He moved closer.
While chaos reigned on one side of the club, the other remained eerily quiet.
Assistant Tao followed closely behind Cheng Shenzhi, his mind racing the entire way. A few years ago, situations like this had been a frequent occurrence. Having traveled with Cheng Shenzhi for so many years, he was well-versed in the routine and had figured out what was happening the moment the boy had stumbled toward them.
The boy had been drugged.
Assistant Tao’s immediate instinct had been to step forward and intervene. Over the years, he had shielded Cheng Shenzhi countless times, following a strictly perfected procedure. Betas were taken straight to the nearest hospital, while Omegas were placed nearby for emergency treatment by Dr. Xu before being transferred. Naturally, the bills were always sent straight back to those who harbored ill intentions.
Yet this time, before he could even take a step, he watched Cheng Shenzhi reach out, either to catch the boy or to stop him.
Assistant Tao blinked rapidly, wondering if fatigue was making him hallucinate. Then, he witnessed an even more surreal scene.
Instead of taking the opportunity to throw himself into Mr. Cheng’s arms, the young man had snatched Mr. Cheng’s phone and cracked Zhou Hui across the forehead, leaving a prominent bump.
Maintaining his professional composure, Assistant Tao showed no outward sign of distress, though inwardly he drifted over like a ghost to retrieve his boss’s phone.
…So, what should he do now?
Out of habit, Assistant Tao opened the car’s rear door and watched as Cheng Shenzhi placed the young man inside. In that brief moment, he caught a clear look at the boy’s face.
He was strikingly handsome and young. His eyes were closed, looking almost peacefully asleep, but his slightly parted lips, rapid breathing, and the flushed skin at the corners of his eyes betrayed the intense torment he was enduring.
Instantly, the plot of a web novel Assistant Tao had read before bed flashed through his mind:
[A delicate, innocent Omega is framed by his half-brother and accidentally has a one night stand with the aloof, dominant Alpha at the top of A City. The next morning, before the man wakes up, he flees, unaware he left his coat behind. Three years later, he returns with a genius child, completely unaware that the man survived three years of a violent, highly susceptible period solely because of that leftover coat…]
No way. Is a novel actually coming to life?
Assistant Tao gripped the steering wheel, temporarily dazed by the thought, before asking tentatively, “Should I take you home first, then take him to the hospital?”
Or skip the hospital altogether? If he remembered correctly, his boss owned a property nearby, just a ten-minute drive away.
Cheng Shenzhi replied coldly, “Hospital first.”
Assistant Tao let out a quiet breath of relief. Right. Novels are just novels.
Dismissing his stray thoughts, he stepped on the gas, and the car accelerated smoothly. Inwardly, he criticized the Zhou family’s choice of venue, why host an event in such a remote suburb? It would take at least an hour to reach the nearest medical facility.
He glanced into the rearview mirror.
Though the back seat was spacious, the young man was curled tightly on the right side, occupying very little space. He looked miserable, his face pressed against the door panel, a single tear glistening in the corner of his eye.
The suburban roads were rough, and the bumpy ride made him sway precariously side to side, looking utterly pitiful.
Assistant Tao was too busy driving to help, while the other occupant in the back seat…
Assistant Tao glanced over again. Cheng Shenzhi was leaning back on the left, staring down at his phone and occasionally tapping the screen. He was completely absorbed in handling official business.
Assistant Tao immediately recalled the company’s newly launched venture and the turbulent market they had just entered. Just thinking about work gave him a headache.
Still, that boy is probably a Beta, right? Assistant Tao pondered.
Although their boss treated Alphas, Betas, and Omegas with equal indifference, if the boy were an Omega, enduring a drugged state for this long without treatment could lead to permanent damage, such as severe cycle dysregulation.
Looking at his boss’s icy expression, Assistant Tao pushed the thought aside and focused on the road.
Let the Alphas worry about these things, we Betas only care about work and money.
After resolving the most urgent business matters on his phone, Cheng Shenzhi set the device down and rubbed his temples. Thinking back to the Zhou father and son, his expression turned dark.
It seemed he had been away for too long. People were becoming bold.
Then… he glanced at the person beside him.
The atmosphere back at the club had been chaotic. When the boy collided with him, Cheng Shenzhi thought he had caught a faint, sweet scent, unmistakably Omega pheromones.
Normally, a drugged Omega’s pheromones would flare out of control, instantly drawing nearby Alphas. At first, Cheng Shenzhi assumed the scent was faint because the boy had taken suppressants beforehand or had low pheromone activity.
Yet now, far removed from that chaotic environment, he still couldn’t detect any prominent scent.
A Beta, then?
At least that meant avoiding lasting physiological damage.
“How much longer?” Cheng Shenzhi asked.
Assistant Tao replied, “At least another forty minutes, sir.”
Forty minutes?
Cheng Shenzhi frowned. He was about to give an order when he suddenly froze.
A faint fragrance brushed past his senses. His Alpha instincts immediately kicked in, pinpointing the source.
…He is an Omega.
Cheng Shenzhi’s expression darkened instantly. His thumb swiped across his screen, opening a chat labeled Xu Jianqian.
Three minutes later, he put down his phone. “I believe I bought a house near here a few years ago.”
