51

Rumors about Leng Yanmi's unhappy private life started circulating among the upper management of Leng Corporation.

It wasn't entirely their fault for being curious—Leng Yanmi's vague and suggestive messages in the group chat the night before had stirred everyone's imagination. Given that she was previously regarded as an emotionless work machine, the sudden emergence of gossip about her personal life was too juicy for the company to ignore.

The speculation reached a fever pitch when Leng Yanmi arrived at the company the next day carrying a brown paper envelope. Her secretary, who stayed by her side, couldn't help but notice the words [XX Pheromone Research Institute] printed on the envelope, further fueling the rumor mill.

When Zhang Zhuo entered the breakroom, he immediately overheard two colleagues deep in conversation.

Executive A: "Didn't you and your wife take some medication to improve your compatibility? Didn't it work for you?"

Executive B: "It didn't really help. But in the boss's case, it's an actual medical condition. No amount of medication can fix it."

Executive A: "Tsk, is there really no solution?"

Zhang Zhuo walked over. "What are you guys talking about?"

The two executives straightened up immediately upon seeing him. "Zhang-ge!"

They thought he was about to scold them, but to their surprise, Zhang Zhuo instead turned to one of them and asked, "Your work involves the medical industry, doesn't it? Keep an eye out for any new research or breakthroughs. You never know, it might help."

Executive B widened his eyes in surprise, but quickly responded, "Understood, Zhang-ge!"

Zhang Zhuo patted them on the shoulder. "At the end of the day, if the boss is doing well, it'll be easier on all of us."

Executive A laughed. "I feel the same way."

She lowered her voice. "I actually think the boss's girlfriend is a good influence on her. She's working less overtime now and even takes weekends off! Last week, I went on a date with my partner, and she mentioned we hadn't gone out together for months before that."

Executive B chimed in enthusiastically. Grabbing Zhang Zhuo's arm, he pleaded, "Zhang-ge, you've met the boss's girlfriend, right? You have to help smooth things over! Apart from, well, that, the boss is perfect—a textbook example of a successful person!

"So what if their compatibility is low? It's not a big deal, as long as they don't break up!"

Zhang Zhuo rubbed his temples with a wry smile. "It's easy for you to say. How am I supposed to intervene?"

Just then, another colleague entered the breakroom, and the three of them wisely dropped the subject, each heading back to their respective duties.

Zhang Zhuo returned to his desk and worked for a while before grabbing the project proposal and heading to the meeting room.

This was a crucial mid-year meeting for Leng Corporation, and Leng Yanmi was in attendance. She remained stone-faced throughout the session, the air around her so icy it seemed to drop the temperature in the room.

One by one, the managers delivered their reports, each bracing themselves for her scrutiny. Every time they finished presenting a detail, they'd glance nervously at her expression, then frantically replay their statements in their minds to see if they'd made any mistakes.

By the end of the hour-long meeting, most of them were drenched in cold sweat.

Afterward, Zhang Zhuo followed Leng Yanmi back to her office with the project proposal. The two of them spent some time finalizing the remaining details.

Once Leng Yanmi was satisfied, she nodded and signed the document. "There are no other issues. Keep following up on this."

"Understood," Zhang Zhuo replied.

Having barely slept the night before, combined with the intense workload of the morning, Leng Yanmi leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly exhausted.

Noticing this, Zhang Zhuo suggested, "Boss, it's about lunchtime. How about we grab something to eat together?"

"No need," Leng Yanmi waved him off. "You go ahead."

Her gaze fell on the envelope sitting on her desk.

Zhang Zhuo hesitated but then decided to speak up. "You know, a low compatibility score isn't the end of the world." He thought back to the tense atmosphere during the meeting and, not wanting to endure that for several more days, mustered his courage to continue. "It's clear that Miss Shi Yue cares deeply for you. How could she possibly let something so trivial come between you two?"

"It's not about that," Leng Yanmi replied, her tone frustrated.

