After Cat A Saved the Wrong Female Lead - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A Familiar Scent of Pheromones

Some people are just born with a natural flair for flirting.

When that woman locked eyes with her, even if it lasted only a few seconds, Tang Li felt like her heart was in chaos. A wave of heat crept up to her ears, which had turned red without her realizing. Flustered, she quickly put away her phone.

She had actually been ordering flowers.

The clothes that Qin Shiyang had lent her were already dry-cleaned. But returning them just as they were felt a little awkward. That’s why Tang Li’s search history was filled with things like:

How do Alphas comfort Omegas?
What gifts make girls happy?
How to politely return borrowed clothes without it being awkward?

Among all the popular answers, she eventually settled on flowers and found a highly-rated florist on an app. She added the shop owner’s WeChat. The shop owner’s profile picture was of a girl holding a cat, her tone soft and sweet with a stream of emojis — from a certain angle, it did… seem kind of easy to misinterpret.

Tang Li had already turned off the screen. The traffic light turned green, and the awkwardness dissipated as the car started moving again. But the woman in the driver’s seat clearly wasn’t planning to let her off the hook. Her jade-white fingers tapped rhythmically on the leather steering wheel, waiting for Tang Li’s explanation.

“Sorry, I saw you were driving, so I didn’t want to—”

“You can still talk while I drive,” Qin Shiyang interrupted, sounding even more aggrieved. “Women — always making excuses.”

She gave a soft huff.

With her face practically saying “Come comfort me,” Tang Li was just about to speak when the car smoothly pulled into a parking spot near her company. In a moment of desperation, Tang Li glanced at the switched navigation screen and made a quick decision before getting out of the car:

“Xiaoyu, what time do you get off work? Let’s have lunch together!”

“Twelve o’clock.”

After watching Tang Li walk away, the triumphant gleam in Qin Shiyang’s eyes faded, and her expression returned to its usual calm indifference.

….

The mall wasn’t open yet at 9 a.m., so Tang Li waited a few minutes before hailing a ride home. The first thing she did upon getting back was take a shower and wash the clothes she’d worn.

Most of the original host’s wardrobe consisted of flashy or hyper-stylized Asian “baddie” fashion, which didn’t really suit Tang Li’s more pure and delicate features — though the contrast was striking. Since office attire couldn’t be too over-the-top, she’d already bought a few professional outfits from the mall, which now came in handy.

After dressing up, she attempted a light makeup look based on the original host’s memories. But she either applied too much eyeshadow or made the contouring look ghostly. Frustrated, she wiped it all off and opted to just put on lipstick to brighten her complexion. Lipstick was much easier — she was carefully applying it in front of the mirror when her phone buzzed twice.

Zhou: Ah Li, are you free this weekend? You said you wanted to visit me — there’s a banquet. Want to come?

The sender didn’t have a saved name, so Tang Li tapped into the chat. Their Moments were limited to the last three days. Thinking of the unpleasant experience she’d had with Yao Cheche, she was about to decline, but then suddenly remembered who this was.

Yu Zhou, the original host’s Alpha mom, a director and producer. The two mothers had divorced peacefully due to fading feelings and no drama, and both cared a lot for their only daughter. But the original Tang Li had never understood why they divorced, and wasn’t exactly warm to either of them.

Tang Li figured she’d be free that weekend anyway, so she agreed. Yu Zhou, pleasantly surprised by her daughter’s rare enthusiasm, quickly responded.

Tang Li: Mom, is there anything else?

Seeing the immediate reply, Yu Zhou fell silent for a moment. Then Tang Li received a notification — a bank deposit of 500,000 yuan.

Yu Zhou: Need money, sweetheart?

Tang Li: …?

She stared at her phone in silence for a while.

“Tongzi,” she said aloud to the mirror, staring at her own reflection. “Can you tell me — where did that girl go?”

Ever since she arrived here, Tang Li had been wondering:

If she had taken over the original Tang Li’s place… then where had the original gone?

She was just a cat spirit who had turned human and lived independently since childhood. She wasn’t particularly attached to family. But she could tell the original host’s two mothers truly cared for her. If they knew their daughter was gone… wouldn’t they be devastated?

This “system” that had brought her here didn’t issue commands, but if she asked about something important, it would answer.

Hello. This world is a fictional setting created from a novel and was activated when you arrived. All characters were simply going through the motions before you, with no real souls. There is no ‘original host.’

You can think of it this way: You are the original now.

Tang Li didn’t entirely understand, but that final sentence reassured her a lot.

