02

Shen Dai finished organising a batch of experimental data and left work early.

He had a single room dormitory at the Research Institute. Normally if he had to work overtime he would sleep there, but at least once a week he would try to make a trip home.

After the house had been mortgaged and auctioned off, he rented a small flat for his grandmother in the suburbs. Though it was quite far off, its advantage was that it was cheap and clean, and cleanliness was what his grandmother cared the most about.

He took the subway and then changed to a bus. On the road back home from the bus stop, he would pass a small wet market. By this time they were just about to close. He purchased some meat and vegetables, as well as a bouquet of pink-violet chinese peonies.

Their petals were delicate and soft, enclosing the bud in layers, yet clustering outward in a show of vitality.

When they were still living in their old house, his grandmother kept a garden with all kinds of flowers, where each season had its own beauty. This had been his idyllic utopia* when he was younger.

Now, in this cramped flat, they could only plant a few pots on the balcony, and even those had to jostle for space with other odds and ends.

The flat was relatively new and the building fairly well-maintained. The stairwell was suffused with a warm light, and as he climbed up he could hear the noise of the television gradually becoming louder. It was the sound of Kunqu opera which his grandmother adored.

As soon as he opened the front door, the smell of cooking reached his nose. Immediately he felt all tension leave his body.

“A-Dai?” said his grandmother, peeking out from behind the frosted glass door of the kitchen with a smile on her face. "Your timing’s perfect. I’m just about done with the last dish."

He returned her a warm smile. “Grandma”, he said, greeting her. Putting down the meat and vegetables, he went to fetch a vase. After rinsing it with water, he trimmed the stalks of the peonies at an angle and placed each one inside. Finally, he sprinkled a bit of water with his fingers on the delicate petals.

When he placed them on the table, they instantly brightened up the entire home.

“A-Dai?” His grandmother came out of the kitchen, a dish in her hands. “How much were they?” she asked, setting down the dish to gently feel the petals. "They're so fresh and so pretty"

"They were about to close, it was only ten yuan for a bouquet. I chose the freshest ones."

“That’s quite a good deal,” his grandmother remarked as she admired the flowers fondly. "Do you still remember the patch by the east side wall where I used to grow peonies?"

“Of course I remember,” he replied, as he went to the kitchen to bring out the rest of the dishes to the table, along with bowls and chopsticks, and then started to dish out the rice and soup. "Grandma, please sit down."

His grandmother smiled as she admired the peonies, then turned her gaze towards him: "You’re looking a little pale. Make sure to get more sunlight, alright? Don't spend all your time cooped up in the laboratory."

"Don't worry," he reassured her.

As the two of them ate, they chatted about life and trivial things at work. Gazing at the faint glow of the light as it shone through the white hair on his grandmother’s temples, he was overcome by a sense of sadness.

His grandmother had been born into a literary family. Though they had never been extremely wealthy, they could still be considered well-off. If not for the misfortune of giving birth to a selfish and foolish son, she would have been, at this moment, living in a small villa with a flower garden, enjoying a comfortable inheritance and pension - growing flowers, reading books, basking in the sun, and spending the rest of her life in quiet contentment.

Even now, having been reduced to such a state, she always remained graceful and dignified, trying to find the small joys in life in these hard times, all while doing her best not to burden him. But he knew that her son’s betrayal, the drastic changes in her later years, and her physical ailments had already left her heart riddled with cuts, and yet she refused to show it in front of him.

If what You Xinghai had said was true, it could be the solution they desperately needed. He was anxious to sacrifice himself, because there was nothing he wanted more than to ensure his grandmother could spend her twilight years with dignity and in comfort.

・・・

A whole week had passed since his meeting with You Xinghai, during which time he had not received a single word of news. His mood vacillated between nervous apprehension to disappointment, mixed in with an inexplicable sense of relief. In short: his feelings were quite complex.

Even so, he wondered if he hadn’t conjured up the whole thing - could his lack of money have driven him insane? Had You Xinghai changed his mind? Or had the other party in the engagement?

In short, the whole matter sounded very strange, perhaps not having any follow-up at all would also be considered normal.

He was in the laboratory working the day a colleague from the Human Resources department came over to look for him. With a curious look on her* face, she informed him that headquarters had requested that he go over.

"No, not at all," Shen Dai replied, also perplexed. "Did they mention what this was about?”

“Of course not. Otherwise, would I still be asking you?” His colleague pondered over it and said, “Normally headquarters doesn’t directly handle the personnel matters of the Research Institute. Why don’t you go over there first? There is someone at the reception waiting for you.”

“Alright.” Shen Dai went back into the laboratory to let his colleagues know he was leaving, then headed straight to the company headquarters building. He debated giving his professor a call to ask what was going on, but decided in the end to find out more about the situation before asking.

