"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 23

Once again, Wen Qingyun didn’t manage to inject Qin Ran—because Qin Ran suddenly pulled back.

With a sharp slap, she struck herself hard across the face.

Her body was in agony, the urge to mark “Chestnut” nearly overwhelming her. However, the fear that marking “Chestnut” could cause her to disappear was even stronger.

This time, she absolutely couldn’t do anything to hurt her. Even if she had to hit herself until she bled, she would do it. She couldn’t let any harm come to her “Chestnut.”

She couldn’t let her vanish again.

“Chestnut… I’m sorry. I’m in my heat right now. Don’t come near me—I won’t do anything to hurt you again!” Qin Ran said, her voice trembling with sobs as she continued to slap herself.

“…Ugh.” Wen Qingyun looked at her, her expression was faltering.

Qin Ran truly hadn’t approached her again, but her pheromones were getting stronger and stronger.

It was becoming unbearable. Wen Qingyun had no choice but to reach into the bag attached to her wheelchair and pull out one of her self-made suppressant patches, pressing it to her neck.

The patch was powerful but still experimental—it was highly effective but also irritating to the skin and could cause mild allergic reactions.

Still, in a situation like this, Wen Qingyun couldn’t afford to be picky.

Meanwhile, Qin Ran kept slapping herself, then staggered over to the sink to douse herself with cold water again. After that, she rammed herself into the wall a few times.

Wen Qingyun watched in silence for a few seconds before steering her wheelchair toward the door. A storage cabinet had been pushed in front of it, and when she tried to move it, it was so heavy that it wouldn’t even budge.

She pulled out her tablet to contact Guan Jingyi and noticed a message sent over ten minutes ago:

“President Qin’s in heat and has disappeared. Be careful not to let her into any lab you’re in—she’s dangerous! If she gets in, message me and I’ll come right away!”

“…Too late,” Wen Qingyun muttered. “She’s already completely out of it.”

She was about to type a reply when Qin Ran stumbled over again when she noticed that Wen Qingyun was trying to leave.

“Chestnut, don’t go! Please don’t go!”

That tall, composed alpha was now crying like an abandoned child. She collapsed to her knees next to Wen Qingyun while her arms were hugging Wen Qingyun’s legs.

Wen Qingyun glanced down at her. She really did look pitiful.

No one could fake an act this convincing.

Even Guan Jingyi knew how dangerous Qin Ran’s heat periods could be.

Was she always like this?

Something about this heat episode wasn’t right. It felt as if she had consumed something artificial—similar to low-quality alcohol. She was hallucinating, talking nonsense, and completely unlike herself.

“I’m sorry… I’m married now. I don’t deserve to cling to you… I’ll come find you after I get divorced. That woman—she’s terrifying. She’s poisonous. She’s going to make my skin rot and my teeth and hair fall out! You… you should go. I don’t want you to get hurt… sob sob sob…”

Qin Ran broke down crying again. She didn’t want to let her omega go, not after finally finding her again, but she was terrified that Wen Qingyun would be hurt because of her (Su Yuecha).

Wen Qingyun stared at her, dumbfounded. That “terrifying woman”… Was Qin Ran talking about her?

Was she really that scary?

Something that could rot skin and make hair and teeth fall out… Come to think of it, that was technically possible.

Qin Ran must’ve been really afraid of that.

Wen Qingyun’s expression shifted slightly.

Looking at the head resting on her legs with shoulders trembling while crying, she reached into the side pocket of her wheelchair and pulled out another self-made suppressant patch. Peeling the wrapper, she pressed it firmly to the side of Qin Ran’s neck.

Qin Ran yelped from the sting, and Wen Qingyun used the moment to slip a pill into her mouth.

Qin Ran’s hand reached up to her neck in pain, her expression contorted. A moment later, her eyes rolled back and she passed out, collapsing onto Wen Qingyun’s legs. She gave her a gentle push, and Qin Ran collapsed to the floor.

