The Cold And Straight Alpha Is Always Being Flirted With By The Goddess Aunt - Chapter 14

Yan Qing opened her eyes. Xi Zhaowan’s beautiful face was less than a few centimeters away, if she just lifted her head, she would graze the other woman’s elegant nose.

Long eyelashes brushed over a pair of affectionate, peach-blossom eyes.

Xi Zhaowan is truly beautiful, Yan Qing thought dizzily in the fog of early morning. She stretched her arms, only to realize she was clinging to Xi Zhaowan like an octopus, her arms around the slender waist and her long legs entwined with the other’s.

It was her first time sharing a bed with someone. Memories of last night flooded back, and Yan Qing tried to gingerly disentangle herself.

Still half-asleep, Xi Zhaowan felt the “object” in her arms trying to escape. She murmured in her sleep and tightened her grip.

“Be good… go back to sleep,” she whispered, pressing down on Yan Qing’s restless head.

Between the pushing and pulling, their hold on each other only grew tighter.

Yan Qing’s face flushed instantly, heat radiating from her ears. Her face was buried in a soft, fragrant warmth, making it a bit difficult to breathe.

She couldn’t let this continue. She took a deep breath of the faint scent and, just before the silky brownish-gray strap slid off Xi Zhaowan’s white shoulder, she used a finger to flick it back into place.

Then, with a blunt, “straight girl” movement, she gave Xi Zhaowan a shove, hopped off the bed like a startled rabbit, grabbed her clothes, and bolted into the bathroom.

Once Yan Qing was inside, the corner of Xi Zhaowan’s mouth curled upward. She toyed with her shoulder strap, the cool sensation of the girl’s touch still lingering. She covered her mouth, gave a lazy yawn, and slowly rose from the bed.

Thinking of the sleep-talking she had heard from “Qing’er” last night, Xi Zhaowan’s eyes darkened.

The following night before bed, Yan Qing sat cross-legged and meditated, determined not to let her thoughts wander.

She had no idea that Xi Zhaowan had overheard most of her dream-talk.

She only knew that when she was trapped in a nightmare the night before, it was Xi Zhaowan who woke her and soothed her.

Her fondness for Xi Zhaowan grew by several degrees.

A sense of fulfillment, rich with human emotion, filled her heart, a heart that had long been as cold as ice. Since she began her cultivation of the “Great Dao” and practiced inedia at the age of fourteen, she had never felt such a warm current.

It felt familiar, like returning to her childhood in the thatched hut.

Yet, it also made her feel flustered. She tightened her grip on the jade ring in her palm, her thumb tracing the carved words: “Great Dao.”

“Qing’er, may I come in?” A woman’s voice sounded from outside. Yan Qing recognized it as Xi Zhaowan.

“Come in, Sister Wan.”

Is she coming because she’s worried about me before sleep?

An irrepressible joy bubbled up in her heart.

Sensing that her “Dao Heart” which was supposed to be unmoved by external things was now tinged with a faint sweetness, and that her spiritual energy was jumping uncontrollably in her dantian, Yan Qing’s brow furrowed tightly.

This gentle woman who cared for me and comforted me all night is my benefactor, Yan Qing reasoned with herself. It is only natural to feel a sense of “pleasure” out of gratitude.

Xi Zhaowan stared at the young girl standing by the open door in a white bathrobe.

The girl had just bathed; a misty dampness clung to her cold features, but her cheeks were flushed with a lingering warmth.

In the moment the door opened, Xi Zhaowan felt Yan Qing’s joy, but a second later, she thought she must have imagined it.

Yan Qing was once again shrouded in a “keep away” immortal aura, looking as heartless as she did when she pushed her away on the bed.

However, this did not deter Xi Zhaowan.

She held out a finely woven red string. “I went to the temple today to get this blessing cord. This way, Qing’er won’t have to be afraid of nightmares anymore.” She took Yan Qing’s arm and tied it around her snowy-white wrist.

“Just think of it as a psychological comfort,” Xi Zhaowan said with a curve of her eyes. “Or, if you’re scared next time, just shake this bell, and I’ll come to stay with you, okay?”

Yan Qing raised her arm and gave it a shake. The crisp sound of the bell reminded her of a dog collar. She found the mental image amusing and, warmed by the care, she couldn’t help but smile.