・・・ 

The Starship Corporation's headquarters building, a veritable pillar holding up the sky, cost five hundred million yuan to construct. Shen Dai only ever came here to eat at the canteen, otherwise, he rarely set foot in other offices and research areas.

Upon entering the lobby, Shen Dai saw three or four people standing around the reception. It was difficult to distinguish between visitors and those that were there waiting for someone. However, as he approached, a young man in a suit promptly came forward to meet him.

“You must be Mr Shen? Pleased to meet you.”

”Pleased to meet you too.” The two shook hands. "And how should I address you?" Shen Dai inquired.

“My name is Cheng Ruoze, the assistant to the President.” Cheng Ruoze made a gesture for Shen Dai to go ahead before him and casually put his hand on Shen Dai’s shoulder. He appeared to be pressed for time, taking large strides as they walked along. “Let’s discuss this while walking.”

"Uh, sure."

Alphas tended to be tall, so Shen Dai had to hasten his pace to keep up. “Assistant Cheng, may I inquire as to why I am..."

“Right this way,” Cheng Ruoze interrupted, using his staff card to access a private lift.

The interior of this lift was splendidly decorated, lined with plush wool carpeting. One glance was enough to tell that it was used exclusively for the company’s top brass.

Shen Dai pushed aside his reservations and stepped inside. He was about to ask for an explanation but was once again interrupted by his companion. “To be frank, even I am not clear on the specifics of the matter, I was only instructed to come fetch you.”

Shen Dai frowned. He truly did not have the faintest idea of what he was about to face next. People like him who worked in scientific research would always seize on even the faintest spark of inspiration, follow the slightest thread of a lead to judge, experiment, and explore. But without even a hint, there was simply no way he could analyse it.

Cheng Ruoze suddenly noticed the pheromone-blocking patch on the back of Shen Dai’s neck out of the corner of his eye. Without concealing his shock, he unconsciously pulled away for half a step.

“You’re… an Omega?”

Shen Dai nodded and smiled.

“I’m so sorry,” said Cheng Ruoze, mortified.

Cheng Ruoze secretly gave Shen Dai a once-over.

The young man before him was tall and slender, with clear skin that was translucent-white. His manners were polite, his demeanour calm and composed.

That loose-fitting laboratory coat he was wearing highlighted his bone structure just nicely. A fraction more on those straight shoulders and that waist wandering beneath the fabric would have been too much, while a fraction less would have made him too slight.

And just like his outward appearance, his temperament gave off the impression of being just right - a little more would have made him detached, and a little less would have made him worldly.

As the lift shot upward, Cheng Ruoze could feel his heartbeat becoming a little uncontrollable. How was it possible that he had never heard that there was such an Omega within their company?

In ordinary interactions, Alphas and Omegas that didn’t know each other were not supposed to make physical contact beyond a handshake. Cheng Ruoze’s action of placing a hand on Shen Dai’s shoulder earlier had therefore been inappropriate.

But Shen Dai hadn’t been offended. He knew that unlike the majority of Omegas, he didn’t appear to be that weak and delicate. Also, his pheromone scent was very faint, becoming almost undetectable as soon as he put on a pheromone-blocking patch.

From the time he was young he was mistaken countless times for a Beta - which had actually worked to his advantage, especially in the workplace.

The lift went straight up to the twenty-eighth floor. As the doors opened, Shen Dai was greeted by the sight of a gorgeous handwoven carpet leading all the way to an office with an ebony-wood door.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Dai said: “Could it be that Chairman Qu wants to see me?”

Was it possible that he was about to receive a promotion? But it was not as if he had gotten any new achievements of late.

Cheng Ruoze regained his composure. “Right this way, please.”

Shen Dai followed him into the office. As soon as he saw the person inside he was momentarily dumbstruck. That ebony wood door. How could it not have occurred to him? He unconsciously put his hands into the pockets of his lab coat.

Those around him often remarked that his name suited him well, describing him with words like “calm,” “cool-headed,” and “steady.” He wouldn’t say that he had any particular method to it, only he believed that people should use their brains more and their emotions less. But that didn’t mean he was immune to being nervous.

“President Qu, I’ve brought Engineer Shen,” said Cheng Ruoze, before glancing at his watch, “The meeting will start in twelve minutes.”

“Alright.”

Cheng Ruoze took his leave and closed the door behind him. At the same moment, the man, who was sitting on the sofa reading a document, raised his head. Both their gazes met and collided in the air.

This man was so stunning he could illuminate the entire space around him, and could seamlessly turn any backdrop into a film-worthy scene. His face alone was enough to inspire endless fantasies. He had a high nose bridge and a broad forehead; his eyes were like a sea of stars, and his features so sharp and flawless as if carved with a knife and chisel.

