Seduction

If Hua Yu had to describe her past with Wei Yin in one word, no word fit better than a seven-color palette.

Different colors represented different moods: the beginning, liking, drawing near, acquaintance, understanding, intimacy…

Though the ending had been hasty and sloppy, the process itself had been beautiful.

Hua Yu skipped everyone else and only recounted her history with Wei Yin, bit by bit, to her.

Naturally, that included some details.

Wei Yin was a total gossip gremlin; she loved hearing about other people’s affairs, and didn’t even mind that she herself was the heroine of the gossip. She sat there eating grapes by the handful while listening, utterly absorbed.

Every fragment Hua Yu brought up was full of sweetness and beauty. If Wei Yin hadn’t known Hua Yu’s personality, she might have really thought they had dated.

If they had dated, that would have been nice. Wei Yin clicked her tongue, regret written all over her face. “Why didn’t we ever actually date…”

Hua Yu: …

She suppressed the urge to complain and went on in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. “You’d memorize my class schedule, keep me company at the library, and secretly wear matching colors with me. At first, I didn’t know what you were doing, but you didn’t annoy me either. Gradually, I got used to having you around.”

Wei Yin’s eyes widened. “I was the one chasing you?”

That was a little shocking. Back then, had she really been that bold? Actually daring to pursue someone, and that someone was Hua Yu.

Hua Yu considered it carefully and found the statement flawless. “Yes. At first, you only sat behind me. Later, maybe you got braver, or maybe you just couldn’t stand it anymore, and started secretly taking pictures of my back. You took them when I was dressed neatly, and you took them when I was a mess writing papers too. Sometimes I really wanted to go over and see whether your album had a photo of me asleep at my desk with drool on my face.”

Wei Yin remembered all those fangirl posts she’d made and finally understood; the victim was right here.

But she really had never taken any ugly photos of Hua Yu. Or rather, as the saying went, beauty was in the eye of the beholder; there wasn’t a single picture of Hua Yu that looked ugly to her.

Wei Yin felt she’d really been something; not only had she chased someone, she’d done it in such a shameless, relentless way. Too bad Hua Yu had seen through her from the very beginning and had silently watched her make a fool of herself.

“Dr. Hua knew from the start,” Wei Yin said, thinking it over. “How did you even notice me?”

“I knew you.” A trace of nostalgia flickered in Hua Yu’s eyes, and her tone softened. “You saved me. Do you remember?”

“So we met through that?” Wei Yin knew about this; Hua Yu had told her the first time she’d brought it up. “I was the hero rescuing a beauty.”

The smile in Hua Yu’s eyes faded a little. “Who knows what you were thinking. I always remembered you, but at first it seemed like you’d forgotten me. You didn’t even greet me when we met. Luckily, you started pestering me again later. I couldn’t figure out what your motive was, and you weren’t exactly hiding it well, so I just pretended not to know.”

“Well, I couldn’t exactly keep running after your butt forever,” Wei Yin said, cupping her face as she imagined it. “How did we finally make things clear? Don’t tell me you only found out because I was finally caught taking photos?”

Hua Yu’s expression was gentle as she recalled it. “It was a typhoon day. There was torrential rain, and I got trapped in the library. You’d finished class, but even with a hurricane blowing, you came over, secretly left your umbrella with me, and then—because you only had that one umbrella—you were going to walk back in the rain? I really couldn’t stand it, so I dragged you out…”

There were few people in the library. The rain had started in the morning, and only oddballs like Hua Yu—people who had stayed up all night in the study room, then rushed to the library first thing in the morning—were still huddled inside, completely cut off by the storm.

After an all-nighter, Hua Yu had finished a section of her work and was in a very good mood. She didn’t feel burdened by the rain at all, and even wanted to nap beautifully on the library sofa.

Lying on the sofa, Hua Yu suddenly felt a gust of cold air beside her. When she opened her eyes again, there was no one there, only an umbrella beside her hand.

It was a bright green umbrella, printed with some bank’s logo; at a glance, it was obviously one of those free giveaway umbrellas from an event.

