I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 37

Sunlight streamed into the study, turning each glass-fronted bookcase into a mirror.

 

Yu Qing’s reflection stretched across the mirrored surfaces, each reflection revealing a different expression to Jiang Nianyu’s eyes.

 

Hesitation, yet direct.

 

Speculation, yet uncertain.

 

Jiang Nianyu noticed the bookcase Yu Qing was facing. Among the neatly arranged books, there was a distinct gap in the color scheme.

 

She suddenly realized Yu Qing had discovered she had been secretly reading her treasured manga and novels.

 

Even a clueless stone would understand why Yu Qing had forbidden her from reading them after flipping through those books.

 

But so what? Some of Yu Qing’s manga, with their nuanced color transitions and masterful line work, were far superior to most mainstream comics.

 

The sunlight merged their shadows on the floor, intertwining them in an intimate embrace.

 

Jiang Nianyu pursed her lips, still undecided about confessing. “Here, here, and…”

 

As she spoke, Jiang Nianyu stepped in front of Yu Qing.

 

Her gaze traveled upward, past Yu Qing’s cheek and strands of hair, before pointing to several manga volumes that had clearly been moved: “I’ve read these too.”

 

Jiang Nianyu’s slender fingers glowed under the warm light, turning the fine down between her knuckles golden.

 

Her skin was so pale, each joint tinged with a delicate pink, as if stained by the books on the shelf—a half-real, half-imagined hue, ambiguous and alluring.

 

“The book says nightmares can be eased with kisses.”

 

“The book says kissing is a way to express happiness.”

 

Yu Qing finally understood where Jiang Nianyu had been getting those playful “the book says” remarks that had been popping up lately.

 

The vivid, dripping-wet scenes from the manga—rendered in stark black and white—were seared into Yu Qing’s mind.

 

She couldn’t help but recall those drunken nights under the streetlight, beneath the big tree by the restaurant entrance, and in the foyer… the tangled kisses and raw desire she had shared with Jiang Nianyu.

 

Whether it was the lingering fever or something else, Yu Qing felt her face growing hot.

 

“Didn’t I tell you not to touch the books here?” Yu Qing asked, her voice tinged with regret.

 

She gazed at Jiang Nianyu, who was wearing her white shirt.

 

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a pure, pristine glow, utterly untainted.

 

Someone like her… I should be cherishing her, protecting her, never letting a single flaw mar her perfection.

 

Yet she had let Jiang Nianyu see such books.

 

In that instant, Yu Qing felt she had defiled Jiang Nianyu’s purity.

 

Who could defile the Goddess on her throne?

 

“I’m sorry, A-Qing. I shouldn’t have peeked at your books without asking. Next time, I’ll definitely ask first,” Jiang Nianyu said, tugging at the blanket draped over Yu Qing’s shoulders.

 

But Yu Qing wanted to talk about something else entirely, her face burning even hotter.

 

With a stern, almost prudish expression, like an elder sister lecturing her younger sibling, she said, “It’s not about whether you asked or not. You shouldn’t be reading such things at all.”

 

But the reality was different from what she had imagined.

 

Upon hearing Yu Qing’s words, Jiang Nianyu tilted her head in confusion. “Why not? A-Qing reads them too, doesn’t she?”

 

“If A-Qing didn’t like them, why would she keep these books at home?”

 

Yu Qing always became prudish when the topic of love and desire arose. The closer she felt to someone, the more tongue-tied she became.

 

But in her flustered state, she often forgot that her flushed face and burning ears betrayed her own understanding of the books’ contents.

 

Jiang Nianyu always possessed such innocence, her baby-blue eyes seeming to reflect the purest ocean in the world.

 

With what seemed like the purest, most innocent logic, she cut straight to the heart of the matter.

 

Yu Qing was repeatedly stunned by Jiang Nianyu’s uncanny ability to pinpoint the core of any issue with surgical precision.

 

This often left Yu Qing speechless, forcing her to constantly re-evaluate her own arguments.

 

“A-Qing doesn’t like it, does she?”

 

Before Yu Qing could gather her thoughts, Jiang Nianyu’s face was suddenly close.

 

Her smiling eyes held an unfathomable depth as they swept over Yu Qing’s face, lingering on her reddening ears.

 

“The book says that when you like something, you feel an overwhelming urge to share it.”

 

Jiang Nianyu began quoting “the book” again, her warm, gentle voice brushing against Yu Qing’s ear.

 

She turned the tables with a smile, asking, “A-Qing, when you read these comics and novels, don’t you ever feel like sharing them?”

 

The girl who had just been wearing such a serious, grown-up expression now tugged lightly at her burning ears, instantly revealing her true nature.

 

For the first time, Yu Qing felt the books behind her were unbearably hot to the touch.

 

The sensation was like those nights when she’d secretly read these books in bed, accidentally burning her fingers on the overheated phone flashlight.

 

“H-how could this be…?” Yu Qing mumbled incoherently, then turned and walked to her desk.

 

She jiggled the mouse, checked the progress bar, and saw that the environment installation hadn’t moved an inch. She then began tidying her desk, trying to look busy.

 

But she wasn’t.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s gaze followed Yu Qing, tracing the line of her neck and waist, her eyes burning with restrained desire.

 

The rabbit-like ears twitched, and Jiang Nianyu turned to face Yu Qing. “Really? A-Qing, you mean you’ve never wanted to… practice some of those scenes with me?”

 

Light travels faster than sound. Before Yu Qing could react, Jiang Nianyu’s gaze had already shifted, settling on…

 

What Yu Qing had sought as refuge had become her prison.

 

Leaning against the desk, Yu Qing felt Jiang Nianyu’s hand slide down her back, claiming the curve of her hip.

 

The blanket draped over Yu Qing offered no protection; instead, it concealed the invader’s path.

 

The thin, textured cotton-linen fabric felt hotter than ginger against her skin. As Jiang Nianyu’s fingers moved, they left clear, lingering trails across Yu Qing’s back, each caress a deliberate torment.

 

The sun grew increasingly scorching, relentlessly raising the body temperature of a certain unfortunate patient.

 

“Hmm? A-Qing,” Jiang Nianyu murmured from behind Yu Qing, her breath, though light, felt hotter than the sun itself, carrying a hint of restrained possessiveness as it brushed against Yu Qing’s neck.

 

Jiang Nianyu stood motionless behind Yu Qing, yet Yu Qing felt them drawing closer with each passing moment.

 

Without the visual cues to gauge distance, Yu Qing’s heart raced faster with every subtle movement of Jiang Nianyu’s fingers.

 

What’s with this “practice” nonsense?

 

After what happened yesterday, is she really claiming to be self-taught? Some kind of prodigy?

 

Yu Qing’s mind was a mess, desperately trying to calm herself down by mentally complaining.

 

But the more she thought about it, the hotter her face grew, until she felt like she was about to throw caution to the wind.

 

“Yes!”

 

The fluffy puppy’s head froze mid-turn, then pivoted on the spot, driven by its owner’s footsteps.

 

Yu Qing had planned to use her height advantage to confront Jiang Nianyu face-to-face and turn the tables.

 

But her position proved disadvantageous.

 

The desk pressed against her back, preventing her from standing straight. This made Jiang Nianyu appear half a head taller, her slender shadow looming over Yu Qing like a cage, tracing the boundary between the sunlight outside and the darkness within.

 

Worse still, Yu Qing had forgotten to gauge the distance between herself and Jiang Nianyu.

 

Her sudden turn left only a hair’s breadth between their noses. Jiang Nianyu’s magnified, beautiful eyes unexpectedly met Yu Qing’s gaze—clear, deep, and capable of reflecting her true thoughts.

 

Yu Qing felt a sudden release in her chest.

 

Her nervousness and awkwardness melted away in Jiang Nianyu’s gaze, reflected in her wavering eyes.

 

Her defiant, “what’s the point?” attitude crumbled into surrender. Under Jiang Nianyu’s unwavering gaze, she meekly added the correct answer: “…How could I not?”

 

The girl’s voice was soft, still raspy from her cold.

 

A gentle breeze billowed the white curtains behind Jiang Nianyu.

 

This scene felt like a quintessential moment straight out of a classic school romance manga—the kind Yu Qing had read countless times.

 

Overexposed sunlight bathed everything in a hazy white glow, leaving only her and Jiang Nianyu in the world. Their warm breath, not yet scorching, brushed lightly against Yu Qing’s face, gentle beyond measure.

 

A faint, sun-warmed fragrance drifted lazily to Yu Qing’s nose.

 

The scent emanating from Jiang Nianyu was reminiscent of both lemon and lavender, just like Yu Qing’s own.

 

Though Yu Qing knew she was a Beta, she still fantasized about imbuing an Omega with her scent, even if that scent originated from discounted laundry detergent at the supermarket.

 

But what did it matter? This Omega now carried her scent.

 

Yu Qing, consumed by a nameless pride, failed to notice the subtle floral note hidden within the somewhat cheap-smelling fragrance.

 

Unable to identify the scent, she was nonetheless drawn to it, her gaze drifting toward the lips that had gently exhaled it.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s lips were thin, their delicate shape highlighted by the light, revealing a faint hint of color.

 

Once you’ve tasted the marrow, you’ll never forget the flavor, Yu Qing thought, recalling her wordless kiss in the foyer the previous night.

 

Though thin, Jiang Nianyu’s lips had been surprisingly soft.

 

When moistened, their glistening surface only intensified Yu Qing’s urge to tease them.

 

I want to do it again…

 

Yu Qing’s heart quickened, and she leaned forward.

 

But she could never have imagined that what would prove even more irresistible than another kiss was her sneeze.

 

“Achoo!”

 

Yu Qing covered her nose a split second before the sneeze erupted, nearly burying herself in Jiang Nianyu’s arms.

 

She had no idea if her reaction had been quick enough or if she had completely ruined her composure. All she knew was that this sneeze couldn’t have come at a worse time.

 

After a tense pause, Yu Qing nervously looked up.

 

Against the backlight, she met a pair of calm, beautiful eyes.

 

Jiang Nianyu was still watching her, her lashes lowered. “What? Aren’t you going to wipe it off for me?”

 

Her voice was neither loud nor soft, the sunlight filtering through it seemed to carry a hint of tenderness.

 

Yet it was precisely this gentle tone that left Yu Qing’s awkwardness with nowhere to go, overwhelming embarrassment washing over her.

 

Yu Qing had thought her reaction had been quick enough, her hand covering her face so well that she was sure she hadn’t sneezed on Jiang Nianyu.

 

How could this have happened…?

 

Mortified, Yu Qing forced herself to look at Jiang Nianyu’s face.

 

Her entire focus had been on the sneeze, completely oblivious to the gaze that had been fixed on her from above.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s hand rested on the table, silently trapping Yu Qing before her.

 

Her light-colored pupils were sensitive to light, making her gaze less noticeable in bright conditions. No one could see the way she looked at Yu Qing—as if she were eyeing her prey.

 

Yu Qing was unaware that her slightly elevated body temperature was intensifying her usually subtle scent.

 

Like fruit fermenting in the warm, humid air of a wine cellar, the stifling heat only deepened its intoxicating aroma.

 

Jiang Nianyu subtly cleared her throat, the Omega’s primal instincts quietly creeping up her fingers.

 

“Still haven’t found it?” Jiang Nianyu asked calmly as Yu Qing’s fruitless search met her gaze.

 

Her languid voice, laced with warm breath, drifted leisurely onto Yu Qing’s eyelashes, forcing her to blink involuntarily.

 

The computer behind them hummed, its fan whirring in protest against the overloaded CPU.

