After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 57

Would that state of the young girl be seen by others?

Wen Jingzhi’s expression darkened. When Su Yue reached out to take the person, she stubbornly refused to let go. “Where are you going?”

Su Yue was momentarily taken aback. “Then come with me.” She glanced at Qiao Xian. “You follow too.”

“Yes, Professor Su!”

The three of them hurried to the isolation room reserved for special periods. The room, filled with soft sponge materials, was divided into two sections by a glass wall with a fist-sized opening.

Wen Jingzhi placed Lin Li on the soft sofa in the left section. Su Yue opened the adjacent door and was about to direct Qiao Xian to the other side when Wen Jingzhi suddenly reached out to stop her. “I’ll go.”

Su Yue frowned. “Third Miss, this isn’t a one-time or two-time matter. If you intervene this time, will you continue to do so afterward?”

“No!” Lin Li curled up on the sofa, closing her eyes and turning her face away. “Sister Qiao, please.”

Qiao Xian felt the atmosphere was off and scratched her head. “I…”

Wen Jingzhi looked at the trembling, suffering girl, her gaze turning cold. “You want her, is that it?”

Lin Li gritted her teeth but couldn’t bring herself to answer.

Wen Jingzhi let out a cold snort and withdrew her hand. Su Yue gave Qiao Xian a slight push, and the latter immediately rushed in, sat by the glass wall, swiftly tore off her suppressant patch, and began releasing pheromones.

Wen Jingzhi stood outside, watching coldly.

Half an hour passed, and Lin Li’s condition had only slightly improved, barely stopping her trembling. But she made no sound, suppressing herself, gritting her teeth to endure, refusing to let herself lose control again.

Su Yue’s expression was also grim.

The effect fell far short of expectations. Without marking, this method could only help her endure two estrus cycles at most.

“How long did it take you to calm her down?”

Wen Jingzhi glanced at her. “No more than an hour.”

Su Yue gritted her molars.

A 40% compatibility gap truly felt like an insurmountable chasm.

The two fell silent. Wen Jingzhi went to tend to the injuries on her hand and then returned to wait outside the isolation room.

Three hours later, Lin Li finally calmed down, drenched in sweat as she lay on the sofa, falling into a deep sleep.

Wen Jingzhi pressed her lips tightly together.

Lin Li’s condition fluctuated, with the pain and heat returning every hour or so. Even Qiao Xian, who came from a military background, was struggling to keep up.

By the time dusk settled, Lin Li’s incomplete first estrus cycle had ended.

Normally, an Alpha’s estrus cycle lasts 3 to 7 days. However, Lin Li’s pheromones were suppressed, unable to be released and present in very small amounts, so her estrus cycles were short and highly unstable.

An Alpha’s estrus cycle typically occurs once every 1 to 3 months, but Lin Li’s situation was complicated, making it impossible to determine the exact intervals.

It could happen two or three times a month, or only once every four or five months.

Moreover, as suppressed pheromones accumulated, the duration of her estrus cycles would also lengthen.

This was what troubled Su Yue the most.

The door opened, and Qiao Xian emerged, her face pale, sucking on a nutrient tube. She waved at Su Yue and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Wen Jingzhi pushed the door open, picked up the unconscious girl, and caught the strong scent of another person’s pheromones on her. Her arms tightened, and her gaze turned icy.

She took Lin Li away, returned to Eryue Residence, settled her in the bedroom, and then drove to the old mansion.

Having received the news earlier in the day, Old Master Wen and Wen Xize and his siblings were already waiting at the old mansion.

After Wen Jingzhi arrived, she briefly explained the situation to the three without going into any details. Then, she went back to the third floor to pack her and Lin Li’s belongings before driving back to Eryue.

In the days that followed, the lingering scent of grass from Lin Li’s pheromones persisted for two days, during which Wen Jingzhi’s expression remained noticeably cold.

On the third day, once everything had stabilized and the pheromone scent had completely dissipated, Lin Li returned to school.

Wen Jingzhi no longer wore a cold expression and seemed to treat Lin Li as usual cooking for her when the housekeeper was off, smiling softly as she ruffled her hair, and exchanging goodnight wishes.

However, she began spending more time replying to others’ messages, and her outings with Shen Yuan increased.

Lin Li wasn’t quite sure how to face her sister.

She felt a mix of shame, frustration, and a faint, barely noticeable sense of anticipation.

But her sister showed no reaction neither anger nor increased closeness.

Lin Li understood then.

It was her own greed and muddled thinking.

Lin Li’s “matchmaking” didn’t continue further, as if Qiao Xian had been settled on. Whenever Qiao Xian had free time, the two would meet sometimes at the old house, occasionally going out shopping.

However, Qiao Xian’s responsibilities were heavy, and their meetings were few and far between.

Wen Jingzhi no longer treated Qiao Xian coldly, but her attitude wasn’t particularly warm either. Her light-colored eyes quietly observed watching Lin Li, watching Qiao Xian, and most often observing the interactions between the two.

Once, Wen Xihe even teased her, saying her “mother hen” heart had finally settled. Wen Jingzhi remained silent.

Halfway through the winter break, Wen Jingzhi brought Shen Yuan home.

That day, Lin Li hadn’t gone out and was watching TV in the living room. When she turned her head, her eyes met Shen Yuan’s at the door.

Her mind went blank for a second before she forced a smile and greeted Shen Yuan politely.

Sitting on the sofa, she watched as her sister led Shen Yuan into her own bedroom.

Click.

The door closed.

A few minutes later, the girl on the sofa suddenly curled up, clutching her chest, her eyes red.

