I’m Allergic to Pheromones - Chapter 8

“Do you know what you did wrong?”

The setting sun hung obliquely on the treetops, its orange-red light filtering through the window lattice into the small room. A tall man stood with his hands behind his back, his tone severe.

Before him knelt a slender figure with a straight back.

Nan Ju lowered her eyes, kneeling upright on the cold floor. In front of her hung a massive painting of a springtime sleeping crabapple tree, exquisitely detailed with delicate brushwork. The crimson blossoms, layered in varying shades, were truly a peerless sight in the mortal world.

Beneath the crabapple painting stood a solemn dark wooden table, on which rested only a thick family registry containing the names of generations of the Nan family.

Nan Ju had sharp eyes—even in the dim light, she could make out the finely painted new leaves and the sturdy branches hidden beneath the clusters of flowers. Boldly, under the furious gaze of her father, she let her mind wander.

The crabapple trees in the villa would soon bloom. Maybe she should try painting one herself and hang it in her bedroom—it would surely create a poetic atmosphere.

Nan Yi, the family head who had summoned her back to the ancestral home and made her kneel in the family shrine for two hours after learning she had privately broken off her engagement with Su Wei, received no response. Unable to contain himself, he raised his voice.

“Nan Ju! Did you hear what I said?”

Nan Ju startled, straightening her back even more.

“I know I was wrong, Father.”

Her tone was earnest and humble, with not a trace of insincerity.

Yet Father Nan felt something was off. He pressed, “Then tell me, what exactly did you do wrong?”

“I don’t know, but I was definitely wrong.”

Father Nan, now in his fifties and unused to anyone daring to act so shamelessly with him, was momentarily speechless. He wanted to discipline this suddenly rebellious daughter, but when he looked down, he saw her face—so strikingly similar to his late wife’s.

Nan Ju’s brows were slender, not the thick, straight style currently fashionable among women, but delicately arched like distant mountains veiled in mist, their hue faint.

Her eyes were lowered, her long lashes too thick to reveal any emotion. Her lovely face remained obedient and calm, showing no resentment even after kneeling for two full hours.

The hem of her dress pooled on the floor like clouds at the horizon.

Father Nan suddenly lost the will to stay angry.

He sighed, the sternness around him dissipating, and asked softly, “Can you tell me why you wanted to break off the engagement?”

Nan Ju, still lost in thought, responded half a beat late: “I don’t like Alphas.”

Father Nan, traditional and old-fashioned at heart, immediately looked at her with an extremely complicated expression.

What did she mean by not liking Alphas? What Omega didn’t like Alphas? Did she dislike male Alphas, female Alphas, or both?

Even though same-s3x marriage was now legal, he had never imagined he’d one day stand in front of the ancestral shrine and watch Nan Ju kick open the closet door!

This child couldn’t keep a single thought to herself!

“You used to say you liked female Alphas, didn’t you?”

Nan Ju blinked. She didn’t recall ever saying that. Lowering her head, she feigned deep sorrow, her voice subdued.

“Father, I truly don’t like Alphas. I don’t want to be treated as someone’s private possession.”

Father Nan—Father Nan was utterly defenseless against this.

His relationship with this daughter wasn’t particularly close. After Nan Ju lost her mother unexpectedly at five years old during the family’s turbulent times, he had always felt too guilty to face her.

By the time he looked back, Nan Ju had already grown past the age where she needed paternal love.

Now a grown woman, Nan Ju was strikingly beautiful and exceptionally talented. Secretly, her father was immensely proud and wanted to show off, but their distant relationship kept him from expressing it.

On this early spring evening, the father experienced a rare sense of paternal satisfaction for the first time.

Keeping a straight face, he struggled to control his tone as he made the request.

“Say it again.”

Nan Ju looked up in confusion, not quite understanding: “Dad?”

The father responded instantly: “Yes.”

Nan Ju?

I don’t get these weird character settings. It’s just calling someone “dad”—why get so emotional you might cry any second?

Modern people usually call their parents “mom” and “dad.” Terms like “father” and “mother” felt too formal and awkward for Nan Ju, and she was afraid she might slip up.

Besides, as a flexible socialite, who doesn’t have a few “dads” here and there?

Nan Ju felt no awkwardness at all and smoothly called out again.

“Dad, I’m hungry.”

The father fought to contain his excitement, his hands trembling as he tried hard to maintain his stern facade.

“If not an Alpha, then would you prefer a Beta or Omega?”

Omegas were too delicate to uphold the family’s reputation, while Betas were generally docile and easy to manage—practical choices, if nothing else.

The father quickly sifted through his mental list of promising young Betas, only to find none worthy of his stunning daughter, leaving him somewhat distressed.

“What kind of person are you looking for?”

