Chapter 50: Patience

The temperature outside was well below freezing—nearly minus ten degrees Celsius. Lu Qingzhuo had never experienced a winter this cold before. But when she saw Bai Le happily dashing around the yard, she couldn’t help but marvel at the physical resilience of the locals.

She was clutching a hand warmer—a pink one shaped like a fox. When she arrived, she had brought two with her: one shaped like a kitten and the other like a puppy.

This pink fox had its eyes closed. At first glance, it wasn’t exactly cute—there was even something a little sly about it.

Lu Qingzhuo couldn’t shake the feeling that this fox reminded her of someone.

But who could it be?

Just as she was trying hard to figure it out, a warm palm landed gently on the back of her neck. Lu Qingzhuo instinctively shrank back and turned her head, meeting Fu Yumian’s smiling eyes.

Her face, already flushed from the cold, instantly turned hot. The lower half of her face was tightly wrapped in a fluffy scarf. She subtly peeked behind Fu Yumian.

No camera. No laptop on. After confirming that the surroundings were clear, Lu Qingzhuo unwrapped the scarf covering her face.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were in a meeting earlier?”

She licked her lightly pink lips, recalling what had just happened and wishing she could crawl into a hole to hide.

Fu Yumian chuckled. “I didn’t realize at first.”

Lu Qingzhuo: “…”

Didn’t realize?

That sounded like an excuse. Lu Qingzhuo couldn’t help but feel that Fu Yumian had done it on purpose. But since she’d been the one to initiate things, she had no evidence to call her out—so she had to let it go for now.

“You said you built a snowman earlier—is it that one?” Fu Yumian’s gaze fell on the snowman under the persimmon tree, the one wearing a little hat. She smiled. “It looks great—really well done.”

She took Lu Qingzhuo’s hand, and when she noticed a faint look of pride flash across her face, she blew a warm breath onto Lu Qingzhuo’s chilled fingers.

“Of course! Le Le and I built it together. She’s really good at taking photos, too.”

Lu Qingzhuo pulled out her phone to show Fu Yumian the photography skills of the twelve-year-old girl. “If she were my daughter, I’d definitely train her properly.”

Fu Yumian glanced at the photos—sure enough, they were nicely shot—but her focus shifted to what Lu Qingzhuo had said afterward.

“You want a daughter?”

Lu Qingzhuo didn’t catch the intent behind the question right away, but still smiled and replied, “I’d really like a well-behaved and sweet kid. Doesn’t matter if they’re an Alpha or an Omega. I think my daughter would be like me—a cool girl.”

Fu Yumian nodded. “Mm.”

Lu Qingzhuo glanced over at Le Le, who was now building a snow bear, and smiled. “I really like little girls—especially ones like Lele. She’s so thoughtful and obedient.”

Seemingly hearing her name, Lele dropped her little shovel and ran over. “Sister Lu, did you call me just now?”

“Yes, I was telling your Sister Fu how well-behaved you are,” Lu Qingzhuo replied in a soft, doting voice, grinning. “And I told her how good you are at taking pictures!”

Bai Le’s face turned bright red from the praise. She took both Lu Qingzhuo’s and Fu Yumian’s hands and shyly said, “Then let me take a photo of you two. My mama says you’re a very loving and happy couple.”

Now it was Lu Qingzhuo’s turn to blush. She snuck a glance at Fu Yumian’s profile. Seeing that her expression hadn’t changed, she was just about to say something when Bai Le added, “My two mamas are just like you. They said they held hands and then had me. I saw you holding hands for so long just now—you’ll probably have a baby too!”

Lu Qingzhuo was completely stumped this time. She snuck another peek at Fu Yumian—only to find her looking right back. Their eyes met, and Lu Qingzhuo instantly caved.

“Le Le, you can’t go around saying things like that,” she muttered.

Fu Yumian turned her gaze away, her expression momentarily dimming, as if lost in thought.

Lu Qingzhuo quickly jumped in to change the subject. “President Fu, let’s stand a little closer so Le Le can get a good photo of us.”

