[Pheromones?]
Sheng Zhiyu frowned at the man in front of him, making no move as he waited for Lin Weiyu’s response.
Perhaps the terminal system for the Supporting Character Group was exceptionally slow, but the character settings and plot details that should have appeared by now remained a total blank. Even Lin Weiyu’s voice hadn’t come through yet.
Seeing that Sheng Zhiyu hadn’t rejected him, the boy in front of him slumped softly into his embrace, tilting up a fair, slender neck.
A dense scent of jasmine stained his breath. Immediately after, Sheng Zhiyu felt a faint sense of parched dryness rise in his throat. A primal hunting instinct, luring him to suck and bite the person before him.
The brief physiological reaction allowed Sheng Zhiyu to quickly deduce his identity: at the very least, he was an Alpha.
He had experienced ABO (Alpha/Beta/Omega) scenarios before. Judging by the concentration of pheromones and his own level of sanity, the boy in front of him was likely entering heat.
In a world with this setting, an Omega in their special period could influence and induce an Alpha, though the degree of influence usually depended on pheromone compatibility.
Sheng Zhiyu didn’t know the boy’s identity. He had intended to use his own reaction to guess whether they were friends or strangers, but the awakened Alpha predatory instinct gave him no room for analysis, only growing more intense by the second.
Sensing trouble, Sheng Zhiyu covered the boy’s lips just as he leaned in to kiss him, shoving him back firmly.
“Where are your suppressants?” he asked with a frown.
The Omega laughed softly, unfazed by the rejection. He pressed forward again, blowing a gentle breath into Sheng Zhiyu’s ear. “Didn’t the Little Young Master Sheng usually just bite directly? Why are you suddenly remembering suppressants now?”
Sheng Zhiyu remained silent, eyes lowered. The person before him continued in a low, airy voice, “Or is it that you’re just that heartless after a breakup? You won’t even give a temporary mark as a favor?”
The moment those words fell, the restroom door was abruptly pushed open.
A man in a black suit with a fierce expression took a steady look inside before turning back. “Sir, the Little Young Master has been found. He’s in the restroom.”
Then, Sheng Zhiyu saw a tall, straight figure appear at the doorway.
The man held a cigarette. His deep amber pupils were glazed with a chill like thin ice, which dropped another two degrees upon seeing the situation inside.
The smoke made his silhouette look heavy and somber. Yet, looking at the two people inside, a faint, light smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
“Had enough fun, Little Young Master?”
If their previous brief encounter wasn’t enough for Sheng Zhiyu to be certain, then this voice was, without a doubt… Qi Fan.
The jasmine scent was severely interfering with his rationality. Sheng Zhiyu frowned and pushed the Omega further away. The boy, who should have clung to him like a dodder flower, tried to resist but was hoisted away from behind by another force.
A bodyguard peeled the Omega off Sheng Zhiyu and lugged him out the door. The Omega initially wanted to struggle, but the moment he saw the man outside, he instantly wilted like a dejected chick.
“M-Mr. Qi…”
“You know me?” Qi Fan’s warm, slow voice dropped gently, a gentlemanly smile on his face.
The Omega nodded haltingly.
“Then be a good boy.” The warm smile vanished instantly, replaced by a distant, cold tone. “Get lost.”
In an instant, only two people were left in the restroom.
Sheng Zhiyu leaned his right hand against the sink. The Omega’s departure made him feel better, but his awakened instincts were still restless. He turned to splash some water on his face, but when he looked up, Qi Fan was already standing right in front of him.
The light scent of tobacco immediately smothered the floral fragrance. Sheng Zhiyu felt something slide down his spine to his tailbone, snapping his entire being into focus.
Qi Fan stared at him unblinkingly, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. “Clear-headed now?”
There was no sharp aggression in his tone, yet there was an inexplicably overbearing pressure.
Sheng Zhiyu turned his head slightly and said coldly, “Withdraw your pheromones.”
The simplest way to get rid of an annoying Omega’s pheromones was to replace them with an Alpha’s—and that was exactly what Qi Fan was doing.
