Ning Che had never been this assertive as an Alpha before.
Because Xie Yuqi disliked hugs that were too tight and wasn’t fond of overly clingy behavior, their relationship over the past four years had always been mild and placid. Their kisses, hand-holding, and embraces had never been more than a tentative touch.
This was the first time they had held each other so tightly, so tight that it made their hearts race, triggering a sudden flutter and tremor of excitement, just like the very first time their eyes had met.
The night breeze brushed through their hair, and the light of the moon and stars spilled across their faces.
Neither of them spoke.
Ning Che’s heartbeat gradually slowed down as their breaths mingled against each other’s necks.
Xie Yuqi’s face was flushed from the warmth of the embrace.
An indescribable atmosphere quietly diffused between them.
Amidst the sultry heat, Xie Yuqi gently pushed Ning Che away.
The gaze Ning Che fixed on her was bright and soft, as if the moonlight itself had fallen into her eyes.
Involuntarily, Xie Yuqi found herself staring back.
She wasn’t wearing high heels today, so she stood a few centimeters shorter than Ning Che, subtly enveloped by the taller woman’s statuesque figure.
They stared at each other in silence.
When Ning Che reached her hand out, Xie Yuqi immediately warned, “No more hugging.”
Ning Che’s hand paused in mid-air. Then, she brought it to the side of Xie Yuqi’s face, gently catching a few playful strands of hair stirred by the wind and tucking them behind her ear.
Her voice was incredibly soft. “Yuqi, can I take you home?”
Xie Yuqi felt a slight itch on her earlobe where it had been touched, and she awkwardly averted her gaze.
“I don’t want to go back.”
Ning Che said softly, “Then we won’t go back. We’ll stay together.”
For some reason, Xie Yuqi found these words rather pleasant to hear. Ning Che hadn’t said “I’ll keep you company,” but rather “We’ll stay together.”
She gave a small nod.
Ning Che went to the car and fetched two blankets along with two throw pillows.
She spread one blanket on the ground, placed a pillow on top of it, and then set down two bottles of purified water nearby.
Sitting down on the blanket, she waved to Xie Yuqi. “Yuqi, come sit.”
Without refusing, Xie Yuqi sat on the cushion. Ning Che wrapped her arms around her from behind so she could lean against her chest, and then stuffed the other pillow into her arms.
Xie Yuqi froze for a moment. “Aren’t you going to lean on it? Why give it to me?”
Ning Che smiled. “Just hold it.”
Xie Yuqi suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. It turned out that her little secret, how she liked to hug a pillow whenever she was unhappy, had been discovered.
Feeling her pride take a bit of a hit, she tossed the pillow aside.
Ning Che had no choice but to pull it back to lean against it herself. Then, she took the second blanket and draped it over Xie Yuqi.
They snuggled together quietly, gazing up at the star studded sky.
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Yuqi felt a soft brush against her face.
Ning Che leaned in from behind her shoulder, her cheek pressing against hers, now touching, now parting, teasingly close.
She could feel Ning Che’s breath brushing against her neck.
It was warm and ticklish.
Right at that moment, she heard Ning Che’s heartbeat.
It was incredibly powerful and racing rapidly.
Xie Yuqi felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of tension, instinctively sensing that the other woman was about to do something.
Just as she was weighing whether to stop her first or push her away, Ning Che’s breathing abruptly grew heavy.
Hot breaths rushed out in quick succession, puffing against her neck.
The skin there was so delicate it could be broken by a mere breath, and Xie Yuqi couldn’t help but shudder.
But just as a sharp reprimand was about to leave her lips, Ning Che’s heartbeat slowed down, and her breathing eased back to normal.
The heart that had been dangling in Xie Yuqi’s throat slowly settled back into place.
The mountain breeze was a bit chilly, yet her body had broken out in a thin layer of sweat, and she felt warm all over.
Ning Che wants to kiss me.
The thought suddenly popped into her head, clear and vivid.
Xie Yuqi couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart.
Still, neither of them spoke.
But Xie Yuqi found herself unable to calm down.
After a while longer, she heard Ning Che’s heartbeat accelerate once more, faster and faster. The lips that were practically brushing against her earlobe exhaled another puff of hot air.
The sensation this time was even clearer than before. That breath, carrying bodily warmth and a crisp fragrance, felt like distinct, tangible molecules, striking her skin one by one.
She even felt a sensation of being burned.
Xie Yuqi’s heart leaped into her throat again, but she wasn’t as tense as before.
She couldn’t explain why, but a moment later, she heard Ning Che’s heartbeat gradually level out.
