Shen Zhilin looked at Sheng Mian, who was standing dazed in place, and pointed to the slippers on the floor. “Those are new. I’m going to wash some fruit; you can take a seat at the desk.”
Sheng Mian snapped back to reality, suddenly realizing that her greedy sniffing made her look a bit like a creep. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and silently changed into the slippers before walking over to the desk.
The desk was quite large, and the shelves were packed with books—not just textbooks, but plenty of extracurricular reading. Judging by the yellowed edges, it seemed Zhilin had read every single one of them.
Sheng Mian curiously took in her surroundings. The apartment was old, but Zhilin kept it impeccably tidy. From the kitchen came the splashing of water and the sound of fruit being sliced. Sheng Mian pulled out her textbooks and arranged them neatly on the desk.
Finding herself bored, she looked down at her slippers. They were completely at odds with the vibe of the rest of the room: bright pink, with a fluffy, cute pig head on each one. The round black eyes made the pigs look adorably silly.
I didn’t expect Shen Zhilin to have such a childish aesthetic, Sheng Mian thought, letting out a giggle. Despite the running water, Zhilin caught the sound instantly. “What are you laughing at?”
Sheng Mian answered frankly, “The slippers. They’re really cute, but I didn’t think this was your style.”
Shen Zhilin debated telling her that she had bought them specifically with Sheng Mian’s style in mind, but she decided against it—Sheng Mian would probably get flustered and protest.
Zhilin brought out two platters of fruit, neatly arranged by type: strawberries, grapes, dragon fruit, cantaloupe, cherries, green grapes, guava, blueberries, and mango. There were also two boxes of spicy braised duck.
Sheng Mian gasped. “So much fruit! And duck wings too!”
Zhilin sat down and wiped her hands clean. “Just a little bit of everything. It’s not that much.”
“Oh man, with fruit and spicy snacks, I have zero motivation to study now.” Sheng Mian picked up the plumpest, reddest strawberry but, instead of eating it, held it out to Zhilin.
Zhilin looked at the strawberry in front of her, still glistening with droplets of water. She leaned back slightly. “You eat it.”
Sheng Mian was stubborn, holding it there and asking with bright eyes if it was sweet. The strawberry was crisp, bursting with juice the moment Zhilin bit into it. “It’s sweet. You should eat more too.”
Sheng Mian proceeded to use the same fork to pick up more fruit for herself. Before Zhilin could suggest getting a second fork, the one that had just been in her mouth was already in Sheng Mian’s, emerging glistening with a mix of juice and saliva. Zhilin averted her eyes and hurriedly stuffed a few pieces of fruit into her own mouth.
After feasting for several minutes, Sheng Mian suddenly stopped, feeling a pang of guilt. She was supposed to be here for tutoring; not only had she brought nothing, but she was also freeloading on someone else’s snacks. She flipped open her book. “Let’s get started.”
As it turned out, asking Shen Zhilin for help was a brilliant move. Zhilin was incredibly clear on the key points of the three-year history curriculum. Following her guidance, Sheng Mian highlighted her textbook and noted down the timelines, triggers, and significance of various historical events.
Zhilin handed Sheng Mian a pair of disposable gloves and pushed the spicy duck toward her. “You can eat while you listen. Just treat it like a story.”
Zhilin connected everything from ancient history to modern times, weaving a cohesive narrative that made sense to Sheng Mian. Whenever Sheng Mian hit a snag, Zhilin explained it in simple, easy-to-understand terms.
Sheng Mian was equally attentive, shredding the duck meat and feeding it to Zhilin or popping fruit into her mouth. As long as Sheng Mian was eating, Zhilin’s mouth wasn’t idle either. Soon, a rhythm developed: one lectured while the other fed.
The duck was spicy, and the fruit was refreshing. Eventually, Sheng Mian felt full, but her head felt heavy and her face began to burn. Zhilin noticed something was wrong. She put down the book and leaned in. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick? Or are you allergic to one of the fruits?”
Sheng Mian waved her off. “No, no. I think I’m just full. I feel a bit dizzy.”
Zhilin opened the window to let in some fresh air. “The breeze should help.”
