After The Mission Failed, The Scumbag Alpha Ran Away - Chapter 35

35: Considering a Formal Mark?

A faint scent of minty smoke filled the room. Lou Huaiche seemed to have forgotten she had lit a cigarette, her gaze fixed on an empty corner, lost in thought.

The swirling smoke blurred Lou Huaiche’s face, her eyes distant and unfocused amidst the haze.

Jiang Youbai walked over and asked Lou Huaiche, “Boss, got any more cigarettes?”

Lou Huaiche lifted her eyes, her expression blank, as if her mind were elsewhere.

After a moment, she flicked the ash from her cigarette. “What’s wrong? Want a smoke?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Youbai paused, then added, “Never smoked before. Just curious.”

This was true. While she occasionally drank, it was mostly for social occasions. Smoking, however, was something she’d never touched.

In this regard, Jiang Youbai was no different from the well-behaved girls at school.

This was also part of the reason Chi Ruo rarely took her to bars—after all, someone who didn’t drink at a bar could easily kill the mood.

Lou Huaiche assumed she couldn’t afford cigarettes while living in the lower city. She took out a slender mint cigarette from a silver case and handed it to her.

This type of cigarette had a lighter nicotine taste, with a stronger emphasis on mint and fruit flavors, typically favored by Omegas.

Jiang Youbai accepted the cigarette and reached out for a lighter. “Boss, can I borrow a light?”

Lou Huaiche glanced up and inadvertently noticed the refurbished personal terminal on her wrist.

Her subordinates had reported this to her earlier.

Lou Huaiche handed the lighter to the Alpha before her, lowering her eyes to conceal the inscrutable emotions swirling within.

This young Alpha likely had no idea she’d just exposed a fatal flaw—the refurbished personal terminal on her wrist had been modified for comfort with a curved screen adjustment.

Such modifications were originally designed for ergonomic comfort. However, decades ago, due to technical limitations, older models of personal terminals couldn’t achieve even simple curved-screen designs.

People in the lower city, with their outdated technology and resources lagging decades behind, would never think of making such comfort-oriented modifications when refurbishing a terminal.

Lou Huaiche narrowed her eyes, took a drag from her cigarette, and blew the smoke directly into the Alpha’s face.

Watching the Alpha cough violently from the sudden assault, the weight in her eyes grew heavier.

An Alpha who bore such a striking resemblance to Jiang Youbai, who might even have connections to the upper city—or perhaps was from the upper city herself.

Had some faction caught wind of her existence and deliberately sent this Alpha to her?

Jiang Youbai was unaware that Lou Huaiche had already deduced her ties to the upper city from this small detail. She lit her cigarette and curiously took a puff.

“Cough—cough, cough, cough!”

Jiang Youbai failed to control the inhale, sucking the smoke straight into her trachea and lungs, triggering a violent coughing fit.

She nearly dropped the cigarette from the force of her coughing. Lou Huaiche couldn’t help but laugh. “Really your first time smoking?”

It took a while for Jiang Youbai to recover. “Really. But it doesn’t taste as good as it smells. The scent is minty and fruity, but the actual smoke is just nicotine.”

She stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into the trash. “Not trying that again. My throat feels scorched.”

Lou Huaiche offered her another cigarette. “Want me to teach you?”

“No thanks,” Jiang Youbai waved her hand. “I don’t think I can get used to the taste. I don’t get why people like smoking so much.”

Chi Ruo occasionally smoked when stressed, Ning Yunze could finish a pack in one sitting, and Lou Huaiche had somehow picked up the habit too.

Amidst the white smoke, Lou Huaiche’s expression was indifferent, gradually tinged with weariness and depressed. “I don’t love it either. Just something to do while spacing out, helps distract me.”

Jiang Youbai made a noncommittal sound. “Still don’t get it.”

She glanced at Lou Huaiche, sitting stiffly on the sofa in her sharp, tailored outfit, and felt as though she was enveloped in the hues of death.

Lou Huaiche’s strikingly beautiful face now resembled a flower on the verge of withering, about to be blown away by the cold wind.

