The Housewife O Made Me Become a Mom (GL) - Chapter 15: Is It Enough to Have a Fever?

Chapter 15: Is It Enough to Have a Fever?

Shu Qingyou felt warm breath on her face, and a faint itch spread across the back of her neck.

Lin Xu wasn’t in heat, and the lavender scent of body wash lingered around her nose, more relaxing than Lin Xu’s pheromones.

But right now, Lin Xu’s lack of restraint couldn’t be more fitting, ignoring the place, occasion, or time, with a child nearby.

Their posture was intimate and ambiguous.

Lin Xu pressed Shu Qingyou against the counter, her waist touching the quartz surface, and a few water droplets from the faucet fell, hitting the stainless steel sink with a strikingly clear sound.

Though she didn’t use an Alpha’s natural intimidation, the sense of imminent danger didn’t lessen at all.

Shu Qingyou turned her face, a few strands of hair slipping from her hair tie, covering her increasingly warm ear tips.

She extended her index finger, tapping Lin Xu’s shoulder.

“…A bit close.”

They used the same shampoo, but Lin Xu could distinguish a difference, and being near Shu Qingyou, there was an intoxicating sweet fragrance.

Just a few centimeters closer, and she could taste it… Lin Xu’s lower abdomen tightened.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t notice.”

Lin Xu snapped back, reluctantly stepping back to her original spot.

Her gaze darted around, and her lips felt dry.

She grabbed a glass of water, gulped it down in a few loud sips, and sweat stains marked the glass.

“Actually, the steamed bun is pretty good, Sister Shu.”

Truly hungry this time, she grabbed a bun, took a big bite, and swallowed it whole, but it didn’t ease her hunger.

“Can I eat some dishes, Sister Shu?”

Calling Sister Shu twice, her chopsticks were already close to the rich, saucy red meat, asking despite knowing the answer.

Shu Qingyou rubbed her fingertips, letting out a soft hum from her throat.

Shu Rong, watching the whole scene, looked worried.

She had cute, child-sized bowls and chopsticks, usually fed by her mother, but now she held her practice chopsticks, completely frozen.

She didn’t understand what the adults were doing, but her mother was being bullied again.

Out of frustration she couldn’t express, she gripped her chopsticks and clumsily poked at the rice in Lin Xu’s bowl.

Lin Xu, chewing the bun: “???”

“Want me to feed you?” Lin Xu offered eagerly, grabbing Shu Rong’s mischievous arm, her voice bright.

“Sister Shu, let me feed her from now on!”

Shu Qingyou didn’t mind this detail; Shu Rong could already eat independently but was overly dependent on her mother.

Sometimes, she worried if Shu Rong could adjust to the unfamiliar environment of kindergarten.

“Okay.”

Lin Xu lowered her head, whispering darkly to Shu Rong: “I hate it when people touch my stuff.”

With that, Shu Rong’s mouth opened wide, and before she could react, Lin Xu stuffed it full of rice.

Shu Rong chewed with teary eyes, terrified, thinking Lin Xu was a super mean sister.

The meal passed with all three carrying their own thoughts. Lin Xu became much busier, rushing to clear the table, wash dishes, and clean with the vacuum as if her energy was endless.

Wiping sweat from her forehead, her face flushed, she noticed the door to the second floor was locked. Looking up, the copper lock seemed quite new.

“Sister Shu, is there something up there you don’t want people to see?”

Shu Qingyou was teaching Shu Rong to read at the coffee table, her finger pausing in the air before landing on the pinyin.

Without looking up, she said calmly: “Nothing important.”

“Your face still hasn’t healed. Take your medicine.”

Feeling shut out, Lin Xu listlessly finished her chores and took an antihistamine pill.

The medicine worked quickly, but it felt strange, making her drowsy. Yawning, Lin Xu wandered to the room’s door.

“Sister Shu, I’m so sleepy. Going to rest.”

