Lu Xian felt a tingling numbness spread across the skin behind her ears.
The last time she’d experienced this sensation was when she first met Ling Tingyu, an Omega’s heat-induced pheromones stimulating an Alpha’s glands into reaction.
But now, the Omega wasn’t in heat. Just a gentle touch against the back of her neck was enough to make Lu Xian’s legs go weak, an unfamiliar heat surging uncontrollably through her body.
“Jiejie…” Lu Xian’s eyes burned red with restraint, the faint blue veins along her pale neck visibly throbbing.
Ling Tingyu pressed her fingers against the Alpha’s glands, massaging lightly. “What’s wrong?”
“Mmm…” Lu Xian’s entire body went slack, her chin dropping onto Ling Tingyu’s shoulder as her breathing grew ragged. “Please, jiejie… don’t press.”
Though she pleaded, the skin behind her ears remained entirely surrendered to Ling Tingyu’s touch.
In Lu Xian’s heart, refusing Ling Tingyu had never been an option.
She couldn’t describe this feeling. Having never experienced an Alpha’s rut, she didn’t know how this gland stimulation differed from its onset.
Ling Tingyu steadied her with one hand while tilting Lu Xian’s chin up with the other, forcing their eyes to meet.
Lu Xian’s gaze was damp, lashes half-lowered in pitiful vulnerability.
Ling Tingyu brushed away the moisture at the corner of her eye with a thumb, speaking leisurely, “Xia Wanzhou sings quite well.”
Lu Xian’s focus was entirely consumed by the sensations at her nape, leaving no room to wonder why Ling Tingyu would bring up Xia Wanzhou at a time like this. She could only murmur a soft, “Mmm.”
“You think so too?”
Another muted “Mmm.”
Dissatisfied, Ling Tingyu punished her with a firmer knead against her neck.
“Ah!” Lu Xian clenched her fists, tears of physiological response slipping free.
Ling Tingyu had never seen Lu Xian in rut, but the way she bit down on her lip now restrained yet trembling only made her want to tease her more.
Lu Xian pushed herself up, leaning heavily against Ling Tingyu.
They stumbled a few steps toward the bed.
Her neck still tingling, Lu Xian inhaled Ling Tingyu’s scent, unable to resist trailing her lips downward, lightly licking the Omega’s throat.
The fresh sweetness of white tea flooded her senses.
“Lu Xian.” Ling Tingyu arched back instinctively, losing balance as they tumbled together onto the soft mattress.
In that dizzying moment, Lu Xian remembered Ling Tingyu’s injury, quickly bracing her arms to keep from crushing her.
“Are you okay?” She lowered herself, supporting her weight on her elbows.
A sliver of space lingered between them.
Beneath her, Ling Tingyu took in Lu Xian’s flushed eyes and damp lips. “I’m fine.”
“Jiejie…” Lu Xian’s voice was a low, wounded murmur. “You hurt me. What are you going to do about it?”
“Did it really hurt that much?” Ling Tingyu didn’t recall using much force.
“It did.” Lu Xian nuzzled closer, long fingers tipping Ling Tingyu’s chin up. “So… shouldn’t you compensate me?”
Before Ling Tingyu could react, Lu Xian dipped her head, nipping lightly at the side of her neck.
“Nn…” Ling Tingyu shivered at the wet heat. “What are you?”
What began as a bite soon melted into kisses.
From her neck to her collarbone, Ling Tingyu melted under the attention, soft whimpers escaping her.
She had meant to tease Lu Xian, so how had she ended up the one being teased instead?
It was unclear how much time had passed when Lu Xian buried her face in Ling Tingyu’s shoulder and neck, sighing softly, “You’re so sweet, sis.”
Stargazing for meteors atop the mountain.
As midnight approached, the temperature plummeted sharply.
Lu Xian emerged from Ling Tingyu’s room and returned to her own to grab a jacket before gathering with the others on the first floor.
Once everyone was assembled, Lin Xiangjun led the group toward the grassy summit.
That spot was reportedly the best location for meteor watching.
The mountaintop offered an unobstructed view, with rows of ground lights illuminating the expansive grassland.
The faint amber glow provided just enough light to see where to step.
People sat scattered in small groups, chatting and laughing while waiting for the meteors.
Lu Xian found a spot in the very last row, lying on the grass as she gazed at the starry sky.
She licked the lingering sweetness from her lips and sighed softly. She hadn’t been able to control herself earlier, she’d bullied Ling Tingyu to tears.
She’d only meant to give her a simple kiss, but couldn’t resist kissing her over and over.
It wasn’t until the meteor watch began that Lu Xian finally let her go.
As Lu Xian was lost in thought about Ling Tingyu’s adorable, flushed cheeks, someone sat down beside her. Xia Wanzhou smiled and said, “I don’t know if it’s because Jingling Mountain is so high, but it feels like I could reach out and touch the stars.”
The last row wasn’t the best spot, those eager to see meteors wouldn’t sit there.
Lu Xian had chosen this place to be alone, to let the mountain breeze cool her lingering desires.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Lu Xian rubbed the back of her neck and sat up, looking at the sky as she replied politely, “Yeah.”
Xia Wanzhou sat beside Lu Xian, the ground lights allowing her to see Lu Xian’s profile clearly.
Whether from the wind or not, Lu Xian’s hair was slightly disheveled, revealing the side of her neck when the breeze passed.
Xia Wanzhou found it odd and looked at Lu Xian. “Your ear looks a little red, are you hurt?”
Thinking Lu Xian might not understand, Xia Wanzhou raised a hand to point, but Lu Xian blocked her just in time.
“It’s nothing.” Lu Xian zipped up her jacket, tucking her chin into the collar to cover her neck completely.
