A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 34

Zhiman raised her eyebrows slightly, puzzled.

Shen Zhiqing ignored her, handing her skincare products one by one.

She sternly instructed, “Finish quickly and come sleep. I booked you with Su Jue for tomorrow.”

Zhiman eyed her suspiciously.

Her relaxed demeanor faded at Su Jue’s name, and she considered refusing.

Shen Zhiqing glared at her.

Zhiman shrank back, muttering reluctantly, “Who told you to book her?”

A month ago, Zhiman tested Yuan Jin’s thoughts and stopped seeing Su Jue.

Even if Yuan Jin didn’t say it, Zhiman knew the Yuan family grieved over Yuan Hua’s loss.

Yuan Jin wanted to convince her parents to stop searching for her sister Yuan Hua and agree to her wedding with Zhiman.

Yuan’s mother met Zhiman specifically for this.

Yuan’s mother, over fifty, tearfully confided, “Zhiman, I know you’re a good kid.”

She added, “We can live without Yuan Hua, but can you bear Yuan Jin having no child?”

Zhiman thought, “Yes, I can’t selfishly tie Yuan Jin. Even if she loves me, what’s the use? As a Beta, how can I bear her children?”

Avoiding Su Jue and pushing Yuan Jin away, Zhiman felt her condition worsen.

That night, Yuan Jin’s persistence tore at her emotions.

Back home, she lost control and fell ill.

The confined space amplified her senses.

She felt like a caged rat, baring its teeth, ready to bite her.

Every machine in the house seemed to claw at her, trying to harm her.

All her fears converged into one thought—she grabbed a knife.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Zhiman’s shoulders; tears filled her eyes.

Shen Zhiqing gently pulled her from her delusions, saying, “Don’t think about it.”

She added, “Come with me tomorrow. Su Jue will help you, okay?”

The knife turned into a hairdryer.

The dim kitchen became a bright bathroom.

Shen Zhiqing banished the demonic shadows.

Her comforting pheromones enveloped Zhiman, like a child’s play, spreading warmth into her heart.

Zhiman said, “Thank you.”

She gripped the hairdryer tightly.

Hot air blew from her neck to her ears, lifting her hair.

Shen Zhiqing gave a gentle smile and left the door open, letting the buzzing sound drift through the small house.

Tomb Cheng, seeing her emerge, started to speak.

Shen Zhiqing cut her off, issuing an eviction, “You can go. You’re not needed here.”

Tomb Cheng said, “Huh?”

Shen Zhiqing crossed her arms, smirking at her.

The hairdryer stopped; Zhiman’s voice followed.

Applying skincare, she shouted, “Tomb Cheng, go back. Dr. Shen and I will sleep soon.”

Tomb Cheng, dazed, said to Shen Zhiqing, “I’ll call you tomorrow morning?”

She overheard their talk and offered to drive them to the hospital, taking Xu Yiyi out to play.

Shen Zhiqing agreed and reminded her, “Companionship isn’t about form. Don’t overdo it.”

Tomb Cheng replied, “Got it. Just trying painting or something to see if she’s interested.”

Shen Zhiqing nodded, noncommittal.

The Alpha picked up the cat to leave.

At the entrance, Shen Zhiqing called her back.

Tomb Cheng turned.

Shen Zhiqing’s long, raven-like eyelashes fluttered near her eyes.

Shen Zhiqing softly kissed her cheek and stepped back, saying, “Good night.”

Tomb Cheng touched her face, descending the entrance steps, and said, “Good night.”

With a light kiss, she returned to her place.

Shen Zhiqing, at the entrance, savored the Alpha’s stunned look, smiled, and went inside.

Her bed was large.

It was the first time since childhood she shared it with someone other than Tomb Cheng.

She and Zhiman each had a thin blanket, not too close, not too far.

In the quiet night, Shen Zhiqing hesitated about taking a pill.

Zhiman, nestled in her blanket, softly thanked her again, saying, “Thank you.”

After a pause, Shen Zhiqing stared at the white ceiling. Bread slept in its cat bed, its breathing clear.

Shen Zhiqing, pondering, comforted her awkwardly, “Your illness will get better.”

Outsiders didn’t know about Zhiman’s schizophrenia, but Shen Zhiqing did.

When Zhiman’s differentiation disorder first struck, they shared a hospital room.

There were signs.

It was winter.

Streets glowed with New Year decorations and red lanterns, bustling with cheer.

After Tomb Cheng left, Shen Zhiqing felt a void, unsure why.

Zhiman dragged her shopping.

That day, she reunited with Tomb Cheng, who took a knife wound protecting them.

When Shen Zhiqing realized Tomb Cheng’s comrades had taken her away, her uniform was stained red with bl00d.

Later, she and Zhiman underwent hospital checkups.

That night, Zhiman’s first episode was a hit.

She curled up, clutching a thorny rose, claiming someone outside wanted to harm her.

Shen Zhiqing, encountering a Beta with induced psychosis for the first time, recalled Fang Qing.

Without a partner’s pheromones, Fang Qing suffered, her face contorted in pain.

Zhiman, unaware of her thoughts, murmured a reply and closed her eyes.

They spent the night lost in their thoughts, sharing a bed but not dreams.

Tomb Cheng rose early, prepared breakfast, and tended to Xu Yiyi’s needs before knocking, saying, “Sister Xiao, Dr. Shen, are you up?”

Shen Zhiqing, dressed, wore an irregular yellow-white checkered shirt, casual yet youthful, with a white base layer, white pants, and flats, looking like a friendly older sister.

She answered, “Up.”

She opened the door, her long wavy hair draped over her shoulders, glowing under warm light.

Tomb Cheng paused, stunned.

It was the first time she saw Shen Zhiqing so approachable.

She saw Shen Zhiqing’s cold demeanor, her tormented look during heat, and her rational rejections twice.

But this was new.

Shen Zhiqing’s usual aloofness kept everyone at a distance.

Her refined, beautiful outfits and faint smiles carried detachment.

Now, Tomb Cheng felt warmth from her.

It felt like a star had fallen to her planet, choosing to be an ordinary resident.

Shen Zhiqing tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pleased with Tomb Cheng’s reaction, but casually asked, “What’s wrong?”