After Differentiation, My Arch-nemesis Thinks I’m Fragrant - Chapter 18

Shu Youzhan finally managed to get her hands on that Equinox Flower scented fragrance-mimicking test strip.

Actually, it was Zhao Qinglan who came up and handed it to her just as they were about to leave the museum. It was a stack of scent-retaining sticky notes with a very peculiar aroma.

“Huh? I looked for ages and couldn’t find them. How did you get these?”

Zhao Qinglan’s expression was lukewarm, showing neither joy nor anger. “I happen to know the owner of this pheromone. To thank you for liking it, she said she’s giving them to you.”

Shu Youzhan accepted them happily and patted Zhao Qinglan on the shoulder. “Heehee, I’m going to your place again this week. Why don’t you ask that person if they’re free? I want to challenge them face-to-face.”

Zhao Qinglan stood with one hand in her pocket. Her well-fitted, academy-style white school uniform outlined her figure, with silver-white embroidery tracing a sense of low-profile nobility. She stood still for a moment before asking, as if to confirm, “You really want to meet that person?”

Shu Youzhan blinked, feeling like there was a hidden meaning in those words.

However, Pei Yi was waving at her frantically from up ahead, urging her to hurry over. Shu Youzhan instinctively looked down at her watch and realized it was almost the gathering time set by Old Fang.

So, she tugged on Zhao Qinglan. “Go, go, go! Time to assemble. We’ll talk about my ‘dream scent’ next time I’m at your house.”

Class One’s museum visit was scheduled for the morning. After taking the bus back to school as a group, Shu Youzhan had lunch in the cafeteria with Pei Yi and Shu Mi. When they returned to the classroom and Pei Yi fell asleep at her desk, Shu Youzhan solemnly placed that stack of sticky notes on the top-left corner of her desk.

Then, she carefully selected a pen worthy of writing on such exquisitely scented paper.

When Zhao Qinglan returned from eating out at a restaurant with the Sun sisters, she saw her seatmate take out an elegant sign pen. Shu Youzhan was testing colors and writing feel on scrap paper before finally using an ultra-fine pen to write four large characters on the first page of the colorful sticky notes: “Manjusaka” (Equinox Flower).

Pulling out her chair, Zhao Qinglan sat down and caught a glimpse of the sharp, sweeping strokes of the handwriting. She teased casually, “Are you going to sleep while hugging those sticky notes tonight?”

Shu Youzhan’s eyes curled up triumphantly. She glanced at Zhao Qinglan, picked up the brand-new stack, and waved it under her nose. “Are you jealous? Such powerful Alpha pheromones. Do you want me to take pity on you and let you have a sniff?”

Zhao Qinglan: “No need…”

Shu Youzhan hummed twice, put down the notes, and lazily propped up her head. She fished a set of math problems out of her drawer and pulled out a bag of mixed nuts, tearing it open and popping them into her mouth to chew slowly.

Her muffled voice carried a hint of milky nut fragrance as it drifted into the space of the person beside her. “Last night… that last question on the math test, did you solve it?”

Zhao Qinglan was taking a moment to look over military documents—work she needed to submit over the weekend. Her internship duties did not decrease just because of her student status.

Multitasking, she replied, “No. I took one look and felt the knowledge points required were beyond the syllabus. It doesn’t seem like it’ll be on the Gaokao, so I didn’t bother.”

Shu Youzhan sat up a bit straighter, biting down on a macadamia nut. Her deep brown eyes went round, looking at the person beside her in disbelief.

She had spent over ten minutes thinking about that problem last night. She couldn’t find the logic at first, and after a long struggle to solve it, the steps felt incredibly tedious. She had intended to ask Zhao Qinglan if her answer was correct, only to find that this person hadn’t even done it.

She suddenly felt frustrated, as if she were the only one competing. It felt like her opponent didn’t even acknowledge her efforts. With that thought, Shu Youzhan stopped paying attention to Zhao Qinglan. She focused on her problems, snacked on nuts, and occasionally toyed with the stack of sticky notes.

