“So you’re saying Bai Long actually had feelings for you too, and you managed to crush them with that contract before they could even grow?”
After hearing Lu Yue’s account, Liang Shen wasn’t sure whether to pity him or laugh at him.
“Honestly, I don’t even know what to say. Usually, you’re such a sharp Omega—how could you mess up this badly? Shooting yourself in the foot?”
“How is this my fault?! Weren’t you the one who agreed with the idea back then? You even said ‘simmering the frog slowly in warm water’ was a solid move!”
Lu Yue had come here looking for some comfort, only to get mocked first.
He was feeling pretty miserable right now, especially when he remembered Bai Long’s dim expression, which left him uneasy.
“Alright, what’s the big deal here? Isn’t it just simmering the frog slowly? Just pretend you didn’t notice and act as if she never liked you from the start.”
“…The problem is, I already know now.”
Lu Yue never expected that the usually reserved girl, who even held back during marking, would have feelings for him. After all, an alpha who could even refrain from doing anything inappropriate during an Omega heat cycle could be considered sexually frigid.
“Tch, it’s simple. If your conscience is bothering you, just talk it out with her. She has feelings for you, you have feelings for her. Why torture yourself over pride?”
He wasn’t an Omega, so he didn’t quite understand that strange sense of pride Omegas often had. In his view, many things were straightforward—just lay them out and talk.
Why make it so complicated?
“Bai Long is coming to the hospital today to get her genetic test results. Coincidentally, you’re also here for your pheromone compatibility report. Why don’t you two just clear things up then?”
Genetic testing didn’t actually require pheromone collection, but Liang Shen felt that Lu Yue’s attraction to Bai Long had come too fast.
Even with pheromone chemistry and love at first sight at play, there were still a lot of oddities.
So when Bai Long came for genetic testing, he collected an extra sample of her pheromones.
At the same time, he collected Lu Yue’s pheromones as well to run an accurate compatibility test.
The results should be ready soon.
Liang Shen and Lu Yue were having lunch at a restaurant not far from the hospital. Lu Yue had originally planned to go with him later to pick up the reports.
But hearing that Bai Long would also be there, he got cold feet.
“…I’m not going. Bring the reports over after you finish work.”
It was the first time Liang Shen had seen Lu Yue so hesitant and reluctant—honestly, it was a bit irritating.
“Fine. It’s not like I’m scared to see her.”
Hearing the sarcasm in his friend’s tone, Lu Yue paused, his fork scraping lightly against the plate.
…
When Bai Long left the hospital with her genetic test results, it was already afternoon. The setting sun cast an orange glow, gently brushing the city with a light golden dust.
She stared at the two bold, red S’s printed after the categories for mental energy and physical ability, feeling like she was walking on clouds.
It was surreal.
She had thought the genetic enhancement would bring her up to a B-rank at best, but a double S?
That was completely unexpected.
When she received the report, it wasn’t just her—even the doctors and nurses at the hospital gathered around.
They looked at her like she was some rare specimen, their eyes filled with unconcealed astonishment.
But after the initial daze wore off, Bai Long felt less excitement and more… emptiness.
Even though it was something worth celebrating, she realized the people she could share this news with were few and far between.
Chen Lan was probably at the internet café gaming right now. Bai Long had sent her the news, but there had been no reply for a long time.
Staring at the pinned contact on her screen, Bai Long’s finger hovered, hesitating over whether to tell Lu Yue.
After all, besides Chen Lan, she didn’t really have anyone else to tell.
“…Better not. Mr. Lu and I are just in a transactional relationship. He’s probably too busy every day to care about this kind of news.”
Muttering to herself, she turned off her phone screen and tucked it back into her bag to avoid the temptation.
Bai Long had always had a sweet tooth. Before, she rarely had the money to indulge, only buying herself a treat on special occasions like her birthday or holidays.
Today felt like a day worth celebrating, so on her way home, she bought a slice.
For dinner, she made a few extra dishes, enjoyed the cake, took a refreshing shower, and then settled comfortably into bed.
She usually slept deeply, often falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
But tonight, despite having eaten well and feeling full, no matter how much she tried to clear her mind, sleep wouldn’t come.
She kept thinking about what Lu Yue had said to her.
He told her not to push her luck.
Bai Long felt she had not only pushed her luck but had also been outrageously bold.
The second she signed that contract, she regretted it. She wanted to play the long game.
She didn’t want any of that—she wanted Mr. Lu himself.
Mr. Lu, who carried the pleasant scent of white cedar, who would grip her waist breathlessly and gasp softly in her ear when he couldn’t hold back.
Mr. Lu, who would gently stroke her gland over and over, patiently encouraging and guiding her.
That night had been both wild and wonderful.
Including her Mr. Lu.
Before she received her genetic test results, whenever this thought stirred in Bai Long, she would suppress it with all her might.
Because she felt she wasn’t good enough—too weak to deserve someone as wonderful as Mr. Lu.
But now she was floating.
