Li Chu froze slightly at the surge of Alpha pheromones. She looked at Ning Manqing, whose face was pale and eyes intensely dark, feeling somewhat helpless.
Soft, fair arms wrapped around Li Chu’s waist, pulling her into the room.
The door closed with a click, creating a completely sealed space.
Li Chu felt as if she had plunged into an ocean of pheromones. Whether walking or breathing, the Cloud Mist Tea scent seemed to surge through her trachea and into her bloodstream, making the gland on the back of her neck grow slightly hot.
“Teacher Ning…”
Li Chu murmured. The Ning Manqing before her seemed unfamiliar, vastly different from her usual gentle demeanor. Her dark, deep eyes held an unfamiliar emotion that made Li Chu tremble.
She knew Ning Manqing wasn’t entirely lucid right now. She wanted to step back, but Ning Manqing held her tightly in her arms. Those arms, though slender, possessed a strength she couldn’t resist.
Scalding breath landed on her neck, and stray strands of hair brushed against her skin.
“You smell so good.”
The long-haired beauty’s voice was low and husky as she sniffed deeply at her neck.
Li Chu stopped moving. She knew Ning Manqing must be entering her susceptible period.
Although she didn’t remember many plot details from the original novel, not even the male lead’s name, Li Chu recalled the descriptions of the male lead’s susceptible period episodes she had read before.
Alphas during this time would feel particularly insecure and territorial. When the male lead’s susceptible period arrived, no one could approach him except the female lead. During those few days, he completely transformed into a clingy big dog, a far cry from his usual overbearing president persona. Li Chu had even found it incredibly cute back then.
But now, the female lead had taken the male lead’s script. Looking at Ning Manqing holding her tightly and refusing to let go, Li Chu couldn’t help but think, A clingy Teacher Ning… how adorable would that be?
The out-of-control Alpha had no idea what the Omega in her arms was thinking. Somewhat unsatisfied, she peeled off the pheromone blocking patch on the Omega’s gland, sniffing the peach-scented pheromones even more greedily. A blush tinted her beautiful features.
Suddenly, Li Chu was lifted into a bridal carry. The abrupt feeling of being suspended made her instinctively cling to Ning Manqing.
“Ning… Teacher Ning!”
Li Chu was placed on the bed and couldn’t help but flounder slightly.
It wasn’t that she was afraid Ning Manqing would do something to her, but the suddenness of the situation left her unable to react properly.
Ning Manqing still didn’t respond, instead holding her in an absolutely possessive embrace.
Breath tickled the back of her neck. Li Chu knew what Ning Manqing needed now and released her own pheromones without reservation.
The peach scent mingled with the dominant, cool Cloud Mist fragrance. Rather than mixing and intertwining, it felt more like being confined. Yet, it didn’t frantically scatter; instead, it gently and softly stretched and moved, allowing the Cloud Mist scent to carry it as it drifted in the air.
That careful, soothing gesture eased the sharp pain pulling at Ning Manqing’s nerves. Her eyes remained open, still not entirely clear, like a giant dragon cradling a precious treasure.
The slender, white, vulnerable neck before her held an immense attraction. She inhaled the comforting scent, feeling relaxed yet restless.
When a moist sensation touched her gland, Li Chu let out a muffled groan.
The gland was as sensitive as any other part of her body, perhaps even the most sensitive. It was connected to her nerves, the gateway for pheromones entering and exiting.
Li Chu’s toes curled slightly, her fingers gripping the soft duvet. She understood the danger of the moment.
She was like prey held by the scruff of its neck by a beast, unable to even escape.
“Ning Manqing… Ning Manqing…”
She called Ning Manqing’s name faintly and weakly, a hint of pleading in her voice.
It was different from any other time she had called Ning Manqing’s name – no reverence, no admiration, no gratitude, only an equal, almost lover-like helpless dependence.
It felt as though the Alpha’s canines might penetrate her vulnerable gland at any second to inject pheromones. Li Chu’s senses fluctuated between clarity and confusion amidst this danger.
It was fear, yet also anticipation – an extremely complex intertwining of emotions, a dual collapse of physiology and psychology, a clash between instinct and reason.
Li Chu wasn’t actually opposed to it. Ning Manqing was incredibly good in her eyes. She just didn’t know how they would face each other without awkwardness once Ning Manqing regained her senses if she gave up resisting.
Her little sister down there had already cried more than once because of Ning Manqing. She didn’t want her tear ducts growing in strange places either, but she couldn’t control it.
“Teacher Ning, let go.”
Li Chu tried to prop up her limp body to get up, but Ning Manqing pulled her back down.
Ning Manqing frowned, displeasure written all over her face. Her dark eyes were filled with confusion, as if she didn’t understand why Li Chu wanted to flee.
Li Chu didn’t look into Ning Manqing’s eyes. If she had, she would surely have been horrified by the desire hidden within them, vast as an ocean, capable of drowning someone to death.
The pheromones constantly emanating from Ning Manqing also grew agitated with her emotions, binding the small Omega layer upon layer, filled with the scent of dependence and possession.
Ning Manqing lowered her head. Li Chu pushed against her, but her resistance softened at some point, her pale fingertips resting lightly on Ning Manqing’s shoulder.
Her eyes, veiled in mist, were like the waters of Tianchi Lake. Each rise and fall of her chest was like chaotically falling snow, emitting a cool fragrance amidst the chill.
“Don’t cry.”
A low murmur, mixed with a hint of obsession.
The peach was full of juice; a light bite would cause it to overflow continuously.
