Delicate, Yet Shamelessly Freeloading [Quick Transmigration] Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Alpha with Pheromone Disorder (12)

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Shui Que had the default ringtone set.

 

Qu Jiuchao stared at him quietly. “You’re not going to answer?”

 

“I—I am.” Shui Que suddenly sensed danger and quickly added, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

 

The cold, oppressive air around them seemed to lighten slightly.

 

“I’m still a little dizzy,” Qu Jiuchao murmured, resting against the side of Shui Que’s neck. Cold droplets of water from his damp hair slid down his collarbone, tracing the pale contours of his skin before disappearing under his jersey.

 

He held back for a long time, resisting the urge to lean in and lick the water away, until it was completely gone.

 

“Answer your phone,” Qu Jiuchao reminded him.

 

“Oh, oh—right.” Since Qu Jiuchao was leaning against his left side, Shui Que switched the phone to his right hand and brought it to his ear. “Hello…”

 

Lu Fengchi had just grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He had only stepped out into the sun for a moment, and already the frost on the bottle’s surface had begun melting, dripping down onto his fingers. “Where are you?”

 

He had just checked the infirmary, then the basketball court, but Shui Que was nowhere to be found.

 

Shui Que didn’t know how to explain his current situation—especially because the locker room was filled with Qu Jiuchao’s scent.

 

Due to his own hormone imbalance, Shui Que had always been somewhat desensitized to Omega pheromones, so it didn’t affect him much. But Lu Fengchi was a pure Alpha. Even though he regularly took inhibitors, an overwhelming amount of Omega pheromones could still trigger Alpha aggression, making them impulsive, irritable, and easily angered. If he came here, it would be a complete disaster.

 

Besides, Qu Jiuchao seemed to be an Omega pretending to be a Beta…

 

That was his private business—Shui Que couldn’t expose him.

 

He quickly came up with an excuse. “I just went out for a walk.”

 

Lu Fengchi frowned. “You injured yourself. You should be resting.”

 

Then, his tone shifted. “Never mind. Stay where you are. Where are you? I’m coming to find you.”

 

Shui Que had a habit of making small gestures when lying, and his eyes darted around. “No need. Did you get the water?”

 

“Yeah, of course I did. Where are you? Otherwise, it won’t stay cold for long.” Lu Fengchi paced outside the basketball court and swimming hall, absentmindedly kicking a pebble into a drainage grate.

 

Shui Que hummed, trying to think of a way to send him away. “Now I feel like eating ice cream—the kind that comes in a box with three flavors. Could you go to the convenience store again?”

 

“Tell the shop owner to give you two spoons. I’ll share half with you,” Shui Que said generously. Before Lu Fengchi could ask anything else, he added, “I’ll head back to the classroom in a bit and wait for you there.”

 

“T—two spoons aren’t necessary. You eat it…” Lu Fengchi’s face turned red, but before he could say anything else, he heard a soft, breathy sound from Shui Que on the other end. The lingering tone was a little strange.

 

“Shui Que?” Lu Fengchi called, but the next second, the call was cut off.

 

Chen Jian rushed over from the basketball court, looking anxious. “How is it?! Brother Lu, did you find Classmate Song?”

 

Lu Fengchi grinned. “How did you know he wanted to share the same ice cream with me?”

 

Chen Jian: “…?”

 

“He was just too embarrassed to say it to my face. Anyway, no time to chat—I’m off to buy ice cream. The three-flavor one, with two spoons.”

 

With a carefree wave, Lu Fengchi headed toward the dormitory area.

 

*

 

“Why did you bite me?” Shui Que clutched the spot on his neck where he had just been bitten, almost exposing himself in the process.

 

His eyes widened as he looked at Qu Jiuchao, his expression resembling that of a startled, wary animal.

 

Qu Jiuchao ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth, as if savoring the lingering fragrance of gardenias, with a faint hint of oolong tea. The oolong was subtle, barely noticeable in the aftertaste, but it significantly alleviated his symptoms.

 

The burning heat in his body finally subsided. No matter how much he had doused himself with cold water earlier, it had done nothing to help, yet just one taste of this had an immediate effect.

 

He had an overwhelming urge to devour the person before him, to extract more of that faint oolong scent.

 

Qu Jiuchao thought this with a blank expression.

 

“Sorry,” he said out loud.

 

Shui Que hesitated, then asked, “Are you in your heat period?”

 

Just like Alphas had susceptibility periods, Omegas experienced heat periods, during which they needed Alpha pheromones for relief. However, most Omegas simply used pheromone-suppressing patches to get through it. Compared to the susceptibility period, which required suppressant injections and caused severe agitation, the symptoms of the heat period were much milder and less harmful, making suppression easier.

 

“Do you need me to get you a suppressant patch?” Shui Que offered. He had seen some in the infirmary earlier.

