The Scumbag Who Bowed for Money - Chapter 22

“Susceptibility period?”

Xie Yuanwei struggled to keep up with what Le Shi was saying. She froze for a moment, her hand slipping downward, brushing along the Omega’s back and then to her waist. Any lower and—

Le Shi suddenly grabbed her hand. She wasn’t feeling much better herself. As an Omega, she was highly sensitive to an Alpha’s pheromones. With Xie Yuanwei releasing hers without restraint, the stimulation made Le Shi’s eyes redden at the corners.

“Le Shi,” Xie Yuanwei called out, her voice hoarse. She leaned her head on Le Shi’s shoulder as if regaining a bit of clarity. “What should I do now?”

Le Shi closed her eyes for a second. She could tell Xie Yuanwei was struggling. If she had known earlier, she would have dragged her to a physiology class.

Xie Yuanwei felt like her whole body was burning. Her skin was feverishly hot, and Le Shi’s pheromones were being drawn out by her presence. The Omega’s scent grew increasingly sweet, until Xie Yuanwei couldn’t help but break free from Le Shi’s hand and pull her into a tight embrace.

When an Alpha’s susceptibility period begins, it’s usually intense. They gradually lose their rationality. Only a pheromone suppressant or an exchange of pheromones with an Omega can help stabilize them.

There were two ways to exchange pheromones: one, for an Alpha to mark an Omega; the other, a reverse marking, where the Omega marks the Alpha. Most Alphas refused the latter.

From the look on Xie Yuanwei’s face, Le Shi knew she hadn’t brought a suppressant and probably didn’t even know she was entering susceptibility.

She shut her eyes with a pained expression. The weight of Xie Yuanwei pressing down on her grew heavier, and the Alpha’s breathing became shallow. Her hand hovered persistently at the back of Le Shi’s neck.

“Xie Yuanwei.”

Le Shi pushed her away. Holding her back with one hand, she looked into Xie Yuanwei’s bloodshot eyes. Her expression softened slightly, but she didn’t loosen her grip.

Xie Yuanwei took a deep breath, supporting herself above Le Shi. She reached for the Omega’s hand and held it tightly. Her gaze had already started to blur, but she still recognized the person in front of her.

She kissed along Le Shi’s fingertips, pressing her lips gently down to her palm. Feeling the warmth and dampness, she couldn’t help but close her hand around it.

“Le Shi.”

Her breathing was uneven, and her eyes were fixed on Le Shi with intensity.

Le Shi couldn’t break free. Whatever she wanted to say stayed trapped in her throat. The Omega was pinned against the seat. In a moment of panic, she reclined the seat fully, her body sliding down as Xie Yuanwei’s hot, urgent kisses trailed across her fingers. The sensation was overwhelming.

“Ow,” Le Shi whispered, raising her knee slightly. She pulled her hands free and raised them above her head. Her eyes shimmered with tears. She bit her lip and quickly pulled her tongue back. “Xie Yuanwei, come here.”

The air was filled with the scent of arousing pheromones. Xie Yuanwei was completely out of sorts, unable to think clearly. She couldn’t tell where she was. All she could sense was the Omega calling for her, needing her.

She leaned down and kissed Le Shi’s neck, softly sucking the delicate skin. Her hand moved slowly from her waist upward. She murmured, “You smell so good.”

Le Shi took a shaky breath and turned her head. Her chest rose and fell. She slowly wrapped her arms around Xie Yuanwei. After a deep inhale, she gave a quiet hum, arched her back, and braced her leg against the passenger seat. Then she leaned forward and bit down hard on Xie Yuanwei’s scent gland.

An Omega’s pheromone, when injected into an Alpha’s gland, was powerfully invasive. Le Shi didn’t hold back. Her peach-scented pheromones mingled slowly with Xie Yuanwei’s green citrus. Xie Yuanwei didn’t resist at all. She simply held Le Shi tighter, her body trembling faintly.

No one knew how much time passed before Le Shi finally let go. Her lips were stained with fresh blood. She kept them parted slightly, a string of saliva connecting her lips. She licked her upper lip and squinted at Xie Yuanwei.

