Chapter 20
Milk-citrus scent?
Chu Yunmiao snapped back to her senses and immediately raised a hand to cover the back of her neck.
The fragrance Yu Changning had mentioned was the scent of her pheromones! If Yu Changning could smell it so easily, that meant the level of pheromones in her body had already been affected!
At that thought, Chu Yunmiao freed one hand and fumbled through her pocket for an inhibitor patch. After finally finding the tiny transparent patch, she still couldn’t align it properly several times over because she couldn’t see the exact position at the back of her neck.
The Imperial Crown Princess’s embarrassed struggle was all taken in by Yu Changning. After a moment, she reached out and took the inhibitor patch from Chu Yunmiao’s hand.
“I’ll help you.”
“Mm.” Chu Yunmiao no longer had the mind to worry about propriety; she cooperatively lowered her head and exposed her most delicate gland.
Because of the pheromones, the skin over the gland had turned a lovely pink. The closer one got to it, the stronger the milk-citrus scent became.
Yu Changning leaned down, her gaze dark and intent as she looked at that patch of skin. Where Chu Yunmiao couldn’t see, the tip of her tongue dragged slowly over her canine teeth again and again.
So cute. I want to bite.
The poor Crown Princess still had no idea what the other woman was thinking, and urged anxiously, “Is it not done yet?”
Yu Changning held her still. “Be good. Don’t move.”
She looped both arms around Chu Yunmiao’s shoulders, tearing open the inhibitor patch in a hug from behind, then slowly and carefully pressed it onto that vulnerable skin.
The patch took effect immediately. Almost the instant it was applied, the milk-citrus scent at Yu Changning’s nose faded considerably.
That displeased her. She drew in a long breath, greedily taking in the remaining traces of scent in the air.
Chu Yunmiao touched the inhibitor patch at the back of her neck and finally let out a breath of relief.
She glanced at Yu Changning and said deliberately in a relaxed tone, “Thank you. It’s not serious. I’ll inject a suppressant myself after I get back to the dorm.”
Yu Changning stepped back so she could see Chu Yunmiao’s expression.
Although she already had the answer in her heart, she still confirmed it. “That was your pheromone scent?”
Chu Yunmiao blinked. She felt there was no need to make an issue out of such a small detail, so she nodded. “Mm.”
Then, a little puzzled, she added, “Didn’t you already smell it?”
Yu Changning suddenly curved her lips and looked into her eyes seriously. “Did you realize it?”
Chu Yunmiao was still confused. “Huh? Realize what?”
Yu Changning lifted a hand and rubbed the top of her hair.
Then she answered her question. “Yunmiao, I don’t reject your pheromones at all.”
Chu Yunmiao: “……”
Only then did she belatedly understand what Yu Changning meant.
Pheromones had a scent.
When Alphas smelled another Alpha’s pheromones, they would naturally feel disgust and threat, as though a beast had discovered a rival in its own territory.
Of course, it wasn’t absolute.
If two Alphas had a sufficiently good relationship and trusted each other enough, they wouldn’t experience a physiological aversion to each other’s pheromones.
This situation usually only appeared among blood relatives, such as Alpha sisters who had grown up together and were especially close; they generally wouldn’t care if the other’s pheromones invaded their territory.
So if one Alpha said to another something like, “I don’t reject your pheromones,” it was basically equivalent to saying, I regard you as an entirely trusted and intimate companion, even above blood kin.
Taken boldly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to interpret that as a confession between Alphas.
Chu Yunmiao’s face flushed hotly at once, then quickly turned awkward.
The logic was sound enough, but the key problem was—
She wasn’t an Alpha at all!
In complete contrast to Alpha pheromones, Omega pheromones naturally had a soothing effect on Alphas. If Yu Changning rejected her pheromones, that would truly be a problem.
On the other side, Yu Changning looked at Chu Yunmiao’s shifting expression and impatiently lifted her chin.
She asked, “And you?”
Chu Yunmiao had completely failed to follow her train of thought. “Huh?”
Yu Changning enunciated each word. “Yunmiao, will you reject my pheromones?”
Chu Yunmiao’s mind was a blur, and afraid that if she didn’t answer soon Yu Changning would keep pressing, she stiffened and replied, “Of, of course.”
