After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 33

The day Bian You suddenly entered her rut was the day before she was supposed to leave for a business trip.

Ever since learning she would be away from Qi Zhi’e for an extended period, her emotions had been fluctuating wildly unpleasant, almost like the irritating hormonal effects before her period in her original world.

It was Sunday, and Bian You was resting at home while Qi Zhi’e had gone to the office. Lately, both of them had been swamped with work, and Qi Zhi’e had been spending long hours at the company.

When Bian You fell into her rut, her first instinct was to seek out Qi Zhi’e. Yet, no matter how desperately she wanted her, the house remained empty of her presence.

This rut was more aggressive than ever, even more intense than when she had first differentiated and produced pheromones. It rampaged through her mind, leaving no room for rational thought.

All she knew was to instinctively search for Qi Zhi’e, to chase after her scent as much as possible. Her mind was completely consumed by thoughts of Qi Zhi’e.

The craving, the unfulfilled longing, it was driving her to the brink of madness.

At the office, Qi Zhi’e felt unusually restless. Watching her colleagues bustle about, she even wondered if something might go wrong with their product launch. Yet, both her past-life experience and thorough preparations in this life assured her that this product should outperform its predecessor by far.

Issues that had arisen during the initial launch in her past life had been meticulously avoided this time. Logically, there was no reason for this accelerating heartbeat, this sense of unease.

Her brows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line that made her appear even more unapproachable.

“President Qi, are you alright? You don’t look well,” Ji Jiu couldn’t help but ask.

After their last conversation, Ji Jiu had quickly resigned from the Qi Corporation and joined Qi Zhi’e’s startup, resuming her role as her assistant.

Qi Zhi’e’s lips tightened further at the question because even she didn’t know what was wrong.

Her gaze fell on her phone lying on the desk, and it struck her: aside from Bian You’s morning message, she hadn’t received any more from her since.

This was unusual. Normally, Bian You would bombard her with messages sharing what she was doing, asking if Qi Zhi’e had eaten during meal times even knowing Qi Zhi’e was busy. She never expected immediate replies, content to wait until Qi Zhi’e had time to respond.

But today, Bian You was eerily quiet.

Qi Zhi’e’s frown deepened. Though she had once complained about Bian You’s excessive messaging, finding the unread notification bubbles irritating, now that the chatter had ceased, she felt strangely unsettled.

She really had been spoiled by Bian You’s clinginess.

“I’m heading home early. You’ve all worked hard leave early and rest. If you want to go out for dinner, send me the bill for reimbursement.”

Qi Zhi’e ultimately decided to leave work early, as her unsettled state of mind wasn’t conducive to productivity anyway.

Ji Jiu was slightly taken aback. “Alright, drive carefully on your way back.”

Qi Zhi’e nodded, picking up her phone as she walked out. She opened the chat with Bian You and saw the photo of a small potted plant sent earlier that morning, Bian You actually planned to grow lily of the valley at home.

Qi Zhi’e’s gaze sharpened slightly, her grip on the phone tightening as she quickened her pace.

By nearly seven o’clock, the sky had long since darkened. Streetlights flickered on, and advertisements cycled endlessly on illuminated billboards. Yet as Qi Zhi’e drove, her attention remained fixed on nothing in particular.

Before getting in the car, she had already tried messaging Bian You first. But even after driving for so long, there was still no notification sound in response.

Her foot pressed a little harder on the accelerator.

Arriving at her doorstep, the moment her fingertip touched the keypad of the digital lock, her heart gave a heavy thud a sudden, ominous premonition rising within her.

Lowering her gaze to conceal the turmoil in her eyes, Qi Zhi’e unlocked and pushed open the door and instantly understood the source of her unease.

The scent of lily of the valley permeated the air, though not as heavy as that of Qi Zhi’e’s own pheromones. It drifted like petals floating on water, carrying a faint, elusive fragrance.

But this current was far from calm. What should have been a clear, babbling stream had transformed into turbulent waves, crashing relentlessly against Qi Zhi’e’s nerves.

Pressing her lips together, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

The overwhelming, unstable pheromones had already rendered the air purifier useless. It emitted a feeble hum, utterly ineffective.

Qi Zhi’e’s nerves were stretched to their limit. She reached over and turned the purifier off, leaving the house eerily silent.

Following the strongest concentration of pheromones, she arrived at her own bedroom door now tightly shut, yet the frenzied scent still seeped through the gaps, taunting her senses.

Placing a hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath, turned it, and slowly pushed the door open.

Even with full mental preparation, the sight before her rooted Qi Zhi’e to the spot. Her heart trembled slightly as she stared at the large, indistinct mass on the bed.

Her own clothes were piled in layers, shifting occasionally.

In an instant, Qi Zhi’e understood the situation.