Fragile, delicate—one squeeze, and her vitality would vanish into the void.

No external force was even needed. The decay on the branch would infect her like a plague, tainting this poisonous flower nurtured by malice.

Perhaps this venomous, radiant bloom hadn’t been cultivated by malice at all, but by the soil of death itself.

Lou Huaiche tossed the cigarette case aside and pressed her fingertips to her temples. “I have some business to attend to. I’ll go handle official matters.”

Jiang Youbai nodded. “Alright, go ahead. I’ll rest for a bit.”

Jiang Youbai retreated to her makeshift room, partitioned off temporarily, and began planning. Once she figured out the pattern of Lou Huaiche’s heat cycles, she’d find time to meet Chi Ruo and explore opportunities to return to the upper city.

She needed to act quickly. Staying with Lou Huaiche, the black widow, meant she might not wake up one day—strangled to death in her sleep.

As soon as Lou Huaiche left, she sent a message to Lou Chuxue, her voice icy and detached: “Lou Chuxue, investigate this ‘Li Sisi’ person.”

Lou Chuxue replied, “Boss, what’s up?”

“She’s suspicious.”

Lou Chuxue had gotten along well with the forcibly “married” new wife over the past few days, chatting and laughing easily. Now that Lou Huaiche was telling her this new wife was suspicious, she remained cheerful. “No problem, Boss! Consider it done!”

Lou Huaiche added, “Dig deep. She might have ties to the upper city.”

Lou Chuxue paused. “Huh? Those nobles? The greedy pigs?”

“Maybe not. Be thorough.”

“Got it, Boss! Give me four days, and I’ll dig up everything about this Alpha, down to her underwear color!” Lou Chuxue added, “But she’s really pretty. Can we keep her locked up instead of executing her? I worked hard to kidnap her, after all.”

Lou Huaiche’s voice was cold. “She practically handed herself to you.”

Lou Chuxue deflated. “Fine, fine.”

After issuing these orders, Lou Huaiche couldn’t help but think of Jiang Youbai. Irritated, she reached for a cigarette, only to realize she’d left the case on the coffee table.

She couldn’t be bothered to retrieve it, even though the door was just a few steps away.

Instead, she leaned against the corridor wall and zoned out.

Still thinking about Jiang Youbai.

When Jiang Youbai was alive, Lou Huaiche had constantly avoided her, unwilling to fall into the traps the other had carefully laid.

But after Jiang Youbai’s death, every glance, every fleeting thought was filled with her face, her voice, the gentle smile she often wore.

Missing her while walking, missing her while sitting.

Lou Huaiche had once believed her obsessive pursuit of Jiang Qingxian was the epitome of love. Only now did she realize that true, bone-deep love required no deliberation.

Every shadow in life, every involuntary memory, every moment of longing—these were all roaring reminders that she had fallen for this person.

No escape, no denial, nowhere to hide.

No matter where she went, every corner was imprinted with memories.

Lou Huaiche wanted another cigarette.

Since last year’s fireworks festival, her fate had changed.

No longer trapped in chaos, free from misfortune, everything she did proceeded smoothly. All was quiet—except for the loss of Jiang Youbai.

Lou Huaiche couldn’t help wondering: Had Jiang Youbai’s death, had Lou Huaiche’s love for Jiang Youbai, caused Jiang Youbai to bear the brunt of Lou Huaiche’s cursed fate?

Once this thought took root, it grew uncontrollably.

She was like a trapped beast, thrashing violently within her own mind, battering herself bloody.

Love grew in retrospect.

Those who had never known love, once they realized they’d once possessed it—even if it was feigned—would become addicted, clutching those fragmented affections to their chests, desperate to fill the void within.

Her one-of-a-kind blue rose.

The fleeting love she’d spent a lifetime yearning for.

Lou Huaiche silently prayed: If misfortune was the quagmire she could never escape, then in the next life, let her bear this fate instead of Jiang Youbai.

