Once there is a clear target of suspicion, uncovering the truth is merely a matter of time.
Bai Yue received the test report two days later in the afternoon. Sunlight poured through the large office floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on the white A4 paper where the black printed characters appeared exceptionally striking.
She stared at those lines of text for a long time.
“Sample test results: multiple pheromone residues detected.”
“Main components: Jasmine (92% purity), White Peach (7% purity).”
“Pheromone activity decay analysis: White peach is naturally secreted and continuously stable; jasmine is non-naturally sourced, displaying periodic activity decay characteristics consistent with the metabolic curve following the use of exogenous pheromone formulations.”
“Conclusion: The sample source has a history of long-term use of pheromone masking formulations, with the last application approximately 3 to 5 days ago.”
Bai Yue’s gaze lingered on the final line.
Three to five days ago.
That coincided precisely with the last time they had seen each other.
She continued reading downward.
“Multiple tests indicate that the concentration of jasmine pheromone in the sample fluctuates regularly, forming a sharp contrast with the stable secretion of white peach. This pattern matches the characteristics of long-term pheromone masking agent use, requiring the user to inject regularly to maintain the disguise effect, after which the original pheromone is suppressed.”
Bai Yue leaned back in her office chair, closing her eyes as a movie began playing in her mind.
Starting from that night at the bar.
She had noticed an Omega sitting by the bar counter. White peach scented, sweet with a hint of tartness. She had approached and bought her a drink. Afterward, they headed to the hotel.
The next morning, when she woke up, the person was already gone. Two hundred yuan had been left on the bedside table.
Then came the blind date.
Her mother had said the other party was a well-behaved young woman, a Jasmine-scented Omega. She went, greeted by long black hair, a white shirt, and a gentle smile. The woman said she enjoyed flower arranging, reading, and all things quiet.
Bai Yue opened her eyes.
She picked up the report and glanced at it once more.
White peach.
Three to five days ago.
She recalled the night they first arrived in the Maldives when Jiang Manru experienced a heat in the middle of the night, at which time a faint scent of white peach wood seemed to linger.
Could it be because the masking agent was wearing off, failing to suppress her natural scent? That was likely why she later booked rooms in secluded areas of the hotel, primarily out of fear that her pheromone leak would be detected.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Bai Yue let out a sudden chuckle.
Never had she imagined that the Omega she had been searching for all this time played the sweet, obedient wife during the day and slept right beside her at night.
She had known everything all along, simply watching her put on an act. On the day of the blind date, she had even sat across the table, lowering her gaze while listening to her boast and declare how much she loved quiet Omegas.
Bai Yue closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
She ought to be angry.
Having been played for so long, anyone would surely feel furious.
Yet she found herself entirely unable to muster up any real anger.
What should she do? Confront her directly? Call her over, slam the report down in front of her, and demand an explanation?
Absolutely not!
Being played by an Omega for this long, how humiliating would a face-to-face confrontation be? She, Bai Yue, the legend of Lost and the young CEO of Bai Enterprises, had been outmaneuvered to the point of getting married without ever suspecting a thing. If word got out, how could she ever show her face in the circle again?
She couldn’t expose her directly.
She needed to find a way to make the person expose herself. Getting her to willingly and voluntarily admit that it was her would be far more amusing.
Bai Yue folded the report and slipped it into her pocket.
Rising to her feet, she walked over to the window.
The city stretched out beneath her, traffic flowing like a river, bathed in pleasant sunlight.
Gazing outside, the curve of her lips grew deeper and deeper.
“Jiang Manru,” she murmured softly. “You are truly something else.”
An unexpected business dinner kept Bai Yue out rather late that evening.
Jiang Manru had just finished showering and was sitting at the vanity drying her hair, completely unaware of the Alpha standing silently in the doorway watching her.
Bai Yue observed that back.
Slender, gentle, and familiar. It was an exact match for the silhouette in the dark that night.
Stepping forward abruptly, Bai Yue wrapped her arms around her from behind.
Startled, Jiang Manru turned her head to look at her.
“You are back?”
