A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 54

Shen Zhiqing didn’t fully trust Pei You’s words, but she took the task of investigating Qin Yishui to heart.

Pei You drove her downstairs.

Before entering, Pei You chased after her, calling, “Miss Shen.”

The night breeze felt cool against her ears, hinting at rain, with a damp scent in the air.

Shen Zhiqing’s gown was off-the-shoulder.

Both she and Pei You wore high heels, though their heights differed.

Standing on the curb, she met Pei You’s eyes levelly.

“Anything else?” she asked, shivering slightly as the chilly wind brushed her neck.

Pei You knew her words had caught Shen Zhiqing’s attention, so she avoided dampening topics.

She grabbed a teal shawl from the back seat and placed it naturally over Shen Zhiqing’s shoulders.

Shen Zhiqing disliked being touched by others.

She brushed off Pei You’s hand, her eyes warning, her cold face devoid of friendliness.

Her displeasure was clear, nearly spelling out “please respect me” on her expression.

The roadside bushes rustled in the wind.

Few people passed by; the street’s quiet clashed with the nearby bustle.

Aside from someone rummaging by a trash can at the street’s end, no one else was around.

Pei You hadn’t expected rejection but didn’t mind.

She clarified to Shen Zhiqing, saying, “Don’t worry, I have someone I like.”

“Not you,” she added.

Alpha’s voice carried softly down the street, distorted as the wind took it.

Returning from the boxing gym, Tomb Cheng leaned against a wall, vaguely hearing, “someone I like.”

She stopped heading home when she saw Shen Zhiqing with the Alpha.

A scavenger, finding no food in the trash, turned to leave.

Tomb Cheng gave him the extra cake she’d bought.

When Shen Zhiqing got home, Bread was clingy, following her everywhere.

Tomb Cheng had come to feed the cat, leaving half a bowl of goat milk by the automatic feeder.

“Meow~” Bread, unaware of her mood, rubbed against her feet, purring.

Shen Zhiqing’s mind swirled with questions.

She messaged Shen Mu to investigate Qin Yishui.

Suddenly, in the quiet, she heard the opposite door close.

Her heart clenched. She held her breath, listening to Tomb Cheng’s steps approaching.

One second.

Ten seconds.

Half a minute.

A minute passed, no sound at the door.

Even slow to realize, Shen Zhiqing understood it was Tomb Cheng closing her own door, not coming to find her.

She frowned, checked the time, and wondered, “Why is Mu Mu back so late?”

Tomb Cheng had showered at the club.

After returning, she pulled out Xia An’s business card.

With Xu Yiyi adapting to school and the world, she needed to plan her future.

Military injury compensation wouldn’t sustain her and Xu Yiyi long-term, and she couldn’t stay out of society forever.

Xia An invested in the club, which offered not just boxing, fitness, and swimming but also a small golf course and baseball field.

Owning such a large club in pricey Huajing suggested Xia An wasn’t just an ordinary surgeon.

Tomb Cheng thought, as Xiao Zhiman’s childhood friend, she was likely from a wealthy family.

The private, members-only club felt like a massive castle, reminding Tomb Cheng of her own status and how she met Xiao Zhiman.

She was an ordinary soldier who, by chance, saved the military district commissar’s daughter.

Waking in the hospital, learning her companion was the commissar’s only daughter from Huajing, she realized the vast gap between her and Shen Zhiqing.

No matter what, she and Shen Zhiqing were inherently unequal.

The club’s manager, knowing she was referred by the boss, scrutinized her.

After learning she was a retired soldier, he withdrew his impolite gaze and apologized.

Tomb Cheng’s job was set—coaching at the club’s boxing gym.

Knock knock—

A knock sounded.

Tomb Cheng, just opening a cake box, set down her fork and opened the door.

Shen Zhiqing still wore her gown, cheeks flushed, perhaps from wine or something else, breathing heavily.

“Mu Mu…” Seeing Tomb Cheng, she threw herself into her arms.

The woman’s scent and warm body enveloped Tomb Cheng.

Worried she’d catch a cold, Tomb Cheng half-hugged her, closing the door.

Tomb Cheng sat with her on the sofa, the small space cramped.

Shen Zhiqing sat on her lap, hands clasped behind Tomb Cheng’s neck, her misty eyes gazing at her, as if wronged.

She was complaining, accusing Tomb Cheng of deceiving her.

“What’s wrong?”

Alpha’s fingers slipped into her hair roots, twirling soft, fluffy ends.

An open cake sat on the table, glossy strawberries shining, mousse cake’s aroma wafting from the box.

Shen Mu hadn’t replied.

Shen Zhiqing fixated on Xu Yiyi not being Mu Mu’s child.

Biting her lip, she wanted Tomb Cheng to speak first, asking indirectly, “Did she show any stress or resistance today?”

She thought mentioning Xu Yiyi would prompt Mu Mu, who understood her, to continue, letting her ask again.

But Tomb Cheng didn’t follow her script.

“Hm…” Tomb Cheng thought, finding nothing suspicious.

She didn’t think Xu Yiyi could hide anything now, saying, “No.”

She added, “She seems in good spirits lately, much better than before.”

Before Shen Zhiqing could speak, Tomb Cheng shifted the topic, saying, “Thanks, Doctor Shen. I bought a cake. Want some?”

Realizing her mistake, she said, “Oh, I forgot you don’t like it. Sorry.”

Alpha’s face stayed warm, unbothered by her slip.

She reached for the cake, smiling, telling Shen Zhiqing, “But I’m hungry. Can I eat first?”

Her words blocked Shen Zhiqing from revisiting the topic.

She was dodging, clearly unwilling to talk more.

Shen Zhiqing knew she loved sweets.

In the past, Tomb Cheng’s passion for them was intense, once offering her that love.

The mousse cake had white cream smears.

Tomb Cheng forked a piece, strawberry and cake melting sweetly in her mouth.

Cream lingered at her lips.

Tomb Cheng glanced at Shen Zhiqing, shyly turning to lick it off.

Shen Zhiqing grabbed her cheeks, swiftly turning her back, and licked the cream from her lips before she could.