I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 22

The rain continued to fall, pelting against the windows.

 

The voice on the phone was ostensibly warm, but it only made Yu Qing feel colder. It was a curt notification from Yu Qingyun.

 

Yu Qingyun hung up immediately, leaving Yu Qing standing there in a daze.

 

What had her sister just said?

 

Open the door.

 

She was already… downstairs!

 

Yu Qing snapped out of her stupor, panic seizing her.

 

She glanced at the clothes piled on the floor, then looked down. The living room floor was still littered with the torn rabbit plush toy Jiang Nianyu had ripped apart, not to mention the suppressant syringes and packaging scattered in the foyer.

 

Perhaps influenced by the coldness in Yu Qingyun’s voice, Yu Qing felt a twinge of fear toward her sister.

 

Though she had always believed sisters should share everything, her first thought now was: I absolutely cannot let Yu Qingyun discover there’s another Omega in my home.

 

The sharp click-clack of high heels echoed on the tiled floor.

 

Yu Qing strained her ears through the rain, every sound from the corridor making her heart race.

 

Sensing danger closing in, she frantically began tidying up her messy apartment.

 

Knock, knock, knock.

 

Just as Yu Qing was shoving the last pouch of potions into the storage cabinet by the foyer, a knock came at the door.

 

Yu Qing’s expression tightened. She hastily stuffed the remaining items into the cabinet, wedged a chair against the door, and rushed to open the door for Yu Qingyun. “Sister.”

 

The young woman’s smile was brighter than the torrential rain that had plagued the day.

 

Yet the figure standing in the hallway remained unmoved, her face cold as she asked Yu Qing, “Why did you take so long?”

 

The overcast sky outside cast the hallway into shadow.

 

As Yu Qingyun spoke, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and meticulously wiped her clothes, her movements deliberate and unhurried.

 

The rain had indeed soaked her; the hem of Yu Qingyun’s peacock-blue dress was damp.

 

However, the dark fabric concealed the dampness well, only serving to accentuate her snow-white skin.

 

Though sisters by bl00d, Yu Qing and Yu Qingyun possessed entirely different styles.

 

The latter wore black-framed glasses, her shoulder-length brown hair framing a face so exquisitely refined it seemed flawless even in the dim light.

 

Yu Qing stood frozen in the doorway, blinking several times before stammering, “Ah… I was just sleeping and didn’t get dressed yet.”

 

Yu Qingyun remained silent, her gaze sweeping over Yu Qing.

 

Noticing her disheveled hair and loosely draped clothes, Yu Qingyun frowned. “You’re always like this. You never bother to dress properly when you’re not working, and you can’t even button your shirt right.”

 

As she spoke, a slender, bony hand entered Yu Qing’s field of vision.

 

Yu Qingyun’s eyes lowered as she followed the loose neckline of Yu Qing’s pajamas, her fingers searching for the buttons.

 

Outside, a torrential downpour battered the air, creating a chaotic mix of scents.

 

Amidst the swirling currents, Yu Qing caught a distinct whiff of rose perfume brushing past her nose.

 

The small foyer light spilled from Yu Qing’s apartment, casting Yu Qingyun’s slender, almost gaunt figure into sharp relief.

 

Despite being an Alpha, her presence dwarfed even that of Gong Ning, another Alpha.

 

Her face remained expressionless, her demeanor cold and aloof, as if she couldn’t be bothered with such trivial matters.

 

Yet, despite this indifference, her hand reached out to Yu Qing’s chest.

 

The mismatched buttons were undone with a few deft movements by those slender, delicate hands, then re-buttoned one by one, starting from the bottom and moving upward, skimming past Yu Qing’s waist and chest, nearly brushing her collarbone and neck.

 

Yu Qing didn’t know how to describe the sensation; her entire body froze in place.

 

The hum of the central air conditioning’s ventilation system behind her buzzed, shattering her thoughts into fragments.

 

She could never get used to this kind of concern.

