After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 26

A strange and unfamiliar desire was spreading uncontrollably through Jian Ya’s body.

The overwhelming influence of pheromones was starting to cloud her mind, making her feel like she was on the verge of losing control.

Shen Shuyi kept pressing closer to her. Every inch of skin that brushed against Jian Ya’s sent waves of heat rippling through her body.

“Shen Shuyi, stop… please stop,” Jian Ya said through clenched teeth.

If this went on any longer, she wasn’t sure she could hold herself back.

A beautiful woman in her arms, her body reacting on instinct—
Even a saint would struggle in this situation.

And Jian Ya was no saint. At this point, she was hanging on by sheer willpower.

The only thing keeping her grounded was the thought of not hurting Shen Shuyi.
She didn’t want to make their already fragile relationship worse than it already was.

But this was the limit.
One more step, and she didn’t know if she’d be able to stop herself.

“Mark me,” Shen Shuyi whispered softly beside her ear.

Jian Ya froze.

What… did she just say?

Shen Shuyi had both arms wrapped tightly around Jian Ya’s shoulders, her chin resting gently against her shoulder. With every slight movement, her long hair slipped to the side, revealing the back of her pale neck.

The gland on her neck, fully exposed, was right there—so close that Jian Ya only needed to lower her head a little to reach it.

Jian Ya’s breathing grew heavier.
Her canines began to ache faintly.

Her eyes were fixed on that spot behind Shen Shuyi’s neck. The rich, sea-salt scent of her pheromones was like a powerful lure, drawing her closer with every breath.

She leaned in slowly.
The distance between them narrowed.

Jian Ya parted her lips slightly, just about to bite down.

But at the very last second, something snapped her out of it.

What was she doing?

Shen Shuyi was clearly not in her right state of mind. Everything she was doing, everything she was saying—it was all caused by her loss of control from the pheromone disorder. None of it was voluntary.

If Jian Ya marked her now, it would be taking advantage of her.
What difference would that make between her and a predator?

What difference would that be from the original host, who had once taken advantage of someone in their weakest moment?

No.
Shen Shuyi wasn’t fully conscious. No matter what she said or did now, it wasn’t something Jian Ya could take seriously or act on.

Realizing that, Jian Ya closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

When she opened them again, her gaze was clear and focused.

“If touching me makes you feel better, then do whatever helps you most. Don’t worry—I won’t lay a hand on you,” Jian Ya said softly.

Then she stayed completely still.

She let Shen Shuyi cling to her, let her rub against the side of her neck, and didn’t move an inch.

But her own struggle didn’t stop.

Her teeth were clenched tighter and tighter.
The fingers pressed against the edge of the table dug in so hard that her knuckles turned white.
Her nails scratched against the surface until they broke the skin, and thin streaks of bl00d began to appear between the cracks.

“Hello, this is 120. Is the patient inside?”

A gentle voice rang out from the hallway, clear and calm—almost like a song to Jian Ya’s ears.

In that moment, she truly felt rescued.

“She’s here!” Jian Ya called out quickly.

The door hadn’t been locked. As soon as she responded, the emergency medical team pushed it open and rushed inside without hesitation.

Their eyes fell immediately on the two women.

With years of medical experience behind them, they only needed a single glance to understand what was happening.

“She’s in an uncontrolled heat episode. Quick, strong suppressant,” the lead paramedic ordered immediately.

The nurse behind her hurried forward with the medical kit and took out a small blue spray bottle, handing it over.

The doctor took the suppressant and expertly sprayed it onto the back of Shen Shuyi’s neck.

One, two, three sprays.

A few seconds later, Shen Shuyi finally stopped moving.

She slumped against Jian Ya’s body, unconscious.

“Shen Shuyi? Shen Shuyi!” Jian Ya cried out in alarm. Just moments ago, she had been clinging to her—why had she suddenly passed out?

Panicked, Jian Ya turned to the doctor. “Doctor, what’s going on? Why did she suddenly lose consciousness?”

“Please stay calm,” the doctor said gently, trying to ease Jian Ya’s rising fear. “This is normal. The patient was just in a high-stress heat episode. It caused extreme physical and mental exhaustion. The suppressant is fast-acting and very effective, so once her body calmed down, it shut itself off to recover. This kind of fainting is a natural defense mechanism. She’s not in danger.”

“Oh…” Jian Ya nodded, only half understanding.

She didn’t fully grasp the technical explanation, but she did understand one thing—
Shen Shuyi was safe now.

That alone was enough to let her exhale in relief. Her body slumped as the tension finally released, and she felt like she might collapse at any moment.

The entire experience had pushed her to her limit.

The doctor took another look at Jian Ya and hesitated for a second before asking, “You don’t look great either. Do you want a suppressant too?”

“Yes… please,” Jian Ya replied. Her voice was full of exhaustion.

The doctor didn’t say anything more. She pulled out another bottle of suppressant, leaned in, and sprayed it once on the back of Jian Ya’s neck.

The effect was instant.

The suffocating heat, the aching in her body, the loss of control—all of it disappeared in a matter of seconds.

A refreshing coolness spread from her neck, and her head cleared almost immediately.

Even the willpower she thought she had completely lost came flooding back.

So this was how powerful suppressants really were?

Having just experienced this world’s reality firsthand, Jian Ya couldn’t help but sigh in amazement. Suppressants truly were a remarkable invention.

After giving Shen Shuyi emergency treatment, the paramedics transported both of them to the hospital for a full evaluation.

At the hospital, Shen Shuyi was immediately taken in for specialized testing.

Meanwhile, Jian Ya waited anxiously outside the examination room, unable to relax.

About an hour later, the test results finally came back.

Just as Jian Ya was nervously peeking into the room, the attending doctor walked out and saw her.

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “Are you her family?”

She had seen countless patients over the years, and the kind of worried, tender expression Jian Ya wore was something she usually only saw from close relatives or deeply bonded partners.

“Sort of,” Jian Ya answered vaguely.

The doctor gave a knowing look.

“You’re worried about her condition?” she asked.

“Yes.” Jian Ya nodded immediately, then asked, “Is it serious?”

The doctor hesitated. “Well… it’s not exactly what I’d call severe.”

The ambiguity in her voice made Jian Ya panic.

“Then is it serious or not?” she pressed, her tone sharper now.

Seeing how deeply concerned Jian Ya was, the doctor didn’t keep her in suspense any longer.

“She has Pheromone Imbalance Syndrome. It’s one of the more difficult types. Medication alone likely won’t cure it completely. But there is a more effective and much simpler solution than relying on long-term drugs.”