Xie Yuanwei had calmed down a lot. She was still catching her breath. Seeing Le Shi’s exhausted face, she reached up and gently wiped the blood from her lips. Her own palm was damp, and her body felt weak.

“Are you alright?” Le Shi asked in a hoarse voice. “You just had your pheromones extracted earlier.”

Xie Yuanwei nodded. “I’m okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize my susceptibility period was starting.”

Le Shi closed her eyes. She tried to shift her body, but they were pressed so closely together that any movement made them rub against each other. She immediately stopped and spoke softly, “Let’s go home first. I’m sweating all over.”

“Alright.”

Xie Yuanwei’s eyes landed on the kiss mark on the side of Le Shi’s neck. She closed her eyes briefly, a look of discomfort crossing her face. During her susceptibility period, she really was like a beast that had lost its mind, driven only by instinct.

At the same time, she felt relieved that it was Le Shi who marked her, and not the other way around.

After all, she had no right to mark Le Shi. Any boundaries she crossed were only within what Le Shi could tolerate. Just like how the Omega needed her pheromones but couldn’t accept her mark.

Xie Yuanwei wasn’t Le Shi, and she wasn’t an Omega. She couldn’t truly understand what Le Shi felt. The best she could do was offer the most basic form of respect.

Just like that day at the villa, when Le Shi asked her what right she had to be angry. Deep down, Xie Yuanwei knew she had no right. She had spent all this time trying to please Le Shi, taking care of her, and had really started to believe she was entitled to something.

But in truth, she wasn’t.

As Xie Yuanwei sat back in the passenger seat, everything became clear to her. Le Shi wanted her pheromones, yes. She wouldn’t let her go easily. But she could also kick her aside at any moment if she felt like it.

Winning over someone like Le Shi was going to be a very long journey.

Le Shi recovered quickly. Neither of them spoke on the way home. When the car finally pulled into the garage, Xie Yuanwei was the first to break the silence.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Le Shi turned her head. “That’s what I should be asking you. Reverse marking is pretty rare. I don’t know how your body will react.”

“I feel alright.” Xie Yuanwei reached up and gently touched the gland at the back of her neck. Her tone turned a little shy. “Are you still going to the office this afternoon?”

Le Shi remained silent for a moment and didn’t answer. So Xie Yuanwei assumed that meant yes.

The Alpha lowered her head and twisted her fingers together nervously. She spoke tentatively, “If you’re going to the office, you should cover the marks on your neck. It might cause misunderstandings.”

“I’ll carry a suppressant with me from now on.”

Xie Yuanwei admitted her mistake sincerely. She was close to crying, but Le Shi didn’t say a word, as if she hadn’t heard her at all.

Xie Yuanwei pressed her lips together and turned to look at her, tears brimming in her eyes. At that moment, Le Shi was staring intently at her phone screen, her eyes unfocused as if lost in thought.

Feeling completely ignored, Xie Yuanwei called out in a pitiful voice, “President Le.”

She didn’t even know why she felt so upset. There was just this overwhelming sense of being neglected, of not mattering.

Only then did Le Shi put down her phone. She turned to face her and said seriously, “I’m not going to the office this afternoon. The kiss marks don’t matter.”

“Then…” Then why were you ignoring me?

Xie Yuanwei didn’t say it aloud. She only nodded faintly and changed the subject.

“Are you hungry? I’ll make something to eat.”

As she spoke, the Alpha began to open the door, but just as she moved, Le Shi caught her hand. Xie Yuanwei turned around, confused, her eyes still wet with tears.

“Xie Yuanwei, I was just messaging Dr. Li. I got distracted while thinking.”

Le Shi explained softly. After speaking, she awkwardly reached out and patted Xie Yuanwei on the head. The gesture wasn’t smooth, and she looked embarrassed afterward, turning away to clear her throat, trying to maintain her composure.

“Let’s get out of the car first.”

Xie Yuanwei, still confused, reached up and touched her hair. She took a small breath, opened the car door, and stepped out. She stood nearby with her hands neatly folded in front of her.

“Why aren’t you moving?”

Le Shi was typing on her phone while walking. She read Dr. Li’s reply and let out a quiet breath.

Xie Yuanwei stayed frozen in place. Her eyes were locked on Le Shi, unwilling to look away even for a moment.

