After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 17

As the inhibitor took effect, Qi Zhi’e felt her feverish body doused in cold water. The rising temperature was controlled, though the alternating waves of heat and chill left her uncomfortable.

“Let’s go back,” Qi Zhi’e said, her voice trembling. One hand gripped the car door handle tightly, veins bulging.

Her swollen scent gland at the nape of her neck throbbed painfully. The scent patch felt like the Five Elements Mountain pressing down restricting the gland’s swelling but leaving it unbearably confined.

Bian You quickly nodded, but as the car started, an awkward expression flickered across her face. “Where to?”

The Bian family home was inconvenient and too far.

Qi Zhi’e gave an address, then closed her eyes to steady herself, unwilling to let Bian You see her in such a disheveled state.

Bian You gripped the steering wheel, her expression tense. Even if they wanted to find a nearby hotel, no one would dare take them in, fearing they might cause trouble.

Her nose twitched slightly as Qi Zhi’e’s lily-of-the-valley scent grew stronger, its intensity seeping into her own body, stoking the heat rising within her.

Qi Zhi’e turned on the car’s air purifier and glanced at Bian You, confusion deepening in her eyes.

Stopped at a red light, Bian You drummed her fingers restlessly on the wheel. When she turned and saw Qi Zhi’e frowning, sweat beading on her forehead, her heart burned with restless agitation.

Realizing some time had passed since the inhibitor injection, Bian You asked uneasily, “Are you feeling any better now?”

The inhibitor had indeed eased Qi Zhi’e’s condition somewhat, but her teeth ached with a strange tenderness, an urge to press close to Bian You’s scent gland.

…

When they reached the residential complex’s entrance, the security guard stopped them, Bian You’s car wasn’t registered.

Qi Zhi’e rolled down the window halfway, letting the guard see her face clearly.

“Miss Qi?” The guard recognized her, but as a beta, he couldn’t detect the pheromones leaking from the car. Oblivious to the severity of the situation, he merely seemed surprised.

“Mm. Open the gate,” Qi Zhi’e said, keeping her voice steady.

“Right away.” The guard hurried back to his post, and the barrier arm slowly lifted.

Qi Zhi’e rolled up the window, and Bian You drove straight into the underground parking lot.

The confined space of the car erupted with the overpowering scent of lily of the valley. Qi Zhi’e’s body burned hot again, her limbs growing weak.

Her voice trembled slightly, but she maintained her composure.

“Get out.”

Bian You wiped the sweat from her forehead and obeyed, stepping out of the car. The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs nearly gave way, but her hands reacted fast, catching the door for support.

Fire raged inside her, blood boiling with a thirst that surged from the depths of her heart. The craving clawed at her mind, tormenting her rationality.

The person beside her… was the Omega who had marked her.

Following Qi Zhi’e, Bian You felt as though she were walking on clouds, each step unreal. Watching Qi Zhi’e’s back, inhaling the pheromones radiating from her, a voice in her chest screamed, Grab her! Claim this exquisite Omega as your own!

She raised her hand and patted her own head, frustrated that her current thoughts felt like those of a wild beast.

In the confined space of the elevator, the intensity of their pheromones had clearly triggered the built-in air filtration system. The hum of the machine working filled their ears.

At the same time, they could hear each other’s ragged breathing.

Bian You watched the floor numbers on the elevator screen flicker one by one, her palms clenched so tightly they nearly bled. Her ears were already ringing, and the red numbers on the screen had started to blur into double images.

The faintly sweet scent of lily of the valley enveloped her, and for a moment, she felt as though she had fallen into a vast field of those flowers.

She wondered would the sap of lily of the valley be poisonous if applied to the skin?

Bian You was struggling, but Qi Zhi’e was faring even worse. She had never imagined that the faint Alpha pheromones could affect her this intensely. Or was it because she was nearing her heat cycle that she was reacting like this?

She didn’t know, nor could she muster the energy to think about it. All she could do was pray for the elevator to reach her floor faster.

The elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor. The moment the doors opened, the person waiting outside took two quick steps back, staring at them in shock.

Given how sensitive she was to pheromones, she was clearly either an Alpha or an Omega but judging by her reaction, she was more likely an Omega.

Neither of them spoke. Bian You repeatedly pressed the door-close button until the elevator sealed shut again.

Taking a deep breath, Bian You felt herself on the verge of collapse under the suffocating heat. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you out today.”

Qi Zhi’e didn’t respond. Her headache was worsening, and no amount of words would help now. She just needed to get inside her apartment as soon as possible.

An Omega in heat outside their safe space would only amplify their sense of insecurity.

With a ding, the elevator stopped at the 26th floor. Before the doors had fully opened, Qi Zhi’e was already stepping out.

Bian You hurried after her, following Qi Zhi’e to a dark gray door. A soft beep sounded as the door unlocked.

Stepping inside, Bian You noticed the apartment looked recently moved into some furniture was present, but not much, leaving the space feeling sparse.

“Go into that bedroom. There are clean sheets and blankets in the closet make the bed yourself and don’t come out unless necessary,” Qi Zhi’e said, pointing to a guest room.

She hadn’t outright told Bian You to leave. She wasn’t sure how intense this heat cycle would be, and keeping Bian You here was just a precaution, a backup plan in case things escalated.

“Got it.” Without hesitation, Bian You strode in the direction Qi Zhi’e had indicated and entered the room, closing the door firmly behind her.

Though Bian You was well aware of how strongly an Omega’s pheromones could affect an Alpha, she hadn’t expected the impact to be this overwhelming. Just the scent alone made her feel like she was burning up.

She wasn’t sure what to do next. Two AOs in such a precarious situation, she worried it might lead to a repeat of what had happened when she first transmigrated here.

Qi Zhi’e had only just started softening toward her. If she lost control again, she couldn’t even imagine how Qi Zhi’e would see her after that.

Qi Zhi’e stared blankly at Bian You’s retreating figure and the door that had shut without hesitation. For a moment, she was at a loss.

She never expected Bian You could actually restrain herself in such a situation.

Weren’t Alphas supposed to be beasts driven by desire?

With someone in heat right beside her, she could still walk away without hesitation this was something Qi Zhi’e hadn’t anticipated.

Of course, she naturally despised Alphas who took advantage of others in vulnerable states. But when the very person who claimed to like her wasn’t driven mad by her pheromones, she couldn’t help but feel a complicated mix of emotions.

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