Chapter 46
Perhaps because she had been unconscious for so long the day before, Zhuang Chi slept very little that night. After just a few hours, she tossed and turned, waking up when the sky was just beginning to show the pale light of dawn.
...She couldn't sleep soundly, either. On one hand, her gland was constantly aching faintly. On the other, she couldn't stop thinking about what Lily had said yesterday, a sense of lingering fear rising within her. And from the sound of it, Zhuang Chi thought, it seems like if the experiment on me is a success, the next victim will be Olivia... That would be the most tragic bad ending imaginable. I have to find a way to prevent that from happening.
The thought—I have to do something—had been swirling in her mind for the past few days. But today was different. Today, Zhuang Chi had finally come up with a plan and intended to put it into action, taking advantage of Lily's trip to St. Blaisedon.
Although she didn't know the purpose of Lily's trip to the university, it was almost a certainty that she would see Olivia. Plus, Lily had said yesterday that she would bring back news related to Gu Ximian—though that was most likely said just to provoke her, there was still a chance she might actually meet Gu Ximian, right?
...This wasn't the time to dwell on it. Even if there was only a one percent chance, she had to use it to her fullest advantage.
Zhuang Chi closed her eyes, slowly raising a hand to her collar and taking a shallow breath.
“...What’s going on?”
Pushing open the room's door, Lily was met with a wave of a clear, bitter scent that made her frown. She held her breath slightly, turned to the person standing at the door, and whispered instructions to call for a doctor. Then, she walked into the room, slowly approaching the person half-curled up on the bed.
The person under the covers said nothing. Lily didn't bother with pleasantries and reached out to yank the blanket away. Perhaps because she had lost her strength after some time, Zhuang Chi's grip on the blanket was weak. With a slight tug, Lily pulled it free, revealing Zhuang Chi's delicate face, flushed with an unnatural ruddiness.
“...” Lily stared for a long moment before asking, “Susceptible period?”
Zhuang Chi shook her head with some difficulty, her voice faint. “...I don’t know.”
Could an Alpha who had differentiated less than a month ago already be entering their susceptible period? Lily's knowledge on the subject wasn't extensive. She guessed it was more likely that yesterday's "punishment" had caused something to go wrong with Zhuang Chi's gland. Lily couldn't quite tell if the feeling in her heart was the joy of victory or something else. In any case, she twitched her nose and first went to open the tightly shut window. "I didn't lock your window today, you know. Why didn't you open it? Do you enjoy soaking in your own pheromones?"
The bitter scent was distinct. Lily thought she would have the doctor bring some suppression patches later. Staying in a room so full of Alpha pheromones for too long would make her uncomfortable as well, so she had no desire to linger. She simply returned to Zhuang Chi's bedside, gave a brief instruction—"The doctor will be here in a moment"—and was about to leave when a thought suddenly struck her.
She looked at Zhuang Chi, at her listless state, her labored breathing, her brows slightly knitted—she looked as if she were trying hard to restrain something.
...Could she really be addicted? Lily wondered. Is that why she's become like this after being deprived of my pheromones...
A strange sense of pleasure surfaced in her heart, and Lily leaned over with great interest.
“How are you feeling right now?” Her voice was innocent and sweet, as if laced with tempting honey. “...Do you want me to help you?”
Zhuang Chi's hazy eyes suddenly focused. She reflexively raised a hand to cover her gland, but the movement clearly triggered a wave of pain, causing her to bite her lower lip.
It seems it was indeed effective. Lily took in her reaction, not angered by Zhuang Chi's refusal but instead curling her lips in pleasure.
“See? What did I tell you yesterday?” she said in a gentle voice. “It really worked on the first try. Logically, I should stay and observe your subsequent condition...”
“But unfortunately, I really have to go to St. Blaisedon today, and I’m running out of time,” Lily said, not without a hint of regret. “You should rest well for now and cooperate with the doctor’s examination... Wait for me to come back.”
She was probably in a real hurry. As soon as she finished speaking, she headed out. Her footsteps today didn't carry the anger of last night; they sounded light and nimble as she left the room.
Zhuang Chi remained hidden under the covers for a few more minutes before slowly poking her head out. After confirming that Lily was truly gone from the room, she let out a silent breath. Frowning, she slipped her fingers under the edge of her collar to touch her gland. It felt swollen and hot, and was soft to the touch.
...It had suffered just yesterday, and today she had forced out so many pheromones at once. It was really putting her gland through a lot. The touch sent a sharp sting through her, and Zhuang Chi narrowed her eyes in pain, worrying that it might be permanently damaged. When the doctor walked in, she quickly reverted to a blank, unknowing expression, obediently allowing him to approach and examine her.
Zhuang Chi silently gazed out the window. It was an overcast day. She wondered if it would rain, which made her heart clench slightly with worry.
This is as much as I can do, Zhuang Chi thought.
Now... all I can do is pray and trust in Gu Ximian.
Lily's reason for going to St. Blaisedon today was, of course, related to Olivia. Olivia hadn't returned to her residence for two days, apparently staying in the dormitory provided by St. Blaisedon, with no mind for her studies. Last night, Lily had received a message from her home country saying that Olivia hadn't responded to the royal family's communications for two days, and they were asking her what was going on. Lily had managed to bluff her way through with a few casual remarks for the time being, then decided to go find Olivia herself.
