Chapter 31

“Instead of worrying about my love life, why don’t you worry about your own. Facing Zhong Ning every day and still having the time to tease me, it seems you’re not bothered enough.”

Xie Shiqing shifted her position, tilting her head to rest on the quilt, her bare back exposed to the air. Through her hair, faint red marks could be seen on her skin.

“Zhong Ning is great. Obedient, well-behaved. Whatever I tell her to do, she does it. What’s there to be bothered about?”

Qi Wan let out a cold laugh.

“If you called just to talk about this, I’m hanging up.”

“How’s the tranquilizer development going?” Xie Shiqing asked.

“Not that fast. If it’s just scent simulation, that’s easy. But to match your physique without any rejection, it has to be perfectly aligned. That takes time,” Qi Wan replied.

“Make sure she comes again the day after tomorrow.”

“Alright, got it.”

After hanging up, Xie Shiqing turned over. The heavy scent of grapefruit blossoms still lingered in the air, the room filled with dense pheromones. After a temporary marking, this scent wouldn’t push her into heat; it only made her feel comfortable and relaxed.

She thought of that little calico cat, thought of Zhong Ning’s tone unconsciously rising when she talked about small animals, the excitement in her voice.

That strange feeling surfaced again.

It was a completely meaningless pretense. After all, she didn’t like small animals. Creating such a persona had no effect in pleasing her whatsoever.

It was truly strange.

……

After breakfast, Xie Shiqing had to go to the company. In her past life, several traitors had infiltrated the company. The Zhong and Le family had orchestrated it well. They were part of the same circle—Le Xi and Zhong Zinuan had joined forces, bribing people to leak Xie Corporation’s secrets and maliciously undercut bids.

Among them were several high-level executives, even some minor shareholders. Dealing with them required swift and discreet measures. Since her rebirth, she had been busy with this.

Temporary marking could cause some negative effects for omegas, such as a stronger desire for physical contact with alphas, heightened sensitivity to alpha emotions, and lowered boundaries. Xie Shiqing collectively referred to these as “IQ-lowering side effects.”

Normally, omegas should rest for two days to allow hormonal balance to restore—especially after a first marking, when the impact was strongest.

But compared to the torment she suffered from Pheromone Imbalance Disorder, these side effects were negligible.

Xie Shiqing only felt an unprecedented comfort, as if her soul had found its sanctuary, her Eden Garden. She had never felt better.

The agony of her disorder had plagued her for too long. She had even forgotten what it felt like to be a normal person.

In truth, Xie Shiqing did feel some dependence, yearning, and reluctance.

But she preferred to attribute these emotions to hormonal influence and her body’s subconscious drive to find relief from suffering.

It was human nature. Nothing to be embarrassed about.

She analyzed her own thoughts, savored each shifting emotion like a gourmet critiquing a dish, pondering whether it needed white pepper or black pepper—whether this emotion should be categorized as fear or depression. In those first years after losing her sight, her other senses had become sharper to compensate for the lost vision.

After a long period of pheromone disorder, constantly trying to suppress her emotions, one became indifferent.

But the hormones in Xie Shiqing’s body were like a computer crashing with error codes, wildly out of control. Calmness had become a rare occurrence for her.

When these extremes clashed, the result was a facade that made her seem like a normal person outside, but inhumane inside.

Xie Shiqing didn’t rush to leave. Her fingertips brushed against the back of the sofa, feeling the coarse fabric rubbing against her skin. The tip of her tongue, freshly rinsed, still carried the lingering scent of lemon.

Since she wasn’t dependent on alphas and could control this feeling, then requesting something for the sake of physical comfort was entirely understandable.

She didn’t need to hold back.

Right?

“Ning Ning.”

The woman propped herself up on the sofa with her elbow, her upper body leaning forward. Her curled black hair flowed like a river, and her slender figure was wrapped in a blue-moon cheongsam, curves clearly defined.

She looked like a rose in the garden, turned melancholic blue under the sunlight, yet exuding an intoxicating fragrance.

“How about a goodbye kiss?”

————————

**Xie Shiqing:** I don’t want restraint, I want kisses!

**Zhong Ning:** Okay, okay, I totally agree (cheerfully)

**Chapter 19**

Fengcheng was one of the top cities in the country. In terms of elite families, having ten or eight wasn’t rare, but among them, the Xie family and the Zhong family stood at the very top.

During the Xie family’s car accident crisis, Xie Corporation’s shares plummeted, but Xie Shiqing had managed to turn things around, and her capability was recognized by all.

This powerful alliance between the Xie and Zhong families attracted a lot of attention. Although invitations hadn’t been sent out yet, word had already spread.

They were already business partners—now becoming family. In terms of market competitiveness, it wasn’t as simple as one plus one equaling two.

Some watched with detachment, treating it as mere gossip. Others frowned, unwilling to accept it. But among them, the one most intent on sabotaging the engagement wasn’t a rival—rather, it was Zhong Zinuan.

She was one year older than Zhong Ning, and it was the final week for her. But for her, as the school goddess, schoolwork was easy.

What truly bothered her was figuring out how to stop the marriage between the two families.

Zhong Ning—who knew what kind of wind had blown through her head. Their mother claimed she had grown smarter and even knew how to play dirty. But Zhong Zinuan didn’t believe that. To her, Zhong Ning was a certified idiot. Most likely, it was Fu Nanshuang’s gang of disreputable friends who gave her the idea to cling so tightly to Xie Shiqing. Absolutely disgusting.

Disgusting people deserved equally revolting outcomes.

The summer breeze lifted Zhong Zinuan’s cascading black hair, a faint fragrance wafting from her strands. The sunlight, sliced into strips by the curtains, scattered across her pale blue dress. She looked as graceful as a fairy in a painting, with a captivating smile on her lips.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep