Chapter 93: Inferiority Tsundere Canary Alpha

It had been less than twenty-four hours since Jiang Li had last posed a similar question.

Yet Li Huan’s response had completely changed.

Would she be willing to be obediently locked away at home…?

Yesterday, Li Huan had hoped to stand on equal footing with Jiang Li, to hold a position that Jiang Li wouldn’t casually discard. But…

If Jiang Li had already chosen to abandon her before that, what could she do? Would her efforts still matter?

Li Huan gazed intently at the smiling face before her. Unlike yesterday when she’d asked the question, Jiang Li now seemed utterly confident in the answer Li Huan would give. Even the pad of her thumb lingering on Li Huan’s neck had a touch of playful intent.

It brushed lightly, almost imperceptibly, pressing gently against the pulsing flesh beneath her fingertips. Pale skin yielded, revealing faint blue veins underneath.

She held Li Huan completely in her grasp, her posture radiating dominance.

Li Huan didn’t care about anything else. She just wanted one answer from Jiang Li.

“Will you abandon me?”

Her eyes brightened as Li Huan asked Jiang Li softly. Her cold, damp cheek rubbed gently against Jiang Li’s wrist, her gaze soft and obedient.

It was as if she’d melted her entire being, entrusting it wholly to Jiang Li.

She craved Jiang Li’s firm affirmation, a dose of reassurance to barely calm her restless heart.

Yes, barely calm it.

Unless Jiang Li promised to bind them together like conjoined twins, inseparable day and night—but Li Huan knew the proud Eldest Miss wouldn’t agree to that.

So, as a next-best compromise, even if it was just words, even if Jiang Li was lying, Li Huan would choose to believe her for now.

Please, even if it’s a lie, just don’t reject me.

Say those words I long to hear.

Her watery black eyes stared unblinkingly at Jiang Li. Her palm-sized face, with damp strands of hair clinging messily to her cheeks and neck, looked up at her like this.

So thin.

Jiang Li’s palm gently gripped Li Huan’s slender neck, holding it effortlessly. It gave her the fleeting illusion that with just a slight lift, she could hoist the person in front of her up.

Li Huan wouldn’t resist at all. She’d even package herself up and deliver willingly.

She was clearly an Alpha, yet her build was almost identical to this Omega’s—save for being a bit taller.

A drenched, fragile little dog.

For some reason, as Jiang Li looked at the person in her grasp, the term “little dog” sprang to mind. The more she watched, the more it fit, and she couldn’t help but curve her lips in a soft chuckle.

Forgive her, but though the reason Li Huan was soaked infuriated her, the pitiful sight of her now—gazing up drenched and vulnerable, begging for a sense of security like a bullied, scrawny pup—was irresistible.

A bullied little dog turning to its owner for vengeance. The only one she could rely on was Jiang Li, and she’d chosen to bare her insecurities here.

Jiang Li had to admit she was softening toward this version of Li Huan. She didn’t know the root of Li Huan’s lack of security—or utter absence of it—but…

She had plenty of security to offer Li Huan.

Li Huan seemed to like her a lot… Jiang Li shook her head. Those eyes fixed on her from start to finish made her revise that: it wasn’t “seemed” or an illusion.

Li Huan simply liked her—a lot.

A helpless, pitiful, and most importantly, beautiful little dog who liked her, now seeking an answer: Would she abandon her little dog?

She was so obedient it was impossible not to adore her!

Jiang Li’s fingertips lifted, combing through Li Huan’s tousled strands and tucking them behind her ear. This revealed her exquisite face more clearly. Jiang Li reached out, stroking the soaked hair.

She petted gently, one stroke at a time, plucking out stray droplets, quietly accompanying her as she touched the strands. Her chin occasionally brushed the hair at Li Huan’s forehead.

“Li Huan…”

“Please trust me more. I will never leave your side.”

Her tone was resolute, her expression earnest. Jiang Li stroked Li Huan’s head, her soft eyes locked steadily on her, smiling tenderly as she made this vow.

Forever…

What a beautiful word.

Li Huan gazed intently, the touch on her head feather-light, like petting a cherished pet. And right now, that’s what she was—Jiang Li’s exclusive pet.

Or perhaps she’d shattered herself willingly and handed the pieces to Jiang Li, content to be caged by her.

The hand on her head lifted away. Jiang Li hopped down from the bench and stood beside Li Huan.

“You?!”

Li Huan’s eyes widened in shock as she watched Jiang Li’s fingers. Her body heated up, and she instinctively clutched the back of her own neck. What was she doing?!

Jiang Li blinked, her thumb grazing her own nape. Seeing Li Huan’s unusually astonished eyes, she looked puzzled. Had she done something wrong?

“That hand of yours… it just touched my gland, didn’t it?”

Li Huan’s eyes reddened. She glanced at Jiang Li curiously lifting her fingertip to inspect it, as if checking for visible residue.

It’s pheromones from the nape—you can’t see them…

Touching her own pheromones right after wiping across Li Huan’s nape meant the two scents would mingle on contact, blending instinctively.

What embarrassed Li Huan was—

This was tantamount to Jiang Li voluntarily introducing her pheromones into her own glands, even if unconsciously. It signified acceptance—a deeper acceptance.

Incorporated pheromones, entwining forms, intimate body heat, trembling lashes…

Her mind raced like a lantern show, vivid scenes flashing before her tightening breath.

“Li Huan!”

Jiang Li waved her hand in front of Li Huan’s face several times with no response. Seeing the flush deepen on her face, Jiang Li firmly patted her shoulder.

“Ah?! No, I don’t like…!” Still lost in the visions when jolted awake, Li Huan instinctively voiced her protest before snapping clear.

Worried Li Huan might be feverish and delirious, Jiang Li touched her heated cheek and asked with concern, “Do you feel unwell anywhere else?”

The feverish images lingered in Li Huan’s mind, etching Jiang Li’s every expression clearly into her eyes. Even this worried look twisted into something else entirely.

Li Huan’s breathing quickened.

The furrowed brow stemmed from endurance. Her small nose quivered at the tip, rising and falling with her chest like a kite buffeted in the wind.

Li Huan’s hand, Li Huan’s shoulder—they became the strings holding Jiang Li, gripped and tugged no matter how fierce the gales.

She rubbed her soft, hot cheek against Jiang Li’s wrist. Damp sweat and scorching heat mingled indistinguishably as she sought coolness, sliding her slick face lower and lower.

Until—

“!”

The person in her grasp suddenly shuddered violently. Jiang Li whipped around to check on Li Huan.

She was fine, just wearing a belated look of bewilderment. Her gaze dazedly fixed on the hand Jiang Li held—cool against her burning skin.

“It’s okay. I’ll take you home. We’ll have Li Si check you over soon.” Jiang Li squeezed Li Huan’s palm tightly, soothing her startled emotions.

Li Huan murmured a soft acknowledgment.

The tall, slender figure dragged her straight out of the changing room. Li Huan followed step by step behind, not drawing closer but maintaining a taut curve in their arms.

A clear tension that let her feel how firmly Jiang Li gripped her.

Stray strands fluttered in the wind. Standing behind her, Li Huan caught the drifting floral scent—delicate epiphyllum, perfectly balanced, filling her nostrils completely.

Only Li Huan could smell it.

Pale handback glided straight, delicate skin shadowed by the blazing sun. To lead her along, it revealed tender inner arm, glowing brighter.

Only Li Huan could see this up close.

The low voice on the phone coordinating with the driver was quicker than usual, urging haste before swiftly calling Li Si to hurry to the Jiang Mansion.

Treatment only Li Huan received.

From the changing room to the school gate, they walked hand in hand. During class time, heading to the exit drew eyes, and these two beauties only amplified it.

Some students lounging during PE, scrolling phones, nearly flung theirs away at a friend’s startled “Holy shit!” About to snap when they followed her gaze—

“Fuck yeah!!”

The school’s hottest gossip—every Sheng An student knew of these two.

Or rather, the pair now furiously snapping photos of Jiang Li and Li Huan’s departing backs were fans themselves.

Of course, not just admirers witnessed their hand-holding exit.

Amid cheers rose wails of despair.

