Yu Li looked at Ye Zhixun, who seemed frozen in place, the young alpha’s eyes filled with panic and helplessness.
Yu Li slowly rose and walked toward Ye Zhixun.
The soft nightgown swayed with her movements, accentuating her graceful curves.
Ye Zhixun’s throat bobbed as she swallowed hard.
[Calm down, calm down, calm down.]
She repeated the words to herself in her mind.
But as Yu Li drew closer, staying calm became impossible. She could only barely manage to turn her head away, avoiding Yu Li’s gaze.
Yu Li circled Ye Zhixun, observing her.
“You’ve been avoiding me all day. Is this how you perform as a life assistant?” Yu Li asked softly, stopping in front of her. She placed a finger under Ye Zhixun’s chin, tilting her face back toward her.
Yu Li’s heart skipped a beat when their eyes met.
There was a shift in Ye Zhixun’s gaze like a docile creature baring its fangs.
“Help me to the dining room. I haven’t eaten yet,” Yu Li said, extending her hand.
Ye Zhixun’s breathing grew erratic as Yu Li’s scent intensified with her proximity.
Following Yu Li’s command, Ye Zhixun grabbed her arm but the force was uncontrolled, pulling Yu Li off balance and straight into her embrace.
Instinctively, Ye Zhixun’s other arm wrapped around Yu Li’s waist, her fingers sinking into the smooth silk of the nightgown and the soft flesh beneath.
The omega in her arms was pliant, radiating a “dangerous” pheromone.
Just that brief contact was enough to unravel Ye Zhixun completely.
She was losing control.
Her grip tightened unconsciously, her eyes darkening as they fixated on the exposed gland at Yu Li’s neck her marking teeth itching to sink in.
Yu Li’s two-piece sleepwear consisted of a thin-strapped V-neck nightdress beneath, leaving much of her neck bare.
Her scent gland was uncovered.
The thin, nearly translucent patch of skin pulsed faintly with each breath.
To Ye Zhixun, it was the most tantalizing sight.
When Yu Li had deliberately released her pheromones and approached, there might have been a hint of mischief in her actions. But now, her legs truly felt weak.
She hadn’t expected the young alpha’s pull to be so forceful.
Ye Zhixun’s own scent spilled out, growing stronger the closer they were.
It was still that faint floral fragrance, but its effect was amplified tenfold.
Yu Li rested her head against Ye Zhixun’s shoulder, looking up at her.
Ye Zhixun felt the soft exhales against her skin, her face burning as if she might melt.
[Help me, help me, help me.]
[Someone save me.]
Her mind was blank, overwhelmed by the thick, intoxicating pull of Yu Li’s pheromones like an invisible hand forcing her head down toward that vulnerable gland.
When her lips brushed against the delicate skin, Ye Zhixun’s teeth trembled.
She wanted nothing more than to pierce that spot with her marking teeth.
“Mm…” Ye Zhixun buried her face in the crook of Yu Li’s neck, inhaling deeply.
Yu Li felt the soft press of lips parting against her skin.
The heat of Ye Zhixun’s mouth against her gland sent a shiver through her.
Just as Yu Li thought Ye Zhixun was about to bite down, the alpha suddenly lifted her head. In the next moment, Yu Li was swiftly lifted, carried to the bed, and tightly wrapped in the blankets.
Ye Zhixun stood up slowly, as if carrying an unbearable weight.
The ragged sound of her breathing filled Yu Li’s ears like the wheezing of bellows.
“Sister, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. You… you might be in heat. You need a doctor. I’ll call an ambulance!”
Ye Zhixun’s voice trembled as she spoke. Yu Li noticed a trace of blood at the corner of Ye Zhixun’s lips, quickly wiped away.
After speaking, Ye Zhixun staggered out of the bedroom.
She hadn’t bitten Yu Li’s scent gland she had bitten her own tongue.
In the struggle between instinct and reason, reason had won.
Even if Yu Li wasn’t as intimidating as the rumors suggested, Ye Zhixun’s principles wouldn’t allow her to do anything more to Yu Li.
