Marked by My Scummy Ex-Wife’s Boss (GL) - Chapter 3

“Zhenzhen… Song Zhen…”

“What are you doing here?”

“What’s wrong? Please, just listen to me…”

Her stomach churned violently. Song Zhen leaned against the doorframe, clearly unwell.

Cheng Lang had thrown on some clothes in a hurry and approached, hesitating briefly before resting a hand on her shoulder, trying to support her.

But the moment her hand landed—smack!

Song Zhen slapped it away without mercy. Even with Cheng Lang’s Alpha-level physical resilience, a red mark instantly bloomed on her hand. It was clear Song Zhen had used all her strength.

“Zhenzhen, you…”

“Don’t touch me!” Song Zhen lifted her head, eyes bloodshot.

Cheng Lang was momentarily stunned by the intensity in her gaze. Her lips parted, trying instinctively to explain, “Just let me explain—”

But contrary to what Cheng Lang had expected, Song Zhen didn’t scream or cry. She didn’t lose control.

She stood tall, her back straight, eyes unflinching.

Song Zhen had always been decisive—always.

And now, that calm made Cheng Lang feel even more guilty.

“Go on. I’m listening,” Song Zhen said coldly, each word icy and clear.

“I…”

Cheng Lang opened her mouth but couldn’t form a coherent sentence. “I…”

Under Song Zhen’s unwavering gaze, her false composure quickly crumbled.

Still, she was someone trained to handle pressure. Regaining her calm, she finally said, “It was a mistake, an accident, I—”

She hadn’t even finished when Song Zhen laughed—a laugh so scornful it bordered on madness.

“An accident?” Her voice tilted up mockingly.

This wasn’t the Song Zhen Cheng Lang knew.

Song Zhen nodded. “Alright. Then tell me what kind of accident this was.”

“Weren’t you supposed to be reporting at the academy? Why’d you come home at this hour?”

“For your pheromones to reach that level of concentration, it had to have started at least an hour ago. Why didn’t you call me when you got home?”

“And most importantly—if you didn’t want it, who could’ve possibly forced you?”

“Tell me, Cheng Lang. I’m listening.”

Each word landed like a blow, spoken through gritted teeth. Cheng Lang’s heart raced.

She couldn’t answer. The silence between them turned suffocating.

Suddenly, Cheng Lang stepped forward to reach for her. “Zhenzhen, calm down. Please, let me explain—”

Smack!

This time it wasn’t just pushing her away—it was a slap. A full-force slap that knocked Cheng Lang’s face to the side, staggering her a step backward.

Even an S-class Alpha hadn’t seen it coming.

“Get out!”

Song Zhen exploded, her voice hoarse and trembling with fury.

Cheng Lang stood stunned.

By the time she snapped back to reality, Song Zhen was already gone. The apartment door stood wide open, rocking back and forth in her wake.

—

In the bathroom, Song Zhen braced herself on the sink, bent over.

At first it was just nausea, but as her mind replayed what she’d seen, her thoughts were eaten away by the details—the angle of that woman’s neck, the crumpled sheets.

So disgusting.

How could they…? How could it be so revolting?

She started gagging again.

Nothing came up, but she couldn’t stop.

Her lashes trembled continuously, her breathing ragged.

She wasn’t a large woman to begin with, and now, hunched over in late spring, her spine jutted out visibly. Veins popped in her arm from how tightly she gripped the edge of the sink.

Half an hour passed before Song Zhen forced herself upright. She tilted her head back, covering her mouth.

Something cold slid down the back of her hand—maybe tears. She didn’t know. She didn’t want to.

She didn’t know how long she stood there until her phone rang.

Seeing Zuo Tian’s name on the screen, she answered.

“Zhenzhen? I just got home—are you back?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll let you rest—”

“Wait,” Song Zhen said as calmly as possible. “Can you call in for me tomorrow? Ask for a day off.”

“Whoa, sure—no problem!”

Ignoring the teasing in her tone, Song Zhen hung up and stared out into the dark night.

Then she turned on the tap, washed her face, rinsed her mouth, and freshened up as best she could.

Bag in hand, she walked out like a ghost, each step slow and aimless.

But the heavy exposure to Alpha-Omega pheromones had left her physically unwell. Her glands burned. She kept massaging her temples and the back of her neck.

Betas were usually less sensitive, but Song Zhen had always been on the reactive side. At work, she was heavily protected—but tonight’s overdose made her feel like her glands were overheating.

She shook her head. She was twenty-four. Well past differentiation age. Was she really being triggered by stress?

Eventually, she ended up back at the shopping district. Under a red neon sign, she stopped.

Queen’s Bar.

The large characters glowed above her. Through the window, the bar was packed.

She rubbed her forehead. The images kept replaying in her mind, tormenting her.