Shu Qingyou glanced at the floor; Lin Xu had indeed cleaned diligently, but it felt more like she was trying to please.

By evening, with the sunset glowing, the guest room door remained closed. Shu Qingyou set down her book. Four hours had passed since Lin Xu went to sleep.

Lin Xu always slept lightly and didn’t nap, so Shu Qingyou felt a sudden unease.

She knocked on the door.

Standing there for a moment, she heard no movement. She called Lin Xu’s name, but there was no response.

Her hand rested on the doorknob, turning it clockwise.

The door wasn’t locked, and the curtains were drawn, making it feel like night had crept in.

A small mound rose on the bed.

“Still sleeping?”

Shu Qingyou asked, stepping closer and turning on the bedside lamp, improving visibility.

Something wasn’t right. She easily lifted a corner of the blanket.

Lin Xu, with her long legs, was curled up, hands clutching her chest, breathing heavily as if in the womb’s amniotic fluid.

Her plain cotton pajamas were soaked with sweat, clinging to her back.

Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, her lips were pressed tight, and her face was red as if scalded by boiling water.

Shu Qingyou frowned slightly.

Before her palm even touched Lin Xu, the heat radiated to her fingertips.

Leaning closer, she could hear faint, unclear whimpers from Lin Xu’s throat.

“You have a fever.”

Shu Qingyou found fever medicine, recently used, placed by the bed.

She doubted the antihistamine Lin Xu took at noon. Without delay, she sat on the bed, lifting Lin Xu’s head to rest on her lap.

Softly coaxing: “Open your mouth.”

In a daze, Lin Xu’s feverish breath wavered. Half-conscious, a familiar orange scent drifted in.

How could that be?

It had been four years, yet that woman still haunted her dreams. Lin Xu furrowed her brows tightly.

How many times had she resisted that pheromone, those citrus fruits, and perfumes with orange notes?

For this, she only used a custom-made perfume by a perfumer.

It wasn’t nostalgia; she simply didn’t want to think of Shu Qingyou.

Five years ago, after her beloved mother died in a car accident, Lin Xu’s daily anxiety turned into severe OCD. She knew the source but was powerless.

She couldn’t stay in despair forever.

The Lin family was vast, with tangled roots, and she knew her shares and voting rights were coveted by relatives.

In a chaotic mental state, she inherited her mother’s shares and trust. At 19, Lin Xu craved decision-making power but lacked the authority to convince the board.

Fortunately, her mother was the matriarch’s favorite daughter, and Lin Xu was seen as her heir.

The matriarch single-handedly cleared obstacles, rallied key directors and shareholders, and offered more dividends to prevent betrayal.

Though everything seemed smooth, Lin Xu’s mental state worsened.

No one knew she wore a confident mask during the day, negotiating eloquently to show control.

But young, she developed a drinking problem, needing to get drunk to sleep.

Keeping Shu Qingyou was like venting everything. Proposing to keep her, despite her fiancée, was out of revenge. So what?

Everyone in their circle kept Omegas.

She first saw Shu Qingyou soon after her family went bankrupt, carrying a suede-protected plum vase to a truck.

The truck was loaded with handmade ceramics and large machines, likely for a bulk sale.

The driver kept urging her, impatient, but his eyes lingered on Shu Qingyou’s graceful waist and chest.

Wearing a simple white shirt and rolled-up jeans with a low ponytail, Shu Qingyou looked like a recent graduate.

From across the sidewalk, Lin Xu barely saw her profile—smooth jawline, hair brushing her porcelain face, probably too rushed to care about her appearance.

She likely hadn’t slept well in a while.

Lin Xu glanced at her occasionally, watching her load and unload, leaning leisurely in her car, smoking.

Cigarette smoke drifted from the subtle, luxurious black car.

As dusk fell, only the golden filter tip glowed faintly.

Having smoked most of a pack of Sobranie, Lin Xu flicked her wrist, revealing a silver-gray mechanical watch, its blue steel hands circling once.

There wasn’t much to see, yet an hour passed unnoticed.

The truck rumbled away, and Shu Qingyou appeared from the studio, crouching at the door, tending to some healthy succulents.

Lin Xu didn’t hide, watching her frail back, thinking this Omega was so oblivious, unaware of a strange Alpha’s long gaze.

A mocking thought arose, and she stubbed out the last spark in the ashtray.

Opening the car door, her long legs in black suit pants stepped out, breathing the freshest air.

Her goal was clear; minutes ago, she decided to have some fun.

“Hello, boss.”

That was Lin Xu’s first sentence to her, deliberately friendly, her expression matching.

Shu Qingyou’s back stiffened, and after a few seconds, she stood and turned to face Lin Xu.

Up close, Shu Qingyou was beautiful—not flashy, with lowered phoenix eyes, pale pink lips, soft curves, and a slightly red nose tip.

Just looking at her felt calming, especially up close.

Lin Xu guessed she’d been crying.

Shu Qingyou spoke softly, her face showing unconcealed loss: “I won’t be soon.”

“Oh, really? That’s a shame.”

Feigning regret, Lin Xu shook her head and sighed: “I wanted to visit. Online reviews for this place are pretty good.”

Shu Qingyou awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear. “Maybe later…”

She stopped, her throat choking.

Lin Xu knew she was no longer the shop’s owner. She pulled out a small pack of tissues and handed them to Shu Qingyou.

“If you don’t mind, use this to wipe here,” Lin Xu pointed at her faintly blue eye circles, smiling, “it’s still a bit wet.”

“Thank you.”

…

In a haze, the orange scent grew stronger, invading her surroundings.

Lin Xu groaned, struggling to lift her heavy eyelids, her head feeling like churning paste.

She leaned back warily, glaring at Shu Qingyou: “Am I dreaming?”

Shu Qingyou didn’t understand Lin Xu’s sudden coldness.

Her hand was still behind Lin Xu’s neck, and she paused, sensing something off.

Instinctively, she said: “You have a fever. Take the medicine first.”

Medicine?

Lin Xu looked skeptical, lowering her eyes. Shu Qingyou held a white pill, and a glass of water sat on the table.

Hah, Lin Xu quickly realized, how could that be?

She swiftly grabbed Shu Qingyou’s wrist, and the pill fell onto the bed as her wrist went limp.

“Lin Xu?”

Shu Qingyou froze, her heartbeat quickening.

Before she could ask another question, Lin Xu pulled her into an embrace.

The strength was greater than anything in recent days.

Lin Xu flipped over, quickly pinning Shu Qingyou’s hands, her breathing uneven, her face flushed.

In shock, Shu Qingyou’s shoulders were pressed down, her head hitting the pillow, causing a slight jolt of pain.

She let out a brief cry.

“It hurts…”

Her tied-up hair spilled like a waterfall, contrasting sharply with her pale skin.

Lin Xu’s eyes reddened, the orange scent stirring her nerves.

“It hurts?”

Lin Xu mumbled, repeating, leaning closer, her long curls falling around Shu Qingyou’s neck, their hair tangling.

It was just a dream, so what couldn’t she do?

It felt so real, even the smooth touch, like the tea set in her office.

Those useless items, long meant to be discarded, only added to her troubles.

After Shu Qingyou left, Lin Xu’s OCD turned into a cleaning obsession.

She didn’t let anyone touch her, not even her fiancée at banquets.

The Shu Qingyou in her dream was clean.

Tearing off the suppressant patch, the floral scent spread, and Lin Xu inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.

Shu Qingyou’s pupils shrank, incredulous.

At the same time, her body heated uncontrollably, her breathing growing heavier.

Struggling to regain composure, she suppressed her instinctive reaction and said firmly: “Have you recovered?”

The uncontrollable pheromones carried intense desire, like a storm shattering a calm lake.

“Recovered…”

Lin Xu looked down, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

“What do you mean?”