Reborn as an Alpha and Still Wanting to Engage in Lesbian Relationships - Chapter 28.2

Inside the private car, in the enclosed and quiet space, Jiang Feng removed the coat covering the child, revealing her tear-streaked face, her nose red from crying.

Liu Ying gently wiped the child’s tears with a soft cloth, her heart aching. “Why is Man Man crying? Can you tell Mama?”

The little cub being questioned lifted her head from her mother’s embrace, looking up with teary eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she mumbled indistinctly, “Manman messed up, no other kids were good made Mom and Mother disappointed.”

Although the possibility of failing the interview truly saddened Jiang Man, what upset her even more was that her failure had wasted all the effort her mothers had put in.

Seeing the little cub so distraught that she curled into a ball, Liu Ying and Jiang Feng exchanged a glance.

This little cub, Manzai, had been different from other cubs even when she was still in Liu Ying’s womb. While other cubs kicked and squirmed energetically inside their mothers, she remained quiet, making no sound at all. Thanks to Manzai’s presence, Liu Ying experienced very little of the usual discomfort that comes with a natural pregnancy.

Except for that one time just once when the fetal heartbeat stopped, terrifying Liu Ying and Jiang Feng, Manzai had always been well-behaved.

When she was first born and hadn’t even opened her eyes yet, even if she was starving, she would lie quietly in bed, sucking her thumb so as not to disturb her mother’s rest. It wasn’t until a nurse came by on rounds and asked as usual that Liu Ying remembered they hadn’t fed Manzai for several hours.

The cub’s thoughtfulness and obedience were heartbreaking.

There were countless similar instances.

Once, while on her honeymoon with Jiang Feng, Liu Ying met a lady whose words she still remembered to this day.

Snapping back to the present, Liu Ying looked at the sobbing cub, whose heart seemed on the verge of breaking, and gently patted her shoulder. “In Mom and Mother’s eyes, Manzai is the very best!”

“You don’t need to compare yourself to others. Manzai is Manzai, one of a kind.”

“Manzai is already such a wonderful little cub, which is why so many online aunties adore you. That alone proves Manzai is the very best baby!”

Hearing her mother’s comforting words, Jiang Man looked up, sniffling. “Really?”

“Really,” Liu Ying said softly, holding the cub close with utmost sincerity. “Mom and Mother will always be proud of Manzai!”

After crying so much, the cub was completely drained of energy.

Jiāng Féng settled the little one comfortably and gave her wife a gentle hug to console her.

“Shall we head home now?”

Liu Ying nodded.

As the scenery outside the window swiftly changed, Liu Ying gazed out, lost in thought.

Because the cub was afraid of the spacious nursery, and for the sake of their own happiness, after much hesitation, Director Jiang moved with her wife and child back to the flat opposite Wen Yu’s home.

Although the new place was much smaller, Jiang Man felt completely at ease there.

On their first night after moving in, the little cub dashed to the balcony, clinging to the railing as she peered over at the neighboring house. It was dark and empty inside.

Ah… not home, huh.

Her chubby little face pressed into the gaps of the railing, her brows drooping with disappointment.

Jiang Feng ruffled the cub’s head and gently helped free her face from between the bars.

Jiang Man became like a little “cub-watching stone.” The first thing she did every day upon returning home was to cling to the railing and check if the lights were on in the dark, empty room next door.

One day, two days, three days passed. Even after Fang Jin had finished accompanying her mother to record a song and, like Jiang Man, had started interviewing at various kindergartens, the house next door remained quiet and dark.

The little cub couldn’t help but feel disheartened. Once again, the cub-watching stone had failed to catch a glimpse of the pretty little sister she adored.

Just as the little one trudged wearily from the balcony toward the living room, a frantic knocking suddenly came from the front door.

Jiang Feng, who was cooking in the kitchen, poked her head out upon hearing the noise. “Little grown-up Manman, go answer the door and see who it is.”

“Okay!”

Jiang Man responded cheerfully and scurried to the entrance. The door handle was still a bit too high for her, so after a moment’s thought, she dragged over the small stool by the door, climbed onto it with a grunt, and pressed her full weight against the door. With great effort, she finally managed to open it.

Standing outside was a woman bundled up tightly and wearing sunglasses. She looked somewhat familiar, but because she was so thoroughly covered, Jiang Man couldn’t immediately place her.

Being a cautious child, Jiang Man only opened the door a crack, peeking out with one round, curious eye. “Hello, who are you looking for?”

Hearing the little one’s voice, the heavily bundled woman seemed to release an invisible tension. A beautiful little child then emerged from beneath her black coat.

“!”

The moment Jiang Man saw the beautiful child, her eyes widened in shock. Forgetting all caution, she hopped off the stool with a grunt and swung the door wide open.

Rushing over to the bundled-up woman, Jiang Man began hopping up and down excitedly. “Sister! Little sister!”

Just then, Jiang Feng stepped out of the kitchen carrying a freshly cooked dish, only to find the little one missing. Instead, she heard Jiang Man’s excited cries of “Sister! Sister!” from the entryway.

