The cool beauty forcibly bids for top A: Chapter 41

Shen Yanzhou had stayed awake all night again, all because of that dog.

To be precise, it was all because of that dog’s phone.

After taking the man’s phone, Shen Yanzhou returned to his room and tried the password. He had only been trying his luck when he entered: 30000000. He hadn’t expected it to unlock on the first try.

But curiosity killed the cat. Getting in successfully was worse than getting the password wrong.

Although there were only a handful of images on the phone, every single one was of him. Some of them would even have been tagged R18.

The most explicit one showed him being held tightly from behind by the man, his waist curved into an alluring arc, his lower belly filled to the brim, transparent traces trailing down his pale thighs… Silver hair clung to his sweat-dampened cheeks, the corners of his eyes red, his lips swollen from biting, yet still clamped shut refusing to make a single sound.

Why keep photos like that?

“That guy, could he be planning to use these photos to threaten me later?”

Shen Yanzhou deleted everything inside clean, awkwardly exited to calm down, then reopened his browser history, trying to find more clues.

Hah, this browsing history too, he would have been better off not looking at it.

“Omega Conception Positions Illustrated: How to Use Gravity and Angle to Let an Alpha Perform at 100%”

“Does Rubbing an Omega’s Stomach Afterward Really Help Keep What’s Inside?”

“What Physical Reactions Do First-Time Pregnant Omegas Experience? Drowsiness, Sensitivity, Lower Back Pain?”

Shen Yanzhou: “…”

He suspected that giving the man a notebook and paper and personally teaching him had been a mistake. He didn’t know whether it was because Thirty Million was overly curious, or whether he had accidentally unlocked some strange side of him.

In his view, this was just completing a task. As long as you followed the steps, got pregnant, and then went their separate ways.

But what was this dog doing?!

Treating this whole thing like academic research?

Speaking of drowsiness, sensitivity, and lower back pain.

Shen Yanzhou suddenly felt a faint discomfort in his lower abdomen, as if something was gently stirring inside, followed by a wave of nauseous queasiness that made his throat tighten.

He reached out and touched his flat lower abdomen. The skin beneath his fingertips was warm and soft, yet inexplicably somewhat swollen.

“Could I really be pregnant?”

His gland was already defective, his reproductive cavity severely atrophied. How could he get pregnant this easily?

But that nauseous feeling was growing more and more obvious. He even felt a faint heat deep in his lower abdomen, as if a fire was slowly burning.

Shen Yanzhou bit his lower lip, got up, walked to the nightstand, pulled open the bottom drawer, took out the pregnancy test Su Muran had given him, and went into the bathroom.

He tore open the packaging, followed the instructions, wiped his hands and the stick clean with a tissue, then slightly squatted down, his long straight legs slightly parted, elegantly lifting his bathrobe.

After about two minutes, he placed the pregnancy test flat on the sink, his silver eyes unblinking as he stared at the small plastic stick.

First minute, the control line appeared clearly.

Second minute, the test line showed only one line.

Third minute, it stopped at one bar.

Not pregnant.

“We did it so many times, every time so deep, and still didn’t get pregnant. Is it because… he never actually entered the reproductive cavity?” Shen Yanzhou asked.

Once the pregnancy test results came out, he drove to the hospital before going to work.

“Yes.” Su Muran pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, looking at Shen Yanzhou’s blood report and gland ultrasound images, his brows slightly furrowed, then let out a helpless sigh.

Shen Yanzhou pressed a cotton ball against the spot where blood had just been drawn, his brows tightly locked, his cool silver eyes full of doubt: “Then how do you explain my recent drowsiness, lower back pain, and the heat and nausea in my lower abdomen?”

The “early pregnancy reactions” that dog had looked up on his phone, he had almost all of them.

“Pseudopregnancy symptoms.”

“Ah Yan, he’s been too frequent with you lately. Although he hasn’t actually knotted inside your reproductive cavity, extremely concentrated pheromones can easily stimulate your gland.”

“So, to get pregnant, he still has to break in, right?” Shen Yanzhou looked straight at Su Muran.

Su Muran looked at him, his eyes complicated as he sighed: “Yes, following the procedure, not a single step can be skipped. Because your gland is already special; without this method, it’s very difficult. Actually, even this way, it might not guarantee conception.”

