SCOM - Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Friday afternoons were mostly reserved for elective courses. Ji Yuezhi's two chosen electives were well-known throughout the school, especially after the pre-tournament exchanges when students from other academies had crowded in—even the instructors had heard about them.
Zuo Luohuan had never paid much attention before. Electives were about personal interests, and Ji Yuezhi was free to choose whatever he liked. But now it was different—she couldn't help but wonder if these courses had been chosen for her sake.
He had done so much for her, while she... had done nothing in return. In the beginning, she had even tried to avoid him.
No matter what she was thinking, her expression remained composed as she accompanied Ji Yuezhi to class, though she didn't go in—just walked him to the building.
"I'll pick you up after class," Zuo Luohuan said, lightly touching his cheek. "We'll go back together."
"Okay." Ji Yuezhi didn't notice anything amiss in her mood. He turned to enter the building but paused after a few steps to glance back at her. Seeing she was still there, he finally continued upstairs.
Only after Ji Yuezhi disappeared from view did Zuo Luohuan leave the First Military Academy to visit Dr. Fang.
...
A few ordinary patients were being treated in the clinic. Fang Yong sat at a desk, prescribing medicine when he heard the curtain being pushed aside. He looked up instinctively: "You're back again?"
His tone carried a hint of excitement.
Because whenever Zuo Luohuan showed up, it usually meant some tricky medical issue—and he loved a challenge.
"I have some questions for you, Dr. Fang," Zuo Luohuan said, glancing at the other patients.
"Just questions?" Fang Yong sounded disappointed. It didn't seem like anything interesting.
Zuo Luohuan nodded. "Do you have time?"
"Give me a minute." Fang Yong finished with his current patient and stood, heading toward the back.
Zuo Luohuan followed him into an inner room.
"Sit. What did you want to ask?" Fang Yong kicked a stool over for her while he settled into another chair, picking up a cup of hot tea and taking a sip with obvious satisfaction.
Zuo Luohuan remained standing. "What are the physical effects when an Alpha forcibly differentiates into an Omega?"
"Pfft—" Fang Yong choked on his tea, spitting it out as the scalding liquid burned his mouth. He spent a moment spitting out tea leaves before glaring at her. "Are you insane? Why would you want to differentiate into an Omega? I don't carry that kind of banned medication!"
Zuo Luohuan frowned. "Not for me."
"Even if it's not for you, I don't have that kind of drug. It could kill someone." Fang Yong set his tea aside and smacked the table. "This might be a black-market clinic, but I don't deal in that."
Zuo Luohuan clarified, "I'm not asking for drugs. I mean someone who used sheer willpower to change from an Alpha to an Omega. What kind of aftereffects would that leave?"
Fang Yong blinked. "You're talking about someone who altered their secondary sex characteristics through willpower alone?"
Such cases were vanishingly rare in Federation history, but most doctors had heard of them—there was at least one documented case, and its rarity made it memorable.
Zuo Luohuan nodded. "I want to know if the change would affect their long-term health."
Fang Yong stood and paced the room. "You came to the right person. I've actually researched this."
In his youth, Fang Yong's genetic tests had always indicated Omega, but he had dreamed of becoming a doctor—a profession requiring calm focus, unaffected by biological impulses. Being a Beta was his ideal. So he had scoured records, searching for ways to alter his secondary sex.
Most people in the Federation wanted to change from Omega to Alpha or vice versa—few sought to become ordinary Betas. In the end, Fang Yong had simply removed his own gland, though the process had been excruciating.
"There are almost no documented cases of people changing through willpower alone. The only recorded instance was an Omega differentiating into an Alpha."
"I know." Zuo Luohuan had looked up the records herself but found nothing useful.
"That person later disappeared, and the Federation has no further records. But I did uncover something." Fang Yong tapped his chin. "The most certain thing is that the person's lifespan wasn't affected. But we don't know if they suffered other issues along the way."
Zuo Luohuan's frown deepened. "So you can't say for sure whether there are side effects?"
"I've never met someone like that." Fang Yong's excitement returned. "You must know this Alpha-turned-Omega. Let me examine them—I'll do everything I can to address any problems."
"Not yet." Zuo Luohuan refused.
Fang Yong exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. He clasped his hands and circled the room again. "Secondary sex differentiation ultimately comes down to the gland. A shrinking, atrophying gland indicates Alpha development, while a sensitive, well-developed gland capable of storing large amounts of pheromones indicates Omega. If your friend changed from Alpha to Omega, their gland would have had to expand and develop from a shrunken state. If the development completes fully, there shouldn't be any physical issues."
"So as long as the gland fully develops, there won't be problems?" Zuo Luohuan seized on the key point.
"In theory, yes." Fang Yong nodded. "If the shift to Omega happened during the pre-differentiation phase, the process shouldn't be too painful."
"What if Alpha differentiation had already begun?" Zuo Luohuan pressed.
"Well..." Fang Yong shook his head. "Think about it. If Alpha traits were already emerging, only to be overtaken by Omega differentiation, the gland would essentially be at war with itself. Do you think that would be pleasant?"
Zuo Luohuan's expression darkened.
Fang Yong watched her, surprised. Even when she had been in agony before, her face had remained impassive. Yet now, just hearing this, her reaction was so intense.
What kind of relationship did she have with this "friend"?
After a long silence, Zuo Luohuan asked, "If... you examined their gland, could you find a solution?"
"I can't guarantee anything else, but I can say with confidence that no one in the Federation understands glands better than I do." Fang Yong thumped his chest for emphasis.
