After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently (GL) - Chapter 9
“What is that smell? Damn…”
“Oh god, why can’t I lift my head…”
“…Mmm.”
“Tian Tian? Tian Tian! What’s wrong with you?”
…
The sudden surge of tequila-scented pheromones swept through the auditorium like a storm, beginning from a quiet corner and quickly spreading across the entire space.
Its overwhelming aggressiveness made it impossible for any Alpha to resist, let alone the Omegas, who lacked natural resistance to Alpha pheromones in the first place.
Almost half of the senior year students had already gathered. Under the intense stimulus, several Omegas began releasing their own pheromones uncontrollably.
What were once pleasant scents became muddled together, clashing in the air until all that remained was chaos.
Director Chen Defeng, the head of student affairs, was the first to realize what was happening. Fighting against the crushing pressure of Chi Yan’s pheromones, he grabbed the microphone and said firmly, “All Beta students and teachers, assist in evacuating the others from the auditorium immediately.”
The sharp, potent scent flooded the room like a tidal wave. The evacuation began urgently.
In the midst of the chaos, someone moved against the current, walking straight into the heart of the storm.
The red armband on her sleeve fluttered in the wind as she moved quickly. Her tucked-back hair revealed the sharp line of Yan Youqing’s profile and neck. One button on her always-neatly fastened shirt had come undone.
Under the dim lights, the fold of her collar was faintly stained with a small drop of red.
Yan Youqing had recognized the scent of tequila before anyone else. Without hesitation, she had already injected herself with a suppressant.
“Ayan… are you okay…” Zhong Yi was struggling under the pressure of Chi Yan’s pheromones. She did everything she could to support Chi Yan as they tried to leave, forcing the words out between clenched teeth.
The pain was far more intense than it had been in her dreams. It felt like it was coming from deep in her bones, and Chi Yan had no way to relieve it.
The flickering light was reflected in her dazed eyes. Step by step, she moved with Zhong Yi toward the hallway, feeling as though her legs were growing weaker with each movement.
In the next moment, her legs gave out completely.
The light overhead fell into her vision as she collapsed. Chi Yan was certain she was going to hit the floor hard.
But the pain she expected never came. Instead, a pair of arms caught her just in time.
And it wasn’t Zhong Yi who caught her.
The scent of morning dew fell gently at her nose. Through the haze of light and color, Chi Yan saw Yan Youqing’s calm, icy gaze.
She knew then that it was Yan Youqing who had caught her. She also knew that the soothing scent now surrounding her came from her.
Conflicting emotions clashed in Chi Yan’s mind.
The instincts of a newly awakened Alpha urged her to take, to claim this rare Omega in front of her and end her pain. But what made someone human was restraint, the boundary of morality.
Almost without thinking, Chi Yan lifted her hand to push Yan Youqing away. Just like the decision she made in the lab, she said weakly, “You should go… I… I’m presenting as an Alpha.”
The process of presenting had drained nearly all of her strength. She couldn’t even push Yan Youqing aside. Her head lowered, avoiding contact and eye contact altogether.
Her pheromones were still pouring out uncontrollably, fierce yet helpless. The sharp scent trembled faintly in the air, brushing against Yan Youqing’s lips like a scared but dangerous animal trying to retreat.
Yan Youqing’s clear gaze darkened slightly with a trace of red. Kneeling in front of Chi Yan, she looked up at her and said firmly, “Chi Yan, I’m an S-Class Omega. Your pheromones won’t affect me. I’ve already given myself a suppressant.”
Chi Yan looked up slowly, her head heavy. The light from the auditorium spilled around Yan Youqing like a halo, cold and brilliant.
Her voice was as calm and steady as ever, the same tone that always made everything feel under control, offering quiet reassurance.
Chi Yan’s will to resist began to dissolve beneath the pain. Her thoughts were pulled under by the tide. Yan Youqing could feel her body tensing as she gripped her arm and turned to Zhong Yi.
“Did you bring the high-strength suppressant?”
“I did.” Zhong Yi nodded quickly and scrambled to pull a dark blue injector from her bag.
Even if an Omega had taken a suppressant, it didn’t mean they were immune to an Alpha’s attraction.
As soon as the suppressant changed hands, Chi Yan, still supported by Yan Youqing, slumped forward. Her head fell heavily onto Yan Youqing’s shoulder.
The unfastened collar shifted, revealing pale skin that pressed gently against Chi Yan’s cheek. It was soft and smooth like carved white jade.
