The Eldest Lady always wants to have a double O Relationship with her old enemy - Chapter 34

Tang Yanzhao sat up and took the glass of water Shen Jianxi handed over, murmuring a quiet “thank you.”

Knock knock knock!

The door was pushed open after Shen Jianxi called out, “Come in.”

Shen Xiaoyin walked in with a bright smile. “Oh, you’re awake.”

Tang Yanzhao nodded politely. “Auntie Shen.”

Shen Xiaoyin chuckled. “If you hadn’t woken up, Jianxi would’ve probably called emergency for you.”

Tang Yanzhao turned her head to look at Shen Jianxi, who only shrugged with a frank expression. “Well, you were lying there motionless, no reaction no matter how I called you. Of course I’d be worried.”

Tang Yanzhao pressed her lips together. “Thank you.”

“Again with that!” Shen Jianxi laughed aloud.

“All right,” Shen Xiaoyin broke in, “do you two want lunch brought up here, or are you going downstairs to eat later?”

“What do you think?” Shen Jianxi asked.

“Go down,” Tang Yanzhao replied.

Only then did Shen Jianxi look back at her mother. Before she could say a word, Shen Xiaoyin was already smiling knowingly. “Okay, I get it.”

When her mother’s laughter faded out of the room, Shen Jianxi gave Tang Yanzhao a meaningful look. “Well? Care to explain?”

“What?” Tang Yanzhao asked in confusion.

“The look in your eyes just now when you woke up.”

“…”

Seeing her silent, Shen Jianxi raised a brow. “What? After facing life and death over the new year, you’ve decided to move past last year’s baggage too?”

Tang Yanzhao licked at her dry lips with the tip of her tongue, thinking for a long while before finally speaking. “I had a dream.”

Shen Jianxi made a playful hum from her nose, urging her to continue.

Tang Yanzhao frowned slightly. “But I can’t really remember clearly. It was in an abandoned factory… there was a man who made a bet with me. Then he stabbed me with a knife. I saw a girl in a floral dress. She was crying, muffled, in a lot of pain.”

The more she said, the darker Shen Jianxi’s expression became. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched, but she didn’t reply.

Inside her consciousness, she asked Xiao Shi, “What’s going on?”

Xiao Shi quickly scanned the system data. Everything came up green and normal, so it answered, “I don’t know.”

“This isn’t your doing?”

“No,” Xiao Shi firmly denied.

“So you’re saying you can’t explain this either? That was clearly the kidnapping scene from the last lifetime. You know I don’t want Yanzhao in this life to go through that again. Even if it’s only in dreams, she deserves a beautiful, happy future.” Shen Jianxi’s anger surged, though she forced it down.

Xiao Shi hesitated before answering, “Sometimes spiritual power exceeds what the physical world can explain. When two lifetimes overlap at strong emotional nodes, their storylines collide, breaking through the barrier of reincarnation. Their feelings link together. The Yanzhao of the past life refuses to let go, while the Yanzhao of this life loves you without realizing it.”

“…So what you’re saying is that Yanzhao has already fallen deeply in love with me?” Shen Jianxi’s stern face instantly softened, joy spilling uncontainably across her lips.

Xiao Shi gave a tiny nod. “Pretty much, yes. That’s one way to put it.”

Tang Yanzhao quietly watched the kaleidoscope of expressions flitting across Shen Jianxi’s face. She didn’t understand, but she respected it—and was even amused enough to laugh softly.

Shen Jianxi reached out and pinched her nose. “You must keep this mindset, okay?”

“…”

Why was it that although her nose was being pinched, it was her ears that flushed red?

When Shen Jianxi and Tang Yanzhao were still in their mothers’ wombs, Shen Jianxi was technically the older one. But because Tang Yanzhao was born prematurely, she actually came into the world three days earlier.

So technically, Shen Jianxi ought to call Tang Yanzhao “older sister.”

Of course, Tang Yanzhao had no attachment to such details.

Because of the timing, Shen Jianxi rejected her mother’s idea of throwing a grand celebration, instead asking for just a few close friends to come to the house for a meal.

Behind the Shen family villa stretched a large lawn, though in this season the grass had withered.

Shen Jianxi was clumsily working the barbecue grill when the winter wind blew, sending sparks onto her hand. She yelped at the sting.

Tang Yanzhao, standing beside her, immediately took hold of her fingers, puffing her cheeks and blowing gently over the burn with worry in her eyes. “Does it still hurt?”

Shen Jianxi pouted pitifully. “Hurts~”

“Come on, let’s get medicine.” Tang Yanzhao tugged her hand.

“Mmm~” Shen Jianxi shook her head, acting spoiled. “I think if you kiss it, it’ll heal faster.”

Tang Yanzhao froze, staring at the small red mark on her pale hand with complicated feelings.

Shen Jianxi saw her flustered reaction and felt a warmth bloom inside.

Just then, a loud voice bellowed from behind them: “Jianxi, we’re here!”

Their attention snapped over just as Jiang Lan was about to throw herself into a bear hug. Instinctively, Tang Yanzhao half-embraced Shen Jianxi and stepped back, dodging the tackle.

