It wasn’t warm, but it certainly made the scene a little more beautiful.
Tang Jianxi rubbed her wrist and started a casual conversation. “So what do you want to do after this? Since it’ll be difficult for you to marry now.”
“I don’t know. I’ll finish Miss Yun’s studies first. After that, I suppose I’ll just follow my parents’ arrangements.”
Tang Jianxi frowned deeply, reminding her, “Those aren’t your real parents. You have no obligation to obey them.”
Yun Chuji just gave a wry smile at her words. She stared at her own knees, her voice too gentle to belong to an alpha. “But… I don’t know what else I can do besides get married.”
“Aren’t you studying? The books you read must be useful for something.”
“…I… I study not for worldly application, but simply to understand reason.”
Tang Jianxi gazed at her, deeply, as if trying to see past the tall alpha physique to the small, sixteen-year-old girl from an ancient time within.
“You’re afraid,” she concluded.
The Tang Jianxi of a few years ago might have found this absurd or thought the person was out of her mind.
But the events of the past few years had, after all, given her some experience, allowing her to see the hints of truth behind the contradictions.
Besides, she had seen this person at her most incomprehensible.
So she raised her hand and patted Yun Chuji’s bowed head as if stroking a small dog. Her rose-colored lips parted as she said softly, “Study hard. Take your classes at the training center seriously, and take your classes at school seriously, too. Read your treasured Four Books and Five Classics. Once you’ve learned enough, you’ll know what you want to do.”
Yun Chuji was bewildered, but at that moment, she was too struck by this unconditional warmth to think clearly. She could only nod dazedly, following the pressure of that hand.
The car stopped. Yun Chuji got out, but Tang Jianxi didn’t. She waved at her, and the car rose back into the sky, heading toward Tang Group.
Ah, she had gone out of her way to drop her off.
At that moment, Yun Chuji felt the term “good person” was no longer sufficient to describe Tang Jianxi. But what was sad was that she couldn’t think of a better word.
For the first time in her sixteen years, someone had treated her with such seriousness, as if there was something about her that deserved to be taken seriously, something worthy of being recorded in books.
What was it?
Yun Chuji started walking and entered the villa.
After greeting Auntie Chen, she went into the room she would soon be leaving.
She buried herself in the blankets, remaining silent for a long, long time.
The appearance of Qin Wan and Yun Cheng was decisive. They were like a nail, pinning her drifting, anchorless soul to this strange and wondrous world. For the first time, she was certain that she would live on in this world.
And what was Miss Tang?
Yun Chuji breathed out a puff of warm air from under the covers.
Miss Tang had originally been the evidence of her body’s sinful desire. But as the days they spent together grew longer, Miss Tang gradually shed that thin, dark image.
Miss Tang became a kaleidoscope of colors, perhaps too much so.
It made it impossible for Yun Chuji to identify what this image was. Nothing like it had ever appeared in her life before.
How many days had it been? Not even twenty.
How was that enough time to meet someone like Miss Tang?
Perhaps the sorrow of parting had ignited something. Yun Chuji’s mind filled with more and more jumbled thoughts, until they became a formless mess, like a daydream on a sunny afternoon.
She fell asleep.
She slept for a long time, as if to soothe the weariness that had just seeped from her soul.
When she woke again, the sky was already dark.
The moment she opened her eyes, the room’s lighting slowly adjusted, adapting to her slightly sluggish, newly awakened gaze.
A blanket was covering her. It must have been Miss Tang.
Yun Chuji pressed her lips together, opened her optical computer, and said, “How far is the nearest iceberg from here?”
“6,815 kilometers. Would you like me to search for tickets to the nearest iceberg scenic area?”
“Yes.”
“Take the KJ475 maglev train, departing at ten o’clock tonight, arriving at the C-District iceberg scenic area at six o’clock tomorrow afternoon.”
Wow, that’s so close.
“Would you like me to book a ticket for you?”
“No, thank you.”
If she wanted to go, she would have to wait for a school holiday.
“Would you like me to project a live view of the iceberg for you?”
“No.”
“I will go see it myself.”
For the first time in this world, Yun Chuji’s voice was so certain.
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