I Really Didn't Intend to Pick Up the Black Lotus Omega - Chapter 50

But this was Jiang Nianyu.

 

Yu Qing wasn’t Eve; she was Lilith, the one who fled the Garden of Eden.

 

 

Yu Qing couldn’t tell if it was her eyes playing tricks or the reflection of the streetlights through the car window.

 

As she gazed at the ring in Jiang Nianyu’s hand, she swore it was shimmering in her own eyes.

 

The soft glow seemed as if someone had plucked a star from the sky just for her, imprisoning it in this tiny ring setting simply because she had expressed a desire for it.

 

Yu Qing’s eyes glazed over, completely forgetting the plot as she stared at the ring.

 

For this moment, at least, she was utterly immersed in the joy of receiving such a gift.

 

The alcohol continued to ferment in her mind, reshaping her thoughts.

 

No one had explicitly mentioned the ring’s significance, but she thought, At least for this moment, Jiang Nianyu is giving me this ring—even if it’s just for me—because she wants to walk this path with me.

 

The gemstone ring jolted Yu Qing awake by nearly half, her mind slowly processing its value. “Is it expensive?” she mumbled.

 

Jiang Nianyu said casually, “As you know, I only have the hospital’s subsidy. I can’t afford anything too extravagant. This is a lab-grown Porsang Stone. I just hope you don’t mind.”

 

“How could I?” Yu Qing replied.

 

Whether it was a Porsang Stone or stained glass, Yu Qing held out her hand, gladly letting Jiang Nianyu slip the ring onto her finger.

 

Yu Qing’s hand wasn’t particularly beautiful, especially compared to the person before her.

 

But a beautiful gemstone would shine brilliantly on anyone who wore it.

 

It was a symbol of power, adorning the Crown of Man and glittering brightly during the coronation ceremony, where all eyes were fixed upon it.

 

Yet this last vestige of the Empire’s glory could never have imagined that centuries later, it would become a gift celebrating a Miss’s promotion to the unremarkable position of Deputy Team Leader.

 

Under the flickering streetlights, Yu Qing gazed at the gemstone, its color mirroring Jiang Nianyu’s eyes, her heart filled with affection.

 

Only then did she belatedly realize why Jiang Nianyu had given her “eyes.” The wine was intoxicating, but her love was even more so.

 

A sudden idea flashed through her mind, and she acted on it without hesitation.

 

The moment they emerged from the tunnel, Jiang Nianyu felt a soft kiss on her cheek.

 

The lingering light in the car illuminated the blush spreading across Yu Qing’s face.

 

Jiang Nianyu froze completely, the usually calm and composed woman rendered speechless, looking utterly dazed.

 

For a fleeting moment, Jiang Nianyu felt she would buy Yu Qing a whole carload of jewels, just to see her happy.

 

But how long could the Illusory Phantom’s happiness truly last?

 

“Careful. I’ll get you some water. Sit nicely on the sofa.”

 

“Okay~”

 

Lin Sui, still disguised as a ride-hailing driver, couldn’t help Jiang Nianyu take the tipsy Yu Qing home.

 

As Jiang Nianyu guided Yu Qing through the door and released her arm, an inexplicable unease settled in her chest.

 

She watched Yu Qing walk toward the living room, relieved to see she wasn’t as drunk as she’d feared. Yu Qing managed to sit on the sofa and even reach out to turn on the nearby floor lamp.

 

The incandescent bulb, shielded by its lampshade, cast a warm glow across the living room floor.

 

Yu Qing was intimately familiar with this light, yet tonight, it felt as if a sharp-edged beam had sliced through her eyes.

 

Frowning, she dazedly looked toward the source of the light, only to discover it was the ring Jiang Nianyu had given her.

 

The stone, so pure and flawless, certainly didn’t look like cheap junk, let alone glass.

 

Rustle.

 

The night wind brushed through the leaves, and the familiar sound of turning pages echoed in Yu Qing’s ears.

 

A line of stark description floated through her mind, solely to describe the ring on her hand:

 

*It is expensive, rare, and once adorned the Crown of Man, imbuing it with the aura of power.

 

No one could resist the allure of such a gemstone ring, nor suppress their curiosity about how such a rare treasure had come into Jiang Nianyu’s possession.*

 

—“This is a gift I gave her.”

 

—“It’s a pity I couldn’t keep it with her forever.”

 

A long gust of wind surged through the open window, causing the balcony curtains to billow and sway.

