Captivating Beauty 78

Chapter 78

“No need,” Shen Shu murmured, her arm reaching out to pull Xu Jinnan closer, the silk sleeve of her pajama top sliding down her arm, revealing a glimpse of her pale wrist.

“Aren’t you in heat?” Xu Jinnan asked, her palms sweating, the memory of Shen Shu’s earlier heat still vivid in her mind.

“Not yet,” Shen Shu replied, her voice slightly unsteady, her fingers closing around Xu Jinnan’s cool wrist, the contrast in temperature a welcome relief, though the rest of her body felt flushed with a growing warmth.

The fact that her heat hadn’t started yet meant her current symptoms were indeed related to her approaching cycle.

“Your cycles have been irregular these past few months,” Xu Jinnan said hesitantly. An Alpha’s rut and an Omega’s heat typically occurred once a month, lasting for about three days, sometimes five.

Shen Shu had used suppressants two weeks ago, meaning she would be experiencing two cycles within a single month.

“Mm…” Shen Shu murmured in agreement.

“So, right now…” Xu Jinnan began, then stopped mid-sentence as Shen Shu turned over, lying flat on the bed, her eyes, sparkling like a galaxy in the dim light of the bedside lamp, meeting Xu Jinnan’s.

Xu Jinnan felt herself sinking, drowning in those mesmerizing eyes, a galaxy pulling her into its depths.

Both Alphas and Omegas experienced a range of symptoms before, during, and after their ruts and heats. Even with the specialized suppressants, Xu Jinnan’s body still reacted to Shen Shu’s presence, their close proximity during her last rut a torment, a constant battle against her own instincts.

She had read online that while Alphas were affected, Omegas were even more sensitive during this period, their desires and cravings intensified.

Shen Shu didn’t speak, simply staring at her, her gaze heavy with unspoken longing.

The invitation was clear.

Xu Jinnan hesitated, checking for any reaction in her scent gland.

Shen Shu’s fingers tightened around her wrist for a moment, then she released her hand, her gaze dropping to the bed as she sat up and pulled back the covers.

Xu Jinnan reached out and grabbed her wrist, her voice low. “Aren’t you feeling unwell?”

“And you?” Shen Shu asked, turning to her, her voice soft yet steady.

Xu Jinnan was taken aback by the unexpected question, her mind momentarily blank.

Before she could respond, Shen Shu had pulled her hand away and was walking towards the door.

“Shu Shu!” Xu Jinnan exclaimed, getting out of bed.

“I can’t sleep here. I’m going back to my room,” Shen Shu said, her voice regaining its usual coolness.

She paused at the doorway. “Xu Jinnan.”

Xu Jinnan stopped, hearing the coldness in her voice.

“Let’s sleep separately from now on,” Shen Shu said, then quickly left the room, closing the door behind her before Xu Jinnan could reply.

“Don’t be angry! Let’s talk about this!” Xu Jinnan called out, hurrying after her. “Shu Shu?”

“I’m not angry. There’s nothing to talk about. Go to sleep,” Shen Shu replied from behind the closed door.

Xu Jinnan: “…”

That didn’t sound like “nothing.”

She didn’t understand why Shen Shu was suddenly upset.

She knocked on the door again, hearing a soft thud as Shen Shu seemingly threw something against it.

“Xu Jinnan, are you annoying?”

Xu Jinnan stopped knocking, the words, unlike her usual playful complaints, laced with genuine irritation.

She felt a strange hollowness, like a wet tissue clinging to her face, suffocating her.

After a moment of silence, she whispered, “Then get some rest. Good night.”

She slowly walked back to the guest room, closed the door, and sat on the bed for a long time, the coolness of the room finally seeping into her bones, before getting under the covers.

The faint scent of Shen Shu’s pheromones still lingered on the sheets.

–It was past 2 a.m., and she was wide awake, her mind replaying their earlier conversation.

—”Aren’t you feeling unwell?”

—”And you?”

Then, it hit her.

Shen Shu had been asking if Xu Jinnan was also feeling… aroused.

Xu Jinnan sighed, burying her face in her pillow. Of course she had been.

She wasn’t a saint.

She sat up, restless and frustrated, Shen Shu’s words echoing in her ears – Xu Jinnan, are you annoying?

She closed her eyes, imagining how she would feel if their roles were reversed.

After sharing intimate moments, kisses and embraces, only to be repeatedly rejected…

She would feel hurt.

And confused…

She ran a hand through her hair, her mind racing.

She picked up her phone and messaged Professor Qin, telling him she would be coming to the hospital tomorrow.

Then, she stared at the ceiling, the dim light casting long shadows.

She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

“Haa…”

Her breath felt hot against her skin.

The blanket had slipped from her body, the room dark, only a sliver of moonlight filtering through the gap in the curtains.

Shen Shu lay on her side, her eyes fixed on the faint light, her breathing shallow and rapid, her heart pounding.

She had become incredibly sensitive since Xu Jinnan had helped her through her last heat, her body reacting to even the slightest touch, her desires intensified.

Even with suppressants, she could only maintain a semblance of control when she was away from home.

As soon as she was back in the apartment, especially when Xu Jinnan was around, she felt a pull, a yearning she couldn’t ignore.

She wanted Xu Jinnan.

Even though they hadn’t… technically… been together, as Xu Jinnan had always been the one in control, the one giving, not receiving…

But she had tasted the intoxicating pleasure, the almost unbearable intensity, and now, whenever she was near Xu Jinnan, she couldn’t resist the urge to be closer, to feel the warmth of her skin, to kiss her, to do more.

It was as if Xu Jinnan had some kind of magnetic pull on her.

But Xu Jinnan was always so restrained, so controlled, that Shen Shu had almost believed she wasn’t interested.

Then, she had learned about Xu Jinnan’s past, and she had understood.

Xu Jinnan rarely complained, always handling her problems on her own, her strength and resilience almost intimidating.

But beneath the surface, she was also afraid, vulnerable.

Like with her family secrets.

Shen Shu had sensed her hesitation, her fear, when she had revealed the truth, offering Shen Shu a choice, a way out.

Xu Jinnan had been afraid of being a burden.

What she didn’t know was that Shen Shu had also been afraid, but not of Xu Jinnan.

She knew, deep down, that Xu Jinnan would never hurt her.

Not this Xu Jinnan. No matter what happened, she wouldn’t hurt her.

She didn’t know where this certainty came from, but she felt it, a deep, unwavering conviction.

She thought she had made her feelings clear – she didn’t care about Xu Jinnan’s past, about her being a product of incest.

It wasn’t Xu Jinnan’s fault; it was the fault of those who had made such a monstrous decision, driven by their own selfish desires.

But Xu Jinnan didn’t seem to understand.

Perhaps there was something else bothering her?

She didn’t know.

She only knew that Xu Jinnan was still hesitant, her touch cautious, her words carefully chosen, as if she was afraid of something.

That was Xu Jinnan, her carefree demeanor masking a multitude of worries and anxieties.

Strong, yet vulnerable.

That was why Shen Shu had repeatedly offered her help, reminding her that she wasn’t just an actress, that she could be more than just a… partner.

She had fallen for Xu Jinnan, and she knew what it felt like to care for someone, to want them, both emotionally and physically.

She wanted Xu Jinnan to feel the same way, to reciprocate her feelings, to lose control, to surrender to the moment. That was why she had been acting differently lately, doing things she wouldn’t normally do, even discussing such matters with Tong Jia.

How to seduce a woman? How to awaken her desires?

Tong Jia, amused, had said, With your looks, you don’t need any tricks! Any Alpha, any person, would be putty in your hands.

Shen Shu had replied, You overestimate me.

In bed, Xu Jinnan often felt like a block of wood, completely unresponsive.

She would scoff whenever she saw comments online calling her the “Ice Queen.”

She wasn’t; Xu Jinnan was the true Ice Queen.

Even when they were kissing, even when Shen Shu’s body trembled with desire, Xu Jinnan would always stop, always in control.

It made Shen Shu feel like she was always the one wanting more, the one initiating, the one in a position of weakness.

She didn’t like it.

It made her feel frustrated, inadequate.

She wanted equality, a balance of power.

She wanted to see Xu Jinnan lose control.

She wanted to shatter her carefully constructed facade of indifference.

If things continued like this, nothing would change. Xu Jinnan needed a push.

She wouldn’t tolerate this lukewarm affection any longer, whatever the reason.

She had had enough.

While she had been genuinely annoyed by Xu Jinnan’s hesitation earlier, her anger had been partly an act, a deliberate provocation. She wouldn’t normally react so strongly to such a minor incident.