Her clumsy attempt to shift the topic made Fu Yumian curve her lips into a smile. She knew that Lu Qingzhuo always did this when she got shy. So she stepped closer, their shoulders touching as they stood side by side.

The camera crew watched the scene unfold and silently agreed: these two really were a couple. No matter what they did, it looked so natural. Every time Lu Qingzhuo talked to Fu Yumian, she had this subtle air of being doted on and spoiled.

Even so, the production team didn’t find it annoying. On the contrary, they felt that whenever Lu Qingzhuo made those kinds of expressions, everyone nearby couldn’t help but smile along.

Celebrities like Lu Qingzhuo—genuine, down-to-earth, and without diva airs—were rare. No wonder Fu Yumian had married her.

She was emotionally steady, could cook, clingy in a cute way, sometimes even acted coquettishly, and always gave her partner a steady stream of emotional support. Honestly, she was the perfect partner.

Their smiles were frozen in the frame, and Lu Qingzhuo beamed with a bright grin that showed all eight of her teeth.

The moment she got the phone in her hands, she decided to post the pictures she’d taken with Fu Yumian on Weibo.

She rarely needed to retouch her own photos—only her studio would occasionally polish them for official releases. But most of the time, Lu Qingzhuo’s raw, unedited pictures looked better than the retouched ones.

This was her first time experiencing subzero temperatures. She rubbed her hands together and headed back indoors with Fu Yumian. The warmth of the room enveloped her immediately.

She washed her face with hot water, then sat next to Fu Yumian. They took off their shoes and socks and soaked their feet in wooden tubs filled with steaming water.

All the supplies were sponsored by the production team. Lu Qingzhuo placed her footbath next to Fu Yumian’s and was about to fetch another bucket of hot water—when Fu Yumian suddenly caught her wrist.

“Come here, soak with me.”

The hot water had been infused with a special herbal blend sponsored by the brand. As Lu Qingzhuo inhaled the faint, calming scent of herbs, she glanced at the shared foot basin and felt it might be a little inappropriate. She was about to fetch another bucket.

“Sit down,” Fu Yumian said, grabbing Lu Qingzhuo’s wrist and gently pressing her onto the bed to keep her in place. “It’s cold out there. Let’s just share.”

Lu Qingzhuo stared at the basin of steaming water, trying to reassure herself. After all, they'd already stripped down and bathed together in the same tub. Compared to that, soaking their feet together shouldn’t be a big deal.

Her feet, usually pale and smooth, had turned a rosy pink from the cold, even the joints of her toes tinted with a soft blush.

Lu Qingzhuo already had pretty feet. Fu Yumian watched them for a moment, somehow thinking they looked even prettier with that pink hue.

Lu Qingzhuo slowly dipped her foot into the water, but the moment her toes touched the heat, she reflexively tried to pull back—only for Fu Yumian to press down on the top of her foot and firmly push it in.

The fragrant herbal water quickly enveloped her calves. Seeing her reaction, Fu Yumian asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Qingzhuo’s eyes darted around the room. After confirming there were no cameras, she let out a sigh of relief and explained, “My feet are freezing—it feels scalding when they touch the hot water.”

“You’re worried about cameras, aren’t you?” Fu Yumian cut straight to the heart of it, then smiled toward the closed door. “Don’t worry. Our room doesn’t have any.”

Lu Qingzhuo remained in her earlier position, half-reclined on the bed and scrolling on her phone. Fu Yumian noticed how attached she seemed to that phone—more affectionate than with her, even—so she scooted closer and whispered, “You said I could pick the position tonight. Does that still stand?”

“…”

Lu Qingzhuo’s face instantly turned bright red—redder than when she’d embarrassed herself in front of everyone earlier. Her voice turned timid. “We’re staying in someone else’s house… and Le Le is in the room right next to ours. What if someone hears us?”

What she really wanted to say was: "If anyone hears, your reputation will really go up in flames."