Setting the plate down, Jiang Feng called out, “Manman, who’s there?”

Hearing the commotion, Liu Ying, who had been working in the study, also came out. As she looked up, her eyes met those of the heavily bundled woman. Though the oversized sunglasses and mask concealed the woman’s expression, Liu Ying inexplicably sensed her distress and sorrow.

Quickly walking over, Liu Ying picked up the excitedly bouncing child and stepped aside to let the woman and the beautiful little girl in. “Come in, quickly.”

After a quick glance around the quiet surroundings, Liu Ying carried Manman back into the room.

Once in the living room, as soon as the beautiful child was set down, Liu Ying directed Jiang Feng to take both children to Jiang Man’s playroom, one in each hand.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Liu Ying sat opposite the woman, her expression cold and her tone stern. “What’s going on? Explain.”

The woman remained silent, slowly removing her layers of disguise. As soon as she took off her sunglasses, her red, swollen eyes were revealed.

Liu Ying’s brows furrowed deeply, her voice tinged with anger. “What happened? Did that lunatic Wen Yu hit you?”

Xu Nuo, sitting across from her looking utterly miserable, shook her head with downcast eyes, her voice choked with tears. “No, she didn’t lay a hand on me. She just stood there and let me hit her.”

Relieved to hear she wasn’t hurt, Liu Ying let out a sigh. “Then what exactly happened?” she asked, steadying herself as she looked into Xu Nuo’s swollen eyes. “This is the first time you’ve argued, isn’t it?”

Xu Nuo nodded, wanting to confide, but the memory of her last encounter with Wen Yu brought fresh tears before she could speak.

Matters of the heart are never simple, but after more than a decade, Xu Nuo had finally seen her lover’s true nature for the first time.

Xu Nuo’s family wasn’t particularly wealthy at best, they could be considered middle-class. Because of this, she had been completely unaware of the things about the Wen family that Liu Ying and the others knew.

It wasn’t that she was completely unaware. Sometimes Liu Ying couldn’t resist pulling her aside to gossip about industry rumors, but Xu Nuo simply wasn’t interested and would forget whatever she heard immediately.

She recalled how many times Liu Ying and others had tried to reveal her lover’s true nature, but she had been too blindly trusting to take their warnings seriously.

If Liu Ying hadn’t reminded her about the pheromone issue, causing Xu Nuo to buy a special wristband designed for dual-Beta households to monitor infants showing signs of differentiation and emotional pheromones for Qingzai.

Xu Nuo never imagined that the child she treasured like a precious gem would have to endure such terrible negative emotions and glaring hatred in front of Wen Yu.

Liu Ying watched calmly as Xu Nuo finished crying. “So what are you thinking now?”

“Divorce.” Xu Nuo looked up, meeting Liu Ying’s gaze firmly. “My precious child doesn’t need a mother who detests her.”

Liu Ying was stunned.

After a long pause, she asked hesitantly, “Are you sure? Will Wen Yu agree?”

Xu Nuo sniffled, her voice muffled and petulant. “Who cares about her? I’ve made my decision.”

Hearing Xu Nuo’s childish retort, Liu Ying clicked her tongue in disapproval.

Happy laughter from Manzai in the nursery lightened the heavy atmosphere in the living room.

Liu Ying studied Xu Nuo for a moment before shaking her head. “Although she despises Qing Zai, she truly loves you. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have pretended to be normal day after day for so long.”

“You keep talking about divorce, but really, you’re just resentful that she deceived you and hurt the child.”

“Ask yourself, can you really go through with the divorce procedures?”

Xu Nuo’s swollen eyes lowered.

Just as expected.

Liu Ying sighed helplessly.

How could someone so lovesick suddenly become clear-headed overnight?

Liu Ying stood up, tossed an ice pack to Xu Nuo, and headed toward Manzai’s room to call them for dinner.

In the children’s room, Jiang Man was utterly delighted.

She noticed that her mother seemed to have a particularly one-sided issue with Wen Qing.

Whenever she approached Wen Qing, her mother’s brows would furrow and the corners of her eyes would tighten. But as soon as she moved away, her mother’s expression would relax again.

It was like a switch, Jiang Man found it endlessly entertaining.

A firm knock came at the door, followed by her mother’s gentle voice: “Manzai, Qingzai, tell Mama to come out for dinner.”

Jiang Man cheerfully responded without even glancing at the mother she’d been treating as a toy. She grabbed Wen Qing’s hand and dashed toward the door.

Pushing the nursery door open, the little one bumped into her mother’s legs with a soft thud. She immediately hugged them, looking up with sparkling eyes.

“Mommy!” Jiang Man chirped happily.

The vibrant little one, like a miniature sun, completely dispelled the gloom in the living room.

Scooped up into her mother’s arms, the long-absent joy returned as Jiang Man hugged her mother’s neck and nuzzled affectionately.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Auntie Xu Nuo with swollen eyes waving at her.

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