Zhang Zhuo blinked, unsure how to respond. He chose not to press further and quickly excused himself from the office.

After he left, Leng Yanmi sighed heavily.

She picked up the envelope, her fingers brushing against the sealed edge. She seemed ready to tear it open, but when the moment came, her hand froze, as if all her strength had drained away.

This was the pattern she had been repeating ever since receiving the envelope.

By now, even Leng Yanmi had to admit to herself—she was scared.

Her whole life, she had been the golden child, praised for her achievements. This was the first time she had ever felt defeated and helpless. She had known about her condition since shortly after she differentiated into an Alpha, but it hadn't bothered her at the time. If anything, she had seen it as a convenient excuse to avoid marriage and children, allowing her to focus solely on her career.

But now, with the research report in her hands, the thought of confirming that she might be a burden to Shi Yue was unbearable.

She couldn't help but wonder, What if the situation isn't as bad as I think? What if, even if our compatibility score is shockingly low, Shi Yue and I can still stay together? Nothing could ever tear us apart.

"Then what's the point of this report?" she muttered to herself.

She suddenly laughed, realizing how ridiculous her two days of agonizing had been. "Exactly. No matter what the report says, it's meaningless to us.

"Knowing or not knowing—it doesn't matter."

She clenched her jaw, staring at the envelope as if preparing to rip it open and finally read the contents. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

With a resigned sigh, she set the envelope down and picked up her phone, sending a message to Shi Yue.

[What are you doing? Have you eaten yet?]

* * * *

Half an hour earlier.

Shi Yue was arm-in-arm with Zhou Leya, strolling through the mall.

Both of them were designers, so they had endless topics to talk about. They chatted happily all morning, discussing design concepts as they browsed through clothes. The only downside to their shopping trip was missing out on a few items they both wanted.

"Is the autumn collection not in stock yet?" Zhou Leya asked incredulously. "It's already September—any later, and it'll be winter!"

The sales assistant gave an awkward smile. "The pieces you're asking about are exclusive to Europe. We haven't received any updates on when they'll arrive here. If you'd like, you can leave your contact information, and we'll notify you as soon as they're available."

Shi Yue pulled up a photo on her phone. "What about these two pairs of shoes?"

"They're limited editions," the assistant explained. "Our city only received two pairs, and they were sold out recently."

Shi Yue and Zhou Leya exchanged glances and shrugged. "Forget it," they said in unison.

As lunchtime approached, the two of them found a restaurant to eat at. Just as they sat down, Shi Yue's phone buzzed with a message from Leng Yanmi.

Glancing at the screen, she saw the message but turned it off without replying.

Zhou Leya raised an eyebrow. "Is someone checking up on you?"

She knew Shi Yue was in a relationship but didn't know who her partner was.

"Just ignore it," Shi Yue said nonchalantly.

Zhou Leya pouted, looking slightly envious. She picked up her own phone, opened a messaging app, and sighed. "I'm so jealous of you."

"Huh?" Shi Yue arched an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," Zhou Leya said, grinning.

Shi Yue teased, "What, does your Ms. Wu not check in on you?"

Zhou Leya thought back to Wu Xuan's indifferent demeanor that morning and wrinkled her nose. "She probably wishes I'd stop bothering her."

"Hmm." Shi Yue's eyes gleamed mischievously. "What's your current status, anyway? Have you officially gotten back together, or…?"

Zhou Leya gave it some serious thought before replying, "It's more of a… physical relationship."

Shi Yue choked on her water, coughing in surprise.

"You're just stringing her along like that?" she asked incredulously.

"Who's stringing who along?" Zhou Leya retorted indignantly.

Shi Yue's eyes widened. "So you're just letting her play you?"

Zhou Leya gritted her teeth. "It's not like that! I just haven't won the championship yet, and now the finals are delayed. Once I win, I'll march into her house, stand on the table, and demand that she propose to me."

