The cool beauty forcibly bids for top A: Chapter 55

In his dream, heat waves rolled and surged.

Shen Yanzhou’s silver hair spilled across the black pillowcase. He lay on his side, knees curled up, pulling the blanket into a semicircular nest that wrapped around him tightly.

Between ragged breaths, he rubbed against that black T-shirt with unbearable need. It was a piece of clothing left behind by the thirty million before he left.

The cheap fabric, against his body, was kneaded into folds that were incredibly suggestive and intimate, yet no matter what, it couldn’t fill the emptiness and longing ignited in his heart by that pheromone.

Suddenly, he felt himself falling into a burning, broad embrace. The man’s rough palm, calloused and thick, slowly soothed his trembling spine.

“Ngh…” Shen Yanzhou clutched the front of his pajamas tightly, biting his lower lip, yet still a sweet, cloying whimper escaped.

Suddenly, the man in the dream whose face he couldn’t see leaned in close, scorching breath spilling entirely against his ear.

“Sister-in-law.” The man’s voice was low and hoarse as he called out to him. “Is just a shirt enough? Why not… let me hold you instead?”

Shen Yanzhou’s body stiffened, and in the nightmare, he opened his eyes in shock.

He sat up gasping for breath. The blanket slid down to his waist. His silver-gray hair hung in disarray across his bare shoulders, and cold sweat had already soaked through his thin pajamas.

In the bedroom, there was only the sound of his own ragged breathing.

Shen Yanzhou lowered his eyes, looking at the black T-shirt he was clutching tightly in his hand. The originally crisp fabric had been warmed burning hot by his body heat, covered in wrinkles from being gripped so hard they were a miserable sight, revealing the uncontrollable struggle he had experienced in his sleep.

His cheeks paled, then burned red. He threw the shirt onto the floor, pressed both hands hard against his face, and buried his head deep into his knees.

Ever since the thirty million left, his originally cold body had gradually begun to develop the Omega-specific “nesting” instinct toward that particular scent. And because he was a top-tier Omega, even before his heat truly arrived, this kind of uncontrollable instinct was already showing up.

He glanced again at the black shirt on the floor, his soft cheek resting against his drawn-up knees, only a pair of watery silver eyes showing. The corners of his eyes still carried a flush that hadn’t faded from the dream, his eyelashes wet and stuck together, and with every blink it looked like physiological tears might fall.

It seemed… this was the last piece.

From now on, who would he ask for clothes from?

He bit his lower lip, the tip of his nose gently rubbing against his tightly hugged knees.

Why… was he rubbing against a man’s clothing to relieve himself, yet the face that appeared in his dream, and his voice, belonged to another man entirely?

Shen Yanzhou shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. Most likely it was because Fu Sizhou had forced him, and after saying those kinds of words… plus being affected by his pheromones, that he would have this kind of dream. But—

He slowly raised his right hand again.

The night before last, when Fu Sizhou had forcibly taken his hand and guided it under the hem, that feeling had been far too similar to the thirty million.

If it was just their faces looking alike, that could still be called a coincidence. But if even that place was so similar… in this world, could there really be such a coincidence? Or did all top-tier Alphas look about the same down there?

No matter what the answer was, this gradually spiraling situation had already completely crossed Shen Yanzhou’s bottom line.

He couldn’t drag this out any longer.

Whether or not Fu Sizhou was that person, he couldn’t continue this entanglement with his brother-in-law. He had to find someone immediately who could fully divert Fu Sizhou’s attention.

Shen Yanzhou threw off the blanket and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor. He walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water hard against his face. Water droplets slowly dripped down along his cold, stunning jawline.

Who should he find?

Ordinary socialites or young masters—Fu Sizhou probably wouldn’t even spare them a glance. Since he wanted to cut off the man’s delusions, he needed to find someone with a clean family background and top-notch looks.

Shen Yanzhou dried his face with a towel, and a candidate was already forming in his mind Shen Xingyu.

