Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 32

Tang Qiluo held her hand up like a microphone and brought it close to Jiang Qi’s mouth.

Jiang Qi leaned back slightly, clicked her tongue, and cast a cold glare.

Yan Xu tugged at her sleeve and laughed, “Why tease her of all people? Xiao Qi has always been this aloof.”

“No way, she’s actually quite warm to…” Before Tang Qiluo could finish her rebuttal, Yan Xu stuffed a piece of beef fillet into her mouth.

“Here, have some food.”

Chi Shuang covered her mouth, her eyes curved into crescents as she giggled. “Just focus on eating, will you? Do you have a problem with my cooking?”

“No, no, absolutely not,” Tang Qiluo hastily replied after swallowing the beef, quickly changing the subject.

…

In the control room.

The assistant director waved his hand. “Director, director! Even though last night’s real-time ratings were only 2.1, the buzz on Weibo today is still pretty high.”

The director came over, squinted at the data for a moment, and patted the assistant director’s bald head. “Is 2.1 really that low? We’re already in the top three for the weekly rankings. What more do you want?”

Fairly satisfied with the results, the director stroked his goatee. “Seems like most of the comments are about Xiao Jiang and Xiao Chi’s CP, right?”

“Ah, yes.” The assistant director’s chubby yet nimble fingers tapped a few keys on the keyboard, pulling up a colorful, densely packed chart.

All in all, the production team was quite pleased with the premiere ratings.

By the end of June, Jiangcheng had officially entered summer. Unlike the city’s noise and oppressive heat, the countryside, though equally sunny, occasionally offered a refreshing breeze that made the heat more bearable.

A month had passed since the start of the variety show recording. Even Jiang Qi, who had been the most resistant at first, seemed to have settled in.

Without the endless meetings, business trips, and contracts, it felt like a leisurely vacation.

“Oh no… oh no…” Jiang Ran stepped off the scale, spun around, and threw herself onto the sofa.

Yan Xu handed her a glass of iced red bean milk tea. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Ran took a big gulp, leaving a foamy milk tea mustache on her upper lip.

“I’ve gained weight! It’s all because Sister Jiang and Sister Chi’s cooking is just too good.” She pinched her cheeks in despair.

“Then stop eating.” Jiang Qi snatched the glass away, using her height to keep it out of Jiang Ran’s reach.

Jiang Ran jumped up, trying to grab the glass. “I was wrong, I was wrong! This is the last one, I’ll start dieting after this.”

Chi Shuang watched the scene with a smile, her eyes crinkling and her dimples faintly showing.

After letting her struggle for a while, Jiang Qi finally took pity and returned the glass, then sat down next to Chi Shuang. “And that’s why you’re gaining weight.”

Shang Chumu covered her mouth and laughed heartily. “Glutton!”

Jiang Ran shot back, “You’ve gained weight too, and you’re a model!”

The two of them gradually descended into bickering.

Jiang Qi lowered her eyes, maintaining her cool demeanor as if completely detached from the chaos.

“Our Xiao Qi is learning to joke around now?” Amid the commotion, Chi Shuang, sitting calmly on the sofa, leaned closer to Jiang Qi’s ear.

Her breath carried a faint hint of chocolate milk, and for a moment, Jiang Qi’s heart faltered.

The scene felt strangely familiar.

She had been reading too many fanfictions lately and was starting to mix them up with reality.

Her heart pounded wildly, and she felt an inexplicable restlessness, as if it were about to consume her.

The scent of chocolate milk grew stronger with each breath, and the lingering note of whiskey became increasingly intoxicating.

Jiang Qi turned her head. “You…”

Her ear just brushed past Chi Shuang’s lips.

Jiang Qi: “!!!”

Chi Shuang instantly stepped back, the breeze she stirred carrying the scent of chocolate milk.

The fragrance grew richer and more intoxicating.

Something was wrong! Chi Shuang would never voluntarily release pheromones here, so there was only one explanation.

Jiang Qi leaned closer, her voice hushed: “You… should probably go replenish your suppressants, shouldn’t you?”

Chi Shuang froze for a moment, then lifted her arm to sniff herself. Her expression suddenly shifted: “Sorry.”

Jiang Qi was an Alpha, and an Omega’s pheromones had a natural aphrodisiac effect on her.

Glancing at Jiang Qi’s calm expression, Chi Shuang breathed a sigh of relief: “I’ll go back to my room for a bit.”

Jiang Qi nodded, her heart racing faster than she ever thought possible. The restlessness inside her felt unfamiliar.

Only when Chi Shuang had completely disappeared up the staircase, and the gentle breeze from outside dispersed the lingering scent around her, did Jiang Qi finally relax, allowing herself to collapse onto the sofa.

This was exactly why she never wanted to be an Alpha, she hated this uncontrollable surge of emotions.

Shang Chumu and Jiang Ran, who were playfully bickering by the kitchen, were Omega and Beta and remained unaffected by the pheromones. Meanwhile, Tang Qiluo and Yan Xu were also Betas, completely impervious to such influences.

So, among the six of them, were she and Chi Shuang the only ones who could affect each other?

Jiang Qi suddenly recalled the director’s earlier hints about pairing her up with Chi Shuang for a CP.

She pressed her tongue against the pointed canine on her upper jaw, pushing hard.

Just then, her phone rang. Jiang Qi raised an eyebrow, glancing at the name displayed on the screen.

Chi Shuang?

When she answered, the voice on the other end was noticeably different from usual, still gentle, but now tinged with breathiness: “Xiao Qi?”

“I’m here.”

“You didn’t put me on speaker, did you? I…” Chi Shuang took a deep breath, her pearly white teeth biting down on her lower lip.

Jiang Qi quickly replied: “No, I didn’t. What’s wrong? Is it…” Is your heat cycle starting?

She didn’t voice the question aloud. As a friend, and an Alpha, it wasn’t exactly appropriate to ask.

“I’ve run out of suppressants. Could you buy some for me? I can hold on a little longer.” Chi Shuang’s voice grew increasingly weak.

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Jiang Qi agreed without hesitation. She always stocked up on suppressants herself and knew exactly where the village clinic was.

Unfortunately, Alpha and Omega suppressants weren’t interchangeable.

“I’m heading out, make sure the door’s secure!” Jiang Qi called out to the others before darting outside.

Tall and long-legged, she ran swiftly. The cameraman chasing after her couldn’t keep up, burdened by his equipment, and could only watch as Jiang Qi disappeared into the distance.

Once she’d shaken off the cameraman, Jiang Qi ripped off the lavalier microphone clipped to her collar and spoke into her phone: “Use some blockers for now. Don’t let your pheromones spread beyond your room. I’ll be back soon.”

Whether it was due to her heat or not, Chi Shuang suddenly felt that Jiang Qi’s voice had become much gentler.

Jiang Qi kept the call connected the entire way. By the time she reached the clinic, a thin layer of sweat had formed on her forehead, and her clothes felt damp.

“Excuse me, three boxes of suppressants and two boxes of suppressant patches, please.”

The elderly doctor removed his reading glasses and studied Jiang Qi. “Oh, suppressants? Just a moment.”

He moved at a leisurely pace, making Jiang Qi anxious. Her good upbringing allowed her just two seconds to arrange her words politely: “Please hurry, it’s urgent.”

Jiang Qi watched him walk over to the Alpha-specific shelf and quickly reminded him, “It’s for Omega use.”

“Oh, buying it for your Omega? Not bad, young woman.” The old traditional Chinese medicine doctor squinted his eyes, looking at her with an approving expression.