After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 50

The frail figure turned sideways, her slender arms so thin they seemed as if they might snap with the slightest pressure clutched the black sleepwear tightly, pulling it close to her cheek.

As if that wasn’t enough, her trembling hands fumbled along the bedside, grabbing the pillow beside her and hugging it to her chest.

After that, she remained motionless.

Half an hour later, the person on the sickbed still hadn’t moved. Su Yue frowned. “Can we detect the progression of her differentiation?”

“It’s difficult,” a team member replied, holding a monitoring tablet and scrolling through the screen. “Her pheromones are suppressed and can’t be released. We can’t measure the pheromone concentration, so we can’t determine the exact stage of differentiation.”

“But the Alpha’s ‘aura’ has enveloped the area around the bed,” the team member added, showing the screen where a heat-map-like red image encircled the bed. “We’re using this to estimate an approximate value.”

Another team member, who had been typing intently, looked up. “It’s about twenty percent.”

“That’s too slow,” Su Yue bit her lip. “At this point, the differentiation should normally have reached fifty percent.”

Could Wen Jingzhi make it here today?

Maybe, we should try?

The Wen family were all clever people. If the explanation was kept vague, they wouldn’t pry too deeply, and the confidentiality agreement could be sidestepped.

“Is her physical condition stable?”

“The internal bleeding has eased somewhat, and the pheromone agitation has calmed down slightly, but the changes are minimal,” the team member leaned closer to the monitor. “The electrode patches monitoring her heartbeat have fallen off, so we can’t get real-time heart rate data.”

“Should we go in and reattach.”

“No,” Su Yue raised a hand to stop him. “Alphas have strong territorial instincts. Even a Beta could trigger an Alpha’s aggression.” She walked to the door, pressed the handle, and instructed, “Continue monitoring. Notify me if there are any changes.”

She needed to ask the Second Miss Wen.

Returning outside the isolation room, Wen Xihe was still sitting on the chair, half-covered in bloodstains, staring blankly. Su Yue sat down beside her, gazing straight ahead as she spoke softly, “Second Miss Wen.”

Wen Xihe lifted her eyelids slightly, her tone weary. “Dr. Su, just say what you need to say.”

“I need to know the exact time Third Miss Wen will arrive,” Su Yue tapped her knee lightly with her index finger. “Not when she lands at the airport, but when she gets here.”

Worn down by the torment of restless fear, Wen Xihe lacked the energy to think deeply. She sighed. “Can you first tell me why it has to be Jingzhi?”

“Soothing pheromones, your hospital’s reserves should be quite comprehensive.”

“Lin Li is differentiating into an Alpha,” Su Yue had already prepared her explanation. “Her territorial instincts are stronger than the average Alpha’s. Unfamiliar pheromone scents will be rejected by her.”

“We’ve tried all the Omega pheromones we could extract, and none were accepted by her.”

She turned to look at Wen Xihe. “Aside from Third Miss Wen, only her pheromones were absorbed.”

“Perhaps due to long-term exposure, she’s more familiar with that scent.”

This line of reasoning would have convinced anyone else, but Wen Xihe, having spent years in the business world, had seen all kinds of tactics. She was well-versed in speaking appropriately to different people and situations.

Lin Li’s condition was clearly unusual, and anything related to this “abnormality” was far from ordinary.

Wen Xihe looked directly at Su Yue. “I can go persuade Jingzhi, but I need useful information in return.”

Truly worthy of being the Wen Group’s heir.

So skilled at “negotiating.”

Su Yue sighed. “You should understand that without meeting the requirements, there’s no right to know.”

This wasn’t something that could be casually disclosed and then covered up with a confidentiality agreement.

The knowledge and signing of confidentiality agreements must have sufficient justification.

Given Old Master Wen’s status, his close relationship with Lin Junyan, and his classification as “family” to Lin Li, he qualified as a “necessary party to know.” Wen Xize only became aware because he accompanied the old master to pick up Lin Li and accidentally learned the information.

Only when these two met the standards could they sign the agreement and gain the right to know.

While Wen Xihe and Wen Jingzhi could guess the situation was unusual, they didn’t know the specifics, so they didn’t meet the “knowledge” requirement.

