In order to avoid unnecessary contact with Huo Tinglan, Ye Ci did not dare to get up late from that day forward.

Huo Tinglan was in a high position but was extremely self-disciplined. If he hadn’t come home late, he would have woken up almost as early as Ye Ci, a high school student.

After figuring out Huo Tinglan’s daily routine, Ye Ci simply went to bed early and got up early. He got up at dawn, hurriedly grabbed breakfast, and went to school. The private high school ended early in the evening, so he took the initiative to go to the racetrack after two evening self-study classes. If he felt good, he raced a few more matches, and when he was in poor condition, he sat in the lounge and read a book.

The amount of medical expenses owed to Chu Wenlin was huge, and he would not pay it back in a year or two, but on the contrary, he was not in a hurry. Having more cash in his hand could give him some confidence in a situation full of uncertainty, not to be kneaded like dough by anyone. Although after entering a marriage relationship with Huo Tinglan, he could theoretically get astronomical assets from him, Ye Ci never coveted things that didn’t belong to him.

Seeing that Ye Ci was not at home all day, obviously hiding from him, Huo Tinglan was not in a hurry and only ordered the kitchen to remake the meal plan. He tossed out the excessively extravagant and expensive dishes, and mainly focused on nutritious and tasty home-cooked meals, letting Uncle He watch over Ye Ci every day when he ate and left for school.

An eighteen-year-old Omega, married to a strange older Alpha, with no protection from his family . . . . such behavior was normal.

Like a stray cat that had suffered too much and grown withdrawn and alert, when he saw people approaching, he would wave his small paws and posture, fierce and timid.

If he pursued Ye Ci at this time, he would only be regarded as a wicked scoundrel with bad intentions. Doing too much could have the opposite effect.

No matter how urgent he felt, how eager, he must be patient and give Ye Ci enough space to get used to it slowly.

However, some people thought otherwise.

When she heard that her son had quietly picked up a 100% matching little Omega from Chu Wenlin and placed him at home, Lin Yao swept away her usual elegance and made three calls that day. She anxiously urged him to take that person to the old house to show her. She also advised him between the lines not to miss an opportunity, and that “The purpose of marriage is to form a strong union between Huo and Chu, and to relieve the symptoms of the susceptible period.” Her entreaties were full of grievance, and she wholeheartedly believed that the real purpose of their shotgun wedding should be to give birth to a little heir to the Huo family.

That night, Huo Tinglan handled official business in the study alone, flipping through documents. At the same time, he listened with half an ear to Lin Yao speaking to him gently and tenderly.

“. . . . You are already thirty years old . . . .”

“. . . . The Huo family needs a legitimate heir. At your age, it is time to consider the matter of children . . . .”

“. . . . I heard that he is studying at Tiancheng, and his academics should be excellent. I don’t think it matters whether or not it’s the bloodline of the main house of the Chu family . . . .”

“. . . . It’s such a rare match, and you’re already married, why don’t you try going on dates? I heard that the two of you can’t exchange a few words all day long, so how do you know if you’re incompatible? I’ve seen the photos, it looks so painful, you shouldn’t be celibate . . . .”

Huo Tinglan just listened with a smile on the corners of his lips, occasionally making a gentle, “En.”

“At the very least, you have to give me and your father some face, don’t you? Even if the wedding is postponed, we Huo have to pick a time to hold a family dinner between our Huo and Chu families, otherwise, it’s inexcusable . . . .”

“A family dinner can be done.” It was rare for Huo Tinglan to agree, but then the conversation changed again: “We can wait to talk about it when I’m less busy.”

They were married, the wedding was postponed, and the family banquet was not held. It was truly unreasonable.

But Ye Ci had always resisted this sort of social situation, and Huo Tinglan didn’t plan to use these trivial matters to add trouble to Ye Ci before their relationship broke the ice.

It took a long time to bring him home . . . . what should he do if he was scared away?

“You . . . .” Lin Yao got angry and started lecturing him again.

After finally dealing with Lin Yao, it was half past nine, and Huo Tinglan rubbed his brow wearily.

He didn’t know when Ye Ci would be willing to get closer to him.

His next susceptible period was approaching, and for the past few days, he hadn’t even thought about how to make a request euphemistically so as not to scare Ye Ci.

He was thinking about this when there was a knock on the study door.

“Please come in.” Huo Tinglan raised his eyes.

“Sir.” Uncle He pushed open the door, looking a little anxious, holding the phone in one hand as he said in a low voice, “The police station called and said that Young Master Ye had beat up a few people at the racetrack. He’s now being held at the station for questioning. Do you want to send someone to get Young Master Ye out . . . .”

Huo Tinglan was stunned, and said, “I’ll go take a look.” He got up, grabbed his jacket, and hurried out.

He knew that Ye Ci could fight. After all, Ye Ci’s first differentiation result was an A-level Alpha. Before the second differentiation, his body had developed according to the genetic blueprint of a top Alpha. His muscle tone, explosive power, and reflexes were all excellent. Otherwise, it would be impossible to succeed in the realm of formula racing.

However, Huo Tinglan only “knew” that at a theoretical level.

In fact, he had never seen Ye Ci fight. First of all, such violent behavior might lead to an athlete’s suspension. Secondly, based on Ye Ci’s cool and indifferent temperament in his previous life, he seemed to not care about anything, and it was impossible for him to raise a fist to someone.

Now, it had been less than half a month, and he had just beaten someone up.

It turned out that the eighteen-year-old Ye Ci was like this.

Huo Tinglan’s heart jumped twice out of rhythm.

. . . . . .

At half past seven, the school bell rang.

Tiancheng Private High School advocated a free and independent learning atmosphere. Evening self-study was not compulsory, and half of the students had already dispersed.

In the last row of the classroom, Ye Ci was leaning his forehead on one hand. He turned his body slightly at an awkward angle and blocked his tablemate’s gaze with his arm.

The physics paper given out in his fourth class that morning was said to be for strengthening their foundations. The other student was in the same class and at the same table, but he filled out the paper as if he was playing during his lunch break. Not to mention those top students, who may not even bother to do such a simple task.

Ye Ci clenched the sweaty pen and skipped another question.

The large blanks on the paper made his scalp tingle – if this was the college entrance examination, he would have already failed.

Ye Ci had studied at an ordinary high school before dropping out. He could still rank in the top few grades even with his crippled English, and physics was his best subject.

However, the standard of teaching of the regular high school he had attended and this private school was vastly different. He had taken a long break from school before, and there were too many gaps in his knowledge. He didn’t know where to start when asking a teacher. A subject teacher had to be in charge of two or three classes of students, so how could he have time to waste accompanying him through so many questions? He could only muddle through books by himself, with poor results. As for his English, which was already crippled, the private school cracked down so hard on it that he was completely lost.

Ye Ci felt that he was not even good enough to be called a slacker student. He was now just a pinch of sand, which would dissipate with a gust of wind.

“Hey, excuse me, I’m going out.” His tablemate got up to leave, and his tone was neither hot nor cold.

Ye Ci had transferred over a month ago, and had hardly interacted with his classmates. Most of the children who could study there were wealthy and respectable people. They knew each other well and knew that there was no big family sunamed Ye in B city, so they didn’t take the initiative to communicate with Ye Ci – nor did they look down on him. It just wasn’t important. The few Alpha young masters who reached out to him all experienced his rejection. After that, his classmates knew that he was not easy to get along with, and fewer people talked to him.

Even in gym class, he would find a place to be alone.

His forehead was hot and damp. It was covered in red marks from the palm of his hand, but fortunately his hair was covering it. Ye Ci casually tossed his pen on the table, folded the paper leisurely, picked up his school bag, and walked out. It looked as if he didn’t intend to answer the questions at all, and was just wasting time there in order to appease his parents.

The more pitiful he was, the more he was afraid that people would pity him.

Unable to finish his examination paper, Ye Ci was restless and anxious. As a result, when it rained, it poured, and he encountered things at the racetrack that doubled his anxiety.

The last time, about half a month ago, he had beaten up a trash fish^[1] who had tried to make him crash on the track. He was in the right, he didn’t do anything excessive, and he didn’t accept the 3,000 yuan bet that he should have taken. After all, hitting someone generated medical bills. According to his previous experience on the streets, this could be considered as taking a step back, and anyone with self-respect wouldn’t become entangled again.

The problem was that the trash fish was shameless.

After disappearing for half a month, his injuries were healed, and the trash fish led a few other small trash fish in an attempt to come win back some face. Ye Ci had an impression of his cheap yellow hair, and recognized him at a glance. Huang Mao was carrying a steel pipe in his hand, and his mouthful of vulgar cursing could be heard across the track.

At that time, Ye Ci had just finished a lap with some people and his body was hot. His sports jacket was open, revealing the blue and white school uniform underneath, clean and youthful.

The drag racing had eased his mood a bit, and the lump of pent-up frustration in his chest was blown away by the strong wind that swept through his body as he raced at high speed. Unfortunately, his good mood did not last long.

He straddled the heavy motorcycle and quietly looked at the gang of people approaching from a distance.

There were many people, but their weakness was visible to the naked eye.

Either a skinny monkey like Huang Mao, or a stout, fat man stained with beer and barbecue, neither were useful.

Before anyone approached, Ye Ci took out a carton of cigarettes and a lighter.

He was not addicted to cigarettes, and even though the carton was wrinkled, it was only missing a few, but the posture was familiar. He tilted his head slightly, his thin eyelids drooping. The burning red butt of the cigarette lifted up as he took a draw, and his porcelain-like beauty was hidden behind the smoke. He just appeared like a ruffian.

In a fight, the one with the most imposing manner had already won half the battle.

“It’s that little bastard!” Huang Mao approached, spat thick phlegm on the track, pointed at Ye Ci, and the foul language that followed was too dirty to listen to.

Ye Ci casually glanced at the surveillance camera and finished smoking half a cigarette. He stepped off the motorcycle and pinched out the cigarette butt, a few sparks leaking from his fingers.

He rolled up the sleeves of his uniform, showed no expression, and didn’t say any harsh words. He just said concisely, “Come on.”

“I’ll come, mother**** . . . .” Several people cursed and grabbed at him. The first one sent a swipe at his shoulder, slamming down with the steel pipe.

Ye Ci deliberately gave him a heavy shove within range of the surveillance camera, then stepped sideways to dodge. Five fingers clasped the man’s wrist and twisted it skillfully. The main quivered in pain, and the steel pipe fell to the ground. Ye Ci stomped on it so that it bounced up, then grabbed it with a slap and slammed it into the man’s knee!

That man tumbled to the ground and bloodied his mouth.

This sequence of events only took two or three seconds, and the other people only understood what had happened afterward.

