Transmigrated as an Alpha, the Fox Spirit Lives on Pheromone - Chapter 5

Jiang Li tilted her head to look at Qin Nian, a hint of confusion flashing across her face before she broke into a smile. “I am a fox spirit to begin with, not some reincarnation of one.”

Seeing her earnest explanation, Bai Muqin felt a fleeting moment where she almost believed her. But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. She couldn’t help but pinch Jiang Li’s cheek teasingly, mocking, “With how you’ve been acting, you call yourself a fox spirit? More like a fool!” Unconsciously, a trace of fondness seeped into her tone.

Qin Nian, startled by Bai Muqin’s half-scolding, half-doting tone, nearly choked on her porridge. Her gaze flickered between the two of them before she teased, “You know what? I’m actually starting to believe it. If she isn’t a fox spirit, how did you two almost lose control this morning?”

Bai Muqin’s face flushed slightly with embarrassment and annoyance. She shot Qin Nian a glare, only for the latter to deliberately avoid her eyes, clearing her throat and feigning displeasure as she threatened, “If you keep eavesdropping on me, I’ll make you pack your bags and send you back to the old house today.”

Qin Nian immediately raised her hands in surrender. “Sis, I was just joking! Ah Li must have been helping you with your Heat symptoms this morning. I swear I won’t do it again!”

Bai Muqin neither confirmed nor denied it, merely continuing to eat her breakfast at a leisurely pace.

Noticing that Ah Li was sitting primly at the table, seemingly uninterested in the food in front of her and only sneaking glances at Bai Muqin from time to time, Qin Nian pushed a fried dough stick toward her. “Try this—it’s crispy while it’s hot. It won’t taste as good once it cools down.”

Jiang Li lowered her head to sniff it, then shook her head and pushed it back.

Assuming she didn’t like it, Qin Nian was about to recommend steamed buns instead when Jiang Li spoke up, “Thank you, but I’m already full.”

Qin Nian’s eyes widened in surprise, and she shot Bai Muqin a questioning look. She had thought Bai Muqin was just teasing her earlier by calling Ah Li foolish, but it seemed the girl really was that clueless.

Bai Muqin, however, appeared unfazed, casually remarking, “She hasn’t eaten anything since last night. We’ll get her checked at the hospital today.” She added, “Also, schedule an appointment with Doctor Zhou for me.”

–

At the hospital, Qin Nian led Jiang Li through a more thorough examination while Bai Muqin went straight to see Doctor Zhou. Without Bai Muqin by her side, Jiang Li seemed uneasy, but Qin Nian’s reassurances eventually convinced her that she hadn’t been abandoned by her owner, and she obediently underwent the tests.

The hospital was filled with the sterile scent of disinfectant and faint traces of various pheromones, yet Jiang Li could still pick out the subtle fragrance of passionfruit amidst it all. Her compliance wasn’t due to Qin Nian’s soothing words—it was because she could sense Bai Muqin wasn’t far away, and that alone put her at ease.

Today’s examinations were far more complex and tedious than yesterdays. After what felt like forever, Qin Nian finally gathered a stack of reports and took Jiang Li to see Doctor Zhou.

Doctor Zhou Yang was a leading authority in the Alpha-Omega medical field, an A-rank Alpha herself. Born into a family of renowned physicians and a longtime friend of the Qin family, she had been immersed in medicine since childhood. Her father specialized in Alpha-Omega research, and with his academic guidance, she had advanced rapidly in her field, now surpassing even his expertise.

After examining Bai Muqin’s gland, Zhou Yang habitually scribbled notes before speaking. “Your gland has returned to normal. It seems that person from yesterday was quite effective.”

“I’ve studied the monitoring data collected from your room. It’s incredible how she can rapidly lower your pheromone levels. So, what exactly did she do?”

Bai Muqin didn’t hold back, briefly explaining what had transpired between her and Jiang Li in the room. She trusted Zhou Yang deeply—not just because of their family ties, but because Zhou Yang had exhausted every possible method over the years to help her safely endure her Heat, never giving up even when all seemed hopeless.

Zhou Yang pulled up the monitoring data again and hesitantly asked, “If you don’t mind, could we leave the monitoring devices in place a little longer? Having multiple sets of data for comparison would make the research more thorough.”

“Also, since your Heat shouldn’t return for the next few days, could she stay with me for a while? Three days at most—I need to complete some data.”

“Sure, no problem,” Bai Muqin agreed almost instantly.

Relieved by her consent, Zhou Yang reassured her, “Don’t worry, I won’t subject her to any strange experiments.”

Bai Muqin chuckled lightly. “I know.” Then, as if casually, she added, “By the way, Doctor Zhou, can a necrotic gland be repaired?”

Zhou Yang adjusted her glasses with one hand and answered professionally, “I’d need to examine her gland more thoroughly to say for sure. But based on previous cases, most are irreparable.”

“There’s also a potential issue—if the gland is restored, her current abilities might disappear.”

“I wonder, Miss Bai, do you want her gland restored, or…?” She left the question hanging, studying Bai Muqin’s expression for her true thoughts.

Bai Muqin gave nothing away, her face as cool and detached as ever. Yet she answered frankly, “I want it restored. I’m tired of being tormented by my Heat for so long. Finally finding an Alpha I don’t reject—if this could solve the problem permanently, why not?”

Zhou Yang caught the underlying implication and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really sure? Shouldn’t you wait a little longer? I hear the Jiang family is making moves—rumors say the second young miss is returning.”

Before Bai Muqin could respond, a knock interrupted them. Qin Nian entered with Jiang Li in tow.

Jiang Li had been listless, but the moment she saw Bai Muqin, her eyes lit up, and she perked up instantly. She rushed into the office eagerly, barely stopping herself from blurting out “Master” and quickly correcting to, “Miss Bai.”

Bai Muqin nodded approvingly and reached out to ruffle Jiang Li’s hair. “Ah Li, this is Doctor Zhou.”

Jiang Li shrank back at the sight of the white-coated doctor, trembling when she recognized Zhou Yang—the same impassive doctor who had examined her the night before.

She hid behind Bai Muqin, peeking out cautiously with half her face, and nervously greeted, “Doctor Zhou.”

Zhou Yang gave a helpless, wry smile. “Was I too harsh yesterday? Did I scare you?” she reflected. “Sorry, I get like that during examinations. Don’t be afraid.”

Jiang Li remained silent, still eyeing Zhou Yang warily. When they first met, she had mistaken Doctor Zhou for a butcher. Even though she now knew otherwise, the instinctive fear rooted in her body couldn’t be dispelled so easily. She shrank behind Bai Muqin, gradually calming down as she was enveloped by the pleasant scent of passionfruit pheromones.

If Zhou Yang knew how Jiang Li saw her, she’d probably be furious.

Qin Nian took the opportunity to hand the report to Zhou Yang. “Doctor Zhou, this is Ah Li’s examination report. Since she has no identification, we used my details for the report.”

Zhou Yang didn’t say much, taking the report and flipping through it carefully. The more she read, the more perplexed her expression became.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Muqin asked.

Zhou Yang adjusted her glasses and handed a report to Bai Muqin, explaining while gesturing, “Look at this data. It shows that the development of Ah Li’s bodily systems and organs resembles that of an infant. Yet she’s already an adult, with an estimated age of around 25. It’s unbelievable! Aside from slight malnutrition, everything else is normal, consistent with yesterday’s results. If not for the hospital’s latest equipment, we wouldn’t have detected this issue.” Her tone was puzzled but tinged with unmistakable excitement.

The results took Bai Muqin by surprise. Recalling how Ah Li had vomited after eating last night, it all made sense now. She didn’t reveal anything further, only asking, “So, does that mean she can’t eat normally?”

Zhou Yang pursed her lips in thought. “Theoretically, yes. Her digestive system is extremely fragile. We can start with liquids like milk. During her hospital stay, I’ll administer IV nutrients first, then introduce milk and observe for a while.”

She beckoned to Jiang Li. “Ah Li, come here. Let me check your gland again.”

Jiang Li reluctantly took a step forward but then stopped, turning to Bai Muqin with a pitiful look. “Mis—Miss Bai.”

“I’ll go with you.” Bai Muqin walked ahead, following Zhou Yang into the examination room.

Seeing this, Jiang Li trailed after them.

Zhou Yang had Jiang Li lie face-down on the table, pushing aside her hair to reveal the back of her neck. The hideous scar there was shockingly stark.

She turned on a device, casting a purple light onto the scar. As she manipulated the area, she studied the data feedback from the machine, her expression serious and focused.

An odd sensation spread across Jiang Li’s neck—itchy and slightly stinging. Restless and displeased, she let out a few soft whimpers, hoping the ordeal would end soon.

Bai Muqin couldn’t sit still upon hearing those sounds. Jiang Li’s whimpers were like a horsehair brush lightly grazing her heart, both ticklish and piercing. She wanted to voice her concern but feared Ah Li might playfully cling to her, so she held back. Only when Doctor Zhou turned off the device did she finally relax.

Once the examination was over, Jiang Li immediately glued herself to Bai Muqin’s side, clutching her sleeve nervously. During the check-up, she had suddenly recalled Doctor Zhou’s words. The term “hospital stay” belatedly registered in her mind, and she didn’t want to be hospitalized—because she knew it meant being separated from her owner.

“The test results will take a few more days. Why not arrange for Ah Li to be hospitalized first? I’ll inform you of the results when she’s discharged.” Zhou Yang calmly made the arrangements while seeking Bai Muqin’s opinion.

“Fine. I’ll have Qin Nian stay behind to take care of her,” Bai Muqin agreed. She was being cautious—a special case like Ah Li would naturally pique any doctor’s interest for further study. Though Doctor Zhou was trustworthy, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Zhou Yang raised no objections and went out to find Qin Nian to handle the hospitalization procedures.

Meanwhile, Jiang Li was having none of it. She tugged at Bai Muqin’s coat sleeve, refusing to let go. Only when she saw no one else around did she dare speak up boldly, “Master, I don’t want to stay in the hospital. I don’t want to leave you.”

“Be good. At most, it’ll be three days, and then I’ll bring you home. Besides, Qin Nian will be here to take care of you. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Bai Muqin coaxed gently.

Jiang Li’s mind had cleared up considerably by now, so she understood why she needed to be hospitalized and that Muqin wasn’t lying—she would indeed take her home. Yet, she still stubbornly refused to let go. The mere thought of going days without savoring those delicious pheromones made every cell in her body scream in protest.

Once Qin Nian finished the hospitalization procedures, Bai Muqin turned gracefully and slipped off her coat in one smooth motion.

Jiang Li stood frozen, clutching the coat in her arms, still processing what had just happened when Bai Muqin had already stridden away in her high heels.

A heart-wrenching cry echoed behind her—”Master!”—ringing out unmistakably clear. Bai Muqin quickened her pace. That cry of “Master” was far too embarrassing! They had agreed not to use that title in front of outsiders! She could practically feel the nurses around her stifling laughter. Flushed with both shame and irritation, Bai Muqin’s last shred of guilt vanished entirely.

Qin Nian held Jiang Li back from chasing after her. She had been holding in her laughter for ages after hearing that “Master” and only dared to burst out laughing once she was sure Bai Muqin was out of earshot. Teasingly, she remarked, “You and my sister sure have some interesting games going on.”