Chapter 72
“...Ximian, don’t say such foolish things!”
Olivia was stunned by Gu Ximian’s words, but it was An Chen who reacted first. He rushed forward in a single stride, positioning himself in front of Gu Ximian, and said urgently, “You know what an Alpha in their susceptible period is like. You—just standing here is already very dangerous. A more hot-tempered Alpha would have probably rushed you by now, let alone what you’re thinking of doing… I know you’re anxious, but don’t be impulsive. Zhuang Chi’s situation… and even if we concede everything, even if you’re willing to help her, she’s addicted to Lily’s pheromones. I’m afraid it will be useless even if you go—”
“Useless?” Gu Ximian refused to retreat even half a step. She looked straight ahead, her voice gentle but her words sharp. “How will we know if we don’t try?”
“How can you even test that!” An Chen was exasperated, pointing into the room. “An Alpha deep in her susceptible period—are you going to risk the rest of your life to test it!”
“…” Gu Ximian was silent for a long moment before she slowly said, “I don’t intend to let her mark me permanently.”
“Then you should leave right now!”
An Chen felt he had never seen such a stubborn Gu Ximian. He didn’t understand why, if she understood the stakes, she was still standing here, refusing to move an inch. He said in a low voice, “Are you still hoping that Zhuang Chi can hold back? I know Zhuang Chi is usually gentle, but Ximian! Don’t treat an Alpha in their susceptible period the same as usual! They’re already a beast! She won’t be able to hold back, she’ll bite down!”
He felt he had spoken harshly enough, but Gu Ximian still showed no intention of leaving. She stood quietly at the door, her gaze passing over him and Olivia to the room inside. From this angle, she couldn’t actually see Zhuang Chi, but her gaze was so deep and long. An Chen thought she was being headstrong, yet he saw a strange tranquility in her eyes.
“She’s not a beast,” Gu Ximian said softly. “She’s Zhuang Chi.”
An Chen was speechless, a lump forming in his throat. After thinking it over and over for a long time, he could only manage to squeeze out one sentence: “...Are you serious?”
Gu Ximian looked at him, her eyes shimmering like colored glaze. She gave a faint smile. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
An Chen couldn’t say another word. He even subconsciously stepped aside to let Gu Ximian pass as she walked into the room. It was only after he reacted that he felt something was wrong, but he had already heard a flurry of panicked sounds from inside. The first thing he heard was Zhuang Chi’s voice, unable to hide its alarm: “Don’t—how could you… Don’t…”
He hurriedly ran after them, only to be met with Zhuang Chi’s sudden outburst: “Don’t come any closer, Gu Ximian!”
Gu Ximian’s steps toward her stopped abruptly.
Zhuang Chi cowered at the head of the bed. She was busy wrapping herself in the blanket, covering almost everything below her eyes tightly. She deliberately tried not to look at Gu Ximian, but her blood still couldn’t help but flow faster and faster.
It was as if Gu Ximian’s mere presence in this space had changed the entire atmosphere.
The worst part was that an Alpha’s senses in their susceptible period really did seem to become extremely sensitive. Zhuang Chi forcefully buried her nose in the blanket, so hard that it even started to hurt, yet she felt as if that faint, cool fragrance was stuck to the tip of her nose, impossible to shake off.
…Gu Ximian had concealed her pheromones very well. What she was smelling now was clearly just the scent of Gu Ximian’s perfume. Logically, it shouldn’t have any physiological effect on her glands, Zhuang Chi thought. Why…
It was uncomfortable. Huddling under the blanket like this made her feel even hotter. Even though she knew this was mostly for psychological comfort, she didn’t dare to let go. Zhuang Chi didn’t know what An Chen and Gu Ximian had said at the door, or why they had actually let her in. She was frightened—by the desire welling up from her own instincts. So, without thinking, she had ordered Gu Ximian to stop.
But for some reason, although she could feel that Gu Ximian hadn’t come any closer, she also didn’t hear any sound of her leaving.
She had no choice but to raise her eyes and look at Gu Ximian, who was standing not far away. Her features were beautiful and clean, but the gaze she cast was like a soft yet sharp blade.
