Thank You for the Invitation, I Successfully Held Hands with the Best Actress - Chapter 8

The sweet and silky pudding melted in Ning Yu’s mouth as she held the small spoon, her face filled with satisfaction.

Opposite her, Mu Qiuyan sat on a red velvet armchair, delicately eating a beautifully crafted white peach cake. The mille-feuille was topped with a thick layer of cream and dotted with colorful chocolate sprinkles.

Mu Qiuyan scraped off the cream and chocolate onto Ning Yu’s cake before leisurely finishing half of her own and finally setting down her fork.

Her eating pace wasn’t slow, but it was undeniably elegant.

The air carried a faint, fresh scent of shower gel, likely lingering from Mu Qiuyan’s recent bath. Ning Yu inhaled lightly, finding it particularly pleasant.

But if she had to compare, the crisp cedarwood fragrance from that night was even more intoxicating.

Ning Yu’s cheeks burned as her thoughts raced wildly, drifting into absurd territory. Fortunately, the dim, golden lighting in the room concealed her flushed face.

Mu Qiuyan wore a long purple nightgown tied at the waist with a silk sash, revealing only her smooth, pale calves below the knees.

Worried she might be cold, Ning Yu quickly stood up to fetch a thin blanket from the bedside.

But just as she turned, a familiar warmth pressed heavily against her back—this time with far more force than before.

Darkness flashed before Ning Yu’s eyes as she hit the floor, her mind instantly consumed by one thought:

The bump on my forehead probably won’t go down for a week.

Mu Qiuyan pinned her down in the same position as that night, one hand sliding up her back before settling near her neck—

Or more precisely, near Ning Yu’s scent gland.

Her fingers traced the flimsy-looking suppressant patch, rubbing it incessantly, sending tingling waves through Ning Yu’s body as bl00d rushed to her head.

Voice hoarse, Ning Yu twisted her neck to glare back. “What are you doing?!”

Mu Qiuyan’s expression remained cold as she looked down at her. “Nothing much. Just verifying a theory.”

“What theory?! You’re crushing me—watch it, or I’ll scream!”

Mu Qiuyan chuckled darkly. “Scream? What exactly would you scream? ‘Help, I’m being assaulted’?”

Their positions—one on top of the other—were indeed far from proper, especially with Mu Qiuyan in nothing but her nightgown. Straddling Ning Yu’s back, the hem of her robe had ridden up slightly, offering glimpses of her pale thighs.

As the sole witness to such a sight, Ning Yu was in no mood to appreciate it.

“But my wrist hurts so much… Mu Qiuyan, jiejie, please loosen your grip a little? I promise I’ll stay still and let you do whatever you want. Test whatever you need—I won’t resist.”

Mu Qiuyan scoffed. “No. You’re too slippery—I don’t trust you.”

With that, she resumed her relentless teasing of the suppressant patch.

Mu Qiuyan’s goal was simple: to confirm whether Ning Yu was the person from that night at the hotel.

Dazed and half-asleep at the time, she hadn’t gotten a clear look at the face, and even the faint memory of the voice had blurred. The only reliable evidence left was the scent—

An Alpha or Omega’s pheromones were unique, impossible to replicate.

That intoxicating, spine-tingling whiskey aroma had lingered in her memories far longer than anything else.

The edge of the suppressant patch had begun to peel slightly. Leaning closer, Mu Qiuyan focused intently on prying it loose.

The diversion worked perfectly. Mu Qiuyan was eager to confirm the truth but overlooked Ning Yu, who had remained silent and motionless all this time.

So when Ning Yu suddenly surged up and flipped her onto the floor, Mu Qiuyan barely had time to react.

Ning Yu yanked at Mu Qiuyan’s robe, dragging her aside without an ounce of gentleness. Afraid Mu Qiuyan might strike again, she shamelessly entangled their legs.

Two incredibly flexible long legs curled up, wrapping around Mu Qiuyan’s like an octopus’s tentacles.

For convenience, Ning Yu had changed into cotton shorts after entering the room. Now, the smooth sensation of skin against skin made her ears burn again.

And she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Mu Qiuyan lay sprawled on the floor, hands raised in surrender. “Let me go, I won’t attack you again.”

Who would’ve thought Ning Yu would only cling tighter.

“Liar! Take your hand off the back of my neck right now!”

Caught in her scheme, Mu Qiuyan sheepishly withdrew her hand. “There, happy?”

Ning Yu: “First, explain what you were trying to do. An alpha and an omega alone in a room, and you go for my neck to tear off my suppressant patch? That’s harassment.”

In the ABO universe, ripping off an alpha’s suppressant patch was as much of a violation as asking an omega about their scent.