Ning Manqing swallowed, licking away the remaining peach juice.
Li Chu closed her eyes, allowing the pheromone invasion.
…
When Li Chu woke up, Ning Manqing was sitting on the sofa not far away.
Seeing her awake, she immediately walked over.
Li Chu touched the back of her neck. She hadn’t been temporarily marked.
That was relatively good news. Without being marked, the Alpha scent on her would dissipate quickly. If she had been bitten, she probably wouldn’t be able to leave the house for days, or others would smell it.
“Sorry, it was my first time injecting susceptibility suppressants. I lost control a bit.”
Ning Manqing started to reach out to help her up, then awkwardly stopped her hand mid-air and lowered it.
She was afraid Li Chu would reject her.
If the first time was something neither she nor Li Chu could control, this time felt more like she had forced it. Fortunately, she had managed to control the impulse to mark in the end, otherwise, the situation would be even worse.
“I know, it’s okay!”
Li Chu scrambled off the bed. She wasn’t very good at handling these slightly awkward situations. Glancing at the time, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“I have to catch a flight! Teacher Ning, I’m leaving first! See you later!”
Li Chu definitely fled with a bit of an ostrich mentality, although she righteously gave herself the excuse of having to work soon.
Ning Manqing watched her flee in disarray as if her butt was on fire. Many words remained unspoken, and she could only shake her head with a helpless smile. Inhaling the lingering peach scent in the air, she narrowed her eyes in pleasure.
Li Chu checked the time she had agreed to meet Qian Duoduo, applied a new pheromone blocking patch, grabbed her suitcase, put on a mask, and rushed out.
Luckily, it hadn’t been too excessive this time, just over an hour. If it had been like the last time, she would definitely have missed her flight and consequently the advertisement shoot later. In that case, she might have had to commit ritual suicide to apologize to her agent.
Before leaving the room, Li Chu carefully checked herself in the mirror. Her lips could be hidden by the mask, the love bite on her gland could be covered by the patch, thankfully there were none on her neck, and no one could see her back. Perfect.
Only after sitting in the car for over ten minutes did Li Chu’s fluttering, unsettled heart calm down. She let out a long breath, feeling somewhat dejected.
“Sister Li, what’s wrong?”
Qian Duoduo looked at her boss, who hadn’t taken off her mask since getting in the car, seemed to be spacing out, and then started sighing deeply after coming back to her senses. She immediately offered her concern.
“It’s nothing.”
Li Chu waved her hand listlessly, slumping onto the seat to continue her melancholy brooding.
Her lower back was a little sore.
There was also a lingering aftertaste.
Li Chu didn’t feel like she had lost out. Ning Manqing had a slender waist, long legs, and a beautiful face. She felt she had profited immensely. As for her sexual orientation, it was no longer just precarious; it had completely collapsed.
She just didn’t quite know how to face Ning Manqing.
Li Chu was spacing out and only snapped back to reality after Qian Duoduo called her name several times.
“What is it?”
“Sister Li, your phone has messages. It lit up several times.”
Li Chu picked up her phone. Seeing Ning Manqing’s name, she immediately flipped the phone face down. Then, realizing her reaction seemed a bit excessive, she pretended to casually open WeChat.
Ning Manqing was apologizing to her. Li Chu couldn’t stand seeing that and quickly replied. The core message was:
No need to apologize! You did nothing wrong! This was all an accident!
Since it was an accident, they should just let it pass.
Li Chu was genuinely worried Ning Manqing would mention taking responsibility again. She thought Ning Manqing was great, but she didn’t want to date her.
Li Chu admired and respected her, found her pheromones pleasant, and thought her technique was excellent. But Li Chu didn’t want to possess her, or rather, Li Chu felt Ning Manqing wasn’t someone she could possess.
She admired Ning Manqing the way one admires an expensive haute couture dress in a display window. Even though she had been fortunate enough to wear that dress twice, she had never thought of owning it. She felt it should remain in the sparkling display case, waiting for its destined, perfect soulmate.
And she, Li Chu, was just an imperfect mortal.
Ning Manqing, rendered speechless by Li Chu’s barrage of words: ……
Unaware that she had been compared to clothing, Ning Manqing looked at her assistant beside her with some confusion. After pondering for a moment, she asked a question.
“Do I seem… high and mighty?”
This was probably the most confused Ning Manqing had been in her twenty-five years. She clearly sensed that Li Chu liked her somewhat too. Her pheromones relied on her, she never resisted her, and she could even feel Li Chu’s admiration and reverence. But Li Chu’s affection seemed a bit skewed.
It felt like Li Chu had placed her on a pedestal. Even after they had been intimate, Li Chu’s attitude wasn’t joy, but a subtle apprehension. She seemed eager to avoid any suggestion of dating or taking responsibility.
This left Ning Manqing feeling very frustrated. Did she not seem like a good potential partner?
“Not at all, Sister Ning. Why would you think that?”
Li Si shook her head. Even after differentiating into an Alpha, her boss’s way of dealing with people hadn’t changed much. She just seemed more assertive and a bit colder sometimes, but she wasn’t the proud and aloof type.
Ning Manqing sighed in vexation, shaking her head without answering.
Completely unaware of Ning Manqing’s inner turmoil, Li Chu breathed a sigh of relief after their chat returned to normal. She happily boarded the plane.
Shoutout and huge thanks to Ikreera, Jikujaku, and Alice Lily for picking up the complete EPUB book on the Ko-fi shop! Really appreciate the support!
If you’d like to read ahead and support me, you can request extra chapters or get the full novel as an EPUB.
poor FL lol