Chapter 52: So Good (part 1)

Fu Yumian had only intended to tease Lu Qingzhuo a little, but she hadn’t expected the fire in her body to burn hotter and hotter—so much so that she nearly lost all reason and wanted to take her right there in the movie theater.

But when she saw her little Alpha pleading so pitifully, Fu Yumian’s heart softened. She couldn’t bear to go that far.

Her hand traced along Lu Qingzhuo’s slender waist, feeling the firm muscles on her flat stomach. Tensed with nervousness, they became even more defined—so irresistible that Fu Yumian couldn’t stop touching her.

“If not here, then where do you want to go?” Fu Yumian whispered against Lu Qingzhuo’s neck, her tone teasing. Her neck was long and graceful, with a small, barely noticeable bump that Fu Yumian gently nibbled with her teeth. Smiling, she added, “You said hotels aren’t safe because of the cameras, but cameras are everywhere nowadays. So what do we do?”

Her earlobes, chin, neck, and collarbone were all sensitive spots. Sometimes even touching them herself made her feel a little ticklish—so having them grazed by warm, soft lips and tongue was almost unbearable.

“H-Hotel, then…” Lu Qingzhuo was on the verge of tears. She rubbed her eyes, her voice low and hoarse, edged with the sound of crying—as if she’d been pushed past her limit. “Anywhere you want… just not the movie theater…”

Lu Qingzhuo had always considered herself a model citizen. She’d never done anything immoral or shameful in her life. If she had committed a crime, let the law punish her—not this humiliating fate inside a movie theater.

“Alright,” Fu Yumian said, satisfied with the success of her little scheme. She nibbled on Lu Qingzhuo’s earlobe with a smile. “Then let’s go to the hotel. I already had someone send a car for us—it should be here by now, unless something unexpected happened.”

Lu Qingzhuo: “…”

Wait a minute!

What the hell just happened?

So Fu Yumian had everything planned from the start, just waiting for her to take the bait?!

She even acted like it was all natural, when in reality, she had just been waiting for Lu Qingzhuo to make the first move—so she could willingly fall into that giant trap.

Lu Qingzhuo’s eyes widened slightly. Her glistening peach blossom eyes were now round and misty, her expression filled with disbelief.

They hadn’t even made it halfway through the movie, and most of the people in the haunted mansion were already dead. Lu Qingzhuo had tried to use the horror film’s atmosphere as a distraction—but still ended up getting played.

When they left the cinema early, Lu Qingzhuo put on her fuzzy hat and scarf, covering most of her face. Almost no one could recognize her.

Once inside Fu Yumian’s private car, Lu Qingzhuo kept a noticeable distance between them. She sat on the right-hand side, arms crossed, head resting against the window, lips pressed together in silence.

Fu Yumian could tell she was upset. A small smile tugged at her lips as she turned her head to study Lu Qingzhuo’s profile.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lu Qingzhuo noticed Fu Yumian staring at her. She pulled the hat she’d just taken off back onto her head, tugging it down to cover her eyes and the left side of her face—refusing to let the other woman look at her.

Fu Yumian couldn’t help but chuckle. She knew Lu Qingzhuo was sulking, giving her the silent treatment. She wanted to laugh but didn’t dare do it out loud—afraid her little alpha would blow her top.

All she’d done was kiss her a little in the cinema, slipped her hand in and gave her a touch—hadn’t even touched anywhere else—and this was the reaction she got?

To Fu Yumian, Lu Qingzhuo looked just like a pouting little red panda—puffed up and adorable. She suddenly had the urge to poke those cheeks with her finger.

But she also knew—even the cutest red panda can bite hard when it’s angry.

Up front, Han Tian was driving. She glanced at the rearview mirror and clearly saw the situation unfolding between the two "ancestors" in the back seat.

Lu Qingzhuo’s face was completely wrapped up in her hat, only her mouth visible. Her neck was twisted almost ninety degrees as she faced the window, clearly angry.

And beside her was none other than the MVP of the evening—President Fu Yumian of the Fu Group. Fu Yumian looked like she wanted to speak but was holding back, with the faintest trace of a suspicious smile playing at her lips.

The two of them looked just like a pet owner who had gotten a little too enthusiastic cuddling their cat—accidentally touched a sensitive spot and made the cat bristle. Now the owner was trying to fix the situation.

