“Some alphas can still hold back.”
“Mr. Yan, you’re here! Was the traffic bad today?” Xiao Xiao, the head of the operations department, greeted him warmly.
RH had two bosses: Yan Chi handled internal affairs, focusing on research and development as the core of the brand, while his partner, Liang Yingwen, managed external relations and brand operations.
The two had a good relationship, but their approaches to work were vastly different.
Yan Chi was an absolute workaholic who had never been late in years and never took sick leave. Liang Yingwen, on the other hand, was the complete opposite always arriving just on time and taking vacations whenever possible.
So, Xiao Xiao was quite surprised to see Yan Chi arriving so late this morning.
“No, just some personal matters delayed me.” Yan Chi was quite particular. After leaving Ji Yueting’s place, he had gone home specifically to change his clothes before coming to work.
Xiao Xiao had known Yan Chi for quite some time and teased him, “Mr. Yan, I feel like you look even better today, and you smell so nice. Are we launching a new product? I haven’t smelled this scent before.”
“Huh?” Yan Chi looked down in confusion, tugging at his collar to sniff it.
No scent at all?
He had been in such a rush when he left home where would he have found time to spray perfume?
“What kind of scent did you smell?” Yan Chi asked.
Xiao Xiao wasn’t a perfumer and couldn’t describe it accurately. She just gestured vaguely and said, “It’s very strong, a bit sweet, and a bit bitter.”
Sweet, bitter. The keywords clicked, and Yan Chi blurted out without thinking, “Tuberose?”
“Ah? Y-yes, probably.” Xiao Xiao blinked. As a full-fledged omega, it took her a moment to process the situation. She thought to herself, puzzled: Judging by Mr. Yan’s reaction, it doesn’t seem like perfume. Could it be. someone’s pheromones? With such a strong scent, it must be an alpha.
Betas were always slow and late to notice things.
Under Xiao Xiao’s exaggerated hints, Yan Chi finally realized:
He was now covered in the scent of alpha pheromones and it was strong, very strong.
The culprit had to be Ji Yueting. Yan Chi couldn’t think of anyone else.
“No wonder I felt a bit scared when I saw you earlier. It was the pheromones, haha!” Xiao Xiao quickly pulled out a bottle of scent-blocking spray, then slipped away with an excited, gossipy expression, disappearing in a flash.
Yan Chi sighed helplessly, applied the scent-blocking spray, and only then entered the work area. Unbeknownst to him, the private chat group in the operations department had already exploded.
[Xiao Xiao, Not Xiao Xiao: OMG, guys, do you know what just happened?!]
[Jia Jia: What? What?]
[Xiao Yi: What is it, Xiao Xiao? Don’t keep us in suspense!]
[Xiao Xiao, Not Xiao Xiao: I just ran into Mr. Yan at the entrance, and he was completely covered in the scent of alpha pheromones like he’d been marinated in it… Can you believe it? That’s Mr. Yan we’re talking about! When has he ever smelled like someone else’s pheromones, especially an alpha’s?]
[Have a Snack: Damn, who dared to mess with RH’s precious gem? I, on behalf of the design department, will bring justice!]
[Ding Dang: The legal department requests to join the fight.]
[Xiao Xiao, Not Xiao Xiao: Anyway, this mysterious alpha isn’t from our company. I’ve never smelled that pheromone before. Mr. Yan said it was something like… tuberose? The level is way too high it gave me chills. Thank goodness Mr. Yan is a beta and couldn’t feel it.]
【Eat a Cookie: High level? Could it be a top Alpha? How do you manage to pick up such a strong scent?】
【Eat a Cookie: OMG. Sorry, my mind went to the gutter again. I repent.】
【Jiajia: Kick the one above out. No more dirty thoughts. Let me think.】
【Xiaoyi: Oh, I just thought of something. Do you think Teacher Yan knows he has pheromones on him?】
【It’s Xiaoxiao, not Laughing: Hiss… Now that you mention it, he really didn’t know at first.】
“…”
Silence fell over the group.
