I’m Allergic to Pheromones - Chapter 16

March is the season when crabapple blossoms bloom.

The front yard of the villa was planted with a large patch of flowering quinces, their branches laden with blossoms every year during the flowering season. From a distance, they looked like a sea of rosy clouds.

On Saturday morning, Nan Ju woke up early and took Xia Duo to the yard to pick crabapple flowers.

There are four varieties of crabapple: the Western and Weeping types belong to the Malus genus of the Rosaceae family, while the Chaenomeles and Flowering Quince types belong to the Chaenomeles genus. Most people prefer the first two.

The Western crabapple blooms in shades of pink and red, fragrant and vibrant—the finest among crabapples.

The Weeping crabapple has supple branches, its delicate blossoms hanging gracefully from slender stems, evoking a sense of tender beauty.

The Chaenomeles varieties, however, are distinctly different from the Malus types.

The Chaenomeles speciosa has short stems, with blossoms clinging closely to the branches. They are plump and glossy, appearing in shades of vermilion, peach pink, and pale white, though their flowering period is relatively short.

The Flowering Quince, on the other hand, often has double petals, with dark green leaves and round, large blossoms that grow densely. In their later stages, a single tree might bear flowers in bright red, pink, pale green, and pure white—some even displaying red petals or edges within white blossoms. Their blooming period can last until May, making them ideal for landscaping.

Compared to the Western and Weeping varieties, the Flowering Quince has sturdier branches and more intense colors. The first head of the Nan family had chosen the red Flowering Quince as their family emblem, a fact well-known throughout the floral market.

Nan Ju faintly recalled that the female lead in the original novel had even earned the title “Crabapple Beauty” during her school days.

Rain had fallen the night before, and droplets still clung to the branches. Nan Ju reached out, her fingertips brushing against them, the cool sensation spreading up her arm.

The garden was bursting with spring’s beauty. Tilting her head back, she saw the crisscrossing branches and blossoms filling the blue sky—it felt like she could grasp the essence of spring with a single reach.

After carefully selecting over a dozen of the most splendid blossoms, Nan Ju snipped them with specialized scissors and handed them to Xia Duo to hold.

“Take these back to the living room and wrap them up. I’ll be giving them away this afternoon.”

“Ah, understood.”

Xia Duo cradled the branches carefully as she followed Nan Ju back, her curiosity practically bubbling over.

The young mistress was giving flowers to someone.

The young mistress had gotten up early to plunder the garden’s crabapple blossoms for someone.

The young mistress had gotten up early to plunder the garden’s crabapple blossoms—for some lucky soul.

…

Any way you looked at it, it was intriguing.

The appointed time was 3 p.m. Nan Ju made a trip to the company to flaunt her status, then swung by the family’s heavily funded research institute. There, she took the hands of several gray-haired professors and enthusiastically pitched (or rather, sweet-talked) the benefits of researching pheromone inhibitors. With the rallying cry of “bringing honor to our ancestors,” she successfully dismantled the researchers’ resistance before returning home for a blissful nap.

2:50 p.m.

The river shimmered under the sunlight, its surface rippling gently. Nan Ju arrived at the riverside as promised—no one else was there.

Last time, she had come too late to see clearly, but now, in broad daylight, she could make out the overgrown weeds along the banks, the lush greenery swaying in the wind. The scenery was actually quite pleasant—just too remote, with vehicles passing by only occasionally.

The little one hadn’t arrived yet. Holding a white lace-trimmed parasol in one hand and the bouquet of crabapple blossoms in the other, Nan Ju stood on the shore, the breeze rustling her skirt and sleeves.

In the shadows where she couldn’t see, a pair of eyes lurked, observing stealthily like a cat’s.

She actually came.

Bai Cha crouched behind the riverbank slope, using weeds and angles as cover to watch the figure standing with their back to her in the distance, her emotions complex.

From here she could see Nan Ju, but the other woman stood in front of the car—even if she turned around, she wouldn’t spot Bai Cha.

She saw everything clearly, almost greedily memorizing every detail of the woman’s outfit and expression today.

Nan Ju looked beautiful today—her center-parted long hair was braided, wearing a light cyan qipao-style dress with a crossover collar, three-quarter water sleeves and an A-line skirt. The belt was loosely tied at her waist, revealing fair arms as she held an umbrella, the water sleeves fluttering with willow branches, giving her an aura of serene elegance.

She brought flowers—are they for me?

Bai Cha’s gaze involuntarily lingered on that striking face, spotting the crabapple blossoms in Nan Ju’s arms, feeling a spark of delight and bashfulness rise in her heart.

She didn’t even know what kind of flowers they were, but they were beautiful.

It must be three o’clock already. Bai Cha bit her lip—emotionally she felt she should keep her promise to meet, but rationally she felt utterly humiliated.

Last Sunday’s fight wounds hadn’t fully healed yet, her face still bruised and unsightly, like some pathetic clown.

Maybe I should just leave. Who do you think you are, Bai Cha? She never even told you her name—did you really think someone that beautiful and wealthy would genuinely befriend you? Maybe she’s just pitying you on a whim.

Don’t forget she’s an Alpha. Haven’t you been beaten enough?

The devilish voice in her head whispered relentlessly. Bai Cha’s expression darkened further, her palms stinging where her nails dug in. Just as she resolved to leave, a playful female voice sounded above her.

“Caught you, kitten.”

Her eyes widened. Nan Ju, who had been standing in the distance moments ago, was now crouching curiously at the riverbank where she hid.

Looking up, she saw Nan Ju barefoot on the asphalt road, toenails painted translucent pink. Further up was a face so stunning it stole her breath—the woman held flowers in one hand while tilting her umbrella with the other to shield Bai Cha from the sun.

Suddenly, Bai Cha found herself speechless.

Crouching there, she stubbornly lowered her head, unwilling to let Nan Ju see her current wretched state. Being seen like this by someone so beautiful and pristine was mortifying.

“Come out now.”

Nan Ju poked the girl’s head intermittently, her tone drawn out like a coquettish plea: “Hurry up, go fetch my shoes over there. This concrete is killing my feet.”

Bai Cha finally glanced and indeed saw Nan Ju curling her pale toes uncomfortably, looking thoroughly pained.

Without a word, Bai Cha scrambled out of the ditch, ran to the car, and brought back Nan Ju’s shoes.

“Here.”

The stubborn brat turned her face away pointedly. Unfazed, Nan Ju shoved the flowers into her arms while stepping into her heels with untied laces.

“These are crabapples from my garden—a gift for you. Do you like them?”

The blossoms were delicate and charming. Bai Cha looked down at the large bouquet of flowering quinces in her arms, her gaze flickering.

Nan Ju seemed to ask merely out of courtesy, not demanding an answer. Once shod, she naturally took the girl’s hand and led her back.

“It’s scorching hot, let’s go back to the car to cool off.”

Bai Cha was caught off guard when she actually took her hand.

The palm she held was soft and warm. Hesitating for a moment, she didn’t pull away.