I’m Allergic to Pheromones - Chapter 2

The brilliant sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting its glow over the courtyard filled with greenery. The chill of early spring mingled with the light, transforming into moist molecules that dispersed into the air.

Nan Ju lifted her thin eyelids slightly, her face etched with exhaustion.

A whole night had passed, and she had finally given up hope.

Her name was still Nan Ju, the only S-class Omega in Flower City—a stunningly beautiful heiress from a wealthy family.

Having narrowly escaped the trap set by her best friend to take her virginity just yesterday, she now sat blankly by the floor-to-ceiling window.

This was an exquisitely decorated master bedroom, a fusion of Chinese and modern artistry—refined yet minimalist. White lights and walls framed a simple bed and a small side table, upon which sat nothing but a white porcelain vase.

Opposite the bed stood a modest cabinet, with a painting of springtime slumbering crabapple blossoms adorning the wall—elegant and understated.

The sheer white curtains were half-drawn, allowing sunlight from the courtyard to spill into the room. At a glance, the scene outside revealed white walls with dark tiles, verdant trees with crimson buds, and pavilions that exuded an ancient charm.

“If not for transmigrating, I wouldn’t have had the chance to live in a 1,500-square-meter garden villa in eight lifetimes.”

Thinking this way, she couldn’t help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Nan Ju tried to console herself with bitter humor, glancing down at her wrists—bruised purple and blue after the night, yet neither swollen nor painful—and sighed in frustration.

“What kind of magical Flower City smut-novel constitution is this? No wonder it attracts so many perverts.”

An Alpha’s formidable physique and sharp intellect naturally instill in them a protective instinct toward delicate Omegas.

But for an Omega like Nan Ju—gorgeous in appearance yet naive in mind, the epitome of a “dumb beauty”—she was far more likely to provoke desire.

Not just the urge to protect, but to conquer and dominate.

In the original novel, “Nan Ju” had more than one admirer. The permanent mark at the engagement banquet was only the beginning.

Knock, knock, knock—

A series of firm yet gentle raps sounded at the door. Nan Ju tensed and glanced back, guessing it was one of the maids.

Last night, in her frantic escape from Ye Qiushuang’s engagement party, she had barely registered the people in the villa when she returned. All she remembered was being fussed over by a dozen young girls who took turns squeezing and prodding her.

Now that she thought about it, the whole thing felt surreal.

Who hires a dozen maids at once? Do they not care about money?

“Young Mistress, are you awake?”

A respectful and gentle female voice called out, snapping Nan Ju back to reality. She scrambled up from the floor and dashed to the window, grabbing a pink-and-white handkerchief to hastily wrap around her right wrist.

Biting the edge of the handkerchief to tighten it, she finally responded.

“Come in.”

This bruise—clearly from someone gripping her too hard—was downright creepy. If anyone saw it, she’d have a hard time explaining.

Driven by some inexplicable pride, Nan Ju composed herself and sat primly on the edge of the bed, her jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall, her expression calm and unreadable.

A young woman in a traditional blue button-up shirt and black trousers opened the door and stepped inside, her hands clasped respectfully in front of her.

“Young Mistress, would you like to bathe now?”

Nan Ju gave a dignified nod and stood, putting on an air of sophistication.

“Did Young Mistress sleep well?”

Waking up to find herself the owner of a 1,500-square-meter garden villa—what could be better?

But admitting that outright would make her seem like some country bumpkin who’d never seen luxury. Suppressing the giddy thrill of newfound wealth, Nan Ju feigned indifference.

“Just fine.”

She furrowed her delicate brows, her less-than-cheerful expression leading the maid who was constantly observing Nan Ju’s demeanor to mistakenly assume she was still suffering from a hangover headache.

After all, everyone had witnessed how Nan Ju returned last night—dazed and reeking of alcohol, clearly having drunk too much and gotten carried away.

The maids in the villa were all Betas. In this ABO world, this gender group possessed both male and female reproductive organs that functioned but rarely experienced heat cycles, being almost entirely unaffected by pheromones.

Betas could conceive and start families, though their fertility rates were low. If the ABO world were compared to a bee colony, Betas would be the worker bees.

These Betas had been selected and trained by the family from childhood to accompany Nan Ju throughout her life. They harbored no worldly desires toward her, only a sense of guardianship and support.

Though society advocated gender equality, for these Betas, working for Nan Ju was a joyous privilege.

Work they must—a wage slave unwilling to work wasn’t a proper wage slave.

The young mistress was beautiful, easygoing, and generous with bonuses. They absolutely adored working for Nan Ju.

The bathroom door opened to reveal a prepared bathtub, alongside dozens of differently colored essential oils.

Noticing Nan Ju staring fixedly at a pink bottle, the maid in green ventured, “Would the young mistress like to try the ‘Western Mansion Begonia’ oil? It’ll surely help you nap well this afternoon.”

At the word “begonia,” Nan Ju instinctively tensed, shaking her head rapidly. “No no, my body can’t handle it.”

Her overreaction made her realize belatedly that the maid meant the oil’s name, leaving her exasperated.

“Shall we use the usual then? Let me give you a massage.”

The young, delicate maid rolled up her wide sleeves to test the water temperature, moving to help Nan Ju out of her nightgown, only for the latter to wave her off hastily.

“No need, Xia Duo. You may leave—I can manage.”

In her fluster, Nan Ju finally noticed the name tag on the maid’s blouse.

Once alone, Nan Ju sank into the spacious tub with a heavy sigh.

