After Differentiating into an Alpha, I Marked My Love Rival - Chapter 25

It wasn’t that she was taking advantage of the situation.

 

Jiang Zhiluo nodded vaguely, her lips parting slightly as if to say something, but Ji Yongshu’s next action interrupted her.

 

The Alpha, contrary to her usual polite restraint, forced Jiang Zhiluo to tilt her neck and expose the scent gland at the nape before she could react, then lowered her head to press her sharp canines against it.

 

The soft, sensitive spot was pressed by those sharp teeth, as if they might pierce through at any moment, allowing the Alpha’s pheromones to flood into her body.

 

Jiang Zhiluo’s body trembled instinctively, her heart filled with both fear and anticipation. The Alpha’s canines felt like a blade resting against her neck, uncertain when it would strike.

 

The Omega’s intense pheromones spilled from her scent gland, mingling with the sweet peach fragrance in the air, stirring excitement in both of them.

 

Whether it was a momentary impulse or long-premeditated, Jiang Zhiluo didn’t even think of resisting. She yielded to Ji Yongshu’s force, baring her scent gland while curling into the Alpha’s embrace.

 

The thrill of being marked by the Alpha she had long admired overshadowed her fear. If not for worrying Ji Yongshu might notice her unusual reaction, Jiang Zhiluo might have willingly offered her scent gland herself.

 

Her tears weren’t solely from fear—they were mixed with exhilaration and longing.

 

Sensing the Omega’s lingering tension, Ji Yongshu soothingly patted her back. The moment Jiang Zhiluo relaxed, the Alpha decisively sank her teeth into the Omega’s scent gland.

 

Without the slightest hesitation.

 

After the sharp pain came an overwhelming wave of tingling numbness.

 

Jiang Zhiluo clutched Ji Yongshu’s hand tightly, a muffled whimper escaping her throat as teardrops the size of peas streamed from her eyes, dampening a small patch of the Alpha’s clothes.

 

But neither paid any attention to that now.

 

A flood of pheromones surged into Jiang Zhiluo’s body, spreading through her bloodstream. After a moment of tension, she gradually relaxed.

 

A rosy flush spread across her cheeks, tears glistening in her eyes as her breathing grew uneven.

 

The torrent of peachy pheromones coursed through her veins, saturating Jiang Zhiluo with their fragrance.

 

Her tear-dampened lashes fluttered before slowly closing.

 

She felt a hand gently patting her back, comforting and tender.

 

The temporary marking didn’t take long—the merging of pheromones was intense and direct. In mere moments, Jiang Zhiluo was steeped in the rich scent of sweet peaches.

 

Meanwhile, Ji Yongshu radiated the crisp aroma of green tea.

 

The fragrance of peach oolong tea permeated the air, the delicate freshness intertwined with luscious peach notes—inextricably blended, no longer distinguishable from one another.

 

Ji Yongshu’s reddened eyes gradually regained their usual calmness. Her teeth still rested against the Omega’s scent gland, while the girl in her arms leaned against her in a posture full of dependence—greatly satisfying the Alpha’s possessive and protective instincts.

 

After a temporary mark, an Alpha develops an intense sense of ownership toward the Omega they’ve marked. Similarly, the Omega becomes deeply reliant on the Alpha who marked them.

 

From a scientific perspective, all of this is merely the influence of pheromones, unrelated to personal emotions.

 

Ji Yongshu couldn’t say whether she had acted on impulse or genuinely believed this was the best solution.

 

In any case, she had truly marked Jiang Zhiluo while both were completely sober.

 

Even if it was just a temporary mark.

 

At this thought, Ji Yongshu couldn’t help but close her eyes, suppressing all emotions deep within.

 

She indulged herself by nuzzling the Omega’s nape with her nose, inhaling deeply the scent of tea before restraining herself and lifting her head to quietly gaze into Jiang Zhiluo’s tear-filled eyes.

 

The dominance and aggression from earlier seemed like nothing more than Jiang Zhiluo’s illusion, as Ji Yongshu had reverted to the aloof and dignified young lady of the Ji family.

 

Judging by Ji Yongshu’s current demeanor, one would never guess that just moments ago, she had pressed the Omega’s nape and given her a temporary mark.

 

But upon closer observation, though Ji Yongshu had regained her composed and rational appearance, her hand still rested on Jiang Zhiluo’s back, gently patting now and then to soothe the Omega’s body, still overwhelmed by pheromones.

 

Fortunately, with Ji Yongshu’s comfort, Jiang Zhiluo’s body temperature gradually returned to normal, though she still felt somewhat weak, her limbs lacking strength.

