After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 29

The fluttering in her chest spread, and Bian You could clearly feel her affection for Qi Zhi’e.

She really, really liked her.

After washing her hands, Bian You joined Qi Zhi’e by the TV, watching the variety show guests playfully sabotage each other. Softly, she asked, “Is it good?”

Earlier, for some reason, she had felt that Qi Zhi’e was as endearing as a kitten, yet there was an underlying sense of unhappiness about her.

Qi Zhi’e turned to look at her, meeting those clear, concerned eyes.

Those eyes were truly pure, like the morning sun, radiating a gentle warmth.

Qi Zhi’e gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment, though in truth, she hadn’t even been paying attention to what was on TV.

Unable to resist, Bian You leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her eyelid, her smile brimming with joy as she said, “Let’s go wash our hands and get ready for dinner, okay?”

“Okay,” Qi Zhi’e replied softly.

Following Bian You to wash their hands, Qi Zhi’e moved to carry the prepared dishes out while Bian You checked on the soup. But the moment her fingers touched the plates, Bian You stopped her.

“Don’t touch them, I’ll bring them out. Can you grab our bowls and chopsticks instead?”

Bian You quickly pulled her hand away, worried the freshly cooked dishes might burn her.

Qi Zhi’e silently watched her for a couple of seconds before nodding and turning to fetch the utensils. Yet as she did, her gaze darkened imperceptibly.

This Bian You, seemed to genuinely care for her.

During dinner, Bian You kept looking at her with expectant eyes. At first, Qi Zhi’e didn’t understand why, but as the silence stretched and Bian You’s expression grew increasingly dejected, she finally caught on.

Did she want praise?

After a moment of contemplation, Qi Zhi’e spoke gently, “Bian You, everything you cooked is delicious.”

It was the truth. Perhaps Bian You had truly studied her tastes even the seasoning was perfectly suited to her preferences.

Finally hearing Qi Zhi’e’s praise, Bian You’s face lit up with delight, her barely contained glee making her look adorably charming.

Qi Zhi’e watched her quietly, observing her jubilant reaction, it really was like a dog basking in its owner’s praise.

Taking a slow sip of soup, Qi Zhi’e asked calmly, “What’s your world like?”

This was the first time Qi Zhi’e had taken the initiative to ask about Bian You’s life.

Bian You’s eyes sparkled with surprise, thinking Qi Zhi’e was finally showing interest in her.

“Actually, it’s not too different from this world, except there’s no ABO gender classification, just simple male and female.” Of course, that didn’t account for the various gender identities abroad.

“No ABO genders?” Qi Zhi’e murmured, pausing mid-scoop with her spoon.

So, people in that world were like those in this one before differentiation?

“No pheromone issues?”

“No pheromone issues, and no uncontrollable heats either.”

Qi Zhi’e let out a soft laugh. “Your world sounds pretty good.”

On this point, Bian You didn’t deny it after all, no one would want to become a beast driven solely by primal urges.

The two fell into silence again, quietly eating their meal.

“Any romantic history?” Qi Zhi’e suddenly asked out of the blue.

“Cough!”

Bian You choked, her face turning crimson as the sip of soup nearly sent her into a coughing fit. She glanced at Qi Zhi’e, her eyes watery with embarrassment.

Seeing her reaction, Qi Zhi’e arched a brow and chuckled lightly. “What, does it look so extensive that you don’t dare say?”

“Not at all!” Bian You retorted before even catching her breath, then coughed a few more times, the tips of her ears burning red. ” I’ve never been in a relationship before…”

Saying it out loud somehow felt humiliating. A 25-year-old who had never dated, in many people’s eyes, that might seem a little abnormal.

But she was the type who would rather go without than settle for less. She’d rather stay single forever than enter a relationship just for the sake of it.

Qi Zhi’e lifted her gaze, watching as Bian You shyly avoided her eyes, her fair skin flushed with embarrassment. She really did look mortified.

With a soft laugh, Qi Zhi’e murmured, “Then I’m honored.”

“Huh?” Bian You looked at her in confusion.

“To be your first love.”

Bian You’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, her eyes growing even more dewy, the affection in them practically spilling over.

The fierce pounding in her chest made it unmistakably clear, she really, really liked Qi Zhi’e. So much that it almost hurt, her heart tightening with emotion.

“Then, what about you?” Bian You asked in a small voice.

“Me?” A flicker of something distant passed through Qi Zhi’e’s eyes, as if recalling a memory, her expression cooling slightly.

Seeing this, Bian You paused. It seemed Qi Zhi’e had some kind of past story?

For a moment, her heart ached with bitterness and regret, she hated that she hadn’t come into Qi Zhi’e’s life sooner.

“Once… I suppose I had unusual feelings for someone,” Qi Zhi’e said, her tone uncertain.

“Suppose?” Bian You echoed.

Qi Zhi’e lowered her gaze slightly, her lips curling into a self-deprecating smile. “You know my family situation well enough.”

She had never known much love growing up, and so she craved it all the more. Yet she was also proud, unwilling to admit she wanted something so vulnerable, leaving her tangled in contradictions.

Back then, she had just started high school, freshly presented. Her deskmate was a bright, cheerful girl with a doll-like bob and a face as soft and round as a steamed bun. Every time she saw Qi Zhi’e, her eyes would sparkle as she smiled.

At the time, Qi Zhi’e was both arrogant and closed-off, treating her with nothing but indifference. Yet the girl remained undeterred, still greeting her with a sunny smile every day.

