The Scummy Alpha Who Transmigrated Into a Book Was Tricked by the Actress Omega - Chapter 24

The rose-colored curtains, the dim and dusky bedside lamp, the deep blue soft brocade quilt, the pristine white carpet, the tangled and discarded dresses on the floor, and the faint scent of orange wine in the air gradually overtaken by the fragrance of Longjing tea until only a delicate fruity tea aroma remained, fresh and moving like a morning after rain.

Compared to the blank slate of last time, her memory now held bizarre, fragmented flashbacks. Unlike the nauseating and cloying recollections of an alpha’s past, these were elusive, flickering in and out, more akin to the exhilaration of childhood visits to an amusement park, a lingering reluctance and nostalgia as if waking from a beautiful dream.

Yan Xunzhen still had her eyes closed, wrapped snugly in the brocade quilt, too comfortable to move, letting the dreamlike memories in her mind unfold.

She seemed to be in distress, her face covered in sweat from fever, her smooth black hair clinging to her forehead. Uncontrollable tears welled up at the corners of her phoenix eyes, dampening her lashes, making them glisten.

Discomfort drew a muffled groan from her.

It felt as though something was missing inside her whether it was her pounding heart or the glands at the nape of her neck, they all screamed for one thing. Her teeth suddenly ached, and she clenched them hard, her sharp jawline tilting as she pressed against her collarbone. The collision left her mind blank.

At that moment, she couldn’t perceive how overpowering the Longjing tea scent in the air had become, its usual light fragrance and sweet aftertaste now drowned in bitterness.

But the next instant, a fair neck, like a deer throwing itself into the embrace of a beast, willingly walked into the trap.

She felt as though parched land had finally met sweet rain. The emptiness in her heart, the craving at the back of her neck, all would be satisfied once she sank her teeth in.

The one who tempted her was a blur, only a dazzling beauty black hair, pale neck, an icy detachment that made Yan Xunzhen want to ruin it all.

And ruin it she did, her mind going blank in an instant.

A stifled sound of resistance escaped her nose, but the next moment, the nape drew closer, a soft whisper like the ripe fruit of Eden.

Alongside the bitter tea fragrance, the air gradually filled with the rich, intoxicating scent of orange wine.

Yan Xunzhen’s canine teeth shifted from a tentative touch to an exploratory nip. Once certain her prey wouldn’t flee, she finally relaxed, marking her territory with satisfaction.

Her dry, pale lips pressed against Du Zuilan’s bleeding nape part kiss, part comfort.

Yan Xunzhen slowly came back to herself.

Before her was a dim crimson light, moving figures disrupting her thoughts. Discomfort made her frown and open her eyes, raising a hand to block the brightness, only to be stopped by a sharp shout.

Only then did she realize: besides the gauze on her palm, there was an IV needle on the back of her hand, steadily dripping. Her careless movement had nearly caused the needle to draw blood back.

What was going on?

Those memories must have been a dream.

Yan Xunzhen licked her dry lips, only to taste the faintest hint of iron. Even now, the lingering fruity tea scent in the air was unmistakable, a constant reminder of what had happened the day before.

Wide-eyed with disbelief, her voice slightly hoarse, she turned to Dr. Song, who had just yelled at her to stay still, and asked, “What happened?”

Dr. Song noticed Yan Xunzhen had opened her eyes, but she didn’t expect her first move would be to pull out the IV, causing blood to flow back into the tube. Even after waking up, she still seemed utterly disoriented, as if she had no idea what day it was. Dr. Song couldn’t help but feel exasperated: “Asking me what happened? My dear Miss Yan, could you first try to recall what you did?”

“Is this real?” Yan Xunzhen murmured to herself, “Not a dream?”

Dr. Song picked up the medical chart beside her and said flatly, “Obviously. I just saw you yesterday after your tetanus shot, and then in the early hours of today, you called me saying your rut had started. Honestly, I’ve had enough. Whoever wants to see you can see you, just don’t make it me, your doctor.”

Yan Xunzhen remained lost in shock.

Dr. Song glanced at the door and sighed, then cautiously added, “It was Du Zuilan who called me to tell me about your rut.”

“…”

“I told you yesterday to bring her in for a check-up. If we’d caught it sooner, and known just how high your compatibility with Du Zuilan was, I would never have agreed to let you live so close to her.”

Trapped in place by the IV and the injury on her hand, Yan Xunzhen still struggled to free her shoulders from the blanket, forcing herself to wake up from the comfort of her surroundings: “High compatibility?”

“If your compatibility with her was only twenty percent before, now it’s practically a hundred,” Dr. Song said coolly. “During your rut, you should’ve felt it even more intensely. Didn’t you notice how restless and anxious you became when you were too far from her, without her pheromones?”

No, because she hadn’t been apart from Du Zuilan much these past few days.

But that was only because Dr. Song had said an omega who’d been temporarily marked would become clingy, craving the other’s pheromones and needing constant attention. So Yan Xunzhen had rushed to Du Zuilan’s side, terrified she might feel even the slightest discomfort.