 

And she was inexplicably afraid she couldn’t handle it.

 

“Button up properly before going out next time,” Yu Qingyun said, paying no heed to her sister’s reaction. After finishing, she withdrew her hand, her voice and expression as detached as if she were performing a routine task.

 

Yu Qing snapped out of her daze and nodded obediently. “I understand.”

 

The exchange at the door had taken longer than expected, and the two women had been standing in the foyer for quite a while.

 

Without needing a further invitation, Yu Qingyun glanced past Yu Qing’s shoulder and strode into the apartment.

 

She didn’t bother changing her shoes, her high heels clicking sharply and loudly against the floor.

 

As Yu Qingyun’s figure brushed past her, Yu Qing struggled to make sense of the situation.

 

Was it fair to say the original owner of this body had a decent relationship with her sister?

 

Yet why had this woman worn such a cold expression from the moment she opened the door, acting so self-assured and indifferent?

 

If their relationship was strained…

 

Just moments ago, Yu Qingyun had proactively re-buttoned Yu Qing’s shirt and reminded her to be mindful of her privacy.

 

Yu Qing watched Yu Qingyun walk toward the kitchen and followed her.

 

Two shadows, one behind the other, stretched across the wall, half-familiar and half-strange.

 

Yu Qingyun had come uninvited, a classic Louis Vuitton market tote bulging with what seemed like a mountain of groceries slung over her arm.

 

“Mom made too much for lunch today, so she asked me to bring the leftovers to you,” Yu Qingyun explained.

 

Yu Qing was still mentally cataloging the contents of the bag when Yu Qingyun revealed the mystery.

 

Luxury goods carrying home-cooked meals? How absurd!

 

Truly, she’s the quintessential corporate executive sister.

 

“She also made beef sauce. You kept opening the fridge, trying to cram things inside.”

 

Yu Qing’s hand froze mid-motion.

 

The once half-empty refrigerator was now packed to the brim, neatly organized.

 

Inside, there were no longer just instant noodles and takeout containers; fresh vegetables overflowed from every shelf.

 

Yu Qingyun’s brow furrowed, clearly displeased with her sister’s overflowing fridge. “Can you even finish all this food?”

 

“Don’t waste money. The 10,000-yuan monthly allowance for Betas isn’t meant for you to squander like this. You should learn to save.”

 

Hearing these words, Yu Qing felt a sudden pang in her chest, as if something had clenched her heart.

 

She didn’t fully understand the dynamics between the original owner of this body and Yu Qingyun, but these words inexplicably made her uneasy.

 

Watching Yu Qingyun rummage through her refrigerator, a thought flashed through Yu Qing’s mind: Her hand isn’t just reaching into my fridge; it’s reaching into my life.

 

“I’m not wasting money,” Yu Qing insisted, her voice losing the intimidated edge she’d had when opening the door. “I’ll eat everything.”

 

Yu Qingyun seemed taken aback by Yu Qing’s response. Holding the takeout meal their mother had packed for Yu Qing, she paused briefly.

 

But only briefly.

 

She turned to Yu Qing, her tone casual. “Then that’s good.”

 

The jar of beef sauce clinked against the refrigerator wall, the sound jarringly loud.

 

Yu Qing didn’t even have time to see how Yu Qingyun had arranged the items before she closed the refrigerator door.

 

“Alright, I’ve delivered your things,” Yu Qingyun said, sounding like she’d completed a mission. She then asked Yu Qing, “Is the hairdryer still in the bathroom? I need to dry my skirt before I leave.”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

Though Yu Qing didn’t always approve of Yu Qingyun’s behavior, she was touched by her sister’s willingness to come out in the rain to find her. She pointed, “Over there.”

 

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yu Qingyun gave her a strange look.

 

Yu Qing froze, immediately realizing she’d overstepped.

 

Yu Qingyun was her older sister, and judging by today’s visit, she’d clearly been here before. Why would she need Yu Qing to point out the bathroom?