This was the youngest son of his aunt’s family, a top-tier Omega who had just returned from studying abroad at twenty years old. He was also his biological cousin whom he had watched grow up since childhood. Not only was he beautiful and well-behaved, but his personality was simple and pure. With Fu Sizhou, they could be considered a good match in terms of social standing.

Most importantly, he was Shen Yanzhou’s blood cousin.

Introducing his own cousin to his brother-in-law should be considered perfectly proper and aboveboard.

*

At noon, twelve o’clock, on the mid-levels of Hong Kong Island, in an old-school Hong Kong-style teahouse.

Inside the private room burned an extremely faint scent of agarwood. Shen Yanzhou sat by the window, wearing an exquisitely tailored cold gray suit. He lowered his eyelashes slightly, his cold, jade-like fingers pinching a small white porcelain teacup, pouring a cup of pu-erh tea for the young Omega sitting across from him.

“Try this. I bought this outfit for you as a gift.” Shen Yanzhou then pushed a beautifully wrapped gift box across the table to Shen Xingyu.

“Thank you, Yanzhou-ge!” Shen Xingyu had an extremely endearing baby face, his almond-shaped eyes bright and sparkling. He hugged the paper bag to his chest like a treasure.

Shen Yanzhou quietly studied his cousin.

Actually, this outfit was something he had picked out based on his estimate of Fu Sizhou’s preferences. That man usually wore nothing but black, blue, or gray, never touching anything with fussy designs.

Subconsciously, Shen Yanzhou felt that Fu Sizhou would probably like this kind of clean, understated Omega with a touch of cold, reserved nobility. If he dressed Xingyu up according to that man’s aesthetic, things should go much better.

But he couldn’t let his own selfishness make things difficult for his cousin. He had to first ask clearly what kind of type Xingyu liked.

“Xingyu, you’re not young anymore. Auntie is always nagging about your marriage.” Shen Yanzhou lifted his teacup and took a light sip, looking up at him in a seemingly casual manner. “In your own heart, what kind of personality do you like?”

Shen Xingyu was taken aback. The tips of his ears uncontrollably flushed with a thin layer of red. He raised his head, his gaze a little evasive, yet he couldn’t help stealing glances at Shen Yanzhou’s waterfall-like silver hair and his stunning, otherworldly features, murmuring softly: “I like… someone with a cold personality, but who is sometimes very gentle.”

A cold personality? Occasionally gentle?

Shen Yanzhou lowered his eyelashes, and in his mind, Fu Sizhou’s face slid in almost effortlessly.

That mad dog was indeed as cold as ice to outsiders. Only recently had he started looking up that man’s financial interviews. Fu Sizhou was the kind of person who, when facing a camera, would say one word if he could avoid saying two. It seemed only when he went crazy in front of him did he act like a possessive maniac.

As for gentleness…

Shen Yanzhou’s fingertips traced the warm cup wall. Every morning without fail, he would leave breakfast hanging on his doorknob in different arrangements. That should barely count as gentle, right? And although he had stolen his dog and refused to return it for the longest time, at least he had raised Pudding to be glossy and sleek, a little chubbier even, with his fur groomed beautifully. That showed he probably wasn’t completely without patience deep down.

“Why do you like that kind?” Shen Yanzhou followed up on his words.

Shen Xingyu stared straight at Shen Yanzhou’s beautiful phoenix eyes. His face reddened, his voice dropping lower: “Because that kind of person, once they fall for someone, will reject all other tenderness for their sake.”

Shen Yanzhou was slightly startled.

Is that so? He didn’t know.

“What about looks? Any requirements?” Shen Yanzhou continued asking.

“I’m a face-con.” Shen Xingyu’s face grew even redder. Looking at Shen Yanzhou’s face, he said a little embarrassedly, “They definitely have to be extremely good-looking.”

Shen Yanzhou made an objective assessment in his heart.

