SCOM - Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Ji Yuezhi was in poor condition.
After the second temporary mark, Zuo Luohuan could clearly sense it.
An Omega should be happy, instinctively attached to the Alpha who marked them. Although a temporary mark isn't as potent as a permanent bond, the Omega would still feel the Alpha's strength. The stronger the Alpha, the more secure the Omega would feel.
But Ji Yuezhi's current state carried a faint hint of resistance.
The resistance was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Zuo Luohuan was too sensitive to his pheromones. Once she noticed the signs, they lingered in her mind.
Perhaps it was because his second heat wasn't as intense as the first, leaving him more lucid, which led to this resistance.
Zuo Luohuan wanted to maintain a more restrained distance, but every time she tried to pull away, the Omega would draw closer. He wouldn't speak, just watch her with those beautiful eyes.
For an Omega, this was already proactive behavior. An Alpha couldn't let it go further, or the Omega would feel uncomfortable, as if the Alpha didn't care.
Zuo Luohuan half-embraced him on the sofa, looking down at Ji Yuezhi's pale face. "Do you want some candy?" she asked.
Since the second temporary mark, Ji Yuezhi had been listless, as if the Alpha's pheromones brought him both pleasure and pain.
Ji Yuezhi looked up at her and asked softly, "What kind?"
"Close your eyes and guess," Zuo Luohuan said casually. The Omega immediately obeyed, closing his eyes and waiting.
Ji Yuezhi heard the rustle of unwrapping candy, then Zuo Luohuan's instruction to open his mouth. He complied, parting his lips slightly, waiting for her to feed him.
Since the second temporary mark, Zuo Luohuan's attempts to distance herself hadn't escaped his notice. But they were already temporarily marked, which meant the Alpha would be infinitely tolerant of her Omega.
As Zuo Luohuan fed him the candy, he deliberately closed his lips, sucking on her fingertip along with the candy, even lightly licking it.
Before she could pull her finger away, Ji Yuezhi trembled slightly and opened his eyes, feigning innocence perfectly.
Zuo Luohuan wouldn't hold it against an Omega in this state, even as the warm, wet sensation sent a shiver through her. She calmly withdrew her finger, discreetly wiping it with a tissue from the coffee table. "What flavor is it?" she asked.
Ji Yuezhi had been too distracted to notice. Only when she spoke did he realize. "...Grape," he answered.
"Mm, you guessed right." Zuo Luohuan adjusted his collar, buttoning it up. "A doctor will come tonight to check on you."
Ji Yuezhi froze. "A doctor?"
"Your condition isn't right. I want the doctor to take a look." Privately, Zuo Luohuan thought Ji Yuezhi might be resisting because he disliked her, even as he submitted to her pheromones out of necessity. But needing a second temporary mark so soon was rare, and his late differentiation added to her concern. She wanted to rule out physical factors.
Ji Yuezhi suddenly knelt up on the sofa, wrapping his arms around her neck and pressing close. "I'm fine. No doctor," he whispered in her ear.
The Omega was clearly unhappy.
"Your health..." Zuo Luohuan patted his back, trying to soothe him.
"I don't want strangers here," Ji Yuezhi said coldly, pulling away. "Zuo Luohuan, at least wait until the temporary mark fades."
Hearing his full name, Zuo Luohuan was stunned. Ji Yuezhi was indeed lucid, not completely lost in his heat.
An Omega in heat disliked intruders in their territory. That was why Zuo Luohuan always went downstairs to fetch their meals rather than having them delivered. It was an instinctive nesting behavior.
The speed of the Omega's mood shift caught Zuo Luohuan off guard, but she didn't dislike it. "Alright, no doctor," she conceded softly.
Only then did Ji Yuezhi relax, leaning against her again, reverting to the clingy Omega dependent on his Alpha.
...
The temporary mark was fading, and Ji Yuezhi's heat was nearing its end.
On the final night, Zuo Luohuan stayed with him as usual. Watching him sleep, she found herself unable to look away.
She had always known he was beautiful—every detail aligned with her ideal.
The Zuo and Ji families had been at odds for as long as she could remember, which was why she'd been so curious about Ji Xixiu, the man rumored to be her father's rival.
Zuo Luohuan had never been obedient. Even as a child, she skipped classes and fought without being taught, feeling no respect or fear for Zuo Dihong. She only dreamed of one day surpassing her father.
