I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 36

In the sweltering summer heat, even the slightest touch felt damp.

 

Jiang Nianyu cupped Yu Qing’s face, her fingers gripping her chin as she spoke about whether Yu Qing was an Omega or not.

 

Perhaps it was because Jiang Nianyu had been handling ginger slices for so long, but her hands carried a faint, spicy aroma.

 

As Jiang Nianyu’s words reached Yu Qing’s ears, the latter’s face flushed crimson, the vibrant color nearly matching the redness on her back where the ginger slices had been applied.

 

Unsure if she still had a fever, Yu Qing felt her body was no longer as uncomfortable.

 

Yet an inexplicable heat lingered within her, leaving her with no will to resist.

 

In truth, Yu Qing didn’t care whether she was perceived as an Alpha or an Omega.

 

But the way Jiang Nianyu’s fingers brushed her chin, that subtle yet undeniable possessiveness, stirred a rebellious streak within her.

 

Struggling slightly, Yu Qing turned her head a fraction, her chin pressing against the hollow of Jiang Nianyu’s hand. With stubborn defiance, she insisted, “I’m a Beta.”

 

Well, Jiang Nianyu’s hand cradling my face feels strangely comfortable anyway. And since I’ve already abandoned my pride, I might as well lean into it, Yu Qing thought, letting her head rest fully against Jiang Nianyu’s palm.

 

She let her face sink completely into Jiang Nianyu’s hand, her slightly plump cheeks moving rhythmically under Jiang Nianyu’s gaze as she emphasized each word.

 

“I have no flavor. I’m bland to taste, not worth keeping, yet too pitiful to discard.”

 

Jiang Nianyu stared at Yu Qing’s face, desperately wanting to taste her and prove her wrong.

 

But the more she thought this, the calmer her gaze became.

 

She felt she was gradually regaining the composure she’d had before her amnesia.

 

Just like now, as Yu Qing’s warm breath brushed against her fingers, she felt an overwhelming urge to restrain herself.

 

Slowly, she moved her other hand toward Yu Qing’s neck, then her shoulder, finally resting it on her back.

 

“A-Qing, how could you think that? You actually have so much to offer.”

 

Yu Qing froze, startled by Jiang Nianyu’s words.

 

To be honest, she had never believed she could live up to Jiang Nianyu’s praise.

 

But then she seemed to realize something.

 

The fingers resting on her back gradually became more insistent, more present.

 

Having just worked up a sweat, Yu Qing’s pale back was now slick with a thin layer of moisture.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s fingers glided lightly across Yu Qing’s back, like a quill dipped in ink, translating her next words inch by inch into the language of Yu Qing’s skin.

 

“A-Qing, do you know how firm your back is?”

 

Jiang Nianyu’s hand lingered on Yu Qing’s back, her slender fingertips so soft that they pressed shallow indentations into Yu Qing’s skin, slowly releasing her lingering warmth.

 

“A-Qing always wears such loose clothes. Do you even realize how narrow your waist is?”

 

“I noticed when I was helping you change earlier. There’s not an ounce of extra flesh here. If you trace your fingers carefully, you can even feel the curve of your abs…”

 

“Niannian.”

 

As Jiang Nianyu spoke, her hand, which had been hovering at Yu Qing’s waist, restlessly began to drift forward.

 

Yu Qing’s breath caught in her throat, her voice rising slightly as she called Jiang Nianyu’s name.

 

In all these years, she had never experienced such intimate physical contact. The touch made her intensely nervous.

 

The neglect she had suffered during adolescence had left her with a deep-seated shame about her own body.

 

Even in college, she only showered when the facilities were nearly empty. Earlier, she had been mentally preparing herself from the moment she began undressing.

 

As she spoke Jiang Nianyu’s name, Yu Qing lifted her head.

 

Her eyes, still glistening with moisture, held a flicker of panic, trembling slightly as if she were suppressing a deep-seated grievance she dared not voice.