She felt strange, like something inside her was shifting. She wanted to get closer to Le Shi.

Realizing the time, Xie Yuanwei spoke up. “Let’s head back and cook something. It’s almost noon.”

Le Shi gave a slight nod, tugged gently at her sleeve, and walked over slowly. She tilted her head and looked up at Xie Yuanwei. The little bunny on her phone case swayed slightly. She lowered her voice.

“What are you thinking right now?”

“Nothing.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Xie Yuanwei pressed her lips together and turned her head away, clearly refusing to answer.

Le Shi’s eyes shifted as she recalled something Dr. Li had said. She placed her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and teased, “Is it pheromones?”

Xie Yuanwei didn’t respond. Le Shi couldn’t hide her smile. She kept her lips pressed together and calmly asked, “Or is it me?”

The wind blew a little stronger. The sun was partially hidden behind the clouds. The garden flowers and leaves swayed gently. Xie Yuanwei could feel her heartbeat speeding up. The soft peach scent of Le Shi’s pheromones surrounded her like a warm cocoon.

The Alpha suddenly embraced the Omega, but didn’t dare hold her too tightly. Xie Yuanwei clung to Le Shi, her tears falling before she could stop them. She laughed a little as she wiped her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to cry,” Xie Yuanwei choked out. “I’ve already been trying really hard to hold it in.”

But she couldn’t stop. The tears just kept coming.

Le Shi held back a laugh. Her eyes curved gently as she patted Xie Yuanwei’s back like she was comforting a child.

“Alright, alright. If you cry any more, our little green tangerine is going to turn into a tragic orange.”

Xie Yuanwei’s eyes were red from crying. Her voice was muffled.

“I’m trying not to cry. But I can’t control my emotions. I feel like a balloon that’s about to burst if you blow just a little more air into it.”

“That’s completely normal,” Le Shi reassured her. She listened to Xie Yuanwei’s sniffles, barely holding back her smile.

“After a reverse mark, Alphas go through a nesting phase. They become extra attached to their Omega and have frequent emotional swings.”

“I talked to Dr. Li. She said your unexpected susceptibility period is likely because of the pheromone extraction yesterday. It caused your cycle to shift earlier. Xie Yuanwei, you really didn’t listen to the doctor’s instructions.”

Xie Yuanwei looked at her with wide eyes.

“Really?”

Le Shi nodded.

“What would I gain by lying to you?”

The Alpha nodded obediently, looking particularly docile. Then she was led back home by the Omega and settled onto the sofa.

Xie Yuanwei quickly tried to stand up, but the domineering patron didn’t give her a chance. She firmly ordered her to stay put and not even look back.

Le Shi said confidently, “Today I’ll cook.”

Xie Yuanwei’s voice trembled slightly.

“Can you cook? I’m just in a susceptibility period. I can still handle cooking.”

Le Shi replied plainly, “I haven’t cooked before, but I can learn. And this isn’t just about your susceptibility. You’ve also had pheromone extraction and been reverse marked. Now you’re showing nesting behavior. My body’s already recovered quite a bit, so logically I should be the one cooking.”

“But…” Xie Yuanwei hesitated. “You’re my boss and my sponsor. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to have you cook for me?”

The only response was the sound of Le Shi walking away.

Feeling helpless, Xie Yuanwei bit her lip. She grabbed the sofa beside her and slowly curled up on it. Although Le Shi wasn’t far away and her pheromones were filling the room, it still didn’t feel like enough.

It wasn’t enough at all.

She had never experienced anything like this before. She had never wanted to hold someone so badly. The moment that person walked away, a deep sense of emptiness took over, and there was no way to shake it off. Lying on the sofa, Xie Yuanwei whimpered quietly.

She wanted to scold herself. She also wanted to rush into the kitchen.

But Le Shi had told her not to look back and to stay put. So she had to listen.

Somehow, she drifted off on the sofa. Tear stains still clung to her cheeks, and her dreams were a blur of emotions and images.

Bang.

Startled, Xie Yuanwei shot upright. She looked toward the noise. Le Shi was crouched down, picking up broken ceramic pieces from the floor. Seeing her awake, she explained awkwardly, “I dropped it by accident. Lunch is almost ready.”

“Don’t move. Let me do it.”

Xie Yuanwei forgot everything Le Shi had told her before. She rushed over.

“Let me clean it up. Be careful not to cut yourself.”

She grabbed the trash bin and threw away the shards, then carefully swept up the smaller pieces with a broom. As she knelt down, she reminded Le Shi, “Don’t walk around barefoot these next few days. You might step on something. I’ll vacuum the floor later just to be safe.”

She looked up again.

“Did you get hurt?”

Le Shi shook her head. She sighed silently.

“Cooking is harder than I thought. I failed several times.”

“That’s normal.”

Xie Yuanwei leaned closer, unable to hold back her smile. If she had a tail, it would have been wagging like crazy.

“I’ll handle cooking from now on.”

Le Shi turned and looked at the two dishes she had finished. She had stir-fried baby bok choy and shredded potatoes. Both had taken a lot of effort. She had tested each pinch of salt slowly, one spoon at a time. The taste was just average.

“Alright.”

Le Shi accepted her limitations without hesitation. In the next second, she reached out and pinched Xie Yuanwei’s earlobe gently.

Her voice softened.

“Did you cry?”

That question made it worse. Xie Yuanwei sniffled.

“I couldn’t help it. The tears just came.”

“Then how about a hug?”

Le Shi had learned from Dr. Li that during the nesting phase, Alphas would be extremely attached to their Omegas. Hugging or kissing could greatly ease the symptoms. Since this was a reverse mark, Xie Yuanwei wouldn’t be able to mark her in the short term anyway.

Xie Yuanwei nodded sweetly and opened her arms. She hugged Le Shi tightly and swayed a little, her mood visibly improved. Even her green citrus scent had turned sweeter.

“Let’s eat first.”

She giggled and looked like she could burst with joy. She brought the dishes to the table and even pulled out a chair for Le Shi.

Xie Yuanwei also washed the dishes after they finished eating. The two of them lingered until almost 3 p.m. before Le Shi firmly sent her off to nap. She still had work to handle, but to care for Xie Yuanwei, she stayed in the bedroom and worked there. The sound of her typing on the keyboard gradually lulled Xie Yuanwei to sleep.

But neither of them expected what happened next as the evening approached.

“Xie Yuanwei!”

Startled, Le Shi quickly ended her call and threw herself onto the bed, kneeling beside Xie Yuanwei.

“My parents are coming!”

“What?”

Xie Yuanwei had still been half-asleep, but now she was wide awake. She sat up, stunned.

“Your parents!”

“Yes, and I—”

Xie Yuanwei immediately remembered what the original novel had written. When Le Shi got engaged to the original Xie Yuanwei, her family had never agreed to it. The original’s poor reputation was considered a stain on the Le family name. After she ran off with company funds, Le Shi resigned from her position at the Le Group and only returned much later.

It was hard to imagine how much effort Le Shi had put in during that time.

Xie Yuanwei pulled the blanket closer to her chest. Almost without thinking, she asked, “Do your parents know about your gland issue?”

She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth.

Le Shi had not been doing well in the later stages. Even during their engagement, they constantly had conflicts. Her parents had never shown her any warmth, which was one of the reasons the original Xie Yuanwei had taken the money and disappeared.

Le Shi probably had never even brought up the topic before.

Xie Yuanwei reached out and tugged gently at the corner of Le Shi’s shirt. She lowered her head and said softly, “I shouldn’t have asked.”

She had no right to bring it up in the first place.

Le Shi looked at her hair. Her eyes lowered to hide the faint smile on her lips. She gave a soft hum, drawing it out, and replied, “I never told them.”

“My relationship with my parents isn’t very close. They don’t understand me. To them, pheromone addiction is just a major flaw that could ruin my future. Even if I told them you could help me, they would still think I’ve already failed to live up to their expectations.”

“So they probably just think I’ve lost my mind.”

Xie Yuanwei was silent.

She couldn’t bring herself to smile anymore.

Holding her pillow tightly, she hesitated and asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

Le Shi shook her head. Her gaze was calm, as if she was talking about someone irrelevant. “Not only do I want you to stay, I need you to cooperate with me.”

