“Yin Yu.”
The man’s deep voice held a low, warning growl.
Only then did his friend finally behave himself. “Sorry, sorry, my bad for being crude.”
A brief pause ensued before Yin Yu chimed in again. “Hey, look, I don’t really understand Omegas, but I’ve heard that Omega-Omega relationships are totally a thing. There’s an O-only bar over on Yushi Street; apparently, it’s packed with OO couples. Why don’t you head down there and open yourself up to a whole new world? There’s always a way, right?”
Xiao Shuqing: “?”
He hadn’t really behaved himself at all.
Song Qingyun, who had remained silent until now, finally couldn’t help but speak up. “He simply doesn’t possess these mundane human desires.”
The young man on the other end choked on his words. “But he still has to fix it eventually. And what is up with that cousin of his? How could he just let his glands get into that state without trying to treat it? Why are Omegas so incredibly high-maintenance? I mean, what if an Alpha is completely impotent? Do they just sit around and wait to die?”
The conversation was veering further and further off the rails.
Song Qingyun firmly dragged the topic back on track, asking, “What are your plans? You absolutely have to go back to the hospital for a follow-up. Regardless of whether you’ve been following the doctor’s orders, your glands need to be re-examined every month. That way, if any abnormalities develop, we’ll know immediately.”
Xiao Shuqing placed the shredded chicken into the large dog’s bowl, offering a perfunctory reply. “I get it. I’ll carve out some time to head over there either this week or next.”
Yin Yu was still blathering on: “Hey, hey, seriously consider the O-bar idea, okay? What if you actually meet someone compatible! Ah Qing, dating and sleeping around are both incredibly fun things. Don’t be so closed off to it.”
“Actually, getting topped is super great too! Who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love with the feeling after trying it just once? A person should always try new things—”
Xiao Shuqing didn’t stick around to hear the rest; he hung up the call immediately.
Too much noise.
That evening, he ate the dinner he had brought back from the cafeteria by himself, finding it rather bland and tasteless.
After eating Yu Siyuan’s home-cooked meals for several days, returning to cafeteria food left him feeling distinctly out of sorts.
It wasn’t merely a matter of flavor. The heavy, rhythmic hum of the range hood was missing, as was the sharp, momentary fragrance that bloomed the second the scallions and ginger hit the hot oil. A busy, comforting figure was missing from the kitchen.
And so, it felt as if nothing was quite right.
Once dinner was over, he tossed the containers into the trash can and took the large dog out for a walk in the nearby park.
It was just past half past six. City H, which had been subjected to three consecutive days of relentless downpours, unexpectedly cleared up at this precise hour.
The sun had not yet fully dipped below the horizon, hanging heavily between the dense clusters of distant skyscrapers, painting the entire sky in brilliant shades of crimson and gold.
It was dusk at its absolute finest.
A teenager who had just been dismissed from school happened to pass by. Spotting the entirely snow-white, massive dog, he couldn’t resist crouching down to take a photo.
“So cute! What’s his name?”
“Saisa.”
“Even his name is super adorable! Excuse me, may I pet him?”
“Go ahead.”
Instantly, the intelligent canine switched flawlessly into customer-service mode. He sat down obediently and lifted a plush front paw for the teenager to shake. Every time his name was called for a photo, he displayed an impeccable sense of camera presence.
“He’s so smart and well-behaved! Big brother, how did you train him?” The teenager remained half-crouched on the ground, tilting his head up to look at him.
The kid was an Omega with a fair, delicate complexion, still clad in the uniform of H City No. 1 High School. He looked quite young, likely only a sophomore or junior.
With long eyelashes and eyes that tilted up slightly at the corners, his smile carried a hint of playful, sly charm.
Securing the leash, Xiao Shuqing sat down on a nearby bench. “He had a professional trainer, though I work with him occasionally.” He then cast a glance at the large dog. “Come here.”
