“Insisting on locking onto those few inspection-exempt lines without letting go, even going so far as to shackle yourself within a marriage,” Shen Yanzhou stared deathly at him. “Eldest Master Fu, what exactly do you want to ship?”
“Let me guess.” Shen Yanzhou let out a cold sneer, dropping his voice low: “Southeast Asia has been chaotic lately, and ordinary goods hold zero profit margins. The only two items capable of dragging you, Eldest Master Fu, personally into the arena…”
“Either it’s firearms.”
“Or it’s high-risk suppressants and hallucinogens that have long been banned on the market.” Speaking to this point, Shen Yanzhou’s face turned completely dark. “Illicit matters—the Shen family will not perform them, and you can abandon any thoughts of using the Shen family’s hands to perform them. As long as I am still the master of the Shen family, not a single one of those unclean crates will dream of boarding my ships.”
Hearing this, zero expression appeared on Fu Sihan’s face. He neither admitted it nor denied it, simply turning his head to wave a hand flatly toward the people inside the room. “Everyone out.”
As the bodyguards and manager exited one after another, only the two of them remained inside the private room.
Fu Sihan set down the lighter in his hand, walking toward him with his long legs casually crossed, half-leaning against the edge of the round table beside his frame. Shen Yanzhou inhaled his rum-flavored scent again; the overly stimulating pheromones left him feeling uncomfortable.
“Master Shen, in Hong Kong, the rules are written by the winners. If profits exceed 300%, there is zero law one wouldn’t dare violate. This bit of logic the Old Master Shen never taught you?”
“The Shen family doesn’t lack money.”
“However, you know better than anyone in your heart—”
“This kind of glory is coasting on past achievements.”
“These past few years, the Huo family has expanded frantically across Southeast Asia relying on those shady businesses, practically monopolizing all the new shipping routes. And what about your Shen family? Guarding those old rules deathly, how much of your market share has already been eroded?”
“Advancing at this speed, within less than five years, the Shen family will be kicked right off the card table of the four great families.” Fu Sihan’s voice was low and bewitching. “Master Shen, do you want to watch the Shen family continue down this path?”
Though Fu Sihan’s words were unpleasant to hear, they were correct. If he voiced these words to the other shareholders of the Shen family, it might still carry efficacy, but he simply locked onto the dead principles left behind by his father. However, catching sight of his current demeanor also verified his guess wasn’t flawed; what Fu Sihan intended to ship was mostly addictive suppressants or heat-inducing hallucinogens, and once that contraband spread, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“I heard the young master of the Huo family is also an Omega. Since Eldest Master Fu desires to perform a business deal that could cost a head, searching for me is inferior to searching for him. After all, their house understands far better how to traverse the boundaries of the law.” Shen Yanzhou had no desire to waste further words with this madman, rising to leave.
“Leave?” Fu Sihan let out a cold laugh. “Did I allow you to leave?”
Suddenly, a rich, concentrated rum flavor collapsed over him, completely covering the space. Completely different from the testing inside the car chassis moments ago, this scent was far too dominant, tunneling directly into his throat and burning his internal organs until they were scalding hot. The gland on his nape that had been dormant for a long time turned both burning and numb, provoking his entire frame into fine tremors.
Ordinary Alphas held zero efficacy against him, but the madman before him, just like Thirty Million, was an Alpha above S tier. He clamped his lower lip dead just to prevent himself from softening down before the opponent, but his rapid breathing and instantly red-rimmed eyes exposed his current misery completely.
Fu Sihan gazed at the Shen Yanzhou who was clutching the round table edge deathly with both hands yet refusing to lower his head to him, the darkness deep within his eyes gradually intensifying. Sweat trickled down his pale neck, vanishing into his soaked collar… this shattered state of bordering on collapse yet holding out with all his might was far more capable of triggering a man’s sadistic desires than the naked seduction of the twins that night.
“Can’t even walk now?”
Shen Yanzhou glared at him. Before he could take two steps, his knees softened, his body tumbling downward out of control.
An arm cut horizontally across the space, executing a rough scoop. The web space clamped deathly around his waist, hoisting him forcefully into his embrace. Shen Yanzhou was forced to smash into that unyielding chest, his nasal cavity completely filled with the concentrated rum flavor and tobacco scent.
Fu Sihan lowered his head, his web space clamping the waist of the person inside his embrace, the tactile sensation beneath his fingertips impossibly soft.