Xie Yuanwei’s breathing paused for a moment. She could tell that Le Shi was hiding a lot between the lines. The pain in her voice was not hard to feel.

“I want you to…” Le Shi suddenly sat on top of her. One hand was braced against Xie Yuanwei’s body, and the other pulled her shirt down slightly. Her tone was firm and commanding. “Bite me.”

Xie Yuanwei was pinned beneath the omega. The position was clearly submissive. She looked at Le Shi pulling her shirt to the side. The loose pajamas slipped off easily, revealing her smooth shoulder.

Le Shi’s skin was pale. She had pulled the fabric down a bit too far, revealing her collarbone and the faint curves of her body. The sheer strap of her nightgown added a delicate sensuality to her appearance.

“Why?” Xie Yuanwei asked suddenly. “Aren’t you afraid someone might see?”

Le Shi’s eyes locked onto hers. Her voice was firm and steady. “I’m not afraid. I just want to escape them.”

“If I want freedom, I have to break away from their control.”

Xie Yuanwei stared at her without blinking. Slowly, she raised her hand to hold Le Shi by the waist and helped her sit up. Her eyes fell on the faint red marks left by the strap. She gently ran her fingers across them, and Le Shi trembled slightly.

In a quiet voice, Xie Yuanwei asked, “Are you really willing to do this? Maybe we can find another way.”

Le Shi reached out and cupped Xie Yuanwei’s face. Her grip wasn’t tight, but Xie Yuanwei allowed her to lift her chin.

Whenever this topic came up, Le Shi would always show a bit of dominance without realizing it.

But Xie Yuanwei didn’t mind. In fact, she seemed to enjoy seeing this side of Le Shi.

“My parents were never the type to love each other for years. They both played around. Even when I was a child, they never hid it. They even tried to lock me away and turn me into their perfect daughter.”

“I just want to be free from them.”

Xie Yuanwei listened to the way Le Shi said it. Her voice sounded more like she was speaking to herself than to anyone else. Her words felt like a plea.

But Xie Yuanwei couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t bring herself to go through with it.

She placed her hand on Le Shi’s shoulder and gently pulled her shirt back up.

Le Shi stared at her in disbelief. “What are you doing?”

Xie Yuanwei explained, “You don’t really want to do this, do you? There’s no need to force it. Let’s take it slow. I’ll stay by your side. Is that alright?”

Le Shi’s actions felt like revenge, and maybe a bit of obsession. Xie Yuanwei looked into her eyes and saw confusion. A thought crossed her mind, and she cautiously asked, “When are your parents coming?”

“In a while,” Le Shi answered suspiciously. She climbed off of Xie Yuanwei but still looked unsure. “Are you really not going to help me?”

Xie Yuanwei took a deep breath. Only now did she realize that the peach-scented pheromones in the air had completely covered her own.

Le Shi had done it on purpose.

For a brief moment, she felt conflicted. She didn’t want to think that way. So she simply replied, “If you really want me to, then I’ll help.”

Le Shi stared at her for a few seconds, then gave up and walked into the bathroom to change.

Xie Yuanwei got off the bed, picked up her phone, and found Dr. Li’s contact. After hesitating, she sent a message:

I wanted to ask, is there any harm in triggering a susceptibility phase on purpose?

Dr. Li replied quickly:

No, there isn’t. You can trust President Le. She won’t let you get hurt. What you’re experiencing, like the nesting behavior, is completely normal.

Xie Yuanwei’s breathing grew unsteady. She typed back:

Thank you, Dr. Li. I understand.

She felt like she had just been drenched in cold water. Her heart was being pulled by an invisible string, not too hard, but enough to sting. Even her nerves felt like they were on edge.

Was her susceptibility phase really not natural? Did Le Shi push it along?

Was their meeting earlier that day also planned?

Had Le Shi arranged everything?

But why?

Xie Yuanwei looked at the bathroom door in confusion. The sound of running water couldn’t drown out the pounding in her chest. Her lips moved slightly, but no words came out.

The entire room was filled with the scent of their pheromones, intertwined like a declaration of ownership. Le Shi wanted someone she could truly accept.

And it seemed that person could only be Xie Yuanwei.