The Salted-Fish Alpha and the Actress Got Their Marriage Certificate - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Qin Cunxue couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Ye Cike’s flushed face, barely containing her laughter until Ye Cike tapped the table with a warning look. Only then did Qin Cunxue fake a cough to cover it up.

“You said Xi Ling’s pheromones are very attractive, but I can’t be sure if that trait is specific to you,” Qin Cunxue said, picking up her pen again and mulling over the chaotic mess of events.

“Where’s the scarf Xi Ling left you?”

If there were still traces of pheromones on it, maybe they could confirm something.

But Qin Cunxue was just asking casually, not holding out much hope. For one, pheromones fade over time. For another, an alpha in their susceptible period instinctively chases an omega’s pheromones, like a beast pursuing its prey.

Judging by the disarray of the living room, it wasn’t hard to imagine how intense things had been. That scarf likely didn’t survive unscathed.

To Qin Cunxue’s surprise, however, Ye Cike fell silent for a few seconds before standing up and retrieving a small box from the laundry room. Inside, the soft, pristine white scarf lay perfectly intact.

Qin Cunxue, coming from a well-off family, instantly recognized it as a limited-edition piece from a high-end luxury brand, not machine-washable.

Clearly, some domestic wizard had personally washed the scarf, even ironing it until not a single wrinkle remained, then folded it neatly.

Qin Cunxue leaned closer, inspecting it carefully.

As an alpha herself, she could tell there were no lingering omega pheromones on the scarf. Instead, there was a faint trace of jasmine tea fragrance.

“You even scented it?” Qin Cunxue couldn’t help but want to applaud. Ye Cike probably didn’t even treat her own clothes with such care.

Talk about loving the house and its crow.

Ye Cike glanced up, her voice cool as she said, “No, this is the new version of my pheromones. Just updated yesterday. Surprised? Unexpected?”

“That’s definitely unexpected,” Qin Cunxue said, rubbing her chin. “Under what circumstances did your pheromones change?”

Ye Cike let out a long sigh, starting to recall. “I was on a variety show, doing a task with Xi Ling.”

At the time, Xi Ling had been right beside her, tending to rice seedlings. Her soft, long hair was tied up, revealing a slender, snow-white neck.

The May sunlight had cast a golden glow around Xi Ling, and Ye Cike could still recall her intensely focused expression.

“And then?” Qin Cunxue didn’t think there was anything particularly special about that, so she pressed further.

Ye Cike’s gaze drifted to the scarf in the box, her voice soft. “And then, during my susceptible period yesterday, it just… changed suddenly.”

She tried to sift through the chaotic memories for something useful.

She remembered curling up in a dim corner, cold sweat soaking her clothes. It felt like a piece of her heart had been hollowed out, leaving a heavy sense of powerlessness that made her want to destroy everything within reach.

Including the scarf wrapped around her hand.

But then she remembered it belonged to Xi Ling. The scarf’s owner was as delicate as the fabric itself, still and fragile like a porcelain doll.

When animated, though, she was like a white cat—rubbing against you just once could melt your heart. A blink of those beautiful eyes could easily stir someone’s soul.

But once the cat got what it wanted, it would slip away without hesitation, leaving you unable to find it again.

Ye Cike had clenched her hand tightly, as if trying to trap that cunning cat in her grasp.

Then, the sour-sweet orange scent filling the room gradually gave way to the elegant fragrance of jasmine tea.

Ye Cike pursed her lips, her tone stiff as she said, “That’s it. Nothing more.”

“There doesn’t seem to be any pattern,” Qin Cunxue said, unable to make sense of it, her face full of helplessness. “Too few people have this condition. I can’t be sure what’s going on. I can only prescribe some medicine and keep monitoring.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Cike leaned back on the sofa, clutching a cushion, her very hair radiating an aura of despair.

“Is this condition even curable?”

She hadn’t cared much before, but now things were different.

Ye Cike didn’t mind the change in her pheromone scent or the grueling susceptible periods, but she hated that her pheromones were out of her control.

Her pheromones practically threw themselves at any cute omega, making her, their owner, look ridiculous!

“There’s a cure!” Qin Cunxue said firmly. “There have been cases of recovery.”

Ye Cike sprang up like a seedling given water, visibly brimming with life and hope.

“What is it?”

“Marry an omega.”

Ye Cike frowned. “I’m not joking. How do you actually cure this?”

Qin Cunxue adopted her most sincere tone, even raising her hand as if swearing an oath. “I’m not joking either. You just need to marry an omega with high compatibility.”

The seedling withered on the spot, and the atmosphere plummeted several degrees. Ye Cike fell silent.

With her sharp brows and pale, thin lips, she had a face perfect for looking aloof, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

But Qin Cunxue, who had known Ye Cike since childhood, knew she was all bark and no bite. Beneath that icy exterior, she was probably thinking something improper.

Sure enough, Ye Cike shrank her shoulders slightly and asked cautiously, “What does marriage have to do with curing this?”

Qin Cunxue explained, “An omega can influence you. A stable, harmonious susceptible period might help your glands…”

She was cut off before she could finish. “Enough! No need to go into detail,” Ye Cike said.