“Alphas rejecting Alphas; isn’t that just instinct?”
Yu Changning’s eyes darkened, the faint light in them little by little swallowed whole.
She looked at Chu Yunmiao and was silent for a few seconds before finally saying, “Is that so... It’s fine.”
Chu Yunmiao thought she was no longer fixating on the issue and quietly relaxed.
She used a little force this time and finally slipped free from Yu Changning’s hand.
But the next moment, she heard Yu Changning’s low, nearly hoarse voice, and her entire back went rigid.
“Take your time; you’ll get used to it.”
Get used to what?
Get used to Yu Changning’s Alpha pheromones?
Chu Yunmiao didn’t dare think too deeply about it, but when she looked at Yu Changning, her expression inevitably grew complicated.
After a moment, unable to hold back any longer, she asked, “You found out you don’t reject my pheromones, and you don’t think that’s strange, or... worry you?”
Yu Changning pressed her right index finger lightly to the bridge of her nose, as if still savoring the milk-citrus scent from before.
She answered, “I’m very happy.”
“Happy?” Chu Yunmiao repeated the word in surprise.
Yu Changning nodded, confirming her confusion. “Just as I expected. Still, it’s worth being happy about, isn’t it?”
Chu Yunmiao looked conflicted.
She could be sure Yu Changning still didn’t know her real secondary sex, but what did she mean by “just as I expected”?
The Imperial Crown Princess looked up at this childhood friend from long ago and asked, “What exactly are you thinking?”
She truly couldn’t see through Yu Changning’s thoughts. “I thought that five years ago, when you chose your future over me and cut ties with me, our relationship could have ended there. But now you’re saying these kinds of things that easily lead to misunderstandings...
“Yu Changning, why would I believe you?”
Yu Changning caught the key point in her words. “I chose to cut ties with you for my future? Who told you that?”
Chu Yunmiao wrinkled her nose. “Does that matter? Didn’t you do exactly that?”
A figure surfaced in Yu Changning’s mind. She curved her lips and let out a light, derisive laugh.
It didn’t even take much thought to know who would spare no effort to talk about her in front of Chu Yunmiao!
She arched a brow. “What exactly did the Emperor say?”
Chu Yunmiao was taken aback; she even forgot to close her mouth.
How did Yu Changning know... that it was her mother who told her?
But she quickly returned to normal and thought for a moment before saying, “What Mother said isn’t important. I have my own judgment. I just want to tell you... since you already made your choice back then, don’t come trying to provoke me now.
“I, I’m not going to forgive you!”
Yu Changning sighed. “I didn’t leave because of my future.”
She explained helplessly, “If it was for my future, why would I leave you?” She bent down, leaning closer to Chu Yunmiao. “With the Long Princess behind me, wouldn’t that be the fastest way to get promoted?”
Chu Yunmiao: “???”
Why was what Yu Changning said completely opposite to what her mother had told her?
She thought about it and argued, “Your abilities are so strong that you could rise on your own anyway.
“But if you stayed by my side, people would say you got where you are through connections, wouldn’t they?”
Yu Changning laughed. “Then by your logic, if I stayed by your side, I’d also have a chance to prove my own strength. Why would I have to choose to leave?”
Chu Yunmiao was completely thrown off by her.
She had to admit the matter could be argued either way; it all depended on how the person involved thought about it. But now that the person involved was Yu Changning, standing right beside her and speaking theories completely different from what Chu Yunmiao had guessed all these years, it really left her at a loss.
She grew even more puzzled. “Then... why didn’t you contact me at all back then?”
Yu Changning pressed her lips together slightly.
She had always been the type to keep joy and anger from showing on her face; after five years apart, her ability to endure had only been honed to perfection. Faced with Chu Yunmiao’s question, her thoughts turned over countless times before finally condensing into a faint sentence: “There were many reasons, but if I had to name the most important one...
“Yunmiao, I didn’t want to be your friend anymore.”
There had indeed been outside barriers between them, but in Yu Changning’s view, those were secondary.
Back then she had realized that although the two of them maintained the same pace and rode the same train, the destination her Crown Princess envisioned for that train was completely different from what she wanted.