The excited pup immediately trotted over, even demonstrating the intelligence to deliberately steer clear of the small puddles on the stone path.
“Woof!”
“So good, so sensible!” The human and the dog vocalized almost simultaneously.
“Big brother, do you live around here?” The teenager asked, slipping onto the bench beside him. He illuminated his phone screen and gave a subtle wink. “I live nearby too. I’ve seen you walking your dog before, and I’ve wanted to talk to you for ages. But it always seems to be in the morning when I’m rushing to school. Could I add you on WeChat?”
Xiao Shuqing was exceptionally good-looking, so it wasn’t uncommon for people to ask for his contact info, but those requests usually came from Alphas. This was the first time an Omega kid had approached him.
Having just been brainwashed by Yin Yu about Omega-Omega relationships, surely he hadn’t run into one by sheer coincidence?
The next moment, as if confirming his suspicion, the Omega teenager slumped his shoulders and pouted pitifully. “Is that a no? Don’t tell me it’s because you already have a boyfriend, big brother? I knew it. How could an absolute top-tier Omega like you still be single for me to stumble upon?”
Even so, he refused to give up. “Can you add me secretly, big brother? I’m not trying to be a homewrecker or anything! I just mean, if you ever break up or something, you could keep me at the top of your list. After all, the O-community is so tiny. Don’t worry, big brother, I have zero interest in Alphas! Born gay! I could absolutely never bring myself to marry just to pop out babies! Can I at least just be a contact sitting quietly in your list?”
Xiao Shuqing: “?”
High schoolers these days were apparently liberated to a staggering degree. Not only did they completely decline to mask their orientation, but they also casually solicited WeChat contacts right on the open street.
“Apologies, but I have no interest in Omegas.” He smoothed the fabric of his coat and stood up.
He disliked Alphas, despised the vulnerable version of himself controlled by his heats, and had never once entertained the notion of being with an Omega.
Perhaps his friends were right; he was simply born without those worldly desires.
After all, across the ocean, a certain country recognized over four hundred distinct genders, and sexual orientations were incredibly diverse. As someone holding degrees in both philosophy and psychology, “asexuality” was hardly an exotic concept to him.
“You’re straight?” The teenager’s eyes widened in utter disbelief.
Xiao Shuqing didn’t care to explain further. He simply allowed the boy a clear glimpse of the ring resting on his finger. “Married.”
Yet, rather than deterring the youth, the statement only seemed to ignite his curiosity further.
“How old are you, big brother? Have you actually registered your certificate?”
“Why haven’t you been marked yet then? You’ve blown your cover!”
“Wait, I think I’ve seen your Alpha before. Is it that incredibly gorgeous Alpha with the beauty mark? You’ve totally exposed yourself now, big brother. My friend said he looks like absolute top-tier Alpha royalty at a single glance.”
Xiao Shuqing had initially been listening with an air of detached amusement, nonchalantly stroking his large dog. However, upon hearing that final sentence, his eyes abruptly darkened.
Though the man possessed stunning features, his beauty was inherently of a cold, distant nature. When his dark gaze locked onto someone with focused intent, it projected an intensely imposing aura that commanded absolute submission.
He removed his glasses, addressing the youth with deliberate, measured slowness. “Little student, did no one in your household ever teach you that a person must possess a sense of boundaries?”
Without waiting for the teenager’s response, he turned, tugged his dog’s leash, and walked away in a different direction.
For no logical reason, Xiao Shuqing found himself trapped in a foul mood.
Perhaps it was because dinner had been deeply unsatisfying, or perhaps it was because Song Qingyun’s phone call had dragged the issue of his glands back into the light, or perhaps, it was simply the raw humiliation of being parsed so easily by a mere high school kid.
Whatever the catalyst, his spirits had hit a definitive low.
Upon returning to the apartment, he popped open a bottle of pre-mixed cocktail and sat out on the balcony, nursing it with slow deliberation.