Zhuang Chi bit her lower lip hard. The faint pain couldn’t suppress the deafening sound of her heartbeat.
“...Get out,” she said in a low, hoarse voice. “Don’t come near me, don’t stay here, Gu Ximian.”
It was the first time she had been so clearly rejected by Zhuang Chi.
Hearing those words, Gu Ximian’s lips tightened slightly. She realized her fingers had clenched into a fist at some point, with no small amount of force. Her nails had probably already left deep marks in her palm.
Even though I understand Zhuang Chi’s good intentions. Even though I know why she’s saying this, Gu Ximian thought. But still… it feels grating.
As An Chen had said, the concentration of Zhuang Chi’s pheromones in the room was very high. Even with the ventilation turned to maximum, it was just a drop in the bucket. The bittersweet scent enveloped her ethereally, and Gu Ximian almost instantly felt her own glands heat up, but strangely, she didn’t find it repulsive.
She had indeed entered her susceptible period. Zhuang Chi’s pheromones were more aggressive than usual, but as expected, Zhuang Chi was different from others. Gu Ximian’s eyes softened. If other Alphas were beasts that had lost their reason, their pheromones swarming her, conveying the rude intention of treating her as prey on a platter, then Zhuang Chi was like a large dog that had just realized it had wolf’s blood. Even though her pheromones were restless, her inherent gentleness prevailed, making her hide far away from people, whimpering in a corner with restraint.
Her pheromones weren’t so much coveting Gu Ximian as they were being controlled to deliberately stay away from her. It was just that the space was too small to avoid her, which gave them a hint of anxiety. This experience was a bit novel for Gu Ximian, but conversely, the feeling of being avoided by Zhuang Chi was not pleasant. Gu Ximian frowned, and whether out of impulse or something else, she took another step forward.
It was just a small step, but the person cowering at the head of the bed had an unusually large reaction. Zhuang Chi recoiled almost reflexively, but she was already pressed tightly against the headboard. The back of her head knocked against the wall, and she squinted in pain. Gu Ximian’s heart tightened, and she was about to go check on her, but she was immediately stopped by Zhuang Chi, who shouted her name in a heavy tone she had never heard before: “Gu Ximian!”
But Zhuang Chi stopped after just one shout. Deep remorse flashed across her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she spoke again, her voice trembled slightly. “...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you… Don’t come any closer, Gu Ximian. I can’t control myself, I’m thinking very bad things. Can you please leave first…?”
Not good at all, Gu Ximian thought. And saying things like “very bad things”… people who truly want to do bad things wouldn’t say so directly.
She had only been in the room for a short two minutes, but she had already watched Zhuang Chi lose more and more of her composure. She hadn’t felt it when she was stopped earlier, but now, hearing Zhuang Chi apologize to her like this, a strange emotion suddenly arose. A pain, as if her heart was being squeezed, welled up. Gu Ximian couldn’t be bothered with all that. She stubbornly took two more steps forward, and as Zhuang Chi flinched again and looked up at her in alarm, she said, “I’m not leaving. I… I’m here to help you.”
Even though she had made up her mind, she couldn’t help but feel nervous saying such explicit words. Gu Ximian had no related experience whatsoever. She hadn’t paid much attention to the theoretical knowledge before, even feeling a rebellious aversion to it, thinking she would never use this knowledge in her life. Now, she felt a sense of regret.
But there had to be a way. This kind of thing… it would all happen naturally anyway. Gu Ximian’s lips tightened slightly. She just needed to hurry. Once Zhuang Chi agreed, she would make everyone else leave. Since it was Zhuang Chi’s susceptible period, of course she should be the one to—
“...Don’t.”
Zhuang Chi’s response came quickly. She shook her head forcefully, her refusal almost without thought, her voice taut. “...I don’t want you to help me.”
“Don’t say things like that again, Gu Ximian, I…” Zhuang Chi’s words trailed off. The lower half of her face was already hidden under the blanket, and now she suddenly buried her entire face in it. It was obvious even through the blanket that she was trembling violently. When she spoke again, her voice was already tinged with a sob. “...I feel so awful, Ximian, Ximian… Can you please leave quickly, Gu Ximian? I don’t want to… why am I like this, I clearly don’t want to…”
Her sadness was almost tangible, conveyed truthfully to Gu Ximian through her pheromones. Not expecting to be rejected so thoroughly, Gu Ximian froze, her mind a chaotic mess. Before she could process what Zhuang Chi meant, she felt someone approach and partially block her from Zhuang Chi.