Xia Wanzhou withdrew her hand, remembering that Betas’ physiology differed from Alphas and Omegas. She might have unintentionally touched on a sensitive topic by pointing out Lu Xian’s ear.
“Sorry, Lu Xian, I didn’t mean to.” Xia Wanzhou lowered her head guiltily. “Do you hate me now?”
As a Beta, Xia Wanzhou was overly sensitive, convinced that no Alpha or Omega would ever like her that no one would want to be friends with a Beta.
Lu Xian wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, so she chuckled quietly. “I don’t hate you. Don’t overthink it.”
Xia Wanzhou looked up at her. “Thank you.”
Most trainees at the camp came from privileged backgrounds, lacking neither money nor love, but Xia Wanzhou felt Lu Xian was different they were the same kind of people.
Their competition rankings were also close, making it highly likely they’d debut together in the same group.
Xia Wanzhou gazed up at the night sky, feeling as though the stars had drawn a little closer.
…
As time passed, the wind atop the mountain grew stronger.
No one knew when the meteors would appear, and some grew impatient. “It’s cold and I’m sleepy, I want to go back to bed.”
Xia Wanzhou rubbed her arms, shivering. “Lu Xian, should we head back? There might not even be meteors tonight.”
Lu Xian didn’t want to return with her. “You go ahead. I’ll wait a little longer.”
Xia Wanzhou, already standing, asked, “Do you want me to stay with you?”
“No need.” Lu Xian’s voice was cold. “You should go back. It’s windy here, you might catch a cold.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Wanzhou sneezed. She hadn’t brought an extra jacket to the mountaintop, and after sitting for so long, she could barely stand the chill. She had wanted to wait a little longer, hoping Lu Xian would offer her coat, but it never happened.
Xia Wanzhou: “Alright then, I’ll head back first.”
Lu Xian nodded, only letting out a sigh of relief once the other woman had left.
She lay back on the grass, resting her head on her hands, her vision unobstructed now that no one was beside her. Shifting her gaze slightly, she spotted Lu Li and Lin Xu in a dark corner not too far away.
From this angle in the last row, only Lu Xian could see them.
She stayed still, minimizing her presence, careful not to disturb the two.
On the other side of the grass…
Lu Li took off her coat and wrapped it around Lin Xu, sighing. “Let’s go back, okay? It’s too cold here.”
Lin Xu: “If you want to leave, then leave. Don’t worry about me.”
“Lin Xu, you’re really heartless sometimes.” Lu Li braced her right hand behind Lin Xu. “Now that you’ve rested, you’ve got the energy to argue with me again, huh?”
When Lu Li had carried Lin Xu back to the mountaintop hotel earlier, the latter had been completely exhausted soft and docile, too weak to do anything but glare at her ineffectively.
But after sleeping through the evening, Lin Xu had regained the energy she’d lost from the hike and was now back to bickering.
Lin Xu ignored her. “Stay away from me.”
“No.” Lu Li leaned in as she spoke, wrapping an arm around Lin Xu’s waist and kissing her cheek.
“……” Lin Xu turned her face to look at Lu Li, delicate brows furrowing slightly. “Wh-what are you doing…?”
Lu Li pinched Lin Xu’s chin, tilting her head to silence her with a kiss.
Lin Xu’s eyes widened slightly. A few seconds later, Lu Li pulled away. “Still kicking me out?”
“……”
Lin Xu shifted away. “If you won’t leave, then I will.”
“Try it.” Lu Li gripped her waist, pressing forward and pinning Lin Xu to the grass before lowering her head and parting her lips without hesitation.
After a while, Lin Xu had no strength left to resist. Lu Li carried her back to their hotel room.
Lu Xian, who had witnessed everything: “……”
She shouldn’t be here.
The crowd waiting for the meteor shower gradually thinned until only a few stragglers remained. Lu Xian was starting to feel drowsy.
Her phone buzzed a few times.
Little Rabbit: [Did you see the meteor?]
Little Rabbit: [Where are you?]
Lu Xian sat up just in time to see Ling Tingyu stepping out of the hotel and Ling Tingyu’s gaze landing on her.
The few people left on the mountaintop lawn were scattered, the dim light making it hard to distinguish faces.
Ling Tingyu walked over and sat beside her.
Lu Xian took off her coat and draped it over Ling Tingyu’s shoulders. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
The jacket carried the scent of an Alpha’s pheromones. Ling Tingyu clutched it tightly, pouting. “Do you really think I could sleep?”
Lu Xian gently stroked Ling Tingyu’s soft cheek. “I’m sorry. I went too far earlier.”
“You really did.” Ling Tingyu pointed at her neck and collarbone.
Pale marks stood out faintly against the Omega’s fair skin.
Lu Xian hadn’t kissed her hard, but Ling Tingyu’s skin was delicate even the lightest touch left a trace, let alone the countless kisses she’d planted.
Lu Xian’s gaze trailed along Ling Tingyu’s slender neck. “They’ll probably fade by tomorrow.”
Ling Tingyu: “So that’s your excuse for kissing me and then running off?”
She was practically burning with desire from Lu Xian’s teasing, yet he kissed her and left without hesitation, showing no trace of lingering.
In that kind of atmosphere, Lu Xian had still held back, Ling Tingyu genuinely wanted to cry.
Lu Xian said softly, “If I stayed, it wouldn’t just be kissing you.”
Ling Tingyu, bundled in Lu Xian’s coat, looked up at him and asked, “Then what would you do if you stayed?”
“Do you really have to ask?” Lu Xian zipped up her coat and pulled the hood over her head.
Wrapped snugly, her fair face tilted upward. “Yes, I really have to know.”
Lu Xian sighed lightly. “You.”
“Huh?”
It took Ling Tingyu a moment to process his meaning. A few seconds later, her heart raced and her face flushed crimson.!?