Though he sat in a relaxed manner on the soft sofa, he still had an intimidating aura, only that he was containing it, suppressing it, just like the placid surface of the sea, only no one would dare underestimate the turbulent undercurrents surging beneath. That was because he was an S-class alpha, endowed with superior pheromones since birth: An apex predator at the top of the human food chain.

This was the man who was heir apparent to the Starship corporation — Qu Moyu.

Shen Dai looked at him, dumbfounded. It had been a long time since he had been able to see this person up close. He could almost smell the faint traces of the ebony wood from his memory, though, it was likely only his imagination. In public places, wearing a pheromone-blocking patch was basic etiquette. Once it was applied, one had to be at social distance to detect even the faintest hint of its scent. And besides, he was at this moment still standing by the door.

Quickly steadying his emotions, he noticed another person in the room – a middle-aged Alpha wearing glasses, seated on the other end of the sofa, appearing to be awaiting instructions. He recognised this person. It was someone from the company's legal department. He wasn’t sure of the man's exact designation, but he had to be a high-ranking executive.

Qu Moyu surveyed Shen Dai with calm deliberation. His eyes were gentle yet impossible to read. With a slight smile, he said, "Engineer Shen, please have a seat.”

Shen Dai swallowed. He walked over and bowed slightly. ”Good afternoon, President Qu.” He then gave the other man a respectful nod before sitting down.

Glancing over, he noticed that the file beside Qu Moyu’s hand was his own personnel record; his two-inch photo attached to the front.

Why would Qu Moyu be looking for him?

“Shen Dai,” Qu Moyu said, his long, slender finger tapping the dossier as he clearly articulated each syllable.

“Dai refers to Mount Tai, doesn’t it?”

(The dài (岱) in Shěn dài (沈岱), is the same as in dài zōng (岱宗) the other name for Mount Tai / Tàishān (泰山))

“It does.”

”This name is really not bad at all. Who gave it to you?”

”My maternal grandfather.” replied Shen Dai, feeling overwhelmed with emotions. “He was a traditional painter. He loved painting mountains.”

“Mount Tai is the head of the Five Sacred Mountains, but also the place where the emperor carried out the Fengshan rituals in ancient times. With such a solemn name, it would appear that your grandfather had great expectations for you.”

It was hard to imagine that an Omega could bear the weight of such a heavy name. But the strange thing was that somehow, Qu Moyu felt this name and the man in front of him were very well-matched.

“That might be.” Shen Dai laughed sheepishly, “He just liked Mount Tai, that’s all.”

Qu Moyu gazed intently at him. ”And that ‘incident’ that occurred in the laboratory three years ago had no negative impact on your work?”

“None at all. It’s fine.” Shen Dai suddenly felt his face burning up. “You, you still remember it.”

“I have a good memory.”

“Back then…” he stammered, “Thank you President Qu for helping me.”

Shen Dai could never forget that day. At the most shameful, frightening and desperate moment of his life, Qu Moyu appeared from nowhere and rescued him. Not only that, he arranged to keep all the information about the incident under wraps and dealt with the inconvenient details that followed.

It was only after he had recovered from the trauma that he started to recollect what had happened. The most powerful memory was the entangling of their pheromones; A mixture of desire, intense heat, compulsion, torment, restraint, and unfulfilled yearning that slowly began to take root in his heart.

From that day, he paid particular attention whenever he saw or heard anything about Qu Moyu. He didn’t know if that counted as being secretly infatuated with him. Admittedly, he had occasionally entertained some unrealistic fantasies, but the strongest feeling of all was admiration. This man was too lofty, too far from reach, too perfect. Never ever did he imagine that he would get a chance to be this close to him again.

”You are an outstanding researcher for our company. It was just something that needed to be done,” replied Qu Moyu.

”I’ve asked you here today for two reasons, the first is for us to be formally introduced, and the second is so I can understand if you have any requirements.”

”…Requirements?” Shen Dai asked, bewildered, “President Qu, I don’t quite understand. The professor did not mention anything to me recently.”

”What I’m referring to are the requirements you have after marriage. For instance, your living expenses, your living environment, your personal habits, your dietary preferences, your religious beliefs, the type of car you prefer and so on and so forth. So long as it’s not too unreasonable, you may ask for whatever you like.”

Shen Dai could only hear a buzzing in his head.

He wasn’t slow, some might even say that he was rather bright, but it took him a long time to react to these words.

Qu Moyu discreetly glanced at his watch. He leaned over slightly. It didn’t seem like he was losing his patience but he lowered his voice.

”Engineer Shen, President You informed us that you personally agreed to be engaged to me. Am I to understand that the information we received was incorrect?”

1. This had been his idyllic utopia .. | Idyllic utopia was originally Peach Blossom land (桃源)