 

She leaned against Ji Yongshu’s chest in a dependent manner, her eyes half-closed as she calmed her wildly beating heart.

 

She had won the gamble!

 

Ji Yongshu had truly given her a temporary mark!

 

Jiang Zhiluo felt like a destitute wanderer struck by a million-dollar prize—so overjoyed she didn’t even know how to react.

 

Ji Yongshu hadn’t abandoned her, nor had she rejected her!

 

The thought that she now carried Ji Yongshu’s pheromones on her body, which wouldn’t fade for at least some time, made Jiang Zhiluo so excited she nearly cried.

 

And Ji Yongshu carried her pheromones too—the most powerful deterrent against those Omegas who coveted her sister.

 

After steadying herself, Jiang Zhiluo finally looked up at Ji Yongshu, her voice soft enough to melt. “Sister, thank you for helping me.”

 

Ji Yongshu supported her back and gave a quiet hum.

 

“Can you walk now?” She glanced down at the Omega, her lips pressing together slightly.

 

Not wanting to delay any longer, Jiang Zhiluo stood up, and Ji Yongshu released her hand.

 

Jiang Zhiluo took a couple of steps, walking steadily. Her legs straightened, and she turned back to beam at Ji Yongshu. “I feel much better.”

 

Ji Yongshu’s fingers twitched slightly at her side before she murmured, “Let’s go, then.”

 

The two walked side by side, their bodies not even touching, yet the palpable tension between them was impossible to ignore.

 

Neither Jiang Zhiluo nor Ji Yongshu spoke.

 

One was too exhilarated, the other unsure of what to say.

 

To avoid suspicion, Ji Yongshu and Jiang Zhiluo parted ways at the door.

 

The two bid each other farewell politely, appearing like ordinary friends who had just happened to meet, as if they hadn’t been tightly embracing and exchanging pheromones moments ago.

 

Just as the Omega was about to turn and leave, Ji Yongshu suddenly spoke softly, “Be careful on your way back.”

 

The Omega’s low spirits from parting immediately lifted. She turned back to look at Ji Yongshu, her eyes sparkling, her voice sweet and slightly lilting as she replied, “Got it.”

 

“You too, sister.”

 

With that, Jiang Zhiluo reluctantly walked away in the opposite direction.

 

Ji Yongshu watched the Omega’s departing figure, her gaze complex and unreadable, lost in thought.

 

Xie Yangqing approached unnoticed. As a Beta, he couldn’t detect pheromones and had no idea that the faint scent of green tea lingered around Ji Yongshu, but he could still sense something was off from her expression.

 

Something must have happened earlier.

 

Ji Yongshu withdrew her gaze and looked at the Beta beside her. “Did my father send you to find me?”

 

Xie Yangqing shook his head. “No, Miss Ji. Shortly after you left, I saw Miss Zhou Yi rushing upstairs in a hurry.”

 

Before heading upstairs, Zhou Yi had even scanned the crowd, her expression far from pleasant.

 

Xie Yangqing guessed the matter must be related to Ji Yongshu.

 

Ji Yongshu nodded, seemingly unsurprised—she had likely anticipated this outcome.

 

Xie Yangqing sighed in relief. If Ji Yongshu was prepared, the situation couldn’t be too serious.

 

He smiled, about to say something else, when someone suddenly burst through the entrance.

 

The newcomer dashed straight toward Ji Yongshu, her smile freezing mid-step as she stopped abruptly, staring at Ji Yongshu in disbelief.

 

Ji Yongshu turned, her brow furrowing slightly. “Yiyi?”

 

Gu Yiyi’s eyes flickered between fury and shock, as if she had just caught her girlfriend cheating—she was on the verge of pointing an accusatory finger at Ji Yongshu.

 

But remembering she had no right to interrogate Ji Yongshu, Gu Yiyi took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to stay rooted in place.

 

Even so, her voice was thick with accusation, sharp and piercing:

 

“Why do you have another Omega’s pheromones on you?!”

 

So strong it was as if she’d spent the entire night tangled with one!

 

——

 

Jiang Zhiluo left through another exit. Having achieved her goal for the night, staying any longer would only seem unnecessary, so she discreetly got into her car.

 

Freshly marked, the Omega desperately needed her Alpha’s comfort, but with the Alpha absent, Jiang Zhiluo could only trace the lingering bite on her scent gland and let out a soft sigh.

 

“It seems you’ve gotten your wish.”

 

The bodyguard in the passenger seat suddenly spoke.