 

Shui Que had always been eager to help others, even if his current persona wasn’t supposed to be like that. Even though the storyline had just advanced…

 

Did this mean his current actions were being judged as harassment toward Qu Jiuchao and Lu Fengchi?

 

Shui Que didn’t want to take advantage of someone in their heat period just to complete a mission.

 

“Wait…!”

 

A damp sensation brushed against his neck, and Shui Que began struggling violently. “Don’t lick me—stop doing this! Get away!”

 

Qu Jiuchao pressed even closer, slipping between Shui Que’s legs, closing the gap between them. With ease, he pinned Shui Que’s resistance down with one firm hand.

 

Weren’t Omegas supposed to be delicate and weak?!

 

Shui Que couldn’t believe it.

 

Desire and hunger surged through Qu Jiuchao’s chest like a rising tide.

 

He held onto Shui Que tightly, leaving no space between them, burying his face into the vulnerable curve of Shui Que’s neck and shoulder.

 

For a long moment, he simply remained there. Then, after finally stopping his licking, a trail of kisses landed along Shui Que’s neck. The scent of juniper gin, at first faint, gradually intensified. His pheromones seemed to seep into Shui Que’s body with every kiss.

 

More of that oolong fragrance drifted out in response.

 

Qu Jiuchao simply breathed it in.

 

Not enough. Still not enough.

 

He lifted his gaze and saw the panic in the person in his arms. Shui Que clearly had no idea what was happening.

 

In those clear, tea-colored eyes, Qu Jiuchao saw his own reflection—trapped in the embrace, drowning in it.

 

Disheveled. Frenzied.

 

He had always despised this state of himself. Ever since learning about his family’s history of pheromone dependency disorder, he had gone to great lengths to avoid falling into this situation.

 

So why?

 

Why did having an episode in front of this person bring such an extreme, degrading pleasure?

 

A defective creature, cursed by his own genes.

 

Qu Jiuchao braced himself against Shui Que’s waist, pressing even closer, trapping him between his own chest and the wall.

 

“Just let me lean on you a little longer,” Qu Jiuchao murmured. “Just a little more.”

 

He continued holding him. Shui Que squirmed uncomfortably, instinctively squeezing his legs together in an attempt to put some distance between them. “You’re too close…”

 

Qu Jiuchao ignored him.

 

Somewhere in the dim space, a WeChat call lit up the phone screen. Shui Que was too distracted to look, and Qu Jiuchao, resting against his shoulder, glanced at it before casually lifting a finger to decline the call.

 

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed in the darkness.

 

At last, the pheromones settled.

 

The sound of a whistle and loud cheers erupted from the nearby basketball court, as if they could shake the entire rooftop off.

 

Breaths tangled together.

 

Sensing the change, Shui Que was left speechless.

 

“Apologies, but I didn’t get your pants dirty.” Qu Jiuchao pulled back, restoring the distance between them. He put his glasses back on and glanced down at Shui Que’s thigh, calmly considering something. “If you mind, I have spare clothes. You can wear mine for now—they’re clean, never worn.”

 

Oh my god!

 

How could he say that…

 

That was just awful.

 

Shui Que was furious.

 

Since that’s how it was, he wouldn’t hold back either—he’d push the plot forward while he had the upper hand!

 

A thin layer of red spread over his pale cheeks, his eyes filled with both embarrassment and anger. He was still sitting on the railing, lifting his leg. At some point during the chaos, his sneaker had been kicked off without him noticing.

 

The pristine white sock, carrying the frustration of a teenager, stomped down on Qu Jiuchao’s foot.

 

A muffled grunt escaped from Qu Jiuchao’s chest.

 

Shui Que thought that was enough of a lesson. He hadn’t dared to use too much force—just a light step before retracting his foot.


 

His toes curled with embarrassment, his thigh muscles tensed and trembled, but he still bit back, “Y-you wouldn’t want anyone else knowing you’re an Omega, would you?”

 

In the dim light, Qu Jiuchao stared at him for a long time. Then, he smiled.

 

The plot progression bar moved forward.

 

45%.

 

But Shui Que suddenly felt like he might have made the wrong choice.

 

Especially when the observer chimed in:

 

[Tsk.]

 

[I don’t even want to imagine how much he’s enjoying this.]

 

*

 

Shui Que regretted it.

 

He never should have said that that day.

 

The sports festival had ended, but classes resumed as usual on Thursday and Friday. Just two more days, and it would be the weekend. Everyone’s minds were already in weekend mode, barely paying attention in class.

 

Shui Que found it hard to explain how he had gotten through the past few days. Class time was fine, but during the last two days of the festival, there had been too many chances for random encounters. Every time he ran into him, Qu Jiuchao acted like a cat high on catnip.

 

Shui Que even suspected that Qu Jiuchao was following him!

 

Otherwise, how else could he explain why, no matter where he went, he would always get dragged into some hidden corner and subjected to a full-on sniffing session?

 

He felt like a ragged, worn-out stuffed doll. Or maybe some kind of emotional support plushie.


