Scumbag Alpha’s Pheromones Are Toxic - Chapter 26.2

Qin Zishu laid her on the lounge sofa and leaned over her, voice laced with accusation. “How could you flirt with another woman while I was busy?”

Ji Yao, clinging to a shred of consciousness, managed to rasp, “I didn’t!”

“You did.”

Ji Yao countered, “But, how did you know?”

Qin Zishu: “…”

“Oh, I see,” Ji Yao muttered. “You little brat, you planted a bug on me again, didn’t you?”

Qin Zishu had a belly full of fire with nowhere to vent it, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she had somehow become the villain of the story. She had rushed here in a panic, wearing heels that were blistering her feet; now that her nerves were relaxing, the pain was finally catching up to her, making her grit her teeth.

Yet the culprit showed no sign of sympathy. Qin Zishu was both furious and pained, yet she couldn’t bring herself to lay a finger on her.

Ji Yao’s pupils were slightly dilated. She looked at Qin Zishu through a half-awake daze and remarked, “I used to get this angry at you countless times.”

Qin Zishu froze.

“I always held back from hitting you,” Ji Yao said. “Do you have any idea how infuriating you were as a kid?”

Qin Zishu couldn’t imagine it.

“I remember it all right here,” Ji Yao said, pointing to her own heart. “It’s a pity I died early. If there were no afterlife, I would have really lost out.”

All of Qin Zishu’s anger was instantly doused. She silently lowered her head. Ji Yao’s accidental death was the one thing that could make her drop all other emotions, every single time.

“I’m sorry,” Qin Zishu admitted her fault, kneeling before the sofa and hugging her. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been angry with you. I’m ungrateful, I’m.”

“Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Ji Yao said. Her strength was gone, and her voice was soft. “Look forward. Don’t get trapped in the past, okay?”

Qin Zishu: “…”

Ji ‘Brings up the past out of nowhere’ Yao seemed to have no idea who had started the topic in the first place.

Ji Yao stroked her cheek. “This dress really suits you.”

Qin Zishu’s voice was thick. “Mm.”

An unbearable sensation began to spread through Ji Yao’s body—the unmistakable sign of differentiation. She endured the discomfort and whispered to Qin Zishu, “You’ve grown up. You’re so beautiful I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Qin Zishu didn’t know how to respond, so she just smiled.

Ji Yao added meaningfully, “Aren’t you an S-rank Alpha?”

Qin Zishu nodded. “I am.”

Ji Yao’s brow twitched. “We are lovers now. I am no longer your guardian.”

“I understand,” Qin Zishu said, missing the point entirely. “Even though our relationship has changed, I will always think of you as my guardian.”

“You understand nothing!” Ji Yao nearly spat blood. She propped herself up on her arms and demanded, “What I mean is—are you incompetent? Can’t you see I’m about to differentiate? Is this your attitude as a lover? Some S-rank Alpha you are. Have you used so many scent-blocking patches that you’ve gone stupid?”

Qin Zishu lowered her head with restraint and whispered in Ji Yao’s ear, “Sister, it’s not that I won’t help you. Have you considered why this differentiation process is taking so long?”

“Why?”

“If you don’t differentiate at the proper age, the longer you wait, the higher the likelihood of ‘pseudo-differentiation’—and the more often it will happen.”

Ji Yao: “…”

“Furthermore, soothing can only happen after the differentiation is complete. If you are stuck in the middle of the process, there is no way to alleviate the discomfort,” Qin Zishu revealed the cruel truth. “So, right now, my only use is to keep talking to you.”

Ji Yao looked at her with an “expressed” look of you are useless and collapsed back onto the sofa in despair.

Qin Zishu pulled her into her arms. “Let’s guess. What will your pheromones smell like?”

Ji Yao thought about the food Qin Zishu hated most and joked, “Bitter tea.”

Qin Zishu’s grip tightened, and her lips thinned into a straight line. “Not bitter tea,” she protested. “I don’t like that smell.”

Qin Zishu waited for Ji Yao to snap back, but after a long while, there was no reply. Curiously, she leaned down to look at her. Brushing the hair away, she saw Ji Yao’s expression—she was biting her lip hard, her eyes red, as if she were enduring something with every ounce of her strength.

Qin Zishu wasn’t just observing; she was losing her own grip on sanity. In countless previous loops, she had possessed this woman many times. She knew exactly how powerful Ji Yao’s pull was, let alone when she looked like this.

Ji Yao, struggling, gasped, “I’m sorry I didn’t know you had a functional disorder.”

Qin Zishu: ??? “What?”

“I’ve read the warning labels on scent-blocking patches,” Ji Yao panted. “I know a bit about your situation.”

Precautions: This product is for temporary relief only. Long-term dependence is prohibited, especially for Alphas. Do not use for more than three consecutive times. If symptoms persist, seek medical attention. If effectiveness wanes, it is recommended to resume sexual activity or seek pheromone soothing from another Alpha.