She checked the time — it was already 11:00 a.m. After tidying up, she browsed a food delivery app and picked a few decently priced, tasty-looking restaurants to share with “Xiaoyu.”

Meanwhile, Qin Shiyang was in a conference room.

Though the Omega didn’t raise her voice, the slight downturn of her lips made it clear she was displeased. Compared to an Alpha, she might not have been physically imposing, but her commanding presence made her impossible to ignore.

She managed a holographic gaming company under Qin Group — a business she had personally invested in and built from the ground up. She had foreseen the rise of immersive gaming and seized the market early. But now, as the industry boomed, startups mushroomed and major corporations began vying for control.

It hadn’t been easy. As an Omega, she had also faced prejudice and hardship. As a result, Qin Shiyang managed her team with strict precision — especially the content review team.

That day, a flaw was found during a spot check. Though she didn’t explode in anger, her cold voice hinted at an incoming storm. No one dared to speak; they communicated only through glances, waiting for her to “rain down” at any moment.

Buzz.

Her phone vibrated ever so slightly — a reminder that their lunch appointment was near. But the meeting was still in progress, so she dismissed it.

11:55 a.m.

The review department head, next in line to report, wiped sweat off his forehead and opened his mouth to speak — only to find Qin Shiyang’s gaze drifting slightly. The pressure from her dark eyes eased for a moment.

He blinked. She seemed to be looking at the clock on the wall. But before he could be sure, her cool voice ended the meeting:

“Second half continues at 1:30.”

She gave her assistant a quick instruction and left the room to head to the garage and drive out.

Qin Shiyang arrived five minutes late.

Normally, work took priority and lunch would be ignored. But since she’d pouted a little before dropping Tang Li off, it felt wrong to stand her up right after. That’d be heartless.

Before leaving, she’d texted to explain her delay. Fortunately, there was still an hour of lunch break — plenty of time. Not being picky, she let Tang Li choose the place.

Tang Li picked a quick-service fusion restaurant — what people often call “pretty food.” Beautiful plating, colorful dishes — visually appetizing.

Aside from her own meal, Tang Li only ordered two side dishes and didn’t order for Qin Shiyang. As she was served, Qin arrived, spotting the golden-haired girl seated calmly, gazing at the food without touching it, her back straight but relaxed — giving off a lazy, cozy vibe.

Like a well-mannered golden tabby about to sneak a bite before its owner returned. She had sharp claws but chose to behave gently in front of the right person.

Though Tang Li was a bona fide Alpha, she lacked all the usual aggressive traits. Seeing Qin’s reflection in the glass, she quickly pulled out the seat opposite.

But the Omega asked something unexpected:

“Can I sit next to you?” She pointed at her ear. “I have a bit of hearing loss and might not catch what you say.”

Qin Shiyang’s skin was pale and delicate, her earlobes like jade — no piercings, no jewelry. Like a lotus freshly blooming from the water, elegant and pure. Even though they’d just seen each other that morning and the day before, Tang Li was still momentarily stunned. By the time she came to, the woman had already sat beside her, scanning the QR code to order.

Sitting so close, Tang Li didn’t smell any fragrance and curiously sniffed the air. The motion caught Qin’s attention. After ordering a tomato-chicken omurice and Calpis, she turned to see Tang Li sitting obediently, hands on the table, not eating early — just… sniffing her scent.

As an exceptionally beautiful Omega, Qin Shiyang had faced her fair share of harassment — even from Alphas who wanted to be her kept lovers. She had strict personal boundaries, keeping unwanted people at arm’s length.

But while Tang Li’s obvious curiosity initially triggered her guard, she quickly realized the girl meant no harm.

The little Alpha clearly hadn’t paid attention in health class. “Useful” seemed to mean stamina, a delicious scent, and being obedient but not reckless. If they were alone, she might have said something — but for now, Qin Shiyang simply reached out and held her hand.

Her fingers were slender and warm, quickly bringing Tang Li’s focus back. As they waited for their food, they chatted casually. When asked why she was late, Qin Shiyang vented:

“Someone didn’t finish their work… so the whole company had to stay and clean up the mess.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. Just thinking about the review department made her annoyed. But the pretty little Alpha was a great listener, never letting the conversation go cold. The lunch was unexpectedly enjoyable, washing away the stress from the morning.

After eating, Qin Shiyang went to the restroom to fix her makeup. Tang Li stood outside holding her bag. Suddenly, she heard a startled cry. The next moment, a familiar Omega pheromone flooded the air. Tang Li looked up just in time to see the woman stumble, falling into her arms.