Truly, these two were a handful.

After a couple of glances, Han Tian wisely turned her attention back to the road, deciding not to get involved.

Fu Yumian finally spoke after a moment of thought. “Qingzhuo, why are you upset?”

Lu Qingzhuo didn’t move a muscle. She tugged her hat down even further—so far it even covered her lips.

Fu Yumian could tell she was still mad. Her smile deepened. “Is it because I kissed you a few more times in the cinema that you're mad at me?”

Han Tian, at the front, perked up like a long-tailed dog eavesdropping on gossip while driving.

These two really knew how to play—kissing in a movie theater? Living for the thrill, huh?

If a photo or video of that kiss got leaked, guess who’d be left to clean up the mess?

Just another day in the life of a lowly worker. Suffering is my destiny.

Lu Qingzhuo didn’t want to say a word. Her phone wasn’t on silent, and when it buzzed twice, she had to lift her hat and open one eye to check the screen.

Weibo had pushed her a new notification. Lu Qingzhuo gave it a glance—originally intending to open WeChat—but somehow tapped the wrong place and got redirected to Weibo instead.

When she opened the post, she found a blurry photo of her and Fu Yumian together.

It was from earlier, when they were eating iron pot stewed goose. She had mistakenly thought Fu Yumian was asking her to kiss her on the cheek—and leaned in to kiss the corner of her lips.

Who the hell had taken that photo?!

Not only was there a picture, but a short video clip too. In it, Lu Qingzhuo looked shy and inexperienced, while Fu Yumian came off like a fox effortlessly capturing her prey.

The comment section was practically on fire.

“AAAAAAAHHH OMG I knew they were a real couple!”

“They’re seriously dating? I’m losing it—this ship is my whole life!”

Of course, there were also some completely out-of-place comments under this ambiguous, romantic post:

“What restaurant is this? Looks really good.”

“Everyone’s shipping them, and I’m just here wondering where they ate.”

“Same, dropping a pin now.”

Lu Qingzhuo was a foodie and had always loved sharing good eats. So she posted the photos she took at the restaurant not long ago, adding the caption: "The beautiful and kind-hearted owner even gave us some complimentary snacks."

After posting, Lu Qingzhuo wiped the smile off her face and resumed staring blankly ahead.

Fu Yumian had caught every expression that crossed her face, and knew she was still angry. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and opened WeChat to message Qin Zhen.

Fu Yumian: I need your help. My girlfriend is mad at me. How do I make it up to her?

Qin Zhen replied almost instantly:  

Qin Zhen: What does she like?

Fu Yumian: Money.

Qin Zhen: Then throw money at her until she softens. I don’t believe she won’t be moved.

Fu Yumian: But she’s ignoring me now.

Qin Zhen: Then act cute. Alphas love a partner who acts cute.

Fu Yumian: “…”

Clearly, this person was no help—and now even saw through her feelings. With no other choice, she blocked and deleted them. Out of sight, out of mind.

Just as she did, another message popped up from Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen: By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.

Fu Yumian paused before finalizing the block and saw Qin Zhen’s message appear.

Qin Zhen: A few days ago, Qingzhuo asked me to help her find a reliable therapist. She said it’s for herself.

Qin Zhen sent the follow-up—“You figure it out”—but the moment she hit send, a red exclamation mark appeared beneath the message.

“The other party is not your friend yet…”

Qin Zhen: "..."

As expected, in this world, there’s no such thing as love without a reason—only hatred without one.

She swore to herself that from now on, she’d become a cold, heartless person, never meddling in worldly affairs again—especially anything involving those two surnamed Lu and Fu. That couple had pushed her to the brink of PTSD.

Lu Qingzhuo had noticed earlier that Fu Yumian seemed to be chatting with someone on WeChat. She couldn’t help sneaking a glance out of the corner of her eye, then let out a cold snort inwardly before closing her eyes to rest.

The partition inside the car hadn’t been raised, so from where Han Tian sat, she could clearly observe the emotional state of the two queens in the back.

Han Tian feared that their silent cold war might suddenly explode into some heated car activity, so she wisely raised the divider—better safe than sorry. She didn’t want to become collateral damage and lose her job in the process. Jobs were just too hard to come by these days.