Fu Yumian knew exactly what Lu Qingzhuo was worried about. She had only been teasing her anyway—and she also knew that Lu Qingzhuo was trying to redirect her attention to the snowman she’d built outside.

“If we don’t make any noise, it’ll be fine.” Fu Yumian couldn’t resist poking her cheek gently, her lips curving into a smirk. “Every time we’re in bed, you’re the one more enthusiastic than me. You even like making those little—”

“Stop talking!” Lu Qingzhuo launched forward to cover her mouth, then glanced toward the door and sighed in relief when she saw no one there. “That’s all your fault! You’re the one who keeps picking on me—and coming up with all those… positions.”

Fu Yumian stroked her back, as if calming a bristling kitten, running her fingers gently through Lu Qingzhuo’s soft, dark hair. She laughed softly. “But don’t you like it?”

Lu Qingzhuo: “…”

She immediately deflated. Even though she always said things like “no more” or “I’m too tired,” her hands never actually stopped.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. I’m going to post something on Weibo.”

She tried to change the subject. Whenever she was with Fu Yumian, the other woman had a way of teasing her into total flustered defeat. Sometimes Lu Qingzhuo suspected that Fu Yumian was sent by the heavens just to torment her.

“What are you posting now?” Fu Yumian leaned over. She saw Lu Qingzhuo typing something on her phone and noticed the photo attached. Pressing her lips together, she asked, “Is this from today?”

“Yeah. We haven’t posted a picture together yet.”

Lu Qingzhuo spent a while editing the caption. She didn’t want to make it too flirty, especially since their relationship was already public. Even just a simple photo would attract CP fans like bees to honey.

She ended up deleting all the extra fluff and just typed three words: "Us two. Fu Yumian."

Fu Yumian noticed she had erased the rest but didn’t say anything. Instead, she watched Lu Qingzhuo’s smiling face and lightly nudged her foot with her own, toes brushing her ankle and calf.

As night deepened, the two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms.

---

The next morning, Lu Qingzhuo was woken by the sound of a rooster crowing.

Fu Yumian was still fast asleep, her head resting on Lu Qingzhuo’s arm. Lu Qingzhuo lay quietly for a while, then gently leaned her head closer.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. She stealthily reached for her phone, turned on the front-facing camera, found a good angle, and snapped a photo of Fu Yumian sleeping.

She was quite pleased. It was the first time she’d secretly taken a photo of Fu Yumian’s sleeping face—and it truly was breathtaking.

Not long after the photo was taken, while Lu Qingzhuo was still admiring it, Fu Yumian slowly opened her eyes and shifted her head slightly.

Lu Qingzhuo quickly put down her phone and looked into her sleepy eyes, smiling as she said, “Good morning.”

Fu Yumian’s voice was raspy. “What time is it?”

It was the first time Lu Qingzhuo had seen her so reluctant to get up. Maybe it was just the cold. Smiling, she replied, “Eight thirty.”

“Only eight thirty?” Fu Yumian tried to lift her hand to rub her eyes, but the air outside the blanket felt way too cold. So instead, she buried her face in the crook of Lu Qingzhuo’s neck and nuzzled in. “Let’s sleep a little more.”

Lu Qingzhuo couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay.”

There wasn’t much to do during the deep of winter anyway. The villagers mostly stayed indoors to conserve energy. Each household had stocked up on enough food to last the whole season. Even without going out, they wouldn’t go hungry.

It had been a long time since Lu Qingzhuo had gone to bed so early. As a result, she woke up feeling especially refreshed. Fu Yumian was still nestled in her arms, seemingly asleep again.

Sometime later, Lu Qingzhuo checked the time. It was just past nine. Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the window, and as she narrowed her eyes against the brightness, she caught a whiff of something delicious in the air.

Bai Ya’s family had already started cooking. As a guest, Lu Qingzhuo felt it was rather impolite to keep sleeping in so late, so she carefully slipped out of Fu Yumian’s arms, quietly got dressed, and stepped out of the room.

“Le Le, what delicious food is your mama cooking?”

When Bai Le saw Lu Qingzhuo, she was holding half a piece of fried flatbread in her hand. She ran over and said, “Sister Lu, my mama made fried flatbread. It smells great and tastes really good!”

Lu Qingzhuo followed Le Le into the kitchen and saw Bai Ya busying herself alone. She walked over to help.

“Sister Bai Ya, let me help you with the fire.”

“No, no, that’s not necessary,” Bai Ya said with a smile as she lifted the pot lid. “You’re a guest—how could I let you work in the kitchen?”

Lu Qingzhuo sat down and began feeding firewood into the stove. “It’s freezing in the middle of winter. Warming up by the fire sounds perfect. Plus, I can learn a bit about your cooking.”

Bai Ya was almost stunned when she saw how skillfully Lu Qingzhuo handled the firewood. She couldn’t help but ask, “How do you even know how to do this? Don’t people use gas stoves nowadays?”

“I used to do this all the time when I was little,” Lu Qingzhuo said openly. “I learned to cook from a young age—back then, it was a matter of survival. Now that life is better, I find myself reminiscing about those times.”

Bai Ya never would’ve guessed that the glamorous celebrity she’d seen on TV had gone through such tough times. Curious, she asked, “Do you wish you could go back to those days?”

“Those days are only good to remember.” Lu Qingzhuo tossed another log into the stove and smiled. “No matter how hard the past was, life is better now.”

A rich aroma of scallion pancakes filled the air, making Lu Qingzhuo’s stomach rumble with hunger.

Bai Ya handed her a piece that had cooled slightly. She took a bite, and it was so good she nearly cried.

Then Lu Qingzhuo suddenly remembered that Fu Yumian never ate scallions. Not wanting to trouble Bai Ya to make a separate one, she simply picked up the leftover dough and decided to make one herself.

When Bai Ya saw Lu Qingzhuo start kneading the dough, she leaned in with a nosy grin and asked, “Are you making breakfast for President Fu?”

Caught off guard by how easily her little plan was exposed, Lu Qingzhuo nodded. “Mm. President Fu doesn’t like scallions, so I’m making a pancake with a different flavor for her.”

“You two are really close,” Bai Ya said, then quickly corrected herself, remembering they were now married. “I mean, you’re such a loving couple.”

Lu Qingzhuo: “…”

She nodded, a bit shy. “Mm… I guess you could say that.”

A fake couple could never compare to a real one. And a fake marriage couldn’t hold a candle to a real one. Lu Qingzhuo’s brain sometimes froze—especially when it came to Fu Yumian.

She seasoned the dough with oil and salt, then pulled a baby bok choy from the fridge, shredded it, and gave it a quick stir-fry.

Bai Ya and Le Le munched on pancakes while watching her cook. Bai Ya was surprised at how skilled Lu Qingzhuo was in the kitchen. Looking at her—barely in her twenties—Bai Ya couldn’t help but marvel.

Fu Yumian normally ate light meals. Lu Qingzhuo had already figured out her tastes: no pungent vegetables, nothing too oily, spicy, or salty. She preferred simple, original flavors.

Lu Qingzhuo was the complete opposite—a typical fan of bold flavors. When she lived alone, she often made spicy dishes. But ever since she started living with Fu Yumian, she’d gradually adapted to a lighter diet.

Watching Lu Qingzhuo expertly knead the dough, Bai Le gave her a big thumbs-up. “Sister Lu is amazing! I want to learn from her and make delicious food for my mama too!”

Lu Qingzhuo placed the pancake in the pan, frying it until the surface turned golden, then flipped it. She looked over at Bai Le, who was nibbling her scallion pancake in tiny bites, then turned to Bai Ya and said with a smile, “She’s such a sweet kid.”

“She really is,” Bai Ya replied, patting Le Le’s head with a smile. “Having her as my daughter makes this whole life worth it.”