Wen Qingyun maneuvered her wheelchair over to find the lab’s remote control and activated the pheromone purification system. Then, she returned to the workstation to continue mixing the formula she had been working on.

After a while, she drew a dose into a disposable syringe and rolled back over to Qin Ran. Without hesitation, she injected it into her arm.

Qin Ran gasped from the sting and opened her eyes, only to see Wen Qingyun calmly withdrawing the syringe with a cold, indifferent expression.

Her mind was still foggy, but she was far more sane than before. Her glands had stopped raging. Wen Qingyun’s suppressant patch—though aggressive—was strong enough to suppress even an omega in full pheromone overflow.

“What… what did you inject into me?!” Qin Ran’s panic rose as she looked from the syringe to her arm. She backed away in fear, but the moment she moved, pain shot through her entire body.

Ever since she’d lost control, everything after leaving the office with Su Yuecha had been a blur.

She only remembered finding an empty lab to hide in. After that, her mind was filled with thoughts of Chestnut—over and over again, joy mixed with heartache. It felt like a long, vivid dream.

She never imagined that when she opened her eyes again, she would see Wen Qingyun.

Wasn’t Wen Qingyun assigned to the archive room?

How had she gotten into the lab with a temporary access card?!

Wen Qingyun didn’t answer her. Instead, she typed a few words on her tablet and held it up for her to read:

“Poison. Poison that can lead to skin necrosis, as well as the loss of hair and teeth. Special formula. Won’t show up in hospital tests.”

Qin Ran stared at the message, then down at the needle mark on her arm—and completely lost it.

She didn’t have time to think. Her panic took over.

“Wen Qingyun, you’ve gone too far! What did I ever do to you to deserve this?! That person back then wasn’t even me—I’ve been trying to make it right! Why won’t you let it go? You’re too cruel!”

Rage and heartbreak surged in her chest. Her voice cracked with emotion, and tears were brimming in her eyes as she screamed at Wen Qingyun.

Qin Ran didn’t doubt Wen Qingyun’s words—she knew full well Wen Qingyun had that kind of skill.

“…Huh?” Wen Qingyun was momentarily stunned, not quite grasping what Qin Ran meant. Not her? What was that supposed to mean?

Did she have a second personality or something? But wasn’t it still her?

What kind of ridiculous excuse was that?

“You crazy woman, Wen Qingyun! Give me the antidote! Cure me! Or else… or else I’ll—!”

Qin Ran grabbed Wen Qingyun by the collar and glared into her cold, detached eyes, and whatever threat she was about to say got stuck in her throat.

Those eyes—icy and emotionless.

A crazy woman?

So this was what Qin Ran really thought of her. A lunatic. That must be her true impression.

Back in the soothing environment of the therapy room five years ago, Wen Qingyun had never dared to show her real, abnormal condition. Without having to face anyone or talk out loud—she’s just communicating through written words—her symptoms were far less obvious.

The impression she gave Qin Ran back then was that of a shy, quiet, almost normal omega.

But after getting pregnant, everything changed.

Her pheromones became unstable, with no alpha scent to balance her out. The hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy, along with the devastation and disappointment caused by Qin Ran, broke her.

What began as autism spiraled into bipolar disorder. Constant migraines, insomnia, emotional breakdowns… She really was a mess. A mad woman.

*****

Qin Ran didn’t like this madwoman. If not for the Wen family’s fortune, she wouldn’t have stuck around this long.

“You tried to mark me earlier. I acted in self-defense,” Wen Qingyun typed calmly on her tablet and held it up for her to see.

“…Ugh.” Qin Ran froze and let go of her.

She couldn’t say another word.

If she really had tried to force a mark on Wen Qingyun… then she really deserved what came after.

Her mind wandered back to the fragmented chaos earlier—she’d found her beloved Chestnut and had been overwhelmed with joy, then driven by the heat, her head clouded with shameful desire. All she’d wanted was to claim her.

Was she insane? Did she really mistake Wen Qingyun for her Chestnut?