Yan Xunzhen said woodenly, “So it’s me who can’t leave her? I’m the clingy one? I become emotionally unstable without her pheromones?”

Dr. Song couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Yes.”

I want to bash my head into a wall.

Yan Xunzhen felt unusually clear-headed, different from the last time Du Zuilan had been by her side. This time, it truly felt like a proper temporary mark both physically and mentally satisfying. Last time had been more elusive, as if she’d just had too much to drink.

No wonder Dr. Song had found it strange back then, saying Yan Xunzhen’s questions were pointless. An alpha really does feel something after marking someone.

So, what had happened last time?

Yan Xunzhen’s thoughts drifted there but couldn’t progress any further. She just felt something was slightly off and glanced at Dr. Song, who was standing there without a care in the world. “How am I different now compared to when I came to see you last time?”

Dr. Song smirked. “You went from ‘can’t’ to ‘can.’ Does that count as a difference?”

Yan Xunzhen sighed. “Stop joking. I’m serious.”

Dr. Song studied her carefully before concluding, “Even I, a beta, can tell aside from the tea scent, you’ve got Du Zuilan’s pheromones all over you now.”

Du Zuilan’s pheromones.

The moment those words left her lips, a soft knock sounded at Yan Xunzhen’s door.

The woman who walked through the door was stunning, dressed in a long skirt, her beautiful black hair braided into a plait draped over one shoulder, while soft, wispy strands casually framed the other side. She looked gentle and tender or rather, exceptionally,

wifely.

It was Du Zuilan.

Yan Xunzhen’s train of thought was abruptly cut off.

And then, her face suddenly flushed red.

The words she had intended to say vanished from her mind the moment she saw Du Zuilan dressed like this.

Dr. Song, with her back to Du Zuilan, was mid-sentence: “So, this should be your first time marking someone, right? I didn’t sense anyone else’s pheromones on you before.”

Yan Xunzhen shot her a glare.

Dr. Song turned her head and finished the last word: “Ah!”

Awkwardly, Dr. Song greeted her: “Ah, Miss Du Zuilan, good morning.”

Du Zuilan replied softly, “Good morning, Dr. Song.”

As she approached, Yan Xunzhen and Dr. Song noticed she was carrying a tray of something steaming, wisps of white vapor still rising from it.

Du Zuilan bent down slightly, her long lashes lowering as she gently set the tray of hot porridge on the table.

Her voice was light: “What were you just talking about?”

Yan Xunzhen surrendered automatically in front of Du Zuilan, clearing her throat before answering honestly, “I feel something different this time. It’s just—”

“Not like last time.” Yan Xunzhen lifted her gaze, a barely perceptible hint of confusion in her expression. “Last time, I had no memory at all, nor any sense of marking.”

As she spoke, she suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of her hand. Dr. Song pulled out the IV needle, inserting herself into the intimate atmosphere between the two: “The drip’s done. I’ll head out now. Make sure to press this for her.”

Yan Xunzhen’s slender hand, wrapped in gauze, hadn’t yet moved when a warm breeze brushed past her. Cool fingers pressed a cotton ball against the puncture on her hand.

The distance between them was close enough to see each other’s reflections in their pupils.

Du Zuilan suddenly lowered her head. When she looked up again, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, misty and shimmering, before she quickly turned away as if nothing had happened.

Yet the slight tremor in her voice was unmistakable: “You were so close before. Yesterday, you finally marked me. What more do you want me to say.”

Her voice carried a thread of grievance, as though she was forcing herself to stay strong. Yan Xunzhen felt nothing but remorse, completely overlooking the misleading words Du Zuilan had spoken earlier.

“I’m sorry, I misunderstood before. It was my fault,” Yan Xunzhen’s beautiful eyes filled with sincerity, unaware that her smooth shoulders were fully exposed outside the covers, a small mole on her perfect collarbone adding a lively charm that was impossible to ignore. “I didn’t mean to doubt you or imply you did anything wrong. I’m sorry.”

Besides, she had transmigrated here back then, she probably hadn’t fully grasped the ABO world or adapted to it yet. A few hiccups were to be expected.

Yan Xunzhen said earnestly, “Please believe that I’ll treat you well.”

Who would’ve thought?

At first, she feared that getting too close to Du Zuilan would cause her to die like Scum A. Later, she realized she wasn’t Scum A there was no need to be so afraid before anything had even happened. She wanted to get along well with Du Zuilan. And in the end, she somehow ended up in this peculiar kind of relationship with her.

Could it be said they were mortal enemies like with Scum A? Not exactly Du Zuilan didn’t dislike her.

Could it be said they were just ordinary friends? Not that either, what kind of ordinary friends could temporarily mark each other?

Yan Xunzhen’s sigh was cut short when Du Zuilan suddenly loosened her grip.

Du Zuilan lowered her gaze, her fair fingers lifting the nearby bowl of hot porridge, the tips of her fingers turning a soft pink.

“Let me feed you.”

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