I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 12

Her silent eyes held a fragile light, like stars barely visible in the dimness.

No one could miss her strained effort, and no one could bear to refuse her.

Yu Qing hesitated for a moment, then relented. Following Jiang Nianyu’s lead, she scooped up a spoonful of porridge and brought it to her lips.

The evening was quiet, save for Jiang Nianyu’s weak, post-illness breaths.

Her soft, slow breaths brushed against Yu Qing’s palm, neither hot nor cold, yet they sent a tingling itch across her skin and deep into her chest.

The girl’s pale lips, moistened with the rice gruel, finally gained a hint of luster.

For every spoonful Yu Qing offered, Jiang Nianyu took a bite.

In unspoken harmony, they quickly finished more than half the bowl of porridge.

Yu Qing gazed at the remaining portion with a sense of accomplishment.

Having often cared for her younger siblings at the orphanage, she knew that a sick person’s willingness to eat was a sign of recovery.

But Jiang Nianyu was eating too quickly. Yu Qing decided to pause, interjecting with a mid-meal break: “You look much more energetic than before. My cooking isn’t bad, is it?”

Jiang Nianyu nodded, the lingering aroma of the food between her teeth making her savor the memory. “I should say it was excellent.”

“Really?” Yu Qing beamed, clearly pleased with Jiang Nianyu’s praise, and chuckled softly.

Outside the window, the sky was heavy with clouds, the setting sun obscured by the thick overcast.

Yet Yu Qing’s smile shone brighter than the hidden sun, a radiant beacon that caught the eye.

Jiang Nianyu stared, momentarily lost in thought.

A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind, but she finally asked, “How long have I been asleep?”

“About four hours. It’s almost seven now,” Yu Qing replied.

So that’s why it’s getting dark already, Jiang Nianyu thought silently.

For some reason, despite having just eaten, she still felt a lingering sense of hunger deep inside.

She quietly watched Yu Qing’s hand cradling the bowl. More than the delicious porridge, her gaze lingered on the fingers resting against the bowl’s rim.

In her feverish daze earlier, Jiang Nianyu hadn’t questioned her thoughts.

But now, fully awake, the sudden surge of longing struck her like the resounding clang of a temple bell, filling her with shame.

Written opposite greed was the self-loathing that followed after calming down.

The Omega, unaware that she had just entered her heat cycle, lowered her head.

The Beta couldn’t detect any pheromone-related scents, nor did she realize the deliciousness hidden within Jiang Nianyu.

So Jiang Nianyu exploited this gap, seizing opportunities again and again, letting her greed run rampant.

Jiang Nianyu closed her eyes briefly and asked Yu Qing in a low voice, “Why did you take me in?”

The sudden question startled Yu Qing, who paused before replying, “Because living alone can be very lonely.”

This answer clearly exceeded Jiang Nianyu’s comprehension. “I don’t understand,” she said, her eyes filled with confusion. She couldn’t tell if she didn’t understand now or if she had never understood before.

Yu Qing thought she might have made it too complicated.

Human relationships were never simple, not just friends, family, colleagues, and strangers.

And telling someone she had only known for less than a week, “We’re friends” or “We’re family,” would sound absurd, wouldn’t it?

Even worse, Jiang Nianyu remembered nothing at all. Yu Qing didn’t even know what kind of person she truly was.

The orphanage director had once told Yu Qing that she was always too kind.

But Yu Qing knew better. She wasn’t just being kind; she simply felt, “Just as you need me, I need you too.”

Living alone was truly too lonely.

Yu Qing knew she could say all the right things, be charming and attentive, making Jiang Nianyu feel a sense of belonging in this home.

But for some reason, with this person, she didn’t want to wear her usual social mask, making Jiang Nianyu think she was just a nice, approachable person.

Yu Qing wanted to tell Jiang Nianyu the truth.

Even if it meant showing her just a glimpse of her true self.

Not as a friend.

Not as family.

This undefined relationship also put Jiang Nianyu at ease.

She felt as if some emptiness within her had been filled, and her appetite had even improved.

After a few seconds of thought, Jiang Nianyu said to Yu Qing, “I’d like to have some more of your porridge. Is that okay?”

Perhaps they were kindred spirits.

Yu Qing’s eyes finally smiled. “Of course you can.”

