Chapter 70
An Chen's experience with susceptible periods really didn't apply to her at all.
This was surprisingly the first thought that popped into her head. Zhuang Chi took a deep breath, smelling the coffee in her own pheromones, turned on the ventilation, and walked over to her luggage. She hastily rummaged through it and pulled out the two inhibitors the doctor had given her.
Thank goodness she'd listened to the doctor and kept the inhibitors with her; otherwise, things would have been truly disastrous. Zhuang Chi felt a sense of relief. Recalling what she had learned in class, she clumsily administered the injection herself. The needle prick sent a slight sting, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the continuously rising heat, which was so intense that the fingertips holding the syringe turned faintly red.
...It's so hot, Zhuang Chi thought. Is it because I just took a bath? Or has this susceptible period been going on for a while, but I was so preoccupied with my thoughts and soaking in the hot water that I didn't notice my own strange condition at all?
So careless. Her susceptible period had arrived so silently. Zhuang Chi carefully touched her gland, feeling it swell beneath the bandage. Even though the bandage had some elasticity, it was still squeezed to the point of being painful. She knew that in this situation, the bandage's ability to block her pheromones was negligible. But since she had already administered the inhibitor, she thought the heat should subside after a while, so she remained still, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.
But something was clearly not right.
...What did the teacher say in class before? Zhuang Chi struggled to recall. She remembered being told that there would be some improvement ten minutes after the injection, but more than ten minutes had passed, and she only felt the heat around her intensify rather than subside. Water dripped from the ends of her hair, which she hadn't had time to dry after her bath, bringing a distinct coolness as it landed on her neck. Zhuang Chi could feel a fine layer of sweat forming on the back of her neck; the heat was making her frantic.
The ventilation system was clearly working properly, yet the scent of her own pheromones in Zhuang Chi's nose grew increasingly distinct, making her more and more uneasy. She couldn't help but check the trash can to confirm there was indeed an empty inhibitor syringe. The strangeness of the situation even made her doubt whether she had actually injected herself. Only after seeing the physical evidence could she be sure it wasn't a hallucination. Zhuang Chi let out a heavy breath, and in her bewilderment, her gaze subconsciously fell upon the second inhibitor.
...She remembered the doctor saying at the time, "Usually, one is enough, but your situation is rather special, so take two with you for now," Zhuang Chi vaguely recalled. "Could it be that this is happening because I've really become 'special'? Should I try injecting another one?"
With that thought, she moved to get it. Her hands were already trembling, and sweat trickled from behind her ears, but she still managed to administer the second inhibitor.
This bath was a complete waste. She didn't know how she still had the presence of mind to think about such things. Zhuang Chi gave a wry smile, trying to find humor in her misery. She then took a deep breath; every inhale was scorching. It created the illusion that the oxygen in the room was being incinerated by her pheromones, and then, a faint sense of loneliness emerged.
As time went on, the feeling of loneliness gradually intensified. Zhuang Chi went to the sink to wash her face. The cool water brought her a moment of relief. When she looked up, she saw her reflection in the mirror: her face was flushed red, streaked with water, and her hair was soaking wet. She looked like a dejected, drowned dog.
How awful, Zhuang Chi thought. It's so hot in here. The smell is so bitter, too. I want to open the door, leave this place, and go...
...And then do what?
Damn it. Zhuang Chi's eyes widened in terror. She violently twisted the faucet to its maximum setting and forcefully splashed water on her face. Her hands were shaking so badly that she splashed without any control, soaking a large patch on the front of her pajamas. The damp fabric clung to her scorching body and was warmed through in no time.
What am I thinking? What on earth am I thinking? Zhuang Chi was filled with an unspeakable horror. She tried desperately to control her thoughts, only to find it more difficult than ever before. The more she tried to suppress them, the more she couldn't stop herself from thinking—thinking about the scent she had smelled before, the one that had left such a deep impression in her memory... that scent.
The second inhibitor still had no effect on her. Zhuang Chi curled up in a corner of the room. This was probably the first time she had truly, in the real sense of the word, confronted her Alpha instincts, which were countless times stronger than during her differentiation. They were overwhelmingly fierce and aggressive, like a beast that had lain dormant within her for a long time finally baring its fangs, whispering enticingly in her ear, telling her not to endure any longer, that staying here was useless, that she had to go out and find her.
—Go find Gu Ximian.
Zhuang Chi whimpered and shook her head vigorously, as if trying to fling away these unbearable thoughts. She raised her hands and buried her face in her trembling palms, feeling a filthy, viscous darkness creeping up from her ankles, trying to drag her into the mire of instinct. All she could do was barely hold on, clutching a thin yet surprisingly resilient rope that was probably named "I don't want to hurt Gu Ximian."
What do I do? What do I do? As the voice of the "beast" in her mind grew louder, Zhuang Chi's thoughts became labored. She couldn't consider anything too complex. All she could think was, why aren't the inhibitors working? Is it because the dose isn't enough? Maybe I should inject more.
But she had already used up her inhibitors, Zhuang Chi thought. She had only brought two; there were no more...
She forced herself to think for a moment, then picked up her phone and made a call.
The call was answered quickly, and Ling Jing's carefree voice came through. "Zhuang Chi? Why the sudden call? We're living right next door, you could have just knocked on my door."
"...Ling Jing, what I'm about to say, don't tell Gu Ximian yet." Zhuang Chi had no energy for pleasantries. The chaotic thoughts in her mind finally coalesced into a single, concise question. "...Do you have any inhibitors?"
