Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 44

44

In March and April, the rainy season in Southern Liang brought endless showers. Yesterday’s downpour had barely ceased when tonight’s drizzle began, like fine wool adorning the deep night sky.

Creak!

On this bone-chilling spring night, while most people huddled under blankets seeking warmth, someone dressed only in a thin robe and a loose overcoat pushed open the door and stepped out.

Wooden clogs trod along the stone path paved with bluestone. Clusters of cherry blossoms weighed down slender branches, and in the faint white mist, everything blurred into obscurity.

Yet, in such an atmosphere, Jiang Ciqing felt oddly at ease. Her somber brows relaxed, and under the cover of night, a trace of her uninhibited, carefree nature—perhaps inherited from her mother, carrying a hint of Wei-Jin era elegance—finally emerged. Unlike the pampered heirs of noble families, she wasn’t bothered by thin blankets or creaky wooden beds. It was the afternoon’s events that had left her restless, so she donned her robe and ventured out.

The misty drizzle, almost imperceptible, soaked her azure robe, leaving circles of deeper water stains, while also concealing the traces of others.

The hot spring recommended by the abbot wasn’t far. After a ten-minute walk along the stone path, she arrived at a small pit encircled by round stones. Even in such frigid weather, the sulfuric heat rose to meet her.

Her robe was casually draped over a tree branch. Jiang Ciqing submerged herself in the water, which was hotter than expected but perfect for dispelling the spring chill deep in her bones.

The moon was nowhere to be seen, and the surroundings were utterly silent. Even the incessant chirping of insects had vanished, leaving only the occasional ripple of water to remind her she was still in the mortal world.

The round stones pressing against her spine were uncomfortably hard. The young woman leaned back, eyes closed, her sharp features softened by the mist. Water droplets slid down her raised jaw, accentuating the faint outline of her Adam’s apple, made more prominent by her posture. The droplets gathered in the hollow of her collarbone, pooling into a small, undulating puddle, like a little white dog fully relaxed, belly exposed.

All traces of aggression melted away.

The strong sulfuric scent overpowered the fragrance of bamboo and the lingering agave, yet Jiang Ciqing found the smell strangely pleasant, mingling with the cherry blossoms and the scent of rain-soaked earth—a taste of so-called freedom. Little did she know, she had already fallen into a cage.

The burdens on her shoulders and the frustrations of recent days temporarily dissipated. Her hand, tied with a red cord, dangled in the water, her bent legs gradually relaxed, and she was fully submerged.

Half-lidded eyes swayed with the ripples, and she even entertained fleeting thoughts of retreating to a life beside ancient Buddhas, escaping reality.

As the night deepened, the world sank into darkness, and her already hazy consciousness began to fade.

Jiang Ciqing was in a daze, so much so that when a silver-haired woman in a red robe appeared in her arms, she thought it was a dream—a manifestation of the last lingering desires in her heart. The woman had familiar features: peach-blossom eyes that seemed affectionate yet carried a mocking indifference, a slightly upturned mouth, and a cool, jade-like touch. Her silver hair floated on the water’s surface, intertwining with Jiang Ciqing’s dark locks, adorned with scattered cherry blossom petals.

Perhaps the hot spring water was laced with wine, for Jiang Ciqing felt intoxicated. She let her hand slip over the robe, wrapping around the slender waist, filling the curve of her lower back.

It wasn’t until the familiar scent of agave coiled around her neck that she snapped awake, nearly leaping up but finding her legs pinned, unable to move.

It wasn’t that her reflexes were slow—otherwise, she wouldn’t have survived this long. But her marked body always lost all wariness around this person, like a sleeping puppy that, when touched by its master, wags its tail before even opening its eyes.

“Xu Fusheng!”

In her panic, the Alpha forgot formalities, unsure whether to cover herself or push the other away, blurting out in alarm.

Fully awake now, realization hit her. Jiang Ciqing’s gaze turned icy, her hoarse voice straining to sound firm. “You set a trap for me?!”

