"The Alpha Who Abandoned Love—And Got a Second Chance" - Chapter 7

Lin Xi once again secured her spot in the front passenger seat of Chu Muqing’s car, a hint of satisfaction bubbling in her chest.
So, it turned out that even someone as aloof and principled as Chu Muqing couldn’t resist a bit of pitiful vulnerability.
The McDonald’s location was marked next to the subway station. It was already late at night, and rain was still falling from the sky. Most of the nearby restaurants had closed. It wasn’t clear whether the entire East District was under renovation or just this road, but signs of construction appeared every few hundred meters.
Lin Xi had her phone open to the map. Apparently, this world didn’t have apps like “Dianping” for food reviews, so she had no choice but to scour the map manually for quite a while.
“How about we just eat at McDonald’s?” Lin Xi glanced left and asked.
“What?” Chu Muqing thought she’d misheard.
Lin Xi straightened up and explained seriously, “Look, it’s already this late. Even if you keep driving, it’ll just be barbecue stalls or hotpot places ahead. Honestly, McDonald’s might be our best option.”
Chu Muqing frowned slightly and glanced at the little one in the rearview mirror. The child’s eyes sparkled with excitement the moment McDonald’s was mentioned.
Chu Muqing rarely took her to fast food places—maybe once or twice a year. For a child that age, such food should be eaten sparingly.
But…
Chengcheng’s expectant gaze tugged at her heart. It made her hesitate. Even gave her a slight headache.
Lin Xi clearly knew how to win Chengcheng over—she managed to earn the child’s trust effortlessly.
“Shall we go?” Lin Xi held up her phone. “Unless you’ve got a better suggestion.”
Chu Muqing still hesitated.
“Burgers aren’t exactly junk food,” Lin Xi added knowingly, as if reading her mind. “Besides, it’s not like we eat them every day. Warren Buffett eats a burger and drinks Coke daily, and he’s still going strong at ninety!”
Chu Muqing raised an eyebrow slightly and pressed her lips together.
She never realized Lin Xi could be this good at twisting logic.
But for Chengcheng’s sake—though she knew Lin Xi’s reasoning was dubious—Chu Muqing finally gave in with a quiet, “Just this once.”
She agreed?
Lin Xi turned to glance at the little one in the back seat, who looked absolutely radiant with joy.
From her spot in the rearview mirror, Chu Muqing watched the two of them—one big, one small—and almost expected them to high-five in celebration if not for the seats between them.
Were they that excited?
For a fleeting moment, Chu Muqing felt a strange illusion—as if Lin Xi were the girl’s real mother and she herself the outsider.
But Lin Xi’s behavior today was odd. Very odd.
A person who had once been so nasty suddenly turning over a new leaf? There was no way it was without reason. Chu Muqing didn’t buy it. A sudden change of heart seemed less likely than some hidden agenda.
But what could Lin Xi possibly want? She must’ve known Chu Muqing’s financial situation wasn’t good. What could she gain? Especially considering that just the night before, she’d drunkenly tried to mark her.
Chu Muqing glanced once more at the child’s face, then looked away, brushing aside the thoughts swirling in her mind.
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When Lin Xi got out of the car, she held a strawberry-patterned umbrella over the little one’s head.
The rain had softened to a misty drizzle. As she reached into her left pocket, she was surprised to find a small perfume bottle.
It was a slender, blue glass vial with a spray nozzle at the top.
The little one instantly clamored to see it.
Lin Xi glanced at Chu Muqing, who was off looking for a parking spot, and reluctantly handed it over. “Just look, don’t spray it on yourself, okay?”
The little girl nodded obediently.
But Lin Xi had underestimated how “probable” a child’s promises could be. The little one immediately uncapped the bottle and spritzed herself a few times.
A strange scent wafted into Lin Xi’s nose. She didn’t recall ever smelling something like it before. The once faint fragrance on her clothes began to intensify, turning sharp and almost irritating.
The child tilted her head, spotting her mother parking and walking toward them. She hurried to return the perfume to Lin Xi.
Lin Xi tucked the bottle back into her pocket, not even having time to scold her before Chu Muqing was already approaching.
Chu Muqing walked over, holding a long-handled black umbrella. But as soon as she got close to Lin Xi, she paused—like she’d sensed something—and instinctively frowned.
Lin Xi noticed the sudden change in her expression and grew confused.
Chu Muqing suddenly began coughing violently, each cough rougher than the last, mixed with labored gasps as she struggled to breathe.
Startled, Lin Xi dropped the umbrella and reached out, but Chu Muqing raised a hand to keep her away.
Her pale face flushed crimson, her body curled forward in distress, and she staggered backward, nearly stumbling.
Her eyes were filled with wariness—toward Lin Xi.
A wave of disappointment washed over Lin Xi.
She thought Chu Muqing wouldn’t reject her.
“What—what’s wrong?” Lin Xi asked, unsure whether to approach.