She was also the only one who called when Qi Zhi’e was absent from school due to illness.

Freshly presented, Qi Zhi’e was struggling with the torment of her first heat. Even with the best suppressants, the discomfort was nearly unbearable.

During those times when she was tormented by her heat cycles, she had considered whether to find someone to help her through them, just like most others did, for mutual benefit.

And coincidentally, that person with sparkling eyes when she smiled was an alpha.

“You sought her out?” Bian You asked anxiously upon hearing this.

Qi Zhi’e looked at her aggrieved and sorrowful expression and suddenly felt like laughing. “Would you mind if I said I did?”

Bian You was choked by her words, her expression growing even more pitiful, her eyes slightly reddening.

Qi Zhi’e’s question had caught her off guard. While she did feel a little bothered, she was also acutely aware that to Qi Zhi’e, she was the one who came later. Moreover, all of this had happened before they even met, what right did she have to mind?

“Then you might be disappointed,” Qi Zhi’e said indifferently, stirring the soup in her bowl. “It was just a fleeting thought. I knew very well I wouldn’t love her.”

Back then, she had been so prickly, her thorns far more exposed than they were now, incapable of treating anyone properly.

“Besides… later on, that person found someone she liked. The kindness she showed me wasn’t anything special she was just a kind person by nature,” Qi Zhi’e added calmly.

Bian You stared at her in surprise.

And when that person started seeing someone, watching them go everywhere together, Qi Zhi’e hadn’t felt the slightest bit of sadness. That was what made her uncertain.

Perhaps she had felt something different for that person, but those feelings had never truly crossed into love.

Listening to Qi Zhi’e’s story, Bian You sighed in relief but couldn’t help feeling a pang of heartache.

Maybe the kindness that person had shown Qi Zhi’e in high school had been the best thing she had received during that time.

After finishing, Qi Zhi’e looked at Bian You’s still slightly reddened eyes and chuckled. “Satisfied now?”

Bian You turned her head away awkwardly, rubbing her eyes as if to hide her emotions. “What satisfaction? This has nothing to do with me.”

Qi Zhi’e’s past had unfolded without her in it.

The thought filled Bian You with an overwhelming sadness.

She wished she could have witnessed Qi Zhi’e’s younger, more naive self, been her desk mate, cared for her health, grown up alongside her.

But back then, she had known nothing.

“Nothing to do with you?” Qi Zhi’e laughed softly. “Then why are you crying?”

“Who said I was crying? I just ate some ginger, and it stung my throat,” Bian You retorted stubbornly, unwilling to admit it. Admitting it would be tantamount to confessing her own pettiness.

Here they were, in the present, and yet she was jealous of Qi Zhi’e’s past. The thought alone was embarrassing.

“Alright, it stung your throat,” Qi Zhi’e conceded, not pressing further. She placed a piece of fish belly into Bian You’s bowl and said gently, “Then be more careful not to mistake ginger for meat next time.”

Looking at the fish in her bowl, Bian You suddenly felt like crying.

Qi Zhi’e was just too good so good that she didn’t even know how to love her enough.

She sniffled and muttered under her breath, “Don’t laugh at me.”

She had her pride, after all.

Qi Zhi’e smiled. “Alright, I won’t laugh at you.”

“You’re laughing right now!”

Qi Zhi’e instantly wiped all traces of a smile from her face and said expressionlessly, “Alright, no more laughing now.”

Bian You: “…”

Their dinner lasted quite a while, filled with more conversation than they’d typically share in an entire month.

After the meal, Bian You had Qi Zhi’e wait in the living room while she cleared the dishes, loading them into the dishwasher before preparing a fruit platter to share as they relaxed together.

“Zhi’e,” Bian You suddenly called out.

“Hmm?” Qi Zhi’e responded lazily from her comfortable spot on the sofa, her gaze vaguely fixed on the television screen whether she was actually watching was unclear.

Seeing her like this only reinforced Bian You’s impression that she resembled a cat, content after a good meal, lounging in comfort with quiet satisfaction.

Bian You moved closer and embraced Qi Zhi’e, burying her face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the faint scent of lily of the valley. She nuzzled closer, her voice muffled as she spoke: “If just if, we ever lose our feelings for each other, let’s part ways amicably, okay?”

Qi Zhi’e stiffened, her heart skipping a beat at the words. She wrapped her arms around Bian You’s head, gently stroking her hair while keeping her expression neutral. “Why bring this up suddenly?”

Bian You was enveloped in Qi Zhi’e’s fragrance, clinging to her so tightly she couldn’t bear to let go.

“Because I was thinking about our families.”

Bian You’s mothers had married for alliance, as had Qi Zhi’e’s parents, unions formed for profit, devoid of affection, leaving them trapped in mutual torment that extended to their children.

Bian You didn’t want her relationship with Qi Zhi’e to reach that point. Even if their feelings faded, she wanted them to separate with dignity rather than descend into bitter chaos.

Qi Zhi’e pressed her lips together tightly, her hand continuing its absentminded caress through Bian You’s hair. When Bian You tried to lift her head, she applied slight pressure to keep her nestled against her neck.

“Alright, I promise.”

Hearing her agreement and feeling the weight of her hands, Bian You chuckled softly, her voice sweetening as she added, “Of course, I hope that day never comes.”

This time, Qi Zhi’e didn’t respond. She only tightened her hold slightly, the curve of her lips deepening.

How could that day not come? It was inevitable.

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