“Mmm.” Bai Yue rested her chin on Jiang Manru’s shoulder. “What did you do all day?”
“What could I possibly do?” Jiang Manru smiled. “The usual routine.” She paused. “Is something wrong?”
Saying nothing, Bai Yue simply held her tighter, breathing in her faint jasmine scent.
Thinking to herself: Where is the white peach? Where did you hide it?
Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the tight embrace, Jiang Manru asked, “Bai Yue?”
“Hmm?”
“What is wrong with you today?”
Releasing her, Bai Yue replied, “Nothing, I just wanted to hold you.”
Jiang Manru looked at her with a hint of confusion, though her expression was predominantly gentle.
“I have already drawn your bathwater,” she said. “You can rest early once you are done.”
Nodding, Bai Yue turned and headed toward the bathroom.
Emerging from the shower with her hair still damp and dripping water down to wet the shoulders of her bathrobe, Bai Yue found Jiang Manru propped up against the headboard reading a book. Hearing the movement, Jiang Manru lifted her head. “Finished?”
“Mmm.”
Walking over, Bai Yue sat down at the edge of the bed. Holding a hair dryer without turning it on herself, she turned her head to look at Jiang Manru.
“Help me dry my hair.”
Jiang Manru froze for a moment.
Throughout their marriage, Bai Yue had never once asked her to dry her hair. She always dried it herself or simply left it alone to dry naturally.
What has gotten into her today?
“Alright.” Setting her book aside, she took the hair dryer.
Bai Yue sat down with her back facing her.
Plugging in the device, Jiang Manru tested the temperature before starting to dry her hair. The warm air swept through the strands as her fingers gently massaged through them with a tender touch.
Closing her eyes, Bai Yue enjoyed the moment while quietly releasing her own pheromones.
A faint scent of ebony wood and agarwood, barely perceptible as if leaking out by accident.
Jiang Manru’s fingers paused.
It lasted only a single second.
“What is wrong?” Bai Yue asked lazily.
“Nothing.” Jiang Manru pondered for a second. “Your pheromones seem a bit strong.”
The corners of Bai Yue’s lips curved upward. “Is that so? Probably just because I finished washing up.”
Saying nothing more, Jiang Manru resumed drying her hair. However, her fingers moved much lighter than before, as though cautiously avoiding something.
Sensing this, Bai Yue opened her eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The curve at the corner of her mouth deepened further.
When the hair was half dry, Jiang Manru switched off the hair dryer. “All done.”
Turning around, Bai Yue faced her.
The distance between them was very close, close enough to catch each other’s scent, where ebony wood and jasmine intertwined in the air.
Looking slightly puzzled, Jiang Manru asked, “Did your rut arrive early?”
Bai Yue raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”
“Because,” Jiang Manru carefully weighed her words, “you usually do not like to be this close to me.”
Staring at her, Bai Yue chuckled.
“Do not like it?” she said. “Since when?”
Jiang Manru kept silent.
Reaching out, Bai Yue pulled her a little closer.
The distance closed even more.
Close enough for their breaths to mingle.
“Wife,” she murmured in a low voice, “we still have not done anything since we got back from the Maldives.”
Jiang Manru’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“Mom called me today asking when she will have a granddaughter,” she continued with a smile. “I suppose I need to hurry and make some time.”
A fleeting flash crossed Jiang Manru’s eyes, so fast it was nearly impossible to catch.
Yet her face retained that gentle smile.
“Alright,” she said.
Observing her unflappable composure, Bai Yue thought: She really is an incredible actress.
Bai Yue’s hands did not stop moving.
Sliding upward from her waist, brushing past her ribs and chest, her fingers finally rested on her collarbone, lightly tracing that patch of skin as if fondling some irreplaceable treasure.
Jiang Manru’s breathing grew erratic.
Yet she did not move.
She simply lay there, letting her do as she pleased.
Lowering her head, Bai Yue pressed a kiss against the side of Jiang Manru’s neck.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The tip of her tongue gently swept across that patch of delicate skin.
Jiang Manru’s body gave a slight shudder.