As the divider slowly rose, the narrow car space was left with only Lu Qingzhuo and Fu Yumian. When Han Tian’s head was still visible, Lu Qingzhuo had felt confident.

But now that it was just the cold, blank panel in front of her, Lu Qingzhuo started to feel a little timid.

She snuck a peek at Fu Yumian—only to get caught red-handed. Their eyes met, and Lu Qingzhuo was the first to lose the stare-down, quickly shifting her gaze away. But then, Fu Yumian reached out and caught her fingers.

Lu Qingzhuo made a show of resisting for a moment, but Fu Yumian pulled her in firmly, and suddenly, the two of them were pressed close together. Even through the thick down jackets, she could feel Lu Qingzhuo’s heart pounding wildly.

After all the lessons she’d learned from previous encounters, Lu Qingzhuo had become wary of every possible scenario around her. She could never quite predict Fu Yumian’s next move and always had the feeling that the other woman could strike at any time, in any place—doing... indescribable things to her.

And yet, she could never seem to avoid them—always led by the nose and completely powerless to resist.

“What are you thinking about?” Fu Yumian wrapped her arm around Lu Qingzhuo’s waist. Her coat was a short one, so it was easy for Fu Yumian’s hand to slip inside. Smiling, she asked, “Are you wondering if I’ll try something here in the car?”

Lu Qingzhuo turned her head away and stayed silent, but her face was already burning up. She hadn’t expected Fu Yumian to be this bold, even in the car. Though something like this had nearly happened once before, that time, Fu Yumian hadn’t succeeded.

Could it be... she really wanted to try again?

Lu Qingzhuo looked out at the dark, empty street. Her mind flashed back to a horror movie they’d watched recently—the scene of a blood-soaked bride in a red wedding dress, hair hanging down, standing motionless by the roadside.

“No way!”

Lu Qingzhuo quickly turned her head away from the window. Outside was pitch black—so dark she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She quickly pulled her hat down low, afraid she might see a ghostly face reflected in the window.

Fu Yumian noticed Lu Qingzhuo’s reaction and immediately figured it out—she was afraid of the dark. Coupled with the spooky horror movie they’d just watched, her nerves were clearly on edge.

“I heard there’s a cemetery nearby,” Fu Yumian said, barely hiding the amusement in her voice as she made something up. “Back during the Ghost Festival, a few locals claimed they saw something... unclean. It caused quite a stir.”

“Really? Don’t lie to me.”

Lu Qingzhuo looked like she wanted to disappear into her jacket. She pulled her hat down tight over her face, as if hiding her skin from the air itself might ward off anything scary. As long as she couldn’t see it, it couldn’t see her—right?

With her whole face buried in her scarf, she mumbled, “Let’s just go back the way we came. Sister Bai Ya is still waiting for us to come home for dinner.”

Fu Yumian didn’t want to hear any other Omega’s name come out of Lu Qingzhuo’s mouth—not even a stranger’s. But her tone remained soft. “I already messaged her. We’re not going back tonight. We’ve got enough material for the variety show. It’s fine if we don’t return.”

“We’re almost at my manor. What are you so scared of?” She placed her hand over Lu Qingzhuo’s gloved fingers, gently pulled off the glove, and interlaced their fingers. Smiling, she said, “I heard that when you're scared, holding someone’s hand helps stabilize your aura.”

Fu Yumian wasn’t wearing gloves. Her fingers were cool to the touch. Lu Qingzhuo had put her gloves back on after scrolling through Weibo, and her hands were warm and soft, making them feel extra cozy when touched.

“Really?” Lu Qingzhuo tugged her scarf down a little, revealing her wide, sparkling eyes that looked just like a startled deer. She nervously glanced around. “You’re not tricking me, are you?”

“I’m not,” Fu Yumian replied.

She unzipped her long down jacket and pulled Lu Qingzhuo halfway inside. In an instant, Lu Qingzhuo’s nose brushed against Fu Yumian’s neck, catching a faint scent of red wine.

Fu Yumian gently squeezed the back of Lu Qingzhuo’s neck and softly stroked her like she was comforting a frightened kitten. Then, through her sweater, she gave her lower belly a light touch. Her voice was so gentle, it was hard to believe it came from her.

