She finally left. Lin Xi watched the figure slowly diminish, feeling an unusual sensation for the first time.
Could time go back to a minute ago?
Is this… regret?
Her mother’s death was the reality Zhong Xiu found hardest to accept. Lin Xi knew this clearly, yet she had still used words to poke open that long-sealed wound.
The woman with the pale face on the sickbed was so frail she couldn’t fill out the striped hospital gown. She always smiled when she called her “little friend,” would personally peel fruit for her, and urge Zhong Xiu and her to go to the quiet room next door to study.
Later, when she was too sick, Auntie Zhong could only lie in bed and could no longer get up to greet them. Uncle Zhong would silently pick up the fruit knife to carry out the task of hospitality. She would still smile as she watched Lin Xi leave, even on the last day before her passing.
In her parents’ social circle, Lin Xi had heard countless stories about “dignity”—the superiority of Alphas and Omegas, the high-society etiquette built on suits and gowns. But the only time she truly felt dignity was with Auntie Zhong.
The pain and torment brought by the disease seemed unable to affect her smile at all. Zhong Xiu had inherited this trait well.
And Lin Xi had personally destroyed it.
Getting close to me truly makes you unlucky, Lin Xi thought.
Tears blurred her vision. Zhong Xiu stood alone by the bridge, silently processing the conversation they just had.
She had thought things were too simple. She thought that as long as she insisted on standing by Lin Xi’s side, everything would be fine, but Lin Xi wanted to push everyone away.
“What should I do, Mom?”
The screen of her phone showed a beautiful woman, her graceful dance moves perfect under the sun. Her smile was forever etched in the photo.
—Dad, I’ll be home late tonight. Don’t wait for me for dinner with Grandpa and Grandma.
Her eyes were a little swollen, and she didn’t dare go home. If her father found out about this, he might sell the restaurant in a fit of anger and never let her see Lin Xi again.
She didn’t get a reply from her father. Zhong Xiu wandered on the way home—this road was also Lin Xi’s mandatory route home. She wanted to mock herself: Lin Xi had said those things, yet she still wanted to catch a glimpse of her, to wait for her to get home safely.
Humble, cautious. Zhong Xiu couldn’t help this version of herself.
After a while, her phone rang. Surprisingly, it was a text message from Lin Xi.
—I’m sorry, I was out of line just now. Can you come to the school’s back mountain? I have something to tell you.
This text was strange; it didn’t sound like something Lin Xi would say. Zhong Xiu’s heart sank.
That Zhang Mingming today… he doesn’t seem to be following me.
…
“Cheng Ge, are you… are you sure she won’t really mark me? I’m so scared,” Zhang Mingming stammered, pointing at the unconscious Lin Xi on the ground.
“What are you afraid of?” Lin Yucheng lit a cigarette and lifted his chin with his index finger. “You like me.”
“Mhm, mhm,” Zhang Mingming nodded repeatedly.
“You should know how strong an Alpha’s possessiveness is. I won’t let her actually mark you,” Lin Yucheng said with the cigarette dangling from his mouth, smiling as he slipped the SIM card back into Lin Xi’s phone.
“But…”
Zhang Mingming was still hesitant. Lin Yucheng stroked his head.
“As long as we get a photo of her marking you, I’ll make her leave immediately, and then I’ll give you a temporary mark to comfort you, alright? Your heat is coming soon, isn’t it?”
“Mhm. You promise, Cheng Ge.” Hearing that he would be temporarily marked, Zhang Mingming became excited.
So he didn’t see the mockery in Lin Yucheng’s eyes.
This is a top-tier Alpha. If she wants to mark someone, who can stop her?
Of course, this material could also ensure Lin Xi could never raise her head again. An Alpha who forcibly marks an Omega, no matter how high her rank, will be nailed to the pillar of shame.
Will her Beta fiancée be able to stand it?
Zhi Qiu won’t be able to accept an Alpha like this either.
A jinx deserves to be despised by everyone.
“Do a good job. Your pheromones are very fragrant,” Lin Yucheng whispered into his ear.
“Cheng Ge…” Zhang Mingming’s face flushed, and his pheromones slowly diffused. One hand gripped Lin Yucheng’s collar tightly, wanting to burrow into his arms.
Lin Yucheng coldly pulled his hand away and lifted him like a chick, carrying him over to Lin Xi.
“Cheng Ge…” Zhang Mingming clung to his feet, unwilling to let go.
A temporarily marked Omega has a deep dependence on the Alpha. This was Zhang Mingming’s instinct; he had been temporarily marked by Lin Yucheng before.
That feeling was unforgettable, and he couldn’t kick the habit, like a drug.
The clearly starting-to-cycle Omega irritated Lin Yucheng slightly. If only the Omega in front of him was Zhi Qiu.
“Be quiet,” Lin Yucheng kicked him.
Zhang Mingming fell to the ground limply, unable to move, only constantly moaning, sometimes crying out in pain, sometimes calling his name.
Surrounded by the unfamiliar Omega pheromones, Lin Xi’s hand twitched.
“Enjoy.”
Sensing the invisible pressure, Lin Yucheng knew she was about to start releasing pheromones.
He dropped the cigarette butt, stepped on the fire, and left without looking back. This place would soon become a primal, wild beast marking scene.
He had no intention of taking a photo at all. No Omega could escape an Alpha’s control, and a marked Omega was the most convincing evidence. He just wanted to see Lin Xi expelled tomorrow.
