Not long after, Chef Bai, who had been busy in the kitchen for half an hour, brought out the dishes she had prepared.
While she might not be great at other things, Bai Long had quite a bit of confidence in her cooking skills.
Even if it might not compare to dishes made by professional chefs, it was still something she could proudly serve.
Since it was already a bit late when they got back, Bai Long was worried Lu Yue might be too hungry, so she didn’t make too many dishes. Instead, she focused on a few quick ones she was good at.
“Mr. Lu, give them a try and see if they suit your taste. If it’s too salty or too bland, just let me know.”
As she spoke, she handed him the chopsticks, her eyes bright and expectant, and the faint scent of strawberries drifted over him softly once again.
Normally, when out in public, Bai Long kept her pheromones well under control, but once she relaxed at home, traces of them would naturally seep out.
Lu Yue’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he lowered his gaze to the girl’s pale fingers. His gland, which had just been soothed by her pheromones moments ago, began to heat up again.
He subtly shifted his focus from Bai Long’s hand to the table. Even before considering the taste, just the sight of the full table was enough to stir one’s appetite.
The vegetables were vibrant green, the fish soup milky white, and the braised pork had a beautifully caramelized glaze. The dishes were simple home-style fare, but their appearance was flawless.
Under Bai Long’s expectant gaze, Lu Yue picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of spare rib from the nearest dish.
“How is it? Is the flavor alright?”
“It’s delicious.”
Lu Yue wasn’t just being polite—he was particular about food, and if something didn’t suit his taste, he wouldn’t force himself to swallow it.
He hadn’t tried the other dishes yet, but this sweet-and-sour spare rib definitely met his standards.
Seeing the relaxed look on his face, Bai Long finally felt the heavy weight in her chest lift.
“That’s great. I’m glad you like it.”
“Let me get you a bowl of fish soup. Crucian carp soup is really fresh—I didn’t add much salt, so it’s light and natural.”
“Do you often cook at home?”
“Not every day. When I’m at school, I eat at the cafeteria. And after work, I’m usually too tired to move, so I just grab instant noodles, take a shower, and go to bed.”
Drawing on the original owner’s memories, Bai Long thought it over and realized their experiences were quite similar—except the original owner had been an orphan, while she herself had been a left-behind child.
Her parents had been away all year, and she’d lived alone, gradually teaching herself to cook through trial and error.
“It seems like I don’t really have time to cook much in a month—and even when I do, it’s usually just something simple like stir-fried greens.”
This answer didn’t surprise Lu Yue, but hearing Bai Long state it so casually, as if it didn’t matter, made his heart ache.
He chewed the food in his mouth slowly, swallowed, and hesitated for a moment.
“Have you thought about… quitting your part-time job?”
“…Don’t misunderstand. I mean, your health isn’t great to begin with, and not eating properly probably doesn’t help.”
The café job was actually quite manageable compared to others—just a bit busy on weekends.
Plus, the manager treated her well. Bai Long didn’t plan to quit anytime soon.
“No, no, I’m fine now. I was talking about before—I was so short on money that I was working three part-time jobs, but I’ve already quit two of them. Now I only have one left, so it’s not that tiring.”
Lu Yue thought the person in front of him was unbelievably naïve. How much could a café job pay in a month? Probably not even enough to cover rent. Wouldn’t it be better to use their pheromone compatibility to negotiate with him instead?
After all, he was in the dependency period now—he couldn’t refuse her.
But if Bai Long really did that… then she wouldn’t be the person he thought she was.
Bai Long didn’t know what she’d said wrong this time. Sensing the other had gone silent again, she hesitated before using her chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised pork and gently place it in the man’s bowl.
“Mr. Lu, I know you’re worried about me. Don’t worry—I’ll make sure to balance work and rest.”
“Besides, I’m different now—my body has been enhanced. I’m not as weak as before. Now I can handle several people on my own.”
The statement sounded harmless on the surface, but Lu Yue’s sharp senses immediately caught something off.
What did she mean by ‘now I can handle several’?
And before?
“Have you been bullied at school before?”
Bai Long, who had been about to say more, froze. She wasn’t sure whether to nod or shake her head.
Nodding might make Lu Yue worry, but denying it wouldn’t be convincing either.
After all, before her enhancement, her rank had been below average. She looked like a walking weakling—the kind who ended up in the hospital just from getting hit by a volleyball.
Fragile as Lin Daiyu, an easy target at a glance.
“…Just once or twice.”
Hearing this, Lu Yue narrowed his eyes, the scent of white cedar growing sharp and cold.
Even Bai Long was taken aback by the sudden intensity in his expression and hurried to explain.
“But my friend is really good at fighting—she helps me out. And even when I’m alone, they just shove me around a bit, say a few threats, then leave. Honestly, it’s really not a big deal…”
Her voice trailed off as she spoke, unsure whether she should keep going.
Actually, in this world, fights between Alphas were pretty common. As long as things didn’t go too far, teachers usually turned a blind eye.
So every time she got picked on, even without any warning from the bullies, the original owner had never planned to tell a teacher.
