When Mu Yan looked up from his desk, the night was already deep, and the starry sky hung low outside the window.
He stood up, stretched his stiff neck, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The entire villa area had quieted down, and Mu Yan could only hear the sound of his own breathing.
When he was working in the evening, Uncle Rong had brought in a plate of fruit. At that time, Mu Yan was reviewing a proposal for a new cooperation project with the Ruan family, so he signaled for Uncle Rong to place it aside. He only remembered it after he finished all his work. Mu Yan finished the fruit that had been neglected for the evening in a few bites, leaving behind only an empty plate stained with residual juice.
Mu Yan picked up the empty plate and walked out of the study. After closing the heavy door, the corridor lights were on, casting light all the way to the stairs and down to the first floor.
Mu Yan had specifically requested this when Uncle Rong brought him the fruit.
Usually, the villa’s lighting was entirely controlled by an intelligent system. The lights would turn on as one walked and extinguish immediately after passing. However, the proposal reminded him of Ruan Shi’s cold and firm reminders from the afternoon, so he had Uncle Rong change some settings to keep the lights in the corridor, on the stairs, and in the kitchen and dining area on the first floor fully illuminated throughout the night.
This way, if Ruan Nian woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to drink water, he wouldn’t find the house too dark.
Thinking of this, Mu Yan recalled Ruan Shi’s instructions once more.
He is afraid of the dark, afraid of thunder, and doesn’t like food made by robots.
He loses track of time when he paints.
Mu Yan instinctively glanced toward the other side of the corridor. The door to Ruan Shi’s room was shut tight. He wondered if he had already rested.
Following the stairs down to the kitchen and dining area on the first floor, as he passed the dining table, the alpha’s keen senses caught the last trace of sweet milk fragrance that hadn’t yet dissipated. As the doctor said, the Omega’s pheromone state was not very stable. While eating, Ruan Nian had been unconsciously emitting sweet pheromones. Yet, he didn’t seem to notice it himself, drinking soup bowl after bowl. Mu Yan appeared cold and indifferent on the surface, but in reality, he had been quietly releasing his own pheromones, wrapping the scent of sweet milk into the aroma of alcohol.
Under the quiet soothing of the alpha’s pheromones, Ruan Nian had eaten happily and contentedly.
Back at his own door, Mu Yan was still somewhat absent-minded. That faint, sweet, milky fragrance seemed to cling to him, making him constantly think about that Omega.
The room door opened and closed.
A tall figure walked onto the second-floor balcony, leaning slightly to look toward the other side of the corridor.
It was clearly a sneaky action, yet to Mu Yan, it felt somewhat justified.
Sure enough, the lights in the room on the other side of the corridor were still on.
He had caught him in the act.
A surge of inexplicable joy rose in Mu Yan’s heart.
Mu Yan felt like his entire being was acting strangely: Ruan Nian hadn’t rested, so why was he happy?
He coughed a few times unnaturally.
Instinctively raising his hand, he wanted to straighten his tie, but only touched the soft collar of his shirt.
The area around his collarbone was empty.
He was at home, standing in the corridor in loungewear.
The unexpected sensation brought Mu Yan back to his senses. Outside of the world of profit, he found that he could actually experience such nervousness and excitement.
When he realized this, he found that he had already arrived at the door of Ruan Nian’s room.
His expression gradually became somewhat stiff.
Taking a deep breath to relax his tense facial muscles, Mu Yan tentatively knocked on the studio door.
There was no response.
Mu Yan felt hesitant.
He thought Ruan Nian might have already rested and had simply left the lights on out of personal habit. If he knocked louder, would he be counterproductive and wake up the Omega who had already fallen asleep?
His hand dropped unconsciously along the door panel and landed on the doorknob.
The inertia of gravity pulled the doorknob down without the slightest hindrance, the lock clicked softly, and the door opened.
A flash of annoyance crossed Mu Yan’s eyes. He had forgotten to adjust the room access permissions. The intelligent system defaulted him as the homeowner and allowed him to enter any room at will.
Since the door was already open, even though it was an accident, Mu Yan didn’t stand on ceremony anymore and gently pushed open the door to the studio.
The Omega was lying on the light-colored drawing table with his head to the side, still clutching a pen in his hand. On the table lay an unfinished painting.
He had fallen asleep in the studio.
At this moment, he had put down all his reserve and defense. The Omega’s scent was as clean and harmless as that of a young animal, and his soft-featured side profile revealed an undeniable sense of exhaustion. His dense eyelashes rested on his lower eyelids, and they seemed to tremble slightly as if he had sensed something.
Mu Yan’s footsteps came to an immediate halt.
He stood frozen in place for a good while, not waiting for any further movement from Ruan Nian.
He was truly asleep.
The foot Mu Yan had frozen in place moved slightly. As his nervousness faded, he discovered that he was already surrounded by the scent of sweet milk.
The air was filled with the Omega’s scent, telling of the young man’s happiness in the studio.
It seemed he liked this gift very much.
Thinking of this, Mu Yan’s body also relaxed.
Perhaps because the milk had a sleep-inducing effect, he felt somewhat unclear-headed.
His body moved toward the sleeping young man without his conscious control. He took the pen from his hand and placed it back into the pen holder.
His hand, which had initially landed on the young man’s shoulder to gently wake the Omega, unconsciously slid to his waist. His other arm looped under his knees, and he lifted Ruan Nian into his arms.
In his sleep, the Omega felt a pleasant scent surrounding the tip of his nose, and instinctively turned his head toward that direction, rubbing against it lightly.
Mu Yan froze instantly.
It was a long time before he moved again.
He carried Ruan Nian to the bed, took off his slippers, and gently covered the Omega with a down quilt.
When he withdrew his hand, he accidentally brushed against the side of his face. The subtle sensation of soft fuzz made Mu Yan feel his fingertips itching.
He did not linger, hurrying back to his room to wash away the smell of milk from his body.
Ruan Nian discovered he had woken up in bed.
His memory stopped at the excitement of inspiration, and he had no idea how he had returned to his room.
He must have been too tired from painting and ran back in a daze.
Ruan Nian didn’t take this matter to heart.
He took out his clothes and felt refreshed after a shower.
The sleep quality last night was surprisingly good. The fatigue from painting for long hours after moving was gone, leaving only waves of hunger in his stomach. Ruan Nian couldn’t wait to fill his stomach and then burrow back into the studio to paint for another whole day.
After tidying himself up and going downstairs, Uncle Rong was the only one in the house, which was bathed in morning sunlight.
Uncle Rong smiled and greeted the young man: “Good morning, Niannian. Did you sleep well last night? Come and have breakfast.”
After finishing, he paused and added as if unintentionally: “Mu Yan has already gone to the company. He will be back this afternoon.”
The two had agreed to go register their marriage this afternoon.
Ruan Nian’s steps toward the dining table stiffened.
The milk and hot porridge on the table were no longer as tempting.
Ruan Nian stayed in the studio for another morning. Not long after lunch, Mu Yan returned.
He did not enter the house, but simply parked his flyer at the entrance and sent a message to Ruan Nian, indicating that he had returned and they could head to the Information Bureau for registration at any time.
Ruan Nian, who had been curled up on the sofa comfortably browsing StarBlog comments, pursed his lips. He went upstairs, found the pheromone-blocking patch in the luggage compartment, and after carefully confirming it was applied securely, changed into another set of clothes before finally heading out under Uncle Rong’s loving gaze.
The young man was dressed very differently from usual today.
The casual sweater he usually wore was replaced with a white shirt and a light gray trench coat. He didn’t wear a tie, and one button of his shirt was undone, leaving the Omega’s exquisite collarbone exposed to the air. As he walked, the wide hem of the trench coat revealed the young man’s slender and flexible waist and abdomen.
Mu Yan felt that the pheromone blocker he had just applied when leaving the company was losing its effectiveness a bit too quickly. The tequila pheromones were restless, impatient to stain the clean youth with his own scent.
Mu Yan opened the car door from the inside and watched silently as the young man got in. He started the flyer after Ruan Nian buckled his seatbelt.
