Her Little Mute Omega [Rebirth] - Chapter 38

A blush-inducing warmth radiated from their intertwined fingertips.

In this hospital, such a phenomenon was commonplace.

But for Mu Jin, it was deeply shocking.

If she remembered correctly, this was the first time Lu Chan had actively taken her hand.

A wave of sweetness surged through Mu Jin’s heart, the blissful feeling temporarily erasing the anxiety, tension, and discomfort she had felt earlier that day.

A small smile curved her lips as she leaned closer, resting her head against Lu Chan’s arm in a gesture of dependence.

Though they couldn’t be as intimate as other couples, this was enough.

She felt happy and content.

Lu Chan stiffened momentarily at the intimate gesture.

She was trying to get used to Mu Jin’s occasional touches, but being this close in public still surprised her.

The Lu Family’s strict doctrines and rules forbade such unconventional displays of affection.

Even holding Mu Jin’s hand had been a breach of protocol.

Yet this warmth didn’t feel unpleasant.

The corners of Lu Chan’s lips curved slightly, a faint smile flickering in her usually indifferent eyes.

In her previous life, she had adhered strictly to the Lu Family’s rules.

In public, she always maintained an elegant and dignified image, never doing anything that might tarnish her reputation.

Whenever she appeared in public with Mu Jin, Lu Chan always took the lead, with Mu Jin following obediently at her side.

Mu Jin was never allowed to walk ahead of her or even beside her, but was strictly required to stay to Lu Chan’s left, even to the point of physical contact.

The other members of the Lu Family all adhered to this rule of maintaining an elegant image, and Lu Chan had grown so accustomed to it that she never questioned its appropriateness.

Now, however, she realized that some rules might need to change.

“Xiao Jin, are you happy?” Lu Chan murmured, her gaze fixed on their tightly clasped hands.

Mu Jin looked up, her face lighting up with a joyful smile. She nodded vigorously.

Her eyes sparkled, her dark pupils seeming to glow with an inner light that drew people in.

Lu Chan lowered her gaze slightly, an unfamiliar emotion stirring in her heart.

It was uncontrollable, yet not unpleasant.

As Lu Chan drove toward the dessert shop, she spotted Yan Zhu gazing in their direction from a distance.

Yan Zhu’s weathered face was etched with worry.

Beside her, Lu Chan’s mother, Ye Xian, offered gentle reassurance with a soft smile. Her refined makeup exuded intellectual elegance, a stark contrast to the hysterical figure she had presented at the Lu Family mansion.

Lu Chan’s heart stirred slightly, sensing a strange familiarity in the scene. Yet, she couldn’t recall any specific memory that matched it.

She parked the car and opened the door.

Mu Jin stepped out and was immediately seized by Yan Zhu, who scrutinized her from head to toe.

“Xiao Jin, show me the test results,” Yan Zhu said sternly, her voice tinged with urgency.

Though she had already heard the results over the phone, she needed to see them with her own eyes to truly find peace—or perhaps, to finally give up hope.

“Ninety-five percent!” Ye Xian exclaimed, leaning closer, her eyes widening in exaggerated surprise as she covered her mouth.

Lu Chan frowned at this theatrical display. She wanted to say something, but seeing Mu Jin’s smiling, flushed cheeks, she held back.

“Xiao Zhuzhu, let’s go inside and talk. Xiao Jin must be tired today. She should go to her room and rest,” Ye Xian said with a radiant smile, looping her arm through Yan Zhu’s and guiding her toward the house.

Mu Jin obediently followed behind.

Noticing that Lu Chan hadn’t kept up, she turned back, blinking her eyes in confusion.

After a moment’s hesitation, she ran to Lu Chan’s side and took her hand.

Lu Chan froze, instinctively wanting to pull away, but she managed to suppress the reflex.

Ye Xian glanced back casually and caught sight of their intertwined fingers. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed her face.

This time, her astonishment was real, not feigned.

Ye Xian paused, a smug yet gratified smile curving her lips.

Arranging this marriage between Mu Jin and Lu Chan might yield unexpected rewards.

In the past, Lu Chan had been the Lu Family’s perfect representative. At every event, she commanded the spotlight.

To outsiders, Lu Chan appeared elegant, beautiful, calm, and composed, her cold eyes seemingly unmoved by anything.

Such a aloof and ascetic prodigy had attracted countless suitors eager to marry into the Lu Family.

