Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 56

56

A piercing pain radiated from the fragile gland. Jiang Ciqing half-reclined on the soft sofa, her half-closed eyes tinged with a faint red. Teardrops slid from the corners of her eyes, leaving wet traces on the pristine white fur, her breath catching before quickening.

Outside, the clamor persisted. She didn’t know how some Omega had concluded that the soundproofing here was good—clearly, the roars of magical beasts and the screams of warriors could be heard distinctly.

Regaining her composure, Jiang Ciqing, ever mindful of decorum, felt a flush of embarrassment. She raised a hand to cover her eyes, as if to block out reality with self-deception. Yet, her other hand betrayed her, honestly tightening its grip around the other person.

For an Omega in heat, this kind of interaction was like giving a starving person a bowl of water—it could temporarily suppress instinctual urges but offered no true satisfaction.

Xu Fusheng leaned lazily in her arms, saying nothing. The already short hem of her skirt rode up further, revealing the seductive lines of her crossed legs and a glimpse of black lace trim. Her silver hair intertwined with Jiang Ciqing’s black hair, like an inseparable thread of fate.

Dim light filtered through the gaps in Jiang Ciqing’s fingers, somehow feeling more dazzling than before. She had no choice but to lower her hand, but before it reached her side, the Omega caught it, pressing their palms together and interlocking their fingers tightly.

The small private room fell into a hushed stillness. Without windows or connection to the outside world, it felt as though time itself had stopped flowing.

Finally catching her breath, Jiang Ciqing looked down at the Omega in her arms. She opened her mouth, about to voice a question: “Why didn’t you…”

Why didn’t you send someone to tell me your heat had come?

But the words halted mid-sentence, swallowed back as the answer surfaced in her mind.

The two of them were strikingly similar in this regard—both stubbornly unyielding. Though they had softened somewhat over time, occasionally humbling themselves for each other, their core natures were hard to change. They were not only stubborn with others but even more so with themselves.

Willingly lowering one’s pride was one thing; succumbing to the instincts of a heat cycle was another. For someone as proud as Xu Fusheng, submitting to bodily urges and seeking an Alpha’s comfort was unthinkable. If Jiang Ciqing hadn’t happened to be here, Xu Fusheng would likely have endured it alone, no matter how excruciating, rather than yield to her heat and beg an Alpha.

Jiang Ciqing was the same. Except for that one time during the autumn hunt, when she feared her marked status would be exposed, she always endured her own cycles in silence.

If Jiang Ciqing hadn’t come here today on other business, this matter might have been quietly buried, and she would have never known.

Her question cut off abruptly, leaving the air hanging. Xu Fusheng raised her eyes slightly, her peach-blossom eyes veiled with a misty sheen, like a sated cat exuding lazy charm. She chuckled lightly, “What? Doesn’t A’Ci want to ask about your important business anymore?”

She knew the unasked question but chose to sidestep it, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.

Jiang Ciqing remembered her purpose, her expression turning serious. She said directly, “The youngest son of the Liu family…”

This time, Xu Fusheng didn’t tease her, but Jiang Ciqing, twice interrupted, grew wary and paused instinctively. She gripped the Omega’s hand firmly, ensuring no further mischief, before continuing, “He’s gone to the border city, seemingly to earn military merits.”

Xu Fusheng noticed her small gesture but didn’t call it out. Instead, she tugged at the corner of her mouth, giving a half-smile as she glanced at her. “The little Alpha from the Minister of Revenue’s household?”

Jiang Ciqing nodded, the earlier intimacy swept away. Her brows furrowed slightly, and in an instant, she was once again the cool, detached head of the Jiang family. In a low voice, she voiced her doubts before concluding, “I feel this battle isn’t as simple as it seems. Do you have any news on your end?”

Seeing her serious demeanor, Xu Fusheng felt a flicker of mischief but, with important matters at hand and her hand firmly held by the Alpha, she could only respond reluctantly, “The Regent of Beidi has been missing for days, and her whereabouts are still unknown.”

Jiang Ciqing froze, then looked astonished.