 

“Hehe, I just cleaned the bathroom!” Yu Qing said, putting her hands behind her back and deliberately flashing Yu Qingyun a smug grin.

 

Yu Qingyun stared at her sister’s hopeless demeanor, her brow furrowing in exasperation.

 

But Yu Qing’s silent shift of topic worked. Despite her disdain, Yu Qingyun said nothing and headed toward the bathroom.

 

Click-clack-click.

 

The sound of her high heels striking the floor echoed through the room, an unmistakable rhythm that couldn’t be muffled.

 

The voice pierced through the first-floor ceiling, as amoral as thunder, and drilled into the ear of someone sleeping on the second floor.

 

“!”

 

Jiang Nianyu’s eyes snapped open.

 

Her dark lashes framed pupils that seemed to brim with cold hostility under the clear lamplight, tiny shards of light reflecting within them.

 

Who is it?

 

How could a third person be in Yu Qing’s and my home?

 

“What’s that smell in your house?”

 

“What? What smell? There’s no smell here.”

 

The woman’s puzzled voice and Yu Qing’s evasive laughter drifted up from downstairs, muffled by the hum of the central air conditioning.

 

Jiang Nianyu listened intently, a strange anticipation building within her as she waited for Yu Qing’s explanation.

 

But the answer that came was—

 

“…Ah~ It’s air freshener! I just changed the air freshener! Ha, ha.”

 

In the dimness, Jiang Nianyu’s brow furrowed sharply.

 

A torrent of emotions surged through her in that instant. Her damp hair brushed against her glands, heavy and swollen, mirroring the turmoil in her heart.

 

Like a white camellia crushed into the earth by a cold wind, fermenting dully in the rain.

 

Jiang Nianyu propped herself up on her arm, struggling to sit up in bed, and glanced in the direction of the voice.

 

In the living room, she saw Yu Qing standing with a stranger.

 

The woman was about half a head taller than Yu Qing, her slender ankles encircled by delicate high-heeled straps, exuding sophistication and maturity—a stark contrast to Yu Qing’s puppy-print slippers.

 

Jiang Nianyu watched covertly, her brow furrowing deeper.

 

She caught the aggressive scent of an Alpha in the air, and the Suppressant Patch visible beneath the woman’s short hair confirmed her suspicions.

 

“Shouldn’t you get your hair trimmed?”

 

As Jiang Nianyu’s gaze lingered, Yu Qingyun raised her hand.

 

While Jiang Nianyu was scrutinizing Yu Qing’s hair, Yu Qingyun’s fingers threaded through it.

 

“Really?” Yu Qing shrugged, unconcerned. She liked her hair at this length—easy to tie back when coding, practical and neat.

 

“You’re always like this,” Yu Qingyun said, casually picking up a strand of Yu Qing’s hair and twirling it between her fingers. “You never take care of your hair properly after dyeing it. Always doing things on a whim.”

 

“It’s the same color you got last time when I took you to get your hair dyed. Look, you never take care of it, and now it’s all split ends.”

 

Yu Qingyun spoke without a hint of politeness, holding up a strand of Yu Qing’s hair as if presenting damning evidence.

 

Yu Qing, true to her original character, disliked this condescending tone and resented Yu Qingyun’s authority. She was about to step forward and retort.

 

“That’s not true…”

 

Clatter!

 

Her rebuttal and the sound of something falling overlapped, the object striking Yu Qingyun’s shoulder with pinpoint accuracy, shattering the tension between the two women.

 

Both Yu Qing and Yu Qingyun were caught off guard by the sudden interruption. One clutched her shoulder, peering down at the fallen object, while the other, as if anticipating something, immediately looked up.

 

The afternoon world lay submerged in rain, the second floor silent and dim.

 

Scattered light from the living room spilled onto the second-floor platform. In the shadows behind the railing, Yu Qing glimpsed a pair of cold, brooding eyes.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s expressionless face was framed by her long, draped hair as she silently observed them.