This woman was nothing like Chestnut!

Chestnut was adorable and soft. Wen Qingyun was cold, both in looks and personality. Unhinged, even. There wasn’t a shred of resemblance in either of them.

Besides, if she remembered the height correctly, Chestnut had only come up to her shoulder. Wen Qingyun reached her chin—definitely taller. Additionally, their body shapes were noticeably different.

Wen Qingyun looked to be a C-cup or more, while her little Chestnut barely had a B. Delicate and just the right size for one hand.

Qin Ran shook her head to get rid of the distracting thoughts and looked back at Wen Qingyun.

“That slap on my face… that was from you, wasn’t it? You slapped me and still poisoned me?” she asked, touching her stinging cheek.

Wen Qingyun didn’t bother replying—just stared at her. It was obvious Qin Ran’s memory was a mess. She’d blacked out from the heat.

Her heat symptoms really were beyond normal.

“You hit me that hard—couldn’t you have just knocked me out? Or used one of your scalpels to stab me awake or something? Did you really have to go so far?

“Wen Qingyun, I was wrong earlier. I’m sorry. I didn’t know my heat would get so out of control.”

I really didn’t mean to. Please… this poison—can you undo it? I’ll agree to any condition you want,” Qin Ran said, a little deflated now. Even if she was still mentally cursing this lunatic woman, her tone had softened.

Wen Qingyun studied her. Qin Ran probably had no idea how deep her research in biopharmaceuticals went. Nor did she realize how capable she was of developing something that could rot skin and cause hair and teeth to fall out.

All the better. Saves her from having to prove anything.

“I can cure you. But only if you listen to me. I just want a peaceful divorce—I don’t want to kill anyone. Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll give you the antidote,” she typed coolly, her expression like that of an emotionless assassin.

“You swear?” Qin Ran asked.

“Of course—so long as you don’t hurt me or my family,” Wen Qingyun replied, typing it out again.

“You’re threatening me! Do you really think I would do such a thing?”

Qin Ran huffed. She couldn’t even fake a smile now, much less pretend to be friendly.

This psycho… She had to get away from her as soon as possible.

All her hard work these past few days, and she still couldn’t escape the punishment written into the story’s plot.

Her whole body hurt—especially her neck, her face, and her forehead…

God, this woman’s hands were brutal!

She caught a glimpse of herself reflected in a glass cabinet—her face was red, her forehead too, and there was a suppressant patch stuck to her neck.

The patch had no branding on it. It looked like one of Wen Qingyun’s black-market homemade ones.

“You put this patch on me?” Qin Ran asked.

Only now did she realize—though her glands still ached, they’d calmed down.

It must’ve been Wen Qingyun’s doing.

“Yes. And you’d better not peel it off,” Wen Qingyun typed.

“You—! You had this powerful suppressant patch, and you still poisoned me?!” Qin Ran whined in grievance.

“This patch is my own invention. Since I gave it to you, you’re going to appoint me as the chief research expert—granting me full authority over all labs, equipment, and materials,” Wen Qingyun replied, unfazed, typing another line.

“Chief expert? Fine, I’ll arrange it. But on one condition—promise me that you will give me the antidote to the poison.” Qin Ran said.

She was already caught in Wen Qingyun’s trap—giving her authority meant nothing now.

Skin, hair, teeth… gone? She can’t ever imagine. Life wouldn’t even be worth living.

While Qin Ran was negotiating with Wen Qingyun, they heard the door rattle.

Outside the lab, Su Yuecha stood at the door with Guan Jingyi, who looked pale. 

It had taken Su Yuecha quite some time to convince security to review the surveillance footage. But sure enough, Qin Ran had entered this lab at the time Su Yuecha had pointed out.

Qin Ran should be in a state of complete pheromone frenzy by now.

And with an omega inside?

She’d definitely have gone crazy.

“Push harder. The door’s stuck,” Su Yuecha whispered to Guan Jingyi. Then, lowering her voice further, she added, “Remember to start recording once we get in.”