 

In that moment, Yu Qing suddenly felt as if Jiang Nianyu had been deliberately teasing her all along. There was no way her face could have been dirtied by Yu Qing’s touch.

 

Just then, Jiang Nianyu abruptly took Yu Qing’s hand. “Here, A-Qing.”

 

Yu Qing’s fingers brushed across the corner of Jiang Nianyu’s lips. The thin, dry lips felt even softer than she remembered.

 

The sensation was disorienting. Yu Qing forgot whether she should pull back, mesmerized as her fingers pressed against Jiang Nianyu’s lips.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s lips curved inward under Yu Qing’s fingertip, flushing crimson before her teeth slowly closed around it.

 

The fingertip brushed against her tongue—that small, wet thing so soft. Water, as always, blurred boundaries, allowing everything to intertwine more recklessly.

 

The shadows on the curtains drew closer, as if entangled in water, irresistibly drawn together.

 

Who could defile the Goddess on her throne?

 

…It was her all along.

 

Her body and mind resonated in unison, her breath ragged and uneven.

 

Yu Qing stared blankly at Jiang Nianyu, unsure if any rationality remained. She nervously withdrew her hand. “Niannian, don’t… I’ll give you my cold.”

 

The warning came too late. They were already so close, their breaths mingling between their lips, their breaths already exchanged.

 

“It’s okay. A-Qing and I can take medicine together.”

 

Jiang Nianyu didn’t care, even nipping lightly at Yu Qing’s finger as she spoke.

 

Instantly, a dense, tingling numbness surged up Yu Qing’s arm and shoulder, flooding through her limbs and bones.

 

She flinched slightly, her voice strained. “Why would anyone… deliberately seek out suffering?”

 

“It’s not bitter,” Jiang Nianyu said, shaking her head dismissively at Yu Qing’s words. “I read a book where the female lead would give the other female lead a piece of candy whenever she took medicine.”

 

Though Jiang Nianyu spoke casually, Yu Qing’s attention locked onto the word “eat.”

 

She recalled that dinner party, the mint candy that had rolled around in her mouth before ending up in Jiang Nianyu’s.

 

Eat candy…

 

How would Jiang Nianyu want her to feed it to her?

 

As if to nip the problem in the bud, Yu Qing lowered her head and told Jiang Nianyu, “There’s no candy at home.”

 

Look at this idiot’s naive thinking.

 

How could anyone believe that simply not having candy would solve everything?

 

Hearing Yu Qing’s words, Jiang Nianyu’s gaze drifted past her increasingly flushed ears, a ticklish sensation tugging at her heart.

 

Yu Qing’s lowered neck radiated an unspoken allure, growing richer and more tempting with each passing moment.

 

“Candy’s too expensive, A-Qing. You’ll have to make up for it yourself,” Jiang Nianyu murmured, her voice thick with suppressed heat. She leaned forward, her breath warm against Yu Qing’s skin, and pressed a kiss against her lips.

 

Should I pretend to be sick, too weak to resist?

 

She should also admit that she was nothing more than a greedy and despicable person. Seizing the opportunity, Yu Qing actively parted her teeth the moment Jiang Nianyu’s tongue pried open her lips.

 

The computer continued to whir incessantly, its fans straining under the weight of processing such a massive dataset after a long period of inactivity. The room filled with stifling heat as Jiang Nianyu’s tongue swept through Yu Qing’s mouth, slowly igniting the dormant fire in her veins.

 

Yu Qing couldn’t understand what was happening to her. She felt as if she had been sucked into a whirlpool of desire, dazed and unable to escape.

 

By the end, Yu Qing’s back was drenched in sweat. Already weakened by illness, she had no strength left after Jiang Nianyu’s thorough and consuming kisses. She slumped against Jiang Nianyu’s shoulder, her head drooping. “Jiang Nianyu, I’m sweating.”

 

Jiang Nianyu nipped at Yu Qing’s ear. “I’ll help you change.”