A Quiet Homecoming

They had taken the late-night flight and arrived at three in the afternoon.

After a few days of playing, they still hadn't gotten used to the temperature here. It was cold, and Yan Qingqiu's thoughts ran hot, but her body shivered, making it seem like she was up to no good in the car.

She adjusted her hat, tugged at her scarf, and only her eyes were visible.

She kept rubbing her hands together while sitting on the chair.

Song Qingre got out of the car first, and Yan Qingqiu quickly followed, trailing behind her. Each breath formed a small puff of white mist.

Song Qingre bought her a hot milk. Yan Qingqiu held the cup and sipped through the straw. Song Qingre said casually, "Don't believe whatever it says. Just believe me."

"I know." Yan Qingqiu had her own judgment; if she were the type to be perpetually dazed, she'd easily be deceived, so she asked questions about things that mattered to her and tried hard to stay clear-headed.

She was halfway through the hot milk when the three of them arrived.

The trio carried a lot of luggage. Coming out of the service center, they shivered. They'd thought it was cold enough back home, but this place was both damp and cold.

Ye Sichun was only wearing a coat, and her face had gone blue from the cold.

The three opened their suitcases and put on down jackets over their clothes.

Luo Xi handed one to Ye Sichun first, telling her to put it on.

Xia Chunnong was bundled up tightly, waddling like a penguin, with red gloves on her hands. She waved when she saw them.

Yan Qingqiu returned a smile, then turned her head to fix her expression so she wouldn't burst out laughing in front of her. They were friends now, and laughing like that would just make others upset.

She took a deep breath, fingers rubbing her cheeks.

Yan Qingqiu tried hard to forget Xia Chunnong's online romance, but Song Qingre was curious. She looked at Xia Chunnong and asked, "When you came, did you say hello to that female pilot? I think she's pretty decent."

"Pfft!" Yan Qingqiu couldn't help it.

"Don't laugh, we haven't talked yet," Xia Chunnong said helplessly. She was dressed elegantly today, looking like a rich young lady, nothing like a village belle. Her black thick heels clicked on the ground. "I asked her last night, and she said she had a flight today."

Yan Qingqiu said, "So you two chatted yesterday, no death by meeting?" She bit her lip, trying to stifle her laughter.

Xia Chunnong didn't plan to answer that. She hoisted her suitcase and huffed as she put it in the trunk. Then she sat in Song Qingre's car. Yan Qingqiu didn't want to, but Little Spring Flower insisted on riding with her. Yan Qingqiu stared hard out the window, trying to look mature and steady, not like a nosy gossip.

After playing with her phone for a while, Xia Chunnong couldn't hold it in and whispered to them, "After going back yesterday, she got off work very, very late and sent me a message. But I'm not telling you what it said."

Yan Qingqiu couldn't help laughing. "What, is it that funny? Afraid I'll laugh at you?"

Xia Chunnong held up her phone, switched it to mirror mode, and fixed her bangs.

When she said that, even Song Qingre, who was driving with her usual maturity, coughed a little, though she held back her laughter. "Given the state you two were in yesterday, you still managed to be all lovey-dovey. Maybe you're just meant to be."

Xia Chunnong didn't catch on at first, but she mulled it over while holding her phone.

Uncertainly, she asked, "You mean we're a good match?"

Yan Qingqiu covered her mouth and turned to watch the scenery passing by. The scenery abroad was indeed beautiful.

Everything was a vast white expanse. She wondered if spring came, whether a few little flowers might bloom.

Song Qingre said, "You could think of it that way."

Yan Qingqiu thought Xia Chunnong's next line would be "thank you," so she answered for Song Qingre in advance, telling Xia Chunnong, "You're welcome."

They had only decided to come yesterday, spending an hour or two cramming on local customs but not making a full travel plan. Now, they had to rely on Song Qingre for everything.

Song Qingre didn't mind. She drove them to a local restaurant first for a welcome meal, then arranged their hotel for the night. Ye Sichun insisted on transferring the accommodation fee to Song Qingre.

The restaurant had good food; they'd been there a few days ago, and everyone ate happily.

Their lodgings were right next to Yan Qingqiu's little house. The two newcomers immediately started taking photos everywhere, asking Yan Qingqiu to join. But Yan Qingqiu declined since she was supposed to be "missing."

Song Qingre and Ye Sichun chatted, mentioning business related to the Fu family.