 

The summer sun blazed with relentless heat, and Jiang Nianyu, caught off guard, felt Yu Qing’s gaze burn into her.

 

She immediately realized she had gone too far and swiftly withdrew her hand.

 

Yu Qing couldn’t be guided into enjoying this. Every attempt to soothe her felt like an intrusion.

 

“I’m sorry, A-Qing,” Jiang Nianyu said earnestly, pressing a feather-light kiss to Yu Qing’s lips.

 

Yu Qing hadn’t expected this.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s kiss was pure, untainted by desire or greed. It tugged at Yu Qing’s heart, sending a current of electricity surging through her limbs.

 

As if overwhelmed by the heat, the cicadas outside fell silent.

 

Yu Qing heard a tingling sensation bloom along her spine, her fingertips trembling with a knowing tremor.

 

“It’s okay… you don’t need to apologize,” Yu Qing mumbled into the pillow, her voice muffled and soft. “It’s my own problem.”

 

Because no one had ever proactively comforted her, she had always assumed every problem was her own fault.

 

Buried in the pillow, Yu Qing thought, We’ve already done that. Anyone else wouldn’t mind this kind of intimacy.

 

Perhaps illness amplified Yu Qing’s insecurities, transforming her usual reserve into a desperate need to please.

 

Don’t abandon me.

 

Jiang Nianyu gazed at the small, curled-up figure on the bed, her back trembling like a frightened rabbit.

 

Her heart ached, not for herself, but with a deep, empathetic pain—a sense of feeling Yu Qing’s suffering as her own.

 

After applying the plaster, Jiang Nianyu turned to Yu Qing and asked, “A-Qing, how could this possibly be your fault?”

 

“Next time I do something like this, I’ll ask for your opinion first. You have the right to say no. You understand, right?”

 

Right?

 

Facing the backlight, Yu Qing followed Jiang Nianyu’s gesture and lifted her head.

 

The woman’s features were obscured by the light, appearing both profound and indistinct.

 

Only a gentle outline remained, enveloping Yu Qing’s barren soul like a shadow.

 

It was like a divine revelation, reminding humanity that they still possessed the right to say “no.”

 

“Yes,” Yu Qing nodded.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s ginger massage seemed to have worked wonders. Yu Qing felt much better now, at least no longer tense.

 

Awkward situations always needed to be resolved. Yu Qing didn’t want her relationship with Jiang Nianyu to remain stuck in this awkward limbo.

 

After a moment’s thought, Yu Qing rested her head on Jiang Nianyu’s palm and asked, “Oh, right, my boss called earlier. Did you answer the phone?”

 

Jiang Nianyu nodded obediently. “You were just starting to get over your fever. I didn’t want her to disturb you.”

 

“What did you say to her?” Yu Qing tilted her head, looking at Jiang Nianyu with curiosity. “My boss has always been so stern and impersonal. But she actually praised me just now!”

 

Yu Qing’s eyes lit up as she spoke.

 

She still couldn’t quite believe Liaoliao’s words from earlier.

 

Jiang Nianyu, however, dismissed it casually. “You said it yourself—she’s an impersonal person. I simply stated the facts: teamwork and appropriate encouragement act as catalysts, motivating subordinates and boosting productivity.”

 

Yu Qing blinked, surprised by Jiang Nianyu’s bluntness.

 

But thinking about it, it made sense. For a genius like Liaoliao, who was emotionally detached, only core, concise principles would likely resonate.

 

Still…

 

“That’s amazing! I can’t believe you understand something like that,” Yu Qing marveled.

 

She believed this approach was the most effective way to address the root cause of problems, even demonstrating a rather sophisticated understanding of management. She had spent a long time pondering this after becoming Team Leader, only to finally figure it out.

 

Would something like this be too difficult for someone with amnesia?

 

Could it be that Jiang Nianyu was already a natural leader before losing her memory, making this approach come naturally to her?

 

Or perhaps Jiang Nianyu is simply a born leader, capable of effortlessly handling such situations regardless of her memory loss?