The Regent of Beidi was no ordinary figure—her life was practically legendary.

Beidi, a nomadic nation built on the grasslands, revered martial prowess and archery. They even had a tradition of abandoning physically weak children, raising only the strong.

Though the Regent was born into the royal family, she couldn’t escape the fate of abandonment. How a seven-year-old girl survived alone in the wild was a mystery, but not only did she survive, she displayed abilities rivaling an Alpha’s after differentiating into an Omega.

At the time, Beidi was embroiled in internal strife due to royal power struggles, leaving only a young Alpha prince who had just differentiated. The ailing emperor, with no other choice, recalled her, naming her Regent to check the court’s ministers and support the young emperor.

Despite the Empire Star’s recent advocacy for Alpha-Omega equality, centuries-old biases were deeply entrenched. People still instinctively viewed Alphas as dominant, and noble families only considered Alpha heirs as successors.

Yet, the Beidi Regent, an Omega, rose to the occasion. With no martial strength or military backing like Xu Fusheng, and only a title bestowed by the dying emperor, she relied entirely on her own cunning to not only protect the young emperor but gradually seize control of Beidi’s politics.

Compared to the faltering Southern Liang, Beidi was thriving under her leadership, showing signs of surpassing the other two nations. The Regent had become Beidi’s backbone.

Her disappearance was a blow that shook Beidi to its core. While they scrambled to keep the news under wraps, they sent out massive search parties.

No wonder the eldest prince and others were so confident heading to the border—it was because of this.

Jiang Ciqing’s brows furrowed deeper. She wasn’t surprised that the eldest prince and others had learned of this—spies were commonplace among the three nations, especially in the military. Southern Liang rooted out several each year, and the other nations were no different.

Her thoughts shifted to the sulky Fifth Prince from a few days ago. It had to be said, allies were crucial. Others had been preparing for who-knows-how-long, yet the Fifth Prince was completely in the dark.

Jiang Ciqing couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile, but the Omega beside her caught it and misunderstood. Xu Fusheng raised a brow and said faintly, “What? Is the head of the Jiang family so interested in the Beidi Regent? Hearing about her disappearance makes you so happy—planning a trip to Beidi yourself?”

What was she even talking about?!

Jiang Ciqing’s mind blared with alarm bells. She immediately retorted, “Why would I go to Beidi to find her?!”

The Omega clicked her tongue, her smile teasing. “I didn’t say the head of the Jiang family was going to Beidi to find someone. Looks like A’Ci really has that intention.”

The Alpha, who had walked right into the trap: …

She laughed helplessly, exasperated, and warned, “We’re talking about serious matters.”

In her mind, she was still calculating. “When did you hear this news? How long has she been missing?”

If too much time had passed, the news would inevitably leak, and the pace in the capital would need to accelerate.

“I just learned tonight. Otherwise, why do you think I came here?” Xu Fusheng replied casually, her tone neither heavy nor light. “It’s been about two months. Beidi’s in a panic, and they probably can’t keep it under wraps much longer.”

Two months…

Jiang Ciqing’s frown deepened. As someone outside the court, the Jiang family’s influence couldn’t compare to a nation’s. News from within the court, let alone from a neighboring country, was hard to come by.

Xu Fusheng faced similar limitations. If Beidi’s people were under strict orders to keep silent, even she would struggle to learn anything.

Their previous plans were now in disarray. Jiang Ciqing felt a surge of frustration, her face showing traces of worry, all of which the Omega in her arms noticed.

And then…

“The head of the Jiang family seems awfully anxious. Afraid you won’t find the Regent in time?” Xu Fusheng’s smile held no warmth, and her usually enticing tone carried a hint of menace.

The young Alpha blinked, finally recalling what Di Changjie had once told her: never mention another Omega in front of an Omega in heat, not even your own mother.

She hadn’t reacted in time, assuming Xu Fusheng was different from other Omegas. Though she often put on a frivolous, carefree facade, she was steady and reliable when it mattered.

