It's often said that Betas can't detect the pheromones of Alphas and Omegas, but that's not entirely true. When the pheromones in AO glands are highly concentrated and pure, Betas can catch a faint scent.
To Betas, other people's pheromones are like perfumes—noticeable but not arousing.
During the chaos, Pei Yujang had been close to Yu Zhiwan, and even though the wheelchair separated them, she could catch a subtle floral scent from her.
It was a refined and elegant rose fragrance mixed with the sweetness of raspberries, light and delicate, more like a refreshing summer ice cream than a perfume.
This wasn't the first time Pei Yujang had encountered an Omega's pheromones, but most of the Omegas she'd met had scents like flowers, milk, honey, or fruits—scents that were low in aggression and stirred a desire to taste them.
She could only smell a hint of it, like a brush lightly grazing her heart, teasingly gentle.
Pei Yujang's instinct was to lean in closer to inhale the pleasant scent, but her deeply ingrained sense of propriety stopped her. Even now that she was a Beta, she adhered to the taboo: getting too familiar with a stranger Omega's pheromones was a breach of respect.
Even if this Omega had kissed her in a moment of distress.
Even if she was no longer General Pei, who commanded an army of one hundred thousand.
Pei Yujang took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Yu Zhiwan. She looked at her face with clear, unclouded eyes. Without the sunglasses, Yu Zhiwan's delicate features were fully visible. Her soft, bright almond eyes were particularly striking, their natural beauty shining without any enhancement.
No wonder she could work as a makeup model.
As a blind person, Yu Zhiwan had difficulty finding work, but because of her exceptional looks, Yue Rong had hired her as a makeup model.
It was a job well-suited to Yu Zhiwan. Her face was highly adaptable, and although Pei Yujang didn't know much about fashion or makeup, she could tell from a layman's perspective that Yu Zhiwan was a rare beauty, flawless in both bone structure and complexion.
However, her status as an Omega, coupled with her physical disabilities, gave her a fragile aura. Her pale skin made her look somewhat unwell, something a makeup artist could easily mask with a touch of blush.
After observing her for a moment, Pei Yujang regained her composure and smiled, asking Yu Zhiwan if she needed help getting to the treatment room. Yu Zhiwan agreed, pleasantly surprised, and softly expressed her gratitude:
"Xiaoyu, you're so kind."
"Cough, cough…"
Pei Yujang nearly choked on her own saliva.
She really wanted to ask Yu Zhiwan why she had come out alone and why Liu Huanran had left her unattended.
If Pei Yujang had such a beautiful girlfriend or romantic interest, she certainly wouldn't let Yu Zhiwan come to the hospital alone. Even without considering potential emergencies, it was difficult for a blind person with a leg disability to travel by herself.
When would that scumbag Alpha, Liu Huanran, start caring about Yu Zhiwan?
The commotion at the hospital was eventually resolved, with the police dispersing the crowd. Pei Yujang escorted Yu Zhiwan to her treatment room before heading back to her own waiting area.
Just as she finished her check-up, she received a message from Yu Zhiwan.
"Xiaoyu, where are you? When you're done, could you come and pick me up?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, with a playful lilt at the end that was characteristic of Omegas.
Pei Yujang had planned to go home after the check-up, eat something, and then work out. But hearing Yu Zhiwan's request, she couldn't help but soften her tone as she replied:
"Sure, I'll take you out to eat afterward."
**
The original character had always liked to show off, partly for the sake of her image and partly to attract Omegas, going so far as to present herself as a wealthy, well-bred heiress.
In reality, though Yue Rong was a well-known cosmetics company, it was on the decline. In recent years, it had lacked innovation. While Pei Jinhuai had been highly driven in her youth, the setbacks from her marriage had changed her personality. Now, she preferred spending sweet time with her new wife rather than focusing on the company.
The original character wasn't a true socialite—just a rich girl with some connections, thanks to her mother.
In the original plot, Yue Rong would eventually face repeated setbacks and go bankrupt, unable to pay off the severance packages for its employees, leaving the original character without her final safety net.
Pei Yujang got into Yu Zhiwan's car, switched off the autopilot, and asked politely what she wanted to eat while quickly calculating her account balance in her mind.
Yu Zhiwan didn't stand on ceremony, naming a restaurant. Pei Yujang looked it up on the navigation system and noticed that the price wasn't too high—around four or five hundred per person.
It was a highly-rated modern fusion private kitchen.
"I'll treat you, Xiaoyu," Yu Zhiwan said softly, her voice like a gentle stream, clear and pleasant. "You helped me last time, and I haven't properly thanked you."
