I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 3

A cool, rain-soaked breeze slipped through the old window, stirring the curtains draped around the bedside.

Yu Qing’s breath, synchronized with the wind’s rhythm, drifted slowly across Jiang Nianyu’s sickbed, landing in fragmented wisps on the tip of her nose.

Jiang Nianyu had lost her memories, including some basic common sense.

Otherwise, she would have realized that Betas shouldn’t have any scent at all, rather than greedily snatching at the air.

The scent was so clean, so much purer than the damp, moisture-laden air around them. Yu Qing’s scent felt cleaner, making Jiang Nianyu gaze out at the pitch-black night as if she could see the distant sunrise.

The misty dawn always held such promise.

Jiang Nianyu silently cataloged her observations, swallowing hard.

Unlike the scents of Alphas and Omegas, which mimicked real-world objects, the aroma emanating from this Beta, though faint, seemed even more enticing.

“Mmm…”

A soft groan escaped Jiang Nianyu’s lips. Yu Qing’s lips, faintly pink, parted and closed gently with each breath.

Several times, Jiang Nianyu glanced at Yu Qing and found her full and unguarded, as if she were easy to take advantage of.

Is she really that easy to take advantage of?

Jiang Nianyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, her cool gaze slowly revealing the most primal desires of an Omega.

Shadows danced around the bed, advancing and retreating like a snail’s antennae.

Jiang Nianyu’s fingers hovered in the air, inching closer to Yu Qing’s softly parted lips with each breath, only to retreat half an inch at the last moment.

She longed to touch Yu Qing’s lips, but reason always restrained her at the final second.

Those baby-blue eyes were mesmerizing, like a curious child exploring a new world, yet they also betrayed a tangled greed.

The cycle repeated endlessly, without tiring.

“Why are they making me work overtime again? Bullshit! It’s all bullshit!”

Yu Qing’s sudden outburst, filled with hatred for overtime, startled Jiang Nianyu.

Even though Jiang Nianyu knew Yu Qing was talking in her sleep, her eyes instantly became bewildered, like a rabbit caught peeking out of its burrow. Her hovering fingers twitched unconsciously.

No one would notice, but for a fleeting moment, her fingertips seemed to brush against Yu Qing’s lips.

Jiang Nianyu’s lips, still damp from shouting, felt strangely warm and cool.

She raised her other hand to grasp the back of her own hand, her usually icy eyes now showing a rare blankness as she stared at the fingertip that seemed to bear some invisible mark.

She had touched it.

But what did it smell like?

Jiang Nianyu brought her finger closer to her nose and sniffed, but under the pale, cool breeze, she detected nothing.

Her heart, which had been racing with fear of being discovered just moments ago, now felt utterly empty.

Jiang Nianyu didn’t understand what was happening to her. Her expression was even more bewildered than when she had first realized she had lost her memories.

She lowered her gaze, the emptiness of her palm drawing her lost rationality back to the surface.

As reason regained dominance over her Omega’s primal instincts, Jiang Nianyu turned back to Yu Qing, her expression once again cold and detached.

The moonlit night remained silent, as if nothing had occurred.

Yu Qing slept sprawled out, completely unaware that she had been the object of someone’s desire.

The person who had shouted had already forgotten, and it hadn’t disturbed her sleep at all. She smacked her lips and drifted back to sleep.

Jiang Nianyu suspected Yu Qing wouldn’t even remember what her lips had touched when she woke up tomorrow.

For some reason, a flicker of relief flashed in Jiang Nianyu’s eyes.

She curled her fingers inward, as if hiding some secret she couldn’t share.

What was this Beta shouting about just now?

Overtime?

Does she hate overtime that much?

What happened at her workplace that still haunts her dreams, filling her with such anger?

Jiang Nianyu had been about to go to sleep, but her mind inexplicably delved deeper into Yu Qing’s sleep-talking.

She felt a mix of curiosity and melancholy.

Yes, I’m the only one here who’s lost my memories and has no past.

The memories she currently possessed were sparse, their starting point being that umbrella that had tilted toward her.

The rain that night had been chaotic and relentless, yet not a single drop had fallen on her beneath that umbrella.

How strange.

Jiang Nianyu calmly congratulated herself internally that Yu Qing was a Beta.

Yet she immediately felt a pang of disappointment that Yu Qing was just a Beta.

Outside the window, the rain had softened, pattering gently against the glass.

Jiang Nianyu curled up on her side, instinctively inching closer to Yu Qing.

The scent emanating from Yu Qing seemed to possess a calming magic. As Jiang Nianyu inhaled it, she drifted into a deep sleep within moments.

Jiang Nianyu went to bed late last night and woke up late as well.