Steam filled the bathroom, fragrant and soothing. Cupping warm water in her hands, she couldn’t help murmuring, “Ah, the damn scent of money.”

So divine! So luxurious!

The intoxicating aroma left her drowsy until Xia Duo roused her. Wrapped in a towel, she emerged to find half a dozen similarly dressed girls wheeling in two racks of outfits for her to choose from.

Nan Ju…

This decadent, corrupting life of the wealthy!

In the end, she simply pointed at a plain white long-sleeved blouse and matching trousers, letting the young Betas style her hair.

Truly, being rich felt incredible.

Nan Ju lowered her long lashes, damp from bathing like peach blossoms wet with spring rain.

As Xia Duo and another maid combed her freshly dried hair, their hearts softened irresistibly.

The young mistress was an exquisitely beautiful Omega.

That Alpha from the Su family must have stepped in dog sh1t to land an engagement with her.

Her waist-length hair cascaded silkily down her back. Xia Duo secretly stroked a strand before returning the comb to the vanity.

“Breakfast is ready in the kitchen. Shall we serve it now, young mistress?”

Nan Ju lifted her eyelids and turned to look at her, her clear and bright eyes suddenly saying, “Come here.”

She had long held a suspicion, and now that only Xiado was left, it was the perfect opportunity to test it out.

The maid was puzzled but obediently bent down and leaned in.

Nan Ju cautiously studied her, then pressed a hand on the other’s shoulder while tilting her chin up like a puppy sniffing the air.

Only the faint scent of shower gel lingered—no foul odor. Had she guessed wrong?

When bathing earlier, she had also touched her own gland. That spot was unusually soft and tender, turning slightly red and swollen after a few pinches. Yet, she hadn’t experienced any flushed cheeks, racing heart, or weak-kneed heat reactions, nor could she detect any so-called pheromone scent.

The stench she had smelled in the stairwell last night now seemed like an illusion—or was it just subjective? The book had repeatedly emphasized that pheromones were “temptations to sin, capable of instantly triggering an Alpha’s inner beast.” A powerful aphrodisiac, in other words.

Surely no one could feel sexually aroused by the lingering stink of sweaty socks.

Nan Ju frowned.

“Can I touch your gland? Just once.”

Xiado froze.

“T-touch my gland?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Nan Ju realized how inappropriate they sounded. In this twisted world, randomly touching someone’s gland was practically sexual harassment.

Just as she was about to backtrack, the maid suddenly blushed.

“If… if the young mistress wishes, I-I don’t mind.”

Nan Ju:

I often feel out of place in this world because I’m not perverted enough.

“No need. Go clean the bathroom, there’s a good girl.”

Xiado looked visibly disappointed but obediently shuffled off to the bathroom, her hair still tousled from earlier.

Watching her leave, Nan Ju turned back to the mirror, admiring her own fresh-faced, innocent beauty with satisfaction.

I’m so pretty.

Downstairs, Nan Ju breathed a quiet sigh of relief at the modest five or six dishes laid out for breakfast.

If breakfast had been as extravagant as her bath, she might’ve dug herself a countryside villa out of sheer embarrassment.

“Did anyone come looking for me today?”

She waved off the approaching maid and picked up a perfectly round egg, tapping it gently against the bowl before meticulously peeling it, unfazed by the bits of shell sticking to her fingers.

Xiado, the same maid who had woken her earlier, was the first to respond.

“Miss Ye called the house at eight this morning, saying she wanted to visit you.”

The escaped lamb wants to return to the fold, huh?

Nan Ju’s hand paused.

“You agreed?”

“No.”

Xiado kept her head slightly bowed, demure and obedient, though her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.

It was the first time she had acted on her own initiative, and it left her deeply unsettled.

Ye Qiushuang and Nan Ju were childhood friends, both Omegas, and as close as two people could be. The villa even had a dedicated room and daily necessities reserved for Ye Qiushuang.

Omegas were rare, so having a close same-s3x friend was ideal. But as the first Beta personally chosen by the family to accompany Nan Ju since childhood, Xiado harbored an indescribable emotion.

She didn’t like how Ye Qiushuang treated Nan Ju—like a pretty doll to be played with. Despite being inferior in family background, looks, and talent, Ye Qiushuang somehow always held the upper hand in their interactions.

But she was just a maid. Having such thoughts was downright rebellious.

Xia Duo quickly suppressed her inner discomfort and took the initiative to make amends: “Miss, would you like to return Miss Ye’s call now?”

If it were the original naive owner from the book, she would have immediately nodded and contacted Ye Qiushuang, only to be overwhelmed by the latter’s smooth-talking and end up being manipulated.

But Nan Ju was no brainless pretty face. She shook her head, popped the tender white egg into her mouth in one go, then picked up the white damp towel on the table to wipe her hands.

The egg was soft-boiled to perfection—the yolk tender and smooth without sticking to the throat. As Nan Ju meticulously wiped her fingers, she made a mental note to have the kitchen prepare her favorite runny soft-boiled eggs tomorrow while responding with calm rationality.

“You did well. Later, go unplug the phone line for me.”

Xia Duo nodded reflexively: “Yes, I’ll go prepare some fruit tea and snacks now… Huh? Unplug it?”

Amused by her reaction, Nan Ju thought for a moment before adding earnestly: “If she comes to visit, tell her I’m not home. Don’t let her in.”

“Oh, oh, alright.”

Dazzled by Nan Ju’s smiling face, Xia Duo’s rationality completely evaporated, leaving only one thought swirling in her mind:

“The young mistress is adorable!”