 

The flickering streetlights cast shifting shadows across his face, his cold eyes devoid of emotion, as if the words hadn’t come from him.

 

It was unmistakably the same man Ji Yongshu had noticed several times before.

 

This wasn’t just an ordinary bodyguard—he knew everything about her. Jiang Zhiluo had no reason to hide anything from him.

 

“Mhm.” Jiang Zhiluo curled her lips in satisfaction. “Very smoothly.”

 

Her fingertips brushed lightly over her scent gland before she murmured under her breath, “Next step…”

 

It was time to make Ji Yongshu lower her guard around her.

 

However, pushing too hard wasn’t good either—it could easily trigger Ji Yongshu’s resistance.

 

She needed to think about which aspects to approach this from.

 

The bodyguard in the passenger seat didn’t respond but instead said quietly, “There’s something you might be interested in.”

 

“Regarding Miss Ji’s mother…”

 

——

 

Meanwhile, Ji Yongshu was momentarily stunned by Gu Yiyi’s question. She instinctively wanted to lift her arm to smell herself but caught the impulse before acting on it.

 

After an Alpha and Omega engage in a temporary mark, their sensitivity to pheromones decreases. Specifically, while they remain highly sensitive to each other’s pheromones, they struggle to detect their own scent.

 

Many Omegas unconsciously carry their Alpha’s pheromones after being temporarily marked. This scent is nearly imperceptible to the Omega themselves but serves as a threat and deterrent to other Alphas.

 

This is also why marked Omegas find it difficult to accept marks from other Alphas—unless the second Alpha’s rank far surpasses the first.

 

In short, Ji Yongshu was completely unaware of how strong the tea fragrance on her was. Yet Gu Yiyi frowned deeply, as if smelling something unbearable.

 

Seeing Ji Yongshu remain silent, merely frowning in thought, Gu Yiyi suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease—something she couldn’t quite explain.

 

It was as though something had fundamentally changed without her knowledge.

 

Gu Yiyi pressed on, “What were you doing just now?!”

 

Ji Yongshu had clearly said she was going to greet a business partner, yet she’d disappeared in the blink of an eye. Gu Yiyi had seen Xie Yangqing speak to Ji Yongshu earlier, but Xie Yangqing stubbornly refused to tell her anything.

 

The more he withheld, the more suspicious Gu Yiyi became.

 

She knew Xie Yangqing was stubborn and only listened to the Ji family, but given her years of friendship with Ji Yongshu, what could possibly be so important that it had to be kept from her?

 

Gu Yiyi took a step forward but immediately covered her nose, repelled by the overpowering tea scent on Ji Yongshu.

 

Just as Alphas reject pheromones from their own kind, Omegas also experience a physiological aversion to pheromones from fellow Omegas.

 

Unable to get closer, Gu Yiyi could only stare at Ji Yongshu with tear-filled eyes—like someone who’d caught their girlfriend cheating—insistently waiting for an explanation.

 

Ji Yongshu found herself at a loss for words, especially with Xie Yangqing watching her with apparent amusement.

 

She couldn’t very well say she’d just marked an Omega.

 

“I ran into an Omega in heat,” she said vaguely. “I helped out.”

 

No need to elaborate on how exactly she’d helped.

 

Xie Yangqing thought, Just as I suspected. For Miss Gu to react so strongly, Miss Ji’s pheromones must be exceptionally potent.

 

So, it hadn’t just been a minor incident after all.

 

Ji Yongshu had acted surprisingly fast—this was rather unexpected.

 

Xie Yangqing was pleased that he had guessed his boss’s thoughts. Fortunately, he hadn’t pretended not to see earlier but had mentioned it in front of Ji Yongshu.

 

If Jiang Zhiluo had really been harmed by Zhou Yi, Miss Ji would definitely have been furious.

 

But at the same time, Xie Yangqing felt a slight regret.

 

Too bad Betas couldn’t smell pheromones—otherwise, he would have been at the forefront of the gossip. How could he have only realized it now?

 

“An Omega in heat?” Gu Yiyi’s face twisted in disbelief, refusing to accept the explanation. “What Omega in heat? Couldn’t she have asked Secretary Xie for help?”

 

Ji Yongshu had never been one to meddle in others’ affairs.

 

If it really were an Omega she barely knew or didn’t know at all, why would she personally step in to help?

 

Ji Yongshu pressed her lips together. Gu Yiyi’s words had struck right at the heart of her most hidden thoughts—something even Ji Yongshu herself couldn’t quite understand.

 

In the end, Ji Yongshu said nothing, only responding calmly, “I’ll explain later. Let’s go in first.”

