Before long, Xiao Tao returned carrying a packed meal box. As soon as he entered the room, he sensed a rather oppressive atmosphere in the ward.

Neither person in the room was speaking. Wei Tingfeng was looking down at Ning Zhu’s test results.

As for his boss, he sat staring blankly into space, his complexion ashen—looking, even worse than when he’d first regained consciousness.

He really must be starving.

Xiao Tao quickly set up the small table on Ning Zhu’s hospital bed, opened the meal boxes, and even went out of his way to place chopsticks in Ning Zhu’s hand.

He also packed a portion for Wei Tingfeng: “Dr. Wei, you haven’t eaten either, have you? When I went out earlier, I saw doctors from other departments had already clocked out. You’ve been working so hard. Ah, I was just so panicked when I saw what happened to Mr. Ning that I called you over without fully understanding the situation.”

Wei Tingfeng: “It’s fine. Tonight was my scheduled shift anyway.”

And thankfully, he called him in. Wei Tingfeng left the rest unsaid, took the box, and thanked him.

Ning Zhu’s neck had been throbbing painfully since he woke up. Thinking again of that terrifyingly high compatibility match, he ate two tasteless bites before setting down his chopsticks and sighing silently.

Xiao Tao: “? What’s wrong, Mr. Ning?”

Ning Zhu pushed his tray forward, adopting a resigned expression: “Get ready. I’m heading out.”

Xiao Tao: “Where to?”

Wei Tingfeng: “…”

He cleared his throat. “Right, Assistant Tao, I need your help with something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Your Boss Ning… isn’t seriously ill. But he needs quiet rest for a while. Please return to the company and inform your Boss Ji, that Ning Zhu will be resting at home these days.”

Xiao Tao relaxed upon hearing the first part and immediately nodded repeatedly.

Ning Zhu thought it was overkill: “…That’s unnecessary.”

After all, he’d already taken the suppressant. His glands couldn’t possibly be so stubborn as to start acting up immediately after the injection.

As soon as he finished speaking, he caught two piercing glares simultaneously directed his way. Even that kid Tao dared to glare at him now.

Ning Zhu choked on his words and silently shut up.

After the meal, Wei Tingfeng glanced at his watch and stood up. “I’ll head back to the lab now. Contact me if anything comes up.”

After Wei Tingfeng left, Ning Zhu remembered the Alpha who had called the ambulance for him earlier. He beckoned to Xiao Tao: “That kind soul who brought me to the hospital—buy him a small gift and have it delivered. Tell him I’m grateful.”

Though Ning Zhu had no recollection of the man’s appearance, he held a favorable impression of the kind soul.

Xiao Tao froze for a moment, then flushed with embarrassment.

Ning Zhu asked, “What is it?”

Xiao Tao replied awkwardly, “He did come with the ambulance, but he didn’t stay long. I heard about your accident and rushed to the hospital. I was so flustered I forgot to ask the hospital to keep his contact information.”

“I see…” Ning Zhu didn’t blame him.

Xiao Tao: “I’ll try asking tomorrow to see if I can get their phone number.”

“Mhm.”

━━━━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━━━━

Ning Zhu stayed in the hospital ward for the next few days. Xiao Tao did indeed find time later to inquire about the kind Alpha’s situation, but unfortunately, he couldn’t get any follow-up information in the end.

Ning Zhu was naturally disappointed, but he had no choice but to let it go.

He was forced to take a week off. After two days in the hospital and receiving the suppressant, his vital signs quickly returned to normal.

Dr. Wei Tingfeng said his glands would likely remain tender for a while and prescribed some painkillers.

Ning Zhu followed the doctor’s orders for a few days. While the area around his glands still felt uncomfortable, it wasn’t unbearable, so he stopped taking the medication.

On the day he completed his discharge paperwork, with three days of sick leave remaining, he found an excuse to assign Xiao Tao a task and send him away. He then slipped off to the company for a quick visit.

The Qisheng Technology logo towered atop the building. Ning Zhu took the elevator to the top floor. Before even entering his office, he bumped into Ji Chi in the hallway.

Back when Ning Zhu was struggling to get his startup off the ground, Ji Chi had proactively approached him with a partnership offer, providing what was then a substantial sum of seed funding. Now, Ji Chi had risen to become Qisheng’s second-in-command, a highly reliable partner in Ning Zhu’s entrepreneurial journey.

The moment Ji Chi saw Ning Zhu, his brow furrowed. “I recall your vacation hasn’t ended yet.”

Ning Zhuo opened his mouth to speak, but Ji Chi didn’t wait for an explanation. Like shooing away a beggar, he ushered him out of the building.

Catching someone working overtime in violation of company policy, Ji Chi escorted Ning Zhuo outside the office building and said coldly, “If the company can’t function for a few days when you’re on leave, it means you’re keeping a bunch of useless freeloaders on your payroll.”