Shi Yue burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling with delight.

Meanwhile, Leng Yanmi was growing restless from the lack of a reply. She sent a flurry of follow-up messages, causing Shi Yue's phone to vibrate nonstop on the table.

Finally, Shi Yue opened the messages, glanced at them, and coolly typed out a two-word response:

[Eating now.]

Zhou Leya smirked, knocking on the table. "Looks like you're not so different. You and your partner seem to be having some conflict too, huh?"

"Sure are," Shi Yue admitted without hesitation, lifting her chin with pride.

"But I've got you beat. At least I'm the one who's mad at her, not the other way around."

Zhou Leya stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth. "Adults shouldn't fight over trivial stuff."

Shi Yue thought back to the past few days and puffed up her cheeks angrily. "She tricked me, and yesterday I almost couldn't get out of bed."

Zhou Leya rolled her eyes and plugged her ears.

"You don't need to share your couple's… fun times with me, thanks."

Shi Yue raised a hand as if to swat her, but Zhou Leya dodged with a laugh.

Suddenly, Shi Yue thought of something and asked, "Leya, is your pheromone compatibility with Wu Xuan high?"

"Very high." Zhou Leya puffed out her chest proudly. "If it weren't, how could we have had Little Ya in one try?"

Thinking of Wu Miaoya's adorable face, Shi Yue's mood darkened slightly. "So… low compatibility not only increases the chance of breaking up but also reduces the likelihood of having children, right?"

Zhou Leya noticed her shift in mood and asked, "What's wrong? Is your compatibility with your partner low? Do you know the exact number?"

Pheromone compatibility was an important metric, influencing everything from daily interactions to the nuances of cohabitation.

Shi Yue nodded. "I don't know the exact number, but I'm pretty sure it's low."

"What do you mean you don't know the exact number?" Zhou Leya rested her chin in her hand, puzzled. "Doctors need the precise percentage to diagnose and prescribe treatments. How could you not know?"

Shi Yue pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

"And if you don't know the number, how do you even know it's low?" Zhou Leya asked, taking another bite of her food. "Wait, is it because you need a lot of suppressant medication after being marked?"

"No." Shi Yue shook her head. "I've never taken any."

Zhou Leya: "…"

Shi Yue: "…"

They stared at each other in silence until Zhou Leya finally broke it, scratching her head in disbelief. "Did you fail your Omega biology class in high school? How did you even graduate?"

Shi Yue had no defense.

Zhou Leya continued, "If you don't need suppressants and haven't felt unwell, then your compatibility has to be at least 50%. That's the average. It's not low."

"Really?" Shi Yue frowned, confused.

"Instead of overthinking, why not get it checked out properly?" Zhou Leya suggested.

Shi Yue grumbled, holding a spoon in her mouth. "I already did. But that idiot won't let me see the results."

Zhou Leya shot her a look before focusing on her food again.

After lunch, they picked up Wu Miaoya from kindergarten and spent the afternoon playing with her. When they brought her home after dinner, they ran into Wu Xuan outside the villa.

"Mommy!" The little girl joyfully threw herself into Wu Xuan's arms.

Wu Xuan picked her up and walked over to thank the two of them.

Her attention lingered on Zhou Leya, and she pointed to a small red mark on her collarbone. "What happened here?"

The mark wasn't very noticeable—Shi Yue, who had been with Zhou Leya all day, hadn't even seen it. But Wu Xuan's sharp eyes caught it immediately.

Zhou Leya looked confused. "I don't know. Maybe a mosquito bite?"

Wu Xuan withdrew her gaze.

As the three of them prepared to part ways, Wu Xuan suddenly said, "Why don't you come inside and put some ointment on it before you go?"

Shi Yue inwardly rolled her eyes. It's just a tiny mark—why does she need ointment for that? Outwardly, however, she quickly pushed Zhou Leya toward Wu Xuan with a grin.

