7

Pei Yujang had seen Omegas enter their heat before, or at least display pre-heat symptoms that could suddenly flare up. Realizing something was wrong, she quickly stood up and immediately closed the door.

To prevent any accidents, doors in restaurants are typically airtight once shut, ensuring that no pheromones leak out.

Yu Zhiwan seemed just as surprised by the sudden onset of her heat. Her eyes, glazed with a thin layer of moisture, and the flush creeping up her cheeks signaled her discomfort. Her fingers trembled, and her voice was reduced to a weak, raspy whisper.

She tried to ask for help, but the words turned into soft whimpers, more enticing than pleading. Sweat dampened her hair, making it cling messily to her face. She tilted her head slightly, gripping the chair for support as she heard Pei Yujang's footsteps drawing closer.

The system, 711, was pleased with Pei Yujang's quick response and offered further guidance:

[According to the plot, Liu Huanran happens to be dining at this same restaurant. She'll witness you holding the disheveled female lead in your arms, about to forcibly mark her neck in a steamy scene.]

[Liu Huanran is about to notice the situation. Please take action before she arrives and—]

Pei Yujang advanced on the helpless, flushed Yu Zhiwan, cornering her until there was no escape. She extended her hands and easily pinned the Omega in place.

The faint scent of pheromones lingered in the air, and Pei Yujang narrowed her eyes slightly as she opened the nearby drawer.

With a swift motion, Pei Yujang pulled Yu Zhiwan—who had no strength to resist—toward her. In a flash of shocked embarrassment from the Omega, Pei Yujang lifted her hair from the back of her neck and applied an emergency suppression patch directly to her gland.

The key difference between these emergency suppression patches and regular ones is their speed of effectiveness.

As soon as the patch was applied to the back of her neck, Yu Zhiwan felt a sharp sting, like ants biting into a wound and then dousing it with menthol. The pain was real, but the effect was just as potent.

Most restaurants keep suppression drugs in their private rooms to prevent such incidents. However, applying such a patch requires quick reflexes; otherwise, both Alphas and Omegas might find the process unpleasant.

Pei Yujang hooked her arm around Yu Zhiwan's neck, pinning her against the wall.

With Pei Yujang's skills, subduing an Omega was effortless, but she didn't want Yu Zhiwan to suffer. Though her upper body was pressed against the cool wall, Pei Yujang's position, while appearing as if she was holding Yu Zhiwan close, involved minimal physical contact.

Pei Yujang took a deep breath, noticing that the air no longer carried the scent of rose and raspberry. Yu Zhiwan, now secure in her arms, was gradually calming down, ceasing to struggle.

Or rather, she was too weak to struggle.

The moment Pei Yujang released her, Yu Zhiwan started coughing violently, her shoulders shaking as tears welled up in her eyes. Instinctively, she recoiled from the woman's rough treatment.

Although Pei Yujang had acted quickly and efficiently, Yu Zhiwan couldn't help but feel a bit angry.

Who in their right mind would choke an Omega to apply a suppression patch?

Pei Yujang awkwardly smiled and apologized:

"Sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength sometimes…"

"It's okay."

Yu Zhiwan forced a smile, then asked pointedly:

"Xiaoyu, you've never had a girlfriend, have you?"

Pei Yujang's heart skipped a beat.

How did the female lead know about her lack of romantic experience?

Feeling a twinge of suspicion, Pei Yujang kept her expression neutral, trying to maintain her composure as she gave a noncommittal "Mm." Yu Zhiwan responded with a long "Oh":

"That explains it."

Pei Yujang was baffled: "?"

The Omega's pheromones had been detected by the room's sensors, alerting the restaurant staff. The owner, worried, didn't enter the room immediately but called out from the door:

"Miss Yu, are you alright?"

Though the suppression patch had stopped any further release of pheromones, traces of the earlier burst still lingered in the air. Anyone standing close to the door could catch a faint whiff of the rich rose scent—a distinctive marker of a high-grade Omega's pheromones.

Yu Zhiwan reassured the owner:

"I'm fine, the suppression patch is working. Thank you."

One of her shirt buttons had come undone during the struggle, revealing the skin of her neck. Her fair skin was flushed with a hint of pink—a telltale sign of an Omega on the brink of their heat.

As Yu Zhiwan carefully rebuttoned her shirt, Pei Yujang respectfully turned away. Although she knew Yu Zhiwan couldn't see her, she still adhered to the rule of not staring inappropriately. Yu Zhiwan quickly fixed her appearance and requested an air freshener from the owner.

Once assured that everything was okay, the owner closed the door, leaving them in private.

Pei Yujang continued eating while asking the system to monitor Yu Zhiwan's blackening value, noticing it slowly decreasing.

Pei Yujang was pleased at first, but then she realized that if the female lead faced no challenges and the blackening value kept dropping, the plot might stall. She needed to find a way to bring her "main persona" into play at the right moment.

They finished their meal while chatting, and after Yu Zhiwan paid the bill, Pei Yujang helped her back into the car.

Yu Zhiwan asked:

"How are you getting home?"

"Me?"

Pei Yujang had driven herself to the hospital that day, but her car was still parked there. Since she had been pretending to be poor, she couldn't reveal the truth, so she casually said:

"I'll just walk to the bus stop or the subway station."

Yu Zhiwan asked for her address, and Pei Yujang quickly made up a location in a residential area. Yu Zhiwan shook her head:

"Why don't you take my car? It's too far to take the bus—you'd have to transfer several times. It's only half an hour on the highway to get to your place. You can drop the car off at my company when you have time." Then, shyly, she added, "I live about a ten-minute walk from here. I'd like to take a walk to help digest the meal. Could you walk with me?"

After everything—treating her to dinner and offering to lend her the car—Pei Yujang felt too embarrassed to refuse and agreed, saying she also wanted to stretch her legs. As they walked, she quickly checked the navigation on her phone.

Halfway through the walk, Pei Yujang noticed an AO supply store and immediately stopped Yu Zhiwan:

"Wait here for a second."

As the name suggests, an AO supply store sells products for Alphas and Omegas, including not only recreational items but also suppressants, air fresheners, and the like.

Pei Yujang quickly found what she needed. As she checked out at the self-service counter, the normally silent machine suddenly blurted out:

"Welcome to XX Specialty Store, your go-to shop for unique adult products…"

Just as Pei Yujang was about to leave: "???"

For a moment, she seriously considered smashing the machine.

Outside, she had no idea if Yu Zhiwan had heard, and if she had, maybe she was pretending not to. Pei Yujang had never felt this level of embarrassment and wished she could go back in time to stop herself from walking into that store.

She glared at the store's sign, memorizing its name, and vowed to never return.

"This air freshener with a plain water scent works wonders."

As she exited the store, she handed the bottle to Yu Zhiwan, speaking somewhat incoherently. The moment the words left her mouth, Pei Yujang regretted them. Who buys air freshener at an adult store?

Yu Zhiwan, who couldn't see, might think Pei Yujang was messing with her.

Pei Yujang bit her tongue in frustration.

However, Yu Zhiwan still accepted the bottle.

As they continued walking, Pei Yujang tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. Lacking experience in chatting with Omegas, she ended up talking about work. No matter the topic, Yu Zhiwan smoothly kept the conversation going, never letting it become awkward.

When they reached the entrance to Yu Zhiwan's neighborhood, Pei Yujang stopped, deciding not to go inside. She figured that since Yu Zhiwan had managed to get there on her own, she could find her way home. Just before reaching the main gate, Pei Yujang stopped and said goodbye, only for Yu Zhiwan to turn back and softly call out:

"Xiaoyu."

"Yes?"

"Thank you. You're really kind."

Yu Zhiwan smiled as she spoke, dimples forming on her cheeks. Her beauty was gentle, like a warm spring breeze. Even though her eyes couldn't see, they shimmered under the light, radiating a soft golden glow, spreading a contagious warmth through her smile.

Pei Yujang was unexpectedly given a "good person card," but she could tell Yu Zhiwan was sincere, not just being polite.

Her heart melted just a little.

**

Yu Zhiwan had just pushed open the door to her home when she was hit by the strong scent of perfume.

As she wheeled herself further inside, she noticed that the house had been cleaned.

Since moving in with Liu Huanran, the place had never been tidy. Broken wine bottles, crumpled tissues, and a mess of odd drugs and syringes were usually scattered around, with the air thick with pheromones to the point that she had to wear a mask and hold her breath.

But today, the room was neat and clean, allowing her to move freely without having to avoid debris on the floor. Surprised that Liu Huanran hadn't trashed the place like a hyperactive puppy, Yu Zhiwan didn't let her feelings show.

She disliked the overwhelming scent of perfume in the air, finding it irritating. As she fumbled in her pocket for a mask, she suddenly heard Liu Huanran's cheerful voice:

"Wanwan, you're back?"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Yu Zhiwan instinctively tightened her grip on the bottle of air freshener.