After Differentiating into an Alpha, I Marked My Love Rival - Chapter 18

Yet even as she clutched the plush toy tightly in her arms, the scent of pheromones still couldn’t completely envelop Ji Yongshu.

Frustrated, she pressed her nose hard against the two leaves on the orange plushie’s head, like an addict craving a fix, desperate to draw out more of that tea fragrance.

Not enough. Still not enough.

Ji Yongshu hugged the orange plushie to her chest as if it were some priceless treasure, one hand gripping it tightly while the other tugged at her own hair, her eyes redder than before.

Her breathing was rapid and erratic. Relying solely on her nose for air could no longer satisfy her body’s demand for oxygen. Unconsciously, she parted her lips, exhaling hot, feverish breaths.

Where was her wife?

Why wasn’t she here with her?

The alpha, lost in distress, desperately needed her omega by her side. But the only thing in the room carrying the omega’s pheromones was this orange plushie, its faint traces of tea fragrance barely discernible amidst the overwhelming peach scent.

Ji Yongshu’s pheromones saturated the room. Fortunately, the windows and door were tightly shut, the special materials sealing the scent within this confined space, preventing it from leaking out.

Outside the room, Bai Yingying was still knocking anxiously on the door, refusing to leave.

But inside, Ji Yongshu had long lost her grip on reality. All she knew was that her sweet, fragrant wife wasn’t with her—had left her when she needed her omega the most.

Alphas in heat not only lacked rationality but also suffered from memory lapses. They would fabricate a perfect scenario to soothe their restless hearts.

Ji Yongshu let out a small whimper, tears slowly welling up in her reddened eyes. She cried softly, her voice thick with pain.

Like a wild beast mourning the loss of its mate, licking its wounds alone.

“Wife…”

“Waaah…”

“Wife doesn’t want me anymore…”

Ji Yongshu distinctly remembered having a sweet, soft omega.

That omega had the gentlest eyes, shimmering like sunlight dancing on the ocean’s surface when she smiled.

She had once held her omega in her arms, breathing in the soothing scent of oolong tea.

Why, when she needed her omega the most, wasn’t she here?

After struggling to think through her haze of irrationality, Ji Yongshu finally arrived at a painful conclusion: her wife was angry with her.

Waaah… Had she done something wrong?

Why had her wife abandoned her?

Ji Yongshu tugged at her hair in frustration, the sharp pain on her scalp leaving strands tangled between her fingers.

Overcome by panic, she bit her lips until they were swollen and red. When the slight pain failed to ease the burning restlessness inside, she sank her teeth into her own arm instead.

She bit down hard, sharp fangs piercing skin, leaving deep indentations behind. The deepest mark even began to bleed.

The intense pain briefly jolted Ji Yongshu back to her senses. She exhaled shakily, finally realizing something was terribly wrong.

The situation seemed far worse than she had imagined.

A normal alpha’s rut period shouldn’t be this terrifying.

During rut, an alpha’s most prominent symptoms are heightened desires and maximum craving for their omega.

Just as omegas exhibit nesting behaviors during heat, alphas similarly gather items carrying their omega’s scent to soothe the agitation and unease of separation.

Ji Yongshu initially thought her rut as a newly transformed alpha would be milder, but reality proved the opposite.

Yet what intensified wasn’t lust, but her yearning and possessiveness toward omegas—specifically, her desperate craving for Jiang Zhiluo.

Ji pressed her finger against the wound on her arm, the damp bl00d on her fingertip exacerbating the pain that kept her lucid.

Yet the bleeding also increased the pheromone concentration in the air until the suffocatingly thick peach scent enveloped her completely.

Her vision blurred as consciousness threatened to slip away again.

With trembling hands, she grabbed a syringe from the nightstand, gripping it tightly.

After several failed attempts that left her arm bleeding freely, she finally pierced a vein.

The clear suppressant entered her bloodstream, forcibly lowering her body temperature through sheer chemical will.

Too weak to even depress the plunger properly, she didn’t know how long it took to administer the full dose before dropping the used syringe limply.

Her arm fell slack as her eyesight failed completely, leaving her to listen to the deafening drumbeat of her own heart threatening to burst from her chest.

Exhausted beyond the capacity to even sit upright, she still clutched the orange plushie desperately.

The alpha remained curled in her corner until, much later, she stirred weakly.

Her eyes remained bloodshot, tear tracks glistening at the corners, arms marred by pitiful wounds and dried bl00d—Ji Yongshu had never been this disheveled.

Yet now she lacked awareness of her own wretched state.

Crawling slowly toward the bed, her knees left vivid red marks against porcelain skin as she knelt at the bedside.

Leaning her shoulder against the mattress, she strained to reach her phone, fingertips trembling with effort until she finally grasped it.

Must call wife.

Her muddled mind fixated on “wife,” but scrolling through contacts revealed no such number.

Why wouldn’t she have it?

After frantic, disbelieving searches confirmed the absence of any “wife” contact, hot tears suddenly spilled down her cheeks.

Clutching the phone, she broke into heartbroken sobs, tears streaming steadily to dampen her sleeves and pajamas.

Sniffling, she hugged her knees tighter and buried her face in the orange plushie, seeking solace from the overwhelming despair.

No phone number…

Wait!

She still had her wife’s WeChat!

Ji Yongshu’s fingers fumbled across the screen several times, accidentally opening some unknown interface instead of the chat window with Jiang Zhiluo.

Frustrated, Ji Yongshu bit down hard on her finger, leaving deep teeth marks on her knuckles.

After randomly tapping the screen, she somehow miraculously opened the chat with Jiang Zhiluo.

Staring at her phone for a long while, Ji Yongshu slowly tapped the video call icon.

She initiated a WeChat video call with Jiang Zhiluo.

The distinctive ringing tone of WeChat calls echoed through the room. Even Ji Yongshu’s muddled mind seemed to understand this sound meant she’d see her wife soon.

She quieted down, staring intently at the screen without blinking.

Seconds later, Jiang Zhiluo’s delicate face appeared on screen.

The omega had apparently just finished showering—her hair still dripping wet. Dressed in loose pajamas, her slender neck revealed beautifully shaped collarbones.

“Sister?”

Jiang Zhiluo immediately noticed something was wrong. The woman on screen was gazing at her with unusual warmth, unlike her usual aloof demeanor.

“Are you…” feeling unwell?

Before Jiang Zhiluo could finish, Ji Yongshu’s sudden words stunned her.

“Wife…”

The alpha sniffled pitifully, her eyes rimmed red, “I miss you. Come home soon.”

Jiang Zhiluo froze in place.