Chapter 34

I smell like you all over me.

Wei Jiangxue bit her lower lip hard, her breath completely stopped. In the darkness, she opened her eyes wide, unable to see anything, futilely and helplessly awaiting her fate; her body was now completely out of her control.

A soft "tap" sound came from fingernails touching the wardrobe.

A unique, warm, and moist scent wafted over after a shower, mixed with the perfume provided by the bookstore, and also Mi Rui'an's own... pheromones. The intertwined scents made Wei Jiangxue's ears burn.

Wei Jiangxue couldn't see Mi Ruian, but she knew that Mi Ruian was staring intently at her, his gaze so intense it seemed to penetrate the clothes draped over her head. Anyone being looked at like that would break out in a cold sweat, Wei Jiangxue thought, yet she didn't know how to break the awkward silence.

And Mi Rui'an herself was standing outside the open cabinet door.

She wore only a simple silk robe, the belt loosely tied, her hair still damp, a few strands clinging to her slender neck and collarbone. The robe's neckline was slightly open, revealing a small patch of smooth, glistening skin. She exuded a warm, moist aura, along with a fresh, mixed fragrance.

There was no surprise or anger on her face. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and looked at Wei Jiangxue, who was curled up in her closet with a flushed face, with a leisurely air.

How interesting! It was worth the trip that Mi Rui'an changed course to take a look.

In truth, Mi Rui'an wasn't sure if someone had broken into her room, because the pheromones that had always stirred her senses in Wei Jiangxue had vanished without a trace. However, the unusually strong perfume scent reminded Mi Rui'an that someone had been there. As for whether the other person living in the house had already left, Mi Rui'an had no idea. She had only come based on her intuition; the perfume in the air still smelled quite fresh, not like it had settled over time.

Therefore, she became even more certain of her guess that Wei Jiangxue had not yet had time to leave.

She thought Wei Jiangxue would ignore her for a while and think carefully about their progress. She didn't expect Wei Jiangxue to have made up her mind so quickly, even resorting to this little trick...

Mi Rui'an sighed inwardly. Sure enough, Wei Jiangxue still cared about her too much.

Leaving pheromones on an Omega serves both as protection and a warning to those with ulterior motives, cautioning them against approaching the Omega without permission. For Alphas and Omegas who have developed feelings for each other, leaving their scent on one another is a form of romance and a manifestation of possessiveness.

Some are bolder and will leave pheromones directly, while others are more subtle and will use perfume or other items instead.

Mi Rui'an wasn't surprised that Wei Jiangxue chose perfume. This Alpha was truly extraordinary. If they hadn't met before and had only seen Wei Jiangxue's photo, Mi Rui'an probably wouldn't have found it strange to think she was an Omega or Beta.

How could such an Alpha exist? Mi Rui'an thought, perhaps it was precisely because of Wei Jiangxue's special qualities that she didn't hate Wei Jiangxue the same way she hated other Alphas.

“I was just thinking,” Mi Rui’an began, her voice slightly hoarse from the shower, speaking slowly as if discussing the weather, “could there be something wrong with my sense of smell? How come the whole room smells like freesias?”

She leaned forward a little, resting her hands on the wardrobe door frame, forming a semi-enclosed posture, enveloping Wei Jiangxue, who was trying to shrink further inside, in her shadow and aura.

“So,” she said, deliberately lowering her voice, with a hint of playful inquiry, “a freesia accidentally sneaked into my closet and, quite by accident… dropped a bottle of perfume?”

Wei Jiangxue's face was so red it was almost bleeding. She could smell the fresh, rich, and unique freesia scent emanating from Mi Rui'an's skin as he approached.

The Transmigration Bureau was so well-prepared! It felt like she had been cuddling with Mi Rui'an for a very, very long time... Wei Jiangxue was utterly ashamed.

"I...I didn't..." Her weak defense was so feeble that even she herself didn't believe it.

"No?" Mi Rui'an raised an eyebrow, suddenly reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair that had fallen over Wei Jiangxue's shoulder with her fingertips, then bringing it to her nose as if carefully sniffing. "Then why, on you, and in my wardrobe, is there still..."

Her gaze slowly swept over Wei Jiangxue's hand, which was tightly clenched in front of her—the hand was empty, but it was clearly where the evidence had been before it disappeared.

“…I smell like you all over me now,” she drawled, her gaze refocusing on Wei Jiangxue’s evasive “eyes,” a hint of wicked amusement in her eyes.

These words struck Wei Jiangxue like a thunderbolt, leaving her utterly stunned. She abruptly raised her head, her lifeless eyes widening in shock and shame.

Mi Rui'an seemed quite satisfied with her reaction, ceasing her advance and instead stepping back slightly, giving her a moment to breathe. But her gaze remained fixed on her, as if she were watching prey trapped with nowhere to escape.

"Come out." Mi Rui'an's tone had lost its usual indifference, but carried an undeniable air of authority. "Aren't you afraid of getting suffocated hiding inside?"

Wei Jiangxue's limbs felt weak, and she practically tumbled out of the wardrobe, her steps unsteady, almost tripping over her own feet. Mi Rui'an reached out and steadied her arm at the right moment; the touch was brief and restrained, yet it sent a jolt through Wei Jiangxue as if she had been electrocuted.

Mi Rui'an did not continue to question the perfume. She simply said to Wei Jiangxue casually, "The perfume you... gave me smells nice."

You look a lot like me.

Mi Rui'an swallowed the last three words; her innate pride wouldn't allow her to be too blunt.

Wei Jiangxue was stunned, staring blankly at her.