It was the same principle as when Bai Long taught Li Xia a lesson—Li Xia never breathed a word about it either.
Not for any particular reason—just because it was humiliating.
“…You get bullied like this and call it ‘nothing’? You really are something.”
Lu Yue bit back the anger churning inside him, staying silent for a long moment before forcing out those words.
Even though he tried hard to keep his emotions in check, the words still came out through gritted teeth.
“It’s not that it was ‘nothing.’ At first, I was really angry too.”
Bai Long didn’t want Lu Yue to think she was a pushover. After a pause, she chose her words carefully and spoke softly.
“But being angry didn’t help—I couldn’t beat them. The moment they released even a little of their pheromones, I’d freeze in place, unable to move. So I just tried to avoid running into them to dodge most of the trouble.”
“But sometimes luck wasn’t on my side. I was scared of getting hurt, so I offered to do their homework for them. After that, they mostly left me alone.”
All of this had been the original owner’s experience. Bai Long found it frustrating too, but she understood.
Unlike others, the original owner had been completely alone—no one to help clean up the mess if things went wrong.
“I know you might think I’m useless, Mr. Lu… but I had no choice. I didn’t have the same confidence to take on everything they could.”
Lu Yue pressed his thin lips together and looked down at the steaming fish soup beside his hand. Even a light touch of his fingertip to the bowl felt scalding.
His mind was clear, but the balance between reason and emotion was slowly tilting toward the girl.
After a long silence—just when Bai Long thought the meal would end without another word—she heard Lu Yue speak in a low, steady voice.
“…You do have it.”
“If you’re willing… I can be the confidence you need to do whatever you want.”
…
Lu Yue didn’t know what mood or thought had driven him to say those words. When he finally came to his senses, he saw the stunned expression on the girl’s face.
What happened next—his body acted before his mind could catch up.
Even though he was the one who had uttered those embarrassing, over-the-top words, before Bai Long could even respond, he threw down his chopsticks, pushed back his bowl, and dashed out the door as if fleeing from a ghost.
“Mr. Lu… what’s wrong?”
The driver, who had been waiting downstairs, was startled when he saw Lu Yue rush out of the building. Seeing him flustered and breathless as he jumped into the car, the driver grew concerned.
“I—I’m fine.”
But even as he said this, his heart was still racing. The scene at the dinner table replayed in his mind like a slideshow.
Lu Yue felt like he had lost his mind.
Those cringe-worthy, cheese-laden words actually came out of his mouth—and directed at an Alpha, no less!
And what was that about being her confidence? How long had he even known her? Did he really think about taking care of her for the rest of her life?!
Damn it, so scary! Alphas are terrifying! They scam you for money, charm you with looks, and now they even trick your heart!
If he’d known marking would turn him into this, he would rather have injected multiple doses of inhibitors and just endured the heat! Great, now he not only had thoughts of becoming her sugar daddy—he was actually fantasizing about the future!
“Mr. Lu, I think I see Ms. Bai Long heading this way…”
Lu Yue whipped his head around. When he caught sight of Bai Long’s figure, his entire body tensed like a startled bird.
“What?! Hurry, drive! Damn it, go now! If she catches up, I’m done for!”
“…”
What kind of nonsense is this?
The “you chase, I flee” flirting game these youngsters play these days?
…
It had been a whole week since that night, and Bai Long hadn’t heard a word from Lu Yue.
Even when she took the initiative to message or call him, he remained completely unresponsive.
Finally, at her wit’s end, Bai Long had no choice but to contact Liang Shen instead.
Liang Shen told her this was a common occurrence during the dependency period—Omegas experienced extreme emotional fluctuations, and she shouldn’t take it personally.
But Bai Long didn’t think that was quite right.
Lu Yue had been with her at the time, and her pheromones had been consistently soothing him.
He had seemed calm throughout, without any of the earlier signs of agitation or restlessness.
The only unusual thing was that after learning she had been bullied, Lu Yue’s pheromones had become erratic.
And then…
He had said those words.
Then… he ran.
After Lu Yue left, Bai Long grabbed her flashlight and rushed after him, worried he might trip in the dark.
Just as she was about to catch up, Lu Yue spotted her first, whipped his head around, and locked eyes with her.
He looked terrified, as if he’d seen some mythical beast, and frantically urged the driver to speed away.
Bai Long stood frozen in place for a long time. If it weren’t for the crisp scent of white cedar still lingering in her apartment when she returned,
She might have thought Lu Yue had never visited at all.
He was afraid of her.
Bai Long could clearly sense the man’s emotions from the pheromones left in the air—it wasn’t shyness. He had genuinely fled out of fear.
Was it because she had been too rough during the marking that night and left him with psychological trauma? Or was there another reason?
She thought about it for a long time but couldn’t reach a conclusion. Staring at the WeChat profile picture pinned at the top of her screen,
For some reason, Bai Long suddenly felt like a part of her heart was missing.
It felt hollow, unsettlingly empty.
Lu Yue probably wouldn’t contact her again. The dependency period was over now.
He didn’t need her anymore.