MORIC - Chapter 22
Chapter 22: Her Pheromones Exploded
Chi Yueshan huffed angrily, "You're so annoying! Don't you dare pity me!"
Xi Zhoumeng tossed the handkerchief directly into Chi Yueshan's lap. "Yes, so pitiful."
She turned and walked away without a glance at Chi Yueshan's expression. "Come with me to get your clothes."
Chi Yueshan called out, "Hey, what about this dress?"
She didn't let herself get too upset. After all, with so many people around, crying would be far too embarrassing.
But Wen Xinghuo's expression just now had been so piercing that Chi Yueshan couldn't help but wonder if her own memory was failing her.
Why is your name Xinghuo? Just hold on a little longer, don't fall asleep.
My mom chose it. She said she hoped I wouldn't freeze.
The winters in the Lower World were brutally cold. People often froze to death. Electricity was prohibitively expensive, and heating with fire was dangerous.
Chi Yueshan feared winter most of all.
There were plenty of shops selling dresses in the Lower World. Xuan Ping's family was of average means, but even she owned several dresses.
Chi Yueshan had none.
She didn't need them. She had too much to do, and a dress was just a hindrance. The hem would get caught and torn, and that would break her heart.
What she needed were pants with lots and lots of pockets, perfect for holding spare parts, pliers, or electronic diagnostic tools.
The weather was lovely today, and the heat was on inside the gymnasium, so Chi Yueshan didn't feel cold.
She only felt a greater distance opening up between herself and Wen Xinghuo.
She lowered her head. Xi Zhoumeng didn't turn back.
"It's a gift."
The female Omega's voice was, as always, arrogant yet captivating. Xuan Ping had seen Xi Zhoumeng's dramatic performances on StarNet; she could speak many ancient languages with a perfect accent, her expression and bearing utterly flawless.
Chi Yueshan said, "I don't need a dress."
She quickened her pace to walk beside Xi Zhoumeng and looked up at her. "I'll wash it and give it back to you."
Xi Zhoumeng chuckled. When she lowered her eyes, the red mole on her cheekbone resembled a teardrop, yet it had nothing to do with her current expression.
It was somewhat bewitching, yet also seemed to convey pleasure.
"This dress can't be washed with water, nor can it be cleaned in a standard dry-cleaning machine."
She didn't break her stride. As she passed, people who recognized her would respectfully call out "Senior" or "Miss Xi."
In Chi Yueshan's eyes, Xi Zhoumeng had always been the moon, surrounded and adored by a thousand stars.
And those stars... was Wen Xinghuo one of them?
See? Even her clothes were so exquisite.
Chi Yueshan's thoughts were a tangled mess, and she couldn't utter a word for a long while.
She knew she couldn't afford to replace it, but she also knew Xi Zhoumeng had forced her to wear it, and she understood why.
The familiar sensation in her body was a constant reminder that she was in her special period.
Guyun Academy had always been lenient with students in heat. They could take a week off, and teachers or classmates would help them catch up on any missed lessons.
Some would choose to get a temporary mark from an Alpha, or simply endure a heat that wouldn't result in a permanent mark.
After all, they were all adults and could already choose their own partners.
The compatibility rate was an important factor, but it was ultimately just data for procreation. Love remained an eternal theme for human exploration.
I'm not just going to find some random person, Chi Yueshan thought. I'd rather go back and drink the suppressant I bought in bulk.
It's just a bit nauseating.
Deep down, she was still influenced by the diary of her father, who had died young. For her, intimacy had prerequisites.
Even though modern society was vastly different, the differentiation into six secondary genders provided even more justification for anyone's sexual behavior.
If her father was someone who craved love deep down, why would he have chosen a one-night stand with her mother?
Did her mother know she wasn't loved, or was she just humbly nursing a secret crush?
But wasn't that the first time they met?
Does love at first sight really exist in this world??
Seeing Chi Yueshan's silence, Xi Zhoumeng reminded her, "Watch your step."
They had already left the gymnasium. Outside, a few students milled about, along with some couples in twos and threes.
AI food carts wafted tempting aromas through the air, and some people were kissing under the trees.
The academy always pulsed with a youthful atmosphere. Chi Yueshan glanced around and asked, "Where are we going to get my clothes?"
Xi Zhoumeng seemed to be manipulating her light-brain. "They've been delivered to my dorm."
Chi Yueshan asked, "So?"
Her face still bore a trace of her earlier disbelief, and her hair was a mess, a bit like the first time they had met.
