Distance Formula - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Bai Biqing had just finished showering and was drying her hair when the doorbell and her phone rang simultaneously. Without hesitation, she flipped open her phone and walked towards the door. Suddenly, her steps halted. Her lips pressed together after seeing the message.

Su Yanshi: Teacher Bai, the showerhead in my room is broken. Can I take a shower here?

She didn’t rush to open the door. Only after confirming it was Su Yanshi outside did she turn the doorknob. The Alpha was standing at the door, holding her toiletries, looking unnatural and slightly stiff as she watched her: “Good evening, Teacher Bai.”

Bai Biqing opened the door, letting her in first, and said with a slight lilt in her voice, “It’s not evening anymore; it’s time for sleep.”

Su Yanshi slowed her steps. She didn’t say she would leave, just looking downcast for a moment. “Am I disturbing you?”

“Well… not really. Did you check with the hotel?”

Su Yanshi nodded. “I did. They said they’ll find someone to fix it tomorrow and offered to change my room, but I couldn’t accept. I’m still a little scared inside.”

Bai Biqing had considered this. The previous incident had caused considerable psychological trauma to Su Yanshi, making it impossible for her to recover quickly. The good thing was that she was willing to come here.

She poured Su Yanshi a glass of water. “I’ve checked everything here. Don’t worry.”

Su Yanshi drank the water in one gulp and gave a low “Mhm.”

“Go take a shower; you have filming in the morning.”

Bai Biqing continued with what she was doing, trying to help the Alpha relax. She noticed that ever since Su Yanshi came in, she had been deliberately avoiding her chest. It was just that the neckline of her pajamas was slightly low, yet she was so innocent.

Su Yanshi hugged her clothes and entered the bathroom. After closing the door, she felt the heat rising in her cheeks. Bai Biqing was still wearing the same wine-red bathrobe, but perhaps because she had just showered, water droplets from her hair were trickling down her neck, tracing a beautiful line downwards…

She fiercely covered her mouth, then slapped her face hard, mentally chanting the Great Compassion Mantra several times before calming down.

Su Yanshi, Su Yanshi, what are you thinking?

She shook off the clutter in her mind and took off her clothes. But before stepping under the shower, the scent she should have smelled returned, more intense. There was the smell of shower gel, and—

Su Yanshi gently twitched her nose. She hesitated in place. The water spraying from the showerhead was already steaming, fogging the surrounding glass. She adjusted the heat, her thoughts wandering as she washed. She couldn’t help but think: there was also the scent of Bai Biqing’s pheromones.

Bai Biqing’s pheromones had actually never been fully contained, but their distance was usually not too close. Su Yanshi occasionally smelled them but didn’t feel much. This time, however, she vaguely felt the same sensation as when she was in the susceptible period.

She habitually squeezed shower gel onto herself, but her mind uncontrollably recalled that Bai Biqing had been in this bathroom not long ago. Her hand movements stopped. She gasped, slowly covering the back of her neck. The Beta’s pheromones were powerfully attractive to her.

Even a slightly concentrated residue would be a fatal temptation for her.

Su Yanshi swept her wet hair back. Through the blurry glass panel, she clearly saw the confusion in her eyes. She had never experienced this situation with any of her previous girlfriends.

But why?

A Beta…

“A Beta, why does she smell so good? It’s a bit like…”

Su Yanshi frowned and murmured, “It smells like strawberries…”

Su Yanshi took a little too long in the shower. Bai Biqing didn’t rush her. She put down the hairdryer and stood in front of the table, browsing emails on her computer. She didn’t just paint; she also occasionally helped her elder brother manage some company affairs. The light from the computer screen reflected subtly in her eyes. The mechanical coldness made the Beta look much more aloof.

Click.

The bathroom door finally opened after half an hour. Su Yanshi poked her head out, smiling apologetically at her, and explained softly, “I take long showers.”

Actually, it wasn’t that. She just…

Su Yanshi’s ears flushed just thinking about what she had done. She lowered her face and walked toward Bai Biqing.

The Alpha kept her eyes on Bai Biqing the moment she came out, naturally noticing her red earlobes.

Bai Biqing raised an eyebrow, choosing not to call her out, and diverted the topic. “Your hair is wet. Why don’t you dry it here before you leave?”

Her fingertips moved slightly, discreetly closing the email from the doctor.

Su Yanshi paused for a few seconds. “I don’t like drying my hair.”

“But it will cause headaches.”

Bai Biqing walked over. She picked up the hairdryer, her expression serious and brooking no refusal. “Come here. I’ll dry it for you.”

Su Yanshi met her gaze.

After a moment of hesitation, she walked over. She whispered, “Actually, I don’t feel uncomfortable.”

Bai Biqing turned on the hairdryer. Her fingertips lightly ruffled Su Yanshi’s soft hair. She looked down seriously, her technique gentle. “This happens subtly. Don’t take it lightly.”

