“What do you mean by ‘not his type’? What are you talking about…”

Cheng Yang stopped mid-sentence, re-evaluating the implication of those words.

That day in the car, Ning Zhu hadn’t deliberately lowered his voice. Sitting in the backseat, Cheng Yang had overheard a few sentences.

At the time, something had felt off, but his mind was preoccupied with Fang Huaixin, leaving no room for deeper thought.

But now, connecting it to Dou Changxiao’s words and mulling it over carefully…

Cheng Yang: “…”

No way?

He turned his head and coughed violently for a moment before turning back to Dou Changxiao, his face filled with disbelief.

Dou Changxiao glanced at him, tacitly acknowledging his guess.

“So, it seems like I saw something fall out of that paper Brother Ning left behind that day. It looked… like a bank card or something. And in the car, I overheard a bit of what Brother Ning was telling you. Like…” Cheng Yang glanced at Dou Changxiao’s expression. “Pheromones, and, ahem, getting… intimate…”

“…”

Dou Changxiao’s grip on the water bottle suddenly tightened. The plastic bottle creaked sharply under the pressure, momentarily giving the illusion it might burst.

Cheng Yang quickly shut his mouth.

After a moment, Dou Changxiao released his grip, setting the deformed mineral water bottle on the chair. “It’s fine. Continue.”

Cheng Yang thought to himself: How could I possibly continue? If I keep talking, the next thing to deform might just be me.

But Dou Changxiao’s gaze bore into him, forcing Cheng Yang to speak again. “Alright, alright. I won’t ask you for Ning… his contact info.”

“But… he really intends to… well, you? Holy crap.” Cheng Yang rubbed his face. After the initial shock, he leaned back against the bench and sighed at the complex, multifaceted nature of humanity.

“So what are you going to do now? Give him the card back?”

Dou Changxiao: “I’m not that idle.”

Going out of his way for that Ning guy would just mean being completely played by him.

Cheng Yang nodded. “True. Going back specifically for something like this might just stir up trouble. Better not risk getting entangled in more mess.”

“Anyway, he doesn’t have your contact info. Unless you reach out, he can’t find you. If you see him again in North City, just give him a wide berth.”

As for the card, since Dou Changxiao hadn’t contacted him after waiting so long, Ning would likely just get a replacement.

No contact, give him a wide berth.

That was exactly what Dou Changxiao intended to do.

But at the same time, he felt deeply frustrated.

That Ning fellow had provoked him repeatedly, and though Dou Changxiao had stumbled a few times, he hadn’t struck back even once.

For an Alpha with a fiercely competitive nature, swallowing that pride wasn’t easy. That was why Dou Changxiao had been feeling restless these past few days.

Dou Changxiao responded absentmindedly.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Cheng Yang said. “Huaixin’s sister has a heart condition that requires surgery. The procedure and follow-up treatment add up to a significant expense. That’s why he broke up with me and started working part-time as a host at a nightclub.”

Cheng Yang’s expression darkened at the mention. His courtship with Fang Huaixin had been straightforward—both idealistic in their views on love, they’d deliberately avoided discussing practical matters like family backgrounds. During their relationship, Cheng Yang occasionally sensed Fang Huaixin’s self-consciousness and evasiveness, so he’d chosen to keep his own family’s status private.

Given his family’s standing, had he known earlier about the pressure Fang Huaixin faced, he would have found a way to resolve it. He would never have allowed the Omega he cared for to endure humiliation in such a place.

Dou Changxiao glanced at him. “You got the money together?”

“Yeah.” Cheng Yang’s tone lightened. “I accompanied Huaixin to the hospital yesterday to pay the fees. The surgery date will be set soon.”

“I’ll be making frequent trips to the hospital these next few days, but I’ll be free over the weekend. You don’t have classes then, right? I’d like to treat you to a meal.”

Dou Changxiao: “Not necessary.”

“Why not?” Cheng Yang shook his head. “If you hadn’t agreed to come out drinking with me that day, Huaixin might have been bullied.”

A smiling face flashed through Dou Changxiao’s mind.

The one who might have been bullied was actually…

Dou Changxiao drifted off in thought, only for Ning Zhu’s soft, insinuating voice to catch him off guard.

— Name your price.

“……”

The anger Dou Changxiao had barely suppressed surged back up.

