After Differentiating into an Alpha, I Marked My Love Rival - Chapter 1

Inside YLC Bar, the DJ swayed to the rhythm, singing a catchy tune.

On the dance floor, people moved vigorously, their swaying hair revealing tiny beads of sweat that dampened their temples before dripping down their chins.

It was July, and despite the air conditioning, an inescapable heat lingered, pulsing between bodies.

Compared to the lively main hall, the second floor was much quieter.

Though the rhythmic music could still be heard, most people sat on sofas, sipping drinks and murmuring quietly. Occasional laughter drifted through the air, only to fade quickly.

Amid this vibrant atmosphere, one corner stood out for its unusual stillness.

The woman sitting on the side sofa exuded an icy detachment.

Her face was mostly hidden in the shadows, only a sliver of her profile visible—her lips red but not overly striking.

She wore a black slip dress, its thin straps resting on her shoulders, revealing the elegant curve of her neck.

A tailored blazer draped over her shoulders concealed her striking figure.

Under the bar’s colorful lights, a small black mole was faintly visible near her collarbone—like a drop of ink on pristine paper, creating an alluring contrast.

Further down, the slit in her long black dress exposed a glimpse of her leg, the skin so pales it almost glowed, the curve of her calf perfectly sculpted.

Simply sitting there, quietly drinking, she became a breathtaking sight.

Like a flower blooming atop a snow-capped peak, her every movement carried a frosty lethality.

But soon, that coldness was tinged with irritation—like magma dripping onto ice, sparking a volatile reaction.

Because the noise was unbearable.

Many eager onlookers wanted to approach her, but one glance from her was enough to send them retreating.

After warning off yet another admirer, Ji Yongshu took a sip from her glass, her brows tightening with impatience.

If Meng Chuyu hadn’t dragged her here, Ji Yongshu would have long been in bed, free from this frustration.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when her friend’s voice cut in.

“Yongshu, tonight we’re definitely catching that scumbag Alpha!”

Ji Yongshu set down her glass, the pearl bracelet on her wrist sliding slightly—each pink pearl smooth and lustrous.

She swept a hand through her long hair, trying to soothe her irritation.

“And what if we do?”

Leaning back against the sofa, her expression remained indifferent. “I’m tired.”

Meng Chuyu faltered, glancing at the lively crowd below before checking her watch—9:30 p.m.

“Even if you don’t like her, you can’t just let her betray you like this!”

Ji Yongshu stayed silent.

Her engagement to Zhou Yi was a business arrangement, decided by their families for mutual benefit.

Ji Yongshu didn’t oppose the marriage, but she felt no affection for Zhou Yi—and the feeling was mutual.

Though omegas no longer occupied such a lowly status, many still believed they belonged at home, tending to their spouses and children.

For an omega of Ji Yongshu’s status, very few would marry an alpha they truly loved.

Most entered into business alliances or married the alpha with the highest compatibility rating.

Although the government had long developed omega suppressants, they still couldn’t compare to a real alpha. The irresistible attraction between alphas and omegas forced them together.

Most omegas would submit their medical reports after turning 18, allowing the national system to assign them the most compatible alpha.

Ji Yongshu had somehow managed to evade this step. Despite her family’s relentless pressure to marry, she remained unmoved.

It was almost laughable—as the sole heir of the Ji family, in a world where compatibility was everything, Ji Yongshu actually believed in true love above all else.

Yet, at twenty-five, she still hadn’t met anyone she liked.

Meng Chuyu had once suspected Ji Yongshu was a lesbian, preferring omegas.

But after boldly voicing that theory and getting beaten so badly she couldn’t walk for days, Meng Chuyu finally understood: Ji Yongshu wasn’t opposed to alphas—she just hadn’t met one she liked.

Ji Yongshu might have continued waiting if not for an incident a year ago, when an alpha deliberately used pheromones to induce a false heat in her. Though nothing ultimately happened, it left deep psychological scars.

It was then that she changed her mind, agreeing to her parents’ arrangement to become engaged to a highly compatible alpha.

A large part of it was also to deter those who sought to get close to her.

After all, she’d never met anyone who stirred her heart, and she didn’t know if she ever would.

Rather than wait for someone who might never appear, it was easier to comply with her parents’ wishes.

Zhou Yi, at least, was high-ranking and decent-looking—a presentable partner on paper.

The affair wasn’t entirely unexpected, yet it still caught Ji Yongshu off guard.

She’d always known Zhou Yi wouldn’t stay faithful to an omega she felt nothing for, but she hadn’t expected her to find a lover so soon.

After all, they’d only been engaged for three months.

Zhou Yi’s actions were nothing short of a slap in the face.

Ji Yongshu didn’t care how many lovers Zhou Yi took, but she cared about her own dignity. Zhou Yi shouldn’t have humiliated her this quickly.

Beside her, Meng Chuyu was still chattering away: “I’ve done my research. The omega who stole your fiancée is named Jiang Zhiluo. They say her pheromones smell like green tea.”

A little green tea b1tch, huh?

Ji Yongshu couldn’t care less.

She pressed a hand to the back of her neck, where her scent gland lay. Whether it was because her heat was approaching, the area had been burning lately, hotter than the surrounding skin.

To prevent pheromone leakage, omegas usually wore suppressant patches over their glands.

The strongest suppressants on the market could even let an omega pass as a beta, locking their scent tightly inside.

Ji Yongshu also used the same brand, but for some reason, she could still catch a sweet peach fragrance emanating from herself when she raised her arm.

Ji Yongshu’s pheromones carried the scent of peaches.

The sugary aroma easily evoked images of juicy, ripe peaches—their intoxicating fragrance impossible to conceal.

Logically, she shouldn’t be able to smell anything at all.

