Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 50

50

“Do it?”

A soft, gentle tone, with a teasing, upward lilt at the end, like a silver hook laced with seduction, whispered enticingly at the ear of the person beneath.

Jiang Ciqing trembled at the blunt words, one hand clutching the bedsheet tightly while the other gripped the other person’s hand with equal force.

The dim, half-lit room couldn’t conceal the flush spreading across her earlobes, red and translucent like pomegranate seeds in autumn, as if one could easily see the delicate veins beneath.

Her rapid, uneven breathing, a result of their earlier playful tussle, was strikingly noticeable in the quiet space. Far from calming, it grew even more erratic.

At her core, the head of the Jiang family was still a proper young woman. Few dared to speak such brazen words in her presence, and she herself maintained a refined dignity. Even in moments of intimacy, she was often too shy to speak, preferring to express her feelings through actions. If the other party pushed too far, she would lower her eyes, furrow her brow slightly, and quietly accept what was given.

“Hm?” Noticing her lack of response, the Omega let out a low, questioning hum, still hovering close to her lips, unrelenting and clingy.

Jiang Ciqing snapped back to reality, her dry tone unable to mask the complex emotions swirling within. “Xu Fusheng.”

She often called the other by her full name—sometimes as a warning, sometimes out of embarrassment, and sometimes to convey indifference. Those three simple words carried a multitude of meanings.

Before Xu Fusheng could discern what she meant this time, she heard Jiang Ciqing sigh softly and repeat, “Xu Fusheng.”

It was a tone of helpless resignation.

She understood.

“I’m not that much of a beast,” Jiang Ciqing paused, as if the words were difficult to say, lingering on her tongue before she could voice them. “To take advantage of someone who’s injured.”

Xu Fusheng raised an eyebrow and immediately shot back, “So you’re saying I’m the beast?”

The copper bells hanging from the eaves clinked and clanged, water droplets pooling on the gray tiles before trickling down the grooves, louder and more audacious than the rain enveloping the capital of Nanliang.

Jiang Ciqing blinked, belatedly realizing she had inadvertently insulted the other.

She truly couldn’t do such a thing, but a certain Omega had.

Three years ago, in the wildlands, while Jiang Ciqing was recovering from her injuries, Xu Fusheng had let her lean against her to ease the discomfort of lying prone for so long. But Xu Fusheng wasn’t exactly well-behaved—she’d tug here, touch there. Those were minor things, tolerable with a bit of patience.

What was harder to endure was the bent knee, circling and grinding, accompanied by the sultry, lingering moans in her ear.

All under the pretense of “distracting her.”

“I… I didn’t mean you,” Jiang Ciqing said, but the memory made her words sound unconvincing. She turned her head, avoiding eye contact, and firmly refused, “No way.”

Her taut jaw carried a stubborn, principled air—a proper little Alpha who, even if bullied terribly, would never take advantage of someone to get even.

“It might aggravate your injury.”

Her reason was sound and irrefutable.

Xu Fusheng laughed, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes shimmering with gentle affection, her soft tone laced with a hint of confusion and helplessness, as if faced with an unsolvable math problem. “Then how should I comfort you?”

There was none of her usual playful teasing; her attitude was earnest and sincere, as if she had genuinely pondered the question. With her usual and only method of solving problems now blocked by a “no entry” sign, she had no choice but to seek guidance from the teacher.

Jiang Ciqing’s lashes fluttered as she sank into the gentle whirlpool, dazedly submerged in water, sinking deeper and deeper.

“Hm? A’Ci,” the night lent a softness to her words, each syllable stretched and wrapped in moonlight’s delicate silver veil.

“How should I comfort you to make you feel better?” Xu Fusheng was patient, asking again and again, her soft lips brushing against Jiang Ciqing’s neck, sending waves of tingling sensation.

In the drowsy sea of warmth, Jiang Ciqing caught a faint thread of something unusual, so much so that she forgot to repeat her refusal of “it’s not your fault.” Turning her head in confusion, she asked incredulously, “You think doing that is comforting someone?”

Specifically, comforting an Alpha.

Xu Fusheng countered, “Isn’t it?”

It was like a heavy hammer striking Jiang Ciqing’s head. In less than a night, she had experienced sorrow, jealousy, shock, and embarrassment. Even the sharpest mind would turn sluggish, gears creaking and turning slowly.

“Why would you think that?” She grasped at the thread, searching through her memories bit by bit.

Dark eyes met red ones—one filled with confusion, the other equally so.

As Jiang Ciqing recalled past moments, every intimate encounter seemed to carry new meaning.

“Xu Fusheng…” This time, her tone was laced with helpless frustration, tinged with a hint of amusement at the absurdity. “How could you think like that?”

“How could you see that as a way to comfort someone?”

Xu Fusheng leaned lazily against her, casually replying, “You don’t like it?”

Jiang Ciqing faltered, stumbling over her words before mumbling, “I like it… but that’s not the point. It shouldn’t be—”

She furrowed her brow, her tone growing serious. “It shouldn’t be treated like a transaction. You don’t get to coax me out of my anger with this.”

Her solemn words made Xu Fusheng, for once, question herself. “That’s how I’ve seen others do it…”

“What?”

Silver hair tangled with dark strands, the steady patter of rain serving as the perfect sound barrier. They shouldn’t have been like this—facing each other so seriously, as if discussing some grand matter of life.