…
Zhong Xiu ran very hard. She left her backpack at a milk tea shop to minimize her burden, but it still wasn’t fast enough. She really wasn’t good at running. After a few hundred meters, her throat felt very sore and dry. The airflow passing through her breath seemed to slowly tear the mucosal lining of her airway.
By the time she reached the school gate, she was almost at her limit. Zhong Xiu’s face was pale, and she had to stop and lean against the wall to catch her breath. A black sports car passed her, and in the rearview mirror, Lin Yucheng smirked.
There weren’t many people in the back mountain at this time. Zhong Xiu didn’t think too much, sent a message to Gao Lan, and ran in alone.
She had a premonition that Lin Xi must be in there.
“Get out!” The Alpha’s rage spread through the ground, startling the earth into shaking.
The Omega immersed in his heat felt nothing; his brain was completely dominated by pheromones. All he wanted was to be marked by the Alpha in front of him. He clung to Lin Xi’s school uniform and wouldn’t let go, “I… I want pheromones.”
Zhang Mingming’s pheromone rank wasn’t high, two ranks lower than Lin Xi’s. Like the Omega in the hospital last time, Lin Xi had absolute control over him.
But this was different from last time; it wasn’t a hospital, and there was no suppressant. Lin Yucheng must have done something, as Lin Xi felt dizzy and her consciousness was unclear.
Either mark him, or make him stop emitting pheromones. These were the only remaining thoughts in Lin Xi’s mind.
Unable to detect pheromones, it was difficult for Zhong Xiu to search for someone in the back mountain. It was like being blind, relying entirely on instinct.
“Lin Xi…” Having finally found her in the small woods, Zhong Xiu’s throat was too sore to make a sound.
At this moment, the Alpha was gripping the Omega’s neck, pinning him to the tree trunk.
Zhang Mingming’s face was turning purple, and the lack of oxygen was severe. His hands were placed on Lin Xi’s, struggling in vain.
With two people who were not fully conscious, something was bound to go wrong if this continued. Zhong Xiu suppressed the urge to vomit and went over to pry Lin Xi’s hands away.
Sensing someone approaching who was different from Zhang Mingming—someone she was familiar with—Lin Xi’s strength lessened slightly.
Taking advantage of her turning her head, Zhong Xiu hung all her weight on Lin Xi’s arm and barely managed to pull Zhang Mingming off her.
“Cough, cough, cough…” Zhang Mingming was a pile of soft mess on the ground, desperately gasping for air. There was a conspicuous handprint on his pale Omega skin.
Zhong Xiu felt a little dizzy, and her chest was pounding violently. She was afraid that if she had come any later, Zhang Mingming might have died. She squatted down, wanting to see if he was still alive.
But she forgot that Zhang Mingming also had pheromones on him. The low-rank Omega pheromones unconsciously sought to merge with the intense Alpha scent on her, attempting to envelop Zhong Xiu just like Lin Xi’s. This action completely infuriated Lin Xi.
Lin Yucheng was right; an Alpha’s possessiveness is terrifying, even against a completely defenseless Omega.
Suddenly, her wrist was seized. Before Zhong Xiu could react, she was pinned face down on the small slope nearby.
Subconsciously, she had no defense against her. Zhong Xiu only felt a searing heat through her school uniform on her back, as if it were about to catch fire. Especially the back of her neck, waves of heat were hitting her skin—the Alpha’s breath.
“…Ah!”
A bite mark appeared on the back of her neck. Tears reached her brain even before the intense pain. Zhong Xiu gasped sharply, her vision blurry.
Almost simultaneously, an intense scent of Butterfly Bush diffused rapidly in the air, like fireworks being set off.
Blood was thickly smeared on her lips. Lin Xi raised her head slightly. A faint, metallic smell entered her nasal cavity, and she instinctively extended her tongue to lick it.
“Don’t, it hurts so much…” Zhong Xiu’s voice was trembling.
Lin Xi propped herself up, staring at the deep bite mark, and tightened her grip on the hands of the person beneath her.
Zhong Xiu remained motionless, eyes tightly shut. Only one feeling repeated in her mind—pain, overwhelming pain.
But the Alpha was clearly not as docile as she had imagined and prepared to extend her tongue to lick the wound again.
“Lin Xi!” The sense of danger made Zhong Xiu subconsciously call out her name. She didn’t have the strength to turn around and see what was happening behind her. The Alpha’s strength was too great, seizing her wrists, leaving her defenseless.
Perhaps the name had an effect. Then, Lin Xi flipped her over.
The Alpha’s hot body pressed down on her, only a few centimeters away. The explosive heat that had just been on the back of her neck now fell on the tip of her nose, accompanied by a regular breathing rhythm.
The face she liked was magnified right before her eyes. She could even feel the fineness of the other person’s hair on her neck. The faint laundry detergent scent on the school uniform rushed into her brain. The pair of beautiful eyes filled with possessiveness that met her gaze made Zhong Xiu forget the pain of the wound for a moment.
Lin Xi’s eyes lingered on her. It was the gaze of someone assessing their possession. Zhong Xiu finally realized that Lin Xi probably thought of her as an Omega.
“I’m a Beta.”
Her lips were stained red with fresh blood, making their color unnaturally bright. Zhong Xiu didn’t dare meet her eyes, afraid that she would just close her eyes and willingly become her prey.
This was the first time she had been so close to someone.
And this person was the one she liked.
“Now do you know that getting close to me will make you unlucky?”