So she could only jump off, forcing a temporary parting to make Chu Yunmiao change direction as well.
Chu Yunmiao felt she had vaguely touched on what Yu Changning had not said aloud, and she stared in shock.
In truth, this wasn’t the first time she had had such a feeling.
Yu Changning’s care and favoritism toward her were obvious to anyone with eyes. Although she was in the middle of it, she wasn’t a complete fool; from time to time, she could still catch certain traces.
But...
Chu Yunmiao had always resisted guessing in that direction.
In the past, she had been too young, nowhere near adulthood yet, and felt there was no need to think too deeply.
Later... Yu Changning simply wasn’t by her side, so there was no need to think about it deeply at all.
Now the amount of information was a little too much, and the impact left Chu Yunmiao dazed in waves.
Just as she was desperately trying to think of a way to change the subject, Yu Changning’s light-brain terminal vibrated.
Yu Changning let her go and reached out to answer the communication. Chu Yunmiao let out a long sigh of relief and covered her wildly beating heart, slowly settling her emotions.
But she still hadn’t realized that she was facing wolves in front and tigers behind; this call wasn’t here to save her at all.
As the communication continued, Yu Changning’s expression grew more and more serious. When she finally ended the call, a trace of clearly visible hostility had already appeared in her eyes.
Chu Yunmiao’s sixth sense told her that the call was probably about her.
“What’s wrong?”
Yu Changning looked at her. “The school has sealed off the bars outside the East Gate and obtained the names of everyone who bought the new perfume formula.”
Chu Yunmiao was somewhat baffled. “...Isn’t that a good thing?”
Yu Changning gave a contemptuous smile. “Fang Juanyu has turned you in. Since you just happened not to go to the Inspection Center for a test, the dean of students wants you to go to the Administrative Building and explain the matter clearly.”
Chu Yunmiao: “...”
Yu Changning walked toward her. “Do you see it now?”
She adopted the tone of someone giving a lecture. “You were still thinking of covering for her, but she turned you in without hesitation?”
Chu Yunmiao: “...”
Actually, from Fang Juanyu’s perspective, telling the school about everyone who had attended the party probably didn’t seem like a big deal. Those present that night, like Lin Mo or her own brother Fang Juanlin, only had to go through an examination.
But...
This really gave Chu Yunmiao, who had originally thought she could get away with it, a huge headache!
She looked at Yu Changning and asked without much hope, “I already explained everything to you. Can I... not go to the Administrative Building?”
Yu Changning narrowed her eyes.
Her attention had been diverted just now; only now did she notice that Chu Yunmiao seemed very resistant to getting involved in this matter.
But she still couldn’t find the crucial thread.
“Why not go?” Yu Changning said. “You’ll be injecting a suppressant when you get back anyway. You might as well go now. If someone from the Infirmary is there, they can also help you check.”
Chu Yunmiao shook her head. “I know my own body. I don’t need it!”
Yu Changning frowned slightly. “Even if you don’t need it, you still need to go to the Administrative Building and explain things so they can close the case.”
Chu Yunmiao gritted her teeth.
Looks like she wasn’t getting out of this today.
Since there was no way to avoid it, she took a deep breath and, with the mindset of taking one step at a time, said, “Then let’s go.”
Yu Changning turned her head and gave her a thoughtful look.
She knew Chu Yunmiao was definitely hiding something important, but right now she was missing the most critical clue, and couldn’t connect the anomalies she’d seen so far at all.
That wasn’t really because Yu Changning was slow.
Any normal person would probably have to rack their brain to the point of breaking before daring to believe that an Omega would fake their secondary sex and pretend to be an Alpha to attend a prestigious university like Huaqi University.
Rather than saying Yu Changning couldn’t think of that possibility, it was more that she simply hadn’t gone in that direction at all.
The two of them left Yu Changning’s office and spent another half hour or so making their way to the Administrative Building.
The ordinarily quiet building had become lively because of the perfume incident. Even from some distance from the entrance, Chu Yunmiao could already see the crowd inside, people in security uniforms and student uniforms packed together.
The receptionist at the front desk directed them to a waiting room. As soon as Chu Yunmiao pushed the door open, she saw Fang Juanyu seated by the wall.
