10

You Boyue’s tone of voice turned cold, “What are you talking about?”

“If he already gave you a permanent mark, you’d have done more than just post a couple’s photo, especially since a mark symbolises a vow of ownership.”

From what Shen Dai had observed, You Boyue was someone who did not hesitate to flaunt his superior lifestyle. That was not only his personality, but also the image he wanted to cultivate. Since there was nothing more boast-worthy than getting the mark of a top Alpha, how could he have stayed so quiet about it?

“We’re still young and still uncertain about our plans for the future, of course we have to be a little careful.”

“But that’s why you aren’t already pregnant, and why there wasn’t any news about a marriage or engagement either.” Shen Dai laughed and shook his head, “So that means that apart from a mark, you don’t have anything at all. How could you not suspect its authenticity? And if I could think of this, President Qu would have thought of it as well.”

You Boyue snorted, “So what if they suspect it, this is just a matter between us both.”

"A lot of people don’t see it as just a matter between you both. But at the very least, it has nothing to do with me.” Seeing a scowl emerge on You Boyue’s beautiful face, Shen Dai thought for sure that You Boyue would relay this conversation back to Qu Chengchen; a perfect opportunity to settle the score with Qu Chengchen for offending him the other day.

He could understand why You Boyue was so determined to get a permanent mark. Just as You Boyue said, it represented being able to eventually hold great wealth and social status in the palm of one’s hand. To monopolise the reproductive resources of a top Alpha was to ensure optimal survival conditions for one’s future progeny. In the end, humans never strayed too far from their animal instincts. And so upon learning that he could not get a mark from Qu Moyu - in an extremely clear-headed and shrewd move - he turned to Qu Chengchen.

Unfortunately, no S-class Alpha could be that easily manipulated. Shen Dai wagered that You Boyue and Qu Chengchen must be playing a game of strategy with each other.

These blatant calculations hidden under the guise of love and marriage made Shen Dai feel uneasy. He was not at all an idealist who placed love above all else; on the contrary, he was extremely sensible and pragmatic. But in his view, everyone had feelings. Weighing up pros and cons was one thing, but a relationship between two people shouldn't be based solely on their value. At the very least there should be some connection of souls. After all, these two sides could coexist, so what need was there to be that utilitarian?

Then again, it could be just because he had never had access to great wealth before, and therefore no way to consider things from the perspective of the truly rich.

After a brief moment of anger, You Boyue quickly regained his composure.

'Was it Yu-ge who told you that? He suspects that we only have a temporary mark between us?'

'No, I’m just following along and discussing topics that interest you.'"

You Boyue chuckled. “You must be really worried, right? After all, Yu-ge originally wanted to marry me. If not for this mark, why would he even bother marrying you?”

Shen Dai had no other option but to reply, “Whatever it is, I’ve already been paid. You both can do whatever you like.”

You Boyue gave Shen Dai a scrutinising look, trying to discern any slip in his expression. But Shen Dai truly appeared not to care, remaining calm and composed from start to finish, which left You Boyue somewhat unconvinced.

Just as things were starting to get awkward, Qu Chengchen arrived.

Shen Dai was reminded of the time he was subjected to pheromone suppression, as well as his innate fear of facing a top Alpha. When Qu Chengchen approached, he had an immediate feeling of uneasiness.

You Boyue quickly took two large steps towards Qu Chengchen and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Why are you so late?" he asked, sulkily.

Qu Chengchen pulled You Boyue into his arms with ease, bending his head to place a kiss in his hair. “Just heavy traffic, but dinner hasn’t started yet, right?”

They looked just like an ordinary pair of handsome young sweethearts.

Qu Chengchen looked at Shen Dai: “So we meet again.”

Shen Dai nodded his head to greet him.

“And how about my older brother?”

“He’s over there with…”

“What I meant was- ”, interrupted Qu Chengchen, smiling wryly, “once again he has no qualms leaving you alone like this.”

Without batting an eyelid, Shen Dai replied, “Why? Is there any danger here?”

Qu Chengchen lowered his voice, “There shouldn’t be.”

At that moment, Qu Moyu came over and very naturally put his arm around Shen Dai’s waist. He asked in a gentle tone, “Are you hungry?”

The fragrance of ebony wood wafted down from above Shen Dai’s head, enveloping his senses in an instant, sending a tremor through his heart. "I'm alright," he replied.

Glancing at Qu Chengchen and You Boyue, Qu Moyu said, “Since everyone is here, let’s have dinner.”

As they walked towards the dining room, Shen Dai said under his breath, “Judging by his reaction, your guess is most likely correct.”

Qu Moyu responded with a “Mhm”.

Shen Dai wanted so badly to ask what Qu Moyu planned to do with this new piece of information. After all, it was up to Qu Moyu to decide when they would divorce, but he also knew that it wasn’t his place to ask, as it didn’t have anything to do with him at all.

After everyone was seated, You Xinghai raised his wine glass, his face beaming with a smile: “Today is a wonderful day. Being here at home surrounded by so many loved ones, I’ll skip the usual formalities. I'd like to raise this first toast to welcome A-Dai back into our family.”

Shen Dai intently observed You Xinghai, deeply admiring his resilience and resolve. So these were the psychological qualities required by those who achieved great things.

