After The Mission Failed, The Scumbag Alpha Ran Away - Chapter 38

38: Identity Exposed

The current situation was slightly awkward.

The exchange of pheromones during marking had a significant impact on both Alphas and Omegas.

And compared to the temporary marking, the formal marking, which involved a greater exchange of pheromones, had an even deeper and more far-reaching effect.

After humans evolved secondary genders, formal marking became equivalent to a semi-permanent bond. A formal marking meant that the two would enter a stable, long-term estrus and rut period, lasting anywhere from a year to over a decade.

Although both parties could choose to remove the mark and eliminate the pheromones’ influence, washing away the mark would inevitably have negative effects on the glands and hormones.

Therefore, whether Alpha or Omega, everyone took formal marking extremely seriously.

Unless they were certain the other person was their lifelong partner, neither would easily proceed with a formal marking.

But now, the relationship between Jiang Youbai and Lou Huaiche was not nearly that intimate.

They weren’t lifelong partners—they weren’t even friends.

Jiang Youbai stood by the bed, staring at Lou Huaiche under the moonlight for a long time.

Seeing the traces of mess on Lou Huaiche’s body, she took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

Since she had caused this, she had to clean it up.

Jiang Youbai left her room, fetched a basin of hot water, and rummaged for a first-aid kit. She wiped Lou Huaiche’s body and treated the wounds she had bitten.

The skin on other parts of the body was tough and hard to bite through, but the gland was fragile. Combined with the sharp canine teeth Alphas typically evolved, the skin around the gland was easily broken.

Over the past half-month, both of them had frequent ruts. To alleviate them, they had engaged in temporary markings almost daily, leaving Lou Huaiche’s gland in a miserable state.

Feeling slightly guilty, Jiang Youbai carefully treated the wounds.

Lou Huaiche had likely been exhausted by the formal marking tonight and hadn’t woken up while Jiang Youbai cleaned her wounds and wiped her body.

After finishing, Jiang Youbai stepped out to check the time, feeling a wave of irritation.

It was still early—just past 1 a.m. The bed in her room was a single, now occupied by Lou Huaiche.

Though there were extra blankets and she could sleep on the couch in the living room, Jiang Youbai didn’t bother digging them out.

Sleep was out of the question tonight. It was destined to be a sleepless night for Jiang Youbai. Staying in the room, her attention would be entirely on Lou Huaiche, so she had no choice but to sit on the living room couch.

She stared blankly at the moonlight streaming through the window, taking nearly ten deep breaths before barely calming her turbulent emotions.

The decision to formally mark Lou Huaiche tonight had been impulsive.

Originally, Jiang Youbai had planned to buy time by keeping Lou Huaiche close. The frequent ruts could be dealt with later—even if it meant taking medication, the side effects were trivial compared to the current predicament.

But before Lou Huaiche pushed her way in, Jiang Youbai had been worried Lou Huaiche might kill her outright.

After all, Lou Huaiche’s attitude toward the princess—and now toward “Li Sisi”—was suspicious. Jiang Youbai feared she might load a bullet and shoot her at any moment.

There was also another, indescribable reason. Combined, they had pushed her into making this decision.

Now that things had reached this point, Jiang Youbai began to regret her impulsiveness, feeling trapped.

She suddenly remembered something Lou Huaiche had once said to her. She couldn’t recall the exact words, but the mockery that had surged in her heart at the time still lingered.

—”Your Highness, aren’t you afraid of getting too caught up in the act and trapping yourself?”

Jiang Youbai irritably ran a hand through her hair. Back then, she had retorted sharply, refusing to back down, never imagining she could still have anything left to lose.

Six months ago, she had been on the verge of falling but was deterred by Lou Huaiche’s cold, unyielding attitude. Now, six months later, she had fallen anyway.

Jiang Youbai leaned back on the couch, covering her face in despair.

Her life rarely took unexpected turns, but whenever Lou Huaiche was involved, accidents seemed inevitable.