After retreating a few steps, Chu Muqing’s coughing gradually subsided. Her breathing slowly steadied, though her face remained flushed from oxygen deprivation. Her brows were tightly knit.
Very few people knew that she was hypersensitive to Alpha pheromones. Close contact could trigger an asthma attack.
As an Omega—especially a Chu family Omega—this condition rendered her practically useless to her family.
Lin Xi’s scent had just invaded her airways with violent force, constricting her breathing like an invisible hand around her throat.
To most Omegas, an Alpha with such potent pheromones would be irresistibly attractive—devastatingly so.
But she wasn’t like most Omegas. The stronger the Alpha, the worse her symptoms.
Even now, with her chest aching and her head spinning, she could clearly tell: this wasn’t the same scent Lin Xi had before.
Typically, an Alpha’s pheromone signature remained the same for life and was recorded by the authorities.
But last time, Lin Xi’s scent was magnolia.
Why had it changed to this strange, suffocating poppy-like fragrance?
Compared to before, this scent was more overpowering, more aggressive—and far more uncomfortable.
“What’s going on with you?” Lin Xi remained standing, clearly worried. “Should we go to the hospital?”
Chu Muqing didn’t want to explain. She suppressed her doubts and shook her head gently. “No need.”
Her voice was hoarse, drained of all strength—she looked genuinely unwell.
Under the streetlamp, Lin Xi could see the unhealthy flush on her cheeks and the obvious irregularity in her breathing.
Was she allergic to the perfume?
“We really should go to the hospital. You don’t look okay,” Lin Xi said seriously, watching her closely.
“I’m fine,” Chu Muqing said again. She steadied herself, voice weak. “Go ahead to McDonald’s. I’ll catch up.”
Seeing her insistence, Lin Xi finally nodded.
“If you feel worse, tell me immediately,” she urged.
Her gaze was steady and unwavering, locking onto Chu Muqing’s.
It felt like if Chu Muqing didn’t agree, Lin Xi wouldn’t leave.
Faced with her stubborn eyes, Chu Muqing relented. “Okay.”
Only then did Lin Xi pick up the umbrella, take the child’s hand, and walk toward the nearby McDonald’s.
On the way, they passed a trash can. Lin Xi frowned and tossed the perfume bottle into it without hesitation.
She did it with a force that made the small blue bottle fly in a neat arc, landing with a loud thunk.
A short distance behind them, Chu Muqing followed slowly.
By the time they reached McDonald’s, the scent on Lin Xi had faded considerably.
Though proximity still made Chu Muqing uncomfortable, it was bearable.
“Hello, miss, soft serve cones are half-price today!” chirped the cheerful cashier.
She had noticed the trio the moment they walked in—two incredibly attractive adults with an adorable little girl. They were hard to miss.
When the Alpha stepped forward to order while the Omega stayed back, the young cashier assumed Lin Xi was just the kind of Alpha who was “afraid of her wife.”
But the closer Lin Xi got, the stronger that rich, intoxicating scent became.
The cashier was an Omega. Alpha pheromones like this carried both dominance and allure, triggering instinctual reactions.
Most customers used suppressants to mask their pheromones in public. But for some reason, this strikingly beautiful Alpha hadn’t used any. Thankfully, the place wasn’t crowded.
“Miss, you…” The cashier could barely speak under the pressure of Lin Xi’s scent. “What would you like to order?”
Lin Xi, confused by her reaction, sniffed at her own sleeve.
Were women in this world… universally allergic to perfume?
She shook off the thought and looked up at the menu screen.
“This one, that one, and this too,” she said breezily, pointing.
She was ordering at random, exuding the air of someone who didn’t need to care about prices.
“Would you like that as a combo, miss?”
“Nope. I want everything à la carte. And double it!”
“…All right,” the cashier replied, stunned. “Though the combos are more cost-effective.”
“I don’t like combos,” Lin Xi said casually. “They don’t feel satisfying.”
The cashier paused.
Lin Xi pointed to a sign next to the register and winked. “Didn’t your store say today’s proceeds go toward buying desks and chairs for kids in mountain villages?”
“Oh! Yes, that’s right…”
The cashier immediately understood. This Alpha… was incredibly kind-hearted.
She quickly keyed in the items.
“What do you recommend for kids—non-spicy?” Lin Xi asked with a polite smile. “Something my daughter can eat.”
The cashier nodded. “You ordered two double meals, well, two separate double meals. There are burgers and fries in there—non-spicy and suitable for children. Honestly, it should be plenty for two adults and one child.”
Lin Xi shrugged. “All right, then. Let’s pay.”
She held up her phone to show the QR code.
Everything together was under 200 yuan. Lin Xi finally experienced that odd but pleasant frustration of “having money but nowhere to spend it.”
She had so much food that she had to make two trips from the counter to the table.
The little girl was delighted—and clearly starving—digging in with enthusiasm.
Lin Xi, feeling a bit off in her stomach, only nibbled on a few fries before stopping.
Chu Muqing, on the other hand, after being told not to hold back, calmly picked up a burger…