I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 41

In the early hours of the morning, the street adjacent to the apartment building fell completely silent, and the entire South City was enveloped in stillness.

 

Jiang Nianyu had already fallen asleep, leaning against Yu Qing’s shoulder, her breathing soft and even.

 

Yu Qing, however, couldn’t sleep. Lying in bed, she silently opened her eyes, the moonlight quietly etching confusion into her gaze.

 

What was the meaning of that phrase that had just flashed through her mind?

 

Who was “that person”?

 

Why did such a literary description suddenly include a highly technical term?

 

What was it referring to?

 

Could it be that her conversation with Jiang Nianyu about birthdays had triggered a memory from the original owner’s past?

 

Or was it something the original owner had read in a book?

 

But why a pink puppy…?

 

It sounded like it was talking about Lianlian.

 

Could this be her future?

 

The future after Jiang Nianyu regains her memories and leaves?

 

At this thought, Yu Qing’s heart, which had been brimming with joy from celebrating her first birthday, suddenly grew uneasy.

 

Was this merely the original owner’s overactive imagination, fueled by her extensive reading?

 

Or was it a birthday gift from heaven, a glimpse into her twenty-fifth year?

 

“Mmm.”

 

Suddenly, a rush of warm breath brushed against Yu Qing’s shoulder.

 

Jiang Nianyu seemed to be having a nightmare, whimpering as she pressed herself tightly against Yu Qing’s chest.

 

The movement was entirely subconscious, her gently trembling eyelashes making her look particularly vulnerable and endearing.

 

Yu Qing’s shoulder tickled from Jiang Nianyu’s eyelashes. She had no choice but to temporarily set aside her doubts, turn around, and pat Jiang Nianyu’s back. “It’s okay, A-Qing’s here.”

 

At least for now, she was here.

 

And Jiang Nianyu was here too.

 

 

The gentle morning light streamed into the high-ceilinged living room, bathing the second-floor bedroom in warmth.

 

The person still in bed slept soundly, completely oblivious to the passage of time on a workday.

 

Yu Qing had worked late the previous night to finish all her tasks.

 

Besides needing to catch up with Liaoliao on the many things she had missed during her week-long absence from work, there was another reason. Last Friday, the hospital had sent a follow-up email requesting Yu Qing to bring Jiang Nianyu for a check-up next Wednesday.

 

At first, Yu Qing was worried. She had just ended her work-from-home period and now needed to take another day off. Would Liaoliao think she didn’t value her job?

 

But to her surprise, Liaoliao didn’t mind at all.

 

Of course, Liaoliao wasn’t the kind of boss who would let her star employee take a day off just because it was her birthday.

 

She simply allowed Yu Qing the day off because she had completed all her work without affecting the team’s efficiency.

 

It was that simple—so simple it hardly seemed like a workplace.

 

Yu Qing thought that if all the world’s leaders were like Liaoliao—immune to flattery, prioritizing efficiency, and judging solely on results—the world would be a better place.

 

Clang! Thump! Tap-tap-tap…

 

Yu Qing’s lazy morning didn’t last long. The hurried footsteps next door woke her up.

 

Rubbing her eyes in confusion, she instinctively reached for her phone on the bedside table.

 

When she saw the time displayed on the screen, she understood why the noise had disturbed her.

 

8:49 AM.

 

Most residents in the apartment building were office workers who typically clocked in between 9:00 and 9:30 AM. The frantic rush next door clearly indicated someone was about to be late.

 

Yu Qing slowly got dressed and went downstairs, a smug smile playing on her lips as she pieced together the situation.

 

She had heard that her previous neighbor had moved out recently, and she wondered what the new one would be like.

 

So far, it was clear they weren’t as quiet as the previous resident.

 

“What’s got you so cheerful?” Jiang Nianyu’s gentle, clear voice floated up from below.

 

Yu Qing tilted her head and noticed Jiang Nianyu passing by the staircase with breakfast in hand.

 

The morning sunlight was so pure, as if the new day had just begun.