Fu Yumian was woken by the delicious aroma. She turned over in bed and instinctively reached out—only to find the space beside her empty and cold.

Realizing Lu Qingzhuo had already gotten up, she sat up, got out of bed, and began washing up.

Her toothbrush cup was in the bathroom by the window. When Lu Qingzhuo bought it, there had been a discount for couple’s sets—she got two for the price of one. The pale green one went to Fu Yumian.

Looking back on her life, Fu Yumian never imagined a day would come when she’d be brushing her teeth with a discounted plastic cup.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. The cup had cute stickers on it, and she couldn’t help but smile as she looked at them.

When she picked it up, she noticed it was already filled with water—still warm to the touch.

Her smile deepened. Lu Qingzhuo had done all this for her. Holding the cup, Fu Yumian felt the warmth seep from her fingertips into her heart.

By the time she finished brushing her teeth, Lu Qingzhuo had finished cooking the bok choy pancake. The sweetness of the vegetables mixed perfectly with the savory crispness of the crust. Lu Qingzhuo tried a bite and thought it was pretty good—not bad at all for her first try at innovation.

When Fu Yumian stepped out, the warm sunlight hit her eyes. On the dining table in the living room, her breakfast was already set, and Lu Qingzhuo had even warmed up a glass of milk for her.

Letting Fu Yumian film a variety show was seriously too tiring. Lu Qingzhuo couldn’t understand why someone like her would go to such lengths just to stay close. It’s not like she was going to secretly run off. And this was just filming a variety show, not some flirt-fest with other omegas.

“This breakfast… you made it?”

Fu Yumian could tell at a glance. Even half-asleep, she’d caught a strong whiff of scallion, garlic, and ginger—it wasn’t the most pleasant scent.

“Yeah, I made shredded bok choy pancakes. Tried a bite earlier, and it turned out pretty well,” Lu Qingzhuo said, touching her cold cheeks and smiling. “Bai Ya and Le Le had some too. They said it was delicious.”

Fu Yumian took small bites of the pancake. With a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, she nodded and said, “Not bad—your cooking’s getting better and better.”

Whenever Lu Qingzhuo was praised like that by Fu Yumian, she couldn’t help but smile uncontrollably. If she really were a kitten right now, her ears would’ve been standing straight up.

After the meal, the production team gathered all the guests and took them to a nearby snow park to try out various local winter activities.

Bai Ya drove them over in a three-wheeled vehicle, telling them to have fun and stay safe before heading off.

Fu Yumian was bundled up in a thick down jacket with a knitted hat on her head—it looked just like a Santa hat.

Lu Qingzhuo had made it herself during her downtime. She’d followed online tutorials for knitting hats, scarves, and sweaters, and ended up making this hat and a red scarf for Fu Yumian, who happily wore them out.

The moment Lin Zhiyu saw Lu Qingzhuo, she almost threw herself at her in a burst of emotion. But when she realized who was standing next to her, she abruptly slammed the brakes on her feelings—then flopped down into the snow.

“Zhiyu, are you okay?” Lu Qingzhuo quickly helped her up, brushing snow off her clothes. “You’ve got to watch where you’re going—it’s slippery out here.”

Ye Ran and Song Huai had arrived together. Ye Shutong had caught a chill the night before and come down with a fever, so she couldn’t join the games for now.

Aside from Song Huai, the other four were all Southerners—it was rare for them to see such a snowy landscape.

Worried Fu Yumian might catch a cold too, Lu Qingzhuo leaned in and whispered, “President Fu, maybe you should head back first. The snow’s pretty heavy—I’m afraid you’ll freeze.”

Fu Yumian gently touched her scarf and hat, the corners of her lips lifting into a faint smile. “I’m fine.”

While Song Huai was still discussing game options with the director team, she turned around and caught sight of the two already getting lovey-dovey. She couldn’t help but raise her hand and tease, “Director, this isn’t fair. Who exactly is President Fu teamed up with?”

Ye Ran’s gaze landed on their clasped hands. Her face was hidden behind a mask, so her expression was unreadable.

