The Honest Woman, But Mary Sue Chapter 5

"Mark me."

Yalian whispered in my ear.

The rain outside was heavy, the thunder loud, the sound of raindrops like beans mixed with the rumbling.

To be honest, it wasn’t much different from the turmoil inside me, because I could clearly smell the scent of pheromones, which wasn’t good news for me.

I sniffed the air, startled, and immediately reached out to push Yalian away.

But he wasn’t willing to let go—or rather, to stop kissing me.

Yalian’s hands were wrapped around my neck, his black hair swaying at his temples, his fair skin tinged with a faint blush. Like morning dew on petals, a cold, delicate rose fragrance filled the room, making it hard for me to breathe.

The rain gradually eased, but the air in the room grew heavier and hotter.

Sweat beaded on my forehead, and I tried to turn my head away, but he wasn’t satisfied, pressing his body closer to mine. His eyes were slightly open, misty with desire but also a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Ya—"

My words were cut off as he kissed me again, like a drunken bird, eager yet clumsy.

Resisting such a high concentration of pheromones was incredibly difficult, and I had to exert all my willpower to suppress the violent urges rising within me. I could have pushed him away if I wanted to, but, well, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

So I just turned my head away, clenching my teeth.

Yalian was persistent, seemingly oblivious to my resistance, still trying to clumsily part my lips.

But while he was persistent, his pride was even stronger.

Within minutes, Yalian leaned back, his beautiful face filled with disbelief and anger. "You’re rejecting me?"

Great, glad you noticed.

I didn’t dare speak, quickly getting up and grabbing a blanket to wrap around him. "It’s cold, don’t catch a chill."

Then I tried to make a quick escape, but a sharp command stopped me in my tracks. "Stop!"

"What do you mean by this?" His voice rose even higher. "Stop right there! Don’t you dare leave!"

I wasn’t some voice-controlled AI, but I still stopped and turned around.

The moment I turned, I was once again enveloped by the drunken bird.

He wrapped his arms around me, gritting his teeth, tears almost welling up in his eyes. "How dare you reject me?"

Buddy, it’s not that I don’t want to, but if I slept with you, I wouldn’t be rejecting you.

But you can’t even kiss properly—how could I possibly sleep with you?!

Yalian had no idea how many times I’d die if I marked him, his voice rising in accusation. "You said you admired me! But now you—" He gasped for breath, his slender body heaving.

I watched as shame, anger, and embarrassment flickered across his face, but all I could do was sigh. "I can’t."

"It’s not that I don’t want to, but I can’t." I emphasized, adding, "I never sought to win your heart, let alone anything else. I can’t give you a future, so it’s impossible."

Yalian’s breathing grew more rapid. "There’s nothing impossible! I don’t need you to take responsibility."

"Because you’re not capable of taking responsibility for me either."

His voice softened slightly.

For a moment, we were at a loss for words.

Yalian stared at me, his eyes burning with a flickering flame.

The longer the silence stretched, the thinner the air became, and the dimmer his flame grew. The timing was just right.

"I don’t think I can take responsibility." I forced a smile. "I never thought I could."

The day was almost over, and theoretically, if I timed it right, I had five more truths to tell.

"It’s about you taking responsibility for yourself." I took off my coat and draped it over his shoulders. "You don’t like me—you just want to humiliate Jiang Sen."

After marking, the pheromones would linger on him for at least three days, during which any alpha would be attacked by my scent. If the marking resulted in a bond, it would be permanent, and the only way to remove it would be for another alpha to remark him, causing the omega immense pain.

Whether Jiang Sen noticed or had to remove my pheromones, it would be the ultimate humiliation.

Honestly, his brain might not be the sharpest, but his desire for revenge is strong.

If you want to write a revenge story, why drag me, a commoner, into it?

Yalian instinctively raised his head, his tone gradually lowering. "I didn’t."

"Liking him before and hating him now doesn’t mean you have to deny it." I adjusted the coat and guided him back to the hospital bed, whispering, "Do you like me? Not really. You just hate him more. If you’re doing this just to spite him, then—"

"I won’t regret it! Because I’ll never forgive someone so self-centered, and I’m not—"

Yalian was eager to prove something, but I cut him off. "The point isn’t whether you’ll regret it, but that I’m unwilling."

Yalian’s eyes slowly widened, the previously extinguished flame reigniting. "What do you mean?!"

"I’m unwilling to mark someone who doesn’t love me, or doesn’t love me enough. Even if I love that person deeply."

I said it.

And so his flame began to burn again, but this time not out of anger, but something else.

Yalian lowered his head, his long, thick lashes hiding his gaze.

"He was good to you, just not in personality. I can see that." I added, "You just had a falling out, and you haven’t thought things through. So I don’t want to be caught in the middle of your tug-of-war."

I stood up, patted his shoulder, and prepared to leave.

"So, is that why you’ve been ignoring me lately?"

Yalian grabbed my coat, looking up at me.

