Che Xiayun turned to look at her, her eyes gleaming with hunger as she let out a low, pitiful groan, “Hungry~~”
Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, Ma Qingyu’s lips curved slightly upward, but she shattered her illusions without hesitation, “You can only have porridge or light soup.”
Che Xiayun felt a little disappointed, but thinking of her empty stomach, she smacked her lips and conceded, “Fine.”
Ma Qingyu called Aunt Xu at home and asked her to bring some porridge and soup. Che Xiayun, feeling drowsy, casually asked, “Have you eaten?”
“I’ll eat the same as you later.”
After hanging up, Ma Qingyu glanced at her phone screen, it was already 4 p.m. on October 26th. No one knew how she had managed to get through the past two days.
“Oh,” Che Xiayun muttered, “What’s so great about porridge anyway?”
Ma Qingyu bit her lower lip, gazing at Che Xiayun’s still spirited brows and eyes. Her nose tingled with emotion, but she thought to herself, It’s different when I’m sharing it with you.
The room fell silent again until a firm knock sounded at the door.
Ma Qingyu went to open it. Li Hong stood at the doorway, her eyes falling on Che Xiayun lying in the hospital bed. She lowered her gaze, a hint of reluctance in her expression, and suggested, “Shall we talk outside?”
Unable to turn her head due to the injury restricting her movement, Che Xiayun could only glance sideways at Ma Qingyu. Her deer-like eyes remained clear and curious.
Ma Qingyu clenched her palm, struggling to hold back her emotions, but her voice trembled, unable to maintain its calm, “I’m going to ask the doctor about your condition.”
Che Xiayun let out an “oh” and cautiously asked in return, “I feel pretty good though. I’m not going to die, am I?”
It was this innocent, desperate will to live that made Ma Qingyu unable to contain her emotions any longer. Tears poured down her face as she sobbed, “No, you won’t die. Never.”
Li Hong felt a pang of sorrow but comforted her in a teasing tone, “We worked so hard to pull you back from the brink of death. It’s not that easy to die. Don’t overthink things, kid.”
“Oh!” Then why is Ma Qingyu crying? Her crying scares me.
Che Xiayun sensed something was off but didn’t press further, feeling it was unlikely she’d get any answers even if she asked.
Ma Qingyu followed Li Hong to her consultation room and closed the door behind them.
Li Hong pinched her fingers, pursed her lips in thought, and then slid the treatment plan she had prepared earlier across the table. “We held a joint meeting with renowned experts in this field from the capital and ultimately decided on a conservative treatment approach. Although it’s slow to take effect, has a long treatment cycle, and a very low almost zero success rate, it has the advantage of minimal risk and virtually no side effects. Please take a look.”
A very low success rate.
Even though Ma Qingyu had mentally prepared herself, hearing those words still felt like a knife to the heart, making it hard to breathe. Her hands trembled as she took the treatment plan, clutching it without daring to read it. Clinging to a final shred of hope, she asked, “Dr. Li, is there no other way?”
Li Hong spread her hands helplessly. “There are no other options. You know all the renowned gland specialists in the country are basically in the capital. The surgery success rate is just too low, and failure could leave permanent side effects. No one dares to take that risk.”
A heavy atmosphere enveloped the small consultation room.
Ma Qingyu’s tears pattered onto the table, blurring her vision. Li Hong passed her a tissue. “At least this treatment plan offers a glimmer of hope. Don’t give up miracles can happen.”
Li Hong’s voice was grave. “If even you abandon treatment, what would she think?”
“I know. I’ve never considered giving up.” Ma Qingyu wiped her tears, sniffled, and choked out, “But how do I tell her? Why did it have to be her?”
Li Hong knew about the circumstances when they were brought in, a police escort rushing them to the hospital, followed by visits from police leadership after admission. It was clearly related to a major criminal case. Anyone would be devastated by such misfortune. “A loss may turn out to be a gain.”
