1.

Xu Yuan felt that no one could be more unfortunate than him. After all, there should be no one who had experienced something worse than him.

First, he had been an alpha for 26 years, and then a doctor told him that he was actually a recessive omega, and this recessive gene had now become dominant.

Then, he took the report home, and before he could recover from the shock, he received a text message that his family’s company had gone bankrupt and his parents had run away.

Great, his house was seized, and his bank cards were completely frozen.

Xu Yuan felt that perhaps the heavens saw that he had been too smooth-sailing for the past two decades, so they directly threw him into the abyss-level difficulty.

But the troubles didn’t end there. With his bank cards frozen, he couldn’t even stay in a hotel, and he had nowhere to go, facing a double blow to his psyche. Xu Yuan wiped his face and pondered for a moment before taking out his phone and calling his good friend.

It was quite noisy on the other end, and Xu Yuan patiently waited for a while before the other party stammered, “…I’m at the old bar right now, come find me.”

Xu Yuan thought, okay, since things had gone so badly anyway, going to the bar to temporarily forget his worries would be fine.

But this so-called good friend led him down a path he had never imagined before.

Originally, he didn’t plan to drink, but he couldn’t resist the repeated persuasion and ended up downing a spiked drink. Accompanied by the deafening noise around him, Xu Yuan only felt dizzy, and in a daze, someone leaned close to his ear and said:

“We knew about your family’s bankruptcy long ago…You think you’re so great, acting all cold and aloof, but let me tell you…you’re lucky if anyone wants an alpha like you now…”

In his blurred vision, that familiar figure stood up, waved their hand, and immediately people surrounded their booth.

With his lips slightly pursed, fingertips almost digging into his flesh, the pain kept him somewhat sober.

Xu Yuan didn’t know where he mustered the strength to forcefully push his friend away, stumbling forward in the dim bar.

With a thud, he crashed into the bathroom and collapsed to his knees, his nose tingling, unable to see clearly. His breathing was rapid, and hot steam rose from his body.

He felt his pockets, but his phone was long gone, lost in some corner.

A man in a black suit stood by the sink. Xu Yuan squinted his eyes but still could not see his face…Xu Yuan felt extremely uncomfortable. Resigned, he mustered a smile and said in what he thought was the gentlest tone, “Sir, I’m not feeling well, could you please…call an ambulance for me?”

The man remained motionless until Xu Yuan struggled to stand, “Or…could you lend me your phone?”

At that moment, when Xu Yuan felt like he was about to pass out, he collided with a person who exuded a woody scent.

He was too dizzy, his mind had completely lost control of his body.

The person brought a chill with them, causing Xu Yuan to unconsciously lean closer.

“…Who did this?”

“Hm?” Xu Yuan was momentarily dazed. He looked up at the person before him but couldn’t make out their face clearly. Squinting, he smiled, “I don’t know…”

“Xu Yuan, you better know who I am.”

 

“F*ck…”

Xu Yuan rarely swore. In the eyes of others, he had always been gentle and scholarly, possessing the grace of a gentleman alpha.

However, the current situation made it impossible to maintain a dignified demeanor.

The wound on the corner of his mouth, the marks on his body, the blurry fragments of memories swirling in his head, the extremely uncomfortable sensation behind…and the person lying next to him.

…He had slept with someone.

And that person was none other than He Chen, his love rival since the age of eighteen.

This conclusion undoubtedly left Xu Yuan somewhat shattered.

At eighteen, Xu Yuan had a crush on an omega who was the top scorer in their grade for the college entrance exam. People are often attracted to outstanding individuals, especially when that outstanding person sent you to the nurse’s office when you were sick and never asked for anything in return.

After calculating that his scores should allow him to attend the same university as the omega, Xu Yuan immediately bought gifts and flowers, even writing a sincere love letter intending to confess.

But the day before he planned to confess, the love letter mysteriously disappeared, no matter how hard he searched. When he had given up, he saw that gloomy, unapproachable alpha standing before the omega.

His fists gradually tightened, filled with anger or some other emotion, as Xu Yuan stared fixedly at the two figures in the distance.

Although the omega sincerely rejected both of their confessions, it seemed this did not mark the end of the war.

He Chen repeated a year and then entered their university, becoming the omega’s direct junior.

During that reunion, He Chen happened to catch Xu Yuan as he was taking the omega out for a meal. For a moment, the expression Xu Yuan always maintained so well showed its first crack.

Seeing the omega meticulously explaining everything the major required to He Chen, that displeasure finally peaked.

Perhaps it was the psychology of being an alpha, but after this incident, they competed in studies, in competitions, even if they weren’t in the same major. Xu Yuan thought he could finally get away from He Chen after going for his master’s, but He Chen came again.

In short, he was everywhere, like a lingering ghost. As a result, Xu Yuan was unable to properly pursue a relationship all these years.