Fang Juanyu noticed her arrival at once as well, sprang to her feet, and called out excitedly, “Long Princess!”
Chu Yunmiao did hold a little resentment toward her, but seeing Fang Juanyu with wet eyes, as though she had just cried, she lost the mood to hold it against her. She looked around the room and asked, “Why are you the only one here?”
Fang Juanyu was very well-behaved as she answered, “My brother and those Alphas were taken away for tests. My Omega classmates didn’t know about the perfume and have already gone back.”
She lowered her head and said pitifully, “Now I’m the only one left to face the school’s questioning.”
Chu Yunmiao gave a soft “Mm.”
She stepped into the room and casually comforted her. “Once the school finishes investigating, they’ll let us leave. Don’t worry.”
Fang Juanyu was just about to reply when Yu Changning, who had come in with Chu Yunmiao, also entered the room. Her presence was so imposing that simply standing there made Fang Juanyu not dare to move.
Fang Juanyu’s attention was instantly diverted. “Yu, Yu Changning?!”
Chu Yunmiao rarely heard anyone address Yu Changning by her full name. Given Fang Juanyu’s age and status, that form of address was inappropriate either way, so she gently reminded her, “Instructor Yu is now our Class 1 instructor.”
Fang Juanyu nodded. “I know... Sister Lin Mo posted about it in her moments...”
She was somewhat wary of Yu Changning and remained where she was without stepping closer. “Instructor Yu... came here with you?”
The word “with” carried a subtle ambiguity.
Chu Yunmiao felt a little guilty for some reason and corrected her, “The instructor also wanted to know the whole story.”
Fang Juanyu lowered her head in shame and fidgeted with her fingers.
An awkward silence hung in the room. Chu Yunmiao took a deep breath and broke it. “Juanyu... what exactly happened with that perfume?”
Fang Juanyu looked up. “I don’t know either.
“On the night of the birthday party... someone recommended it to me and said it was a new product just released, and that if I sprayed it, you Alphas would really like it. I, I... bought a bottle. The school has already confiscated the item, and those merchants should have been caught too, right? The teacher said that as an important witness, I’ll need to help identify the people who sold the perfume later.”
Chu Yunmiao nodded.
She said, “Then the situation isn’t too serious. You count as an uninformed victim too, just someone who accidentally bought the perfume; you’re probably not the only victim. As long as you cooperate with the school’s work, once the matter is clarified, you can leave.”
Fang Juanyu brightened a little. “Really? That’s good.”
Now that she had relaxed, she asked another question. “So that kind of perfume is going to become contraband, and we won’t be able to use it anymore?”
Chu Yunmiao nodded. “Most likely. The ingredients are similar to Omega pheromones. If it circulates on the market and causes Alphas to enter heat/estrus period, it would be extremely dangerous.”
Fang Juanyu clenched both hands on her knees. “I see... what a pity...”
Chu Yunmiao could hardly believe her ears. “A pity?”
Fang Juanyu nodded.
Her gaze toward Chu Yunmiao was pure. “Doesn’t the Long Princess think so?
“That night, didn’t you also say that kind of perfume smelled very good?”
Chu Yunmiao: “???”
Beside her, Yu Changning, who had been quiet from beginning to end, finally moved. She curved her lips and let out a soft, weightless snort of laughter.
Only then did Chu Yunmiao remember that she really had casually praised it that night out of politeness. She hadn’t expected Fang Juanyu to take her polite remark seriously, and now she truly didn’t know how to smooth it over.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “I think... you don’t need those outside things to embellish yourself.”
Fang Juanyu stared at her with round eyes. “Huh?”
Chu Yunmiao said, “You’re already very nice as you are, clean and neat like this.”
At that, Fang Juanyu revealed a shy smile, her mood visibly improving.
Then she remembered something else. “Oh right, why haven’t you ever added my contact information?” The lovely Omega’s face turned red. “I’ve been waiting for your friend request.”
Chu Yunmiao: “...”
In the end, she honestly said, “I... accidentally lost your card.”
Fang Juanyu sprang to her feet. “It’s fine! Then let’s add each other now!”
With that, she ignored Yu Changning’s intimidating presence with great effort and walked toward Chu Yunmiao.