Jiang Lan stumbled, spun around, and pointed accusingly at Shen Jianxi. “What’s that supposed to mean? I worried about you for days, and now I don’t even get a hug?”

Leaning comfortably against Tang Yanzhao’s arms, Shen Jianxi gestured between them. “You—Alpha. Me—Omega. AO should keep proper distance.”

Jiang Lan gaped. “Huh? Excuse me? Are you joking?”

Shen Jianxi turned her head, and their noses brushed lightly. Startled, Tang Yanzhao let go at once, stepping back to put space between them.

Unhurried, Shen Jianxi asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

Jiang Lan let out an incredulous laugh. “We’ve grown up together, and now you’re saying this? Shen Jianxi, be honest—do you have someone on the side we don’t know about?”

Before she could push further, Fang Xing, who had been quiet all along, suddenly laughed. To Jiang Lan, it sounded like deliberate teasing.

Grinding her teeth, Jiang Lan snapped, “What are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?”

Ye Tao rolled her eyes like she was looking at an idiot. She yanked Jiang Lan’s hood and dragged her toward the table, stuffing a sticky dessert into her mouth. “Shut up already.”

The gooey texture left Jiang Lan speechless.

Shen Jianxi couldn’t help but laugh at the scene, then turned back to Tang Yanzhao. “Isn’t this fun?”

Tang Yanzhao didn’t answer—her eyes were filled with nothing but Shen Jianxi.

Shen Jianxi suddenly coughed lightly. Tang Yanzhao immediately asked, “Caught a chill?”

“I’m fine.” Shen Jianxi waved it off and naturally slipped her fingers into Tang Yanzhao’s, warm and steady.

Throughout the dinner, the adults only popped in briefly. Even Aunt Zhou came just to top up food and check needs before leaving. For the most part, it was just the group of friends enjoying time together.

Of course, Jiang Lan wasn’t going to miss the chance to coax them into drinking. Shen Jianxi didn’t want to refuse, but Tang Yanzhao warned, “You can’t hold your liquor.”

Shen Jianxi tilted her head playfully. “That’s what I have you for.”

“…”

Tang Yanzhao was left speechless.

As expected, Shen Jianxi’s tolerance was awful. After just one glass she was leaning unsteadily against Tang Yanzhao, consciousness hazy.

Helpless, Tang Yanzhao asked softly, “Are you uncomfortable?”

Resting her chin on Tang Yanzhao’s shoulder, Shen Jianxi pouted. “Why haven’t you wished me happy birthday yet?”

Tang Yanzhao froze. She really hadn’t said it yet. Pressing her lips together, she murmured, “Happy birthday.”

She had planned to say it later when giving her gift, but watching Shen Jianxi’s delighted smile at just those words, hearing her praise, “You’re so sweet,” she wondered when the young lady had become so easily satisfied.

Glancing at the time, Tang Yanzhao stood and tugged her hand. “Come with me.”

Without hesitation, Shen Jianxi followed her into the living room.

Tang Yanzhao settled her on the sofa, told her, “Wait here,” then hurried upstairs.

A moment later, she returned carrying something covered with black cloth. Shen Jianxi blinked blearily at it.

“What’s that?”

Tang Yanzhao didn’t tease, simply lifted the cloth. Shen Jianxi’s eyes lit up. “Ah, a kitten!”

Tang Yanzhao took the little cat from the cage. “Yes. For you. Shen Jianxi, happy seventeenth birthday.”

Though her head wobbled from the alcohol, Shen Jianxi held the kitten with trembling care, terrified of hurting it.

Tang Yanzhao kept a close watch on both her and the kitten, noting that it seemed obedient and tame now—the shop owner hadn’t lied.

“This kitten looks familiar,” Shen Jianxi muttered with furrowed brows.

Tang Yanzhao stroked its fur. “The one we rescued under the bridge.”

Shen Jianxi froze, her sluggish brain finally catching up. She poked the kitten’s head with mock ferocity. “Oh, so you’re the one who scratched me.”

But she didn’t use any real force.

That night on her way back to the hotel, she’d remembered Tang Yanzhao’s words: ‘I hope the little cat can be well too.’ So she had spent the whole night searching under the bridge until she found it wedged between stones.

The kitten had lived off scraps, beaten by people or bigger animals, thin and scarred, riddled with ailments. The treatments hadn’t been cheap. The school’s compensation money from the Yang Yuhan incident had drained away like water—but seeing this warm scene now, it was worth every cent.

Shen Jianxi’s blurred vision suddenly focused on Tang Yanzhao’s face. “Zhao Zhao,” she whispered.

Tang Yanzhao looked up at her, questioning softly, “Hmm?”

Before she could react, Shen Jianxi leaned forward and brushed her lips against Tang Yanzhao’s cheek.

“Chu”—the sound rang clear in the quiet night.

For a moment, Tang Yanzhao felt frozen under a spell. Only her pounding heartbeat broke the stillness, thudding so hard it echoed in her ears.

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