In an instant, everything clicked. The overpowering agave scent swept over her, suffocating her. She hadn’t noticed when Xu Fusheng had followed her, using the rain, the cold, and the sulfuric fumes to mask her pheromones, luring Jiang Ciqing into a haze of unconsciousness…

The young woman’s eyes reddened, her obsidian gaze glistening with unshed tears. The overwhelming emotions condensed into droplets, trembling on her long lashes before falling.

“Despicable.”

“Shameless.”

“Scoundrel.” Despite her strict upbringing, the refined noblewoman could only muster these petulant curses in her anger.

She had let her guard down too much. Except for their first meeting, when Xu Fusheng had been slighted, she had never used her pheromones to intimidate Jiang Ciqing. This had lulled her into forgetting she was a marked Alpha, utterly under Xu Fusheng’s control.

Xu Fusheng’s eyes shimmered with amusement, her lips curling into a careless smile, unfazed by the young Alpha’s accusations. Like a Persian cat toying with a mouse, she watched her prey struggle with relish.

The potent agave scent, domineering and unrestrained, overpowered all other smells, claiming the space entirely. It pressed against the faint bamboo fragrance, forcing the delicate bamboo to yield, squeezing out its sweet essence.

Jiang Ciqing gritted her teeth, her hand emerging from the water to grip the edge of a large stone, hoping the coolness would anchor her. The wet red cord clung to her pale wrist, where veins pulsed beneath thin skin. Her fingers curled and unclenched repeatedly, like a fish gasping for air on dry land.

Not to mention, the Omega’s rank was exceptionally high. A marked person was like a prisoner with bound limbs. Jiang Ciqing hadn’t felt restrained before because Xu Fusheng had never bothered to use such methods to control her. But now, Jiang Ciqing’s defiance sparked a rare unease in the Omega—a fear of losing her grip.

An Omega accustomed to being revered and pursued could hardly tolerate such humiliation. She had approached Jiang Ciqing repeatedly, only to be pushed away. Even if she had wronged her first, Xu Fusheng felt justified in retaliating. What was the big deal?

But this Alpha held grudges, acting as if she’d been deeply wounded, rejecting her time and again, even trying to erase the mark?

Recalling the conversation she’d overheard outside the hall, Xu Fusheng found it laughable. You, Jiang Ciqing, begged me to mark you, and now you want to break free?

Kneeling on Jiang Ciqing’s lap, Xu Fusheng’s stunning yet aloof features gazed down at her captive. The soaked red robe clung to her curves, revealing nothing beneath.

“Move!” The Alpha averted her eyes, baring her canines fiercely while instinctively pressing her legs together, leaning further against the stone, her spine reddening from the pressure.

“Jiang Ciqing,” the Omega ignored her feeble struggles, her tongue curling around the name in her usual melodious tone, as if she held some deep affection for it. Her slender fingers once again settled on Jiang Ciqing’s neck, applying slight pressure.

As someone used to controlling everything, she always liked to hold her neck like this, ensuring her possession was absolute.

“Xu Fusheng, don’t push me,” the Alpha gasped out a shaky warning, lacking any real menace, which only made Xu Fusheng chuckle. Leaning closer, her breath grazed Jiang Ciqing’s trembling lips. “How is this princess pushing you, my lord?”

“Get off,” Jiang Ciqing shoved at her shoulder, sending ripples across the water. Her toes curled against the pool’s bottom, trying futilely to push away, as suppressed desire surged within her.

“What if this princess refuses? Will you push me away like you did in the daylight?” Xu Fusheng laughed lightly, ever vindictive, bringing up past slights. She easily pried open Jiang Ciqing’s lips, drawing out the sweet bamboo fragrance.

“Xu… Fusheng!” Jiang Ciqing, no match in verbal sparring, repeated herself, seizing a moment to speak before being silenced again.

Mimicking Jiang Ciqing’s earlier teasing, Xu Fusheng gave her no chance to breathe, her fingers tightening on her neck, leaving deep marks.

The red robe slipped off her shoulder with the water’s movement, revealing winged shoulder blades that caught falling cherry blossoms, like vivid tattoos etched into her skin.