 

“I also received other calls,” Jiang Nianyu’s voice cut through Yu Qing’s deepening thoughts.

 

Yu Qing’s head snapped up, a mix of anxiety and fear in her eyes.

 

After what happened yesterday, she was genuinely worried about getting calls from the hospital.

 

“It was the senior who hugged you and the junior who calls you ‘Sister’,” Jiang Nianyu said, her words deliberately clear.

 

Hearing this, Yu Qing’s heart immediately settled.

 

The sense of disappointment she had felt when picking up the phone earlier vanished.

 

Gong Ning and Siqing had finally reached out to her.

 

“What did you say to them?” Yu Qing asked, her eyes sparkling with the same rapt attention she showed when Jiang Nianyu told her stories.

 

But the more Yu Qing’s anticipation grew, the darker Jiang Nianyu’s gaze became.

 

The sunlight streaming through the window was blinding, and Yu Qing couldn’t meet its glare.

 

Jiang Nianyu lowered her gaze and replied briefly, “They asked what was wrong with you. I told them you had a fever and couldn’t come to work today.”

 

“I also told them I’d take care of you, so they don’t need to worry.”

 

Jiang Nianyu spoke with such composure, even tilting her head to mimic Yu Qing’s mannerisms when she delivered the last line.

 

Yet this wasn’t just a performance of affection; it felt more like a deliberate provocation, as if Jiang Nianyu were throwing a hidden challenge at Yu Qing.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s reply had inadvertently revealed her presence.

 

Yu Qing could already imagine the teasing and interrogation she’d face from Gong Ning and Siqing when she returned to work next week.

 

Her head felt dizzy, and her face flushed with heat.

 

Yu Qing completely missed the intense possessiveness in Jiang Nianyu’s words, only vaguely sensing that someone was comforting her.

 

“A-Qing needs to rest properly and listen to me today. Otherwise, I’ll get an earful when you go back to work.”

 

A hot, humid breeze swirled between them, Jiang Nianyu’s fingers still resting on Yu Qing’s cheek.

 

As Yu Qing felt the warmth radiating from Jiang Nianyu’s touch, she remained unaware that Jiang Nianyu was touching her physical body.

 

It was still her soul.

 

Yu Qing couldn’t escape her current vulnerability, nor could she escape her dependence on Jiang Nianyu.

 

But after over twenty years of life experience, the closer she got to happiness, the more terrified she became.

 

What should I do?

 

If Jiang Nianyu regains her memories, what will we do?

 

She yearned to cling to something so solid, so unbreakable.

 

But in reality, the Jiang Nianyu before her now wasn’t that unbreakable thing.

 

Jiang Nianyu was still suffering from amnesia.

 

And if Jiang Nianyu didn’t have it, Yu Qing certainly didn’t either.

 

If there was only one person with amnesia here, then she, who had never truly belonged to this world, was the one who was truly lost.

 

So, in a sense, she and Jiang Nianyu were not the same.

 

In fact, she was in an even worse position than Jiang Nianyu.

 

Forgotten things would eventually be remembered.

 

But how could she fill the void of something that had never existed in the first place?

 

Yu Qing didn’t know. Her heart raced faster and faster. After several seconds, she managed to nod calmly at Jiang Nianyu. “I’ll be good and do as you say.”

 

 

Yu Qing obeyed. Since Jiang Nianyu had told her not to go to work today, she stayed home.

 

However, the virtual environment on the computer at home was different from the one Yu Qing used at work. With nothing else to do, she lay in bed, alternating between a sore butt and a stiff back. Eventually, she decided to apply to slowly install programs and debug the environment in the study.

 

Debugging the environment was a task that required patience. Yu Qing wrapped herself in the small blanket Jiang Nianyu had given her and began to wander around the study.

 

During her previous introduction to Jiang Nianyu, she hadn’t had a chance to examine the original Yuan Qing’s belongings closely. Now, she finally had the opportunity to delve deeper.