Yan Qingqiu led the two inside, and the three of them shared one room since there was enough space. After settling them in, Yan Qingqiu remembered Su Xingjie and called her outside, asking where she was and why she hadn't come over all day.

Su Xingjie picked up quickly. "I was reviewing some reports here. I'll be back soon. Getting in the car now."

"You never rest. You were supposed to come and have fun, but you went straight to work. You don't know how to enjoy life." Yan Qingqiu scolded sternly.

"Sorry, Qiu Bao, I won't do it again. I'm wrong." Su Xingjie played cute, and Yan Qingqiu immediately relented.

Yan Qingqiu said seriously, "Fine, I forgive you." But that seriousness lasted only half a minute before she showed her true colors. "Sis, I have to say, you look pretty charming when you work."

Su Xingjie said, "I'll bring you here sometime. Let you experience the CEO treatment. I came here suddenly, so no one knows yet. Tomorrow I'll take you there and let them know in advance. Then you'll get the VIP treatment."

Yan Qingqiu clicked her tongue, and Su Xingjie immediately caught on—she'd circled back to work again.

Yan Qingqiu sighed. "Come back safe. I'll order food for you."

"Thanks, Qiu Bao." Su Xingjie hung up. Since they were in a foreign country, Yan Qingqiu was worried about her, so she shared her location and watched her get closer, only then relaxing.

Song Qingre finished talking with Ye Sichun and walked over, hands in pockets, exhaling mist. She asked with concern, "Is Su Xingjie back? I just arranged with them to go to the hot springs tonight."

"Almost. About twenty minutes." Yan Qingqiu checked the map and asked, "Is it a separate pool for AAs and one for OOs, or mixed?"

"Mixed. Otherwise it'd just be me and Ye Sichun... face to face would be awkward."

Yan Qingqiu hummed in agreement. In her world, there was no ABO distinction, and people weren't so particular.

They went together to book a pool, reserving one, and bought clean bathrobes to be sterilized before use.

"By the way, Xing Xing hasn't eaten," Yan Qingqiu said.

"No rush. There's food there; I ordered some."

They didn't rush in; they waited at the entrance for Su Xingjie.

Su Xingjie didn't come back empty-handed. The trunk was full of clothes.

This place was made up of two islands—one snowy, one tropical.

She went to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and patted her thick gloves. The other two bounced over to look.

Yan Qingqiu wore clothes made by her best friend every day. The friend was a director, so she'd seen plenty and stayed especially calm.

Xia Chunnong held her phone and said, "Su Xingjie, can we take a photo? If it's inconvenient, we can skip it."

"Sure," Su Xingjie said.

It was mainly Xia Chunnong who liked taking photos; Luo Xi was fine, but she used to envy Yan Qingqiu and Su Xingjie's relationship.

Yan Qingqiu borrowed Song Qingre's phone to play with, watching them post on Moments. If they didn't praise her best friend's generosity, Yan Qingqiu would take the clothes back—not a single piece.

She was that stingy.

Xia Chunnong was good at bragging: 【Came to play. Thanks to Sister Song for picking us up, thanks to Sister's ambiguous partner Ye Sichun for booking the hotel, thanks to Director Su for the car full of luxury goods. So happy.】

"Remember to block your pilot girlfriend," Su Xingjie reminded.

"Crap, almost forgot." Xia Chunnong lowered her head, fumbling to set it to visible to herself only, then block the female pilot separately.

The timing was getting late, and Yan Qingqiu worried Su Xingjie was hungry, so she urged them to go to the hot springs in the back.

··

The moon-shaped pool was filled with steam. The pool was big enough, and everyone spread out. Mixed AO soaking—people weren't that open, so they all went in wrapped in towels.

Song Qingre ordered food, and Yan Qingqiu took it all to Su Xingjie. She clutched her towel. "You pick first, then I'll pass the rest to them."

Su Xingjie nodded, a smile in her eyes, enjoying the favoritism without guilt. "Thanks, Qiu Bao."

Yan Qingqiu brought the rest to Song Qingre. Song Qingre wasn't very hungry, so she took some fruit to snack on.

It was evening, and steam covered the edge of the pool. The pool was crescent-shaped, and the path wasn't clear, so Song Qingre warned her to be careful walking.

Yan Qingqiu brought food to Luo Xi, who mischievously tugged at Yan Qingqiu's towel. Seeing her full cleavage, she said enviously, "Why are your boobs so big?"

