After Differentiating into an Alpha, I Marked My Love Rival - Chapter 14

In truth, Ji Yongshu hadn’t yet figured out how to broach this matter with Jiang Zhiluo.

If she were to be completely honest, she worried Jiang Zhiluo might refuse or even inform Zhou Wan beforehand. After all, though both families had already agreed to call off the engagement, it hadn’t been officially announced yet, leaving Ji Yongshu feeling unsettled.

But if she didn’t tell the truth, she would have to resort to deception to obtain Jiang Zhiluo’s pheromones—something Ji Yongshu simply couldn’t bring herself to do.

She knew just how important pheromones were to an omega, not to mention they were an extremely private matter, not something to be shared lightly with outsiders.

Truthfully, to get through her rut, she didn’t necessarily need concentrated pheromones. Even a personal item infused with Jiang Zhiluo’s highly concentrated scent would suffice.

The problem was, neither of these things would be easy to obtain.

After much deliberation, Ji Yongshu realized her relationship with Jiang Zhiluo wasn’t close enough for the latter to willingly hand over her pheromones.

In the end, honesty was the only way.

Ji Yongshu sighed, adjusting the shawl draped over her shoulders. “Let’s hope everything goes smoothly.”

When she had first received the news last night, Ji Yongshu had immediately messaged Jiang Zhiluo on WeChat. She had initially worried Jiang Zhiluo might refuse to meet, but before she could even explain her reason, Jiang Zhiluo had agreed.

Her replies had been unusually quick, as if she had been waiting by her phone, which had taken Ji Yongshu by surprise.

Then again, it was already nine in the evening when she had sent the message—Jiang Zhiluo was probably resting and scrolling through her phone, which wasn’t unusual.

At the very least, she had managed to secure the meeting.

Originally, Ji Yongshu had planned to go alone that afternoon, but Ji Fengchu, concerned for her safety, had insisted Xie Yangqing accompany her.

Ji Yongshu didn’t want anyone to know Jiang Zhiluo was the one affecting her—especially not her parents.

But Xie Yangqing had likely already guessed, so there was no point hiding it from him.

She had chosen the same private dining establishment as last time.

Setting aside personal feelings, Ji Yongshu had to admit the food there was excellent.

At the very least, she enjoyed it.

Whether by coincidence or not, the staff had seated them in the exact same private room as before.

Ji Yongshu paused in surprise when she reached the door.

“Yangqing, wait outside for me. If I don’t come out in twenty minutes, come in and call for me.”

It wasn’t that she was afraid of anything else—she just worried Jiang Zhiluo’s pheromones might affect her too strongly. Being in an enclosed space together could be dangerous.

If her instincts took over during her rut, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Xie Yangqing understood the gravity of the situation. Even though Ji Yongshu had already taken suppressants and applied scent blockers to her neck, it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Don’t worry.”

Besides Xie Yangqing, the same bodyguard from last time stood outside the private room.

He listened to their conversation but kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, as if hearing nothing.

Once Ji Yongshu finished her instructions, she pushed open the door.

As expected, Jiang Zhiluo was already inside, tea prepared and waiting.

Seeing this, Ji Yongshu instinctively checked her watch.

They were still five minutes early.

She had arrived five minutes early, yet Jiang Zhiluo had already brewed the tea, leaving Ji Yongshu wondering just how long the other woman had been waiting.

This thought flashed through Ji Yongshu’s mind before she suddenly detected something amiss.

Jiang Zhiluo’s attitude toward her was far too enthusiastic.

Ji Yongshu used herself as a comparison. When she first suspected Jiang Zhiluo might be her love rival, her attitude couldn’t merely be described as cold—she might even say she actively disliked Jiang Zhiluo at the time.

It was only after gradually getting to know Jiang Zhiluo that her impression softened somewhat.

Yet Jiang Zhiluo had seemed excessively warm toward her from the very beginning.

Their first meeting could be explained by Jiang Zhiluo’s heat cycle, but during their subsequent encounters in this private room, she’d not only called her “sister” but treated her with marked respect.

Was this really how someone should behave toward their crush’s ex?

Pondering this, Ji Yongshu narrowed her eyes and studied Jiang Zhiluo intently.

The omega wore a pure white maxi dress today, its hem reaching her ankles and just concealing those slender feet. Pearl-strapped sandals adorned her feet, revealing delicate, pale skin where faint blue veins could barely be glimpsed beneath. Her toenails were painted a soft pink, making her feet appear even fairer.

Indeed, Jiang Zhiluo’s beauty was flawless—every inch of her impeccable, the very picture of an omega raised in privilege and pampered since childhood.

Perhaps Ji Yongshu had lingered at the doorway too long, for Jiang Zhiluo lifted her teacup and glanced over, a gentle smile curving her lips.

“Sister, won’t you come sit?”

Ji Yongshu had never paid close attention to Jiang Zhiluo’s expressions before, so she’d never noticed until now the unmistakable warmth and light shining in those eyes when they looked at her.

Had Jiang Zhiluo always gazed at her like this?

That peculiar feeling grew stronger within Ji Yongshu, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong—only that Jiang Zhiluo’s attitude was truly unexpected.