Her oxygen-deprived brain began to falter, and the chaotic ringing in her ears became maddening. Jiang Ciqing’s vision blurred, unable to make out the scene before her. This wasn’t a kiss—it was a calculated retaliation, a soft blade forcing the Alpha to submit.

Driven by a desperate survival instinct, she bit down hard on the soft lips, the metallic tang of bl00d spreading instantly.

How could Xu Fusheng let her off so easily? Already furious and intent on punishment, she hadn’t expected the pup to bite back. No longer holding back, she tore off the façade of tender intimacy, and it became a dogfight—both lashing out viciously, biting and clawing. Xu Fusheng’s grip on her neck tightened, and Jiang Ciqing, equally stubborn, bit harder, while the vengeful Omega returned the favor tenfold.

Bl00d dripped into the water, staining their teeth, silver and black hair tangling inseparably.

As the night deepened, heavy clouds pressed lower, and the drizzle turned into a downpour, heralding an impending storm. The temple’s candles flickered, nearly extinguished, while a monk knelt on a cushion, steadily striking the wooden fish.

Thud, thud.

In the darkened guest room, all was quiet. A sleeping figure turned over, mumbling dreamlike words.

Sharp teeth grazed torn flesh, ripping the wound open again. Xu Fusheng, seemingly numb to pain, retaliated coldly, finding nothing amiss. To her, this simple vengeance was already a mercy. Anyone else would be long dead, not here trading blows endlessly.

But when a salty tear touched her tongue, the Omega froze, momentarily stunned, before looking up.

Jiang Ciqing was crying…

Xu Fusheng realized it belatedly.

She knew Jiang Ciqing was prone to tears. Whenever she was angry or upset, a tear or two would fall, her eyes rimmed red, impossible to ignore.

But she hadn’t cared before, as Jiang Ciqing always seemed detached, as if the tears were merely an involuntary reflex, quickly blinked away.

This was different. Tears streamed down her face, like a bullied child with no one to turn to, silently weeping. Her pale skin flushed pink from her earlobes to her neck.

Xu Fusheng pulled back slightly, her usually cold eyes betraying a rare panic, utterly at a loss.

She was the Omega, wasn’t she? She hadn’t cried, so why was Jiang Ciqing crying?

Jiang Ciqing sobbed silently, not like the delicate, poetic weeping of novels. She cried like an abandoned puppy, tears falling freely, nose red, gasping softly when the tears stung her wounded lips, yet refusing to make a sound, leaning stiffly against the stone.

Xu Fusheng had seen others cry before—Alphas wailing for mercy, delicate Omegas shedding tears to win her favor—but she’d only found them noisy, unmoved.

“You…” She opened her mouth, then closed it, unsure what to say. Her hand slid from Jiang Ciqing’s neck to her collarbone, feeling the sharp ribs beneath, like valleys rising and falling.

So thin, painfully so.

She didn’t look like a pampered noble—beggars on the street had more flesh.

Bl00d droplets fell from trembling lips, blooming in the water. The veins in her neck pulsed, and Jiang Ciqing bit down hard, stifling any sound, like a stubborn child scolded after being bullied outside.

Until now, Xu Fusheng hadn’t thought she was wrong. She saw Jiang Ciqing as petty—you tricked me, I tricked you back; those three years I searched for you, I let slide, and you dare draw a line between us?

If the puppy rebelled and tried to flee, she’d drag her back and punish her slowly. That was Xu Fusheng’s plan, and she acted on it.

But looking at the person before her, an unfamiliar pang of regret, like thorny vines climbing her ankles, surged through her, a mix of sourness and itching pain.

Xu Fusheng withdrew her hand, her curled fingertips leaving crescent marks in her palm.

“A’Ci…” she murmured, unusually dazed.

Jiang Ciqing paused, more tears falling. Her faint Adam’s apple bobbed, her hoarse, childish voice trembling with a cry. “Don’t… don’t call me that.”

Where was the Alpha in her?

She was just a stubborn child denied her candy.

“You don’t deserve to call me that!” Her tongue, thick from crying, steadied slightly, her red-rimmed eyes glaring fiercely.

Xu Fusheng nearly frowned, but another stream of tears stopped her.