Strange. There was no milky smell on him today at all.
Mu Yan took a quick glance at Ruan Nian while turning the vehicle. A small corner of the blocker tape was visible under the cover of his black hair.
No wonder.
The pheromones that had just started to stir quietly calmed down.
It was quiet in the car, but the atmosphere didn’t seem as tense as when they were moving. It wasn’t particularly harmonious, but at least the sense of discord was gone; from the surface, the expressions of both people were natural and calm.
Before he knew it, they arrived at their destination.
There were still many people at the Information Bureau on a weekday. As soon as Ruan Nian got out of the car, he bumped into an AO couple walking out of the Information Bureau. The petite Omega’s face was full of happy smiles, and the Alpha beside him was also smiling with doting affection.
Ruan Nian felt that he and Mu Yan didn’t fit in well with the atmosphere here.
The two entered the Information Bureau side by side, and it wasn’t until they walked to the marriage registration department that Ruan Nian realized it wasn’t just a poor fit; it was completely incompatible.
The atmosphere of happy pink bubbles floating in the marriage registration department was punctured by this pair of companions who had just entered. Both people who entered had outstanding appearances and exceptional figures. The Alpha was tall and steady, and the Omega was gentle and refined. By all rights, they should be a very well-matched couple. But there was no intimacy between the two; they even deliberately kept a polite social distance.
Some waiting Omegas quickly noticed the awkwardness and turned to whisper to their Alphas.
Ruan Nian felt a bit embarrassed. Before coming, he had searched for the relevant procedures on the StarNet, but he wasn’t very familiar with the Information Bureau of the Capital Star, so he simply followed Mu Yan blindly all the way.
Fortunately, the indicator signs inside the Information Bureau were very eye-catching, and Mu Yan had also carefully studied the registration process, even asking an Alpha supervisor who had been married for many years for some details after this morning’s meeting. Although there were some discrepancies with reality, everything was generally proceeding in an orderly and systematic manner.
Marriage registration is divided into information registration, signature confirmation, photo taking, and certificate collection. Among them, information registration only requires presenting the optical computer bound to personal information, and the required data can be read by scanning it on the instrument.
Except for Betas without pheromones, as long as either party is an Omega or an Alpha, additional pheromone collection is required. In the case of an AO pairing, it must be confirmed that both parties’ pheromones have reached the minimum standard of compatibility before the marriage procedures can be directly handled. If it is lower than the standard, it is not impossible, but an additional application process must be followed. Omegas are precious due to their small numbers, so there is still caution in this regard.
The marriage registration counter that can handle pheromone collection is located at the innermost part of the entire information registration office and is separated from other registration counters by glass doors. Because Alpha pheromones might escape during pheromone collection, although in general, it is only an extremely small amount, for the sake of caution, a separate area was set up, and more powerful air purification equipment was added.
Unlike other ordinary, busy registration counters, perhaps because there were not many AO newcomers registering today, the registration counter for pheromone collection was very empty.
Mu Yan and Ruan Nian were quickly called to their number. Both felt somewhat awkward in the queue and exhaled in relief, heading toward the innermost part of the room.
At the special registration counter, the bored female Beta civil servant had been secretly observing this pair of newly arrived AO for a long time. At this moment, as the two walked straight toward the registration counter, her brain was being brushed by screams.
So handsome! Another noble son has fallen into the mortal world! And there are two of them at once!
Despite her internal excitement, the single female Beta still displayed excellent professional standards and handled the information registration procedures for the two with great enthusiasm.
There was a small snag when collecting pheromones.
Mu Yan easily released his pheromones. The strong and aggressive scent of tequila was perfectly obedient under the Alpha’s control. After the collection was quickly completed, the Alpha immediately retracted his pheromones with his powerful self-control, and the aroma of alcohol dissipated before it could even drift away.
However, Ruan Nian didn’t move for a long time.
Betas cannot perceive AO pheromones. Therefore, the staff responsible for pheromone collection are almost all Betas. This effectively prevents staff from being disrupted by pheromones during the information collection process, which causes unnecessary trouble.