"Sure, go ahead! Leya's pretty clueless about these things. She's always hurting herself without realizing it."

Zhou Leya stumbled into Wu Xuan's arms, finally catching on and shooting Shi Yue a grateful look.

Shi Yue waved goodbye with a smile, then turned and left.

She had somewhere important to be.

* * * *

The taxi stopped at the east gate of the neighborhood. Shi Yue paid the fare and got out, gazing up at the starry sky.

Autumn was nearing its end, and the night air carried a hint of chill, making the hem of her skirt flutter like flower petals. Pushing her bangs aside, she suddenly noticed a familiar figure standing under a streetlamp.

Sensing her gaze, Leng Yanmi turned to look at her, then started walking toward her.

Shi Yue stood still, watching her approach through the night breeze until she stopped in front of her.

Even though she already knew why she was there, Shi Yue couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing here?"

Leng Yanmi bent down to take her hand. Feeling its cool temperature, she tucked it into her coat pocket.

Inside the spacious pocket, their fingers intertwined, warmth spreading between them until Shi Yue's heart felt lighter.

After making sure her hand was warm, Leng Yanmi looked down at her. "I came to pick you up."

Shi Yue's lips twitched, fighting the urge to smile.

Not wanting to be so easily read, she hopped forward lightly, shaking off her amusement.

"I'm not a kid. Why do I need you to pick me up?" she said, turning back to pull Leng Yanmi along. "Come on, let's go home."

Leng Yanmi smiled indulgently and caught up to walk beside her.

The upscale neighborhood was expansive, with long stretches between buildings. The walk from the east gate to their apartment usually took about five minutes—a distance that often felt tedious, but tonight, it felt warm and comforting.

When Shi Yue glanced up at their window, she realized they were already more than halfway home.

She found herself reluctant for the walk to end and turned her head to look at Leng Yanmi.

Under the streetlights, Leng Yanmi seemed to radiate a warm, golden glow. Their joined hands carried that glow up Shi Yue's arm, across her shoulder, and even down to her ankles.

Noticing her gaze, Leng Yanmi asked, "What are you looking at?"

"You're glowing," Shi Yue said.

After a moment's thought, she added, "Do I have a similar glow in your eyes? Like my whole body is shining?"

Leng Yanmi laughed softly at the question.

Shi Yue huffed in frustration, thinking she was being teased. "Don't laugh!" she ordered. Then, clearing her throat, she repeated firmly, "I said, don't laugh at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you," Leng Yanmi reassured her.

Shi Yue raised an eyebrow, silently asking, Then what were you laughing at?

"I was just surprised you'd ask me that kind of question," Leng Yanmi said, reaching out to smooth down a stray strand of Shi Yue's hair.

Lowering her head slightly, she looked into Shi Yue's eyes and nodded.

"You're beautiful," she said simply.

Shi Yue was sure her face was turning red.

Flustered, she looked down at the tiled path beneath their feet and muttered, "I was asking about the glow… Who said anything about being beautiful?"

Leng Yanmi didn't take her eyes off her, a tender smile playing on her lips as she watched Shi Yue walk.

"It has nothing to do with glowing—you're just beautiful."

Shi Yue wanted to escape but forgot they were still holding hands. As soon as she tried to run, Leng Yanmi pulled her back into her arms.

It was around 7 or 8 PM, and the area wasn't completely quiet. Other residents were nearby, going about their activities.

Shi Yue's ears burned as she buried her face in Leng Yanmi's chest, whispering, "Let go."

"Don't rush," Leng Yanmi said, brushing her fingers against Shi Yue's ear before chuckling softly. "You'll trip if you're not careful."

"I know," Shi Yue replied, puffing out her cheeks.

They fell silent after that, walking slowly along the stone path. The noise of the world swirled around them, but their little bubble remained serene, undisturbed by the commotion.

