Crossing The Line (GL, Futa & ABO) - Chapter 2

After a busy day, Xie Zhijin returned to the villa at Moonlit Bay.

As soon as she entered, she saw Chu Yi sitting properly on the living room sofa, waiting for her.

An unfamiliar pheromone scent hung in the air: sandalwood with a hint of mint.

The moment Xie Zhijin caught it, the headache that had tormented her all day eased noticeably. Her body relaxed before she could even think about it.

Chu Yi tensed under Xie Zhijin’s glance. Then she remembered she couldn’t act so stiff around her patron. She forced a smile and greeted her. “Good evening, President Xie.”

Xie Zhijin gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, then turned to the housekeeper standing by the entrance. “Dinner first.”

“Of course, President Xie.”

At the mention of dinner, Chu Yi rose and followed Xie Zhijin to the dining room.

Chu Yi ate with a mixture of restraint and furtiveness. She was restrained because she was dining with her patron and feared that one mistake in etiquette would cost her this comfortable life. She was furtive because… her patron was so beautiful! (灬oωo灬)

That single glance had been intimidating, but those sharp eyes, commanding presence, and striking looks made Chu Yi want to drop to her knees and call her master.

Mom… Mommy?

Xie Zhijin set down her bowl and tapped the table twice with her knuckles. At the crisp sound, the woman whose eyes had been wandering froze. She straightened her back, lowered her gaze obediently to her bowl, and concentrated on eating.

From time to time over the past few months, Xie Zhijin had watched Chu Yi through the security cameras. Compared with when she had first arrived, Chu Yi had become so lively over the following two months that she seemed like a different person. She had also behaved herself. Aside from buying a game console and playing games with people online, she had no social life.

She had even hired a fitness coach and followed a workout plan.

But the scent lingering in the air made Xie Zhijin’s eyes narrow. Chu Yi smelled of sandalwood touched with cool mint. Xie Zhijin clearly remembered that her scent was supposed to be ink.

Was she remembering it wrong?

A sharp pain throbbed at her temples, and Xie Zhijin raised a hand to rub them hard. She really did need some rest.

Seeing her furrowed brow, Chu Yi hesitated before asking nervously, “Would you like a massage?”

“No.” Xie Zhijin’s voice was cool. “Come to my room on the third floor in an hour.”

With that, she left the table and took the elevator upstairs.

The housekeeper stepped forward to remind Chu Yi, “Once you’ve finished eating and washed up, you can wait until it’s time to see President Xie. I wish you luck.”

“…Thanks.” Damn it, now she was even more nervous.

With Xie Zhijin gone, Chu Yi lost her appetite. She hurried through a few more bites, returned to her room to wash, and changed into the clothes the housekeeper had prepared. When the time came, she took the elevator to the third floor.

There was only one room up there, so it was easy to find. Chu Yi knocked softly twice. “President Xie, may I come in?”

[Click.]

The door opened automatically.

Chu Yi stared at the gap in the doorway, closed her eyes, and drew a deep breath as though she could force out all her hesitation. Then, steeling herself, she pushed the door open.

Xie Zhijin sat before a tall window. The room was dark, lit only by the moonlight outside. Ice clinked in the whiskey glass she held as she moved. “Come here.”

Chu Yi swallowed nervously. Doing her best to keep her body from tensing, she walked step by step to Xie Zhijin’s chair. She slowly lowered herself onto one knee and looked up at the woman.

The housekeeper had chosen her clothes well. The fabric was thin without being revealing, with a few cutouts at the abdomen. In the moonlight, the lines of her abs showed faintly through. Paired with her innocent, nervous expression, she looked every bit like a newcomer to a house of pleasure.

She had also put on the specially prepared armband as instructed.

“How many months have you been here?” Whether it was the whiskey or her exhaustion, a captivating rasp had entered Xie Zhijin’s voice. Her fingertip traced the rim of her glass idly as she looked at Chu Yi.

“Th-three months.” Chu Yi lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together before answering quietly.

“Do you know what you’re supposed to do?”

“Serve you.”

“Did you learn what you needed to this afternoon?”

“The instructor said I learned quickly. I won’t disappoint you, President Xie.”

“Then begin.”

Xie Zhijin set her glass on the small triangular side table and turned her head slightly, exposing her long, pale neck.

Only then did Chu Yi realize that the entire room was saturated with rich, heavy pheromones that smelled of whiskey. Remembering her training that afternoon, she gently peeled away the suppressant patch from the back of her neck. She carefully released her own pheromones, letting them mingle slowly with the oud scent that filled the room.

Chu Yi pressed the tip of her tongue against the gland beneath it and applied a little pressure. A faint, distinctive taste immediately spread through her mouth. Only after doing that did she lift her head and speak softly, her voice touched by her own pheromones. “I’m going to start, President Xie.”

The gland lay close beneath the skin, so Chu Yi had to be gentle. Watching Xie Zhijin closely for any reaction, she slowly leaned toward it. The closer she came, the stronger the whiskey-laced oud grew, its overwhelming scent nearly making her dizzy.

Perhaps their high compatibility was to blame. Her mint and sandalwood pheromones surged in response, their concentration rising sharply. Their cool, tranquil scent tangled fiercely with the rich aroma of liquor.

“Watch your pheromones.” A warning edged Xie Zhijin’s voice. Her whiskey and oud scent drew inward, forming an invisible barrier that made her boundaries unmistakable.

“Yes.” Chu Yi dug her fingers into her thigh. The sharp pain pulled her a little way out of the whirl of pheromones. Holding her breath, she struggled to rein in the overflowing mint and sandalwood scent that seemed to have a will of its own, eager to wrap itself around Xie Zhijin.

Chu Yi lowered her gaze to the pale skin at the back of Xie Zhijin’s neck, where the gland pulsed faintly. Tentatively, she extended her tongue, coated with glandular fluid, and gave it the lightest lick.

Xie Zhijin gripped the armrests so hard her knuckles turned white. A muffled moan escaped her throat. Her rich whiskey and oud pheromones erupted as though a burning coal had been dropped into them, growing stronger, sharper, and more aggressive.

When no reprimand came, some of Chu Yi’s anxiety eased, replaced by a little private courage. She steadied her trembling breath and focused on continuing to soothe Xie Zhijin with her pheromones.

Chu Yi put everything she had learned that afternoon into practice. Carefully drawing out the fluid from the gland beneath her tongue, she spread it evenly across the hot surface of Xie Zhijin’s gland with her tongue. The cool mint and sandalwood seeped in, entwining and blending with the fierce whiskey and oud. Like rain falling on a raging wildfire, it gradually calmed the scent.

Xie Zhijin’s self-control was remarkable. Apart from a few faint moans she couldn’t suppress, she gave little away. But hearing those absorbed sounds rise from deep in her throat finally let Chu Yi’s lingering anxiety settle.

An Alpha’s instincts were hard to suppress. Tempted by Xie Zhijin’s pheromones, Chu Yi came close to losing control several times, her fangs almost piercing the Omega’s skin to leave a mark. Whenever her thoughts began to blur, she pinched another bruise into her thigh. Sweat had soaked through her clothes, which clung to the curves of her body. It slid down and gathered at her waist and abdomen, leaving damp traces that gleamed in the moonlight.

After what felt like ages, Xie Zhijin spoke. Her voice held a lazy rasp of satisfaction, utterly unlike her usual cool tone. “That’s enough.”

Chu Yi went still as though a current had shot through her. Then she drew back at once, pulling away from Xie Zhijin’s gland and settling properly onto one knee beside her chair again.

“You’re quick to learn.” Xie Zhijin’s cool fingertips brushed Chu Yi’s cheek, still hot from their closeness. The touch was light as a feather, yet every muscle in Chu Yi’s body tightened. “You can go. Come back at the same time tomorrow.”

“Yes, President Xie.” Keeping her emotions in check and her gaze lowered, Chu Yi rose and backed toward the door. She slipped out and gently closed it behind her.

The door clicked shut at her back, as if severing the last thread of her wavering self-control.

Inside, Xie Zhijin’s upright posture faltered, and she sank heavily into the broad chair. The cool sandalwood in the air had tangled so tightly with her oud that she could no longer tell the scents apart. Together they swelled silently, pressing in on every breath. She tipped her head back. The pale moonlight outside was cold as ice, yet it only seemed to stir the heat still surging through her blood.

Outside, Chu Yi leaned against the cool door and slid weakly down it. She clamped a hand over her mouth, trapping a gasp in her throat. Her cheek burned beneath her fingertips. She could almost still feel the shiver Xie Zhijin’s touch had sent through her.

Separated by a single door, both of them were a mess.

This really was… driving her crazy.