My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 23

“You’ve released too many pheromones.”

The doctor’s gaze shifted between the two of them before finally settling back on Ji Zeyuan. “Are you her partner?”

Ji Zeyuan denied it flatly. “No.” She instinctively glanced at Zhang Linen, whose expression remained unchanged. Ji Zeyuan paused and added, “I’m her sister.”

At that moment, the nurse suddenly gasped. “You—I remember now! Aren’t you the CEO of Jixia, the one having a scandal with Shen Jiuyue?”

The doctor turned to look at the nurse. The two exchanged a brief look before the nurse lowered her head sheepishly.

“Family member, please come with me,” the doctor said.

Ji Zeyuan nodded and said, “Apologies, can you wait a moment? I want to say a few more words.”

The doctor gave a faint smile. “Of course. After you finish talking with your sister, please come to the Pheromone Coordination Department on the third floor.” With that, the doctor led the nurse away.

Only Zhang Linen and Ji Zeyuan remained in the ward. Zhang Linen curved her eyebrows, looking at Ji Zeyuan with a quiet, lingering smile.

“It’s too late today. Tomorrow, I’ll arrange for you to be transferred to another hospital,” Ji Zeyuan said as she tapped her phone a few times. Moments later, Zhang Linen’s phone chimed with the notification: Account received 300,000 yuan.

the smile on Zhang Linen’s lips faded. She glanced at her phone and then looked coldly at Ji Zeyuan, asking, “What is the meaning of this?”

Ji Zeyuan was about to speak, but Zhang Linen interrupted her immediately. “Do you pity me?”

Zhang Linen’s peach-blossom eyes were as sharp as blades, and her cherry lips were pressed thin. Ji Zeyuan explained angrily, “I am worried about you.”

“You only remembered to be worried now?” Zhang Linen let out a cold laugh. Ji Zeyuan was instantly silenced.

The transfer was sent back by Zhang Linen. She closed her eyes, her voice deep and exhausted. “Don’t use the same methods on me that you used to use on your followers, Ji Zeyuan. If you are worried about me…”

Zhang Linen’s eyes dimmed, her tone bordering on a plea. “Then don’t leave. Don’t always be so hot and cold with me. I…”

After a soft sigh, Zhang Linen lowered her eyes and stopped speaking.

Ji Zeyuan had nothing left to say. She lowered her head in shame and said, “I’m going to see the doctor. Get some rest.”

As she turned to leave, Ji Zeyuan paused for a moment and looked back. Zhang Linen had already lain down and curled into a ball on the bed, looking as if she didn’t want to deal with anyone.

Going down to the third floor, Ji Zeyuan searched for a long time before finding the “Pheromone Coordination Department” tucked away in a corner.

Pushing open the door, she saw the doctor squinting at a computer screen. He looked up when he heard the door. Ji Zeyuan sat on the stool beside him.

“Well… it’s like this,” the doctor began seriously. “Through various examinations, we can basically confirm that your sister is suffering from Pheromone Phobia.”

“Pheromone Phobia?” Ji Zeyuan asked in confusion. “Is it serious? Will it endanger her life?”

The doctor paused, weighing his words. “I cannot give a definitive answer. I can only tell you based on past cases that the mortality rate of this disease is not high.”

Ji Zeyuan knit her brows in silence, not considering that a good answer.

“The most prominent feature of this disease is a distinct rejection response to the pheromones of others. Generally, such patients need to be isolated for treatment. Until they are fully recovered, they cannot have close contact with Alphas or Omegas.”

Ji Zeyuan’s heart grew heavier as she listened, but a doubt suddenly flashed through her mind. She asked, “But doctor, I am an Alpha. Why didn’t she have a rejection response when she was in contact with me?”

The doctor had anticipated this question. He pointed to the computer screen and said, “There are many cases with this phenomenon. Patients with Pheromone Phobia may not reject—and may even depend on—the pheromones of a specific person. The reason is usually because the pheromone compatibility between the two is near 100%, which is extremely rare.”

The doctor withdrew his hand. “We usually perform Gentle Therapy on patients exhibiting this phenomenon. For example, letting the ‘specific person’ temporarily mark the patient. This way, the patient’s susceptibility to external pheromones will drop significantly. The two should set aside at least one hour of private time daily, during which the specific person releases a certain amount of pheromones to let the patient adapt to a pheromone-filled environment, gradually eliminating the rejection response.”

