Empire of Desire: An Alpha’s Financial Reign - Chapter 6

As the semester draws to a close at Huaxin University, a tense and focused atmosphere blankets the campus. The library remains brightly lit late into the night, classrooms echo with the sound of recitations, and students are buried in notes and textbooks, all preparing for the looming final exams.

Amid this whirlwind of academic pressure, Han Zaijing is facing a far more personal and dangerous challenge—a pheromone disorder.

In this society, pheromones are not just markers of personal allure; they are also seen as indicators of talent and potential. Graded from C to SSSS, an individual’s pheromone level can significantly impact their social standing. Han Zaijing, possessing the rare and highly coveted SSSS-level pheromones, stands at the pinnacle.

Her extraordinary presence and innate abilities set her apart—but they also come with a heavy burden.

Adolescents with SSSS-level pheromones often suffer from unstable pheromone regulation. Episodes of estrus become increasingly frequent and difficult to manage. To keep her condition in check, Zaijing must undergo regular monitoring by her aunt—Lin Jin, a brilliant biotechnologist based at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute.

Lin Jin, one of the leading minds in pheromone inhibitor development, has been helping her niece manage this condition for years.

But one evening, as Han Zaijing was returning from a group study session, she suddenly felt a wave of heat rush through her body. Her pulse spiked, cheeks flushed, and a feverish sensation began to spread. It hit her—she had forgotten to take her inhibitor injection.

Panic rising, she quickly called a taxi and made her way to the institute. As the car sped through the city, Zaijing could feel the chaos of her pheromones building, pushing against the boundaries of her self-control. Her hands trembled as she gripped her bag, trying to steady her breathing and keep herself grounded.

By the time she arrived, she could barely walk straight. She stumbled into her aunt’s lab, her body clearly in distress. Lin Jin looked up and immediately recognized the signs.
“Zaijing, your levels are spiking too rapidly,” Lin Jin said after a quick test, her brow furrowing with concern. “This isn’t sustainable.”

Breathing heavily, Zaijing sank into a chair. Her voice was faint, but filled with anxiety. “Auntie… what do I do?”

Lin Jin hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “Inhibitors won’t be enough moving forward. You need a more stable solution. You need an Omega—a partner who can soothe your pheromones naturally. Do you… have anyone in mind?”

The question hit Zaijing like a brick. She hadn’t expected her aunt to suggest that. Her lips curled into a bitter smile. “Aunt, you know I don’t have the luxury to fall in love right now.”
Lin Jin placed a gentle hand on her niece’s shoulder, her expression softening. “I understand. But this isn’t just about emotions anymore.

If left unchecked, your condition could seriously impact your health—both physically and mentally.”

Zaijing said nothing. Deep down, she knew her aunt was right. But she hated the idea of being forced into intimacy, of letting her life be dictated by biology. She didn’t want to chase after an Omega just to manage her condition. She wanted control—on her own terms.

“I’ll figure something out,” she said quietly, her tone firm despite her fatigue.

Lin Jin didn’t argue. She knew her niece well. Once Zaijing made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to sway her. All she could do now was offer her support—and hope she’d find a way through this.
By the time Zaijing left the institute, the sky had already darkened.

Campus streetlights stretched her shadow along the pavement as she walked slowly, lost in thought. Her aunt’s words repeated in her mind, tangled with the stress of exams and the intensity of the business competition.

She knew she couldn’t ignore it any longer. If she didn’t find a compatible Omega soon, her condition might spiral out of control. But in the midst of everything, how could she afford the distraction of romance?
As she stood beneath the night sky, stars twinkling overhead, she took a deep breath.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and allowed the quiet to calm her storming thoughts.

The path ahead was unclear. But one thing was certain—she would not be defeated by this.