Ning Zhu didn’t even touch his desk before Ji Chi’s driver escorted him home.

Barred from the company, Ning Zhu’s unfinished work before hospitalization was entirely taken over by Ji Chi, who left only a few critical documents requiring Ning Zhu’s approval.

Ning Zhu didn’t take long to process them all, then freed up time to focus on his own affairs.

He called his confidant: “…Any new developments with the pheromone matching database lately?”

The negative response from the other end came once more. Ning Zhu acknowledged it calmly, showing little surprise or disappointment.

The “other treatment methods” Wei Tingfeng mentioned weren’t something Ning Zhu had considered before. In fact, years earlier, he had begun searching for a highly compatible “specific cure.”

After all, it was a matter of life and death. Ever since he started his business and gained some capital and resources, he had kept tabs on matching databases through various channels.

Unfortunately, after years of searching, he still hadn’t found a suitable match.

“Understood. Keep monitoring. Also, certain… non-public matching databases—keep an eye out for those too.”

After the acknowledgment on the other end, there was a brief pause before Wei Tingfeng couldn’t resist asking, “I heard from company staff that you fainted and were hospitalized. Is this related to your glandular condition?”

Ning Zhu acknowledged it with an unambiguous “Mhm.”

“I won’t be at the office for the next couple of days. Take charge of the work handover. For any permissions issues, consult Ji Chi.”

“Understood, Mr. Ning.”

After hanging up, Ning Zhu spent half the day aimlessly at home, feeling restless and bored in his bedroom.

He wasn’t the type who could tolerate solitude. Even when he had a few days off, he’d inevitably seek out crowded places.

Ning Zhu rarely spent weekends at home. He’d bought the house a couple of years ago, opting for a slightly larger space than necessary. After the renovation, he’d harbored lingering regret.

His family had cut ties with him after high school. Back then, he’d managed to cover his own tuition, living expenses, and the exorbitant costs of his suppressants. So during the day, the vast space was occupied only by him and the housekeeper who handled cooking and cleaning.

The quiet felt not just empty, but downright tedious.

Unable to sit idle, he ate the auntie’s stewed chicken and tripe soup at dusk, changed into more presentable clothes, and prepared to leave.

Before departing, he called out to the auntie finishing up in the kitchen: “I’m heading out. Auntie Lin, you can go home once you’re done.”

“Out drinking again?” Auntie Lin paused her work, glancing back at him twice, words lingering on her lips.

“Boss Ning, too much alcohol isn’t good for your health. And you always frequent those nightclubs and bars—they’re not wholesome places. It’s not safe.”

Auntie Lin was a kind soul, though sometimes a bit of a nag. Having worked for Ning Zhu for so long, she regarded him like her own child, occasionally unable to resist offering a bit of unsolicited advice.

Ning Zhu didn’t find it bothersome, but he wasn’t one to take it seriously either. He just chuckled it off with a dismissive laugh.

Aunt Lin could only say, “Then I’ll make you some soup. I’ll keep it warm in the thermos for you to drink when you come back tonight.”

“Alright.”

━━━━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━━━━

After leaving home, Ning Zhu instructed the driver to head to a bar and nightclub in North City that he frequented.

The hostess recognized Ning Zhu immediately. Spotting him enter, she stepped forward with a smile. “Boss Ning, the usual? Shall I prepare a private room for you?”

This bar featured two private rooms, the rest being semi-open booth seating. The private rooms were typically reserved for only a select few patrons.

Usually, Ning Zhu would bring one or two close friends along, but since tomorrow was a workday, he didn’t bother anyone.

Coming alone today, he found the thought of drinking alone in a private room rather dull. With a smile, he waved his hand. “Not today. Just give me any booth. I’ll have a couple of drinks and leave.”

The hostess, gauging his preferences, found him a dimly lit spot slightly set back, yet perfectly positioned to overlook the dance floor.

Ning Zhu could glance up and see several uniquely dressed Alphas performing on the dance floor. Their movements carried a hint of erotic allure, creating a scene that struck him as almost surreal.

Half the patrons and staff around him weren’t wearing neck collars or wristbands.

For those seeking entertainment in such places, the pheromones of the opposite sex were naturally essential seasoning.

Ning Zhu guessed the air must be saturated with a medley of scents—like a giant, flavor-infused candy jar where aromas mingled. It probably smelled quite interesting.

Unfortunately, his glands were insensitive to most AO pheromones. He could only detect the scent of alcohol in the air and the lingering perfume of passing Betas.

Ning Zhu scanned his surroundings with fresh curiosity, then waved down a server to order a bottle of liquor.

The dance floor music reverberated throughout the venue. Fueled by alcohol, his body became involuntarily charged in this environment.