Sheng Mian tried to stay focused, and the cool air did help soothe the heat for a while, but soon, even the breeze wasn’t enough. In fact, the wind seemed to carry the faint, lingering scent from Zhilin’s bedding—a subtle pheromone that only made Sheng Mian crave more.
Sheng Mian reached out with a weak hand and grabbed Zhilin’s. “Shen Zhilin, that good smell you had before can I smell it? Just for a second.”
Sheng Mian’s face was flushed a deep crimson, as if she were drunk, her eyes full of longing as she begged Zhilin for pheromones.
As the dry autumn wind swirled through the room, Zhilin caught an unusual scent. She turned serious. “Are you not wearing a scent blocker?”
Sheng Mian’s brain seemed to lag. After a long pause, she murmured, “I am.”
But Sheng Mian’s scent was growing heavier by the second. Zhilin hurriedly shut the window tight. she pressed the back of her hand against Sheng Mian’s cheek; it was scorching. “Is your heat starting?”
“What heat?” Sheng Mian tried to remember. Zhao Manwen had mentioned it a few days ago, but she had completely pushed it to the back of her mind.
In heat, Sheng Mian’s sense of smell became hyper-sensitive. She caught that specific scent she loved on Zhilin and followed it, clinging to her and burying her face in Zhilin’s neck, sniffing deeply with total abandon.
The warm body lunging into her arms and the breath heavy with Omega pheromones against her face made Zhilin’s throat go dry. The fruit she had just eaten felt like it had evaporated instantly. She tried to push Sheng Mian back, but the girl’s strength was surprisingly high.
“The smell is too faint.” Sheng Mian complained, pressing herself even tighter against Zhilin, wanting more.
Seeing how distressed she was, Zhilin supported her firmly and released a small amount of pheromones. Instantly, the cool, refreshing scent spread gently through the room. Controlled by instinct rather than reason, Sheng Mian began to nuzzle into Zhilin’s embrace.
She was now practically straddling Zhilin’s lap, her arms wrapped around Zhilin’s neck. “Shen Zhilin, you smell so good. I love your scent so much.”
The sudden, intimate praise made Zhilin’s heart flare with heat. Their pheromones intertwined in the air. Enveloped by Zhilin’s scent, Sheng Mian felt a wave of relaxation and joy.
“Why?” Zhilin’s voice was low and cool, matching her scent.
Sheng Mian, dazed, didn’t quite process the question.
Zhilin asked again, her eyes fixed on Sheng Mian’s lips, her heart racing with an anticipation she didn’t even recognize. “Why do you like my pheromones?”
“I just like smelling them.”
Sheng Mian leaned her head against Shen Zhilin’s shoulder, her gaze tracing the lines of the other girl’s neck, jaw, lips, and eyes. Suddenly, she bolted upright, staring directly into Zhilin’s eyes.
An inexplicable sense of tension surged within Shen Zhilin. Under Sheng Mian’s raw, lingering gaze, the Alpha’s composure crumbled, and her eyes began to wander nervously.
“Shen Zhilin, you’re really beautiful.” Fearing that Zhilin might think she wasn’t being sincere, Sheng Mian added, “I’ve thought you were gorgeous since the first day I met you. You have such a perfect face.”
Sheng Mian couldn’t resist reaching out, her fingers tracing the contours of Zhilin’s face like a stray feather. Zhilin’s breathing grew heavy, a tingling sensation racing down her spine.
“I still feel uncomfortable, Shen Zhilin,” Sheng Mian whined. “Can the scent be a little stronger? Please?”
Zhilin knew she should stop, that she shouldn’t release any more, yet she found herself possessed. Following Sheng Mian’s request, she allowed even more pheromones to flood the air.
Sheng Mian let out a satisfied sigh, but deep down, something was still screaming for more. She wanted to do something else. She turned her watery, reddened eyes toward Zhilin with a look of piteous longing.
“What is it?” Zhilin’s voice was calm and controlled, but it made Sheng Mian feel a momentary wave of numbness.
“I don’t know,” Sheng Mian murmured, her voice thick with a nasal quality.
She felt as though she were possessed. At this moment, she desperately wanted to kiss Shen Zhilin, but she didn’t dare say it. The thought of kissing another girl felt strange to her; she had always been so certain of her sexual orientation.
Sheng Mian’s internal struggle was visible. Zhilin softened her voice, as if afraid of startling her. “What’s wrong?”
“I.” Sheng Mian hesitated for several seconds. Her brain was lagging, her thoughts stuttering, but she finally broke through her fragile resolve. “I suddenly really want to kiss you.”
The atmosphere froze instantly. Even the trees outside the window seemed to go still. Sheng Mian lowered her head, her voice muffled. “Is that weird? We’re both girls. I—I like boys. Why is this happening?”
She hung her head, humming and fretting like a wounded puppy. Zhilin asked again, “Why do you want to kiss me?”
Sheng Mian tried to force herself to think about the question. She thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer. She shook her head in defeat. “I don’t know.”
“You like my pheromones, you want to kiss me, and you’ve wanted to be close to me from the very beginning. Sheng Mian, what are you actually thinking?” Zhilin’s voice was soft, tinged with a hint of helplessness.
Sheng Mian remained silent.
“Would you feel this way with Yi Chi or Qin Heng? Would you want to smell them? Would you want to kiss them?”
This time, Sheng Mian’s answer came fast and urgent. “No! I’ve never thought about them like that.”
She looked up, meeting Zhilin’s flat gaze. Fearing she wasn’t believed, she grabbed Zhilin’s collar tightly, as if baring her soul to prove her loyalty. “It’s only you. I only feel this way with you. Truly!”
“I just really want to be near you. I love your scent. I want to kiss you.” In her dazed state, Sheng Mian blurted out words that were practically a confession, every syllable ringing with sincerity.
Zhilin leaned in until they were inches apart, their noses almost touching. She asked, almost like an invitation, “Do you want to kiss me?”
“Yes,” came the faint reply, so quiet they could both barely hear it. Sheng Mian made the first move, her eyes hazy as she leaned in toward the thin lips she had admired for so long.
Just as she was inches away, Zhilin backed away slightly, creating distance. Sheng Mian looked at her with confused, piteous eyes, her damp gaze a silent accusation.
Zhilin sighed. “You should only do this if you like someone.”
Sheng Mian had finally overcome her mental barrier regarding kissing a girl, only to be lightly brushed off. The desire churning within her heart expanded, and a streak of stubbornness took hold.
She stared at Zhilin’s lips as they moved. She didn’t hear a word the other girl was saying. Throwing caution to the wind, she lunged forward and pressed her lips against Zhilin’s.
Zhilin hadn’t expected Sheng Mian’s limp body to move so fast. She had no chance to dodge and was caught in the kiss with her eyes wide in shock.
Sheng Mian felt the softness of those cool lips and slowly became intoxicated. She began to press and nip at them. Zhilin instinctively gripped Sheng Mian’s waist. She had never experienced anything so soft before, and the tension between their breaths thickened.
Zhilin tried to push her away, but Sheng Mian, lost in the kiss, wouldn’t budge. Zhilin applied a bit more force to restrain her, staring at her with reddened eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
Sheng Mian panted, “Shen Zhilin.” The force pushing against her shoulders relaxed significantly. At least she still recognizes me.
Sheng Mian leaned in again. This time, it wasn’t a tentative taste, but a deeper, more fervent kiss.
Zhilin wrapped her left arm around the girl’s waist and supported the back of her head with her right hand. Sheng Mian was practically pinned in her embrace. As they both broke into a sweat, Zhilin didn’t forget to continuously release pheromones to soothe her.
At one point, Sheng Mian struggled for air and tried to push Zhilin away, but Zhilin caught her hand and pinned it, leaning down to nip at Sheng Mian’s lower lip.
Sheng Mian gasped for oxygen, and the two of them were pulled back into the whirlpool once more.
Time lost its meaning. Outside, the bright daylight faded into the deep shadows of dusk. Sheng Mian eventually fell into a deep sleep in Zhilin’s arms, her first heat temporarily pacified by the Alpha’s pheromones.
Zhilin carefully laid the sleeping girl on the bed and tucked her in. She then opened her desk drawer, pulled out a syringe, and injected it into her own arm without hesitation.
The agitation in her body gradually subsided. By the time Sheng Mian woke up again, the world outside the window was pitch black.