Chapter 116
Li Chu finished the New Year's Eve dinner in a state of torment, the blush on her face never fading after being teased. She knew those elders who believed in having many children weren't joking when they said four wasn't too many, because an omega's fertility was just that strong.
The ABO setting wasn't about equality. It was a world initially dominated by alphas. With continuous development over time, and with people of all genders advocating for omega rights and voicing their concerns, the status of omegas gradually improved. But deep down, many still believed that an omega's best path was to return to the family and contribute to reproduction.
This was because an omega's natural gifts lay in empathy and fertility: low risk of difficult childbirth, low maternal mortality rate, superior gene sequence, and a higher probability of giving birth to alphas and omegas.
However, Li Chu didn't think so, and neither did Ning Manqing.
Amidst everyone's chatter, Li Chu actually started seriously considering how many children she would have in the future. After thinking for a while, she realized she had been drawn into the conversation and quickly dismissed the thought. She wasn't considering it yet. She believed children should be the product of love, not just for the sake of having them.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone dispersed to chat and play cards. Ning Manqing was the center of one circle, surrounded by many people. Li Chu couldn't understand their conversations about business and academics, so she sat on the sofa and quickly became the center of another circle.
Li Chu soon joined in the conversation. The relatives had a variety of professions: a younger cousin was a haute couture designer, one was a photographer, an aunt was a magazine editor-in-chief. Chatting about everything under the sun was quite interesting.
Tang Xiaoyao was an ordinary office worker who met her girlfriend at work. After three years of dating, they got married this year. When her wife said that the family tradition every year was to return to the ancestral home for New Year's Eve dinner with the family, she didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
After nearly a day of traveling by plane and car, Tang Xiaoyao was shocked. She thought it was just a regular family dinner, but who knew this extended family would have at least over a hundred people? It was quite tiring to help with cooking and cleaning, but Tang Xiaoyao had no regrets!
Who could understand her excitement as a loyal CP fan, seeing her CP appear hand-in-hand at the family's New Year's Eve dinner?!
"Why didn't you tell me you were related to Ning Manqing?!" She sat in the corner, excitedly pinching her wife's waist, trying to suppress her voice.
Her wife, grimacing from the pinching, said, "We're practically strangers, barely related. Do you want to get an autograph?"
"It's not about the autograph, you don't understand!" Tang Xiaoyao didn't explain further, excitedly telling her friends in the group chat about this. The love they were rooting for was indeed realer than real gold!
Although the two hadn't officially announced anything, Tang Xiaoyao felt that attending a funeral was already a serious matter, let alone appearing at such an occasion. Hearing the elders urging them to have children, Tang Xiaoyao became even more excited.
Yes, yes, yes! Have babies! Hurry up and have babies! Are these two already married?!
Tang Xiaoyao finally mustered the courage to go up and ask Li Chu for a photo. Seeing the excited girl in front of her, Li Chu smiled and nodded.
"Then, can I also get an autograph?"
"Of course."
Tang Xiaoyao excitedly took out the only QingLi photo she had brought, annoyed that she hadn't known she would meet them in person, otherwise she would have brought a bigger one. It was a photo of them interacting on a variety show, which she habitually kept in her wallet. She actually had many more photos of them from dramas, but compared to shipping the drama characters, she was actually a fan of the real people.
Li Chu saw the printed photo from the variety show and immediately understood the girl's identity, starting to reflect on herself.
"Is... is something wrong?" Tang Xiaoyao's heart leaped into her throat when she saw Li Chu pause.
"I finally understand why the outside world reacted so strongly to us, even though there were rumors before," Li Chu said with a wry smile. "It turns out that besides the initial variety show and the later dramas, we haven't really appeared together."
Apart from the initial show, there were no other appearances together outside of dramas, so that the photos CP fans had were still from the variety show three years ago.
How tragic.
Tang Xiaoyao couldn't help but complain, "And the dramas all had sad endings!"
"But thankfully, reality is a happy ending."
Tang Xiaoyao immediately added, looking relieved and happy.
"Yes, the characters in the dramas are just stories. But she's quite busy now. We'll consider it in the future," Li Chu said smoothly, signing her name on the back of the photo with a smile.
"Really?" Tang Xiaoyao was overjoyed, controlling her excitement and continuing, "Whether or not you do, we'll be very happy. You must always be happy!"
"Of course, you too. Oh right, we haven't taken a photo yet," Li Chu nodded, reminding her with a smile.
"Oh!" Tang Xiaoyao almost forgot in her excitement, crying internally, My baby is so good! She happily took a photo with Li Chu.
This little interlude brought Li Chu a good mood. When they were resting that night, she mentioned it to Ning Manqing. Talking about their lack of public appearances, Ning Manqing thought about it and realized it was indeed true. Previously, to protect Li Chu, she almost never appeared with her publicly.
"There will be opportunities."
Ning Manqing rubbed Li Chu's face, having already made up her mind. If there weren't any suitable romance variety shows inviting them, she would just create one and invite themselves. After all, in the world of capital, money talked. She became a CEO to have a good relationship, and since she had achieved this goal, why not enjoy it?