…

The next day, when Lou Huaiche woke up, she didn’t feel too uncomfortable. The wounds on her gland weren’t painful, likely because someone had treated them while she slept.

Lou Huaiche pushed open the bedroom door without glancing at the Alpha rigidly sitting on the couch, who seemed to have stayed up all night.

She ignored the Alpha’s slight movement and went straight to her room to shower and change.

By the time she came out, the Alpha was still on the couch, in almost the same position as before.

Lou Huaiche couldn’t help but touch her gland. The wound had been treated, and the gland’s healing ability was strong—it hardly hurt now.

But the sight of the tall, elegant Alpha made her gland throb faintly with pain.

Lou Huaiche glanced at the Alpha on the couch, walked over, pinched her chin, and lifted it, studying her face. She smirked. “What should I call you? Li Sisi? Or another name?”

Her light-colored peach-blossom eyes focused intently on the Alpha, a mix of reproach and amusement, as if golden sunlight had been shattered and sprinkled into her gaze.

Jiang Youbai’s heart fluttered. She grabbed Lou Huaiche’s collar, pulled her close, and kissed her.

Compared to during their ruts and estrus, the Alpha’s movements were much gentler, almost cautious.

Her actions and demeanor perfectly overlapped with Lou Huaiche’s memories of the princess.

The kiss was soft and warm. Lou Huaiche, caught off guard by the Alpha’s tenderness, couldn’t help but sink into it.

She rarely let herself be fooled by the Alpha’s similarities to Jiang Youbai when sober.

The formal marking had affected her too deeply.

Lou Huaiche forcefully pushed the Alpha away, her breath unsteady. “Now that we both know the truth, you’d better explain yourself before I kill you.”

Jiang Youbai sneered. Lou Huaiche’s vague wording meant she didn’t actually have solid evidence—she was just bluffing to extract information.

At this point, any words could reveal clues about the truth.

And Jiang Youbai, well-versed in such games, wouldn’t fall for it easily.

As a princess who had lived among verbal daggers for over twenty years, she wouldn’t stumble here.

Jiang Youbai hooked an arm around Lou Huaiche’s shoulders, her eyes and brows exuding faint affection. “Leader, won’t you kiss me again?”

She avoided Lou Huaiche’s question, leaning in to gently nibble Lou Huaiche’s earlobe and whisper, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like being seduced by me?”

The warm breath against her ear sent a strange shiver down Lou Huaiche’s spine.

Lou Huaiche shoved her away, pinning the Alpha to the couch. She pulled a gun from her waist and pressed it against the Alpha’s neck, her voice icy. “Even with this gun, you have nothing to say?”

The cold barrel against her artery made Jiang Youbai’s bl00d freeze for a moment. Her eyes remained steady, locked onto Lou Huaiche’s venomous gaze.

Having sat all night, her body was stiff and cold. Jiang Youbai lay back lazily on the couch, indifferent to the gun at her throat. “Then kill me.”

They had just formally marked each other. If Lou Huaiche killed Jiang Youbai, it would do her no good.

Lou Huaiche tightened her grip on the gun, pressing it harder against Jiang Youbai’s artery. A strange, cold laugh escaped her chest as she asked, “Do you really think I won’t kill you?”

Jiang Youbai glanced up, uncomfortable from the pressure, and tilted her head slightly. “Of course not. The leader would rather die than compromise. But if you kill me now, you’ll get no answers.”

When this Alpha lowered her voice and spoke slowly, Lou Huaiche couldn’t distinguish her from Jiang Youbai.

Too similar. They were too similar. Whenever Lou Huaiche recalled Jiang Youbai, she wondered if her memories had been tainted by someone else’s shadow.

How could the one who was unique and supreme in her heart be so easily replaced?

Lou Huaiche’s eyes grew colder. She tossed the gun aside, straddled the Alpha, and gripped her neck with both hands, her body radiating hatred and despair.

Kill her.

Kill this Alpha. Even if it meant enduring endless hallucinations and longing, it would be better than this.