If they managed to uncover some information through their own efforts and deduce certain facts that touched upon core truths, then even if they didn’t request it, the authorities would proactively require them to sign the agreement.

“And your ‘bargaining chip’ isn’t enough.” Su Yue curled his lips. “Even if I don’t ‘negotiate,’ you’ll still go persuade Third Miss Wen.”

“This actually can’t be considered a ‘negotiation,’ but rather a ‘request.’ Our goals don’t conflict, and there are no real conditions for negotiation.”

Wen Xihe pressed her lips together. She knew, she just wanted to try anyway.

“If there’s no traffic, we should reach the hospital around twelve.” Wen Xihe rubbed the dried bloodstains on her fingertips. “Will we make it in time?”

“Don’t know.” Su Yue stood up and exhaled. “But I think, after going through so much, she’ll definitely be able to hold on.”

This wasn’t the first time her life had been in critical danger.

That kid Lin Li had pulled through every time before.

This time would be no different.

Su Yue left.

Wen Xihe lowered her head, rubbing the bloodstains on her hands faster and harder. After a few minutes, she suddenly stood up and went to the restroom with a grim expression.

Time passed in agonizing wait.

Approaching twelve.

The monitoring room door swung open as Su Yue rushed out, calling from several meters away, “Where is she!?”

Wen Xihe’s heart skipped a beat as she sprang up. “What’s wrong?”

“Why hasn’t Wen Jingzhi arrived yet?” She’s barely holding on!

Just moments earlier, the person who had been clutching a pillow and pajamas motionless for hours suddenly started vomiting blood, struggling and falling off the hospital bed, tearing off all the monitoring electrodes.

The girl seemed to have lost her senses, stumbling around the isolation room, searching aimlessly for something.

Fortunately, all equipment in the isolation room was padded with sponge, and items were made of soft materials to prevent a rampaging Alpha in differentiation from injuring themselves.

She kept vomiting blood. If she continued losing blood like this, forget successful differentiation, she’d go into shock within half an hour!

“I’ll call again!” Without asking further, Wen Xihe took out her phone and dialed Wen Jingzhi’s number.

After ten rings, both their faces darkened.

Suddenly, a piano ringtone approached amid running footsteps. Wen Xihe whirled around, her eyes reddening.

“Jingzhi!”

The tall figure running toward them was Wen Jingzhi, who had rushed from the airport without stopping to catch her breath.

Su Yue rushed past Wen Xihe to stand before Wen Jingzhi, grabbing her wrist without hesitation and pulling her toward the isolation room. “Come with me!”

Wen Jingzhi instinctively tried to break free, but noticing Wen Xihe’s expression, her heart clenched violently. She stopped resisting and quickened her pace to follow Su Yue.

Once they reached the outer area of the isolation room, Su Yue pushed Wen Jingzhi toward the glass door, pulling it open just a crack. “Release your pheromones!” she commanded sharply.

It was too late to extract pheromone fluid now.

A few seconds passed with no response. Su Yue frowned and glanced over, her expression freezing.

The aloof, noble woman stood behind the glass wall, staring at the blood-soaked girl inside. Though her expression remained unchanged, she seemed like a snow-capped mountain collapsing under an avalanche, rapidly crumbling.

“Wen Jingzhi.” Su Yue took a deep breath as those shattered, cold eyes turned to her. “Release your pheromones.”

“Only you can save her.”

Only I can save her.

The broken look in her eyes mended. Wen Jingzhi closed her eyes briefly, asking no questions, and reached to tear off the inhibitor patch on the back of her neck. The scent of snow instantly surged forth overwhelming, like an avalanche, devouring and burying everything in its path.

Su Yue shuddered. “Don’t go in. We can’t confirm her state of consciousness or guarantee she isn’t aggressive.”

“Just release your pheromones here. I’ll monitor her condition from the control room. The walkie-talkie is on the table over there, contact me anytime.”

Wen Jingzhi’s gaze remained fixed on the “blood-covered figure.” Clenching her fists, she nodded in agreement.

Unable to withstand the icy, oppressive aura any longer, Su Yue retreated and hurried back to the control room.

