Marking My Arch-Rival [Rebirth] - Chapter 7

Qi Mengying was a professional doctor at the Venus high-end beauty club and also Jiang Boyan’s university classmate and long-time friend.

At 4:40 PM, she saw off her last guest for the day and waited intently in her office. Before long, Jiang Boyan knocked and entered.

“Boyan!” Qi Mengying stood up, excitedly walking toward her friend, ready to give her the usual warm hug. But this time, she stopped three or four steps away from Jiang Boyan, her eyes widening in disbelief: “You, you…”

Jiang Boyan sniffed herself.

She knew her friend’s reaction was most likely due to the residual Alpha pheromones on her, but having been constantly exposed to the strong scent, it was hard for her to fully grasp it.

“Is the smell very strong?”

“Did you get a new batch?” Qi Mengying carefully approached, lowering her voice, pulling her inside as she spoke. “Where did those pheromones come from? They are top-tier?”

Jiang Boyan didn’t say a word.

Qi Mengying observed her expression, combined with the phrase [Bitten by a dog] mentioned in their chat yesterday, and a look of dawning horror spread across her face.

“Wait, don’t tell me…”

Jiang Boyan interrupted her speculation: “Arrange the examination.”

“Yes!” Qi Mengying was reliable. “The form is ready. I’ll draw your blood.”

The test request included multiple routine checks, signed with Qi Mengying’s own name at the bottom. This was their unspoken understanding over the years; for any tests involving pheromones, Jiang Boyan would not expose her identity.

But today, Jiang Boyan looked at the test form with some hesitation.

Qi Mengying: “What’s wrong?”

“They’re all routine items,” Jiang Boyan looked up. “Does it include sexually transmitted diseases?”

Qi Mengying felt momentarily dizzy, bracing herself against the corner of the desk to steady her form.

She looked at Jiang Boyan, wanting to speak but holding back. After a moment, she managed to organize her words and ask: “When did this happen?”

Jiang Boyan’s expression was normal, only her trembling eyelashes betraying a slight emotional fluctuation: “The night before last.”

“Mm.” Qi Mengying breathed a shallow sigh of relief. “You came in time. Don’t worry, we’ll be able to find out.”

Only then did Jiang Boyan nod, cooperatively extending her wrist.

Two minutes later, the nurse collected the blood bag labeled with Qi Mengying’s name.

The examination would take time. Qi Mengying led her to the adjacent beauty room: “Same as before? A routine full-body skin treatment?”

“Okay.” Jiang Boyan nodded, voluntarily lying down on the beauty bed in front of her friend.

With her still-sore lower back resting comfortably, she closed her eyes and let out two quiet sighs of relief.

“How do you take care of yourself? Your skin is even more delicate than before.” Qi Mengying’s fingers circled her jawline.

Feeling her friend’s jade-like skin, she was slightly surprised: “Have you stopped staying up late recently?”

Jiang Boyan shook her head: “Same as always.”

Seeing that her mood was stable, Qi Mengying lowered her voice and got straight to the point: “What exactly happened? Who marked you?”

A breathtaking face flashed through her mind, and Jiang Boyan frowned.

“A stranger.”

“…” Qi Mengying’s jaw nearly dropped. “A one-night stand? Were you forced?”

Jiang Boyan lightly bit her tongue.

She hated that her memory was so good, recalling every detail of the entanglement that night. There was no coercion between her and Ji Shihuan, but if anyone was the active seducer… she certainly couldn’t claim innocence.

Qi Mengying bit her lip, suddenly thinking deeper: “Does the other party know your identity? Will they use this to threaten you?”

Jiang Boyan finally spoke.

“I’m waiting.”

“For what?”

“For her to make demands.”

Her friend’s hand movements stopped, her teeth clenching in anger.

“So, it was a piece of trash with loose morals, possibly infected with STDs, who marked you, ran off, and is now preparing to use your secret to threaten you?!”

Ji Shihuan, who was driving, inexplicably sneezed several times.

She looked back at the wrapped oil painting in the back seat, truly unable to imagine what complications could arise during tonight’s meeting.