Ye Ci weighed the steel pipe in his hand, gave a slight nod to the bloody-mouthed bastard, and said, “Thank you.”

– – That person was considerate enough to come pick this thing up and provide a weapon for him.

He couldn’t speak well, and he was also disgusted by the provocative way others spoke, so he had developed the skill of expressing ridicule with the fewest words possible

“You mother****er . . . .” Huang Mao was stunned for a moment before he could react, so angry that his face twisted out of shape. With a wave of his hand, he led the collection of thugs to pounce.

. . . . . .

At the police station.

In the guard room, Ye Ci sat on the edge of the bed with an English book rolled up in his left hand, quietly reciting words.

He was not a frequent visitor to the police station, but was also no stranger to it, so he stayed calm and did as he pleased.

The gangsters who followed that guy to come looking for trouble tonight were arrogant and conspicuous, and someone had called the police before they even started. Ye Ci thoughtfully beat them one by one, and then the police car arrived. After checking his documents, the police saw that he was still in high school and said that they would inform his family and school. Ye Ci really didn’t want to see Chu Wenlin, so he struggled through reporting Uncle He’s phone number.

Not long after the call was made, the door of the guard room was pushed open. Ye Ci thought it was Uncle He and looked up unprepared, but was startled to find Huo Tinglan’s tall, straight figure at the door.

Huo Tinglan had a coat over his forearm, and a suit vest and black shirt emphasized his chest muscles and sharp waist. The collar of the shirt was open, his hair wasn’t combed, and there was an unfathomable look on his handsome face, a bit like a smile, but his lips were not curved.

He first inspected Ye Ci from head to toe, and saw that he was not injured and that his school uniform was even neat, and then said: “You can go home.”

Ye Ci put away the English book, distanced himself from Huo Tinglan, and walked out of the room slowly. Auxiliary police officers and a shrewd-looking man in a suit and leather shoes, maybe a lawyer, were standing in the corridor. Huo Tinglan nodded at him and went downstairs first with the guard in charge.

“Have you eaten tonight?” Huo Tinglan asked calmly.

“. . . . No.” Ye Ci paused, as if afraid of being cared for, and quickly added, “I’m not hungry.”

“Even if you’re not hungry, your stomach can’t be empty all the time. Let’s go back and eat something simple,” Huo Tinglan said warmly.

Ye Ci was preoccupied and didn’t answer him. After a moment of silence, he clenched his fists and asked: “You paid, you paid how much . . . .for medical expenses? I’ll pay you back.”

According to Ye Ci’s experience, if one could be so straightforwardly released after fighting and brawling, it was certain that he had spent money to intercede.

The money was nothing worth mentioning for Huo Tinglan, but he had to bear his own responsibility.

“There was no need to pay.” There was no one in the corridor. Huo Tinglan stopped and turned to look at him.

Ye Ci was only half a head shorter than him, which was considered tall among Omegas, but his physique was thin, and looked even smaller hidden under loose sportswear. The fingers that were clutching the strap of the school bag were pale and delicate.

“Why, why . . . . is there no need to pay?” Ye Ci asked.

“You are presumed to have been acting in self-defense based on surveillance and injury reports,” Huo Tinglan explained further. “On the contrary, the issue of fighting using weapons and provoking trouble are more serious.”

A charge such as provoking a fight was enough to make that group suffer for a while.

Ye Ci no longer said a word, but his tense shoulders relaxed.

“One against five.” Huo Tinglan recalled the surveillance footage taken from the racetrack and his smile finally couldn’t be contained, spreading shallowly to the corners of his lips. He controlled his tone and jokingly said, “Nice skills.”

Ye Ci quickly glanced at him, then lowered his eyes again.

He was a teenage boy, and the phrase “nice skills” sounded very good to him, but he quickly suppressed that proud and shy smile, and said, “En,” indifferently.

Huo Tinglan noticed Ye Ci’s brief micro-expression clearly, and an idea occurred to him.

This was an expression he would never have seen on Ye Ci’s face in the past life. Ye Ci, who was unmoved when he won the Formula Racing Championship trophy would, at the age of 18, actually jump for joy a little at being told, “Nice skills.”

So childish, and so cute.

The fierce impulses of an Alpha emerged faintly in his bones, scratching at the tip of his heart. Huo Tinglan was itched and tickled, but held back and suppressed that evil fire. Unable to tease Ye Ci, he only said warmly, “Let’s go.”

The author has something to say:

Smoking is harmful to your health, please do not imitate it. The smoker in this story is an adult.

(Recently I heard that when there is a smoking scene, I have to add a statement in my notes to save myself.)

【small theater】

Young Ci: Exhibit B.

Lao Huo: A standing ovation! ! !

Young Ci: (*///_///*)

(Super happy but pretending it doesn’t matter.)

---

[1] Trash fish, 杂鱼, is an internet term that refers to a person with poor ability and no brain. ⮐

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Five << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seven

The Huo family’s main house was an hour’s drive from the Chu residence. It was closer to the city center, and also closer to the private school where Ye Ci was currently studying, making it more convenient to attend school.

The main building where the previous patriarch had lived was weathered. It did not show signs of decline, but instead embodied the weight of several generations of the family’s noble ancestry. Two annex buildings for servants were attached to both sides of the main house, hidden among fountains, pastureland, and well-manicured garden shrubs. Chu Wenlin’s house looked a little shabby in comparison.

Ye Ci got out of the car, and several servants trotted out to quietly carry the luggage. The housekeeper, Uncle He, smiled kindly. Afraid that Ye Ci would be uncomfortable, Huo Tinglan had instructed him to deliberately not use post-marriage addresses such as “Mr.”, but to instead call him “Young Master Ye.” He led Ye Ci into the main building and came to the bedroom specially remodeled for him.

The square footage of the bedroom was more than double that of his small room in the Chu residence. It was said to have been renovated, but the main changes were the furniture and decorations. All of the best environmentally friendly materials were used, and a professional team had also been hired to remove all harmful substances from the decorations. Even an Alpha’s dog nose could not detect the slightest odor.

The main colors of light blue and warm gray gave off a simple and clean sense of youth. Smart central air-conditioning was readily available, and there were separate areas for sleeping, playing, and studying in the bedroom. This was Huo Tinglan’s intent – Ye Ci was new here, and if something was lacking, or if there was something he wanted to do, he may not dare to voice it. If the functionality of the bedroom was more complete, he would feel a little less awkward.

There were several brand new skateboards hanging on the wall behind the bed, and on the left side of the display case was a row of star-autographed F1 models. There was even an autographed F1 helmet that was auctioned off at Sotheby’s in Paris last year. On the right side was a stack of painted models such as mecha race cars, still in the packaging. A huge projection screen hung on the wall opposite the bed, connected to several game consoles. A row of light-colored ash bookshelves stood against the wall in the study area, half full of books. Most were famous Chinese and foreign books, and high school study materials . . . .

There was a lot of stuff in the bedroom, but it didn’t feel cluttered. Every detail was an attempt to please a boy of Ye Ci’s age . . . . no, it was as if it was precisely made for Ye Ci himself.

Ye Ci was stunned as he looked around the room. He liked everything in here, but he just stood frozen in the doorway, motionless.

He didn’t truly think that such a well-decorated bedroom would have anything to do with him.

“This is your room, I got someone to redesign it.” The design plans were made by Huo Tinglan himself, and he was familiar with every corner of it. The furnishings in the room, the bedding and books, and even the clothing, shoes, socks, and underwear in the closet . . . . no matter how big or small, everything was chosen by him. In order to avoid Ye Ci’s suspicion, he looked around slowly, pretending to be unfamiliar with it. “I didn’t know what a boy your age would like, and time was limited. I’ll let you look around at the layout, and you can tell me if you need anything, don’t be polite . . . .” Seeing Ye Chi standing at the door, unmoving, his dashing black eyes look straight at him as he said, “Come in.”

Ye Ci didn’t want to appear timid, so he straightened up and stepped inside. It didn’t take long for him to lose his courage again, and he didn’t know where to place his feet.

He knew that according to the marriage agreement, he would live in the Huo residence long-term, and that before Ye Hongjun’s condition was stable, he would not file for separation. He calculated that it was necessary for him to live here for three to five years, and he also knew that for Huo Tinglan, renovating the room was just a matter of following the agreement. But in his opinion, this kind of treatment was still too . . . . elaborate.

The grandness of it left him at a loss.

Seeing that Ye Ci was so restrained that he was about to become a sculpture, Huo Tinglan thoughtfully did not linger. After a few simple explanations, he took Uncle He away and closed the door.

Ye Ci watched him leave, and noticed that the door frame was also installed with the kind of anti-theft latch commonly found in hotel rooms. He didn’t know if they were in every bedroom in the house or if Huo Tinglan saw past his defenses and put it there so that he could sleep at night with peace of mind. . . . as if emphasizing that he wouldn’t do anything at night.

It should be . . . . in regard to . . . .

Ye Ci grasped his hair, restless with anxiety and inexplicably embarrassed.

. . . . . . 

Uncle He left first to prepare dinner. Huo Tinglan had replaced a few chefs some time ago, and at present, all of the chefs were specially poached from elsewhere by Uncle He according to his instructions and given high salaries. Those people started work soon after, but Uncle He was not at ease and had a habit of monitoring them when they prepared meals in the morning, noon, and evening.

Huo Tinglan didn’t leave, but quietly stood outside Ye Ci’s room.

Through repeated coaxing and deceiving, he had finally brought him home.

. . . . It felt like kidnapping a child.

The corners of Huo Tinglan’s lips tilted up slightly, somewhat self-deprecating.

A little Omega in the early stage of secondary differentiation, his pheromones were still weak. Only a faint wisp of warm vanilla could be vaguely caught from the crack in the door.

The scent of Ye Ci in his memory.

Huo Tinglan took a deep breath and silently pressed his forehead against the door, caressing the door panel with his fingertips as if stroking the teenager’s emaciated spine.

As a top Alpha, Huo Tinglan’s five senses were extremely sensitive. He could clearly hear the slight noises Ye Ci made in the bedroom.

Ye Ci was walking around with the mentality of being under someone else’s roof. His steps were very light, like a kitten, stopping and going curiously.

He was very greedy for the things in the showcase, but just stood there looking at them for a while until he was satisfied. Then he conscientiously went to the writing table in the reading area and took reference books out of his school bag, stacking them on the table.

Then, there was a soft sigh.

The rustle of pages turning.

The crisp click of a ballpoint pen.

It was probably due to the new environment that he temporarily couldn’t read the book, and the movement in front of the desk stopped after a while.

Then, from inside the room came the small sound of a zipper sliding and polyester fabric swishing.

This was the sound of . . . . undressing.

Possibly to change into comfortable house clothes.

