A Beauty That Moves the Heart (GL, ABO) - Chapter 7
Xu Jinman left Shen Shu’s hospital ward area, her unsettled mood making it hard to focus. It wasn’t until she reached her own ward that she belatedly touched the back of her neck.
That familiar, throbbing pain was back.
Her gland felt like it had been bitten by a mosquito, swollen, hot, and raised.
Xu Jinman walked silently toward her room, unaware that the nurses and patients around her had stopped at a distance, as if something terrifying clung to her.
Only after her door closed did they finally exhale in relief.
A doctor emerged from one of the rooms, the same emergency physician who had rushed to Xu Jinman’s home that day.
A nurse asked, “Dr. Lin, as her attending physician, do you know what level Alpha Xu Jinman is? S-class?”
Dr. Lin was one of the few who knew Xu Jinman was actually an Omega. He chuckled. “Why do you ask?”
When the nurse mentioned that Xu Jinman had just exuded an Alpha’s oppressive aura, he smiled. “Maybe you’re just afraid of her.”
Unaware of the whispers outside, Xu Jinman lay uncomfortably on the bed, closing her eyes. Soon, it felt as though flames were licking at her from beneath the mattress, roasting her alive.
She drifted into a heavy, feverish sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, Professor Qin’s familiar voice was murmuring instructions nearby. Noticing she was awake, he stopped conversing with the nurse.
“Miss Xu?”
Xu Jinman replied, “I’m feeling unwell again, just like last time.”
Professor Qin dismissed everyone before approaching her with a report. “Do you feel completely normal now?”
“Yes.”
“The nurse said you visited Miss Shen’s ward earlier?”
“Yeah.”
Xu Jinman’s mood was somber.
“Have you ever experienced this after interacting with Miss Shen before?”
“Only that one time.” Xu Jinman paused for two seconds before her sluggish thoughts suddenly sharpened. She looked up. “You’re not suggesting my symptoms are related to her, are you?”
“That still needs further confirmation.” Professor Qin didn’t confirm outright but added, “Also, due to your differentiation issues, your gland couldn’t function normally, and you couldn’t sense pheromones. That’s why your Omega reports always listed your pheromone levels at zero.”
Normally, whether Alpha or Omega, everyone had a pheromone index.
This index represented both sensitivity to pheromones and reactivity.
Ranging from 0 to 100 meant no perception, while 10 indicated extreme sensitivity.
For Alphas, a 10 meant they were highly susceptible to influence. For Omegas, it meant they were prone to heats. A 10 was rare and usually required medication to suppress.
“Last time, your index showed fluctuations, but it only reached 1. Yet in just a few days, it’s already at 5.”
“So now pheromones can affect me?”
Xu Jinman mused, “Even if that’s the case, what does Shen Shu have to do with it?”
She had never heard of an Omega being influenced by another Omega’s pheromones.
Professor Qin: “It is indeed unusual. That’s why I’d like to discuss arranging a consultation with several specialists. You’ll also need further testing.”
Xu Jinman: “…”
Professor Qin studied her expression. After these past few days of interaction, he no longer felt as wary around her as before.
It was as if this person had swapped souls overnight not only was she polite, but when the nurse missed a vein during an injection last time and nearly burst into tears, Xu Jinman didn’t scold her. Instead, she actually comforted her.
In the past, that needle would’ve been jabbed straight into the nurse.
Sure enough, Xu Jinman agreed.
Xu Jinman had always prioritized health. No matter what the future held, her body was her capital in this transmigrated world.
Besides, she needed time to think about her next steps.
After spending a few more days in the hospital, Lu Yun visited each time and personally replaced every single item in the room. Even if a banana had just started to brown, she would insist on swapping it for one freshly picked.
As a villainous cannon fodder, Lu Yun was utterly detestable.
But as a mother, she was deeply moving.
By now, Xu Jinman understood one thing clearly, she had to prepare for the possibility of never returning home. Whether it was Shen Shu or Lu Yun these people would become her only connections in this world.
Xu Jinman began making new plans.
To survive smoothly in this world, relying solely on the Xu family wouldn’t cut it. She had to become strong herself. Otherwise, forget helping Shen Shu, she’d barely manage on her own.