Why was she suddenly…

“I… I didn’t! What are you thinking?!” Jiang Ciqing stammered, the fading flush on her earlobes flaring up again. Her thin-skinned nature made even ordinary words hard to say.

A pale arm wrapped around her neck, and those ruby-like eyes gleamed demonically in the dim light. Xu Fusheng teased, “Didn’t what?”

The mischievous Omega knew exactly what she was doing, insisting the little Alpha say it aloud. Her warm breath, laced with the scent of wine, lingered near Jiang Ciqing’s lips, maintaining a tantalizingly close yet untouchable distance. She coaxed with a light chuckle, “Hmm? A’Ci, what didn’t you do?”

Jiang Ciqing instinctively wanted to pull away, but trapped in the sofa, where could she go? She could only purse her lips, attempting a futile resistance by staying silent.

“A’Ci, A’Ci,” the Omega called, knowing exactly how to pry open this tight-lipped gourd. Each “A’Ci” was laced with tender allure, her glossy lips brushing Jiang Ciqing’s cheek and grazing her earlobe, sending shivers through her.

The hand on her waist tightened involuntarily, crumpling the already disheveled fabric. The Omega’s slender waist seemed as delicate as a flower stem, as if it might snap with the slightest force. Yet, the Alpha was completely subdued, entirely at the Omega’s mercy.

“A’Ci, what didn’t you do? Hmm?”

“A’Ci, tell me.”

Tonight, Xu Fusheng was unusually off. Jiang Ciqing’s face burned red, but in the end, she surrendered under the relentless “A’Ci”s, raising a little white flag.

“I… I’ve been marked by you.” Jiang Ciqing said, her eyes darting away. For the ever-proper little Alpha, saying this took immense courage.

Xu Fusheng wasn’t satisfied. Hooking an arm around her neck, she deliberately pulled Jiang Ciqing closer. “Marked? I vaguely recall someone saying they’d cut out their gland someday…” She paused, rephrasing, “To sever ties with me.”

Jiang Ciqing opened her mouth, both exasperated and amused. She knew Xu Fusheng held grudges, always bringing up old accounts. Unable to dwell on the past, she felt a pang of guilt and softened. No matter what had happened before, she was the one who had said those words.

She gently tightened her hold, pulling the Omega closer. Lowering her head, her dark eyes met those ruby ones—one filled with gentle affection, the other with shy annoyance.

“Sister.” Jiang Ciqing called softly, her glossy black eyes brimming with undisguised fondness, their interlocked fingers pressing even closer.

“Sister, I’m your Alpha.”

She paused, then rephrased, “I adore you. From long ago, from the first moment I saw you in the wilderness.”

Caught off guard, Xu Fusheng froze, staring into the earnestness in her eyes.

“They say it’s love at first sight,” Jiang Ciqing said, rarely so candid. She gave an awkward smile, her metaphorical tail wagging behind her. “Or maybe it’s lust at first sight.”

“Xu Fusheng, my heart isn’t pure. All those deliberate seductions—I willingly fell for them. When I saw you in Southern Liang, I was overjoyed. I just didn’t know how to face you, how to say it, but deep down, I was truly happy.”

Her clumsy confession poured out, the rehearsed lines from novels and scripts turning blank in the moment.

She had thousands of words vying to spill out, each tripping over the other, a jumbled mess of ordinary, cliché phrases. Like a lovesick youth, flustered and foolishly trying to express herself before her beloved.

She said, “Xu Fusheng, the moment you marked me, I was genuinely happy. I even harbored improper thoughts, wanting to stay in the wilderness forever, to be your little dog, to abandon the Jiang family’s burdens, to give up forging knives, to stop being a bladesmith. I wanted to confess everything to you, but I was afraid you’d be angry and leave me.”

She looked at Xu Fusheng, timid as a puppy pleading with a seller, wagging its tail desperately, its big, dark eyes saying, I’m good, take me home. I won’t wreck the house or cause trouble. I’ll only be your good little dog.

How could anyone resist?

So Xu Fusheng tilted her chin up and gently kissed her lips, granting the little dog’s request.