Hua Yu looked around and still didn’t see anyone, but from the style of the umbrella she could roughly guess who it was.

No one else knew she liked to pull all-nighters on Wednesday nights to finish papers, because even if someone liked her, they wouldn’t be like that person, able to keep her company in the opposite study room all night long.

Wei Yin, that little clingy thing, was like a sticky rice cake; once she latched on, she couldn’t be shaken off, and she was incredibly persistent.

Hua Yu sighed, touched and helpless at once, and took the umbrella to the front desk. Raising her voice, she said, “Someone left an umbrella behind. Lost-and-found registration.”

The staff at the front desk took the umbrella. Hua Yu turned and left.

Wei Yin watched from behind; she’d lost the chicken while trying to keep the rice, and she only had one umbrella. If it ended up in lost and found, how was she supposed to get it back?

“Sorry, this is my umbrella,” Wei Yin said, and after Hua Yu had gone upstairs, she hurried over to take it back. “I left it on the second floor just now.”

The front desk didn’t say much either; it was just an umbrella.

After getting the umbrella back, Wei Yin rushed off to look for Hua Yu, afraid that if Hua Yu couldn’t find it, she’d just run out into the storm.

“Where is she?” Wei Yin muttered. “She was just here.”

A hand suddenly tapped her on the back of the shoulder, and Wei Yin jumped. “Ah!”

She turned around, and Hua Yu was right behind her.

That was the first time the two of them had ever chatted face-to-face. Wei Yin only found out later that the library had umbrellas and plenty of emergency supplies, and that this kind of inexplicable umbrella-giving behavior would only get the other person to send it to lost and found.

At last, Hua Yu was able to speak to her properly. In the end, the two of them left beneath one shared umbrella, disappearing into the curtain of rain.

Hua Yu still remembered what Wei Yin had looked like that day: long hair with a slight curl, red lips and white teeth, and a bright, sly gaze when she stole glances at people. When Hua Yu noticed, she lowered her head in embarrassment, so obedient and well-behaved.

Their relationship had begun to warm at an astonishing pace from then on.

By the time Hua Yu finished recalling this, her throat was dry. Wei Yin, meanwhile, was still hungry for more.

“I’m going to wash up. You’ve had a long day too, so rest early tonight,” Hua Yu said.

Wei Yin naturally refused, hugging her arm. “Aren’t you hungry? You only ate a little. Washing up on an empty stomach can make your blood sugar drop. I’ll heat something up for you. You can keep me company while I cook and keep telling me about it.”

Hua Yu patted her head and smiled faintly. “Only people who don’t eat properly long-term get low blood sugar. I’ve only missed one meal. As a doctor’s family member, you should know some basic common sense.”

“I’m a doctor’s family member?!” Wei Yin said delightedly, leaning into Hua Yu’s arms and looking up at her.

“At the very least, we’re living together,” Hua Yu said gently, pulling Wei Yin’s arms away. “If you want to listen, go rest. We can continue tomorrow. I still have some work to do.”

Wei Yin couldn’t wear her down and could only get up with great reluctance. “Why is Dr. Hua still working on her day off? What kind of work can you even do at home?”

Working at home, of course, was not hospital work.

Hua Yu’s title had been built up piece by piece through her papers. In recent years, the topics she studied were related to three of Yu Tiantian’s projects, though not entirely. Yu Tiantian hoped she would act as a consultant, and was even greedy enough to want Hua Yu to invest for shares.

It was so obvious that even a fool could see her intentions. Hua Yu set aside half an hour to run the three projects through her mind, and the rest of the time she devoted entirely to Wei Yin’s genetic report.

Two hours later.

“Dr. Hua, may I come in?”

Outside the bedroom door, Wei Yin knocked and said, “I made you a bowl of steamed egg custard.”

The four rules they had agreed on earlier had been thrown to the back of Wei Yin’s mind; private space, not entering Hua Yu’s bedroom, all of it had been forgotten without a trace.