Assistant Tao instinctively responded, “Yes, sir. It’s about a five minutes drive from here.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Assistant Tao realized something was wrong. He glanced at the rearview mirror, meeting a pair of deep, icy black eyes.
“Turn around.”
Assistant Tao executed a sharp U-turn on the deserted road, heading in the opposite direction. A sudden chill ran down his spine as he belatedly realized that Cheng Shenzhi’s mood was exceedingly bad.
He didn’t dare utter another word, silently driving to the estate. When they arrived, Cheng Shenzhi lifted the young man into his arms, then cast a quick glance back. “Go pick up Xu Jianqian.”
He paused slightly before adding, “Bring two suppressants.”
Assistant Tao was startled, wondering if Cheng Shenzhi’s sensitive period was approaching early. Doing the math, it was still a week away. He carefully asked, “For Alphas?”
“No.”
The reply was brief, but the implication was clear.
Assistant Tao nodded hurriedly, restarted the engine, and sped off. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a final glance of the tall Alpha carrying the young Omega into the residence.
What kind of mess have we gotten into tonight?!
When he was lifted, Hiiragi Iku instinctively squirmed, but his strength had long been drained by the drug. Feeling the cool touch of the person holding him, he instinctively pressed closer. His weak fingers fumbled blindly for security until they latched onto something firm and warm.
Satisfied, he quieted down, closing his eyes and resting his flushed cheek against Cheng Shenzhi’s chest.
Cheng Shenzhi lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on the fingers clutching his lapel. The small wrinkles forming in his suit fabric held his attention for a long moment.
A cool night breeze blew in through the open entryway, dispersing the remaining heat from the car. The delicate fragrance faded once more until it was almost undetectable, making Cheng Shenzhi second guess his own perception.
He stood still for a moment before striding inside.
The house had been vacant for years, though a housekeeper cleaned it regularly, making it suitable for a temporary rest. Cheng Shenzhi placed the boy on the living room sofa, then paused to sample the air.
The scent remained remarkably faint, so faint he couldn’t even identify its notes. An Alpha of a lower rank might not have detected it at all.
Temporarily setting his doubts aside, Cheng Shenzhi went upstairs to the master bedroom. After searching through the bedside nightstand, he found a box of emergency suppressants left behind years ago.
If necessary, an Alpha’s heavy suppressant could be used on an Omega in an emergency. However, for a delicate Omega, an Alpha grade formula was intensely harsh and could cause physical distress. According to the medical notes Xu Jianqian had just messaged him, the most common side effect was a high fever, a mild consequence compared to permanent gland damage.
Considering the dosage, a quarter or half an injection should buy enough time for the boy, whose name was Hiiragi Yu, if he remembered correctly, to hold out until Dr. Xu arrived.
Calculating the risks, Cheng Shenzhi found the plan acceptable. He picked up the syringe and was about to head downstairs when he suddenly hesitated. He looked at the box for two seconds…
Then, he calmly tossed it back into the drawer.
Great. Two years expired.
Cheng Shenzhi felt a rare headache coming on. He messaged Xu Jianqian once more to urge him to hurry. As he turned to go downstairs, he paused, pulled out the expired syringe, deftly injected it straight into his own arm without looking, and tossed the empty container into the trash can.
As he descended the stairs, Cheng Shenzhi reflexively looked toward the sofa. Before he could spot the boy, a soft thump echoed through the room.
His brow twitched. He quickened his pace and rounded the corner, only to find Hiiragi Yu sitting dazedly on the carpet beside the sofa. The boy looked entirely disoriented, unsure of how he had ended up in this unfamiliar place, and instinctively curled into a ball to hide himself.
His limbs were completely devoid of strength, and his eyes quickly filled with a hazy mist. He looked up, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily, his eyes completely unfocused.
Perhaps it was the expired suppressant taking effect in Cheng Shenzhi’s system, but the lingering Omega pheromones in the air grew even fainter, almost entirely disappearing. This brought Cheng Shenzhi a moment of relief.
He stepped forward, reaching out to lift the boy, but Hiiragi Yu reached his limit. Tormented for far too long, his entire body trembled uncontrollably. He opened his mouth as if trying to speak, but only hot, ragged gasps escaped.
The leather sofa felt slick and the carpet soft, but against his feverish skin, every texture felt unbearable.
A voice seemed to hover near his ear, trying to keep him tethered to reality, but it was no use. He instinctively sought cool relief, but his vision was blurred in total darkness, filling him with a sense of helplessness. His hands fumbled wildly through the dark until his fingertips brushed against something firm and cool.
It was cooler than his burning body temperature, a sensation he desperately craved. Unconsciously, he leaned closer, his nose catching a subtle, deep scent that his fevered mind couldn’t quite name.
He pressed himself forward just as the front door rattled open.
Xu Jianqian, who had been dragged out of bed after working three consecutive night shifts, rushed into the villa clutching his medical kit. Before he could even begin cursing out Cheng Shenzhi for the late night emergency, he checked his watch and realized the usual 45 minutes drive had only taken him 30 minutes.
Deeply impressed by his own driving skills, he felt he deserved a medal. As he hurried through the entrance, he pulled out his phone and texted Cheng Shenzhi.
“I’m inside. Where are you?”
Five minutes passed with no reply.
Xu Jianqian: “…Hello?”