Marked by My Scummy Ex-Wife’s Boss (GL) - Chapter 4
Zhu Sui looked up, and when her gaze met Song Zhen’s in the dim corner of the wall, silence fell between them.
Song Zhen gave a small cough. “I’m not a kid.”
Zhu Sui raised an eyebrow, not the least bit embarrassed. “I figured.”
She paused, still uncertain. “College student?”
“…Already working.”
“Heh, don’t tell me you’re over twenty-two?”
Twenty-two was the customary cutoff age for second-gender differentiation in Huaguo. Anyone past that age who hadn’t differentiated was presumed a Beta—it was nearly always correct.
Of course, Song Zhen understood the implication behind Zhu Sui’s words. She paused, lowered her eyes, and answered softly, “I’m over.”
“Interesting,” Zhu Sui said with a trace of amusement, giving Song Zhen a once-over from head to toe.
The gaze was direct, but not suggestive—purely clinical. And yet Song Zhen couldn’t explain it; the woman simply exuded a natural dominance. Being under her scrutiny wasn’t just abrupt—it was oppressive. Like standing before someone born to command.
It made Song Zhen uncomfortable.
Noticing that, Zhu Sui averted her gaze and didn’t step any closer. She got down from the man she had subdued, grabbed his collar, and dragged him to the corner, tossing him like a sack of potatoes.
With a thud, Song Zhen winced at the sound.
“Don’t worry, he’s an Alpha. He can take a few knocks.”
Dusting off her hands, Zhu Sui consciously stepped back, putting more than a meter of space between them.
Only then did it dawn on Song Zhen—she was still in the middle of differentiating.
The heat at the back of her neck was unbearable, her mind hazy, her body weak and boneless…
“You—”
“Relax. I’m high-level, and more importantly…” Zhu Sui glanced toward the alley’s end.
Perhaps due to her differentiation, Song Zhen’s senses were heightened. Following the woman’s line of sight, she saw nothing, but she could hear the rapid approach of at least two sets of footsteps.
Zhu Sui frowned. “You’re a high-grade differentiating Omega. I don’t know how much you can sense right now, but as someone professionally trained, I can tell you—”
She turned back to Song Zhen, her tone serious. “Every Alpha in a three-block radius is heading our way.”
Song Zhen’s face drained of color.
Zhu Sui sighed softly.
Then, without warning, she crouched down, stretching her legs and shoulders, cracking her knuckles with fluid precision.
After finishing her warmup, she shrugged off her jacket and tossed it to Song Zhen.
It smelled… nice. Song Zhen caught it in a daze.
“There’s my pheromone on it. Wear it—it’ll mask yours for now.”
Zhu Sui looked drowsy, but her tone was composed. “I was going to call the Association immediately, but… hang in there. Once we’re out of the alley, I’ll get you settled.”
“Until then, remember—”
A man suddenly appeared behind them. Before Song Zhen could react, Zhu Sui threw a punch that sent the Alpha to his knees.
Without missing a beat, she drove him to the ground with a kick and coldly finished her sentence: “Stick close to me.”
________________________________________
Meanwhile, Cheng Lang had been sitting on the couch for a long while, her thoughts a tangled mess.
Across from her, her secret lover Tong Xianglu lounged comfortably, lighting another cigarette.
“Your wife reacted… interestingly. Other than at the start, she didn’t even look at me.”
Cheng Lang wasn’t in the mood to discuss Song Zhen. She said nothing.
“What’s your plan? You said you’d divorce her slowly after you returned. But now? You gonna pull the plug immediately?”
“Impossible,” Cheng Lang replied flatly.
Tong Xianglu smirked. “Makes sense. The Pheromone Division at Institute One was practically built for your project. And the moment you came back, the department head was reassigned. Please—you expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?”
She leaned in, voice laced with irony. “If a personal scandal broke out now, I’m guessing that promotion of yours might get… complicated.”
Her words struck a nerve. That was exactly why Cheng Lang hadn’t filed for divorce right after returning.
But now…
This marriage might really be beyond repair.
Her head throbbed.
“By the way, you’re not going after her? Not even calling?” Tong Xianglu joked, as if things hadn’t just blown up spectacularly.
“I think she needs some space. So do I,” Cheng Lang replied, lifeless.
Tong Xianglu shrugged.
Then Cheng Lang’s phone buzzed. She frowned. “The Institute?”
________________________________________
Back in the alley, Zhu Sui was still knocking down Alphas like dominos. Song Zhen clung to the wall, following silently.
But halfway out, Zhu Sui suddenly stopped in her tracks and frowned.
“No. Something’s off. There’s too many.”
Even for an A-level Omega, this was too much.
Realization dawned. She spun around and strode back to Song Zhen.
Song Zhen, in the throes of her differentiation, was barely conscious. But when Zhu Sui’s hand landed precisely on the back of her neck, she jolted, suddenly clearer.
Then Zhu Sui’s hand grazed her scent gland and froze.
A sharp tingle shot up her spine. Bl00d rushed hotly to her face.
This scent—!
She drew back instantly, eyes wide. “You’re not just A-level!”
