Omega, Always Wants to Mark Me - Chapter 44

As Ming Xiaoyue turned to leave, Lu Jinxi unexpectedly reached out and grabbed her arm.

Ming Xiaoyue turned back, puzzled. “Hmm? Is there something else?”

“I… you… we… what exactly is our relationship now?” Lu Jinxi stammered, her words still vague.

Ming Xiaoyue sighed softly, her tone tinged with resignation. “Lu Jinxi, sometimes I wonder if you genuinely don’t know, or if you’re just pretending.”

With that, Ming Xiaoyue leaned in and gave Lu Jinxi a quick, light kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Do you understand now?”

Lu Jinxi stared blankly at Ming Xiaoyue, then nodded hastily. Seeing her dazed expression, Ming Xiaoyue’s face softened. She patted Lu Jinxi’s head and said, “Now that things are like this, you’d better stay away from other Omegas. Got it?”

“Mm-hmm, okay,” Lu Jinxi replied. Feeling Ming Xiaoyue’s assertiveness, she felt both intimidated and strangely pleased.

“Alright, I’ll go back and grab a jacket. Wait here for me, and we’ll head straight back to the dorm afterward.”

As Ming Xiaoyue’s words faded, Lu Jinxi belatedly looked down and saw a puddle of water. Her face flushed crimson instantly.

No wonder Ming Xiaoyue had just said, “Too much water.”

“Okay,” Lu Jinxi replied awkwardly.

“Good. Wait here for me,” Ming Xiaoyue said, turning to leave.

But Lu Jinxi suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Hmm? Is there something else?”

With her face still flushed, Lu Jinxi first sprayed Ming Xiaoyue with a generous dose of pheromone-blocking spray. Then, she pulled out a suppressant patch and hesitated, glancing at Ming Xiaoyue.

Ming Xiaoyue bit her lower lip lightly, flipped her hair back, and lowered her head slightly. Lu Jinxi watched the graceful curve of her neck, her fingers trembling as she peeled off the old suppressant patch from the back of Ming Xiaoyue’s neck.

This was the first time Lu Jinxi had clearly seen Ming Xiaoyue’s scent gland—a small, round, crystalline bead that emitted a faint, alluring fragrance.

As an Alpha, Lu Jinxi instinctively swallowed hard.

Ming Xiaoyue raised an eyebrow and urged, “Hurry up!”

“Mm,” Lu Jinxi hastily applied the new patch. Then, whether intentionally or not, she remarked, “Ming Xiaoyue, you don’t seem very sensitive to pheromone scents.”

Ming Xiaoyue’s fingers paused as she adjusted her collar. She replied vaguely, “Hmm, it’s nothing important.”

Lu Jinxi hesitated for a moment before suggesting, “When we get back to the practice room, you should take an inhibitor.”

“Mm, I know,” Ming Xiaoyue replied without protest. “Alright, we really need to head back now, or the production team will send someone to look for us.”

“Okay,” Lu Jinxi murmured, feeling an inexplicable reluctance to let Ming Xiaoyue leave, perhaps a lingering effect of their recent marking.

Sensing the unease in Lu Jinxi’s pheromones, Ming Xiaoyue kissed the corner of Lu Jinxi’s other lip before saying, “Be good. I’ll be back soon.”

Lu Jinxi stared after her, nodding and whispering, “Okay.”

True to her word, Ming Xiaoyue returned quickly. Lu Jinxi was still standing where she had left her, her eyes sparkling like stars as she watched Ming Xiaoyue approach.

“Here,” Ming Xiaoyue handed over her jacket, then calmly injected herself with an inhibitor.

Lu Jinxi watched her expressionless injection, her lips pressing together in concern.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Ming Xiaoyue asked after finishing.

“You… Ming Xiaoyue, do you have some kind of illness?” Lu Jinxi blurted out, unable to hold back any longer.

Ming Xiaoyue stared at her for a long time without saying a word, making Lu Jinxi feel a growing sense of uncertainty. “Actually…”

Lu Jinxi was about to change the subject when Ming Xiaoyue interrupted, “Yeah, it’s still uncertain. I’ll only know for sure after the competition, once I get checked out.”

Lu Jinxi was clearly stunned that her casual guess had turned out to be true. She stood frozen in place, at a loss for words.

“Alright, let’s put on our jackets and head out,” Ming Xiaoyue urged, noticing Lu Jinxi’s lack of movement.

Seeing Lu Jinxi standing motionless, tears gradually welling up in her eyes, Ming Xiaoyue realized her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

She instinctively reached out to help Lu Jinxi, but before her hand could touch the jacket, Lu Jinxi, her face etched with sorrow, suddenly gripped Ming Xiaoyue’s arm mid-air and asked urgently, “Is it serious?”

Ming Xiaoyue looked at Lu Jinxi’s suddenly reddened eyes and trembling lips. Her grief was unmistakable.

Sensing Lu Jinxi’s distress, Ming Xiaoyue asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Jinxi lowered her head slightly, discreetly wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye, but her voice sounded muffled as she replied, “Nothing. I was just curious.”