Xu Fusheng’s expression turned pensive, her tone flat as she recalled something unpleasant. “In the wildlands, those Alphas loved it. They’d have Omegas serve them with their bodies. If they were satisfied, they’d spare the Omegas’ lives or even claim them as their own, keeping other Alphas from harassing them.”

“Many Omegas, after differentiating, would choose a powerful Alpha, pleasing them with their bodies to secure a chance at survival in the wildlands.”

Jiang Ciqing froze. Though she was a low-ranking Alpha, she had been under Xu Fusheng’s protection in the wildlands, staying in her residence and taking remote mountain paths to avoid towns when escaping. She had heard of the depravity but never witnessed its twisted reality firsthand.

Xu Fusheng, however, had practically grown up there. The lawless, chaotic region, ungoverned by any nation, was a haven for fugitives and outcasts. With no regard for morality or shame, it laid bare the ugliest facets of human nature.

“Is that why you used to hate Alphas?” Jiang Ciqing asked suddenly.

It was well-known that the queen of the wildlands despised Alphas, to the point of forbidding them from coming within three feet of her. This led to misunderstandings among her subordinates, some assuming she preferred Omegas and sending her young, beautiful ones—only to be met with her cold rejection. Eventually, rumors spread that high-ranking Omegas like her didn’t have estrus cycles.

“Mm,” Xu Fusheng replied curtly, clearly reluctant to dwell on the topic.

Feeling a pang in her chest, Jiang Ciqing steered away from the painful subject, feigning smugness. “I’m pretty impressive, then.”

The only Alpha who could get close to Xu Fusheng.

Xu Fusheng shot her a half-smiling glance, unsure where her train of thought had wandered. “Impressive? There are plenty more impressive than you.”

The endless tricks and schemes of others far surpassed this girl’s simple ways. If not for the familiar dark hair and eyes that made Xu Fusheng more forgiving, Jiang Ciqing might already be a pile of bones in the mud.

Jiang Ciqing gave an awkward laugh, knowing full well she couldn’t compare to those trained operatives sent after Xu Fusheng. She also noticed the unique way Xu Fusheng treated her.

But there was still an issue to address. She tightened her arm around Xu Fusheng’s waist, her palm resting on soft, warm skin that felt like fine jade. Closing the last bit of distance between them, she leaned down to brush her lips against Xu Fusheng’s. “This is wrong. I don’t like you trying to please me this way.”

The word “please” clashed with the dignity of the queen of the wildlands, something even she knew shouldn’t be said, no matter how true it was.

Xu Fusheng retaliated by biting down on the soft flesh of her lip.

Jiang Ciqing hissed, not yet broken but already pleading for mercy. The last time she’d been bitten, it had been a nightmare—hiding the mark while descending the mountain, wincing at every careless tug during meals.

With watery, pleading eyes like a pitiful puppy, she’d learned how to soften Xu Fusheng, whimpering, “Sister, spare me.”

Magnanimously, Xu Fusheng relented. Seeing Jiang Ciqing’s good behavior, she released her bite and soothingly licked the spot, rewarding her for correcting her attitude.

It was spring, after all. Despite the rain, it wasn’t cold, especially not with the two of them pressed together under thick blankets, their closeness generating sticky warmth. Yet neither pulled away.

“So how should I comfort you?” The air was thin, their warm breaths mingling. Xu Fusheng, ever persistent, hadn’t forgotten the question, asking again even amidst their closeness.

Jiang Ciqing didn’t mind her distraction. Careful not to aggravate Xu Fusheng’s injury, she moved gently, letting the Omega take the lead. Her calloused hand grazed smooth skin, unintentionally leaving red marks, like sandpaper on polished jade.

“Hm?” Annoyed at the lack of response, the Omega upped her punishment, nipping at Jiang Ciqing’s honey-sweet tongue and questioning her with a breathy hum.

Where did she learn all these little tricks?

Jiang Ciqing pressed her forehead against Xu Fusheng’s, rubbing gently like a big dog nuzzling its owner.

Xu Fusheng forgave her again, charmed by the gesture, and repeated, “How should I comfort you?”

Determined to get to the bottom of it, she refused to be brushed off.

“Xu Fusheng…” Jiang Ciqing drew out her name, her nose brushing against Xu Fusheng’s in a playful, coaxing manner. “What you promised me for tomorrow night.”

“Tell me about it. That’s how you can comfort me.”

She suddenly realized that the puzzle she’d pieced together wasn’t entirely correct. Without the full story from the person involved, it was like looking at flowers through fog—bound to have errors.

Jiang Ciqing thought there might be more than one or two such misunderstandings.

A flicker of surprise passed through Xu Fusheng’s ruby-red eyes. Lifting her gaze to meet Jiang Ciqing’s resolute expression, she confirmed she wasn’t being brushed off and muttered, “Weird little dog.”

Jiang Ciqing didn’t catch it, tilting her head with a questioning hum.

The Omega didn’t bother explaining. Instead, she deepened the kiss, the small room overtaken by the scent of agave. The Omega, suppressed all evening, finally revealed her domineering nature, overwhelming the little green bamboo until she could barely breathe. Then, with brazen confidence, she delivered her final critique: “Silly dog.”

Jiang Ciqing: …

She could only laugh helplessly, indulgingly, and let out a soft “woof.”

Just like before.