Otherwise, her memories would inevitably forget Jiang Youbai.

Jiang Youbai, pinned down by the frenzied Omega, felt suffocation rise in her throat. Struggling to breathe, she keenly sensed the despair in the Omega’s eyes.

Suddenly, Jiang Youbai looked up at Lou Huaiche with pity.

Lou Huaiche released her.

The Alpha’s eyes were empty—no mockery from their confrontation, just clear, water-like pity for Lou Huaiche’s madness.

Lou Huaiche was instantly enraged by that pity. She yanked the Alpha up and screamed, “What right do you have to pity me? What gives you the standing to pity me? Do you think you’re any better?”

This Alpha, carefully crafted as a substitute for Jiang Youbai, without even her own identity—how dare she hypocritically pity her?

Her madness, her venom—that was her business. She didn’t need anyone’s pity!

Lou Huaiche, furious, spat through gritted teeth, “Jiang Youbai! How dare you pity me?”

Hearing her own name, Jiang Youbai froze in surprise.

She was momentarily stunned, then realized from Lou Huaiche’s expression that she hadn’t recognized her identity. Lou Huaiche was just venting, addressing her as if she were the dead Jiang Youbai.

Seeing the Alpha silent, Lou Huaiche bit her lip and kissed her angrily, as if taking revenge.

Tears fell, mixing the kiss with a salty bitterness.

Jiang Youbai thought, incongruously, that this didn’t feel like an interrogation at all—more like a desperate, clinging embrace in dire straits.

At the same time, she felt a flicker of confusion.

Since meeting Lou Huaiche as “Li Sisi,” the stubborn, rebellious Omega had never initiated a kiss.

As if, no matter how intimate their other interactions, they had always maintained a clear boundary.

But now, Lou Huaiche was kissing her with tears, heartbroken, as if abandoning her principles in resignation.

Lou Huaiche was indeed resigning herself.

She couldn’t distinguish between the person before her and the shadow in her memories. In this blur, her own feelings began to blur—she seemed to love the person before her and the shadow in her memories.

Indistinguishable. These two were so alike that even Lou Huaiche couldn’t tell them apart.

So Lou Huaiche was especially heartbroken. Looking up, she saw absurdity; looking down, desolation.

Human emotions could never be as clear as jars on a shelf. In less than a month, Lou Huaiche’s feelings had already blurred.

What about Jiang Youbai? Who else would remember Jiang Youbai?

They kissed, sharing the taste of tears.

Lou Huaiche’s wrist terminal suddenly beeped.

She paused. Her terminal was set to notify only three people: Ning Yunze, Chi Ruo, and Jiang Youbai.

Jiang Youbai’s notifications would never sound again.

Ning Yunze, for some reason, hadn’t responded to her messages lately. The last one was him complaining about being busy preparing for his wedding.

The message had to be from Chi Ruo.

But Chi Ruo rarely messaged her. Their interactions were minimal—only after Jiang Youbai’s death, when Lou Huaiche wanted to drink, would she message Chi Ruo.

Lou Huaiche stopped, hesitating whether to check.

Then the terminal beeped again.

Worried it might be urgent, Lou Huaiche opened the message.

Her terminal was the latest model, with holographic projections displayed through an implant in her eye. Jiang Youbai, lying on the couch, couldn’t see the message.

Jiang Youbai only knew someone had messaged Lou Huaiche twice and that Lou Huaiche had opened her terminal.

She guessed it might be from Jiang Qingxian or Lou Chuxue. Judging by Lou Huaiche’s reaction, Jiang Youbai assumed it was Jiang Qingxian.

Lou Huaiche opened the chat.

Chi Ruo: “Got something to tell you. Don’t freak out. Jiang Youbai isn’t dead. It’s complicated—ask her for details. Basically, she faked her death and transferred her consciousness to a clone. She’s the ‘Li Sisi’ by your side now.”