【It’s Xiaoxiao, not Laughing: The more you think about it, the scarier it gets, folks. Alphas really are terrifyingly cunning creatures.】
It was still early when Yan Chi entered the room, and Qin Siming and the others were still huddled together chatting.
“Why isn’t Xiao Yue here today?” Yan Chi scanned the room.
“Oh, he took an emergency leave this morning. I guess he hasn’t had time to tell you yet,” Qin Siming exclaimed. “When he called me, he sounded like he was about to pass out.”
Yan Chi frowned, concerned. “Is he feeling unwell? Has he been to the hospital?”
Qin Siming scratched his head. “Well, not exactly. Brother Yue is an Alpha too, and his rut came early. Going to the hospital won’t help. He’s locked up at home right now.”
Rut, another rut.
Yan Chi felt like this term had been popping up way too often in his life lately.
“Brother Yue’s level isn’t low, and he doesn’t have a partner. Going through a rut like this must be hell,” someone said.
“Yeah, last time I forgot he was in rut and went to his place to pick up a sample. As soon as I walked in, I almost got into a fight with him,” another person laughed. “Thankfully, I’m an Alpha. If it were an Omega or a weaker Beta, they’d have been dragged in and marked by now.”
Yan Chi unconsciously touched the back of his neck and remarked casually, “Some Alphas can still hold back, right?”
“Teacher Yan, you don’t understand. Physiological instincts are terrifying,” Qin Siming said with an awkward expression. “If someone can hold back even when their mind is a mess, either their pheromones are too weak, or Huh, at that point, what kind of insane self-control would that be?”
After urging everyone back to their respective positions, Yan Chi settled into work, his mind preoccupied.
A small box of scented tablets sat at the corner of the table, meant for Chichi. However, the kitten wasn’t home lately, and its owner couldn’t leave the house either, so it had been temporarily left with Yan Chi.
Yan Chi thought his younger subordinates’ words were somewhat exaggerated.
Was an Alpha’s rut really that terrifying? After all, Ji Yueting didn’t seem too out of control. At most, his personality differed slightly from usual, becoming more clingy and prone to acting spoiled.
Lost in thought, he placed the glass jar containing the tuberose specimen into his collection cabinet.
It was then that Liang Yingwen called.
“How’s work going, Teacher Yan?” Liang Yingwen asked in a casual tone.
Yan Chi had no patience for small talk. “Get to the point.”
“Hey, don’t rush. There is a point. The new products for next quarter are already developed, and we chose Plan A from the marketing team. Now we need to find a spokesperson,” Liang Yingwen paused. “As it happens, I owe the CEO of Haihui Entertainment a favor. When he heard about this, he recommended someone.”
“Who?”
“Nie Tao, the supporting male lead from that TV drama that went viral recently. I’ve seen photos, decent-looking,” Liang Yingwen said. “Anyway, it’s mainly to return a favor. If you think it’s fine, I’ll have someone go sign the contract.”
Yan Chi wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about celebrities in the entertainment industry, but since Liang Yingwen had brought it up, he couldn’t very well refuse.
“Have someone go sign it. I’ll go to the shooting location to oversee things when the time comes.”
With that settled, the contract was signed that same day, and the shooting for promotional posters and videos was promptly scheduled.
On the day of the shoot, Yan Chi woke up early.
He had always been strict about RH’s new perfume development, and not only that, his standards for promotions were high too. Whether hiring celebrities or ordinary people, he insisted on supervising personally to feel at ease.
Halfway through the drive, his phone chimed.
The message was from a certain long-lost friend who had finally returned.
Ji Yueting: [Image]
In the photo, a chubby cat stared with wide, round eyes, its pink paws raised in front of its chest, seemingly sporting a slight smile on its lips.
Yan Chi: [Is the little emperor back?]
Ji Yueting: [Back, and saying hello to you. It’s been over a week it’s asking if you still recognize it.]
Yan Chi thought to himself, what a childish alpha, but his fingers moved honestly.
