"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 22

Su Yuecha had searched all over the first-floor hallway, but still she couldn’t find Qin Ran. Instead, she ran into her assistant researcher, Guan Jingyi. 

“Where have you been?” Su Yuecha asked irritably. 

“I was returning some materials to the archive room. What’s wrong?” Guan Jingyi replied timidly, clearly intimidated by Su Yuecha. 

“What’s wrong? What use are you if you disappear the moment something important happens?” Su Yuecha snapped in frustration. 

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!” Guan Jingyi apologized quickly. 

“What good is your sorry? Qin Ran is missing! She’s entering her heat—there’s no way she could’ve gone far. Her access level is high, so who knows which lab she accidentally swiped into?”

“We don’t have clearance for most of the other labs. Find an excuse and get someone to open them so we can check. I’ll go see if I can pull up anything from the security footage, Su Yuecha instructed.” 

“I’ll go right now”, Guan Jingyi said hurriedly. 

As Su Yuecha strode off, Guan Jingyi stared at her back, then turned around slowly. 

While everyone outside was frantically searching for Qin Ran, Wen Qingyun was inside a lab mixing reagents. Upon hearing a noise, she ducked down to avoid detection. But after a loud crash, the door got blocked by a cabinet—and to her shock, Qin Ran appeared in her sight! 

Qin Ran’s hair was damp with sweat, and her face was flushed red. Even the skin around her eyes was tinged pink, and her lips were especially bright. She was crouched on the ground, panting and visibly trying to suppress herself. 

She’s in heat. 

There was no alpha pheromone leaking from her yet, but Wen Qingyun could faintly catch the scent of omega pheromones in the air. 

Frowning, Wen Qingyun pulled her mask on. 

Back in the car earlier today, when Qin Ran sprayed the suppressant, Wen Qingyun had already guessed that her heat was approaching—but she hadn’t expected it to arrive this quickly. 

Why was she here? Could she have known Wen Qingyun was here too? 

Earlier that day, Qin Ran had deliberately bought sugar-roasted chestnuts in front of her and even buried her face into the bag to sniff the smell. It was a bizarre behavior—almost perverse. 

Was she trying to hint at something? 

Even without thinking, Wen Qingyun was sure—there was no way she would let Qin Ran touch her. 

Qin Ran staggered to her feet and headed for the sink before Wen Qingyun could figure anything out. She turned the faucet on full blast and plunged her head into the basin. Ice-cold water gushed down onto her head and neck. 

When she finally lifted her head from the sink, her face and hair were dripping wet. Water streamed down from her body, soaking her white shirt until it clung tightly to her skin, revealing a graceful figure and a slim, toned waist. 

It was just a simple shirt and slacks, yet Qin Ran wore them like a model. After being drenched, she looked like she had stepped straight out of a sensual photo shoot—every inch of her exuded temptation. 

Wen Qingyun, still bending down, happened to be directly facing Qin Ran’s waist from her angle. 

She had to admit, as an alpha, Qin Ran had an impressive figure—great proportions and a perfect waistline. 

As Wen Qingyun briefly lost focus, Qin Ran suddenly bent down again. Just a moment ago, she looked dangerously seductive. Now, with her arms wrapped around herself and her body trembling, she seemed small and pitiful. 

The cold water only cooled her skin; inside, her temperature kept rising. 

Her pheromones were starting to leak uncontrollably, amplifying the longing inside her. 

Her body ached more and more, and emotionally, she was growing fragile. Tears slipped down her cheeks without her realizing it. 

She missed home. She missed her parents, her sister, her brother… and most of all, her little omega who smelled like chestnuts. 

Memories of her time with her omega kept replaying in her mind. 

***** 

In the beginning, when she first started the therapy in the pheromone treatment room, there had been a barrier between them. For the first few sessions, no matter what Qin Ran asked, Wen Qingyun never replied—like a rabbit hiding in a burrow. 

Later on, she started to get short responses. Then gradually, they talked more and more. It had taken almost half a year. 

She liked watching the snow melt slowly. She liked sleeping on rainy days. She loved strawberry cake. She wanted to try cotton candy but was afraid of the gruff uncle who sold it… 

She was shy and sweet, soft as a marshmallow. 

Qin Ran still didn’t know what exactly happened that year that made the girl suddenly reach out to her. 

That warm chestnut scent—just like her personality—soft, sticky, and sweet. 

The more Qin Ran remembered, the more overwhelmed she felt. 

She missed her Omega so much. 

Wen Qingyun was sitting directly in front of her when she squatted down. She could smell the scent of Qin Ran’s pheromones. But the aroma wasn’t the mild, soothing scent from therapy—it was the raw, mating-season alpha scent, charged with a primal edge that would easily provoke an omega. 

The usual fresh grassy-floral fragrance had turned into something intense and deadly. Even with just a trace in the air, Wen Qingyun could feel her own glands starting to react. 

But Qin Ran was only a B-grade alpha. How could she be releasing such potent pheromones? 

Wen Qingyun felt like things were starting to go wrong. She had no idea what Qin Ran was doing here, like hiding from something. Maybe she could try to leave—maybe she could move the cabinet. 

She slowly shifted her wheelchair, but immediately she felt eyes that were looking at her. When she looked up, she met Qin Ran’s gaze. 

Wen Qingyun’s expression froze for a moment. She stopped hiding, sat upright, and began maneuvering her wheelchair backward. Her eyes were cold and steady on Qin Ran. 

At this moment, Qin Ran’s face was deeply flushed. Water droplets clung to her long lashes, and her dark eyes shimmered as if misted over. When she looked at Wen Qingyun, her eyes held the helplessness of a large lost dog—miserable and full of sorrow. 

Qin Ran’s vision was blurred, but she could instinctively catch the faint scent of an omega nearby. She got up and stumbled toward Wen Qingyun, but then she fell to her knees right in front of her and collapsed. 

***** 

Water soaked into Wen Qingyun’s clothes from Qin Ran’s body—shockingly cold—while every part where Qin Ran touched her burned like fire. 

Qin Ran wrapped her arms around Wen Qingyun like a large dog that had finally found food. She buried her face in Wen Qingyun’s neck, sniffing eagerly. 

Although Wen Qingyun’s pheromones hadn’t gone out of control, a trace still leaked out under the stimulation of Qin Ran’s alpha scent. 

But just that faint wisp was enough to send Qin Ran into a frenzy of joy. Her face pressed deeper into Wen Qingyun’s neck as she greedily inhaled the scent. 

Wen Qingyun’s body stiffened as Qin Ran’s breath on her neck tickled her skin. 

She tried to push Qin Ran away, but the strength difference between a frail omega like her and an alpha was far too great. Qin Ran didn’t even budge. 

Surrounded by Qin Ran’s pheromones, Wen Qingyun’s expression darkened. Did Qin Ran really intend to forcibly mark her? 

Qin Ran, however, hadn’t made any further moves—at least not yet. She just curled into the crook of Wen Qingyun’s neck, and her shoulders were trembling as she cried tears of joy. Her chest was filled with things she wanted to say, but she didn’t know where to start. 

Wen Qingyun didn’t have time to figure out what Qin Ran was thinking. She steadied her hand and grabbed a disposable syringe, drawing some of the reagent she had just prepared. 

It hadn’t been diluted yet, and Wen Qingyun wasn’t sure what effect such a small amount might have, but if Qin Ran really tried anything, she wasn’t going to hold back. 

…It smells so good. Qin Ran tightened her arms around Wen Qingyun’s waist; her voice was low and hazy as those two words slipped from her lips. 

Wen Qingyun’s eyes locked on Qin Ran’s neck, and she thrust the syringe toward it without hesitation. 