“Feeling better now?”

Lu Qingzhuo was briefly stunned—she hadn’t expected such a tone to come out of Fu Yumian’s mouth.

It’s... surprisingly tender…

Her guard against Fu Yumian slowly began to lower. Maybe this woman was just sharp-tongued and liked saying things that made Alphas blush. But seriously, what kind of Alpha could resist that?

Fu Yumian’s manor was in the suburbs, and thanks to Han Tian’s excellent driving skills, the whole ride had been smooth and steady.

The streetlights grew brighter as they neared their destination. Finally, Lu Qingzhuo removed her hat. The warm air in the car made her forehead start to sweat, and Fu Yumian gently wiped it dry with a handkerchief.

As she did, she asked curiously, “Didn’t you used to work as an NPC in escape rooms? How come you’re scared of this stuff?”

“Being an NPC isn’t the same thing,” Lu Qingzhuo explained. “When I was an NPC, I was the ghost. Everyone else ran away from me. So there wasn’t anything to be afraid of.”

The charm of Chinese horror lies exactly in this—sometimes, the person who walks out of the theater… might not be the same one who walked in.

"…"

That gentle side of Fu Yumian just now—could it be that she was possessed?

Lu Qingzhuo stared at the hand Fu Yumian was using to wipe her face, her expression one of horror. She grabbed the handkerchief and clutched Fu Yumian’s wrist.

Thank goodness—it was warm. She wasn't a ghost. She’d just had a sudden burst of conscience.

Fu Yumian could usually tell what Lu Qingzhuo was thinking—or wanted to say—just by watching her expressions or movements.

"You’re not seriously thinking I got possessed, are you?"

Lu Qingzhuo: “……”

“Of course not,” Lu Qingzhuo stubbornly denied it. “Don’t overthink.”

“How come you’re not calling me President Fu anymore?” Fu Yumian slipped her cold hand inside Lu Qingzhuo’s down jacket and whispered in her ear, “I like it more when you moan ‘President Fu’ in bed.”

Lu Qingzhuo blushed easily—so easily that even though Fu Yumian often teased her like this, completely ignoring the rules of proper behavior, she still hadn’t gotten used to her bold advances. Every time, it left her face burning.

“President Fu… don’t be like that…”

Who would’ve thought just calling her “President Fu” could get Fu Yumian so excited? Now how was she supposed to address her?

Calling her by her full name felt too blunt. Dropping the surname and just saying “Yumian” was something she couldn’t bring herself to do either. Honestly, at this point, dying would be easier.

She really shouldn't have been tempted by the money and signed that marriage agreement with Fu Yumian back then. Not even a quarter into the two-year term, and she was already itching to escape.

But if she broke the contract, she'd have to pay Fu Yumian double the penalty—that meant the 20 billion divorce settlement would be multiplied by two.

Lu Qingzhuo hadn’t even thought twice when she signed. She didn’t even bother reading that clause. At the time, she’d thought, "What kind of idiot would break such a sweet deal?"

Who would’ve guessed that a few months later, that very thought would come back to bite her? If she’d known how things would turn out, she probably wouldn’t have signed so quickly.

“What are you thinking about again?” Fu Yumian had recently noticed that whenever Lu Qingzhuo was with her, she’d often space out—lost in thought but never willing to share. “I just saw that we made it onto the trending search list together.”

“Um, President Fu, I didn’t do it on purpose.” Just thinking about that trending post made Lu Qingzhuo purse her lips. “It’s not my fault so many people kept staring at us instead of eating their food properly. Don’t take it to heart.”

Fu Yumian couldn’t help but ask, “Do you feel guilty toward me?”

“I…” Lu Qingzhuo didn’t really know how to explain it. She had this feeling that Fu Yumian’s affection for her went beyond just friendship—even though Fu Yumian always claimed she didn’t expect any emotional return.

But if Lu Qingzhuo ever dared say that out loud, she had a feeling Fu Yumian would really go through with locking her up and tying her to the bed. That was something Fu Yumian had said more than once.

At first, Lu Qingzhuo thought she was just joking to scare her, but after spending all this time together, with how serious Fu Yumian’s personality was… it actually seemed like something she might really do.

“…Well, maybe just a little.”

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