“A loss turning into a gain? What could possibly compare to her losing her alpha abilities? What could?!” Ma Qingyu broke down sobbing.
In the ABO world, an alpha losing gland function became virtually indistinguishable from a beta unable to mark, unable to detect pheromones, without rut cycles or impulses toward omegas. At best, they might retain slightly better physical conditioning, but even their endocrine system could be affected. This was a devastating blow, and many alphas chose suicide upon learning this fate.
Li Hong, uncomfortable with consolation, could only keep handing her tissues and staying by her side, hoping she’d feel better after crying it out.
＊
In the hospital room, Che Xiayun stared anxiously at the IV drip, her stomach growling. Hungry and frustrated, she wondered why Ma Qingyu hadn’t returned yet. The IV bag was nearly empty.
The more she longed for Ma Qingyu’s return, the longer the wait felt. She watched helplessly as the medication finished dripping, then stared as blood slowly backed up into the tube.
When Ma Qingyu finally returned, Che Xiayun immediately looked at her and urged, “My IV finished! The blood’s backing up! Quick, call the nurse to change it!” Speaking too hastily tugged at her wound, making her grimace in pain.
Ma Qingyu pressed her lips together, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She placed the treatment plan and prescription on the bedside table and pressed the call button. A nurse arrived promptly.
Che Xiayun frowned, watching the nurse replace the needle and IV bag. “Is it okay that some blood backed up earlier?”
The nurse collected the medical supplies. “It’s fine. Just remember to call us earlier next time.”
Che Xiayun glanced at the distraught Ma Qingyu. “Okay.”
After the nurse left, Ma Qingyu clutched the prescription, avoiding eye contact. Her thoughts were chaotic, her lips trembling. “I’ll go get the medicine.”
Che Xiayun stared at her plaintively. “You’re leaving me alone here again.”
Hearing this, Ma Qingyu’s eyes welled up once more. She froze, unable to take another step.
Sensing something was terribly wrong, Che Xiayun asked bluntly, “What’s really wrong with me? What’s going on? Is there a cure? Just tell me directly. Don’t keep crying secretly it’s upsetting to watch.”
“I…”
Ma Qingyu struggled to compose herself, taking a long time before she finally spoke. “I can tell you, but you have to stay calm. You can’t lose hope, you must keep living.
This is my fault, and I’ll take responsibility for it. Even if you might never be able to experience the rights of an alpha again.”
She spoke each word deliberately, but as soon as she finished, her composure began to crumble again. She felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss, wishing she could tear the perpetrator to pieces.
Can’t be an alpha anymore?
What does that mean? Is it what I think it is?
Che Xiayun was bewildered and tentatively asked, “So, does that mean I won’t be able to mark omegas anymore? No more rut cycles? And I’ll never be able to smell pheromones again?”
Ma Qingyu couldn’t bear to see her so lost and confused, but she still nodded. “Yes.”
Outwardly, Che Xiayun showed no reaction, but inwardly, she was secretly pleased. Isn’t this actually a good thing? It’s just like how I used to be. Those alpha ruts were way too intense, they were kind of terrifying.
Ma Qingyu covered her eyes, leaning weakly against the wall as she said in anguish, “I won’t divorce you because of this, and you shouldn’t give up hope either. With proper treatment, there’s still a chance you could recover.”
Che Xiayun quickly refuted her, “No, no, no. If you want a divorce, that’s fine. I’ll be perfectly fine on my own.”
Ah, so she’s feeling guilty because of my injury, and now she can’t be with the person she secretly loves? That’s really unfortunate.
I can’t let the plot deviate any further. The consequences of forcing a change in fate have already been severe enough. If I keep getting in the way of the main couple’s relationship, I might end up losing an arm or a leg that’s just not worth it. All I want is a peaceful, lazy life. It doesn’t really matter if Ma Qingyu doesn’t help manage the company. I can always sell it or hire someone else to run it.
