Yu Li hadn’t drunk much champagne. After sobering up with some borscht and having a meal, her mind was still relatively clear.
However, her glands felt uncomfortable from the continuous “assault” of mixed alpha pheromones.
Her body involuntarily recalled the scent of Ye Zhixun’s pheromones from that day in the isolation room.
Her glands knew that scent could ease this discomfort.
The words slipped out before Yu Li realized it, but she didn’t take them back. She simply looked at Ye Zhixun.
If she had the strength, she might have pulled Ye Zhixun closer just to take a deep breath, to confirm whether what she had sensed earlier was real or just an illusion.
After spending a few days together, Yu Li had noticed that Ye Zhixun had remarkable control over her pheromones. It was nearly impossible to detect any trace of them.
Just as Yu Qi had said, in everyday interactions, Ye Zhixun seemed like a beta without any noticeable pheromones.
But in front of Yu Li, she was more like a startled pearl clam, tightly sealed, revealing nothing, as if facing a natural predator.
Right now, Yu Li wanted to pry open that clam and see for herself.
As soon as Yu Li finished telling Ye Zhixun to work overtime, the young alpha coughed several times, as if choking on air.
Yu Li watched her.
Ye Zhixun’s eyes trembled, her expression flustered and uneasy, as if the sky had just fallen on her.
Was she really that terrified of working overtime?
How timid.
“I—I…” Ye Zhixun stammered, unable to form a proper refusal.
Her face burned. Even after fleeing the bathroom, Yu Li’s pheromones lingered in the air—rich, intoxicating, making her marking teeth ache unbearably.
Ye Zhixun felt herself slipping into the same state as that day in the isolation room.
Alarm bells blared in her mind.
[Help, help, HELP!]
[I’ve already messed up once, I can’t do it again!]
[My life is on the line! Who cares if it’s sweet or fragrant? None of that matters!]
“What’s wrong? Don’t want to work overtime? Didn’t you say you were willing to do anything…?” Yu Li murmured, her voice low and deliberate.
Hearing this, Ye Zhixun nearly cried.
She had indeed said that.
“Elder Sister, what… what else do you need me to do?” Ye Zhixun forced out.
“I’m thirsty,” Yu Li said, lowering her gaze.
Without hesitation, Ye Zhixun rushed out to fetch water.
When she returned to the bedroom with the cup, Yu Li was still in the same state—wrapped in a towel and buried under the blankets.
“Elder Sister, here’s water,” Ye Zhixun said as she entered.
“I can’t sit up. Help me,” Yu Li replied, lifting her eyes to meet Ye Zhixun’s.
“……” Silently, Ye Zhixun set the cup aside and tried her best to imagine Yu Li as nothing more than a pillow.
Stiffly, she approached, carefully lifting Yu Li with the blanket still draped around her, then propped her against the headboard before immediately withdrawing her hands.
As Ye Zhixun drew near, Yu Li caught another faint whiff of her pheromones.
Just a trace.
A light floral scent—so subtle that Yu Li couldn’t even identify the flower.
Yet her troublesome glands, shameless as they were, already felt slightly soothed by that minuscule amount.
That tiny hint of pheromones was like…
A gentle, massaging hand, easing the discomfort in her glands.
But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.
“My arms are too weak to lift,” Yu Li added once she was seated.
“……” Resigned, Ye Zhixun brought the cup to Yu Li’s lips.
At this point, she was convinced Yu Li didn’t actually want water—she just wanted to torment her.
Yu Li’s pheromones were overwhelming.
Now feeding Yu Li water, Ye Zhixun had no choice but to keep looking at her to avoid spilling.
Yu Li’s pink, moist lips parted slightly as she drank from Ye Zhixun’s hand, taking slow, small sips.
For some reason, Ye Zhixun recalled that day, the soft lips she had touched in the dim light.
The pheromones had been richer then, sweeter.
[Ahhhhhhh!]
[Ye Zhixun, wake up!]
[Are you trying to get yourself killed?!]
Yu Li drank a few sips of warm water from Ye Zhixun’s hand, soothing her dry throat a little.
Ye Zhixun was releasing only the faintest trace of pheromones.
Yu Li could sense the tension in Ye Zhixun’s body, she was restraining herself.
On one hand, Yu Li appreciated such restraint in an alpha. On the other, the lack of pheromones left her dissatisfied.
Once Yu Li finished drinking, Ye Zhixun immediately hurried out to put the cup away, lingering for a while before finally returning to Yu Li’s door.
“Sister, is there anything else you need?”Ye Zhixun asked from the doorway, not daring to enter.
“Come in and sit. I drank at the banquet today and don’t feel well. Stay until I fall asleep. Triple pay, calculated by the hour,” Yu Li said, watching the extremely stiff Ye Zhixun.
“Okay,” Ye Zhixun replied, rigidly walking into the bedroom and sitting on the nearby sofa, silently willing Yu Li to fall asleep quickly.
Yu Li lay back down.
Normally, she would never keep an alpha nearby while releasing pheromones.
But this was Ye Zhixun. Yu Li wasn’t worried in fact, she wished the girl would release more pheromones.
“Oh, right. Keep one box of each fruit in the living room, along with enough vegetables for yourself. And leave those two potted plants. I’ll have my assistant pay you market price for them. The rest, you can handle as you like,” Yu Li added, opening her eyes again to look at Ye Zhixun.
Ye Zhixun had apparently texted her about this earlier.
It would be a shame if the fruits went bad here.
“Oh, alright,” Ye Zhixun answered, snapping out of her daze at Yu Li’s words.
She hadn’t expected Yu Li to remember.
Earlier, Yu Li had seemed different dazed, her usual commanding gaze softened, as if not fully conscious. Yet she still recalled the fruit…
Ye Zhixun had never been drunk before and didn’t know how it felt.
Yu Li closed her eyes to sleep.
Ye Zhixun’s pheromones remained faint.
That tiny amount, now that Yu Li was lying down, felt like the gentlest of massages.
Soon, Yu Li drifted off.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Ye Zhixun kept her eyes down, battling against the pheromones in the room.
Her alpha instincts stirred restlessly, but reason held her tightly in check like a leash.
After who knew how long, Ye Zhixun finally glanced toward Yu Li.
Yu Li’s breathing was even, she seemed to be asleep.
Unsure how to confirm, Ye Zhixun softly called, “Sister…”
No response.
Only then did she stand up.
Turning off the main light, she left only the nightlight on.
Once outside the bedroom and the door closed behind her, Ye Zhixun exhaled deeply.
In the living room, she sorted through the items, setting aside what was for Yu Li and stacking the rest to carry out.
There was quite a bit, so she called for a car to haul it all away.
The weather was overcast, but at least the days of rain had finally stopped.
When Ye Zhixun returned, her roommate Gu Qiaqia was eating takeout.
Seeing YYe Zhixun moving things, she quickly went to help.
“There’s a lot of stuff here. Pick two boxes to take home, but you should bring them back soon—they’ve been sitting for two days already,” Ye Zhixun said after moving everything.
“Aunt and Uncle are so kind to send so much! I’m in for a treat! Next time you call home, let me say thank you,” Gu Qiaqia replied.
“Mhm,” Ye Zhixun acknowledged before heading to the bathroom to wash up.
Gu Qiaqia observed Ye Zhixun’s expression, still troubled, lacking the usual calm and composed demeanor.
Heartbreak really takes a toll, she thought.
“Ah-Xun, have you eaten? I ordered extra—come join me,” Gu Qiaqia offered when Ye Zhixun returned.
Ye Zhixun had only prepared a small portion while cooking for Yu Li earlier and hadn’t eaten much, still feeling hungry. Accepting the invitation, she sat down to eat.
“Ah-Xuan, what kind of part-time job are you doing that keeps you working so late? Don’t overwork yourself—take a few days off,” Gu Qiaqia said, noticing Ye Zhixun had cleaned her plate. So she really hadn’t eaten.
Working late on an empty stomach, how miserable.
Before, Ye Zhixun had taken on extra jobs to buy gifts for Yu Qi and the finest ingredients to satisfy her palate. But now? What was driving her to push so hard?
“…Wait, Ah-Xuan, did you take out a loan? Is that why you’re working so much?” Gu Qiaqia suddenly wondered. If Ye Zhixun could commission DAWN for a ring, the cost must’ve been steep.
If she didn’t want to ask her family for money, she’d have to find other ways—maybe borrowing from sketchy online lenders instead of friends.
Not long ago, there was news about a college student drowning in debt who jumped off a building.
“Something like that,” Ye Zhixun admitted after a pause.
Wasn’t her current part-time work for Yu Li essentially repaying a debt?
She owed Yu Li—who knew when she’d ever clear it?
Moreover, to convince DAWN to accept her commission, Ye Zhixun had promised to assist their studio with photography when needed. To cover DAWN’s design and production fees, she’d also signed a contract with a video platform, receiving an advance in exchange for committing to weekly content output and live-streaming hours.
The platform’s manager had seen her face and offered even higher pay if she appeared on camera, but she’d declined since the initial payment had sufficed.
Still, it was already burdensome. Before, she’d made videos casually—now there were quotas to meet.
It was practically like taking out a loan.
Every promise made after the breakup had to be repaid.
“How much do you owe? I have a few thousand saved, take it to pay off the debt first. Maybe we shouldn’t give away the fruit; sell it instead,” Gu Qiaqia suggested, patting Ye Zhixun’s shoulder.
“Thanks, but no. I have to work it off,”Ye Zhixun replied.
“…” Gu Qiaqia could only think how much worse this sounded.
Forcing someone to work for free to repay a debt, what a capitalist move.
“By the way, Ah-Xuan, there’s a gathering tomorrow. You should come and relax a little so you can work better afterward,” Gu Qiaqia added, remembering something.
A certain omega in their department, upon hearing about Ye Zhixun’s breakup, had sought her out to arrange a meeting.
This omega had taken a liking to Ye Zhixun, a wealthy second-gen with connections who might even be able to help.
Moreover, the best way to heal a broken heart is to start a new romance.
“Ah-Xun, just do this as a favor for me. There’s an omega I like at the gathering,” Gu Qiaqia said, noticing Ye Zhixun’s hesitation as she pulled her sleeve.
“Alright,” Ye Zhixun nodded in agreement after hearing Gu Qiaqia’s plea.