To be fair, Fu Sizhou’s looks couldn’t really be called “pretty.” His features were too deep-set, carrying intense aggression and wildness. No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t fit with “pretty.”

Although Shen Yanzhou didn’t like him, he had to admit—Fu Sizhou’s face was extremely handsome.

“Anything else?” Shen Yanzhou pressed on.

“Also, I like people who are especially capable.” Shen Xingyu counted on his fingers, his eyes full of longing, “Because when he’s out there strategizing and seriously building his career, it looks especially cool. It makes people feel especially secure.”

Shen Yanzhou nodded in deep agreement in his heart.

In this circle, capability was the ultimate standard for measuring an Alpha’s value. Fu Sihan, that waste who only knew how to rely on his family and run wild outside, was truly different from Fu Sizhou.

According to the old foxes in the circle, Fu Sizhou had been banished by his family early on, completely unwelcome. Yet he had stubbornly carved out a name for himself in a place like Wall Street, forcing that snobbish old man of the Fu family to hand over power.

So scheming, depth of character, and boldness he had those.

“Best if they know many languages too, and have good taste in clothes, nothing too flashy.” Shen Xingyu added this final point, then found it a little funny himself. His shoulders drooped as he sighed, “But aren’t these requirements too high… this kind of perfect person probably doesn’t exist in real life anymore, right?”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help using the corner of his eye to trace Shen Yanzhou’s face and figure. From childhood to adulthood, his cousin was a walking clothes hanger. When they were little walking down the street, talent scouts would always come over trying to get him to be a celebrity.

Shen Yanzhou didn’t notice his cousin’s expression at all. He was only rapidly checking things off in his mind—Fu Sizhou had spent years overseas, so by rights he should know at least two languages. As for fashion sense, every time he saw him, he was dressed quite well.

Thinking about it this way, he should match Shen Xingyu’s ideal type pretty well.

Shen Yanzhou set down his teacup, pulled out a pure white napkin, and elegantly dabbed at the corners of his lips. He said indifferently, “Xingyu, you just returned to Hong Kong and don’t know many people your age in the circle. Why don’t you come with me tonight to meet someone? Just think of it as making a new friend, expanding your network.”

Shen Xingyu looked at Shen Yanzhou’s gentle and reliable gaze, smiling and nodding: “Okay, I’ll listen to Yanzhou-ge.”

After lunch ended, Shen Yanzhou had the driver take Shen Xingyu home first to change clothes. He himself got into the Maybach to return to the company and continue working.

The moment the car door shut, the trace of warm, familial smile on Shen Yanzhou’s face vanished without a trace. He took out his phone, his fingertips tapping coldly on the screen a few times before sending:

[Tonight at seven, top-floor VIP room at the Peninsula Hotel. Let’s have dinner together.]

The message had barely been sent for less than two seconds when a line of text instantly popped up in the chat interface:

[Dog Thief] The other party is typing…

Shen Yanzhou leaned back against the leather seat, his long legs crossed, watching the screen coldly.

Several minutes passed. [The other party is typing…] kept disappearing, then stubbornly popping up again.

Shen Yanzhou’s brows furrowed slightly.

What was he doing? What was there to hesitate about?

Shen Yanzhou’s already limited patience was completely exhausted. He kept a cold face, his fingers continuing to tap on the screen:

[Shen Yanzhou] Yes or no? If not, forget it.

Almost the instant he pressed send, a message immediately bounced back.

[Dog Thief] Mhm mhm [shy] 🙂

Shen Yanzhou stared at that extremely well-behaved, even strangely, carefully ingratiating emoticon on the screen, and fell into silence.

A man nearly six foot four, who beat his own brother half to death, a top-tier Alpha… sitting in front of his phone screen for so long, deleting and rewriting, just to send him a “mhm mhm [shy]”?

The corners of Shen Yanzhou’s stunning eyes twitched slightly. He expressionlessly pressed the power button to turn off the phone screen.

*

At six-forty in the evening, top-floor VIP room at the Peninsula Hotel.