Huo Tinglan closed his eyes.

He shouldn’t be here anymore.

Five years of loving marriage had gone up in smoke and only existed in memory. To Ye Ci, he was now just an unfamiliar Alpha, but he was standing outside the door full of unspeakable love, eavesdropping on the subtle noises caused by the rubbing of fabric in the room. . . . it was rather distasteful, behaving like an old scoundrel. Huo Tinglan was self-deprecating, but his feet took root. In an ironed suit and trousers, he was firmly stuck in place, a neatly-dressed scoundrel.

At this time, Ye Ci was halfway through dressing and stopped abruptly.

More cat-like footsteps sounded, getting closer and closer.

Huo Tinglan held his breath and was about to back away, but suddenly there was a “click” from behind the door. Two crisp sounds rang . . . . the lock and the anti-theft latch, Ye Ci did it in one go.

“. . . . . .”

Huo Tinglan was stunned for a moment, and then snorted.

This . . . . was he afraid of him rushing in?

Huo Tinglan’s chest was hot and rapidly heaved up and down twice. It was like his unspeakable thoughts had been seen through.

– – He would like to.

. . . . . .

The next day, Ye Ci woke up late.

Seeing that it was almost time to leave and there was no movement in Ye Ci’s bedroom, the housekeeper, Uncle He, had to knock on the door himself to wake him up.

Breakfast was ready. Ye Ci hurriedly washed up and changed clothes, and sat down at the table, rubbing his foggy eyes.

He hadn’t rested well last night, and his sleep was light and fragmented.

Years of lacking a sense of safety in life caused him to take longer than the average person to familiarize himself with the new environment. His nerves were also tense after going to bed, and the first night in a new place was definitely not a good night’s sleep.

Ye Ci’s breakfast was already placed on the dining table.

Huo Tinglan knew Ye Ci’s preferences like the back of his hand: His appetite was larger than the average Omega, and he preferred meat. In particular, he liked to eat fish, shrimp, crab, and other seafood. He liked sweets and tropical fruits, and he couldn’t put the brakes on his mouth after a bite of ripe pineapple shakya^[1]. . . . the chef got a detailed list. The two small workers who began the work got up before dawn to dismantle the crabs, and brought three small pots of fresh crab material to the national first-class pastry chef specially poached by Huo Tinglan, and he steamed two drawers of xiaolongbao^[2]. Crab meat, crab roe, and soft crab shell were the three fillings, each with its own flavor. Uncle He originally wanted to take credit, but he didn’t expect Ye Ci’s lack of interest in the xiaolongbao. He controlled himself, averted his eyes from it, and only went to scoop up the fish filet porridge.

After scooping up a bowl, he drank the porridge and picked up a few side dishes with chopsticks.

“Young Master He doesn’t like eating crab?” Uncle He asked anxiously.

That wasn’t what Huo Tinglan put on the list for the back kitchen.

“. . . . it’s okay,” Ye Ci said vaguely.

Uncle He had served the Huo family for most of his life. He had a bright mind, and could see that the status of this young master in the eyes of the master was quite unusual. He didn’t dare to neglect him at all, persuading carefully: “This is what Mr. Huo ordered the kitchen to prepare for you, just thinking that you would like it . . . .”

Ye Ci hummed softly, still drinking porridge and eating vegetables.

Uncle He was in a dilemma when Huo Tinglan walked down from the second floor into the dining room.

He must have just rushed through a shower. The hair across his forehead fell naturally, and was particularly jet black because of the moisture. His face was handsome and dazzling, and the wrists extending from the cuffs of his bathrobe had distinct blue veins. This was his state after waking up in the morning and exercising.

– – Those desires that were particularly tumultuous in the early morning had to have an outlet.

Ye Ci immersed himself in eating and pretended not to notice his arrival, when in actuality, his ears were almost standing up like a rabbit in a hole who had spotted an eagle.

An Alpha’s pheromone concentration briefly increased after exercise, and the strong fragrance of tequila scorched Ye Ci’s exposed skin, irritating it and turning it excessively red.

Faced with the highly erosive pheromones of an A+ grade Alpha, even an Omega that matched him 100% needed an adjustment period.

“Morning.” Huo Tinglan’s gaze fell gently on the tip of Ye Ci’s hot red ear.

Ye Ci swallowed a big mouthful of porridge with difficulty, and pretended to be calm: “Morning.”

Huo Tinglan couldn’t bear to see Ye Ci so nervous that he couldn’t eat well. Just as he was about to withdraw, Ye Ci pushed the bowl away and stood up, saying inarticulately: “I . . . finished eating.”

In a hurry, he was reluctant to waste food and drank the bowl of porridge into which his spoon had been dipped. He gobbled down the last few sips, his cheeks bulging slightly.

“You’re finished . . . .” Huo Tinglan paused. Sweeping his eyes across the two drawers of xiaolongbao, he was slightly startled. He had conjectures in his heart, but didn’t show it on his face, and just said lightly, “How are you such a picky eater?”

“I’m going -” Ye Ci hurriedly grabbed his school bag. “ – I’m going to be late.”

He was used to living a poverty-stricken life. From a young age, resources had been deficient and his mother’s huge medical bills weighed heavily on his heart, the road ahead uncertain . . . . on the occasion that he saw such costly and exquisite food, he didn’t dare to move.

He was afraid of remembering the taste of good things, in case he would miss them often in the future.

The more desires someone had, the weaker they were.

“Don’t be in such a hurry, just ask the driver to drive faster.” Huo Tinglan looked at him with a soft heart. “Bring some milk and fruit to eat on the road . . . .”

Uncle He chased after him and stuffed the bottled milk and sealed box that had been prepared in advance into Ye Ci’s arms. In the box was sliced fruit, cored and peeled and cut into small pieces. Ye Ci took it in a daze and slipped away.

If it weren’t for manners, he feared he could have run a 100-meter sprint.

Huo Tinglan sighed deeply.

Ye Ci’s vigilance seemed to be stronger than in the previous life. But those pale eyes that kept stealing glances at him were also much more lively and bright than in the previous life.

Timid, but also bright. The flames burning in his eyes had not gone out.

. . . . . . 

On the other side, Ye Ci got into the car, sat in the back seat, and finally caught his breath.

Faintly, the aggressive fragrance of tequila still lingered in his nose.

He lowered the window a crack and looked down at the sealed box that he had received at some point.

He didn’t eat his fill that morning, and his belly was still half empty. After hesitating, he opened the lid and looked at the fruit inside.

The milky white lumpy flesh, which he had never seen before, smelled a bit like a pineapple.

Ye Ci picked up a piece doubtfully and turned it left and right.

. . . . What was this thing?

Ten minutes later, the car slowly parked diagonally opposite the school gate, and the driver went around back to open the door: “Young Master Ye, here we are.”

In the back seat of the car, Ye Ci glanced at the driver as if waking up from a dream.

Immediately, he wiped the milky white juice of the pineapple sakya from his lips and hurriedly stuffed the empty box into his school bag as if he was guilty of something.

---

[1] A green-skinned hybrid fruit that tastes like pineapple mixed with other flavors. ⮐

[2] A kind of steamed dumpling. ⮐

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Four << Table of Contents >> Chapter Six

In the bedroom.

The door to the storage closet was wide open, and clutter was piled up on the floor.

Ye Ci squatted in front of the suitcase and stuffed a pair of sneakers wrapped in a plastic bag into the tight space.

According to the requirements, Ye Ci should cooperate with Huo Tinglan to complete the relevant civil affairs procedures within one week after the marriage agreement took effect and move into the Huo residence, in order to provide Huo Tinglan with pheromones at any time. The formalities were completed on the day the agreement was signed, but Ye Ci took a few days to move. Finally unable to delay any longer, during the morning meal, Chu Wenlin directly ordered the driver to return to the Chu residence at one o’clock in the afternoon to bring Ye Ci and his luggage to the Huo residence.

Ye Ci owned very few things. They accounted for less than half of the suitcase, but after Ye Hongjun’s old house was sold, there were a lot of old things cleared out, and he was reluctant to throw even one of them away.

The home where he lived with his mother for seventeen years was gone, and memories this junk carried were ones that he cherished.

When Ye Ci moved from the rental house to the Chu residence, Chu Wenlin’s wife, Ruan Jiayi, made a special trip to see him. She was a beautiful Omega who was so well maintained that her age couldn’t be guessed, and had a gentle demeanor. She stepped into the quagmire and gingerly lifted her skirt, tiptoeing through the gap between the luggage to keep her ankles from touching the things on both sides. She didn’t say anything nasty, just softly instructed Ye Ci to tell her if there was anything he was unaccustomed to concerning this lifestyle. After she finished speaking, her eyes swept across Ye Hongjun’s old clothes in the storage room, and she gently hooked her lips in confusion.

Genuine contempt was often not as bitter and acrimonious as in dog blood dramas. Some people would maintain the pretense of being well bred and leisurely, pretending it was accidental while crushing the dignity of others into the ground.

The nonwoven duffel bag he had used when he arrived was long ago thrown away by the servants as garbage. Ye Ci collected several sturdy cardboard boxes. He must take everything away, otherwise the remaining 80% would be swept away by the servants as garbage.

Three full cardboard boxes were packed by Ye Ci and moved to the door, but there was a lot of junk left in the house. Ye Ci stood in the middle of the messy bedroom and looked around. A deep sense of exhaustion seeped from his bones, filling his whole body.

He pulled over the chair and sat down to rest, and his eyes fell on the edge of the bed.

There were some unfolded clothes spread out there.

Among them was a beautiful camel coat, which Ye Ci bought two years ago during a sale promotion as a birthday present for Ye Hongjun.

It wasn’t name-brand, but it was still staggeringly expensive after the discount, and used up all the savings Ye Ci had collected from doing odd jobs. The cut of the coat was good, but it was also delicate. He was afraid of crushing it, afraid of breaking it. Ye Hongjun’s treasure was so precious, and she was careful every time she wore it. After Ye Ci took it out of the duffel bag last time, he regretted it. He had not treated it well.

Thinking of his mother, his eyes were sore and painful. Ye Ci took a deep breath and dared not let himself be weak.

Footsteps came from the door of the bedroom at this moment, but Ye Ci didn’t care. He was an invisible person in the Chu family. Servants passed by the door many times this morning, but no one came in to help or ask a question. When Chu Wenlin was not home, in order to please Ruan Jiayi, the servants tacitly didn’t even call him for dinner.

Unexpectedly, the door was gently knocked on twice. Ye Ci quickly turned his head, letting the corners of his eyes brush his shoulders as he turned to look.

It was Huo Tinglan standing outside the door.

He was wearing a graphite-colored shirt. The silk was supple, showing the outline of his pectoral muscles, and the cuffs were folded up flat. He was not wearing a watch, his posture ready to work.

Ye Ci refused to let others see through his vulnerability. Bracing himself, he looked at Huo Tinglan with a trace of water in his eyes, as cool as snow.

“I’m here to pick you up . . . . Your father wasn’t home, so I came up by myself.” Huo Tinglan’s gaze stopped on the corners of Ye Ci’s reddened eyes, seeing through something. But he didn’t ask, and moved on straightaway. 

This was a guest room, small in size with simple furniture. A folding study table stood beside a well-lit window, and the lacquered imitation bamboo wood grain looked old. Tucked in the corner of the wastebasket were two wrappers with “coconut bread” and “red bean bread” printed on them. The plastic sheets gleamed with a cheap, nutrient-deficient gloss.

. . . . No wonder he was so skinny.

Huo Tinglan’s Adam’s apple rolled slowly.

This was Ye Ci’s living environment when he was eighteen years old.

According to Huo Tinglan’s previous investigation, Ye Ci would have lived here for a long time until Ye Hongjun’s treatment failed and she passed away.

The tragic news of his mother’s death would completely overwhelm him. Chu Wenlin, who had successfully divided up the inheritance, would regard him as a burden and send Ye Ci, who was mentally broken at the time, to a Youth Behavioral Correction Center.

Ye Ci would be in a world without justice, and suffer torment for a long time. Many of his mental issues arose during that period.

Afterwards, he managed to escape from that place and cut off his father-son relationship with Chu Wenlin, driving in races at second-rate racetracks to make ends meet. At that time, he lived in a shabby rental house. Still obsessed with reading, he would insist on studying and attempting the adult college entrance examination, until the manager of the well-known team with a discerning eye signed him away . . . .

From the age of eighteen to twenty-two, the four years that Huo Tinglan was absent in his last life were not long.

But for Ye Ci, they were the loneliest and most painful four years of his life. The malice and devastation from his close relatives was enough to cover an entire lifetime in a haze.

Presently, the personal assistant was about to come in with a stack of empty sorting boxes. Huo Tinglan came back to his senses and subconsciously took a step to the side, blocking the assistant’s sight into the room. He turned around to take the empty boxes and motioned for his assistant to remove the packed boxes at the door.

“What can I do to help?” Huo Tinglan asked.

Ye Ci, who had wholeheartedly put on a cold face, was stunned when he heard those words and refused the help reflexively: “Nothing.”

Huo Tinglan was silent for a while, looked at the storage closet, and confirmed: “You’re taking all of it?”

“. . . . Right.” Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he could choke. He smoothed his tongue with difficulty and spoke well, “I’ll pack it myself.”

Huo Tinglan looked at him for a moment, stopped talking, and started to separate the boxes into stacks. Crouching down and packing things one by one, his behavior was proper and natural, as if he should have done these things for Ye Ci in the first place.

A lot of these relics had great commemorative significance: photos of mother and son, various learning awards from Ye Ci’s Elementary and Junior High schools, Ye Hongjun’s handwritten parenting diary . . . . Throughout five years of marriage in his past life, Huo Tinglan had never seen a single one of them, and didn’t know where they had all gone. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his shirt pocket, wiping a light coat of dust from a wooden picture frame. There was a sort of forbearance and love in the gesture.

Ye Ci’s eyes burned when he saw him cleaning things. Inexplicably blushing from embarrassment, he felt that something wasn’t right and couldn’t figure it out, so he was silent for a while.

He hesitated for a while, then dragged an empty box to the base of the wall diagonal to Huo Tinglan. Using this as a stronghold, he began to pack up swiftly. He hadn’t been packing for long when Huo Tinglan’s low voice sounded above his head: “This kind of coat can’t be folded like this.”

Two straight trouser legs stopped in front of him, and Ye Ci was startled. Ye Honjun’s most precious coat had been taken by Huo Tinglan. Long, steady fingers brushed the folds, straightened the laces and buckles, and then hung it on a hanger and put it in a clothing bag. When he was finished, Huo Tinglan handed the clothing bag to the assistant and instructed him to carry it downstairs.

While Huo Tinglan was meticulously tidying up the coat, Ye Ci stood far away, carefully watching him out of the corner of his eyes as he packed.

If you hadn’t been treated kindly in a long time, it would feel unfamiliar, or even strange.

Besides . . . . the kindness itself was a bit odd.

During this time, the housekeeper, Uncle Tong, sent people to assist – no matter the etiquette of other people, allowing guests to work would be a joke. 

But Huo Tinglan just threw out the words, “We won’t bother you guys.” After speaking, he didn’t send them away, but continued to pack up in a condescending manner, as if putting on a show. The handful of servants and Uncle Tong dared not insist, let alone just leave. They were left hanging in the second floor corridor by Huo Tinglan, as if they were in a penalty box.

After being given the cold shoulder for a while, they really couldn’t bear the constant heavy pressure of an A+ grade alpha. With fine sweat hanging on their foreheads, they retreated in shame.

The two people and the assistant were busy until twelve o’clock, and everything was moved.

Ye Ci threw his school bag over his right shoulder and went downstairs behind Huo Tinglan. He glanced at the man’s tall, straight figure in front of him, and the conflicted expression on his face intensified.

Huo Tinglan had made a special trip to pick him up. So meticulous, busy as a bee . . . .

If nothing else, he should be thankful.

This was the most basic courtesy.

He came from a poor background, but his upbringing was no worse than that of the young ladies and young masters of the upper class. Ye Hongjun had a demure temperament and was knowledgeable about etiquette. If she hadn’t been screwed over by Chu Wenlin, she wouldn’t have been reduced to living in a slum that was incompatible with her whole personality.

The fist concealed in the sleeve of his school uniform clenched and unclenched loosely. After hesitating a few times, Ye Ci bit the bullet and ran a few steps to catch up with Huo Tinglan. As soon as he got close, his nose immediately caught the scorching scent of tequila. Before he could speak, his cheeks stung with heat.

“What is it?” Huo Tinglan stopped and turned to look at him.

“Today . . . .” Ye Ci licked his lower lip, not sure how to adjust his fluctuating expression. “Thank, thank you^[1].”

Huo Tinglan was too imposing. Coupled with the leaked Alpha pheromones, there was a strong sense of oppression when he looked at someone. This caused Ye Ci to perform worse than usual, and he stuttered for three words in the second half of the sentence.

Disgraceful!

Ye Ci wanted to stretch out his tongue and iron it.

He didn’t want to open his mouth in front of Huo Tinglan for the next year . . . .

Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes to look at Ye Ci’s annoyed face, and the corners of his lips curved slightly. He seemed to be of a mind to tease him, but after a moment of silence, he said in a normal manner, “You’re welcome.”

Perhaps having considered that coexisting in a narrow space might make Ye Ci nervous, Huo Tinglan offered to take two cars with Ye Ci, and the two arrived at the Huo residence one after another.

Ye Ci had hesitated for a while when he got into the car, reluctant to share the ride with the A+ grade Alpha and his strong, intrusive pheromones, but facts proved that his worry was unnecessary. Huo Tinglan remained a considerate gentleman. Every detail made one comfortable, and it seemed that he did not intend to do anything to Ye Ci by relying on their legal marriage relationship.

He was thinking too much . . . .

Mr. Huo wasn’t that bad.

Ye Ci held his school bag, lowering his head as he twisted the strap in embarrassment, and rubbed his fingers red.

---

[1] He uses the formal ‘you’ here, 您 ⮐

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Five

In the living room of the Chu residence, the visitors had been waiting for a long time.

Huo Tinglan, along with his personal assistant, lawyer, and notary.

Ye Ci dawdled for a long time before walking into the living room, and took a seat on the single sofa in the corner.

He was so nervous that his face was as white as bone china, but he still tried to keep his composure. His straight legs were wrapped in old whitewashed jeans, deliberately propped apart as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

It was a rude posture for an Omega.

He presented himself as street stall goods of low quality.

He hoped that Huo Tinglan would dislike him and not dare to go too far.

Because Ye Hongjun’s life was still in Chu Wenlin’s hands.

Chu Wenlin looked gloomy and sent Ye Ci a warning with his eyes.

Ye Ci didn’t look at anyone at all. He lowered his eyes and swiped his phone quickly with his fingers, as if he was busy with something.

His instincts told him that Huo Tinglan was looking at him, and his gaze was a heavy weight pressing down on his head like a cold cloud.

Huo Tinglan should be wearing a pheromone blocker, but the pheromones of an A+ grade Alpha were too powerful, and slight leakage was unavoidable, so Ye Ci could still smell a trace of a scorching, liquor-like masculine scent.

The scent of tequila.

Alphas with A+ grade glands were extremely rare, and this was Ye Ci’s first time coming into contact with one.

Even a Beta, who were resistant to pheromones, would feel faintly uncomfortable under that sense of oppression and aggression, not to mention Ye Ci, who was in the Omega differentiation stage.

Like a string pulled from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, yanking hard, Ye Ci couldn’t wait to curl up into a ball in the crack of the sofa to avoid Huo Tinglan’s strong presence and scent.

He gritted his teeth to suppress the urge and straightened his body.

“Hello,” Huo Tinglan said.

His voice was low and magnetic, as typical for an Alpha.

Ye Ci resisted so much that his breath shook. He swiped across the cell phone’s home screen from beginning to end, then from end to beginning, moving the app icons around. His palms were covered in cold sweat.

After confirming that his voice would not tremble, he said coldly, “Hello.”

Chu Wenlin said that the child was introverted and afraid of strangers, so he hurriedly cut to the point and discussed the details of the marriage agreement.

The marriage was a purely commercial act. After the two parties concluded a marriage contract, the Huo family would cooperate with the Chu family to develop a huge government project that would bring astronomical returns for both parties. It was a mutually beneficial win-win situation.

The power of the Chu family was still firmly in the hands of Mr. Chu. After this project was completed, Chu Wenlin’s share of the benefits would be limited.

Therefore, for Chu Wenlin, the real key was not the project itself, but the in-law relationship between the third house of the Chu family and the Huo family, along with the great contribution he was about to make for the Chu family. This would become his capital in the battle for inheritance, and would greatly enhance his status in the mind of Mr. Chu. The first and second houses, as well as his four half-siblings, wouldn’t be able to keep up. In exchange, Chu Wenlin would provide his Omega eldest son as Huo Tinglan’s “human medicine jar.”

As a rare A+ grade Alpha, Huo Tinglan enjoyed the advantages of his glands and physical abilities, but also had to suffer more tortuous and frequent susceptible periods than other Alphas. It was double the physical and mental torture. Those who had not experienced it could not imagine it. Some A+ level alphas who could not bear the torture would even mutilate themselves during their susceptible period in order to take their mind off it.

