【Yun Xi lay numbly on the bed, letting his tears roll down.】
【Gu Xun smoked a cigarette, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at him and said, “My condolences.”】
【A call came in. Gu Xun answered it and said to the person on the other end, “Keep investigating. This matter is definitely tied to Su Yanqing’s younger brother.”】
【Gu Xun’s face was grim as he said coldly, “Yanqing’s death cannot just be left like this.”】
Yun Xi recalled the descriptions in the text. Although it was not explicitly stated, that attack seemed to involve another conspiracy. However, the story had ended abruptly when he jumped into the sea, providing no answers.
After sitting in silence for a long time, Yun Xi put down his pen and got up to pour a glass of water.
Even if there was a conspiracy, what did it have to do with him? As long as he kept his fathers from going to Country G, the tragedy would not happen. As for Su Yanqing, whether he lived or died, what did it matter to him?
Yun Xi set the glass down. The glass clinked against the wooden table with a sharp snap.
At noon, Yun Xi was too lazy to go out, so he opened a bottle of nutritional supplement to make do for a meal. Hearing a knock at the door, he paused and did not open it rashly.
A while ago, Yun Xi had moved out after a fight with his family. Only a few close friends knew his current address. If they were coming over, they would usually say so in advance.
He leaned toward the peephole to look out. A man was standing at his door, carrying a bag. Recognizing the man’s face, Yun Xi squinted his eyes in confusion.
He looks a bit familiar.
Wait! Suddenly remembering where he had seen this person, the hair on Yun Xi’s neck stood on end. It was that “fake driver” from last night.
What was going on? Why was he at the door? In an instant, countless suspenseful murder plots flashed through Yun Xi’s mind. He did not dare to breathe, staring tensely outside.
The fake driver knocked again. Seeing that no one answered, he seemed to assume no one was home. He hung the bag on the doorknob, turned around, and walked into the apartment directly opposite.
Yun Xi: “?”
Yun Xi straightened up in bewilderment and began to think. So, the new neighbor who just moved in was actually that “cheap driver” from yesterday? Was there really such a coincidence? Could it be that he had taken an interest in his looks yesterday and followed him all the way here?
Yun Xi waited a bit longer. Once he saw the man come out of the apartment again and take the elevator to leave, he opened the door and picked up the item on the doorknob to inspect it.
Inside the bag was a box of pineapple cakes from a bakery Yun Xi frequently visited. This was a shop with daily limited supplies that usually required a long line to buy. There was a sticky note on the box that read: “Hello neighbor, I am the new resident of 1702. Please look after me in the future.”
Yun Xi looked around suspiciously before retreating back into his home. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; it was likely just a coincidence. However, since he had played a trick on the man last night, it would be best if they did not run into each other.
Bai Jingchen was a loudmouth. Less than a day after Yun Xi and Gu Xun broke up, the news had spread throughout their circle. A few socialite friends contacted Yun Xi saying they wanted to throw a breakup party, but Yun Xi ignored them.
In the evening, there was another knock at Yun Xi’s apartment door. Yun Xi saw the visitor through the peephole and opened the door in surprise.
“Dad, why are you here?”
Standing outside was a refined man who, at first glance, looked about seventy to eighty percent like Yun Xi, though the corners of his eyes and brows were gentler, like a warm spring breeze.
Shen Jiu walked into the apartment with a smile and said, “I heard my baby had a breakup, so I came to see if you were secretly crying.”
Being called a baby by his Omega father made Yun Xi’s cheeks flush. “Who would cry? How old do you think I am?”
“Xixi is still a baby in Daddy’s eyes. I still remember when you were born, you were just this tiny.” Shen Jiu pulled Yun Xi in, dotingly ruffling Yun Xi’s orange hair.
Yun Xi helplessly listened to his father ramble for a while. Once the older man seemed a bit tired, Yun Xi finally brought him a glass of water. “Dad, did you come just to see me? Is there something else?”
Shen Jiu’s eyes flickered as he took a sip of water. “Can’t I come see you for no reason? Xixi has grown up and does not love Daddy anymore.”
Yun Xi, feeling a headache coming on, made a “stop” gesture and said, “Fine, fine, come whenever you want.”
“So good.” Shen Jiu set the water down, hesitated for a few seconds, and said, “Baby, is your heat coming up soon?”
Yun Xi nodded, thinking to himself that here it comes. His dad was going to pressure him to get married again.
Sure enough, Shen Jiu said, “Xixi, you’re 26 now. You’ve been using suppressants to force down your previous heats. Do you not feel like it is getting harder and harder to endure?”
Yun Xi kept a stoic face and covered his ears.
Shen Jiu pulled his hands away and continued softly, “That Gu Xun from before had a good family background and a rare 100% compatibility with you. I was actually quite satisfied. But since he does not know what is good for him, we do not have to hang ourselves on that one tree, right? I asked someone to check the Pheromone Matching Database. There are plenty of high-quality Alphas in City B right now who have high compatibility with you. Baby, will you take some time to meet them?”
Having finished his piece, he produced a stack of papers like a magic trick, all filled with information on various Alphas. Yun Xi looked at the ceiling, signaling his resistance. “Dad, I do not want to get married right now.”
“It is fine if you do not get married. Just meet them, go on a date,” Shen Jiu said. “Stop using suppressants and spend your heat properly.”
Yun Xi was born prematurely and had a weak constitution as a child. His two fathers had carefully raised him for many years to get his health in order. However, after presenting as an Omega, Yun Xi’s physiological reactions were more intense than average. Because Yun Xi was too picky about Alphas, he had spent all his heats so far using suppressants. The pheromones had been accumulating in his body without release, causing adverse effects on his health.
The most notable effects were that his heats were becoming more violent and frequent, and his pheromones were becoming harder to control. Because of this, every time Yun Xi went out, he would apply a pheromone-blocking patch to his nape to prevent his pheromones from leaking out and inducing nearby Alphas into their rut.
Yun Xi knew his father was worried about him. After a long silence, he finally compromised. “I know. I will take a look.”
Shen Jiu nodded with relief. “I have looked over the Alphas this time very carefully. There is one named Su Yanqing. He has a 98% compatibility with you. He was studying in Country G before and just returned recently. His conditions are very good. Will you take a look, baby?”
Hearing Shen Jiu’s words, Yun Xi suddenly sat bolt upright. “Su who?”
Shen Jiu was startled by Yun Xi’s reaction. “Su Yanqing. Baby, do you know him?”
Yun Xi blinked and looked at the stack of A4 papers on the coffee table. On the top sheet, in the name column, the three characters for “Su Yanqing” were written clearly.
Just returned from Country G. That was right, it matched. 98% compatibility. Yun Xi grabbed that piece of paper and looked at it back and forth for a long time before slowly setting it down.
“Well? Do you want me to have someone contact him so you two can meet?”
“No, no, no!” Yun Xi waved his hands hurriedly. “I will look a bit more.”
Shen Jiu stared at Yun Xi inquisitively for a moment before saying, “Good. Tell me if you find one you are satisfied with.”
After walking Shen Jiu to the door, Yun Xi waved goodbye. Shen Jiu walked a few steps, then turned back, looking hesitant. “Xixi, about your father’s side.”
Yun Xi knew what Shen Jiu wanted to say and did not give him the chance to finish. “Dad, it is late. I am going to rest now.”
Shen Jiu had no choice but to swallow his words. “Yes, I am leaving.”
Yun Xi watched Shen Jiu enter the elevator, his mood becoming complicated. The reason he had moved out before was because his Alpha father had brought home an illegitimate son who was even older than him. The father who had doted on him excessively and said he was his only child actually had a son older than him. To the pampered Yun Xi, this was no less than a bolt from the blue. Moving out was not enough. He had even fled to Country G to go skiing and clear his head, which was where he met Gu Xun.
In that book, after Yun Xi’s father died, a lawyer brought his will. It clearly stated that all his assets would be inherited by Yun Xi after his death. The illegitimate son would not get a single penny. The grief-stricken Yun Xi had seen the will and recalled his cold treatment toward his father. Looking at the cold black-and-white photo on the tombstone, he had suffered a mental breakdown and decided to end his life.