The nightlight cast a soft glow, making his amber eyes shine like clear honey.

It’s always pleasant to deal with someone intelligent within limits. Because they think for themselves, so they take responsibility for their own conclusions.

I blinked, offering an awkward smile. "Yes, but sometimes I just didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry, I’m boring."

Yalian shook his head, the amber in his eyes glinting. "You’re not boring. I’m… too selfish."

"You deserve to be." I smiled again. "You have the right to be selfish."

After all, it’s not me you’re marrying.

With that, I quickly left. No way was I sticking around—if he pounced again, I might not be able to control myself.

"Click—"

The door locked.

The thunder outside had stopped unnoticed, and the rain was easing.

Yalian tightened the coat around him, sitting on the bed for a few minutes, feeling somewhat dazed.

He was actually a little scared. What if they had gone further? He wasn’t afraid of breaking off the engagement or Jiang Sen, but afterward, she would likely be swept up in the scandal. He himself might be forced to marry into a lower noble family, exchanging one cage for another.

She was right—he hadn’t thought it through.

Thankfully, they hadn’t gone further.

Yalian got up and walked to the window, watching the raindrops slide down the glass.

The droplets refracted the orange light from the nightlight, like tiny sparks hanging before him. Those sparks scattered, igniting a fire in his chest, making him feel stifled, sweat beading on his forehead, his cheeks flushed.

"Thud—"

Yalian leaned his head against the glass, a thin layer of sweat on his nose, but he tightened the coat around him.

A faint, almost vanishing scent of pheromones mixed with a hint of smoke, like burning paper that had been drenched—damp ashes filled his nose. It felt like dust and heat suddenly rushing in, overwhelming his senses.

His breathing quickened, his head tilting back, the glass warming from his body heat. His hands gripping the coat grew pale and tense, his mouth gasping for air but mostly exhaling steam. The heat fogged the glass further, droplets forming and sliding down.

His body stiffened in a moment of tension.

Yalian’s eyes half-closed, staring at the reflection in the glass, feeling increasingly dizzy.

Maybe they should have gone further after all.

Around ten at night.

Jiang Sen’s car pulled up outside the hospital.

Technically, vehicles were only allowed in the parking lot, but for people like Jiang Sen and Yalian, rules were flexible.

He reclined the seat and opened his smart terminal.

The screen projected onto the car window, and a document was transmitted once again.

The name "Chen Zhiwei" stood out in bold letters.

This was the document he hadn’t had the chance to finish reading earlier. Although he hadn’t been in the mood to continue after the incident with the ring, seeing her so pitiful today had sparked a desire to learn more—if only to mock her.

As he flipped past the first two pages and reached the third, he couldn’t help but frown.

Residence relocation history: Born in Central City District Three, relocated to Central City District Twelve in 2218.

Parents: Both unknown, orphan, data recorded in 2217.

Central Districts One through Five were the most prosperous and affluent areas. Once you left, re-entering required layers of approval. Why would she move out? Or rather, how could she have been born there in the first place?

Jiang Sen straightened up and continued scrolling, only to come across a relationship chart. One line pointed directly to the leader of the recent rebellion.

According to the investigation, she and Olbert Deli (former workshop supervisor at the Enpoli Parts Processing Factory, East District Branch, District Twelve) had worked in the same workshop. Olbert was known for his reckless and domineering personality, often abusing his power for personal gain. Before the incident, he had gotten into an argument with her. After the workshop intervened, Olbert was suspended for a week. Follow-up visits showed that their relationship improved after he returned to work.

No wonder she was arrested just for going downstairs to watch the commotion. With this kind of connection, it’s hard not to be suspicious.

Wait, perhaps it’s not impossible?

Jiang Sen pondered, raising an eyebrow again. Just as he was about to scroll further, he noticed a figure moving in the hospital building out of the corner of his eye.

He turned off the display and looked over, barely making out Yalian pressed against the glass, his figure swaying.

But Yalian was on a higher floor, and Jiang Sen couldn’t quite see what he was doing, only feeling that something was off. He couldn’t help but touch his cheek, the fresh wound still throbbing, which only added to his irritation.

What’s he up to now?

Suppressing his impatience, Jiang Sen was about to get out of the car when he spotted the person from the document.

Perfect. Now he had a reason to interrogate her and throw her in jail. Yalian shouldn’t be able to pin this on him.

A smirk appeared in his eyes, laced with mockery.

I was fumbling in my pocket for a cigarette, utterly annoyed.

When I looked up, there was a car parked right in front of me. Damn it, the engine was so loud.

I walked over, thinking about giving it a sneaky kick, when suddenly something beeped, startling me and making me step back.

Then, the car window slowly rolled down, revealing a handsome face.

I straightened up slightly, thinking, good thing I didn’t kick it.

Jiang Sen looked at me coldly. “Get in.”

The central lock clicked open.

It’s the middle of the night. Are you planning to dump me somewhere like trash?