A Vicious Scum Alpha in a Heartthrob Novel - Chapter 3

It was hard to say what the catalyst was—perhaps it was simply a wordless, mutual understanding born of necessity.

As the saying goes, “strangers the first time, friends the second.” Once again, the two became entangled.

The influence of pheromones was greater than imagined, yet not entirely beyond the bounds of control.

Xu Qingshui’s eyes were half-lidded as her arms supported the other woman’s softening body. Her gaze was pale and distant, yet it held a trace of eerie tenderness. “Tell me,” she murmured, “what do you want?”

Xu Qingshui allowed—or perhaps intentionally indulged—Fu Jinghua to take the lead and claim whatever she desired.

At this moment, Fu Jinghua wished she could swallow whole the person who had induced her to expose such a scandalous side of herself. But looking into Xu Qingshui’s eyes was like having a bucket of cold water poured over her. Xu Qingshui didn’t actually care about her at all; otherwise, why would she stay so detached while Fu Jinghua sought intimacy?

Perhaps because she had only recently been marked, Fu Jinghua felt a rising sense of dissatisfaction toward the woman before her. She was dissatisfied that Xu Qingshui didn’t care.

Yet she also understood that this all stemmed from these damn, cursed pheromones.

She finally spoke, her voice still carrying a hint of raspiness: “…Mark me.”

“I need your pheromones.”

To be honest, Fu Jinghua was “delicious,” but no matter how enticing she was, Xu Qingshui would not force the issue if it felt coerced.

She asked one more time: “Do you want my pheromones, or do you want to make love?”

Fu Jinghua had not yet completely lost her mind. She gritted her teeth: “Pheromones.”

Without a second’s hesitation, Xu Qingshui gently licked the back of the woman’s neck and bit down.

The process of injecting pheromones was neither fast nor as simple as Xu Qingshui had imagined. She had to maintain absolute control over her own impulses; what should have been easy was now a grueling test of willpower.

Because they were just so… compatible.

After a long while, Xu Qingshui placed the limp Fu Jinghua onto the sofa with practiced restraint. She searched the villa for the few suppressants available and injected them into her own body. Then, she found a scent-blocking patch and applied it to the back of Fu Jinghua’s neck.

This time, without hesitation, she dialed the number for her private doctor.

The sound of a key turning in the lock arrived faster than the doctor.

Xu Qingshui was sitting on the sofa, rubbing her temples. At the sound, her eyes snapped toward the door. Who would be coming at this hour with a key to her house?

The newcomer was a beautiful young woman with heavy makeup, wearing a white dress and carrying a camera.

Xu Qingshui searched her memories and recognized her: this was the mistress the original owner kept on the side—Bai Qing.

She was the one who had manipulated the original owner into drugging the wine.

When Bai Qing saw Xu Qingshui’s current state, she froze, reflexively swallowing her saliva. She had always known Xu Qingshui was beautiful, but the woman’s usual behavior was so loathsome that it made her face look disgusting by association. Today, however, she seemed to radiate a different kind of brilliance.

The scent of pheromones in the air was heavy and intoxicating. Bai Qing was glad she had worn a blocking patch because she usually hated Xu Qingshui’s scent, but now she felt a twinge of regret. Xu Qingshui looked so good that a one-night stand wouldn’t have been a bad deal.

“Qingshui, the whole house reeks. It looks like you succeeded—you’ve finally taken Fu Jinghua down.” Bai Qing looked at Xu Qingshui with a playful, narrow gaze, her voice deliberately dainty and tinged with fake jealousy. She knew the original Alpha loved hearing her talk like this.

Xu Qingshui’s brow remained furrowed; in fact, it hadn’t smoothed out once. She searched her mind for any recent conversations with Bai Qing. Confirming she hadn’t invited her over, she demanded coldly, “What are you doing here?”

Bai Qing was stunned. She hadn’t expected Xu Qingshui to be so blunt and ruthless. Her face stiffened, but she had come with a purpose.

She lifted the camera, feigning ignorance of the chill in the Alpha’s voice. She said brightly, “Didn’t you say you wanted to control Fu Jinghua completely? I have an idea. Why don’t we take some private photos of her to use as blackmail? How about that?” Seeing Xu Qingshui’s lack of reaction, she added, “Fu Jinghua is currently gunning for Best Actress. This kind of leverage would be fatal to her.”

Xu Qingshui’s expression turned ice-cold. She reached out and took the camera without a word.

A smile was just beginning to spread across Bai Qing’s lips when she saw Xu Qingshui pull out the memory card and crush it between her fingers.

Then, Xu Qingshui threw the camera onto the floor. It shattered into pieces.

The smile froze on Bai Qing’s face, making her look utterly ridiculous.

“What are you doing?!” Bai Qing screamed. That was an expensive camera she treated with meticulous care, and it held a lot of her data. Xu Qingshui had just destroyed it. Destroyed it!

“Have you gone crazy?” Bai Qing shrieked.

Xu Qingshui glanced behind her. Fu Jinghua’s brow twitched slightly, but she didn’t seem to be waking up.

She let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. Turning back, she lowered her voice to a dangerous whisper: “Quiet down. Unless you want to pay back every cent I’ve spent on you over the years.”

A lethal blow.

Bai Qing’s eyes widened, but her volume dropped significantly, her tone turning submissive. “Qingshui, what’s wrong with you today?”