Nan Ju thought to herself that she wasn’t interested in anyone. Without hesitation, she pulled out the classic excuse used to deflect marriage pressure.

“Let’s talk about it after the New Year. It’s the holidays.”

The father’s eyes widened, and his round gold-rimmed glasses slid down his nose.

“It’s March—the Lunar New Year is long over. What do you mean ‘after the New Year’?”

The old man was exasperated, but Nan Ju remained unruffled.

She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and turned to bow slightly toward the family heirloom—a painting of crabapple blossoms—her tone so detached it seemed she might renounce the world any moment.

“I currently have no worldly desires.”

The father…

—

The two-hour punishment of kneeling had taken its toll. Nan Ju winced as she held her cheeks, watching the maid massage medicated oil into her bruised knees while quietly hissing in pain.

Her body was too delicate—her knees were swollen with dark bruises, and if the swelling wasn’t worked out, the pain would linger.

A woman watching nearby couldn’t hide her concern. “Be gentle,” she urged.

Nan Ju glanced up at her, but the woman flinched and averted her gaze, nervously tugging at her pants, too afraid to meet her eyes.

This was expected. In the original story, Nan Ju had a strained, even confrontational relationship with her Beta stepmother.

In this world, when a spouse died, nearly every Alpha would remarry.

Since Alphas experience regular estrus cycles after adulthood, without a partner to soothe and relieve them, their mental state can become unstable or even develop severe psychological issues.

Placebos can be used in such situations, but they aren’t stable or long-lasting. An Omega is the best way to soothe an Alpha.

Nan Ju’s stepmother, Wang Qing, was married into the family under these circumstances. Though she was just a Beta, she was already pregnant when she entered the household—a commoner Beta “marrying into wealth with a bun in the oven” became big news in the gossip columns.

In the original story, Nan Ju had always harbored deep disgust for this scheming stepmother.

“Is Nan Xing coming back today?”

As soon as Nan Ju spoke, the awkward atmosphere in the room dissipated somewhat.

Her stepdaughter actually initiating conversation surprised Wang Qing, who quickly brightened with excitement. “Xingxing has extra classes on Saturday. She’ll be back right after school. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Nan Ju gave a soft “Mm” and said nothing else.

Her stepdaughter remained as aloof as ever, but Wang Qing was more than satisfied. She kept a close eye on the maid applying the medicine, and once she estimated Nan Xing would be home soon, she excused herself with a reason to leave.

The medicated oil was greasy, cold, and stank. Nan Ju frowned at the two yellowish patches on her knees, resisting the urge to wash it off immediately.

“You can go now. Call me when it’s time for dinner.”

The maid left with the tray, and Nan Ju hiked up her skirt slightly, letting her bare, pale legs air out as she sat on the edge of the bed, pondering who had snitched to her parents.

The household staff were the first to be ruled out—after spending these past few days with them, Nan Ju was certain they were nothing but a bunch of adorable little sycophants who could eat two extra bowls of rice just by gazing at her face. Getting them to betray her would be harder than getting Nan Ju to raise their wages.

Su Wei probably wasn’t the culprit either. If she had wanted to tattle, she would’ve done it long ago—no reason to wait two extra days.

That left Ye Qiushuang as the prime suspect.

But that didn’t make much sense either. Snitching to her parents was practically equivalent to burning bridges with Nan Ju—such a losing move wasn’t something she’d likely do.

So, who was the snitch?

Lost in thought, Nan Ju was interrupted by a knock at the door—the maid calling her down for dinner.

“Got it.”

The smell of the medicated oil had faded considerably by now. Nan Ju steadied herself against the bed as she stood, the hem of her white knit dress falling back into place, covering her battered knees.

Her father had been merciless. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Nan Ju kept her face cold as she straightened her clothes and hair before heading downstairs.

Below, another brave soul who dared defy their father’s authority was standing there, taking a scolding—her head adorned with a dazzling rainbow of hair that nearly blinded Nan Ju.

“Look at that mess on your head! Since when does a proper student look like that? Why don’t you just dye it green while you’re at it?”

“Dad, you don’t get it—this is called ‘rainbow-black,’ and it’s super cool!”

Nan Ju stared, utterly stunned, at that technicolor head, watching in real time as the epitome of edgy teen rebellion got slapped hard across the face by her dear old dad.

“Stop spouting nonsense.”

Wang Qing emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of fish, completely unfazed by her husband disciplining his rebellious daughter. Spotting Nan Ju at the staircase landing, she brightened and waved her over.

“Nan Ju, come down! Dinner’s ready—it’ll get cold soon.”

Two identically stubborn scowls—one old, one young—turned her way in unison.

