After the Scummy Alpha Marked the Crazy Beautiful Heroine - Chapter 44.2

She paused briefly, then added, “Whether it’s good or bad.”

“Then if that’s how it works,” Pei Jiuyao thought aloud, “let’s make sure we’re together forever.”

“Alright.” Chi Yang’s voice was light, then she suddenly smiled. “And if you ever get lost, just stay where you are. I’ll come find you.”

Pei Jiuyao ruffled her hair. “How would I ever get lost?”

Her eyes bent with laughter. “Because you’re a puppy, after all.”

While they spoke, the crowd around them suddenly rose to their feet. Pei Jiuyao thought the aurora had appeared, but when she looked up, it was only people forming a dance circle around the fire.

Zhu Qiao tugged Hannah up and called out, “Yangyang, Yaoyao—come move around!”

Pei Jiuyao stood, then bent slightly toward Chi Yang. “Miss Chi, may I have this dance?”

“Dancing dressed like a loaf of bread is really weird,” Chi Yang grumbled, but still obediently took her hand and stood.

The circle around the fire was chaotic—a jumble of group dances that dissolved into partner waltzes, then into three people spinning Hannah around in fits of laughter.

Suddenly someone shouted, “Look, the aurora!”

Pei Jiuyao and Chi Yang immediately looked up.

The night sky burst alight with sheets of glowing green flame, spreading wide across the horizon. Along the edges shimmered creamy yellow, blending into grass-green, then into luminous jade. Like a cat’s-eye gem, the aurora streaked across the heavens, trailing sapphire and burning into crimson, tinged faintly with violet, endlessly shifting and alive.

After a moment, pale smoke drifted within the flames, veiling the star-swept indigo sky like a curtain to another world.

Zhu Qiao had already set up her camera. After capturing the aurora, she shouted, “Come over here, let me get some shots of you two!”

Chi Yang dragged Pei Jiuyao into the frame. They posed in unashamedly affectionate ways, even snapping a few with Hannah. Then Chi Yang pushed her aside and said, “I want one of just me—for my socials.”

“Then I need one too,” Pei Jiuyao retorted, shoving her back out of frame. “Captioned: A trip where someone and I finally pieced the puzzle apart.”

Laughter filled the air. Hannah got a little too carried away, and while running she tugged too hard at Chi Yang.

Chi Yang stumbled, falling to her knees. Pei Jiuyao lunged to catch her, but Chi Yang yanked her down instead. The two rolled together, nearly tumbling into the water, until Pei Jiuyao braced her arm and stopped them just inches from the surface.

Zhu Qiao rushed over in alarm, pulling them up.

From a distance, Ross had seen what happened and came over too. “Are you alright?”

Pei Jiuyao felt a sharp sting in her knee—she must have banged it against a rock when she rolled over just now. She didn’t dwell on it, leaning forward instead, worry in her voice as she asked anxiously,

“Are you okay?”

Chi Yang sat up, brows faintly knit, and tugged off her glove. Her palm had been scraped, skin rubbed raw. She glanced at it once, then quickly pulled her glove back on.

“You’ve scraped yourself—let me see.” Pei Jiuyao reached for her hand, only for Chi Yang to grab hers instead, stopping her.

Chi Yang looked toward Zhu Qiao, her voice calm to the point of indifference.

“I’ll deal with it in the car.”

In that instant, Pei Jiuyao realized—Chi Yang’s Omega status hadn’t been made public. Even on her passport and ID card, she was registered as an Alpha.

Discreetly, she tapped at the wristband hidden under Chi Yang’s clothes, then swiftly helped her up and guided her toward the car.

When Zhu Qiao and Rose followed after them, Pei Jiuyao blocked the doorway with her body, firm and unyielding.

“I’ll take care of it.”

Her stance filled the frame of the car door, her tone carrying the commanding pressure of an Alpha.

Zhu Qiao didn’t press the issue. She simply took out iodine and bandages from a supply kit and handed them over.

“Be careful, then.”