“Bai Yue,” she managed, her voice unsteady.
“Hmm?”
“You…”
“What about me?” Bai Yue lifted her head to look at her.
Meeting that gaze, Jiang Manru felt a realization solidify in her mind.
Something was wrong.
Something was deeply wrong.
Before she could process it further, Bai Yue gave her no time to think.
Lowering her head once more, she captured her lips in a kiss.
That kiss differed entirely from any previous encounter. It lacked hesitation, perfunctoriness, or any sense of fulfilling a routine task. It was fierce, slightly aggressive, and felt almost as if she intended to devour her whole.
The intensity of the kiss knocked the breath out of Jiang Manru, making her instinctively want to pull away. However, Bai Yue’s hand clamped firmly around the back of her neck, locking her in place.
Dominant and overbearing.
Her heart racing, Jiang Manru had no time to gather her thoughts before Bai Yue’s lips shifted elsewhere.
Her jawline, earlobe, collarbone, and chest.
Lingering at every spot, leaving marks behind on each.
Jiang Manru’s breathing grew increasingly chaotic, her body heating up. Yet that single string of tension inside her remained pulled taut.
Bai Yue had never acted like this before.
Throughout their marriage, their sole intimate encounter had been initiated entirely by her own request.
Tonight, however, Bai Yue seemed like a completely different person.
A thought flashed through Jiang Manru’s mind: Does she know?
No, that is impossible.
Her pheromone control was far too flawless to ever be discovered.
Then what is happening tonight?
“What are you thinking about?” Bai Yue’s voice sounded right beside her ear.
Brought back to reality, Jiang Manru snapped out of it.
Bai Yue was hovering directly above her, looking down into her eyes.
“Nothing.” Jiang Manru shook her head.
The corners of Bai Yue’s lips turned upward, looking entirely normal on the surface.
Yet there was something subtle and unusual about it.
It looked precisely like someone waiting to watch a good show unfold.
“Then pay attention.” With those words, Bai Yue lowered her head and pressed on.
Closing her eyes, Jiang Manru chose not to think anymore.
Regardless of what tonight was about, she had to endure it.
Endure until it was over.
Endure until Bai Yue fell asleep.
When the tip of Bai Yue’s tongue brushed lightly against her scent gland, Jiang Manru’s entire body trembled violently.
That spot was far too sensitive.
Remaining right there with her lips pressed against that tiny patch of skin, Bai Yue gave a gentle nip. A single nibble was all it took to send Jiang Manru’s breathing completely out of control.
“Bai Yue,” her voice sounded hoarse now, “stop.”
“Stop what?” Bai Yue raised her head.
Meeting those eyes, she saw a gleam of light within them, resembling the look of a hunter discovering a fatal weakness in their prey.
That realization in her mind grew clearer than ever: She knows.
She definitely knows.
Even so, it did not matter. As long as her pheromones remained undiscovered, she still had a chance.
“It is nothing,” Jiang Manru said.
Bai Yue laughed softly.
That laughter sent a chill running straight down Jiang Manru’s spine.
Lowering her head once more, Bai Yue resumed her attack, testing, probing, and pushing her further.
Time ticked by second by second.
Jiang Manru’s defenses crumbled inch by inch.
Bai Yue knew her body far too well by now, familiar with every single sensitive point, every shift in her breathing rhythm, and every moment her fingers would instinctively grip the bedsheets.
So, was tonight a test? An interrogation? Or merely a twisted game?
Opening her eyes, Jiang Manru stared at the blurred silhouette looming above her.
Bai Yue was kissing her collarbone with complete focus, as though carefully finishing a piece of artwork.
Staring at that face, Jiang Manru attempted to read any hint of emotion, yet found absolutely nothing.
Stay calm.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Manru gathered every ounce of strength left in her body to reign in the surging pheromones threatening to break free.
Sensing her intention, Bai Yue deliberately grazed her teeth slowly across the fragile gland.
Trembling uncontrollably, Jiang Manru felt the scent of white peach strain violently against the surface of her skin, ready to burst through at any moment.