Cheng Yang: “How about Saturday night?”

Dou Changxiao didn’t hesitate this time, simply replying, “Alright.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The restaurant Cheng Yang had booked was located in the bustling city center, boasting an exceptionally elegant ambiance.

The top floor featured a small terrace dining area with only three or four tables, offering a panoramic view of North City’s dazzling nightscape. However, securing a reservation during prime weekend hours proved notoriously difficult.

Cheng Yang’s reservation was tight, securing only an indoor table. After all, two Alphas like him and Dou Changxiao didn’t need such sophistication. They had no particular interest in admiring nightscapes either; to them, fancy places felt no different than street food stalls.

And indeed, that’s exactly how it played out. As the waiter brought out each course, he didn’t even need to announce the dishes. The two Alphas at the table simply picked up their cutlery, signaling he could leave.

The waiter’s composed expression nearly cracked, but he went through the motions and asked if they’d like wine with their meal.

Cheng Yang ordered a glass of champagne, while Dou Changxiao declined.

He wasn’t much of a drinker.

In all his years, Dou Changxiao had only touched alcohol once—at his own graduation banquet. He’d taken a few sips while toasting the elders in attendance. His memory stopped at raising his second glass; everything after that was a blank.

The day after the celebration, his family gathered to advise him, urging him to avoid alcohol entirely in the future.

If he ever had to drink, they reminded him, he should make sure someone held his hand…

Sitting across from each other, they exchanged occasional, half-hearted remarks, occasionally glancing at their phones to reply to messages. It felt no different than eating in the school cafeteria.

Dou Changxiao’s phone screen flickered incessantly beside him.

【Lu Chao:】Do me another favor?

【Lu Chao:】Ren Group’s chairman has a birthday next month. Things are hectic at work—it’s too much hassle for me to dash over from Haicheng.

【Lu Chao:】Since you’re studying in Beicheng anyway, could you swing by and add your name to the gift list?

Dou Changxiao glanced at it briefly before flipping his phone face-down on the table, with no intention of responding.

Last time he’d done the guy a favor by attending that tacky art exhibition, only to get entangled with that Ning fellow and dragged into a string of troubles.

“…Huh?”

Cheng Yang suddenly spoke up.

Dou Changxiao looked up to find the other staring in surprise at something behind him.

“What is it?”

Cheng Yang gestured, motioning Dou Changxiao to look at a specific spot behind them.

Two young men entered through the restaurant entrance. At first glance, they seemed exceptionally striking.

The slightly shorter one, smiling and chatting with the welcoming waiter, was someone Dou Changxiao knew all too well.

—That Ning guy.

The other young man accompanying him was taller and more imposing—no surprise, he was likely an Alpha.

Dou Changxiao turned his gaze away indifferently and continued eating.

But Cheng Yang kept staring straight at the pair, not looking away until the waiter led them to a table on the terrace.

Dou Changxiao: “You need to stare that long?”

Cheng Yang frowned. “I was looking at the guy next to Brother Ning… He seems like my brother.”

Dou Changxiao: “.”

Cheng Yang met Dou Changxiao’s gaze and explained, “Not my biological brother—my cousin Cheng Li, my uncle’s kid. I used to visit him often during school breaks when I was little, but we’ve barely seen each other since college. I heard he went abroad a few months ago! Why’s he suddenly back…” And he’s with Ning Zhu.

“Your cousin is an Alpha?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Brother Li, and my cousin too, they’re both Alphas…” Cheng Yang suddenly froze.

Wait, an Alpha and an Omega coming to a place like this to dine alone?

Cheng Yang couldn’t believe it: “Are they actually a couple?”

Dou Changxiao glanced toward the terrace.

The figure surnamed Ning was mostly obscured by his companion. Only when he leaned back occasionally could Dou Changxiao catch glimpses of his face—a relaxed smile spread across his profile. Judging by the ease of their conversation, they seemed to be getting along quite well.

Cheng Yang: “But if they are a couple, why would Brother Ning still seek you out…”

Dou Changxiao withdrew his gaze and spoke slowly: “Confirm it with your brother. If it’s true, then he might consider finding a new partner.”

Cheng Yang immediately sent several messages to Cheng Li, subtly probing about the other’s current relationship status. Unfortunately, Cheng Li was currently chatting with Ning Zhu and hadn’t seen his messages.