The corners of her lips curved upward uncontrollably.
She liked Ning Che’s restraint. It allowed her to feel her own allure while simultaneously making her feel respected.
Moreover, it gave her a sense of absolute control, as if everything was in the palm of her hand.
Reassured, she let her body go limp, relaxing entirely.
Then, a question occurred to her. Did Ning Che not know what had happened today?
Xie Yuqi turned her head.
Ning Che’s face suddenly zoomed in right before her eyes.
Both of their eyes widened slightly as they stared at each other in surprise.
Feeling a bit awkward, Xie Yuqi turned her head back and asked with assumed indifference, “Have you looked at the trending searches today?”
Ning Che froze for a second. Instantly recalling Xiang Wan’s words, she came to a sudden realization. “Yuqi, what happened on the trending searches? Is it related to you? I’ve been reading in the library the whole time and haven’t checked the news.”
Xie Yuqi was now certain that she hadn’t seen it. No wonder. If she had seen the hot search, how could she have been so entirely reactive?
Even though she didn’t think Ning Che had the right to pass judgment on the matter, she should have at least shown some sort of reaction.
She said flatly, “A female Alpha deliberately proposed to me in public just to disgust me, and I was indeed thoroughly disgusted.”
Ning Che’s expression immediately turned anxious as she urgently asked, “Are you alright?”
Xie Yuqi replied, “I’m fine. The other party was just making a public spectacle in front of the Xie Corporation headquarters. They didn’t even catch a glimpse of my face.”
Ning Che let out a sigh of relief. “Is it someone you know?”
Xie Yuqi nodded. “Yes. I’ve found her disgusting since we were kids.”
A flash of harshness flickered in the depths of Ning Che’s eyes. “She must have bought the trending search topic too, right?”
She picked up her phone, intending to check.
Xie Yuqi frowned. “No need to look it up. The trending search has been taken down.”
Ning Che understood instantly. No one wanted their embarrassing moments on display for everyone to see. She immediately put her phone away. “Alright, I won’t look, and I won’t search for it.”
Xie Yuqi felt unaccountably better and leaned back into her embrace.
The two lapsed into silence together.
Ning Che furrowed her brows tightly. In truth, she had always been acutely aware of the vast disparity in their social status, but as their feelings deepened, she had begun to believe that everything could be overcome.
Yet at this moment, she began to ponder. If Yuqi encounters something like this again next time, what will I do? What can I even do?
I can’t even get into the wealthy social circles. I don’t even know who that disgusting female Alpha is, and even if I did, I probably wouldn’t even get the chance to confront her face to face.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she could do absolutely nothing. When Xie Yuqi ran into trouble, she couldn’t offer a single shred of help.
She was useless.
Ning Che felt utterly crushed.
And the silent atmosphere around them right now only deepened this sense of frustration.
She suddenly wanted to ask Xie Yuqi the question she had never dared to utter aloud. What exactly did you see in me back then?
But the moment the thought arose, she felt even more defeated, even loathing herself for having such a mindset.
Her girlfriend had been targeted and insulted, yet she could do nothing to help, and now she wanted to look to her girlfriend for psychological comfort?
She thought about many things for a long time before she finally spoke up with utmost seriousness.
“Yuqi, no matter what happens, I will always stand firmly by your side. I know what I can do is limited, but I will do everything in my power, and do everything I possibly can.”
A long while passed without any response.
She looked down, only to find that Xie Yuqi had fallen asleep in her arms.
Ning Che watched her quietly for a while, and in the end, she couldn’t resist leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her.
She felt a rush of warmth in her chest, her heart burning hot. Just looking at her like this brought a profound sense of happiness.
And she finally found an outlet for her own feelings of frustration.
Then she would simply love her with everything she had. Love everything about her, her beauty, her erudition, her multi-talented nature, and the vulnerability and tenderness she only showed during her heat cycle, love her cold elegance, her aloofness, her always unfathomable mind, and even that lofty, unapproachable pride.
When Xie Yuqi woke up, stars were still visible in the sky, but the first light of dawn was filtering through the horizon, casting a misty glow over the entire city.
The moment she made a slight movement, a gentle voice sounded by her ear. “Yuqi, you’re awake. Are you hungry?”
Only then did Xie Yuqi realize that she had slept in Ning Che’s arms the entire night.
The breeze halfway up the mountain was quite chilly even in the summer, yet she felt thoroughly warm.
She quickly sat up and turned to look. Ning Che was leaning against the front of the car. The throw pillow had been taken out at some point and pressed against the blanket to block the wind for her.
Ning Che picked up the bottle of water beside her, twisted open the cap, and handed it over.
“Moisten your throat. Breakfast will be here in a moment.”
Xie Yuqi was still a little dazed. She took the water and drank a couple of sips before processing what had been said. Surprised, she asked, “There’s delivery even this early?”
Ning Che smiled and said, “Food delivery is very advanced nowadays; people deliver twenty-four hours a day.”
Xie Yuqi let out an “oh” and didn’t ask further questions. She truly didn’t understand the lifestyles of ordinary working class people.
She stood up and immediately felt the coolness of the morning breeze.
Ning Che quickly shook out a blanket and draped it over her shoulders. Wrapping it from her back to her front, she neatly tucked in the corners, taking the opportunity to pull her into an embrace. She said affectionately near her ear, “I’ll go pack up the things.”
Xie Yuqi tilted her face slightly, and Ning Che let her go.
Her movements were quick and practiced, and she soon had everything packed away. Then, she went to the car she had driven up in and brought out a set of folding tables and chairs.
Xie Yuqi cast a curious glance.
Ning Che explained, “I figured we could come out for a barbecue sometime if we had the chance, so I prepared these. I didn’t expect them to come in handy right away.”
Xie Yuqi didn’t reply.
In the summer morning, the sky brightened very quickly. After a mere twenty minutes, the sun burst forth with brilliant rays from beneath the horizon, lighting up the sky completely.
The entire city presented itself in their field of vision like a slumbering behemoth waking up.
The two stood side by side, taking in the spectacular view.
After a short while, Ning Che suddenly walked over to a large boulder at the edge of the clearing and shouted out toward the open mountain valley.
“Ah!”
Xie Yuqi was taken aback for a moment, then looked away, unable to bear the sight.
“Childish,” she muttered under her breath.
Ning Che’s cheerful laughter echoed from behind her.
“Yuqi, the sun is about to rise! Come take a look!”
Xie Yuqi knit her brows, looking somewhat disdainful, yet she ultimately couldn’t resist the allure of the sunrise and looked over.
Ning Che turned around and waved at her excitedly, her radiant face brimming with the sheer vibrance of youth.
At the same time, a crimson sun broke free from beneath the horizon.
Ning Che’s bright smile and the brilliant morning sunlight burst into bloom simultaneously.
Xie Yuqi froze instantly.
Ning Che ran back over, pulling her along to climb up onto the large boulder.
Together, they gazed toward the east.
The morning breeze gently lifted her hair, brushing across her face.
Unbeknownst to her, Ning Che had taken her hand.
Xie Yuqi rested her head against Ning Che’s shoulder.
Inch by inch, the sun unveiled its glowing countenance to them.
Before long, the earth was blanketed in a golden light, and the entire world grew radiant.
The warm sunlight illuminated their faces, and reflected in their eyes was the crimson sun that had just leapt past the horizon.
Coming back to her senses, Xie Yuqi saw Ning Che holding up her phone, the screen displaying the image of them standing side by side watching the sunrise.
She frowned slightly.
It wasn’t that she disliked taking photos, but rather that she worried about photos of herself leaking out and being exploited by others.
Ning Che snapped a few photos in quick succession, put away her phone, and smiled at her.
Looking at her bright smile, Xie Yuqi ultimately couldn’t bring herself to say anything discouraging.
The two shared breakfast together on the mountain.
Ning Che wanted to drive her back, but Xie Yuqi wouldn’t allow it.
“Yuqi, I just want to escort you back,” she coaxed, her tone soft and whining.
Xie Yuqi put on a cold face. “I like Alphas who are obedient and sensible.”
Ning Che went quiet for a moment. “Oh.”
They each drove their own cars back.
Ning Che insisted on driving behind so she could keep an eye on her.
Xie Yuqi let her have her way.
The moment she sat back in her car, her rationality returned, and her mind filled with worries. She simply turned on the smart autopilot mode.
With the window rolled halfway down, the morning breeze whipping past was incredibly brisk, helping to clear her head.
For some inexplicable reason, she looked into the rearview mirror.
Sure enough, Ning Che was watching her.
Xie Yuqi locked eyes with her reflection for a second before intentionally looking away.
After a short while, her gaze drifted back completely against her own volition.
Ning Che was still watching her.
Xie Yuqi shifted her gaze away as if nothing had happened.
Refusing to let herself indulge in this lingering warmth, she simply closed her eyes.
When they reached the intersection where their paths diverged, Ning Che honked her horn.
She deliberately chose not to look.
After a moment, she opened her eyes. Ning Che’s car had already merged into the flowing traffic.