Bian You was nesting.

She bit her lip lightly, her feet seemingly glued to the floor as she took in the scene.

Though nesting behavior could occur in alphas, it was far from common, in fact, it was exceedingly rare. It typically manifested in alphas who deeply cherished their partners but hadn’t received sufficient reassurance.

The unease of lacking comfort drove them to gather every item carrying their partner’s scent, constructing a safe haven where they could curl up and immerse themselves in that familiar presence.

Unlike the aggressive, volatile tendencies most alphas exhibited during their rut, those displaying nesting behavior were at their most vulnerable utterly unlike their usual selves.

In the end, Qi Zhi’e stepped forward, her movements heavy, and closed the bedroom door behind her.

She walked to the bedside, looking down at Bian You’s curled-up silhouette occupying her usual sleeping spot, buried under a pile of her own clothes so thoroughly covered that not even her head was visible.

Qi Zhi’e pursed her lips, then finally reached out to touch her garments.

As she moved the clothes aside, she could clearly feel the trembling body beneath them shaking even more violently. Yet it seemed Bian You had recognized her, showing no signs of aggression whatsoever.

Following where Bian You’s head should be, she pushed the clothes away. But the moment she saw Bian You’s state, Qi Zhi’e’s fingers trembled slightly, her expression changing abruptly as she nearly threw the clothes back onto Bian You.

No matter how composed she usually was, at this moment she couldn’t help but feel a mix of embarrassment and indignation. Her jade-white face flushed with the vibrant hues of sunset clouds. Though it was clearly a shy reaction, her expression also seemed to be gritting her teeth in frustration.

Qi Zhi’e saw Bian You’s face buried in her underwear and bras, clutching yesterday’s unwashed clothes in her arms. The items covering her body were Qi Zhi’e’s most intimate garments, the pajamas she’d changed out of that morning, along with other freshly laundered clothes that barely carried her scent.

Bian You peeked up timidly with eyes still red from crying, giving Qi Zhi’e a cautious look.

Taking a deep breath to suppress her shame, Qi Zhi’e forced a stiff smile at Bian You.

Bian You shrank back, clutching the clothes even tighter.

With a swift motion, Qi Zhi’e yanked her underwear away, gritting her teeth before finally snapping, “Are you some kind of pervert?”

Thankfully Qi Zhi’e had the habit of washing her intimate wear immediately after changing. The mere thought of Bian You burying herself in unwashed undergarments was enough to make her feel faint.

At her rough handling and sharp words, Bian You looked even more wronged, her teary puppy-dog eyes welling up, an expression few could resist.

Qi Zhi’e peeled off the scent blocker on her neck, allowing the fragrance of lily-of-the-valley to spread. Sensing this, Bian You on the bed gazed at her with increasing dependence, loosening her grip on the clothes and instead reaching out for Qi Zhi’e, wanting to embrace her.

Pointing at the pile of clothes on the bed, Qi Zhi’e said with a headache, “Clean this up!” It looked like Bian You had emptied her entire wardrobe.

Bian You pouted, eyes reddening as if about to cry.

Qi Zhi’e: “…”

She wondered whether Bian You would remember this nest-building behavior after waking. If not, she could let her ride out the rut like this. But if she did remember, Qi Zhi’e clearly couldn’t just ignore it.

Massaging her temples in frustration, she watched as Bian You got up, completely abandoning the inanimate clothes to cling to Qi Zhi’e’s legs instead, burying her face against her abdomen to greedily inhale her scent, every pore seeming to scream with satisfaction.

Compared to the faint traces of pheromones on the clothes, Qi Zhi’e’s own scent was far more potent and worry-free.

The thought of Bian You clutching that pile of dirty clothes made Qi Zhi’e’s nerves twitch violently. She flicked Bian You’s forehead with her finger, her tone carrying an unconscious note of resignation.

“Go take a shower.”

No one knew how long she had struggled while I was away from home. Her clothes were torn in several places from her grasping and looked all crumpled.

“Mmm~”

Her muffled voice was clearly filled with protest: Don’t wanna~

“Go wash, or I won’t kiss you.”

Even Qi Zhi’e herself hadn’t expected to say those words.

Hearing this, Bian You looked up at Qi Zhi’e with an accusing gaze, her eyes brimming with grievance, yet her arms still clung tightly without any intention of letting go.

Qi Zhi’e decided to go all the way.

“Otherwise, no pheromones either.”

An alpha exhibiting nesting behavior was practically at their partner’s mercy.

Glittering tears instantly welled up and rolled down in large drops.

Qi Zhi’e: “…”

Why does it look like I’m bullying her? But she’ll feel uncomfortable if she doesn’t bathe!

Sniffling, Bian You sobbed in a choked whisper, “Qiqi, help, help me wash, please?”

Support After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium