So noisy.
A chaotic scene unfolded before him. The ear piercing music and the overwhelming stench of alcohol made Hiiragi Yu feel dizzy, his heart pounding with a dull, painful pulse.
This was a bar, definitely not a safe place for someone like Hiiragi Yu, who had only recently come of age and possessed a frail, sickly constitution.
Yet Pan Wang had left him no choice.
Trying his best to hold his breath, Hiiragi Yu shrank himself into a corner, attempting to minimize his presence. Fate, however, had other plans.
Crack!
A crisp shatter rang out as a glass bottle was carelessly tossed to the floor, exploding into shards.
The man who threw it leaned back on the central sofa with a half-smile, eyeing the sycophant at his feet. “Pan Wang, your half-brother is a real buzzkill.”
Someone nearby immediately chimed in, “Yeah, we all went out of our way to make time for your dear brother today, yet he refuses to touch Zhou Shao’s wine. He won’t even spare us a second glance! What a big shot!”
Pan Wang broke out in a cold sweat. The Qiu family had relied entirely on the Zhou family’s business for the past two years, and he understood the true purpose of tonight’s gathering all too well. Zhou Shao had merely offered Hiiragi Yu a drink, yet the fool had dared to shrink back, getting them all reprimanded in the process!
Fuming with aggrieved rage, Pan Wang repeatedly bowed to Zhou Hui. “It’s my fault! It’s entirely my fault for bringing him here without properly teaching him manners. I’ll go fix this right now.”
He strode over, roughly grabbing Hiiragi Yu by the arm. “Young Master Zhou is calling you, are you deaf? Get over there!”
The small VIP room was poorly ventilated and suffocatingly crowded with Alphas. Hiiragi Yu felt the room spin. Dragged forward, his vision blurred, his heart hammered against his ribs, and the room flickered black. He opened his mouth, instinctively trying to gasp for air, but his hoarse throat couldn’t produce a sound.
Pan Wang noticed his condition and sneered, leaning close to Hiiragi Yu’s ear, his breath coiling like a venomous snake.
“Little mute, behave yourself, unless you want me to bring that little sister of yours here next.”
The thought seemed to excite Pan Wang as he stared maliciously at his delicate, useless half-brother. Hiiragi Yu had inherited his mother’s exquisite Omega features perfectly. Under the dim, shifting lights, shadows fell across his face, highlighting large, round eyes filled with raw fear.
Staring at his own reflection in those terrified eyes, Pan Wang let out a mocking laugh. “I advise you to recognize your place sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t mind making another trip to bring your sister along.”
Just a bastard, Pan Wang thought with contempt. Taking his mother’s surname, discarded by his father like trash, and born with such a naturally seductive face. Who knows how many men he’ll sleep with in the future? Just like his whore of a mother.
The sheer thought disgusted Pan Wang. His father was already forced to act like a dog for Zhou Hui’s father, so naturally, Pan Wang had to bow to Zhou Hui as well. Was it so wrong to hand over this worthless bastard to Zhou Hui to gain favor? What was with the high and mighty act?
Pan Wang half-dragged Hiiragi Yu across the room and shoved him onto the sofa.
Zhou Hui squinted, his voice dripping with mock criticism. “You really have no mercy for a delicate thing, do you?”
Despite his words, a greedy, satisfied grin played across Zhou Hui’s lips. His eyes scanned Hiiragi Yu thoroughly before settling intently on the boy’s slender, snow white ankles.
Lying on the leather sofa, enveloped by the stale stench of smoke and aggressive Alpha pheromones, Hiiragi Yu began to cough uncontrollably. He lowered his head, dark, ruffled hair obscuring his face as he clamped his jaw shut.
Through his hazy vision, a glass of wine was pushed onto the table in front of him.
Zhou Hui offered a slick smile, reaching out to stroke Hiiragi Yu’s cheek, but the boy instinctively jerked his head away. Zhou Hui pulled his hand back, his smile tightening as he mentally calculated how he would repay that slight tenfold later.
“Drink,” Zhou Hui commanded.
Hiiragi Yu forced himself to look up. The air was thick and murky. He took slow, deliberate breaths, staring at the glass of wine, then past it toward the young master of the Zhou family. He knew who this man was. He also knew that Pan Wang had forced him into the car today explicitly for this monster.
His nails bit deeply into his palms. He scanned the room, surrounded by mocking, predatory Alphas whose suffocating pheromones clogged the air. Their malicious jeers echoed off the walls as they fixated on his face.
And the room’s only door… was locked from the inside.
He had no weapon, no means of resistance, even his phone had been confiscated at the entrance.
I wonder if Xiaoxiao made it home safely… Is she scared?
Under the cruel, expectant gazes of the room, Hiiragi Yu slowly reached out toward the glass. The ambient light refracted through the liquid, casting fiery, amber hues.
He gripped the glass.
The alcohol was harsh, icy, and pungent. It burned as it slid down his throat, searing a painful trail into his chest. He finished every last drop.