Thinking back to the recent past, Shen Dai remembered when You Xinghai had come to see him to discuss the 'partnership'. Although You Xinghai had clearly been at the end of his rope, he still had to put on an air of superiority. Then, going back further to twenty years ago, Shen Dai remembered being brought to the You residence by his Omega father, only to be disdainfully thrown out by You Xinghai. That year, he was only seven years old, but he already had a vague understanding of what it meant to be humiliated and ashamed - or at least children were often more sensitive to feelings of disgust than adults.

It was cold that day, perhaps even raining, when his father held him in the dark night, crying and repeatedly saying that he regretted having him. That moment of helplessness was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.

And now, flushed with success, You Xinghai had the audacity to “welcome” him back to the family?

You Xinghai must have been very pleased with himself, having latched onto the powerful Qu family just as the You family was on the brink of collapse. And since he had You Boyue and Shen Dai in his hands, he could bet on both and come out a winner.

If a marriage alliance was the key to reviving the You family, then never mind him being welcomed back, perhaps even his Omega father could have been given a courteous invitation.

He looked over to You Boyue, and noticed that he, too, was coolly raising his glass and smiling. Did this person not care in the slightest about the pain his mother must have gone through? This ease with which he put profit above all else was truly like father like son.

He was genuinely nauseous, but all he could do was force a smile and take in a mouthful of wine. He seldom drank and had a low tolerance for alcohol. But now, in order to escape this intensely uncomfortable social situation and the flood of unbearable memories, he resorted to downing gulp after gulp of wine.

By the time the evening ended, Shen Dai was already a little tipsy. “Time to head back,” a deep and sonorous voice reverberated in his ear, accompanied by a pheromone scent that intoxicated him even more than the wine. He looked up to see a pair of piercing black eyes, before he was pulled by his arm back onto his feet.

“I’m sorry,” said Shen Dai, slurring. “I’m a little…I’m not drunk, just a little dizzy.”

“Okay, let's head back.”

Qu Moyu’s arm was stretched across his back, supporting his swaying body. Shen Dai knew he wasn’t walking steadily, but it was more that he didn’t want to. He preferred to forsake all he learnt about balance since the age of one, and use the pretext of drunkenness to get a bit closer to Qu Moyu.

The two of them walked out of the house. When the driver opened the passenger door for him, Shen Dai hesitated, not wanting to get in, afraid that he reeked of alcohol or that he might throw up inside.

Qu Moyu pushed him into the car.

Shen Dai closed his eyes and murmured softly, his mind in a state of feverish disarray, “I’m sorry, President Qu, I lost my composure.”

“As long as you know,” Qu Moyu replied, sounding displeased.

The moment the car door shut, a hint of the delicate fragrance of the epiphyllum mingled with the scent of alcohol filled the car, intertwining like a ribbon throughout the car's interior.

Qu Moyu furrowed his eyebrows. He did not like this smell, did not like the odour of alcohol mixed in with Shen Dai’s pheromone scent.

He gazed at Shen Dai, who had his neck tilted upwards, his slight Adam's apple moving gently under the skin of the throat. His fair skin, which appeared translucent in the dimly-lit interior, seemed to take on a soft lustre, like the glaze of porcelain, no longer resembling anything like his usual calm and reserved self.

“I’m sorry…”, Shen Dai continued, mumbling his apology. His eyebrows were furrowed, the tips of his eyelashes visibly wet.

Qu Moyu suddenly noticed the look of clear anguish on Shen Dai’s face.

Shen Dai did indeed ‘lose his composure’ today, and the reason for it, the reason he had too much to drink, was obvious.

While investigating this person’s background, Qu Moyu was able to get an idea of this person’s past just by skimming a few paragraphs. The information in the dossier had been laid out plainly, without any embellishing adjectives, but at this moment, he finally saw the underlying pain behind those words

He passed Shen Dai a bottle of mineral water. Shen Dai immediately downed half the bottle, and then lowered the window slightly to let the wind cool his forehead; He really wanted to sober up, and he didn’t want to be such a mess in front of Qu Moyu.

“Close the window, it’s too loud.”

Shen Dai had no choice but to wind the window back up: “President Qu…”

“You don’t need to apologise again.”

“Alright.” Emboldened by the alcohol, Shen Dai ventured, "President Qu, are we going to divorce?”

“What?”

“You Boyue - If he’s only been marked temporarily, wouldn’t you want to marry him?”

“I have better things to do with my time.”

Shen Dai let out a sigh of relief: “But you asked me to find out if…”

“That information is useful to me.”

“Ah.”

A deep silence ensued.

“President Qu,” Shen Dai began, feeling as if there were two groups of people playing tug-of-war in his mind. He wanted very much to continue his sentence, yet was equally sure that he shouldn't. Nevertheless, he went ahead and said it. “The reason I know You Boyue only has a temporary mark is that I had one too. You were the one who gave it to me. Do you still remember?”

“Though a temporary mark does indeed share some similarities to a permanent mark, it’s not the same”, Shen Dai slowly continued, “But I had one before.”

Yet another prolonged silence.

Finally, Shen Dai murmured very softly, “Thank you.”