After Transmigrating Into a Scummy Alpha, I Have Unlimited Krypton Gold (GL) - Chapter 9

“If an Omega undergoes multiple temporary markings in a short period of time, she may develop a dependency on the pheromones of the specific Alpha who marked her. “

Wang Long was waiting outside the county office for the two women. When he saw them come out together, he quickly stepped forward and asked, “How did it go?”

Xue Cheng gave a faint smile and simply replied, “Let’s just say—he got what he deserved.”

Although the clerk had already stated how the punishment would likely go, nothing was official until it was publicly posted. Not wanting to risk anything changing, Xue Cheng kept her answer vague.

Wang Long seemed to sense her caution and just nodded. “That’s good to hear.”

They were neighbors after all, and he was a kind-hearted man. After thinking for a moment, Xue Cheng added, “Thank you again for guiding us here today, Brother Wang. If you and Sister-in-law don’t mind, how about coming over to our place later for a simple meal?”

Wang Long immediately waved it off. “No need for that—really! I only walked you part of the way; it’s not worth the fuss. I wouldn’t dare impose.”

Then, he hesitated for a beat and glanced toward Liu Wuyuan, who was standing quietly behind Xue Cheng. Leaning in, he whispered, “Your wife must have been really scared. Make sure to comfort her properly when you get back.”

Perhaps afraid she’d insist again, he gave Xue Cheng a couple of quick pats on the shoulder, then turned and hurried off before she could stop him.

She barely had time to let out an “Ah—”

Then shook her head with a wry smile. “Brother Wang runs like a startled rabbit. I was only going to tell him he went the wrong way…”

Wang Long’s blacksmith shop was directly across from the Xue household. His family lived behind the shop—two simple brick rooms forming a small courtyard. That entire street had similar setups: shops in the front, homes in the back. Whether he was heading home or back to work, he should’ve walked the same way as them.

He must’ve run off in the opposite direction just to avoid awkwardness.

Liu Wuyuan, unable to speak, heard Xue Cheng muttering and didn’t take it to heart. She simply tugged at Xue Cheng’s sleeve, gently urging her to hurry home.

Her body was starting to feel a bit off. She didn’t want to linger outside any longer than necessary.

Xue Cheng glanced at her. The mute little beauty couldn’t speak, but those eyes of hers—bright, deep, and quietly glowing—could really stir a person’s soul. Cheesy as it sounded, just one look and you’d feel like handing over your life.

Especially for someone like Xue Cheng—an innocent little Alpha who had, across two lives, never experienced real intimacy. Even though what happened earlier was just a temporary mark, a faint flush crept up her ears.

Liu Wuyuan noticed but didn’t understand why. She couldn’t ask, and feeling a bit disheartened, she lowered her head and stared at her embroidered shoes, which now had a faint muddy stain.

Xue Cheng followed her gaze and assumed she was upset about the dirty shoes. Her heart softened, and she quietly made a note to buy her a few new pairs when she got the chance.

The two of them walked home in silence, the air between them somewhat heavy.

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Liu Wuyuan let go of Xue Cheng’s sleeve and darted straight into her small room.

Clack. The door shut firmly behind her.

Xue Cheng clearly heard the bolt being slid into place from the inside.

She scratched her head, confused about what she might have done wrong to upset her.

After racking her brain for a while without any answers, she could only shrug helplessly and return to the main bedroom to clean up the mess left behind from earlier.

The door had been kicked in by Liang Duan and now wouldn’t shut properly. Even when closed, it creaked open with a groan, leaving a hand-wide gap.

Xue Cheng didn’t know the first thing about fixing doors. After fiddling with it for a while and getting nowhere, she gave up and left it be.

With nothing else to do for the moment, she took off her shoes and socks and lay down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as her thoughts wandered to what she should do next.

In short, there was no going back to her original world. All she could do now was win over the female lead, rewrite the fate of this doomed cannon fodder she’d become, and find a way to survive in this world safely and steadily.

She remembered that when she’d read the book before, the original owner of this body hadn’t been given much depth. Just a minor villain, brushed over quickly.

For instance, her family background had only been vaguely mentioned.

What she did recall was that the original owner was an orphan. Her parents had passed away, leaving behind a small inheritance—a house and a modest amount of silver. But that silver had long since been squandered by the original owner, who spent her days drinking and carousing.

Now, aside from this house, the original owner was dirt poor.

There had once been valuable items in the home, but she had sold them off one by one to fund her indulgent lifestyle.

Once there was nothing left to sell, she had no choice but to rely on the charity of relatives from the Xue family.

Xue Cheng didn’t yet know which relative exactly, only that in her generation, there were only three Qianyuan in the Xue family—those born with the dominant traits necessary to inherit.

In this era, only a Qianyuan could take over the family business.

Among the three, she was the only legitimate heir. One of the others was born to her second uncle and a concubine, and the third was an illegitimate child raised secretly by her younger aunt.

In terms of both birthright and seniority, Xue Cheng stood alone at the top.

