I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 38

Yu Qing’s final call of Jiang Nianyu’s full name carried a hint of reproach.

 

She didn’t actually expect Jiang Nianyu to change her clothes. After a brief grumble and a stolen kiss, she returned to her computer to adjust her environment.

 

The pear soup Jiang Nianyu had brought her was now half-empty, its glistening residue still clinging to Yu Qing’s lips.

 

Watching Yu Qing’s complete focus on the computer, Jiang Nianyu suddenly felt as if she and the machine served the same purpose.

 

She pressed her lips together, torn between lingering affection and a sense of dissatisfaction. It seemed she was the only one in the room left wanting more.

 

A gust of wind swept through, rustling the pages of the books on the table.

 

It was as if an invisible hand were pushing her into the story unfolding within those pages, urging her to forget her grievances.

 

What exactly was their relationship, then?

 

 

A week of working from home felt both short and long, the time slipping by in a flash.

 

But it had to be said, with the work pressure eased, Yu Qing’s cold cleared up much faster. By Tuesday, when she returned to the office, she was brimming with energy, standing out noticeably among the other employees.

 

“Check-in successful. Wishing you a productive day!”

 

The automated voice chimed from the door as Yu Qing strode purposefully to her workstation.

 

Gong Ning, already at her desk, watched Yu Qing’s refreshed appearance and teased, “Hey, what kind of secret feast did you have at home? You look like you’ve gained weight in just a few days!”

 

Hearing Gong Ning’s words, Yu Qing abruptly stopped in front of her workstation, touching her face in surprise. “Really? This dress doesn’t feel tight at all.”

 

Gong Ning burst into laughter. “Just kidding!”

 

“But you do look much healthier than before, and more energetic,” Gong Ning observed, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she leaned in conspiratorially.

 

“It seems your Miss Omega is taking excellent care of you~”

 

Gong Ning’s voice dropped to a whisper, sending a shiver down Yu Qing’s spine.

 

Yu Qing froze visibly. Gong Ning chuckled, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you know I’d find out eventually?”

 

“That Omega pheromone I smelled on you last time—it was hers, wasn’t it?” Gong Ning nudged Yu Qing’s shoulder. “Stop pretending nothing’s going on. No Omega pheromone can escape my nose, you know.”

 

Yu Qing grew even more flustered under Gong Ning’s amused gaze.

 

She had spent a week at home with Jiang Nianyu, a week that felt like the entire world revolved around just the two of them.

 

But the moment she stepped out of that house, it was as if all her thoughts and emotions had been drained away with her departure.

 

She could kiss Jiang Nianyu.

 

She could whisper sweet nothings in her ear as they lay entwined in bed.

 

But what was the reason for any of it?

 

What kind of relationship did she have with Jiang Nianyu?

 

Their connection was something that couldn’t be brought into the light.

 

When Yu Qing had confessed her desire to die, Jiang Nianyu had claimed her.

 

But what followed felt like a runaway train.

 

Who was to blame?

 

The manga in her original body’s bookshelf? Or Jiang Nianyu’s bluntness?

 

In truth, the person Yu Qing should blame most was herself.

 

She knew Jiang Nianyu depended on her, so how could she accept her own suicidal thoughts?

 

“What’s wrong? Why the sudden change in expression?” Gong Ning asked, noticing Yu Qing’s downcast eyes, her voice tinged with concern.

 

Assuming her earlier words had put pressure on Yu Qing, Gong Ning patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Xiaoyu, don’t worry. If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t pry. This is your personal matter—don’t let others’ opinions weigh you down.”

 

“But… if I myself feel…” Yu Qing stammered, her pride preventing her from voicing that self-deprecating judgment.

 

“If you’re saying that, then it can’t be true,” Gong Ning interjected, dismissing Yu Qing’s self-criticism. “Xiaoyu, have a little more faith in yourself. You might be confused right now, but you’ll understand eventually.”

 

“If you need advice, you can tell me, ‘I have a friend…’ and I’ll help you figure it out,” Gong Ning said, making air quotes with her fingers.

 

Gong Ning always exuded a carefree and generous spirit, which immediately lifted Yu Qing’s mood. “Thank you, Sister Gong Ning.”

 

“If you really want to thank me, just take good care of yourself and come to work on time every day,” Gong Ning said, noticing Yu Qing’s lingering sense of grievance. She began to complain, “These past few days without you have been so boring. If Siqing hadn’t been here, I would have died of boredom.”

 

“You wouldn’t believe it—I completely forgot you were coming back today. Then Siqing told me yesterday she was taking the day off, and I felt like the sky was falling!” Gong Ning clutched her coffee cup tightly as she spoke.

 

“I’ll definitely take better care of myself and exercise more,” Yu Qing said, silently patting the poor Gong Ning. She understood all too well what it was like to lose her work buddy.

 

As Yu Qing thought this, she glanced at the empty desk next to hers and reflexively asked, “Taking the day off? Is Siqing sick too?”

 

“No, not at all,” Gong Ning replied, shaking her head. “She’s moving into her new place today.”

 

Relieved, Yu Qing began tidying up her workstation, which had been neglected during her week-long absence.

 

Knock, knock.

 

Work hours always seemed to fly by. Just as Yu Qing finished cleaning her desk, someone knocked on it.

 

Yu Qing looked up and saw Sister Zhou, dressed in a tight-fitting skirt suit, standing before her.

 

“Xiaoyu, you were the first in our team to apply for remote work. I nearly had a heart attack when I heard! As a Beta, you’re not as strong as an Alpha. You really need to take better care of yourself.”

 

Sister Zhou’s words sounded concerned, but her tone carried a sharp undercurrent of sarcasm, mocking Yu Qing.

 

Yu Qing forced a corporate smile and retorted, “Actually, working from home these past few days has finally gotten rid of my dark circles.”

 

“Oh dear, were you working late again last night? Should I help you cover them up?”

 

Sister Zhou’s expression froze momentarily before she let out a dry laugh. “Alright, alright. Everyone knows you’re lucky. Wang has been covering your shifts all week. You should thank her.”

 

Covering for me? When someone on the team gets sick, it’s the Deputy Team Leader’s responsibility to find a replacement. Yet Sister Zhou was trying to guilt-trip her with a moral debt.

 

But… The name “Wang” sounded familiar to Yu Qing.

 

She remembered that Wang was the one who had pushed the work onto the original Yu Qing, only for Yu Qing to be praised at the meeting instead.

 

She was also the one who had been most attentive to Sister Zhou during the barbecue dinner.

 

Birds of a feather flock together.

 

Yu Qing could already guess what Sister Zhou was about to say: this project would also be credited to Wang, and Wang’s name would likely be added to the bonus.

 

But before Sister Zhou could speak, the door to Liaoliao’s office was pushed open.

 

Wang emerged, her face pale and her expression dejected. She looked even worse than Yu Qing had when she worked under Liaoliao, as if she had suffered a devastating mental blow.

 

Of course, Liaoliao wasn’t the type to be swayed by flattery. She valued competence above all else.

 

To be honest, Yu Qing felt a pang of sympathy for Wang’s ashen complexion.

 

But the next moment, Yu Qing realized her sympathy was entirely misplaced.

 

Wang noticed Yu Qing’s gaze and strode over in her high heels. “Sister Zhou, I’m not feeling well. I’d like to take a day off.”

 

“Should I apply for you to work from home?” Sister Zhou suggested to Wang.

 

“No need,” Wang replied sarcastically. “I still have to work, unlike some people who can relax at home. All this code? I pulled all-nighters last week to finish it.”

 

As she spoke, Wang tapped her laptop with a showy flourish.

 

Yu Qing watched from the side, utterly baffled by what Wang found so impressive about this.

 

Good heavens, she thought, I really wanted to be nice to people today.

 

But there’s always someone who just has to walk right into my line of fire.

 

“So, how much of your code actually got used?” Yu Qing asked, her tone flat as she raised her eyes to meet Wang’s.

 

The directness of her gaze made Wang’s heart skip a beat.

 

Wang seethed with resentment but dared not lash out.

 

How can Yu Qing, a mere Beta, exude such Alpha-like dominance that I can’t even argue back?

 

Creak.

 

No one noticed Liaoliao quietly emerge from the office.

 

“You—!”

 

“You were walking too fast earlier, so I didn’t have time to tell you. Hand over everything you’ve worked on this week to Yu Qing. You don’t need to come in anymore.”