This also meant Lu Chan’s marriage would inevitably be driven by profit.

The Lu Family, envied and coveted by all, was merely a facade of splendor. Behind the scenes lurked countless dark secrets.

Having grown up in this profit-driven environment, Lu Chan seemed to have been born cold-blooded and ruthless.

Normally, Lu Chan kept people at arm’s length, never letting anyone get close. Yet now she allowed Mu Jin to hold her hand, a clear sign that Lu Chan was gradually learning about emotions.

If she could marry Mu Jin, perhaps one day Lu Chan might become like an ordinary person, capable of understanding warmth, cold, and human feelings.

Ye Xian smiled contentedly and entered the room with Yan Zhu.

They closed the door, shutting out prying eyes.

Ye Xian picked up the test results and said with a smile, “This compatibility score is the highest in history. It means they are the most compatible people in the world.”

Yan Zhu lowered her head, staring at the line of text without speaking.

When compatibility scores are high, if one partner is an Alpha or Omega, their offspring will be exceptionally talented, with a higher differentiation level.

To a large extent, compatibility scores are paramount in matchmaking, dating, and marriage.

“Xiao Zhuzhu, don’t worry so much,” Ye Xian said softly, her tone gentle as she offered comfort. “Lu Chan is an exceptional person. She always acts with restraint and would never let Mu Jin suffer.”

Yan Zhu’s fingers gripped the edges of the paper so tightly they nearly tore through.

Seeing this, Ye Xian reached out and took her hand, coaxing, “You promised that if the compatibility exceeded fifty percent, you’d give Lu Chan a chance. Xiao Zhuzhu, you can’t go back on your word.”

By the end of her plea, Ye Xian clung to Yan Zhu like a child feigning helplessness, nuzzling her affectionately.

Yan Zhu closed her eyes, concealing the sorrow in her gaze. After a long silence, she asked in a strained voice, “Sister Xian, have you truly been happy these past thirty years since marrying into the Lu Family?”

Ye Xian froze, her usually sharp and cunning eyes turning somber, her gaze swirling with complex emotions.

She couldn’t answer that question.

During her differentiation, she had been unexpectedly marked by Lu Chan’s father.

To her despair, she discovered she was pregnant.

Under pressure from her family and societal expectations, she was forced to marry Lu Chan’s father before her pregnancy became visible.

She had originally planned to confess to the person she loved after their differentiation, but the child had shattered all her dreams.

Even the feelings she had never confessed.

She hated everyone in the Lu Family, including the child growing within her womb.

Lu Chan was born amidst her mother’s hatred and disgust.

That man, who rarely smiled, wore an expression of ecstatic joy that day.

It wasn’t until many years later that she truly understood that expression.

Before Lu Chan turned ten, her mother had almost never held her.

For the first two or three years, she refused to see Lu Chan, hear anything about her, or even acknowledge her existence.

Every time she saw Lu Chan, she would lose control of her emotions.

The Lu Family had no intention of entrusting Lu Chan’s upbringing to her.

It wasn’t until Lu Chan’s father passed away that she watched the girl’s small figure weaving through the crowd, skillfully handling the so-called upper-class individuals with their smiles hiding daggers.

In that moment, she realized that the child she had once loathed had grown up into an orphan who had lost her father.

The heart that had always been filled with loathing now ached with pity.

But Lu Chan no longer needed her mother’s concern.

After the funeral, the Old Master took charge of Lu Chan, and the mother-daughter relationship grew even more distant.

She wanted to make up for the maternal love Lu Chan had missed in her childhood, but it was too late.

If someone could give Lu Chan the love she deserved in Ye Xian’s place, that would be a kind of compensation.

“Our children and grandchildren will have their own blessings,” Ye Xian said with a gentle smile, erasing the sorrow from the corners of her eyes. “I believe they can be happier than we were.”

“I hope so,” Yan Zhu sighed heavily, her eyes filled with worry. She said earnestly, “I have one condition.”

Ye Xian patted her shoulder reassuringly, a playful smile spreading across her face. She drawled, “One condition? You could ask for ten!”

“They can only take their relationship further after Mu Jin passes her graduate school entrance exams,” Yan Zhu stated firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

“Alright, having a graduate student girlfriend would be Lu Chan’s good fortune,” Ye Xian agreed readily, her smile unwavering.

Yan Zhu paused, then sighed. “Sister Xian, I don’t understand. With Miss Lu’s background, finding a suitable Omega partner would be effortless. Why are you so determined to match her with Xiao Jin?”