Nan Ju maintained an aloof and reserved expression as she slowly walked to the dining table under everyone’s gaze, her manners impeccable.

“Let’s eat.”

She was starving.

The girl with rainbow-colored hair let out a disdainful “hmph” and took a seat two chairs away from Nan Ju.

The moment she sat down, she started loudly complaining to her mother, fully embodying the rebellious and irritating nature of her age.

“Why are all the dishes things I don’t like? I hate fish—it stinks!”

“Eat it or get out.”

Father Nan shot his younger daughter an angry glare before deftly picking up a piece of the tenderest fish with his chopsticks and placing it in Nan Ju’s bowl.

The old man, who was usually eloquent and commanding in public, became awkward and tongue-tied in front of his delicate eldest daughter. After a long pause, he only managed to mutter, “Eat more. You’re as thin as a stick.”

Nan Xing was dumbfounded.

She glanced at her father, who was putting on airs, her mother, who couldn’t hide her delight, and Nan Ju, who accepted the gesture without hesitation. Deep in thought, she concluded: I must have fallen out of favor.

At the table, Father Nan suddenly remembered the matter of the broken engagement and turned serious as he advised Nan Ju, “Since the engagement is off, it’s off. I’ll handle the Su family. Just stay home and rest.”

In this world, Omegas were held in high regard, but society wasn’t forgiving. He worried that if Nan Ju didn’t handle things properly, she might face gossip later.

“No need. Su Wei and I have already settled it.” Nan Ju remained calm as she met her father’s gaze. “I want the shares Mom left me, Dad.”

Silence fell over the room.

Father Nan’s face darkened so severely that even the usually fearless Nan Xing shrank back and focused on her food, not daring to speak. Only Wang Qing, her stepmother, looked worried and softly urged, “The children haven’t finished eating yet.”

The dining room was thick with the oppressive aura of an Alpha—fierce and unyielding. Not only did Nan Xing stay quiet as a mouse, but even Wang Qing, who had lived with him for years, paled in fear.

Only Nan Ju remained unbothered, leisurely sipping fish broth with a small spoon.

Father Nan was surprised but eventually reined in his intimidating presence.

“Eat!”

Nan Ju was likely the only one who truly enjoyed the meal. After dinner, Father Nan gave his composed eldest daughter a measured look before calling her into the study.

Alone, he shed a bit of his stern fatherly demeanor, genuinely puzzled.

“Speak. Why do you want your mother’s shares?”

Nan Ju lifted her eyes slightly, her stunning face expressionless.

“To practice. The family needs a successor.”

She had grown into a striking young woman, unusually tall for an Omega, and even standing before her 185 cm father, she didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. Tilting her chin up slightly, her long, beautiful eyes gleamed.

“You—you’re just saying it outright like that?” Father Nan felt like he’d been shocked more today than in an entire year. “What about your sister, then?”

“She’s not cut out for it.”

Father Nan laughed in disbelief.

“How would you know? Omegas are at a disadvantage compared to Betas. Can you even keep her in line?”

Nan Ju blinked, her expression saying, Obviously.

“If she were capable, she wouldn’t have secretly tattled to the parents.”

Father Nan was speechless.

For the sake of family harmony, he hadn’t told Nan Ju who had informed him about her broken engagement. But he never expected his daughter to see through it so sharply.

Nanking was still too unreliable.

Of course, he hoped to have children who could succeed him and carry on the family’s legacy and prestige. But there wasn’t a single Alpha in the household—Nanjing and Nanking were an Omega and a Beta, respectively. No matter how he looked at it, neither seemed capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility.

That was why he had pushed so hard for the marriage alliance with the Su family. With an Alpha in the family, stability would be ensured. He could then distribute the shares fairly among his children, and with his own presence overseeing things from behind the scenes, he could at least watch over Nanjing and Nanking for a little while longer before he was laid to rest.

But he never expected Nanjing to roll up her sleeves and personally ruin this marriage alliance.

With deeply mixed emotions, Father Nan let out a sigh. He studied his daughter, who now seemed entirely different from her usual self—unyielding and resolute. After a long silence, an odd, faint glimmer of hope inexplicably began to rise in his heart.

“Have you thought this through? This isn’t child’s play. Your background and beauty will invite enormous trouble.”

Worried that his words might sound too dismissive, Father Nan tried to paint a rosy picture: “You can still choose another Alpha for a marriage alliance or take one into the family. Once you have children, I’ll distribute the shares fairly among you all. Wouldn’t you like to be a wealthy housewife with all the time in the world? Arranging flowers and enjoying afternoon tea would be quite comfortable.”

“I will surpass every Alpha,” Nanjing said firmly, meeting her father’s gaze with sharp eyes. “If no Omega has ever done something like this before, then I’ll be the first to break the rules.”