 

She should have told her friends about her differentiation into an Alpha, but with so many people around, it wasn’t the right time to discuss it.

 

Ji Yongshu planned to hold a press conference to announce the news, and the date had already been set for tomorrow.

 

She wasn’t afraid of Zhou Yi finding out beforehand. Now that she had successfully differentiated into an Alpha, even if the Zhou and Xie families considered their future interests, they wouldn’t dare provoke her at this critical moment.

 

It wasn’t that Ji Yongshu truly wanted to hide it from her friends—she just didn’t know how to explain it.

 

After hesitating for a few seconds, she simply said to Gu Yiyi, “Since you’re back, why don’t we get together tonight?”

 

Seeing her change the subject, Gu Yiyi was about to press further but then reconsidered. Now really wasn’t the best time to talk—it would be better to ask her tonight.

 

“Fine. We’ll invite Meng Chuyu too.”

 

The three of them had grown up together and had gone out drinking countless times.

 

Ji Yongshu had temporarily placated Gu Yiyi, but the thought of being interrogated tonight gave her a headache.

 

Her evening gown wasn’t suitable for a bar, so she went back to change. She wore a black spaghetti-strap dress underneath, paired with a white blazer. The pearl necklace around her neck matched well, so she left it on.

 

Since she planned to drink tonight, Ji Yongshu didn’t drive herself but called the family chauffeur instead.

 

Sitting in the back seat, she stared blankly at the streetlights outside the window.

 

In the quiet, the events of the evening resurfaced in her mind.

 

She had actually given Jiang Zhiluo a temporary mark.

 

Even now, Ji Yongshu found it hard to believe.

 

Yet at the time, she hadn’t hesitated at all.

 

Even now, she didn’t feel much regret.

 

She was only considering the potential consequences of her actions.

 

Jiang Zhiluo…

 

Back then, the Omega had grabbed her wrist with reddened eyes, like a wronged kitten clinging tightly to her with its tail, refusing to let go.

 

She had begged Ji Yongshu to mark her.

 

Perhaps no one could have heartlessly refused when faced with an Omega pleading so desperately.

 

Moreover, Ji Yongshu had subconsciously regarded Jiang Zhiluo as her own Omega, though she hadn’t even realized it herself.

 

Perhaps a glimpse of this could be seen from her behavior during her Heat Period.

 

For various reasons, Ji Yongshu simply couldn’t refuse Jiang Zhiluo.

 

Of course, the main reason was that she had already confirmed Jiang Zhiluo truly didn’t like Zhou Yi.

 

Everything Jiang Zhiluo had done for her had never been because she wanted to be with Zhou Yi.

 

Ji Yongshu couldn’t deny that when she overheard Jiang Zhiluo’s words from behind the tree, the joy and relief in her heart far outweighed the surprise.

 

As for why Jiang Zhiluo had done all this, Ji Yongshu didn’t want to dwell on it for now. As long as she could be sure Jiang Zhiluo didn’t mean to harm her, that was enough.

 

As for the rest, time would eventually reveal the answers.

 

Unconsciously, a faint smile curved Ji Yongshu’s lips. She lifted her wrist and took a sniff—the tea fragrance had faded to the point of being nearly undetectable.

 

Afraid that Gu Yiyi might get as worked up as before, Ji Yongshu had taken a shower before coming, washing away the lingering scent.

 

As long as she didn’t release her pheromones, the blend of peach juice and tea fragrance would be difficult for others to detect.

 

Ji Yongshu lowered her arm, her expression calm and unreadable.

 

Come to think of it, tonight had completely shattered the superficial harmony between her and Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi probably wouldn’t let it go so easily.

 

At this thought, Ji Yongshu unlocked her phone and opened WeChat.

 

She wasn’t sure what she was looking for—after all, she had long since deleted Zhou Yi’s contact.

 

The journey was a bit dull, and she needed something to pass the time.

 

That was the excuse she gave herself.

 

Casually, she tapped into the Moments feed and happened to see a new post from Jiang Zhiluo just a few minutes ago—two photos in total.

 

The first showed a girl in pajamas cuddling a soft little puppy, the tiny dog sticking its tongue out at the camera, looking utterly adorable and well-behaved, its belly round and full like a plush, pinkish-white toy.

 

The second photo was of a plate of fruit on the table—large, plump grapes glistening with droplets of water, each one juicy and translucent.

 

Ji Yongshu skimmed over them, then suddenly noticed a bottle of juice in the upper left corner of the frame.

 

A white aluminum can with a pink peach printed on it.

 

Jiang Zhiluo was drinking peach juice.