Song Huai grinned. “Why don’t we just switch the rest of the episodes to a dating show? Director, when are you going to bring us some new guests?”

The director smiled mysteriously. “We’re already working on it. Don’t worry, Teacher Song. We’re a bit tight on budget right now, but in a few episodes, we’ll deliver.”

Lu Qingzhuo flushed red at Song Huai’s comment. Standing beside Fu Yumian, she looked like a bashful little bird leaning on her partner.

Lin Zhiyu nearly got goosebumps from Lu Qingzhuo’s “loving wife” demeanor. As an alpha, how could she fall for an omega so quickly? Anyone who didn’t know better would’ve thought Fu Yumian was the alpha!

They all rode a small sightseeing train into the snow world, where crowds of tourists had gathered to take photos.

As soon as Lu Qingzhuo entered, her eyes locked onto a penguin poster. She’d always wanted a photo with a penguin—and today was finally her chance.

“I want to go see the penguins,” Lu Qingzhuo leaned close to Fu Yumian’s ear and whispered, “The penguin enclosure isn’t far—come with me, President Fu.”

Sitting next to them, Lin Zhiyu twitched at the corner of her mouth. She had never heard Lu Qingzhuo use such a cutesy tone with anyone, let alone with an omega! Even she hadn’t heard it!

Totally unfair.

Was Fu Yumian the only person in the world who could make Lu Qingzhuo act like this?

Was she still the strong, brave, and unshakable alpha Lin Zhiyu used to know?

After the train dropped them off, Lu Qingzhuo and Fu Yumian got off together and decided to separate from the group for some quality “couple time.”

The penguin house was huge and packed with visitors. Following a staff member to the back area, the two paid the entrance fee and were given waterproof boots to put on.

Then the caretaker opened the door—and a waddle of penguins turned around all at once, each one moving in near-perfect sync.

Lu Qingzhuo’s eyes sparkled as she watched the chubby penguins waddling toward them. “Can I feed them?”

“Sure, you can.” The caretaker, a round-faced omega, carried a bucket of fresh fish and kindly handed them gloves. “These penguins are well-behaved. You can feed them directly—just don’t overfeed them!”

Lu Qingzhuo helped Fu Yumian put on her gloves, and once they were both ready, she pinched a small fish by the tail, bent down, and fed it to the nearest penguin.

After that penguin gulped down the fish, Lu Qingzhuo reached for a second one—only to be instantly swarmed by the rest of the penguins.

At 1.78 meters tall, she’d assumed the penguins wouldn’t reach past her calves—but once a dozen of them waddled ashore, some were already up to her thighs. They flapped their wings and charged straight at her.

Before she realized how serious it was, a chubby penguin suddenly crashed into her arms, snatched the fish right out of her hand, and began eating. Within seconds, Lu Qingzhuo was surrounded and under attack by penguins.

Fu Yumian stood nearby, her lips curling uncontrollably as she tried not to laugh. Lu Qingzhuo sat helplessly on the ground, unable to get up—until Fu Yumian reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her up.

Even the caretaker hadn’t expected the penguins to be so hyped today. A few even followed behind Lu Qingzhuo like kindergartners chasing after their mom—utterly adorable.

“President Fu, they’re attacking me!” Lu Qingzhuo rubbed her sore backside, pointing at the plumpest penguin. “Do they think I’m food or something?”

“No, no,” the caretaker said quickly. When she got a good look at Lu Qingzhuo’s face, she paused in surprise, cheeks suddenly flushed. “Some of them are just really affectionate. I get tackled sometimes too—but they never bite.”

“It’s fine!” Lu Qingzhuo pulled her scarf down to reveal more of her face, eyes sparkling. “Let me feed a few more fish!”

The caretaker opened her mouth, then closed it again, handing over the bucket with a slightly dazed expression. “Sure.”

Fu Yumian stood beside Lu Qingzhuo with a blank expression. If it weren’t for the freezing weather, she would’ve yanked off both their gloves and shoved the ring right into the handler’s face.