"Good. Thank you, Dr. Fang." Zuo Luohuan turned to leave.
"Wait." Fang Yong stopped her. "This friend of yours—have I met them before?"
He already had a guess. After all, one person stood out so distinctly that anyone familiar with Capital society would recognize the signs.
Zuo Luohuan turned back, fixing him with a deep look. "You've never been one to pry into patients' affairs, Dr. Fang."
Fang Yong: "..." True, he didn't pry—but he was curious about whoever could make Zuo Luohuan react like this.
"Go on, get out." Fang Yong shooed her away. She'd bring the person to him eventually, and then he'd know.
——
Zuo Luohuan returned to the First Military Academy, steadying her emotions before heading to the building where Ji Yuezhi's class was held. This time, she waited directly outside the classroom.
When Ji Yuezhi emerged from his yoga class, his body still radiated faint warmth, his face lightly flushed. The moment he saw Zuo Luohuan, his eyes brightened, and he quickened his pace toward her.
"Tired?" Zuo Luohuan took the clothes he had changed out of.
"Not really." Ji Yuezhi took her hand as they walked out. "Let's go back."
As they reached the parking lot, Zuo Luohuan lagged a step behind before suddenly asking, "Why did you choose yoga?"
She didn't think he needed such a class—especially not after differentiating into an Omega.
Ji Yuezhi paused, searching for a way to deflect the question, but Zuo Luohuan stepped forward, standing directly in front of him.
"Was it for me?" she asked, meeting his eyes.
The question might have sounded conceited, but given that he had willfully changed his secondary sex for her, choosing this class for the same reason seemed entirely plausible.
Ji Yuezhi's gaze wavered at first, but as her words sank in, his face flushed. He gave a vague, affirmative murmur.
Perhaps sensing Zuo Luohuan's lack of enthusiasm, he added, "It was my choice. Don't dwell on it."
"Alright." Zuo Luohuan cupped his face with one hand, speaking seriously. "I respect your decisions."
——
After returning to Central City, the two didn't do anything particularly intimate. They mostly trained together, and on the rare occasions when passion flared, it never went beyond kissing.
On Saturday night, Ji Yuezhi lay in bed, awake. Zuo Luohuan had gone to rest in the guest room next door—just as she had the previous night.
He wasn't in heat, and her rut had passed. Ji Yuezhi couldn't find an excuse to share a room with her, though as a couple, sharing a bed wouldn't have been strange.
But he had begun to suspect Zuo Luohuan didn't want to sleep beside him.
When an Alpha and Omega were in love, pheromones were the most direct expression of affection. Yet after a full day and two nights together, he hadn't caught a single whiff of her pheromones.
Had she grown tired of him? Or after spending time together, had she realized she didn't actually like him?
Ji Yuezhi lay on his side, lost in thought.
Unable to sleep, he finally got up and went to the guest room next door. He meant to knock, but when his hand touched the door, it swung open under the light pressure.
—The room was empty.
Ji Yuezhi stood frozen in the doorway before turning toward the living room. The hallway sconces cast a dim glow as he made his way there, but it, too, was deserted.
"Can't sleep?" Zuo Luohuan's voice came from the balcony as she slid open the glass door. "What's wrong?"
Ji Yuezhi didn't answer. He strode toward the balcony and, once within reach, wrapped his arms around her.
The scent of iris began to permeate the air.
Zuo Luohuan frowned instinctively, glancing at the gland on the back of his neck. "Are you uncomfortable?"
Ji Yuezhi rested his head against her shoulder, his voice tinged with longing. "...I want your pheromones."
For once, Zuo Luohuan didn't immediately comply. Instead, she chuckled. "Why? Your heat's already over."
Ji Yuezhi pulled back, staring at her with emotionless, beautiful eyes. "Is that the only time you'll give them to me?"
Standing in the darkness, illuminated only by the faint light behind him, Ji Yuezhi watched as the iris scent in the air gradually turned bitter.
—He was hurting.
After a pause, Zuo Luohuan reached for him, deciding to come clean. "Once your gland fully develops and there are no health issues, you can have anything you want from me."
"You..." Ji Yuezhi froze. "You know?"
"If I hadn't found out, were you planning to hide it forever?" Zuo Luohuan pulled him close, closing her eyes. "Forcing yourself to become an Omega—what if I hadn't liked you?"
"No matter what, I wouldn't regret it." Ji Yuezhi pressed against her, his beautiful eyes misty. "Besides... you've liked me for a long, long time."
He'd had so many plans—none of which he'd gotten to enact—before she'd confessed. How could he regret anything?
The bitter edge to the iris scent faded, leaving only sweetness.
Zuo Luohuan touched the gland on the back of his neck. "Did it hurt?"
"No. I was happy." Ji Yuezhi gradually relaxed in her arms. "Did my father tell you?"
Zuo Luohuan ignored the question. "Dr. Fang Yong is an expert in this field. I'll take you to see him."
Perhaps worried he might refuse, she added, "I want us to last a long time."
"...Okay." Ji Yuezhi kissed the corner of her lips, his tone pleading. "I want your pheromones."
He needed to confirm her current feelings.
"Just a little." Zuo Luohuan released a faint trace of her scent. "You should rest."
The icy chill of her pheromones intertwined with the iris, blending into an exceptionally fresh, intoxicating fragrance.
The Omega's expression grew dazed, as if drawing strength from the scent. With a hint of coquettishness, he murmured, "Stay with me tonight."
"Alright."
Comments
Post a Comment