 

The words that had suddenly intruded in the early hours of the morning now seemed like they belonged to the previous day. Yu Qing looked at Jiang Nianyu standing before her and replied with a smile, “For my first day at twenty-five, I slept wonderfully.”

 

Jiang Nianyu raised her hand to show Yu Qing the breakfast on the plate. “The first breakfast of your twenty-fifth year is also wonderful.”

 

Thick slices of toast, golden-brown from being fried in butter, lay on the white porcelain plate, accompanied by a strip of bacon and a scoop of round vanilla ice cream. Drizzled with syrup, the dish looked particularly tempting.

 

Yu Qing’s lazily drooping eyes snapped open. “French toast!” she exclaimed happily, clattering down the stairs in her puppy slippers.

 

It had to be said that Jiang Nianyu’s cooking was the best Yu Qing had ever tasted.

 

Her taste buds were constantly satisfied, and the highlight of her life was their weekend grocery shopping trips together.

 

On rare leisurely weekdays, the knife slicing through the thick toast moved slowly and deliberately, its dull edge drawing out each cut.

 

Sunlight streamed onto the small round table near the balcony, merging the shadows of the two women sitting across from each other.

 

In this apartment, everything felt peaceful and secure.

 

No one would ever think about what had happened.

 

Or perhaps, what had happened was worth it.

 

 

This summer felt stretched out, like it had lasted a century, though it was only late July.

 

After dawn, the sunlight grew increasingly harsh, turning pale and glaring.

 

As Yu Qing left the house, she casually placed a straw hat on Jiang Nianyu’s head, which was now proving useful.

 

Sunlight filtered through the hat’s woven pattern, casting golden glints on Jiang Nianyu’s eyelashes—each glimmering spark looked far from cheap.

 

The Head Nurse, who had made a strong impression on Yu Qing and Jiang Nianyu, was already waiting at the ward entrance.

 

As she watched them approach, her smile deepened when she saw Jiang Nianyu wearing the dress she had gifted her.

 

The Head Nurse gazed at Jiang Nianyu like she was looking at her own child.

 

But this child who had returned now seemed like a completely different person.

 

The light, flowing skirt covered Jiang Nianyu’s knees, swaying in graceful arcs with each step.

 

She wore no makeup, and the thick gauze bandages had been removed. Her lightly pursed lips, now a healthy pink, gave her face a clear, almost ethereal quality, yet with an even stronger air of cool detachment.

 

“Miss Jiang seems to be recovering well. Her spirits are excellent,” the Head Nurse said, gently taking Jiang Nianyu’s hand.

 

Jiang Nianyu nodded slightly, her words perfectly polite and faultless: “Thank you for your concern. My recovery is largely due to your excellent care.”

 

Yu Qing stood beside them, watching. For some reason, Jiang Nianyu’s presence now exuded a different kind of aura.

 

It wasn’t the innocent naivety of before, nor the obsessive darkness she had shown earlier.

 

Instead, she appeared poised and dignified, yet her eyes held a subtle, distant aloofness.

 

The Head Nurse, however, didn’t notice this subtle distance. She was simply pleased by Jiang Nianyu’s words: “It’s our duty to care for our patients. I wish all my patients could recover as well as you, Miss Jiang.”

 

“Head Nurse, everything is ready,” a junior nurse announced, approaching to remind her.

 

Hearing this, the Head Nurse ended her pleasantries with Yu Qing and Jiang Nianyu. “Today, we have two tasks,” she explained. “Xiao Yu, you’ll come with me for a follow-up interview. Miss Jiang, this nurse will escort you to the Glandular Department. Everything has been arranged, so please rest assured.”

 

The Head Nurse’s methodical arrangements instilled a sense of calm.

 

Yet Jiang Nianyu felt reluctant to part with Yu Qing, her lowered lashes heavy with reluctance.

 

Yu Qing noticed her hesitation and reassured her, “Keep your phone close. My number and WeChat are saved inside, so you can contact me anytime. I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done talking to the Head Nurse.”

 

“Here, Lianlian’s app is already installed. Even when I’m not here, she’ll keep you company.”

 

As she spoke, Yu Qing took Jiang Nianyu’s phone and showed her the newly developed app.

