After the Scummy Alpha Marked the Crazy Beautiful Heroine (GL) - Chapter 22.1

It took Chi Yang a long time to calm down.

After pulling herself together, she didn’t go back to the hotel.

Just the thought of Pei Jiuyao being in the room next to hers made her skin crawl.

Even with a wall between them, it felt like Pei Jiuyao’s breath and pheromones were still lingering in her mouth—sharp and invasive, like a blade scraping her nerves raw.

She blamed the champagne.

Sitting quietly in the car, her face betrayed no expression, but her mind was a mess—Chu Si’s words echoing relentlessly, leaving her irritable and lost.

So this is how it ends?

A scumbag who could drug an Omega without remorse, a spoiled brat who could lie about loving her without blinking an eye.

Arrogant, manipulative, convinced she could trap others with clumsy tricks.

How laughable.

“I like you.”

“Trust me.”

“You like me at least a little, right?”

“It’s not anything precious. Just take it and have fun with it.”

“It’s so lonely being alone.”

Chi Yang’s eyes suddenly turned red.

She gripped the pendant around her neck tightly—and tore it off with a violent yank.

A scarlet welt instantly bloomed across her skin, beads of bl00d seeping out.

Ye Ci gasped. “Jie! What are you doing?!”

She quickly grabbed a tissue to press against the wound.

Chi Yang’s chest slowly rose and fell, the ache settling down.

Fine.

It wasn’t real love anyway.

Drowning in your body heat…

What was that? Just performance. Just lies.

It was only because she lacked someone else’s pheromones.

Only because it was her heat period.

Only because it hurt.

Chi Yang reached up to tug at her collar.

The mark on her neck didn’t hurt at all—

But the necklace, even removed, felt like it was still choking her.

“Take me back to Haishi.”

Her voice was cold.

Staying here another second felt like dying.

________________________________________

After dropping Chi Yang off, Ye Ci asked if she wanted company.

Chi Yang looked exhausted.

But she’d stared blankly out the window the entire drive, not closing her eyes for even half a minute.

Anyone with half a brain could tell she and Pei Jiuyao had fought.

Ye Ci knew about their “agreement” too.

But from what she could see, there was no way Chi Yang would be this affected by someone who was just an “agreement.”

She also knew exactly what kind of person Pei Jiuyao was.

Not just her—no one in the agency or studio believed Chi Yang could develop genuine feelings for someone like that.

Was Pei Jiuyao just that good at manipulation?

Ye Ci had her doubts, but didn’t ask.

She knew any question would only add to Chi Yang’s torment.

Chi Yang waved her off wearily, punched in her door code, and walked inside, slamming the door shut behind her with a heavy thud.

It locked all her frustration inside.

Her suitcase sat by the door.

She kicked off her shoes, dropped onto the sofa, and rubbed her temples.

Then, dragging her tired body, she went to shower.

Through the rising steam, a faint, familiar scent began to seep in—Pei Jiuyao’s pheromones.

Chi Yang slapped the faucet off, palm flat against the cold tile.

Was she hallucinating? Even in the shower?

She turned off the water, reached for a towel to dry herself.

Wait—

The towel was already damp.

Used.

Her fingers clenched tightly around it.

The next moment, a surge of pheromones rushed into her nose, violently intrusive.

Her knuckles turned white.

The base notes of neroli and cream overwhelmed the top notes, thick and intense.

A 100% compatibility match—Chi Yang’s body responded instantly with a faint false heat reaction.

She threw the towel away like it was burning hot and grabbed a bathrobe.

Pei Jiuyao had been here.

Chi Yang braced herself against the sink, biting down on her molars.

She dared to come back.

Snatching up the towel, she twisted it into a ball and flung it into the trash.

She immediately reset her door code—this was the end of it.

Forget the damn agreement.

She never wanted to see her again.

She strapped on her wristband and opened the door, ready to leave—

But something was wrong.

The whole apartment felt off.

Pei Jiuyao’s pheromones were everywhere—so strong it was—

She was still here.

Chi Yang stiffened, quickly adjusted the wristband setting, tore off the suppression patch, and stormed into the bedroom.

The sight hit her so hard, her mind went blank.

Pei Jiuyao was curled up on the bed, surrounded by Chi Yang’s clothes, hugging a bundle of her pajamas.

Her entire body was tucked in tight, brow furrowed, half her face buried in a pillow.

And in her mouth—was the shredded edge of Chi Yang’s dark red nightgown.

Her jaw was clenched, her sharp canines exposed and dangerous.

Sensing someone’s approach, Pei Jiuyao’s eyes flew open.

Those pitch-black pupils narrowed instantly.

Chi Yang took a few steps back, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

Her voice came out like a whip, cold and harsh:

“Pei Jiuyao!”

Those dark eyes softened in an instant.

Pei Jiuyao’s long fingers clutched the clothing, voice low and hoarse:

“Chi Yang…”

Her body trembled.

As a post-secondary Omega, Chi Yang knew exactly what was happening.

Building a nest with a partner’s scent during a susceptibility period—

Pei Jiuyao was clearly out of control.

Being near an Alpha in this state was extremely dangerous.

Chi Yang knew she should leave.

But for some reason, she couldn’t vent the anger in her chest.

Her reason screamed to get away—

But her hands moved stiffly, like they wanted to drag Pei Jiuyao off the bed.

She grabbed at her own clothes, furious.

Pei Jiuyao bolted upright, clutching the clothes like she was terrified, retreating, shaking her head:

“Don’t take it away—don’t!”

“What the hell is wrong with you!” Chi Yang’s chest heaved.

“Didn’t I make myself clear, Pei Jiuyao? I don’t want to see you!”