How could he have imagined that years later, they would end up lying in the same bed in such a state? And it was Xu Yuan who was in such a sorry state…

…His brain’s CPU was about to explode. What made Xu Yuan even more miserable was that he vaguely remembered clinging to someone’s clothes, crying for them not to leave…it was his own initiative…

He really wanted to die.

 

3.

Quietly gathering his clothes to get dressed, before leaving Xu Yuan stood at the door, a complex expression on his face as he looked at the person lying on the bed. He sighed at how soundly He Chen slept while also feeling that the other would probably want to kill him when he woke up.

With a helpless sigh, Xu Yuan finally found paper and a pen in what seemed to be the sparsely furnished living room. After a few seconds of thought, he quickly wrote:

[I am deeply sorry for last night’s mistake. I truly regret that I cannot compensate you in any way right now, as for our competition, I voluntarily forfeit.

I wish you happiness.]

As he entered the elevator, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, Xu Yuan felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck. Reaching to touch it, he felt a distinct bite mark and couldn’t help but frown, thinking – is He Chen a dog? Biting so hard!

 

4.

No phone, frozen bank cards, friends who now wanted to avoid him at all costs.

“…” Xu Yuan gazed up at the sky, feeling utterly hopeless and wanting to die.

He did still have the omega’s contact information, but after what he’d said to He Chen, he couldn’t bring himself to call and bother them right away. Moreover, even if he did contact them, what would he say? That he was about to live on the streets and had accidentally slept with his love rival?

On the windy winter streets, Xu Yuan huddled in his coat under a streetlight, racking his brain for a way to extricate himself from this situation. It seemed his educational credentials were all he had left. But with just credentials and nothing else, he couldn’t possibly find a job in the short term.

After much consideration, Xu Yuan found a decently successful restaurant offering an extremely low wage, seeking temporary shelter and employment. In his mind, he had to survive the first two months first.

“You’ll need to work nights, and sometimes the workload can be quite intense…” The proprietress¹老板娘 (lǎo bǎn niáng) – female proprietor / lady boss / boss’s wife hesitated, looking at Xu Yuan several times, this person in front of her seemed to have grown up in a wealthy family, coming to their restaurant she felt… she expressed some concern, “You’re an omega, right? Where’s your family?”

Xu Yuan smiled faintly, concealing the dejection and discomfort in his eyes. “Some issues came up. Boss lady, I can handle it. I really need this job.”

The proprietress hesitated for a long while before finally taking pity on Xu Yuan’s pitiful state. With a sigh, she hired him, not commenting on the alpha designation on his ID.

 

5.

After working continuously for half a month, the toll of physical labor fully manifested in Xu Yuan’s body. During the day, he could still maintain a facade in front of others, but at night, lying in bed, he didn’t even want to move his fingers.

Looking back, he had never experienced such hardship before.

That evening, the restaurant welcomed a rather prestigious guest, leaving the proprietress extremely nervous. As she chopped vegetables in the kitchen, she quietly told Xu Yuan, “Ai ya, I really don’t know why someone of that status would look at a place like our restaurant. It makes me so anxious…”

Xu Yuan gave her a reassuring smile, bearing the ache in his arms to carry out the prepared dishes. “Boss lady, the food here is delicious. Have confidence in your cooking skills.”

The madam waved her hand at him with a smile. “Just go serve the food! Always such a smooth talker.”

The reunion came unexpectedly. Truth be told, Xu Yuan had been deliberately trying to forget what happened that day.

Seeing He Chen seated among the crowd, and the omega next to him looking visibly shocked, Xu Yuan’s first thought was to turn and run. He didn’t know why – perhaps pride, an unwillingness to face them, or uncontrollable physiological urges after becoming an omega.

Compared to before, he was extremely embarrassed in front of He Chen now. Not to mention that they had ended up in bed together before.

“Xu Yuan…” The omega called out to him softly.

His heart throbbed with an indescribable sensation. Did the omega accept He Chen because he withdrew? Or did the omega not accept He Chen earlier because he was being mindful of Xu Yuan?

He Chen’s gaze merely grazed over him, carrying its customary chill and aloofness.

Xu Yuan reined in his thoughts, acting as if unaware, and placed the dishes on their table.

“All the dishes are served, enjoy your meal—”

Just as he put down the check, his wrist was grabbed by someone. A rather young-looking alpha widened his eyes, staring at him without saying a word for a while. It wasn’t until Xu Yuan’s expression became somewhat awkward that he belatedly reacted, blurting out, “F*ck! Chen-ge, isn’t this the former second rank? You’re still—”

He Chen didn’t speak but instead stood up amidst everyone’s gazes. He walked to Xu Yuan’s side, brushing the other Alpha’s hand off his wrist.

“Come with me.” His voice was deep, his expression unfriendly.

Almost no one in the room made a sound.

“Unless you want that day’s incident—”

Xu Yuan’s pupils constricted sharply; he hoped He Chen would forget that incident.

 

6.

He practically dragged Xu Yuan to the staff lounge.

