After Dating the President O, I Turned Into a Puppy-Like Lover - Chapter 39

After about two hours, both sides of the street had been cleaned.

Dan Sirou had originally worried about Jiang He’s health, thinking she should take on more of the work herself. But to her surprise, Jiang He was full of energy, covering nearly three-fifths of their assigned area. In the end, it was Sirou who found herself being looked after.

When the work was done, the twenty volunteers were to regroup at the meeting point at one o’clock and head out for lunch together. The organizers treated them, handing out vouchers for the nearby food court—a small but welcome perk.

Returning to the spot she and Jiang He had been assigned, Sirou saw Jiang He already waiting. But this time, there was a girl with dyed pink hair standing beside her. At first, Sirou thought they knew each other. Only when she drew closer and overheard their conversation did she realize the girl was trying to flirt.

The pink-haired girl had already pulled out her phone, smiling shyly as she asked for Jiang He’s contact information.

Sirou stopped two meters away, choosing not to interrupt.

Jiang He, however, seemed to sense the gaze from behind. She turned her head slightly, her eyes flickering back.

“Can I? Please?” the girl asked brightly, tugging lightly at Jiang He’s sleeve.

Jiang He withdrew her gaze and replied coolly, “Sorry.”

The girl had been about to act coy, but suddenly felt the weight of a cold stare from above. She shut her mouth immediately.

People who liked aloof types only found it charming when that coldness melted for them. But chasing after someone who remained utterly indifferent—that was masochism. The girl knew better and wisely backed off.

Only then did Sirou stroll over, calm and composed, as though she had just arrived and seen nothing.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Mm.” Jiang He nodded.

As she turned her head, the warm winter sunlight spilled across her figure, gilding her in a soft glow. Stray strands of hair and her long lashes shimmered faintly golden. The light seemed to melt the ice in her expression, revealing a hidden gentleness in her eyes.

Sirou found herself staring, momentarily lost.

Jiang He was undeniably beautiful. Her looks, her perfectly balanced height—among female alphas, she was one of the most striking Sirou had ever seen. Her pheromones were pure and clean. No wonder strangers stopped to approach her.

Sirou gradually pulled herself back from her thoughts.

They were just about to return to the meeting point when a phone rang.

Sirou paused, digging through her bag for her phone. Jiang He stopped as well, waiting.

Instinctively, Jiang He glanced sideways. On the screen, two characters stood out: Zhou Tingchen.

Her brows furrowed unconsciously. Even her breathing felt intrusive. She held her breath, focusing all her attention on her right ear.

Sirou didn’t think to step aside. She answered naturally.

“Hello?”

“Is that Sister Sirou?”

The voice was female, urgent—sounding like the girl who had joined them for lunch last time.

“Please come quickly! Senior Tingchen is in trouble!!”

Sirou frowned, confused. “What happened?”

“We’re at the park near school. Just now, someone went into heat, and Senior Tingchen suddenly fell into susceptibility. He’s in serious condition, he’s barely conscious. Sister, please come! I’m scared he’ll—” The girl’s voice broke, trembling with sobs even through the phone.

Sirou listened to her fragmented explanation, then replied calmly, “If it’s that serious, you should call an ambulance first. Even if I come, that’s all I can do, call for help with you.”

“I, I already did.” Qiao Zhi stammered. “But Senior Tingchen cares about you so much. I thought you should know.”

“I understand. But I have other matters right now. I’ll visit him at the hospital later,” Sirou said evenly.

“No! If you wait until later, I don’t know if Senior Tingchen will even last that long. Sister, you have to come! I can’t talk anymore, I need to stabilize him. Otherwise, his pheromones will affect me, and everyone nearby. It’ll be chaos.”

The call ended abruptly.

Sirou kept the phone pressed to her ear, dazed. From Qiao Zhi’s words, Tingchen’s condition sounded dire, perhaps even life-threatening.

She had experienced pheromone disorder herself not long ago. She knew how terrifying it could be.

Her thoughts drifted to her father.

In the months before his death, he had remained optimistic, telling her not to worry about family matters, urging her to live positively. She had believed him. But one day, in the middle of class, the teacher called her out, her father had jumped. The last time she saw him was as a cold, broken body, no longer able to speak.

Tomorrow or accident, no one knew which would arrive first.

Qiao Zhi’s final words struck her deeply.

She decided to go. If something truly happened, at least she wouldn’t be left with regret.

Jiang He watched as Sirou put her phone away. From the moment she had answered, she had been unsettled. Now, she was clearly about to turn back.

“You’re not going to the meeting point?” Jiang He asked.

“Mm.” Sirou nodded lightly. “Tell Wu Qing I had urgent business.”

“I’m going to catch a taxi now,” she added.

With that, she turned and walked toward the nearby intersection.

Jiang He gazed at her slender back, jealousy clouding her eyes. Her chest felt crushed, as though a heavy stone pressed down, suffocating her.

She was like a little dog abandoned by its master, aggrieved and helpless.

Against her own will, she forced her stiff legs to move. Even if abandoned, she couldn’t leave her.

Yu Qing Road was busy and chaotic, full of taxis and traffic.

Sirou was lucky. Just as she reached the curb, an empty cab pulled up. She raised her arm, and it stopped in front of her.

She was about to open the door when a gust of cold wind swept past, carrying a faint scent of milk. A long arm reached across her vision, blocking her, opening the door first.

She turned her head. It was Jiang He.

“You?” Sirou looked at her, puzzled.

“I’ll go with you. If things are serious, one more person means one more helping hand,” Jiang He explained calmly.

Her voice was steady, her expression composed. Even a simple glance carried reassurance.