A weary bird flitted past the window, and only then did Jiang Nianyu open her eyes, as if disturbed from a peaceful dream.

It was strange, really. Subconsciously, she had been certain she wouldn’t have a good dream that night.

Yet when she finally opened her eyes, she realized she had slept soundly until dawn.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept so well.

After the rain last night, the sunlight streaming through the window felt exceptionally clean and soothing.

Just as Jiang Nianyu was about to exhale in relief, she suddenly noticed that the caregiver’s bed beside her had vanished, along with the person who had been sleeping there.

In the span of two seconds, the sunlight shifted, the sun blazing brightly in the sky, its glare making her head spin.

The sudden panic surged from nowhere, Jiang Nianyu only knew her heart was racing.

Creak.

“Good morning, Miss Unknown! Are you awake?”

Just as Jiang Nianyu was about to get out of bed to look for someone, the curtain in front of her was pulled aside from the outside.

A fluffy head popped into view. Yu Qing smiled warmly at Jiang Nianyu. “You’re awake! Did you wake up hungry after not eating all day yesterday?”

“The hospital cafeteria has Eight Treasure Congee and Millet Congee today. Which one do you want? The doctor said you should eat light, but the hospital’s homemade pickled vegetables are fine. I got a few kinds for you to try—see if there’s anything you like.”

Yu Qing spoke as she placed the food box on the bedside table.

With practiced efficiency, she set up the small tray table over Jiang Nianyu’s hospital bed. Her tall figure cast a busy shadow over Jiang Nianyu as she moved around.

Unseen by Yu Qing, Jiang Nianyu’s tense expression gradually relaxed into calm.

Losing her memory was a troublesome and painful experience. Just moments ago, Jiang Nianyu had felt like a lone boat adrift at sea.

She couldn’t see the path ahead, nor did she know how to return home.

But when the aroma of warm congee wafted over and she watched Yu Qing bustling around, she felt as if she had found her anchor.

“Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?” Yu Qing asked, snapping apart a pair of chopsticks and rubbing them together.

Jiang Nianyu shook her head, proactively helping Yu Qing arrange the various small dishes of pickled vegetables piled on the table.

“Does the cut on your cheek affect your eating? And what about your head? Does it still hurt?” Yu Qing continued.

Jiang Nianyu listened attentively, first obediently touching the gauze covering her left cheek, then feeling her head. She quickly shook her head gently at Yu Qing.

The gesture was so docile it tugged at Yu Qing’s heartstrings. When a stray strand of hair brushed against the bandaged cheek, it only deepened the ache of pity.

Yu Qing suspected that even before her amnesia, Jiang Nianyu had been a reserved, taciturn person, preferring actions over words. Moreover, amnesiacs often feel disoriented in unfamiliar environments. It was best not to overwhelm her; making her feel comfortable was paramount.

Before that, however, Yu Qing needed to clarify one thing: “That unknown lady… have you remembered anything at all? Like… who you are?”

Perhaps yesterday’s headache had instilled in Jiang Nianyu a resistance toward her lost memories. Today, when faced with the question, she didn’t hesitate, responding with a cold and willful denial.

A third shake of her head.

The space enclosed by the bed curtains was eerily quiet, Yu Qing’s disappointment palpable.

Some people, even at twenty-five, after enduring the harsh realities of society, still cling to the fantasy of saving someone.

Yu Qing sighed inwardly, reminding herself that such things couldn’t be rushed. After all, amnesia was a condition even hospitals struggled to treat.

She needed to focus on the present—

“Which one do you want?” Yu Qing pushed the two bowls of porridge on the table toward Jiang Nianyu, letting her choose first.

The millet porridge had a layer of rice oil floating on top, making it look particularly appetizing.

Jiang Nianyu had a feeling that before her amnesia, she had been quite picky about food. She pointed to the millet porridge and said, “This one.”

Yu Qing wasn’t picky at all. After Jiang Nianyu made her choice, she took the eight-treasure porridge. “Then I’ll have this one.”

Two sparrows landed outside the window, nudging each other before hopping away together.

Yu Qing, never one to keep quiet, took a bite of her steamed bun and started chatting with Jiang Nianyu. “You know, I’m so glad I rushed to the cafeteria as soon as I woke up. If I’d been any later, all this would have been gone!”

So that’s why.

Jiang Nianyu bit into a pickled cucumber, the crisp sound echoing between her teeth.

She subtly relaxed, feeling that today’s breakfast was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten.

Although it was the first meal she had ever eaten since regaining her memory.

Realizing this, Jiang Nianyu suddenly fell silent, staring at Yu Qing. The intensity of her gaze made Yu Qing’s heart race, and she blinked awkwardly. “W-what’s wrong?”

“I still don’t know your name,” Jiang Nianyu said softly.