 

The middle row of cabinets in the bookcase was filled with Yuan Qing’s original award certificates.

 

From one award to the next, they completely filled three large compartments.

 

This scene differed somewhat from the memories Yu Qing had dreamed of about the original Yuan Qing.

 

It seemed that Yuan Qing hadn’t been as lacking as the people around her had implied. In fact, they might have even considered her quite exceptional. During her university days, Yu Qing had been constantly scrambling to make ends meet, and she had always envied those who could form their own programming teams, enter competitions, and win awards.

 

Yuan Su was exceptionally talented.

 

Yet Yu Qingyun’s shadow loomed over her, an inescapable presence.

 

Visually, Yuan Su’s award-winning photos showed a gradual shift. From the radiant smiles of her childhood, she grew increasingly reluctant to smile.

 

By her graduate school graduation photo, all traces of joy had vanished from her face.

 

Yu Qing stared at Yuan Su’s graduation photo, noticing how she clutched her shoulders, her hands clasped awkwardly in front of her. It was hard to imagine this reserved figure had once been so vibrant and lively.

 

Why did she pursue graduate studies?

 

Perhaps because the university Yuan Su attended, while respectable, wasn’t among the nation’s top institutions—a stark contrast to Yu Qingyun, who had been fiercely courted by the country’s elite universities.

 

Driven by this, Yuan Su had desperately striven to gain admission to Yu Qingyun’s alma mater for her graduate studies.

 

Yu Qing gazed at Yuan Su’s photos in the display case, unable to resist reaching out to touch her face. “You must have endured so much hardship these past years.”

 

Sunlight streamed through the glass cabinet, reflecting Yu Qing’s vibrant face in the glass door.

 

The moment she asked the question, a faint ache bloomed in her chest, lingering for a long while.

 

Her lips paled slightly as Yu Qing exhaled a shaky breath.

 

She instinctively tightened the blanket Jiang Nianyu had draped over her shoulders, as if clinging to it would bring her a sense of security.

 

“Someone wants my life, but I’ll live on,” Yu Qing murmured, her fingers tracing the face that mirrored her own, as if touching herself.

 

The original study was spacious, about two-thirds the size of the second floor, its walls lined with towering bookshelves overflowing with books.

 

Yu Qing randomly pulled down a volume and discovered that every book in her hand bore clear signs of careful reading.

 

If only I’d had books like these when I was a child, she thought wistfully, her gaze lingering on the rows of books, reluctant to tear herself away.

 

Suddenly, she understood why Jiang Nianyu had been constantly saying “The book says…” lately. With such a wealth of knowledge at her fingertips, these books were far more reliable and authoritative than any search engine.

 

Still, Yu Qing found the sheer volume of scholarly references a bit overwhelming.

 

Yu Qing flipped through the highly specialized tome in her hands before silently returning it to the bookshelf. She decided it would be better to leave these books for Jiang Nianyu.

 

As for herself…

 

Yu Qing strolled over to the cabinet where she had once hidden her true interests from Jiang Nianyu.

 

Her eyes lit up as she gazed at the neatly arranged collection of small books, their covers depicting intimate scenes between female characters.

 

She realized her interest in this genre hadn’t waned.

 

Heh heh, who doesn’t enjoy watching beautiful women getting close?

 

You too, right, Original?

 

Just as Yu Qing stood on tiptoe to select a volume, she suddenly noticed that the third volume of the manga she had been wanting to read was missing.

 

One book was gone from her secret bookshelf.

 

Knock, knock.

 

At that moment, the study door was pushed open.

 

Jiang Nianyu entered, carrying a small bowl of pear soup. The sweet, fragrant aroma of pears drifted through the ink-scented study.

 

“I made you some pear soup to soothe your lungs,” Jiang Nianyu said calmly, placing the bowl on Yu Qing’s desk.

 

But as Jiang Nianyu set down the bowl, she suddenly noticed the way Yu Qing was looking at her.

 

“Niannian, what kind of books have you been reading lately?”