Chapter 55: When the Pheromones Are at Their Strongest

The consequences of Little Dog’s arrogant bluster were swift: Big Sister pinched her cheeks, tugging left and right until her mouth puffed out like a leaky balloon.

Shen Wanqing turned her head and caught Lin Xuan’s amused, auntie-like smile. She arched a brow, shooting her a reproachful glance.

Lin Xuan figured it was about time and called out, “I want some meat.”

Lu Zhixia broke free in a hurry, snatching up her chopsticks to ruthlessly claim her share.

This kid sure knows how to hold a grudge, Lin Xuan thought, unsure whether to be happy or sad for Shen Wanqing.

On one hand, it was cause for joy—Shen Wanqing, that stubborn old tree, had finally blossomed and taken a liking to someone.

On the other, the age gap was huge. Lu Zhixia was still so immature, with a wild streak that promised plenty of headaches down the road.

Lin Xuan had seen Lu Zhixia on TV before, sitting beside national leaders as a translator, and assumed she was some poised and mature young lady.

But up close? Forget young lady. She was a sweet little milk pup when docile, a snarling wolf pup when fierce, and a total mad pup when riled up.

People like that were angels when they were good—and absolute dogs when they weren’t. They could drive you up the wall.

In the end, Lu Zhixia ate her fill. When Lin Xuan called for more meat, she didn’t even try to grab any.

Shen Wanqing’s plate was still piled high with little meat mountains, while Lu Zhixia’s was scraped clean. Seeing the flush rise on Shen Wanqing’s cheeks, Lu Zhixia leaned in close. “Drunk already?”

Shen Wanqing flicked her forehead. “Not even close.”

“Why’d you stop snatching?” Lin Xuan teased. “I thought you were some lovable dimwit who’d keep going forever.”

“You’d better not waste it,” Lu Zhixia shot back, since Lin Xuan had dumped a whole pot in. “I’m just saying.”

“Save your reminders for the one next to you.”

“My big sister’s plate? I can polish that off. But no one’s clearing yours.” Lu Zhixia said it just to rile her up, and sure enough, Shen Wanqing burst out laughing.

Lu Zhixia beamed, her eyes crinkling into happy crescents. “There you go—you finally smiled. It’s been forever.”

Shen Wanqing reached out and ruffled her hair, her voice softening. “Get your big sister a smoke.”

“Right, right.” Lu Zhixia patted her pockets, then remembered she’d changed clothes. As she got up to fetch some, Lin Xuan turned serious. “You’re not the impulsive type. I hope you know what you’re doing. She’s young—plenty of uncertainties ahead.”

“Why overthink it?” Shen Wanqing drawled lazily. “Who knows how long any of us have left.”

“Always so morbid.” Lin Xuan poured herself a drink and sighed. “Bet you’re this girl’s first love. Don’t go crushing the nation’s precious flower.”

Lin Xuan pried for the story of how they’d met. Shen Wanqing gave the short version—from their chance roadside encounter to her deliberate ploy at the match.

Lin Xuan’s eyes went wide. “I never would’ve guessed—you fell first?”

“Maybe.” Shen Wanqing shrugged it off. “Doesn’t matter to me.”

Lin Xuan grinned wickedly. “So why not confess? You’re not official yet, and that straightforward kid’s head over heels for you.”

Shen Wanqing shook her head. Confessing first? Not a chance. She knocked back a sip of liquor and dabbed her lips. “When she can face her own heart—when she can voice her feelings stone-cold sober—then we’ll talk next steps.” She topped off her glass and added flatly, “Right now, she just likes the version of me in her head. She doesn’t know the real me.”

Shen Wanqing tossed back a big gulp, then licked her lips. “If she learned about all my ugly history, she’d bolt faster than anyone. So, whatever happens, happens.” She tapped Lin Xuan’s glass with a fingertip. “I’m counting on you for that ambergris pheromone. I hate feeling controlled.”

They were deep in conversation when Lu Zhixia returned, cheeks rosy, head bowed as she lit a cigarette. Her sharp brows lifted slightly, red lips parting to exhale a thin stream of smoke.

Such a practiced motion—clearly no newbie smoker. Lin Xuan jerked her chin. “You gonna let that slide?”

“Pot, meet kettle,” Shen Wanqing said, raising her hand. “Gimme one.”

Lu Zhixia had just gone for a second drag when it was snatched away. She handed it over and fished out another for herself.

