After Cat A Saved the Wrong Female Lead - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Helping Her Through the Sensitivity Period

Tang Li hadn’t expected she’d end up biting the Omega like that. A wave of guilt and anxiety swelled in her chest—right until she heard the woman’s breath tickle her ear.

Qin Shiyang leaned close to her cheek. Though there was a hint of displeasure in her soft, delicate voice, it carried no real edge—just a mildly reproachful tone:

“Don’t just stand there—help me apply the medicine. I can’t reach.”

The gland sat just beneath the nape of the neck, occupying only a small spot of skin. It was usually hidden under hair and rarely noticed—an incredibly private area. Only after being reminded did Tang Li snap out of her daze and take the cotton swab from her, helping to apply the ointment.

She didn’t even question why a restaurant would have anti-swelling medicine at the ready. Carefully and attentively, she applied it, and even leaned in to gently blow on the gland afterward. As her warm breath touched the skin, Qin Shiyang bit her lip, trying not to squirm at the ticklish sensation crawling across her skin.

She had clearly felt a soft tail curling around her wrist earlier—the pressure and sensation were impossible to pass off as a “prop.” Qin Shiyang had originally wanted to ask if Tang Li was some kind of spirit or mythical creature. But that would’ve sounded too strange, possibly even hurtful. Despite her curiosity, she felt no fear.

So she let the moment pass, pretending to be fooled by Tang Li’s rushed excuse.

After all, she worked in holographic gaming—an industry that required an active imagination. Qin Shiyang had already sensed that Tang Li wasn’t entirely… “ordinary.” From the impressive agility she’d shown at their first meeting to her occasional naive behavior, everything hinted at something unusual.

Given how vastly different she was from the rumors, Qin Shiyang had even considered the possibility that she might be someone “from another world.”

Whether it was true or not remained to be seen. But Qin Shiyang had always had her own way of doing things. So long as Tang Li showed no intent to harm her—and clearly didn’t—she wouldn’t put herself in danger. As for what Tang Li “really was,” she chose to turn a blind eye. She wasn’t interested in digging deeper.

The gland still throbbed faintly with the lingering sensation of satisfaction. Though the broken skin still stung a little, Qin Shiyang slowly buttoned her clothes back up, returning to her usual composed demeanor.

“Hungry?” she asked lightly. “I’ll have them bring the food.”

Her tone was calm, as if the temporary mark from earlier was nothing but a brief episode. It had been less than two hours since she’d entered the room and found an Alpha in the throes of a sensitivity period. The “Do Not Disturb” sign had been hung on the door, and the restaurant had courteously refrained from interrupting or pushing them to order.

Tang Li’s cheeks were still flushed, and she nodded a little too quickly. Her golden hair was messy, and she looked so much more docile now—completely unlike her earlier self.

She obediently returned to her seat at the dining table, using a tissue to gently dab at her sore marking tooth. Her whole body felt like it was floating in a dream. Her thoughts wandered until Qin Shiyang’s voice pulled her back:

“Did you forget your birthday present?”

Tang Li blinked. She hadn’t even noticed when Qin Shiyang came in carrying a gift. Following the woman’s slender finger, she saw a beautifully wrapped box placed quietly to the side, complete with a classic ribbon bow.

Qin Shiyang sat beside her, watching. Her eyelashes, dark as raven feathers, fluttered gently. Beneath them, her deep and lovely eyes held a trace of shyness, hard to detect but unmistakable. When Tang Li looked her way, Qin Shiyang averted her gaze, but in that fleeting instant of eye contact, Tang Li understood: the Omega was just as embarrassed about the temporary mark. She was just trying to keep the mood from getting awkward.

She really had meant it when she said she wanted to celebrate her birthday—she’d taken it seriously.

Tang Li’s mouth was still dry, and she hadn’t even touched her water during the daze earlier. She had absentmindedly ordered a few dishes without even thinking. Now her heart felt like it was being squeezed in someone’s palm. Even though an Alpha was supposed to rest after being soothed during a sensitivity period, she didn’t want to leave Qin Shiyang.

As she stood, she felt the Omega’s soft hand brush against hers by accident. Her steps faltered. She bit the tip of her tongue to ground herself and quiet her racing heartbeat.

She slowly untied the ribbon. Nestled in black raffia was a gorgeously crafted gilded CD player. The design blended vintage aesthetics with modern style—elegant and exquisitely made. Despite feeling under the weather, Tang Li’s eyes lit up the moment she saw it. She didn’t even unwrap the protective case, just held it close and admired it carefully.

Then she heard Qin Shiyang explain:

“This is a limited-edition model our company developed in collaboration with A.MT Records. It lets users experience scent simulations that match the vibe of the chosen music. Still in beta testing—it’ll hit the market soon. Do you like it?”

Tang Li had only known that Qin Shiyang’s company made holographic games—she hadn’t realized they were involved in this kind of innovation too. She was surprised and intrigued. When she heard it could simulate scents, her first thought nearly slipped out.

Her own pheromone scent was ylang-ylang, and she’d never been that fond of floral aromas. What came to mind instead was the fresh and faint scent of tea leaves—like Qin Shiyang’s.

What song, she wondered, would trigger that scent?

Even though the room’s air purifier had been running, the clean tea fragrance still seemed to linger at the tip of her nose. Her throat dry, Tang Li poured herself a large glass of lemon tea and drank half of it in one go before she finally felt better.

Back home, she finally unwrapped the gift properly. Picking a random playlist, she was delighted to find the scent it emitted was indeed reminiscent of perfume—though subtler, airy, and not too strong. Alphas already had sensitive noses, and even more so during sensitivity periods. Tang Li became completely fascinated with the CD player.

She stayed up tinkering with it well into the night and even searched for both companies online.

The scent simulation was quite similar to AO pheromones—anchored by a primary scent but with subtle variations, like perfume. Tang Li leaned over the player and sniffed, noticing that the transitions between scents were sometimes a little abrupt. She instinctively grabbed a pen and jotted down notes—filling a whole page without realizing.

Eventually, she fell asleep at the desk. By the time she woke up the next morning, her head was throbbing painfully.

Just like an Omega’s heat cycle, an Alpha’s sensitivity period left them more vulnerable—sometimes even dangerously irritable if left unsoothed. Most companies allowed medical leave for sensitivity episodes.

Realizing something was wrong, Tang Li forced herself to message her supervisor. It was still early, so there was no reply yet. After hitting send, she didn’t bother to check again. She dragged herself to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face and popped a fever pill.

She hadn’t even felt the medicine kick in when the doorbell rang. The first time it rang, she didn’t respond, thinking maybe it was a mistake. But when it rang again, she realized someone was indeed looking for her and groggily shuffled to the door.

“Miss, your same-day delivery.”

It was a brisk middle-aged woman delivering the package. She placed the parcel on the rack by Tang Li’s door, offered a quick greeting, and hurried off to her next delivery.

Tang Li swayed slightly from dizziness as she stood, about to mutter that she hadn’t ordered anything. But then her eyes landed on the wrapping—bold and clear—

And what she saw left her stunned.