Su Yanshi replied, “Oh,” and obediently lowered her head to let her dry it.

This feeling was a bit strange for both of them. Bai Biqing had never dried anyone’s hair. She wasn’t clumsy, but it was truly her first time, exciting and joyful, like discovering a new treasure.

For Su Yanshi, it was a bit agonizing. The hairdryer’s air was hot, and she felt her whole body heating up. The strawberry-scented pheromone was like a venomous snake, slowly approaching, finding its opportunity, then unhesitatingly wrapping around its prey and tightening its grip.

The room’s lighting was not dim, but it cast a perfectly sized shadow over them, ambiguous yet intimate.

“Is… is that enough?” Su Yanshi couldn’t bear it first and grabbed Bai Biqing’s wrist. She looked up and asked softly.

Bai Biqing leaned down at the same moment. “What’s wrong?”

Sometimes she found atmosphere to be hateful. Bai Biqing could clearly see Su Yanshi’s trembling eyes. They were only a fingertip’s distance apart. Any closer would be an irreparable mistake. They couldn’t be like characters in a novel or TV drama where sleeping together seemed to solve everything. Reality was reality, and one had to maintain rationality.

Bai Biqing was the first to pull back. She teased, “Why are you so easily shy? Your ears are red again. Tell me how many times you’ve been shy tonight.”

Su Yanshi’s breathing hitched. She stammered, unable to say a word, her back turned as if she had given up and retreated into silence.

“Yanshi.”

Bai Biqing suddenly called her name.

Su Yanshi turned her head and asked, “What is it?”

“Can I touch your ear?”

Su Yanshi: “!”

The Alpha couldn’t process the message immediately. She blankly touched her earlobe, as if testing the sincerity of Bai Biqing’s words. She looked up, pondered for a moment, and then, as if with a sense of righteous dignity, nodded. “Yes, you can!”

“Although I don’t know why you’re asking that.”

Bai Biqing laughed softly. She reached out, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes. The feeling on her fingertip was wonderful scalding, hot, as if it were about to catch fire.

Before she could pull her hand away, she felt Su Yanshi’s body lean forward. Her voice was cautious. “Teacher Bai, your pheromone smells like strawberries. I smelled it.”

Bai Biqing’s expression froze. Her smile gradually faded. She released her hand, but within Su Yanshi’s sight, she returned to normal. She shrugged nonchalantly. “Is that so? So sweet… Yanshi, you should go back to sleep.”

Seeing that Bai Biqing was not angry, Su Yanshi relaxed. She gave a heavy “Mhm,” and before leaving, she hurried back, stuffing a room card into the Beta’s hand. “Teacher Bai, here is my room card. If I can’t wake up, you can just come in.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Good night.”

Bai Biqing nodded. “Good night.”

The sound of the door locking was like a heavy hammer. There was no trace of Alpha pheromones in the room. Bai Biqing looked at the room card in her hand, falling into confusion for the first time.

Pheromones…

She had almost forgotten that Su Yanshi could always smell her pheromones. It felt as if her whole being had been dissected and laid bare before the other person, completely exposed.

How much sincerity was there in Su Yanshi’s trust in her? Was it the pheromones that were attractive, or herself?

Yes, they had only known each other for a few days.

Su Yanshi agreed very readily when she said she wanted to be her assistant.

The Alpha didn’t resist contact with her, but why?

Was there truly no pheromonal bond? Bai Biqing didn’t dare give herself an answer.

Even Su Shang had forgotten, and she herself was confused. How could the matter of pheromones be one-sided? It should clearly be a mutual choice. Su Yanshi needed her pheromones to ease her susceptible period, but didn’t Bai Biqing need them too?

She took medicine every night, the effects of which even slowed her mind. At 95% Alpha Pheromone content, how could she not need them?

But the reality was right in front of her. Her uncontrolled pheromones were openly displayed before Su Yanshi, yet the other person’s pheromones seemed restrained and stable, never leaking out in front of her. Even a tiny bit, she would have smelled it.

This small flicker of hope finally brought Bai Biqing’s mind back to clarity today.

She was indeed pursuing Su Yanshi, but was this pursuit ultimately mixed with genuine affection or mutual need? Who could guarantee it? No one dared.

Bai Biqing suddenly realized: what if Su Yanshi only fell for a Beta’s pheromones? What should she do then? During the treatment process, her gland would gradually disappear, meaning the pheromones would also vanish. Would there still be other possibilities for them then?

Love, even if it wasn’t 100%, could still overcome things.

Bai Biqing’s breathing became heavy. Her fingertips trembled. She swallowed hard, both resolute and shaken, taking out a red medicine from her medicine box. She held up the vial and looked at it in silence, as if her destiny after the injection would be like its color—beautiful yet carrying an unmissable danger.

The Beta had not dared to touch this thing for a long time.

But in this strange city, she knelt on the carpet, painfully curled up, with an empty syringe rolling under the bed.

In the dark space, it emitted a frightening glow.

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