Distance Formula - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Su Yanshi was obedient and started eating as soon as she agreed. Bai Biqing could tell she had little appetite, and after watching her reluctantly force down half a bowl of rice, she quickly intervened: “Alright, alright, don’t force yourself if you can’t eat any more.”

The Alpha, cheeks still slightly puffed, nodded blankly. After swallowing the last bite, she looked up at Bai Biqing and suddenly remembered something, anxiously twisting her fingers: “Artist Bai, did you eat? I completely forgot to ask. I’m sorry.”

Bai Biqing watched her small, nervous gestures and burst out laughing: “Why are you saying sorry? I’ve eaten.”

In truth, she hadn’t, but skipping a meal was no big deal.

“I just felt it was rude,” Su Yanshi said, standing up to clear the dishes. As she straightened her back, she abruptly realized Bai Biqing was taller than her.

She was about 175 cm tall.

Bai Biqing looked to be around 178 cm.

How is she so tall?

Bai Biqing noticed the scrutiny, looked down at herself, and asked, puzzled: “What is it? Is there something wrong with me?”

Su Yanshi shook her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, making her look slightly intimidating: “I just noticed Artist Bai is very tall. And are you nearsighted?”

She hadn’t seen the glasses yesterday; she must have been wearing contacts.

Bai Biqing hadn’t expected the question and smiled even wider: “No, these are non-prescription. I just think they look good and match my outfit. As for my height, my mother is 187 cm, and my father is 182 cm. Maybe because of that, I’m about 179 cm.”

“Wow, that’s really tall,” Su Yanshi said, astonished. After a thought, she quietly asked, “Is your mother an Omega?”

Bai Biqing answered readily: “No, she’s an Alpha. My father gave birth to me. Do you have any other questions?”

The Beta suddenly bent closer to Su Yanshi, startling her into stepping back. Su Yanshi watched Bai Biqing with wide, frightened eyes. She meekly shook her head. Being near Bai Biqing made her feel much calmer and less uncomfortable, but she was still terrified she might lose control and try to bite the Beta’s neck, so she kept her distance.

Her voice was steady now: “No, I don’t.”

“…No?” Bai Biqing repeated. She hooked her finger on her clothes and stepped back, yet it felt like she was deliberately luring Su Yanshi forward. The Beta’s voice was deep and magnetic, and when it held a hint of a laugh, it gave a subtle sense of teasing.

“Is that so? I thought you might ask about the color of my eyes. My grandfather was mixed race, and it was passed down to me.”

Bai Biqing’s replies felt to Su Yanshi like she was undergoing a background check, but she also strangely enjoyed the manner, as if it were a way to bridge the distance between them. She inhaled silently. The scent of the Beta in the air seemed to have grown much stronger.

Holding the meal container, she nodded and answered seriously: “I see. Thank you, Artist Bai.”

Thank you?

Bai Biqing didn’t quite understand, but out of politeness, she raised her hand and gave a slight bow: “You’re welcome.”

She was thinking of revealing her background bit by bit, a gradual, subtle indoctrination to naturally bring their relationship closer.

Su Yanshi didn’t sense anything amiss. She offered a modest smile and headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Bai Biqing’s gaze was fixed intently on her, undisguised and open, which made Su Yanshi nervous.

She nearly dropped a bowl.

Why is she watching me?

The Alpha secretly observed the Beta, trying to make her movements seem less awkward. A silence fell between them until Su Yanshi finished the dishes and took off the apron. Only then did Bai Biqing lean on the table and say, “Yanshi.”

Su Yanshi instantly tensed. That name sounded so intimate.

As Li Zhuonan had said, she wasn’t particularly good at socializing, but she also didn’t want to be in a completely passive position. Her personality was slow to warm up, and it took considerable time for her to get close to people.

Bai Biqing was the first person to be so openly warm to her. How strange.

Su Yanshi thought it was strange, yet she wasn’t particularly resistant to Bai Biqing. She quickly found a plausible reason: she was infatuated with Bai Biqing’s scent and liked the feeling the Beta gave her. There was also a fresh surge of guilt over her offense last night.

Yet, she didn’t question where Bai Biqing’s pheromones came from.

She granted her respect.

“Can I call you that?” Bai Biqing asked vaguely, still cupping her cheek, seeing Su Yanshi hadn’t fully reacted.

Su Yanshi murmured, “Yes, you can.”

“Yanshi.”

She called her again. Su Yanshi looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.

Bai Biqing’s fingers were beautiful and clearly articulated. She was also very fair, and the way she rested her hands under her chin was highly suggestive.

The Beta then shifted her posture.

She looked up at Su Yanshi, her eyes, illuminated by the light, seemed to be seducing her: “When I told Li Zhuonan I wanted to be friends with you, I meant it. So, stop using ‘You’. Doesn’t it feel too distant?”

“At least, it makes me a little unhappy.”

The Alpha suddenly inhaled sharply. She held Bai Biqing’s gaze, not in an interrogation or assessment, but simply trying to dissect the sincerity of the statement. But Bai Biqing was unafraid. She laid bare her innermost layer, inviting Su Yanshi to share it with her.

“Okay, I understand, Artist Bai.”

