Chapter 46 p1
Xu Jinnan pinched herself, her mind snapping back to reality.
She averted her gaze from Shen Shu’s pale neck, focusing on her hair, loosely gathered at the nape.
They were only inches apart; a slight movement would bring their bodies together.
The air conditioning was set to 25 degrees, but the shared blanket felt scorching against her skin, the tingling in her scent gland intensifying, the slight sting replaced by a wave of heat and a desire to be closer.
The noises from the next room had subsided.
And Shen Shu, exhausted from the day, hadn’t woken up.
Thank goodness.
Crawling into someone’s bed wasn’t exactly something to be proud of.
Xu Jinnan exhaled silently, carefully pulling the blanket away and draping it over Shen Shu, then retrieving her own from the floor.
It wasn’t a full-blown rut, but the signs were there.
Fortunately, she had brought her bag, and the suppressants.
She took her bag and quietly went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
The green syringe contained AOH suppressants, specifically designed for secondary differentiators, still in the trial phase.
A single dim light bulb illuminated the small bathroom, the mirror barely large enough to see her reflection. She removed the plastic cap from the syringe and, holding it up to the mirror, angled her body to locate her scent gland.
She could feel it, but she wasn’t experienced with self-injecting, and her hands, still slightly shaky from the aftereffects of Yin Xue’s drug, weren’t steady.
She missed on the first attempt, the sting of the needle sharp and precise, the sensation of puncturing skin unmistakable.
The original Xu Jinnan had disliked taking medication. During her dysfunctional Omega phase, she had preferred injections, directly into her scent gland, even using specially modified, thicker needles.
Seeking stimulation through physical pain.
For a fleeting moment, Xu Jinnan understood.
She couldn’t see clearly in the dim light, so she used the tip of the needle to locate her scent gland. Just as she found it, a knock came at the bathroom door.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Shu’s sleepy voice asked.
The lock was broken, and the door creaked open, revealing half of Xu Jinnan’s body.
“Oh, nothing. Do you need to use the bathroom?” she asked, frustrated by her inability to inject herself, blaming the poor lighting.
Shen Shu, seeing her fully dressed, pushed the door open and noticed the redness on the back of Xu Jinnan’s neck, the slightly swollen scent gland, and two small puncture wounds.
She was reminded of their wedding night.
Xu Jinnan’s clumsy attempts at self-injecting hadn’t seemed genuine at the time. She had assumed it was an act.
“Give it to me,” she said, holding out her hand.
Xu Jinnan looked at her, then handed her the syringe.
She crouched down slightly to make it easier for Shen Shu.
Shen Shu’s cool hand touched the back of her neck.
Xu Jinnan looked up at the mirror, watching as Shen Shu, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks, carefully inserted the needle.
She couldn’t help but moan softly as the needle pierced her skin.
At the same moment, a loud, passionate moan, almost a cry of ecstasy, echoed from the next room.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Shen Shu: “…”
They had both been ignoring the noises from next door, but this sudden outburst made them both freeze, Shen Shu’s hand trembling slightly, the sting in Xu Jinnan’s scent gland intensifying.
Shen Shu withdrew the needle, glancing at the small puncture wounds on Xu Jinnan’s neck, then looked away. “Don’t try to do this yourself next time,” she said.
“Why not? I’m perfectly capable,” Xu Jinnan retorted.
Shen Shu didn’t reply, turning on the bathroom light.
They left the bathroom together.
It was past 4 a.m. After being woken up and hearing those noises, anyone would be thinking about certain things.
Xu Jinnan was wide awake. She picked up her phone.
“Aren’t you going back to sleep?” Shen Shu asked, standing by the bed.
Xu Jinnan gestured towards the next room. “Can you sleep?”
Shen Shu paused, as if reaching a conclusion. “That’s why you injected yourself,” she said calmly, assuming Xu Jinnan hadn’t understood. “You couldn’t resist.”
Xu Jinnan chuckled. “I can even resist you…” …so a little moaning isn’t going to bother me.
She swallowed the rest of the sentence.
She had become too comfortable around Shen Shu lately, her words often escaping before she could think them through.
“Resist what?” Shen Shu asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“It’s nothing. It’s not that big of a deal,” Xu Jinnan said casually. Hearing suggestive noises and actually being aroused by them were two different things.
After a few seconds, she glanced up from her phone to see a playful smile on Shen Shu’s lips. “After all, you’re Teacher Xu,” she said.
Xu Jinnan chuckled.
The atmosphere between them was much more relaxed than when they had arrived at the motel last night.
The noises from next door subsided, and Shen Shu sat up on the bed, pulling back the covers. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep?”