Song Zhen, flushed and trembling, gasped, “How could I be?!”
Sure, the highest rank for both A and O was technically S, but in the past few decades, while there were still S-class Alphas, there hadn’t been a single S-class Omega. The last one on record was generations ago.
But Zhu Sui wasn’t joking. She said seriously, “I’m S-class. I’ve been trained to identify Omega pheromones from D to A. And none of them—not even the highest A-level I matched with—made me feel like this. You understand what I’m saying?”
Of course Song Zhen understood.
S-class AO pairs had the highest natural compatibility. If this woman had truly encountered the full spectrum, and she was reacting like this now—
More pieces fell into place.
No Alpha had been able to lay a hand on her. This woman had been protecting her all along.
And she had no reason to lie.
Song Zhen’s lips were bloodless, making the flush of her cheeks look even more stark.
Zhu Sui pulled out her phone decisively. “If you’re S-class, I can’t protect you alone. I’m calling the Association. They’ll escort you out safely.”
“No!” Song Zhen cried out, hoarse and desperate. “You can’t!”
In her panic, she forgot she was mid-differentiation and lunged for Zhu Sui’s phone.
Zhu Sui caught her just in time and kept a respectful distance.
“What are you doing?!” she barked.
“No, no…” Song Zhen shook her head frantically. “You can’t call them.”
“If you call the Omega Protection Association, they’ll roll in a whole task force. By tomorrow, I’ll be headline news. And not just that—I’ll be labeled the only known S-class Omega.”
“You have no idea what that means for someone like me… I’m not from a prominent family. I don’t have any backing.”
“If they make it public—I’ll be reduced to a breeding tool. I still have dreams. I haven’t done anything yet…”
Her voice trembled with exhaustion and despair, dry and raspy, like a trapped beast pushed to its last hope.
Her head bowed, she repeated, “Please, don’t…”
If Zhu Sui wasn’t moved even a little, she’d be lying.
As someone from an elite family, Zhu Sui understood her fear all too well.
In a world with plummeting birth rates, Betas were mostly infertile. Omegas, especially high-ranked ones, were highly fertile. And studies showed that high-ranking AO couples almost always produced high-ranking children.
For Alphas, differentiation meant power. But for Omegas, it was far more complicated.
Being fought over by elite Alphas was inevitable. Marriage was rarely a personal choice. In worse cases, parents even sold their Omega children for influence.
And Song Zhen… was now the most coveted rarity of all—an S-class Omega.
Zhu Sui had no doubt: if the Association got involved tonight, every major household in District One would know her name by morning.
Footsteps sounded again in the distance.
Zhu Sui exhaled. “Our compatibility’s too high. I can’t guarantee I won’t lose control.”
Then, suddenly, she dialed her phone.
Song Zhen’s heart sank—until she heard the voice on the other end.
“Zhu Sui? You bailed on us and now you’re calling—what’s up?”
“Book me a hotel room. One with AO-specific ventilation. I can’t do it myself. Send me the details when it’s done.”
Song Zhen looked up, stunned.
But before she could react, Zhu Sui hung up and pulled her jacket tight around Song Zhen’s body. One hand covered her mouth and nose.
She leaned in close and whispered, “There are too many Alphas. I’m going to release my pheromones to suppress them. Just bear with it.”
Half-carrying the limp woman forward, she muttered again:
“I’m not sure I can stay in control. Don’t regret this.”
________________________________________
One hour later, Zhu Sui all but collapsed as she dragged Song Zhen into the hotel room, threw her on the bed, and bolted into the bathroom.
She turned on the water and splashed her face repeatedly.
Even with the best filtration system, the Omega’s scent still lingered when she stepped back into the room.
Song Zhen was barely conscious, fumbling clumsily with the jacket.
Zhu Sui intended to just help quickly and leave, but the girl kept twisting around uncooperatively. As she peeled the jacket off, Song Zhen unexpectedly slipped and—
Fell right into her arms.
The scent of citrus filled Zhu Sui’s senses. She finally identified it—this Omega’s pheromone was sweet, like ripe mandarin oranges.
She moved to push the girl away, but Song Zhen suddenly tilted her face up.
For the first time since the alley, Zhu Sui got a full look at her.
A delicate oval face, soft red lips, features flawless yet expressive.
But it was those eyes—oh, those eyes…
They shimmered with the faintest veil of tears, like someone had crushed the stars of the galaxy into their depths.
Zhu Sui stopped breathing.
Then Song Zhen leaned in, her soft lips brushing Zhu Sui’s jaw, her breath tinged with wine and pheromones.
“You smell so good…” she murmured.
Their faces were so close, Zhu Sui could see the tiny tear-shaped mole at the corner of Song Zhen’s eye.
Clenching her jaw, Zhu Sui grabbed her chin and forced some space between them. Her voice hoarse: “Do you even know what you’re saying?”
“I said, you smell so good… I want a taste…”
Her lips parted, revealing a sliver of moist pink tongue.
And just like that, the last thread of Zhu Sui’s rationality snapped.
Before Song Zhen could close the distance again, Zhu Sui crushed their lips together—and kissed her first.