 

The lock screen lit up, and the little dog that had been listlessly lying on the computer, waiting for its owner’s return, now leaped onto the phone screen, wagging its tail excitedly at its two owners.

 

“Woof woof!”

 

The dog was overjoyed to be reunited with its owner. If it could have jumped out of the screen, Jiang Nianyu would have been covered in Lianlian’s slobbery kisses.

 

Seeing all the preparations Yu Qing had made for her, Jiang Nianyu regained some of her usual composure. “Don’t worry, A-Qing.”

 

“Bye-bye,” Yu Qing waved, watching Jiang Nianyu leave.

 

Seeing Yu Qing’s reluctant expression, the Head Nurse chuckled and leaned closer. “Xiao Yu, if you’re so worried, why not just go with him? I can ask you the questions after the checkup. They’re all basic stuff, nothing too difficult.”

 

Hearing this, Yu Qing immediately waved her hand. “No need.”

 

In the hospital corridor, people hurried back and forth. In the brief time they’d been talking, Jiang Nianyu’s retreating figure had already disappeared around the corner.

 

Yu Qing felt a pang of disappointment, but she still insisted to the Head Nurse, “Since they’re just basic questions, it won’t take long. Your time is precious—how could you leave your patients to wait for me?”

 

“You little rascal,” the Head Nurse chuckled, gesturing for Yu Qing to follow her to a small conference room at the end of the corridor.

 

The Head Nurse’s questions were indeed very basic.

 

For example: Had Jiang Nianyu recovered his memories? Had this caused any difficulties in his daily life?

 

Or: How well was the Omega adjusting at home? Had he entered his Heat this month? Had there been any incidents of pheromone loss of control? Had he used Suppressants during his Heat?

 

Yu Qing answered each question earnestly, without hesitation or pause, indicating that she and Jiang Nianyu were getting along very well.

 

What the Head Nurse didn’t know was that Yu Qing’s questions had stopped at the onset of Jiang Nianyu’s Heat. Yu Qing hadn’t disclosed the events that occurred after Jiang Nianyu’s Heat began.

 

Therefore, Yu Qing still wasn’t entirely clear on whether a Beta guardian kissing their Omega ward would lead to imprisonment.

 

“Sometimes she has nightmares and becomes restless, needing my comfort,” Yu Qing recalled, explaining to the Head Nurse. “But I’m still worried. As a Beta, I can’t rely on pheromones to gauge whether her physical and mental state is normal. What if I miss something crucial?”

 

“As a Beta, you’ve already done remarkably well. Gentle reassurance is highly effective for Omegas,” the Head Nurse noted, nodding approvingly as she recorded the information.

 

“Just as you mentioned earlier, monitoring body temperature changes to track an Omega’s Heat is indeed the most convenient and reliable method for Betas. Timely administration of Suppressants should prevent any major issues,” the Head Nurse encouraged Yu Qing. “Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.”

 

“Let me tell you another remedy,” the Head Nurse whispered, leaning close to Yu Qing’s ear. “In extreme cases, an Omega experiencing Heat can alleviate their discomfort by consuming an Alpha’s bl00d, saliva, or other bodily fluids.”

 

“Alpha…” Yu Qing’s heart sank slightly at this prerequisite. “But I’m not an Alpha.”

 

“You can be flexible with it. What if Beta bl00d works too? Many Betas are undifferentiated Alphas or Omegas. Even without fully developed glands, they still carry a scent.” The Head Nurse smiled and patted Yu Qing’s shoulder. “Have faith in yourself.”

 

“Okay,” Yu Qing nodded, forcing a strained smile.

 

I’ve seen it all through my original body’s memories, Yu Qing thought. The pheromones inherited from my parents were so weak they weren’t even enough for me to differentiate. How could any scent possibly be hidden in my bl00d?

 

I’ve been classified as an undifferentiable Beta since birth. How could I possibly hope to have a scent?

 

Besides, wouldn’t a Beta who can’t even smell their own scent sound utterly pathetic?

 

“Once I’ve entered the assessment results, you can take your card and go. This will save you the trouble of coming back,” the Head Nurse said, closing her clipboard and tucking Jiang Nianyu’s medical card inside.

 

“Okay,” Yu Qing nodded and followed the Head Nurse away.

 

The hospital was still bustling. Yu Qing sat obediently on a chair opposite the nurses’ station, waiting for the Head Nurse to enter the results into the system.

 

Watching the patients hurrying through the emergency room, she couldn’t help but recall the day she found Jiang Nianyu and the stories they had shared here.

 

It felt like a lifetime ago, even though it had only happened at the beginning of the month.

 

Back then, Yu Qing could never have imagined that this Omega would come home with her, let alone that their lives would become so intertwined…

 

“Big Sister!”

 

As memories flooded her mind, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice suddenly called out from beside her.

 

A little girl with pigtails ran up, her eyes sparkling with a smile as she gazed at Yu Qing.

 

The child seemed to recognize Yu Qing, but Yu Qing was puzzled.

 

After a moment’s thought, she finally remembered—

 

The little girl who had snuck into Jiang Nianyu’s room to peek at him.

 

“Big Sister, we finally meet again! The nurses told me you left the hospital, and I was so sad. I didn’t even get to say goodbye!”

 

Yu Qing had a deeply negative impression of the girl, yet the little girl acted as if she knew Yu Qing intimately, her small face beaming with warmth and affection.

 

Yu Qing leaned back in her chair, utterly bewildered by what was happening.

 

Did she even know this girl?

 

Why was she saying how much she’d wanted to see her? Yu Qing barely recognized her!

 

“But I heard from the Head Nurse that you were coming today! I was so excited to meet you! Look, I even wore this special dress just for you. Do you like it?”

 

Yu Qing’s mind reeled in shock as the little girl twirled in front of her.

 

The pomegranate-red dress stood out vividly against the drab hospital surroundings. Maintaining her composure, Yu Qing nodded politely. “It’s beautiful. It suits you perfectly.”

 

“Really?!”

 

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

 

Just as the little girl’s eyes lit up at Yu Qing’s compliment, Yu Qing’s phone rang.

 

It was a video call from Jiang Nianyu.

 

Yu Qing glanced at her phone, then turned to the girl. “I’m sorry, Sister needs to take this call. Why don’t you go back to your mom? She’ll be worried if she can’t find you.”

 

Yu Qing spoke quickly, her mind racing with thoughts of Jiang Nianyu’s call. She didn’t even notice whether the little girl had left as she strode to a quieter corner to answer the phone. “Niannian.”

 

“A-Qing, I just had a bl00d draw. The results will take an hour,” Jiang Nianyu said, showing Yu Qing her arm with a cotton swab taped over the injection site.

 

“Does it hurt?” Yu Qing asked, noticing the bandage looked like more than just a single vial had been drawn.

 

Jiang Nianyu shook her head. “Not at all. I even watched the needle go in.”

 

Yu Qing frowned. I thought it wouldn’t hurt if you didn’t look. How could watching it make it hurt less?

 

“You really are braver than me…”

 

“So, so, so much braver!”

 

Yu Qing was genuinely impressed by Jiang Nianyu’s courage. But as she spoke, two small hands grabbed her arm and tugged.

 

The little girl who had been clinging to Yu Qing earlier suddenly reappeared, tugging at her hand to get a glimpse of the person on the video call.

 

Jiang Nianyu, caught off guard on the screen, suddenly saw the little girl’s face. The scene from that day in front of the hospital flashed vividly through her mind.

 

A wave of overwhelming anxiety washed over Jiang Nianyu, threatening to drown her.

 

She never imagined she would encounter this little girl again.

 

For some reason, the little girl who had seen Jiang Nianyu suddenly flinched and cowered beside Yu Qing, looking terrified. “Why is that sister here too?”

 

Clutching Yu Qing’s hand, she pointed at Jiang Nianyu on the screen and whimpered, “Sister… that sister squeezed my neck so hard, it really hurt.”

 

Hearing this, Jiang Nianyu felt a ringing in her ears.

 

She saw Yu Qing frown and say to her through the video, “Niannian, wait a moment. I need to handle something here.”

