The afternoon light filtered gently through the large windows of the villa’s living room, casting a warm, golden glow across the spacious sofa where the two women sat. Dust motes danced lazily in the sunbeams, and the distant hum of the villa’s air conditioning blended with the soft, rhythmic breathing of little Mo Yan sleeping nearby. The atmosphere felt intimate and precious, like a private bubble separated from the rest of the world.

"Wait, so you’re the one who put a rock in my bag?" Su Wanyan asked, her mouth hanging open in genuine shock, eyes wide with disbelief.

Mo Xingxue burst into loud, unrestrained laughter, the sound bright and melodic as it filled the room. She reached out without hesitation and used two fingers to gently close Su Wanyan’s gaping mouth. "Yeah," she admitted, still giggling, her phoenix eyes sparkling with mischief.

Su Wanyan stared blankly at her, completely dumbfounded. "WHY?" she demanded, voice laced with utter confusion.

Mo Xingxue laughed even harder, spreading her hands out in a dramatic shrug as if she had finally been defeated by the question. "Well, you were getting too close to Classmate Xin," she explained, her gaze still sparkling with amusement, though a faint hint of old grievance lingered beneath it. "So I thought.. why not put a stone in your bag?" She admitted it so casually, as if it were the most logical solution in the world.

Su Wanyan stared at her, shock written all over her face. "It was because she asked me to accompany her," she protested, grievance dripping heavily in her tone.

"So what?" Mo Xingxue countered, her tone casual on the surface but carrying a hidden thread of possessiveness she herself wasn’t fully aware of. "Didn’t she have a boyfriend at that time? Why didn’t she ask him to accompany her then?"

"Well, she said he couldn’t understand her and they were fighting during that time," Su Wanyan defended herself, feeling increasingly cornered.

Mo Xingxue raised a single elegant eyebrow, her expression sharpening just enough to make Su Wanyan flinch slightly. A wave of nervousness washed over her. I.. I didn’t do anything wrong though? she thought, trying to reassure herself logically. That’s right. I didn’t do anything wrong.

Su Wanyan put on a defiant expression, puffing her cheeks slightly. Mo Xingxue’s eyes flickered with clear amusement. She stood up slowly and approached Su Wanyan, still raising that questioning eyebrow in a silent challenge.

I didn’t do anything wrong, Su Wanyan repeated in her mind. But the moment Mo Xingxue was merely inches away, Su Wanyan’s resolve crumbled. She stood up abruptly and dropped to her knees right in front of Mo Xingxue with a soft thud against the carpet.

"I know," Su Wanyan said quickly, head slightly bowed. "I was wrong."

Deep inside, she still had no idea what exactly she had done wrong. She just felt, on some instinctive level, that kneeling was the right thing to do in this situation.

The barrage, of course, could not contain its teasing nature.

[LOL, THE WAY SHE IMMEDIATELY KNEELED.]

[They’re so unserious, lol.]

[See that? I want that.]

[The way her confidence immediately shattered.]

[I thought you were a brave, courageous alpha, Su Wanyan??]

[She is. Kneeling before someone is very brave.]

[So, Su Wanyan is a believer of the saying "happy wife, happy life"?]

[Obviously.]

[Bet the "alphas" are going to bash her again, lololol.]

[You guessed it, right lol!]

And indeed, some critical voices appeared, but they were quickly drowned out and pushed back by the overwhelming majority of viewers who were thoroughly entertained.

"Why’d you kneel down?" Mo Xingxue asked with a light, teasing smile as she looked down at the kneeling alpha.

Su Wanyan hung her head lower, voice growing smaller and smaller. "It’s because I did something wrong....."

Mo Xingxue raised her eyebrows again, clearly enjoying this. "What about your pride as an alpha?" she asked teasingly, already knowing the answer.

"Pride? Don’t know what that is," Su Wanyan mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap. "Can you eat that?" she added, playing dumb in hopes of avoiding a full scolding. In the original owner’s memories, whenever Mo Xingxue got this look, the scolding would last for what felt like forever.

Mo Xingxue smirked and gracefully sat down on the sofa right in front of the kneeling Su Wanyan. "So, what did you do wrong?" she asked, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.

Su Wanyan wracked her brain desperately, but nothing came to mind. I really didn’t do anything wrong! Su Wanyan protested inwardly. Cold sweat began pouring down her face and back, soaking into her clothes and making her hair stick slightly to her forehead.

Mo Xingxue cocked her head to the side, waiting patiently with that same amused expression. Su Wanyan’s mind spun faster. Think, think, think, think!

Just as Mo Xingxue was about to press her again, a soft cry came from the stroller. Mo Yan had woken up.

Mo Xingxue stood up smoothly and glanced down at Su Wanyan. "Think about it more," she said, her tone still playful as she walked over to pick up her daughter.

Su Wanyan glanced at them and, using her Heart of Nurture skill, immediately sensed the baby’s need. "She’s hungry," she blurted out helpfully.

Mo Xingxue smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She gently placed Mo Yan on the stroller, before hurrying off to make milk, leaving Su Wanyan alone on the floor.

Left to her own devices, Su Wanyan sat there dazed. Wh—what did I do wrong? she thought nervously, her knees starting to ache against the carpet, but she dared not stand up. This is all the original owner’s fault. Now I’m left cleaning up the mess she left. She shook her head vigorously. I’m inhabiting her body now, meaning I’m her and she’s me. So I’m just cursing myself.....

The barrage and the nearby staff watching her couldn’t help but let out amused laughs, clearly wondering what was going on inside that head of hers.

Just as Su Wanyan was deep in her lament, Mo Yan’s cry grew louder and more piercing. Su Wanyan snapped out of her daze instantly.