But Cheng Yang felt this matter was almost certainly true.

Cheng Li must have returned from abroad not long ago. Right after coming back, he arranged a dinner with an Omega—and at a hard-to-book terrace dining area, no less. No matter how you looked at it, they weren’t just ordinary friends.

“I overheard family gossip about my cousin having a crush on an Omega for years,” Cheng Yang mused, his voice tinged with worry. “If that Omega really is Brother Ning, how do I break the truth to Brother Li? He’d be heartbroken to learn the person he liked was with someone else while he was abroad…”

Dou Changxiao remained silent.

His family was a blended household. His father, Lu Mao’an, had been married before and had a child from that previous relationship. The one bombarding him with messages earlier was Dou Changxiao’s half-brother, Lu Chao. Though Dou Changxiao considered their relationship distant, he wouldn’t stand idly by if someone deceived his family like this.

Recalling Ning Zhu’s bold, unflappable tone when he’d provoked him, Dou Changxiao jabbed his dinner knife twice into the veal on his plate.

That two-faced scoundrel.

On the terrace, a waiter approached Ning Zhu’s table, bending to hand the restaurant menu to the two men.

Dou Changxiao abruptly flung down his cutlery.

Metal clattered against the porcelain plate with a sharp clink.

Cheng Yang froze. “What are you doing?”

Dou Changxiao replied coolly:

“I’m going to blackmail that Ning guy.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Ning Zhu took the menu without opening it, looking up at the waiter. “Sorry, a friend hasn’t arrived yet. We’ll need to wait a bit longer to order.”

“Understood.”

Seated nearby, Cheng Li glanced at his watch. “What’s the status with Ji Chi? Did he stand me up?”

“An unexpected issue arose with one of his projects,” Ning Zhu explained. “Nothing major, should be resolved soon.”

“Oh, alright then.”

Cheng Li cringed at the mere mention of work projects. Changing the subject, he asked Ning Zhu: “What about you? How have you been lately? Ji Chi mentioned you were on vacation earlier, which surprised me—you’re usually stuck in the office even during holidays.”

Ning Zhu frowned in confusion: “Why does everyone think I’m some kind of workaholic?”

That kid Xiao Tao was the same—the first thing he asked when he called was whether Ning Zhu had snuck back to the office to work overtime.

Did he look that crazy?

Cheng Li countered, “Aren’t you?”

Ever since he’d known Ning Zhu, the guy had never been idle. Back in high school, Ning Zhu buried his head in studies day and night. During breaks, he’d hunt for part-time gigs everywhere. Cheng Li could never catch him for a karaoke session.

Not long after starting college, while his peers were still basking in the joy of escaping the college entrance exams, Ning Zhu was already scheming about how to start a business and make money.

He was the hardest-working, most driven person Cheng Li knew. Only in the past couple of years, as Qisheng grew, did Ning Zhu finally start to show a bit of the leisurely demeanor of a boss.

“I was bored at home, so I went to the office to kill time and get some real work done,” Ning Zhu defended himself. “I’m not some workaholic masochist.”

Cheng Li offered no comment.

When he was bored, he certainly didn’t kill time with work.

“By the way, I heard that idiot Ren Shaokun came back to China? He even held some crappy art exhibition.”

Ning Zhu hummed in acknowledgment.

Cheng Li’s expression darkened. “If he dares cause you any trouble again…”

Before he could finish, a sudden ringtone cut him off.

It was Ning Zhu’s phone.

“You’ve got it backwards,” Ning Zhu replied before checking his phone. “I’ll be the one causing him trouble.”

Cheng Li froze for a second. His stern expression eased slightly at this remark, and he relaxed with a smile. “Almost forgot—you’re now Boss Ning of Qisheng. Who could possibly bully you?”

Only then did Ning Zhu glance at his phone. The screen showed an unfamiliar number.

He hesitated briefly before answering.

“Hello.”

He offered a polite greeting, waiting a moment, but received no response from the other end.

Ning Zhu took the phone away from his ear and glanced at the call interface, confirming he hadn’t accidentally hit the hang-up button.

…Oh.

A faint smile curved Ning Zhu’s lips as he returned the phone to his ear.

The silence on the other end made his eyes crinkle with amusement, his tone immediately lifting with cheer: “Changxiao…”