A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 8

When Shen Zhiqing woke up the next day, no trace of another person remained in the room.

The other side of the bed had long gone cold.

Shen Zhiqing sat up on the bed.

The sheet slid down as she rose.

Tomb Cheng had changed her into clean clothes.

The room was spotlessly tidy, with fresh-smelling sheets and blankets.

The lingering pheromones had dissipated, leaving nothing behind.

A gap in the curtains showed daylight streaming outside.

“Tomb Cheng,” Shen Zhiqing called out tentatively.

Her voice echoed in the empty house, but no one responded.

She was gone.

Realizing this, Shen Zhiqing clutched the sheet to her chest.

Her hair fell over her shoulders, covering half her face.

Tomb Cheng had really left.

***

Tomb Cheng arrived at the research institute before dawn.

She found a small park outside the campus and sat there waiting.

The park had many early risers exercising.

Tomb Cheng pulled down her hoodie, letting the morning breeze brush her cheeks, clearing her mind.

She had been with Shen Zhiqing again…

“Sigh,” Tomb Cheng let out a long breath.

When she woke that morning, her mind clearly recalled why she was there and why Shen Zhiqing had been nestled in her arms.

Tomb Cheng didn’t know how to face Shen Zhiqing yet, so she calmly packed up and left.

Shen Zhiqing slept soundly, unaware of her departure.

The Alpha’s striking appearance drew curious glances as she sat alone.

Xia An, jogging in the park, recognized her instantly, saying, “Tomb Cheng?”

Tomb Cheng looked up, finding her vaguely familiar but unable to place her.

She replied politely, “Hello.”

“Pfft,” Xia An chuckled, removing her bone-conduction earphones and hanging them around her neck, saying, “I’m Xia An. We met at Zhiman’s party.”

Memories returned, and Tomb Cheng recalled Zhiman’s group of friends.

Embarrassed, she adjusted her glasses, saying, “Sister Xia An.”

Her tone held a hint of familiarity beneath the distance.

Xia An didn’t mind and asked why she was out so early.

“To get some fresh air,” Tomb Cheng replied.

A river ran beside the park, its ripples visible at this hour, making it a good spot for morning reflection.

Xia An often jogged here for the same reason.

The Omega sat down a person’s distance away, looking at the river, saying, “The scenery is nice.”

Tomb Cheng glanced back, surprised, meeting Xia An’s gentle smile.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Xia An asked.

In casual interactions, people often asked a few questions.

Xia An’s simple follow-up to Tomb Cheng’s response kept the conversation from becoming an awkward Q&A, creating a comfortable flow.

Tomb Cheng shook her head, eyeing Xia An briefly.

At the party, everyone wore formal, glamorous outfits.

Now, in simple gray athletic wear, Xia An’s curves were accentuated, showcasing her perfect figure.

Tomb Cheng looked away, visibly lowering her guard, saying, “Nothing.”

Xia An didn’t dwell on it, glancing at Tomb Cheng’s profile, wondering about her relationship with Zhiman.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

Xia An stood, brushing off nonexistent dust, and said goodbye, asking, “I heard from Zhiman you retired from the military. Have you thought about what’s next?”

“Not yet,” Tomb Cheng replied.

After high school, she joined the military disheartened.

A meritorious act led to her recommendation to a military academy.

After graduating, she served at the border, totaling nearly ten years.

She enlisted at seventeen and retired at almost twenty-seven.

Her most vibrant years were devoted to her country.

In the military, Tomb Cheng once read a line in the new recruits’ welcome handbook: “The years are more serene because youth boldly steps forward; the world is more splendid because young people stand tall.”

Initially, she joined to temper herself, later treating the military as home.

Now retired, she hadn’t figured out her next path.

Xia An handed her a business card, saying, “If you’re interested, come try it out.”

The Omega’s fingertips carried a lingering jasmine scent, faint on the card.

Tomb Cheng watched Xia An’s retreating figure before examining the card.

The warm white card had gold-embossed text.

“Er Fitness Boxing Gym,” with the manager’s phone number and the gym’s address.

Tomb Cheng noted the address was not far from the research institute or her home.

***

Shen Zhiqing arrived at the hospital ward late in the morning.

The ward was calm as usual.

Her senior colleague, the deputy chief physician on duty, noticed her tardiness and sensed something unusual.

After rounds, she stormed into Shen Zhiqing’s office.

Shen Zhiqing had just taken off her coat to put on her white lab coat.

A high-pitched scream echoed from her office.

“Ah!!!” the colleague exclaimed.

Shen Zhiqing quickly pulled her inside and shut the door, covering her mouth.

“What are you doing?” Shen Zhiqing asked.

“Mmph!”

Su Jue yanked Shen Zhiqing’s hand away, eyes wide, pointing incredulously at her abdomen, exposed by her short shirt, saying, “You… you…?”

The thirty-something woman was speechless, stunned by the sight.

Everyone knew Shen Zhiqing had been aloof and celibate for years; how did she return overnight covered in kiss marks?

Shen Zhiqing put on her lab coat, buttoned it up, and pulled her light coffee-colored hair from the collar.

Biting a hair tie, she combed her hair into a simple ponytail with crisp movements.

“Hmm,” Shen Zhiqing said, pinning her name tag and clipping a pen to her chest, confirming, “It’s what you think.”

Su Jue, unsteady, slipped off the couch’s edge, her shock turning to gossip.

Who had plucked this bland flower, ignorant of human passion?

Before Su Jue could interrogate further, it was time for the hospital’s mobilization meeting.

With the department head absent, they had to represent their department.

Su Jue pulled Shen Zhiqing aside, whispering, “You’re explaining everything after the meeting. Don’t think about escaping.”

Her curiosity burned fiercely.

In the meeting hall, Shen Zhiqing and Su Jue took seats near the edge.

Soon, key staff from various departments filled the room.

When surgery arrived, Xia An was surrounded in the center.

“Dr. Xia, have you considered what we discussed last time?” a doctor asked.

Xia An glanced at the inquiring doctor, smiling, saying, “Director, my interns are all young women. They can’t handle your group of Alphas’ drinking capacity.”

The radiology director laughed, his face creasing, his slicked-back Alpha hair gleaming, with a sly look, saying, “Oh, Dr. Xia, protecting them is their blessing.”

“Because they’re well-behaved, I have to protect them, don’t you think, Director?”

Xia An retorted, her words laced with sarcasm.

Everyone knew radiology’s interns were caught violating rules last month, earning hospital-wide criticism.

A crooked beam leads to a crooked foundation.

The director gave a forced smile, his eyes glaring viciously at Xia An.

Xia An remained composed, nodding politely and taking her seat.

Wanting to target her department without weighing his own worth?

He called it learning exchanges, but it was just drinking and hooking up.

Relying on his connections, he indulged his subordinates.

Xia An scoffed at such Alpha behavior.

After the commotion, all departments were present.

As the dean took the stage, Su Jue leaned toward Shen Zhiqing, whispering, “Someone saw Xia An at Luo River Park today.”

Xia An often jogged there, so Shen Zhiqing found it unremarkable.

“With an Alpha, said to be very attractive. Apparently they met at Zhiman’s party. You were there—any impression?” Su Jue added, winking, her gossip ablaze.

Shen Zhiqing hadn’t attended Zhiman’s party due to a patient’s emergency; she regretted it now.

Hearing Zhiman brought a young Alpha, arm-in-arm, she regretted missing it!

Such a juicy drama, a perfect storm of intrigue, and she missed it! How infuriating!

Su Jue lamented internally, unaware of Shen Zhiqing’s trembling fingers and paling lips.

Zhiman – party – Alpha.

Shen Zhiqing’s mind conjured Tomb Cheng’s image.