“Why are you so mad…” Pei Jiuyao’s voice was trembling, eyes reddening.

“Don’t be mean to me.”

“Get out.” Chi Yang said angrily.

Pei Jiuyao looked like she was in pain—but Chi Yang didn’t care.

Her brain was already consumed with fury.

“Don’t throw me away…”

Pei Jiuyao clung to the clothes, looking up at her.

Those ink-black eyes shimmered, pulling Chi Yang toward a deep, dark abyss.

Her voice cracked slightly:

“I feel terrible. I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

Chi Yang’s fingers curled tightly into her palms, nails almost breaking skin.

She was wearing a wristband—there should be no scent.

And yet it felt like she was still drowning in those pheromones.

Her voice was ice:

“Pei Jiuyao, are you in your susceptibility period?”

“I… am I?” Pei Jiuyao sniffled after a long pause.

“I think… maybe? I feel so awful. Am I dying?”

“You don’t even know when your own susceptibility period is?”

Chi Yang stepped aside.

“Go home. Take your meds. Use a suppressant. Just don’t do it here.”

She’d gone through susceptibility before, too—never like this.

Pei Jiuyao was different.

If suppressants worked—just use them.

Why show up here and drag her into it?

Chi Yang looked at Pei Jiuyao, curled up like that—

And for some reason, her heart softened, just a little.

That one moment of softness made her irritation flare.

“Get out. I don’t want to see you,” she said again, voice colder, stepping further aside.

“You’re leaving me?”

Pei Jiuyao’s voice was thick with tears, soft and sticky.

“I…”

She couldn’t even finish.

Endless pain and emptiness drowned her, and tears poured down her cheeks.

Desperate, she tried to explain:

“I didn’t drug you—it wasn’t me, I swear.”

“You’re still pretending!”

“I’m not pretending! It really has nothing to do with me—I’m not even her!”

I’m not the same Pei Jiuyao as before.

Could one person really act so well—or change this drastically?

Chi Yang clenched her fists, biting down hard on the soft flesh of her lips. The pain snapped her back to reason.

How could she possibly still believe her?

“Then who are you?” Chi Yang’s emotions churned violently inside her.

“I… I don’t belong here. I don’t even know who I am.”

Pei Jiuyao looked lost, her expression carrying a hint of hurt.

Don’t belong here.

Chi Yang hesitated for a split second.

Chu Si said she was tone-deaf, but her singing had been beautiful—too beautiful. As good as a professional. She even wrote and composed her own songs. So why hadn’t Wen Li helped her release an album?

Chi Yang suddenly wondered—if Pei Jiuyao really just needed an Omega, she could’ve found anyone. An Alpha wasn’t limited to marking just one person.

So why here?

Why bring all this emotion into her life?

Pei Jiuyao suddenly buried her face in the pile of clothes, her voice muffled. “Do you believe me?”

“Chi Yang… I don’t want to leave. You can’t make me leave.”

Chi Yang stood coldly at the doorway, her gaze fixed on Pei Jiuyao.

“This is my house. You’re saying I can’t make you leave? Pei Jiuyao, do you even hear what you’re saying?”

So cold.

Her eyes were like ice—how could anyone look so cold?

Pei Jiuyao gripped Chi Yang’s clothes tightly and murmured, “In the agreement, you said I could make three requests.”

“You also said I could refuse.”

And Chi Yang knew she would refuse. She didn’t love Pei Jiuyao. This was just a deal—a mutual use of each other. There was no way she would agree to someone who had once drugged her.

“Then I want to mark you,” Pei Jiuyao said, her voice weak and trembling. “Will you say no?”

“I…”

Of course she would say no. What else could she say?

But why—why couldn’t she get the words out?

Chi Yang’s hands curled into fists, trembling slightly. Her chest felt stuffed full of cotton, her throat caught on a thorn, stuck somewhere between breathing and choking.

Every time she looked into Pei Jiuyao’s eyes—those tear-filled, pained eyes—she found herself unable to turn away.

This wasn’t love. It couldn’t be called love.

At most, it was the influence of pheromones.

Even with the wristband on, she had still inhaled some of it.

Her eyelashes trembled violently, her mind a complete mess.

Forget it.

Since she brought up the agreement, let it end that way. A clean break.

After all, this had always been a transaction.

Just this once. Nothing more.

“You’re not refusing?” Pei Jiuyao’s low, seductive voice drilled into Chi Yang’s ears.

Chi Yang didn’t respond.

Pei Jiuyao suddenly looked up and smiled. “You don’t want to refuse.”

She dropped the clothes in her arms, long legs striding forward to pin Chi Yang against the wall.

Her voice was thick with desire. “Why aren’t you saying no? Don’t you realize what I want to do to you?”

Her arms braced against the wall, boxing Chi Yang in. Her eyes were wild—like a starving predator locked on its prey, full of primal hunger.

Chi Yang shivered uncontrollably. Her skin flushed red, heart pounding erratically.

Pei Jiuyao slowly lowered her head, kissing Chi Yang’s earlobe. Her tongue traced its edges before pulling it into her mouth. The sensation of her sharp canines made Chi Yang break out in goosebumps.

Pei Jiuyao’s breathing grew heavier. “Do you like me too, Chi Yang… little lynx…”

Chi Yang suddenly shoved her away, with such force that Pei Jiuyao’s teeth tore her ear.

Beads of bl00d dripped down, mingling with Chi Yang’s pheromones—blending with Pei Jiuyao’s in the air.

“I don’t!” Chi Yang’s voice was harsh and furious. “This is just the agreement. Our pheromones match too well. I don’t want to owe you—just this once.”

“Alright, just this once,” Pei Jiuyao said softly, leaning in for a kiss—but Chi Yang turned her face away.