Rose cast Pei Jiuyao a heavy look before following Zhu Qiao away.

Back in the backseat, Pei Jiuyao carefully pulled off Chi Yang’s glove.

Chi Yang winced, her brows drawing tighter, eyes rimmed red in an instant. She bit her lip in silence, pain making her fingertips tremble slightly.

“It’ll be over soon. Just bear with it.” Pei Jiuyao dipped a cotton swab in clean water to wash the wound before applying iodine.

Chi Yang obediently tilted her head back, swallowing a muffled groan into her chest.

When it came time to wrap the bandage, Chi Yang held Pei Jiuyao’s wrist, lowering her voice.

“There are pheromone-suppressing patches in my bag. Put one on me before you bandage it.”

Pei Jiuyao frowned. “That stuff—on an open wound? It’s just a scrape. No one will smell it.”

She slipped off the wristband, sniffed lightly at the air, and reassured her,

“Even if there is some scent, it’s impossible to tell whether it’s Alpha or Omega.”

“Put it on anyway. Just in case.” Chi Yang lowered her gaze. “The way Rose looked at you just now was strange. I don’t want them finding out.”

“It should be fine. She’s Zhu Qiao’s friend, doesn’t know us, and she has a partner,” Pei Jiuyao said. But despite her words, she still helped Chi Yang apply the suppressing patch before wrapping the bandage, then sprayed some air freshener inside the car to mask the smell.

Only then did she pat Chi Yang’s head gently and whisper,

“Don’t worry.”

On the way, Rose, who was driving, asked, “Did you use air freshener?”

“There was some blood. I didn’t want Molly to feel uncomfortable,” Pei Jiuyao explained.

Chi Yang leaned against her shoulder, drowsy, her injured hand wrapped in Pei Jiuyao’s palm. Pei Jiuyao cradled it carefully, thumb gently stroking over her skin.

Molly gave her a grateful glance and smiled.

“Miss Pei, you and your girlfriend are so close. I really envy you.”

When they returned, Chi Yang’s injured hand kept her from doing much. Pei Jiuyao happily insisted on bathing her, taking the chance to fondle and kiss her as she pressed her against the wall.

Chi Yang’s face flushed crimson. Finally, she bit Pei Jiuyao hard just to make her let go.

Pei Jiuyao slowly lifted her lashes, her eyes still hazy red with fading desire. She wiped the blood from her lip, then smeared it over Chi Yang’s mouth.

“There are people outside!” Chi Yang glared, stomping on her foot. Droplets from her wet lashes fell onto her nose, her lips.

Only then did Pei Jiuyao relent, wrapping her in a cotton pajama set and toweling off her face. Steamed drowsy from the hot water, Chi Yang didn’t resist, letting Pei Jiuyao gently smooth lotion onto her skin.

The upstairs bathroom was reserved for the four of them. Rose and Molly wouldn’t come up, but to be safe, Pei Jiuyao sprayed on some perfume before leading Chi Yang out.

From the folds of her plush pajamas, Chi Yang slipped a finger out to hook at Pei Jiuyao’s back as they returned to their room. Burrowing under the blanket, she asked,

“Do you have work today?”

“Rest day,” Pei Jiuyao replied, passing her a glass of hot water.

Chi Yang finished it, then patted the mattress beside her.

“Then sleep with me.”

Pei Jiuyao climbed into bed, and Chi Yang curled into her arms, pulling out the camera.

After flipping through it for a while, Chi Yang murmured,

“I don’t know why, but I feel a little empty.”

Pei Jiuyao hugged the bundle of soft pajamas, rubbing her head through the warm fabric.

Looking at their photos, Chi Yang sighed.

“It feels like all experiences vanish in the blink of an eye.”

In one shot, the two of them, bundled up beyond recognition, leaned together. When Pei Jiuyao turned her head, her lips brushed Chi Yang’s temple through thick layers of clothing. Behind them, a dark green aurora rippled.

“That’s why we have to record every step of the journey,” Pei Jiuyao whispered.

