A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 46

At the dinner table, Tomb Cheng served a bowl of soup to Xu Yiyi.

Xu Yiyi’s timid eyes darted around, and the mother and daughter exchanged some silent signals.

Shen Zhiqing watched, utterly confused.

She felt a twinge of jealousy.

Then Xu Yiyi, the little girl, brought the bowl of soup to her, saying, “Doctor Auntie, you drink it.”

Shen Zhiqing was surprised that Xu Yiyi took the initiative to speak to her.

The child had barely said a word to her in the past two years.

She cast a puzzled look at Tomb Cheng.

Tomb Cheng smiled, patted Xu Yiyi’s head, and served her another bowl.

She sat beside her, pointed at the soup in front of Shen Zhiqing, and asked for her opinion, saying, “Talk after dinner?”

After dinner, Zhiman was still working late. Tomb Cheng kept a portion of food warm for her.

Shen Zhiqing sat on a small sofa, watching Tomb Cheng care so much for another woman.

She felt another pang of jealousy in her heart.

When Tomb Cheng finished, Shen Zhiqing waited quietly, holding the cat.

Her fingers stroked Bread’s fur.

Xu Yiyi sat on a small stool, playing with a Rubik’s cube.

The two didn’t disturb each other but seemed unusually harmonious.

Suddenly, Alpha felt a deep sense of happiness and fulfillment, like a warm family with a wife and child.

When Xu Yiyi saw her approach, she stood and hugged her mother’s leg.

Tomb Cheng smiled softly, picked her up, and sat on the small stool Xu Yiyi had used.

Her skirt trailed on the floor.

Neither she nor Xu Yiyi had bathed or changed yet.

Shen Zhiqing shifted aside, wanting her to sit on the sofa.

Tomb Cheng waved her hand, saying, “Too crowded.”

Bright porcelain-white light fell on her face.

Alpha’s long lashes stood out under the glow, with water droplets on her forehead, suggesting she’d just washed her face.

“Doctor Shen,” Tomb Cheng called softly, holding Xu Yiyi.

“Hm,” Shen Zhiqing responded, looking at her.

Tomb Cheng glanced at the little girl nestled in her arms, her face helpless yet fond, and said, “It’s like this. I’m trying to get Yiyi a chance to enroll, but the interview prefers both parents present.”

She touched Xu Yiyi’s short hair, smiling near the girl’s ear, and continued, “Yiyi and I discussed it. We want to invite you to join us for the study trip. I’m wondering if you’re willing, so I’m asking for your opinion.”

Though Tomb Cheng knew Shen Zhiqing, with her strong sense of duty, might not refuse outright, it was a whole week.

Shen Zhiqing had her own work, patients, and family, and couldn’t disregard everything.

Tomb Cheng held no expectations.

She’d already told Xu Yiyi that if Doctor Auntie declined, they could ask Auntie Zhiman.

She asked Shen Zhiqing first because she was Yiyi’s doctor, and Tomb Cheng thought she should know in case of emergencies.

So she quickly gave Shen Zhiqing an out, saying, “If you’re busy, it’s fine, right, Yiyi?”

Xu Yiyi nodded timidly from Tomb Cheng’s arms.

As soon as she spoke, Shen Zhiqing’s pretty brows furrowed.

She felt hurt that Tomb Cheng had prepared an escape for her.

She could tell she wasn’t Tomb Cheng’s only choice.

Shen Zhiqing pursed her lips and asked, “When is it?”

“The week after next, for one week,” Tomb Cheng replied, assuming she was just clarifying.

The next second, Shen Zhiqing agreed, saying, “Okay.”

Tomb Cheng froze, looking at her in disbelief.

Thinking she hadn’t heard, Shen Zhiqing repeated, “I’ll arrange my schedule.”

Xu Yiyi turned her face on her mother’s shoulder, looking up at her, eyes sparkling.

Tomb Cheng was speechless, confused behind her glasses.

Under her daughter’s gaze, she quickly recovered, hiding any oddity with a smile and thanked Shen Zhiqing, saying, “Then we’ll trouble you.”

“It’s just an outing to build parent-child bonds and learn about the school,” Tomb Cheng explained simply, easing pressure on Shen Zhiqing and sparing her daughter’s feelings.