The car’s smart voice system provided a kind reminder: “The temperature and humidity in the car have been raised. Owner, please take care of your health~”

“I don’t think it has anything to do with the temperature,” Ji Shihuan glanced distractedly at the screen.

“Number Zero, check my fortune for today.”

The cute little girl on the screen nodded, taking out a magnifying glass to search.

Two seconds later, her sweet voice rang out again: “Owner’s overall fortune score for today is 62. You will encounter your true love connection today~”

Ji Shihuan: “My fortune is barely passing, yet I’ll meet my true love? Don’t you think that’s contradictory?”

The little girl leaned on the edge of the screen, staring at her.

“Owner, you consulting a science product about metaphysics is also contradictory!”

Ji Shihuan smiled.

In the beauty room, Qi Mengying finished her rant but didn’t forget to warn: “Boyan, you need to stay far away from that piece of trash!”

Jiang Boyan let out a soft sigh.

“The initiative is not in my hands.”

Qi Mengying thought for a moment: “Tell me her information.”

Jiang Boyan opened her eyes: “Huh?”

Qi Mengying leaned closer: “I’ll ask my brother-in-law…”

Before she could finish, there was a knock on the beauty room door.

Without waiting for permission, the person anxiously turned the knob and pushed the door open.

“Fine! You lied and said you were busy today, but you’re here entertaining other guests!”

Qi Mengying was taken aback, putting down the items in her hand and standing up: “Miss Gu?”

Gu Xiyue walked up to her, grabbed Qi Mengying’s hand, and feigned exaggeration: “Sister Qi, you don’t know how important tonight’s date is to me. This treatment absolutely must be done by you!”

Qi Mengying maintained her professional demeanor: “Is that so? Then, how about you wait for me in the Omega beauty room across the hall?”

Just then, Jiang Boyan propped up her upper body on the bed and looked over, meeting Gu Xiyue’s gaze.

“Oh!” Gu Xiyue was momentarily surprised, then smiled broadly. She let go of Qi Mengying and greeted Jiang Boyan confidently and openly: “It’s you, pretty older sister!”

Jiang Boyan recalled their first meeting at the coffee shop and nodded politely in response.

Qi Mengying was surprised: “You two know each other?”

“Yes!” Gu Xiyue nodded, walking straight to the empty beauty bed next to Jiang Boyan. “No need to go to the room across the hall. Let’s do it together!”

Qi Mengying knew this regular customer was demanding. She looked at Jiang Boyan, and seeing no objection from her, she didn’t argue further.

“…Alright.”

“I’m Gu Xiyue.” Lying down, Gu Xiyue didn’t forget to try and bond with Jiang Boyan. “And you?”

“Jiang Boyan.”

“Wow, that’s beautiful.” Gu Xiyue turned her head to look at her, her eyes full of admiration and curiosity. “Sister Jiang, are you single?”

Jiang Boyan: “…”

Qi Mengying helped her friend out: “Ahem, doesn’t Miss Gu have a particularly beautiful girlfriend?”

“Oh, her,” Gu Xiyue pouted: “We broke up.”

“Broke up?” Qi Mengying raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Hmph, the prettier the female Alpha, the more…” Halfway through her sentence, Gu Xiyue caught herself.

She rephrased: “It’s my fault for being young and too easily seduced by looks.”

Qi Mengying smiled.

She applied a cleansing mask to Gu Xiyue’s face: “Out with the old, in with the new. Don’t worry, after this treatment, you’ll definitely capture your new crush’s heart firmly on your date tonight.”

“Ah…” Gu Xiyue frowned slightly. “It’s not a new person.”

“Hm?”

“It’s that ex-girlfriend.” The mask couldn’t stop Gu Xiyue from chattering. She glanced at Jiang Boyan: “Sister Jiang has met her too.”

Jiang Boyan had face cream applied and was resting with her eyes closed.

Qi Mengying was curious: “You’ve broken up, so why are you meeting again?”

“She’s pretty, and it’s pleasant to have her around.” Gu Xiyue lifted her chin. “I couldn’t bring myself to order her around when we were dating, but now that we’ve broken up, I have the chance. I need to give her a good hard time.”