“The whole thing’s hard to explain. I couldn’t tell you earlier because we were being monitored. No idea why Jiang Youbai didn’t tell you when she was right in front of you. Yesterday, I saw her in a hurry—something urgent with Ning Yunze. She went back to the upper district and said you’d soft-locked her. She hasn’t replied since, so I’m telling you now.”

Chi Ruo added: “Sigh, don’t mess things up. No idea what you’re doing now, but please cooperate with our plan. No clue what Jiang Youbai was thinking—her brain must’ve short-circuited. I’m always cleaning up her messes, like I’m her mom or some heroic mother.”

Lou Huaiche closed the terminal.

She looked at the Alpha on the couch, clenched her fists, then relaxed them, resisting the urge to punch her. After taking a deep breath, she told herself:

Stay calm.

This was Jiang Youbai. Alive.

“Damn it!”

Lou Huaiche swore, flipping over to pin the Alpha, who was curiously studying her expression.

Anger, joy, shock—all sorts of emotions tangled in her chest.

Her eyes twisted with emotion, but she retained a shred of calm, gripping Jiang Youbai’s shoulders instead of her neck.

Jiang Youbai looked up, puzzled, her dark eyes clear and questioning.

Lou Huaiche smirked coldly, then leaned down and bit Jiang Youbai’s gland hard.

Her anger flared brighter. Lou Huaiche clamped down on Jiang Youbai’s gland, savagely tearing at her neck.

Jiang Youbai, caught off guard, gasped in pain, tears welling in her eyes. Lou Huaiche bit down with enough force to sever her neck, the pain so intense Jiang Youbai nearly blacked out.

Amid the agony, she heard Lou Huaiche snarl, “Jiang Youbai, did you have fun toying with me?”

Her tone was entirely different from before—clearly, she now knew “Li Sisi’s” true identity.

Jiang Youbai, stunned by her words, was too overwhelmed by pain to react. Before she could speak, Lou Huaiche bit her gland again.

Jiang Youbai inhaled sharply, her voice weak. “Ow! That hurts! Lou Huaiche, let go!”

Lou Huaiche ground her teeth, using all her strength to bite the tender flesh, as if she wanted to rip the gland out.

All her pain, confusion, and desolation vanished, replaced by pure rage. This fury, born of regret and relief, surged through her, crystallizing into a single thought.

Too angry to think straight, Lou Huaiche abruptly calmed down.

She released Jiang Youbai, glanced down at her tear-streaked face, and smiled coldly, her voice soft and sweet as water. “Your Highness.”

Even someone as twisted and audacious as Jiang Youbai shivered at her honeyed, venomous tone.

Jiang Youbai opened her mouth to speak, but Lou Huaiche shoved the gun barrel between her lips.

Remembering the gun was loaded, Lou Huaiche pulled it out and replaced it with the scarf she’d used to cover her gland, gagging Jiang Youbai.

“Your Highness, after being fooled by you for so long, I’m not in the mood to hear your pretty lies.”

Jiang Youbai’s gland throbbed. She couldn’t help but retort inwardly—

With this much pain, I wouldn’t be able to speak anyway!

Lou Huaiche stared coldly at the gagged Alpha, her lips slowly curling into a smile. Her usually indifferent eyes brimmed with madness.

The madness was like sweet honey, stretching into thin strands.

Jiang Youbai reached to remove the scarf, but Lou Huaiche pinned her hand down, her voice softening infinitely. “Your Highness, you seem quite composed.”

Jiang Youbai rolled her eyes, spat out the scarf, and finally spoke. “Did Chi Ruo tell you?”

Lou Huaiche ignored her question, studying her quietly before countering, “That’s your first question?”

Jiang Youbai looked up, suppressing her thoughts. Despite the pain, she asked, “What else should I say?”

She didn’t know what to say. Having her identity exposed so abruptly felt like being thrust back to before her fake death.

Six months ago, their relationship had been far from harmonious. Jiang Youbai couldn’t gauge Lou Huaiche’s current attitude, leaving her at a loss.

