Forced to Romance the Omega Psychiatrist - Chapter 53.1

The winter days in Harbor City occasionally brought rain, droplets falling sporadically and splattering against the transparent glass, leaving behind tiny round marks.

The city streets buzzed with ceaseless traffic, pedestrians weaving through the crowds, each preoccupied with their own affairs.

Xia You lay sprawled across the panoramic bed in the hotel suite’s bedroom, pressed close to the glass wall. She tapped her fingertip against the raindrops’ circular imprints.

Half of her body sank into the plush, soft bedding, her slender fingers delicate, her fair and shapely calves exposed to view.

With the rain falling today, there wasn’t much to see outside, leaving Xia You and Bai Shuixi with little choice but to pass the time in the hotel.

When idle, the questions one usually ignored began to surface one by one, nagging at the mind. For instance, why hadn’t Bai Shuixi taken her back to G City? And another… just how long did Bai Shuixi intend to stay with her?

Xia You stared absently at the raindrops leisurely sliding down the glass. On the other side of the spacious bed, Bai Shuixi glanced down at her, buttoned up her blouse, then suddenly leaned in to kiss her.

“What’s on your mind?” Bai Shuixi asked softly.

Feeling the kiss, Xia You paused, her lashes fluttering slightly as she hesitantly withdrew her finger.

The sweet scent of aromatherapy still lingered in the hotel bedroom. After a moment’s hesitation, Xia You turned and gently wrapped her arms around Bai Shuixi’s, burying her face against it with a soft nuzzle.

“Hmm?”

Unaware of Xia You’s hesitation, Bai Shuixi’s heart softened. She leaned closer, affectionately twirling a lock of Xia You’s hair around her fingers.

“Well… it’s nothing, really.” Xia You bit her lip, lying on her side as she idly traced the thin silk of Bai Shuixi’s blouse, avoiding the truth.

Bai Shuixi found her little mannerisms endearing, a smile tugging at her lips as she took Xia You’s hand. “If you want something, just tell me,” she murmured, unconsciously responding to the touch. “How would I know otherwise, jiejie?”

Xia You froze, tightening her grip on Bai Shuixi’s hand.

That… was a fair point.

But some persistent thoughts, when examined closely, had no real basis just a vague unease that kept gnawing at her, making her turn them over and over in her mind.

Like the banquet a few days ago.

Bai Shuixi hadn’t brought Zhou Wanwan back. Even though Bai Shuixi clearly wasn’t entirely indifferent to the matter, when Xu Yaqing refused to release her, Bai Shuixi had simply… let it go. Without protest, she had taken Xia You back to the hotel and never mentioned it again, continuing their leisurely stay in Harbor City as if nothing had happened.

At first, Xia You had been content to while away the days with Bai Shuixi. But once the initial novelty faded, the differences between Harbor City and G City became increasingly stark, and an inexplicable unease crept over her.

She didn’t care what happened to Zhou Wanwan or Li Wei. She just wanted no, needed to be closer to Bai Shuixi. Desperately so, as though any delay might mean losing something irreplaceable.

Xia You loved Bai Shuixi deeply. She wanted to stay with her forever and hoped Bai Shuixi felt the same.

“Shuixi have we ever really talked properly?” Xia You suddenly spoke up just as Bai Shuixi lowered her head to kiss her again.

Outside, the rain continued to fall. The view stretched out before them, a sky blanketed with thick clouds, dotted with the staggered silhouettes of office buildings. Inside the room, only the two of them remained, locked in a silent gaze.

The timing and atmosphere were subtly perfect, as if hinting at an impending change the long-maintained balance was about to tip. The outcome could either be deeper intimacy or the beginning of a separation.

“…What did you say?”

Bai Shuixi paused, lifting her gaze to Xia You.

She had a vague sense of what Xia You wanted to say. Part of her longed to hear Xia You confess love, yet another part feared that disrupting the story’s trajectory might lead to her disqualification. Hidden anticipation and rationality warred within her.

Xia You’s expression was earnest, her eyes fixed on Bai Shuixi with a quiet determination.