At the mention of their last encounter, Pei Yujang's mind flashed back to their hasty, awkward kiss, and her heart began to race. She was so flustered that she nearly pressed the wrong button on the navigation system but managed to laugh it off:
"No need, really—it was the least I could do."
Pei Yujang was generally cheerful and outgoing, but she found herself a bit awkward around Yu Zhiwan. Perhaps it was because she had accepted a mission that might involve harming this woman; the guilt made her overly cautious, even in casual conversation.
But there was one question that Pei Yujang had been dying to ask.
Before the mission, 711 had given her an overview of the plot, including examples of Yu Zhiwan's future actions after she blackened. These actions were extreme, involving imprisoning "her" in a dark room, blinding her, and slicing her flesh to feed wild animals, all to vent Liu Huanran's anger.
In the original story, Yu Zhiwan did all this primarily to satisfy Liu Huanran. Initially, she wanted to dispose of the villain without seeing her again, but Liu Huanran had said, "She touched you, and that makes me unhappy," leading Yu Zhiwan to torment "her" in countless ways.
In any case, the original Yu Zhiwan was a "love-obsessed" character, utterly devoted to Liu Huanran.
Even when she blackened, she remained devoted. But now that she and Liu Huanran were acquainted, Yu Zhiwan, based on her system-described personality, should have been clinging to Liu Huanran, not even drinking a glass of water without telling her.
Why was she now going to the hospital alone, having meals with another woman?
And before that, even kissing her...
Pei Yujang carefully phrased her question, and as the car passed through a tunnel, she couldn't hold back any longer and asked:
"Miss Yu, are you single?"
The air went still.
Was it inappropriate to ask such a thing?
Was it an invasion of an Omega's privacy?
Pei Yujang stared at the yellow exit lights ahead, feeling like every second was an eternity. She was so embarrassed she wished she could take back the question. After all, she had already kissed Yu Zhiwan, and now asking if she was single felt like a futile afterthought.
Regret swirled inside Pei Yujang like a storm. She wasn't used to dealing with Omegas, having mostly interacted with rough-and-tumble Betas or Alphas. She had no idea how to interact properly with an Omega and had probably upset Yu Zhiwan with her clumsy question.
She was about to apologize when she glanced over at Yu Zhiwan.
To her surprise, Yu Zhiwan had already drifted off, her head resting against the seat, breathing softly in sleep. Her side profile was smooth and beautiful, her lips slightly pouted, with a few stray strands of hair adding a touch of cuteness.
Pei Yujang looked at her for a moment in the dim light of the car, unable to suppress a smile.
**
In the end, Pei Yujang never got around to asking that question.
The private kitchen was a serene, garden-themed restaurant with private dining rooms offering high levels of privacy. Once they were seated and began ordering, Pei Yujang was overwhelmed by the strange names on the menu, like "Peach Blossom Snow," which was actually just peach-flavored shaved ice.
But Yu Zhiwan had difficulty reading the menu, so Pei Yujang read the dish names aloud for her and said she didn't mind what they chose.
"I've never tried any of these before, so I'll leave it to you, Miss Yu."
She wasn't lying—Pei Yujang, having grown up in a post-apocalyptic world, had lived a life of survival, where a simple meal of steamed buns was a luxury. These fancy dishes, with their beautiful presentations and exotic names, were foreign to her.
Yu Zhiwan selected two meat dishes and three vegetarian ones, all in small portions, and even recommended a delicate dessert to Pei Yujang.
"If I'm not mistaken, this one comes with a limited-edition toy. You could take it home for your sister."
Yu Zhiwan's suggestion was friendly and thoughtful.
To support her lie about her identity, Pei Yujang had mentioned having a cute, well-behaved younger sister. But the mere mention of it made her scalp tingle.
When she had lied to Yu Zhiwan, she hadn't yet met Jiang Wenxiu. There was nothing remotely "cute" or "well-behaved" about that brat.
Pei Yujang awkwardly changed the subject.
After ordering, Pei Yujang excused herself to the restroom to splash some water on her face, trying to calm down after nearly exposing her lie.
The garden restaurant had a strong sense of ambiance, living up to its high price. The private room was filled with a refreshing scent, perfect for summer. But when Pei Yujang returned, she noticed a faint scent of rich roses.
The room's fragrance diffuser was still spraying its usual scent—light and non-intrusive. Yet the rose and raspberry scent lingered, delicate but noticeable. Though her Beta sense of smell wasn't particularly sharp, Pei Yujang could see an unusual flush on Yu Zhiwan's cheeks.
Noticing the Omega's discomfort, Pei Yujang rushed to her side:
"Miss Yu!?"