Xi Zhoumeng's lips curled. "Then come to my dorm. We can wash the dress you're wearing while we're at it."
Chi Yueshan didn't even raise her eyelids. "Didn't you say it can't be dry-cleaned by normal means?"
Xi Zhoumeng said, "My place has special equipment."
She said it so matter-of-factly that Chi Yueshan was left speechless. In truth, she was terrified Xi Zhoumeng would make her pay for the dress.
The dormitories for the Omega division were different for each grade level.
Even with the rule that noble students couldn't bring servants, they would find ways to bring all sorts of high-tech gadgets.
Xi Zhoumeng hailed an on-campus AI hovercar, the fare for which was far beyond what Chi Yueshan could afford.
She turned her face away, embarrassed. "I can just walk there."
Xi Zhoumeng was already inside. "Stop fussing. I'm not asking you to pay."
Chi Yueshan felt her heart become even more riddled with holes.
Xi Zhoumeng reached out and pulled her aboard. "Stop making a fuss. Wen Xinghuo's brain has never worked properly anyway."
On the surface, it was an explanation; in reality, it was just her being mean.
Chi Yueshan felt a growing sense of sorrow. To think she was being comforted by her love rival.
Her jealousy toward Xi Zhoumeng was fading, replaced by jealousy for that royal Omega.
I want to hold Senior Xinghuo's hand, too.
"Then just ask her to dance at the year-end ball."
The AI car Xi Zhoumeng had summoned was a retro model that simulated the motion of an old-fashioned carriage. She leaned against a velvet cushion, looking as if all the bones had been removed from her body.
The carriage curtain fluttered in the night breeze, and the roadside scenery retreated. By the flickering lights on the vehicle's ceiling, Chi Yueshan studied Xi Zhoumeng's expression.
"Why aren't you jealous?"
Chi Yueshan asked.
Xi Zhoumeng seemed tired, her eyes half-closed.
After a long pause, she finally spoke. "What's there to be jealous about? If I were, would I have to scatter your ashes to the wind to appease my hatred?"
She said it so lightly that it held no real threat, yet it made Chi Yueshan feel as if Xi Zhoumeng truly didn't care at all.
"Will you marry her?"
she asked.
The car stopped in front of the second-year dormitory. There was even a traffic jam, as many students were unwilling to walk even this short distance.
Xi Zhoumeng replied, "What do you think?"
Chi Yueshan said, "I don't know."
But she knew the answer perfectly well. Reality had made it clear that she was by no means the ideal partner for the current Wen Xinghuo.
One could get their compatibility rate tested individually, as long as they had the other person's consent.
How could she possibly have the courage to make such a request?
If their compatibility were truly high, the system would have issued an alert long ago.
Xi Zhoumeng lifted the curtain, glanced outside, and stepped out of the car. "Speaking of marriage, wouldn't you and I, with our one-hundred-percent compatibility, be a more suitable match?"
Chi Yueshan nearly twisted her ankle. She said in a huff, "Didn't we establish that the test was a mistake?"
Xi Zhoumeng gave a perfunctory hum of agreement.
She glanced toward a dim, flower-covered walkway nearby. "Is that a classmate of yours?"
Chi Yueshan followed her gaze and saw the silhouettes of two people under the faint, flickering lights.
Xuan Ping and Mu Lai were kissing.
Chi Yueshan hadn't expected the two of them to progress so quickly.
Her jaw dropped, and she let out a disbelieving, "Holy shit."
Xi Zhoumeng stroked her chin. "This friend of yours... she's really something."
She hadn't seen much of Xuan Ping, usually only in Chi Yueshan's company.
Everyone knew how special admission students from the Lower World were treated at the academy. They were looked down upon in the dating scene; any relationships they had were considered just flings.
And Xi Zhoumeng knew exactly what kind of person Mu Lai was.
The ABO world granted Alphas absolute power, with no restrictions on marking Omegas.
This meant an Alpha could have illegitimate children before marriage, which in turn meant innocent Omegas had to endure immense pressure.
But for the sake of procreation, there were no punishments.
Chi Yueshan retorted, "What are you talking about? It's obviously that Alpha senior who's the problem!"
She was rather worked up, cursing indignantly, "Alphas are all the same!"
Xi Zhoumeng chuckled. "And yet you still like Wen Xinghuo."
Chi Yueshan shook her head again. "She's different."
Xi Zhoumeng entered the dormitory building. The entire second-year dorm was incredibly retro; even the floor tiles in the stairwell were like exquisite works of art.