Like a shy white rabbit afraid of being caught, Xi Zhaowan thought. Remembering Yan Qing’s helpless state from the night before, she felt a pang of pity. She pulled Yan Qing down to the edge of the bed and sat beside her.

“Qing’er, your mother and I will always protect you. Even if she is busy, you have me. You must know that no matter what happens, I will never abandon you.” Xi Zhaowan’s words were like a warm spring, a steady stream of heat flowing into Yan Qing’s soul.

Even though she knew these words were meant for the original owner of the body Yan Qinghe this heart, now occupied by her own soul, began to beat irregularly.

“Um… I know.” Her heart was racing. She remembered her own mother saying similar things before she passed away.

The lives of mortals are fleeting. No matter what, she had to return to the [Light Spirit Continent]. She could not afford to have lingering attachments to the people or things here.

Even her, Yan Qing thought, suppressing a sliver of reluctance. She gazed at Xi Zhaowan as if seeing her for the first time, not through the lens of a senior or a dream, but as the individual who had cared for her so deeply these past few days.

She didn’t want to admit it, but Xi Zhaowan’s kindness was like a gentle spring rain, gradually moisturizing her parched heart.

She closed her eyes. If my Dao Heart is this unsteady, how can I ever break through the ninth level of the [Path of Severing Emotions]?

“Sister Wan, I’m a bit sleepy,” she said, her voice sounding cold. Feeling a hint of guilt, she added, “Thank you. I should be able to sleep well tonight.”

As the moisture on Yan Qing’s skin evaporated, a few strands of her long, straight hair fell against her pale cheek. Xi Zhaowan dazed for a moment.

Is this the transformation of adulthood? The nearly 18-year-old Yan Qinghe, inside and out, felt like a flower seen through a fog alluring and inviting exploration.

But exploring this child she had raised herself felt both subtle and strange.

Perhaps because of this curiosity, she had been returning to the Yan household much more frequently than in previous years.

She just wanted to watch her, to be near her, to study her inside and out.

Just like the components of the inhibitors she developed.

Wearing a white lab coat, Xi Zhaowan stood in the Yan Group’s R&D lab. Masked, her slender fingers held a glass test tube. A blue liquid separated from a clear one before sinking to the bottom.

“President Xi, the development of the T6 reagent has reached a critical stage.”

“Just call me Group Leader,” Xi Zhaowan replied, her face showing no emotion during the experiment. “What phase are we in?”

“Phase three,” the assistant answered respectfully. Behind the assistant stood several other researchers.

Internally, they called her Group Leader, but everyone knew her status was second only to Chairman Yan Manxing. Outside the lab, everyone called her “President Xi.”

Xi Zhaowan split her mind between management and research. In recent years, as Yan’s global market share for inhibitors declined, she had volunteered to lead the R&D team before Yan Manxing could even hire outside experts.

Yan Manxing trusted her completely, especially seeing how well she cared for Yan Qinghe.

While the global market for inhibitors was mature, high-end versions remained expensive and difficult to mass-produce. Xi Zhaowan wanted to solve this by creating the T6: an inhibitor that was cheaper to produce than the T5 but more effective and with fewer side effects.

The D-Country government was watching the Yan Group closely, hoping they would seize the global market.

Before Yan’s rise, the Zhao family had been the top contenders, but they were too focused on pure science without regard for cost, leading to their bankruptcy. The Yan Group had then surged ahead with the T4 inhibitor, which was affordable and effective for the general population.

After the previous head, Yan Jue, passed away, the company faced threats from foreign competitors with the T4S. It was Xi Zhaowan, only three years out of university at age 26, who saved the company by developing the T5 securing her place as a world-class researcher.

Now, seven years later, the T5S was still too expensive for widespread use. She needed the T6 breakthrough.

Leaving the lab, Xi Zhaowan ordered a coffee. The mental exhaustion was setting in. She rubbed her temples, realizing she probably wouldn’t make it home tonight; she had to stay in the lab.

I wonder if Qing’er will sleep well tonight, she thought, reaching into her pocket for another red string, this one tied to a bronze key.

“Ms. Xi, the Zhao family expects your presence at the banquet at the Riverside Grand Hotel.” An electronic invitation flashed on her screen.

The Zhao family… Xi Zhaowan’s heart skipped a beat.

“You might find something of interest here,” a second, anonymous text message followed.