Marked by My Scummy Ex-Wife’s Boss (GL) - Chapter 18
Song Zhen stood firm, her gaze steady and resolute.
Before Director Rong could speak, Cheng Lang interjected in disbelief.
“She’s already entered the riot phase of imbalance—and the medication she took earlier was a suppressant. That makes things even more complicated. How are you going to try anything? Aren’t you afraid of accidentally destroying her gland?!”
All ABOs have glands—not only do they secrete and regulate pheromones, but they also help maintain overall health.
If a gland is damaged… it’s practically the same as ruining a person.
But Song Zhen didn’t flinch. “I have clinical experience. If I intervene, I’ll use the most stable and conservative method. I won’t be reckless.”
Then she paused and retorted sharply, “Dr. Cheng, you’ve been locked in the lab for years. Let’s be honest—when was the last time you even touched a stabilizer for pregnant patients? Do you even remember how to formulate the hospital’s basic stabilizers?”
Cheng Lang was silent.
Director Rong lowered his eyes in thought. Meanwhile, Zhu Yi’s parents, hearing talk of gland damage, visibly trembled.
Her aunt spoke up, voice shaking, “Maybe… we should just give up. If she can’t carry to term, then so be it. She’s my only daughter…”
Her uncle gently patted her shoulder, equally lost for words.
Then Zhu Sui, silent until now, spoke. “I think… we should ask Zhu Yi herself.”
“This child didn’t come easily. If… anything happens, none of us have the right to make that decision for her.”
Good or bad, whatever comes, Zhu Yi would be the one to bear it—and only her.
That struck a chord with everyone. The hallway fell into a deep, respectful silence.
A few minutes later, the group entered the temporary ward. Song Zhen and Cheng Lang followed the family inside. They watched Rong Mo approach Zhu Yi with a forced smile, gently taking her hand as he explained the situation.
Barely two sentences in, Zhu Yi broke down in tears. Rong Mo held her, gently patting her back and murmuring soft reassurances.
When Zhu Yi finally raised her head again, her gaze found Song Zhen.
Understanding the look, Song Zhen stepped forward. Zhu Yi clutched her hand tightly, her grief overwhelming.
“This child… I only conceived after going to District 3…”
“I’m already twenty-nine this year. If I…”
She choked on her words, eyes red with tears. Her grip on Song Zhen’s hand was so tight her knuckles turned white. Finally, she said:
“Ms. Song, I’m willing—I have to try again. No matter what… please…”
Song Zhen answered solemnly, “I’ll do everything I can. Ms. Zhu, try to stay calm.”
Her words reminded Zhu Yi of what Zhu Sui had told her earlier—don’t cry anymore. She quickly wiped her tears and forced herself to suppress her sorrow.
Now that the decision had been made, the rest of the group left again to give space.
Song Zhen and Zuo Tian began another round of assessment. Zhu Sui, both a family member and the head of the Adrenaline Unit, stayed to support Zhu Yi emotionally. An intern was also there—coincidentally part of the affiliated lab and had come with Zuo Tian today. He stayed to help.
Zhu Sui quietly comforted Zhu Yi while Song Zhen and Zuo Tian disinfected, donned protective gear, and reanalyzed the gland and pheromone data.
Their deft and precise movements were a stark contrast to Cheng Lang’s earlier hesitation.
Watching them, a faint flicker of hope returned to Zhu Yi’s heart.
Soon, the test results came back, and Song Zhen’s brow furrowed deeply.
Just as Cheng Lang had said, Zhu Yi’s pheromone imbalance had progressed into Phase Two of the riot stage.
But worse—it had escalated from Level 3 to Level 4.
Pheromone imbalance is categorized in levels from 1 to 5. Level 5 is medically defined as Phase Three—the terminal stage of imbalance. At that point, no medication can be administered.
Now at Level 4…
Zuo Tian said grimly, “We can’t wait. The conflict between the pheromones is too intense. We have to suppress it, or…”
Or nothing could be done—not even medication.
Both she and Song Zhen had been on the Z-Serum project from the start. They understood every compound thoroughly. As of now, no known treatment could safely address a Level 4 imbalance.
They needed to suppress the imbalance back to Level 3. Otherwise, not only would medication be useless, but Zhu Yi would quickly spiral into irreversible Phase Three.
And at that point, no one—no one—could save her.
Song Zhen made a swift decision. “Let’s apply a large dose of basic stabilizer directly to the gland and see if it helps.”
The intern and Zuo Tian moved quickly. Song Zhen was anxious. This technique was typically their last-resort option—used only on severe cases. And Zhu Yi was receiving it right out of the gate.