Marking Zhang Linen? Releasing pheromones during private time?

Ji Zeyuan’s face turned pale. She didn’t even dare to think too deeply about such things.

Thus, she asked decisively, “Then what is the standard treatment plan?”

The doctor adjusted his glasses and said gravely, “Your sister is lucky. At least you can help her with Gentle Therapy. For patients who do not have such a specific person, the standard treatment is a glandular resection. A few lucky patients can retain a small portion of the gland, but the vast majority have the entire gland removed.”

Ji Zeyuan’s mind went blank. When she walked out of the office, she was in a daze, her expression heavy.

Returning to the ward, she found that Zhang Linen had already fallen asleep. Ji Zeyuan entered quietly and sat on the stool by the bed.

The night was quiet. Zhang Linen looked exhausted even in sleep, with heavy dark circles under her eyes; it was clear she hadn’t rested well in a long time.

Ji Zeyuan quietly took out her phone and searched for “Pheromone Phobia” in the browser.

The many cases that popped up were harrowing. The patients who had their glands removed were either haggard or like the walking dead.

The further she scrolled, the colder her heart felt, until she found a post titled: “I have Pheromone Phobia, but luckily my wife is my medicine.”

She clicked on the post. The treatment process described was the Gentle Therapy the doctor mentioned. Compared to the previous cases, the entire course of treatment didn’t look nearly as terrifying; it was truly “gentle” in every sense of the word.

Ji Zeyuan turned off her phone and meditated for a long time while looking at the sleeping Zhang Linen. After a moment, she gently placed her hand on the back of Zhang Linen’s hand and let out a sigh of resignation, murmuring, “Little En…”

…

Ever since the livestream began, Shen Jiuyue had been watching the users entering the room. Until the end of the broadcast, she never saw Ji Zeyuan appear.

According to the script, Shen Jiuyue was supposed to clarify the scandal at the end of the pre-sale livestream.

However, at the last moment, she changed the script. She took the line “President Ji and I are not in the relationship rumored online; the trip to the amusement park was a work arrangement” and changed it to: “Everyone, don’t overthink it! We just went to the amusement park together,” words filled with ambiguity.

After the stream ended, within nearly two minutes, a topic surged to the top of the trending searches and went viral.

Question “What kind of relationship involves going to an amusement park together?”

In her dream, Zhang Linen vaguely returned to her high school days. She looked down at herself, wearing a simple blue-and-white school uniform. Ji Zeyuan’s cheerful voice called from afar: “Little En! Over here!”

Zhang Linen looked up, but through the thick mist, she could only see half of Ji Zeyuan’s face. She instinctively chased after her. Just as her fingertips were about to touch Ji Zeyuan, the other woman vanished before her eyes.

“Little Yuan…” Zhang Linen looked around, trying to find Ji Zeyuan’s figure.

Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky. The booming sound made Zhang Linen dizzy. She covered her ears and looked up; a plane was soaring over her head. Zhang Linen instinctively believed this was the flight Ji Zeyuan was taking to go abroad.

She chased after the departing flight in a panic, naively forgetting that human feet cannot catch up to high-speed wings.

“Ji Zeyuan!” Zhang Linen screamed with all her might, then woke up from the dream drenched in sweat.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Zeyuan leaned over with concern to ask. Zhang Linen looked at her blankly and asked, “Why are you still here?”

After speaking, Zhang Linen trembled. she sniffed; the scent of rose-flavored Alpha pheromones filled the entire ward.

It was obvious these were the pheromones Ji Zeyuan had released—soft, soothing pheromones meant to comfort.

Ji Zeyuan looked at Zhang Linen with worry. She reached out as if to touch her, but then hesitated and pulled back.

Zhang Linen gathered her thoughts and looked at Ji Zeyuan softly. “Miss, why are you still here? And…”

She pursed her lips. “You’ve released too many pheromones.”

Seeing that Zhang Linen seemed to be fine, Ji Zeyuan breathed a sigh of relief and explained with a bit of embarrassment, “It’s a bit complicated to explain. I’m actually releasing pheromones to treat your illness.”