There was a hint of weariness in her voice, and Xu Jinnan didn’t want to sit there in the dark with the lights on, so she simply said, “I’ll sleep,” as if nothing had happened.
She didn’t sleep for more than two hours, so she didn’t move much.
Since Shen Shu had a meeting with the director that afternoon, they woke up at 7 a.m., both feeling exhausted.
They went to a nearby supermarket and bought some toys and snacks for Little Crescent Moon.
At the orphanage, after visiting with Little Crescent Moon, Xu Jinnan went to talk to the director.
“Don’t worry, we’re taking good care of her. The government is also providing support, so her education won’t be neglected. The only thing she lacks is a mother’s love,” the director said.
Xu Jinnan’s opinion of the director improved further. After finding the orphanage, she had looked up the director’s name in the original Xu Jinnan’s bank records and discovered regular payments, quite substantial amounts, in the past few months.
She had initially assumed the director’s warmth was just a calculated attempt to secure funding.
But that clearly wasn’t the case. The orphanage was well-maintained, a sign of genuine care and dedication.
The director’s words, while subtle, were easy to understand.
Xu Jinnan smiled and nodded. “I understand. But due to some personal circumstances, I can’t take her in right now. I’ll leave her in your care for the time being.”
The director’s expression didn’t change. “Of course, I understand.”
“One more thing,” Xu Jinnan said. “If anyone besides my wife and I comes looking for Little Crescent Moon, please call me.”
The director looked at her. Miss Xu had rarely shown any interest in Little Crescent Moon before, her attitude usually cold and impatient. She had changed, becoming more approachable.
She waited for Xu Jinnan to continue.
“Due to some family issues, they don’t approve of Little Crescent Moon. They might even try to harm her,” Xu Jinnan explained.
The director paused. “Miss Xu, if you don’t mind me saying, the child is innocent. Are you and Miss Yin planning to leave her here permanently?”
“I can’t answer that right now,” Xu Jinnan said honestly.
She understood the director’s implication – she wanted her to take Little Crescent Moon home.
She had briefly considered it, after seeing Shen Shu and Little Crescent Moon on the swings.
But she had quickly dismissed the idea.
Yin Xue’s imprisonment was temporary; she would be released eventually.
And she was a ticking time bomb. If they took Little Crescent Moon home, there was no telling what Yin Xue might do.
She could endanger Shen Shu, or even harm the child.
Besides, there were too many uncertainties in Xu Jinnan’s own life right now… It wasn’t the right time to consider adoption.
“I see,” the director said, a hint of disappointment in her eyes despite her smile.
“I’ll visit her often,” Xu Jinnan assured her.
“That would be wonderful.”
…
Leaving the director’s office, Xu Jinnan returned to Little Crescent Moon’s room. The little girl was asleep, her small, rosy lips slightly parted, as if she was dreaming of something delicious.
Xu Jinnan didn’t wake her. Before leaving, she took out the sketchbook and drew something on the last page.
A garden.
Using colored pencils, she drew a vibrant garden filled with dragonflies, butterflies, and bees. She wanted to show Little Crescent Moon that the world wasn’t just black and white, that there was more to life than just being a bird.
“Add a message,” Shen Shu said.
“You write it,” Xu Jinnan replied, handing her the pencil.
Shen Shu bent down and wrote: Little Crescent Moon is the most adorable child in the world. Everyone loves you. Be happy every day! Love.
Xu Jinnan looked at the message, then at Shen Shu’s calm expression, and smiled.
Was this what they called “Gap Moe”?
…
As they drove back to North City, Xu Jinnan started feeling hungry. She had skipped lunch to save time and was about to ask Shen Shu if she was hungry too when she noticed Shen Shu was busy on her phone, seemingly engrossed in a conversation.
A few minutes later, as they waited at a red light, Shen Shu was still on her phone. “Doesn’t staring at your phone make you dizzy?” Xu Jinnan asked.
“It’s fine,” Shen Shu replied.
“Okay. Are you hungry?”
“No.”
Seeing her engrossed in her conversation, Xu Jinnan looked away, not wanting to disturb her.
After a moment, Shen Shu looked up. “Are you hungry?”
“A little. There’s a lot of traffic. We can eat when we get back if you’re not hungry,” Xu Jinnan replied, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.
Shen Shu opened the glove compartment and took out a few small pastries, the ones Little Crescent Moon had given her before they left the orphanage, telling her to share them with Xu Jinnan.
She opened a package and offered it to Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan glanced at it. “Just put it there for now. I’m merging onto the highway.”
A few seconds later, the pastry appeared by her lips, and she took a bite without hesitation.
It was quite good.
“Want another one?” Shen Shu asked.
Xu Jinnan didn’t want to impose, but honesty was important. “Yes, please.”
…
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