She slowly stood up, approached the stroller, and looked down at the baby’s adorable, scrunched-up face. With gentle care, she scooped Mo Yan into her arms, holding the little one securely against her chest. "Shh, baby, Mommy’s making milk," she whispered soothingly, rocking her in slow, rhythmic motions. "She’ll be back soon."

The barrage, naturally, refused to stay idle.

[Lol, Su Wanyan can’t get a break!]

[The fact that she’s coaxing Mo Yan and still has to coax Mo Xingxue later, lol!]

[I have to admit, Su Wanyan is the most pitiful alpha there is.]

[Fr, she’s tired from running around and taking pictures of the two at the zoo. And now that they’re back at the villa, she still needs to take care of her queen and princess.]

[I wish this is how my future alpha would treat me and our future kid/s.]

[Crying, is this my fate? (I’m an alpha).]

As the comments continued teasing and admiring her, Mo Xingxue finally returned with the warm bottle. She smiled softly at the tender scene and gently took Mo Yan from Su Wanyan’s arms. Sitting back on the sofa, she began feeding the baby with practiced ease.

"So," Mo Xingxue said suddenly, her tone was light but expectant.

Immediately, Su Wanyan dropped back to her knees with blurring speed, the motion so fast it was almost comical. The barrage and staff laughed again, further deepening Su Wanyan’s embarrassment, though it was still far more bearable than facing Mo Xingxue’s machine-gun scolding.

"It’s because....." Su Wanyan started cautiously, "I hung out more with Classmate Xin?" She said it like a question, testing the waters.

"And?" Mo Xingxue drew out the word, still calmly feeding the baby.

"And....." Su Wanyan’s eyes darted around the room desperately, searching for the right answer. Think, Su Wanyan, think! She cursed herself inwardly while frantically recalling the memories.

It had been during their second year. Su Wanyan, as class monitor and a naturally nosy person, had noticed classmate Xin Jing looking gloomy. When she asked what was wrong, Xin Jing tearfully explained she had fought with her boyfriend after catching him going into a hotel with another girl. He claimed he was just "accompanying a scared friend," but Xin Jing knew better.

Feeling heartbroken and afraid she might do something drastic, Su Wanyan had offered to accompany her. She had even asked Mo Xingxue for permission first. Mo Xingxue had agreed, but Xin Jing grew increasingly dependent, waiting for Su Wanyan after every class, crying whenever she tried to refuse. Out of guilt and fear for the girl’s well-being, Su Wanyan had ended up spending weeks mostly with Xin Jing instead of Mo Xingxue.

And because of that, I didn’t get to hang out with Mo Xingxue for weeks, Su Wanyan concluded, her eyes suddenly brightening. That’s the reason!

Mo Xingxue watched in quiet amusement as Su Wanyan’s face went through a whirlwind of emotions—confused, sad, then suddenly enlightened and happy.

"And it’s because I neglected you for weeks!" Su Wanyan exclaimed excitedly, proud of herself for finally figuring it out.

Mo Xingxue smiled, soft and warm. "Good. Now you get why I put the rock in your bag, right?" She observed the stupidly happy alpha with fond eyes.

Su Wanyan nodded profusely. "Yes, yes! I mean, how dare I neglect you?? That’s simply dumb! Way too dumb!" She cursed herself as if she weren’t the one at fault. Then she looked at Mo Xingxue seriously. "Xuexue, I’m sorry. I was too naive back then and neglected you." Her voice carried genuine heartache. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

She walked forward on her knees to get closer, then placed her hand gently over Mo Xingxue’s on her lap. "I promise I won’t do it again. I won’t neglect you anymore. I’ll be here for you and little Mo Yan." She offered a small, sincere smile, then added the words that shattered the moment completely: "After all, you’re my best friend."

Mo Xingxue pursed her lips, then turned her head to look directly at the camera with an expression that clearly said, Can you believe what she just said?

The barrage fell into collective disbelief.

[Bro.. uh.. hm..]

[.....]

[.....]

[SO....]

[Uh-huh. "Best friend." Rightt.]

[The butterflies in my stomach suddenly all died.]

[It was already good, really good. But why’d she have to utter the next words?]

[...What an odd thing to say.]

[So Su Wanyan is emotionally constipated? Got it.]

As the comments continued in disappointment, others joined in with similar exasperation.

PD Xu Cui, watching from the control room, facepalmed and let out a long, suffering sigh. The staff members nearby looked equally exasperated, shaking their heads. Even little Mo Yan, now wide awake in her mother’s arms, seemed to stare at Su Wanyan with an expression that said she understood exactly what had just happened.

Su Wanyan, with her enhanced hearing, caught all the disappointed reactions. She blinked in confusion, looking around the room. The staff’s disappointed gazes, Mo Xingxue’s expression, even Mo Yan’s innocent stare—it all hit her at once.

"Did.. did I do something wrong?" she asked out loud, genuine worry creeping into her voice about her immediate fate.

Mo Xingxue smiled at her, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. "No, you didn’t do anything wrong," she said sweetly, patting Su Wanyan’s shoulder. The force behind that pat, however, felt heavy, like a silent sentencing to future consequences.

I definitely did something wrong, Su Wanyan thought, a fresh wave of cold sweat pouring down her back.

_-_-_-_-_-_-

Hello, everyone! I apologize for not posting for two days straight. I was in another house of ours for two days, cause we’re preparing for a gender reveal party for my aunt, so I was quite busy and posting slipped my mind for a while. I apologize again, and I would make it up to you guys for causing this inconvenience. Anyway, thanks for reading this!