Yan Chi: [Of course I recognize it. How could I not?]
Yan Chi: [By the way, the scented treats for Chichi are still with me. When do you have time to come pick them up?]
Ji Yueting calculated the time and replied: [Tomorrow afternoon?]
Yan Chi sent back a big “OK.”
The rut period felt like a dream.
Hugs, pleas, caresses, holding hands everything had clearly happened, yet no one brought it up voluntarily.
It was as if they had both forgotten, tacitly keeping silent. Everything continued as usual, and the changes Yan Chi had worried about never came to pass.
Friends.
He and Ji Yueting would still be very good friends.
The shooting location was in the city center. The photography team had collaborated with RH for many years, so Yan Chi felt reassured about that. However, the traffic was poor, and it took Yan Chi some time to get there.
Upon arriving at the venue, even before entering, Yan Chi heard a sharp voice.
“Are your makeup artists even professionals? Why does my makeup look worse the more you do? Stop, stop, stop what is this nose contouring? Did you even look at yourself while doing it?”
“And this outfit, what’s with so little fabric? Can it even cover the important parts? Who planned this? Do they think I’m here to sell myself?”
“What is all this? Do they even take people seriously?”
Qin Siming retorted indignantly, “Mr. Nie, this aligns with the perfume’s design concept. If you have any issues, you can take a look at our design sketches.”
“I don’t care about your design sketches”
“What’s all the noise about?”
Yan Chi pushed the door open, his expression cold and stern.
Instantly, the makeup room fell silent. No one spoke, and all eyes turned toward the newcomer.
Qin Siming’s eyes lit up as if seeing a parent, and he hurried over, full of grievances. “Teacher, you’re here.”
Yan Chi patted his shoulder and addressed the person in the middle of the room, halfway through makeup. “Are you Nie Tao?”
Who is this person? Why does he look like this?
Nie Tao reluctantly tore his gaze away from Yan Chi’s face, speaking with arrogance and a hint of jealousy. “Yes, are you the boss of RH, the one I’m dealing with?”
Yan Chi shook his head. “The person you’re dealing with is Mr. Liang. I’m RH’s perfumer, Yan Chi.”
“So it’s just a hired hand,” Nie Tao was about to spout some arrogant nonsense when his manager whispered a few words in his ear, prompting him to rein it in. “Yan… Yan Chi, right? You’re the person in charge of today’s shoot?”
“You could say that,” Yan Chi replied with a cool gaze.
For someone who left a poor first impression, he couldn’t even spare a smile.
Nie Tao, displeased by the response, complained, “What kind of person in charge are you? Look at this makeup artist, and the wardrobe, how are they arranged? Even if the perfume brand is small, you can’t treat people like this, can you? What kind of results can we expect from this?”
Qin Siming couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth to argue, but Yan Chi stopped him.
“Sir, he ”
Yan Chi gave him a reassuring look before addressing Nie Tao and his manager directly. “I think there’s something you haven’t quite grasped.”
“For this shoot, RH is the client.”
“You can voice your opinions, of course. But I can also choose to ignore them. I understand that you’re riding high on your recent fame, Mr. Nie, but please understand the hierarchy here. Don’t waste everyone’s time.”
“You!”
Nie Tao had never been spoken to like this before. With his inflated ego, being publicly humiliated by Yan Chi left him livid, his face turning ashen.
“If we can proceed with the shoot now, let’s continue. If not, our collaboration ends here,” Yan Chi said coldly.
Qin Siming, who had been fuming earlier, felt a secret thrill watching Yan Chi shut the other party down with just a few words.
What now? Sir Yan said it we’re the client!
The noble client!
With Yan Chi laying it out so plainly, the manager, who had been playing dead, finally stepped in to smooth things over. “Sir Yan, please don’t be angry. Xiao Tao is still young and doesn’t know any better. I apologize on his behalf. Please don’t take it to heart. Of course, we’ll continue with the shoot. We have no other objections and will follow your lead.”