The waist is truly narrow. This was the second time this thought had surfaced today. Aside from being narrow, it should also be very white likely as white as his nape.
Before his consciousness could return, the private room door was struck in a frantic rush. His confidant, A-Li, braved the situation to barge in, his face completely pale. Catching sight of the entangled, intimate posture of the two, he hurriedly lowered his head from the fright, walking rapidly to Fu Sihan’s side and dropping his voice with an anxious tone:
“Eldest Master Fu, something went wrong.”
“Over by the Kowloon Walled City, someone stabbed the people keeping watch over our territory. The commotion is building massively right now; the police station is on the verge of arriving.”
“Who?”
“Word is it’s the Second Young Master’s people.”
“Sure enough, it’s that madman.”
The hand Fu Sihan used to pinch Shen Yanzhou’s waist loosened, his casual expression freezing instantly, his gaze turning sinister. He snatched up the suit jacket from the backrest, draping it over Shen Yanzhou’s head to wrap this swaying, beautiful Omega inside, masking that flushed, alluring face.
“I need to make a trip to the Kowloon Walled City.”
“A-Li, escort Master Shen back.”
When Shen Yanzhou emerged from the Ying Yuet House entrance, the rain was falling harder than when he arrived.
Fuuu—! An exceptionally frivolous whistle pierced through the rain screen.
Shen Yanzhou traced the whistle to look over, only to see an intensely gaudy purple sports car, modified with multi-colored accents, parked with extreme arrogance directly before the steps, practically blocking the path of the other vehicles. The window rolled down, exposing a face wearing sunglasses, chewing gum, and looking entirely bohemian.
Jiang Xu rested a single hand outside the car window, catching the rain as he whistled toward him, smiling with total lightheartedness. “Yo, isn’t this Master Shen? Why is your face this red? Drunk?” He pulled off his sunglasses, those romantic eyes flashing with a light that loved watching a scene play out.
A-Li’s complexion shifted. He immediately stepped forward to block before Shen Yanzhou, his hand shifting toward his waist as he berkata sharply: “Who are you? This is the Fu family’s territory, move the car!”
“The Fu family? Truly a massive display of authority.” Jiang Xu completely didn’t place A-Li in his eyes, instead stomping on the accelerator. The engine roar was deafening, scaring A-Li into taking half a step back. “Who I am isn’t important. What’s important is…” Jiang Xu pointed toward Shen Yanzhou, smiling with a complete picture of a punchable face: “…Master Shen looks as if he desires to leave with me.”
Shen Yanzhou looked at that purple sports car with its vulgar taste; though the car was junk and the person was a rogue, it was still far better than Fu Sihan’s people. Furthermore, a person like Jiang Xu only recognized cash give him money and it was fine.
He extended his hand to strip off that foul-smelling suit jacket, tossing it into A-Li’s embrace like throwing away trash.
“Master Shen, Eldest Master Fu instructed me to escort you…” A-Li held the garment, a bit helpless.
“No need, his scent is too pungent; I thoroughly dislike it.” With that, he directly pulled open the purple sports car door, sitting into the passenger seat. “Drive,” he leaned against the backrest, closing his eyes, looking as if he had drained every ounce of his frame’s strength.
“Alright!” Jiang Xu was delighted, blowing a kiss to the bodyguard who was frozen on the spot holding the suit jacket, before stomping the accelerator to the floor.
The purple sports car pulled off a beautiful drift across the wet ground, splashing a puddle of mud water completely onto the pristine Rolls-Royce bumper, before tearing away into the distance.
The rain grew increasingly heavy, the vehicle radio broadcasting the news that the Observatory was on the verge of hosting a Number 8 Typhoon Signal. At the intersection, the black motorcade rushing toward the Kowloon Walled City brushed past that purple sports car. The exact split second the two vehicles crossed, Fu Sihan sat in the back seat, his focus unconsciously sweeping outside the window. Through the rain screen, he captured the person in the opposite driver’s seat.
Though that person had put his sunglasses back on, that facial contour and that bohemian smile across the mouth carried far too much recognition.
Jiang Xu? The lackey keeping company beside that mad dog Fu Sizhou?
Fu Sihan snapped his head back, his focus chasing that purple taillight vanishing into the depths of the rainy night, his brow slowly furrowing as a layer of suspicion rose deep within his eyes. “Fu Sizhou’s people instead of staying properly inside the mud of the Kowloon Walled City, why would they appear in Tsim Sha Tsui?”