Mu Qiuyan was both furious and amused. “You really don’t know what I’m doing? Stop pretending. It was you that night at the hotel.”

“What hotel? I don’t understand what you’re saying, Best Actress Mu. Care to elaborate?”

Mu Qiuyan’s eyes turned cold. She gripped Ning Yu’s arm tightly, nails nearly digging into flesh before finally easing up.

“I just wanted to smell your scent. To confirm.”

Ning Yu: “Then that’s still harassment.”

She shifted her legs, and Mu Qiuyan’s expression darkened. “Stop moving!”

Ning Yu: “I’ll move if I want. Who knew it’d feel this good tangled up?”

Deliberately leaning close to Mu Qiuyan’s ear, she teased, “Don’t you think it feels nice, Sister Mu?”

Warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a shiver through Mu Qiuyan’s body. She turned her face away stiffly. “Don’t get so close!”

Ning Yu: “You weren’t saying that when you were pinning me down earlier.”

The plush red carpet beneath them softened the hard floor, and the heat from their tangled legs left a thin layer of sweat where skin met skin.

Mu Qiuyan felt like she was sinking into a wave of heat, her body growing weak and heavy. Even her breaths came out scorching.

Her temperature kept rising, the lights before her blurring, while her glands throbbed painfully.

Ning Yu noticed something was wrong. The body beneath her touch grew hotter, and when she pressed a hand to Mu Qiuyan’s forehead, it came away slick with cold sweat.

Startled, she immediately released Mu Qiuyan and lifted her onto the bed.

“Mu Qiuyan, Mu Qiuyan,” she called, shaking her slightly. “I’ll call an ambulance.”

At the word “ambulance,” the woman, whose consciousness had been fading, suddenly mustered strength and gripped Ning Yu’s wrist tightly.

“Don’t call an ambulance… it’s just an old problem… I’ll… be fine once this passes.” She gasped for breath, then suddenly curled up in a trembling heap.

Her once radiant face was deathly pale, her cherry-red lips bitten tightly between her teeth, a faint trace of bl00d seeping out.

The gland at the back of her neck burned relentlessly. Each episode of this pain lasted anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour. Mu Qiuyan clutched her arms, wishing she could just faint—anything to escape this agony that felt like her bones were being shattered.

Ning Yu watched her suffer, her own eyes stinging with unshed tears. She paced the room anxiously, helpless.

From Mu Qiuyan’s words, it seemed she knew what was happening to her body.

But what kind of illness could cause such unbearable pain?

An old problem—had she been enduring this torment all along?

Ning Yu clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, yet she barely registered the pain.

Ning Yu: “System, open the points store.”

The system was frantic. “You just bought an item today! It’s only the first day since you earned those points—how can you be so reckless?”

Ning Yu: “Points can be earned again!”

The system: “She said herself it’s an old problem—she’ll be fine once the pain passes…”

Ning Yu: “Have you no empathy? Look at her! And you just casually tell her to endure it?!”

Her temper flared, her usual scheming with the system forgotten.

There was no time for arguments now.

“Fine, then I quit being a scumbag Alpha. You can follow me or bind me all you want—this mission is over.”

Faced with her host’s defiance, the system had no choice. Gritting its teeth, it opened the points store and helpfully filtered out the most affordable pain-relief potion.

System: “This potion can ease her pain.”

Ning Yu: “Can’t it cure her completely?”

System: “This doesn’t seem like a normal illness—it can’t be cured so easily. The store does have miracle cures that heal all ailments, but with your current points, you can’t afford any of them.”

A soft glow filled the room as a crystal-clear azure potion materialized in Ning Yu’s hand. Carefully, she brought it to Mu Qiuyan’s lips.

But lost in agony, Mu Qiuyan only bit down harder on her own lips, making it impossible to administer the potion.

With no other choice, Ning Yu leaned down, hesitated for a moment at the sight of Mu Qiuyan’s fragile, pain-twisted face, then pressed her lips gently against the other woman’s warm ones.

One mouthful at a time, she transferred the potion until the bottle was empty. The liquid had a mild taste, faintly reminiscent of mint candy.

By the time the last drop was passed between them, Mu Qiuyan’s condition had visibly improved—her furrowed brow relaxed, her breathing steadied.

The intimate contact let Ning Yu taste the metallic tang of bl00d on Mu Qiuyan’s lips. Closing her eyes, she let her tongue glide softly, licking away every trace of it.

Those sweet, plush lips were dangerously addictive.

When she finally pulled back and opened her eyes, she was met with Mu Qiuyan’s icy, murderous glare.