"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 14

When Qin Ran arrived at the management center, she didn’t see Wen Qingyun or the others. But she didn’t think too much of it—by now, the center’s operations were already well-established. It made sense that Wen Qingyun might try working with other soothers. Maybe she’d find one with a compatible pheromone, which could help ease her current condition.

At the building where the certification exam was being held, Qin Ran was soon assigned to be evaluated by a mid-level soother and a junior soother.

“You’re Qin Ran? The new CEO of the Wen Corporation? The one who was featured on the finance channel? You’re here to get certified as a pheromone soother?”

The mid-level soother was clearly surprised. Anyone who followed the financial news or kept up with top medical companies in the capital would know about the Wen Corporation—and Qin Ran.

Although the past Qin Ran had spent quite a bit of money shaping a positive public image, she had still married into the Wen family from humble beginnings and risen to the position of CEO in just a few years. That alone was enough to spark all kinds of rumors. People labeled her as a gold-digger Alpha or a “phoenix Alpha” who’d risen through connections. Behind her back, there were endless whispers and criticisms.

This mid-level soother was one of those people, which made it even more surprising to see Qin Ran show up for a soother’s exam.

“Yes, that’s me,” Qin Ran replied calmly. It wasn’t like becoming a certified pheromone soother was illegal—what was so shocking about that?

“Apologies—let’s begin. Please release your pheromone gradually, from weak to strong, so we can assess it.”

The mid-level soother exchanged a glance with the junior beside him and gave the instruction.

Qin Ran activated her glands and began releasing her pheromones.

Her natural pheromone was already gentle—at first, it gave off a faint scent of fresh grass. As the intensity increased, a floral fragrance gradually emerged. The two blended beautifully, like standing in a field on a warm spring day. It made people feel calm and relaxed, and their bodies were instinctively at ease.

The two examiners exchanged another look. They hadn’t expected the so-called gold-digging Alpha from a wealthy family to have such a balanced and composed pheromone. It was soothing, expansive, and deeply calming—traits highly suitable for a soother.

They continued recording data as they experienced the effects.

Even though many people took the exam, fewer than ten percent typically met the standards. However, Qin Ran’s performance consistently surpassed all expectations.

Just as they prepared to ask her to proceed, hoping to push her grading limits, a loud alarm suddenly sounded.

“All available soothers and support staff, please report to Building 2 immediately! An S-class Omega is experiencing a pheromone breakdown. More than ten Alphas on the first and second floors have entered heat, and over twenty Omegas have gone into estrus. We urgently need assistance in Building 2!”

A female voice came through the speaker in the wall.

“What in the world? That’s terrifying!” the mid-level soother exclaimed. “Ms. Qin Ran, that’s the end of your exam for today. You’ll be issued a provisional junior soother certificate later. We have an emergency on our hands.”

He was already on his feet, grabbing his things and rushing out.

Qin Ran felt a sudden, sinking feeling. An S-class Omega, losing control…

Could it be Wen Qingyun?

But Wen Qingyun’s pheromones had been unstable since giving birth to Rou Rou. Episodes like this were rare—once every several months—and even when they did happen, they didn’t last long and were never this intense.

The past Qin Ran had never even known what Wen Qingyun’s pheromones smelled like, let alone experienced them firsthand.

Still, whether it was her or not, Qin Ran needed to check it out.

She stood up and followed the others.

They were in Building 1, so she had to go downstairs and cross over to Building 2. That alone took a few more minutes.

“As soon as the incident began, we deployed high-grade suppressants and pheromone neutralizers,” a staff member explained as they arrived at the entrance to Building 2. “Right now, the air inside is filled with both. You won’t be affected by the pheromones.

“But a lot of people were hurt during the outburst. Several Omegas are emotionally unstable—especially the S-class Omega. So aside from treating the injured, the priority is calming down the distressed Omegas.”

Qin Ran followed them into Building 2. It was chaotic. The air was thick with mist. There was a sharp and unpleasant blend of suppressants and neutralizers.

The suppressants had dampened the chaotic pheromones in the air, but it would still take time for the chemicals to fully work on people’s systems. Some hadn’t regained full clarity. A few Alphas with poor self-control were even chasing after Omegas, making them scream in fear.

The first responders were already working to subdue the Alphas and treat the Omegas.

The ground floor of Building 2 had a large reception hall with an open design that connected it directly to the second floor. This lack of separation meant the pheromones had quickly spread across both levels, affecting everyone.

Qin Ran looked around for Wen Qingyun—but before she could spot her, she heard Fu Ma’s voice.

“Please, don’t come any closer! I’m begging you! Qingyun, don’t go down there—it’s too dangerous!”