It still hadn’t occurred to Ji Yongshu that Jiang Zhiluo might have feelings for her. After all, she hadn’t yet disclosed her secondary gender differentiation to Jiang Zhiluo.

In Jiang Zhiluo’s eyes, they were both omegas.

With so many omegas in the world and same-gender relationships being relatively rare, what were the odds she’d encounter one by chance?

Moreover, Ji Yongshu remained convinced Jiang Zhiluo was meant for Zhou Yi.

If Jiang Zhiluo truly didn’t like Zhou Yi, why would she string her along without a clear rejection?

Ji Yongshu could think of only one explanation: Jiang Zhiluo did have feelings for Zhou Yi but hesitated to act on them out of respect for Ji Yongshu’s engagement, unwilling to be the other woman.

Zhou Yi must have spoken ill of Ji Yongshu while promising to break off their engagement, which was why Jiang Zhiluo neither accepted nor rejected her advances.

She was waiting for Zhou Yi to end things with Ji Yongshu first.

It was this realization that had softened Ji Yongshu’s dislike toward Jiang Zhiluo.

Little did Jiang Zhiluo know that in these brief moments, the woman sitting across from her had already pinned the blame squarely on her shoulders.

Her heart fluttered nervously as she poured Ji Yongshu a cup of tea.

Jiang Zhiluo knew Ji Yongshu didn’t particularly like her, and she had deliberately avoided clarifying her feelings for Zhou Yi.

Until Zhou Yi and Ji Yongshu officially announced the dissolution of their engagement, Jiang Zhiluo had to pretend she was in love with Zhou Yi—all to firmly pin the blame for infidelity on Zhou Yi’s shoulders.

She was afraid Ji Yongshu might soften.

Jiang Zhiluo had heard that the Zhou family visited the Ji household today, likely to discuss terminating the engagement.

She had waited restlessly all morning before finally receiving news that the Zhous had left with grim expressions.

Jiang Zhiluo nearly jumped for joy!

When Ji Yongshu called last night to arrange this meeting, she had feared something had gone wrong, spending the entire night tossing and turning in worry.

But now, knowing Ji Yongshu was about to break off the engagement with Zhou Yi, Jiang Zhiluo was brimming with excitement. Despite her sleepless night, her spirits were high.

She had spent over an hour trying on outfits before coming here.

When the woman she had been longing for walked through the door, Jiang Zhiluo’s hands trembled so much she nearly spilled the tea—only managing to steady herself at the last moment.

But the deep, knowing look Ji Yongshu gave her sent a jolt of panic through her.

Had Ji Yongshu realized this was all part of her scheme?

After agonizing over it, Jiang Zhiluo still couldn’t be sure. She could only offer a smile and casually invite Ji Yongshu to sit.

Once Ji Yongshu was settled, Jiang Zhiluo eagerly poured her a cup of tea.

Confident in her tea-making skills, her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she placed the cup before Ji Yongshu.

I hope she likes it.

Ji Yongshu didn’t reject the gesture, politely lifting the cup to take a slow sip.

“Not bad.”

She gave a slight nod, her voice calm.

Jiang Zhiluo’s eyes lit up like a praised puppy—if she had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously.

“I’m glad you like it, sister.” She pressed her lips together demurely, though her voice still carried a hint of delight.

Ji Yongshu studied her thoughtfully.

Setting the cup down, she got straight to the point: “Miss Jiang, the reason I asked to meet is that I need to ask you for a favor.”

Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Jiang Zhiluo quickly reined in her excitement, holding her breath as she focused intently on Ji Yongshu.

“Go ahead.”

Without preamble, Ji Yongshu stated evenly, “I’m undergoing secondary differentiation into an alpha.”

Jiang Zhiluo’s eyes widened, shock and confusion written across her face.

She gaped at Ji Yongshu for a long moment before stammering, “S-secondary differentiation?!”

Of course, she knew what that meant—she just never imagined such a rare occurrence would happen to Ji Yongshu!

Her sister was about to transition from an omega to an alpha!

What did this mean? It meant her pursuit of Ji Yongshu might become much smoother!

The Ji family might not approve of two omegas being together, but if Ji Yongshu became an alpha, their dynamics would no longer be the biggest obstacle between them!

After the initial shock, Jiang Zhiluo was overwhelmed with ecstasy.

Ever since falling for Ji Yongshu, she had regretted countless times having not differentiated into an alpha—it had even become an obsession for her.

The reason she was so familiar with secondary differentiation was that she had once hoped this extremely rare phenomenon would happen to her!

Yet, what she had failed to achieve was now realized by Ji Yongshu.

After speaking those words, Ji Yongshu carefully observed Jiang Zhiluo’s reaction.

She seemed… delighted.

Those peach-blossom eyes, usually brimming with gentle warmth, were now tinged with red, glistening with unshed tears as they gazed at her with unmistakable affection.

Affection.

Ji Yongshu realized she had just used that word to describe Jiang Zhiluo’s expression, and the strange sensation in her chest grew even more pronounced.

But before she could dwell on it, Jiang Zhiluo spoke, her voice trembling faintly.

“Secondary differentiation… That’s a good thing.”

“But… how can I possibly help?”