While feeding the penguins, Lu Qingzhuo couldn’t help but reach out and touch the feathers of the one closest to her.

It was her first time touching one with gloves on, and she was genuinely surprised by how thick, dense, and shiny the feathers were—it felt amazing.

Once she finished feeding the penguins, Fu Yumian immediately took her hand, then grabbed the plastic bucket and passed it to the handler, who stood there, a bit stunned.

The indoor snow world was massive, and Fu Yumian didn’t let go of Lu Qingzhuo’s hand the entire time. 

The PD trailing behind them got another unexpected dose of PDA but stayed professional, dutifully following the couple and ignoring the overpowering scent of romance in the air.

“Did you like the penguins just now?”

Fu Yumian fiddled with her phone. While Lu Qingzhuo was feeding the penguins earlier, she’d snapped tons of pictures from various angles and saved them all to her gallery.

“I did,” Lu Qingzhuo nodded. Then, as if something had just crossed her mind, she smiled and said, “President Fu, I want to see the polar bears. When are we tagging along with the research team to Antarctica?”

“Antarctica?” Fu Yumian smiled. “You want to go?”

“Of course. But only after all our work is done—we’d need time.”

The moment Lu Qingzhuo saw the penguins, she was already mentally signing up for the research expedition.

They already had enough footage for today’s shoot. Fu Yumian had informed the production team ahead of time to wrap up early—she wanted alone time with Lu Qingzhuo, without anyone else interrupting.

Not far off stood several igloos. It was Lu Qingzhuo’s first time seeing such strange buildings. She led Fu Yumian over, touched one of the icy bricks with her hand, and was hit with a blast of cold air.

“It really is made of ice. It says here these are Eskimo homes.” Lu Qingzhuo bent over and stepped inside, gazing up at the ceiling with curiosity. “Can people actually live in here?”

“No idea.”

Fu Yumian’s eyes were fixed on Lu Qingzhuo’s raised hips. Her waist and hip curves were absolutely flawless, making Fu Yumian’s throat tighten involuntarily.

They hadn’t been intimate in three days—and Lu Qingzhuo was hardly ever the one to initiate things.

“Lu Qingzhuo.”

Lu Qingzhuo was still tapping the icy bricks with her fingers when she turned at the sound of Fu Yumian’s voice—and her lips were immediately enveloped by a warm, soft kiss.

“Mmph…”

How bold!

But this place…

Wasn’t Fu Yumian being a little too eager?

Lu Qingzhuo’s heart started pounding. The igloo wasn’t very spacious, and since she’d entered bent over, Fu Yumian’s hold on her waist left her no choice but to sit down. She also had to use one hand to protect Fu Yumian’s head, worried she might bump it if she tried to stand.

Sticky, wet sounds echoed around her ears. Lu Qingzhuo squinted one eye open to keep watch, terrified someone might walk in and see them like this.

If someone did catch them and took a photo, Lu Qingzhuo might actually bash her head against the igloo in embarrassment.

Sensing Lu Qingzhuo was distracted during the kiss, Fu Yumian bit her lower lip in punishment, then coaxed her tongue into a slow, swirling tangle.

“What are you thinking about?”

Lu Qingzhuo didn’t even have time to swallow. Saliva was dripping from the corners of her mouth, and a sting shot through her lower lip. She shook her head and murmured, “Mm… N-no… nothing…”

Fu Yumian gave her tongue another nip. “Was that omega from earlier good-looking?”

Lu Qingzhuo’s mind was slightly oxygen-deprived. “What omega?”

“The one who kept blushing while you were feeding the penguins.”

Lu Qingzhuo: “…”

She hadn’t even noticed if that person was an omega or an alpha, okay?!

Fu Yumian pulled away, used a scarf to cover the lower half of her face, leaving only her eyes visible, then grabbed Lu Qingzhuo’s hand and tugged her toward the exit. “Let’s go book a hotel room.”

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