That once-ignored idea was starting to stir again.
Feeling her little Bai Long tentatively rise with desire, her ears flushed bright red in an instant.
Bai Long swallowed hard and lifted the blanket, intending to glance at her little treasure.
But before she could get a look, her phone on the bedside table buzzed.
She thought it was Chen Lan finally replying to her message after being busy.
This was the first time Bai Long had ever felt this kind of discomfort down there.
It felt unbearable. When she sat up, she braced herself with a hand on the bed, moving cautiously so as not to jostle or hurt her little Bai Long.
Picking up her phone, she instinctively went to open Chen Lan’s chat.
But there was no new message from Chen Lan. The person who had texted her was Lu Yue.
Her heart skipped a beat, an unmistakable sense of guilt washing over her—like she’d been caught doing something wrong.
Bai Long rubbed her flushed earlobe, took a deep breath, and tapped into Lu Yue’s private chat.
【Lu: …Are you asleep?】
It was late—she wondered what Mr. Lu could want at this hour.
She blinked, the light from her phone screen illuminating her features, even the fine hairs on her skin.
【Little White Dragon: Not yet. Is there something you needed?】
【Lu: I heard you received your genetic test results. Is there anything you’d like to tell me?】
Truthfully, Lu Yue had already learned from Liang Shen that Bai Long was a double S, but he still wanted to hear it from her directly.
Bai Long hadn’t expected Lu Yue to actually care about something like this. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she was just about to reply—
When the other side unexpectedly initiated a voice call.
The suddenness of it startled Bai Long.
“Mr. Lu?”
“…Mm. You can tell me now.”
The man’s voice was soft, like a slightly intoxicating night breeze brushing against her ear.
“I want to hear you say it out loud.”
The words felt intimate, especially unsettling for Bai Long in her current state of having just imagined something inappropriate.
Her heart skipped a beat, and the color that had just faded from her cheeks returned, spreading down to the base of her neck.
“Actually, it’s not much—nothing to boast about.”
Bai Long wanted to sound humble in front of Lu Yue, but the faint upward lilt in her voice gave away how she really felt.
“Mr. Lu, today I got my genetic test results—I’m a double-S Alpha now. Dr. Liang said there aren’t even a hundred Alphas at this rank in the whole country. I seem to have become really, really strong—no one will dare bully me anymore. And…”
She paused here, her face warm, leaning a little closer to the phone as she whispered.
“…I can protect you too.”
As soon as Bai Long finished, the man on the other end of the line seemed to stop breathing for a moment, falling silent for a long while.
She thought he was angry again, about to call her out for overstepping or mock her for overestimating herself.
At that thought, Bai Long’s eyes dimmed slightly. It seemed that no matter how strong she became, it didn’t matter.
Mr. Lu wouldn’t think differently of her just because of her rank.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen her—who was only C-rank at the time—for the marking in the first place.
“Sorry, Mr. Lu. I got a little carried away. I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s fine. You have every right to get carried away.”
Tonight, Lu Yue sounded gentler and more patient than he ever had before.
To Bai Long, that felt even more unreal than discovering she was a double S.
“…But what’s the point of being strong if my technique is still so clumsy? Every time, I end up making you uncomfortable.”
Lu Yue fell silent for a moment. If this had been earlier, he might have gotten flustered and defensive, saying something contradictory just to save face.
But this time, he didn’t. He was afraid of accidentally saying something hurtful again.
“I lied.”
“Huh?”
“…I didn’t find it uncomfortable.”
On the contrary, it felt good.
Afraid Bai Long would keep misunderstanding, separated by the phone, Lu Yue found the courage to be honest.
He set aside his pride and his Omega’s stubbornness, and for the first time, followed his heart.
Lu Yue’s skin was already thin. While the girl on the other end of the line was still processing what he’d said,
He awkwardly changed the subject.
“Ahem, right… I called you tonight not just to hear your news. There’s something I want to tell you too.”
Even though Lu Yue hadn’t said anything yet, Bai Long inexplicably grew tense.
Her hand tightened around the phone, her fingertips turning white from the pressure.
“I lied to you about one more thing.”
“…Mr. Lu, lying isn’t good.”
Hearing this, the person on the other end let out a soft, low laugh.
Perhaps because this eased the tension, Lu Yue’s tone relaxed noticeably.
“When you went for genetic testing earlier, Liang Shen collected your pheromones. Not for rank analysis—but to measure pheromone compatibility.”
“I had our compatibility tested… Do you know what the result was?”
The man paused briefly. Even through the phone, Bai Long seemed to catch the faint scent of white cedar on his lips.
“I know. Dr. Liang showed me earlier. He said since I’m involved, I have the right to know.”
“He told me it’s one hundred percent.”
“A one-in-a-hundred-million miracle.”
“…Yes. A miracle.”
Only now did it slowly dawn on Lu Yue.
It was never love at first sight, never just a momentary attraction.
It was simply genetic surrender, instinctive pull.