“There’s more if you want it. I even made your portion for tomorrow’s lunch,” Yu Qing said, bringing the spoon of porridge to Jiang Nianyu’s lips.

The white porcelain spoon rested against Yu Qing’s slender fingers. Her skin was pale, and her fingers were delicately boned, catching the light like jade carvings.

Jiang Nianyu paused.

Her hand, hidden beneath the blanket, clenched slightly. After less than half a second of hesitation, she let it rest on her leg again.

I’ll restrain myself later, she thought. Right now…

“I’m a little sleepy,” Jiang Nianyu murmured, yawning softly after finishing most of the remaining porridge.

Her body felt utterly drained, as if she could sleep endlessly, yet never fill the emptiness within her.

“Then get some more rest. You look much better now,” Yu Qing said, smiling at Jiang Nianyu’s face as she tucked the blanket around her. “Your fever’s gone. You’ll be fine when you wake up tomorrow.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Jiang Nianyu asked, belatedly realizing she was lying on Yu Qing’s bed. A flicker of anticipation crossed her eyes.

Yu Qing patted the book beneath the bowl of porridge, making a sour face. “Workers don’t get rest days. I need to finish reading this as soon as possible and go to bed at eleven.”

Hearing this, Jiang Nianyu lowered her gaze slightly, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

Though she felt a pang of regret, she obediently followed Yu Qing’s example from the previous night and said, “Good night.”

“Good night,” Yu Qing replied.

Jiang Nianyu wondered if Yu Qing still remembered the words she had spoken the day before.

The room returned to its earlier quiet.

Jiang Nianyu’s soft breathing mingled with the rustling of Yu Qing’s book pages as she turned them.

There was a scent in the room that Yu Qing couldn’t smell, but she could only perceive it through the written words “white camellia.”

The book described camellias, also known as “severed head flowers,” as blooms that died with perfect grace, even in death.

The next morning, a light rain finally broke the oppressive heat.

Yu Qing’s eyes snapped open a second before her alarm went off.

Happy times always flew by too quickly. Descending the stairs again, Yu Qing felt like a beast of burden.

Jiang Nianyu had slept soundly through the night. She was already fast asleep when Yu Qing climbed into bed.

Her fever had subsided, and her complexion looked much better.

When Yu Qing got up, Jiang Nianyu was still sleeping. Reluctant to disturb her, Yu Qing scribbled a quick note, grabbed her lunchbox, and hurried out to work.

Since Yu Qing left early, she avoided traffic and arrived at the office fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.

Her workstation was in an unremarkable spot near the corridor, making it impossible to slack off without being noticed.

Yu Qing sighed as she looked at her desk.

Maybe I can request a different spot later, she thought.

Or get promoted and earn a raise soon. That would get me out of here too.

“Hey, you’re here early!”

As Yu Qing was sighing, a colleague arrived.

She was dressed in a sleek, professional outfit, casually placing her bag—adorned with a cute little charm—on the desk.

After working here for so long, Yu Qing had never seen a programmer dress so stylishly.

If her colleagues in this world could ditch the plaid shirts, she’d be happy to sit here.

Yu Qing paused briefly, mentally searching her brain for information about her coworkers.

This beautiful woman was Gong Ning, an Alpha who had joined the company two years before the original Yu Qing. She was a kind senior colleague.

Yu Qing thought Gong Ning looked much better in person than in her HR photo. Smiling, she greeted her, “Good morning, Gong Ning-jie.”

“You’re being awfully sweet today,” Gong Ning teased, pulling a box of cookies from her bag. “Did you know I brought you something delicious?”

Yu Qing never turned down food and happily accepted the box. “Thank you, Gong Ning-jie.”

But just as she reached for the cookies, Gong Ning’s hand froze.

Her beautiful face suddenly wrinkled as she sniffed Yu Qing’s shoulder repeatedly.

The sniffing made Yu Qing deeply uncomfortable, terrified that her true identity—that she wasn’t the original Yu Qing—would be exposed. “W-what’s wrong? Is something… wrong with me?”

“Everything’s wrong,” Gong Ning replied, shaking her head.

She looked at Yu Qing with a serious expression, then leaned in close to whisper, “Xiao Yu, your Omega scent is practically overflowing.”

“Confess now: did you spend your days off fooling around with some Omega?”