Chapter 42
Gu Ximian didn't speak. She just watched Zhuang Chi quietly, her hand clenched very tightly. Zhuang Chi noticed she seemed to be clutching something, perhaps that small folding knife.
She knew her words must have sounded terrible to Gu Ximian, but she also knew they couldn't afford to waste any more time. So, she braced herself and continued, “In this situation, we don't have any Omega suppressants. There's no other way to control your susceptible period. I…”
She had wanted to explain that she wasn't trying to take advantage of the situation, but the words felt hollow before she could even say them. In the end, she didn't, letting out a soft sigh instead.
“…Of course, the choice is yours. I won't do anything reckless. All I want to say is…” Zhuang Chi's voice grew softer as she spoke, “trust me, Gu Ximian.”
Gu Ximian still didn't speak. Her entire body was pressed tightly into the corner, unable to retreat even a single inch further. And she bit her lower lip, evidently with great force, leaving a deep, white indentation on the soft flesh.
Her beautiful eyes were now pitch-black, like a bottomless abyss, reflecting Zhuang Chi's silhouette.
And looking into her eyes, Zhuang Chi found herself unable to say anything to persuade her. Zhuang Chi knew in her heart that Gu Ximian must have considered this option herself. The reason she hadn't mentioned it before… was simply because she couldn't fully trust her.
It was easy to understand. After all, even though it was just a temporary mark, the action required was nearly identical to a permanent one—biting down on Gu Ximian's gland. The only difference was the amount of force. The line was blurry and ambiguous, and the final outcome depended solely on the Alpha's whim. The Omega would have little chance to resist at that point.
So, Zhuang Chi wasn't the least bit surprised by Gu Ximian's reaction. If she could have thought of any other solution, she never would have made such a suggestion. Knowing that any promise she made now would be empty, Zhuang Chi closed her eyes, then suddenly reached out, took the hand Gu Ximian had wrapped around her legs, and placed it against her own neck.
“…Just like this, hold the knife to me.” Zhuang Chi said, her voice trembling slightly, but her tone was resolute. “If I do anything to cross the line, you can just do it.”
She met Gu Ximian's gaze. Normally, Zhuang Chi would be the first to look away, but this time, it was Gu Ximian whose eyelashes fluttered as she lowered her eyes.
After a long silence, Gu Ximian took a silent breath and slowly raised her hand to the back of her neck.
“Okay.”
Gu Ximian said softly, and the choker around her neck came undone. Even before Zhuang Chi could smell the scent, her own gland began to throb and ache. Then, a fragrance more magnificent than any she had ever smelled before washed over her. A beat later, blood rushed through her with a roar, burning hot beneath her skin, almost paralyzing her.
Zhuang Chi was speechless. She watched as Gu Ximian pulled off the choker and swept her long hair to the other side, revealing the fair nape of her neck, like new snow untouched by anyone.
“…Hurry up.”
Gu Ximian urged softly, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremor.
Zhuang Chi snapped back to her senses. Not daring to look any longer, she hastily lowered her eyes and reminded Gu Ximian, “…The knife.”
Gu Ximian was silent for a moment, but ultimately did as she was told, unsheathing the small knife in her hand and holding it loosely against Zhuang Chi's neck. And Zhuang Chi, paradoxically, felt a little more at ease the moment the blade touched her. Wanting to get it over with quickly, she held her breath and moved closer to Gu Ximian.
Gently. Zhuang Chi thought. Just a gentle… bite.
She had learned how to perform a temporary mark in her Alpha classes. It could effectively suppress an Omega's susceptible period, control pheromone leakage, and help maintain mental clarity. These were all effects they desperately needed right now—as long as she did it right.
A person with only theoretical knowledge was suddenly faced with her first practical application. Zhuang Chi didn't know if it was because she was still an immature Alpha, but she found it incredibly difficult to concentrate. The closer she got, the more her gaze was drawn to Gu Ximian's neck. Realizing her eyes were unintentionally drifting toward Gu Ximian's gland, Zhuang Chi grew flustered. She simply closed her eyes and said in a trembling voice, “I, I'm going to… to bite now…?”