With no experience in comforting others, Xu Fusheng softened her voice, awkwardly coaxing, “Stop crying.”

“I’m not… not crying!” Embarrassed by her own state, Jiang Ciqing turned her head, stifling a sob, her round earlobes beneath her dark hair glowing red.

Crying wasn’t something she could stop at will—it had to run its course. And comforting her only made it worse, especially with Xu Fusheng’s half-hearted attempt.

A flood of grievances overwhelmed Jiang Ciqing, her tears falling faster.

“Alright, alright, stop crying. I won’t bully you anymore,” Xu Fusheng sighed, her temper gone. Kneeling on Jiang Ciqing’s lap, she lowered her head, like a child caught misbehaving but too proud to admit it.

Why was she crying?

Xu Fusheng was the one bitten, too.

Yet, as she tried to console her, Jiang Ciqing’s sobs grew more pitiful.

Xu Fusheng: …

Her teary puppy eyes, drooping brows, and damp hair made her look fragile, her hoarse voice tinged with redness.

As Xu Fusheng leaned closer, Jiang Ciqing shrank back, inconsolable. The Omega hooked her arm around her neck, their foreheads touching, her softened peach-blossom eyes carrying a rare tenderness as they met Jiang Ciqing’s gaze.

Her wet eyes flickered, wanting to escape but reluctant to lose this rare warmth. Tears fell into the hot spring, adding salt to the water.

“I was wrong,” Xu Fusheng said, her voice soft, almost a sigh, tinged with awkwardness at her first apology.

Jiang Ciqing froze, thinking she’d misheard.

“I was wrong, A’Ci,” the Omega repeated, cradling her face gently. The fiery agave scent softened with cherry blossoms, like mild sake, enveloping the sobbing pup.

“I shouldn’t have bullied you.” Once the first words were out, the rest came easily.

Jiang Ciqing blinked dumbly, her tear-filled mind slow to process. Then more tears spilled, splashing down.

“You bullied me…” the Alpha accused through sobs.

“I was wrong,” Xu Fusheng repeated patiently.

“You bit me! It hurts!” Her glossy black eyes glared, shimmering with tears.

She was the one who bit first.

Xu Fusheng paused but yielded. “I was wrong.”

Feeling the Omega’s indulgence, Jiang Ciqing cried harder. “You’re so mean… so cruel… you lied to me, and you still want to be a princess…”

Xu Fusheng listened quietly, her wet lips brushing from Jiang Ciqing’s forehead down, gently kissing her furrowed brow, red-rimmed eyes, and flushed cheeks.

Jiang Ciqing was dazed from crying, her accusations disjointed and stammering, full of grievances but lacking clarity. Her hoarse, childish voice wasn’t annoying but oddly endearing, like a soft, fragile bun that would cry at the slightest poke.

“You lied to me, bullied me, scared me,” she said smoothly, as if she’d rehearsed it countless times, each word laced with anger.

Xu Fusheng couldn’t help but smile, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering with light.

“I won’t be good to you…” Jiang Ciqing’s words were cut off by another kiss.

Unlike before, this wasn’t aggressive. The remorseful Omega carefully parted her lips, the salty heat of tears mingling with the sweet bamboo fragrance.

Tears kept falling, as if competing with the night rain, splashing onto Xu Fusheng’s face.

“Don’t cry, A’Ci,” she murmured.

“I just…”

Xu Fusheng pulled her into an embrace, her kisses trailing downward—over her thin shoulders, flat collarbone, soft curves, and toned waist, pale skin flushed with faint pink.

The rain poured harder, soaking the bamboo. The discarded red robe floated away with the water’s sway, silver hair drifting like seaweed, their figures vanishing.

The distant mountains blurred, the faint moon gone, cherry blossoms falling into the water with the rain.

Her slender fingers, tied with the red cord, emerged again, gripping the stone tightly.

The inconsolable Alpha continued sobbing, leaning against the rough stone, tears sliding down her cheeks, popping bubbles on the water’s surface. Her faint Adam’s apple bobbed.

The bamboo’s clear fragrance mingled with the agave, becoming a crisp, gentle sake.

The night grew deeper…