Not only that, but an A+’s overly strong genes made it difficult for them to match with weak Omegas, making it even more impossible to seek a partner regardless of genetic matching. A+ class pheromones could cause a low-match Omega to go into shock or a coma at high concentrations. Therefore, the vast majority of A+ level Alphas would struggle with frequent and painful susceptible periods for the rest of their lives, and die alone.

Chu Wenlin knew that for such an Alpha, Ye Ci, who could relieve the symptoms of his susceptible period, was quite valuable.

Huo Tinglan was also happy to lead him to think so.

On the other side of the sofa, the youthful teenager had a cold face and a sharp temperament, like a little hedgehog.

He pretended not to care about this transaction, but he never dared to raise his eyes to look at anyone, and the fingers gripping the phone had turned white.

In Huo Tinglan’s eyes, this stern coldness that fooled outsiders was as flimsy as a wet piece of paper that leaked at a touch.

Since miraculously returning to the past, Huo Tinglan was in close contact with Ye Ci for the first time.

This was what Ye Ci looked like when he was eighteen. . . .

Huo Tinglan stared at him intently.

Ye Ci had never been in the habit of taking pictures, and even had some resistance against it, so apart from the indifferent high school graduation photos, Huo Tinglan hadn’t seen many photos from when Ye Ci was young.

Now he saw.

Fresh and full of life, as green as a scallion or the tip of a tea leaf plucked from a spring bud, stained with morning dew and morning light.

As if afraid of scaring him off, the expression in Huo Tinglan’s eyes was a mess of gentleness and tenderness.

Eighteen-year-old Ye Ci was too young.

Really too small and too thin.

Even his fingers seemed to be thinner than they were then.

. . . . was he getting enough to eat?

Huo Tinglan’s heart felt stuffy, and his thumb moved to rub the empty ring finger of his left hand.

Relying on Ye Ci’s daring to raise his head, he carefully glanced over at Ye Ci’s bright eyes. The tip of his nose was delicate, his jawline distinct and his lips soft . . . . It wasn’t until that icy little face couldn’t stand it anymore that his lips ticked up slightly. At the moment when Ye Ci glanced at him suspiciously, he turned his eyes away along with the greed and nostalgia in them, without making a sound.

. . . . Huo Tinglan wasn’t staring at him.

It was an illusion.

Ye Ci gave Huo Tinglan a surprise inspection and heaved a sigh of relief, his tense and aching facial muscles finally relaxing a little.

Over there, Chu Wenlin was finalizing the specific terms with the lawyer.

This marriage agreement had been drawn up prior to the meeting, and the two parties had communicated numerous times about the important terms. Huo Tinglan had obviously set his heart on this and was in a hurry to ask the important members of the Chu family, so all of the conditions were loosely set, and the marriage agreement and two sets of cooperative projects did not take more than a few days. Even Chu Wenlin felt that this surnamed Huo was frighteningly anxious to ask for his wife.

Huo Tinglan had come today to formally sign an agreement with Ye Ci.

Ye Ci pricked up his ears to catch the content of the agreement.

He could understand the gist of the business operations in a foggy way, but the part about being a human medicine jar for Huo Tinglan was simple and easy to understand.

According to the agreement, Ye Ci needed to use his own pheromones to help Huo Tinglan delay the arrival of his susceptible period and help him relieve the pain after it began. Reading between the lines, Huo Tinglan’s susceptible period seemed to come more frequently and last longer than a normal Alpha’s.

Ye Ci had taken a physiology class.

He knew that “helping an Alpha through their susceptible period” often meant embracing, kissing, temporary marks, borderline sexual behavior, and . . . .

He couldn’t think about it anymore.

Shame and anger reddened his earlobes and cheeks, and Ye Ci silently clenched his fists.

Treatment for a susceptible period was a high-sounding thing, but in fact it was not . . . .

He had already thought about it, and would refuse to embrace all the above requirements. Anyway, even if he couldn’t beat the A+ level Alpha, he couldn’t let the opponent do as he pleased. He would do his best to delay, and when Ye Hongjun got better, he would take her far away, settle down in another city, and try to dissolve this absurd marriage. He could study and work part-time, find a place to compete in more races, and slowly return the treatment fee to Chu Wenlin. If he didn’t owe him anything, he couldn’t be coerced by him again.

But . . . .

A thought flashed through Ye Ci’s mind.

Would Ye Hongjun’s health really improve?

She was relying on those expensive injections to prolong her life, there was no hope for a cure for the time being, and Chu Wenlin didn’t care about her illness . . . .

Suddenly, a light knock interrupted Ye Ci’s chaotic thoughts.

Huo Tinglan flexed his fingers and tapped twice on the corner of the table in front of Ye Ci with his knuckles, as if reminding an absent-minded student in class: Listen to the agreement.

His internal turmoil was seen through, and Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he glanced at Huo Tinglan again.

This person had a very handsome face. The contours of his facial features had that exclusive Alpha sharpness, and his irises were darker than those of ordinary people, hiding indistinguishable emotions. He wore a bespoke suit the color of lapis lazuli, and the front of his shirt was slightly stretched by his chest muscles. The fabric undulated with his breath, moving with subtle and ambiguous silky light.

So purely masculine.

Huo Tinglan didn’t even have to do anything; his very existence exuded a strong sexual overtone.

His eyes seemed to have been scorched by fire, and Ye Ci hurriedly turned his face away.

It was defiance, and in the eyes of outsiders, it was a little bit like shyness.

It took a few seconds before the lawyer’s flat voice reached Ye Ci’s ears as he read the rules and regulations.

“. . . . All forms of subjective and intentional physical contact against Party B will be strictly prohibited, including but not limited to: hugging and touching . . . .”

“. . . . It is forbidden to harass and make unwanted sexual advances upon Party B by means of words, texts, images, etc. . . .”

“. . . . Prohibited. . . .”

“. . . . Prohibited. . . .”

“. . . .Only provide pheromones in the form of non-direct contact, including but not limited to: releasing pheromones into the air and providing items that contain sufficient pheromones . . . .”

Huo Tinglan’s behavior was regulated and restricted in detail within the marriage agreement.

As expected, Ye Ci’s face became more visible.

Huo Tinglan stared at him. His dark pupils were like some kind of measuring instrument, observing and assessing his emotions, and based on this, he chose words to comfort him. He said soothingly: “I added some provisions to the agreement. Maybe this will make you feel more at ease. The Huo and Chu families are friends, and our relationship has always been close, so you still need to call me ‘Shishu’^[1]. . . .”

The two older men were not actually close. If they called themselves friends, it was definitely the Chu family who had climbed to the moon. “The two families have a close relationship” was just diplomatic rhetoric, letting Ye Ci be a bit less panicked at being given to a stranger by his father as a bargaining chip.

“. . . . I will not use marriage as an excuse to do anything against your will,” Huo Tinglan said solemnly. “You don’t have to worry so much.”

Ye Ci quickly pursed his lips and said stiffly, “I don’t . . . .”

He wanted to say, “I don’t have any concerns,” but he was afraid of stammering, so he simply kept silent.

Huo Tinglan looked at him for a moment, then cleverly continued to pick out the things he wanted to hear: “Considering that you are currently enrolled in high school, studying should be a priority, and it is not suitable to publicize the marriage. My personal opinion is that your and my marital status can be kept secret from the media for the time being. All related matters will be arranged on the premise that they will not affect your studies, and that you have the best possible living environment. We’ll try to keep it low-key and simple, and the wedding can be postponed until after you graduate from high school, but . . . .” Huo Tinglan paused and said slowly, “Maybe my considerations aren’t sufficient. If you wish to reveal this to the outside world or hold a wedding sooner, I would like to respect your opinion. . . .”

Ye Ci was startled.

The wedding being postponed and kept secret was exactly what he wanted. Coupled with those gentlemen’s agreements, the situation was much better than he had imagined. It was like he had picked up a bargain. Afraid that Huo Tinglan would retract his offer, he hastily and dazedly plunged into the seemingly harmless net, and quickly said: “I don’t, don’t have an objection.”

A faint smile flashed through Huo Tinglan’s eyes. He raised his chin, and the lawyer pushed the final version of the agreement over to Ye Ci.

By signing this, the two would legally change from strangers to a married couple.

The eyes on him interlaced like a web. The air suddenly became thinner, and Ye Ci’s chest heaved up and down a few times.

Ye Hongjun’s sick face sunk deep into the soft pillow flashed through his mind.

He was truly at a dead end.

Ye Ci took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and grabbed the pen, holding it in his hand.

It was one of Huo Tinglan’s. The pen was heavy, and the golden-blue painted surface was stained with trace pheromones.

Afraid that the others would see his hands shaking, Ye Ci signed his name hurriedly and fiercely.

The word “Ci” slashed the contract paper sharply.

The author has something to say:

Dog Huo chased his wife using three steps.

The first step was to sign an agreement and act like a human being.

The second step was to take the wife home.

The third step was to tear up the agreement. 🙂

Young Ci: ￥%&*&

---

[1] 世叔, or ‘Uncle Shi’ is an appellation applied to those who are younger than their own father among their parents’ friends.⮐

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Two << Table of Contents >> Chapter Four

The newest project is up! Check out First-Generation Artificial Unintelligence here!

---

I’m always open to recommendations for new translations. I’m pretty much interested in anything well-written, although I prefer stories with a healthy relationship and a comedic undertone. Enemies to lovers is also my favorite trope.

Summary:

Please support the author by purchasing the RAWS here.

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1	Chapter 19	Chapter 37
Chapter 2	Chapter 20	Chapter 38
Chapter 3	Chapter 21	Chapter 39
Chapter 4	Chapter 22	Chapter 40
Chapter 5	Chapter 23	Chapter 41
Chapter 6	Chapter 24	Chapter 42
Chapter 7	Chapter 25	Chapter 43
Chapter 8	Chapter 26	Chapter 44
Chapter 9	Chapter 27	Chapter 45
Chapter 10	Chapter 28	Extra 1: Sports Competition
Chapter 11	Chapter 29	Extra 2: Sports Competition
Chapter 12	Chapter 30	Extra 3: Sports Competition
Chapter 13	Chapter 31	Extra 4: Sports Competition
Chapter 14	Chapter 32	Extra 5: Sports Competition
Chapter 15	Chapter 33	The Necktie
Chapter 16	Chapter 34	Happy Chinese New Year
Chapter 17	Chapter 35	Ye Ci’s Boyfriend Power
Chapter 18	Chapter 36	The Wedding

In Progress:

First-Generation Artificial Unintelligence (Sci-fi)

In Order to Survive, I Must Play the Role of a God (Wuxia)

Junior Disciple C (Xianxia)

Finished:

After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General (Wuxia)

After Playing the Fool and Marrying the Blind Villain [Transmigration] (Modern, Transmigration)

After Rebirth, the Prime Minister Just Wants to Call It Quits (Wuxia, Transmigration)

Fouls Prohibited (Modern, Rebirth, A/B/O)

Impersonated Husband (Modern, Horror)

Let’s Talk When You Wake Up (Modern)

Marriage of a Sickly Villain and a Fortune Hunter [Entertainment Circle] (Modern, Transmigration)

O Pretends To Be B For the Violent Admiral (Futuristic, A/B/O)

Strong Winds Return Home (Ancient)

The White Moonlight Stole Away the Little Substitute (Modern)

Discontinued:

Happy Coffin Raising (Modern, Horror)

Transform Me, Mark Me (Futuristic, A/B/O) << Licensed by Seven Seas >>

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Ye Ci’s face was pale when he walked into the racetrack restroom.

Cold sweat dripped down his spine to wet his waistline, and cool fabric stuck to his tailbone.

Moments ago, that highly charged scene had triggered his pathological reaction.

– **** your mother. . .

– Little bastard. . . 

Even the rough tone was very similar.

In late spring in the north, the water spewing from the faucet was still cold to the bone.

Ye Ci wasn’t too cold, so he scooped up water and washed his face repeatedly. When the skin of his face became numb and itchy, turning the pink color of spring peach blossoms, he forced himself to stop.

“Augh –” After rinsing his face, Ye Ci leaned on the edge of the ceramic wash basin and retched a few times.

He didn’t vomit anything since he hadn’t eaten, but inexplicably felt more relaxed. He rinsed his mouth, wiped the water droplets from his lips, and looked up at the mirror behind the sink.

There was no one else in the restroom. In the mirror, several toilet stalls stood silent and empty.

Ye Ci was silent for a moment, and suddenly repeated the lines from ten minutes ago.

“That three thousand . . .”

“Is for, for medical expenses.”

“That three thousand is for, medical, medical expenses . . .”

He stammered.

Chu Wenlin had thought that he was embarrassing and sent him to a stuttering correction center for a month, but he still couldn’t coherently speak more than three words. Maybe it was because his speech impediment stemmed from deeper problems, and those lessons didn’t get to the heart of it. Fortunately, he had long been used to this problem since childhood. In order to avoid ridicule, he usually spoke very briefly, as if he was naturally cold and reserved.

Just now, he almost embarrassed himself in front of that gangster, but fortunately held his breath at the critical moment and covered it up.

Only seven words.

He couldn’t even say seven words.

Unreconciled, Ye Ci tried to repeat it several times. As a result, the more anxious he became, the more he stumbled, and the only gain was that his face became flushed and red, and the corners of his eyes became damp.

There were footsteps outside the bathroom.

Ye Ci pursed his lips slightly, raised his hood, and remained silent.

The visitor was a tall Alpha racer. When he entered the door, he glanced at Ye Ci unintentionally and recognized that he was the kid who had just beaten someone up.

Ye Ci’s face, which was wet and red-eyed a moment ago, switched seamlessly to a blank slate^[1], eyes slanted away indifferently.

The racer looked back and didn’t intend to cause trouble.

After leaving the racetrack, Ye Ci was in a daze for a while on the side of the road.

As usual, he adjusted himself and cleaned away his weak emotions. Then he went to the market to buy some daily necessities and fruit with the money he just earned and rushed to the sanatorium where Ye Hongjun was.

It got dark prematurely in early spring. It was only five o’clock, and the streetlights in the courtyard were gradually lighting up. Half of the sky was still purple, the lake was full of glowing lights and shadow, and swans cruised gracefully on the water. The scenery was pleasant.

Ye Hongjun’s senior ward was on the third floor.

When Ye Ci entered through the door, she was falling asleep, her skin cold and sickly white, like a pale skeleton. The lingering malady was torturing her. Even her bones were thin and finely ground, and her pitifully narrow face sunk deep into the soft pillow.

The highly-paid nurses hired by Chu Wenlin did their best to serve her, even if she was unable to care for herself. Ye Hongjun was still clean and decent, and the hospital gown exuded the scent of citrus. A weak forearm stuck out from the wide cuff of the hospital gown, and the needle marks on it were densely packed.

Ye Ci stroked Ye Hongjun’s forearm with the pads of his fingers, and the bridge of his nose felt sore.

She was taking an intravenous injection, and had been stuck with needles more than 20,000 times. Although difficult to cure, it could prolong life.

However, conscientious nurses, nursing homes, and life-sustaining injections. . . 

It all cost money.

Ye Ci had a ledger, and he recorded every sum of money that Chu Wenlin spent on Ye Hongjun’s medical treatment. He planned to pay it back slowly in the future.

The rapid rise in numbers made Ye Ci gradually go from panic to numbness.

If Chu Wenlin’s conscience still existed, he should have given the mother and son assistance unconditionally.

He failed to live up to expectations.

Chu Wenlin was Ye Ci’s biological father and the eldest son of the third branch of the Chu family.

When he was young and flirtatious, because of his passion, he swore to spend his life with Ye Hongjun, who was born to a small family. He even instigated Ye Hongjun to give up her studies and run away with him. It was not until Ye Hongjun, in defiance of the world, took the risk of giving birth before marriage, that the cries of the baby and the weight of poverty gradually crushed Chu Wenlin’s illusion.

Marriage, appropriate matches, family poverty . . . he seemed to know these words for the first time, and felt regret. He was a rich young man from a life of luxury and extravagance, and could not bear the hardship. He resolutely returned to his family home to kowtow and accept punishment while the scandal was covered up, and a year later obeyed the family’s arrangements and married a well-bred lady.

Ye Hongjun cried, made noise, and begged, gritting her teeth and letting go of her restraint. Holding Ye Ci, who was rolling around in his swaddling clothes, she was ultimately unable to recover.

An Omega giving birth out of wedlock was synonymous with suffering. She grew up raising Ye Ci in the slums. By nature, no matter how many wounds she suffered, she would not linger on the memory forever and retained a bit of girlish innocence. She had gone through several boyfriends, Alpha and Beta, but they didn’t last long and their separations were ugly.

When Ye Ci was young, he tried to find the shadows of his father in those faces, but couldn’t. His surname followed his mother’s and there was no clue in this regard.

When he grew up, his thoughts about his father faded away.

The turning point happened a few months ago.

Old man Chu, who had been holding the Chu family’s power and refusing to let go, was seriously ill and admitted to the hospital. He was able to be saved, but the grandchildren of the Chu family took this as a dangerous sign and the battle for the family fortune heated up.

Chu Wenlin was mediocre in talent and selfish, and his eight-year-old son, Chu Rui, was also stubborn and stupid. In addition, Chu Wenlin’s mother, the third wife of Mr. Chu, was just a dancer when she was young. Not only was she from a humble background, but after marriage, there were even rumors of cheating. Therefore, the Third Household had never been favored by the old man Chu, and were at an absolute disadvantage in the battle for inheritance.

Chu Wenlin was unwilling to accept only the scraps that leaked between the teeth of his brothers and sisters. When he was really clutching at straws, he thought of the eldest son who could be alive or dead outside, and felt that the child might have value and could be exploited. Only then did he investigate the whereabouts of the mother and son, and came to their door for the first time.

“Mom, I, I ran, ran a race today.” Ye Ci found a piece of good news and stammered it to Ye Hongjun. “Made, made a lot of money, enough . . . to treat you.”

In front of his mother, Ye Ci completely removed his disguise.

He became obedient, his eyebrows arched softly, his eyes light, with a charming appearance.

He was carved out of the same mold as Ye Hongjun.

However, in the slums, the mother and son who were as soft as lambs could only end up having their bones broken and marrow sucked dry. Ye Hongjun was weak, so he must be strong.

No matter how soft you were, you had to pretend to be savage and grow illusory thorns.

Ye Ci stayed in the ward for more than two hours, massaging Ye Hongjun’s limbs to slow down muscle atrophy and sweeping the floor, but unfortunately, Ye Hongjun was too weak and never woke up.

He also paced around and talked during those two hours, picking out good news about school, classmates, the handsome silver motorcycle he saw at the racetrack, how beautiful the swans were on the artificial lake in the sanatorium.

He was not really as taciturn as he appeared, but no one but his mother had the patience to listen to long, stammering speeches.

Finally, he picked up the wilted sunflower in the porcelain vase by Ye Hongjun’s bed and threw it in the trash, replacing it with a fragrant lily he bought on the way.

She often missed his visits due to her drowsiness, so Ye Ci would change the flowers every time he came.

The lily was fresh and tender.

She would know he had been here.

. . .  . . .

After visiting Ye Hongjun, Ye Ci wandered the streets until eleven o’clock, and he didn’t return to the Chu residence until Chu Wenlin went to bed.

It was good to not have to look at that scumbag.

With the passing of time, the longing for a father’s love had long been drenched in disappointment. Ye Ci hadn’t called Chu Wenlin father for several months, and he would never call him that again in the future.

Chu Wenlin was quite dissatisfied with Ye Ci’s late return, so he got up early in the morning with a sullen face.

Ye Ci turned a blind eye and went back to the bedroom after breakfast to study English. The cotton gauze curtains were drawn, the door was locked, and the light was dim.

There were dozens of rooms in the Chu family’s mansion, which was as convoluted as an ant hill. After Chu Wenlin recognized him, he sank into the depths of the Chu residence like an ant in a hole, rarely leaving a sign of his existence.

The house was big enough, but the pilet-like screams of Chu Rui, Ye Ci’s “legitimate” brother, could still penetrate the thick walls and reach his brain.

Even a trivial amount of unhappiness could elicit such a noise.

The servants coaxed and persuaded, and footsteps drifted to and fro following the call of the legitimate young master.

Ye Ci pretended not to hear it, and read the English text with difficulty.

There was no one in the bedroom, but he kept his voice very low, as if afraid that his comical spoken words would be heard by the air.

In order to treat Ye Hongjun, he dropped out of school to work for a year and a half, and his studies were severely neglected. His worst subject was English. He had difficulty speaking, and the biggest taboo in learning English was not opening your mouth. Before he dropped out of school, his English had always been a crippling subject, and he relied on the other five subjects to get good grades.

Chu Wenlin gave him the opportunity to go back to school. He should have cherished it, and shouldn’t have wasted time racing at second-rate racetracks, but . . . . 

The sound of a car came from the window.

Ye Ci walked to the window, opened a slit in the curtain, and peeped out.

In the distance, an unfamiliar car drove into the inner courtyard of the Chu residence and slowly parked.