That soothing scent she had caught earlier slowly spread again from behind the curtain of long, dark hair. It wrapped around Chi Yan’s senses, tempting her dazed mind, already overwhelmed by Alpha instincts, to seek out the one thing that could relieve the burning pain.
Yan Youqing could feel the heat of Chi Yan’s breath on her neck. The soft exhale trailed across her skin as Chi Yan’s nose instinctively followed its scent, lightly brushing against her.
Chi Yan’s lips had gone pale, but now her sharpened teeth peeked through—newly formed from her transformation. The invasive aura of an Alpha, raw and feral, expanded outward like an invisible net, spreading in all directions and pressing down with suffocating weight.
Yan Youqing could hear the quickening rhythm of Chi Yan’s heartbeat. She could also feel the restless stir of her own pheromones rising within her.
In that moment, she felt like a captured lamb—offered up as prey. The Alpha before her was overwhelming her senses, and she could only surrender, letting the invisible pressure soak into her skin.
She sensed Chi Yan’s sharp teeth inching closer to her neck, the desire to be claimed and marked by this Alpha projecting itself so vividly in her mind that it felt almost physical.
Just as the moment became unbearable, the injector pierced Chi Yan’s arm. The strong suppressant, with its circular head and rows of tiny needles, delivered its contents quickly and precisely.
Chi Yan let out a low groan of pain. Her breath, hot and uneven, spilled over Yan Youqing’s neck through her hair.
The suppressant worked fast. Chi Yan collapsed, weakened, into Yan Youqing’s arms. The canines that had been moments away from breaking skin retracted from the sting of the injection.
Yan Youqing could feel the pain rolling off Chi Yan like a wave. When Chi Yan’s trembling hand reached out and found hers, she clasped it without hesitation.
The used injector clattered to the ground with a sharp, crisp noise.
Unlike the pain of presenting, this new pain sapped Chi Yan’s strength completely. It was as if a switch had been flipped—her overheated body cooled, her bl00d no longer boiling.
The scent of tequila that had once roared through the auditorium vanished, retreating like the tide. Sunlight filtered through the once-overcast sky, casting a clear, peaceful glow over everything.
The two of them were still kneeling, face to face. Chi Yan had fainted, her unconscious body leaning against Yan Youqing’s chest. By the time the teachers rushed in, they seemed almost unnecessary.
Yan Youqing’s fingers twitched slightly. Beneath where Chi Yan rested, her heart beat steadily and loud.
She looked down at the girl in her arms, inhaling the fading scent that still lingered on her skin.
Outside, early autumn light spilled across the courtyard. The explosion from Chi Yan’s past life surged again in her dream, flames engulfing fragile roses.
The pain of transformation took hold of her again, far more real than a dream. Her bl00d crackled in her veins, and that elusive scent surrounded her once more, wrapping tightly around her like a net.
But this time, the scent felt real.
It extinguished the fires around her. In the chaos of her dream, Chi Yan could almost smell the ocean.
And then she was falling—pulled down by that scent.
Waves of deep blue surrounded her. Sunlight flickered above like a burning white disc, refracted through the water.
The ocean drank the heat from her body, soaking it away with cold, gentle hands.
It was freezing.
And yet, somehow, kind.
Her tongue brushed one of her teeth. She tasted the salt of the sea, the sour bite of lime, and the sharp edge of tequila, now tinged with something strangely sweet.
As she sank deeper, the sun above her grew larger, closer—falling with her.
Suddenly, Chi Yan opened her eyes.
A bright light hit her straight in the face. It took her a few seconds to register her surroundings.
It wasn’t the sun.
It was a ceiling light.
She was awake.
The dream had ended.
But the scent that had enveloped her just moments ago had already vanished like smoke.
A feeling of loss settled in her chest. Her thoughts were foggy, and just as she was trying to gather them, she heard the sound of pages turning nearby.
Confused, she turned her head toward the sound.
The warm orange light of the setting sun slanted through the window, landing gently on the figure of a girl sitting beside her.
Long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, glowing softly in the dusk. She was leaning back slightly, holding a notebook that looked familiar to Chi Yan.
The oversized sleeves of her school uniform were rolled up to her elbows, revealing delicate, fair skin.
She sat there like a painting, calm and quiet, adding depth and presence to the fading light of the room.
The girl noticed Chi Yan’s gaze and closed the notebook, lowering her eyes to meet Chi Yan’s.
The sunlight disappeared behind her figure.
Their eyes met.
Yan Youqing’s clear, dark eyes filled Chi Yan’s vision.
In that instant, Chi Yan was completely awake.
Her first instinct was to move away, to put some space between them. But as soon as she tried, she realized something startling.
Their hands were still tightly interlocked.