I missed you so much, Chestnut… hic… Where did you go? Why didn’t you come find me? Qin Ran’s tearful voice suddenly broke the air, freezing Wen Qingyun in place. 

Chestnut—that name. Only Qin Ran had ever called her that, five years ago. 

She had refused to use her medical case number, and once she learned Wen Qingyun’s pheromones smell like roasted chestnuts, she started calling her Chestnut. 

Back then, the name had sounded sweet. Now it brought a rush of complicated emotions. 

“Little Chestnut, don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. I’m sorry I couldn’t find you. That time five years ago… I must’ve hurt you. Did you think I was too rough? Is that why you never wanted to see me again? I’m sorry, Chestnut. I missed you so much… Qin Ran choked on her own sobs, and her voice was laced with sorrow and guilt. 

Wen Qingyun’s eyes went blank as memories from five years ago resurfaced in her mind. 

***** 

After her mother passed away, Wen Qingyun developed autism. Apart from her father and the housekeeper, Fu Ma, she didn’t interact with anyone. She had closed herself off from the outside world, and it took a long time for her to learn to trust again. 

Back then, she was just a girl curled up in her own lonely little world—isolated, but not in pain. 

When she entered university, a senior student introduced her to pheromone therapy as a way to ease her symptoms. 

She had tried several therapists, but only Qin Ran’s pheromones made her feel calm and safe. 

So she started receiving pheromone therapy from Qin Ran. 

Therapists could choose to keep their identities hidden or reveal them. Qin Ran had made hers public. 

Qin Ran didn’t know anything about Wen Qingyun—her background, her appearance, or her family. But Wen Qingyun knew everything about her. 

It had taken Qin Ran six months to earn a fraction of her trust. 

So when Wen Qingyun had unexpectedly fallen into heat and couldn’t control her pheromones, she instinctively went to the one person she trusted nearby—Qin Ran. 

Yes, five years ago, Qin Ran had been rough. When Wen Qingyun woke up afterward, she could barely walk. 

But she had never blamed her. 

She had only been so mortified and ashamed that she ran away. 

Even though she trusted Qin Ran, it hadn’t been to the point where she could give her everything. 

If not for the pregnancy that followed, she probably wouldn’t have gone looking for her so soon afterward. 

But… 

Qin Ran now was nothing like the person she had remembered. 

The gentle, comforting pheromones from the therapy sessions had become aggressive and invasive. Her words were rude, and her eyes flirtatiously lingered on the attractive omegas. She was driven by money. 

Everything about her was a letdown. 

Wen Qingyun hadn’t wanted anything to do with her anymore. 

And Qin Ran didn’t seem heartbroken and didn’t try to win her back. She just put on a perfect act, playing the good wife in front of her father, doing everything with practiced grace. 

But once her father fell ill, she revealed her true colors—sharp and greedy. 

She had only ever treated Wen Qingyun as a tool, a stepping stone to take control of the Wen Corporation. 

If Wen Qingyun had been born to an ordinary family, Qin Ran would never have married her. 

And now she was saying sorry? Saying she missed her? 

Was she still acting—or did she truly not know the truth and genuinely miss the girl she once knew? 

Maybe… Maybe that faint impression from five years ago had left a real mark on her. Maybe she had liked her back then. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be calling her name now in the middle of her heat. 

If only she had been honest back then—would Wen Qingyun have given her another chance? 

Would she still have become greedy for money and impatient with her and Rou Rou? 

A trace of uncertainty flickered in Wen Qingyun’s heart. Just that one moment of distraction was enough for Qin Ran to hug her tighter. Lips were burning with heat pressed kisses along her neck. Her breath was still choked with sobs, and her voice trembled as if she was still crying—but her actions were anything but innocent. 

Then Qin Ran’s teeth sank into her skin. 

Wen Qingyun’s breath caught sharply. 

Her face darkened again, and her eyes turned cold. This time, she didn’t hesitate—the syringe in her hand went straight into Qin Ran’s neck.