“I’m alright,” Ming Xiaoyue said, her other hand unconsciously touching the back of her neck. She added uncertainly, “I don’t think I’m going to die just yet…”

Before she could finish, Lu Jinxi’s grip on her wrist suddenly tightened. Ming Xiaoyue frowned slightly and looked at Lu Jinxi, noticing the faint tremor in her pinky finger. A strange, inexplicable sense of surprise washed over her.

“Lu Jinxi, you…” Ming Xiaoyue felt that Lu Jinxi’s behavior was becoming increasingly odd, and she couldn’t help but press for answers.

But before she could finish her question, Lu Jinxi reacted first, abruptly releasing Ming Xiaoyue’s wrist and apologizing, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. But Lu Jinxi, are you…?” The strange feeling in Ming Xiaoyue’s heart intensified, as if she were on the verge of uncovering something significant.

Just then, a knock echoed through the room, instantly putting both women on guard.

“Who is it?!” Ming Xiaoyue whispered coldly.

Fortunately, the voice from outside wasn’t unfamiliar. It was Xi Ruoqiong: “A-Yue, what are you two doing in there? The production team is already looking for you.”

The two women unconsciously exchanged a glance. Lu Jinxi, understanding the unspoken message, hurriedly fastened her coat to conceal the dampness.

Ming Xiaoyue cracked the door open slightly and asked, “What brings you here?”

“The production team wants to film a group interview. We went to your training room earlier but couldn’t find you, so we came looking here.”

Ming Xiaoyue and Lu Jinxi exchanged another look. They clearly hadn’t anticipated the sudden interview request and were momentarily conflicted.

“Okay, we understand,” Ming Xiaoyue replied. “Could you ask the production team for a brief postponement? We’ll be there shortly.” As she spoke, she still felt Lu Jinxi should at least go back and change her clothes.

“Ming Xiaoyue,” Xi Ruoqiong suddenly said, her voice turning serious.

Sensing something was wrong, Ming Xiaoyue asked, “What is it? Has something happened?”

Xi Ruoqiong hesitated, then sighed softly. “The performance order rankings have already been posted in the auditorium downstairs. Your group is currently ranked first.”

Ming Xiaoyue froze for a moment, then resignedly replied, “Okay, I understand.”

Xi Ruoqiong fell silent as well.

“Alright, I’ll take A-Lu out the back door and back to the dorm. If the production team asks, just say she had an emergency.”

“Okay,” Xi Ruoqiong agreed.

Knowing the immediate priority was to get Lu Jinxi back to the dorm, Ming Xiaoyue pulled Lu Jinxi out. After a slight nod, she said, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Xi Ruoqiong replied casually.

The two girls took a detour, avoiding the crowds as they headed toward the dorm.

Along the way, Lu Jinxi’s previously relaxed expression turned cold. Her pearly teeth instinctively bit down on her lower lip, and she kept glancing at Ming Xiaoyue, trying to hide her nervousness.

“You want to ask about the performance order, don’t you?” Ming Xiaoyue finally couldn’t help but ask, having caught her glances several times.

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

Hearing Lu Jinxi’s immediate apology, Ming Xiaoyue asked, puzzled, “Why are you apologizing to me?”

“I…” Lu Jinxi stammered, unsure how to explain.

“Hmm?” Ming Xiaoyue pressed.

“I don’t know, but if you were in a group with someone else, maybe…”

Ming Xiaoyue stopped walking, and Lu Jinxi sensed a hint of anger in her pheromones, involuntarily halting as well, afraid to continue her sentence.

“Lu Jinxi, do you really want me to be in a group with someone else?” Ming Xiaoyue asked coldly. “Or are you regretting your decision now?” Her gaze remained fixed on Lu Jinxi as she pressed, “Regretting being in a group with me?”

Lu Jinxi hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. She hurriedly denied, “No, no, that’s not what I meant!”

“Then why are you apologizing?! You clearly knew that even if we ranked first, it was largely because of me.”

Lu Jinxi fell silent, her face tightening into a submissive expression, like a child being scolded.

“Lu Jinxi, two things. First, I wish you wouldn’t always belittle yourself. Whether it’s your fault or not, you always take the blame. Did you owe me some great debt in your past life?”

Ming Xiaoyue spoke coldly, completely missing the slight tremor in Lu Jinxi’s hand at her side.

“Secondly, I thought I made myself perfectly clear just now. Since everything has already been done, I assumed you’d at least understand your place by now.”

“Hmph, Lu Jinxi, this is your final warning! Don’t get too close to other Omegas! I don’t care if you have some ‘legitimate reason’!”

As Ming Xiaoyue spoke, she suddenly grabbed Lu Jinxi by the collar, pulling her close. Caught off guard, Lu Jinxi found their faces mere inches apart. The next moment, she felt a sharp tap on the back of her neck, like a warning.

“Do you understand me now?” Ming Xiaoyue’s cold gaze was undeniable.

Cornered, Lu Jinxi met Ming Xiaoyue’s eyes and nodded.

“Answer me!” Ming Xiaoyue wanted nothing more than to rip open the woman’s mouth.

“I understand,” Lu Jinxi whispered.