A Stand-in Alpha Awakens - Chapter 35

Jiang Lu didn’t get an answer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jiang Wen and the doctor looking toward the door simultaneously. She turned her head just in time to see a woman’s face squeezing through the gap in the door.

Her delicate features were adorned with elegant makeup, and her smile was so friendly it seemed practiced. Looking closely, the curve of her eyes felt slightly familiar.

Have I seen this person before? Jiang Lu wondered. A second later, she heard the doctor greet the newcomer: “Mrs. Chu.”

Mrs. Chu closed the door and stepped inside, her expression apologetic. “I’m so sorry to interrupt. I’ll be gone quickly and won’t take up too much of your time.”

A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Wen’s cold face. She squeezed her daughter’s hand, seemingly just remembering to offer a greeting: “Mrs. Chu, long time no see.”

The woman paused while reaching for something in her clutch bag. She looked up blankly, and upon seeing the Omega woman’s face, the smile on her own face was like a wave at the beach—fading, then returning even deeper.

She let out an “Ah,” withdrew her hand from her bag, and surprise flashed in her eyes. “It’s President Jiang! Oh my, look at my eyesight. I thought you looked familiar at first glance, but your clothes were different, so I didn’t dare think it was you!”

Jiang Wen’s style at home was quite different from her style at the office; it was much softer in her personal life. Hearing the woman’s explanation, she nodded politely but didn’t continue the conversation.

The doctor, possessing high emotional intelligence, saw the awkwardness between the two and cut in at the right moment: “Mrs. Chu, what brings you to see me?”

“Oh dear, if you hadn’t asked, I almost would have forgotten. It’s a small matter. You two finish your important business first, I’ll come back later. I won’t disturb you.” The woman nodded to Jiang Wen again and waved at Jiang Lu. “What a beautiful young girl. Next time, when you have time, come to our house with your mother to play. I have two children about your age; you’ll definitely be good friends.”

“When there’s a chance, definitely,” Jiang Wen replied with a wave.

Hearing her mother’s answer, Jiang Lu smiled politely and waved along with her.

With a click, the clinic door closed again. The head physician remembered something and nodded understandingly without mentioning it further. He continued explaining to the mother and daughter the risks of excessive artificial intervention during the first rut.

Listening to the doctor’s extremely detailed explanation, Jiang Lu suddenly understood why Jiang Wen had been so nervous on the way here; she had clearly done a great deal of research beforehand.

The doctor paused for a moment and gave a solemn recommendation: “From my perspective as a doctor, I still advise you not to do this. A week or even two is nothing to worry about. Child, why don’t you discuss it further with your mother?”

“Alright, doctor, we’ll consider it further.” Jiang Wen blinked uneasily and led Jiang Lu out.

The clinic door slid open, and Mrs. Chu, who had just left, was still waiting outside. Jiang Wen nodded to her, and after passing by, she walked a few steps forward with Jiang Lu.

“Lulu, the probabilities the doctor mentioned are very low. You can choose not to care, but as your mother, I can’t help but worry. However, if you insist, I won’t stop you.”

“But there is one thing you must realize. None of the methods the doctor mentioned can use anesthesia because they act directly on your glands. Usually, if you accidentally graze that spot, you feel intense pain. Imagine a needle actually piercing in for an injection—feel free to use your imagination.”

Jiang Lu: “…” I was already imagining it.

Jiang Wen reminded her: “Gland injuries heal very slowly. This means you’ll be in pain for at least half a month afterward. Once the rut actually arrives, you won’t be able to use suppressants either; you’ll only have oral medication to help resist. Those five days you’re trying to delay or shorten will inevitably be more uncomfortable than you can imagine.”

“Are you still sure?”

Jiang Lu looked into Jiang Wen’s worried eyes, then shifted her gaze down toward the pedestrians walking hurriedly below the glass railing. Descriptions from the novel about her first rut inevitably surfaced in her mind again:

She was spread out like a blood-soaked rag on a bed full of restraints. The scent gland at the back of her neck was abnormally cold, while across from the bed sat the satisfied Omega.

In that moment, based purely on the scene, one of the two stunning faces was as clean as a pure angel, while the other was as eerie as an evil ghost from hell.

If there were a choice, Jiang Lu would rather have truly become a vengeful spirit, but there were no “ifs.”

And truth be told, she could no longer feel much pain; she only felt the spot behind her neck throbbing like her heart… her body felt as if it had been thrown into a furnace full of fire, burning her, torturing her.

Yet despite this, compared to the pain that devil-like person gave her, this bit of physical suffering was nothing—merely a drop in the ocean.

A drop in the ocean… really?

Jiang Lu gripped the railing at her chest, suddenly feeling the air turn much thinner. She didn’t know how painful “very painful” was, but she was certain her endurance was stronger than she imagined. If she hadn’t died from that kind of torture, how scary could a few injections be?

She leaned over, resting her forehead on the back of her hand, and asked the Omega mother beside her with closed eyes: “Injections directly into the gland are very painful, right?”

Jiang Wen was startled: “Lulu?”

Jiang Lu straightened her back. “I’ll have to face it sooner or later anyway. It’s not a bad thing to adapt early. Mom, I’m not afraid.”

Looking at her daughter’s profile, Jiang Wen’s racing heartbeat steadied. “Fine. Mom respects your choice.”

When she heard the previous question, she thought her daughter had found out about her monthly routine of using medication to soothe her longing for Cheng Yu. Hearing this now, she felt relieved and deeply gratified at the same time. This child, Jiang Lu, surprised her every so often. If Cheng Yu could see her, she would surely be proud.