 

Liaoliao’s voice cut through Wang’s unfinished sentence.

 

Her casual tone left Wang stunned.

 

Sister Zhou reacted faster, stepping in protectively to address Liaoliao: “Liaoliao, isn’t it a bit unfair to discard Wang like this after she’s done the work?”

 

Liaoliao shrugged dismissively. “What’s unfair about it?”

 

Then she turned to Yu Qing and said, “Take a look at her code. It might not be useful as a reference. If anything feels awkward, just delete it and replace it with your own.”

 

In the workplace, having a straightforward leader like Liaoliao could actually be a good thing.

 

Especially in this situation, the “evidence” Wang had been flaunting to claim credit had become the clearest proof of her incompetence.

 

She wanted a bonus? She wanted recognition?

 

Dream on.

 

Yu Qing and Gong Ning exchanged glances, noticing Sister Zhou and Wang’s expressions growing increasingly sour.

 

“Come to my office. Let’s review the progress,” Liaoliao said, oblivious to the satisfaction she had just delivered. With that, she swept out of the room.

 

She had used “we’ll” instead of “you’ll,” erasing the hierarchical distinction and speaking as if they were equal partners in a team.

 

Wang had never heard such words before. Liaoliao had never even bothered to look her in the eye.

 

Resentment burned within her. She wanted to lash out at Yu Qing again, but when she turned, she saw that Sister Zhou, who had been her accomplice moments ago, had already left.

 

After being so thoroughly humiliated, why would she stay? Did she really want to hear Yu Qing, whose words had suddenly turned venomous, thank her? Or let Wang take the fall for her pointless efforts?

 

The clatter of high heels echoed behind Yu Qing. Without even turning around, she could picture Wang’s impotent rage, seething with anger she couldn’t vent.

 

Having worked at this company for so long, Yu Qing had never felt this satisfied before.

 

She genuinely wanted to thank the divine intervention that had finally opened Liaoliao’s eyes. Returning to work and immediately seeing her workplace rival humiliated—it was simply too satisfying!

 

What Yu Qing hadn’t expected was that shortly after leaving with Liaoliao, she heard another shocking announcement.

 

“Want to be Deputy Team Leader?”

 

Liaoliao asked so casually, as if she were asking if Yu Qing wanted instant noodles for lunch.

 

Yu Qing froze, nearly bumping into the glass door of Liaoliao’s office.

 

Seeing Yu Qing’s reaction, Liaoliao’s face clearly showed her confusion and disdain. “What’s so surprising about that?”

 

“Zhou Lian’s been a real pain in the ass. When you were working from home, I told her not to bother finding a replacement, but she insisted on sending this idiot to try and take your place. Since that’s the case, I might as well talk to Acheng and get you promoted to Deputy Team Leader. That way, you won’t get screwed over, right?”

 

“That’s true,” Yu Qing agreed.

 

But she couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you suddenly so concerned about this?”

 

“Your little Omega taught me,” Liaoliao replied dismissively, walking over to the coffee station in Yu Qing’s office to make coffee. “She said that subordinates shouldn’t try to control their superiors, and that it’s better to guide than to suppress. I think she has a point.”

 

The coffee’s bitterness intensified as the hot water poured over it, but a subtle sweetness lingered on Yu Qing’s nose as the aroma drifted past.

 

Yu Qing was astonished. So, the ‘enlightened sage’ I wanted to thank for opening Liaoliao’s eyes was actually Jiang Nianyu.

 

“She also said that team members affect morale, which I dismissed at first. But this week, that little Wang’s incompetence made me far less efficient than when I’m with you. That’s when I realized what I truly need is you.” Liaoliao picked up her coffee, drank it straight without sugar, savoring the bitter taste.

 

Yu Qing stood beside her, utterly bewildered by Liaoliao’s words.

 

Still, she sensed that Liaoliao and Jiang Nianyu’s thought processes had aligned. That’s not bad, actually. It’s exactly what I’d imagined—that Liaoliao and Jiang Nianyu would eventually see eye to eye.

 

“This Omega is quite intriguing,” Yu Qing mused.

 

Just as Yu Qing felt certain of her assessment, Liaoliao’s voice cut through the air.

 

The steam from the coffee warmed the Alpha’s usually icy tone, giving it a hint of warmth.

 

She nodded, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes.