"Of course. But do you remember our one-drama agreement? I haven't seen any suitable scripts recently, have you?" Li Chu helped Ning Manqing take off her coat and hung it on the coat rack in the room.
"No one dares to give me scripts."
Speaking of this, Ning Manqing's expression was somewhat helpless.
Li Chu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and patted Ning Manqing's shoulder. "That's true. If they approach you, they're probably more likely to ask for investment than for you to act."
This was unavoidable. After all, Ning Manqing's status was different now. Even if many people thought her image was very suitable, they might assume she was too busy or wouldn't be interested.
"Then I'll go inquire for you."
Li Chu pulled Ning Manqing onto the bed, hugged her from behind, kissed the gland on the back of her neck, and inhaled the faint cold fragrance emanating from it. The gland was a very sensitive area for both alphas and omegas, akin to a second sexual organ. Ning Manqing's heart skipped a beat. When the warm lick touched her skin, she held Li Chu's hand and pressed it down. Li Chu looked at her innocently, her eyes full of playful smiles.
The old furniture creaked, particularly noticeable in the quiet room, making them both freeze.
The house was built a long time ago. Although it now had electricity and modern appliances like refrigerators, because the house was so old, installing underfloor heating or air conditioning in each room was inconvenient and would cause damage to the house itself. So, the room only had a heater, and the rest was mostly antique wooden furniture, including the bed.
"It's okay, no one's around."
Ning Manqing's fingers brushed the stray hairs on Li Chu's collarbone, her fingertips pressing against her peach-blossom-like face.
People used to live around here. The Ning family's ancestral home was very large. Their branch lived in the east courtyard, and the other branches lived at least a hundred meters away. Because her family couldn't come for various reasons, only she and Li Chu were staying in this courtyard. Even if there were sounds, they weren't afraid of being heard.
The window was slightly ajar, and the cold winter wind blew in, mixing with the warm air from the heater, quickly dissipating into nothingness.
The bedding had been freshly laundered for their arrival, and Li Chu smelled the scent of sunshine on it.
Soon, she tasted the saltiness of her own tears on it.
The old bed creaked, like a strangely tuned melody.
"Ning... Mm..."
They hadn't seen each other for a long time. Since Li Chu went to the film set, they had barely had any contact. Li Chu couldn't find the time, and Ning Manqing was even busier.
She not only took over Yuanhe, but also had her own Juxing and Taochu. Taochu was the name of the software company she founded abroad, which later entered the domestic market.
Too many things compressed their time together, but it was precisely because of this that in this rare reunion, on such a ceremonious day, everything was like a wildfire.
In Li Chu's impression, Ning Manqing was rarely impulsive. Her methods were usually gentle, unhurried, teasing to the extreme before giving in, but today she was somewhat out of control.
The bed seems like it's going to collapse, Li Chu worried hazily.
Their pheromones, tightly intertwined, had already merged into one, forming a new, pleasant scent, without any barrier, as if they were naturally meant to be together.
It was New Year's Eve, and outside the sky was clear, but inside the room, a shower of peach blossoms fell.
Wet and soft, like spring rain on tea leaves, fresh, sweet, and pleasant.
Their sleep schedules had long been adjusted due to work, so they could still chat during their short breaks.
Ning Manqing casually mentioned Mu Qinxi, and Li Chu immediately became alert. This wasn't her fault; it was the impression Mu Qinxi's tactics had left on her, both in the original story and in their previous interactions.
She really disliked difficult people, especially difficult people who had designs on her wife.
"She wanted to connect with me directly, but I sent someone else. She's just a project director, how can she presume to contact me directly?"
Ning Manqing wasn't a fool. During Mu Qinxi's attempts to connect with her, she naturally sensed her intentions. It turned out her target wasn't Li Chu, but her. Then Mu Qinxi's previous actions became even more questionable. In Ning Manqing's eyes, having designs on Li Chu was even more despicable than using those tactics on herself.
Li Chu laughed and kissed Ning Manqing, praising her for handling it well. Teacher Ning could eliminate the green tea herself without her having to lift a finger.
Not mentioning the unpleasant person, Ning Manqing brought up another matter.
"During dinner, I heard someone in the dining room loudly call their companion's name."
Li Chu tilted her head. "Did it sound like my name?"
"No, not really. She called out 'Tao Tao'," Ning Manqing said, propping her head up and looking at her girlfriend's face, her lips curving into a smile. "Although I know there won't be another person in the world who calls you that like I do, I couldn't help but be momentarily stunned when I heard it."
"To me, your name is the shortest magic spell."
She kissed those beautiful lips, her eyes filled with deep affection.
Li Chu said coquettishly, "Why are you so full of sweet nothings?"
"Is speaking from the heart considered sweet nothings? Looking at you, it comes naturally."
Ning Manqing spoke naturally. Seeing this, Li Chu smiled and pecked her lips, as if it were a sign of the next spring rain.
Li Chu's long hair swept across Ning Manqing's chest with her movements, each strand plucking at her heartstrings.
Her arched back was like a new moon left behind by the night, gently cradled in her lover's palm.
During the temporary marking, Li Chu's fingertips tensed as the gland was pierced and injected with pheromones.
Her body trembled, like a moon shattered into blossoms, filling her lover's arms.
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