That look reminded Bai Shuixi of the Xia You she had first met, back when Xia You had been investigating whether Li Wei was truly a heartbreaker. The same resolve had been there then, though often shadowed by faint traces of sorrow and disappointment.

“…Do you want to be with me?” Xia You asked, her tone serious and deliberate.

Bai Shuixi froze, instantly recognizing that Xia You wasn’t referring to their current ambiguous arrangement, but something far more committed.

The realization made her fingers tighten reflexively, enveloping Xia You’s hand completely in her grasp.

“Aren’t we… already together?” Bai Shuixi managed, her voice strained.

“I mean, I love you.” Xia You’s gaze was tender yet unwavering, as if Bai Shuixi were the only person in her world. Her expression carried the certainty of someone who had already decided their future.

Bai Shuixi had often thought of Xia You as soft and delicate someone who cried easily in bed, who usually responded to cruelty with silent anger. It was easy to forget that Xia You was, in fact, this world’s true protagonist, capable of strength even in fragility.

The love she offered was far more steadfast than most.

This time, it wasn’t Bai Shuixi scheming to protect Xia You or win her affection. Instead, Xia You had chosen her, stepping forward to love her.

Bai Shuixi’s lips parted. Her heart raced, yet hesitation lingered. “…What exactly do you mean?”

“I want to stay with you forever,” Xia You said earnestly. “I want a healthy, lasting, stable relationship with you.”

“Not ambiguous bedmates, not half-hearted lovers but partners who openly acknowledge each other. Who take responsibility, who stay together until life itself forces us apart.”

Truthfully, Xia You knew this wasn’t the ideal moment for a confession. She should have waited for something more romantic, more ceremonious not blurted it out like this on a hotel bed.

But the words had spilled out, propelled by an unspoken urgency. She needed Bai Shuixi to know now, even if she had to make up for the lack of grandeur later.

Bai Shuixi stared, speechless. Her lips moved soundlessly before she fell silent again.

Xia You wanted a real, serious relationship with her. Maybe even marriage.

The thought should have brought joy. Instead, fear struck first.

She was terrified of losing Xia You.

If the outcome was something she couldn’t bear, she would rather not take that step forward.

Just then, the long-silent system’s voice resurfaced. The crackling static of its prelude was so absurd that Bai Shuixi began to doubt her own sanity, what if the so-called system and plotlines were merely hallucinations, and only her love for Xia You was real?

“What’s wrong?” Xia You asked, growing nervous at the complicated depths she saw swirling in Bai Shuixi’s eyes.

“I…” Bai Shuixi started instinctively.

[Stay calm, Host!!]

Right before Bai Shuixi could respond, the system’s voice absent for so long erupted in her mind with undignified screeching:

[Are you really going to accept the female lead’s confession like this?! This counts as major plot tampering with huge risks!! Do you want to leave her behind? Or would you rather have someone else take over to complete the storyline?!]

Bai Shuixi’s voice froze. The words on her tongue dissolved unspoken.

She didn’t want either possibility. Not a single one.

Xia You, standing right before Bai Shuixi with their gazes locked, witnessed every flicker of hesitation in real time. Helpless anxiety surged through her she nearly yanked Bai Shuixi closer on impulse. This wasn’t how she’d imagined things going at all.

It seemed that beyond feelings for her, Bai Shuixi carried other burdens.

As if… as if there were truths only Bai Shuixi knew but couldn’t share, forced to watch those hidden things stretch between them like an impassable chasm.

Before Xia You could gather her thoughts, Bai Shuixi’s expression gradually smoothed into something sorrowful. “You’ll regret this,” she said softly.

“……What?”

Xia You’s eyes widened. She instinctively grabbed Bai Shuixi’s sleeve, tugging urgently. “Why would you say that? You’re not me, how could you know whether I’d regret it?”

Bai Shuixi opened her mouth, then closed it silently. She glanced down at the hand clutching her arm. “It’s unrelated to what happened before. I just mean… what if you were supposed to or could have ended up with someone else?”

The system’s threats had registered, but with Xia You right here, she couldn’t voice any response. She had no way to confirm whether rejecting Xia You might buy her more time in this world…

And if not, when this world’s story was already nearing its end, did accepting or refusing even matter?