All Song Zhen could do now was wait—and hope Zhu Yi’s body responded like others had before her.
Five minutes later, the new readings came in.
Song Zhen bit her lip. Zuo Tian frowned.
Zuo Tian said, “It’s helping. The pheromonal collision hasn’t intensified…”
But—
Song Zhen stared at the readout. Level 4.
It hadn’t worsened—but it hadn’t improved either.
She and Zuo Tian were thinking the same thing. They weren’t the type to sit and wait. With medication off the table, Zuo Tian began quietly listing some folk remedies.
Cooling therapy. Sedatives. Inhaled calming agents. Song Zhen vetoed them all.
Zhu Yi was an A-rank Omega. The higher the rank, the more sensitive the gland. Treatments that might work on a B-rank could be not only ineffective but dangerously counterproductive for someone like her.
Zuo Tian cursed under her breath. “Why does she have to be an A-rank Omega?!”
If she were even slightly lower-ranked, there might still be some folk remedies that would work…
Song Zhen listened—and then something clicked. Her eyes snapped upward.
That’s right. Zhu Yi was an A-rank Omega!
Zuo Tian was confused by her intense stare. “Did I say something wrong…?”
Before she could finish, Song Zhen cut in, “Tian Tian, help me stabilize her current condition. I’m going to make a compound.”
She turned. “Chief Zhu, come with me—I need your help.”
Zhu Sui followed her into the lab, closed the door as instructed, and turned on the ventilation.
When she turned back, Song Zhen was shutting the windows.
Zhu Sui raised an eyebrow. “Afraid of leakage? Is your formula that secret?”
“Not the formula,” Song Zhen replied. “But the material I’m using is… unusual.”
She placed two items on the table. Zhu Sui stepped closer and saw the labels: Pheromone Sampler.
“I remembered an old method. I’ve used it before. It has almost no rejection response.” As she spoke quickly, she pulled out alcohol swabs and cotton balls. “As we know—Alpha pheromones repel each other. But Omega pheromones? They’re compatible…”
Alpha pheromones are naturally repellent to one another, which is why high-level Alphas can suppress those of lower rank.
In contrast, Omega pheromones are inherently compatible—high-ranking Omegas tend to elicit instinctive trust and closeness from lower-ranked ones.
“I’ve previously used A-level Omega pheromones as a medium, mixing them into a basic stabilizer. It helped both lower-ranked Omegas and Betas without triggering rejection. In fact, the results were better than using the stabilizer alone.”
“Of course, given how tightly controlled pheromone use is in our country, I only managed to obtain A-level Omega pheromones once.”
“But now—your cousin is an A-level Omega, and I just happen to be an S-level Omega. So… let’s try it.”
As she spoke, and while Zhu Sui was still contemplating the implications, Song Zhen finished disinfecting her gland. Without hesitation, she snapped the sampler into place.
Zhu Sui’s eyes widened in shock.
A moment later, the needle inside the sampler pierced her skin. Song Zhen gasped sharply.
AO glands are extremely sensitive. Sampling usually required mental preparation and at least a topical anesthetic. Zhu Sui hadn’t expected Song Zhen to go through with it so decisively, without flinching.
But now that it was done, she didn’t comment further. She simply stepped forward, trying to see if there was anything she could help with.
In truth, all she could do was gently remove the sampler from Song Zhen once it was done—there wasn’t much else she could offer.
Zhu Yi’s condition was urgent. Despite the pain, Song Zhen didn’t stop to rest. With cold sweat pouring down her back and her fingers trembling, she immediately began compounding the formula. Only a trace amount of pheromone was used, and the room’s ventilation quickly cleared any residual pheromones in the air.
When Song Zhen handed the newly prepared medication to Zuo Tian, her face was pale, and her hands still shaking.
Ignoring the concerned glances around her, she focused solely on giving Zuo Tian step-by-step instructions.
First, the medication was presented to the patient to ensure she could tolerate the scent. Then it was patch-tested on the skin around the gland. After a brief wait and no obvious signs of rejection, Song Zhen finally relaxed a little. Zuo Tian proceeded to the next step.
At last, the stabilizer was applied to the gland directly. A short while later, the instruments showed a reduction in pheromonal conflict.
Just as both Song Zhen and Zuo Tian were about to breathe a sigh of relief, Zhu Yi suddenly let out a soft gasp.
Song Zhen’s nerves instantly tensed. “What is it? Are you feeling unwell?”
Zhu Yi replied vaguely, “It’s just been a while… a little uncomfortable, that’s all…”
Song Zhen frowned. The readings still showed a steady decline in conflict…
“Continue,” she instructed.
But less than a few minutes later, Zhu Yi visibly trembled—this time clearly in discomfort.
Zuo Tian was confused. “How can this be? If the compound didn’t work, she should’ve shown rejection from the beginning…”
“And if it is working, why is she now showing mild rejection?”
She turned to Song Zhen. “Did you add more than one component?”
The question snapped Song Zhen out of her thoughts.
Her eyes widened. She instinctively touched the back of her neck and then turned sharply to look at Zhu Sui.
Zhu Sui was bewildered.
Song Zhen said firmly, “I think I know what’s going on. Chief Zhu, I need your help again. This time, it’ll definitely work.”
Her tone was absolute.
Back in the lab, Song Zhen pulled out a syringe. Zhu Sui blanched. “What are you doing?”
“Drawing more pheromones.”
“But—didn’t you just—?”
“This time, only mine,” Song Zhen said as she opened the surgical mirror.
“Because of the temporary mark, the pheromone sample I just took from the surface contains traces of yours. But the deep glandular pheromone is still pure.”
Zhu Sui’s eyes widened. “You’re going to puncture your gland?!”
Surprised that she understood, Song Zhen froze for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.”
It was the only way.
But Zhu Sui was concerned about something else. “Puncturing a gland requires specialized anesthetic. We don’t have any here—”
“I know. Let’s just do it.”
There was a brief silence. Then Zhu Sui said, “It’ll be very painful.”
She paused and emphasized each word slowly, “Very. Painful.”
In some countries, glandular puncture was classified as a form of torture.
Song Zhen looked down for a moment, then resumed preparing the syringe. “Then let it hurt. I don’t have another option. If your cousin… if she miscarries, she’ll be in pain too. Mine’s just physical. But hers—do you know how many women experience psychological trauma after a miscarriage? That kind of pain…”
Her words grew increasingly scattered, rushed and choked. Then she looked up—right into Zhu Sui’s calm, lucid eyes. One glance from those eyes silenced all her justifications.
“…Anyway, I’ve already made up my mind. There’s no other way.”
“If you’re willing to help me, I’d appreciate it.”
Zhu Sui asked, voice low, “How can I help?”
“I’ll perform the puncture myself. Just… lend me your shoulder. If I go into spasms, you can—”
Before she could finish, Zhu Sui reached out and took the syringe from her hands.
Song Zhen thought she was trying to stop her and reached to grab it back, only to hear Zhu Sui say calmly:
“I’ll do it. I know how.”
Song Zhen froze.
“I know how to perform a glandular puncture. I know how to extract pheromones.”
They held each other’s gaze in silence. Then Zhu Sui softened her tone.
“Let me do it. You shouldn’t have to do this alone in front of a mirror. Let me actually help.”
After a short pause, she repeated, “Let me do it.”
…
The gland was disinfected once more. Song Zhen leaned against Zhu Sui’s chest, hair tied up. Zhu Sui, focused, guided the long needle beneath the skin.
Song Zhen clutched tightly at Zhu Sui’s shirt.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. Her top teeth bit into her lower lip, turning it bloodless—almost breaking the skin.
As the syringe plunger pulled back, Song Zhen trembled uncontrollably.
Once 1ml of pheromone had been extracted, she was drenched in cold sweat. Zhu Sui wiped her face gently with a tissue, but Song Zhen sat up again, still crying from the physical reaction, and began compounding the new formula.
She wiped her tears as she worked.
Zhu Sui took the medication out to the others.
Only after everything was done did Song Zhen curl up on the lab’s sofa, finally allowing herself to feel the full force of the pain.
“…Jie, jie…”
She didn’t know how much time had passed before she heard Zhu Sui’s voice.
Song Zhen opened her eyes, realizing her vision had gone blurry from tears again.
Zhu Sui’s voice was bright with hope. “It worked. The reaction was suppressed. Zuo Tian says once it stabilizes to Level 3, we can start conventional medication…”
“Jie, did you hear me…”
Song Zhen trembled as she replied, “That’s… wonderful.”
But when Zhu Sui saw her face, she fell silent. After a pause, she turned and walked away. When she returned, she gently scooped Song Zhen into her arms and carefully wiped away her tears.
She didn’t speak, just held her close with quiet tenderness, knowing how much pain she was in.
Amid the silence, it was Song Zhen who grew embarrassed first. “I’m fine… thank you…”
“Not yet.”
“…What?”
Before she could process it, Zhu Sui gently brushed aside Song Zhen’s hair again.
Then she leaned in, and softly pressed a kiss—rich with Alpha pheromones—onto her gland.
Song Zhen shuddered, then immediately felt a cool, soothing sensation wrap around the pain in her gland.
The sharp sting began to ease… and fade…