The straight waterfall of the air grille and the little platinum figure on the hood were polished clean and bright. The body of the car was pure black, dark and expensive.

Ye Ci frowned. He had a bad feeling.

The driver opened the door, and the housekeeper, Uncle Tong, stood there in attendance. Wenlin greeted him with a loud laugh, in the warm style of businessmen who had a good relationship.

The visitor was disaffected, and only nodded slightly. Chu Wenlin handled things smoothly, and hurriedly restrained his excessive smile as he greeted the visitor.

Ye Ci knew about this person, Huo Tinglan, the head of the Huo family that Chu Wenlin tried to curry favor with. He was also an Alpha that matched Ye Ci up to 100%.

This match was quite rare and could be called biological destiny.

But Ye Ci only felt uneasy.

He was originally an A-level Alpha, but now he had become an Omega because he had a so-called “second differentiation” that normal people didn’t have.

Secondary differentiation was a relatively rare disorder, mostly caused by abnormalities in pheromone secretion during puberty. Patients generally started the second differentiation three to four years after the first differentiation, and the true glandular sex of the patient was based on the result of the secondary differentiation.

Ye Ci never knew that he had this problem. Before the start of the second differentiation, he always thought he was an Alpha.

He was recognized and brought back by the Chu family a while ago, and Chu Wenlin took him in for a series of examinations, including various infectious disease screenings and gland tests, and the results also showed that he was an Alpha . . . . a healthy A-level Alpha.

In the end, about two weeks ago, he developed a brief pseudo-Omega heat.

The heat lasted only about an hour, the symptoms were not severe, and he was alone in the bedroom when it happened. Even he himself almost didn’t realize that it was a pseudo-heat, let alone Chu Wenlin.

It was not a good thing for Ye Ci to differentiate into an Omega at this time.

Right now, Chu Wenlin just wanted to add a bloodline to the third house, so that multiple people could share the inheritance. An Alpha boy was the more preferred gender when it came to dividing the estate, and the only thing better was a good-looking Omega. For Chu Wenlin, a beautiful Omega offspring was a “good deal” up for grabs.

Ye Ci was not stupid and could think clearly about this issue, so he didn’t intend to let Chu Wenlin know, and wanted to hide it as long as he could.

However, the problem lay in the private hospital where Ye Ci was examined.

Originally, his gland test had been done, but it turned out that he didn’t know what the hospital was doing. They actually claimed that the previous gland results were wrong and that Ye Ci may not be a true Alpha.

Naturally, Chu Wenlin refused to pass up the possible opportunity, and took Ye Ci in for another examination. This time, the hospital advised them to carry out a more accurate but also more troublesome genetic testing . . . . after all this tossing and turning, Ye Ci’s Omega identity was completely exposed.

What made Ye Ci even more surprised was that Chu Wenlin, who was overjoyed, was going to “market” him to other families in exchange for commercial resources. The new head of the Huo family took the initiative to propose marriage, and the timing couldn’t be more accurate.

No wonder the Huo family was well-informed – that private hospital was one of the many industries operated by the Huo family. Chu Wenlin’s series of actions happened under the eyes of others. The Chu family suddenly produced an Omega that matched Huo Tinglan’s genes 100%. It wouldn’t be difficult for the Huo family to find out.

. . .  . . .

Ye Ci looked down through the slit in the curtain.

As an A+ grade Alpha, Huo Tinglan was almost 1.9 meters tall.

The weather in spring was difficult to predict, with the temperature at noon being a lot higher than in the morning and evening. The floor tiles were dazzling white in the sun, and looked hot, but Huo Tinglan was wearing a formal three-piece suit to show the importance he attached to this meeting. The fabric of the suit had a deep luster, and the person wearing it should look elegant and noble, but that fierce figure revealed an imposing and beast-like savage sex appeal.

An A+ grade Alpha was really like a beast in some ways . . . .

Suddenly, as if alerted by intuition, Huo Tinglan’s eyes lifted and went straight to the window of Ye Ci’s bedroom on the second floor.

They looked at each other for a moment. Ye Ci shrank back, startled, and the fingertips holding the curtain turned white.

His stomach spasmed.

His self-perception was still that of an Alpha male.

Getting up close and personal with another top Alpha . . . . Ye Ci imagined this scene and resisted until he was sweating all over.

---

[1] The actual terminology used is “switched seamlessly to a ‘coffin board'” or 棺材板, which is a Taiwanese snack. These crispy boxes of bread are usually filled with a creamy mix of chicken products, peas, potatoes, shrimp, etc. The top does indeed look like a blank slate. ⮐

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter One << Table of Contents >> Chapter Three

At the end of the track, the black and white checkered flag whirled.

The match was coming to an end.

Speeding around the last corner, the one in the lead was still the rare Asian driver in the international Formula One races, Ye Ci. 

He performed as always in this race, his style aggressive and almost crazy.

More than one sports commentator had spoken negatively about his extreme style of play.

Some thought that this so-called rising star possessed very composed suicidal tendencies, and one bluntly stated that he didn’t seem to really love the sport, that the track probably brought him more than just accolades, and was more of an outlet for his violent emotions. There were also small online media outlets that vaguely suggested that Ye Ci was suspected of suffering from some kind of mental illness. Coupled with his rare Asian identity and Omega gender in this event, and his inhuman arrogance in media interviews . . .

In the stands, cheers and boos mingled together.

He had a mixed reputation.

But all of this had no effect on Ye Ci.

The car he drove was matte black, the entire body made of carbon fiber material edged in pale, dancing gold, like roaring black dysprosium ^[1] entwined with golden thread. Unstoppable, it roared past the finish line.

In the VIP stands, a handsome man with a proud smile gave a standing ovation despite the boos all around him.

In the lounge:

Ye Ci walked with an unsteady gait, staggered, and fell onto the sofa. His water-drenched hair had been pushed back, exposing a warm face that was as pink as a spring peach.

For an Omega, a formula race was enough to completely exhaust his physical strength.

He couldn’t even strip off his racing suit.

This was Ye Ci’s exclusive lounge. Huo Tinglan closed the door and locked it, and unscrewed the cap of an energy drink. The light blue plastic bottle touched Ye Ci’s soft, wet red lips as the drink was fed to him.

Ye Ci was quiet and obedient, raising his hand to support Huo Tinglan’s wrist as he emptied the bottle in this position. A pair of eyes narrowed, their emotions inscrutable. They were a pale color, like a distant, mist-shrouded mountain.

Having been married to Huo Tinglan for five years, he had always been like this.

Cool, restrained, quiet.

Huo Tinglan knew that Ye Ci was just not good at expressing his feelings, and also knew the cause of his withdrawn and introverted character. He felt sorry for him, and pitied him even more. In his eyes, Ye Ci was like a porcelain beauty restored from fragments, seemingly rigid, but in fact scarred, fragile and brittle. After five years of marriage, during which he treated Ye Ci with great care and love in every possible way, the results were unfortunately poor. The only things that could make Ye Ci feel a bit of relief were racing sports like Formula One. Perhaps only through the life-or-death stimulation of extreme speed could he feel the beating of his heart and the vitality still present in his body.

The air was full of sweet vanilla-scented pheromones mixed with sweat from the soaked one-piece racing suit, drifting freely.

This competition was coming to an end. In order not to waste Ye Ci’s physical strength, Huo Tinglan had been abstinent for many days. An Alpha in the prime of his life, like a hungry wolf or a fierce tiger, soaked in his partner’s 100% compatible Omega pheromones, he could only smother the fire and ask a gentle question: “Take it easy now?”

Ye Ci nodded and said nothing.

In order to not stimulate Ye Ci too much, Huo Tinglan had to suppress various “bad” elements of his Alpha nature to cooperate with Ye Ci, and didn’t dare to be too shameless in front of him. One quiet and restrained, one tender and gentlemanly, they had respected each other for five years. There had never been any discord, and although the model of their marriage was a bit dull, it was at least harmonious.

He couldn’t ask for more.

Huo Tinglan threw away the bottle and got close, pressing Ye Ci against the back of the sofa as he wrapped him in his arms. He stared at him for a moment with fiery eyes and said hoarsely: “You have a fever . . . have you used an inhibitor lately?”

Ye Ci shook his head, then raised his face and looked at him gently and obediently.

After years of tacit understanding, Huo Tinglan understood that this was Ye Ci’s way of saying that he could mark him completely.

For Ye Ci, this could be regarded as a very warm invitation.

Huo Tinglan lowered his head and used his thin lips to run over the two wet red patches, still holding back his urges, pressing down lightly, teasing patiently.

Ye Ci opened his eyes, and they were like a pair of polished glass orbs, a bit cool. His emotions were not apparent at first glance, but if you looked closely, it was clear that he was gradually softening.

“Tinglan . . .”

He called softly.

He couldn’t show too much emotion, so he had to pinch Huo Tinglan’s diamond cufflinks with two fingers, childishly clinging. He didn’t let him go, didn’t let him move away, until his fingertips turned red.

“Tinglan . . .”

He called again.

The two were obviously close, but his voice seemed inexplicably distant, as if he was asking Huo Tinglan for help through a thick and invisible barrier.

Huo Tinglan hugged him tighter, running his fingertips across his sweaty forehead, whispering comfort, trying to answer his cry for help.

Holding tight, and a little tighter.

It was like trying in vain to grip a slippery fish.

But eventually, it would dive down into the deep sea.

. . .  . . .

Three months later, Ye Ci, at the age of 27, was accidentally killed in a race.

After his death, the outside world was divided.

There were unreliable and outrageous rumors about it, doing their best to attract people’s attention.

Slightly more reliable ones said that he was disturbed by depression and other mental problems, resulting in serious mistakes during the race.

There were also the good people who had unearthed the unfortunate early years of this rising star racing driver, with polarized reviews –

Abandoned by his wealthy biological father at a young age, and living in a slum with his mother . . . .

Abused and beaten by his stepfather, resulting in a speech impediment . . . .

When he became an adult, he was recognized by a wealthy family and became a tool for his biological father to compete for inheritance, and was treated unfairly . . . .

He dropped out of school to work due to his mother’s illness, which led to his failure of the college entrance examination . . . .

But his mother’s condition deteriorated and she died . . . .

. . .  . . .

Before taking refuge with Huo Tinglan, he experienced too many dark and painful moments.

Perhaps, his spirit had already been burned to the ground.

No matter how gentle and lingering spring rain was, it was difficult to moisten scorched earth.

These rumors about Ye Ci’s tragic early life disappeared quite quickly.

Before being completely defeated by the heavy fist of reality, Ye Ci was strong and did not want to be pitied by others. Huo Tinglan didn’t want his scars to be what others talked about after dinner. The various spectator posts often survived for only a few minutes, but it was difficult to stop the small-scale spread of gossip. There had always been no shortage of gossip lovers in the news comment threads related to Ye Ci.

