A Beauty That Moves the Heart (GL, ABO) - Chapter 3
Xu Jinman had initially considered changing Shen Shu’s clothes before the doctor arrived but ultimately decided against it.
Partly due to orientation concerns, but mostly because anything she did in this identity felt like taking advantage. She simply draped the clean coat over Shen Shu just as the doctor arrived with several nurses in tow.
The moment the white-uniformed medical staff stepped inside, their expressions shifted subtly.
The lingering Alpha pheromones in the air exerted pressure even on them as Betas. They encountered Alphas of all ranks daily, but pheromones this potent were unprecedented.
The lead physician, who specialized in Xu Jinman’s emergency care and was well-versed in her secrets, knew immediately these pheromones couldn’t belong to her.
The Alpha pheromones in the air and the unconscious Omega on the couch painted a clear picture of what had transpired.
On the very first day of her marriage posing as an Alpha, Xu Jinman, the notorious Omega heiress, had already committed such an unspeakable act.
While shocked by the depravity, his sympathy leaned toward the woman on the couch. Shen Shu, Beicheng’s undisputed goddess of restraint, now subjected to this treatment, it was truly lamentable.
He cautiously asked Xu Jinman, “Miss Xu, are you two the only ones in this room besides us?”
Xu Jinman frowned, baffled. “Yes.”
Who else would there be?
The doctor nodded without further comment and hurried to examine Shen Shu. After a moment, he stood and said, “Your wife’s condition appears to be caused by her heat cycle compounded by Alpha pheromone exposure. She’s stable now, but I recommend a hospital checkup.”
Alpha pheromones? From those two intruders earlier?
Without hesitation, Xu Jinman accompanied them to the hospital.
As she waited in the corridor, a bespectacled middle-aged man approached and addressed her politely. Glancing at his ID badge, Xu Jinman smiled. “Professor Qin.”
Professor Qin stared at her smile for several stunned seconds before glancing at the ward and adopting a kindly expression. “Miss Xu, your wife will need some time. Your monthly examination is already a week overdue. Perhaps we could.”
Xu Jinman agreed immediately. “Of course. Thank you.”
Professor Qin: “……?”
“Thank you”? When had those words ever left the mouth of the Xu heiress? What kind of medication was she on?
Xu Jinman’s focus wasn’t on him. She was strategizing, the first step to earning Shen Shu’s trust was revealing her Omega status.
Words alone meant nothing, but a medical report? That was irrefutable proof.
The examination and report retrieval took ninety minutes. As Xu Jinman pocketed a bl00d test result to leave, Professor Qin stopped her.
“Are you experiencing any discomfort?”
Xu Jinman shook her head, then paused. “Here, actually.”
She pointed to her neck’s scent gland area. So the original host’s body did have issues.
Professor Qin studied the on-screen results, brow furrowing slightly. “All Omega markers are below standard levels, and you’re exhibiting glandular discomfort symptoms. For safety, I recommend hospitalization for observation.”
As he spoke, he monitored Xu Jinman’s reaction. Historically, she’d refuse. But these abnormal results couldn’t be ignored, if she declined, he’d have no choice but to involve Madam Lu.
To everyone’s surprise, Xu Jinman nodded the very next second: “Alright, you arrange it.”
Given Xu Jinman’s uncharacteristic cooperation, Professor Qin, moved by her compliance, offered a blessing as she left: “Miss Xu, I forgot to wish you a happy marriage.”
Xu Jinman paused at the door and glanced back at him. On the very first day of their marriage, her wife had ended up in the hospital, how could that possibly be considered happy?
Professor Qin: “…” Well, that glare confirmed she was still the same ruthless tyrant.
Shen Shu opened her eyes to white walls, sunlight streaming through the window, the sterile scent of disinfectant, and the murmur of familiar voices.
She had finally recovered from the brink of death, but the horrors of last night still felt fresh. When she had reached the doorway, she had already sensed something was wrong with her body. She tried to retreat, but Xu Jinman had dragged her inside.
She had fled from the entrance to the bathroom, her clothes torn open by Xu Jinman.
At the memory, Shen Shu took a sharp breath.
Looking back now, everything from the shabby wedding to the sobering candy at the end, even the timing of their arrival at that secluded bridal suite, had been meticulously calculated.