Qi Mengying pointed out: “I think you just regret it.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Boyan, confirming that she didn’t mind her chatting with Gu Xiyue. On the contrary, based on her understanding of Jiang Boyan, she was sure Jiang Boyan was listening.

Gu Xiyue immediately denied it but then slowly added: “Well, there is one small regret.”

Qi Mengying: “Hm?”

Gu Xiyue sighed softly: “I didn’t even get to eat the duck before it flew away.” (A Chinese idiom meaning “the opportunity was lost before it could be capitalized on.”)

Qi Mengying let out a burst of laughter. She turned her head and noticed that Jiang Boyan had actually opened her eyes.

Jiang Boyan thought for a moment: “Didn’t you say she was… no good?”

“Oops,” Gu Xiyue feigned shyness.

“That one time, I practically put myself right in front of her, and she didn’t do anything, even helped me put my clothes back on. She said, ‘This sort of thing needs to be taken seriously.'” She then asked Jiang Boyan, “Sister Jiang, you be the judge. Are Alphas like that?”

Jiang Boyan had no experience to draw from. She shook her head: “…I don’t know.”

Qi Mengying, on the side, couldn’t help but speak up for the ex-girlfriend she had never met: “I actually think that person has quite a bit of self-control and a sense of responsibility.” She complimented her customer in passing: “To be able to remain composed in front of a beauty like Miss Gu, she’s not an ordinary person.”

Gu Xiyue showed no reaction to that, but Jiang Boyan, on the other bed, began to feel restless.

Self-control?

Jiang Boyan scoffed coldly.

She recalled the mottled hickeys and teeth marks on her inner thighs when she applied medicine last night. That night was truly absurd. Through Ji Shihuan’s black hair, she saw the white bed curtains above her head shake all night long.

During a brief pause, Ji Shihuan had offered her water twice. Each time, she thought she could finally rest properly, but the water droplets she couldn’t hold slipped down her lips. Ji Shihuan leaned down to chase them, her lips and tongue lighting a new fire along the way, dragging her back into the abyss of desire.

What kind of self-control and responsibility could a person like that possibly have?!

Qi Mengying was slightly puzzled by her reaction: “Is that wrong?”

Gu Xiyue, however, nodded in immediate agreement.

“Sister Jiang understands Alphas better,” she concluded. “She’s just no good!”

Jiang Boyan had no intention of helping to clarify; her lower back only started to ache faintly again.

Qi Mengying gave an awkward smile, then recovered and said: “Then you shouldn’t have any regrets.”

Gu Xiyue mumbled, unable to articulate a response.

Qi Mengying helped her wash off the cleansing mask and started the skin rejuvenation process. Halfway through, Gu Xiyue’s phone rang.

She picked it up and glanced at it: “She’s here.”

Qi Mengying: “Your ex-girlfriend?”

She asked: “Should I hurry up?”

“No need.” Gu Xiyue waved her hand, acting like a proper young lady.

“Let her wait.”

Qi Mengying laughed: “Alright then.”

“I told her to buy us bubble tea.” Gu Xiyue was spontaneous. Without waiting for their agreement, she unlocked her phone, composed a message, and sent it.

Ji Shihuan, who was generally good-tempered, saw the message and put down her phone.

“Number Zero, navigate to the nearest bubble tea shop.”

She bought the bubble tea and returned, following the location Gu Xiyue had sent her to the beauty room. She stopped at the door and knocked.

Qi Mengying dried her hands.

Curious about what the great beauty who Gu Xiyue couldn’t forget looked like, she raised her voice and called out: “The door’s not locked. Come in.”

Ji Shihuan got permission and pushed the door open.

She was dressed more formally today, in business attire. Her thick, long hair was tied back, exposing her full, beautiful forehead, which further emphasized her superior, stunning features. The bag of bubble tea in her hand did not diminish her aura. On the contrary, it softened the aggressiveness of her beauty, making her appear slightly more approachable.

Seeing Qi Mengying in her white coat, she nodded and gave a polite smile. Her clear, bright eyes instantly captivated Qi Mengying’s gaze.

“I’m looking for Gu Xiyue.”

Qi Mengying barely recovered from the beauty bombardment, pointing to the outer beauty bed.

“Over there.”

“Thank you.” Ji Shihuan smiled again.