When they finally reached home, Shi Yue went to take a bath, soaking for half an hour to wash away the fatigue of a long day of shopping.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, towel in hand, she was drying her hair when Leng Yanmi knocked twice on the door before entering. Without waiting for a response, she walked straight over to Shi Yue.

Shi Yue looked up at her. Though her anger had mostly dissipated, she still put on a stern face and said, "I haven't agreed to let you back in here yet."

Leng Yanmi froze mid-step, unsure whether to continue. "Still not allowed?"

Shi Yue propped her leg up on the bed. "My legs are still sore."

This was mostly an excuse—her legs were sore, but it was from walking around in heels all day, not because of anything else.

Leng Yanmi's gaze lingered on her fair, slender legs for a moment before she reached out, intending to massage them, but Shi Yue quickly moved out of the way.

Hiding under the covers, she stared at Leng Yanmi warily. "What are you doing?"

"Just trying to help you relax," Leng Yanmi said, scratching her nose awkwardly.

She regretted being so indulgent two nights ago. If she hadn't gone overboard, she wouldn't be in this position now. But when she thought of Shi Yue's obedient cooperation during her string of 'what ifs', any guilt she might have felt instantly disappeared—

If given another chance, she'd do it all over again.

Shi Yue shook her head, coughing lightly to maintain her composure. "I haven't decided yet. Maybe you should sleep outside for another night."

Leng Yanmi sat cautiously on the edge of the bed, earning herself a kick through the covers.

Thick-skinned, she didn't move. Instead, she suddenly said, "I bought you a gift."

"Oh?" Shi Yue's attention was piqued. "You know how to buy gifts? What did you get me?"

"A magazine," Leng Yanmi replied. "It's not here yet. The first batch should arrive tomorrow."

A magazine?

As a designer, Shi Yue did have a habit of buying fashion magazines.

She completely misunderstood Leng Yanmi's intention as a wealthy woman, assuming she had simply subscribed to a few new issues for her.

Although it wasn't a particularly extravagant gift, it was thoughtful. Shi Yue's expression softened as she said, "Thank you."

"You'll be getting them regularly from now on," Leng Yanmi added.

Her expression held a hint of anticipation, like a child hoping for praise from an adult.

Shi Yue couldn't resist reaching out to pat her head, teasing, "Good girl."

Taking advantage of the moment, Leng Yanmi pushed her luck. "So… does that mean I can…?"

Shi Yue knew what she was about to say and pressed a finger to her lips.

"You want to sleep in the bedroom again?"

Leng Yanmi nodded silently, her lips brushing against Shi Yue's finger.

Shi Yue held out her other hand, getting straight to the point. "I want to see the test results."

Leng Yanmi froze.

Blinking, she grabbed Shi Yue's left hand. "I've thought it through."

"Hm? Thought what through?"

"The test results don't matter to us at all," Leng Yanmi said earnestly.

She placed Shi Yue's palm over her heart. "Just like you said—no matter what the number is, it won't change how we feel about each other."

Hearing those words from Leng Yanmi made Shi Yue overjoyed.

She threw the covers off and hugged her tightly. "You've finally come to your senses! That's exactly how it should be!"

Leng Yanmi slid her fingers through Shi Yue's hair, holding her close as she let out a long breath.

After a moment, Shi Yue pulled away and asked, "So where's the report?"

"In the study," Leng Yanmi admitted honestly, but then asked, "Why do you want to see it?"

Shi Yue blinked. "What else? I want to know our compatibility score, of course."

Leng Yanmi frowned. "Didn't we agree that the number doesn't matter? Why do you still want to see it?"

Shi Yue rolled her eyes. "The score won't affect our relationship, but it will affect the quality of our life together."

She recounted her earlier conversation with Zhou Leya, then added, "I just feel like, even if our compatibility isn't super high, it can't be that low."

Leng Yanmi didn't budge, her reluctance obvious.

Shi Yue played her trump card: "Bring me the report. If the score really is low, I promise to take suppressants if you ever ask me to—no complaints."