Note: Continuous use in Alphas can lead to pheromone release blockages, hormonal imbalances, and pathological mutations.

Ji Yao recited the label from memory. “Don’t worry. Whether you have a release blockage or some other ‘problem,’ I won’t hold it against you.”

Qin Zishu: “I don’t have a problem.”

“As highly intelligent beings, it is truly a humiliation that humans must one day be tormented by such primal desires,” Ji Yao remarked. “How much easier life would be without all this messy business.”

The differentiation process was far too long and agonizing.

Qin Zishu’s heart ached for her; she felt every bit of Ji Yao’s distress as if it were her own. Usually, she weathered her own rut using scent-blocking patches and never actually touched any of her “canaries.” But Ji Yao was currently suspended in a pre-differentiation state—patches were useless, and Qin Zishu couldn’t even use her own pheromones to soothe her yet.

Must I just watch her suffer?

Then, Qin Zishu remembered that there were other ways to solve this predicament, just as the manual suggested: “If effectiveness wanes, it is recommended to resume sexual activity.”

It was a moment of sudden enlightenment—Right, I can just go for it!

Just as Ji Yao had unhesitatingly offered to stay with her during her own rut, Qin Zishu decided she would “sacrifice” herself to accompany Ji Yao through this ordeal.

Seconds later, Lou Juan, who was standing guard at the door, was sent on a frantic mission to find finger cots.

Gan Siyu and Elder Zhong had not left yet; they remained nearby, silently observing the commotion.

“Teacher, are you really comfortable leaving Ji Yao to her?” Gan Siyu bit her lip before adding, “Qin Zishu’s reputation is terrible. What if.”

“It’s fine. That is Ji Yao.” Elder Zhong, who had previously pretended not to recognize her, now looked on with paternal kindness. He sat in his wheelchair, gazing at the passing crowds as if seeing ghosts of past prosperity. “Let her be.

Someone who can tether Qin Zishu to her side could never be a mere ‘kind soul’.”

Gan Siyu blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

“Ji Yao was also a student I trained,” Elder Zhong said, the smile in his eyes deepening. “Mercy, compassion, cold-bloodedness, ruthlessness, she wields them all with mastery. If a person were purely kind, they could never hold onto Qin Zishu. But if they were entirely heartless, they could never inspire someone to offer up their true heart in return.”

Gan Siyu skipped over the philosophy and caught the main point. “Ji Yao was your student? Did she ever graduate?”

Elder Zhong’s expression shifted to one of slight embarrassment. “She didn’t graduate. She was expelled.”

Gan Siyu: “…”

Now that is interesting. Was there actually someone in this world capable of escaping Elder Zhong’s tutelage?

Elder Zhong—Zhong Huaixing. No one knew his true origins or his past. All that was known was that he possessed unimaginable wealth and a legion of followers in both the light and the shadows. Today’s ruthless tycoon or tomorrow’s brilliant young actor might very well be a disciple of the Zhong school. Usually, once someone came under his protection, they were more than happy to stay. And yet, this Ji Yao didn’t just leave—she defected?

Gan Siyu wondered if she had misheard.

After a long silence, Elder Zhong suddenly asked, “Ji Yao entered this loop without her memories. Who moved against her?”

Gan Siyu lowered her head. “I don’t know. When I tested her just now, Sister Ji Yao truly didn’t give me the correct response.”

“Aha! So she was actually played by Qin Zishu?” Elder Zhong laughed, clapping his hands in delight as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. “No wonder she didn’t contact us. No wonder she’s staying with that girl.”

Gan Siyu smiled along with him.

“Forget it. It’s just one loop; let them play,” Elder Zhong mused. He loved nothing more than a good romantic entanglement and had no intention of “waking” Ji Yao up. He was perfectly content to let the youngsters cause trouble.

“They’ve probably gone out to buy supplies. Do you have any spares on you for their emergency?”

Gan Siyu nodded and pulled out an unopened box.

Elder Zhong: “Go and deliver it to them.”

Deliver finger cots to my love rival? Gan Siyu felt her whole world tilting. She gritted her teeth, desperately wanting to refuse. But since it was Elder Zhong’s command, she couldn’t disobey. She headed over, looking utterly miserable.

Five minutes later, Lou Juan returned. She was about to knock when a staff member stopped her. “No need to go in. They already have some.”

Lou Juan frowned. “Where did they get them?”

The answer: “Manager Qin’s rival gave them to her.”

Lou Juan: “…”

Inside the room, Qin Zishu’s face was flushed crimson. Despite having possessed Ji Yao in previous loops, she was as nervous as if it were her first time. Or perhaps it wasn’t nervousness, but sheer adrenaline.

She didn’t have time to overthink it. She leaned down to kiss Ji Yao, having never seen the woman lean into her so obediently. In the past, every intimacy had been met with a degree of resistance; even though Qin Zishu was the dominant one, she always ended up more exhausted than Ji Yao.

This time, seeing Ji Yao so compliant made Qin Zishu’s heart swell with joy. Her hands were shaking as she reached for the packaging.

