After Setting Me Up With My Ex, The Aloof Alpha Regrets It - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Your Heart Is Beating Fast, I Can Hear It.

After Shi Li got into the car, the seat automatically adjusted to fit her frame, finding the most comfortable shape and height. It softly cradled the back of her neck, providing a small sense of security for her vulnerable scent gland.

Zhu Yunqi’s car had a flying mode. She set the navigation to the Star City General Hospital and switched to low-altitude flight. The car flew smoothly at a height of about thirty meters above the ground.

It was faster than the maglev shuttle and there was no traffic.

Not many people used the aerial lanes. Cars with a flight mode started at seven-figure prices, and they also required an additional annual fee for using the aerial lanes. That fee was about the same as Shi Li’s entire yearly salary.

Shi Li looked at Zhu Yunqi. “Thank you.”

Zhu Yunqi lowered her eyes and scrolled through the StarNet, humming in response.

“Want me to open a window? Your heart is beating fast,” Zhu Yunqi said, pointing to her ear. “I can hear it.”

An Alpha’s senses are different from a normal person’s. Differentiation gave them superior physical attributes, power, and speed, and their senses would also evolve to varying degrees. For a high-level Alpha like Zhu Yunqi, hearing faint noises that others couldn’t was effortless.

Unlike the cafe, the car’s interior was a relatively narrow space. It was inevitable that Shi Li would feel nervous and uncomfortable being in a car with an S+ class Alpha.

Shi Li nodded. “Halfway, please.”

A moist breeze blew in. With a connection to the outside, the car’s space no longer felt so cramped. The car skillfully wove its way through the skyscrapers. Zhu Yunqi would occasionally adjust the flight altitude. Even though she was still scrolling through the StarNet, her reactions seemed to be even more agile than the autopilot system’s, as if she were playing with a toy.

As she scrolled, Zhu Yunqi observed the scenery outside the window. “Z3291 has changed a lot.”

Shi Li responded, “Have you not been here in a long time?”

“About four or five years. I studied here before, then stayed in the Black Star Belt.”

The Black Star Belt, Shi Li silently repeated the name in her mind. That was not a place where ordinary people could live.

The entire Federation was divided into four regions: the Upper Star System, the Mid-Star System, the Lower Star System, and the Black Star Belt. Prosperity decreased with each region. Z3291, where Shi Li currently lived, was a planet in the Upper Star System. Like the other planets there, it was economically prosperous, technologically advanced, and educationally developed—an ideal place to live and work in peace.

The Mid-Star System mainly consisted of tourist planets and resource planets, along with a few man-made stars. It wasn’t as prosperous as the Upper Star System, but it was peaceful and stable. Many sanatoriums were located in the Mid-Star System due to the beautiful scenery.

If the Upper Star System was the Federation’s diamond, and the Mid-Star System was its silver, then the Black Star Belt was the scrap metal that no one wanted to venture into, a haven for space pirates and insectoids. The Lower Star System was the barrier used to isolate the Black Star Belt from the Mid-Star and Upper Star Systems.

She had heard that the Black Star Belt had interstellar dust storms for half of the year, and the environment was incredibly harsh. Not to mention the constant harassment from pirates and insectoids.

Zhu Holdings was actually willing to let their daughter go to such a place. And for several years at that.

Shi Li couldn’t help but let her gaze linger on Zhu Yunqi’s face for a while longer.

Zhu Yunqi’s eyelashes were very long, like two thick little brushes that cast shadows beneath her eyes, making those rare gray eyes even more profound.

Noticing Shi Li’s gaze, Zhu Yunqi’s slender fingers lightly tapped the edge of the car’s control panel. “The Black Star Belt has the most brilliant diamonds in the entire Federation. It’s a shame you’re an Omega. The Federation prohibits Omegas from entering the Black Star Belt.”

Federation law clearly stipulated that Omegas were forbidden from entering the Black Star Belt, and they had to apply for approval in advance to go to the Lower Star System. To Shi Li, the Black Star Belt had always been an abstract concept, like a divine realm printed in a textbook.

Shi Li said, “There don’t seem to be any photos of the Black Star Belt’s diamonds on the StarNet.”

“There are very few reports about the Black Star Belt,” Zhu Yunqi said with a hint of sarcasm.

Soon, the spires of the Star City General Hospital appeared in their sight. Zhu Yunqi operated the car, landing it steadily in the parking lot. She got out of the car with Shi Li.

Shi Li was curious why she was also coming to the hospital. “Is there something wrong with you, too?”

Zhu Yunqi stretched her arms.

“No. I’m just bored, taking a walk.”

Shi Li: …

She had never met anyone who was so bored that they went for a walk at a hospital.

Zhu Yunqi asked again, “What kind of check-up are you getting? The weather forecast says it will hail at 6 p.m. I can drive you back.”

Then she deliberately emphasized: “I’m on vacation. I’m very free.”

She didn’t want to go home, but she wanted to find something to do. Following Shi Li was a good way to get closer to her future business partner.

Shi Li: “…Thank you.”

She could tell. Zhu Yunqi was bored out of her mind, carrying a billion-dollar black card, and now taking a walk with her to the hospital.

“I’m going to the Pheromone Diagnostics Department.”

Shi Li went to get a number and waited in line, as she was used to doing. Despite the severe weather warning today, there were still many people waiting in front of the Pheromone General Clinic, most of them young Omegas. The development of medical science in the Federation had reached a very advanced level. Artificial hearts, synthetic blood, mechanical limbs… they were already a reality. Most illnesses didn’t even require a doctor; they could be treated in a medical pod.

However, research on scent glands and pheromones often hit bottlenecks, stagnating. As a result, pheromone-related illnesses still required a special trip to the hospital for treatment.

As soon as she stepped into the waiting area, Shi Li smelled the pheromones of several different people. The scents were almost all faint, but one peach-scented pheromone was particularly strong. A thin, long-haired girl with a flushed face was curled up in her Alpha’s arms, tears in her eyes, desperately seeking comfort from her lover.

Her Alpha didn’t look well either. She was about to release her pheromones to make her Omega more comfortable, but a nearby nurse immediately stopped her.

An Alpha’s pheromones were comforting to their marked Omega, but they were almost all side effects for other Omegas. Marked Omegas were fine; the Alpha pheromones left in their bodies would automatically protect them from being affected by other pheromones. Those who weren’t marked, however, would be forced into a state of heat and excitement, and at the same time feel a deep sense of fear. Some would even enter their heat cycle early.

The Omega said, her face pale: “No, I can endure it… just give me a kiss…”

This made her Alpha feel incredibly heartbroken.

Fortunately, due to their special situation, the doctor called them in next.

As soon as the Alpha disappeared, all the Omegas in the waiting room collectively let out a sigh of relief.

Zhu Yunqi didn’t follow her in. Shi Li quietly peeked her head out and saw that Zhu Yunqi was squatting in front of a broad-leafed plant, counting how many leaves it had. Her arms and legs were long, making her look just like a snake so bored that it had coiled up and was playing with its own tail.

Why, exactly, doesn’t Zhu Yunqi want to marry Wen Yue?

It couldn’t be because she looked down on Wen Yue’s family background. Wen Yue’s father was one of the thirteen lieutenant generals of the Federation. When Shi Li first got together with Wen Yue, people had said for a long time that she was “marrying up.”

Zhu Holdings had so much money that they couldn’t spend it all even if they started in the time of the dinosaurs. They didn’t need to acquire more wealth through marriage. So the purpose of this marriage was simple: a political and business alliance.

Before they broke up, Shi Li had heard Wen Yue mention that the Federation’s only general was getting old and due to retire. Her father had the idea of taking his place.

Based on their family power, Zhu Yunqi and Wen Yue were a perfect match.

Was it for love? Was Zhu Yunqi a hopeless romantic who wasn’t willing to settle for someone she didn’t love?

Or was it for something else?

Shi Li’s mind was racing with wild thoughts. By the time it started to rain, it was finally her turn.

There was a glass walkway between the waiting room and the doctor’s office. Rain streaks slid down the transparent window.

The doctor, surnamed Ji, was a female Omega in her thirties. Whenever she was on duty, an unusually large number of patients would come to see her. After coming so many times, Shi Li was very familiar with her.

Shi Li lifted her hair and pulled down the zipper of her high-collared dress halfway, revealing the back of her neck with the inhibitor patch on it.

She described her symptoms to Doctor Ji: “It suddenly got a little swollen this morning and has been hot. I’m a little worried.”

Doctor Ji carefully peeled off the inhibitor patch, put on a pair of sterile gloves, and gently pressed on the gland.

“There are signs of a heat cycle. Shi Li, I remember you’ve never gone through a complete heat, have you?”

“That’s right. Ever since my gland was damaged, I’ve been taking pheromone stabilizer injections on time, and I haven’t had a heat cycle.”

When she first differentiated into an Omega, Shi Li’s gland suffered a serious external injury in an accident. Even modern genetic technology couldn’t fully repair it. The damaged gland prevented her from having a regular heat cycle and releasing pheromones like a normal Omega. Instead, her cycles became erratic, and Shi Li herself couldn’t control them.

She couldn’t even smell her own pheromones.

Shi Li only found out that her pheromones smelled like cherry sweet wine after having a sample taken and tested at the hospital.

When she first started treatment, the doctor had given her two treatment options. The first was to find a strong Alpha as soon as possible to soothe her frequently. An Omega’s gland is naturally highly compatible with an Alpha’s. Under the Alpha’s stimulation, it might be able to regenerate and return to normal. The second was to use medication for stabilization and suppression for the rest of her life. The damaged part of the gland would not continue to develop, and the undamaged part would also be suppressed to achieve a balance.

Shi Li chose the latter without hesitation.

Doctor Ji said: “Pheromone production has a lot to do with emotions. Have you been going through something lately? Are you in a bad mood and not getting enough rest? Your body is the most important thing; you have to take care of yourself. If you need psychological counseling, I can recommend a friend of mine. She’s an excellent psychologist.”

Shi Li smiled wryly. “I have run into some things.”

The nurse brought in the pheromone stabilizer Shi Li needed. Unlike ordinary inhibitors, the stabilizer was more potent and strictly controlled by the Federation. This was why Shi Li had no choice but to go to the hospital for injections on time every month and get a routine check-up on her gland.

The instrument scanned Shi Li’s neck. Looking at the resulting image, Doctor Ji frowned.

“Why has the shaded area gotten bigger? That’s not a good sign.”

Shi Li’s heart instantly began to pound nervously.

Doctor Ji turned the scan around and explained: “This area is the part of your gland that’s completely damaged. This one is the intact part. The one in the middle is the partially damaged section that’s causing functional chaos. It’s the culprit of all possible accidents and the area we need to focus on. Its area is now showing a tendency to increase, which means your pheromone instability index will grow exponentially. The reason for this growth is currently unknown.”

Shi Li was a little panicked. “Doctor Ji, what should I do?”

“We’ll proceed with normal treatment, but this time we need to increase the dosage. Is your partner here? I need to give them some additional instructions. If I remember correctly, your partner is a Beta miss?”

Doctor Ji slightly emphasized her tone: “Shi Li, Omegas are naturally fragile. We need more care ourselves, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Ever since I became your primary doctor, I’ve never seen your partner accompany you to the hospital. There are certain things she needs to know, instead of pushing everything onto you.”

Shi Li sighed.

“Doctor Ji, you can just tell me directly…”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Yunqi appeared at the door of the consultation room.

She looked a little confused, her face was cold, but she was holding a dead leaf in her hand. She had just picked it up from a flower pot.

“The nurse asked me to come in.”

“What happened?”

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