And if Jiang Youbai lived again, let her never love Lou Huaiche again.

For all eternity, let them never entwine.

Occasionally, in dreams, she saw golden fragments drifting from her body into the darkness. Lou Huaiche felt she could control these fragments, instinctively believing they flowed toward Jiang Youbai. She didn’t know what these warm, comforting fragments represented.

But if they could bring Jiang Youbai warmth, let them scatter.

As she zoned out, the door across the hallway opened. A male Alpha stepped out, dressed in a faux-silk shirt with only the top three buttons fastened, his movements awkwardly attempting to blend gentleness with flirtation.

Spotting Lou Huaiche, the Alpha smirked. “Boss, what a coincidence.”

Lou Huaiche realized he was imitating Li Sisi.

She glanced at him dismissively. “Go back to your room. I don’t need to see a cheap imitation.”

The Alpha’s smile froze. Lou Huaiche asked, “What? Don’t want to go? If you don’t leave now, you won’t need to come back at all.”

The Alpha stiffly retreated to his room.

Unwilling to linger in the corridor with the gaggle of “wives” Lou Chuxue had whimsically kidnapped, Lou Huaiche headed downstairs to the conference room to handle paperwork.

She was desperate to build a military force—one strong enough to investigate Jiang Youbai’s death and avenge her.

A shadow crossed Lou Huaiche’s eyes.

She refused to believe Jiang Youbai had drowned accidentally or committed suicide.

They were cut from the same cloth. Lou Huaiche understood Jiang Youbai—this madwoman might kill herself, but never in such a humiliating way.

—

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Even in the lower city—a dark corner of the empire—spring arrived. As Jiang Youbai wandered the streets, she often spotted clusters of delicate blue flowers blooming in cracks along the walls.

Pandora was known for its blue blossoms. These little flowers stretched their petals, reminding the lower city’s residents that spring hadn’t forgotten them.

Along with spring came Lou Huaiche’s increasingly frequent rut cycles.

At first, they occurred every two or three days. Soon, it became daily.

Within a week, Jiang Youbai also entered her rut, which quickly escalated to daily occurrences.

Her body’s resistance to heats and ruts was abysmal, to Lou Huaiche’s exasperation. Once her rut hit, she lost all control, her behavior becoming rough and domineering. Lou Huaiche’s neck was a mess of overlapping bite marks, never given time to heal.

Both were deeply troubled. If this continued, their ruts would endlessly trigger each other, severely disrupting their lives.

Lou Chuxue brought in the base’s doctor to examine them. The doctor was baffled. “Logically, the Boss and Madam’s pheromone compatibility is around 70%. This shouldn’t be happening.”

The doctor, Lou Chuxue, Lou Huaiche, and Jiang Youbai exchanged bewildered glances.

Lou Chuxue was genuinely clueless—she didn’t understand any of this and couldn’t even distinguish between temporary and permanent marks.

Lou Huaiche and Jiang Youbai, however, sensed impending doom. The doctor’s next words were sure to be unpleasant.

Sure enough, the doctor hesitated before saying, “Perhaps you should consider a permanent mark. Do the Boss and Madam understand what that entails?”

Lou Huaiche’s first instinct was to grab Lou Chuxue and shove her out the door.

Jiang Youbai awkwardly chuckled.

Misinterpreting their reactions, the doctor explained matter-of-factly, “A permanent mark is—”

“No need!”

They spoke in unison. Lou Huaiche fell silent after her outburst, while Jiang Youbai added, “Uh, we know. We just might need to discuss it privately.”

The doctor urged them earnestly, “Don’t delay! Temporary marks are no substitute for permanent ones. A permanent mark will stabilize your hormones significantly. Madam’s loss of control during ruts and heats will also improve.”

“Young people, no need for shyness! You’re adults—past the legal marriage age! A permanent mark is nothing to fuss over, especially for you, Madam. Your condition—”

Jiang Youbai couldn’t take it anymore. Flustered, she cut him off. “Alright, alright, Doctor, we’ll discuss it.”

Both wore expressions of youthful embarrassment. As Jiang Youbai opened the clinic door to leave, she nearly tripped over Lou Chuxue, who’d been eavesdropping.

Lou Huaiche scolded, “Lou Chuxue! What are you doing?”

Lou Chuxue pouted. “Boss, what’s a permanent mark?”

Lou Huaiche: “None of your business.”

“Boss!” Lou Chuxue protested. “I’m three years older than you!”

Jiang Youbai: “…” Lou Huaiche’s “little sister” was older than her.

Too awkward to even bid Lou Huaiche farewell, Jiang Youbai hurried off alone.

Once she was gone, Lou Chuxue’s eyes gleamed cunningly. She sighed dramatically. “Boss, it’s tough. This ‘Li Sisi’—I can’t find anything suspicious. No leads at all. Just starting to uncover clues now. Give me two more days, and I’ll expose her.”

Relieved Lou Chuxue had dropped the mark topic, Lou Huaiche nodded. “Fine. Keep digging. I’m heading back.”

Lou Chuxue’s eyes darted around mischievously. She leaned in, whispering slyly, “So, Boss… are you two going to do that permanent mark thing?”

Lou Huaiche stormed off without another word.

When she returned to her room, she found the young Alpha sitting on the sofa, her usual composure replaced with uncharacteristic stiffness.

After half a month together, the two had grown more familiar. Normally, Lou Huaiche would’ve mocked her relentlessly. But now, she shared the same awkwardness.

Who’d ever heard of managing ruts with permanent marks?

Spotting Lou Huaiche, Jiang Youbai asked stiffly, “Boss, you’re back?”

Lou Huaiche replied awkwardly, “Yeah, just got here.”

Silence.

This conversation was absurd. If word got out, no one would believe it.

But bringing up permanent marks? That was a minefield.

They stood and sat half a room apart, avoiding each other’s gazes, staring at the ceiling, the floor—anything but each other.

Finally, Jiang Youbai broke the silence. “Boss, wanna teach me to smoke?”

She was stressed. Desperate enough to try smoking again.

Lou Huaiche nodded silently. “Sure.”

She stood frozen for a long moment before moving, her stiff joints audibly cracking.

Lou Huaiche: “…” Whatever. No point in embarrassment when both were equally awkward.

She flopped onto the sofa beside Jiang Youbai and tossed her a silver cigarette case from her pocket.

Jiang Youbai examined the delicate case, noting a rose engraved on it—likely Pandora’s signature blue rose.

A strange, indescribable emotion flickered through her. Familiar yet foreign.

Dismissing it, she opened the case, lit a slender cigarette, and hesitated, recalling her last disastrous attempt.

Seeing the usually unflappable Alpha waver, Lou Huaiche chuckled softly.

Since Jiang Youbai’s death, genuine laughter had been rare for her. Most of her smiles were practiced imitations of Jiang Youbai’s, masks she wore for the world.

Jiang Youbai turned, momentarily stunned.

Lou Huaiche’s smile softened her usual coldness, like dawn breaking through darkness, revealing breathtaking beauty and vitality.

Mingled with her aura of death, it created a paradoxical, almost sacred purity.

A buried fragment of emotion stirred faintly in Jiang Youbai’s heart.

Lou Huaiche plucked the lit cigarette from her fingers and placed it between Jiang Youbai’s lips. “Take a small puff. Don’t inhale yet. Then exhale.”

Jiang Youbai obeyed, avoiding another coughing fit.

Lou Huaiche’s voice was lazy. “See? Easy. But are you even old enough to smoke?”

Jiang Youbai retorted, “Obviously.”

Her gaze lingered on the faint teardrop mole beneath Lou Huaiche’s eye. She touched the crimson mole at her own eye’s corner. “We both have moles.”

Lou Huaiche: “Mine’s barely noticeable unless you look closely.”

Jiang Youbai leaned in, brushing her lips lightly over Lou Huaiche’s mole. Her voice hoarse, spurred by sudden courage, she asked, “Boss… should we consider a permanent mark?”