Shen Wanqing swiped that one too, setting it on the table. Puffing on her own, she said, “Smoke less.”

Lu Zhixia’s bright eyes locked onto hers. She nodded obediently. Once Shen Wanqing finished, Lu Zhixia caught her slender wrist with a grin. “You too. Let’s share one.”

Lin Xuan nearly cracked another auntie smile and hid it behind her glass.

Shen Wanqing and Lin Xuan kept chatting away. Lu Zhixia, stuffed with food and liquor and nicotine, lingered like a little overseer.

Every time they exchanged more than a few words, her glare screamed pure hostility.

Lin Xuan endured the stare-down for ages before giving in. “Little Wanwan, that look says she’s ready to devour someone. Won’t you let her in on a secret or two?”

Shen Wanqing shook her head and picked up the cigarette from the table, trapping it between her lips. Lu Zhixia lit it for her. “You’ve got work tomorrow. When are you planning to sleep?”

“I’m not going to sleep.” Shen Wanqing patted her head. “You’re the one who should be getting some rest. Professor Yan specifically asked me to keep an eye on you. Go on, get to bed.”

Shen Wanqing schooled her features into a stern expression, her gaze cool and detached. “I don’t like clingy types. Do what I say without arguing.”

Lu Zhixia pursed her lips and glanced sideways at Lin Xuan. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I’m staying up all night.”

“But you have an interview tomorrow.”

Lin Xuan’s eyes went wide, as if she’d just heard the most outlandish tale. She turned to Shen Wanqing for confirmation. “For real?”

“I’m just going along to keep her company. I’ll sit in the audience and wait.”

“That’s still…” Lin Xuan trailed off, clearly astonished. Shen Wanqing let out a hiss of impatience. “Still not sleeping?”

Unwilling as she was, Lu Zhixia got to her feet. Before leaving, she added, “Don’t drink too much. If I wake up, I’ll come check on you. You can drink, eat, chat—that’s it. Nothing else.”

Lin Xuan nearly burst out laughing. With deliberate ambiguity, she said, “It’s late at night, and all is quiet. I’ll try to hold back.”

Hearing that, Lu Zhixia doubled back. Shen Wanqing had to shove and prod her all the way to the Forest Log Cabin.

She pushed Lu Zhixia into the bathroom to wash up, then lit the fireplace as thunder and rain began to rumble outside. Inside, Lu Zhixia tilted her head back and gulped down water, bubbles rising like a fish’s—adorably so.

Lu Zhixia sprawled on the bed, refusing to let her go. She bargained, “One kiss, then you can leave.”

Shen Wanqing wouldn’t have it. Lu Zhixia clung tighter, pressing forward with her head in eager, reckless pursuit.

In the end, Shen Wanqing’s lips were sore from the friction. She twisted Lu Zhixia’s ear. “That supposed to count as one?”

Lu Zhixia flopped backward with a long, satisfied sigh, utterly shameless. “Big Sister smells so good.”

Shen Wanqing smacked her calf. Lu Zhixia bolted upright, seized Shen Wanqing’s hand, and shook it shyly—yet earnestly meeting her eyes. “Does Big Sister want to?”

“Want what?”

“You know.”

“Which?”

“I mean…” Unabashed, she guided Shen Wanqing’s hand to the gland at the back of her neck. “This.”

Shen Wanqing pressed down without mercy, then rose and walked out, leaving Lu Zhixia kicking her legs against the bed in frustrated fury.

Back in the dining room, Shen Wanqing shot Lin Xuan a helpless glare. “Why’d you go and tease her like that?”

“It was too funny. Did you see that look in her eyes? She thinks there’s something between us.” Lin Xuan sighed wistfully. “God, I wish there was. Too bad I’ll probably never get a shot at a threesome again.”

Shen Wanqing couldn’t help but laugh. She reassured her gently, “Everything’s going to be okay. I mean it.”

Lin Xuan lifted her glass. “I believe you. Whenever things get rough and I’m about to throw in the towel, I remember your words: as long as you’re breathing, give it another shot. As long as you don’t quit, it’s not over.”

Shen Wanqing reached for her glass, but Lin Xuan caught her hand. “Your body can’t handle much booze. I’m only home once in a blue moon—I let you indulge this time.”

“It has been ages since I last drank.” Shen Wanqing set her glass down and paused. “You must’ve caught a strong whiff of Ambergris Pheromone earlier, right?”