A faint, milky fragrance continued to spread through the small space in the back row.

This lasted until the bell rang, signaling the end of the noon break.

Pei Yi rubbed her eyes sleepily against the desk, preparing to drag Shu Youzhan out to buy drinks. When she looked back, she saw Shu Youzhan’s arm resting partially on Zhao Qinglan’s desk, almost leaning over as she flipped through a large English newspaper.

Pei Yi realized in hindsight that ever since Zhao Qinglan and Shu Youzhan became seatmates, the division of territory between them was more casual than between ordinary Betas or Omegas. She had never seen Zhao Qinglan care about Shu Youzhan’s reckless encroaching…

It seemed Zhao Qinglan’s temper was a bit better than she had imagined?

Just as that thought surfaced, she saw Zhao Qinglan reach out and nudge the back of Shu Youzhan’s neck. Zhao Qinglan leaned in and whispered something. Shu Youzhan immediately sat up straight, shedding her lazy posture. After locking eyes with the other girl, she got up and walked straight out.

The slight illusion Pei Yi had just formed vanished instantly.

Inside a somewhat secluded restroom in the teaching building.

Shu Youzhan scooped up a handful of water to wash her face, only to find that the faint flush of red hadn’t subsided at all.

Not only that, she could even smell the scent of her own pheromones leaking out.

Zhao Qinglan’s warning was still ringing in her ears: “Your pheromones… are leaking out.”

What was going on?

She clearly remembered applying an inhibitor patch before leaving for school today!

Hearing footsteps gradually approaching in the hallway outside, Shu Youzhan didn’t want the news of her sudden differentiation to spread. Gritting her teeth, she ducked into a stall. The school’s restroom stalls were built individually and were no less luxurious than those in high-end hotels; each stall had its own ventilation system specifically to prevent Alphas or Omegas from affecting others during special periods.

She stayed inside, turned on the circulation system, and rubbed the back of her neck while frantically searching for her condition on her phone: “Why would an Omega with an inhibitor patch still leak pheromones?”

Search result: “Entering the Heat period.”

There were several other consultation questions below that matched Shu Youzhan’s description. She clicked on one and found an explanation from a specialist doctor: “Hello, there are two possibilities. First, you are being suppressed by an Alpha’s pheromones…

Second, check if you have accidentally come into contact with Alpha pheromones that have a very high compatibility with you. This can cause stimulation, leading to a ‘Pseudo-Heat’ period.”

After reading through the list, a giant question mark appeared over Shu Youzhan’s head: “?”

Wait…

Did the mimicking fragrance have that effect too?

She actually had a high compatibility with the owner of that Equinox Flower scent? No way, right?

Shu Youzhan anxiously searched for a solution and found that at this point, she either needed an inhibitor injection…

Or she had to stay isolated for a while, avoiding any contact with Alpha pheromones.

Or…

Find an Alpha to give her a temporary mark to suppress the heat.

As Shu Youzhan was agonizing over the choice, the bell for the afternoon class rang nearby.

She bit her lower lip, her deep brown eyes misting over—whether from anxiety or something else. She pulled out her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and finally messaged the only person who knew her situation.

“QAQ Help! Save the child!” “I’m in the restroom next to the west laboratory. Can you get me an inhibitor right now?”

Buzz…

Sitting in the classroom, Zhao Qinglan’s gaze frequently drifted toward the back door. After waiting a long time without seeing anyone, she felt her phone vibrate. She took it out and glanced at the screen, her dark eyes deepening into a heavy shadow.

Thinking about the time it would take to get a permit for the infirmary, her fingertip trembled slightly as she replied: “It might take half an hour.”

The “Typing…” indicator flickered for a long time—

Finally, a message popped up from the other side:

“Ten minutes! You or the inhibitor! Pick one and save me!”