It was just… sometimes, she couldn’t help feeling it was unfair to Xia You.

Xia You deserved freedom to shape her own fate, not be trapped choosing among villains like them.

When everything concluded, shouldn’t Xia You get a fresh start?

Xia You blinked in confusion. “Are you talking about Li Wei? I already told you there’s nothing left between us.”

“Not just her.” Bai Shuixi met Xia You’s gaze deeply.

Even if not Li Wei, there would always be others. Just never someone like her the ‘antagonist’.

They were never meant to be together.

“Why… where would there be so many people?”

Xia You completely failed to understand her, grabbing Bai Shuixi in frustration:

“Even if there were others, they wouldn’t be people I like! Weren’t you always so decisive before? Why so many excuses now… Do you just not like me? Are you trying to find an excuse to reject me? Do you only want to play around with me?”

“I…” Bai Shuixi was momentarily stunned, her gloomy expression clearing significantly as she struggled to explain, “Where did you get that idea? I absolutely don’t mean that at all.”

“Then why say I’d regret it?” Xia You frowned at Bai Shuixi.

“I…” Bai Shuixi hesitated, falling silent for two seconds before speaking slowly, her voice softening as if both coaxing and privately dejected, “…I’m not a good person. I don’t have your patience to forgive many people or persistently seek the truth. Once I suspect someone, I push them away, become guarded, and never like or get close to them again. Being with me comes with high risks.”

This wasn’t even the whole story. Bai Shuixi felt there were many more dangerous things she hadn’t mentioned.

The most basic example, what would happen if her mission failed?

Perhaps the original body, which should have died long ago, would finally perish. Or perhaps a successor would come to complete this world’s story in her place.

If it were the latter, it might be better for “Bai Shuixi” to simply disappear.

“Ah, I know that.”

Unexpectedly, Xia You’s reaction was calm, even carrying a hint of puzzlement, as if to say, “Is that all you wanted to say?”

Bai Shuixi, lost in her own emotions, froze for a moment before looking up at Xia You: “…Huh?”

“Do you not realize how ruthless you were when targeting Bai Ye? You looked like you were secretly planning to kill her… If I were going to be afraid, that would have been the time,” Xia You said slowly, meeting Bai Shuixi’s eyes frankly. “I know you’re not always a good person. Sometimes, you’re even pretty bad.”

“…” Bai Shuixi was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether being certified as “not a good person” by the object of her affection was normal.

“But I like you anyway,” Xia You said softly.

Those quiet words struck Bai Shuixi with soul-shaking force, sweeping away all the chaotic thoughts in her mind until nothing remained but that single sentence so overwhelming she could barely hear the system’s voice.

Xia You gently moved closer and hugged her.

“I like you. I know you have flaws, but because I like you, I find them endearing. Love has blinded me, making me only want to be close to you. So don’t bully me,I can cry too,” Xia You whispered.

Bai Shuixi paused, hearing the sound of her own defenses crumbling with perfect clarity.

She knew Xia You’s personality well understood that Xia You was deliberately showing weakness now.

For someone like Xia You, who seemed fragile but would stubbornly endure anything alone, willingly revealing vulnerability was nothing short of a unique form of affection.

Xia You really was… too skilled. Whether loving, being loved, or even a little seduction, she excelled at all of it. Bai Shuixi’s fingers tightened slightly, feeling the warmth and softness of Xia You’s waist and back beneath her touch.

The sensation was intoxicating, but not nearly as much as the sense of belonging Xia You gave her something she could never let go of.

“I actually also… I…” Bai Shuixi’s mind relaxed for a moment, nearly blurting out her agreement. Fortunately, she quickly regained her composure, cutting herself off mid-sentence. Burying her face in Xia You’s neck, she murmured, “Promise me one thing first, okay?”

The system screamed again in her mind, like a glitching tape recorder stuck on repeat, annoyingly emphasizing the risks of accepting the female lead over and over.

But Bai Shuixi couldn’t care less about any of that now.