Xu Qingshui didn’t bother explaining. This woman was just another mess left behind by the original owner. The original Alpha couldn’t see people for who they were, but Xu Qingshui refused to allow someone like this in her life.

“I am informing you of two things. First: I am no longer supporting you. Your shopping, travel, and all other expenses are cancelled. Second: there are cameras in this villa. Your attempt to incite me to harm my wife has been recorded. If you don’t leave right now, wait for a letter from my lawyer.”

Bai Qing didn’t know how things had suddenly taken this turn. Hearing Xu Qingshui’s cold voice, she could no longer maintain her facade.

“Qingshui, tell me what I did wrong! Please, just tell me! I love you so much, just give me one more chance. I promise, I promise I won’t ever try to hurt Fu Jinghua again!” Towards the end, her voice was frantic. Her knees buckled as if she were about to kneel right there.

Xu Qingshui frowned. She knew this was just a tactic to make her go soft. Bai Qing had always looked down on her; for someone like that to kneel to a person they despised was a profound humiliation. But Xu Qingshui was in no mood to watch this clumsy performance.

Her eyes were glacial. “Get out now, before you wake my wife.”

Seeing that Xu Qingshui wasn’t joking, Bai Qing’s face turned deathly pale. She shot a hateful glare at the sleeping Fu Jinghua and stormed out.

Bitch.

Xu Qingshui knew nothing of Bai Qing’s internal monologue and cared even less. She looked back at Fu Jinghua, whose eyes were closed and breathing steady. Good, she didn’t wake up. She must be exhausted.

She went to the kitchen to boil some water, fearing Fu Jinghua would be thirsty when she woke.

As Xu Qingshui’s back was turned, Fu Jinghua’s hand moved almost imperceptibly. Her eyes fluttered open for a split second before the weight of exhaustion pulled her back into a deep, groggy sleep.

About ten minutes later, the private doctor finally arrived.

Smelling the pheromones in the air, she couldn’t help but frown. As an Alpha herself, she felt a natural hostility toward another Alpha’s scent. Even with preparation, she was momentarily choked by it. Xu Qingshui’s pheromones were of a higher grade, exerting a natural pressure over her.

Xu Qingshui: “I’ve taken suppressants, but I still can’t pull my pheromones back in.”

The doctor took a deep breath. “Aside from that, is there any other discomfort?”

Xu Qingshui thought for a moment. “No. On the contrary, I feel unexpectedly light.”

The doctor rubbed her temples. “Preliminary judgment: something induced your pheromones, causing a systemic disruption. However, since you feel good, whatever it was might actually be beneficial to you. We’ll need a blood test at the hospital for a full analysis.”

Xu Qingshui nodded in understanding. After a pause, she added, “Fu Jinghua isn’t in a good state either. Is there any medicine to make her more comfortable?”

The doctor was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Xu Qingshui to say that. Though a look of doubt flashed in her eyes, she quickly pulled a few bottles from her kit. “Here. You apply them. I’m going out; the pheromones in here are too thick.”

Xu Qingshui took the bottles. “Okay.”

After the doctor left, Xu Qingshui looked at the woman on the sofa. Fu Jinghua currently displayed a fragility that contradicted her usual thorns. She seemed to be having a dream; her brow was knit, and her breath hitched.

Xu Qingshui approached, her voice soft. “I have some medicine. For your health’s sake, it’s best to apply it now.”

Fu Jinghua let out a tiny, soft “Mm.” It was so quiet it would have been missed if one weren’t paying close attention.

Xu Qingshui was slightly surprised, thinking the woman was much easier to get along with while sleeping than when she was awake and baring her teeth. She squeezed some ointment onto her fingertip and applied it to the woman’s neck. Her eyes remained calm and her movements meticulous. Once finished, she stood to leave.

But in the next second, her wrist was gripped tightly.

Xu Qingshui looked down at Fu Jinghua. The woman’s eyes slowly opened, her light brown irises burning with anger. “What are you doing? Who gave you permission to touch me?”

Xu Qingshui withdrew her hand, thinking idly: As expected, she really does look better when she’s not talking.

Despite her internal snark, her expression remained neutral. “If the medicine isn’t applied, you’ll be uncomfortable. I may not be a ‘good’ person, but I take responsibility for the women I’m with. Besides, I asked for your opinion just now. You didn’t say no, so I took it as consent.”

Fu Jinghua took a deep breath, trying to stabilize her emotions, but she couldn’t help a poisonous retort: “Your logic is entirely twisted.”

Xu Qingshui ignored the remark. She poured a glass of water and set it on the table. “I’m going to the hospital for a check-up now. I’ve cleaned you up; if you’re tired, sleep a bit longer. When I get back, I’ll sign the agreement once you’ve finished it.”

Her silhouette looked somewhat slender but not weak. Her pheromones were a rare Brandy—intense yet slightly sweet. As she turned slightly, her exquisite collarbone was visible, as beautiful as a work of art.

Fu Jinghua looked away and took a sip of water to soothe her throat. Just as the Alpha reached the door, she suddenly spoke: “I’m going with you.”

Xu Qingshui’s brows shot up.

“Who knows what kind of shady stuff was in the drug you used yesterday. I need to ensure my own health.”

There it is. That was the Fu Jinghua she knew.

Xu Qingshui picked up her car keys. “Fine. Get ready quickly, I’ll wait for you.”