Chapter 84
An Omega biting an Alpha's gland? Physiologically speaking, it has no effect.
This wasn't referring to a situation where a forceful bite damages the gland, but rather that neither party gains anything from such an act. At most, the Omega gets to taste the Alpha's pheromones more closely, which might have some soothing effect during a susceptible period.
Such an act carried more of a psychological implication. It's as if their relationship is reversed, with the one being marked changing from the Omega to the Alpha. For this reason, very few in the notoriously proud Alpha community would allow an Omega to do this, not even their partners.
Of course, this had nothing to do with Zhuang Chi.
Gu Ximian didn't bite with much force, but it wasn't so light as to be unnoticeable. Zhuang Chi felt a stinging pain on the side of her neck, but Gu Ximian was too close, her pheromones completely enveloping her, making it difficult to concentrate. It took her a few seconds to slowly realize that she seemed to have been bitten by Gu Ximian.
Her mind couldn't focus on this matter at all. First, she was flustered by Gu Ximian's proximity, and then she was thrown into turmoil by Gu Ximian's words. Gu Ximian's emotions were fluctuating too drastically. Compared to that, a small thing like being bitten on the gland by Gu Ximian couldn't capture Zhuang Chi's attention. Zhuang Chi wanted to ask, but her heart tightened because Gu Ximian was trembling so violently. Faster than thought, her hand subconsciously rose to stroke the back of the person in her arms.
After a long yet brief period, Gu Ximian finally released her bite. Her warm breath still brushed against the side of Zhuang Chi's neck. Zhuang Chi didn't dare to move, afraid of bumping into her. This face-to-face position was really not good. With Gu Ximian leaning against the side with Zhuang Chi's gland, it meant her own gland was wide open right in front of Zhuang Chi. It made Zhuang Chi afraid to even breathe loudly. Thankfully, the stinging pain on her neck helped her maintain some rationality. Just as she was about to stiffly turn her head away, she suddenly felt Gu Ximian press against the side of her neck again.
But this time, what came from her gland wasn't pain, but a wet, soft sensation, gently gliding over the spot that had just been bitten.
“?!”
Her reaction was even stronger than when she was bitten. Zhuang Chi dodged out of reflex, flusteredly straightening up Gu Ximian, who had buried her head in the crook of her neck. A tingling numbness, like an electric shock, still lingered warmly on her gland. Zhuang Chi wanted to raise her hand to touch it but felt it would be too strange. When she spoke, her words came out in a stammer: “You… what are you doing?”
“……” Gu Ximian, whose shoulders were held as she was forcibly straightened up, looked at her quietly. Her dark eyes were moist with a film of dampness. She chuckled softly, her voice light and gentle, “I just bit you and left a mark, so I suddenly wanted to lick it.”
…She really had been licked. Zhuang Chi looked at Gu Ximian, unsure how to respond to her sudden honesty. She only felt a rush of heat spread through her entire body, and when she spoke again, her words were incoherent from the heat: “……The bite mark… the bite mark is fine just left there, you don't need to… Even if the bandage was changed last night, it should still have the smell of medicine on it, right? It must taste very bitter. Do you want some water? I'll go get you some…”
Towards the end, she didn't even know what she was saying. Zhuang Chi was steaming with heat. Gu Ximian was quiet for a long while, then leaned over again, sitting on Zhuang Chi's lap as she was accustomed to during her susceptible period.
“Your first reaction is to say that…” Gu Ximian murmured, an unidentifiable emotion in her voice. She moved a little closer to Zhuang Chi and whispered in her ear, “It is a bit bitter. My mouth tastes like coffee.”
…She was saying strange things again. Zhuang Chi's ears burned as she listened. The hand that was resting on Gu Ximian's back involuntarily slid down with her movement, finally settling on her waist. She hesitantly tightened her hold, meeting no resistance.
Gu Ximian, who had been a little out of control just now, seemed to have calmed down a bit.
Realizing this, she finally felt a little relieved. Only now did Zhuang Chi have the spare capacity to recall Gu Ximian's earlier words. Although no names were mentioned, the content was very pointed. She looked at Gu Ximian, who was looking down without a word, and carefully asked, “Yesterday… you heard?”
“……”
Gu Ximian didn't respond for a moment. Zhuang Chi knew that if she didn't want to answer, she would probably play dumb and try to muddle through with questions like “What about yesterday?”. But this time, Gu Ximian didn't. She nodded, her voice faint, “I heard.”
She admitted it. But she didn't seem to want to continue the topic. Zhuang Chi blinked and voiced the first doubt in her mind, “……But weren't you supposed to be in class at that time?”
“Yes, so what?” Gu Ximian suddenly looked at her, her tone a little sharper as she retorted, “You were supposed to be in that class too. Were you in the classroom then?”
It seemed she had stepped on a landmine. Zhuang Chi pursed her lips, knowing she was in the wrong. Gu Ximian quickly turned her head back, shook it slightly as if agitated, and then said matter-of-factly, “I skipped class. And I hid behind a nearby pillar and listened.”
For Gu Ximian, this was a surprisingly frank admission. Zhuang Chi was stunned for a few seconds, then immediately sensed something was off. She frowned slightly, “Since you heard, why did you say those things just now?”
“……” Gu Ximian fell silent and turned her head away, her gaze awkwardly fixed on an empty spot. “What things? I don't know what you're talking about.”
Ah, now she was a bit more like the usual Gu Ximian, but her performance was too clumsy. The usual Gu Ximian wouldn't say something so transparently false. Zhuang Chi had a rough idea of what was going on. She moved to look into her eyes and asked, “You didn't hear everything, did you?”
Gu Ximian didn't speak, her eyes frequently darting away. But if there was one thing Zhuang Chi had, it was patience. She kept trying to meet her gaze until Gu Ximian couldn't take it anymore. Biting her lower lip, she gave Zhuang Chi a muffled punch on the shoulder. The force wasn't strong, only revealing its owner's unease.
“……Then you tell me,” still unwilling to fully admit it, Gu Ximian cleared her throat unnaturally and said softly, “What was it… that I didn't hear completely?”
Zhuang Chi found her adorable like this and smiled silently. Worried about making her too shy, she quickly composed her expression.
She recalled yesterday's events, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Zhuang Chi shook her head slightly and said in a low voice, “I refused.”
Olivia was in front of her, and the girl looked as if she would burst into tears at any second, making Zhuang Chi's heart hang in suspense.
She hadn't expected to receive such feelings today, especially from Olivia. Zhuang Chi had always attributed all of Olivia's previous actions to her overly strong sense of responsibility. Only now did she realize the truth, yet she felt guilty for realizing it too late.
“……Thank you for being willing to ask for my opinion like this.”
Feelings of affection come from the heart and don't require permission, but Olivia had come to ask her. Zhuang Chi could feel the respect and apprehension beneath her question. When she spoke, this sense of guilt still lingered, but Zhuang Chi knew that she shouldn't show it right now. At a time like this, indecisiveness was a major taboo, and excessive gentleness was not a good thing.
“I'm sorry, Olivia,” Zhuang Chi lowered her head slightly, concluding all her chaotic thoughts in this one sentence, “I can't accept your feelings.”
In that moment, Zhuang Chi had considered many of Olivia's possible reactions. For instance, she might cry, or she might press for a reason. She had prepared herself for many scenarios, but she hadn't guessed correctly. Olivia was just quiet for a long time. She didn't cry; instead, she slowly began to smile.
“……Yes, I know.” she said softly. “Before I came to find you, I already guessed you would answer me this way, so don't worry too much.”
“Although I can't say I wasn't hoping for a different answer, I came to find you today for two main reasons. One is to properly resolve what's been troubling me lately, and the other is…”
“There's a line in my favorite, 【Romeo and Juliet】. In your country's translation, it should be translated as—” Olivia thought for a moment, then recited in a low voice, “‘—I only fear the feast will easily scatter, and a good meeting is hard to come by.’”
“To have met like this is already not easy. And for me to have this chance to tell you my feelings… it's much better than if I kept hesitating, missed the opportunity, and regretted it for the rest of my life.”
“So… you really don't need to worry about me. I'm feeling okay right now, maybe even more relieved than before I came.”
She smiled at Zhuang Chi, a smile tinged with a trace of sadness, like a beautiful lily.
“……I am not your Galatea. I realized that a long time ago.”
“—That's about it.”
After roughly recounting the rest of the conversation, Zhuang Chi lowered her head, not without guilt. “……I feel like she was being considerate of my feelings. To think I made her worry at a time like this…”
“……” Gu Ximian was silent for a long while. Her hand on Zhuang Chi's shoulder tightened slightly, and she said softly, as if to herself, “She's so brave.”
—Completely different from me.
Unable to tell if the feeling lingering in her heart was the sting of inadequacy or the relief of surviving a crisis, Gu Ximian was vexed, but she knew she had indeed breathed a sigh of relief at Zhuang Chi's words. Zhuang Chi was very close to her and could feel her emotional fluctuations. She stared at her intently and asked tentatively, “So, were you angry about this before?”
Gu Ximian stiffened and subconsciously averted her gaze. “……I wasn't angry.”
“Liar.” Zhuang Chi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She gestured to the side of her own neck. “You just bit me a moment ago.”
Gu Ximian followed her finger with a glance, then quickly looked away, her eyelashes trembling as she lowered her gaze. She murmured, “……That wasn't because I was angry.”