But why had Xu Jinman let her go in the end? The moment she had caught the Alpha’s pheromones, she had braced herself for forced marking or worse.
“Shushu, you’re awake?! Are you feeling better? Any discomfort left?”
Footsteps sounded at the door. Shen Shu turned her head to see Cai Ying rushing in.
Shen Shu shook her head. Apart from lingering weakness, she no longer felt much pain. “Why are you here?”
Cai Ying, only nineteen, was a British-Chinese Omega with light curly hair and striking, deep-set features. Though young, she had been the only person Shen Shu could truly confide in over the past two years in Beicheng.
“Xu Jinman called me last night. I was terrified when she said you were in the hospital.” Cai Ying bit her lip. “What exactly happened?”
“Xu Jinman?” Shen Shu’s expression tightened. This wasn’t like Xu Jinman’s usual behavior, none of her actions yesterday had made sense. “What did she say?”
Cai Ying adjusted the bed to raise it slightly, then poured a cup of hot water before sitting beside her. “She said she might have taken the wrong medicine.”
Cai Ying recalled the Xu Jinman she had seen last night. Something had felt off, though she couldn’t pinpoint what. Glancing at Shen Shu’s pale face, now devoid of its usual rosy hue, she noticed her calm, unreadable expression.
Her gaze dropped to the neckline of Shen Shu’s hospital gown, where faint reddish marks still lingered beneath the fabric. Regret twisted in her chest, she shouldn’t have asked. Whatever Xu Jinman had done to Shen Shu last night must have been unforgivable.
Cai Ying’s chest tightened. “It’s only the first day of your marriage, and you’re already in the hospital. What’s going to happen next?!”
Shen Shu snapped out of her thoughts and let out a bitter laugh.
“I should’ve stopped you when you agreed to this marriage! Did you see what yesterday was like? That wasn’t a wedding, it was a disgrace! Madam Lu barely showed her face, and no one else even bothered to attend. Shushu, if things are this bad, we should find a way to get you a divorce.”
“It’s no use.”
Sometimes, Shen Shu thought it was precisely because of Cai Ying’s childlike innocence, her straightforward and cheerful nature, that she enjoyed her company.
But this matter wasn’t so simple.
Xu Jinman hadn’t married her out of love did Cai Ying really think divorce was something she could just decide on her own? Of course not.
Xu Jinman had gone to such lengths to force her into this marriage. If she wanted a divorce, how could it possibly be that easy?
At least not now.
Xu Jinman would never let her go.
Shen Shu’s thoughts suddenly became clear. Since Xu Jinman wouldn’t let things go easily, and certainly wouldn’t change overnight, she was being treated like a frog in gradually heating water.
Her slender fingers clenched the white bedsheet tightly. Just thinking about how many more days she’d have to spend with this devil made her spine turn cold.
“Shu Shu, are you okay?”
Cai Ying gripped her hand. “Why are your hands so cold?”
Shen Shu was drenched in cold sweat. “Could you help me find a change of clothes? I want to take a shower.”
As soon as Cai Ying left the ward, the door was pushed open from the outside. Shen Shu, sitting on the bed with her back to the door, turned her head at the sound and stood up warily. “Who are you?”
A male Alpha with dyed blond hair was closing the door behind him, smiling brightly at her. “Don’t be scared, sister-in-law. We’re all on the same side. We almost met last night.”
Xu Jinman had stayed in the hospital all night without any further discomfort. Though the re-examination still showed low levels, nothing else was detected.
She had also received a call from Lu Yun, the original body’s mother and after much persuasion, managed to convince her it was just a routine checkup, stopping her from rushing over. She hadn’t fully adjusted to this world yet and needed time to figure out how to handle the people around the original body.
But Madam Lu doted on her daughter excessively. Though she didn’t come, she didn’t rest either. In just one night, the room was nearly overflowing with food and drinks.
Xu Jinman couldn’t stand staying any longer.
After stepping out for a walk, Shen Shu’s image inexplicably surfaced in her mind. Professor Qin had said Shen Shu wasn’t seriously injured and could be discharged after a couple more days of rest.
For some reason, Xu Jinman suddenly felt like going to see her.