Completely unaware that Qi Mengying was inwardly begging her to stop smiling, she walked straight to Gu Xiyue.

Placing the bubble tea on the table, she asked gently, “Are you done?” her tone devoid of any hint of impatience.

Gu Xiyue gave her a cool side-eye.

“Can’t wait?”

“I thought you might be eager to see the painting.”

Gu Xiyue retorted: “I think you’re just impatient.”

“Patience should be used on meaningful things,” Ji Shihuan shrugged, taking a matcha brown sugar shake out of the bag. “The bubble tea you asked for.”

Gu Xiyue had to admit, there was a flicker of delight at that moment.

“Tsk, finally remembered what I like?”

“Huh?” Ji Shihuan was confused.

She took out the other two identical seasonal drinks from the bag and placed them on the table.

The small spark of joy that Gu Xiyue had just ignited was instantly extinguished.

On the other side, Ji Shihuan turned her head and unexpectedly met the eyes of Jiang Boyan on the adjacent bed.

“…”

Ji Shihuan blinked very slowly twice.

It was then that she noticed the sweet freesia-scented Alpha pheromones in the room. The scene of their last parting involuntarily replayed in her mind, and two patches of unnatural blush appeared on Ji Shihuan’s cheeks.

Jiang Boyan coldly averted her gaze, acting as if the person in front of her was merely an unimportant stranger, not the sexual partner with whom she had spent the night on a two-meter-wide hotel bed just recently.

Unfortunately, she was losing because she didn’t yet fully understand Ji Shihuan’s wicked nature.

If Jiang Boyan had simply played along and treated her normally, it would have been one thing, but the more the other woman avoided her, the more Ji Shihuan couldn’t resist being a provocative pest.

“CEO Jiang? What a coincidence.”

Qi Mengying threw a perplexed look at her friend.

Ji Shihuan carried on, handing one cup of bubble tea to Qi Mengying and walking to Jiang Boyan with the last one.

“CEO Jiang, here’s some bubble tea.”

Jiang Boyan did not give her a pleasant look.

“No, thank you.”

“Why?” Ji Shihuan tilted her head, examining her.

She lowered her voice slightly, the tone hinting at an intimacy only the two of them could detect.

“Are you still restricting your diet during your recovery period?”

Jiang Boyan: “It’s not because of that.”

She looked at Ji Shihuan, meaningfully: “I’ve encountered a few things. I have no appetite.”

Ji Shihuan let out a soft laugh.

She found that since being reborn, whenever she encountered Jiang Boyan, her mood would lighten considerably. Ji Shihuan couldn’t figure out the reason, wickedly attributing it to the special bond of having been equally screwed over in their previous lives.

“Then I’ll drink it myself.”

Inserting the straw into the cup, she took a casual sip.

The sweet milk slid down her throat, leaving a subtle, bitter aftertaste of matcha. Ji Shihuan unexpectedly found it quite enjoyable.

She leaned against the foot of Jiang Boyan’s bed, looking at Qi Mengying in her white coat.

“Doctor, what kind of treatments do you offer here?”

Qi Mengying regained her professional composure.

“Venus primarily focuses on skin issues and body wellness. We offer a variety of maintenance and treatment programs.”

“What are your concerns?”

Ji Shihuan stood before her, tall and graceful like bamboo. Despite having no elaborate grooming, she was flawless. Such a person seemed to shine from the inside out.

Beyond simple maintenance, Qi Mengying struggled to imagine what service she could offer her.

But the next moment, Ji Shihuan spoke, listing a series of symptoms as if reading a menu.

“Aches all over, emotional sensitivity, not sleeping soundly, a feeling of insecurity.”

As she spoke, her gaze lingered briefly on Jiang Boyan as if by accident, before she slowly finished: “That’s about it.”

Qi Mengying was incredulous: “Are these symptoms you’ve experienced recently?”

Ji Shihuan’s lips curved in a smile. Without confirming or denying, she pressed: “Do you have any recommended treatments?”

Qi Mengying nodded.

“How about trying our essential oil full-body massage? It’s effective for relaxing the body, soothing emotions, and improving sleep.”

After listening, Ji Shihuan lowered her head, looking overtly at Jiang Boyan.