Shen Zhiqing nodded, showing no issues.

Everything went so smoothly that Tomb Cheng felt it wasn’t real.

While bathing Xu Yiyi, she zoned out.

“Mommy,” Xu Yiyi said, her hair full of bubbles.

She shut her eyes tightly, saying her eyes stung.

“Sorry, Yiyi,” Tomb Cheng said, wiping her eyes with a wet towel.

She had her lower her head to rinse the bubbles off.

After the bath, Tomb Cheng wrapped Xu Yiyi in a towel and carried her to the room.

It was an hour later when she finally got Xu Yiyi to sleep.

Tomb Cheng checked the time—9:30 p.m.

Zhiman had come to eat earlier while Tomb Cheng was drying Xu Yiyi’s hair, so she hadn’t paid attention.

After thinking, Tomb Cheng went to find Shen Zhiqing.

Zhiman was in the bathroom showering.

Shen Zhiqing had likely been feeding the cat, holding Bread’s toy ball.

She wore a nightgown, her fair, slender legs crossed, faint kiss marks visible under her collarbone.

Tomb Cheng averted her gaze, confirming with concern, “Doctor Shen, is it really okay to agree like this? No issues with the hospital or family?”

Shen Zhiqing frowned slightly and asked, “Were you planning to ask Zhiman?”

“Yeah,” Tomb Cheng replied.

“Sister Xiao mentioned wanting to get away for a bit,” she added.

Water sounds came from the bathroom.

Shen Zhiqing paused, lips tight, leaning against a cabinet with her arms crossed, saying, “I don’t have any tricky patients right now, and I have plenty of leave.”

“She’s got an important reception soon, so she’ll likely be busy,” Shen Zhiqing continued.

The patient in bed five had been transferred to the pheromone gene department’s special ward.

Shen Zhiqing’s workload was light.

Her words dispelled Tomb Cheng’s other ideas.

After confirming multiple times, Tomb Cheng agreed awkwardly.

That night, back home, she couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning.

The Shen Zhiqing she knew wouldn’t have set aside her own matters for Tomb Cheng’s personal affairs.

Back then, Shen Zhiqing saw her only as a tool for her heat cycle.

Once it ended, Tomb Cheng couldn’t even see her.

Shen Zhiqing even harshly rejected her confession to clarify their relationship.

“I’ll never like an Alpha,” Shen Zhiqing had said.

“You’re just a highly compatible suppressant,” she added.

Tomb Cheng couldn’t understand or accept Shen Zhiqing’s change.

Was it because she hadn’t found a suitable suppressant substitute and wanted to hold onto her?

Meanwhile, Shen Zhiqing didn’t know her cautious partner was overthinking her intentions.

She told Zhiman about it, earning a skeptical look.

“I remember when I said I’d personally thank Tomb Cheng at the military, you flat-out refused,” Zhiman recalled while doing skincare.

Back then, Zhiman heard Tomb Cheng was in the military hospital with minor injuries.

By the time Zhiman arrived, Tomb Cheng was ready to leave after two days.

“What’s this now? A belated thank you?” Zhiman asked, long resentful of her attitude but never voicing it.

Shen Zhiqing shook her head, walked over, and moved the cat from the bed to its bed.

“Then what is it?” Zhiman asked.

She didn’t think Shen Zhiqing had bad intentions but couldn’t understand her actions.

Shen Zhiqing never told anyone about her past with Tomb Cheng.

Su Jue knew by chance.

Lying in bed, she didn’t tell Zhiman the truth, saying, “Her daughter is my patient, and she’s our benefactor. I have no reason to refuse.”

“I refused before because I didn’t know we’d meet again,” she added.

Zhiman was skeptical of her excuse.

Shen Zhiqing’s private matters weren’t her place to probe.

Their relationship was both simple and complex, neither close nor distant.

Shen Zhiqing still worried about Zhiman, suggesting, “Should I have you go home to stay with Auntie Xiao?”

“We’ll see,” Zhiman said, hiding her face in the blanket.

She said goodnight and turned away from Shen Zhiqing.

Over the next few days, Shen Zhiqing mentally counted the days.

The night before departure, she packed many suppressant tubes in her luggage.