But before she could even take two steps, Yu Changning rose first. Her gaze was sharp as she lowered her head toward Chu Yunmiao. “Come out with me.”
Chu Yunmiao didn’t want a deeper relationship with Fang Juanyu either. Hearing this, she took the easy way out, nodding apologetically to Fang Juanyu while following Yu Changning out of the waiting room.
Since they still had to wait for the dean of students, the two of them didn’t go far and simply stood by the door.
After closing it, Chu Yunmiao glanced at Yu Changning and said in a small voice, “Thank you.”
Seeing her obedient little expression, even though Yu Changning was still angry, that anger had already dissipated by seventy or eighty percent.
She softened her tone and casually remarked, “It’s hard for you to even show me a decent face normally, but you’re surprisingly sweet with other people.”
Chu Yunmiao was a little embarrassed. “That was just politeness.”
She lowered her voice and muttered, “How is that sweet?”
Yu Changning glanced at the room. “The Long Princess can drive people wild just by maintaining basic politeness.”
Her gaze fell on Chu Yunmiao’s pink lips as she seemed to think for a moment. “If the Long Princess were really sweet-mouthed, what would that look like?”
Chu Yunmiao lowered her head and stared at the floor, feeling a little wronged by her words. She deliberately said something irritating, “What does it have to do with you? Anyway, I definitely won’t be sweet-mouthed to you.”
Yu Changning gave a faint click of her tongue.
Whether the Imperial Crown Princess’s mouth was sweet or not, she now wanted to taste it for herself.
Fortunately, Instructor Yu was not that much of a beast after all; mostly, the environment really didn’t allow it. The two of them stood at the door for a few minutes before the dean of students arrived with two security personnel and brought them, along with Fang Juanyu still in the waiting room, to the office for questioning.
The matter wasn’t complicated; it was just a small accident in which a group of students bought a new kind of perfume while celebrating a birthday in a bar. After they briefly explained the process, the dean of students had essentially finished his report.
Just as Chu Yunmiao thought she could finally leave, the dean of students stopped her. “Student Chu, Student Chu, wait a moment.”
He was very kind in tone. “Since you got caught up in this matter, why didn’t you go with Lin Mo and the others to get checked?”
Chu Yunmiao’s movements stiffened.
He really was touching the sore spot.
She kept her composure. “No need, Dean. I’ll just go get an extra suppressant shot. I’ve already delayed enough time today, and I’m rushing back for training.”
The dean of students took the school’s rules very seriously; hearing this, he rarey became firm. “That won’t do. That ingredient is only similar to Omega pheromones, and we can’t be sure whether it has any other side effects. It’s still safer to get checked. The Infirmary has sent a team over; they’re in the second-floor monitoring room. You and Student Fang can go directly there.”
Chu Yunmiao knew there was no reasoning with him, so she turned a pleading look to Yu Changning—
She was now Yu Changning’s student. If Yu Changning had any arrangement, the dean of students probably wouldn’t say much.
But this time, Yu Changning chose to stand on the dean’s side.
She lowered her head, concern in her eyes. “Go get checked.”
Chu Yunmiao was at a loss for words.
She wanted to try harder, but two security guards had already come over, and she had no chance to appeal to Yu Changning in private.
The next second, the guards stood to either side of her as if escorting her, indicating that she should go.
Chu Yunmiao had no choice. She clenched and unclenched her fists before ultimately following them out.
Her expression was restrained when she left; others couldn’t tell, but Yu Changning knew clearly that this was Chu Yunmiao being extremely resistant.
But she truly couldn’t understand why simply checking her pheromone level would make Chu Yunmiao so afraid. Without hesitation, she said goodbye to the dean of students and followed behind Chu Yunmiao up to the second floor, intending to investigate.
The dean of students had been right. The Second Floor of Administration had specifically cleared out a room for the affected students to be examined. Chu Yunmiao and Fang Juanyu were arranged into different rooms, while Yu Changning, as an instructor, was stopped at the door.
Yu Changning cooperated with the medical staff and stopped as if intending to wait at the entrance. But the doctor who had stopped her mistakenly thought she was disappointed at not being able to receive an examination.
The doctor brought over a disposable testing device. “Instructor Yu, please use this to check first. It can also measure pheromone levels, though it’s not as accurate as the instrument inside. Still, it’s very fast and can give you a general idea.”
Yu Changning wanted to say that she had never come into contact with any perfume at all and didn’t need a pheromone test.
But when the words reached her lips, they somehow turned a corner. She nodded and accepted the doctor’s suggestion. “Thank you.”
“No trouble at all.” The doctor began operating it. “Please extend your left index finger. Hmm, only one drop of blood is needed; it’s a noninvasive draw.”
The whole process was extremely fast. Almost five or six seconds after the blood was drawn, the small test reagent gave its result.
“Oh dear.” Looking at the faintly reddening reaction in the reagent, the doctor explained to Yu Changning, “Oh, you’re just about to cross the danger line.” She turned and took a syringe of suppressant medicine from the medical kit beside her. “Good thing we checked in time. Here, inject this first. Go back and take a good bath tonight. In the morning, see how it goes. If...”
Yu Changning reacted and frowned as she asked, “You mean... I was actually affected?”
The doctor was also surprised. “...Of course.”
She held out the disposable test device. “See for yourself; it’s about to cross the line.”
Yu Changning’s mind went blank for a moment.
She had far more experience than a first-year student, and during the perfume incident she had deliberately kept her distance, making sure she wouldn’t be affected. By rights, there was no way she should have the symptoms the doctor mentioned.
If there had truly been any instance of crossing the line, it could only have been just now, when she smelled Chu Yunmiao’s pheromones in the office.
But...
Alpha pheromones couldn’t possibly cause this kind of effect on their own kind...
Unless...
Unless...
When all possible answers had been ruled out, the one remaining possibility, no matter how impossible or absurd, was still the only truth.
Yu Changning’s head swam. Before she could think it through, just brushing the edge of the truth, she strode forward and, before the medical staff could react, forcefully opened the door to the adjacent Alpha testing room.
Before she could even speak, she saw Chu Yunmiao collapsed on the floor, apparently unconscious, while two doctors in the room looked at one another in bewilderment and helplessness.
“What happened?” Yu Changning didn’t notice that even her normally steady voice had begun to tremble.
She rushed forward and pulled Chu Yunmiao into her arms.
When the doctor saw it was her, she sighed in relief. “This... we’re not sure either. It was just Student Chu’s turn for the examination when she suddenly collapsed.”
She frowned. “We only came here to do pheromone checks; we didn’t bring any other equipment, so we can’t tell what’s wrong with Student Chu’s body.”
Yu Changning reached out, slid an arm under Chu Yunmiao’s knees, and lifted her clean off the ground.
She still wore no expression, but if one looked closely, a flush of red could be seen climbing from her neck all the way to her ears.
The young Instructor Yu forced herself to remain calm. “I understand. You can continue your work. I’ll take her to the Infirmary.”
The two doctors nodded. “Then we’ll trouble you.”
No one dared stop her; Yu Changning smoothly carried Chu Yunmiao out of the Administrative Building.
And the person in her arms...
Chu Yunmiao really had no choice but to resort to this at a critical moment. She had planned that as long as she was given a little time to prepare, she would at worst go back to the dorm, take a strong suppressant, and then return for the examination. When Yu Changning carried her out, she knew her plan had succeeded by a small step. But now, leaning against the other woman’s chest, she could clearly hear Yu Changning’s heartbeat; one beat faster than the last.
Chu Yunmiao couldn’t make sense of it.
What was wrong with Yu Changning?
Was she worried about her? Angry? Or... excited?
Influenced by that pounding heartbeat, she was also tense and anxious, unable to relax at all.
At last they made it outside. Seeing that the situation was about right, Chu Yunmiao decisively “woke up” and broke free from Yu Changning’s arms.
One had to know that private vehicles weren’t allowed on campus; if she kept pretending to be unconscious, then before long there would probably be photos of Yu Changning carrying her across the school flooding the campus forum.
Chu Yunmiao did not want to embarrass herself that badly!
The moment she landed, she was about to think of an excuse to go back to the dorm, but before she could speak, Yu Changning had already grabbed her wrist and dragged her forward.
Chu Yunmiao froze for a moment, then began to struggle. “Where are you taking me?”