The next moment, she leaned down.

Sensing the warm temperature of the person on the bed across the short distance, Ji Shihuan asked with a smile: “Did it work?”

Jiang Boyan’s heart skipped a beat.

She couldn’t sense any genuine malice from Ji Shihuan. The woman’s offense was well-measured, always pushing her to a boundary that made her difficult to either advance or retreat. She was certainly unhappy, but she couldn’t genuinely lose her temper.

“The effectiveness varies from person to person,” Jiang Boyan said coolly.

She met Ji Shihuan’s gaze openly: “Furthermore, I don’t have Miss Ji’s problems, so I really can’t offer any advice.”

Ji Shihuan was about to ask, “Are you sure you don’t?”, when she heard Gu Xiyue’s unrestrained giggle behind her.

She instinctively felt something was wrong.

“Hm?”

Gu Xiyue finally stopped laughing, covering her stomach: “Ji Shihuan, don’t avoid the doctor. Your problem can’t be fixed at a beauty salon. You need to go to a legitimate Alpha rehabilitation clinic.”

The Alpha rehabilitation clinic she spoke of was similar to a ‘men’s health clinic,’ specializing in treating and improving Alpha sexual capacity.

The amusement in Jiang Boyan’s eyes was unmistakable. Even Qi Mengying cast her a look of pity. Ji Shihuan snapped back, realizing Jiang Boyan had thoroughly outwitted her.

She shrugged, unfazed, but leaned closer to Jiang Boyan again, lowering her voice.

“Doesn’t CEO Jiang know whether I have any problems in that regard?”

Jiang Boyan tilted her head, her hair draped over her shoulders, looking utterly languid. She glanced at Ji Shihuan, reached out, and pressed her fingertips against Ji Shihuan’s shoulder through her thin spring dress, pushing her away.

Ji Shihuan smelled that sweet, illicit freesia scent again, which teased her right at her nose. Jiang Boyan hadn’t used much force, yet she naturally retreated outside the normal social distance.

To ease the awkwardness, Ji Shihuan took a deep sip of the matcha shake.

Both the sweetness and the bitterness had a distinct taste.

Gu Xiyue completed her skin rejuvenation treatment and was heading to the Omega-exclusive beauty room across the hall for a reinforcing procedure. Before leaving, she instructed Ji Shihuan to wait for her outside.

Ji Shihuan nodded, retreating to the lounge chair in the corridor to wait.

She was tall, and, critically, her body proportions were excellent. Her long legs had nowhere to comfortably rest, stretching and bending across the middle of the path while she focused on her phone.

The little assistant came over to deliver the check-up report. She stared at Ji Shihuan in a daze, not watching where she was going, and nearly tripped.

Ji Shihuan quickly helped her steady herself.

As the assistant thanked her, Ji Shihuan caught a glimpse of the words “Blood Test Report” on the cover of the Manila envelope from the corner of her eye, and then watched the assistant enter the office where only Qi Mengying and Jiang Boyan were located.

Ji Shihuan slowly narrowed her eyes.

Inside the office.

Qi Mengying finished reviewing the data. A heavy weight was finally lifted from her mind.

“You’re fine. All indicators are normal.”

This result also matched Jiang Boyan’s expectation. She nodded, about to say goodbye to her friend.

“Wait a moment!” Qi Mengying grabbed her.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke: “I’m not talking nonsense, but your pheromone levels in this test are significantly better than before.”

Due to long-term use of strong suppressants and exposure to synthetic Alpha pheromones, Jiang Boyan’s physical health had always been a major concern for Qi Mengying. Usually, Qi Mengying would sigh over the test results. This was the first time Jiang Boyan had heard good news from her.

She asked: “Why?”

Qi Mengying rubbed her nose: “Why else?”

She glanced meaningfully at the scent gland on the side of Jiang Boyan’s neck, where the suppressor patch she’d snatched from Ji Shihuan was still applied.

“Top-tier natural Alpha pheromones are better than any medicine for you.”

Jiang Boyan: “…”

“Who is that person?” Qi Mengying tried to suggest a win-win solution. “Is it possible to pay her off with money?”