Light jazz from a vinyl record flowed through the room. Fu Sizhou had arrived early.

He had deliberately worn an exquisitely tailored black suit, even the bangs on his forehead carefully styled.

As the private room door was pushed open, a smile that was hard to hide instantly lit up in Fu Sizhou’s deep eyes. He stood up, but when he clearly saw the young Omega standing beside Shen Yanzhou, his tall figure froze in place.

Fu Sizhou pretended to be unbothered as he gathered the velvet gift box on the table into his left palm, quietly stuffing it deep into his suit pocket.

“Let me introduce you two.” Shen Yanzhou averted his gaze, bringing Shen Xingyu to the table. “This is my cousin, Shen Xingyu. Xingyu, this is Fu Sizhou, co-CEO of Fu Group, and also my nominal… quasi brother-in-law.”

The moment the words “quasi brother-in-law” came out, Fu Sizhou’s breathing grew heavy for an instant. The wound on his left arm split open, warm blood seeping into the bandages, but he acted as if he couldn’t feel the pain, calmly pulling out a chair: “Hello.”

After sitting down, waiters filed in, bringing the appetizers and decanted red wine.

“Sizhou and Xingyu, you both spent years overseas and are close in age. You should have a lot in common.” Shen Yanzhou lifted his wine glass, his posture elegant and composed. “You two can chat more.”

To avoid making his cousin’s evening awkward, plus the person across from him didn’t seem too hard to get along with, Shen Xingyu took the initiative to start a conversation: “CEO Fu, the Chinese food at this restaurant is very authentic. What kind of cuisine do you usually like? You probably rarely get to eat authentic Chinese food on Wall Street, right?”

Fu Sizhou picked up his knife and fork in his left hand, elegantly cutting the steak on his plate, his deep, pitch-black eyes staring straight across half the dining table, locked onto Shen Yanzhou’s stunning face.

“I usually have a lot of business dinners, I’m not very picky about food.” Fu Sizhou’s voice was low, “But my favorite is a very ordinary Hong Kong-style morning tea. To be precise, I only like the breakfast that hangs on a certain someone’s doorknob every morning.”

Shen Yanzhou’s fingers gripping the wine glass tightened slightly.

Shen Xingyu completely missed the hidden meaning, his eyes widening in surprise: “Hanging on the doorknob? Is that takeout? CEO Fu actually likes eating takeout?”

“It’s not takeout.” Fu Sizhou’s Adam’s apple slid gently. “It’s made by my own hands, but he always disdains it and refuses to accept it in person. I have no choice but to secretly hang it on his door every morning. As long as he’s willing to take one bite, I feel like that day’s breakfast is the most delicious in all of Hong Kong.”

Shen Yanzhou’s heartbeat skipped a beat. He coldly lifted his eyes, shooting Fu Sizhou a warning glance, but crashed straight into the man’s bitter, astringent gaze.

Shen Xingyu continued curiously asking: “Then what does CEO Fu like to do when resting? What books do you like to read? I’ve been reading some art history recently. I don’t know if CEO Fu usually reads more business books or literary ones?”

“On Wall Street before, I read nothing but dry merger cases and financial reports.” Fu Sizhou set down his knife and fork. “But recently, I’ve been reading pet care guides.”

“Pet guides?” Shen Xingyu was startled. “Does CEO Fu keep pets?”

“Yes, two puppies. One is called Little Strawberry, one is called Pudding.”

“Pudding?” Shen Xingyu found the name a little familiar and instinctively looked at Shen Yanzhou. “Yanzhou-ge, isn’t your dog also called Pudding?”

Shen Yanzhou’s face completely chilled. His silver-gray eyelashes fluttered slightly. Before he could open his mouth, Fu Sizhou had already spoken first.

“This dog isn’t actually mine.” Fu Sizhou looked at Shen Yanzhou, his voice hoarse: “I shamelessly stole it from the person I like. I know he’s very angry about this, but I had no other way.”

