Ye Zhixun was on the balcony answering her aunt’s phone call.
They had already landed.
They called to let her know they had arrived safely while also nagging her with reminders.
Ye Zhixun occasionally hummed in acknowledgment to show she was listening, though her mind had already wandered.
A faint floral and fruity fragrance drifted by, snapping her back to reality.
Glancing toward the living room with her phone still in hand, she was startled.
Someone was lying on the floor.
“Auntie, I have something to take care of, I’ll call home tomorrow,” Ye Zhixun quickly said to her aunt, who was in the middle of a lively conversation, before hanging up.
She hurried into the living room.
And saw clearly who was lying there.
It was Yu Li!
She was wearing a champagne-colored gown adorned with three-dimensional floral embellishments. Though the high-necked, long-sleeved design covered her completely, the fitted waistline and her curled-up posture accentuated her curves.
Ye Zhixun only glanced before immediately looking away.
Yet the floral-fruity pheromones radiating from Yu Li’s curled-up body were impossible to ignore.
The top notes were a blend of rose and citrus, with a subtle sweetness that lingered on the tongue, growing richer and more intoxicating over time.
Ye Zhixun swallowed hard. Her marking teeth itched, and she couldn’t help but press her tongue against them.
Images from the isolation room suppressed but never truly forgotten, flooded her mind. Her pulse quickened, her heart pounding wildly.
She shook her head violently.
How could this be?!
She had smelled omega pheromones before without much reaction.
And she hadn’t taken any suppressants today!
Yu Li clearly wasn’t herself right now, yet Ye Zhixun was being affected by her pheromones, how shameful.
Yu Li was always composed, icy and untouchable, effortlessly in control, the kind of person others feared.
But now, she looked as if her armor had shattered.
“Jiejie, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?” Ye Zhixun asked softly, her voice tinged with unease.
Yu Li turned her face from where it had been buried in her arms, squinting at Ye Zhixun before letting out a faint hum whether in response or just unconsciously, it was hard to tell.
Ye Zhixun caught a whiff of alcohol.
She guessed Yu Li must have been drinking.
“Jiejie, dinner is ready. Can you get up? Maybe take a shower and change first, then eat?” Ye Zhixun suggested carefully.
Yu Li’s gaze gradually sharpened slightly.
She had forgotten, she’d asked Ye Zhixun to come to Victoria Harbour Court to cook.
With someone else here, this state of hers was far too undignified.
Though she didn’t feel like moving at all, she forced herself up, gripping the sofa for support.
Her head felt heavy, her vision blurred as if veiled in mist.
She tried taking a couple of steps but bumped her leg against the coffee table, collapsing again.
Ye Zhixun hadn’t been looking directly at Yu Li, but from the corner of her eye, she saw her fall once more.
She really was drunk.
“Jiejie, don’t force yourself. Just sit for now. I’ll bring you some soup to sober up. Once you feel clearer, you can shower.”
Ye Zhixun spoke gently.
“……” Yu Li was too exhausted to think straight. Hearing she didn’t need to get up, she stayed seated on the carpet, leaning against the sofa, arms wrapped around herself.
Ye Zhixun took a few steps forward before turning back, grabbing a blanket to drape over Yu Li.
The air conditioning was on indoors, maintaining a comfortable temperature that wasn’t too cold. Yet Yu Li seemed to feel chilly, tightening the blanket Ye Zhixun had given her around herself.
The scent of Yu Li’s pheromones grew stronger in the room. On her way to the kitchen, Ye Zhixun activated the air purification system to filter out the pheromones.
In the kitchen, Ye Zhixun ladled half a bowl of borscht from the pot fortunately she’d made some that evening, perfect for sobering someone up and warming their stomach.
When Ye Zhixun returned with the soup, Yu Li was still sitting wrapped in the blanket, only half her face visible.
Ye Zhixun placed the borscht before Yu Li.
“Sister, drink some soup first,” Ye Zhixun said.
Yu Li lifted her eyelids to look at Ye Zhixun, then slowly freed a hand from the blanket to take the bowl.
“It’s hot, drink slowly,” Ye Zhixun couldn’t help adding, seeing Yu Li’s dazed state.
Not that she needed to remind her, Yu Li moved as if everything were in slow motion. She scooped a spoonful, blew on it leisurely, then took a small sip.
Ye Zhixun exhaled in relief. She didn’t seem too drunk.
Yu Li finished the small portion of soup.
The sweet and sour flavor was delightfully fresh.
Her stomach warmed, and her taste buds were satisfied.
“I’ll give you a raise,” Yu Li said. This was her most straightforward and most popular way of praising employees.
Hearing this, Ye Zhixun didn’t sense any authority in Yu Li’s tone. Instead, she thought Yu Li seemed like a different person when drunk almost, well-behaved.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly dismissed the absurd thought.
“Sister, do you want to shower first or eat first?” Ye Zhixun took the empty bowl and asked again.
“Eat,” Yu Li replied. The borscht had whetted her appetite.
She stood up, steadier this time, and didn’t collapse again. Slowly, she followed Ye Zhixun to the dining table and sat down.
After sharing a few meals with Yu Li, Ye Zhixun had noticed she preferred sweet and sour dishes, especially those with vibrant colors, which she ate more of.
So Ye Zhixun had tailored the menu accordingly.
Like the borscht earlier, or the pineapple sweet and sour pork with green and red peppers on the table, the glossy sweet and sour spare ribs, and the braised greens, all visually appealing. Using the fresh ingredients recently sent by her aunt, the flavors were exceptionally tender.
The soup Yu Li had just drunk was mostly broth, leaving her stomach still empty. Now, seeing the dishes on the table, her gray mood seemed to gain some color.
Yu Li was dressed in a haute couture gown, adorned with earrings and a necklace, her makeup and hair done, though slightly disheveled, like a rose battered by rain, swaying precariously yet losing none of its beauty.
This version of Yu Li, picking up chopsticks to eat simple home-cooked dishes, resembled an immortal indulging in mortal pleasures.
Ye Zhixun lowered her eyes, busying herself with wiping the table and stove again.
It took Yu Li a while to finish eating.
She didn’t eat much, but because she ate slowly, it took her about half an hour.
After the meal, Yu Li felt slightly better.
Her stomach had been soothed by the warm food.
Only her glands still felt uncomfortable.
Her makeup clung to her face, and her tight-fitting clothes made everything feel off.
Yu Li got up to take a shower.
Seeing that she was walking steadily enough, Ye Zhixun didn’t pay further attention and hurried to clean the kitchen.
By the time the kitchen was tidied, the pheromones in the room had been mostly filtered out by the ventilation system.
Only a faint trace remained.
But Ye Zhixun could still sense it.
From the moment Yu Li entered until now, although the purification device had been working continuously, Ye Zhixunn had already absorbed quite a bit.
Those pheromones were like threads pulling at her, making her own pheromones uncontrollable.
Ye Zhixun wanted to leave immediately.
But she wasn’t sure if Yu Li, now sobered up, could properly finish her bath, so she had no choice but to stay and wait a little longer.
Who knew that “a little longer” would turn into nearly half an hour?
Yu Li still hadn’t come out.
Ye Zhixun ran a hand through her hair and knocked on the bathroom door.
“Sister, I’m about to leave. Do you need anything else from me?” she called out, raising her voice.
There was a brief silence before Yu Li’s slightly hoarse voice came through.
“Come in.”
Ye Zhixun hesitated.
“Help me up,” Yu Li’s voice sounded again.
Pressing her lips together, Ye Zhixun turned the bathroom door handle.
Yu Li was leaning against the sink, looking like she could barely stand.
Good news, Yu Li was wearing a bathrobe.
Bad news, the robe was loose, nearly slipping off, and the entire bathroom was thick with the humid, floral-fruity scent of her pheromones, so potent that Ye Zhixun nearly choked.
The sweetness was stronger now.
Like stumbling into a pile of citrus during autumn harvest, only to find it strewn with rose petals, a few of the fruits split open, their tangy-sweet aroma instantly overwhelming the senses.
A fragrance that was soft yet aggressively pervasive.
The restlessness Ye Zhixun had just suppressed flared up again.
At this moment, all she wanted was to run.
“Are you coming or not…?” Yu Li’s voice carried a hint of impatience, and Ye Zhixun mechanically stepped forward.
Before she could even steady Yu Li, her gaze landed on the exposed skin revealed by the deep V of the bathrobe.
Ye Zhixun’s mind buzzed, and she sucked in a sharp breath.
Yu Li’s skin still bore numerous marks.
No wonder she had always seen Yu Li dressed so conservatively.
It turned out the marks she had left on Yu Li’s skin that day hadn’t faded they had just been concealed.
The bite mark on her neck, right over the gland, was particularly noticeable. The thin skin there was slightly swollen, the surrounding area flushed a vivid red against her pale complexion.
Before Yu Li could say anything else, Ye Zhixun quickly located a towel in the bathroom, wrapped it around Yu Li, scooped her up bridal-style, and sprinted to the bedroom at full speed before tucking her under the covers.
The whole sequence was so fast Yu Li barely had time to react.
Only when Ye Zhixun set her down and turned to leave did Yu Li grab her sleeve.
Yu Li’s drunkenness had faded considerably, but after her bath, her blood circulation had quickened, making her gland increasingly uncomfortable and her body weak.
She wanted to catch a whiff of Ye Zhixun’s pheromones.
When Ye Zhixun had carried her, she thought she’d caught a faint trace but it was too fleeting.
“Sister, I really have to go. You should rest,” Ye Zhixun said with difficulty, tugging at her own sleeve.
Yu Li’s wrist was slender and pale, with what looked like fresh finger-shaped bruises.
Unsure if Yu Li had accidentally hurt herself, Ye Zhixun didn’t dare pull too hard.
“Don’t go. Overtime. I’ll pay you overtime,” Yu Li murmured.