The two had known each other for many years, and Jiang Boyan immediately understood her implication.

Pay the new CEO of Huan Ji Technology to supply me with Alpha pheromones…

Jiang Boyan’s breath hitched. She looked out the window, and the thumb and forefinger of her left hand, which hung by her side, instinctively tried to pinch something, predictably grabbing nothing.

She collected her thoughts and countered: “Didn’t you tell me to stay away from that piece of trash?”

“I was wrong! Don’t be so absolute!” For the sake of her friend, Qi Mengying quickly did a mental prostration.

She tried to use the people present as an example: “Think about Miss Gu and her ex-girlfriend. Although Miss Ji, ahem, has a flaw in that area, at least she has a pleasant face, right?”

“If you use them in the right place, even trash isn’t without redeeming qualities!”

“What?” Jiang Boyan mocked her. “Has her good looks seduced you too?”

Qi Mengying snapped back to attention and quickly shook her head: “No, I wouldn’t dare.”

Jiang Boyan: “Hm?”

Qi Mengying clicked her tongue: “That Miss Ji looks like… she has a girlfriend for every strand of hair.”

Jiang Boyan lowered her head, suddenly feeling a slight numbness in her empty fingertips. Her fingers were connected to her heart, disturbing her heartbeat.

Saying goodbye to Qi Mengying, she gathered her things and left.

Ji Shihuan was still in the corridor.

She was waiting for her. As soon as she saw Jiang Boyan emerge, she went up to her and, without asking, draped her arm over the other woman’s shoulder.

Jiang Boyan frowned, looking at her in confusion: “What are you doing?”

Ji Shihuan deliberately leaned very close.

Her lips were only about two fingers away from Jiang Boyan’s. As she spoke, her breath fanned across Jiang Boyan’s delicate, post-treatment skin.

“Not going to dodge me?”

Jiang Boyan did not back away.

“Miss Ji isn’t avoiding me, so why should I?”

Ji Shihuan gave a slight smile and said with a “Tsk”: “So now you’re not afraid of me passing on some dirty disease to you?”

She hadn’t seen Qi Mengying’s name on the report. Of course, even if she had, a clever person like her could guess the report’s true owner.

Jiang Boyan adjusted her cuff, acting as if she didn’t consider Ji Shihuan important at all. Only her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, utterly captivating Ji Shihuan.

“There were too many injuries. The checkup wasn’t just for that.”

“Is that so?” Ji Shihuan straightened up, tidying her collar, which she had wrinkled herself.

She lied with a straight face: “I don’t recall much.”

Jiang Boyan gave her a side-eye: “Miss Ji has a terrible memory.”

“Words mean nothing,” Ji Shihuan wouldn’t let her win the argument. “How about you call me next time you apply the medicine?”

She curved her lips wickedly: “Since I caused the trouble, I should be the one to take responsibility, shouldn’t I, hm?”

Her voice was inherently clear and pleasant, and that rising “hm” scratched Jiang Boyan’s ear like a feather.

Before Jiang Boyan could react, the office door behind her opened.

“Oh?” Qi Mengying looked at the two of them, first greeting Ji Shihuan, then turning to Jiang Boyan: “Boyan, why haven’t you left yet?”

Jiang Boyan: “I’m leaving now.”

Qi Mengying was in a hurry to go upstairs. As she brushed past Jiang Boyan, she paused, tugging at her friend’s sleeve to emphasize: “Please reconsider what I just said!”

Jiang Boyan stood still, offering no opinion.

Qi Mengying knew that this behavior meant her friend hadn’t taken her health seriously at all.

She stomped her foot in frustration. Mindful that Ji Shihuan was still present, she deliberately used the coded language they had once used.

“Just consider it a few extra dog bites!”

Ji Shihuan hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the short distance meant the words automatically drifted into her ears.

She looked up at Jiang Boyan, inwardly telling herself not to be too sensitive, but then saw the usually expressionless Jiang Boyan curve one side of her lips, revealing a rare smile.

By the time she snapped back to reality, the two of them had already walked away side-by-side.

She covered her chest, took out her phone, and tried to continue reading the report Nie Zheng had sent her, but the reading, which had been going smoothly, was now utterly impossible to proceed with.