Chapter 35

She wasn’t sure whether it was the calming sachet Li Jia had given her that truly worked its magic, or simply a placebo effect, but Ye Chengxing slept deeply and soundly that night.

The morning sun filtered warmly into the room. After a full night’s rest, Ye Chengxing could clearly feel that the tension from days of constant travel had eased considerably. Even the jumbled thoughts that had cluttered her mind before sleep had mostly dissipated.

Rest really was essential, after all.

She recalled how her sudden death in her previous life had largely stemmed from high-intensity work without enough sleep. Realizing this, Ye Chengxing decided she needed to take the issue seriously. Even though she had transmigrated into this book, she couldn’t afford to neglect her health.

When she woke, Li Jia was no longer in bed—likely off doing something. After a quick freshen-up, Ye Chengxing picked up the calming sachet she had placed by her pillow before sleep.

At first, when Li Jia had offered it, she hadn’t thought it would do much. Mostly, she hadn’t wanted to trouble Li Jia further, but seeing how eager the other girl was to help, she had let her.

Those doubts were in the past now. Ye Chengxing found the little calming sachet surprisingly effective.

She examined it again. Though small, it had some weight to it. The herbal bitterness was faint, overshadowed by a stronger, more vivid white peach sweet scent. Ye Chengxing figured that must be from Li Jia’s frequent use—after all, the sachet carried traces of her pheromones, marking it as a well-loved item.

Ye Chengxing considered opening it to inspect the contents, but it wouldn’t budge. Li Jia must have set some kind of biometric lock on it. That would have seemed outlandish in her old world, but here, it made perfect sense. A tighter seal probably preserved its potency better anyway.

Reluctantly, she set aside her curiosity about what made it so effective. She could always ask Li Jia later.

But…

Staring at the calming sachet in her hand, Ye Chengxing suddenly realized something.

She could smell Li Jia’s pheromones on it, so by the same logic, wouldn’t sleeping with it by her side for a whole night have infused it with her own pheromones as well?

This was a personal item—one Li Jia used regularly. Even though she had only borrowed it, if it now carried an Alpha’s pheromones, Li Jia would surely mind.

The realization left Ye Chengxing a bit troubled.

People were never as sensitive to their own pheromones as they were to others’, so she couldn’t quite tell if hers had rubbed off on it.

She lifted the sachet to her nose for a closer sniff.

Before she could discern anything, the door opened, and Li Jia pushed it wider as she walked in.

“I just went downstairs and made some breakfast…” The Omega’s long hair was tied into a high ponytail that swayed gently with her steps, the fluffy, slightly curled ends adding a vibrant, youthful energy.

Objectively speaking, her features were strikingly beautiful—plump, glossy lips and eyes naturally alluring, their upward curve shimmering with endless depth. Yet Li Jia’s innocent expression and girlish outfit softened that intensity, leaving only a pure, untainted charm.

Before Ye Chengxing could respond, Li Jia spoke again. “What is Sis smelling?”

Caught sniffing someone else’s calming sachet, Ye Chengxing felt a flush of embarrassment.

Especially since she hadn’t detected anything conclusive—only the clear trace of Li Jia’s pheromones.

On second thought, her behavior seemed… oh god, would Li Jia think she was some kind of creep?

Ye Chengxing cleared her throat lightly and quickly set the sachet down. “Nothing, nothing. I was just curious about what’s inside since it works so well.”

But after saying it, she second-guessed herself. Her reaction seemed overly guilty. If she was just innocently curious, why act so suspicious? As if she had been up to no good… Wait, she hadn’t been. She had simply sniffed it. Why feel guilty?

With that in mind, Ye Chengxing casually picked up the sachet again and offered it to Li Jia, striving for a natural look.

Li Jia blinked at her words, her tone drawing out slightly. “It’s fine. If Sis likes it that much, you can keep using it. I’ll ask for it back if I need it.”

Hearing this, Ye Chengxing felt even more indebted. Li Jia was truly kind. She had already imposed on her since last night, and now guilt weighed heavier.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Li Jia seemed to read her perfectly. The Omega smiled, her voice turning earnest. “What’s there to feel bad about? This sachet is important, sure, but Sis is far more important to me. You’ve already helped me so much—honestly, I haven’t done enough in return. So whenever you need anything from me, you have to tell me.”

As Li Jia spoke, her expression held not just gratitude but something deeper, more intricate. It was like a seemingly harmless predator lurking in the shadows, patiently retracting its claws while plotting how to claim the prey it had long coveted.

Unfortunately, Ye Chengxing remained oblivious in that moment.

Or perhaps not entirely unaware—just whenever a flicker of suspicion arose, by the time she probed further, she met only Li Jia’s pure, innocent gaze. In the end, nothing seemed amiss.

Touched, Ye Chengxing nodded emphatically. “Thank you, Li Jia.”

Beyond the warmth, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of joy at Li Jia’s earlier words.

“This sachet is important, sure, but Sis is far more important to me.”

So, that meant she was important to Li Jia too, right?

On the surface, Ye Chengxing didn’t seem overly concerned. Deep down, she knew Li Jia wasn’t the type to hold grudges. Still, she couldn’t stop wondering what lay behind those repeated calls of “Sis.”

She feared rejection, disgust, that to Li Jia, all this might feel like an endless, inescapable humiliation.

“You don’t need to thank me, Sis.” Unbeknownst to her, Li Jia had drawn much closer, her voice now whispering near the Alpha’s ear. “After all, Sis has always been by my side. Even if the sachet stays with you, that’s no problem at all.”

Such proximity would be dangerously intimate—excessive even—for most Alphas and Omegas. But Ye Chengxing, as an Alpha, had grown accustomed to this dynamic with Li Jia, blurring the proper boundaries between them.

Was this normal, or had it veered off course? Who could say?

She didn’t dare turn to check. Much like how Li Jia often avoided Ye Chengxing’s gaze, her own thoughts were so obscure and unworthy—practically defiling—that she craved and coveted despite knowing better.

As she spoke, Li Jia inched even closer, masking her intentions beneath a facade of soft trust and dependence.

Ye Chengxing murmured a soft acknowledgment, and the faint, peculiar emotions stirring in her heart settled once more.

Lately, her mind had been a mess of tangled thoughts. Better to stay composed and be the sister Li Jia needed—there when required, gone when not. What other role could she play? Li Jia’s future wouldn’t revolve around her alone; someone more important would surely appear.

That thought extinguished her fleeting joy.

Her fingers tightened then loosened on the sachet, but Ye Chengxing quickly schooled her expression back to normal.

Affectionately, she reached out, tucking a strand of Li Jia’s hair—fallen onto her shoulder—behind the Omega’s ear. Li Jia felt the Alpha’s breath brush softly against her cheek. She turned her gaze, meeting serene autumn depths—the one look she could never fully decipher.

“Let’s eat breakfast before it gets cold…” Ye Chengxing withdrew her hand, turning to set the sachet down. But the motion reminded her of what she had meant to say all along.

Straightening up, she realized they had danced around the real issue. Thinking of how Li Jia had trusted her with it—and how it might now be tainted with her pheromones—made her stomach twist. “Actually, that’s not what I wanted to say.”

With that, Ye Chengxing hesitated before extending the sachet to Li Jia.

“Why don’t you smell it? I can’t tell, just your lingering pheromones. But it might have picked up mine now.” Unconsciously, she rubbed the sachet’s surface, missing how Li Jia’s eyes lingered on her fingertips. “If it has, I’ll make you a new one.”

The Alpha’s hands were exceptionally beautiful—slender and elegant.

As Ye Chengxing spoke, Li Jia’s gaze lifted to meet hers.

“Is that so?” The Omega looked skeptical. “Let me check then.”

Ye Chengxing nodded, extending her hand further.

But instead of taking the sachet, Li Jia gently grasped the Alpha’s wrist and leaned in. Paired with her expression, it didn’t resemble a mere sniff—it was more like a devout kiss to her fingertips.

Stunned by the strangely intimate atmosphere, Ye Chengxing felt her fingers tingle as if burned. She started to pull away, but Li Jia tightened her grip suddenly, drawing them closer as if confirming something.

Warm breath grazed from her ear down, lingering long.

“It’s fine,” Li Jia said, lifting her eyes to meet Ye Chengxing’s once more. The Omega’s lovely eye corners curved faintly. “Having Sis’s pheromones on it actually makes me feel even more at ease.”