Below a certain obituary that had been forwarded more than 100,000 times, among the mourning voices of many fans, there was a slightly “pretentious” hot comment –

“It’s hard to imagine how much pain Huo Tinglan must be in. He has lost his little husband forever.”

A passerby asked curiously about the relationship between Huo Tinglan and Ye Ci, and some people started gossiping in the thread.

“They had been married for five years. When Ye Ci was only twenty-two years old, Huo Tinglan happened to see him compete once, and it should be considered love at first sight. It is said that he chased after him for half a year. Huo Tinglan was twelve years older than him, so he always called him Little Sir, and after marriage, the two of them were still very polite to each other. There was mutual respect between them. Ye Ci himself was a bit introverted, but this pair was still very sweet, it’s a pity . . .”

“Huo is an A+ grade Alpha, and his compatibility with Omegas is generally low. He will never meet another Omega that is 100% compatible with him in this life.”

“What if there’s a second one . . . . the one who knows the whole story showed that Huo Tinglan is really affectionate. If even he can marry another one with ease, that Alpha isn’t a good person anymore.”

This topic was brought up, and the comment area gradually started to chat about it.

An hour later, a new comment was bumped to the top.

“If time could be reversed, if Huo Tinglan could have met his little gentleman earlier, protected him earlier, would everything be different?”

The crowd below echoed this.

. . .  . . .

When Huo Tinglan woke up, the sky was bright.

His cell phone alarm clock was going off.

It was 6:00 a.m.

Huo Tinglan turned off the alarm clock and closed his eyes again. Reaching out a hand with bulging blue veins, he groped to the side, looking for the half-full bottle of tequila.

Ye Ci was gone.

It hurt so much.

There was a hole in the softest part of his heart.

His nerves longed to be drenched in potent alcohol, and the more sluggish the soaking made him, the better.

However, he failed to touch the cool, delicate and hard bottleneck in his imagination. Instead, he encountered a smooth LCD screen. The touch was almost unfamiliar.

“. . . . . .”

Huo Tinglan frowned and slowly opened his eyes.

What came into view was a laptop computer with a brightly lit screen on a dark black background. It was lined with a variety of ECG-like steep lines and dense numbers – the interface of a financial software that he was very familiar with . . .

And he himself was actually lying on a desk as faint golden light shone in from the blinds.

It was as if he accidentally fell asleep while staying up late last night to handle official business.

Was it possible?

He had no mind to work.

But how could he be at the company . . . 

Did he sleepwalk?

It was too comical.

Huo Tinglan propped up his upper body and grinned in pain.

However, this mocking smile suddenly froze before it could be restrained.

The chaos between dreams and wakefulness faded, and for a moment, he was suddenly sober.

This place . . . was clearly his office ten years ago.

The body preceded the mind. With just one glance, Huo Tinglan precisely swept to the lower right corner of the computer screen. His subconscious had sensed something, and his black pupils were extremely bright.

Saturday, 6:02.

2021/ … …

Huo Tinglan tried his best to hold his breath and unlocked the phone with his fingerprint. The phone still displayed that date.

When he opened the address book, his hands were shaking so much that he could barely hold the phone.

According to memory, he called the personal assistant he’d had back then.

At 6:30 in the morning, the opposite side picked up in three seconds.

Such was the style of the personal assistant, a hard-working, always-on-call Beta.

“Mr. Huo.”

This voice was also familiar.

Huo Tinglan gripped the phone without saying a word, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The glass in the early morning was shrouded in a hazy light, reflecting his face.

Handsome, with sharp features and dark eyes that revealed a rare look of surprise, and . . . he was still young.

This was what he looked like when he was thirty.

This was ten years ago.

Suddenly: 

His heart beat wildly, his blood boiled, and the bridge of his nose was sore and painful.

This year, Ye Ci was only eighteen years old.

Everything was within reach.

. . .  . . .

At two o’clock in the afternoon, the Fengchi Circuit on the outskirts of the city was bustling with activity.

On the side of the track, a heavy duty motorcycle was parked under the spotlights.

The metal fittings on its body had heated up in the race just moments earlier, scorching hot under the blazing white afternoon sun.

Beside the motorcycle, a long leg rested on the ground. The rider was a teenager who looked like a high school student.

He was wearing a dark sweater with a slightly childish hood design, with a few strands of soft black hair spilling out from under the brim of the hood. It was neatly placed across his brow, out of tune with the curiously dressed drag racing teams around.

Ye Ci, just after his eighteenth birthday, had dropped out of school for more than a year. He was currently repeating his second year of high school in Tiancheng Private School. His structural gender was male, his glandular gender . . . the record on his household registration card had been changed to Omega a few days ago.

He held a stack of banknotes, counted them, and put them in his pocket.

. . . Still a long way to go.

Ye Ci looked at the track. His pale pupils and skin were cold like thin porcelain, hard and brittle.

Fengchi Circuit had been operating in the suburbs for many years, providing tracks and a variety of vehicle rentals – motorcycles, Formula One, they could all be used. The track was legally operated, but most of the people who came to race were not good people. Drag racing burned money – the track, the car, the fuel, real money everywhere. So the custom of racing for money gradually emerged amongst this subset of people who often came to compete. At the beginning, it was only small amounts, purely to subsidize track fees and fuel expenses. Later, this group of people got used to playing with money, and the amount also rose. Sometimes a win or a loss could mean tens of thousands of dollars, and if you lost a few big races in a row, you may even have to relinquish your vehicle to others.

“Want to race?” A blonde-haired man riding a Harley slid toward Ye Ci, covered all over in ear and lips studs, along with iron chains that might weigh several kilograms when removed.

Huang Mao was a frequent visitor to the racetrack. His skills weren’t bad and he was good at tricks, and he’d earned the Harley under his ass through racing.

Ye Ci didn’t recall such a person, so he simply said, “Okay.”

“How old are you?” Huang Mao licked his lips.

Ye Ci adjusted his helmet and bit into the milk-flavored candy in his mouth: “It doesn’t matter either way.”

Huang Mao smiled. His slender legs on the ground swayed as if he had ADHD, and he looked at Ye Ci’s clothes, offering a price that was not excessive: “Three thousand, dare to play?”

Ye Ci lowered his eyes: “Dare.”

He cherished words like gold.

The two motorcycles slid to the start of the track.

Huang Mao squinted at Ye Ci. His gaze turned sly and landed on Ye Ci’s feet.

Off-brand sneakers, cheap and worn out but clean, maybe bleached, pure white.

Huang Mao grinned happily inside his helmet – everyone said that this was the new and amazing driver who had showed up to play this month, a crazy and fierce whirlwind. But wasn’t this actually a child?

Engines roared, and the two heavy-duty motorcycles rushed past the starting line.

The Harley’s momentum was fierce, with a high-horsepower starting speed, exerting enough energy to make Ye Ci take note of the initial show of strength. But Ye Ci hit the gas more ruthlessly. Even if his hardware was no match for it, he still ate up the distance. The battle between the two vehicles was at a stalemate until they reached the middle of the track. Ye Ci precisely caught the multiple low pressure areas behind the vehicle in front, and the hardcore-style Kawasaki motorcycle roared as it brushed past Huang Mao.

“**** your mother!” Huang Mao couldn’t afford to lose and revealed his fierceness. “Little bastard!”

He had originally wanted to bully the child and crush him, but unexpectedly, the little wolf dog was chasing and beating him.

Ye Ci turned a deaf ear and took the third corner at high speed, the distance between them getting wider and wider.

Three thousand yuan was about to fly, and he was still watching the little brat thrash him! The veins on the back of Huang Mao’s hands bulged, and he fought hard to accelerate around the corners.

The two motorcycles kept pace with each other, and the horizontal distance between them did not exceed one meter. Huang Mao took the opportunity to release the handlebar with one hand, and unexpectedly squeezed Ye Ci’s handlebar hard. . .

Forcing the opponent to brake in the middle of a race was not just a trick, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was intentional injury.

The body of the motorcycle vibrated violently, jolting and fishtailing. Ye Ci tried his best to stabilize, kept silent, and then chased after him fiercely. The distance lost was tied again momentarily. Huang Mao didn’t get another chance to grab him again. He was utterly dismayed, even belting out curses.

A few minutes later, the two vehicles crossed the finish line, and Ye Ci was about to dismount.

Huang Mao slid off the track, swaying his legs and playing the rogue: “Yo, a tie?”

Ye Ci took off his helmet and glanced at him.

“Fuck.” Huang Mao clenched his jaw and gave him a ferocious look. “What’s with that expression?”

Before he finished speaking, a helmet flew over from a distance and smashed his mouth bloody. Huang Mao was about to attack, but took a foot to the shoulder and rolled to the ground. He suffered a few violent kicks immediately after, and the pain made him unable to straighten his back.

Ye Ci picked up the helmet, looking down at his left hand that had held the brake, and asked, “Owe a hand?”

Huang Mo sprayed blood: “I **** your mother . . . ah ah ah ah ah!”

The second half of his curses were swallowed back –

Ye Ci stomped on his left hand.

A lot of people gathered around to watch the fun, but no one approached to fight.

Ye Ci’s appearance gave off a youthfulness that could not be concealed, but his aura was terrifyingly violent.

He resembled a glass knife, fragile but sharp.

Huang Mao was in pain and fear, but the few blows just now were enough for him to assess Ye Ci’s strength – He was 80% sure he was an Alpha. He didn’t dare to say a word and hissed, shrinking into the wall with red eyes.

Ye Ci squatted down and gingerly pinched the hem of the yellow sweater with his fingernails, raising it to inspect Huang Mao’s upper body with an indifferent gaze.

“What, what are you doing?” Huang Mao hurriedly pulled the hem of his clothes down.

Soft tissue contusion with an area of less than 15 square centimeters, oral cavity damage, broken finger. . . Minor injuries, nothing serious.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

Ye Ci stared at him, took out his cell phone, and seemed to be warmhearted, but his tone revealed a threat: “Call the police?”

A wise man knew better than to fight when the odds were against him. Huang Mao shook his head: “Brother, I won’t report it, I really won’t report it.”

Ye Ci nodded, got up, and said in a clear voice, “That three thousand . . .”

“Yes, yes, 3,000, this is for you.” Huang Mao took out his phone.

Ye Ci shook his head, held his breath unnaturally for a few seconds, and then said slowly “. . . is for medical expenses.”

---

[1] A rare-earth element with a metallic silver luster. ^⮐

---

Translator’s Note: I never would have thought when I first got into danmei that my first translation would be a modern-day A/B/O, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Table of Contents >> Chapter Two