Lu Zhixia had been worked up, and with her hostility toward Lin Xuan, her pheromones were thicker than usual.

Lin Xuan nodded. She had smelled it, though the complex blend only let her pick out a few notes for now. Candidly, she said, “If we can, I’d like it even stronger—at peak intensity. Let me give it a real go.”

Still, she cautioned Shen Wanqing against getting her hopes up. Ambergris Pheromone and Udumbara were both exceedingly rare scents in the world, near-impossible to synthesize artificially. With a sigh, she added, “Plenty of people tried before me. They all failed.”

She hesitated, then asked, “Are your feelings for her partly due to pheromone compatibility?”

Shen Wanqing nodded. Denying it would’ve been a lie. But she hated the idea of being controlled, refused to let herself grow addicted to anyone’s pheromones. The best solution? Develop a substitute.

Lin Xuan mulled it over with a nod, then leaned in to whisper, “So you’re a full top-tier Omega now?”

Shen Wanqing arched a brow and hummed affirmatively.

“Feel any different?” Lin Xuan rubbed her forehead, apprehension flickering in her eyes. “Lately, the waiting has me on edge, irritable all the time. No clue when it’ll hit or if I can tough it out…”

Shen Wanqing considered it. The shift was profound. Holding up one finger, she began, “First off, the mental adjustment is brutal—or more accurately, your body spent so long as a top-tier Alpha that flipping to Omega overnight? It just can’t keep pace.”

Her most visceral reaction had come early on with Lu Zhixia: the deep-seated urge to take charge, to mark her.

Only for the realization to crash in—she was no longer a top-tier Alpha.

“What about your stamina?”

“Physical changes aren’t that obvious. You know my background—my stamina has always been top-notch.” Shen Wanqing took out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a long breath. “For now, there’s no one who can outlast me.”

“She?”

“She’d need me to hold back.”

“Pfft.” Lin Xuan couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Little Wanwan, how’d you end up like this? Going easy on little AA just to let her mark you? You’re toast—you’ve fallen head over heels.”

Shen Wanqing didn’t take it to heart. She smiled and said, “When I’m utterly exhausted and my body goes limp, too lazy to fight back—that’s when she can pin me down.”

Lin Xuan laughed so hard she slapped the table. Shen Wanqing leaned against the wall, her eyes heavy-lidded and lazy as she drawled, “She’s got real potential. Her explosive power and endurance are both impressive.”

“But can she satisfy you?”

“Do I strike you as that crass?” Shen Wanqing replied coolly. “I care about quality. I just got to Haijing Senhua and haven’t had time to train her properly. I’ll ease her into it—she’s a keeper.”

Lin Xuan tsked. Dating someone and having to teach them step-by-step how to mark you?

This had to be true love. Her thoughts drifted to Yan Menghui. Yeah, no chance there.

Shen Wanqing stubbed out her cigarette and stood abruptly. Lin Xuan rose with her. “What’s up?”

“You keep bringing her up, and now you’ve got me in the mood.” Shen Wanqing smoothed back her hair, baring her smooth forehead, and flashed a faint smile. “I’ve got a prime gig for you.”

“What?”

“Listen in.”

“…”

“It’s not for free. When she marks me, my pheromones hit their peak.”

“She might be passed out by then.”

“You obviously don’t know her.” Shen Wanqing’s smile turned sultry. “With me there? She won’t be sleeping a wink.”

Lin Xuan wasn’t convinced, but she trailed after her anyway.

The room next door was a private lounge with adjustable glass walls—excellent ventilation, which also meant lousy soundproofing.

She pressed herself into a corner and listened: the sounds of washing up and brushing teeth, followed by the lightest footsteps imaginable.

A soft rustle—probably flipping back the covers—then a sudden whoosh. Lin Xuan glanced at the frosted glass, where shadows twisted and intertwined in the dim light.

The eager little dog had been subdued by Big Sister, commanded to perform a series of acts before she’d get her wish.

And so the panting figure held herself back: she danced, threw a full routine of long fist forms, capped it off with a flawless spinning kick, and finally lunged onto the bed.

Heavy, ragged breaths filtered through, mingled with garbled words that would get censored anywhere.

“I’m gonna fuck you dead.”

The scent of Ambergris Pheromone thickened by the moment. Behind the glass wall, the raunchy action film was in full swing. Lin Xuan thought to herself, Holy shit—even normal people couldn’t handle this!