“Silly girl,” Ye Xian said with a gentle smile, a pang of bitterness rising in her chest. Maintaining her cheerful expression, she continued, “Xiao Jin is like my own daughter. I can’t bear to give her away to a stranger.”

Yan Zhu frowned, only half-believing these words.

Finally, she sighed and turned to open the door.

As soon as she opened it, she saw Mu Jin standing outside, her delicate face etched with anxiety.

When she saw Yan Zhu, Mu Jin immediately flashed a sweet, understanding smile.

Yan Zhu’s heart ached. She pulled Mu Jin close and turned to Ye Xian. “Sister Xian, you should head back now.”

“Alright, Xiao Jin must be tired today. We’ll come again another time,” Ye Xian replied quickly, her smile radiant.

Lu Chan stood by the door, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. She glanced at Mu Jin and murmured, “Xiao Jin, get some rest.”

“Thank you, Sister Chan,” Mu Jin said, startled, her face lighting up with a sweet smile.

She wanted to hug Lu Chan, but seeing Yan Zhu’s serious expression, she held back.

After seeing Lu Chan and Ye Xian off, Yan Zhu pulled Mu Jin down to sit beside her and sighed deeply. “Xiao Jin,” she began earnestly, “I understand your feelings. I used to wish you could live an ordinary life, safe and happy. But now that you’ve differentiated into an S-Class Omega, you’re destined for something extraordinary. I don’t object to who you love, but I want you to prioritize your studies and never become dependent on an Alpha.”

Mu Jin pursed her lips, a struggle flickering in her clear eyes.

“Xiao Jin, I want you to live independently, not like other Omegas who spend their lives solely raising children,” Yan Zhu emphasized, the corners of her eyes reddening as she frowned.

Mu Jin lowered her head, her pearly white teeth biting down hard on her lip.

“Promise me, okay? No matter how much you like Miss Lu, don’t show it all,” Yan Zhu pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears as she gripped Mu Jin’s arm tightly. “The Lu Family isn’t ordinary. If you become too emotionally invested, you’ll only end up hurting yourself.”

This was a lesson Yan Zhu had learned through dignity and tears in the Yan Family.

The wealthy are ruthless, treating even their own children as tools or pawns.

As an outsider, Mu Jin was even less likely to be valued by others.

Only by remaining independent and self-reliant, and always having a backup plan, could she avoid suffering a humiliating and desperate defeat.

“Mom, I understand. I’ll study hard and pursue my dreams,” Mu Jin said, her eyes reddening as she nodded firmly.

“That’s good,” Yan Zhu sighed, tears streaming down her face as she smiled.

Watching her mother, Mu Jin couldn’t help but feel her own eyes well up.

She gently embraced Yan Zhu, resting her head on her mother’s frail shoulder.

Over the years, her mother had single-handedly supported the entire family with these very hands.

Countless late nights, Mu Jin had watched her mother’s slender figure toiling away in their small shop.

Her father’s death had shattered a piece of her sky, but her mother had shouldered the weight, rebuilding it with her own frail shoulders.

Mu Jin had witnessed that once youthful and beautiful face gradually etched with wrinkles and weathered by hardship.

Her once flowing, jet-black hair was now tightly bound at the back of her head, no longer cascading gracefully.

Sometime along the way, a strand of white had appeared among the dark strands framing her forehead.

The woman Mu Jin had once had to crane her neck to look up at was now someone she could reach out and embrace.

The person who had sheltered her from life’s storms was no longer young.

She couldn’t selfishly pursue her own love at the expense of the one who had always been her rock.

If forced to choose between family and love, she wouldn’t know what to do.

Fortunately, she was a child cherished by her mother.

In this matter, family had yielded.

Now, she needed to repay that sacrifice with maturity and understanding.

“Mom, I won’t let you down,” Mu Jin said softly, nuzzling Yan Zhu’s cheek with a gentle smile.

Yan Zhu’s heart warmed, and she smiled with maternal love and relief.

As long as Mu Jin understood her, any hardship or sacrifice would be worth it.

“Mom believes in you, Xiao Jin. You’ve always been a good, sensible child who has never disappointed me. I know you won’t start now.”

Mu Jin’s eyes curved into a determined smile.

She would study hard for her postgraduate entrance exams and pursue her own career.

But she would never abandon this hard-won love.