Leaning against the booth’s small sofa, Ning Zhuo felt the throbbing nerves of his swollen gland pulse in sync with the powerful drumbeat at one moment.

Suddenly, several hostile voices cut through the drumbeat, jarringly out of place amidst the crowd’s revelry.

Ning Zhu loved a good spectacle. Setting down his glass, he identified the source. Sure enough, in the large booth adjacent to his, he spotted seven or eight men and women behaving rather unpleasantly.

They were clearly customers here to spend money. Several were obviously brought along as companions, clinging to their partners like parasitic plants.

Led by a scowling man in the center—unworn wristband, but his build suggested an Alpha—the group’s leader was the source of most of the earlier outbursts.

“Saying ‘sorry’ is worth shit! What good is your apology? If you’ve got the balls, refund the tab.”

The Alpha gripped an empty bottle like a baseball bat, tapping it rhythmically against his palm. His arm muscles bulged, as if the bottle might smash into someone’s skull any second. “Fuck! I drop ten grand on drinks, and you won’t even let me touch your ass? Do you think I’m a sucker?”

His outburst was directed at an Omega standing before him—a boy who looked barely twenty, his face soft and clean-cut, radiating a student-like innocence rarely seen in this chaotic den.

But Ning Zhuo glanced at the boy’s uniform-style clothing. He was clearly one of the establishment’s special service staff.

The Alpha waved the bottle, sneering coldly, “Or you could go get your boss right now. I’ll ask him how he trains new staff. I won’t even charge you for the drinks—consider it thrown to the dogs on the street.”

The Omega’s face flushed bright red. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He didn’t cry, though.

He stopped apologizing, stood with his head bowed for a moment, then predictably returned to his seat in the booth. Silently, he resumed pouring drinks for the customers.

Ning Zhu turned back, raised his glass, and drank his own drink.

This bar, after all, operated with nightclub-like elements, including some gray-area escort services. Ning Zhu hadn’t actively sought them out, but he understood how such arrangements worked.

Customers paid for drinks, and the hostesses earned commissions. The money came fast, but it wasn’t exactly easy to earn.

The student-like Omega looked like he hadn’t been in this line of work long. His mannerisms and demeanor betrayed a mix of awkwardness and shame. But most who entered this trade had mentally prepared themselves for being taken advantage of before they even started.

There was really no need to join this spectacle.

After a short while, perhaps because the Omega finally cooperated, the Alpha, who had just made those harsh threats, broke into a pleased smile.

Ning Zhu finished the last of the liquor in his glass and reached for a refill, only to find the bottle empty.

He paused for two seconds, then turned sideways and called out to the group.

The people in the booth behind him turned, puzzled.

Ning Zhu picked up the empty bottle on the table, gave it a shake, and said, “I’d like to place an order.”

“If you want to order, just get a waiter. What’s the point of telling us?”

“I am getting a waiter. Hey, you. You’re the waiter, right?” Ning Zhu raised his chin slightly toward the student-looking Omega. “Bring me a bottle of wine.”

The Omega froze.

From every angle, Ning Zhu felt he really had no business meddling in these consensual transactions common in nightclubs.

Yet a tiny, almost negligible emotion lingered in his heart, making him keep thinking about the group behind him.

After a moment’s thought, he decided to intervene anyway, rather than carry this petty matter home to fret over.

“…You’re drunk, aren’t you?” someone in the booth frowned. “Aren’t there other servers around? Why must you ask one of us?”

Ning Zhu said, “Sorry, I’m in a hurry.”

Coincidentally, no other staff had passed by nearby at that moment.

But this group couldn’t care less about his urgency.

“Crazy bastard! What the hell do we care if you can’t place an order?”

“Where’d this drunkard come from? Get lost! Brother Lei, ignore this moron. Let’s keep partying.”

Seeing that talking wouldn’t work, Ning Zhu silently stared at them for a moment before turning away.

The group dismissed the drunkard, brushing off the incident, and resumed their loud laughter and flirting.

Less than two minutes later, a man dressed like a manager suddenly approached. With a forced smile, he interrupted the entangled group and whispered something.

The Alpha in charge immediately darkened: “What do you mean it’s reserved? Fuck, why didn’t you say anything when I was picking my people?”

“My deepest apologies, Mr. Lei. It’s entirely my staff’s negligence. I offer my sincerest apology,” the manager said. “As compensation, I’ll waive your entire bill tonight. Would that be acceptable?”

“…Does it even matter if I say no?”

The manager kept smiling. “I’m truly sorry.”

The Alpha watched with a dark expression as the Omega, who had just touched his thigh, was led away by the manager.

—Then they turned a corner and were ushered into the adjacent booth.

Alpha: “…”

The others: “??”

At that moment, the person in the adjacent booth turned around, glanced at them, and flashed a smug, infuriating grin.

A face radiating shameless privilege.

Everyone: “……………”

Holy shit.