It was as if she wouldn't do anything else until she found Zhuang Chi. Stepping out of the car, Lily looked up at the gates of St. Blaisedon and sighed inwardly. If only my sister hadn't chosen this university. What a pity.
When the plan to harm Gu Ximian had first abruptly popped into her head, Lily had been startled. After all, it was far more extreme than anything she had done before, but in the end, she had gone through with it as if possessed. When she first discovered she had captured the wrong person, she had genuinely felt apologetic, and her mood had soured from failing to achieve her original goal. But now, Lily found that feeling had gradually faded, replaced by a sense of 'this isn't so bad.' The mental pleasure of taming an Alpha who originally belonged to someone she disliked, bit by bit, was far greater than she had imagined—moreover, she didn't dislike Zhuang Chi.
What had started as something done for fun had now captured her full attention. When Zhuang Chi starts to like me, I'll treat her a little better, Lily thought. It wouldn't be impossible to just take her back to A Country... Those eyes, when looking at the person she loves, must be so focused and beautiful.
Realizing she was out in the open and thinking too much about these things, Lily shook her head lightly. Led by Olivia's bodyguard, she arrived at her sister's location—the very area where Zhuang Chi had been taken. Olivia was talking to someone who looked like the leader of an investigation team, her beautiful face unable to hide her anxiety. Her hair, once like golden sand, now hung limply, as if it had lost its luster.
Why is she still here? There's nothing to be found here, Lily thought. Although her private team of bodyguards had never kidnapped anyone before, they had done plenty of shady work for her. They were well-trained and always cautious, and had already destroyed all traces when they took Zhuang Chi away. If it hadn't been for the inopportune arrival of Ling Jing and her group, they should have been able to capture Gu Ximian, who was hiding in the house, as well... Regardless, it was useless for Olivia to keep searching here, no matter how long she tried.
A flicker of pity almost rose in her heart, but she couldn't let it show on her face. She quietly approached Olivia and called out, '...Sister.'
Olivia turned at the sound of her voice, a flicker of unease on her face. She clearly had an idea of why Lily had come to find her. Lily thus got straight to the point. "Everyone in the royal family is worried about you. Have you been sleeping properly? You look terrible, don't you?"
“...” Olivia didn’t respond, merely turning her head away and saying softly, “...I’m sorry, Lily, but can you please cover for me for now? I don’t have time. I still haven’t found Zhuang Chi...”
“Just give it up, Sister.” Lily was unmoved, her heart clear on the matter, but her tone was filled with worry and unease. “This sort of thing should be left to the professionals. What’s the use of you neglecting your own well-being? If you ruin your health, Zhuang Chi wouldn’t be happy to find out.”
She felt she had appealed to both reason and emotion, but Olivia, who was usually so easily persuaded, didn't take her words to heart this time. She simply shook her head silently, her sapphire-like eyes filled with a resolve that silently stopped Lily from continuing.
That's right. My sister is just this kind of person. Lily's heart skipped a beat, complex emotions tangling within her. She had always admired Olivia's sense of responsibility, but now, she didn't know whether she should feel happy about it—
“What are you doing here?”
A cool voice sounded from behind them. Lily and Olivia turned in unison to see Gu Ximian slowly approaching. Though it had only been two days, Gu Ximian seemed to have grown thinner. The temperature wasn't high today, yet she wasn't wearing her school uniform jacket, only the blouse underneath. Perhaps for that reason, Lily felt the gaze she cast upon them was tinged with a probing coldness, making her subconsciously hold her breath.
“I-I wanted to see if there were any new developments...” Olivia was the first to respond, her voice timid. “...I wanted to help in some way.”
“Developments...” Gu Ximian lowered her eyelids and let out a soft laugh, but didn’t elaborate. Instead, she turned her gaze to Lily. “And you? You’re not here to help too, are you?”
“...” Her eyes seemed to see right through people, and every time, Lily found her difficult to deal with. Now, she could only respond with the briefest of phrases. “...I came to find my sister.”
Seemingly unsurprised by this answer, Gu Ximian shifted her gaze away as if she had lost interest. She didn't even bother with a reply and prepared to walk straight past her.
“—”
Her footsteps suddenly halted as she passed Lily. Gu Ximian had clearly frozen in place. Lily saw her eyes widen abruptly before she whipped her head around to stare at her.
But Gu Ximian said nothing. Meeting the confused gazes of Lily and Olivia, she simply stared at Lily, her eyes deep, her gaze so intense it felt as if it had a physical weight upon her face. Lily inexplicably found it difficult to breathe, wondering if some clue about her had been exposed. She could only do her best to keep her breathing steady, her clenched palms growing slightly damp with sweat.
“...Your hairstyle,” Gu Ximian finally said softly after a long standoff. “It’s changed a little from before.”
As she spoke, ignoring Lily's reaction, she reached out and lifted a strand of silver hair. Lowering her head slightly, she said in a soft voice, '...It’s quite cute.'
After completing this series of abrupt actions, Gu Ximian gave the still-confused Lily a light smile and quickly walked away.
Meanwhile, Lily and a clueless Olivia looked at each other in dismay. It took a long time for Lily to suppress the frantic, pounding unease in her heart.
“...Yes, it’s that little princess, the one with silver hair. Follow her.”
Turning into a secluded corner, Gu Ximian quickly took out her phone. After giving her instructions, she paused and took a deep breath.
“I smelled Zhuang Chi’s pheromones on her,” Gu Ximian said, her voice sinking slightly. “There’s no way I could be mistaken.”
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