Qin Ran turned towards the voice and saw Fu Ma collapsed on the ground. Her face twisted in pain as she stretched out her arm to block two approaching Alphas. Behind her, a woman drenched in a fine white mist from the suppressant spray was staggering towards the escalator.

*****

Given the state Wen Qingyun was in, she’d definitely fall if she tried to go down the stairs.

Qin Ran rushed forward, closing the distance in a few quick strides. Just as Wen Qingyun missed a step and started to fall, Qin Ran managed to catch her body in time.

But Wen Qingyun kept struggling. Qin Ran held her slender wrist and prevented her from moving further, but still Qingyun struggled violently. Unlike before, there was now a faint flush on her face, and her expression was one of panic and fragility—like she might shatter at the slightest touch.

Even the future great villain could be afraid, after all.

“It’s okay now… I’m taking you with me,” Qin Ran said softly.

Wen Qingyun froze for a second but then began to push Qin Ran away again.

Qin Ran tried to lead her out, but one of the two Alphas who had lost control had already broken past Fu Ma, who was trying to restrain them. Fu Ma continued to hold one Alpha back by clinging to his leg, while the other Alpha charged directly towards them.

Qin Ran stepped forward and kicked the approaching Alpha hard in the leg, knocking him down. Then she rushed to Fu Ma and kicked the other Alpha away as well.

Staff from the management center arrived just in time to help subdue the Alphas, finally putting an end to the immediate danger.

“That’s the S-class Omega who just lost control. Take her to the treatment room immediately. Prepare a sedative,” a mid-level soother instructed.

Qin Ran picked Wen Qingyun up and followed the staff towards the ward, while Fu Ma, who was now being supported, followed closely behind.

Fu Ma sighed with relief as she watched Qin Ran carry Wen Qingyun away, but she was equally stunned. She never would’ve imagined that it would be Qin Ran who rushed in and saved Wen Qingyun from falling in the escalator.

Wasn’t Qin Ran supposed to be the one who most wanted that something bad would happen to Wen Qingyun?

Fu Ma wanted to catch up quickly, but she couldn’t move fast—she’d hurt her back when someone pushed her down earlier while she was protecting Wen Qingyun. The sharp pain in her waist made every step difficult.

As Qin Ran carried Wen Qingyun—whose body was still ice-cold and damp—towards the room, she noticed something strange. Wen Qingyun, who had been resisting at first, was now trembling and curling up, clutching tightly onto the front of Qin Ran’s shirt, her face buried against her chest.

Qin Ran stiffened. She suddenly remembered that she’d released her pheromones during the exam. She probably still had the scent on her. Could it be that Wen Qingyun doesn’t reject my pheromones after all?

Not wanting to risk overstimulating her, Qin Ran quickened her pace.

They soon reached a room where staff were preparing the sedative.

Qin Ran gently laid Wen Qingyun down, but she didn’t let go of her. One of the staff came forward with a syringe, aiming for her arm, which was already marked with bruises and puncture wounds. 

It was only after the sedative had taken effect that Wen Qingyun released her grip on Qin Ran. Her struggling eased a little, though her expression still showed deep pain.

Qin Ran noticed a suppression patch on the side of her neck. The skin around it was red and irritated, almost like an allergic reaction.

Suppression patches work by directly stimulating the glands to block pheromone release. Clearly, Wen Qingyun’s body wasn’t tolerating it well at all.

Once the staff had left, Qin Ran reached out to remove the patch—but before she could, someone else entered the room.

“Where’s this lady’s family? We need to locate her relatives right away,” said a man in a coat with a director’s badge as he hurried in.

“I’m her spouse,” Qin Ran replied firmly. “I want to know what happened. She’s had emotional episodes at home before, but she’s never lost control of her pheromones like this.”

She turned to the man, confused. It didn’t make sense. Wen Qingyun hadn’t released pheromones in years—why would she suddenly break down the moment she came to the center?

“The cause is unclear,” the director answered. “We’ll need to run a bl00d test to determine whether it was just an accident or if something else triggered it. Our soothers all have detailed pheromone interaction logs—I can personally vouch for their professional conduct. Besides, the soother assigned to her was only an A-class Alpha. They wouldn’t have the ability to provoke an S-class Omega into releasing pheromones.

“That said, we can no longer provide soother treatment for this patient. The previous record was incorrect—this Omega is indeed S-class. She not only has uncontrollable emotional episodes but also loses control over her pheromones. Without a top-level S-class soother, anyone who tries to help her is at risk of being affected. In fact, the mid-level soother who treated her earlier has already suffered glandular damage and won’t recover for several months.”

His tone was serious.

Qin Ran’s face darkened. Wen Qingyun had just been blacklisted by the management center.

And honestly, it made sense. An out-of-control S-class Omega could cause massive disruption. After what happened to the last soother, no one would dare take her on now.