Shen Yuan only stayed inside for a few minutes. When she came out, the girl on the sofa was gone, and the door to the adjacent bedroom was tightly shut. Wen Jingzhi glanced at it but said nothing, escorting Shen Yuan to the entrance.

“I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”

Shen Yuan waved it off casually. “Why so formal with me? I didn’t even manage to find out what you asked for. No need for a meal just go skiing with me when you’re free?”

Wen Jingzhi nodded in agreement. After seeing Shen Yuan off, she stood outside Lin Li’s bedroom door for a few minutes before returning to her own room with a darkened expression.

That evening, after dinner, Lin Li didn’t go to the study and instead went straight to her bedroom. Wen Jingzhi’s aura grew even colder as she sat at her desk, unable to focus on a single word for a long time.

Her phone rang, it was Wen Xihe.

“Are you joining another film crew?”

“No.” Wen Jingzhi replied expressionlessly. “Why do you ask?”

“Xiao You just called me, saying she wants me to go back to our hometown with her to visit Grandma.” Wen Xihe chuckled. “I thought she usually asks you first. If she’s coming to me, it’s probably because you’re unavailable.”

“If you have time, why aren’t you going with her?”

“Hah.” Wen Jingzhi’s lips curled into a cold smile. “I have time. I don’t need you to accompany her.”

Without waiting for Wen Xihe’s reply, she hung up, tossed her phone aside, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Fine.

She didn’t want her comfort, she chose someone else. And for something as important as returning to their hometown, she didn’t choose her either.

The “wind” she had carefully nurtured with her own hands had flown toward someone else.

Wen Jingzhi returned to her bedroom and stood before the desk, gazing at the more than ten “gifts” arranged on its surface.

A few were woven grass animals, displayed on grass mats, while several others were felt dolls of varying sizes some resembling Xiao Xi, others Xiao Huan, and one was a chibi version of herself.

All of these were handmade by Lin Li, belated birthday gifts for her.

Her birthday fell at the end of October, not far from those of Wen Xize and Wen Xihe. However, none of the three siblings were fond of making a fuss. Aside from Wen Xihe occasionally hosting a birthday banquet for business-related social engagements, neither her eldest brother nor she herself celebrated much.

Old Master Wen rarely interfered, only sending gifts on the day of their birthdays.

Thus, it wasn’t until Lin Li was thirteen that she first learned of Wen Jingzhi’s birthday. From then on, she would handcraft a birthday gift for her every year, even making up for the previous years’ presents.

Wen Jingzhi had kept all of these items in good condition. Even the uglier felt dolls were never discarded.

She counted them, nine in total.

Lin Li had been in the Wen family for over nine years and had just turned eighteen, that tender, youthful age.

As for Wen Jingzhi she was already thirty-three.

Fifteen years.

A gap of fifteen years stretched between them.

Wen Jingzhi lowered her gaze, remaining silent for a long while before picking up last year’s felt doll, the one the kid had personally designed, a chibi version of her.

A delicate snowflake was even pasted on its face.

After fiddling with it for a moment, Wen Jingzhi set it back down, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Su Yue.

[Is the calming agent made from my pheromones effective for Lin Li?]

[Yes, but not by much.]

This was the truth. Aside from marking, no other method worked well for Lin Li’s condition.

Unless Wen Jingzhi was willing to have her pheromone fluid extracted to create a calming agent, which would be slightly more effective than Qiao Xian’s pheromone-based calming methods.

Wen Jingzhi set her phone down and went to the living room bar.

Late at night, the clinking of a glass against the counter echoed in the silent living room. A slender woman sat at the bar, lazily propping her chin, her eyes hazy with the effects of alcohol.

Her slender, jade-like fingers rested on the glass tabletop, tapping lightly.

She poured the liquor into her mouth, her throat moving as she swallowed, then set the glass back on the bar. Beside it stood two empty bottles.

All of it was high-proof, strong liquor.

Wen Jingzhi pressed the back of her neck, swaying slightly as she stood up. She steadied herself against the bar and took a soft breath.

Her head throbbed faintly, but her rationality remained intact.

Pressing her temples, she walked with steady steps to the girl’s bedroom door, reached out, and turned the handle.

No one was on the bed; the bathroom light was on.

Click.

The door opened.

“Cough, cough.” Lin Li turned off the bathroom light, covering her mouth as she coughed a few times. After taking a few steps, she instinctively looked up and suddenly froze.

By the dimly lit bedroom window leaned a familiar figure.

The heavy scent of alcohol, mingled with the fragrance of snow, drifted into her nostrils.

Lin Li pressed her lips together, unsure how to speak.

Why had her sister been drinking?

The smell of alcohol was so strong, she must have drunk a lot.

“Come here.” A cold, slightly hoarse voice broke the silence.

The figure by the window turned to look at the girl, raising her right hand and lazily curling a finger.

Lin Li bit her lip and took a step toward the figure.

She stopped about a meter away from her sister. The scent of alcohol grew even stronger intense and intoxicating.

“Sis…”

She had just opened her mouth when her wrist was seized and she was pulled toward the window, falling directly into an alcohol-scented embrace. Her body trembled, and she instinctively struggled, but her arms and waist were locked in place by slender yet strong arms. Her back pressed tightly against the woman’s soft curves, and her face instantly flushed crimson.

“Sister!”

“You asked Wen Xihe to accompany you back to your hometown.” A bitter, alcohol-laced breath sprayed against her neck. Lin Li abruptly turned her head, meeting those deep, cold eyes.

Wen Jingzhi leaned down, her face almost pressed against the girl’s neck, her gaze fixed on her eyes. Her tone carried a hint of tipsy laziness: “Tell me the reason.”

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