Diva Alpha Meets Her Biological Daughter on a Parenting Variety Show - Chapter 31

Ming Nuo was already very close to the edge of the tent. If she pressed back any harder, she worried the tent’s support poles would deform.

Mengmeng was sleeping on the other side, so they had to keep their voices low.

Since Ning Xueqing herself had admitted that she sometimes couldn’t control her fear, Ming Nuo had no way of knowing if a single careless move might cause her discomfort. After mulling it over, she decided the best approach was to stay still and let Ning Xueqing take the lead.

Ming Nuo sat there motionlessly, like the most obedient student in a classroom, asking humbly, “What does Sister mean by ‘desensitization’?”

Ning Xueqing rested her chin on Ming Nuo’s shoulder, her long lashes fluttering as she looked at her. “Desensitization? It means that if you’re sensitive to something or afraid of something, you gradually increase your contact with it step-by-step until you’re slowly not afraid anymore. Do you remember back in Wonder Town, when you promised to be a model couple with me? We’re supposed to do one small thing for each other every day.”

Ming Nuo continued to ask, “What should I do? Besides, doing things for you and Mengmeng in the show is only right.”

“Only in the show?”

“Of course not. After the show ends, any time you need help, I’m there.”

The heat from Ning Xueqing’s breath made Ming Nuo’s neck feel ticklish. “Don’t you have any… needs?”

As her lips moved, Ning Xueqing’s left hand rested lightly on the side of Ming Nuo’s neck, her fingers brushing over the skin where the blood flow was accelerating.

Ming Nuo took a silent breath, her articulation becoming a bit blurred. “If Sister doesn’t find it bothersome, I’d like to consult you whenever I face difficulties in my work or life.”

“Do you have any now?”

“Yes…”

Ning Xueqing nudged her shoulder and moved a bit higher, her curled lashes touching Ming Nuo’s stray hairs. “Tell me about it.”

Ming Nuo lowered her eyes slightly, her gaze falling into Ning Xueqing’s clear pupils, seeing her own reflection within them.

“Um… right now… what should I do?”

“What do you want to do?”

“The desensitization you mentioned… gradual contact.”

“Mm~”

“How do you want me to do it?”

Ning Xueqing put on a thoughtful expression. It didn’t take long before she parted her lips: “Touch my ear.”

Ming Nuo took a quick look at her chestnut curls and her shimmering peach-blossom eyes. She slowly reached out, carefully brushing aside the voluminous hair by the temple to touch the fair ear exposed beneath with her soft fingertips.

It was warm and soft.

Ning Xueqing slid along the path of her touch. Ming Nuo tightened her fingers slightly, her thumb sliding from the tip of the ear to the earlobe.

“How does it feel?” Ning Xueqing asked.

“Feel?”

“The ear.”

Ming Nuo’s voice was very soft: “Very soft.”

“Have you ever touched an Omega’s ear before?”

Ming Nuo shook her head repeatedly. “No, I’ve only ever touched my own.”

Because it was so close to the gland, the ears and neck were very sensitive areas. She had been taught from a young age not to let people touch them easily, nor to touch others randomly.

Ning Xueqing smiled. She reached back and gathered all her long, interfering hair behind her back. She straightened her upper body, the starlight outlining her full curves.

Ning Xueqing tilted her head slightly, her jawline and neck pulling into an elegant, graceful line. “Touch my collarbone now.”

There were two small hollows there, filled with the clear light of the full moon, as the sweet scent of lemon diffused around them.

Ming Nuo lowered her hand, placing only her fingertips on the protruding collarbone, her entire hand suspended in mid-air.

Ning Xueqing looked down at Ming Nuo’s touch and said, “Since I started recording this show, I’ve seen netizens commenting that I’ve gained weight since my comeback. What do you think?”

“You aren’t fat.” Ming Nuo moved her fingers gently, sliding from the collarbone to the shoulder—a spot that wasn’t quite as sensitive. “They don’t understand that looking thin on screen means being skin and bones in reality, which is unhealthy. Looking a bit full on screen is just right in person. I think you’re still on the thin side. Taking care of Mengmeng, acting, and recording the show is exhausting. You’d be healthier if you nourished your ‘qi’ and blood a bit more.”

“Then I’ll listen to you. I’ll eat whatever I want.”

Ming Nuo nodded happily. “That’s the spirit.”

They gazed at each other. The stars above seemed to fall into both their eyes at once, sparkling.

After a moment, Ning Xueqing lowered her eyes to look at Ming Nuo’s hand on her shoulder. Ming Nuo hurriedly started to lift her hand, but Ning Xueqing beat her to it, pulling her into an embrace, her chest pressed tight against Ming Nuo’s upper body.

Ming Nuo toppled over in surprise, the back of her head getting caught by the bottom of the tent frame through her hair.

“Sister?”

Ning Xueqing closed her eyes, tilting her head to listen to Ming Nuo’s heartbeat. “The last part of today’s desensitization training: a short hug.”

Ming Nuo lay on the wrinkled sleeping bag. The towel-blanket wrapped around her waist had loosened, revealing the curled hem of her top and the snowy skin of her thighs. Her hands were held in mid-air behind Ning Xueqing, feeling the softness of a fellow woman. Her chest rose and fell slightly with her breath.

Ning Xueqing listened to Ming Nuo’s heartbeat and breathing for a while before slowly opening her eyes. Lying on Ming Nuo in her thin silk dress, she shifted her knees slightly, touching delicate fabric. The mountain moonlight was bright; Ning Xueqing hurriedly averted her eyes from Ming Nuo’s hips, but the image of black lace ties lingered in her mind.