 

Yu Qing spoke hurriedly and hung up before Jiang Nianyu could react.

 

A cool breeze brushed against Jiang Nianyu’s ankles, and she could clearly sense Yu Qing’s anger.

 

Indeed, Yu Qing was furious.

 

But not at Jiang Nianyu.

 

Putting away her phone, Yu Qing shook off the little girl’s hand clinging to her arm.

 

The summer air hung thick and humid. Yu Qing loathed such uninvited intimacy. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

 

“I’m not… it’s just, she really did squeeze me,” the girl said, her voice trembling on the verge of tears, her eyes perfectly reddened.

 

But this performance didn’t move Yu Qing. She watched coldly and sat down in a nearby chair. “Then tell me, why would she squeeze you?”

 

The little girl’s sudden accusation against Jiang Nianyu was as unexpected as Yu Qingyun’s outburst the previous day.

 

But if Yu Qing could fiercely defend Yu Qingyun, how much more protective would she be of this child?

 

The little girl panicked. Yu Qing’s gaze was no longer the familiar, concerned look she knew, but a sharp, questioning glare. “She… she’s jealous of me…”

 

“I went to apologize that day, but she just suddenly grabbed my throat!” The little girl quickly recovered, even gesturing as she spoke.

 

The gesture did seem remarkably realistic, far beyond what a child her age should be capable of.

 

Yu Qing’s frown deepened. Her concern wasn’t about the little girl’s supposed mistreatment, but about why Jiang Nianyu had suddenly turned aggressive.

 

Had she been threatened too?

 

“You’re not telling the truth,” Yu Qing said softly, her eyes lowered as she looked at the girl, just as she used to when scolding her younger sister at her adoptive parents’ home.

 

The oppressive aura washed over the little girl, forcing her lips shut.

 

A growing fear gripped her heart as Yu Qing’s cold snort grew more pronounced. “You did something, didn’t you?”

 

“Do you really think you can fool me with this pathetic act? You pretend to be weak and pitiful, but your heart is darker than anyone’s.” Yu Qing showed no mercy as she reprimanded the child before her.

 

“But that sister also…”

 

“Do you really think you can compare to her?”

 

The little girl tried to argue, but Yu Qing’s sharp retort silenced her instantly.

 

The child’s innocent eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at Yu Qing. The short distance between them suddenly felt vast.

 

“Kid, are we even acquainted?” Yu Qing asked, finally losing patience. She had wanted to ask this ever since she first saw the girl. “Do I know you? Do you really think you can turn people against each other with just a few words?”

 

“Lies won’t win you friends. No one will ever genuinely like you. Keep lying, and your life will be ruined. Whether you become an Alpha or an Omega, no one will ever truly care for you.” Yu Qing glared at the girl, speaking with the cold authority of an adult, completely disregarding her age.

 

“That’s not true!” the girl shrieked, heedless of the quiet hospital environment.

 

“Really? Are you sure? Do you have any friends right now? Besides your mother, does anyone else care about you?” Yu Qing tilted her head, her voice casual but cutting.

 

In that instant, the little girl’s composure shattered.

 

She realized that the fear Yu Qing instilled in her was even more terrifying than when Jiang Nianyu had choked her.

 

“Shut your mouth,” Yu Qing said, her gaze fixed on the little girl. A faint, crimson glint flickered in her Beta eyes. “If I ever catch you stirring up trouble or spreading rumors again, I won’t hesitate to take further action.”

 

Yu Qing finally understood why the child had run away crying after apologizing to Jiang Nianyu that day, looking so lost and helpless.

 

She had clearly done something to anger Jiang Nianyu, and she deserved it.

 

The sunlight turned Yu Qing’s pupils a dark crimson, as if terror itself had descended.

 

Tears streamed uncontrollably down the little girl’s face as she sobbed and fled.

 

It was unclear whether she was crying because Yu Qing had frightened her, or because of the bleak future Yu Qing had painted for her.

 

The hospital corridor buzzed with activity, no one paying attention to the weeping child as they streamed toward the exit.

 

Amidst this surging crowd, Jiang Nianyu clutched her phone, anxiously weaving through the throng, desperate to find Yu Qing.

 

Just as she emerged from Building 1 with the flow of people, she saw a large crowd gathered in front of the adjacent building.

 

Swept along by the bustling crowd, she couldn’t push through or detour around them, forced to inch forward slowly.

 

“Oh my god!”

 

“What’s happening? Is that a person up there?!”

 

“Call security! Call the police!”

 

“Someone’s jumping from the inpatient ward!”

 

 

The surrounding chatter rose and fell in waves. When Jiang Nianyu heard a particular keyword, she froze.

 

She looked up at the hospital’s rooftop and saw a woman in a white dress standing on the sixth-floor terrace, having climbed over the rusted railing.

 

“Don’t jump!”

 

“Girl, whatever’s troubling you, let’s talk it out! Come back!”

 

“Where’s security?!”

 

 

“Ah—!!”

 

Amidst the anxious shouts around her, a piercing scream jolted everyone awake as if from a dream.

 

The bleached white dress drifted down from the rooftop like a wisp of smoke, weightless and adrift.

 

Thud!

 

How loud could a fall from a six-story building be?

 

Standing far away, Jiang Nianyu felt the ground tremble beneath her feet.

 

Still on the periphery of the crowd, she watched as the once-packed onlookers scattered in panic, their screams gradually fading into the distance.

 

Bl00d surged across the rough concrete, the sun-baked cracks resembling the earth’s veins, vivid and stark under the sunlight.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s heart pounded wildly. She knew she should run, but her feet felt rooted to the spot.

 

The crimson tide was spreading toward her, threatening to stain the pristine hem of her white dress.

 

I remember it clearly. Back at my grandmother’s house, she went up the stairs, thump-thump-thump, then—whoosh!—splat!

 

Amidst the surrounding chaos, Jiang Siqing’s voice suddenly rang clear in Jiang Nianyu’s ears.

 

The memory flashed back: the little figure Jiang Siqing had mimed climbing the stairs and leaping off the edge, a gesture eerily similar to the scene Jiang Nianyu had just witnessed.

 

In that instant, a flood of past memories surged through Jiang Nianyu’s mind.

 

When Jiang Nianyu was a child, she was sent to a shelter. She cried for days, only to be told the next day that her mother had died.

 

How could a child understand death?

 

Until that day, when a strange man took Jiang Nianyu to the distant suburbs.

 

The next time she saw her mother, it was at the funeral home.

 

The cold air clung to Jiang Nianyu’s ankles, as if trying to devour all the warmth in her body. Her mother lay beneath a white sheet, still wearing the white dress she had worn when they last parted. But her body was broken, her mangled form bearing no trace of the tenderness with which she had once embraced Jiang Nianyu.

 

“Mommy…”

 

The child’s sobs were more heartbreaking than screams, her obedient silence resembling that of the corpses lying in the funeral home.

 

The sunlight grew more intense, the cicadas’ shrill cries piercing the eardrums.

 

The nightmare Jiang Nianyu had always imagined as a child had now become reality.

 

“Wuwuwu…”

 

Yu Qing’s shoulders suddenly trembled. With shaking hands, she reached for her phone, which had just emitted a strange sound.

 

The virtual puppy on her screen seemed frozen, repeating the same distorted noise endlessly.

 

It could no longer keep her company.

 

Thick clouds, pushed by the wind, obscured the glaring sunlight, as if answering the collective hope.

 

Yet this shadow falling across Jiang Nianyu’s shoulders felt heavy, cold, and unsettling.

 

 

“Alright, let’s go find Miss Jiang.”

 

After settling the little girl, Yu Qing returned to the nurses’ station. The Head Nurse had completed the paperwork and handed the card back to Yu Qing.

 

“Thank you,” Yu Qing said, taking the card and eagerly setting off to find Jiang Nianyu.

 

Just then, the door to the nurses’ station swung open again.

 

The nurse who had escorted Jiang Nianyu earlier rushed in, her eyes darting to Yu Qing, who was sitting alone. Her expression instantly turned even more frantic.

 

“Miss Jiang… she’s gone.”