Hearing Che Xiayun’s self-deprecating words, Ma Qingyu’s expression tightened. She was about to argue when a knock sounded at the door. She opened it to find Aunt Xu standing there with two insulated lunch boxes. “Young Master, Madam.”
Both of them tacitly dropped the previous topic. Che Xiayun grinned and said, “Aunt Xu, what took you so long? I’m starving.”
Aunt Xu looked at her with pity, pushed the bedside table over, and arranged the porridge and dishes. Her kind expression softened the previously tense atmosphere. “If you’re hungry, eat up. Look at you, you’ve lost weight again.”
Ma Qingyu clutched the prescription in her hand, Che Xiayun’s smile piercing her heart like a thorn. Her chest tightened painfully. “I’ll go get the medicine now.”
Aunt Xu responded, suggesting, “Madam, why don’t I go get the medicine? You could feed the Young Master some porridge?”
Ma Qingyu shook her head and walked out. “You feed her.”
Watching her desolate retreating figure, Che Xiayun felt as if she had once again played the role of the villainess. A pang of guilt struck her, I really need to clear things up with her later.
Aunt Xu ladled out the thick, soup-like porridge, scooped some into a small porcelain spoon, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to Che Xiayun’s lips. “Young Master, I remember you liked sweet porridge when you were little, so I added a bit of sugar.”
Che Xiayun took a sip of the warm porridge, swallowing it down. The warmth spread through her, making her sweat comfortably. “Mmm, it’s delicious.”
About ten minutes later, Ma…
Qingyu returned with a large bag of medicine, an assortment of both traditional Chinese and Western drugs, which left Che Xiayun momentarily stunned. “So much medicine?”
Ma Qingyu bit her lip, careful not to be too explicit. “It’s for your health. The doctor also prescribed some tonics.”
Without the support of her glands, an alpha might psychologically feel weaker than before, though physically she would be similar to a beta. However, her endocrine system and other aspects would be affected, requiring some regulation and recuperation.
Aunt Xu also sensed something amiss. If, as Ma Qingyu had told the family, it were just external injuries, there would be no need for so many traditional Chinese medicines. Although the young mistress was somewhat frail, she had always been healthy and didn’t need special tonics.
Che Xiayun looked listless; she really disliked taking Chinese medicine. “How long do I have to take this?”
Ma Qingyu glanced at the densely written prescription. “One course is a month, and there are three courses in total. In the early stages, there will be some Western medicine, but later it will focus on traditional Chinese medicine, with acupuncture once a week.”
What?! Acupuncture too?!
Che Xiayun immediately felt her scalp tingle, and her whole body broke out in goosebumps at the thought of being turned into a pincushion. “Can’t we just not treat it? I think it’s fine as it is. What’s done is done.”
Ma Qingyu put away the prescription, her expression stern. “No.”
Che Xiayun mustered her courage to argue, “But I don’t like drinking Chinese medicine, and I don’t want acupuncture either!”
Ma Qingyu couldn’t bring herself to yell at her, nor did she know how to persuade her. She just stared straight at Che Xiayun, her eyes red and unblinking.
The moment Che Xiayun saw that look, she didn’t dare think too much and immediately backed down. “I suppose trying Chinese medicine and acupuncture once in a while isn’t so bad.”
Ma Qingyu lowered her gaze, carefully putting the medicine away, and said softly, “As long as there’s a chance, we shouldn’t give up.”
Che Xiayun couldn’t bring herself to smile at the thought of her next three months as a medicine pot. She said bitterly, “Let’s give it a try.”
Ma Qingyu glanced around the hospital room, her tone resolute. “I’ll stay with you, every step of the way.”
She didn’t dare leave Che Xiayun alone here. She was so afraid—afraid that Che Xiayun might do something rash, afraid that she might not see her the next day.
If she had a choice, she would have taken that blow for Che Xiayun. If she had a choice, she would never have let Zhang Youcheng seize the opportunity, and none of this would have happened.