Yan Qingqiu adjusted her towel, ignoring her.

Xia Chunnong came over and said, "We're all big. Yours are just small."

Luo Xi felt a bit deflated. After handing out the food, Yan Qingqiu came back and whispered, "I know a secret to bigger boobs."

Luo Xi was skeptical, tilting her head to show her ear. Yan Qingqiu said, "Omegas like you aren't naturally big like us high-level ones, but you can make them bigger by rubbing. Especially with an alpha's help. It's a real secret recipe from a researcher's dying words."

"...How do you know?"

"My dad was developing new products and planned to work on that." Yan Qingqiu finished, afraid she wouldn't believe it, and walked away, towel in hand, as if to say, I gave you the method, but whether you believe it is up to you. Luo Xi thought she was joking at first, but she secretly opened her towel and looked down. Not small, just smaller compared to theirs. She wanted to compare again, but when she looked up, she saw Ye Sichun watching her, so she quickly closed her towel.

Her heart was pounding, feeling embarrassed, when she suddenly heard a splash.

Luo Xi craned her neck and saw Yan Qingqiu had fallen into the pool. Luckily, Song Qingre was quick and caught her, or she would've taken a bad gulp.

Yan Qingqiu coughed a couple of times, her towel gone. Song Qingre fished it out and draped it over her shoulders. Yan Qingqiu surfaced, hair completely soaked.

She wiped her face.

Song Qingre looked like she was about to laugh, asking, "Still kicking?"

"Cough, cough."

"Such a klutz."

"Cough, cough."

"Don't fake-cough."

"Oh." Yan Qingqiu had just passed her, spotted her shoulder, and felt an itch to kick, not expecting the shoulder to be so slippery—she ended up doing the splits.

Yan Qingqiu soaked by Song Qingre's side under the stars.

With everyone there, she was shy, so she kept inching away, letting the water rise to her neck.

The night deep, here the light was dim.

The soak felt genuinely nice; a few people half-closed their eyes, resting.

Afterwards, going back to sleep sounded great.

Yan Qingqiu lay by the bed, and Song Qingre blew her half-dry hair. Yan Qingqiu stared at the wooden floor, listening to the hair dryer and the crackling fire in the fireplace.

Before she knew it, lulled by the white noise, she drifted off.

Song Qingre turned off the dryer and sat on the chair by the bed. She checked her phone and said, "I talked with Ye Sichun. She'll take Luo Xi and the others around tomorrow."

"And Xing Xing?"

Song Qingre looked at her. "She's going too."

Yan Qingqiu didn't respond. She lay on her side, back to the other.

Song Qingre couldn't tell if she was asleep or awake. She leaned over to check—Yan Qingqiu was asleep.

Yan Qingqiu slept deeply, not wanting to wake. She curled up slightly, hand under her cheek, breath stirring a few strands of hair. Her body was warm from the hot spring, smelling faintly of fragrance. Song Qingre leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Qiuqiu."

"Mm?" Yan Qingqiu answered sleepily.

Song Qingre put down her phone. She didn't get under the covers but pressed against the edge.

The cold wind blew outside. She lay beside Yan Qingqiu, hand covering her eyes.

"Don't be afraid."

Her voice was so soft it trembled, drifting into the dream.

Yan Qingqiu dreamed a long dream. She was sitting under a tree, leaves blown by the wind, her white skirt fluttering. She bent down to catch something like a butterfly.

When she came to, she realized she was clutching someone else's skirt.

The girl wore a white dress, and the wind lifted the fallen leaves, scattering golden stars across the autumn sky.

The girl reached out her hand. "I've come to take you home."

She slept soundly that night, so deeply she couldn't tell when she'd fallen asleep.

It felt soft, not like a firm bed.

She tried to get up, but it was pitch dark—she couldn't see anything.

"Song Qingre?"

【Still calling for Song Qingre? Do you know where you are?】

Yan Qingqiu took a moment to realize it was the System speaking. "An orphanage?"

The System chuckled. 【Song Qingre's mental space.】

"What?" Yan Qingqiu tried to push herself up, but something twisted like a wave pressed down. Her hands were bound by something unknown. She lifted her body.

She called the names of people she trusted again, but still got no response. It was as if she'd been sealed off, stuffed into some space.

Despite Song Qingre's reassurance that it wasn't scary, she was only human. Guessing this was no good place, her instincts kicked in, and she struggled.