But if, after this, Xu Jinnan still didn’t understand…

Shen Shu would leave.

Then, she reconsidered, a pang of regret, a reluctance to let go, tugging at her heart.

She frowned, her eyes, reflecting the faint moonlight filtering through the window, as cool and distant as the night sky.

But the coldness in her eyes soon faded, replaced by a warmth, a subtle mist clouding her vision.

Her earlier resolve hadn’t quelled the restless energy within her, the heat still simmering beneath the surface.

She got up and went to the balcony, opening the window slightly wider, letting in the cool night air.

It helped, but the image of Xu Jinnan’s smooth, pale waist lingered in her mind.

She returned to the living room, not wanting to go back to bed yet, the coolness of the night air already fading.

She sat down on the armchair.

A sliver of moonlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, the breeze ruffling Shen Shu’s damp hair, a few strands clinging to her neck and cheek.

The cool air against her damp skin made her shiver, and she reached out to close the window, then realized she couldn’t reach from the armchair.

She stood up, the flush fading from her face, her usual composure returning, though her skin still tingled with warmth.

She picked up her discarded clothes and placed them on the armchair, along with the pale green cushion with its delicate lace trim, wrapping them in the blanket.

—

When Xu Jinnan woke up, Shen Shu was already gone. She rubbed her eyes, the bedroom door ajar, the room clean and tidy.

The curtains were open, revealing the balcony, where a set of pajamas and the pale green cushion were hanging on the clothesline, swaying gently in the breeze.

Xu Jinnan’s gaze lingered on them for a moment, then she turned and left the room.

Her Bentley was being serviced, so she took her black Porsche. Instead of going straight to the office, she decided to go to the hospital first.

She sent Shen Shu a message, but received no reply.

At the hospital, she asked about Shen Shu, and Tong Jia, surprised, asked, “Isn’t Shu Shu free this morning? Aren’t you two together?”

Tong Jia: [Don’t tell me you had another fight!]

Xu Jinnan rolled her eyes. They hadn’t had a single fight, let alone “another” one.

She denied it, and just then, Professor Qin called out to her from the hallway, and she went to meet him, her mind elsewhere.

Throughout the check-up, she was lost in thought.

The results were similar to last time, her Alpha levels still high, but slightly lower than before. Perhaps that was why her sensitivity hadn’t been as pronounced lately?

“Have you been taking your medication?”

“Yes,” she replied.

Professor Qin pondered. “Then continue taking it… Miss Xu, you said your symptoms have improved. Have you been limiting your contact with Miss Shen?”

Xu Jinnan had been meaning to ask about this.

“Not really.” She had been too busy to see Shen Shu lately.

“But my reactions haven’t been as intense,” she said, remembering last night, the tingling in her scent gland barely noticeable.

She had started to feel hopeful, even optimistic.

Perhaps she was recovering?

Professor Qin, sensing her hope, said cautiously, “While it’s an improvement, you should still be careful. This phenomenon is still relatively uncharted territory, so we don’t have enough data to establish any clear patterns. We’ll have to monitor it closely.”

Xu Jinnan nodded, not replying.

“But any improvement is good. Try not to stress about it, Miss Xu,” he added gently.

“Okay,” she replied.

Her stress wasn’t about the sensitivity itself, but rather its potential consequences. During a rut, she lost control, becoming almost feral, and she had almost… hurt Shen Shu.

And that wasn’t even the main issue.

She had been keeping her Alpha identity a secret because of Shen Shu’s aversion to Alphas, afraid of ruining their relationship.

And after the stalker incident, the secret had become even more sensitive.

But now, Shen Shu had misunderstood, thinking she wasn’t interested in intimacy.

And for an Omega, that was a hurtful assumption.

She didn’t want Shen Shu to feel that way. She had to tell her the truth, that it wasn’t that she wasn’t interested, but that she was afraid.

The thought made her anxious. Confessing the truth required courage, the willingness to face the consequences.

It’s okay, she told herself. You can’t hide it forever.

Every check-up felt like an exam, filled with anxiety and apprehension, afraid of failing.

And when the results were better than expected, a sense of relief would wash over her.

She walked over to the window, looking up at the sky, her light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, a few strands escaping and brushing against her cheek, her small face framed by the clear blue sky.

“Professor Qin,” she said, “can you print out a report on secondary differentiation for me?”