Though Sirou had never considered Jiang He the kind of friend to share burdens or rush to her side, in this moment she hesitated.

Before she could decide, the driver grew impatient. “Are you getting in or not?” he urged.

And so, Jiang He naturally followed her into the cab.

They sat in the back, each leaning against their own door, a seat’s distance between them. Neither spoke.

Yu Qing Road to Dongcheng International High School was about fifteen minutes without traffic. The driver was quick, catching green lights at every turn.

They arrived even faster than expected.

Dongcheng International High School lay at the foot of Ming Mountain. Cool and refreshing in summer, cold and secluded in winter. Tall trees lined the way, and its Gothic architecture lent the school an air of elegance and grandeur.

The grounds nearby weren’t exactly a public park, but part of the school’s property, an area set aside for students and teachers to gather, relax, and hold activities.

At this hour, the grounds were quiet, with only a few scattered figures easy to make out.

Dan Sirou looked around but saw no sign of Zhou Tingchen.

Perhaps he had already been taken to the hospital.

But Qiao Zhi hadn’t contacted her.

Sirou pulled out her phone, hesitating, should she call first or ask someone nearby? If an ambulance had come, surely people around would have noticed.

Just then, she spotted someone reading in the pavilion and started toward them. But her sleeve was gently tugged.

“There,” Jiang He murmured, tilting her chin toward the distance.

Sirou followed her gaze. Beneath the tall plane trees, two elongated silhouettes flickered in the dappled shade. Hidden by foliage, they were hard to see clearly without adjusting the angle.

It was a man and a woman—sometimes pressed close, sometimes pulling apart.

Sirou narrowed her eyes, then strode forward decisively. She needed to know whether Zhou Tingchen was truly in trouble.

Jiang He silently followed.

Sirou didn’t try to sneak up or dramatize her approach. She walked openly, her footsteps rustling against the grass.

The pair remained oblivious.

As she drew closer, the scene sharpened, voices drifting into earshot.

“I said no!” Zhou Tingchen shoved Qiao Zhi away.

But she clung back like an octopus. “Senior, I released my pheromones just now to ease your discomfort. How can you treat me like this?”

“Please, I feel so awful, my body’s burning. Touch my face.”

She seized his hand, pressing it against her fevered cheek. Zhou Tingchen tried to push her off, but the Omega in heat, though weak, was relentless. The ripe scent of peaches filled the air, clouding the Alpha’s mind.

Her burning skin seared through his palm. In that instant, Zhou Tingchen felt his blood boil, the intoxicating fragrance coiling around him like a soft, venomous serpent, luring him downward into shadow.

“Senior.” The Omega burrowed into his chest like a kitten, her head rubbing against him. “Did you know? Our pheromone compatibility is ninety percent.”

“You like me too, don’t you?”

She lifted her gaze, eyes shimmering, brimming with desire.

Zhou Tingchen’s throat bobbed. He turned his head, trying to push her away.

“If you don’t like me, then what’s this?” she whispered, her heated body pressed against him.

His mind went blank, throat parched.

“If you didn’t want me, why respond to my pheromones? Senior, I wouldn’t be like this if you hadn’t tempted me.” Her voice was plaintive, tinged with accusation.

His breathing grew ragged. He fought to resist, but his eyes were losing clarity.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, her breath hot with peach-scented sweetness. “Come on, Senior. Mark me.”

She turned, baring her pale neck in invitation.

Zhou Tingchen snapped. He gripped her shoulders, his pheromones surging uncontrollably.

The Omega weakened, her legs trembling like cotton, eyes brimming with tears. “Senior, let me lean against the tree.”

Drunk on her scent, he still heard her plea, half-guiding her toward the trunk.

But as he turned, a figure in the distance froze him. His scalp prickled, his eyes widened, breath forgotten.

He released Qiao Zhi instantly, whispering hoarsely, “Rourou.”

Qiao Zhi turned too. “Sister.”

Dan Sirou’s gaze was cool, her lashes lifting faintly before she turned away, walking off without a word.

“Rourou, listen to me!” Zhou Tingchen’s voice cracked behind her.

Sirou’s pace doubled, faster than when she had come. Jiang He kept up easily, her long strides matched Sirou’s frantic rhythm without effort.

They walked far, leaving the grounds of the International High School behind.

Jiang He’s heart churned with mixed emotions—worry, jealousy. “Are you angry?” she asked.

Sirou’s unusual reaction proved she still cared about that man. Jiang He felt a bitter sting she couldn’t name.

“No,” Sirou said evenly.

Jiang He didn’t believe her. She thought Sirou was pretending. “Then why did you leave?”

“Look at what they were doing. Should I have stayed there, watching?” Sirou replied calmly, withdrawing her gaze.

Jiang He fell silent.

She had a point. If you stumbled upon strangers kissing, or worse, the normal reaction was to leave, not linger as a third wheel.

And Sirou didn’t look jealous, as though her feelings for Zhou Tingchen had been stolen away.

Jiang He glanced back curiously. The two were no longer entangled, and Zhou Tingchen hadn’t chased after them. He was nowhere in sight.

Her eyes returned to the girl beside her, the one who stirred her most deeply.

It was astonishing.

Sirou was so composed. Even if she and Zhou Tingchen weren’t official, shouldn’t she care more? They had history, after all.

But clearly, Zhou Tingchen didn’t weigh as heavily in her heart as Jiang He had imagined. Perhaps hardship had made Sirou immune to such shocks. Jiang He had never seen her break down. She was always poised, always steady.

Her emotions were balanced, her strength unshakable.

Nothing seemed able to rattle her.

Misjudging her resilience would be costly later.