Ling Jing arrived quickly, but she wasn't alone. Five other people squeezed in behind her—everyone from the Student Council Presidium, except for Gu Ximian, had gathered in the room.
"Cough—wow," Ling Jing, the first to enter, was immediately choked by the scent. Her eyes widened in shock. "...Is this the smell of Zhuang Chi's pheromones? It's such a bitter scent, I thought—do you have the ventilation on? The smell is so strong!"
She scurried off to check, while Olivia, who followed closely behind, leaned over Zhuang Chi, felt her forehead, and frowned. "...How are you this hot... I-I'll go get you a towel—"
"Here." Lou Che deftly handed an already damp towel to Olivia, who had just started to get up. He stepped back a few paces, watching her place the towel on Zhuang Chi's forehead. He touched the back of his own neck with a complicated expression. "...This is insane. My instincts are screaming at me, telling me to get out of here immediately. It's a wonder you can approach Zhuang Chi so calmly..."
Olivia said nothing, gently pressing down Zhuang Chi's hand as she weakly tried to take the towel, and focused on wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"...Zhuang Chi, we brought inhibitors," An Chen said, standing a little farther away. He looked at the trash can with a grave expression and asked, "but from the looks of things... have you already given yourself two shots?"
"...Yeah." Although her reactions were still slow, she felt slightly better thanks to the cold towel. Zhuang Chi nodded and answered truthfully, "But it doesn't seem to have any effect..."
The Alphas exchanged glances, their expressions grim. Olivia spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly. "I heard a doctor say before... that if you're addicted, inhibitors have a reduced effect. Could it be..."
"..."
No one could find the words to respond. In the end, An Chen gritted his teeth, set aside the inhibitors they had brought, and called for the hotel's on-site doctor. The doctor arrived quickly and first unwrapped Zhuang Chi's bandage to check her condition. Meanwhile, Olivia called Zhuang Chi's primary physician. As the two doctors communicated remotely, the others waited nervously for the outcome, only to see the hotel doctor frown with difficulty.
"This is a bit bad," the doctor said, explaining briefly. "The possibility of addiction is very high. Let's give her another shot of inhibitor and see what happens."
Everyone scrambled to gather around Zhuang Chi, watching as the inhibitor was injected. Then, they spent a short yet agonizingly long ten minutes in silence, but still, there was no sign of relief.
Sweat beaded on the doctor's forehead. He looked at Zhuang Chi hesitantly and confessed in a low voice, "...There are two options now. The first is to continue giving her inhibitors. But to be honest, for a first susceptible period, to have three shots produce no effect at all... I've never seen a situation like this, so it's hard to predict how many shots will be needed to work, and too many inhibitors will inevitably have a negative impact on her gland—"
"Then what's the second option?"
Olivia cut him off before he could finish. She saw the doctor's frown deepen as he sighed. "The second option... is to use the pheromones she's addicted to in order to soothe her, allowing her to get through this susceptible period for now. We can treat the addiction slowly afterward. This is, of course, a much safer option than the first, but..."
He looked at the group and said hesitantly, "...I see you're all Alphas. Where is the Omega she's addicted to? Can you find her right now?"
"..." The expressions of the others changed. Ling Jing was the first to curse, gritting her teeth. "...That bastard isn't even in the country anymore, where are we supposed to find her now—damn it, that woman... I should have locked her up if I'd known...!"
The anxious voices of the group rose and fell around her. To Zhuang Chi, lying on the bed, the sounds seemed to float in mid-air, sometimes clear, sometimes muffled. But she had at least managed to understand the doctor's words and vaguely realized: she really did seem to be addicted to pheromones.
My luck is really terrible. The doctor had said the probability was low, Zhuang Chi thought hazily. Lily... I'm sure she can't be brought over on short notice. That means the only option is more inhibitors. It's fine, as long as they actually work. It's much better than continuing to burn up like this...
It's so unbearable. Is this what a susceptible period feels like? It was as if a recklessly burning sunset was clinging to her neck, while the constant fire boiled all the moisture from her body. The blood beneath her skin felt thick and scalding, and her heart pounded restlessly, like the violent reaction after a long-distance run that had pushed her far beyond her physical limits.
And amidst this torment, she thought of Gu Ximian, again and again.
Gu Ximian. Gu Ximian probably hadn't noticed her condition yet. But everyone else had gathered here; wouldn't that cause a big commotion? She had only intended to call Ling Jing. It seemed Ling Jing had been worried and gathered the other Alphas. She also didn't know if Ling Jing had done as she'd asked on the phone and kept it from Gu Ximian for now. She must have, otherwise it would be impossible for Gu Ximian not to be here right now—
No, that's not right. What's so impossible about it? Zhuang Chi mentally refuted her own thought, as if answering her own question. She was an Alpha in her susceptible period, which was very dangerous for Gu Ximian. Even if Gu Ximian knew about her condition, she should stay farther away, and certainly shouldn't come to visit her. She ought to be grateful that Gu Ximian wasn't here, not think about it so matter-of-factly, as if she were faintly disappointed not to see her...
...Why do I always think of Gu Ximian?
A sense of grievance, its origin unclear, suddenly welled up in her heart. Zhuang Chi didn't know that Alphas in their susceptible period become emotionally sensitive, and many, like her, become more fragile. She just felt it was her own fault. The emotions mixed with her instincts made her feel afraid, feel impure. She felt she was a bad person for having such terrible thoughts.
She thought that if one of Gu Ximian's jackets were here right now, she would, just like she'd seen in that video before, be unable to resist biting its cuff.
Post a Comment