She remembered that in the novel, the Xu family would soon face a crisis.
And the beginning of that crisis? The bidding documents on Shen Shu’s bedside table.
“No need to apply this medicine tomorrow. The pain’s already gone.”
As Xu Jinman spoke, a soft knock sounded at the door. She responded through the curtain.
The nurse teased, “Ms. Xu, are you worried your wife might get jealous? Skipping the medicine application? I’m forty, not some young nurse.”
“A little bruise will fade on its own in a few days.”
Xu Jinman pulled on her hospital gown, her jade-like fingers slowly buttoning it up, concealing the breathtaking view beneath.
The jealousy excuse was just a pretext.
No matter what, she was a married woman. Even if the nurses were all betas, they were still women. If she could avoid unnecessary exposure, she would.
It was respect for Shen Shu and her own principle.
The door opened.
The visitor was Zhou Pei, the original body’s assistant, a female beta with neat black short hair and a professional demeanor. From the novel’s description, she was a fiercely loyal subordinate with a ruthless edge.
The so-called ruthlessness was just a tendency to resort to violence, likely influenced by the original host.
“Miss, I’ve brought what you asked for.”
Xu Jinman glanced at her. “Aren’t you going to ask why I needed these?”
Zhou Pei didn’t hesitate. “You told me to act, not question.”
Xu Jinman raised a brow, lowering her gaze to review the documents. Midway, she picked up a pen and corrected a few figures.
Zhou Pei’s gaze flickered slightly as she watched.
Twenty minutes later, Xu Jinman looked up and handed the documents back. “Return these to whoever you got them from. Tell them to proceed confidently as long as it’s legal, this bid must be won.”
Zhou Pei’s surprise was perfectly masked as she nodded in acknowledgment.
Xu Jinman stretched. Having slept too much these past few days, she decided to take a walk downstairs with Zhou Pei.
One perk of a top-tier hospital, besides impeccable service, was its environment, comparable to a luxury garden, with flower beds refreshed seasonally.
As the two reached the lobby and headed toward the glass corridor leading to the back garden, Zhou Pei’s cool voice called out.
“It’s Ms. Yin And…” She paused. “Your wife.”
Xu Jinman paused mid-step, following the line of sight.
Shen Shu was walking out from the direction of the hospital ward, where two women one tall, one short stood waiting for her.
Shen Shu had met Yin Xue before.
During the countless times Xu Jinman had verbally humiliated her, Yin Xue had always clung to Xu Jinman’s arm, coquettish and smug.
And after that disgusting wedding, in the dimly lit hallway, she had witnessed Yin Xue embracing Xu Jinman from behind.
They were lovers everyone knew that.
And why Yin Xue was here now everyone knew that too.
Expression indifferent, Shen Shu walked past them with her bag, only for Yin Xue to step in her way.
“Miss Shen, leaving the hospital all alone? Carrying your own things?” Yin Xue raked her eyes over Shen Shu. “Did Xu Jinman abandon you already?”
“Oh, I forgot the wedding night is over.”
The implication was clear: Xu Jinman had already grown tired of her after just one night.
The words were filthy, the insinuation vile.
Shen Shu curved her lips calmly. “Are you jealous?”
Yin Xue’s smile vanished instantly before twisting into a sneer. “Jealous of what? Shen Shu, who do you think you are? Why would I be jealous of you?”
“If not, then there’s no need to get so worked up.”
Shen Shu’s voice was soft, her tone even softer, as if she truly didn’t care.
The more indifferent she seemed, the uglier Yin Xue’s expression became. The Alpha beside her, at least somewhat of a gentlewoman, tugged at Yin Xue’s arm in an attempt to mediate.
Yin Xue shook her off. “She married you just to toy with you. With a body like yours, you probably couldn’t even last. Who knows, by tomorrow, you might already be a discarded wife. ”
Before she could finish, a cool, languid voice abruptly cut her off.
“Wife.”
At the sound, Shen Shu stiffened.
Everyone turned in surprise.
Xu Jinman, clad in a hospital gown, strode toward them with long, deliberate steps until, under their collective gaze, she stopped right in front of Shen Shu.