Mi Rui'an turned her head to the side, the dim light from the window casting a hazy outline on her face. Her tone was as cold as ever, yet like a stone thrown into a deep pool, it stirred ripples in Wei Jiangxue's heart: "Next time you want me to use your scent... you can just say so."

As if she were running away from something, Mi Rui'an hurriedly said, "I'm going to ask Xiaodong to prepare breakfast."

After the hurried footsteps, Wei Jiangxue, who had been frozen in place for a while, gradually came back to her senses.

No? Wei Jiangxue immediately sensed something was wrong; this reaction...

At the same moment, 233 also emitted a sharp crackling sound in her mind, shattering the sliver of inspiration that had finally flashed through Wei Jiangxue's mind: 【Ahhh—】

Wei Jiangxue stared in disbelief, but ignored Mi Rui'an who had already turned and left. She grabbed 233 and asked, "What are you yelling for? No? What does Mi Rui'an mean by that?"

233 stammered: [Um... well... maybe it means they won't pursue the matter?]

Wei Jiangxue really wanted to rip it out of her head and see if this guy was a single-celled organism: [I wasn't asking her if she was going to pursue the matter with me! Didn't you hear what she said? When did we become such a harmonious relationship?]

[System 233: So, do you want to... go after them and ask? But actually, my backend data shows everything is normal, our work is progressing steadily, I think the host would better not create trouble for himself.]

233 didn't sound anxious, and Wei Jiangxue was still skeptical: "Really, it won't affect anything?"

After receiving a positive reply, Wei Jiangxue felt slightly relieved, but a lingering worry remained. Ever since she moved in with Mi Rui'an, Mi Rui'an's attitude seemed to be getting increasingly strange. Even though Wei Jiangxue had been consistently completing the tasks as required, Mi Rui'an's favorability rating, if not negative, was certainly very, very low, right?

Although Wei Jiangxue lent Mi Ruian a helping hand in front of Mi Feng, which would earn her some goodwill, it shouldn't be enough to make Mi Ruian want to get closer to her, right? Aren't they being too ambiguous right now?

Thinking about it more carefully, the key point was Wei Jiangxue's vulnerable period, during which she marked Mi Rui'an...

Wei Jiangxue suddenly said seriously: "I understand."

233 was busy importing the audio from earlier, and took a moment to ask: "What do you know?"

Wow, this is so good! 233 looked at the video with the filter it had added with satisfaction and forwarded it to its small group chat with some colleagues. Then, it continued to savor the video with satisfaction, but then heard Wei Jiangxue say—

[Mi Rui'an's attitude towards me has improved because of the AO mark. She actually hates me to death, and once she comes to her senses, she'll deal with me!]

Wei Jiangxue, a pure human who did not grow up in the ABO world, said this.

That explains it! The ABO world is terrifying! The effects of pheromones can control Alphas and Omegas to such an extent... Wei Jiangxue thought worriedly, in this world where the brain is purely controlled by hormones, can there really be "love" or "liking"?

Why would she feel...?

233 almost immediately retorted, interrupting Wei Jiangxue's thoughts: 【How could that be! She's head over heels in love with you!】

"What?" Wei Jiangxue exclaimed in surprise.

For some reason, 233 became particularly enthusiastic about listing the differences between Mi Rui'an and Wei Jiangxue: "[Look, during the mission, she never once gave you the cold shoulder. She was always kind and gentle, and she would help you with your makeup and styling...]"

Wei Jiangxue frowned: "That's because she can't make a scene and attract Mi Feng's attention. The makeup and styling were done because I paid her, and she needed it."

[System 233: You got caught stealing her clothes, but she didn't expose you; instead, she continued the charade.]

Wei Jiangxue was speechless: "Why do you seem to be hoping she'll cause me trouble? That's perfectly normal. We're roommates, after all. Who would willingly ruin things unless absolutely necessary?"

[System 233: Mi Rui'an has arranged for you to have Xiao Dong, a robot who is just as capable as me, and who has helped you solve a lot of troubles.]

Wei Jiangxue rubbed her forehead: "If you can't say anything else, I'll assume you're only thinking about love and romance, and we'd better not continue this topic. She only asked Xiaodong to be a tester; it's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

[System 233: Hmph, I'm going to tell you something you can't refute—]

Wei Jiangxue, her face stern, prepared to leave: "Whatever."

[System 233: If she didn't like you, would she have gone to the trouble of exposing herself and going to Mi's Starlight Media to help you get rid of trouble? Would she have offered you a better living environment...?]

Before 233 could finish speaking, Wei Jiangxue forcibly muted him.

Wei Jiangxue had never used this feature before!

The moment 233 realized what was happening, it jumped up in anger! It hadn't said anything out of the blue! This wasn't a symptom of 233's own obsession with its own shipping; it was a clear-headed observation from 233 and countless colleagues!

And it hasn't even mentioned the most important part yet—after countless rigorous analyses of the system, everyone unanimously concluded that Wei Jiangxue's physical attributes were not as good as Mi Rui'an's on the day she was susceptible. Although 233 didn't understand why the values ​​would drop, 233 did understand that Mi Rui'an had the ability to push Wei Jiangxue away on that day!

Doesn't this mean that Mi Rui'an voluntarily engaged in intimate contact with Wei Jiangxue?

Unfortunately, Wei Jiangxue didn't believe it, and was even too lazy to listen to 233's arguments!

After sulking for a while, 233 finally realized: Oh right, it and Wei Jiangxue are just here to do a mission. What difference would it make if Wei Jiangxue knew that Mi Rui'an likes her?

This contradicts 233's advocacy that "hosts should not create trouble for themselves."

No wonder Wei Jiangxue was too lazy to listen; it turned out that the 233 system had forgotten its main job... 233 smiled sheepishly and decided not to bring it up again.