After Dating the President O, I Turned Into a Puppy-Like Lover - Chapter 46

New Year’s Eve.

From early morning, the neighborhood was filled with the crackle of firecrackers. The festive air reminded everyone that another year had quietly slipped away.

By dusk, the sky had not yet fully darkened, but the winter night carried none of the sun’s warmth. The temperature dropped sharply, the kind of chill that easily seeped into one’s bones.

Realizing she had run out of a seasoning, Dan Sirou had no choice but to head to the store.

She walked alone down the street, wrapped in a scarf, though it did little against the subzero cold. Her pale earlobes, peeking out beneath her dark hair, flushed red under the biting wind. Each breath she exhaled turned into a faint mist.

Unluckily, her heat cycle had arrived in these days, making her unusually sensitive to the environment.

She felt especially cold, half her face hidden in the scarf, only her delicate eyes visible.

Even so, her striking elegance drew glances from the few passersby on the quiet street.

When she left home, the sky was still light. By the time she returned from the nearby fresh market, night had deepened. Streetlamps wound with colored lights glowed softly, and lanterns hung from roadside trees, painting a picturesque scene.

From time to time, fireworks and firecrackers burst in the distance. The vast sky bloomed with colors, adding a sense of ceremony to the coming New Year.

Children played with sparklers beside their parents, the glittering sparks casting playful shadows across their faces.

The sound of laughter and joy lingered in the air, a portrait of happiness.

Dan Sirou watched for a while, memories stirring.

She thought of her childhood—how, no matter how busy her father was, he always stayed by her side during New Year, just like the boy with his father now.

She had believed time would erase the past. Yet on nights of reunion like this, emotions long buried resurfaced. Pain and joy, disasters and warmth, all rippled through her mind.

What was hers could never truly be forgotten. They weren’t gone, only waiting for the right moment to be remembered.

Back home, it was just her and her mother. While others celebrated in noisy gatherings, their home felt quiet, even lonely. She could already predict the evening: dinner, then separate baths, then lights out early.

Life was monotonous, but it had to go on.

Since the family’s misfortune, such thoughts often came to her.

But negative emotions were fleeting. She quickly pushed them aside.

Living well in the present was what mattered most.

Unknowingly, she had returned to her neighborhood.

At the security booth, a familiar figure stood waiting. The girl’s cheeks were flushed red from the cold, her hands rubbing together for warmth, breath puffing out in white clouds.

When she saw Dan Sirou, her quiet eyes lit up instantly. She waved and called out, “Sister Xiao Rou!”

“Xiao Jiu?” Dan Sirou was surprised.

In a heartbeat, the girl dashed forward, throwing herself into her arms. She clung tightly, rubbing her face against the soft fabric of Dan Sirou’s coat like a kitten, utterly content.

“What are you doing here?” Dan Sirou asked, puzzled.

It was New Year’s Eve, most people spent it with family.

Fu Jiu mumbled incoherently for a while, her voice sticky and soft, until she finally made herself clear: “My mom and Aunt Jing went on vacation.”

“They didn’t take you?” Dan Sirou asked.

“My mom asked if I wanted to go, but I said no.” Fu Jiu pressed her cheek against her again, pouting. “They’re having their couple’s time. Why should I intrude? I know when to step aside.”

Her sweet, childish voice flowed into Dan Sirou’s heart like a gentle stream, softening her gaze.

She knew Fu Jiu’s family situation well.

Her mother had raised her alone, likely after a youthful fling with an unknown partner. Frail and unable to raise a child alone, she had married three times. Fu Jiu had already had three Alpha step-parents. Her current Alpha mother was the fourth.

Fu Jiu was innocent and pure, but no heart could withstand such constant upheaval.

Dan Sirou felt a pang of tenderness. She patted Fu Jiu’s back, resting her chin lightly against her restless head. Her voice was gentle beyond measure. “So, you’re alone at home now?”

“Mm-hmm.” Fu Jiu nodded like a doll, muttering, “My mom wanted me to stay with my grandma, but she always chants scriptures. I don’t want to.”

“She means well,” Dan Sirou coaxed softly.

Her heart overflowed with compassion. After a pause, she asked, “Do you want to come to my house? We can spend New Year’s Eve together.”

“Yes, yes!” Fu Jiu wriggled free from her embrace, her eyes sparkling.

Dan Sirou blinked at her sudden shift in demeanor, bemused. The girl’s golden-puppy charm melted her heart. She smiled, her eyes brimming with affection.

That smile was like a furnace in the winter wind, radiating warmth that chased away the cold.

Fu Jiu blinked back, though she had long grown used to her sister’s beauty and smile. Yet this time, it pierced her heart anew.

Now she understood why even aloof cousins had fallen under Sister Xiao Rou’s spell.

They walked side by side toward home. Fu Jiu coughed lightly, as if remembering something. “Um, Sister Xiao Rou.”

“Yes?” Dan Sirou asked gently.

“I actually came with someone else.” Fu Jiu said shyly, her voice hesitant.