"Did you and her know each other from before?"
Xi Zhoumeng asked.
【System: I think I might know something about this...】
【Xi Zhoumeng: Then why aren't you telling me?】
Chi Yueshan felt a little self-conscious. Though there weren't many people around, she could feel their gazes fixed on her.
Just as the elevator doors were closing, someone squeezed in. It was Duan Daizhen, holding a cup of coffee. She said "hi" to Xi Zhoumeng, then shot an exaggerated look at Chi Yueshan.
"This dress on you, Junior, gives off a completely different vibe!"
Chi Yueshan couldn't tell if that was a compliment or a criticism, so she opted to remain silent.
Duan Daizhen asked, "Why did you bring her here?"
Xi Zhoumeng replied, "The clothes I left in the lounge were delivered back."
Duan Daizhen asked, "Hers?"
Xi Zhoumeng nodded. Chi Yueshan's head was lowered, as if she were in a daze.
She actually had a very nice figure, which this dress revealed.
But perhaps due to a lack of confidence, she was still slouching.
Duan Daizhen said, "You're so good-natured. I could never get along so harmoniously with an Omega who's into my girlfriend."
Xi Zhoumeng smiled. "That's because there's no better partner than me."
The elevator moved very slowly. Chi Yueshan used her light-brain to message Xuan Ping: Is that your girlfriend?
Xuan Ping didn't reply.
They're probably still kissing.
Chi Yueshan wasn't sure if she was envious. Of course, she knew she hadn't come to Guyun Academy just for Wen Xinghuo.
But Wen Xinghuo was a very large part of the reason.
Being told to her face that her memory was wrong was devastating. She had a feeling she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Waves of that familiar sensation washed over her body. She needed to take another suppressant.
So annoying.
When they exited the elevator, Duan Daizhen headed in the opposite direction from Xi Zhoumeng, and Chi Yueshan realized the layout of this dormitory building was unusual.
The nobles' rooms were larger, and while the basic furnishings were similar, the common lounge was huge and the equipment more high-end.
"That's the laundry unit and its companion robot."
Xi Zhoumeng pointed it out as she went to open her own door.
The legendary "Princess and the Pea" mattress was indeed very high and looked incredibly soft.
She saw her own clothes hanging off to the side.
Xi Zhoumeng said, "Go ahead and wash this one. It dries quickly, so you'll have time to change back."
She seemed exhausted and collapsed into a nearby lounge chair, completely unconcerned by the extra person in her room.
Chi Yueshan asked, "Does it cost money?"
"No," Xi Zhoumeng replied.
"I bought it," she said.
At this, Xi Zhoumeng's tone grew irritated. "And only because the dorm rooms are too small."
That kind of casual, wealthy arrogance was truly infuriating, but Chi Yueshan was in no position to argue, so she held her tongue.
She carried the dress out and returned a few minutes later.
"Um... I..."
Xi Zhoumeng lifted an eyelid. "Don't know how?"
She was truly too lazy to get up, so she repeated the instructions verbally before finally sending Chi Yueshan a video link on her light-brain to follow.
By the time Chi Yueshan had everything sorted and returned with her own clothes, she found that Xi Zhoumeng had fallen asleep.
The room was only so big, so she decided to go into the bathroom to change out of the dress.
Xi Zhoumeng's territory was saturated with the scent of her perfume. Chi Yueshan couldn't help but wonder: What do her pheromones smell like?
It couldn't be tea, could it?
That would really fit her persona.
But the dress was as difficult to take off as it was to put on. As Chi Yueshan untied the laces, she accidentally snagged her pheromone patch.
She had barely undone the top half when her pheromones erupted.
She scrambled in a panic to retrieve the pheromone patch, but the effects of the oral suppressant Xi Zhoumeng had given her also seemed to be fading.
A surging tide of heat exploded within her, and she collapsed to the floor.
Xi Zhoumeng was literally seduced from her sleep. The very first thing she did upon opening her eyes was check on her dress.
【System: Still need my help?】
Xi Zhoumeng let out an agonized groan. "What is wrong with her?"
She didn't open the bathroom door, just knocked.
Unexpectedly, there was no response, as if the person inside had vanished into thin air.
Xi Zhoumeng had no choice but to open the door. The scent was already overwhelming, to say nothing of the shocking scene that greeted her.
Xi Zhoumeng grew even more annoyed. "This concubine truly does not wish to move."
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