“Sister.”

Qin Zishu whispered her name over and over like a drunkard, showering her with kisses. Ji Yao reached up, lightly threading her fingers through Qin Zishu’s hair and pulling her down to deepen the kiss.

Qin Zishu’s hands trembled so much she failed to tear the foil open five times in a row.

Qin Zishu: “…”

Ji Yao’s patience had worn thin. By now, the feverish panic brought on by the differentiation period had receded. She rolled over, sat up, and pushed Qin Zishu away.

The woman before her fell into a sudden silence.

Ji Yao wiped the corners of her eyes and looked up, sensing something off only to see this useless brat standing there in a daze, clutching the now-opened packaging.

“What a pity,” Qin Zishu said regretfully. “Sister, your pseudo-differentiation phase has passed.”

“It wasn’t a full differentiation; it was just a false start,” Ji Yao noted. “You were too slow.”

The air grew silent once more. Although Qin Zishu didn’t say anything, Ji Yao felt as though the girl was so aggrieved she was about to burst into tears. To have her prize within reach only to be denied the touch, it was enough to kill her with frustration!

Qin Zishu stood before Ji Yao, looking utterly lost and dejected. She couldn’t even use her pheromones to induce the process! Being an S-rank Alpha afforded her no advantage here; fate had paired her with someone who simply couldn’t smell her.

Ji Yao lay back on the sofa, propping her head up with one hand as she watched her. “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”

Qin Zishu looked as if she had suffered a monumental injustice. She petulantly refused to respond while trying to stuff the finger cots back into the box.

“Why stop?” Ji Yao asked.

Qin Zishu’s hand froze. ???

“Why must you be limited by biology for something like this? You are a human, not a beast. You are driven by emotion, not primal instinct,” Ji Yao guided her. “If you want to do it, why not? I’m right here—”

Ji Yao didn’t finish her sentence because Qin Zishu lunged forward to seal her lips.

Qin Zishu’s black evening gown was stunning. When Ji Yao placed her hands on her, she could feel the girl’s slender waist through the thin fabric—the texture was perfect, firm yet possessing a uniquely feminine softness. Because it was a gown, it was relatively accessible.

“Your makeup today is actually quite nice,” Ji Yao remarked while watching Qin Zishu fumbling with the dress. Eventually, Ji Yao felt too embarrassed to keep watching; she covered her eyes, choosing to hide.

Qin Zishu ruthlessly pulled her hands away and whispered, “Look at me.”

Ji Yao felt a wave of shame; she was too shy to comply.

“Didn’t you used to seduce me all the time? I thought you were used to this by now,” Qin Zishu said, her voice never wavering even as her movements continued. “Are you really this inexperienced?”

Qin Zishu knew Ji Yao would be shy; it was a conclusion she had reached over countless loops. But what of it? Qin Zishu loved bullying her at times like this.

Ji Yao had nowhere to hide and was pulled back into the fray. She opened her bleary eyes and gazed at the other’s beautiful features. She truly loved Qin Zishu’s monolids—sharp, glamorous, and domineering. When the muscles relaxed, they held a blurred beauty; when they tightened, they held a dangerous allure. It was a unique beauty, the very thing that had attracted Ji Yao when she first saw the young girl in the orphanage.

Ji Yao motioned for Qin Zishu to lean down, then kissed her eyes. Since Qin Zishu wouldn’t let her close them, she decided to study her intently.

She noted that Qin Zishu’s eyebrows were likely naturally sparse, as they had been since childhood; fortunately, brow transplants existed now, so it wasn’t a major issue.

Her train of thought was abruptly shattered.

Seeing Ji Yao looking up at her, Qin Zishu grew excited and exerted a bit too much force, causing Ji Yao to grip her arm tight. Ji Yao arched her back, the elegant lines of her neck tensing like a graceful swan, prompting Qin Zishu to lean down and kiss her throat.

“Hurry up,” Ji Yao urged. She was a woman of action and disliked dawdling. She felt as though Qin Zishu was intentionally dragging things out; if this went on much longer, she was going to break into a sweat.

“I’m sorry,” Qin Zishu defended herself. “I can’t help it.”

Ji Yao gave her a playful kick, her mood souring. Qin Zishu, however, broke into a broad smile. She caught Ji Yao’s foot and dragged her back into her embrace.

Ji Yao sensed trouble and was about to snap, but the words turned into a sharp intake of breath. It hurt. But she was too embarrassed to say so.

Qin Zishu seemed to bank on her shyness, tossing and turning her relentlessly.

“Sister,” Qin Zishu whispered, hugging her from behind. “It’s a pity you can’t smell my pheromones, otherwise.”

Ji Yao felt the warmth and intensity behind her. “Shut up,” she snapped.

“Sister, why are you always in a bad mood at times like this?” Qin Zishu asked, sounding aggrieved.

“What am I supposed to do? It’s generous enough of me not to give you the cold shoulder,” Ji Yao retorted.