“Let’s go back to the doctor.” Jiang Lu turned to meet Jiang Wen’s smiling gaze, and the feeling of suffocation silently vanished.

She cherished her current life. She loved studying; she loved sitting in a classroom with her peers, submerged in a sea of problems. She didn’t want to miss a single day. She could face that bit of pain. She was different from that piece of trash, Su Mengrui.

Walking back to the clinic, Mrs. Chu was just coming out in a good mood. Both parties nodded as they passed. Jiang Lu went in and gave the doctor her affirmative answer.

Jiang Wen watched Mrs. Chu leave while clutching her bag, immediately sent a message to her assistant, and then smiled and nodded at the doctor.

The doctor, respecting the choice of the patient and family, turned sideways to type out the prescription. A printer nearby silently spat out the form. Jiang Wen patted Jiang Lu’s hand, signaling her to wait there and not wander off, before heading downstairs quickly to the pharmacy window.

The private hospital wasn’t crowded, so Jiang Lu wasn’t worried about her mother waiting in line. She stayed with the doctor for a few minutes. Perhaps because the rut was approaching, her heart felt restless; she couldn’t sit still.

The doctor sensed her unease and shook his head with a kind smile. “If you’re nervous, go for a walk in the corridor. There are many plants on the south side. You can go look at them—try to let yourself relax. Otherwise, there might be resistance during the injection later.”

An Alpha’s scent gland is thicker than an Omega’s epidermal membrane, and the injection needles used are relatively thicker; normally, there shouldn’t be any issues. However, just in case an Alpha’s extreme resistance makes it difficult for the needle to penetrate, it was necessary for the child to learn to relax and adjust her mood.

Jiang Lu felt a bit unsteady, though not because of the upcoming needle. Hearing the doctor’s recommendation, she thought for a moment, thanked him politely, and walked down the corridor.

The decoration of this hospital used relatively warm colors; if one wasn’t paying attention, it was easy to forget where they were. Jiang Lu turned a corner and soon saw the plants the doctor mentioned. She found a pot of jasmine blooming beautifully at the edge and walked over in surprise to smell it.

The fragrance of the jasmine entered her nose, and the restlessness in her chest miraculously began to diminish. Surprised, she took two more breaths. Her brow smoothed, and a smile touched her lips.

It smelled wonderful—not as heavy as gardenia, yet irresistible, with a faint sweetness in its freshness. When she passed the flower market on her way back, she would have to buy a few pots to keep at home.

Jiang Lu thought happily, pulling out her phone to take a photo. As she accidentally touched the shutter button, a new message popped up at the top.

Bai Yue: I’m back!

Before she could tap it, another one arrived.

Bai Yue: You must be having monthly exams, right? Going home this afternoon?

A smile soaked into her eyes. Jiang Lu looked at the photo she had accidentally taken—which turned out quite well—and sent it to the chat.

Bai Yue replied instantly: Wow! It’s blooming so well.

Followed by a dazed cat emoji.

Bai Yue: Looking at the background, you don’t look like you’re at school. Already home for the holiday?

Jiang Lu scrolled through her favorites, found a nodding emoji, and sent it.

Text explanation: Yes, I left school at noon.

The “typing…” prompt at the top disappeared. Jiang Lu waited for a moment, and seeing no further movement on her phone, she thought Jiang Wen might be back. She grabbed the railing in front of the glass to stand up, preparing to go check.

As she tucked her phone away, her peripheral vision swept over the parking lot below. It was unintentional, but some people are just eye-catching—once you see them, it’s impossible to ignore them.

In the sunlight, Su Mengrui walked quickly out of the hospital parking lot. Standing on the platform to the left of the clinic entrance, she looked up at the hospital building.

The smile on Jiang Lu’s face dropped. She glared coldly through the glass at that upturned face. They were too far apart for her to see the girl’s features clearly with the naked eye. But the moment she felt Su Mengrui seemed to be smiling, her stomach suddenly surged. A strong sense of nausea hit her full in the face, making her cover her mouth and turn to run toward the restroom on the other side of the corridor.

She hadn’t eaten much at lunch, so even though she felt like vomiting, nothing came up. Jiang Lu splashed her face with water, looked up to see Jiang Wen’s reflection in the mirror, and forced a smile. “Mom, do you have any tissues in your bag?”

Before she finished, Jiang Wen pulled out a tissue and approached. “I heard you dry-heaving. Is your stomach upset? Or are you too nervous?”

“No, it’s not that.” Jiang Lu covered her face with the tissue, her voice muffled. “I just accidentally saw a disgusting piece of garbage, and it triggered me.”

Jiang Wen looked toward the inner stalls in shock. Jiang Lu hurriedly wiped the water droplets and pulled her toward the exit. “You can’t go in there—it’s for Alphas only. Even you can’t go in, Mom.”

“You child.”

“Yep, I follow the rules!” Jiang Lu looked into her mother’s bag. “Did you get the medicine? How long do we have to observe after the injection?”

Jiang Wen: “At least half an hour. The doctor said they’re afraid of an adverse reaction.”

“Half an hour… that’s too long.” Jiang Lu pouted. “Mom, didn’t you ask if we could take it home and have our family doctor do it?”

Jiang Wen tapped her daughter’s head. “What are you talking about? This isn’t something you can bargain with. Obey the doctor’s orders, or we won’t do it at all.”

“I was just asking; I wasn’t making a demand.” Jiang Lu looked up. As she passed the railing, her gaze couldn’t help but sweep down toward the ground floor. After the injection, she would be weakened by the medication. Half an hour… looking at Su Mengrui just now, she seemed to have come alone.