Chapter 12

A person was facing a difficulty, and she just happened to be able to help without any inconvenience—so why not do it?

However, Zhong Ning could also understand that Xie Shiqing, as someone with a physical injury, would be especially sensitive in this regard.

She refused to use a white cane and would rather have her bodyguards clear the way in an exaggerated manner than expose her flaw.

It wasn’t hard to tell that her pride must be very high.

And she had subconsciously treated her as part of a vulnerable group, provoking her anger.

This truly was a case of good intentions gone wrong.

Whether out of guilt or because she still had two healthy legs, Zhong Ning decided to quickly apologize and clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.

As she was lost in thought, the elevator had already reached the fifth floor.

The hospital elevator moved slowly, with people entering and exiting on every floor.

Zhong Ning swept her gaze around and, spotting the stairwell sign, darted toward it.

Ding.

The elevator reached the first floor.

Xie Shiqing’s face was dark, as if shrouded in storm clouds.

Blind!

Ever since the car accident, this one word had clung to her like maggots on rotting bones, haunting her endlessly.

Pitying, mocking, gloating words reached her ears, overt and covert. Those whispered murmurs and surprised chuckles gnawed at her like a nightmare, day and night.

Oh, that’s right. To her now, did day and night even matter anymore?

Whether it was day or night, in her eyes, everything was engulfed in lifeless darkness.

If it weren’t for Zhong Ning still being of some use…

To think that she had once found this person somewhat interesting and even planned to remove her from the Zhong family’s blacklist.

A cold smile crept onto Xie Shiqing’s lips. Zhong Ning, malicious or innocent, vulgar or pleasant—could she truely be any good?

She was escorted out of the elevator, footsteps around her moving in unison.

Suddenly, a breathless voice broke through, “Wait a minute, Miss Xie, President Xie, I’m sorry!”

Xie Shiqing turned a deaf ear and showed no sign of stopping.

Zhong Ning squeezed through the group of bodyguards and came up beside her, still gasping for breath from the sprint. A faint scent of grapefruit blossoms drifted over as she spoke, “I’m really sorry.”

The omega’s expression was frosty and silent.

“It was inconsiderate of me. I didn’t think that much, really—it was just instinct. But regardless of my good intentions or not, I didn’t take your feelings into account. I truly apologize.”

Zhong Ning sincerely admitted, “I asked purely out of habit, wanting to do something good. But in the end, it was just to satisfy my self-esteem.”

“You didn’t ask for help, but I selfishly treated you as if you were vulnerable. That was presumptuous of me. I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.”

She sighed and spoke pitifully, “I really had a brain fart. My IQ must’ve gone offline… Please don’t be mad, okay?”

Before Xie Shiqing could respond, Zhong Ning muttered to herself, “How could you not be mad? As if a few words could just fix everything so easily.”

Xie Shiqing: “……”

She let out a laugh—one of disbelief and exasperation.

Zhong Ning continued to chatter beside her, “It’s totally normal for you to be mad. After all, I did a crappy thing. But I really came to apologize sincerely—what can I do to make you forgive me?”

Xie Shiqing: “Shut your mouth.”

Zhong Ning mimed zipping her mouth shut, then suddenly remembered the other person couldn’t see. After a brief hesitation, she asked tentatively, “I’ve shut up. Are you not mad anymore?”

Xie Shiqing: “……”

Where had this little fool come from?

Unbelievable.

She opened the car door and got into the back seat. Zhong Ning slipped in from the other side.

On the way there, Zhong Ning had been as quiet as a mouse, sitting obediently, almost as if she weren’t even there. But on the way back, she kept squirming around, clearly itching to speak. Even though Xie Shiqing couldn’t see her, the noise was enough to drive her insane.

She took a deep breath. “What do you want to say?”

Zhong Ning: “I’m sorry!”

Xie Shiqing: “Shut up.”

Zhong Ning continued to sigh secretly.

She thought she was being sneaky, but to Xie Shiqing, even the faintest sound was as loud as someone shouting directly beside her ear.

Incredibly annoyed, Xie Shiqing’s thoughts shifted, and she suddenly smiled, returning to a soft, syrupy tone, “If you want me to stop being mad, that’s possible.”

“Your skills in bed are terrible. The mark you made wasn’t done properly. You need to study hard.” Xie Shiqing’s voice was sweet and low. “Let’s see how you perform tonight. If it’s not good…”

She placed her hand on Zhong Ning’s. “This hand—seems pretty useless, doesn’t it?”

Zhong Ning: !!!

Zhong Ning: “I’ll do my best!”

But how should she perform?

After a flavorless lunch, Xie Shiqing headed to the study to work. As the head of the Xie family, she had many responsibilities.

Zhong Ning’s original owner had just finished the college entrance exams, and was currently on vacation—this was the most leisurely time. With no job or obligations, she could devote herself entirely to “research.”

Marking.

Last night’s temporary mark was done purely on instinct. It was like a starving person suddenly seeing food—too ravenous to care about table manners, devouring everything in sight.

A mark like that, naturally, couldn’t be associated with tenderness.

Fortunately, there was quite a bit of related instructional material online.

A quick search turned up countless versions—written guides, illustrated ones, even animated videos—each explaining the steps in great detail.

Zhong Ning shut herself in her room, intently watching a doctor in white coat explain everything on her phone.

Marking also required foreplay—gentle soothing to help the omega relax. It was best done after a previous round, during the interval before the next, when the atmosphere was still warm and affectionate. The parties involved should kiss more, and the timing had to be just right.

If that wasn’t possible, then a sufficiently gentle prelude was necessary, ensuring the omega was emotionally calm and in an accepting state.

That brought up another critical issue.

Zhong Ning’s face turned a blotchy mix of red and white, as if a palette had been overturned.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep