The Fox Spirit Survived as an Alpha by Consuming Pheromones - Chapter 7

Jiang Li opened her eyes with a heart full of anticipation, only to find the room empty of the person she longed to see. Even Qin Nian was gone, leaving only Dr. Zhou—the woman who filled her with instinctive dread. Jiang Li’s confusion momentarily overrode her fear; she had clearly smelled her Master’s scent just moments ago, yet when she opened her eyes, her Master wasn’t there.

She twitched her nose. The lingering traces of that unique, honeyed sweetness confirmed it hadn’t just been a hallucination from her fainting spell. While unconscious, she had felt her body violently rejecting the nutrient IV to the point of exhausting the Master’s pheromones she had stored, which was likely what caused her to collapse. Without a second thought, she yanked the needle out. Her movements were so clumsy and blunt that the sharp tip sliced her skin, and bright red blood welled up instantly.

Jiang Li extended her small tongue and licked the blood away. Within seconds, only a faint mark remained on her hand.

Seeing that she was fine, Zhou Yang didn’t dwell on the scratch. She simply gave a faint smile and asked, “Do you still want to smell Miss Bai’s scent?”

Jiang Li looked at Zhou Yang with a mix of wariness and barely contained eagerness, looking very much like a calculating little fox. She touched the spot where she’d been hurt; it was a bit itchy, but by the time her fingers reached the wound, even the mark had vanished. She didn’t have the mental capacity to ponder why; the deep craving in her heart drove her to whisper a single word: “Yes.”

Zhou Yang froze. A powerful, overwhelming urge surged in her mind an all-consuming need to satisfy Jiang Li’s request. As if possessed, she handed over all the remaining pheromone samples to the girl.

Jiang Li didn’t stand on ceremony and took all three small vials. She clutched them in her palms like precious treasures, carefully opening one. As she inhaled, she kept a sharp eye on Zhou Yang. Noticing the doctor’s dazed expression reminiscent of humans she had charmed in the past Jiang Li flashed a sly, cunning smile. It seemed Dr. Zhou had fallen under her “Charm” spell.

She had only intended to test it out and hadn’t expected it to work, but the success was a pleasant surprise. Amidst her excitement, she didn’t forget to ask: “Dr. Zhou, are you a bad person? What are you plotting by giving me Mas Miss Bai’s pheromones?”

Zhou Yang replied expressionlessly, “I am neither a bad person nor a particularly good one. I simply see research value in you and want your cooperation.”

“I won’t hurt you, much less Miss Bai. You must learn to hide your differences and protect yourself. No other researcher would treat you as peacefully as I do; they would only want to dissect you to uncover the secrets hidden in your body.”

Zhou Yang’s words sent a sudden chill down Jiang Li’s spine. She clutched the duvet to her chest and glared fiercely at the doctor. “Don’t scare me. You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” However, the tremor in her voice betrayed her internal terror. She realized that Dr. Zhou had already broken free from the Charm spell—she just didn’t know exactly when.

Zhou Yang rubbed her palm. The moment she felt her consciousness drifting, she had dug her nails into her hand; the sharp pain had snapped her back to reality. However, her answer to Jiang Li had been the truth.

She looked at Jiang Li with an inquisitive gaze. “Who exactly are you? And when did you perform that hypnosis on me?”

Seeing Jiang Li bristling like a cat aggressive yet undeniably endearing the doctor’s tone softened slightly. “I wasn’t trying to scare you just now. Everything I said is true. If you don’t believe me, feel free to test it. My desire to study you is ultimately for Mu Miss Bai’s sake. I’m afraid of what will happen if you leave one day. I’m afraid she won’t have anyone to help suppress her ‘fever.’ I want to uncover your body’s secrets as quickly as possible so that even if you aren’t by her side, she can suffer less and live a normal life.”

Hearing the sincerity in her voice, Jiang Li’s fear began to ebb away. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Can I trust you?”

Zhou Yang nodded. “If you don’t trust me, you should at least trust Miss Bai. If she didn’t trust me, she wouldn’t have left you in my care.”

“However… right now, I’m the one who finds it hard to trust you.”

Jiang Li felt a wave of grievance. She opened her palms and held out the two remaining tubes of pheromones. “Is this for your research? Here, take them back.” She regretted trying to use her Charm on Dr. Zhou; she had tried to be clever only to end up outsmarting herself, raising the doctor’s suspicions. She figured she might as well return the pheromones she’d scammed.

She added an awkward explanation: “I wasn’t hypnotizing you. I don’t even know what hypnosis is. I don’t know what’s happening… I think I have amnesia. I don’t remember anything.”

Zhou Yang was naturally skeptical, but considering the girl’s history as a stray, the scales tipped slightly toward belief.

She tucked the two tubes back into her pocket and adjusted her glasses. “In that case, let’s agree to trust each other for the time being.”

She extended her hand. Jiang Li hesitated for a second before shaking it, signaling her agreement.

Jiang Li let out a sigh of relief, but her eyes remained glued to Zhou Yang’s pocket. She was already regretting giving those pheromones back! Perhaps because the Charm spell had consumed so much energy, the moment she relaxed, a wave of hunger hit her, making her feel faint.

“I’m hungry.”

She watched as the doctor took the milk from the nightstand, warmed it in the microwave, and held it out to her. “Try a sip.”

The warm milk was steaming. Jiang Li took the cup and gave it a sniff; it smelled sweet, but she felt an instinctive resistance to it.

She took a tiny sip. It was rich, creamy, and had a hint of sweetness. It was actually quite good. She took a larger gulp, feeling the warm liquid slide down her throat and settle comfortably in her stomach.