“But it’s never the same as how it felt in the moment,” Chi Yang said, closing the camera with a quiet snap. “Something you’ve looked forward to for so long—it’s over in just an instant.”

“Then we’ll come back again,” Pei Jiuyao said without thinking. She immediately regretted it, knowing Chi Yang hated the cold. She braced for her refusal.

Instead, Chi Yang tipped her head back from Pei Jiuyao’s lap, laughing clear and bright.

“Alright.”

“I have something for you.” Chi Yang got out of bed, rummaged through her bag, then hid something behind her back.

Pei Jiuyao, thrown off by her sudden secrecy, sat up nervously, rubbing her hands together.

“What is it?”

Chi Yang set a small black velvet box before her. Inside lay a simple white ring.

Pei Jiuyao’s lashes trembled. “This is… what do you mean?”

“It’s for you.” Chi Yang’s voice was steady, calm. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I just mean… let’s call this official. That we’re really together.”

Pei Jiuyao’s head buzzed, her mind ringing with white noise. Even the mechanical voice of “7023” announcing some kind of achievement sounded distant and unreal.

It wasn’t a grand occasion—just a quiet, “let’s be official.” She thought they’d already made that clear on the plane, but this… this meant something different.

And she hadn’t prepared anything in return. The thought made her almost regretful.

She knelt by the bed, carefully took the ring, and slipped it onto her finger. She couldn’t help but ask,

“When did you buy this? I didn’t notice at all…”

Not at all.

Chi Yang’s tone was light.

“That time on the Ferris wheel, when I asked you to come shopping with me for a bracelet.”

“You actually went to buy a ring?” Pei Jiuyao stared in surprise. “Then why didn’t you give it to me?”

“I wanted to, but never found the right moment.” Chi Yang rubbed her fingertips together.

“No, that’s not the point!” Pei Jiuyao jumped up from the bed, gripping Chi Yang’s shoulders. “You already wanted us to be official back then!”

Chi Yang tilted her head slightly, gently prying her hands away, and murmured, “Mm.”

The two of them, wrapped in plush pajamas, stood face to face in the little cabin under a warm yellow lamp, the polar night pressing beyond the window.

Their “firsts” always seemed to happen in the strangest places.

But Pei Jiuyao was overjoyed—more than that, she was thrilled that it was Chi Yang who brought it up.

She hugged her tightly, then bounced onto the bed to roll around, grinning ear to ear.

“I love it so much, Xiao Li.”

Holding up her hand, the ring gleaming, she blinked her ink-dark starry eyes.

“Does it look good?”

Chi Yang sat on the bed’s edge, chuckling softly.

“Of course. I picked it.”

“But I’ve never given you anything,” Pei Jiuyao pouted.

Chi Yang rummaged through her bag again, then lay back down and handed her a pendant.

“You did. I just broke it by accident before. Fix it for me?”

It was the necklace Pei Jiuyao had once handmade, back when she was trying to “please” the heroine. Chi Yang hadn’t worn it much—actors had no shortage of jewelry endorsements, and Pei Jiuyao hadn’t thought much of it.

But she’d kept it all along.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Pei Jiuyao jumped up, tucking Chi Yang into the blankets before opening it. Rose stood there.

“Hello, do you need something?” Pei Jiuyao gave her professional smile.

Leaning casually against the frame, Rose asked, “Is Miss Chi alright? I brought some ointment for her wound. It should be changed regularly.”

Pei Jiuyao took it with a polite smile.

“Thank you.”

Rose lingered, eyes lowered.

“I know a bit of medicine. If it’s convenient, why don’t I take a look at her myself?”

“Sorry, it’s not convenient. She’s already asleep.” Pei Jiuyao blocked the doorway, repeating firmly, “Thank you for the medicine.”

Rose chuckled softly, stealing one last glance inside.

“Rest early, Miss Pei.”

“You too.”

Watching Rose’s figure retreat down the stairs, Pei Jiuyao finally closed the door.