"Really?!" Leng Yanmi stood up immediately.

"Rea-lly."

Without hesitation, Leng Yanmi strode out of the bedroom and headed straight for the study.

Within half a minute, she returned with the envelope in hand.

Shi Yue sat up in bed, stretching her arms out toward her. "Hand it over."

Clutching the envelope by one corner, Leng Yanmi looked like a wronged wife about to be scolded.

She took a deep breath. "Are you sure you're ready? Do you really want to see it?"

Shi Yue nodded decisively. "I'm ready."

"But if the score is really low… won't you be disappointed in me?"

"Why would I?" Shi Yue reassured her patiently. "Compatibility is a two-person issue. What if it's my fault?"

"Don't say that," Leng Yanmi murmured, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Out of options, she sighed, closed her eyes, and handed over the envelope. Then, like someone washing their hands of a problem, she turned away and sat on the edge of the bed, facing the other direction.

Shi Yue wasted no time tearing open the envelope.

The sound of the seal ripping was sharp and grating. Leng Yanmi lowered her head, her expression complicated as she silently braced herself.

Shi Yue quickly pulled out a stack of papers—about ten pages in total, each filled with dense text.

She didn't have the patience to read through it all and focused solely on finding the conclusion. However, after flipping through the pages twice, she still couldn't locate the percentage.

"This research institute… can't they just print the number clearly? Are we supposed to calculate it ourselves?" she complained.

Leng Yanmi glanced over her shoulder. "It should be there."

She added, "Usually, it's at the bottom of the second-to-last page."

Following her guidance, Shi Yue turned to the specified page and scanned it quickly.

"It's not there… There's no number."

"That's impossible," Leng Yanmi said, finally turning around. "Did the report have an error?"

"There is one number—96%." Shi Yue looked up at her, puzzled. "But that can't be our compatibility score, can it? Other than that, there's nothing."

Leng Yanmi leaned in to look, and sure enough, the densely packed page contained only one prominent number: a bold [96%] printed in the lower right corner.

Frowning, she pulled out her phone. "It might be a mistake. Let me call and…"

She froze mid-sentence, her gaze fixated on the number as if it had turned her into a statue.

Shi Yue recovered faster, already poring over the text for context.

After a thorough reading, she finally understood the number's significance and staggered in shock.

"Ninety-six percent?" she repeated, her voice trembling.

Leng Yanmi snatched the papers from her hands, rubbing the [96%] with her thumb as if trying to erase it.

But the report came from the nation's top research institute, printed on the highest-quality paper with premium ink. No matter how hard she tried, the number remained clear and intact.

Her hands started to shake.

Shi Yue scratched her head in confusion.

Leng Yanmi turned to her, her voice hoarse as she asked, "Is this… the actual compatibility score?"

Shi Yue, equally dazed, asked, "What do you mean?"

"Could it be…" Leng Yanmi's expression twisted. "Could this actually be the 'incompatibility score'? Maybe our real compatibility is… four percent?"

Shi Yue shook her head. "No way…"

She pointed to the text. "The language is technical, but it clearly says 'compatibility analysis.' And besides…" She paused, frowning. "Does such a thing as an 'incompatibility score' even exist?"

The two stared at each other, at a complete loss for words.

Minutes ticked by. Finally, they both snapped out of their stupor, albeit in different ways.

Shi Yue immediately grabbed her phone to search, typing, "Is a pheromone compatibility of 96% real?"

Meanwhile, Leng Yanmi dialed the research institute's number with trembling hands.

Two minutes later, both of them came up empty-handed.

"They told me not to 'show off,'" Shi Yue said, holding up her phone with a baffled expression. "Show off? What am I showing off? I don't even understand it!"

Leng Yanmi looked equally defeated. "No one picked up. They must've left work for the day."

They stared at each other, sitting silently in the stillness of the night, neither able to find the right words.