After a moment of hesitation, Song Zhen walked in. The bell above the door chimed sweetly.

—

Fresh draft beer foamed into glasses, but the mood was tense.

Zhu Sui—the S-class Alpha Song Zhen had earlier helped approve the report for—had shed her uniform for a dress shirt, two buttons undone, revealing her slender neck. The small change made her seem more approachable.

But only to strangers.

Her childhood friend Rong Qingshan could tell something was off—dangerously off.

It was the Zhang family’s kid—he’d been running his mouth, dancing on Zhu Sui’s landmines. Her expression had shifted coldly, though she hadn’t said anything yet.

Everyone else present knew better and kept quiet.

“Hey, I was just saying! You’ve been abroad for years—your family must be anxious. Plenty of high-level Omegas in District One, but honestly, the best ones are in District Three. They’d totally match someone like you, haha…”

Rong Qingshan wanted to cover his face. This idiot wasn’t just speculating about Zhu Sui being pressured into matchmaking—he was rating Omegas by district. Suicidal!

And just when everyone was tense, the drunk moron kept talking.

“Second Miss, got your eye on an O yet? I heard S-class Alphas only go for A-class Omegas?”

Rong Qingshan facepalmed. Dead man walking.

Zhu Sui’s eyes lifted lazily. “Who says I can’t like a Beta?”

Silence fell like ice. Everyone understood the subtext.

“Haha, no way—”

His laughter cut short.

Zhu Sui suddenly kicked his chair. As the server gasped, she caught the backrest mid-fall, a seamless motion so fast it was a blur.

The chair balanced on one leg, held by her grip alone.

The idiot sobered instantly.

Zhu Sui leaned in, face just inches from his. “Why not?”

Her S-class pheromones surged. Cold sweat broke out on the guy’s forehead.

“And since when can just anyone comment on who I marry?”

“Or do you think you have that right?”

The Zhang kid’s knees buckled.

Everyone in the room felt it—only Zhu Sui was S-class, and the wave of dominance hit hard. Rong Qingshan pinched his nose. “Alright, he gets it! Just scare him, don’t suffocate us!”

Zhu Sui glanced at him, then at the idiot, and finally let go.

The chair clattered down. The guy collapsed with it.

Zhu Sui checked her watch, grabbed her coat. “It’s late. I’m leaving.”

“No worries. Next time I’ve got good booze, I’ll call you,” Rong said.

She raised a hand as she left. “Tonight’s on me. Sorry for the buzzkill.”

Then she was gone.

—

Song Zhen stumbled out of the bar, eight-tenths drunk. People kept trying to talk to her—she couldn’t hear them. She waved them off.

In a narrow alley, the cold air hit her neck like fire. She finally noticed the abnormal heat.

“Miss… are you—are you differentiating?”

A man’s voice behind her startled her. She froze.

—

Outside the club, Zhu Sui had just thrown on her coat and exhaled.

After releasing her pheromones, it wouldn’t be safe to head straight to the streets. She stood in a quiet area to let the scent disperse.

As she gathered her hair, her senses suddenly sharpened. She turned to the wall in front of her, eyes cold.

Someone’s differentiating. An Omega.

Not far—just two walls away.

“Tch.”

She cracked her knuckles. She didn’t want to meddle, but if this was a child from a prominent AO family… odds were, she knew them.

“Damn it.”

She stepped back, gearing up.

—

“You smell so good… How can you smell this good?”

“Don’t come any closer. Control yourself!”

Song Zhen stumbled through the alley. The Alpha chasing her looked increasingly dazed, driven by instinct.

A high-level Omega’s scent could override a low-level Alpha’s rationality. Song Zhen knew this, even with a foggy mind.

Her ankle twisted. She collapsed in pain, heart sinking.

“Stay back! Forcing a mark on a differentiating Omega is illegal! Control yourself!”

But the man’s eyes had lost all focus.

This was the second time tonight Song Zhen felt complete despair.

Just as his hand reached for her—

A voice rang out, cool and composed: “She’s right. Forcing a mark on a differentiating Omega is a crime. Especially if you’re military—two years minimum. Get it together.”

“Who—?”

The Alpha froze at the strong scent of a superior.

“Where are you looking? Up here.”

He glanced up—just in time to see Zhu Sui leap down from the wall. His pupils shrank.

Before he could react, she landed squarely on his shoulders and slammed him to the ground.

A swift blow to the neck silenced him completely.

Song Zhen stared, wide-eyed.

Zhu Sui crouched over him, checked that he was out cold, then stood up and clapped the dust off her hands.

Under the faint streetlight, her dark hair shimmered. She raised her head, eyes long and sharp with casual elegance.

She smirked. “Running around during differentiation? Naughty, aren’t you, little one?”