Once that bottle was drained, he opened another.
As a comfortable buzz began to set in, his thoughts started to drift aimlessly.
Come to think of it, tomorrow was Thursday—the exact day that “Senior Zhou” was scheduled to return.
Yu Siyuan would probably be heading out for that celebratory dinner tomorrow night, wouldn’t he? No wonder it was already past eleven and the boy still hadn’t returned home; he was likely trying to wrap up his work ahead of schedule so he could enjoy his night out tomorrow without any lingering obligations.
Tsk. Would they officially solidify their relationship tomorrow? The kid was so painfully naive, and Alphas were notoriously possessive creatures by nature. Once they made things official, he’d probably be eaten alive down to the bone.
He flushed so easily, and he was so incredibly soft.
When he cried, those beautiful eyes of his would brim completely with tears, a single blink wetting his long eyelashes and eyelids.
Even an Omega like Xiao Shuqing felt an instinctive urge to tease and bully him. Given the inherently dominant disposition of Alphas, they would undoubtedly tease him until he sobbed.
Tsk, it must be nice to be young.
Xiao Shuqing couldn’t help but lament internally once more: it truly was wonderful to be young.
To work so fiercely, even pulling all-nighters, simply for the chance to see the person you cherished.
The love of youth was so intensely passionate, and so beautifully blinding.
Unlike himself, who had always lived a life so devoid of desire, ultimately rendering him an isolated soul.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a series of electronic beeps echoed from the door behind him. The living room door swung open.
Turning his head, he saw the very person he had been pondering standing at the entrance.
Ever since the little Alpha had accidentally revealed his true height, he had completely abandoned his elevator insoles. Stepping out of his outdoor shoes and slipping into his house slippers, the boy looked remarkably small and compact.
Shuffling in his slippers, he scurried straight out onto the balcony.
“Huh? Professor Xiao, you’re still awake?”
The moment the question left his mouth, his eyes fell upon the empty alcohol bottles resting on the table, and he froze. ” Professor Xiao, do you have another problem that logic can’t resolve? Or are you in a bad mood?”
“Professor Xiao, why are you smoking? Is it because you’re in a bad mood?”
“No. If I’m in a bad mood, I tend to smoke and drink at the same time.”
“Professor Xiao, you’re drinking. Is it because you’re in a bad mood?”
“No. I just need to numb my nerves a bit so I can do something irrational.”
These were fragments of their past conversations—and every single syllable had been strictly kept close to the younger man’s heart, ready to be offered up as timely, earnest care.
It was happening again. It was always like this.
It left a person completely defenseless.
Enveloped in the backlit shadows, the older man couldn’t resist lighting another cigarette, taking a heavy, deeply dragged pull. He looked at him. “Yu Siyuan. Why do you have a people-pleasing personality?”
Why must you be a people-pleaser? Why do you feel the need to “please” me? I’m nobody to you. This will only invite unnecessary misunderstandings, which isn’t good for either of us, is it?
So, why?
The moment the words escaped his lips, Xiao Shuqing pinched the bridge of his nose in sheer frustration.
Xiao Shuqing, what on earth are you doing? Whether it’s the Enneagram or the trendy MBTI types, a person’s personality just is what it is. There is no underlying ‘why.’
“Apologies. I’ve had a bit of a headache lately,” he said mildly.
With that, he stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette into the ashtray. “You’ve had a long night working overtime. Go wash up and get some rest early. I’m heading to bed too.”
The boy immediately jogged forward a couple of steps, firmly hooking an arm through his. “Professor Xiao, watch out for the—”
Mid-sentence, he froze entirely.
The Alpha’s nose suddenly tilted closer to the fabric covering Xiao Shuqing’s chest, taking a soft, localized sniff.
“Why is there a hint of Omega mating pheromones?” he mumbled under his breath.
The next second, he snapped his head up to lock eyes with him. “Professor Xiao, is your heat about to hit?”