A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 71

Shen Zhiqing woke up to an empty house.

She wandered through, checking for any note or message from Mu Mu.

“She’ll probably be back soon,” she thought.

She returned next door to wash and change.

As she finished tidying and refilled Bread’s water and food, a ‘ding’ sounded in the hallway, signaling the elevator’s arrival.

Shen Zhiqing turned and met Tomb Cheng’s gaze.

The Alpha, holding a child’s hand, smiled under her silver glasses, her eyes curving warmly.

“Morning, Doctor Shen,” she said.

Tomb Cheng wore a navy casual tracksuit, her slender wrist adorned with a black watch.

Sunlight streaming into the hallway softened her sharp, handsome features.

“Morning, Mu Mu,” Shen Zhiqing replied.

“Morning, Yiyi,” she added.

Noticing Tomb Cheng’s hands full of bags, she asked, “Out so early?”

“Yes,” Tomb Cheng said, showing her the items—breakfast and a few sketchbooks.

“We went for morning exercise,” she explained, swinging Xu Yiyi’s hand gently.

Xu Yiyi, peeking from behind her pant leg, revealed a sweet face and invited Shen Zhiqing in her childish voice.

“Doctor Aunt… would you… come to our house?”

Doctor Aunt had a cute cat; her mom sometimes brought the cat over to play.

Last time they went out together, Doctor Aunt patiently drew with her, pointing at figures in her sketches and asking softly.

A child loved by adults easily felt content.

Xu Yiyi was slowly won over by Doctor Aunt.

Seeing her shyness, Tomb Cheng couldn’t resist patting her head, smiling.

“Yiyi said we should bring breakfast for Doctor Aunt too. She says she likes you,” she said.

“Really?” Shen Zhiqing made an exaggerated surprised face.

The adults’ playful banter embarrassed Xu Yiyi.

Fearing Doctor Aunt might dislike her, she glanced nervously, too anxious to meet Shen Zhiqing’s eyes.

Shen Zhiqing walked over quickly.

Bread slipped out, trailing her with a swaying tail, strutting like a cat.

“Thank you, Yiyi,” Shen Zhiqing said, crouching to her level with a warm smile.

“I’m so happy you like me,” she added.

At the dining table, Shen Zhiqing noticed a small bundle of lilies of the valley in Tomb Cheng’s hand.

Green leaves and white buds, wrapped in frosted paper, held dewdrops, freshly tended that morning.

“This is a gift Yiyi and I picked for Doctor Shen,” Tomb Cheng said.

Though said to be chosen together, Shen Zhiqing caught the hint.

Tomb Cheng knew she loved lilies but not why.

The room’s warmth and joy matched the flower’s meaning—returning happiness.

“Thank you,” Shen Zhiqing said, her delight shining in her eyes as she accepted the flowers.

“I love them,” she added.

She kept the flowers alive.

During breakfast, Xu Yiyi’s eyes darted from the flowers to the smiling Doctor Aunt, then to her mom, who warmed milk for them.

The scene felt worlds apart from the big house before.

Xu Yiyi nibbled her spoon, secretly happy.

Tomb Cheng took her to the boxing club.

The obedient girl sat quietly in the gym, drawing in her sketchbook, glancing up to see her mom on the ring.

Ropes circled the boxing ring.

Tomb Cheng occasionally checked on her daughter below, stepping out during client breaks to view her drawings.

She couldn’t judge talent but saw her love for drawing.

She crouched beside Xu Yiyi, watching her sketch, stroking her head to affirm her efforts.

Pei You arrived, witnessing this moment.

Lately, she visited the gym whenever free.

Since Shen Zhiqing ignored Qin Yishui’s matter, she shifted focus to Tomb Cheng.

She doubted Xu Zhu would entrust her child to a stranger.

Tomb Cheng, an obscure figure, rarely brought Xu Yiyi to Huajing before but now lived there with her.

Despite ties to Shen Zhiqing, if Qin Yishui found the rabbit that escaped her cage, wouldn’t she scheme to reclaim it?

Xu Zhu was seized from her art studio by Qin Yishui’s men during differentiation.

“Coach,” Pei You said, approaching in boxing gear.

Tomb Cheng turned, her heart conflicted, surprised Pei You returned.

What was Pei You’s goal?

“Punch quickly, don’t hesitate. Hit the target, then retract to defend. Blindly swinging exposes your weaknesses,” Tomb Cheng said, circling as a sparring partner, catching each of Pei You’s punches.

She frowned, guiding Pei You’s erratic breathing and pace.

But Pei You, haunted by Xu Zhu’s face in Xu Yiyi’s, couldn’t stay rational.

When she aimed a punch at Tomb Cheng’s glasses, Tomb Cheng dodged, countering with a strike to her left waist.

“Ah!” Pei You staggered back, glaring angrily.

“Your breathing’s off,” Tomb Cheng said calmly, meeting her gaze.

“With punches like that, you’ll fall before your opponent,” she added.

“You know nothing!” Pei You snapped.

Tomb Cheng frowned at her outburst, removing her gloves with a stern face.

“Pei You, I don’t know your intentions, but here, you’re a client, so I won’t strike you,” she said lowly.

Tall and resolute, her unyielding spirit shone through her soldier’s exterior.

For a soldier, taunts and games were childish.

Bl00d and sweat forged her dignity—she wouldn’t wield it recklessly but wouldn’t tolerate Pei You’s baseless venting.

“If you want to spar or something else, don’t waste effort here,” Tomb Cheng said.

She once saw Pei You drive Shen Zhiqing to the hospital, assuming she was a suitor.

Now, with Shen Zhiqing’s response, she sensed something amiss.

Clearly, Pei You targeted her, though the reason eluded her.

She had no ties to Pei You or their elite circles.

Without Shen Zhiqing, she wouldn’t know Xiaomi.

Seeing Pei You’s bowed head, Tomb Cheng thought she’d hit the mark.

Pei You wanted to say or convey something.

After a moment, she narrowed her eyes, stepping close to Pei You.

Seeming to adjust her stance, she spoke sharply.

“Do you know something? About my daughter?” she asked.

“Or about Xu Zhu?” she added.

Pei You’s pupils shrank.

This woman was sharp, and her bond with Shen Zhiqing was clearly deep.

Shen Zhiqing investigated Qin Yishui for her but could ignore the findings for her too.

Pei You wondered if Xu Yiyi’s presence was good or bad for Tomb Cheng.

If they knew the truth, would they still accept Xu Yiyi?

Could they protect her from Qin Yishui’s harm?

Pei You wouldn’t gamble with this.

Xu Yiyi was Xu Zhu’s only legacy, proof of her existence.

She couldn’t let Qin Yishui, that beast, win.

“Can you guarantee one thing?” Pei You asked, eyeing the decisive woman.

She needed to confirm if Tomb Cheng’s love for Xu Yiyi would waver and if she was trustworthy, as Xu Zhu claimed.

Tomb Cheng raised an eyebrow.

“Tell me,” she said.

Pei You lowered her voice, glancing at the gym and Xu Yiyi, drawing below.

Unaware, the girl looked up curiously at her mom.

Tomb Cheng gave a reassuring smile, and she resumed sketching.

“Can you swear, no matter what, you’ll treat this child as your own?” Pei You asked.

Tomb Cheng grew puzzled.

“Like what?” she pressed.

Pei You hesitated, then tested her, biting her lip.

“Like if you found out Zhu lied to you,” she said.