Su Yanshi looked away, searching for another topic. Her gaze landed on the painting in the living room. She lowered her head and licked her lips: “Artist Bai, the painting you left here is really beautiful.”

Bai Biqing heard the attempt to change the subject and went along with it. She turned her head to look at the painting, remembering this apartment was once her private gallery space, and she’d been too lazy to take the painting down. She certainly couldn’t say that.

“You like it?”

“Not exactly.” Su Yanshi turned to face her, her tone sincere, “I think the color of your eyes is very similar to the painting.”

“They are both very beautiful.”

Bai Biqing heard the little Alpha slowly articulate the words and couldn’t help but smile. She suddenly asked: “Then, what do you think of the drawing I did yesterday?”

Yesterday?

Su Yanshi’s memory instantly returned, and she thought of the drawing she had been sniffing on her bed. Her ear tips flushed naturally with embarrassment. She nervously twisted the hem of her shirt, feeling that the question held a hidden accusation.

She hung her head: “Artist Bai, is your wound better? It was my fault for not controlling myself.”

As she spoke, she gently rubbed her sharp canine tooth.

Bai Biqing stared at her for a long time before she truly understood that Su Yanshi felt guilty and had misunderstood her meaning. She only wanted to ask a simple question. The Beta said softly: “Yanshi, I don’t blame you. If I hadn’t wanted it, no one could have forced me. I just wanted to ask you, do you think the drawing was of a wolf or a dog?”

Su Yanshi gasped softly. She thought about it carefully and offered her own guess: “A dog. Do you think I’m like a dog, Artist Bai?”

Bai Biqing didn’t answer that question. Under Su Yanshi’s probing gaze, she simply said: “Yanshi, you are very beautiful.”

“Huh?”

Su Yanshi wasn’t wearing makeup, and her clothes were ordinary, but Bai Biqing was sensitive to beauty. She had always thought the person in front of her was beautiful.

No matter what.

This was the second time Bai Biqing had called her beautiful. The first time, Su Yanshi felt it was a polite formality, but now she sensed a genuine feeling in the words.

The Alpha doubtfully tugged at her pajamas, looking at Bai Biqing with disbelief.

Bai Biqing continued: “You are truly beautiful. I like beautiful things. I like looking at beautiful people. Su Yanshi, I quite like you.”

An simple expression of affection instantly left Su Yanshi speechless. She had received many compliments and expressions of love, but Bai Biqing was uniquely capable of throwing her off balance. She wasn’t sure if it was because they were alone or if Bai Biqing’s words felt too trustworthy.

Bai Biqing was not only telling Su Yanshi why she wanted friendship but also successfully diverting the Alpha’s low mood.

So easy to coax—

Su Yanshi held her breath. The turmoil of her rut made her restless. She awkwardly managed a whispered: “Thank you.”

An Alpha’s emotions during a rut are volatile, and their temper is usually short. While being with Bai Biqing made Su Yanshi feel much better, she still couldn’t control the genuine message conveyed by her pheromones.

Bai Biqing twitched her fingers. She sensed Su Yanshi was panicked.

Sure enough, when Bai Biqing fell silent, Su Yanshi slowly leaned against the wall, put her hands behind her back, and cautiously asked: “Are you leaving soon?”

Bai Biqing realized: So that was it.

She asked in return: “Do you want me to leave?”

The answer was clearly no. Su Yanshi needed her invisible pheromones. Logically, Bai Biqing had a responsibility to comfort her.

If she took a few more suppressants, their next meeting might have to be in a hospital.

Su Yanshi didn’t answer directly. She just lowered her head, remaining silent.

She didn’t want Bai Biqing to leave, but she didn’t know how to explain it. She couldn’t even figure it out herself—she just felt much more comfortable being with Bai Biqing, even though they hadn’t done anything improper.

Bai Biqing raised the corners of her mouth silently: “I haven’t been able to draw anything lately. It’s strange, but I feel inspired here. Do you mind if your landlady stays for a few hours? Or do you mind your new friend getting to know you a little better?”

“I don’t mind!”

Su Yanshi realized what she had just blurted out. She shyly turned her head, trying to cover her embarrassment: “I don’t mind. Plus, my next role is playing an artist, and I want to get closer to the character.”

She had visited studios, spent time with many artists, handled paintbrushes, and studied the character’s expressions, but this seemed like the most reasonable excuse right now.

Bai Biqing looked like she believed her: “That works out perfectly.”

“I’ll go back and grab my drawing board and pen. Wait for me.”

Su Yanshi nodded, watching Bai Biqing walk out and close the door.

The sound of the lock clicking echoed in her ears. Her heart fluttered, and the pheromones in the air immediately lessened. Su Yanshi’s uncontrollable irritability returned. She stumbled to turn off the light, leaning against the wall, staring blankly at one spot.

The apartment was dark. She couldn’t see anything clearly.

Su Yanshi gently buried her head in the crook of her arm, thinking that a few minutes would pass quickly. She hated this uncontrolled version of herself. She just sat there, doing nothing.

Bai Biqing carried her tools, opened the door, and was met with darkness. It was as if she didn’t need to search; she immediately saw the Alpha waiting eagerly by the wall.

So—this is her bond with Su Yanshi.

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