Inside the slightly spacious glass room, the girl with an empty, dark right eye and a tearful, blood-streaked left eye clutched a crumpled nightgown tightly. Leaning against the glass wall, she stumbled, leaving bloody handprints as she moved.

She turned her head in confusion, scanning and searching.

Suddenly, a familiar scent she had been desperately seeking flooded in from nearby. The agonizing pain that had clouded her mind began to ease. She lifted her head, her vision blurred.

Her thoughts were gone, replaced only by silent, painful cries and a desperate craving for “snow.”

Trembling, the girl released the nightgown and took a shaky step toward the source of the scent.

Wen Jingzhi stared at the figure, squeezing her eyes shut briefly before raising her trembling right hand and pressing her fingertips against the glass door.

Xiao You!

Releasing such a large amount of pheromones outside of her estrus cycle caused a faint dizziness, but she made no attempt to hold back. Instead, she intensified the output.

The girl leaned against the wall and vomited a mouthful of blood, turning her head in confusion before locking onto her target again and slowly inching forward.

It felt as though fire was scorching her organs and crushing her bones.

It hurts so much.

Snow, so cool, so soothing…

Want, need it.

The distance between them grew smaller.

A burst of static came from the walkie-talkie, followed by Su Yue’s voice.

“Wen Jingzhi, reduce your pheromones.”

“We can’t monitor her physical condition in detail yet, but her vomiting frequency has dropped significantly. You can ease up a little.”

“Her differentiation will take at least twelve more hours. You can’t sustain this level of pheromone release the entire time.”

The tall woman gave no response.

Su Yue glanced at the still-elevated data on the screen and felt a headache coming on.

The Wen family stubborn to the core!

The younger one, and the older one too!

“She needs you. You can’t collapse halfway through.”

The words hung in the air, still unanswered, but the data rapidly dropped back to safe levels.

Su Yue tossed aside the walkie-talkie and let out a cold laugh.

Even the stubborn ones have their weaknesses.

Ten minutes passed, and the girl who had struggled to approach finally reached the glass door.

It was the scent of snow.

Her slender, bloodstained hand trembled as it pressed against the glass.

Wen Jingzhi gazed at the face blurred by blood, now unrecognizable, her eyes heavy with sorrow. Her own hand pressed firmly against the glass.

Her red lips parted, but her throat was choked with bitterness, unable to make a sound.

The small hand slid upward against the glass, leaving a trail of blood before stopping.

Pale skin against crimson, slender fingers against a delicate hand two palms pressed together, separated only by the glass door.

The tear-filled left eye lifted, brimming with pain and confusion, a suppressed scream hidden deep within, and beneath it all, a cry for help growing louder and louder.

Wen Jingzhi’s eyes reddened as she met that gaze. She controlled her pheromones, letting them seep through the door’s crevices to envelop the girl, offering a gentle, soothing presence.

Time passed silently as the two faced each other through the glass door.

By midnight, neither had taken a sip of water or moved an inch.

The weakened girl suddenly slumped forward, her forehead pressed against the glass as she slowly knelt to the ground. Her head hung low, her dry, blood-red lips slightly parted, silently murmuring something.

Wen Jingzhi had been releasing her pheromones for over ten hours. Her mind was already dizzy and muddled, her vision blurry. She had held on until now only because of Su Yue’s words: “Only you can save her.”

In the silence, the walkie-talkie crackled to life.

“It’s done.”

The last thread of strength drained away. Wen Jingzhi swayed, dropping to one knee, her palm sliding down to align with the small, bloodstained hand.

Her forehead pressed against the glass, mirroring the girl’s position. Her half-closed eyes vaguely focused on the girl’s bloodied lips.

Those lips moved, over and over again.

The door behind her opened, footsteps approaching.

In her exhausted and dazed state, Wen Jingzhi finally deciphered the silent murmurs.

The girl, tormented beyond endurance yet steadfastly making her way to her, had been murmuring the same two words, over and over, in her confusion,

“Sister.”

Wen Jingzhi’s feverish eyes closed wearily, a single glistening tear tracing its way down her cheek.

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