The first time in the isolation room had been an accident. She didn’t want another one.
Lying on the bed, Yu Li hadn’t achieved what she’d intended, yet her mood didn’t sour because of it.
The pheromones in the room, Yu Li hadn’t controlled them. Or perhaps she had deliberately let them loose.
They were far stronger than yesterday.
Did Ye Zhixun really not suspect this was intentional?
Instead, she blamed herself, taking full responsibility.
Ye Zhixun had clearly been on the verge of biting down, but she’d restrained herself.
Yu Li prided herself on her self-control, but she had to admit, Ye Zhixun wasn’t lacking in that regard.
Yu Li thought back to what Yu Qi had said.
They had been together for three years, yet Ye Zhixun had never deliberately released her pheromones or marked Yu Qi.
She’d insisted they had to be married first.
At the time, Yu Qi’s words had been a mix of truth and lies, and Yu Li hadn’t believed her.
Ye Zhixun’s behavior in the isolation room hadn’t matched Yu Qi’s claims.
But now, Yu Li believed it.
Ye Zhixun stood on the balcony outside the living room, opening the window to let the cold air in. A few deep breaths of fresh air helped clear her head slightly.
She had almost made another mistake just now.
No, she already had.
Grabbing Yu Li’s arm, pulling her into her embrace!
She had nearly marked her.
How could she have been so bold?
In the isolation room, she hadn’t known it was Yu Li. But now that she did, how could she still dare?!
Adding sin to sin, how would Yu Li punish her?
Ye Zhixun didn’t dare think about it. She smacked her own forehead.
She didn’t know what to do about an omega in heat, the only thing she could think of was calling an ambulance and sending Yu Li to the hospital.
As she pulled out her phone to make the call, it rang first.
“No need for an ambulance. I have suppressants. Bring me my laptop from the study. Also, I don’t like today’s meal, you eat it and make me something else.” Yu Li’s voice came through the phone, colder than before.
“…Okay.” Ye Zhixun managed a single word before Yu Li hung up.
Had Yu Li already started thinking about how to “deal with” her?
Ye Zhixun was filled with regret.
But Yu Li was waiting, so she had to do as she was told.
She found Yu Li’s laptop and brought it to the bedroom.
The air purifier was running now, making the atmosphere slightly more bearable.
Yu Li sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, a slender cigarette between her fingers omega-calming agents she kept on hand.
Qin Shuangxue had been persuaded to go home, so without access to suppressants, this was Yu Li’s only option.
The calming agent didn’t taste pleasant. Each inhale left her throat dry and scratchy.
But she needed to stay clear-headed for a while, so she endured it.
Ye Zhixun obediently handed over the laptop, then quickly retreated, closing the door behind her.
She had no appetite for food. She packed up the meal she’d made earlier for Yu Li and started preparing a new one.
On the other side, not far from Victoria Harbor Residence, Huo Jinmian returned to the old Huo family home and saw her sister Huo Jinle.
“Weren’t you going out for a gathering? Why did you bring something back? What’s in that plastic bag?” Huo Jinle casually asked upon seeing Huo Jinmian.
“A friend gave it to me, said it was grown at home,” Huo Jinmian replied, placing the items on the table.
It was a gift from Ye Zhixun.
Huo Jinle gave the plastic-bagged items a disdainful glance before losing interest.
“Why do you look unhappy? You mentioned liking an alpha before, did you manage to win them over?” Huo Jinle pressed.
“No,” Huo Jinmian shook her head, visibly dejected.
Ye Zhixun still had lingering feelings for Yu Qi, it would take some effort to win her over.
“Seriously? Which family’s alpha is this difficult to pursue? Don’t tell me it’s…” Huo Jinle was shocked.
“No particular family, just an ordinary alpha,” Huo Jinmian said.
“An ordinary alpha with no background, what do you even see in her? Don’t be such a lovestruck fool,” Huo Jinle sighed.