Setting the empty glass down, he fought against the burning sensation churning in his stomach and stared directly at Zhou Hui, rapidly signing a few desperate gestures with his hands.
Zhou Hui raised an eyebrow. “I don’t understand mute.”
Yet he knew exactly what the poor beauty wanted: he wanted to escape.
Zhou Hui loved the cat and mouse game. There was nothing quite like letting a prey think they were on the verge of escaping, only to drag them back down into hell at the final moment, leaving them to utter hopeless, beautiful sobs.
The thought alone made Zhou Hui’s pulse race.
The other Alphas in the room, well aware of Zhou Hui’s twisted preferences, eagerly parted ways to clear a path, pointing mockingly toward a side corridor. “The restroom is right over there.”
None of them worried he would slip away, the entire club was Zhou family property.
Hiiragi Yu took a shaky breath and strode quickly in the direction they pointed.
Within seconds, a casual set of heavy footsteps began to follow him down the corridor.
His heart sank, a bitter cold spreading through his hands and feet. Yet at the same time, an unnatural, stifling heat began to rise from the base of his spine, flushing through his veins.
The moment he entered the restroom, Hiiragi Yu slammed the stall door shut and threw the bolt.
The cramped space enveloped him, offering a brief illusion of safety, but his heart was pounding wildly out of control. He realized with growing horror that if this heat continued to spread, he would lose consciousness entirely.
He pressed a trembling hand against his throbbing chest, forcing his mind to map out the club’s layout to find an exit. His fingers instinctively reached into his pocket, only to hit empty fabric. Right, his phone was gone.
The heavy footsteps stopped directly outside his stall door.
Zhou Hui leaned against the frame, knocking lightly on the wood with a mocking chuckle. “Need me to come in and help you out? Poor little thing.”
Silence.
Hiiragi Yu could hear his own frantic heartbeat echoing in his ears. His eyes stung with unshed tears, his fists clenched so tightly his palms bled. He lowered his gaze, his eyes locking onto a damp, heavy wooden mop resting in the corner of the stall.
Outside, after waiting several minutes without a response, Zhou Hui grew bored of the tease. He decided to kick the door down, hurting the boy a little would only add to the fun. He raised his foot, preparing to break the lock, when he heard the faint click of the latch turning.
Zhou Hui smirked, stepping forward. “Finally ready to come out…”
Before he could finish, a heavy, filthy object was slammed directly into his face.
“Fuck!”
It felt like a solid punch. Zhou Hui reeled backward as foul, murky water splashed into his eyes and mouth, bitter, stinging, and vile. The pain was searing; his vision went completely black as he stumbled back into the sinks, desperately groping for the faucet to flush his face.
What kind of weapon did he even find in a stall?!
When Zhou Hui finally managed to pry his burning eyes open, he saw the dripping mop head lying on the floor. His face turned from red to a terrifying, pale rage.
“Hiiragi Yu! You’re fucking dead!!”
Hiiragi Yu couldn’t hear the threats anymore.
He ran on instinct, relying on his hazy memory of the club’s layout. Down the stairs, floor after floor, spiraling downward into the light.
Run. Just run.
The words repeated like a mantra, but his frail body couldn’t handle the exertion. His legs felt as heavy as lead; every breath slashed through his lungs like razor blades.
His vision swam.
Behind him, heavy footsteps echoed again, rapidly closing the distance.
He was going to be caught.
His teeth chattered violently from terror and cold sweat. He parted his lips, desperately trying to scream for help, but the sound remained locked behind his vocal cords.
Sometimes, he thought it would have been easier if he had just left this cruel world alongside his mother years ago. Every bitter experience since then seemed to prove that thought right.
Yet, he kept running. He was still terrified of dying.
The drug forced into his drink was accelerating with his frantic heartbeat. The feverish heat consumed his limbs, turning his knees to water.
He rounded another sharp corner in the dim corridor.
He refused to stop. His lungs burned with the metallic taste of blood, and the sounds of pursuit behind him began to fade, warping into a distant hum. He wondered if he was hallucinating, if his entire struggle was just a fever dream before losing consciousness.
Until he crashed violently into a solid, warm chest.
The impact jolted him awake. Thinking he had slammed into a concrete pillar, he instinctively tried to step around it, but his body hit its absolute limit. The effort only caused him to sway weakly.
Then, a strong, firm hand reached out, gripping his shoulder to steady him.
Hiiragi Yu froze. Looking up through bleary eyes, he realized he hadn’t hit a wall, he had run into a tall man. Standing before him, Hiiragi Yu barely reached the man’s shoulder, catching only the view of a sharp, defined jawline.
An Alpha.
His fading rationality screamed at him to run. He struggled weakly to break free, yet his treacherous body was forced to lean into the stranger’s grip just to remain standing. The intense heat inside him roared out of control.
Sudden footsteps and loud shouts rounded the corner.
Hiiragi Yu’s body reacted in sheer panic. A desperate surge of adrenaline hit his system; he tried to bolt, but the grip on his shoulder held him firmly in place. Hunched over in terror, he grabbed the nearest heavy object from a nearby decorative table and swung it backward with everything he had.