“Do you also… not want him to mark you?” Su Muran carefully probed.

Shen Yanzhou pressed his lips together, saying flatly: “If I could, I wish I were an Alpha. Even a Beta would do.”

“Ah Yan.”

“Dr. Su, don’t look at me with pity and sympathy,” Shen Yanzhou shook his head.

His parents loved him very much, giving him unconditional love, though they passed away rather early.

He had a lot of money, was young and successful, took over the company at nineteen, and was only twenty-seven now.

So what if he was an Omega with defective pheromones and difficulty getting pregnant, born into a family surrounded by wolves, walking the edge of life and death?

He never thought of himself as pitiful.

“Rather, Dr. Su, whether seeing Thirty Million or mentioning him, why do you tremble? Did he do something to you?”

Su Muran lowered his head, saying softly: “No.”

“Really not?” Shen Yanzhou continued asking.

Su Muran raised his head, tugged at the corner of his mouth, his fingers lightly tightening on the edge of the medical file, “Really not. Besides, I’m not familiar with him, and he has no reason to make me afraid.”

“That’s good then.” Shen Yanzhou replied.

Su Muran was lying.

Even now, this guy still couldn’t lie. When nervous, he would pick at his fingernails, a habit that hadn’t changed to this day.

Even if he continued pressing him about what this dog had done to Su Muran behind his back, Su Muran would probably just bite his lips shut and say nothing, just like in high school when he was bullied but refused to tell him the bully’s name. In the end, Shen Yanzhou had secretly followed Su Muran to find out who it was.

A silent gourd who wouldn’t open his mouth even with a knife at his neck, who would only shed tears when pushed too far.

He knew Su Muran’s nature well. Since he couldn’t pry this mouth open, he wouldn’t pry anymore.

After leaving the hospital, he dialed Huo Ting’s number. The other party picked up shortly after.

“Shen Yanzhou, just state your conditions.” The voice on the other end sounded exhausted.

“Huo Ting, I’m at the cafe in front of St. Mary’s Hospital. You have half an hour. Come meet me.”

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

He said half an hour, but Shen Yanzhou had been sitting for less than twenty minutes when Huo Ting pushed through the door. The man was travel-worn, his black windbreaker still dotted with fine raindrops, dark circles under his eyes, clearly having not slept well these past few days.

Unexpectedly, Huo Ting was surprisingly devoted to his useless younger brother.

“Mr. Shen.” Huo Ting pulled out a chair and sat down, his voice kept very low. On the table were two iced Americanos Shen Yanzhou had ordered, the ice already somewhat melted.

Even between rivals, their tastes were so similar.

Shen Yanzhou got straight to the point: “That new boss who took over, did he call you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have his number?”

“Yes,” he said.

Shen Yanzhou took a sip of his Americano, his silver eyes locking directly onto the other person: “You said he listens to me, right?”

Huo Ting let out a bitter laugh, “Yes. He asked me to tell you to state your conditions and release the person.”

Shen Yanzhou nodded: “Then give me his number. I’ll call him directly.”

Huo Ting looked up at him, his eyes complicated: “You… are willing to help?”

Shen Yanzhou lowered his eyes, his slender fingers resting on the coffee cup: “He suffered three cuts and six holes, which does me no good. But debts must be paid. Give me the number.”

Huo Ting was silent for a few seconds, then took out his phone from his inner pocket, pulled up that number, and pushed it in front of Shen Yanzhou. The screen showed only a string of numbers with no contact name. Shen Yanzhou pressed dial, and the other end picked up quickly.

The voice on the other end was clearly processed by a voice changer, mechanical and low.

“Huo Ting?”

Shen Yanzhou leaned back in his chair, his silver eyes half-closed, his tone as calm as if discussing an ordinary business deal: “It’s me, Shen Yanzhou.”

The other party did not respond.

“Is Huo Tian definitely with you?” Shen Yanzhou asked.

“Yes.”

Shen Yanzhou deliberately stalled: “Where? Alive or dead?”

“Alive.”

Shen Yanzhou smiled: “How long can he hold on? Three days? Five days?”

“Up to you.”