“Whew.”
Yun Xi exhaled. But now, he already knew the plot in advance. Those things would not happen again. However, he would not forgive his father so easily either. He would let him twist in the wind for a while longer.
Back on the sofa, Yun Xi looked at Su Yanqing’s information sheet again. There was no photo attached, only some past experiences. If it were not for Gu Xun’s “fated match” scenario, Su Yanqing’s 98% compatibility would have likely given him a huge shock. Now, though he was still surprised, it was more a shock that he and Gu Xun’s “White Moonlight” actually had such high compatibility. Should he say it is expected of a “dog-blood” novel world? It certainly was dramatic enough.
Yun Xi tossed the paper aside and did not look at it again.
A few days later, Yun Xi walked out of the company, only to run into an uninvited guest. He held a do-nothing position at his family’s company and would occasionally show up to work when he was bored.
Sitting in his car, Yun Xi looked at Gu Xun, who was blocking the front of the vehicle, and felt an urge to slam on the gas and drive right through him.
He put on a fake smile. “President Gu, what brings you here?”
“You have blacklisted all my contact information,” Gu Xun said, walking to the driver’s side with a grim face.
Yun Xi looked at him strangely and fired off three questions: “Is it not normal to blacklist someone after a breakup? You still want to contact me? For what? Do you want to get back together?”
Gu Xun choked. After sending Yun Xi a message and seeing the red exclamation mark pop up, he had already been somewhat angry. He tried calling Yun Xi’s phone afterward, but it never went through. He only realized he had been blacklisted after his secretary reminded him.
But that was not the point. Gu Xun suppressed his anger and said, “Yun Xi, I only knew you were unscrupulous in achieving your goals, but I did not expect you to do something so contemptible.”
Yun Xi paused and raised an eyebrow. “What did I do?”
“You,” Gu Xun seemed to find it difficult to speak, gritting his teeth. “Why are you spreading rumors saying that I, I am incompetent?”
Oh. Yun Xi’s eyes darted around, and this time his smile was more genuine. “What do you mean by incompetent?”
Gu Xun’s cold, hard face actually flushed red. It was unclear if it was from anger or because the words he was about to say were too shameful. “You told Bai Jingchen that I am impotent.”
Yun Xi feigned surprise and said, “You found out? Actually, I was just guessing. After all, everyone says how powerful the pheromones of a fated match are, but I saw you did not have any reaction at all, so.”
Looking at Yun Xi’s crafty face, Gu Xun felt anger surging along with some other unidentifiable emotion. He took a deep breath and asked, “I do not care if it was intentional or a guess. Do not spread rumors everywhere. Also, how did you find out about Su Yanqing?”
Yun Xi tapped his index finger on the steering wheel, watching Gu Xun’s state of tension, anger, and forced restraint with great interest.
“Hmm, many people should know about this, right?” he said slowly. “The matter of you having a secret crush on an Alpha.”
A flash of alarm and fear crossed Gu Xun’s eyes as he snapped, “Who told you?!”
Yun Xi theatrically covered his mouth. “So urgent. Could it be true?”
“No!” Gu Xun clenched his fists, his voice turning icy. “I do not know who you heard this ridiculous news from, but I am warning you. Do not dare cause a scene in front of him.”
He stared dangerously at the Omega in the car. The pheromones of an S-rank Alpha surged forward with a heavy sense of oppression. “Yun Xi, no matter how many little tricks you play, I will never fall in love with you. You are a cunning and lowly Omega.”
The highly aggressive pheromones rushed in like a tidal wave. Yun Xi’s face turned pale, and he gripped the steering wheel tightly to resist the erosion of the pheromones.
Gu Xun looked coldly at the trembling Omega, withdrew his pheromones, and turned to leave. It was only a long while later that Yun Xi lifted his head, drenched in cold sweat. He pressed hard against the gland on the back of his neck, staring in the direction Gu Xun had left, and gritted his teeth.