Yu Changning walked ahead without looking back. “Back to your dorm.”
Hearing that answer, Chu Yunmiao was stunned too.
She didn’t know why Yu Changning was doing this, but the direction the other woman had chosen was indeed toward the student dormitory.
Chu Yunmiao quieted a little and asked, “I can walk myself. Let go of me.”
Yu Changning showed no intention of letting go at all. Instead, she tightened her grip in punishment and pinched Chu Yunmiao’s wrist, neither light nor heavy.
She looked back and gave Chu Yunmiao a long, deep look.
“Yunmiao, behave.”
“I’m not sure what I might do right now.”
Chu Yunmiao was stunned by her aura.
It wasn’t that she wanted to back down, but she knew Yu Changning wasn’t the sort of person who spoke carelessly. She really might do something unimaginable.
Once she understood that, the Imperial Crown Princess gave up resisting. Her final effort was to use the hand Yu Changning wasn’t holding and take a mechanical mask from her pocket, gently covering her face.
——
After some time, the two of them returned to Chu Yunmiao’s dorm room.
The moment the door closed, Chu Yunmiao clearly realized that in this small space, there were only her and Yu Changning; that made her danger radar start screaming. The situation didn’t allow her to choose at all. Her earlier resistance had been useless, and bringing Yu Changning back to her own dorm now...
Was clearly only another dead end.
Yet Yu Changning said nothing, only staring at her with burning eyes. That oppressive gaze stretched time infinitely long. Chu Yunmiao felt awful, but didn’t dare make a move, like someone waiting for execution.
But soon, a faint fragrance began to appear at the tip of her nose.
At first it was very light; she couldn’t distinguish it at all, only felt that the scent was rather pleasant. But gradually, she could clearly smell a sharp cedar fragrance; deep, rich, and impossible to resist.
Chu Yunmiao realized something and looked at Yu Changning. “Your... pheromones are leaking?”
Yu Changning did not answer her; instead, she asked, “Don’t you have anything to explain to me?”
Chu Yunmiao gritted her teeth and stepped into the room. “Now’s not the time for that. I have suppressants in the fridge; come with me.”
The suppressants were in the fridge, and all she could think about now was getting some medicine to help Yu Changning calm down.
But before she had even left the entryway, before she could even step out of the living room, Yu Changning had caught up from behind.
Chu Yunmiao leaned backward, about to fall onto the floor. Her opponent was Yu Changning, so she simply closed her eyes and gave up resisting. But the next second, her waist was caught in Yu Changning’s arms. The young Lieutenant General steadied her breath and, in the end, carried her onto the sofa beside them and gently tossed her down.
Chu Yunmiao opened her eyes and looked at her in accusation, but because her eyes were wet, her glare lacked much force.
Yu Changning loosened her collar and looked down at her from above. “Mm?”
Chu Yunmiao knew exactly what she wanted to say.
She turned her head away, looking utterly resigned. “Didn’t you already guess?”
That counted as an admission.
For a second or two, Yu Changning was completely stunned, like a computer that had crashed.
Guessing it herself was one thing; having it confirmed was another.
Chu Yunmiao wasn’t some Alpha at all; she was a genuine Omega.
Although there wasn’t much difference in appearance, the body’s reactions didn’t lie. Milk-citrus and the cool cedar scent intertwined in the room; the citrus note neutralized cedar’s distant chill, and the two mingled into a strange, warm fragrance.
Sweet, but not cloying.
Yu Changning’s collar had opened, revealing a small section of collarbone; it was even more beautiful than a master’s statue enshrined in a museum.
She bent down, reaching out to lightly pinch Chu Yunmiao’s chin and force her to meet her gaze.
“How dare you?” Yu Changning murmured, her voice gentle enough that it didn’t sound like a question at all, but rather some kind of self-directed murmur.
Her biggest secret had been exposed. In the embarrassment of having nowhere to hide, Chu Yunmiao also felt a trace of indescribable grievance.
She sniffed and looked at Yu Changning. “We’ve already cut ties for a long time.”
“Yu Changning, what I want to do doesn’t need to be told to you, and it doesn’t need your permission.”
Only after saying it did she realize she was resenting Yu Changning.
If not for that break back then, perhaps she never would have had to guard this secret so bitterly all by herself.
Chu Yu knew about this, but she pitied Chu Yunmiao and did not approve of her doing such a shocking thing.
Her two younger sisters knew too, but they were younger than her, and Chu Yunmiao simply couldn’t rely on them.
All this time, she had been the only one bearing and digesting the matter.
If Yu Changning had never suddenly left her, perhaps it wouldn’t have been so hard.
The Crown Princess knew very well that this emotion was misplaced anger, almost groundless, but she just couldn’t help it—
The person in front of her was Yu Changning, the playmate who had accompanied her through all of childhood and adolescence, the most important person in her world aside from her family.
That preemptive strike worked very well. The madness in Yu Changning’s eyes slowly dissipated, replaced by tiny flecks of heartache.
The next second, Chu Yunmiao heard her say softly, “Sorry.”
Yu Changning bent down and pressed Chu Yunmiao into her embrace, carefully soothing her again and again.
Chu Yunmiao gradually calmed down and grew bold enough to mutter, “You have more than one thing to apologize for.”
Yu Changning didn’t speak.
She lowered her head a little more and buried it in Chu Yunmiao’s neck. A few disobedient strands of hair fell against Chu Yunmiao’s face, tickling her ear until it itched.
The temperature began to rise; the skin where the two of them touched grew hot, and Chu Yunmiao’s cheeks quickly burned a delicate pink.
This feeling was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant; rather... it had an indescribable comfort to it.
Chu Yunmiao realized she was becoming a little greedy for Yu Changning’s embrace. But just as she sank into the other woman’s warmth, a patch of skin behind her ear was suddenly licked.
The Imperial Crown Princess snapped back to her senses.
She reached out to push Yu Changning away, only to find that the strength in her body had vanished into thin air. As her thoughts began to work again, she realized that the cedar scent at her nose had grown so dense it seemed ready to swallow her whole.
That was Yu Changning’s pheromone.
And by now Yu Changning had already inched closer, step by step, from the position by her ear to the back of her neck. The young Lieutenant General parted her crimson lips and quickly found the inhibitor patch she had only recently applied. Her white teeth closed lightly and tore it off with ease.
Chu Yunmiao’s heartbeat was frantic; she could no longer tell whether it was panic or excitement.
With her last remaining will, she said, “Yu Changning? Yu Changning...”
But those calls were of no use at all.
Chu Yunmiao closed her eyes. “A-Ning, don’t... A-Ning...”
Yu Changning’s movements paused.
She was already very close to her goal; the pink gland before her was so defenseless. Her mind was filled with only one command: bite down.
She wanted to mark her.
She wanted to leave her own trace on Chu Yunmiao and not allow anyone else to come near.
But Chu Yunmiao’s desperate cries of “A-Ning” repeatedly and brutally forced her to control the full extent of her desire.
She propped herself up, undid two more shirt buttons, then pulled down her clothes to reveal a bare shoulder.
Chu Yunmiao closed her eyes and thought, It’s over.
But the next moment, she felt something being placed in her palm.
The Crown Princess opened her eyes and saw an unopened suppressive injection.
Chu Yunmiao: “...”
Yu Changning’s face was red, her breathing getting heavier by the second.
She turned sideways and brought her shoulder closer to Chu Yunmiao. “Help me.”
Chu Yunmiao finally came to her senses.
She fumbled as she tore open the suppressant package; in the process, she nearly flung the suppressant away. Fortunately, she still managed to steady her hands in the end and insert the needle into Yu Changning’s skin.
The injected suppressant took effect quickly. Chu Yunmiao watched Yu Changning’s flushed face gradually return to normal, the whole person slowly calming down.
She let out a huge breath of relief, drained of all strength, and allowed herself to sink into the soft sofa. She raised the back of her hand over her eyes and didn’t dare look at what was happening now.
But through the gap between her fingers, she still saw Yu Changning leave her side, go into the kitchen to find the Omega suppressant, and slowly walk back toward her.
The Imperial Crown Princess turned over, facing the inside of the sofa so the other woman couldn’t see her expression. There was still a trace of cedar fragrance left on the couch; Chu Yunmiao took a deep breath, gave up thinking, and let herself fall asleep.