Qin Cunxue blinked, confused. Detail? What had she said? Surely Ye Cike wasn’t imagining something on her own?

“This condition probably won’t be cured anytime soon,” Ye Cike said, her face blank. Single since birth, she hadn’t even spent time alone with an omega before meeting Xi Ling.

Qin Cunxue’s eyes glinted with curiosity. “About this Xi Ling—”

“I told you, we’re friends,” Ye Cike interrupted quickly, as if speed could ward off any rebuttal.

She spoke casually, but her eyes were clearly darting.

Qin Cunxue, thinking she saw through it all, raised an eyebrow. “You just said you think she smells amazing.”

“Being attracted to her pheromones—does that count as liking her?”

That sounded reasonable at first, and Qin Cunxue found herself momentarily stumped for a counterargument.

In the end, she could only concede, reaching out a hand. “Fine, as long as you know what you’re doing.”

The consultation wrapped up quickly, and Qin Cunxue skillfully performed a basic check-up on Ye Cike. When she was done, she glanced at the time.

“Hurry up, there’s still time. Grab me a mille-feuille cake,” Qin Cunxue urged without hesitation.

Most of the time, Ye Cike was pretty easygoing, so she didn’t refuse. She leisurely wandered to her open-plan kitchen and opened the fridge to check ingredients.

Just as she reached for the flour, a “ding-dong” sounded—her phone’s notification.

Ye Cike glanced at it casually, but the name “Xi Ling” on the screen instantly captured her full attention.

[Are you free the day after tomorrow?]

It was followed by a cute cat emoji.

Ye Cike immediately forgot about the flour and leaned against the counter to reply.

[Free. What’s up?]

The response came instantly:

[I’m heading back to B City the day after tomorrow. Want to grab dinner? I have something important to tell you in person.]

Ignoring the second half, Ye Cike only registered that Xi Ling was asking her to dinner!

A small firework went off in her heart. She straightened up, not overthinking, and typed back quickly.

[Where are we meeting?]

[6 p.m., Wang Jiangnan.]

Ye Cike knew the place—a famous private dining restaurant, pricey but with excellent privacy, perfect for a meet-up.

[Okay, I’ll bring your scarf back too.]

As soon as she sent it, she frowned. She had indeed washed and folded Xi Ling’s scarf, but…

After being in a high-concentration pheromone environment for so long, the scarf’s original grassy scent was completely gone, replaced by an unshakable jasmine tea fragrance.

Ye Cike instinctively covered her face. How could she return a scarf drenched in her own pheromones to Xi Ling?

But the words were already out, so she quickly added:

[Sorry, the scarf has my pheromones on it. I can’t wash them out for now.]

Read, but no reply. Watching the “typing” status flicker repeatedly under Xi Ling’s name, Ye Cike’s heart tightened.

Would Xi Ling be upset? After all, Ye Cike had promised to return it in perfect condition.

A few seconds later, Xi Ling sent a smiling cat emoji.

[No problem, just give it to me.]

Ye Cike relaxed slightly, but those few words seemed to have taken Xi Ling a while to send. Maybe she was just being polite to spare Ye Cike’s feelings.

Biting her lower lip, Ye Cike typed:

[Don’t worry, it’ll probably be clean by the time you get it.]

This time, the silence was even longer. Just as Ye Cike couldn’t resist sending another message to check, Xi Ling finally replied.

[Thanks for that.]

Ye Cike stared at the message, tapping her knuckles on the cabinet behind her. Why did Xi Ling’s tone feel so chilly?

But she didn’t dwell on it. Besides the scarf, she had to prepare the lemon candies for Xi Ling.

She opened the fridge again, plotting quietly. Maybe this time she’d make more orange-flavored ones?

But whether it was simmering syrup or packaging candies, it would take far more time than making a mille-feuille.

Plus, the candies needed time to set and cool, and starting now might not even be enough.

So Ye Cike abandoned the flour and pulled out a big bag of granulated sugar instead.

She wanted to personally hand the candies to Xi Ling the day after tomorrow.

Qin Cunxue had been lounging, munching on chips while waiting for her cake and watching TV.

But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ye Cike glued to her phone, a suspicious smile tugging at her lips.

Qin Cunxue had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, Ye Cike swiftly set out ingredients on the counter, none of which had anything to do with cake.

“No mille-feuille. You can go now,” Ye Cike said without looking up, shooing her away.

Qin Cunxue couldn’t believe it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I’m making something else, so I can’t make you a mille-feuille.”

Qin Cunxue: ?

She was seventy percent sure the person Ye Cike was texting was Xi Ling!

But what could she do? Given the eviction notice, she had to leave. After all, she was just a dispensable friend!

Before heading out, Qin Cunxue suddenly remembered something and turned back to warn Ye Cike. “This condition has had fatal cases. Don’t brush it off! Why not consider my suggestion and try the sweetness of love?”

Ye Cike, busy with her task, gave a distracted “oh” in response.

Completely ignored, Qin Cunxue stormed out, slamming the door. She changed her mind on the spot—now she hoped Ye Cike would taste the bitterness of love first!