“...Regardless, it’s probably better to back up a little for now,” it was Olivia, her gaze resting uneasily on Zhuang Chi. “...It seems like she’s in more pain the closer you get.”
Gu Ximian was speechless. Of course, she had noticed this herself, but now seeing Olivia, her thoughts couldn’t help but drift to the words she had heard at the door, and an indescribable feeling of irritation welled up from the bottom of her heart again.
“That’s because I’m not close enough.” Gu Ximian’s tone unconsciously turned cold and hard, her shoulders tense. “Move.”
This wasn’t just a wild claim. Gu Ximian could feel that she could help Zhuang Chi. And the main reason Zhuang Chi was suffering so much right now was probably Zhuang Chi herself—she was forcing herself to endure, restraining herself excessively, trying with all her might to suppress even the leaking pheromones.
…Why. Gu Ximian couldn’t help but wonder, a trace of unconscious jealousy rising in her heart. She was already here, so why wouldn’t Zhuang Chi choose her? If the Omega Zhuang Chi was addicted to were here, would her response be different?
As she was thinking these chaotic thoughts, she saw that Olivia was still standing there, biting her lower lip, refusing to move. This displeased Gu Ximian even more, and the words that came out were cold and impolite. “What, did she already choose you to help her before?”
She had originally thought the idea was absurd, meant to mock Olivia, but as she said it, she couldn’t suppress a tightening in her heart, feeling that perhaps there was a one-in-a-hundred possibility. Gu Ximian subtly composed herself, not letting this sudden wavering show on her face. Only after seeing Olivia shake her head, finding it hard to speak, did her heart relax. She heard her say, “...No, I just think we should respect Zhuang Chi’s choice.”
Respect Zhuang Chi’s choice. Gu Ximian repeated it in her heart and let out a soft laugh. Anyone could say such platitudes.
If she really acted that way, Gu Ximian knew very well that “Zhuang Chi’s choice” would be to continue using inhibitors. This person was always like this. When making any choice, she would always treat matters concerning herself more lightly. Especially those related to her glands; for some reason, Zhuang Chi never took them seriously enough.
And Gu Ximian would not let her choose that. She was unwilling to let Zhuang Chi get hurt again.
This approach might be too self-willed, but whatever. Gu Ximian never thought of herself as a particularly understanding person anyway. If she were to think according to that kind of “correct” logic, then she shouldn’t even be here right now—the old Gu Ximian would probably have done that. But the current Gu Ximian was different. She had already decided to place Zhuang Chi above reason.
With things having developed to this point, Gu Ximian knew she had made up her mind not to leave Zhuang Chi’s side today. Every single second of delay now was superfluous.
“Alright,” Gu Ximian said softly, giving Olivia a faint smile. “Then let’s respect Zhuang Chi’s choice.”
Under Olivia’s confused gaze, Gu Ximian looked at Zhuang Chi and called to her, “Zhuang Chi, look at me.”
The person huddled in the blanket was reluctant, but she obediently moved, revealing a pair of red-rimmed eyes, looking pitiful beyond measure. The sight made Gu Ximian’s heart tighten, and the idea she had thought might be too rash was immediately finalized.
She quietly watched Zhuang Chi, then suddenly raised her hand and undid the collar on her neck.
Gu Ximian’s pheromones, no longer obstructed, burst forth. The Alphas in the room gasped in unison, a chaotic moment that was followed by a sudden silence. Gu Ximian could feel the Alphas’ gazes fall upon her. In the momentary quiet, she could almost hear someone’s dry swallow.
“What now, Zhuang Chi.”
Gu Ximian had done something so reckless without considering the consequences. Her voice trembled slightly now, but her eyes were focused and serene, and the curve of her lips was stunningly beautiful. The ripples she created crashed into Zhuang Chi’s eyes, stirring up a tempest.
She heard Gu Ximian say softly, “...Do you want the others to stay here, or should they leave?”
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