“You’re not coming with me then?” Dan Sirou thought she was politely declining.

“No, I mean, could she come with us too?” Fu Jiu explained. “She has nowhere else to go.”

Dan Sirou hesitated. Normally, she wouldn’t invite strangers into her home, even if they were Fu Jiu’s friends. But on such a special night, she understood the pain of wandering alone.

Besides, Fu Jiu wasn’t reckless. Her friends must be decent too.

She thought for a moment, her silence already a tacit approval.

Seeing she hadn’t refused, Fu Jiu pressed further. “But, she’s an Alpha.”

Dan Sirou frowned slightly, her softened heart flashing with hesitation.

She was in her heat cycle now, it was better not to be around Alphas.

Suddenly, a sharp crack split the air. A firework soared skyward, bursting into brilliant colors. The dazzling light reflected in Dan Sirou’s dark eyes, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

On this night of reunion, it wasn’t as though she couldn’t be around Alphas at all.

She had her suppressant patch on, and there were inhibitors at home. Ordinary Alphas rarely stirred discomfort in her.

Dan Sirou was clearly wavering.

“Alright.” In the end, she relented. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder which Alpha Fu Jiu was close enough to spend the holiday with. Did they have some kind of special relationship?

A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

But she dismissed it at once.

No. She’s not in Dongcheng right now.

Without realizing, they arrived at the small plaza on the side of the neighborhood. It was fitted with exercise equipment, and many children often played there.

Tonight was quieter than usual, though still livelier than the empty streets.

Parents accompanied their children, lighting fireworks and firecrackers.

In the center stood a tall, graceful figure. She lit a firework barrel, and in an instant, a grand shower of sparks rained across the sky, dazzling everyone’s eyes.

Then, the girl turned her head.

Under the glow of the firelight, she seemed wrapped in a hazy filter, breathtakingly beautiful.

Children clapped and cheered, marveling at the fireworks that soared upward. The barrel emptied quickly.

When Dan Sirou saw Jiang He, she felt neither shock nor calm.

She had half-suspected it was her, but remembering Jiang He had said she’d spend the whole winter break on the island, she had dismissed the thought.

“Xiao Rou-jie,” Fu Jiu tugged at her sleeve, speaking cautiously. “The person I mentioned, she’s my cousin.”

“Mm.” Dan Sirou answered softly.

She simply looked at Jiang He, her expression unreadable.

Fu Jiu’s heart sank.

Jiang He had noticed them too. Realizing they were talking about her, she walked over, a faint smile in her eyes.

“Dan Sirou,” Jiang He greeted hesitantly. “Fu Jiu said she wanted to visit you, so I came along.”

She looked straight at her, unblinking. Beside her, Fu Jiu shot her a glare, teeth clenched.

“Mm. She told me,” Dan Sirou replied.

It had been nearly half a month since they last met, and Jiang He seemed changed.

Paler. Thinner.

Her clean, striking face carried both the elegance of a young woman and the strength honed from years of training.

“Didn’t you say you were going to the island? Why are you back now?” Dan Sirou asked, surprised.

“I’ve been back for several days,” Jiang He said evasively, avoiding a direct answer. “I was with my aunt, but she had something come up. I was left alone in Dongcheng, and now it’s too late to return to the island.”

Dan Sirou nodded, then glanced at the spent fireworks on the ground. “These, did you buy them?”

Jiang He turned, nodded. “Just to liven things up.”

She pointed to a bag near a stone. “There are more. We can set them off later.”

Dan Sirou nodded again, saying nothing more.

She led them upstairs, warmly inviting them to sit on the sofa, then went to the kitchen.

Jiang He couldn’t bear to see her working alone on New Year’s Eve. She felt restless just sitting there. She rose immediately. “Do you need help? Let me join you.”

“No need,” Dan Sirou said quickly. “The dishes are done. Just one soup left to season. Sit down, it’ll be ready soon.”

Her eyes flickered nervously as she spoke.

She slipped into the kitchen and shut the door a little too quickly, betraying her unease.

Inside, her cheeks flushed with heat. Whether from the central heating or something else, the air pressed heavily against her glands.

She was in her heat cycle—and now, of all times, Jiang He was here.

She didn’t know if it was simply that Jiang He’s Alpha aura had grown stronger in the ten days they hadn’t seen each other, or if her body was simply too sensitive to her presence. Even at a distance, Jiang He’s proximity weighed on her like a force.

For the first time, she realized how unbearable heat could be.

Frustrated, Dan Sirou hurriedly replaced her suppressant patch.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

“Dan Sirou, do you want me to help? I can bring the dishes out, or serve the rice.”

“No!” she called back quickly, terrified she might push the door open. She fumbled faster, but the more frantic she became, the more mistakes she made. She had never imagined that changing a suppressant patch could feel so clumsy.

The gland was the most private part of an Omega, never to be exposed.

Even if it had already been bitten by this person, she couldn’t abandon her dignity.