“Xiao Jing is a bit of a germaphobe. Don’t touch his things again in the future.”
The Alpha’s tone was filled with dissatisfaction, and his eyes rested on Nan Yi with clear disdain.
Nan Yi stared blankly at He Yushen. Upon meeting the coldness in his eyes, he lowered his head, choosing not to explain that it was the housekeeper who had asked him to fetch the items.
He knew that no amount of explanation would matter.
Song Jing sat down with a hint of triumph and said sweetly, “Since Mr. Nan didn’t bring any clothes with him, you can keep wearing this one for now. I have plenty more in my room.”
Yan An chimed in, “That’s right! It’s just a piece of clothing. Let’s eat, Sister-in-law.”
He Yushen had been staring at the head-bowed Nan Yi with a persistent, disgruntled frown. As soon as Yan An finished speaking, he interrupted him sharply.
“He is not your sister-in-law.”
Yan An looked at He Yushen, confused. “What?”
He Yushen replied coldly, “He is nothing more than a thief who swapped places with someone else.”
Nan Yi’s face turned even paler, his body stiffening as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Both Song Jing and Yan An looked toward Nan Yi. Even without raising his head, Nan Yi could feel the weight of their scrutiny.
Although he felt extremely uncomfortable, he eventually lifted his head slightly. When he caught He Yushen’s gaze, he hurriedly looked away.
Song Jing asked, “Brother Shen? What does that mean?”
Yan An merely narrowed his eyes, examining Nan Yi.
He Yushen remained silent.
Receiving no clarification from He Yushen, Song Jing seemed to have a sudden realization, exclaiming, “He’s not Nan Zhi!”
Nan Yi felt mortified at the dining table, but unable to leave, he could only endure the agony of sitting there.
Yan An, though puzzled, frowned. “If he isn’t Nan Zhi, then who is he? Even though your wedding photos were photoshopped, isn’t Sister-in-law? Isn’t Mr. Nan exactly like the person in the photos?”
Yan An corrected his own form of address.
Song Jing was also confused. Nan Yi’s palms were slightly sweaty. Being stared at like this face-to-face made him feel truly ill at ease.
“Mr. Nan? What is going on?” Yan An looked at Nan Yi with curiosity.
Nan Yi met his gaze briefly, not knowing how to explain.
Although the Nan family was not insignificant, they were virtually invisible in A-City. Moreover, because Nan Yi was an inferior Omega, his father, Nan Zhaimin, would only introduce his high-quality Omega son, Nan Zhi, when out in public. Even on the rare occasions there were social events, he only ever brought Nan Zhi.
Over time, people in A-City had long forgotten that the Nan family had actually birthed twins.
For wealthy young masters like He Yushen and Yan An, who held status in A-City, it was impossible for them to have paid any attention to the Nan family. It was natural for Yan An to be confused.
He Yushen felt a sense of irritation looking at the Omega’s eyes. The long, slightly upturned outer corners held a touch of coldness mixed with deep emotion.
Unable to stand Nan Yi’s nonchalant demeanor, he insulted him coldly.
“He’s a mute; he can’t answer you. This is Nan Yi, Nan Zhi’s older brother, a scheming, inferior Omega.” He Yushen glanced at Nan Yi with contempt.
Yan An echoed, “Nan Yi? An inferior Omega? What is going on?”
Nan Yi did not want to hear them talk about him any longer; he stiffly tried to stand up. He wanted to escape.
Just then, the housekeeper entered and walked to the dining table.
“Young Master He, Mr. Nan’s father has something to discuss with you and is requesting a meeting.”
Nan Yi froze mid-motion. Feeling as if he had found a glimmer of salvation, he looked toward the door with anticipation.
The Alpha’s expression darkened. He glanced at the person beside him who was about to stand up, his eyes too deep to read.
He Yushen’s voice turned cold instantly. “Let him in.”
The housekeeper replied, “Yes.”
As the housekeeper walked away, He Yushen frowned and added, “Bring him to the study.”
Nan Yi’s heart raced, his eyes fixed on the door with hopeful expectation.
Yan An stood up. “I’ll be leaving then. Let’s meet again for the Old Master’s sixtieth birthday.”
He Yushen gave a slight nod in response.
Yan An ruffled Song Jing’s hair with doting affection. “Xiao Jing, you come along too, okay?”
Song Jing replied, “I know!”
The Omega’s voice was sweet and adorable. Nan Yi was momentarily stunned. If only he had such a sweet voice.
He stared at the delicate Omega, lost in thought, until he met a look of disgust and snapped back to reality.
Yan An had left. Song Jing shot Nan Yi a look of disdain, and as He Yushen stood up, Song Jing followed him upstairs with a face of pure, sweet innocence.
Nan Yi remained still, waiting quietly in the living room for Nan Zhaimin to arrive.
“Why are you just standing there?” The Alpha, who had reached the second floor, turned back with a dark expression and a cold tone.
Nan Yi looked up, confused, meeting He Yushen’s eyes.
“You smell like a mess of pheromones. Get back to your room and wash up! How much longer do you intend to wear those clothes?”
The person standing next to the Alpha stared at Nan Yi with a cold, displeased expression. That gaze looked as if he wanted to devour him.
Nan Yi subconsciously raised his hand to smell himself. There was indeed a mix of pheromones on him, though it was faint. He couldn’t even smell it unless he brought his hand close to his nose.
It must have been picked up at the hospital, where many Alphas in their heat periods were staying.
Nan Yi frowned slightly and headed slowly up the stairs with his head bowed.
He Yushen had already turned and headed to the study, while Song Jing stood at the top of the stairs. Nan Yi intended to ignore the Omega and go to his bedroom, but his path was blocked. Not getting angry, Nan Yi silently tried to step around him.
Blocked again, Nan Yi looked up, frowning.
Song Jing pinched the corner of his shirt between two fingers, looking at him with an expression of repulsion, as if he were touching refuse.
The once-sweet Omega’s charm had long vanished; he looked down at Nan Yi with arrogant contempt.
His sharp voice rang out, “This outfit should be thrown away. I think it’s filthy.”
Nan Yi gave the Omega a cold glance, stepped around him, and walked straight into He Yushen’s bedroom.
Behind him, flames of jealousy seemed to ignite in the Omega’s eyes. He gripped his hands tightly, his knuckles turning white, before turning and leaving in the opposite direction.
Nan Yi returned to the bedroom, pulled out his clothes from the bag he had left on the floor, grabbed a random white T-shirt, and went into the bathroom.
Afraid that Nan Zhaimin might leave, he took a quick shower.
After changing, he threw the high-quality black T-shirt and shorts into the trash bin with a look of regret. He wiped his hair casually with a towel and walked out of the bedroom.
The study and the bedroom were close by. Nan Yi walked slowly to the study door, which was tightly shut. He had no idea what Nan Zhaimin and He Yushen were discussing inside.
He stood by the door, waiting quietly for them to emerge. Damp hair clung to his forehead, and droplets of water trickled down, staining his white shirt.
The wet, soft hair felt sticky and bothersome, so he reached up to gently rub it.
After waiting for a while longer, he wondered, what are they talking about?
He leaned his head toward the door, holding his breath to listen. As he leaned in, his body lost its balance and he fell against the door.
“Oof.”
His face slammed against the study door. It was so hard. His nose felt like it might start bleeding. Red-eyed, he rubbed his nose and looked up.