To hell with it, Bai Shuixi thought. I’ll only go crazy this once.

“What do you want to say?”

Xia You’s gentle yet puzzled voice sounded right beside her ear. Bai Shuixi felt Xia You return her embrace, showing no displeasure at her making a request instead of immediately accepting the confession.

After a moment of silence, Bai Shuixi spoke: “I want to be with you too. A healthy, lasting, stable relationship, I want all of that. But if one day you notice my personality suddenly changes, if I stop being myself, then you must leave me immediately. No matter how soon it happens, break up with me and don’t look back. Promise me?”

“What? What are you?” Xia You tried to interrupt halfway, but Bai Shuixi firmly stopped her.

The system was still screaming in her head: [Host, have you lost your mind! Have you really thought this through? This choice won’t come without consequences! You didn’t even discuss it with me! At least buy some time.I’m not lying to you this time!]

“Just this one condition. If you agree, we can be together right now , not as lovers or bed partners, but as each other’s true partners,” Bai Shuixi ignored the system’s voice, straightening up to look at Xia You, her eyes unconsciously pleading. “That’s all. Will you promise me?”

“But people’s personalities naturally change over time…” Xia You frowned, completely unable to understand how this could be grounds for abandoning a loved one. “Why break up over that? We can work through it together.”

“It’s different,” Bai Shuixi’s grip on Xia You’s hands tightened, her expression stubborn. “If you ever feel like you don’t recognize me anymore, don’t soften, don’t hesitate just leave, as far away as possible.”

Xia You froze, once again sensing that feeling as if only Bai Shuixi knew what future awaited them. She instinctively tightened her hold on Bai Shuixi’s hand and asked uncertainly, “Will,  will you leave me?”

[Nooo!!! That’s enough!!The system’s collapse voice shrieked in her mind. [Host, if you want to be with the female lead, I can’t stop you! But please don’t spoil the plot, I’m begging you this is the final bottom line! You don’t want to never see her again, right?!]

Bai Shuixi paused, then leaned in to embrace Xia You again. Instead of answering whether she would leave, she only said, “Promise me… sister. Just this once. I want to be with you too. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Xia You was momentarily stunned before returning the hug. “I…”

She felt lost, unable to comprehend the purpose behind Bai Shuixi’s request. Just the thought of ‘leaving Bai Shuixi’ made her heart ache…

Yet Bai Shuixi’s tone was so sincere.

“I… promise you.” Xia You said softly, “If you treat me badly or stop loving me, I’ll leave you.”

Bai Shuixi let out a quiet sigh of relief, tightening her arms around Xia You as she silently counted down five seconds in her heart.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1… The five seconds passed, and everything remained normal. The warmth in her arms was still there, and their surroundings hadn’t changed.

Finally reassured, Bai Shuixi exhaled and murmured, “That’s great truly wonderful…” I still have time.

But barely two seconds after relaxing, a delayed wave of euphoria at actually being with Xia You caught up with her. Unable to contain her joy, Bai Shuixi cupped Xia You’s face in her hands, wanting to look at her properly.

“…” Xia You blinked in surprise at suddenly having her face held again. “You’re not unhappy?”

Just moments ago when asking her to leave, Bai Shuixi had seemed so distressed.

“No, I’m not unhappy. I just want to be with you.” Bai Shuixi’s eyes shone as she looked at Xia You, her usual composed demeanor seemingly restored. She leaned in to kiss Xia You. “Come on, let’s go handle the asset transfers. I’ll give you half of what I own.”

“What?” Xia You was stunned by this sudden proposal, grabbing Bai Shuixi’s hand to stop her. “No, I don’t want your money.”

“I know.” Bai Shuixi turned back to squeeze her hand, giving Xia You a deep look. “But I want to give it to you. I want you to be more secure. Everything I have, I’ll share with you.”

Xia You paused, her expression one of astonishment.

Even without any real concept of Bai Shuixi’s wealth, she was deeply moved by the sentiment behind those words, leaning forward to embrace Bai Shuixi.

It was then that the system’s weary voice reappeared, full of resentment and despair, complaining in Bai Shuixi’s mind: [I hate this world. Another task-taker going rogue. Is there even one world where they’ll obediently return to their original life? Damn it, does no one like their own life?]

Bai Shuixi heard the system’s grumbling complaints but simply lowered her lashes, hugging Xia You tightly as she buried her face in Xia You’s neck, emptying her mind to block out all messages.

She didn’t like her original life, nor did she want to return to a world without Xia You.

Even if the price was disappearing entirely, she wouldn’t regret it.

Being able to feel emotions normally without medication was wonderful. Being with Xia You and hearing her say she loved her was wonderful.

She would love Xia You forever.

In the days following their confession, Bai Shuixi and Xia You remained in Hong Kong, though now they spent far more time clinging to each other than before.

Mainly because Bai Shuixi seemed to have suddenly learned how to be clingy, no matter what Xia You was doing, she’d find an excuse to hug her, inevitably leading to them staying attached.

The biggest change, however, was Bai Shuixi openly preparing an exit strategy for Xia You.

Proxy arrangements were already processing asset transfers on the mainland for properties that could be delegated, while harder-to-transfer assets were being handled through other means. Bai Shuixii even wanted to set up a trust fund for Xia You, though the paperwork was complicated and the transfer would take time.

Everything was proceeding quietly. Bai Shuixi had even ordered a pair of rings, hoping to present them before bringing Zhou Wanwan back.

The formal confession had already been taken by Xia You, she couldn’t let the proposal happen first again.

Unfortunately, time was still a bit too tight.

That evening, Bai Shuixi was watching a movie with Xia You in the suite’s screening room. She wasn’t entirely sure what the movie was about all she knew was the scorching heat of Xia You’s lips and tongue.

Their ragged breaths seemed to ignite both of them, impatient hands roaming over each other’s bodies, the desire to press closer overwhelming. The mood and emotions were perfectly aligned when suddenly, a phone call came through.

Having their “movie-watching” interrupted, Bai Shuixi frowned in annoyance, grabbing her phone to hang up and toss it asideuntil her gaze inadvertently caught the caller ID.

The moment she saw the name, Bai Shuixi froze, as if doused in cold water, snapping back to reality.

“Who is it?” Xia You also glanced over, her breathing still uneven.

“…Li Wei.” Bai Shuixi took a deep breath, feeling like this call was a grim reminder to stop pretending everything was fine and pay attention to the original plot progression. She had no interest in dealing with it.

“What’s wrong?” Xia You, noticing her sudden shift in mood, moved closer in concern, gently soothing her. “Is it about Zhou Wanwan? You don’t want to talk to her?”

Bai Shuixi tossed the phone aside, burying her face in Xia You’s embrace with a muffled voice, “At least for now, I don’t want to deal with it.”

“Then ignore her,” Xia You said, her clothes half undone, stroking Bai Shuixi’s back sympathetically, offering unconditional support. “It’s not like you have to help her.”

Bai Shuixi: “…Mm.”

Listening to Xia You’s voice, Bai Shuixi relaxed slightly, closing her eyes as she silently resolved to delay rescuing Zhou Wanwan for a few more days.

She had just confessed her feelings to Xia You… She hadn’t even given her the ring yet.

But just as she and Xia You finished “watching the movie,” and she had stepped out of the shower back into the bedroom, a message from Xu Yaqing popped up on her phone.

Xu Yaqing: 【Do you still want that little actress?】

The message carried the usual understated arrogance of old-money privilege.

Xu Yaqing: 【She’s useless to me now.】

Xu Yaqing: 【If you still want her, come get her. I’m at the villa in Chengtian.】

Bai Shuixi stared at the messages, any lingering hope sinking like a stone.

…There was no more delaying this.

She had ignored Li Wei’s call, and now Xu Yaqing’s message had arrived. If she continued to disregard Xu Yaqing, something unexpected might force her hand.

It wouldn’t be the first time.

She had no choice.

The bedroom door clicked open behind her as Xia You, having taken slightly longer, walked in while drying her hair. Seeing Bai Shuixi standing by the door, she hugged her lightly and asked, “What are you doing here?”

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