Shen Yanzhou’s brow slightly raised. He was deliberately trying to get this guy to say more, but every word he spoke was either one word or two. He had no choice but to continue asking.

“Why are you doing this? Did Huo Tian offend you?”

“He offended you.”

Shen Yanzhou’s fingertips lightly paused on the rim of the coffee cup, “Offended me? Are you afraid I’ll be bullied, or are you afraid someone else will touch me?”

“Both.”

Shen Yanzhou’s silver eyes slightly narrowed. That familiar feeling was back again: “What benefit is it to you to help me?”

“As long as you’re happy.”

The image of that dog at home floated into Shen Yanzhou’s mind. Could it really be him?

“Why?” He didn’t know why he asked that.

“Because it’s you.”

“Who… exactly are you?”

This time the other party replied very slowly, but still briefly: “You guess.”

“Then release him now. Huo Tian is still useful to me.”

The other party gently compromised: “Okay.”

Shen Yanzhou was stunned for half a second, then let out a low laugh, “Then after I hang up, can I still call you?”

The other party hesitated for a moment: “Okay.”

After hanging up, Shen Yanzhou handed the phone to Huo Ting: “I recorded just now. Send me a copy of the recording file, in case he suddenly goes back on his word.”

“Alright.” When Huo Ting took back his phone, the lights in the cafe were shining on Shen Yanzhou’s snow-white neck. Even though he had hidden it well, faint red marks still showed through.

“Shen Yanzhou, what do you want? Our Huo family’s shipping routes? Or privileges in the North District? As long as you say it, I can give it to you right now.”

Shen Yanzhou shook his head, his silver hair gently swaying with the movement: “Haven’t thought of it yet. We’ll talk about it later.”

Huo Ting looked at him, then suddenly let out a low laugh, the laughter carrying a long-absent sentiment: “As expected, just as I thought. You have never stooped to using underhanded methods.”

Shen Yanzhou lowered his eyes, “Actually, it’s the same with you. Isn’t it? I know there are some things you don’t want to do either, but you have no choice.”

“But I still remind you of one thing watch out for your younger brother. You treat him so well, but that doesn’t mean he’ll treat you the same way.”

Huo Ting’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t refute it. He just looked at Shen Yanzhou’s profile, his voice suddenly softening: “Actually… although the family always made me dislike you, hate you, compare myself to you in everything, I never actually disliked you.”

Shen Yanzhou raised his eyes, looking at Huo Ting, the corner of his lips slightly curving: “Mm, but I somewhat dislike you. Because of you, my workload increased a lot.”

Huo Ting looked at him, then let out a low laugh, the laughter carrying bitterness and relief: “I think, you marrying Fu Sihan is a bit of a waste.”

“He simply doesn’t deserve you.”

Shen Yanzhou shook his head, “Who knows about these things?”

“But then again, your family also wants you to marry into the Zhao family through an alliance, right? I also think she doesn’t deserve you.”

The fingers holding Huo Ting’s coffee cup slightly tightened, his voice hoarse: “Yeah.”

He put down the cup, stood up, lowered his head to look deeply at Shen Yanzhou, his gaze sweeping toward the corner of his eye. Since their school days, the corner of his eyes had been a bit redder than others’, so he had always particularly wanted to see what he looked like when he cried, whether it would be even redder.

Did Shen Yanzhou cry when he differentiated? Would he cry when marked?

Huo Ting had sometimes secretly wondered about this.

His Adam’s apple rolled, his voice low: “I’ll go now. Another day… can we have a meal together?”

Shen Yanzhou’s fingertips lightly tapped the already empty coffee cup, silver hair falling at the corner of his eyes, “Mm, you’re treating. Because I paid for the coffee today.”

“Alright.” He couldn’t help but let out another low laugh, then turned and pushed open the cafe’s glass door.

Only Shen Yanzhou remained in the cafe.

After confirming Huo Ting had left, he took out his phone from the inner pocket of his windbreaker and dialed his secretary Xiao Chen’s number.

“Mr. Shen, what are your instructions?”

“Send the call recording I just sent you to the tech department.” Shen Yanzhou’s voice was cool and clear.

“Have them use the best equipment, at the fastest speed, to restore the real voice from the phone call.”

“Yes, Mr. Shen, I’ll arrange it right away.”