Driven by her body’s desperate need for nutrients, Jiang Li downed the rest of the milk in one go, ending with a small burp.

However, her expression quickly soured as she looked at the empty cup. The memory of her stomach churning the night before was still fresh, and she had no desire to repeat the experience.

“What’s wrong? Is the milk no good either?” Zhou Yang held out a wastebin. Knowing Jiang Li had thrown up everything she ate the previous night, the doctor assumed she was about to be sick again.

Jiang Li waved her off. The expected nausea didn’t come. Instead, she felt a pleasant warmth spreading through her body a sense of satisfaction from the inside out. While it wasn’t quite as good as inhaling her Master’s pheromones, it was decent. She mentally filed milk away as her “second favorite food.”

“Is there more? I want another cup.”

Before the words were even out, Jiang Li’s face crumpled. She clutched her stomach and began rolling around on the bed. “My stomach hurts so much!”

“Lactose intolerant?” Zhou Yang frowned slightly. She patted Jiang Li on the shoulder and pointed toward the bathroom. “Hurry, go!”

Jiang Li practically scrambled into the bathroom. After a chaotic “storm” in her gut, she silently swore she would never eat food again!

By the time she crawled back to bed, she was too exhausted to lift a finger. She glared at Zhou Yang with a face full of resentment, wheezing out, “I don’t… want to trust you anymore.” Her voice was laced with petulance.

Qin Nian returned to the ward carrying several large bags. Seeing Jiang Li looking like she’d lost her will to live, she dropped the bags and turned to the doctor. “Dr. Zhou, what happened to her?”

Zhou Yang adjusted her glasses, her expression unruffled. “She drank some milk, but she’s lactose intolerant. She’s just dealing with the aftermath.”

“What about the IV? Why isn’t it running?” Qin Nian asked, eyeing the half-full bottle of nutrients.

“A-Li’s body rejected the solution. We can’t use it anymore.” Zhou Yang’s professional mask slipped slightly. She had never encountered a case like this; she was burning with a researcher’s excitement but had to suppress it.

“Huh? So she can’t eat, she can’t drink milk, and she can’t use an IV? Is she going to die?!” Qin Nian was panicking. A-Li held the key to her sister’s “happiness”—she couldn’t let anything happen to her!

Qin Nian quickly piled the food she’d bought onto the bed. “A-Li, look. Is there anything here you want to eat?”

She had bought everything from snacks to prepared meals basically anything she could find at the supermarket.

Jiang Li only spared the pile a single glance before turning away. “I am never eating food again,” she declared solemnly.

“What do we do? Dr. Zhou, is there any way to save her? Is this because of her sensory disorder?” Qin Nian asked urgently.

“Calm down.” Zhou Yang pulled a vial of Bai Muqin’s pheromones from her pocket and held it to Jiang Li’s nose.

Within moments, a healthy flush returned to Jiang Li’s cheeks.

Gritting her teeth, Zhou Yang handed the very last vial over to the girl.

This time, Jiang Li didn’t gulp it down. She savored it like a rare treasure, and even after it was gone, she looked like she wanted more. She was noticeably more energetic than before.

“Dr. Zhou, what did you just give her? It wasn’t… something illegal, was it?” Qin Nian asked worriedly.

Before the doctor could answer, Jiang Li reached out and tried to rifle through Zhou Yang’s pockets. Flustered, the doctor pinned the girl’s hands down. “There’s no more! I gave you all three research samples of Miss Bai’s. Do you want someone else’s?”

Jiang Li shook her head and sat back dejectedly. Zhou Yang turned to Qin Nian. “What I just gave her were pheromone samples Miss Bai left with me for research.”

“My previous hypothesis was wrong. A-Li doesn’t have a sensory disorder. Her energy source is completely different from ours she feeds on pheromones. Specifically, she’s a picky eater; she only wants Miss Bai’s pheromones.”

“I know how absurd that sounds, but the evidence is right in front of us. We have to keep this a secret. If someone with bad intentions finds out, it could be dangerous for A-Li.”

Qin Nian nodded solemnly, then looked at Jiang Li as if she were an alien. “What is your body even made of? That is so weird!”

Jiang Li blinked innocently, her watery, fox-like eyes looking incredibly moving. She didn’t answer Qin Nian’s question. Instead, she said, “I want to go back and see Master.”

Qin Nian dazed out for a second and immediately agreed. It was only after she spoke that she realized something was wrong. For a split second, she’d felt an overwhelming urge to grant A-Li’s wish as if she would pluck the stars from the sky if the girl asked.

She found it strange but didn’t overthink it. Since she’d promised, she couldn’t take it back. Fortunately, Zhou Yang went along with it. “Take her home. She can’t stay here and starve. I’ll make regular house calls to check on her. Please let Miss Bai know so she doesn’t worry.”

At Zhou Yang’s suggestion, Qin Nian helped Jiang Li put on a mask and a hat, leaving only her eyes visible.

Once the discharge papers were signed, Qin Nian led Jiang Li out of the hospital.

Looking at the mountain of food in the backseat, Qin Nian felt a headache coming on. “I should have bought less.” She thought she heard the crinkle of snack bags from the back, but she dismissed it as the sound of plastic shifting.

Jiang Li sat obediently in the passenger seat, even letting Qin Nian buckle her seatbelt. “We’re going home first. If you’re hungry, just hang in there. My sister will be back as soon as she’s finished with work.”

She started the car.

The drive was smooth, but when they reached their destination, Qin Nian stared at the building and let out a frustrated “Crap!”

“Why did I drive to the office?”

Support