After Cat A Saved the Wrong Female Lead - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Gland Kiss

As the banquet wound down and was about to end, Yu Qingshuang glanced at the Alpha beside her, shy but also carrying a barely noticeable trace of anxiousness.

Tonight’s banquet leaned more toward entertainment. There was alcohol, but since it was held in a public hall, at most, a few people were pulled into being part of the atmosphere—there wasn’t any messy socializing. It was a rare and pleasant event, and Yu Qingshuang had enjoyed a good conversation with Tang Li. However, the Alpha beside her didn’t seem to show any intent to take things further.

Yu Qingshuang was a rather traditional and easily shy Omega. In her heart, she hoped the Alpha would be a bit more proactive. While she was still hesitating, this scene had already been quietly taken in by Yu Zhou, who had been observing her daughter all evening.

Seizing the moment when Yu Qingshuang went to the restroom, Yu Zhou approached, patted Tang Li on the shoulder, and draped her own light coat over her:

“Go walk her out. I’ll call the driver for you.”

With that, she gave Tang Li a meaningful look and gracefully walked away.

But Tang Li didn’t get the hint.

She was looking at a message Qin Shiyang had sent a few minutes ago:

“Are you resting, Tang Li?”

The Omega’s voice was a bit low. Her usually gentle tone was tinged with slight fatigue. Tang Li replied, “Not yet.” Two minutes later, another message came:

“I feel a little unwell. Could you come over for a bit?”

Hearing that, Tang Li’s eyes lit up instantly. The exhaustion from a whole evening of socializing vanished completely—she felt fully energized.

Like a little robot, she instantly recharged with a “zzt!”

The female lead was feeling unwell—wasn’t this the perfect opportunity for her to shine?

Tang Li called her family driver—not to send Yu Qingshuang home, but to a residential complex instead. The driver, hired by Yu Zhou, naturally followed her daughter’s instructions without asking questions. When Yu Qingshuang heard Tang Li had to leave early, a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes, though she quickly adjusted:

“Can we add each other as friends? You saved me before, and I still want to treat you to a meal.”

They’d gotten along quite well earlier. With the other party actively offering friendship, Tang Li had no reason to refuse and quickly scanned the code to add her. Then she hurried out the door.

Yu Zhou’s sea-blue Porsche limo was waiting at the entrance, fully equipped with everything inside, including a portable makeup kit. Tang Li hesitated, then spent the twenty-minute ride carefully removing the lavish makeup she had on for the banquet. With a bare face, she knocked on Qin Shiyang’s door.

When Qin Shiyang saw her, she froze for a moment.

With her makeup removed, Tang Li now had a pure, delicate face that appeared completely non-threatening—beautiful, with worry shining in her clear eyes, looking sweet and gentle.

Qin Shiyang lived on the tenth floor, and the elevator required a key card. Considering the Omega was unwell, Tang Li didn’t call or message to disturb her. She’d run all the way up the stairs and was slightly out of breath.

“How are you feeling, Xiaoyu? I was at a banquet with my mom earlier. There were a lot of people, so I didn’t see your message right away. You’re not mad at me, right?”

Qin Shiyang was only wearing slippers. She’d changed her clothes earlier, but her high heels were still on. This made the height difference between them more noticeable. Tang Li had to lower her head slightly to meet her eyes. Seeing no visible signs of illness on the Omega’s fair face, she continued:

“Another Omega added me today, but we’re just friends—I have no other intentions, promise.”

In truth, Qin Shiyang had been slightly annoyed seeing Tang Li laughing and chatting with other Omegas at the banquet—especially because one of them was Yu Qingshuang, someone she already disliked.

Yes, Qin Shiyang didn’t like Yu Qingshuang.

She had disliked her from the beginning.

But this little Alpha was just too honest. Honest to the point where all the probing questions Qin Shiyang had prepared were rendered useless—like throwing punches into soft cotton.

Tang Li’s eyes were too clear and straightforward. She had no idea that Qin Shiyang’s so-called illness was just a ploy to lure her over. Even when noticing the height difference made her feel “towering,” Tang Li kicked off her heels before entering.

Strands of golden hair fell across her cheek. In the dim lighting, the girl’s fair face looked like white jade soaked in shadow.

Qin Shiyang suddenly realized—such a beautiful and lovable Alpha was simply impossible to resist.

Even she had felt her heart skip a beat just now.

“Xiaoyu, what’s wrong exactly?”

Since her earlier question hadn’t been answered, Tang Li asked again with concern. This time, Qin Shiyang didn’t ignore her:

“My glands are a bit uncomfortable.”

That wasn’t a lie.

Qin Shiyang had never been marked by an Alpha before, and she wasn’t sure if there had been an issue with the temporary mark. After that night, the burning sensation in her glands did ease up, and the toxin that had plagued her for years stopped acting up. But she still felt an occasional itch—though it was mostly manageable.

Tonight, Tang Li was wearing a suppressant patch, so Qin Shiyang couldn’t smell her scent. But just imagining it brought her psychological comfort.

The Omega lowered her head slightly, then looked up again, seemingly gathering all her courage as her eyes met Tang Li’s:

“Miss Tang Li, do you offer… after-sales service?”

Tang Li, startled, instinctively asked:

“What kind of after-sales?”

As soon as she said it, she realized what that meant. Her heart skipped a beat, and a jolt of pain from accidentally biting her tongue snapped her back to reality. Her body flushed with heat from neck to ears, despite not having touched a drop of alcohol tonight.