Ji Yongshu wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, because Meng Chuyu beside her didn’t seem to notice anything.

Meng Chuyu was her best friend, an S-class alpha.

Ji Yongshu was an SS-class omega. If her pheromones were truly leaking, Meng Chuyu wouldn’t have remained unaffected.

The gland beneath her fingertips grew increasingly warm, as if something was about to break through. Ji Yongshu didn’t dare touch it any longer. Lowering her arm, she leaned back against the sofa, exhaustion evident in her eyes.

Lately, she had been tiring more easily than before.

Perhaps she really should find time to visit the hospital for a check-up.

What if it wasn’t just her heat cycle?

Just as she was lost in thought, Meng Chuyu suddenly leaned in. “I have another photo of Jiang Zhiluo—take a look.”

Ji Yongshu frowned. “Why would I want to see her?”

Meng Chuyu looked exasperated, as if she wanted to grab Ji Yongshu by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. “You’re here to catch a cheater today! If you don’t even know what the other woman looks like, what if you run into her and don’t recognize her?”

Reluctantly, Ji Yongshu glanced at the phone screen Meng Chuyu held out.

It was a photo, also taken in a bar. The subject was an exceptionally beautiful omega.

The girl in a white puff-sleeved dress had long, jet-black hair. Her eyes shimmered with a watery glow, and her cheeks were flushed with intoxication, like ink bleeding across rice paper.

Her features were undeniably exquisite—every detail flawless.

Though she stood in the heart of a bustling bar, she seemed as though she belonged in a quiet café. To her, the DJ’s blaring rock music might as well have been a soft piano melody.

Her gaze appeared to linger on someone, yet it also felt as if she were looking past the lively scene, lost in distant longing for a lover.

Those clear, round eyes were hazy with drunkenness, her cheeks dusted with a delicate pink. Meng Chuyu could even make out the faint blush on the omega’s fingers as they curled around her glass.

There was no doubt—this was an incredibly alluring omega.

Meng Chuyu sighed wistfully. “What a shame…”

What a shame such a stunning omega would stoop to meddling in someone else’s relationship.

Ji Yongshu averted her gaze, offering no comment on Meng Chuyu’s lament.

That brief glance hadn’t given her a clear look, but she remembered the omega’s eyes—bright, like stars in the night sky, silently drawing others in.

Still, her impression of the omega wasn’t favorable. After all, they were rivals in name.

Even if she didn’t love Zhou Yi, she wasn’t about to let someone cuckold her.

But truthfully, she hadn’t wanted to come here for a confrontation. They were all adults—things could be handled more civilly, without the need for hysterical outbursts.

Ji Yongshu would have preferred to invite Zhou Yi over for tea on a sunny afternoon and calmly discuss the matter.

It was Meng Chuyu who had dragged her here.

Her friend was even angrier than she was.

“Later when you see them, just splash the wine in Zhou Yi’s face—let her sober up properly!”

Ji Yongshu nodded absentmindedly.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she suddenly heard Meng Chuyu exclaim excitedly, “She’s here!”

The people around them were startled, casting frequent glances in their direction.

Following Meng Chuyu’s pointed finger, Ji Yongshu spotted the woman in a tailored suit—her so-called fiancée.

Zhou Yi must have just come from a meeting. Dressed in her sharp blazer, high heels clicking, her voluminous curls swayed slightly with each step, her crimson lips exuding undeniable authority.

She looked more like she was here for a business negotiation than a drink.

Zhou Yi’s gaze swept through the crowd a few times. Perhaps failing to spot the person she was looking for, she sighed, the disappointment on her face evident even from a distance.

Ji Yongshu watched the scene coldly from above, her expression unreadable, her eyes devoid of emotion.

Someone must have sent her a message. Zhou Yi glanced at her phone, declined the advances of two approaching omegas, and then headed upstairs with a faint smile.

“It must be that little green tea b1tch texting her!” Meng Chuyu hissed.

“Yongshu, should we follow her?”

Ji Yongshu wasn’t particularly keen on getting involved in this mess, but since they were already here, it would feel incomplete not to see it through.

“Let’s go.”

After all, the one who owed an apology was Zhou Yi.

The two trailed behind. Whether out of excitement or distraction, Zhou Yi didn’t seem to notice their presence at all.

After witnessing Zhou Yi enter one of the rooms, Meng Chuyu suddenly fell silent.

Though she had been the one to urge Ji Yongshu to catch Zhou Yi in the act, seeing it unfold in reality left her with an indescribable heaviness.

“Should we go in?”

Ji Yongshu didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled out a slim case of women’s cigarettes from her bag, lit one, and took a slow drag. The smoke blurred her features as she murmured softly, “Let’s wait a little longer.”

They had to give them some time to… get started.

Her slender fingers held the cigarette, unmoving for a long while.

Meng Chuyu waited with her until, after a while, she suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.

“I drank a bit too much earlier. I’m going to the restroom.”

Ji Yongshu frowned almost imperceptibly before nodding. “Go ahead.”

Once Meng Chuyu left, she stubbed out the cigarette and turned toward the room. Only when she reached the door did she realize it wasn’t fully closed.

Had the two insides been in too much of a hurry?

A wave of irritation surged through Ji Yongshu. She took a deep breath, placed her hand on the doorknob, and pushed it open forcefully.

The room was much quieter than she had expected.

Ji Yongshu froze at the sight of the empty space—until an overwhelming scent of fresh tea flooded her senses.

The fragrance wasn’t aggressive, yet it rushed over her like a tidal wave, filling her nose and mouth until every breath carried the aroma.

Abruptly, Ji Yongshu felt her body weaken.

Before she could react, a pair of arms wrapped around her neck, and scorching breath brushed against her ear.

“Big sister…”