Qu Jiuchao just had to hold onto him, burying his face and inhaling deeply.

 

Once, after standing in a corner for too long, Shui Que complained, “My legs are sore from standing.”

 

Qu Jiuchao, as if handling a child, slipped his hands under Shui Que’s knees and lifted him up. With his feet suddenly off the ground, Shui Que had no choice but to hook his legs around Qu Jiuchao’s waist and hold onto his neck, trapped between the boy and the wall.

 

That made it even easier for Qu Jiuchao to bury himself against him.

 

Like a little dog that had caught the scent of a bone, he pressed his nose against Shui Que’s neck, inhaling deeply, licking, and even giving light nibbles.

 

Every time he bit down, Shui Que would hammer his fist against Qu Jiuchao’s back, scolding, “No teeth! Don’t leave marks!”

 

Once it was over and Qu Jiuchao had put his glasses back on, regaining his usual composure, Shui Que would shove a tissue at him and make him wipe off the damp spots on his neck.

 

Qu Jiuchao always acted reluctant, but he still carefully cleaned up after himself.

 

Sometimes, Shui Que wanted to just shove him away. But at the same time, the plot progression bar kept creeping up—just over the past few days, it had nearly hit 50%.

 

Like a carrot dangling right in front of him.

 

There were several close calls where they almost ran into Lu Fengchi, which made Shui Que extra nervous.


Because of this bizarre relationship he had with Qu Jiuchao now, he instinctively didn’t want any familiar faces to see them together.

I

t’d be way too hard to explain.

 

And it might even blow Qu Jiuchao’s whole “pretending to be a Beta” act.

 

The weekend was finally here, giving him two days of peace.

 

Monday.

 

Shui Que had chosen history, biology, and geography as his electives. His class was the history-geography combination, while the rest of the students had picked either biology-chemistry or biology-politics. So, for biology class, he had to go to a different classroom.

 

Class 10 was on the fourth floor, with designated classrooms for elective subjects on the fifth. The sixth and seventh floors housed the advanced and experimental classes, mostly composed of students focusing on either humanities or sciences, so they didn’t need to attend elective classes elsewhere.

 

So why was Qu Jiuchao sitting next to him?

 

Shui Que, who had arrived early to the elective classroom, was stunned.

 

Qu Jiuchao wiped the desk with a tissue and calmly explained in a gentle voice, “I wanted to attend Mr. Lin’s class, so I spoke with him, and he let me sit here.”

 

Mr. Lin was their biology teacher. The students from their class and Class 11, who had chosen biology, were mixed together in this room.

 

Since Shui Que had transferred in, he hadn’t yet been assigned a permanent seat for the elective class rotation, so he sat alone in the last row without a deskmate.

 

Qu Jiuchao was in the traditional science-focused track. He had previously participated in academic competitions and was practically guaranteed direct admission to university. Given his family background, the school wouldn’t have cared even if he skipped classes altogether—let alone just sitting in on an elective lesson.

 

Shui Que worried that Qu Jiuchao might cause trouble during class. Unexpectedly, he didn’t. He paid full attention, just as he had claimed, simply wanting to listen to Mr. Lin’s lecture.

 

But the moment class ended, his true nature was revealed.

 

With the students and teacher gone, the empty classroom felt eerily quiet. The two of them hid behind the curtains, Shui Que leaning against the windowsill as he pushed at the head buried in the crook of his neck.

 

“Are you done yet?” he muttered. “Is your heat still not over? It’s been days…”

 

Qu Jiuchao replied, “No.”

 

He adjusted his glasses and lowered his gaze. “My heat hasn’t started yet.”

 

Shui Que’s pupils widened in shock at his calm tone.

 

If this wasn’t his heat, then why was he so obsessed with his scent?!

 

Would he actually devour him when the real heat came?

 

Muttering about how “useless Alphas are, their pheromones do nothing for me,” while gnawing him up from the neck down like a meal—

 

Shit. He had been reading too many weird comics and zombie movies lately…

 

Feigning impatience, Shui Que lightly kicked Qu Jiuchao’s leg. “Didn’t you say you’d listen to me?”

 

His kick wasn’t strong, but he thought he looked quite intimidating when issuing threats.

 

Qu Jiuchao paused before responding. “…It’s in the drawer. I’ve organized everything.”

 

“You… you wouldn’t want anyone else finding out you’re an Omega, right?”

 

“Then you’ll have to highlight the key points for the midterms for me.”

 

—That was what Shui Que had said that day.

 

Unexpected, yet inevitable.

 

Outside the window, a few birds flitted past the distant parasol trees. The leaves swayed in flickering shadows, branches brushing against one another.

 

For a moment, everything blurred into a dreamlike haze.

 

Qu Jiuchao stared at him, his voice suddenly soft. “What exactly… are we now?”

 

Soft—like an afternoon dream.　

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Huge shoutout to @candycorns2 on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.

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