The purple modified sports car, accompanied by a brazen braking sound, stabilized firmly before the carved iron gates of Villa Number 7.
Before Shen Yanzhou could even push the car door open, the man who had been waiting for him for a long time had already shattered the rain screen, yanking the passenger door open.
“Master!” The man’s voice was trembling in the rain. He was thoroughly drenched from head to toe, his black T-shirt clinging tightly against his frame, tracing the contours of his highly explosive chest muscles. Water was continuously dripping from his hair tips.
He wanted to extend a hand to support him, yet halfway there he feared the rainwater on his body would soil Shen Yanzhou, keeping it suspended in midair as his fingertips trembled. “Why… did you only just return?”
Shen Yanzhou lifted his eyes, looking at this man who was completely soaked yet possessed exceptionally clear eyes. The nauseating edge scorched out by that rum flavor inexplicably dissipated by a small half upon inhaling the clean soap fragrance on the man’s body. “Why are you running around wildly in the rain again? Don’t you know to dodge the rain? Stupid?”
The man offered no defense, simply opening those wet puppy eyes to stare straight at Shen Yanzhou, his voice raspy and aggrieved: “Missed you.”
“The house was too empty, lacked your scent, I couldn’t sit still. I feared… feared you truly wouldn’t return tonight.”
In the driver’s seat, Jiang Xu hitched a brow, sensibly twisting his head toward the window to minimize his presence as much as possible, terrified of being swallowed alive by the man.
“Stop spouting this kind of ghostly nonsense.” Shen Yanzhou’s mouth expressed distaste, yet he extended his arms toward the man, commanding: “Thirty Million, carry me back.”
“Can’t walk now.”
The man completely disregarded the rainwater on his own frame, immediately leaning his torso down. His arms tunneled beneath Shen Yanzhou’s armpits and knee bends, lifting the person from the car with total ease like hoisting a child.
Shen Yanzhou exceptionally naturally wrapped his legs around his lean, powerful waist, his arms tightly circling his wet, hot neck, hanging onto the man’s frame like a koala. The man’s broad shoulders and back easily shielded him from all the wind and rain; one of his large hands firmly supported Shen Yanzhou’s rounded hips, while his other hand clamped his back deathly, pressing him with force into his embrace.
He held him too tightly; Shen Yanzhou felt his chest was a bit stifled.
The man walked while holding him, his nostrils flaring as he drew close to Shen Yanzhou’s neck line to deeply inhale once. His previously compliant focus instantly sank down. “Master…” His voice dropped a few tones, unable to mask the acidity and hurt as he asked pitiably:
“Why does your body carry the rum-flavored pheromone scent?”
“Very concentrated, very dominant… completely covering your scent up.”
“Did you go see some important person?”
Damn Fu Sihan, he was roaring manically inside his heart. He touched you? Which hand of his touched you? Did he also hold you in his embrace like this? I want so much… want so much to rush over right now, chopping that pair of filthy hands of his into pieces section by section, digging his foul rum-scented gland out from the root and stomping it to pieces in the mud!
But when the man lifted his head, his face displayed only a pitiable image of “having his territory stolen by another wild dog, being abandoned by his master.” Even the edges of his eyes drooped down with sadness, looking exceptionally easy to bully.
Shen Yanzhou didn’t lift his head to look at him. He was truly far too exhausted, burying his face into the man’s wet, hot neck hollow, his nose bridge settling against his nape to draw a breath of that faint, clean cedar scent behind the scent blocker. “Not any important person.”
“A bit annoying.”
Hearing this, the man’s previously locked muscles relaxed instantly, the fierce aura deep within his eyes transforming into a smug satisfaction from having succeeded. “Mm,” he obediently chimed along, carrying Shen Yanzhou up to the second floor.
In a place where Shen Yanzhou couldn’t glimpse, he used his chin to gently rub against Shen Yanzhou’s delicate temples, his voice gentle: “Master, I stewed dried scallop and chicken congee. It’s keeping warm right now, the rice oil has been simmered out completely exceptionally fragrant.” His palm gently offered soothing strokes along Shen Yanzhou’s back: “I’ll first carry you to take a hot bath, washing away all of that unpleasant scent, washing you completely clean, then I’ll feed you congee, alright?”
Shen Yanzhou lazily let out an agreement: “Mm.”
Inside the bathroom, the steam rose densely, the white-tea-scented essential oil fragrance fermenting within the wet, hot air, leaving one’s bones entirely turned to mush.