A Stand-in Alpha Awakens - Chapter 34

Examinations for scent glands require advanced booking. Because Jiang Lu spoke up so late, the earliest available appointment at the public hospital nearest to the Jiang residence was tomorrow afternoon. To get results as quickly as possible, Jiang Wen took Jiang Lu to the best private hospital in Liancheng.

At Jiang Lu’s age, any abnormality in the scent glands must be taken seriously, let alone what was very likely her first rut.

An Alpha’s rut is as significant as an Omega’s heat. If not handled properly, it can cause severe physical harm, including serious cases of shock. As an Omega, Jiang Wen was naturally anxious. She sat in the back seat of the car with her hands clenched, her heart full of trepidation.

Seeing her mother’s solemn expression, Jiang Lu feared she might have misspoken and scared her. She smiled comfortingly. “Mom, relax. It’s nothing. My teachers explained it back in middle school—as long as it’s caught early, it’s just a matter of getting an injection and sleeping for a few days.”

Jiang Wen obviously knew the basic biological facts. If Cheng Yu were still here, she wouldn’t be worried. The problem was that Cheng Yu was gone; the household consisted only of the two of them and two Beta helpers. If Jiang Lu’s pheromones lost control and exploded… she didn’t dare think about it.

“I’m fine, I’m very relaxed,” Jiang Wen said, reaching out to take Jiang Lu’s hand. Her damp palm pressed against her daughter’s dry hand, and her forced smile crumbled.

Jiang Lu squeezed back. “Your hands are sweating, and you’re still acting tough? Who was it that called me a ‘stubborn dead duck’ last time? I wonder who I took after.”

Jiang Wen tried to explain, but meeting her daughter’s eyes, she suddenly burst into laughter. Then, mother and daughter laughed together. The tense atmosphere finally eased, and even Auntie Liu, who was driving, relaxed.

Auntie Liu drove with more skill when relaxed than when tense. They arrived at the hospital just as the clinics were opening for the afternoon. Jiang Wen’s assistant, who had arrived earlier to handle the registration, was waiting for them.

After meeting her boss, the assistant took the pre-arranged forms and led Jiang Lu straight to the corresponding floor for examinations. Jiang Lu hadn’t wanted Jiang Wen to run around with her, but as a worried mother, she insisted on coming along.

After finishing several routine tests, during a gap in waiting for reports, Jiang Lu felt as though a pair of eyes was staring at her. She turned around to look, but found nothing.

“Strange.” She walked a few steps down the hallway in confusion, only to be stopped by a bewildered Jiang Wen. “What is it? Your next few tests are right ahead.”

“Nothing.” Jiang Lu looked at the signs on the wall but couldn’t help looking back one more time.

Jiang Wen looked back curiously as well. “Why do you keep looking over there if it’s nothing?”

Jiang Lu wanted to say she felt a pair of eyes floating behind her, but fearing it would scare her mother, she shook her head with a smile. “No reason, just looking around.”

People visiting the hospital for scent gland issues usually had conditions similar to Jiang Lu’s or had abnormal pheromone secretion. Since walking into the building, Jiang Wen had smelled a variety of scents. Even though the smell of disinfectant was pungent enough to make one choke, it couldn’t completely mask the sharp scents of those with high or low compatibility.

Jiang Wen remained skeptical, assuming Jiang Lu had sensed a pheromone that caught her interest, so she didn’t dwell on it. She looked back twice more, confirming the hallway behind them was empty except for the occasional busy medical staff, and then hurried Jiang Lu toward their next destination.

Routine test results came out quickly—ten minutes was enough—but the remaining ones took longer, over half an hour each. Jiang Lu didn’t dare delay; she obediently gathered her long hair at the back of her neck into a messy bun and walked into the open clinic door.

Jiang Wen sat on a bench outside to rest. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her assistant checking the test results they had received. She glanced at the data column on the last row. “Is there a problem?”

The assistant handed over the form. “Everything is normal.”

Jiang Wen took the sheet, scanning it rapidly. Her eyes turned cold as she looked back toward the direction they had come from. “Did you see anyone while you were waiting here?”

The assistant looked where her boss was staring and frowned slightly. “No, President Jiang.”

“Mhm. Don’t be nervous, I was just asking.” The coldness in Jiang Wen’s eyes melted away, and her gaze was gentle as the electronic door slid open again.

Inside the hospital’s fire exit on the first floor, Song Wushuang took a deep breath. Holding her cracked phone, she pushed open the heavy door, stepped over the threshold into the light, and headed toward the fenced side gate.

Her face, hidden behind a mask, was bruised; three bloody scratches on her left cheek stretched from below her eye to the corner of her purple-blue mouth. The sun was scorching, and the thick mask was stifling. She parted her lips slightly to adjust her breathing. Seeing she couldn’t climb over the side gate, she looked around. After confirming that Meng Wei hadn’t abandoned her to go home alone, she detoured along the wall toward the main west gate.

Fate was on her side; she had actually run into Jiang Lu while coming to get her wounds treated. She accepted that her abilities were limited, and she accepted that she had chosen the wrong path. Ending up like this was her own bad luck.

But why should she be the only one who was unlucky? Since she couldn’t return to the past regardless, they might as well go to hell together. That way, they could share both the sweet and the bitter.

—Su Mengrui, you’d better not disappoint me!

Song Wushuang thought, her mouth pulling into a curve that made her want to cry from the pain. She hurried through the gate toward the car she had seen earlier.

“I know, I know. I’ll be careful when I see her later. That girl Mengmeng looks just like her mother did when she was little—soft-hearted and easy to coax. I’ve got this!” Meng Wei was sitting in the car recording a voice message. Seeing Song Wushuang appear in the rearview mirror, she set her phone down and waited for her to get in.

Song Wushuang didn’t dare sit in the back. With her nerves taut, she opened the passenger door. Seeing Meng Wei’s bag and phone tossed on the seat, she stood there for three seconds before closing it. She circled the front of the car and opened the door behind the driver’s seat. She peeked at Meng Wei; seeing she didn’t look angry, she held her breath and sat inside.

Meng Wei saw her caution in the mirror and curled her pink-painted lips with satisfaction. “Yes, exactly. Maintain that state. That auntie’s family are all soft-hearted. They gave us the cold shoulder last time, so their anger is likely mostly gone. Seeing us like this now, their attitude will definitely soften.”

Song Wushuang didn’t want to speak. Noticing Meng Wei was still staring at her through the mirror, she nodded stiffly. Truthfully, she could never understand where Meng Wei’s confidence came from. It wasn’t the auntie she had offended—even if Wushuang were beaten to death, what would it matter to them?

Clearly, Meng Wei didn’t think that way. Fine, let her be. After all, her life was a wreck; being beaten to death might actually be a relief.

Her only wish: May this numbness last a bit longer, so the pain doesn’t hit too early and the hatred doesn’t grow even thicker.

The car started amidst Meng Wei’s mysterious self-confidence and optimism, driving toward a neighborhood fifteen kilometers away. In Song Wushuang’s palm, the phone kept lighting up silently. Watching the constant stream of questions and incoming voice and video call invitations, she pressed the side button to force a shutdown.

Su Mengrui, unable to get a response, listened to the assembly whistle. She stared irritably at the “dead” new contact, her heart thumping uncontrollably.

No, I can’t just wait—such a good opportunity, who knows when the next one will be! I have to go.

Decision made, Su Mengrui turned to find her newly made “Class Monitor,” whispered a few words in their ear, and ran off while clutching her stomach with a pained expression. The drive from B-University was very fast—about fifty minutes without traffic. I hope I make it in time.

At 3:15 PM, Jiang Lu finished all her examinations. Not wanting to sit and wait, she went to the shopping mall across from the hospital with Jiang Wen.

“The mall smells better than the hospital.” Jiang Lu rubbed her nose and pulled on Jiang Wen’s arm as they walked inside.

Jiang Wen glanced at Jiang Lu’s clothes and smiled toward a nearby brand store. “Mhm. Spraying perfume three times a day is definitely better than disinfectant.”

“That often?” Jiang Lu was shocked.

“Maybe even more than three times.” Jiang Wen nodded. “It’s been a while since you bought clothes. Pick a few to take back to school. You need to switch to long-sleeved pajamas and pants too.”

Jiang Lu instinctively wanted to say there was no need, but remembered that last year’s clothes were getting a bit small. She took a deep breath and followed her in. Jiang Wen used to love shopping and picking things out meticulously, but since returning to the workforce to take the position Cheng Yu left her, her efficiency had skyrocketed. What could be done in two minutes would never take three.

Inside the store, Jiang Wen didn’t need a guide. She had Jiang Lu pick out a few styles and materials she disliked, then ordered all of the remaining dozen sets. While the manager was swiping the card, Jiang Lu cooperatively gave her address.

The store manager smiled brilliantly. “Certainly. Would you like a specific delivery time?”

“As early as possible, if convenient,” Jiang Wen smiled.

After buying Jiang Lu’s things, they picked out a few new autumn professional outfits for Jiang Wen. Since they had time, they stopped by a shoe store on the second floor. Finally, when they returned to the hospital, the thirty-minute timer on their phones ended, and all the test results were ready.

After reviewing them, the chief physician gave the expected affirmative answer. Jiang Lu was indeed about to welcome her first rut.

Normally, it is best for the first rut to happen naturally. The headache-inducing part was that an Alpha’s rut, unlike an Omega’s two-to-three-day heat, cannot be artificially shortened or suppressed; it lasts at least five days.

Five days was nothing during summer or winter break, but for the sophomores and seniors at No. 1 High, it was a major headache. The school wouldn’t have an issue, and it was easy for the parents to handle; the difficulty lay with the student’s own mindset.

Hearing the doctor’s suggestion, Jiang Lu hesitated. “Doctor, based on the data in the report, can you predict the exact date?”

“I can’t do that,” the doctor shook his head.

Jiang Wen understood her daughter’s concerns. She patted her back and urged, “It’s just five days. Mom believes in your ability—you won’t fall behind. Even if you do, you can catch up.”

Jiang Lu looked down, conflicted. The novel had specified the time of her first rut, but it wasn’t a good reference because she had been drugged by Su Mengrui—first stimulated to delay it, and then forcibly induced…

Now, if possible, she preferred for it to happen during a break to avoid missing school. After thinking it over, she looked up at Jiang Wen. “Mom, can we find a way to delay it? There’s a long holiday starting in another week. I want to avoid taking leave if possible.”

Jiang Wen looked at her daughter’s serious expression and was momentarily stunned. “Can’t you take the chance to rest? Won’t you be too tired like this?”

The doctor, who had seen many young people looking for any excuse to skip school, was shocked by her high standards. He adjusted his glasses. After listening to their conversation a bit longer and seeing the girl’s persistence, he cleared his throat. “There is a way, but it might be quite uncomfortable. Are you really sure you want to do this?”

“How uncomfortable?” Jiang Lu looked back at him.

The doctor said, “Pain. It will be very painful, more than your…”

Before the doctor could finish his description, the closed clinic door was knocked on, and a familiar Omega’s figure appeared in the window on the door.