Yan Qingqiu let out a muffled groan. It was awful. Her whole body felt misaligned.

Uncomfortable.

If her eyes weren't covered, she'd have seen that she was locked in a red room, lying against a red wall, wrists bound by tentacle-like things. She was bare, and the tentacles moved slowly, wrapping around her ankles and thighs. The last one crept teasingly at her neck.

Yan Qingqiu's waist was still free. She lifted her body slightly, and immediately something lashed at her chest. She groaned, stifled. God, so weird.

"Her mental space used to be scary, but it's been upgraded again," the System said.

"Why are you talking directly?" Yan Qingqiu could feel the System's voice in her ears, not as before when it was stuck controlling her mind.

The System didn't answer. It knew why. Last time Yan Qingqiu had redeemed those weird wives, Song Qingre had strangled several with her bare hands, and that night she'd absorbed a few more into her mental space, causing multiple game bugs.

If they hadn't been fast, Song Qingre would have killed and absorbed all of "herself."

The System repeatedly tried to separate from Yan Qingqiu's body. It wasn't willing to leave this host unless forced.

But... who dared to play for keeps with Song Qingre?

The System valued its own life too.

Yan Qingqiu drifted, body weak, feeling ethereal.

In the strange, dark space, the light on her was dim red. All the walls writhed and quivered. She was a delicious appetizer; the warped walls swelled and contracted, ready to swallow her in one gulp.

Suddenly, it became obedient. Every expansion was careful, probing timidly, as if curious about its owner's lover, only peeking now and then.

Yan Qingqiu was blindfolded, unable to see what was happening outside.

The System might have failed to detach, and it was cursing her again, asking where she'd been these past days, whether she'd been doing something with Song Qingre.

The System had come online to find Yan Qingqiu in this godforsaken place. It had called for ages without waking her, and it had even suspected she might die in her sleep.

【You really don't know where you are?】

Yan Qingqiu did know—it was a room, just that she'd been blindfolded when she came in and couldn't tell where.

Yan Qingqiu: 【A room.】

The System: 【You're fearless!】

Yan Qingqiu tried hard to stay calm.

The System: 【If you don't get out of here now, I'll unbind immediately.】

Yan Qingqiu: 【You just want to unbind. Your tasks were a breeze.】

The System: 【What tasks can you still do?】

Yan Qingqiu dropped the act. 【My task is to have a child with an alpha.】

The System asked: 【Who told you that?】

As soon as it said it, it knew the answer. Other than Song Qingre, no one would be that cruel.

Yan Qingqiu: 【Then what is my task?】

It must be to marry the male lead.

Now Fu Sang was about to replace her, and she was about to be killed by Song Qingre.

She still wanted to have a child with Song Qingre. That wasn't being love-struck; that was being an idiot.

It knew what was going on. Song Qingre wanted to use the System's mechanics to kill Yan Qingqiu, but it hadn't issued the task yet. Now, impatient, she'd dragged her into her mental space.

It now saw Yan Qingqiu as a blockhead and a fool. Yan Qingqiu probably still didn't know what she was doing.

She would die silently, and it wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse, maybe the most oblivious of all 9125.

The System said sarcastically, 【In a sense, you're the one she loves most.】

【Yes, Host. Your second task is to have a child with an alpha. Please complete it promptly!】

Yan Qingqiu caught on.

The System wasn't praising her; it was mocking.

Death was the quietest.

The System, almost pityingly, sighed softly.

Yan Qingqiu's voice calmed, no longer as anxious. She asked, "Am I going to die?"

"Before I die, can I ask you one question?"

The System didn't respond, but it didn't refuse, so she could talk. Yan Qingqiu said, "Am I really Yan Qingqiu, Miss Yan?"

The System sneered. 【No. You're just you, an ordinary person who accidentally came to this world. You're not Miss Yan. Don't feel regret. Death might hurt a little at first, give you a taste of being skinned alive...】

Before it could finish, she heard a gentle voice.

It was Song Qingre approaching, her breath soft, her voice tender to the extreme.

Yan Qingqiu didn't know what her mental space looked like, but she'd looked it up. It said an alpha's mental space was a room.

Others' minds would be controlled, their spirit and body separated.

Low-level alphas could only stimulate the opponent's mind, give them hallucinations, make them lose judgment, as if they'd changed everything around them.