Seeing that Hua Yu didn’t answer, Wei Yin kept knocking. “Are you asleep? If you’re not asleep, I’m coming in directly?”

Hua Yu put away Wei Yin’s genetic report, picked up eye drops, and dripped them into her eyes, pressing away some of the fatigue from her face.

She wasn’t used to showing exhaustion in front of others, but for some reason, perhaps because the pressure at work had recently increased, she’d been feeling tired more often.

Fortunately, she was good at enduring it. This bit of fatigue would pass if she just held on.

The person outside still hadn’t left.

Hua Yu was suddenly very curious whether Wei Yin would really barge in.

After she had told Wei Yin about the past, the last bit of distance she’d struggled to keep disappeared without a trace. She could no longer keep a cold face, and she also knew she would never be able to push Wei Yin away again.

After a while, the knocking stopped, and light footsteps drifted away.

Wei Yin called for her, but no one answered. Thinking Hua Yu had fallen asleep, she didn’t disturb her.

“Come in,” Hua Yu said the moment the footsteps vanished.

With a thump-thump-thump, Wei Yin quickly ran over and opened the door with great enthusiasm.

“You…” Hua Yu didn’t even finish the sentence before it caught in her throat. “Why are you dressed like that?”

To be precise, Wei Yin wasn’t wearing much at all; she was wrapped in a bath towel and had walked in trailing steam.

“Hm? My pajamas are washed and drying.” Wei Yin set the steamed egg custard, along with a plate of brown sugar rice cakes, in front of Hua Yu. “Can I watch you eat?”

Hua Yu still couldn’t tear her gaze away from Wei Yin.

How big could a bath towel be? It only covered her to the thighs, and somehow it still looked rather improper.

“Buy another set,” Hua Yu said. “Buy it now.”

Wei Yin didn’t think much of it and pulled out her phone to shop online. “Okay.”

After speaking, she looked down at herself and tugged hard at the towel.

Hua Yu’s breath caught in her throat.

“It didn’t loosen,” Wei Yin muttered. “And I’ll buy autumn pajamas too, all at once.”

Her knot-tying method was very secure; the kind that wouldn’t come undone unless she was doing a hot dance. Hua Yu was eating the sweet dish, but it tasted like nothing in her mouth.

“Dr. Hua, your face is red,” Wei Yin suddenly reached out and poked her cheek. “So cute.”

Hua Yu pulled her wandering hand away and, with slightly flushed cheeks, said, “Wear your clothes properly at home from now on.”

“So Dr. Hua is shy,” Wei Yin realized a beat later, not entirely convinced. “Don’t you wrap yourself in a towel after you shower?”

“I don’t run around wrapped in a towel,” Hua Yu said, her face still hot. “Especially when you’re an omega…”

Wei Yin covered her ears. “I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to hear it.”

Hua Yu: …

“Dr. Hua obviously likes me a lot,” Wei Yin said, since they were already on the subject. “What’s wrong with me wearing a little less?”

Hua Yu turned serious and said sternly, “That’s not the same thing.”

The way she said it made it sound as if Wei Yin were seducing her.

Wei Yin: Did my innocence just vanish out of nowhere?

If it vanished, then it vanished. She didn’t even care about that bit of innocence; she was dying for their relationship to get even closer.

Thinking of this, Wei Yin narrowed her eyes and leaned forward.

She had just finished bathing; moisture clung to her with the damp scent of water, mixed with the fragrance of shower gel, and Wei Yin’s uniquely her scent rushed toward Hua Yu.

With her arms braced on the edge of the table in something close to an embrace, she slowly leaned closer to Hua Yu.

Having already crossed the safe distance between them, Hua Yu leaned back in her chair; there was nowhere left to retreat, but Wei Yin kept coming closer.

Soon, only half a hand’s width remained between them.

Hua Yu could clearly feel Wei Yin’s breath brushing her cheek; it was ticklish, and very hot.

At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through Hua Yu’s mind.

There was regret: how had she carelessly told Wei Yin about their past, letting this person grow so bold, greedy after getting a foothold, so that now she could barge into her bedroom without clothes and force her into a corner!

There was shock too: Wei Yin had always been the kind of soft, shy person who would blush even when taking the initiative. Who was this person leaning over her now? Had someone taken over her body? Had Wei Yin taken the wrong medicine?

But the strongest feeling of all was confusion.

Her mind went blank.

All her thoughts burst at once, like a grand fireworks display in her head; when the explosion ended, nothing was left. Hua Yu’s every sense was focused on the person in front of her.

Every move Wei Yin made, every inch she drew nearer, every blink of her eyes, every flicker of emotion in her gaze.

Hua Yu held her breath.

Then she saw Wei Yin stop less than two inches from her face, part her lips, and speak softly. “…Dr. Hua, don’t tell me you’ve never even held a girl’s hand?”

A teasing, sly smile flashed in Wei Yin’s eyes. Hua Yu’s face immediately darkened, and she turned her head away.

If Hua Yu could still have been described a moment ago as having a racing heart, soaring joy, and barely holding herself together, now all that remained was embarrassment and anger.

Wei Yin poked Hua Yu’s cheek again and kept teasing her. “We never held hands back then? Didn’t hug either? And needless to say, no kissing… Ah, my glorious youth, and not even a little adult impulse? I didn’t have it, and Dr. Hua, you didn’t either?”

Her voice was still soft and fluffy, with no real aggression. Even when she leaned her whole body over, it only felt like she was acting spoiled.

But even this slightly proactive kind of spoiling, Hua Yu couldn’t handle.

She had been a rule-abiding, self-restrained person since childhood; no matter how much she liked someone, she would never take the initiative to cross the line. In other words, the more she liked someone, the more she cherished them; the more she cherished them, the more seriously she took them. How could she just, just, just hug and kiss so casually?

Wei Yin’s little mouth kept rattling off questions.

“Xu Ya Qing said alphas all have normal physiological needs. What about Dr. Hua?”

“Does Dr. Hua really like me? Why haven’t we even held hands?”

Hua Yu’s profile flushed with embarrassment and anger; at last, she snapped, “I’m an alpha. If I can’t control my impulses, have you thought about the consequences?”

Wei Yin blinked her big eyes. “Wow.”

She didn’t look scared at all.

“You’ve seen me during my heat before; you were so frightened your eyes turned red,” Hua Yu saw that she still couldn’t scare Wei Yin and had no choice but to keep bringing out evidence. “It was already inappropriate for you to come home with me and live together. If you couldn’t secrete pheromones at all, I would never have…”

“Never what?”

Wei Yin’s voice dropped; her lips were already beginning to pout.

Hua Yu knew she had nearly said something wrong, and quickly snatched the words back so hard she almost bit her tongue. “…I would never even wear suppressant patches at home.”

Wei Yin stared at her for a long time, then stood up.

“If Dr. Hua has no interest in me, then fine,” Wei Yin said with a small, stiff face, like an angry figurine doll. “But don’t control what I wear in the future either.”

Hua Yu slowly adopted a question-mark expression.

Wei Yin walked away a few steps, then sat properly on a chair three meters from Hua Yu.

“My classmates are very fashionable. Setting everything else aside, at the very least shoulders and legs have to show. That not only makes a person look taller, it also shows off slender wrists and ankles, which makes you look thinner.”

Hua Yu immediately said, “You don’t need to look thinner. Besides, exposing your legs and waist makes it easy to catch a chill.”

“You don’t even like looking at it, so why care what I show?”

Wei Yin tossed out that sentence and turned to head for the door.

It took Hua Yu a full ten seconds to react to what Wei Yin meant.

Another ten minutes later, she looked up again, and Wei Yin had already changed into a tank top and tiny hot pants, with her chest being her chest and her butt being her butt, and was swaying toward the door carrying a vegetable basket.

“I’m going to buy groceries.”

Hua Yu’s brow twitched hard.

Dressed like that, and going out to buy groceries?

Did Wei Yin think she was dead?