Chapter 66
After the theme of the ball was announced, a heated discussion began at St. Blaisedon. Although it was only the end of November, it already felt like Christmas was in the air.
“...This is so nice. I wish I could also enjoy the atmosphere of anticipation for the ball to begin.”
In the Presidium office, Ling Jing listlessly flipped through a document and sighed, “But don’t we have way too much work to do?”
“Of course, this is the Presidium,” Lou Che said, unfazed, as he deftly reviewed several more documents. “The annual Christmas Ball is basically the biggest event at St. Blaisedon, so of course the Presidium has a lot to do. Student Council President, pull yourself together and confirm these documents.”
“...Okay, okay,” An Chen replied spiritlessly, sighing. “What bad timing, to have my susceptible period hit at a time like this... You all should be careful too. Don’t forget the date just because you’re busy.”
It was the first time she had seen An Chen so listless. His words piqued her interest, and Zhuang Chi temporarily stopped her work, asking curiously, “Susceptible period? Are you saying your susceptible period is coming soon?”
“It’s not coming soon, it’s happening right now.” An Chen’s answer startled Zhuang Chi. She subconsciously twitched her nose but smelled nothing. The next moment, she heard An Chen explain, “I took an inhibitor beforehand. So my pheromones won’t leak, and I won’t go berserk, don’t worry.”
“Oh.” Her knowledge in this area was still rather poor. Zhuang Chi tried hard to recall what she had learned in class and said, “I remember the lesson said that if an Alpha takes an inhibitor in time before their susceptible period, there won’t be any problems... So why do you still look so uncomfortable?”
“Ah... you haven’t experienced a susceptible period yet.” An Chen looked at her sympathetically and sighed. “Even with an inhibitor, it only ensures you can function normally, but you’ll still feel unwell. It makes you feel lazy and weak, with no energy for anything...”
“Yes, that’s right.” Ling Jing also looked up from her documents, joining the conversation with a serious expression. “An Chen’s case is already considered relatively mild. My reaction during my susceptible period is quite strong; even with an inhibitor, I can only stay at home. It’s like... my senses suddenly become extremely sensitive, and the slightest noise can easily make me angry. And that time my susceptible period was triggered early by an allergy, I couldn’t even use an inhibitor until the allergy symptoms subsided for fear of complications... Wow, that was absolute misery for me.”
Although it was all called a susceptible period, it seemed to manifest differently in different Alphas. Zhuang Chi listened with partial understanding. Beside her, Olivia looked at her with some concern and spoke up, “...Speaking of which, Zhuang Chi, have you felt anything recently? I remember that an Alpha’s first susceptible period usually arrives within two or three months after differentiation. I wonder what the condition of your gland is like now...”
“A feeling...” Zhuang Chi thought hard for a long time before shaking her head. “Nothing special. Can you all feel it in advance before your susceptible period? Can you give me a general idea?”
“It varies from person to person. Let me talk about my situation first,” said the currently afflicted An Chen weakly. “I start showing signs two or three days beforehand. First, my gland becomes slightly red and swollen, which is quite obvious when I look in the mirror. Then, I’ll feel like I’m having waves of fever from time to time. Finally, my pheromone control weakens. The day before my susceptible period arrives, I can pretty much smell my own pheromones leaking when I wake up.”
Zhuang Chi listened attentively and then said with a wry smile, “...Except for the feeling of fever, the other two points don’t seem to apply to my current situation. My gland is wrapped in bandages right now, so I can’t see if it’s swollen or not. As for pheromones... I feel like it would be hard for them to escape through my bandages.”
After all, her gland had been somewhat overexerted during the previous incident. The others understood what she meant and lowered their heads sadly. The atmosphere suddenly became heavy. Zhuang Chi felt a little guilty and offered a comforting smile, “Don’t be like that. The doctor said it will get better slowly.”
The Alphas nodded in agreement, but their expressions remained gloomy. Then, Gu Ximian, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke, “Yes. It is indeed getting better. I’ve started to be able to smell some of it recently—your pheromones.”
“...”
The Alphas all froze. Zhuang Chi looked over stiffly, tentatively pointing at herself. “...Are you saying... you can smell my pheromones... right now?”
“Yes.” Gu Ximian nodded and answered frankly, “The scent was very faint when the bandages were first put on, but it’s gotten much better these past few days. It seems the treatment is working.”
“...?!”
She said it so casually, but Zhuang Chi was terrified. She shot up from her seat and scurried to a corner far away from Gu Ximian, frantically raising a hand to hover over her gland. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know... I must have been bothering you these past few days...?”
The protection of the bandages was certainly not as good as a specialized pheromone blocking collar, but her gland needed treatment right now, so the doctor said to wait until the condition improved before wearing it again. Zhuang Chi only remembered to follow the doctor’s orders but hadn’t expected that her gland was actually recovering and functioning properly, allowing Gu Ximian to smell her pheromones. And Gu Ximian, who had smelled it long ago but never mentioned it, looked at her, frowned in disapproval, and shook her head. “Why did you run away? It’s when you’re not by my side that I’m bothered.”
...That was a bit of a strange thing to say. Zhuang Chi blinked, and a sudden realization dawned on her. “...It’s not just me, you can smell everyone else’s pheromones too?”
Gu Ximian lowered her eyes noncommittally and sighed, “I suppose so. Besides yours, it’s hard for me to distinguish anyone else’s.”
Recalling that Gu Ximian found the pheromones of Alphas other than her to be very unpleasant, Zhuang Chi frowned with worry. She felt that getting closer and not getting closer were both problematic, but under Gu Ximian’s silent gaze, she cautiously sat back down in her seat. The other four Alphas had already been thrown into chaos by Gu Ximian’s words, muttering things like, “Seriously? So Gu Ximian can smell it? Then I’m being so rude...” “But I can’t smell anything myself, am I catching a cold?” “Are all Omegas’ senses of smell this sharp... so amazing,” and sniffing themselves as if facing a great enemy, looking like a group of cautious chipmunks.
Zhuang Chi resisted the urge to sniff herself as well and looked at Gu Ximian, who seemed completely unconcerned, whispering, “...Then, will you be very uncomfortable staying here?”
“It’s fine, I’m used to it.” Gu Ximian gave her a faint, reassuring smile. “It’s not as bad as you imagine. The scents aren’t strong, just faint traces. And when you’re sitting next to me, you cover up their scents.”
...How should she put this? Although it sounded like she had done a good thing, which was still pleasing, she felt very shy right now...! Zhuang Chi’s face felt a little hot. She lowered her head to hide it and changed the subject, “Your sense of smell is so sharp. Before, too... you could smell my pheromones on Lily... so amazing.”
“It’s nothing amazing. I only remember your scent, so of course I can recognize it.”
After saying this matter-of-factly, Gu Ximian paused. She seemed to realize only after speaking that her words sounded a bit intimate. She coughed lightly and continued in a nonchalant tone, “...Besides, pheromones are scents that easily cling to clothes or hair. It’s just that everyone is used to it, so it’s harder to notice in daily life. If you consciously try to smell, you can probably detect a little—you should have felt it before, right? Back then, you even... even used my school uniform jacket.”
Gu Ximian seemed to be trying hard to say that last sentence casually, but not only did she stumble over her words, Zhuang Chi’s heart also tightened in response, not knowing how to reply. Gu Ximian quickly continued, “...Actually, the effect probably wasn’t very good. Because I can smell many scents myself, I’m used to using perfume. I spray a bit more for formal occasions and a little less for school, not so obvious, but enough to cover up the scents. So what you smelled on my uniform back then... was probably more of my perfume.”
...Indeed. Zhuang Chi subconsciously recalled that memory. Gu Ximian’s school uniform jacket had the same scent she had smelled in the sports warehouse, but it was indeed mixed with the perfume she had clearly smelled at the ball, blending into a clean and gentle scent like bluebells.
A sudden, sharp pain pricked the back of her neck, making Zhuang Chi’s shoulders tense. Gu Ximian didn’t miss her pained expression and frowned. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well somewhere?”
Zhuang Chi didn’t respond right away. She lowered her eyelashes, thinking as the stinging pain gradually faded: This isn’t the first time.
When I recall the scent of Gu Ximian, my gland hurts, Zhuang Chi thought. Ever since she was rescued... it seems to have always been like this.
At first, it could be explained as a coincidence, but after it happened again and again, Zhuang Chi started to panic. She wasn’t sure if she was overthinking it, but she soon realized: if she wanted to verify whether this situation truly existed, the method of verification didn’t seem difficult—it was right in front of her.
“...It’s nothing, I was just thinking,” Zhuang Chi began slowly, thinking, “...did you spray perfume on your school uniform too? I don’t think I usually smell it.”
For some reason, she had inexplicably hidden this matter. Gu Ximian studied her for a long moment, seemingly finding nothing amiss, and replied, “Because I spray very little, and you’re not that close to me...”
She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes flickering as if she had thought of an idea. When she looked up again, her eyes held a hint of mischievous teasing. She said softly, “Do you want to smell it? I sprayed it on my collar and cuffs today. Where would you like to smell?”
“...”
Zhuang Chi’s gaze subconsciously fell on Gu Ximian’s collar. The buttons of the school uniform shirt were fastened all the way to the top. A slight shift of her eyes revealed a fair neck, still bound by the black inhibitor collar, giving off a sense of confinement with a hint of ambiguous allure.
“...The cuff is fine.” Zhuang Chi didn’t dare to look any longer, lowering her eyes and saying softly, “Is it really okay?”
Gu Ximian, who had made the proposal, was slightly taken aback, looking as if she hadn’t expected Zhuang Chi to actually agree. Zhuang Chi herself felt uneasy, her heart pounding like a drum, and was just about to smooth things over by saying, “Never mind, I was just kidding,” thinking she could find another chance to verify her theory later. But then she saw Gu Ximian slowly raise her right hand and extend it to her. The shirt cuff was neatly wrapped around her slender wrist, revealing a small section of fair, translucent skin, where faint bluish veins were visible underneath.
“...Please.”
She said it in a small voice, then fell silent, quietly waiting for Zhuang Chi’s move.
...Although choosing the cuff over the collar should have been a wise choice, only now did Zhuang Chi realize that smelling a wrist seemed stranger than she had imagined. The Presidium office was only so big. The noisy Alphas over there had already noticed the two of them and had all fallen silent, casting what they thought were surreptitious glances. In reality, their presence was very strong to Zhuang Chi, making her feel awkward all over—wait a minute, they weren't doing anything strange, why were these people all just staring without making a sound?
Knowing that the longer she dragged this out, the more bashful and strange it would seem, Zhuang Chi decided to make it quick. With determination, she raised her hand to support Gu Ximian’s wrist. She was already being very careful, trying to only touch the part covered by the shirt, but she still accidentally touched the skin on Gu Ximian’s wrist. It was cool and delicate, like a soft layer of fresh snow on a branch.
Zhuang Chi leaned down slightly and smelled a fragrance on Gu Ximian’s wrist that was identical to her memory.
She couldn’t help but tremble slightly. Then she slowly straightened up, released Gu Ximian’s hand, and said in a low voice, “...Thank you, it’s... very nice.”
Gu Ximian placed her hand on her lap, her fingers curling imperceptibly, showing a rare hint of helplessness. “Mm, yes, I’m glad you like it... I mean, the perfume. If you want, I can recommend it to you...”
But Zhuang Chi had no time to pay attention to her, because Zhuang Chi herself was now caught in a vortex of panic and confusion.
Under the cover of the bandages, the embers of the stinging pain in her gland were still warm.
At the hospital, Zhuang Chi had her check-up, obediently letting the doctor re-wrap the bandages.
“It’s quite rare to see you come alone,” the doctor said with a smile as she worked. “Because those two always came with you before, I was startled this time, thinking there was some kind of emergency... It’s nothing, the gland’s condition looks quite normal.”
Having deliberately come to the hospital alone, avoiding Gu Ximian and Olivia, Zhuang Chi felt slightly relieved by the doctor’s words. She hesitated for a long time before finally trying to ask, “...Doctor, if my gland suddenly hurts when I smell or think of a certain pheromone scent... is that normal?”
The doctor frowned. “Are you talking about the pheromone that could potentially make you addicted?”
“No.” Zhuang Chi shook her head, but ultimately didn’t say Gu Ximian’s name, only saying vaguely, “It’s another scent.”
The doctor thought for a moment, then asked in detail about the pain and its duration, finally musing for a while, “...If it’s not that pheromone, then it could be the gland’s instinctive stress response, developing phantom pain towards Omega pheromones due to past trauma... But from what you’ve said, the duration isn’t long, so it should be fine. I just checked it, and it’s most likely a normal part of the healing process. Still, you should be careful to avoid prolonged contact with Omega pheromones.”
“Ah, it could also be that your susceptible period is approaching,” the doctor said, looking at Zhuang Chi with sudden realization. “Speaking of which, judging from when you differentiated, you’re indeed at a point where entering your susceptible period at any time wouldn’t be strange.”
“It’s just that you have no experience, so it’s probably hard for you to predict it on your own. I suggest you carry an inhibitor with you during this time, just in case.” As she spoke, the doctor took out two inhibitors and gave them to her. “The first susceptible period is normally not too difficult to get through, one shot is usually enough... but your situation is also special, so take two. If you feel something is off, use it as soon as possible. Oh, and if your emotions fluctuate too much, it might induce an early or harder-to-control susceptible period. Remember to try to stay calm.”
Zhuang Chi took the inhibitors, agreed to all the doctor’s instructions, and then said her goodbyes. After hearing the doctor’s words, she finally felt relieved. Walking out of the hospital, she felt a sense of clarity, mocking herself for worrying so much before. It was just her overthinking things.
It should just be a normal reaction during healing, Zhuang Chi thought. It’ll be fine after a while.
In the office Zhuang Chi had just left, the doctor was writing something in a medical record book. A nurse knocked and entered to call her, striking up a conversation, “Has the patient with pheromone addiction left?”
“Don’t say that, it’s not certain she’s addicted.” The doctor closed her pen, glanced reproachfully at the nurse, and then smiled. “Wish her well. It’s rare to see such a gentle Alpha.”
“Indeed... my mistake.” The nurse nodded, then asked curiously, “I’ve been meaning to ask, for something like addiction, does the possibility increase with the other person’s grade? Do we need to take precautions in our daily lives?”
“No need to worry too much. Although it is related to grade, the probability of addiction is low to begin with. Even if the other person is A-class, it’s not that high,” the doctor replied. “Except for S-class, which is in a league of its own, the other grades are all about the same.”
“Then I’m relieved. She was hurt by an A-class Omega, right? There are no S-class Omegas nowadays. I’ve only seen them in textbooks.” The nurse shrugged and then asked casually, “By the way, what standard does the concentration of heterosexual pheromones need to reach to be considered potentially addictive?”
The doctor thought for a moment and answered.
“—At least the standard of a susceptible period.”
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