Noticing bl00d trickling from her neck to her collarbone, she stood to fetch the first-aid kit.

Before she could take two steps, Lou Huaiche yanked her back.

The enraged Omega climbed onto her shoulders and bit her gland again.

This time was no gentler than the last. Each bite injected her pheromones, marking the top-tier Alpha in reverse.

An Alpha recently formally marked by an Omega would quickly enter estrus as the Omega’s pheromones took effect.

Perhaps because of the formal marking, unlike previous estrus cycles, Jiang Youbai’s mind remained clear.

But she couldn’t suppress her craving for the Omega.

She was terrified of this physical and mental synchronization, as if Lou Huaiche were dragging her by the ankles into darkness to drown together. Jiang Youbai trembled, resisting the fate of being pulled into the unknown.

Lou Huaiche smelled the tea-like pheromones Jiang Youbai emitted and smirked, her intoxicating gaze enveloping Jiang Youbai.

She said lazily, “I planned to tie you up and gag you. But seeing you like this, I can’t bind your hands now.”

Lou Huaiche sat on the couch and released her pheromones.

The scent of tea and cedar filled the room, stripping Jiang Youbai’s composure layer by layer, leaving her a feverish wreck.

Lou Huaiche crossed her legs, her gaze icy and alluring. She crooked a finger at Jiang Youbai. “Your Highness, what are you waiting for?”

Jiang Youbai’s rationality vanished. Dizzy, she collapsed into the seductive trap.

The temperature rose even higher.

Lost in passion, Lou Huaiche dug her fingers into Jiang Youbai’s shoulders.

As if to seize her, drag this Alpha irrevocably into her life, never to escape her sight again.

Hold her. Never let go.

…

By the time the chaos ended, it was past 2 p.m.

The two lay in Lou Huaiche’s bed. Jiang Youbai sat curled up in a corner, hugging her knees, while Lou Huaiche leaned against the headboard, smoking.

Jiang Youbai glanced at her and felt she needed a cigarette too. “Got another one?”

Lou Huaiche’s eyes flickered, her voice hoarse and lazy. “No. Don’t smoke—it’s bad for you.”

Jiang Youbai said, “You’re smoking right now.”

“Your Highness, do you know what I like most about you?”

Jiang Youbai paused, then ventured, “My gland?”

“No. I love your eyes.” Lou Huaiche tapped ash onto the floor, then smirked. “Correspondingly, I hate your silver tongue the most.”

The room was dim, the curtains drawn. The air was thick with unspoken tenderness and sharp tension.

They always seemed at odds.

Yet always intimate.

Jiang Youbai leaned over, resting her head on Lou Huaiche’s shoulder, and took the cigarette from her hand. She inhaled, then blew the smoke over Lou Huaiche’s collarbone.

She hadn’t noticed before—Lou Huaiche had a small tattoo near her collarbone, close to her chest: a budding blue rose.

The tattoo was tiny, just a few centimeters, as if blooming from Lou Huaiche’s heart.

Lou Huaiche shifted, covering the tattoo, and asked sharply, “What? Estrus acting up again?”

Jiang Youbai sat back, sneering, “Miss Lou, you’re much more unrestrained during estrus than I am.”

Miss Lou.

Lou Huaiche repeated the term inwardly, as if recalling a distant past.

It had been too long since anyone called her that.

Lou Huaiche narrowed her eyes, studying Jiang Youbai. She took a drag, then remembered Jiang Youbai had just smoked from it, and her anger flared anew.

She hadn’t lied—she’d only smoked out of frustration.

When she first learned Jiang Youbai was alive—right under her nose—Lou Huaiche had desperately needed closeness to soothe her turmoil.

Only when they were entwined, inseparable, could she find solace.

Jiang Youbai was alive. Not a corpse riddled with wounds, lying in bl00d and seawater.

Only by confirming her warmth could Lou Huaiche escape the suffocating shadow of “Jiang Youbai’s death” and breathe again.