A touch of dampness gathered at the tip of her knee, and the unventilated space began to emit a faint heat.

Ning Xueqing’s waist and abdomen moved like a supple water snake as she slid upward, arms around Ming Nuo’s neck, leaning into the Alpha’s temple. “Am I being too much?”

Ming Nuo lay beneath her, looking up at the star-filled sky. Her softest parts were a complete mess. She endured the heat behind her ears and her rising body temperature, then lowered her arms and tightened her embrace around Ning Xueqing.

“Yes.”

Ning Xueqing fell silent. After a few minutes of quiet, she let out a soft laugh. “I’m sorry.”

She stood up with gentle movements and, being particularly thoughtful, covered Ming Nuo back up with the crumpled towel-blanket. She then reached for the partition zipper. “Thank you. I won’t disturb your sleep anymore. Goodnight.”

Ming Nuo sat up, her messy long black hair draped over her shoulders.

It’s over?

Does this desensitization training happen every day?

Ming Nuo assessed her self-control and considered buying a copy of the Diamond Sutra or the Medicine Buddha Sutra to recite.

“Hey, Ming Nuo.”

Ning Xueqing suddenly turned back, startling Ming Nuo, whose mind was wandering.

“What is it?”

“I just thought of something. Since we’re doing desensitization training, we should increase contact with our daily habits too.” Ning Xueqing pulled the zipper and rolled up the partition in the middle of the tent. “Let’s get rid of this. With Mengmeng in the middle, let’s sleep together.”

Ming Nuo froze for half a second before breaking into a delighted smile.

“Okay. Goodnight.”

Ning Xueqing gave a radiant smile, turned on her side, curled her legs slightly, and closed her eyes.

Over and over, she relived the little reactions Ming Nuo had to being moved by her.

Secretly. Very secretly.

Mount Guan-yun Trip: Day 3

Under the guide’s lead, the Miraculous Journey team had climbed halfway up the mountain. Currently, the four families were walking along a narrow cliffside plank road.

The path hung over the precipice—steep and winding, dotted with small springs and protruding rocks. It required very careful climbing. Following the guide’s suggestion, each family moved in a line with the two adults at the front and back and the child in the middle.

In three of the families, the Alphas with better stamina led the way, except for Chi Shu, who followed behind Ji Lang and Little Pea.

Ming Nuo noticed that Chi Shu’s neck and arms were covered in red bumps. She asked, “Chi Shu, did you leave your tent open last night? The mosquitoes bit you so hard.”

Chi Shu looked back at her, dark circles under both eyes. “I didn’t dare sleep last night. I sat in the gazebo all night and only went back to the tent for a bit this morning.”

“Huh? Why? We have a long climb these next few days, can your body handle it?”

“Don’t ask me. I’m afraid that if I lie down, something terrifying will happen.”

Ming Nuo thought of the legend of the Mount Guan-yun Fox Immortal she’d heard at the visitor center. Falling asleep in the mountains at night with the sounds of birds and beasts really could be eerie.

She asked Chi Shu jokingly, “Did you see a Fox Immortal or something?”

Chi Shu yawned. “Don’t even mention it. It’s as terrifying as a succubus fox spirit.”

A voice called out from ahead: “What are you talking about? I want water.”

Chi Shu made a ‘stop’ gesture to Ming Nuo and scurried forward to hand over the water.

Ming Nuo looked ahead, puzzled. Just as terrifying? What did Chi Shu see?

The director at the very front raised the Miraculous Journey flag and spoke into a megaphone: “Two kilometers more and we’ll be off the plank road. After a few more sets of stone stairs, we’ll enter the reserve where the Mount Guan-yun macaques live. The monkeys here interact with tourists often and aren’t afraid of people. Most are friendly, but a few bold ones can be quite aggressive.”

“For safety, please close your bags once we leave the plank road and ensure your belongings won’t be snatched by the monkeys. Most importantly, keep the children safe.”

At the exit of the plank road, the guide reminded the guests to keep their hiking poles in hand as a defense against unruly monkeys.

Mengmeng tugged on Ning Xueqing’s sleeve. “Mommy, will the monkeys bite me?”

Ning Xueqing adjusted Mengmeng’s hat. “No, they won’t. Mommy and Nuo Nuo Mammy will protect you.”

Mengmeng nodded, hugged her mother’s leg, and then went to hug Nuo Nuo Mammy’s leg.

Ming Nuo carefully removed the decorative ribbons from Mengmeng’s braids to prevent monkeys hanging from trees from grabbing them and hurting the child’s hair. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Oh! Let’s go! Sister Nora, Little Pea, Pineapple Cake! Let’s go through the monkey reserve!”

Mengmeng skipped ahead to grab her friends’ hands. Ming Nuo and Ning Xueqing hurried to catch up. As soon as they entered the reserve gate, they saw several macaques sitting on the stone pillars of the railing, grooming each other for lice. Two sub-adult monkeys walked across the ground, curiously climbing trees to observe the humans.

Du Heng and Ouyang Yu led the way. Whenever they saw a large monkey baring its teeth and getting close to the children, they used their hiking poles to drive them away.

Ming Nuo and Ning Xueqing chatted behind Mengmeng. Ming Nuo brought up Chi Shu, who hadn’t slept all night.

“The reason she didn’t sleep in the tent might be because…” Ning Xueqing’s lashes fluttered as she cupped her hand and whispered, “Ji Lang told me in the restroom the day before yesterday.”

Ming Nuo had a sudden realization. “So that’s how it is.”

Ning Xueqing’s cheeks grew warm. She touched her neck and lowered her head. “Speaking of which… mine is coming up soon this month too.”