I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 17

The night in South City was thick with the oppressive humidity of rain. Scattered droplets hammered against the glass, their chaotic rhythm mirroring the frantic beat of Yu Qing’s heart.

Hidden in the shadows, her pupils dilated uncontrollably as she stared fixedly at the figure looming above her.

They were both impossibly distant and intimately close.

Yu Qing wanted to speak, but she feared that even the slightest movement would bring her crashing into Jiang Nianyu.

Nose to nose, mouth to mouth.

The rain fell in a hesitant drizzle, leaving the room damp and sticky.

Jiang Nianyu’s burning breath brushed against Yu Qing’s nose, trembling slightly.

She was like a camellia blooming out of season, blossoming in this sudden rain-soaked night.

But the Beta couldn’t smell her scent, only see her drenched petals, her head bowed under the weight of the rain.

Those parted lips held an unnamed heat, unforgettable.

After several silent seconds, Jiang Nianyu gazed at Yu Qing with eyes both clear and innocent.

Then she spoke softly, “A-Qing…”

Her voice carried a tepid warmth that washed over Yu Qing’s face, making her throat tighten.

Fortunately, their lips didn’t touch as Yu Qing had feared.

Her throat tightened twice before Yu Qing regained her voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Hot,” Jiang Nianyu murmured, her lips barely moving as she exhaled the word.

It was indeed hot.

On a summer night, pressed so close together, it would have been strange if they weren’t.

Yet as Yu Qing gazed at Jiang Nianyu, something felt off.

The smoke detector on the ceiling blinked red, its light sweeping across Jiang Nianyu’s long hair. For a moment, Yu Qing couldn’t tell if it was the light or if Jiang Nianyu’s face was naturally flushed.

Is she running a fever again?

Without hesitation, Yu Qing instinctively raised her hand from between them to Jiang Nianyu’s forehead.

Delicate strands of hair slipped through her fingers, cool and slightly damp.

Yu Qing gently pressed her forehead against Jiang Nianyu’s, unsurprised to feel a thin layer of sweat.

Strangely, though Jiang Nianyu’s body was hot, the sweat was cold.

“You…” Yu Qing withdrew her hand, guessing with difficulty, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Upon hearing those words, Jiang Nianyu’s arm recoiled sharply, nearly brushing Yu Qing’s face.

Yu Qing had guessed correctly.

Jiang Nianyu had indeed suffered a terrible nightmare.

Grape vines had overrun her dreamscape, their tendrils, covered in fine hairs, reaching out to her.

Jiang Nianyu tried to run, but found herself transformed into a tattered toy rabbit.

Her limp limbs were useless, each entangled by the vines, and she watched helplessly as they threatened to tear her apart.

Can toys feel pain when they’re ripped apart?

Jiang Nianyu didn’t know. She only saw the threads stitching her limbs snap one by one, the cotton stuffing her body exploding into her vision.

She jolted awake.

Rapid breaths echoed from the cramped closet. Jiang Nianyu’s eyes snapped open.

Her baby-blue irises seemed swallowed by the pitch-black world, as if lost in the night.

But more than anything, they radiated gloom.

The vine’s raw, green scent in her dream was identical to the one Yu Qing had brought today.

It stirred her disgust, nausea, and restless tossing and turning.

An unnamed emotion churned violently within her, her unease as sharp as a needle prick, yet piercingly painful.

How much of my own scent will it take to completely erase this other scent from Yu Qing’s body?

Sometime during the night, the scent of white camellias had permeated the room.

But Yu Qing, being a Beta, couldn’t detect it and remained sound asleep.

The summer night was stiflingly hot, causing Jiang Nianyu’s breath to condense into a small white mist in the darkness.

So hot.

The girl’s shallow breathing drifted through the wall. The gland nestled between her pillow and hair throbbed rhythmically, each pulse sending waves of unbearable agitation through Jiang Nianyu’s body.

This unsettling feeling once again overwhelmed Jiang Nianyu’s rationality.

It spread through her limbs and bones, compelling her to crawl out of the closet and onto Yu Qing’s bed.

The cool air from the central air conditioning gently brushed across the sleeping woman’s cheek, soothing her into a peaceful slumber.

Yu Qing’s warm scent enveloped Jiang Nianyu, offering her a sense of security.

“It’s okay,” Yu Qing murmured. “Dreams aren’t real. Don’t be afraid.”

Just as Jiang Nianyu was freely seeking comfort in Yu Qing’s scent, Yu Qing’s hand gently brushed her cheek once more.

Yu Qing’s hands always carried a gentle warmth, holding the summer’s humidity without feeling unpleasant.

Is it really just a dream?

Jiang Nianyu gazed quietly at Yu Qing, then leaned her entire face into Yu Qing’s palm.

Her left arm, still bandaged, went limp and fell lightly beside Yu Qing.

If Yu Qing says it’s not real, I’m willing to believe her.

They were pressed too close together.

Yu Qing’s palm cradled Jiang Nianyu’s warm cheek.

Though Yu Qing had initiated the touch, she suddenly felt utterly passive.

Her hand froze in place, the heat spreading like wildfire, tightening her nerves.

As Jiang Nianyu lay down, a nameless breeze stirred, lifting Yu Qing’s hair slightly.

It seemed like an illusion, brushing past someone’s eyes that weren’t quite clear.

Yu Qing gazed at Jiang Nianyu’s peaceful profile resting against the pillow, a sense of resignation washing over her. “Good night?”

Jiang Nianyu’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she earnestly replied, “Good night.”

As Jiang Nianyu finished speaking, the rain that had been drizzling all night finally poured down in torrents.

Raindrops hammered against the window like a string of pearls, instantly dispelling the stifling heat in the air.

The night was once again filled with tranquility, the bedroom echoing with the intertwined breaths of the two women.

Jiang Nianyu slept without nightmares. In her dream, the rabbit doll had freed itself from the tangled grapevines and sat quietly beside her, its tattered arm still hanging loosely from its shoulder.

But Yu Qing was the one who began to dream.

Bizarre and chaotic images crowded her mind, a jumbled mess of scenes.

She seemed to hear someone crying in her own voice, someone hiding in a cramped closet using her body. Her arm was gripped so tightly it ached and went numb, yet she desperately tried to shrink even smaller.

Worse still, the thought of wanting to die took root in her mind, playing on repeat.

Yu Qing struggled to break free, but to no avail. If not for her alarm clock, she would have been late for work and docked pay.

“Ah—”

Mouth agape, Yu Qing yawned deeply, a few tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

Staring at the dense lines of code before her, the white English letters slowly dissolved into tiny ants under the influence of her tears, orderly swarming into her mind.

At first, they lingered with Yu Qing, replaying the bizarre dream she’d had the night before.

But gradually, they rearranged themselves, morphing into another concern:

Jiang Nianyu can’t keep going on like this.

Her fever keeps recurring, and she’s prone to nightmares and night terrors.

Something’s wrong. This is too abnormal.

Are all Omegas in this world so fragile?

Or does the root of the problem lie in Jiang Nianyu’s amnesia?

Frowning, Yu Qing resolved to sneak to the hospital over the weekend and consult a specialist in glandular disorders.

I need to get to the bottom of this. How can I treat her properly without knowing the cause?

“Ha—”

“Your coffee.”

Just as Yu Qing was about to yawn again, a cold cup of coffee pressed against her cheek.

Gong Ning chewed on the straw of her coffee, gazing thoughtfully at Yu Qing. “So tired? Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“I had dreams all night,” Yu Qing replied, accepting the coffee and taking a sip without hesitation. “Thanks, Sister Gong Ning.”

“Oh, I thought you were dating someone,” Gong Ning said, a hint of regret in her voice.

Yu Qing glanced up at Gong Ning, her shoulders slumping as she sighed deeply. “Sister Gong Ning, I’m just a Beta—a typical worker bee. I don’t have time for romance with Alphas or Omegas.”

As she spoke, Yu Qing recalled the stark imbalance in their workloads—her Beta duties versus Gong Ning’s Alpha responsibilities—and understood even more deeply why Betas received subsidies.

“Not necessarily,” a crisp, dissenting voice cut through the air.

Yu Qing turned to see Siqing had quietly approached. The young woman wore a floral-print flared skirt that swayed gracefully as she walked. With her hands clasped behind her back and a cheerful smile, Siqing stood beside Yu Qing. “Even Betas can be loved by Omegas. Don’t be so focused on secondary genders, Sister.”

“Exactly, exactly!” Gong Ning chimed in, encouraging Yu Qing. “Xiao Yu, don’t be so negative. Betas have their own unique charm, like… I’ve noticed your coding speed has improved dramatically these past few days—your typing is lightning-fast!”

Heaven only knows if Gong Ning was genuinely praising Yu Qing or making a suggestive joke.

Yu Qing’s face flushed slightly as she buried her face in her coffee mug, taking a large gulp. “Sister Gong Ning, that’s enough.”

Gong Ning chuckled twice before turning to Siqing. “Xiao Si, did you come here today to see us about something?”

“Sister Gong Ning guessed right,” Siqing nodded, stating plainly. “I wanted to thank you and my sister for helping me yesterday, so I prepared gifts for both of you.”

Gong Ning was visibly surprised.

Before she could ask, Siqing added, “I know Sister Gong Ning provided the suppressants. Thank you so much!”

“Oh, it was nothing—just a small favor,” Gong Ning waved her hand, her impression of Siqing improving further. “You’re new here, so don’t spend so much. Yu Qing and I appreciate the thought.”

“It wasn’t expensive,” Siqing insisted. “And I’ve already bought them. They’ll be delivered to your and my sister’s homes by the weekend.”

Yu Qing never did good deeds expecting gratitude in return.

Gong Ning’s refusal aligned perfectly with Yu Qing’s own feelings.

However, Yu Qing hadn’t expected Siqing to say that.

What surprised her even more was, “Our home? How did you find out our address?”

“During the last team-building event, Sister Gong Ning and you both registered your addresses when we drew gifts, right? Director Chen asked me to organize the documents, and I saw it there,” Gong Ning replied smoothly.

Yu Qing, not being the original owner of this body, naturally didn’t remember the event. She turned to observe Gong Ning’s expression, noticing no surprise or suspicion, confirming the truth of the matter.

“Ah, I see.”

Though the address issue had been explained, a strange sense of wariness lingered in Yu Qing’s heart.

This wariness puzzled Yu Qing herself.

After all, she felt no such reservations toward Jiang Nianyu, despite their being complete strangers.

Yet she harbored an inexplicable and unsettling caution toward this young woman from her company.

As they chatted, the smile in Gong Ning’s eyes deepened.

She was curious about Siqing’s gifts, but her interest went beyond mere curiosity. “Xiao Si, I’m guessing the gifts for me and Xiao Yu are different, aren’t they?”

Siqing chuckled, her eyes curving like two caramelized cashews.

Before tasting them, no one could tell whether these cashews were sweet or bitter.

“That’s a secret, you know.”