But she was too young to defeat him, though that didn't dampen her interest in Ji Xixiu.
So she found out which class Ji Xixiu's son was in and tailed him after school, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ji Xixiu.
Back then, Ji Xixiu was embroiled in a power struggle and rarely home. Zuo Luohuan never saw him pick up his son. Instead, her daily stalking of Ji Yuezhi sparked an unexpected fondness. She wanted to befriend Ji Xixiu's pristine, beautiful son.
But young Zuo Luohuan was always covered in dirt from climbing trees and digging in the mud. One day, she cornered Ji Yuezhi in a school alley and demanded, "Let's be friends."
What happened next?
Zuo Luohuan dredged up the memory.
The clean, princely Ji Yuezhi had frowned, given her a look of utter disdain, and walked away without a word.
The proud Zuo Luohuan had since kept her distance from him.
Now, in the bedroom, Zuo Luohuan brushed the hair from Ji Yuezhi's forehead, staring at his sleeping face. Even after the temporary mark, he still didn't like her.
Lost in thought, she didn't notice how Ji Yuezhi instinctively nuzzled into her touch, his expression full of longing.
Zuo Luohuan wasn't ready to sleep. She fetched ointment, applied it to her fingers, and gently spread it over the bite mark on Ji Yuezhi's neck to speed its healing.
She had bitten him carefully, and days had passed since the second mark. By morning, the wound would be nearly gone.
...
The mingled pheromones in the bedroom were dissipating, and everything was returning to normal.
When Zuo Luohuan woke the next morning, recalling the events of the past few days left her feeling oddly flustered. Assuming Ji Yuezhi would be even more uncomfortable, she slipped out quietly.
She didn't go far, just stood in the stairwell, giving him space to process.
Leaning against the wall, her thoughts were a tangled mess. Unable to sort them out, she let them be.
After a while, she absently patted her pockets but found nothing.
"Need a smoke?" A voice came from the landing above.
Zuo Luohuan looked up sharply to see a man approaching.
He pulled out an unopened pack of cigarettes as he walked. "I was up there earlier, but you seemed deep in thought, so I didn't speak. Saw you checking your pockets, though, so I thought I'd ask."
Zuo Luohuan studied him. He appeared to be in his early thirties, average-looking, wearing loungewear like he'd just gotten up. "You live upstairs?"
"Yeah, just moved in." The man reached her, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag. "Life in the capital's tough. The stress is killer. Want one?"
Zuo Luohuan declined the offered cigarette. "No, thanks."
"Quitting?" The man exhaled smoke, leaning against the wall like her. "Good call. Smoking's no good for young folks."
Normally, Zuo Luohuan would banter, but today she stayed silent.
The man smoked fiercely, finishing half the cigarette quickly, as if under real pressure. Only then did he ask, "Mind if I smoke here?"
"Go ahead," Zuo Luohuan said.
He smiled. "Usually, I don't see anyone here. You're new too?"
"Mm," Zuo Luohuan replied without guilt.
...
Ji Yuezhi woke shortly after Zuo Luohuan left. Finding himself alone, he hurried out, only to discover she was gone. His heart turned cold.
Had she left without hesitation once the temporary mark ended?
The kindness she'd shown him during his heat only deepened his disappointment now.
Returning to the bedroom, he undressed but didn't change. Instead, he checked the bite mark on his neck—only to find it nearly invisible.
He had expected it to still be visible today.
Ji Yuezhi's lips pressed into a thin line. He touched the mark, then brought his fingers to his nose, catching the faint scent of ointment.
After he'd fallen asleep, she had applied medicine.
The Omega felt no joy, only sorrow. The temporary mark had been the last trace of the Alpha on him, and now it was gone.
Zuo Luohuan didn't linger in the stairwell. Their breakfast arrived, and she went downstairs to get it.
"I should get back to work," the man said, stubbing out his cigarette and heading upstairs.
Zuo Luohuan nodded and returned to the elevator.
When she came back, Ji Yuezhi's subdued mood was unmistakable. Her heart sank, but she kept her tone light. "Breakfast's here. Let's eat."
Her voice still carried the unconscious gentleness from the temporary mark, softer than before. But Ji Yuezhi took no comfort in it.
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