Toxic Pheromones of a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 7
When Ji Yao woke up, she was surprised to find that she had fallen asleep in the study the night before.
She must’ve been really drunk—her head was pounding like needles were stabbing into it.
Just as she pushed herself up on her elbows, her hand brushed against something… odd.
She froze.
She was—lying on Tan Zishu’s lap.
Ji Yao: “…”
Tan Zishu looked down at her. “You’re awake?”
Ji Yao stared at her in a daze. Her eyes were dry, and she blinked slowly. Then she asked, “Did you sit like this the whole night?”
Not only had Tan Zishu sat there all night—she had stared at her the entire time without blinking.
But Tan Zishu didn’t say that. She didn’t answer directly. She just said, “You fell asleep last night, so I didn’t wake you up to go to your room. Still tired? You can go sleep in the bedroom for a bit.”
Ji Yao sat up and shook her head. “It’s fine.”
Breakfast was being made by the housekeeper, so Tan Zishu told Ji Yao to go eat first.
Ji Yao asked, “Where are you going?”
Of course, Tan Zishu was heading to her room to catch up on sleep—she hadn’t dared close her eyes all night, and now her whole body ached.
But instead of telling the truth, she pointed to the inhibitor patch on her neck. “I wasn’t feeling well last night. It’s my susceptibility period, and holding a beautiful woman that close was… torture. I need to find a suppressant…”
Great. Back to that conversation again.
“I never asked you to hold it in,” Ji Yao replied bluntly. “You were drinking too. You’re the one who didn’t act on it, so don’t try to get sympathy in the morning.”
Tan Zishu gave a helpless little smile. “If that’s how you see it, I can’t change your mind. It won’t happen again.”
Ji Yao appreciated straightforwardness. Since Tan Zishu seemed to know her place, Ji Yao didn’t say much more. It was breakfast time anyway—she turned to head downstairs for a meal.
And right then, the system suddenly popped up.
System: “Mission #3. It is known that Tan Zishu’s pheromones contain mild ‘toxicity.’ Please complete the poisoning task within five seconds, or you will die.”
Ji Yao, about to walk away: “…”
She had nearly forgotten about that. Since there was no time limit mentioned last night, she’d assumed the task could be skipped. Apparently not—the system was still enforcing it.
Sensing her frustration, the system added, “You were too drunk last night. Couldn’t be woken. Countdown begins: 5… 4…”
Ji Yao turned to look at Tan Zishu.
Tan Zishu was peeling off the inhibitor patch from her neck. When she noticed Ji Yao glance over, she gave her a cryptic smile. “Want to help me?”
Ji Yao didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward and leaned in. “Sure.”
After all, she couldn’t even smell Tan Zishu’s pheromones. Just a simple sniff would do.
She asked the system, “How do you determine if the task is complete? I can’t smell anything, and I didn’t react at all.”
System: “If I think it’s complete, then it is.”
Ji Yao: “…”
Annoyed, she tore off the inhibitor patch without thinking—and not gently, either.
“Ow… that really hurt.” Tan Zishu flinched and covered her neck. “Do you even know how to be gentle? We’re going to be spending a lot of time together, you know.”
Ji Yao looked down awkwardly at the patch in her hand. “Sorry. I zoned out for a second.”
Tan Zishu asked, “What were you thinking about?”
“I suddenly remembered a girl I used to know,” Ji Yao said, her eyes drifting toward the curtain-covered window as if trying to look back through time. “She never told anyone when she got hurt. One time she burned her hand, and she didn’t say a word until dinner, when I finally noticed.”
Tan Zishu paused for a moment. “I see.”
Ji Yao turned back and looked her in the eyes. “If she were like you, she definitely wouldn’t have let herself suffer in silence.”
Tan Zishu rested her chin on her palm. “You sure about that? How do you know I’m not used to swallowing my pain?”
Ji Yao raised an eyebrow. “You sure didn’t hesitate to complain just now.”
“That’s because I was blaming you,” Tan Zishu replied shamelessly. “If I’m going to be a proper little canary, I need you to be more considerate. Relationships are about mutual training. To find a comfortable rhythm, you have to learn when to give and when to hold back.”
Ji Yao was speechless.
“Like you said—I didn’t take my chance last night. So next time, I definitely won’t miss it,” Tan Zishu added, changing her tone to something more playful. “And when I say it hurts, you’ll go easier on me.”
Ji Yao finally noticed how red and swollen Tan Zishu’s neck was. Her skin was usually well taken care of—it clearly hadn’t held up under such rough treatment.
Breakfast could wait. Ji Yao placed her hand gently on Tan Zishu’s neck and began to massage. “Is your susceptibility period really that uncomfortable?”
Tan Zishu replied with a question: “What makes you ask that?”
“Well,” Ji Yao sighed, “you change partners every month during it… but last night, you brought me back and didn’t do anything.”
Tan Zishu leaned closer, curling up against her like a large dog searching for safety.
“It’s uncomfortable, but not unbearable,” she said. “Mostly, it’s because you were completely out of it last night. Even if I’d tried something, it wouldn’t have felt satisfying. I like a little… reaction. Without it—ow, not so hard…”
Ji Yao nearly pressed too hard on her neck. She blinked, stunned. “Wait, what did you just say you like?”
Tan Zishu caught her reaction instantly and decided to tease her.
With a smirk and a sultry voice, she wrapped her arms around Ji Yao’s neck, leaning in close to her ear. “I said—I like things… a little more exciting.”
Ji Yao shoved her off, a blush exploding from her ears all the way down her neck.
Tan Zishu burst out laughing. “Hahahaha!”
Ji Yao didn’t even know what to say anymore. This girl’s gotten way too cheeky since she grew up.
Tan Zishu wasn’t done teasing. “I’m into wild things. That’s why I change partners every month—just in case I accidentally kill someone in bed.”
Ji Yao stared at her.
“I mean, I didn’t do anything last night because it was our first day, and I didn’t want to scare you before you signed the agreement.”
Suddenly, Ji Yao remembered the bizarre contract from yesterday. One clause had caught her attention—the part that stated the canary (her) would not be guaranteed physical safety while helping the other party through their susceptibility period.
So… that’s what it meant?
Ji Yao swallowed hard, feeling her bl00d pressure spike a little.
Tan Zishu looked at her carefully. “Regretting it already? You never actually signed yesterday’s agreement, and we haven’t printed a new one. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”
Ji Yao might’ve been angry—but she wasn’t about to walk away.
If she left, and Tan Zishu kept living like this, it would only lead to disaster. Before that happened, she’d hurt countless more people.
Toxic pheromones…
Dangerous habits in bed…
Total disregard for others’ lives…
Ji Yao thought: Even if Tan Zishu’s become this monstrous version of herself, I’m not going to let go of her.
She would be the prison guard at the gates of hell—the one to keep Tan Zishu in check.
Ji Yao exhaled. “Relax. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tan Zishu didn’t even look surprised. She turned and went to the study, pulling out a contract from the drawer. “Want to adjust the terms? I’ve still got a one-month version left. The one-year contract you tore up yesterday was the only copy.”
Ji Yao immediately refused. “I don’t want the one-month one.”
Luckily, she hadn’t accepted the contract to read it. If she had, she would’ve noticed the terms were completely different from yesterday’s version.
Tan Zishu smoothly put it away. “Alright. Then how long do you want?”
Ji Yao looked at her and answered calmly, “Ten years.”