“I’ve already apologized for that day; I didn’t have a choice then. As for you…shouldn’t you be happy to be with him now? He Chen, bringing up this matter doesn’t benefit either of us.”

He Chen gazed silently at Xu Yuan.

After all these years, he seemed even more profound than in high school, exuding a stronger aura of a dominant Alpha. Perhaps environment truly does influence a person, Xu Yuan felt somewhat exposed.

“Why do you think I came here?” He Chen’s sudden words startled Xu Yuan.

His brain hadn’t fully processed what had just happened, Xu Yuan remained silent.

He Chen turned and walked to the door of the staff lounge. With a click, he gently locked the door.

Xu Yuan faintly felt something was wrong.

“After that day, I’ve been waiting for you to come back. Given your situation, you could’ve threatened me with that incident, pleaded with me, or simply accepted it to stay by my side…what’s so bad about that?”

Xu Yuan blinked, stumbling onto the bed’s edge.

He Chen loomed over him, bending down to gently lift his chin.

“You like outstanding people, so I strive to become outstanding. If you want to rely on yourself, I will let you go. Whether you are an alpha or an omega, I can accept it. Why…”

Xu Yuan felt that He Chen’s emotions were off, and out of self-preservation, he wanted to push He Chen away, but the other party had already pushed him into a corner.

“…Have your eyes never stayed on me? Tell me, what have I done that is not enough?”

Catching the overwhelming, domineering pheromones, Xu Yuan finally understood. As a former alpha, he was highly sensitive to this. He pushed He Chen back, frowning. “Are you in rut, He Chen? Hey! He Chen! Look closely, I’m Xu Yuan!”

At those words, He Chen’s gaze changed drastically. He forcefully pushed Xu Yuan onto the bed, his lips soon met by another’s warmth as He Chen ruthlessly invaded, gripping Xu Yuan’s chin in a storm of passion.

Amidst the haze, Xu Yuan found it bizarre.

 

7.

Ten years ago, Xu Yuan and He Chen had fought together because Xu Yuan, who was very enthusiastic back then and felt that as an alpha, he had a duty to help others, couldn’t stand so many people bullying He Chen.

Although this new student had a cold face, didn’t speak much, had poor grades, and seemed difficult to approach, it was too much for so many to gang up on one person.

Xu Yuan tossed his bag aside, grabbed a stick, and charged in. His intervention only seemed to burden the new student further—now, he needed to watch over him, too.

In the end, He Chen resolved it himself.

Xu Yuan wondered then, how could the gap between alphas be so vast?

Were it not for their parents’ intervention, they would have almost faced disciplinary action.

Xu Yuan thought they could be friends, but He Chen remained cold, never sparing him a glance. However, believing that having one more friend would be better, Xu Yuan still tried to talk to him often.

Later, for some reason, He Chen developed a crush on the same omega as him and even tried to outdo him at every turn.

 

An alpha in rut, especially one with potent pheromones like He Chen, was not easy to deal with.

Xu Yuan almost used all his patience to coax He Chen back home.

He Chen in this state was simply terrifying.

But Xu Yuan thought, he himself wasn’t like that during ruts! What kind of weirdo was He Chen after all?

The omega called He Chen and was startled to hear Xu Yuan’s voice.

“Xu Yuan…”

Xu Yuan frowned slightly as he looked at the sleeping He Chen on the bed, then relaxed and said, “I’ve brought him back…” In the quiet, Xu Yuan felt the need to find a topic, “By the way, after all these years, I want to thank you for sending me to the infirmary and taking care of me back then.”

After a long silence, “I thought he’d told you already, Xu Yuan. That day you fell ill, the one who sent you to the infirmary and cared for you wasn’t me—it was He Chen. He asked me to later on…He’s always liked you. I assumed you knew.”

After hanging up the phone, Xu Yuan’s expression was complex, and when he looked at He Chen again, he didn’t know what expression to use.

After so many years, telling him all this now feels like the tracks have derailed. It’s kind of funny.

 

9.

Six months later, on the streets of New York.

Xu Yuan stood in place holding his phone, raising an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the person in front of him.

“I’ve already left the country and you still managed to find me? Mr. He, you’re quite persistent, aren’t you?”

“The doctor said your body won’t be in good shape for a year after latent differentiation,” He Chen frowned, feeling uncomfortable uttering such words. “Don’t wander around, Xu Yuan.”

Xu Yuan adjusted his glasses, meeting He Chen’s gaze through the lenses. He nodded. “You’ve chased me for six months now, anything else?”

“Don’t make me tie you up and take you back,” He Chen said coldly.

Xu Yuan: “…”

If Xu Yuan didn’t know what kind of person He Chen was, he felt that with He Chen’s attitude, it would be impossible for him to chase him for another hundred years.

TD Chapter 02 >>

TL Notes

• 1
  老板娘 (lǎo bǎn niáng) – female proprietor / lady boss / boss’s wife