 

Against this hazy, dreamlike backdrop, Yu Qing seemed to glimpse Jiang Nianyu standing alone by the window at that banquet.

 

The ring.

 

Wasn’t this the ring Jiang Nianyu used to remember her?

 

Yu Qing’s mind went blank, and she froze in place.

 

Her hand, still wearing the ring, froze in place. As if laced with alcohol, her fingers began to tremble uncontrollably.

 

Jiang Nianyu had finally given her the ring.

 

Gong Ning’s advice had completely crumbled. Yu Qing realized that what was meant to happen had come to pass.

 

And it was all because of her own words.

 

She had vainly hoped to change the plot, only to become the one pushing it forward.

 

“It’s worthless.”

 

“This is a gem from the Crown of Man—priceless, impossible to buy.”

 

Though the words rang in her ears, Yu Qing’s heart ached so fiercely she could barely breathe.

 

A stone ring. Suddenly, she felt foolishly naive.

 

So Jiang Nianyu had truly been deliberately concealing her recovered memories.

 

And she—

 

She should have understood the moment she saw Jiang Nianyu with Hou.

 

Where else would Jiang Nianyu have gotten the money to buy something so expensive?

 

The plot of the novel unfolded with relentless precision, each step inexorably driving them forward.

 

“Drink some water.”

 

The ice-cold glass pressed against Yu Qing’s fingers, chilling her to the bone. Jiang Nianyu

 

Yu Qing looked up at Jiang Nianyu, momentarily unsure if the chill radiating from her fingertips came from the glass or from Jiang Nianyu herself.

 

Her throat burned with bitterness, and the evaporating alcohol pounded in her head.

 

Like a traveler who had wandered too long in the desert, Yu Qing tilted the glass back and nearly drained it in one gulp.

 

Her tongue went numb, and her throat felt as if it had lost all sensation.

 

Yet why could Yu Qing still clearly feel the ache in her heart? Her breath hitched, the cold air wrapping around it as it sank heavily into her limbs and bones.

 

“A-Qing, why didn’t you leave any for me?”

 

In the soft lamplight, a shadow slowly descended.

 

Compared to the icy chill lingering on Yu Qing’s lips, Jiang Nianyu’s breath felt like a warm spring breeze, slow and gentle as it brushed against her lips, overflowing with tenderness.

 

She had given Yu Qing an expensive ring, so asking for a kiss seemed only fair, right?

 

There were always those fleeting moments when one wanted to abandon all restraint and numb oneself.

 

Especially now, with Yu Qing’s mind clouded by alcohol and her senses blurred.

 

The light seemed to dim imperceptibly. By the time Yu Qing realized it, icy water was already swirling on her tongue.

 

Jiang Nianyu followed her fingers and clasped them, leaning in for a silent, lingering kiss.

 

Though ice should have cooled her down, Yu Qing felt her entire body burning.

 

She tilted her head back, her throat bobbing rhythmically as she surrendered to Jiang Nianyu’s kiss, completely losing control.

 

Yet even in this moment, a thread of consciousness lingered in Yu Qing’s mind.

 

Like the strings of a marionette, it tugged at her soul, pulling her back to reality.

 

Yu Qing couldn’t understand why Jiang Nianyu was doing this.

 

The book had described her as utterly detached and indifferent, an Omega who seemed immune to pheromones, devoid of desire.

 

So what was this between them now?

 

What did all those things she had done to Yu Qing before even mean?

 

The icy water seeped into Yu Qing’s bl00d, chilling her to the core.

 

But Jiang Nianyu’s kisses continued to pour warmth into her, making her bl00d feel like it wanted to boil.

 

Caught between these extremes, Yu Qing felt like she had been thrown into a deep abyss of alternating heat and cold, her fingers trembling violently.

 

This couldn’t go on any longer.

 

Yu Qing abruptly pulled her hand from Jiang Nianyu’s grasp and pushed Jiang Nianyu away, breaking free from the woman’s embrace.

 

The suddenness of the movement caught Jiang Nianyu off guard. Even in the dim light, Yu Qing could see the confusion in her eyes.

 

Jiang Nianyu looked like a child who didn’t understand what she had done wrong. Despite having regained her memories, she still wore that innocent, clueless expression from when she had amnesia.

 

That look tugged at Yu Qing’s heart, making her almost doubt whether Jiang Nianyu had ever truly lost her memory.

 

She had intended to confront Jiang Nianyu and retaliate for her deception, but at the last moment, she couldn’t bring herself to quarrel with her.

 

The hand she had used to push Jiang Nianyu away still hung between them. Yu Qing quickly made an excuse, avoiding Jiang Nianyu’s gaze: “I’ve been drinking. I must smell awful.”

 

“No,” Jiang Nianyu murmured, leaning closer to Yu Qing’s ear. “A-Qing smells delicious.”

 

Her voice, usually warm and gentle, now carried a hint of coldness, creating an inexplicable sense of distance.

 

Yu Qing, unaware of any particular scent she might have, didn’t dwell on the meaning of Jiang Nianyu’s words.

 

She glanced sideways at Jiang Nianyu, her hesitant gaze betraying a sense that Jiang Nianyu was trying to placate her distrust.

 

“Jiang Nianyu, do you think I’m easy to fool just because I’m a Beta?” Yu Qing asked, her eyes lifting briefly before drooping again as if overwhelmed by the weight of the light.

 

Jiang Nianyu’s gaze paused, as if a thick fog had parted in her eyes. “So you drank so much tonight because you feel like you’re just a Beta?”

 

Yu Qing stared blankly for a moment at Jiang Nianyu’s words.

 

She suddenly caught a whiff of the night wind, and a strange lightness seemed to lift her.

 

“I want to know,” Jiang Nianyu said earnestly after Yu Qing’s long silence.

 

For over twenty years, Jiang Nianyu had been raised with the most brutally direct education, where emotions were treated as tools for manipulating others.

 

She had no use for them, dismissing them as irrelevant, and believed she had forged the most impenetrable armor around herself.

 

But Jiang Nianyu remembered her mother’s words: “Arrogance will lead to your downfall.”

 

Now, she felt an unexpected pang of regret.

 

She had likely sensed Yu Qing’s distress and seen the disappointment in her eyes.

 

She wondered if the skills she had learned in psychology could be used on Yu Qing to uncover her hidden thoughts.

 

“I want to know why you’re unhappy today,” Jiang Nianyu said earnestly. “Even though people take advantage of your kind nature and your inability to refuse, I know you’re not really like that, right?”

 

In that instant, Yu Qing’s heart pounded heavily against her chest twice, intensifying the love and resentment imprisoned within her heart.

 

She resented Jiang Nianyu for keeping secrets from her, yet suddenly felt that Jiang Nianyu truly understood her.

 

Jiang Nianyu was the only person in this world who could distinguish her from the original Yu Qing.

 

If she lost Jiang Nianyu, who else would ever know she had once existed in this world?

 

“Do you think that because I’m an Omega and you’re a Beta, we can’t have a future together?” Jiang Nianyu asked, trying to analyze the situation. The light from the side illuminated her face, her eyes, her lips, making her seem vividly alive.

 

The alcohol burned through Yu Qing’s mind, making her gaze linger with longing and sorrow.

 

She stared at Jiang Nianyu, silently murmuring in her throat, “Yes.”

 

What a shameful lie, and yet what a heartbreaking truth.

 

Yu Qing was a Beta, a character in the book defined as a mere tool, stripped of even the right to compete with the Alpha she had never met.

 

How could she change the plot?

 

She had received the gemstone ring, only to be killed shortly after.

 

How could she ever have a future with Jiang Nianyu?

 

She couldn’t smell pheromones; at first, she hadn’t even realized Jiang Nianyu’s Heat had begun.

 

More than death itself, Yu Qing felt resentful at being constantly rejected by this world.

 

“Jiang Nianyu, I’m a Beta,” she said, her voice trembling. “I can’t smell your scent.”

 

Tears streamed down her face, blurring the reason for her sorrow. She didn’t even dare blame Jiang Nianyu for her inexplicable secrecy, instead turning inward to find fault within herself.

 

The bitter resentment churned like a small pond, threatening to drown Yu Qing entirely, as if she were a character trapped within the book’s plot, struggling silently.

 

Yet the book continued to push her forward, its pages suspended mid-turn, hinting at an even crueler truth she had yet to remember.

 

In a daze, Yu Qing saw Jiang Nianyu’s lips move, sparkling like starlight: “Then let’s try again, okay?”

 

Whether Yu Qing agreed or not, Jiang Nianyu had already leaned in.

 

As she kissed Yu Qing, she whispered, “Please savor my scent carefully.”