Frustrated at her shy nature—unlike many confident Alphas who could easily take charge in front of Omegas—she found herself feeling cornered. The Omega in front of her clearly wasn’t as harmless as she appeared. Qin Shiyang stepped forward slowly, her eyes locked on Tang Li’s reddening skin, eyes deep like spring water, drawing her in.

They were close. Close enough in the dim lighting to see each other’s long, thick eyelashes.

Tang Li held her breath.

They seemed similar in height, but up close, Tang Li might have a slight edge—standing at 168 cm, with Qin Shiyang just a centimeter or two shorter. Most female Alphas were around 180 cm, but Tang Li wasn’t that tall. Their eye level felt dangerously intimate—one step closer and a kiss would land effortlessly.

Her back tensed as her mind raced. She was already bracing for a kiss. But Qin Shiyang merely pursed her lips and released her grip on Tang Li’s shoulder.

“Then go.”

Her voice was calm, almost indifferent. Tang Li, pushed away, didn’t move. So she soon heard the Omega softly mutter:

“Can’t even stay to help me? And you said you’d protect me. Liar.”

A hint of disappointment flashed on Qin Shiyang’s elegant face—she looked heartbreakingly aggrieved. If she had scolded or mocked Tang Li, maybe it would’ve been easier to bear. But her effort to hide her sadness made Tang Li feel worse.

Moments later, Tang Li made up her mind.

So it’s just pheromones? She could provide those!

Tang Li took off her coat. She’d chosen an outfit tonight that was easy to move in, in case she had to care for Qin Shiyang. The coat still carried her scent. At worst, she’d bring over one of her stuffed animals from home—it was soaked in her scent.

When an Omega is in heat, an Alpha’s pheromones can be soothing. Sometimes just the scent alone—without the Alpha present—is enough to provide comfort.

The still-warm coat landed on Qin Shiyang’s shoulders, carrying that familiar, floral fragrance. The scent was too alluring. Qin Shiyang hadn’t been pretending—her gland really had been bothering her. Now that it was slightly soothed, a soft moan escaped her lips.

She had been holding it in all along. At home, she naturally wasn’t wearing a suppressant patch. Though improved, the patches were still patches—they stifled the skin.

The reason Tang Li hadn’t smelled her pheromones was because Qin Shiyang hadn’t released them. Apart from her heat cycles, she had excellent control over her scent.

But now, the Omega was like a dam ready to burst—the moment a crack formed, a flood followed.

Tang Li smelled a faint tea scent. Her marking teeth began secreting pheromones involuntarily, recalling the sweetness of that night. Her instincts told her to act, but her rational mind was resisting. Even when Qin Shiyang turned on the bedroom light and invited her in, Tang Li shook her head wildly.

Qin Shiyang had never seen such an Alpha before and nearly laughed from frustration. She wanted to say, “What, do you think I can force you?”

In most cases, there’s a natural strength gap between A and O. Not huge, but enough that Omegas can’t subdue Alphas physically. Still, Omegas could overwhelm Alphas by flooding them with pheromones, pushing them into a rut—and few Alphas could withstand that.

Qin Shiyang was a law-abiding citizen, of course. But this little Alpha’s reaction made her both amused and irritated.

Tang Li didn’t hold conservative views.

She was just afraid the female lead was acting out of desperation and would hold it against her later.

Qin Shiyang had no idea what Tang Li was thinking—only that under the Alpha’s scent, her long-closed barriers were beginning to unlock. She leaned against the wall, using the cold surface to calm her feverish body as Tang Li edged closer:

“What does your scent smell like?” Tang Li asked.

“Spring mountain tea.” Qin Shiyang lowered her gaze, trying not to lose control, but her voice was already soft. “And yours?”

“Ylang-ylang.”

Ylang-ylang… no wonder it was so familiar. Qin Shiyang remembered—ylang didn’t have aphrodisiac effects, but it helped relax and balance emotions. When she couldn’t sleep due to toxin pain, her doctor had added drops of ylang oil to her nighttime aromatherapy.

While they talked, Tang Li quietly stepped inside and closed the door. The Omega’s eyes were tinged with red, mirroring the heat in the room, and the dim light could still show their faces clearly.

“Sis, I’m here now.”

At some point, Qin Shiyang had ended up in her arms. The Alpha’s long arms easily caged her in. Tang Li lifted a lock of her silky hair—it was soft and well-maintained. The scent of her shampoo was light and clean.

Her lips gently touched Qin Shiyang’s gland.

Their scents merged—tea and flower intermingling. The Omega’s gland was fully ready; all it would take was a light bite with her canine tooth for another temporary mark. The woman didn’t resist—she welcomed it, fingers rubbing Tang Li’s hand in encouragement.

However—

Just as things reached their peak, perhaps due to inexperience, Tang Li accidentally bit her tongue. The pain snapped her out of it. She had just backed her up against the nightstand.

Damn. She almost lost control.

Normally, Alphas and Omegas kept suppressant patches and injectors within reach.

The gland kiss ended not with a kiss, but a cold needle prick.

While separated, Tang Li hadn’t been idle.

Besides adjusting to work, she’d crammed biological knowledge of this world like she was prepping for exams.

She’d learned all about suppressants—types, effects, uses. One crucial fact stuck with her: if an Alpha gave an Omega multiple temporary marks and their pheromones were a match, the Omega might become dependent on the Alpha’s scent.

A bit like addiction. While the comparison was harsh, it wasn’t inaccurate.

She gave Qin Shiyang a suppressant that also worked as a sedative. After injection, the Omega would calm down and fall asleep peacefully. When she felt the woman stop trembling, she gently laid her on the bed.

Once her breathing stabilized, Tang Li quietly closed the door and exited the room.

She gave herself a mental thumbs up for being so clever.