But ultra-high-level SSS alphas could drag people into their mental space, kill them there, leaving no trace.

Yan Qingqiu asked, "My last question: Is Song Qingre some kind of bug?"

As she finished, she felt she couldn't speak—her throat was clamped, her mind seized. The room itself was defending against her.

Her body reacted instinctively, trembling in warning.

Yan Qingqiu shook uncontrollably.

The System laughed coldly. 【She awakened too early. At first, we thought it was a bug and tried to fix it a few times, but we couldn't change her. At that time, she didn't realize there was something wrong with this world. Until later, when Miss Yan stopped loving her, she started going mad. No one could stop her. Even her own data began to change, and she couldn't be killed.】

【Even when Fu Sang stabbed her, she was testing whether she could die. She's insane, scarier than a virus.】

Yan Qingqiu couldn't tell which of the System's words was true or false, but she was sure it was saying these things to scare her and get back at her.

And indeed, she got goosebumps.

The System said, 【Later, she realized Miss Yan had been replaced, so she started trying all sorts of things, over and over. She went mad and connected the game's entry point to her mental space. She just waited there, killing endlessly, killing over and over. Anyway, she just kept killing...】

It sensed Yan Qingqiu's body writhing.

Even the System said, 【Not to mention humans—9125 times. Even we Systems are exhausted, driven crazy by her, repeatedly patching. It's painful, frustrating.】

The System said a lot of bad things about Song Qingre, making Yan Qingqiu feel that if Song Qingre killed her now, it wouldn't be revenge but self-punishment.

The System said, 【If you'd listened to me from the start, maybe it'd be Song Qingre dead now. Because the third level is...】

It said, 【Kill the white moonlight.】

【I'll help you kill the white moonlight.】

The word "kill" hit her brain, and Yan Qingqiu's breath tightened. She felt embraced, tight, as if being caressed. Fingers?

No, not fingers—something soft, squeezing her body, making her weak and limp.

Thicker than fingers, covered in soft tentacles. She believed Song Qingre wouldn't hurt her, but being caressed like this, unable to see the form, not knowing what it was, she felt panic.

Her body was soaked with sweat, pressure crushing her.

"Mm..."

Her calves tensed, and that delicate, soft feeling pressed again.

The System said many hosts had fallen in this mental space. Yan Qingqiu thought, Are you sure that's how they all died?

Ugh.

Really couldn't take it.

She couldn't endure this mental force. Yan Qingqiu should have been scared, but being treated like this, she felt she was about to climax. Damn, why did it feel so weird?

Did everyone who came in go through this?

The System felt it too—the mental force began to tear.

It had revealed Song Qingre's secrets, and Song Qingre would spare no expense to kill it.

What was she trying this time?

The 9125th attempt.

Was it to tear the System apart?

The System's voice grew ethereal. It didn't want to be torn apart like Yan Qingqiu.

【Yan Qingqiu, farewell.】

Yan Qingqiu, go die.

It deliberately said goodbye, sneering coldly, just to make Song Qingre look back later with regret, wishing she hadn't.

Killing her own lover with her own hands—what pain.

Yan Qingqiu could feel the System pulling away from her, her mind going light, blank.

The tentacle was too tight, squeezing her leg painfully. She couldn't tell if it was going inside or just wiping her tears to soothe her.

This kind of dangerous thrill—most people couldn't handle it, right?

"Song Qingre," she called out, as if asking for help.

"Song Qingre..." Yan Qingqiu called again. "Let me out. It hurts, it hurts."

Finally, she felt like something yanked her out hard.

She couldn't help it—tears streaming down her face.

Her body convulsed. It hurt.

Finally, she felt something solid. She was in Song Qingre's arms, face against her shoulder, fingers weak, gasping. "I just..."

"Couldn't hold it in."

Song Qingre rubbed her forehead against hers.

Her blindfolded eyes couldn't see the outside. She rested her chin on Song Qingre's shoulder. After a moment, she nuzzled against Song Qingre's cheek, pushing the blindfold off, and looked behind her.

Around Song Qingre was dim, as if all the world's colors had faded, as if even the color of her pupils was being stripped away.

It was a little hard to bear. Her eyes closed on their own, and she buried her face into her shoulder with a muffled groan—scared.

Her lashes fluttered; she was soaked.

It was hard to describe—like a dark room, twisting like liquid, things surging within, able to shrink smaller and smaller...

Stained with blood, ugly.