“…” They were very close now. Due to the constraints of the corner, Zhuang Chi was practically half-embracing Gu Ximian. She could feel Gu Ximian tremble slightly at her words. A hand reached out, nudged her head to the side, and then Gu Ximian's voice said lowly, “…You're off target.”
This was completely different from what she'd learned in class. Zhuang Chi's mind went blank. Now that Gu Ximian had helped her find the right spot, she subconsciously lowered her head. First, the tip of her nose brushed against the skin of Gu Ximian's neck. It was very hot, and a warm fragrance filled her senses. She turned her head in a panic to avoid it, but this time her lips grazed past, soft and delicate, eliciting a soft hum from the person in her arms.
Zhuang Chi didn't dare move again. In a daze, she opened her mouth and bit down.
Gently, gently… Zhuang Chi desperately controlled the force of her jaw, fighting against her own wildly aching gland and the instinct that roared at her to bite down hard. She carefully sank her canines just slightly into Gu Ximian's gland, then injected her pheromones.
It's over. Zhuang Chi sprang back, finally letting out the breath she had been holding in a deep gasp.
Her own heartbeat pounded in her ears. She subconsciously raised a hand to cover her mouth, as if worried her heart might leap out, or perhaps as if she didn't know what to do with the mouth that had just tasted Gu Ximian's pheromones.
…To be honest, this was a bit bad. Zhuang Chi pressed her lips together, her throat moving in a silent swallow. The class had clearly stated that an Alpha wouldn't feel much when giving an Omega a temporary mark. It seemed they hadn't considered the scenario of an Alpha who had differentiated less than a month ago giving a temporary mark to an S-class Omega. Right now, she felt as if a fire had been lit inside her. Her control over her own pheromones seemed to be failing; she could faintly smell the bitter scent of coffee. The heat she'd felt since earlier hadn't subsided but had instead intensified, and every breath she exhaled was scalding.
Gu Ximian, however, didn't move. Her body trembled slightly, then she let out a soft breath, put the knife away, and put her blocking collar back on. Then she looked at Zhuang Chi again, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment before moving downward.
“…Your display screen,” Gu Ximian said, her eyes fixed on it. At a time like this, she actually revealed a soft smile. “From the beginning… it's been red this whole time.”
Is that so, Zhuang Chi thought. No wonder. My heart is still beating like a frantic drumroll, of course it would be red. Compared to Gu Ximian, it was hard to tell who had marked whom.
Speaking of which, it was time to take off this mascot costume. An S-class Omega was really no joke. Thinking this with grim amusement, Zhuang Chi realized she was being more and more affected by Gu Ximian's pheromones. She quickly turned around, gesturing to her back. “Can you help me with the zipper on the costume?”
Seeming not to expect such a request at this moment, Gu Ximian froze for a second, but her hands moved quickly to pull the zipper down. Finally free of the furry outer layer, Zhuang Chi let out a sigh of relief and struggled to pull the rest of it off. When she got to her right arm, she tugged at the wires connected to her wrist. Mentally apologizing to the president of the Xin Yan Club, she pulled the wires out as carefully as she could and watched the display screen go dark.
The rest was much easier. She slipped out of the costume with ease and pushed it toward Gu Ximian. Seeing Gu Ximian's confused expression, she smiled at her. “Why don't you put it on? It should be able to block some of the pheromones…”
“Ah, but,” Zhuang Chi added, pointing to the jacket Gu Ximian was wearing, “you'll have to lend me your jacket first.”
Gu Ximian stared blankly for a moment, then her eyes widened abruptly. “Zhuang Chi, you—”
“—Hear me out first.”
Zhuang Chi rarely interrupted people so forcefully, let alone Gu Ximian, but now she cut in before Gu Ximian could speak, blurting out her plan in a rush. “They don't know I'm here. They think you're the only one. So… if we switch clothes, when I go out, they won't be able to react in time.”
“It's fine. I'm just going to buy some time. You're in your susceptible period, and even with a temporary mark, it'll take a while for you to recover your strength. If I don't go out… we'll both just be sitting ducks waiting to be found. We can't have that, right? Don't worry, I'm clever and I'm not a slow runner. They won't catch me that easily…”
She rambled on, but Gu Ximian remained silent, her hand gripping Zhuang Chi's tightly, refusing to let go. Zhuang Chi couldn't describe the feeling in her heart. She could only patiently explain in a soft voice, “Ling Jing and the others are already on their way to find us. If I'm lucky, I might run into them after not running for too long. You hide here for now, and only think about running out when you feel you have the strength.”
