With the relief provided by Lin Wanshuang’s pheromones, Ming Jiao’s pheromone collection was finally completed.
Wiping away the tiny bead of blood from the tip of the needle with a cotton swab, Lin Wanshuang caught a hint of a different scent within the collection zone, which was otherwise saturated with her own pheromones. It was slightly sharp, yet not unpleasant at all, instead, it carried a very familiar, fresh fragrance. She could guess that this was likely the scent of Ming Jiao’s pheromones.
The ventilation vents began to operate, and the scent of pheromones inside the collection zone quickly dissipated completely. Resting in her chair, Ming Jiao couldn’t help but take a deep breath, as if she wanted to lock the scent tightly within her lungs but unfortunately, it was gone.
Lin Wanshuang put her necklace back on and instructed Xiao Ba to spray some air freshener. As she turned around, she caught the fleeting look of reluctance on Ming Jiao’s face. As for what exactly she was reluctant to let go of, Lin Wanshuang knew all too well.
The heat rushed up her face again. Without waiting for Ming Jiao to speak, Lin Wanshuang immediately turned and left the collection zone.
This Alpha… this Alpha is simply exasperating!
Lin Wanshuang’s research on Ming Jiao’s pheromones and glands progressed steadily. As Lin Wanshuang’s experimental subject, Ming Jiao didn’t need to report to the research institute every day; however, as Lin Wanshuang’s personal bodyguard, she had to be present.
The two of them arrived and left together, ate and walked together, and conversed with no regard for anyone else. Within a few days, some rumors began to spread through the institute. Some whispered that Lin Wanshuang had hooked up with her experimental volunteer, others claimed she was seducing the volunteer solely for her private experiments, and it even escalated to slanders that Lin Wanshuang and the volunteer were neglecting their work to fool around in the lab every day.
These rumors spread like dandelion seeds through the grapevine. By the time Qiao Yi came over with a grim expression to break the news, Lin Wanshuang was just getting ready to clock out with Ming Jiao. She was supposed to take Ming Jiao back to her mother’s place for dinner tonight, so she couldn’t work overtime.
Seeing Lin Wanshuang getting ready to leave work looking completely unfazed, Qiao Yi knew instantly that this woman hadn’t heard a single whisper of the rumors.
“What brings you here? I can’t have dinner with you tonight, I’m heading home,” Lin Wanshuang said, taking off her gloves and looking at Qiao Yi standing by the door.
Hands in her pockets, Qiao Yi looked at Lin Wanshuang and then at the Alpha standing quietly behind her like a guardian statue. She said half-annoyed, “My dear young lady, how can you still be this calm? Do you have any idea that in those people’s mouths, you and your volunteer are practically on your second child already?”
Hearing this, Ming Jiao and Lin Wanshuang frowned simultaneously. “What do you mean?”
Qiao Yi had no choice but to summarize the main points, filtering out several of the foul and vulgar descriptions. The more the two parties involved listened, the uglier their expressions became. Lin Wanshuang was not one to swallow her anger, she immediately wanted to go and confront them, but Ming Jiao reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Lin Wanshuang glared at her. “What are you pulling me for? Let go!”
Fearing she might hurt her, Ming Jiao loosened her grip slightly but did not let go entirely. “Is the young lady planning to go and confront those people face-to-face?”
“Duh! I won’t take the blame for something I didn’t do. Since they dare to spread rumors, they’d better be prepared to face me.”
Qiao Yi, however, disagreed with her approach. Shaking her head, she said, “You two didn’t do anything, so why put yourselves on the defensive just to prove your innocence? Even if you get a half-hearted apology, so what? The whole point of these people doing this is to see you fly into a rage.”
Ming Jiao glanced at Qiao Yi, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her words. To Lin Wanshuang, an apology was certainly important, she was such a proud person, so why should she endure baseless slander for nothing? Thus, Ming Jiao spoke up: “An apology is certainly important, but when you strike, you have to hit them where it hurts. Let me handle this matter, okay?”
Lin Wanshuang looked at her skeptically. Her raging anger was somehow soothed by the calm look in Ming Jiao’s eyes.
“Trust me.”
Lin Wanshuang completely gave in, though she still spoke stubbornly, “If you can’t handle it, then I’ll handle it myself.”
Ming Jiao looked at her with a beaming smile. “The young lady pays me such a high salary, so of course I can handle a trivial matter like this for you.” She coaxed Lin Wanshuang away while speaking sweet words, nodding slightly in farewell to Qiao Yi as they passed her.
Watching the two figures walk away, Qiao Yi curled her lips into a blooming smile, as if she had discovered a whole new world. “Oh my, this is truly miraculous.”
Lin Wanshuang, with her temperamental, cat-like personality, had somehow been completely handled by this Alpha with a physiological defect.
“Xiao Ba, your Director Lin is falling in love, isn’t she?!”
Xiao Ba’s eyes widened in surprise, forming an O_V_O expression. “Really?! That’s wonderful! I want to congratulate Director Lin!”
Qiao Yi chuckled softly and patted Xiao Ba on the head. “No can do. This is a secret between the two of us, you can’t tell anyone.”
Xiao Ba: ?
“Then what if Director Lin asks me?”
“Heh, don’t worry. Even if the two of them really have a second child, your Director Lin would never bring it up to ask you.”
“Okay then.”