The collector handed to Ruan Nian was not returned for a long time. The female Beta was a bit confused; she could not perceive pheromones and naturally didn’t know what was going on with the person involved. She looked over at the beautiful Omega, hesitating about whether to speak up and ask.
Mu Yan also looked at Ruan Nian instinctively.
For the sake of comfort, most of the pheromone blocker tapes are made very thin and firm, and while ensuring effect, they strive to minimize their presence to facilitate the daily lives of Omegas. The newly unwrapped blocker tape was at its strongest stickiness and had been applied meticulously and flawlessly. Ruan Nian touched it for a long time but couldn’t tear off the edge. Under the gaze of the staff, the tips of the Omega’s ears were covered with a faint layer of pink.
Ruan Nian was still battling the tape. He regretted not using an injectable blocker when he left the house. Injectable pheromones are more effective but stronger, and Ruan Nian’s pheromones had been unstable during this time. He was also afraid of problems during pheromone collection, which was why he finally decided to use the external blocker.
He didn’t expect that it would still cause problems in the end.
Mu Yan hesitated for a moment before standing up and leaning toward the Omega.
“Shall I help you?”
The Alpha’s approach made Ruan Nian recoil violently in surprise, and he quickly pulled away again.
The air flowing between the two stagnated.
Only then did Ruan Nian realize how inappropriate his instinctive reaction had been.
He was a bit at a loss, bowing his head. His fingers, which were about to reach the edge of the tape, fumbled haphazardly, making the tape stick even more firmly instead.
Mu Yan couldn’t see the expression on his face; the Omega’s movements were very small, but they were full of vigilance and caution.
Clearly, they had come to the Information Bureau today to register their marriage.
Yet the Omega who was going to marry him was full of defenses and resistance toward him.
There was no expression on Mu Yan’s face.
Thinking that marrying him might be an unbearable thing for the young man, who was only reluctantly completing the agreement, his mood sank.
After some struggle, Ruan Nian was unsuccessful. Finally, he desperately accepted reality.
He turned around in a desperate manner and brushed aside the loose hair on the back of his neck. The fair and slender neck was exposed to the Alpha’s gaze, signaling for the Alpha to help him remove the pheromone blocker tape.
Mu Yan froze for several seconds before realizing what Ruan Nian meant.
He stretched out his fingers to pinch the corner of the colorless tape accurately and peeled it off gently.
His fingertips brushed over the Omega’s sensitive gland, and Ruan Nian shuddered instinctively.
His body relied entirely on instinct to take the blocker tape Mu Yan handed over, his fingers unconsciously crumpling the tape into a mess.
Without the restriction of the blocker, he could finally collect the pheromones smoothly.
The scent of sweet milk slowly spilled out, rippling in the air.
Mu Yan vaguely felt that something was not quite right.
Ruan Nian’s face slowly turned red, and even his skin turned a faint pink.
He could no longer control his pheromones.
The time and place were wrong. Pheromones getting out of control in a public place made Ruan Nian extremely embarrassed. Under tension, the pheromones spread even more brazenly, and the small area around him was filled with the sweet fragrance of milk.
This time, Mu Yan did not hesitate to put his arm around the Omega’s neck, pulling his body toward him.
The distance between the two shortened instantly. The Alpha leaned down close to the Omega’s slender, fair neck, their posture extremely intimate.
Mu Yan was too close. Ruan Nian could even feel his breath spraying on his skin, and the sensitive gland on the back of his neck was shivering silently and uncontrollably.
The Alpha gently placed a kiss on the fragile gland, touching and parting instantly.
The scent of sweet milk was instantly wrapped tightly by the strong aroma of alcohol, disappearing quietly in the air.
The single female Beta felt that the pair before her was simply too sweet.
The considerate Alpha who loves his wife helped the Omega remove the blocker tape, and the two whispered intimately. She didn’t know what the Alpha had said, but the Omega turned around as if shy, unintentionally exposing his fragile back of the neck to the other party. The Alpha followed up with a kiss, as if coaxing his Omega to forgive him. Every movement was full of sweetness.
She had smelled the messy scents in the air! It was the scent of love that was so sweet it turned sour.