Sunlight fell on her baby-blue eyes, making them appear clear and pure.

Yet they also seemed cold and detached.

Whether it was due to her being an Omega or some other reason, Jiang Nianyu had always carried a persistent sense of unease, a feeling of impending crisis, especially now that she had lost her memory.

Should I just say anyone?

Jiang Nianyu only wished for her surroundings to remain stable forever, for the people around her to never leave her.

But the morning’s incident had shaken the fragile stability she had barely managed to establish the night before.

It was then that she realized she didn’t even know the Beta’s name.

If something like this morning’s incident were to happen again, she wouldn’t even know how to find her.

Yu Qing paused, surprised. “Didn’t I tell you?”

Jiang Nianyu sat across from her, nodding earnestly and stubbornly. “No.”

“Ah, I was too busy yesterday and forgot. Sorry about that.” Yu Qing scratched her head, smiling sheepishly.

Then she set down her spoon and formally introduced herself to Jiang Nianyu.
“Hello, Miss Unknown. My name is Yu Qing—Yu, as in the Yu from the Yellow Emperor’s era, and Qing, meaning cool in summer and warm in winter.”

Yellow Emperor’s era, cool in summer, warm in winter.

Another name to savor and carefully consider.

Jiang Nianyu murmured the name silently, each syllable grinding against her throat.

The sunlight slanted slightly, falling across the small table.

Scattered with leftover breakfast, the leisurely morning meal had come to an end.

Seeing that Jiang Nianyu had finished eating and was wiping her mouth, Yu Qing finally spoke, “Um… there’s something else I need to tell you.”

“Yesterday’s accident affected so many people. The hospital is short-staffed. I’ll come change your bandages later, okay?”

Hearing this, Jiang Nianyu’s cold, calm expression faltered for a moment.

Having lost her memories, she had woken up feeling pain all over her body. Though she hadn’t thoroughly examined herself yet, she could sense that her injuries were more extensive than the visible ones. Her back and shoulders were completely battered.

She’s going to change my bandages?

The bright summer sun scorched the earth, yet it was the girl hidden in the room’s shadows who felt burned.

“…Okay.”

After Jiang Nianyu nodded, Yu Qing immediately began clearing the small table to make space for changing the bandages later.

As Yu Qing cleared the dishes, she heard the sound of fabric rustling against skin.

At first, she didn’t pay much attention to it.

But when she looked up, she saw Jiang Nianyu’s nimble fingers had already stripped off her hospital gown.

In Yu Qing’s mind, a girl’s body was always fair and delicate, like a white camellia plucked in spring.

Yet the thick gauze plastered to Jiang Nianyu’s collarbone and wrapped around her slender waist told a different story.

Her expression was cold, like a plaster sculpture maliciously chipped on a high platform, then clumsily repaired with what someone thought was a remedy.

Yu Qing’s breath caught in her throat, feeling as if she had witnessed a miracle.

At the same time, her heart threatened to leap out of her chest for another reason entirely.

The medicine change she meant wasn’t…

It seems it has to be done this way.

But even so, shouldn’t it be done gradually?

Yu Qing’s eyes darted around, her mind racing with chaotic thoughts.

This was her nervous habit, and even in the midst of her panic, she wondered—Is Jiang Nianyu only like this with me, or would she do this with anyone?

Our miracle girl, however, seemed utterly oblivious to Yu Qing’s reaction.

Having lost her memories, she seemed to have lost something else as well.

Her perception of the world, her sense of boundaries between people, her sense of shame beneath her clothes…

Her expression remained calm, her gaze indifferent as she watched Yu Qing deliberately avoid her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, as if delivering a silent judgment that made one feel their own flushed face and burning ears were due to their own impure thoughts.

“You…”

Swish.

Jiang Nianyu was about to speak when a sudden gust of wind interrupted her.

The curtain fluttered as a little girl with pigtails cheerfully slipped past it, skipping to Jiang Nianyu’s bedside.

The child appeared innocent and guileless, yet her eyes stared openly at Jiang Nianyu with an air of curious appraisal.

Yu Qing immediately sensed danger and instinctively shielded Jiang Nianyu behind her.

No one heard the sound of a blade slicing through fabric. Jiang Nianyu, watching the protective figure before her, swiftly concealed the small knife in her hand.

The movement was so natural, as if it were Jiang Nianyu’s instinct. Had Yu Qing arrived a moment later, the blade would have slashed across the child’s arm or throat.

Jiang Nianyu couldn’t tell if her subsequent actions were also driven by instinct.

Startled, the Omega tugged at Yu Qing’s sleeve from behind. Her soft, tremulous voice brushed against Yu Qing’s ear as she whispered, “Yu Qing… I’m scared.”