“Fucking hell!”
Zhou Hui had just turned the corner when the thrown object struck him square in the temple. The sheer impact made him stagger back, clutching his head. “Dammit, Hiiragi Yu…”
“Zhou Hui! Shut your mouth!”
An authoritative, furious shout cut through the corridor. Zhou Hui blinked through the pain, looking up to see his father, Zhou Pao, standing respectfully behind a taller, impeccably dressed young man. Zhou Pao was bowing nervously, a forced, sweaty smile pasted on his face.
“Please excuse us, Mr. Cheng! Xiao Hui is my youngest, he’s a bit spoiled and reckless,” Zhou Pao stammered frantically. “I heard these kids were hanging out upstairs, so I told them to stay on the upper floors. I had no idea they would disrupt you…”
Cheng Shenzhi completely ignored him.
The breathless boy in his arms was clearly affected by a heavy drug. Hiiragi Yu was struggling blindly, so panicked he could barely be contained. Cheng Shenzhi had to catch the boy’s wrist with his free hand to stop him from recklessly swinging again.
As his wrist was caught, Hiiragi Yu’s awareness flickered one last time. Oxygen drained from his lungs, and the suffocating hallway began to blur into total darkness.
The angry shouts faded away.
The sudden realization that the threat was gone brought a wave of absolute relief. Even though he was trapped in the grip of an unfamiliar, powerful Alpha whose face he couldn’t see, his exhausted body gave out entirely.
His legs collapsed, and he slid like melted snow directly into the Alpha’s chest.
Cheng Shenzhi: ?
Cheng Shenzhi reached down, catching the limp boy before he hit the floor. Slipping a firm arm under Hiiragi Yu’s shoulders, he effortlessly hoisted the unconscious youth against his side.
When Cheng Shenzhi finally looked up, his dark eyes were cold with undisguised displeasure.
Zhou Pao felt his scalp go completely numb.
He knew Cheng Shenzhi’s reputation all too well. The man had zero tolerance for lowbrow scandals, and anyone who had ever tried to throw sordid traps in his path had been crushed completely. Under that icy stare, Zhou Pao wanted to swear to the heavens that he was innocent.
“You brainless brat, get over here and take him away!” Zhou Pao hissed at his son, before turning back to Cheng Shenzhi with a desperate, servile bow. “I am so deeply sorry, Mr. Cheng! I never expected such a mess to happen near your private room. Please forgive us, I will personally come to apologize properly tomorrow!”
Zhou Hui finally realized he had stepped on a landmine, though years of getting away with vicious behavior made him slow to grasp the true danger. He offered a half-hearted bow and muttered, “Sorry about that. My friend just drank too much. I’ll take him off your hands now.”
Stepping forward, Zhou Hui reached out to grab Hiiragi Yu’s arm.
Before his fingers could even graze the boy’s sleeve, a crushing, oppressive wave of top-tier Alpha pheromones crashed down upon him like a physical weight.
Instinct took over, Zhou Hui’s knees buckled instantly, slamming into the hard floor. He couldn’t muster a shred of resistance. Shock and absolute terror flooded his mind as he realized the Alpha standing before him was on a level he couldn’t even fathom.
“No need.”
Cheng Shenzhi cast a indifferent glance at the kneeling Zhou Hui, his voice smooth, cold, and laced with quiet sarcasm. “Like father, like son. Your family’s club management is truly impressive.”
Without waiting for a reply, Cheng Shenzhi adjusted his grip on the unconscious Hiiragi Yu, turned on his heel, and walked toward the private exit.
“I’m taking him.”
Zhou Hui, still young and arrogant, didn’t fully comprehend the dangerous subtext behind those words. He leaned against the wall, trembling as he forced himself to stand, feeling a mixture of terror and bitter resentment. He was relieved the terrifying Alpha hadn’t crushed him further, but furious that the delicate prize he had hunted all night had just been carried away by someone else.
He turned toward his father, who was standing frozen, his face alternating rapidly between pale white and flushed red.
Thinking his father was just feeling humiliated by the pressure, Zhou Hui complained bitterly, “Why did you have to ruin my night? I was right in the middle of…”
SLAP!
Zhou Pao swung his arm with everything he had, delivering a brutal slap that sent Zhou Hui stumbling sideways, his cheek swelling instantly.
“You absolute bastard! You worthless piece of trash!”
Zhou Pao’s hand trembled violently as he pointed a finger directly at his son’s nose, his voice shaking with pure rage. “How could I have raised such a brainless pig?!”
If you’re going to commit a crime, do it cleanly! What kind of idiot lets their prey run wild through the VIP corridors?!
And of all people to run into… Cheng Shenzhi!
Did Zhou Hui honestly think “impressive management” was a compliment coming from a man who could dismantle the Zhou family business with a single phone call?!
To put it bluntly, Zhou Hui was nothing more than a mindless bully and tonight, his brainless arrogance had just dragged the entire Zhou family to the brink of ruin.