 

Could this thousand-year-old iceberg actually smile?

 

Yu Qing saw it clearly, and an inexplicable red line of caution snapped taut in her mind.

 

Before she could decipher the motive behind Liaoliao’s cryptic words, the Alpha spoke again, “Yu Qing, could you get me that Omega’s phone number?”

 

A flash of fire ignited the red line in Yu Qing’s mind, causing it to crackle and burn.

 

She didn’t recognize this feeling as a sense of crisis, but she knew with absolute certainty that she didn’t want this Alpha to have any contact with Jiang Nianyu outside her sight.

 

Alpha and Omega.

 

Look at that—the quintessential ABO world pairing.

 

Yu Qing suspected that the reason everyone referred to it as the “ABO world” rather than the “BAO world” or “AOB world” was to instill in Betas like herself a sense of separation and a mission to keep Alphas and Omegas apart.

 

Outwardly, Yu Qing replied, “I’ll ask her if she’s willing.”

 

But inwardly, she deleted the request from her mind entirely.

 

Even though her relationship with Jiang Nianyu had become tangled and unclear, she still wanted to keep this Omega to herself.

 

 

Personal matters were personal, and work was work.

 

Aside from her request for Jiang Nianyu’s phone number, Yu Qing had been playing games with Liaoliao. When it came to the project integration, she remained diligent and meticulous, leaving no room for error.

 

Like a bridge being built from opposite ends of a cliff, Yu Qing and Liaoliao had finally connected successfully today.

 

The entire process went relatively smoothly. Liaoliao occasionally found Yu Qing’s algorithms a bit cumbersome and streamlined them. The few remaining errors were quickly resolved thanks to Yu Qing’s well-rested mind.

 

With Wang serving as a benchmark, Yu Qing felt significantly less pressure.

 

For the first time, when she left Liaoliao’s office, her face wasn’t scrunched up like a bitter melon.

 

As she was leaving, Yu Qing glanced at Liaoliao’s computer and saw her casually email Director Chen—Liaoliao’s beloved Acheng—the promotion request for Yu Qing.

 

Promotion, salary increase, hope for the future!

 

Yu Qing walked out of Liaoliao’s office with a light step, gazing at the soft white clouds outside the window. Life felt increasingly promising.

 

Just as Yu Qing was planning how to celebrate this good news with Jiang Nianyu that evening, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

 

The scene felt eerily familiar. The moment Yu Qing pulled out her phone, her face crumpled.

 

It was a message from Yu Qingyun:

 

Let’s meet. I have a birthday gift for you.

 

So Yu Qingyun still remembered that Wednesday—tomorrow—was Yu Qing’s birthday.

 

Yu Qing frowned, caring neither for the gift nor wanting to take time off work and lose pay. I’m at work.

 

Yu Qingyun: Mom and Dad are worried about you. They wanted to visit this weekend, but I stopped them.

 

Yu Qingyun: If you want them to know there’s an Omega at your place, I won’t stop them next time.

 

The two messages flashed across Yu Qing’s screen, making her breath catch in her throat.

 

She suddenly remembered the day Yu Qingyun came to her apartment, sorting through her clothes, asking about the scent in her home, and showing no surprise at the rabbit that had suddenly fallen from the sky…

 

Yu Qingyun had indeed discovered Jiang Nianyu’s presence.

 

Yu Qing’s grip tightened on her phone, realizing she had been too careless and underestimated her opponent.

 

Her fingers, which usually flew across the keyboard, now hovered over the input box, paralyzed by indecision.

 

After typing and deleting the same few words repeatedly for what felt like an eternity, Yu Qing finally sat back down at her desk and typed out a reply: I understand.

 

 

Knock, knock, knock.

 

At that moment, a crisp knock echoed from Yu Qing’s front door.

 

Jiang Nianyu peeked out from the sofa, buried under a mountain of colorful streamers.

 

She had secretly ordered a pile of decorations online, planning to surprise Yu Qing with a birthday celebration at dawn the next day.

 

Jiang Nianyu had only brought out the supplies because she was certain Yu Qing wouldn’t be home for hours.

 

So who could be visiting at this hour?

 

Jiang Nianyu’s eyes turned icy. She cautiously eyed the entryway, stepped over the streamers scattered on the floor, and crept toward the door.