“I just wanted to have an excuse to see him more often, to get him to speak a few more words to me for the dog’s sake.”

Shen Xingyu never expected that this person would actually do something as childish as stealing someone’s puppy.

“Then… what about music?” Shen Xingyu was already feeling a bit dizzy from all this, so he could only brace himself and continue throwing out topics. “What bands do you usually listen to? Or what groups do you like?”

“I don’t really listen to pop bands.” Fu Sizhou’s gaze never left Shen Yanzhou from start to finish. “I prefer vinyl records. My favorite is Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat major.”

The red wine in Shen Yanzhou’s glass sloshed violently.

“Because that’s the piece he likes to listen to most on rainy nights.” Fu Sizhou smiled.

Shen Xingyu was somewhat stunned and directly asked: “Uh, then what type do you like?”

“I don’t have a preferred type.”

“I only like him.”

Fu Sizhou tilted his head slightly, glanced at Shen Xingyu, and politely said: “So, sorry.”

The private room fell into a deathly silence.

Even if Shen Xingyu was slow, he understood by now. So Yanzhou-ge had wanted to set him up with CEO Fu, but this man already had someone in his heart, and that someone…

He slowly turned his gaze toward Yanzhou-ge’s profile.

Feeling Shen Xingyu’s gaze, Shen Yanzhou felt his breathing grow hot and dry.

If he kept listening, he didn’t know what other earth-shattering words Fu Sizhou might say.

Shen Yanzhou stood up, looking down at the man across from him from above: “I just remembered the company has an urgent cross-border meeting to handle. I’ll be leaving first.”

“Xingyu didn’t drive here today. Fu Sizhou, since dinner is finished, you’re responsible for safely sending him home tonight.”

The Shen Xingyu beside him stood up a little awkwardly. He was about to say it wasn’t necessary when Fu Sizhou spoke first.

He sat in his chair, looking up slightly. “Are you sure you want me to send him?”

Shen Yanzhou avoided his penetrating gaze and nodded: “Yes. I’m in a rush. I’m leaving him to you.”

“Alright then.” Fu Sizhou stood up, straightened the hem of his suit, and gave Shen Xingyu a slight nod. “Let’s go, Young Master Shen.”

*

The night was deep. In the study of the mid-levels villa, only a dim floor lamp was left on.

Shen Yanzhou had just showered. He wore an exquisitely made cold white silk robe, his silver-gray hair half-dry. He leaned against the bed, his long fingers casually pinching several candid photos sent by a private investigator.

The photos were very clear. His nominal fiancé, Fu Sihan, was hugging several different young Omegas as they entered extremely discreet high-end private clubs.

Those Omegas were tall and slender with cold, sharp bone structures. From certain angles, their brows and eyes even faintly carried traces of Shen Yanzhou’s shadow.

Shen Yanzhou lowered his eyelashes, looking at these photos that would be enough to drive any fiancé to madness, yet no anger or jealousy stirred in his eyes. Only calculation.

He had never had any extra feelings for Fu Sihan to begin with. It was nothing more than a chip in an arranged marriage for profit. These photos came at just the right time. With these things, after smoothly obtaining the Shen family shares and partial control of the Fu family upon marriage, he could unhesitatingly throw the divorce papers in Fu Sihan’s face.

What’s more, it was written in their genes for Alphas to seek out Omegas during their rut. It was a lowly physiological instinct, not to mention those self-proclaimed superior top-tier Alphas.

Shen Yanzhou understood this extremely well, and even welcomed it. After all, he loathed Fu Sihan’s touch. There was no way he would deign to satisfy that waste’s physiological needs. Fu Sihan being able to find people outside to vent on actually saved him quite a bit of trouble.

What’s more, how many people would be like that fool? Relying on self-harm to get through an unbearable rut.

Shen Yanzhou’s eyelids fluttered. Expressionlessly, he stuffed all those candid photos into a file folder, then picked up his phone and glanced at it.

