A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 23

The Ragdoll cat got a name.

Xu Yiyi felt angry that the neighbor’s cat shared the same name as her mom’s flower.

She thought it was a bad cat that stole her mom’s flower’s name.

Fortunately, Tomb Cheng calmed her down.

“Flowers wilt, but a cat will stay with us for a long time,” she said.

Although Xu Yiyi didn’t understand what “wilt” meant, she listened to her mom.

At night, after Xu Yiyi fell asleep, Tomb Cheng went next door.

Before this, Shen Zhiqing had given her a key.

They agreed to set aside one night a week to meet and spend time together.

Before that, Shen Zhiqing would check on Xu Yiyi’s condition.

The clever Ragdoll cat would also help look after its little owner.

When Tomb Cheng arrived, Shen Zhiqing was still showering in the bathroom.

The empty house had only the sound of water from the bathroom.

After changing her shoes, Tomb Cheng turned on the main light.

The room instantly brightened, and the air grew warm with her presence.

The bed was neatly made with gray bedding.

Tomb Cheng raised her eyebrows, noticing two white pillows placed close together.

At the foot of the bed, a yellow cushion sat on the floor, looking like a cat bed.

Tomb Cheng stepped inside.

An unfinished can of cat food sat out.

She bent slightly, moved the can aside, and picked up the cat’s ball toy, placing it back in the cat bed.

From the pile of cat food and toys, it was clear Shen Zhiqing had never owned a pet.

She likely bought everything the pet store recommended.

The cat tree wasn’t assembled, and the cat crate remained unopened.

Tomb Cheng sat cross-legged on the floor and studied the cat tree’s assembly instructions carefully.

When Shen Zhiqing came out of the bathroom, she saw Tomb Cheng seriously sorting and assembling parts.

She walked quietly, hugged her from behind, placed her hands on her shoulders, stroked her black hair, and asked softly, “Done yet?”

The woman carried the scent and dampness of her shower.

The misty warmth seeped through thin clothing, relaxing every cell in Tomb Cheng’s body.

Tomb Cheng didn’t look up, her gaze fixed on her hands under her glasses.

“Almost,” she said.

Shen Zhiqing rested her chin on Tomb Cheng’s head, knelt behind her, and watched her hands.

The steamy air warmed their skin to the same temperature.

Shen Zhiqing’s curly hair and Tomb Cheng’s black hair tangled gently.

Moonlight slipped through the window, and the ceiling light cast their entwined shadows on the floor, quiet and comforting.

Tomb Cheng worked seriously, and Shen Zhiqing watched her seriousness.

She carefully wrapped soft fabric around the parts as the instructions directed.

She checked the smoothness of each wooden piece with her hand.

Her palms had calluses, and long-term tactical exposure made her skin tones slightly uneven.

Though subtle, a doctor could tell her knuckles were a shade darker.

“Done,” Tomb Cheng said, attaching the final piece and tapping each connection to ensure stability.

Shen Zhiqing looked at the three-tier cat tree.

It had a small resting nook in the middle, a toy dangling from the top, and a scratching board at the bottom.

Though Ragdolls were gentle and friendly by nature, Shen Zhiqing hadn’t missed any essentials.

Tomb Cheng prepared to move the cat tree near the wall.

Shen Zhiqing, sensing her intent, hooked her arms around Tomb Cheng’s neck and hung onto her back, refusing to get down.

“What if we fall?” Tomb Cheng asked quietly.

Shen Zhiqing, clinging to her back, adjusted Tomb Cheng’s glasses and wrapped her legs around her waist.

“You mean me or it?” she teased.

Alpha only had two hands and couldn’t grow a third to hold her.

She explained patiently, “I’ll set it down soon.”

Tomb Cheng, holding the cat tree, stood bent under the doctor’s weight.

“Then hurry and put it down,” Shen Zhiqing urged, not getting off. With a suggestive tone, she slipped her hand into Tomb Cheng’s collar.

The woman’s cool palm slid under the shirt, brushing against Tomb Cheng’s shoulder and collarbone, making her tremble.

Shen Zhiqing, taking advantage, chuckled softly on her back.

Feeling Tomb Cheng’s reaction, her heart softened.

Tomb Cheng steadied herself, walked, and cautioned, “Hold tight.”

Her back stayed slightly arched forward, letting Shen Zhiqing hang on comfortably.

Shen Zhiqing nodded, her lips brushing behind Tomb Cheng’s ear.

She nuzzled her hair tenderly and whispered, “Got it.”

Tomb Cheng rarely saw Omega rely on her like this.

She attributed it to their long separation.

Perhaps Shen Zhiqing hadn’t found a better suppressant substitute.

High pheromone compatibility was rare, and their match was a fluke.

A fluke of differentiation and forced differentiation, a fluke of high compatibility, a muddled bond, and reckless indulgence.

Her feelings were always one-sided.

Shen Zhiqing clearly said she didn’t like Alphas.

After setting down the cat tree, Tomb Cheng carried her to the bed and set her down without any complaints.

As soon as she turned, Shen Zhiqing cupped her face.

Omega knelt on the soft bedding, her fair legs peeking from under her bathrobe.

Her straight back leaned toward Tomb Cheng.

Her slender fingers traced Alpha’s sharp features.

Military life weathered her, even tinting her eyebrows with sternness.

Shen Zhiqing outlined her face slowly.

Tomb Cheng steadied her, standing upright and letting her gaze.

The strong, lean female Alpha wrapped her arms around Shen Zhiqing’s waist.

Shen Zhiqing etched her image back into her memory.

She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Tomb Cheng’s, and looked into the eyes behind her glasses.

“It feels like a dream,” she said.

In her dreams, Tomb Cheng cared for her like this.

In her dreams, Tomb Cheng returned to her after turning away.

In her dreams, Tomb Cheng asked softly, “What kind of dream?”

Shen Zhiqing had many dreams about many things.

The most frequent was Tomb Cheng being taken away by comrades, leaving decisively without looking back, bl00d trailing her footsteps.

“I dreamed you came back, dreamed of spending a heat with you, dreamed of you confessing under a peach tree,” she said.

Their first meeting was under a peach tree.

Tomb Cheng chose a peach tree for her confession too.

The first was a lush peach tree at Huazhong, the second a fragile sapling by the medical university’s gym, easily broken.

Shen Zhiqing wasn’t interested in those, so she didn’t know Tomb Cheng secretly planted that sapling.

Tomb Cheng hummed, offering no opinion or interruption to Shen Zhiqing’s words.

Deep down, she hoped Shen Zhiqing would say more, as a reward, even if it was a lie.

It would help her love Shen Zhiqing less.

She would think, “See, she’s deceiving you, just like before.”

She wanted to exhaust her love for Shen Zhiqing and leave.

It was a whimsical revenge, an excuse to let Shen Zhiqing get close.

But Shen Zhiqing stopped talking.

Her delicate fingers touched Tomb Cheng’s glasses.

Her kiss landed on Tomb Cheng’s nose. Her breath fell on Tomb Cheng’s lips.

“Can I?” she asked.

It seemed she asked if she could remove the glasses, or if they could start, or if she could have her.

What she said, Tomb Cheng didn’t hear clearly or see clearly.