A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Shen Mu focused on driving the car.

Shen Zhiqing sat uncomfortably, feeling guilty as she recalled the probing look in Tomb Cheng’s eyes earlier.

Of all people, Tomb Cheng had to see her.

Today was Yuan Jin’s twenty-eighth birthday.

The Yuan family held a grand birthday banquet as usual.

When she was younger, Shen Zhihe didn’t take her or Shen Mu to these elite gatherings.

It wasn’t until she turned eighteen that Shen Zhihe still didn’t bring her but took the younger Shen Mu to network with other elite children.

Only then did she realize Shen Zhihe’s lack of affection for her stemmed from Fang Qing.

But it didn’t matter; Shen Zhiqing had no interest in those events.

Besides, even if Shen Zhihe didn’t care, her grandfather Fang Lianwen valued such etiquette.

In past years, Xiaomi sent her formal invitations.

Xiaomi’s mother was close to Fang Qing.

After Fang Qing’s death, Xiaomi’s mother looked after her.

Shen Zhiqing cherished this bond and maintained a good social relationship with Xiaomi.

This year, she didn’t receive Xiaomi’s invitation.

Instead, Shen Mu asked her to join as his date.

That’s when Shen Zhiqing learned Xiaomi and Yuan Jin had broken up.

“Hey, sis, why do you think they broke up when things were fine?” Shen Mu gossiped while driving.

Shen Zhiqing’s thoughts were scattered, preoccupied with Tomb Cheng.

She was in no mood to engage and replied flatly, “I don’t know.”

Her relationship with Xiaomi wasn’t close enough for heart-to-heart talks.

Xiaomi didn’t know about her and Tomb Cheng in high school, often teasing her for being heartless.

Both she and Tomb Cheng tacitly never mentioned that past to anyone.

With her mind elsewhere, Shen Zhiqing felt stifled during the banquet.

She greeted Shen Mu and took her wine glass to the small balcony on the villa’s second floor to get some air.

Someone was already there.

The woman’s smudged red lips shimmered faintly.

Her strapless red dress swayed on the floor like a fishtail in the breeze.

Seeing her approach, she raised her wine glass.

“Shen Zhiqing.”

Shen Zhiqing walked over lightly.

Noticing her long hair, once flowing to her waist, now cut to ear-length, Shen Zhiqing asked in surprise, “Why did you cut your hair?”

Many knew Xiaomi loved her hair.

Xiaomi sipped her wine, smiling brightly as she spoke, “I just wanted to. Does it look good?”

Though two years older, Shen Zhiqing had heard how popular Xiaomi was among younger students at school.

“Yes, it suits you.”

Xiaomi smiled softly and lit a lighter with a click, “Mind if I smoke?”

The evening breeze brushed her cheek, revealing a small daisy earring on her earlobe.

Shen Zhiqing shook her head, indicating she didn’t mind.

Xiaomi didn’t say much.

She lit the cigarette, leaned on the balcony, and smoked. It clashed with her elegant appearance.

Likely her first time smoking, she coughed repeatedly after one puff, choked by the harsh taste.

Shen Zhiqing didn’t stop her.

She watched Xiaomi hold the cigarette without discarding it.

Her smile faded slightly as she flicked ash into the ashtray.

“I heard your hospital is collaborating with a lab?”

The night breeze dispelled the heat of alcohol in her body.

Shen Zhiqing held her glass and hummed softly.

Yuan Jin mainly handled the pheromone genetics department.

After meeting the dean last time, Shen Zhiqing had a rough idea.

Given her relationship with Xiaomi, she didn’t bring it up.

Xiaomi seemed unbothered.

She extinguished the cigarette, placed the butt in the ashtray, and rubbed the ash off her fingertips, “Can pheromone genes really be altered?”

Every differentiated AO carried unique markers in their genes, like their pheromones, which never overlapped.

In AOs with pheromone disorders, besides inducing mental illness, their sequence genes also underwent subtle changes.

Shen Zhiqing didn’t do experiments but could analyze from a clinical perspective, “In the current environment, this explanation makes sense of many things.”

Like the abnormal and pathological behaviors after AO pheromone disorders or secondary gender differentiation issues.

Few knew Yuan Jin switched majors back then.

Shen Zhiqing only learned of it when Shen Zhihe expressed regret.

Xiaomi’s differentiation had issues, and Yuan Jin shifted to research.

There were no coincidences, only the heavy hearts of those involved.

Xiaomi nodded, listening to her continue.

“Pheromone genes are like an ID for every AO. No two are identical, but patterns can be found and studied.”

Shen Zhiqing recalled her professor’s teachings.

Her focus was mental psychology, related yet distinct from pheromones.

But they had to learn it, as they dealt with people unable to control their pheromones.

“Can you find someone through pheromone genes?”

Xiaomi tilted her long neck.

Her refined neckline moved with her breathing.

The moonlight lit her profile, making her look very lonely.

Shen Zhiqing thought for half a second, about to say it was theoretically possible by tracing family pheromone gene patterns.

But before she could speak, Xiaomi laughed shakily against the wind.

Her fragile demeanor stirred a trace of pity in Shen Zhiqing, an Omega herself.

Blush and moonlight mingled on Xiaomi’s face.

Her smile faded until an Alpha stood behind her, her expression turning completely cold.

“Dr. Shen,” Yuan Jin said, standing behind Xiaomi and turning to address Shen Zhiqing.

During their talk, Shen Zhiqing’s attention was on Xiaomi and hadn’t noticed Yuan Jin’s arrival.

“Chief Yuan.”

The atmosphere dropped.

A faint, refreshing scent of spring orchids wafted to Shen Zhiqing’s nose, soothing her.

She realized it was pheromone.

She glanced at the ambiguous posture beside her.

Yuan Jin’s arms caged Xiaomi between the balcony and her body.

Her gaze lingered on Xiaomi.

The tall Alpha blocked the noisy clamor from the villa. Xiaomi, in her arms, stared distantly, neither sad nor happy.

Yuan Jin’s pheromone reminded Shen Zhiqing of Tomb Cheng.

Her pheromone was a similarly distant, ethereal fragrance.

The last time Tomb Cheng nearly lost control, her pheromone spilled out.

Shen Zhiqing still recalled the cool, dark scent of winter plum lingering on her.

“I’ll head inside. You two talk,” Shen Zhiqing said, unsure what to say in the awkward atmosphere.

Yuan Jin’s subtle glance made her uneasy.

Alpha’s innate dominance compelled her to retreat.

Xiaomi cast an apologetic look.

Shen Zhiqing smiled in response.

Leaving the balcony, Shen Zhiqing glanced back at the corner before descending.

She saw the two outside entangled together.

***

At midnight, Tomb Cheng paused texting when she heard the elevator reach the floor.

She quickly replied and opened her apartment door.

“Dr. Shen, can you help me with something?”

—

ps: The setting here is that everyone undergoes secondary gender testing at birth. Alpha, Omega, or Beta is determined by innate genes. Before differentiation, pheromones are dormant but exist.

After differentiation, pheromone genes fully form but can mutate due to pheromone instability.