That’s why, despite the original owner’s uselessness, the Xue family had continued supporting her. If none of the other branches produced a legitimate Qianyuan heir, she would likely be the next clan head.

Xue Cheng wasn’t exactly an expert on clan politics, but she had a pretty good idea why the original owner had acted so recklessly. With her status as the firstborn legitimate grandchild, she’d probably assumed she could coast through life without lifting a finger.

But things were different now. The soul inside this body had changed.

Nobody else knew it, but Xue Cheng herself had always been the kind of person who needed something to keep her busy to feel at ease.

She had worked hard in university back in the modern world, honing her skills and knowledge—but she’d never even had the chance to apply them before she was suddenly thrown into this strange place.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

She had studied pharmacology, with a focus on pheromone stabilizers. But in this ancient world with no advanced equipment, her talents were essentially useless.

She sighed, the thought heavy on her mind, until eventually, she drifted off into a drowsy sleep.

Meanwhile, in another room, Liu Wuyuan was wide awake.

A Kunze’s Yulu (Heat) period—a special cycle—could last anywhere from three to seven days.

Hers had been forcibly triggered by the effects of medicine, and it wasn’t quite like a normal cycle. Though she had only just formed a temporary bond with Xue Cheng, her body was already burning with wave after wave of heat.

She tugged at the collar of her thin sleepwear. Even such a light layer felt suffocating, making her want to tear it off entirely.

But she still had her wits about her. Even with the door locked, she didn’t feel safe. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Liang Duan’s grotesque and disgusting face in her mind.

That twisted and ugly face  haunted her thoughts, as if it could reappear at any moment.

Liu Wuyuan longed to run to the room next door, to bury herself in Xue Cheng’s arms. As awful as Xue Cheng could be, she at least brought a sense of safety. She could finally sleep peacefully in her arms.

And more importantly, in moments like this, Xue Cheng’s scent—fresh and sweet like green citrus—could help soothe her burning heat.

Her thoughts, driven by desire, no longer seemed strange to her. But if she had been in her right mind, she would’ve realized how absurd they were.

She resisted as long as she could. But in the end, she gave in.

She slipped out of bed and pushed open the door. Fortunately, since it had been broken, Xue Cheng hadn’t locked it. If she had, Liu Wuyuan would’ve been left stranded outside, no matter how badly she wanted in.

Her eyes were flushed red from the heat and frustration. As soon as she entered, she locked onto the sight of Xue Cheng sleeping soundly on the bed.

Why does she get to sleep so peacefully? Liu Wuyuan thought with a mix of grievance and confusion.

But more pressing than that question was the scent of Xue Cheng’s pheromones—so familiar now, after even just one temporary bond. That tart, citrusy aroma stirred something deep within her.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had walked to the edge of the bed… and then climbed onto it, curling up beside Xue Cheng, nuzzling into her neck to inhale that comforting scent.

Xue Cheng stirred in her sleep, blinking blearily as she realized someone had climbed into her arms.

There, nestled against her chest, was the mute beauty, looking pitiful as she pressed her face into Xue Cheng’s neck and took deep, greedy breaths. It was as if the scent wasn’t strong enough—she even reached out and poked Xue Cheng’s scent gland, trying to coax more from it.

Xue Cheng caught her hand just in time and rasped, “What’s going on?”

Of course, she already had a good guess.

The thick scent of milk candy that now filled the room confirmed it—Liu Wuyuan was in heat again.

But it didn’t make sense. She had only just marked her hours ago. Normally, unless the Alpha’s pheromone level was unusually low, a temporary mark should’ve kept an Omega stable for at least a full day.

It had only been five hours.

That left only two possibilities.

One: Xue Cheng’s pheromone level was too weak. Her scent wasn’t strong enough to fully mark or stabilize an Omega.

In other words, she was a weak Alpha.

No Alpha wanted to admit that—least of all the naive but proud Xue Cheng.

The second possibility: Liu Wuyuan suffered from a condition—pheromone imbalance. For people like her, a single mark wasn’t enough. They needed repeated marking during each heat cycle, sometimes even accompanied by physical intimacy—holding hands, hugging, kissing, or simply being close.

Xue Cheng naturally preferred to believe the second explanation.

So she gently wrapped her arms around Liu Wuyuan and began patting her back in a soothing rhythm.

Still, she didn’t dare mark her again so casually.

Because repeated temporary marking could cause serious problems.

Even without pheromone imbalance, multiple temporary marks in a short time could lead an Omega to develop a dependency—but only on the specific Alpha who marked them.

This kind of dependency was even worse than a full, permanent bond. At least a deep bond could be cleansed if necessary.

Temporary marks were shallow, only lingering on the surface of an Omega’s body—but they metabolized quickly. Like a drug, they created a craving.

Eventually, the Omega would start experiencing false heats—craving the Alpha’s scent even outside of their cycle, needing repeated marking to feel “normal.”

And just like with addiction, the more they were marked, the worse their condition would get. But quitting? Quitting was absolute hell.