“She’s gorgeous tall with long legs, and incredibly athletic. She won first place in every event she participated in during the school sports meet. Her endurance is exceptional too; she recently ran over 20 kilometers on the track field and caught the attention of school coaches who want to recommend her for the university marathon league. Plus, she’s clearly brilliant, she got into our university’s most competitive major, Materials Physics, as the top science student. Later, for some reason, she switched to Photography. In that department, she’s won first place in multiple university photography competitions. Also…”
Huo Jinmian recounted Ye Zhixun’s achievements as if listing treasures.
Aside from provoking Yu Qi, Huo Jinmian genuinely had feelings for Ye Zhixun.
After hearing just a few points, Huo Jinle immediately changed her stance.
“Go for it. Keep pursuing her. Our family doesn’t need you for arranged marriages, and you’re not short on money, chase her boldly. Physical stamina and endurance like that are advantages even family status can’t replace,” Huo Jinle declared.
“…” Huo Jinmian hadn’t expected her sister to flip so quickly and with such a skewed focus.
Still, having her sister’s support was a good thing.
She’d take it slow. She refused to believe she couldn’t win Ye Zhixun over.
As Huo Jinmian pondered how to get closer to Ye Zhixun during their next outing, Ye Zhixun had already finished cooking at Yu Li’s place.
When Yu Li came out for dinner, she was still wearing her earlier sleepwear, but her expression was stern, her gaze icy, and her complexion had returned to its usual pallid, bloodless tone.
A single glance from Yu Li made Ye Zhixun shiver.
Yu Li’s eyes looked like they could kill her.
While cooking, Ye Zhixun had already mentally prepared herself. Yu Li’s earlier discomfort was likely due to her heat cycle not being over yet as her life assistant, Ye Zhixun had failed to care for her properly and instead acted recklessly. Now that Yu Li had taken suppressants and regained her composure, she was probably recalling what happened earlier and…
Ye Zhixun could only pray for mercy.
Yu Li sat at the table and ate slowly.
Human suppressants were off-limits; she had to use omega pacifiers instead, and their awful taste did nothing to improve her mood.
“Come with me,” Yu Li said coldly after finishing her meal, standing up.
Ye Zhixun steeled herself and followed.
It felt like her judgment hour had arrived.
Ye Zhixun followed Yu Li into the study, watching as Yu Li took a stack of printed papers from the printer and stapled them into two copies.
“I’ve made up my mind. Sign this, and once the agreement ends, we’ll be even. Sign your name on the last page as Party B, fill in your ID number. Take a look, and if you have no objections, sign it.” Yu Li flipped to the signature section of the stack and showed it to Ye Zhixun.
Ye Zhixun’s hands trembled slightly.
She had finally received her “verdict.”
There wasn’t much to scrutinize, whatever punishment Yu Li deemed fit was deserved.
She couldn’t alter the “verdict” herself anyway.
Without hesitation, Ye Zhixun took the pen and signed her name in the designated Party B section on both copies.
She would accept the judgment.
Serve her sentence obediently and hope for an early release.
Yu Li watched as Ye Zhixun signed decisively, realizing her prepared speech now seemed unnecessary.
Yet, what other alphas would beg for seemed, in her case, like signing a contract of servitude, her expression one of grim resignation, as if facing impending doom.
So, while biologically drawn to her pheromones, did she still resent her on a psychological level?
Was she signing out of fear?
“The agreement is in duplicate, one for you.” Yu Li took the document from Ye Zhixun, signed her own name, and handed one copy back.
Yu Li’s demeanor was as if she had just closed a business deal.
“The agreement lasts one year. You cannot voluntarily disclose its contents to anyone. From now on, the terms outlined here will govern our behavior. Review it carefully and commit it to memory. Clause 2.2 states that during the agreement period, Party B must not engage in any ambiguous relationships with other omegas or carry their scent. Clause 2.3 stipulates that Party B is responsible for providing temporary marks during Party A’s heat—”
Yu Li’s tone was strictly professional.
But the more Ye Zhixun listened, the more something felt off.
What kind of “verdict” was written like this?!
Her heart skipped a beat as she hastily pulled the agreement closer, flipping to the first page to read the header.
Emblazoned across the cover were four bold characters: Marriage Agreement.