The screen was clean. Shen Xingyu still hadn’t replied to his message.

Four hours had passed since that dinner that ended on a sour note.

Shen Yanzhou stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, pulled aside the heavy blackout curtains, and cast his gaze toward the neighboring villa a hundred meters away.

The entire villa was pitch black. No lights on, no reply from anyone either.

So at this hour, were they also doing that kind of thing?

A very faint cold smile pulled at the corners of Shen Yanzhou’s thin lips.

After all, they were both adults. One was a top-tier Alpha in desperate need of soothing. The other was a beautiful, pure, top-tier Omega from a clean family background. A lone man and a lone man, dry firewood and fierce flames something happening was only natural.

In this world, how many truly unforgettable obsessions of “it has to be you” could there be? No matter how deeply and passionately they spoke, how much they acted like they would die without the other, in the end they still couldn’t overcome the rotten nature of Alphas.

Wasn’t this exactly the ultimate goal of the setup he had arranged tonight? Using this method to push the man away, to thoroughly cut off that person’s delusions.

But…

Shen Yanzhou’s brows couldn’t help but furrow tighter and tighter.

In his mind, he replayed the scenes from dinner over and over. Fu Sizhou’s skin was clearly an extremely healthy, sexy honey tone. So why tonight, under that warm yellow light in the private room, did it faintly carry a lifeless, blood-loss kind of pallor? And when he left, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and that left half of his body that had been stiff and barely moving…

Shen Yanzhou’s breathing inexplicably faltered for a beat. He suddenly remembered during dinner, in the private room, that trace of blood scent that had been desperately covered up yet still leaked out hints.

Was he sick? Or… injured?

“Don’t mind him.” Shen Yanzhou pulled the curtains shut again and turned around with a cold face.

What did his life or death have to do with him? Those were all his own matters.

Ten minutes later.

Shen Yanzhou draped a long black windbreaker over his shoulders, stepped into the slightly cool night breeze, and stood expressionlessly in front of the neighboring villa’s main gate.

He absolutely was not concerned about that guy. He was only looking at it from the perspective of that man having made him breakfast for a whole week straight, and incidentally… coming over to check on his stolen Pudding. After all, Pudding hadn’t barked once tonight. He was worried something might have happened to him.

Right, he was only here to see the dog.

Shen Yanzhou raised his cold, pale finger and pressed the doorbell.

“Ding-dong—”

The crisp chime was especially jarring in the quiet night, drifting far out on the wind, but there was no response from inside the door.

Shen Yanzhou waited a full two minutes, his brows tightly locked, then raised his hand and knocked on the gate a few more times.

Still dead silence.

No footsteps, no sound of Pudding happily scratching at the door.

Shen Yanzhou’s hand, suspended in midair, slowly lowered.

So he really wasn’t home?

Yes, he probably stayed over at Xingyu’s apartment tonight. And here he had come running over in the middle of the night to stand at this madman’s door because of some inexplicable guess.

Shen Yanzhou shook his head, turned neatly, and strode away to leave when suddenly, the solid wood door behind him cracked open a sliver.

Then, a large hand with distinct knuckles and rough calluses reached out from the darkness, gripping Shen Yanzhou’s wrist with terrifying strength. It gave him no time to react or struggle before yanking him backward with force.

Accompanied by a dull “thud,” the heavy door shut and locked.

Shen Yanzhou didn’t even have time to make a sound before a tall, burning hot body pressed against him fiercely from behind. Those strong arms encircled his slender waist, yanking his entire person back into the embrace.

The scorching chest pressed against his thin back. Shen Yanzhou was forced to tilt his head back, his silver-gray hair scattering messily against the man’s burning neck. The man’s breathing was rough and burning hot, spilling again and again against his sensitive nape and behind his ear.

Through the windbreaker and the thin silk robe, he could feel it with perfect clarity.

This man’s body was burning with an abnormal heat.