Her body was hot, but her thoughts were clearer than ever. There was another reason Zhuang Chi hadn't mentioned: she couldn't stay here any longer. Her instincts were screaming at her, warning her that it was dangerous for an Alpha like her to remain with Gu Ximian in this state. It was already a struggle to maintain her rationality. The temporary mark on Gu Ximian felt like a transference ritual; it had calmed Gu Ximian down while making her feverish. She had to leave as soon as possible.
She knew Gu Ximian must have realized it too, but the reason she didn't say anything this time was probably different from before. Zhuang Chi thought this, smiled at Gu Ximian, and offered the mascot costume again. When Gu Ximian refused to take it, she firmly pushed it into her arms.
“…You know in your heart that this is the right thing to do, don't you?”
Zhuang Chi said softly, her tone very serious, “Can I borrow your school jacket?”
Pulling up the collar of the school jacket and letting down her previously tied-up hair, Zhuang Chi deliberately ignored the faint, lingering fragrance on Gu Ximian's jacket and turned to look at her.
“…Alright, don't make that face.” It looked far too solemn. Zhuang Chi laughed helplessly and pointed to the mascot costume beside them. “If you're not going to wear it, then just keep it safe for me. The Xin Yan Club is waiting for Kuma to get back to business this afternoon. But if you really run into any danger, then of course you're the priority. That mascot head is pretty heavy; throwing it should be able to hit someone pretty hard.”
“…”
Ever since she'd compromised, Zhuang Chi had been smiling, as if relieved, Gu Ximian thought. She's about to put herself in danger, so how can she still smile? She's even trying to make clumsy jokes to make me laugh, too.
Gu Ximian was a literature student and usually prided herself on her excellent grades, but right now, she couldn't describe what she was thinking. She didn't know if it was a side effect of her susceptible period. Her Omega grade was too high, and Zhuang Chi had been as careful with her as if she were a fragile treasure, biting very shallowly for the temporary mark. This was what made her current mood as strange as her physical condition—her heart felt both empty and full, wanting to stare at Zhuang Chi without a single blink, yet not wanting to see her smile like that. The contradiction was about to make her explode.
It was as if her reason was saying, “An important character like Zhuang Chi won't get into serious trouble. This is probably just a plot point.” But her emotions were constantly urging her to grab Zhuang Chi's hand and make her stay.
“…Gu Ximian,”
Perhaps her silence had lasted too long. The smile on Zhuang Chi's face finally faded, replaced by a look of alarm as if facing a great enemy. As she moved closer, her voice became cautious. “Why… why do you look like you're about to cry? Don't worry, it'll really be okay—”
“Really?” Unable to stop herself from interrupting Zhuang Chi, Gu Ximian couldn't suppress the sudden surge of emotion and asked in a fluster, “Can you promise me you'll be okay?”
“…”
She saw Zhuang Chi press her lips together slightly. The corners of her mouth, which naturally curved upwards as if in a constant smile, were now drawn tight, revealing a kind of helpless hesitation.
The moment the words left her mouth, Gu Ximian realized how unreasonable her question was. But she was too distraught right now to correct herself or to ponder the meaning behind Zhuang Chi's expression. And Zhuang Chi's expression only faltered for an instant before softening. She curved her eyes into a gentle smile at Gu Ximian and said.
“Of course. Because I'm your official match.”
Gu Ximian couldn't find any words to refute that.
Zhuang Chi stayed a little longer, leaving her phone with Gu Ximian and telling her to stay in contact with Ling Jing and Olivia. She reminded her to be extremely careful if she decided to go out, then added that she could already hear the distant voices of the men in black, who sounded like they were right outside the building.
“I'm leaving now, then.” Zhuang Chi said. She walked to the door, then turned back to wave at her. “Bye-bye, see you in a bit.”
—Until the moment Gu Ximian was rescued, she never saw Zhuang Chi return.
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