It wasn't a punishment chosen out of anger. Gu Ximian knew that what was surging in her chest at that moment was a more chaotic emotion, similar to what she felt when she heard about Zhuang Chi's pheromone addiction to Lily. And now she knew what to call this emotion—possessiveness.
Wanting to taste her, wanting to leave a mark, or even more despicably, wanting to make Zhuang Chi feel pain for her—and only for her.
This ever-expanding, unspeakable feeling made her just like the Alphas Gu Ximian had always despised.
Or perhaps it had nothing to do with one's second gender. It was an emotion everyone might feel at some point.
It was just that Gu Ximian had always thought she was an exception.
“……”
She was quiet for a long while before finally looking at Zhuang Chi. The other's upturned gaze was gentle, as if silently asking her, “If not because of anger, then because of what?” patiently waiting for her. No matter how many times she saw it, she couldn't help but feel her heart tremble when looked at by those eyes. Gu Ximian unconsciously held her breath, trying to calm her suddenly erratic heartbeat.
“It must have hurt when I bit you. I can compensate you.” She hadn't originally intended to say these words, but Gu Ximian felt her mouth move uncontrollably, continuing as if in a dream, “You can bite me back.”
“Where… do you want to bite?”
It was no longer just a hint. After saying it, Gu Ximian fell silent. She watched as those eyes froze for a moment. For an instant, their gaze fell on the “same spot” she had just bitten, but it quickly darted away in a fluster, looking down deeply.
“……You don't have to do that, Gu Ximian. Don't say such things.” Zhuang Chi kept her head lowered, her voice a little hoarse. “It's a good thing I'm not in my susceptible period right now, otherwise…”
Otherwise, you would have bitten me? Gu Ximian thought. Liar. Even during your susceptible period, you would hold back.
The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, but Gu Ximian found the answer in the drum-like heartbeat coming from the body pressed against hers. She dazedly realized that her own heartbeat was probably being transmitted to Zhuang Chi as well, making all her efforts to appear calm a waste.
If Zhuang Chi had really bitten her just like that, things would probably be much simpler, Gu Ximian thought vaguely. But if Zhuang Chi was the type of person to do that, then I definitely wouldn't be feeling this way now. How contradictory.
The words she had just spoken had taken a lot of courage. Gu Ximian admitted to herself that she couldn't compare to Olivia in this regard. She felt unwilling to accept it, and couldn't help but wonder why Zhuang Chi always refused to catch the lines she threw out, as if deliberately avoiding them. They were still in the “treatment” period, so she should be more frank than usual.
Gu Ximian was starting to lose her patience. She had never felt so impatient before, but now, under various influences, an indescribable impulse was born. She now found her thoughts from yesterday utterly absurd and laughable. There was no such thing as “can't run away.” Even something held in the palm of your hand could still be snatched away if you didn't hold on tight.
But not now, Gu Ximian thought. Not yet.
Olivia's approach was to charge forward bravely once she realized her feelings. Gu Ximian was different. Gu Ximian had a strong competitive spirit. Once she made up her mind, she wouldn't allow herself to fail. She would choose the most advantageous and effective time for her.
“……In another half a month, it'll be the Christmas Ball, right?”
She said softly, her hand silently moving to the back of Zhuang Chi's head, twirling a strand of her hair around her fingertip.
“Uh, yes,” although Zhuang Chi didn't know why Gu Ximian suddenly brought it up, she was happy to change the subject and quickly added, “The decorations for the auditorium are more than halfway done. Although time is still a bit tight, there shouldn't be any major problems…”
Gu Ximian lowered her eyes impassively, but her voice was still gentle. “……The work I have on hand is almost finished. I'll come and help afterward.”
She tightened her hands, which were wrapped around the back of Zhuang Chi's neck, like an embrace, holding for a few seconds before letting go.
“Today's treatment should be over.” Gu Ximian said, getting off Zhuang Chi's lap. The sudden loss of warmth made her a little reluctant, but she decisively fastened her inhibitor ring again. “I can't smell any more.”
Zhuang Chi clearly hadn't expected it to end so abruptly. It took her a long while to react. She nodded awkwardly, picking up the scattered bandages beside her, looking as if she intended to wrap them haphazardly herself. Gu Ximian pursed her lips and snatched them from her hand. “I have spares here. I'll help you wrap it in a bit.”
She still nodded obediently. Gu Ximian thought to herself that, as expected, Zhuang Chi wouldn't say it wasn't enough. She said casually, “The next treatment is in two weeks… after the Christmas Ball.”
Her fingers slid over the side of Zhuang Chi's neck, a touch that was both there and not there. The unsuspecting person was still honestly agreeing, unaware of what was going on in her mind.
Gu Ximian was thinking, she hoped that by the time of that treatment, their relationship would no longer be like this.
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