As he spoke, he nudged Nie Tao’s shoulder as if urging him. The omega swallowed his pride and forced a stiff, insincere smile. “Yes, we’ll follow Sir Yan’s lead.”
Yan Chi remained expressionless. “Then let’s continue. Makeup artist, keep working on him. Let me know when the lighting is ready I need to check it.”
With that, he turned and walked out, his movements crisp and efficient.
“Siming, come with me for a moment.”
Hearing Yan Chi call him, Qin Siming eagerly followed him out.
Once outside, he couldn’t stop complaining. “Sir Yan, this Nie Tao is way too arrogant. Before you arrived, he found fault with everything, complaining about this and that. Honestly, he just got famous, where does he get such airs? If he keeps this up, he’ll probably crash and burn in no time.”
Yan Chi ignored the earlier remarks but cut him off toward the end. “Some things can be said, others cannot. Choose your words carefully. Nie Tao is our spokesperson now. Regardless of anything else, he and RH share common interests.”
Qin Siming realized his mistake and immediately apologized.
“It’s fine, just be more careful next time,” Yan Chi said gently, knowing he had been wronged. “If you encounter something like this again, don’t take it personally. If you can’t handle it, just let me know, understand? You call me ‘sir,’ so I can’t let others bully you.”
“Understood, sir,” the tall alpha nodded obediently.
Yan Chi was always meticulous about his work and fiercely protective of his team.
Nie Tao’s behavior had left him displeased, so he decided to call Liang Yingwen to get to the bottom of it.
Yan Chi had seen all sorts of people. He knew that an ordinary, newly popular actor wouldn’t dare to be picky with their client. Nie Tao’s audacity to act this way meant he must have his own backing.
Liang Yingwen, who was usually anything but serious, now wore an uncharacteristically earnest expression as he apologized, “Chi, I messed up on this one. I just found out why Haihui, such a big company, recommended him.”
Before he could finish, Yan Chi already understood.
Just as expected.
“He has a patron Shen Zong from Haihui, your old classmate,” Liang Yingwen said helplessly, clearly frustrated about having to repay a favor in such a way. “He’s probably still figuring out how to rein himself in now that he’s on the rise. Sorry to trouble you with keeping an eye on him.”
Yan Chi and Liang Yingwen had worked together for years. While not exactly close friends, they had a good relationship partly because Liang Yingwen was shrewd, and partly because Yan Chi himself was tolerant.
If you nitpicked every little thing, nothing would ever get done.
“Fine, but just this once,” Yan Chi said. “No next time.”
“Understood, Teacher Yan. I promise.”
With that settled, Yan Chi had no further thoughts for the moment and headed straight toward the set.
This shoot was for a new autumn perfume collection. The set was decorated with red maple leaves and fallen foliage, perfectly matching the theme of “Drifting.”
After checking the lighting effects and confirming everything was in order, Yan Chi briefly discussed with the photographer. Just then, Nie Tao and his entourage arrived, ready to begin the shoot.
Everything was in place, but suddenly, a commotion erupted at the entrance.
An alpha strode in confidently, followed by a few people bowing and scraping around him.
“What a grand entrance. Who is that?”
“You don’t know? That’s Shen Xingfeng, the son of Haihui Entertainment. But his father stepped down last year, so he’s the boss now.”
“How unusual. What’s he doing here?”
“Who knows?”
Though they said that, they understood perfectly well. Why else would a busy CEO leave his company to visit a shoot site if not for his little lover?
Beside the fill light, Nie Tao, who had been listless moments before, suddenly perked up at the sight of the alpha. He lifted the hem of his clothes, ready to run over, a delicate and pitiful “Mr. Shen” already on his lips, waiting to be uttered.
Shen Xingfeng casually glanced around the set. Ignoring Nie Tao’s hopeful gaze, he instead turned and walked up to Yan Chi.
“Mr. Shen,” Yan Chi greeted politely.
Unbothered by his cool demeanor, Shen Xingfeng smiled with interest, as if offering a casual greeting. “Yan, my junior, long time no see.”