The man stepped aside from Sheng Zhiyu’s front with measured movements. He washed his hands to remove the tobacco scent and looked sideways at Sheng Zhiyu’s slightly furrowed brows.
“Now that you’re better, shall we get on with the plot?”
Just as Sheng Zhiyu was about to speak, a flood of plot details and settings rushed into his mind like a burst dam.
Sheng Zhiyu — The cynical legitimate son of the Sheng family, lead singer of the independent band ENCHANTED, and the Backup Top 3 of this book.
A playboy who treated the world as a game, he falls in love at first sight after meeting the protagonist. He cuts off all his messy relationships and transforms into a loyal dog chasing his love. However, because he isn’t the Fated Male Lead, he can’t become the “main stock.” In the end, he becomes the protagonist’s tragic confidant, cheering on his romance and tearfully singing “Guest” at the protagonist’s wedding.
Then, Lin Weiyu’s voice arrived fashionably late.
【This is an ABO world, Xiao Yu. You are an Iris Alpha!】
【And the plot you need to follow next is: While being pestered by your ex, you are personally caught and taken home for questioning by the Sheng family. Old Man Sheng is furious after finding out you lowered your status for a commoner by signing up for a dating show.】
【The person coming to pick you up is your nominal uncle… 27 years old, an Alpha with Oud Sandalwood pheromones, and also the Backup Top 4 of this text.】
Lin Weiyu’s lag seemed to be correcting itself. After listening, Sheng Zhiyu replied slowly: [Is that Alpha, by any chance, also named Qi Fan?]
Lin Weiyu, whose ping was still incredibly high: 【…Holy crap! How did you know?!】
The moment the words left his mouth, his perspective finally synced with Sheng Zhiyu’s, and he saw Qi Fan standing by the sink.
The man calmly dried his hands, tossed the handkerchief into the trash, and gave Sheng Zhiyu a cold sweep of his eyes.
“Follow me.”
Lin Weiyu, who had expected more interference, paused.
?
Although this person’s appearance had been adjusted for age, it was definitely Qi Fan… but why was this completely different from their first meeting in the last scenario?
Lin Weiyu tentatively relayed his confusion to Sheng Zhiyu.
Sheng Zhiyu didn’t answer. After a long silence, he simply left the restroom.
He was in the city’s largest entertainment venue. The passing waiters all recognized Little Young Master Sheng’s face, bowing respectfully to greet him as he passed.
Qi Fan’s tall figure stopped in front of the elevator. With the system’s changes, the age gap between him and Sheng Zhiyu had been stretched to nine years.
The 27-year-old Qi Fan didn’t look much different from his original appearance, but his features were deeper, and his temperament had been refined into something elegant and noble.
…The face he had seen at close range in a hotel just last night suddenly felt distant.
After entering the elevator, a bodyguard pressed the button for them, followed by a journey of silence.
In the parking lot, a black Bentley glided to a stop. The man took his seat first before the bodyguard opened the door for Sheng Zhiyu.
The driver was a Sheng family employee, who greeted him with a smile. “Little Young Master is down? Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Qi.”
The man elegantly crossed his long legs, his gaze fixed out the window. His voice was warm yet deep: “It was no trouble.”
He sounded extremely indifferent.
By the time Sheng Zhiyu finished digesting the remaining plot, the car had already stopped in front of the Sheng family mansion.
The thoughts that had been jumbled by the Omega pheromones in the restroom cleared up. Sheng Zhiyu quickly entered his characteristic, professional work state.
He lowered his head, preparing to unbuckle his seatbelt, but a second before the buckle clicked open, a hand suddenly pressed down over it.
Alphas are born with a mutual repulsion for their own kind, let alone an older man. The sudden closing of distance caused Sheng Zhiyu’s instinctive reaction to be sharper than usual.
The primal rejection in his blood and bones was instantly triggered, and he subconsciously leaned back into the corner.
Qi Fan calmly took in his expression, his eyes showing no ripples.
“You plan on going back in there while reeking of a pheromone-fueled tryst?”