But afterward, her emotions took on a different meaning.

Jiang Youbai was alive but hadn’t told her.

Even when fate brought them together, she’d remained aloof and mocking, keeping her distance.

Six months was enough to change many feelings.

The memory of Jiang Youbai drinking at a bar half a year ago, a shy, cute Omega flirting beside her, resurfaced.

Back then, Jiang Youbai’s smile had been tender, but her gaze had lingered on another Omega.

The words left unspoken during the fireworks were even harder to say now.

Lou Huaiche wasn’t one for self-deception. She was a lucid madwoman. During the time Jiang Youbai had stayed by her side as “Li Sisi,” Lou Huaiche had clearly sensed that Jiang Youbai didn’t love her.

The burning confession stuck in her throat, impossible to voice.

With Jiang Youbai’s personality, learning Lou Huaiche loved her would only invite mockery.

Lou Huaiche could already picture Jiang Youbai’s amused, taunting smile.

“Miss Lou, I never thought you’d be the one to fall first.”

Lou Huaiche stubbed out the cigarette, lowering her eyes to hide her emotions.

Humans were like this. Once, she’d begged Jiang Youbai never to meet her in the next life. Now, knowing Jiang Youbai was alive, she resented her cold indifference.

Why couldn’t Jiang Youbai love Lou Huaiche? How could she remain so composed?

She should either love Lou Huaiche, taking her away from this endless pain, or be dragged down to suffer with her.

If Jiang Youbai couldn’t do either, Lou Huaiche would be tempted to torment her.

The wild grass in her heart had long burned to ash. In the desolation, Jiang Youbai had planted a rose of hope.

Now, Jiang Youbai had to nurture that rose to bloom.

Lou Huaiche was a madwoman. She needed to cling to someone who could satisfy her emotions to survive.

Jiang Youbai, oblivious, only saw Lou Huaiche take two drags before zoning out.

Jiang Youbai hadn’t eaten since last night and was starving. She nudged Lou Huaiche. “Miss Lou, I haven’t eaten. Let’s grab something downstairs first.”

Lou Huaiche lifted her gaze, smirking coldly. “Your Highness, aren’t you going to explain how you’re alive after jumping into the sea?”

Jiang Youbai stiffened.

She laughed it off. “Ah, it was urgent—no time to explain. Besides, why do you care?”

She dragged out the last word, half-teasing, half-probing. “Could it be… Miss Lou has feelings for me? Hmm? Did you fall first in our little game?”

The young, bewitching Alpha smiled faintly, her tone lightly mocking.

Lou Huaiche kicked her expressionlessly.

She knew it! Jiang Youbai would react like this!

Jerk!

Lou Huaiche lit another cigarette. “Your Highness, stop dodging. Anyone would be angry after being tricked like this. Plus, Chi Ruo said this involves Ning Yunze. I need to know what’s going on.”

She frowned. “Ning Yunze hasn’t messaged me in ages. I thought he was busy with the wedding.”

Jiang Youbai rubbed her chin. “Wait, Ning Yunze told me you vanished and no one could find you… Never mind. You said he messaged you? When?”

Lou Huaiche said, “Three days ago.”

Jiang Youbai did the math. “According to Chi Ruo, Ning Yunze’s been missing for over half a month. Are you sure it was him?”

Lou Huaiche paused. “We had two holographic calls. He seemed fine, but no calls in the last ten days. I’m not sure if the texts were from him.”

“You still haven’t explained the ‘Li Sisi’ situation.”

Jiang Youbai choked, swallowing her words. She changed the subject awkwardly. “Miss Lou, how about we eat first? We’ll talk later.”

Lou Huaiche stared at her.

Jiang Youbai: “Fine, fine! I was scared you’d hate me and kill me!”

The moment she spoke, the furious Omega pounced. Jiang Youbai barely had time to shield her gland before searing pain erupted.

Jiang Youbai howled, “Lou Huaiche! I told you not to bite an Alpha’s gland like that!”