A few stood off to the side ahead. Spotting their intimate display, their faces soured—especially under Li Huan’s faint glance.

Done for.

Li Huan hadn’t seen their faces before, but she’d smelled the pheromones they’d deliberately released to enrage her. They matched the fearful leaks now.

So—

Li Huan wordlessly closed the distance with Jiang Li, her gaze darkly fixed on them. She murmured, “It hurts so much,” then leaned fully against Jiang Li’s back in plain view.

Intimate proximity, no gap whatsoever. The Eldest Miss Jiang, whom they deemed Li Huan a mere ant beneath, even accommodated her, slowing her pace.

Nothing like the rumors.

Just now, you called me Jiang Li’s dog, didn’t you…?

Li Huan surrendered her body forward from behind to Jiang Li, total dependence. She extended her wrist toward Jiang Li, demanding to be pulled tighter.

Compared to Jiang Li’s frame, Li Huan was taller. Now deliberately hunching to press against her back, she enveloped her completely in an embrace.

Not letting anyone glimpse a sliver, claiming her exclusively.

Then, burying into Jiang Li’s hair, Li Huan turned her head toward them. Hidden from Jiang Li’s sight, the softness vanished from her face, replaced by icy detachment.

Repay them in kind.

Her pheromones surged mercilessly toward the group. Li Huan wasn’t a saint; their provocation was fresh. Since they’d offered themselves up, she saw no need for mercy.

The leader bore the heaviest pressure.

She’d been the first to claim Jiang Li wouldn’t stick her neck out for a dog.

Feeling the targeted assault strongest, the leader knew why. Unlike the others silently enduring, she had backbone, gritting her teeth in a low sneer.

“Dog relying on her master’s power.”

The unrestrained mockery reached Li Huan’s ears. Hearing the barbed words, her narrow eye tails curved into even greater delight.

You’re right. I’m Li Li’s dog—the fiercest one. So relying on her master must be the mark of favor, right?

Her brows coldly knit, eyes alight with a chilling smile. She unleashed even fiercer pheromones that way, her usual crisp cedar revealing its aggressive edge.

They clenched fists, terror-sweat beading and trickling down faces. They tried fleeing but couldn’t; the wolfish, leopard-like pheromones pinned them in place.

Once Jiang Li pulled her away from their sight, Li Huan glimpsed the sweat on their backs. Their sidelined arms trembled in fright.

Before vanishing, those sinister, feral eyes seared into their minds. Legs went weak.

“Li Huan, your susceptible period is coming soon.”

Pulling her to the roadside, Jiang Li turned with a grave expression, scrutinizing Li Huan closely.

The pheromones Li Huan had just unleashed—though she’d restrained them from Jiang Li—a few stray wisps had slipped into her senses.

Precisely those traces alerted Jiang Li to the anomaly.

Li Huan’s pheromones weren’t their usual subtlety. Now they carried the irritability and aggression of a susceptible period Alpha, faintly slipping from control.

Classic harbinger of an Alpha’s susceptible period.

Her susceptible period was approaching…?

Jiang Li’s reminder hit Li Huan belatedly. Her body, chilled from the soaking, now burned hot—even the skin her curled fingertips brushed was scalding.

Beyond that, Li Huan’s gaze slowly rose from Jiang Li’s abdomen, tracing the gentle curve to her smooth, delicate neck. Her nose twitched faintly.

Epiphyllum, on the verge of blooming.

“Yeah, it’s almost here.” Li Huan stared fixedly at that snowy, tender skin—one she’d tested, knowing a mere pinch would mark it.

Snowy flesh with red imprints—her marks.

Her lips licked restlessly again and again. Jiang Li followed her heated gaze to Li Huan, catching the thirsty lip-licking stare, as if she’d devour her next instant.

Jiang Li arched a brow, pressing her thumb to Li Huan’s sniffing nose. She chuckled lightly, “I don’t recall helping you through your susceptible period being in my duties.”

How could she…

Li Huan shamelessly leaned in, her dark eyes shimmering. Her soft cheeks nuzzled Jiang Li, eyes crinkling in plea.

“Please… stay with me during my susceptible period.”