Zhang Linen blinked, not understanding. Ji Zeyuan sat down calmly and detailed the “Gentle Therapy” the doctor had described.

“Move into my place until you recover,” Ji Zeyuan said solemnly.

Zhang Linen was silent for a long while, staring straight at Ji Zeyuan. Seeing her dazed, Ji Zeyuan waved a hand in front of her eyes.

Before Ji Zeyuan could withdraw her hand, Zhang Linen suddenly sat up and lunged forward, catching Ji Zeyuan in a full embrace.

“You said it.”

I hope this illness never gets better.

Zhang Linen didn’t say that last part out loud. She spoke with heavy emphasis, desperately wanting to confirm what Ji Zeyuan had said.

The scent of green grass pheromones enveloped Ji Zeyuan. Her breathing quickened, and she clenched her fists in agitation.

“Of course,” Ji Zeyuan’s voice was heavy. “But Little En, there are some things I must make clear to you. Let go of me first, okay?”

Zhang Linen obediently let go, but her eyes remained glued to Ji Zeyuan, refusing to look away.

Ji Zeyuan took a quiet breath and slowly exhaled. She tried her best to suppress her overflowing emotions and said in a steady tone, “You are very important to me. Like… like my own younger sister.”

Zhang Linen’s brow twitched slightly as she listened quietly.

“So no matter what, I hope you will be well. From now on…” Ji Zeyuan said each word with caution. “I really won’t do something as stupid as I did eight years ago, leaving you behind and ignoring you.”

Ji Zeyuan spoke very sincerely, but no joy could be seen on Zhang Linen’s face.

“Don’t be afraid that I’ll leave anymore. I will always stay by your side until… until there is someone else by your side.”

Zhang Linen’s gaze darkened; she already realized what Ji Zeyuan was trying to express.

“You will meet many people in the future. You will fall in love, you will get married…” Ji Zeyuan’s voice grew weaker. The words were coming from her own mouth, yet they were piercing her own heart.

Zhang Linen interrupted her. “Are you trying to say that you will too? Fall in love and get married to someone else?”

Ji Zeyuan’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could speak, Zhang Linen’s interrogation followed immediately.

“With whom? Shen Jiuyue?” Zhang Linen stared at her, pressing for an answer.

Ji Zeyuan’s pheromones clearly became restless due to Zhang Linen’s questioning. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. After a moment of hesitation, she finally relented. “Shen Jiuyue and I are not—”

Before she could finish, Ji Zeyuan’s phone rang. She frowned in displeasure and took it out, intending to hang up. Coincidentally, the person calling her was indeed Shen Jiuyue.

Zhang Linen’s eyes were fixed on Ji Zeyuan’s phone screen; she had clearly seen it too.

“Didn’t you say last time that you didn’t give your contact information to Shen Jiuyue?”

Zhang Linen’s tone was gentle, but it was filled with a hidden pressure. Ji Zeyuan was tongue-tied, not knowing how to answer.

The phone continued to ring incessantly. Although Zhang Linen was smiling faintly, her eyes held a trace of coldness. “Why aren’t you answering?”

Ji Zeyuan hesitated and didn’t pick up. The call eventually disconnected on its own. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, the ill-timed ringtone started again.

Zhang Linen’s lingering gaze left Ji Zeyuan with nowhere to hide her embarrassment.

Helpless, Ji Zeyuan could only say, “I’m going out for a moment.”

But before she could walk out the door, Zhang Linen called out to her. This time, Zhang Linen softened her tone, her voice tender. “Didn’t you say I was like your own sister? Is there something that even a sister needs to be kept in the dark about?”

Ji Zeyuan was afraid that Shen Jiuyue would say something reckless and didn’t want Zhang Linen to hear it and get upset. So she explained forcedly, “It’s nothing, just some work matters.”

Zhang Linen’s eyes flickered, and then she gave a sweet smile. “Then as you wish.”

With that, she turned her head away. After a moment of internal struggle, Ji Zeyuan walked out of the ward and answered the second call just before it timed out.

The moment Ji Zeyuan closed the door, Zhang Linen turned around and got out of bed. She didn’t put on shoes; she walked barefoot and soundless to the door, pressing herself against the cold, hollow iron.