Every time she recalled it, the fear squeezed her insides, making it hard to breathe. She grabbed Song Qingre's hand and stuffed it into her own to block out the panic, blanking her mind so she could forget.

Song Qingre gently laid her on the bed, one hand cradling her neck. "How is it?"

Yan Qingqiu couldn't open her eyes, sobbing, mishearing her, and whimpered, "Still want it."

The blindfold was soaked. Song Qingre pulled it off.

Song Qingre's breath was slightly heavy. She leaned in, brushing her lips against hers, then kissed her eyes.

Yan Qingqiu's lips moved, uttering words, but Song Qingre couldn't make them out—whether it was "want, want, want" or "bite, bite, bite."

Song Qingre massaged her tense legs, easing the cramps.

Was her darling scared?

She soothed her. "Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid."

"I'm not scared."

Yan Qingqiu's words were thick with tears, hard to understand.

She really was uncomfortable.

"If you're really that uncomfortable, we go to the hospital, darling."

"No, no hospital." Yan Qingqiu cried from both ends, gripping her back. "I'll be fine soon. Soon."

But soon never came. Yan Qingqiu cried many times, eyes swollen, and when she blinked, they were full of tears.

···

Blindfolded, Yan Qingqiu lost track of day and night, any sense of time.

Because of the brutal encounter, this was the worst Yan Qingqiu had suffered since becoming an omega. Even the two white bunnies she'd raised were hurt.

Song Qingre coaxed her for a while, putting band-aids on her small wounds.

Yan Qingqiu felt it odd and pushed her away, saying no. Song Qingre stuck one corner, and she tugged at it, accidentally hitting the wound, making her wince.

Song Qingre held her wrist to stop her. "It's okay. Put it on, or it'll be uncomfortable."

Yan Qingqiu felt weird and tried to struggle.

As she moved, the two bunnies bounced along. She reached down to press them flat.

Song Qingre pressed a finger to her lips, shushing softly, then held Yan Qingqiu's hand, staring at her. "If it gets ruined, we have to go to the hospital, and the doctor will ask, 'Miss Yan, how did you ruin it?' What will you say?"

Yan Qingqiu shut her mouth and grunted, but her mind drifted back to the mental space. She bit her lip and let her do it. Song Qingre's fingers traced the band-aid, smoothing the wrinkles.

Yan Qingqiu knew she was doing it on purpose. Song Qingre looked up at her, unhurried, and Yan Qingqiu said, "Do what you want. If you want to eat tonight, it'll taste like medicine."

"It's fine. You're very sweet. It won't be bitter."

Yan Qingqiu grunted and kicked at Song Qingre. Song Qingre smiled, grabbing her calf. Yan Qingqiu sat up, and Song Qingre looked at her chest. "Qiu Qiu, since you've developed, it's more and more noticeable. I wonder how heavy it is."

Yan Qingqiu put on her clothes, ignoring her. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Standing by the window, she saw that Luo Xi and Xia Chunnong were already awake. The two had said they wanted to be influencers and build their careers, but really they just posted on Moments to show their old fake friends, proving they'd leveled up and left that low-class circle.

She really couldn't understand rich girls' minds.

She closed the window and unbuttoned one button, revealing the bunnies tucked inside.

"One chance."

Song Qingre had just washed her face with hot water and applied lotion. She weighed them and said, "Not sure how many pounds. We'll know after comparing next time."

She wiped the remaining essence onto Yan Qingqiu's body.

Yan Qingqiu's skin was like it hadn't drunk water in years, thirsty. It absorbed quickly, and if it had a mouth, it would suck her fingers.

Yan Qingqiu pulled her hand away and saw her own face was red. Song Qingre laughed beside her. Yan Qingqiu wanted to get back at her, saying, "So easily impressed. I'll let you squeeze tonight."

Yan Qingqiu looked in the mirror—sure enough, Song Qingre froze, staring at her for a moment, unmoving.

Yan Qingqiu pointed at her cheek. "Kiss me here, and tonight you can squeeze two."

Song Qingre flexed her fingers, thinking of the feel just now.

An SSS-rank omega was an alpha's ultimate fantasy, an unrivaled beauty.

Yan Qingqiu bit her lower lip, eyes slightly upturned, smugness plain on her face.

The person behind her stepped forward, lips landing on her cheek for two kisses.

"Remember to let me squeeze two tonight."

"Depends on your performance."

Yan Qingqiu went downstairs, where the cold hit her and she shivered instantly.

Luo Xi and the others were filming videos. Yan Qingqiu stood with hands in pockets, watching, and took the chance to ask what day it was.

Xia Chunnong told her, and Yan Qingqiu calculated—a whole day and night. Thank goodness.

Xia Chunnong said, "Don't just stand there. Come join. Where'd you disappear yesterday?"

Yan Qingqiu thought, I was in bed asking an alpha to f*ck me. She said, "Maybe I shouldn't join. The internet says I'm a fake heiress now. Wouldn't want to drag down your status."

Luo Xi looked baffled, surprised. "Seriously? You care about that? Aren't you pretty thick-skinned?"

After saying it, she felt a bit regretful. She shouldn't have said that. This kind of thing wasn't easy for anyone, and joking about it was insensitive, deliberately hurting her.

It wasn't about thick skin.

Luo Xi said guiltily, "I'm not laughing at you. I just think you don't need to care. We don't. You should post and show them that you're Yan Qingqiu, and no one can replace you."

"Yeah," Xia Chunnong agreed. "Look at our status. What's hers? We're high-end. Yesterday my dad called and said, since you're such good friends, if your dad won't acknowledge you, you can come to my house."

"Exactly, besties. My parents said the same." Luo Xi had also complained at home before coming. "And I think more people online like you than Fu Sang. You're prettier than her."

The two kept praising, making Yan Qingqiu's heart warm.

Xia Chunnong saw she was embarrassed and pulled her down. "It's fine. Just think of it as us using your fame."

Yan Qingqiu really didn't want to film. She smiled. "It's okay. I don't want to film now. I'll film for you."

"That works." Xia Chunnong didn't push, handing her the camera.

Xia Chunnong started explaining their plan. She and Luo Xi wanted to do something real. But they couldn't work a job, and they definitely wouldn't clock in. They'd make a video account together and become million-follower creators.

"I've got it all planned. Once our account takes off, we'll take ads, do product promotions. Then we'll launch beauty products. Tsk, I'm sure we can take this industry to the next level."

Yan Qingqiu occasionally scrolled videos. She didn't doubt their abilities; they'd probably make the account work.

Mostly because they were both pretty, and netizens liked watching pretty girls' glamorous lives.

Though she didn't watch much herself.

Yan Qingqiu filmed them as they asked, and after filming, Xia Chunnong used her editing skills to whip up a video and post it online.

Just posted, not a single like. Because it was on Xia Chunnong's account, and Luo Xi liked it from her own.

Luo Xi said, "Yan Qingqiu, don't forget to like mine later."

But Yan Qingqiu was in a critical moment—in the System's eyes, she was already dead, so she couldn't like it. She grunted noncommittally.

Song Qingre came down too, talking to Ye Sichun.

Ye Sichun nodded, smiled at them, for reasons unknown.

Yan Qingqiu looked at Luo Xi, who blushed and turned away.

She asked her bestie, "Are they together?"

"Not yet. Still in the flirting stage."

Yan Qingqiu was about to shake her head when Xia Chunnong said, "She secretly told me love is like this—you have to close your eyes and feel it. If you truly love each other, it doesn't matter how long the flirting stage is, because you won't worry about the future. You're destined to be together."

Yan Qingqiu was stunned. Even Luo Xi, that hopeless romantic, was now talking about love like a pro.

Nice. Impressive.

She listened, followed them filming, and when they walked far, she remembered she shouldn't get too far from Song Qingre. She turned back and, on the way, saw Su Xingjie and waved.

Suddenly, she felt her mind was different than before.

She called Song Qingre. Song Qingre stood at the red cabin's door, hair blowing in the cold wind. She didn't come to her but raised her hand, tapping her temple with one finger.

Yan Qingqiu understood instantly. "System?"

The others with the camera looked at her. "What thing? A photo system?"

【System?】

Yan Qingqiu stood still, then after a few seconds, she ran backward. Her boots scraped against the snow, she slipped, fell, got up without brushing off the snow, and kept retreating.

Until she could no longer see Song Qingre, she called again, "System? System, system?"

【System, system, system, system?】

Then Luo Xi and the others ran over asking what was wrong, and only then did Yan Qingqiu stop calling the System. She wanted to scream, cry, shout in excitement.

Finally, she swallowed it all and whispered, "This time... it's really okay."

The System had unbinded.