Wu Qin had used his pheromones to induce other Betas into pseudo-heat before.
To call it a heat was not entirely accurate. The physiology of Betas was inherently different from that of Omegas. When Betas inhaled the pheromones of an S-level Alpha in a confined space, they entered a state similar to being drunk—confused, compliant, and ready to answer any question.
Once the pheromones dissipated, the “drunken” state would naturally fade away.
No comfort was needed.
In fact, it acted as a harmless truth serum, activated by a higher level of pheromonal influence.
The two Betas who had previously bullied others at school were utterly dumbfounded when they saw the video of themselves confessing everything, and they had begged for mercy on the spot.
Without hesitation, Wu Qin had sent them to the juvenile detention center for a “festive” stay.
And now…
Feeling the hands roaming across his body, Wu Qin noticed that the young man clung to him like a koala. His face was flushed with color, and his dark eyes were glazed with a misty sheen yet still crystal clear.
For the first time in his life, he was this close to someone else.
Flustered, Wu Qin was caught off guard, torn between wanting to push the youth away and fearing he might hurt him. The tall, almost 1.9-meter man now looked like a helpless giant dog, allowing himself to be petted.
“Get a grip.”
Holding onto the young man, Wu Qin’s entire body tingled, an indescribable feeling filling his chest.
The best way to deal with someone in heat was to give in.
Feeling himself grow in response, Wu Qin’s face reddened, his sharp teeth itching to sink into the slender neck of the young man clinging to him.
But… this guy was his cousin’s boyfriend.
And it was broad daylight! Someone could walk by at any moment. If he did anything now, he’d be nothing short of a scumbag taking advantage of the situation.
He had to fix the mess he’d made.
Wu Qin quickly pulled out a portable Alpha pheromone neutralizer spray from his pocket and sprayed it generously. The cool mint scent masked the lingering smoky aroma.
Without the ongoing pheromone stimulation, the young man’s condition visibly improved.
Phew!
Wu Qin breathed a sigh of relief, though he couldn’t help feeling a small, unexplainable disappointment.
At least he wasn’t about to become a beast.
–
It was noon, and the sun was blazing high in the sky.
Golden rays of sunlight were mostly blocked by the alley’s high walls, with only a few scattered beams hitting the young man, illuminating half of his face in a soft glow.
“Ugh,” the young man muttered, his long lashes fluttering slightly. A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes and stared at the bare walls around him, utterly confused.
Wait! Where is he?
He remembered encountering the protagonist gong. Considering his role and the plot, he deliberately provokes the guy, calling him a poor loser to show his ‘true colors.’
It was all part of his plan—to make the protagonist gong feel sorry for the protagonist shou and strengthen their bond.
A cannon fodder scumbag’s role wasn’t complete until the end.
Always dedicated to his role, preparing in advance for the inevitable breakup.
But what happened after?
Xia Yan couldn’t remember.
“Since you’re awake, get up.”
A low, slightly hoarse voice came from above. Startled, the young man sat up and turned his head, only to see the protagonist gong leaning against the wall, sitting relaxed. His long legs were stretched out, and his pants had a small wrinkle—had he been using him as a pillow?
???
What the heck! Xia Yan cursed internally. Why had he fallen asleep on the guy’s lap?
Wasn’t he supposed to be antagonizing the protagonist gong? Where did the plot go wrong?
Before, because of their height difference, he couldn’t see the top of the man’s head clearly. Due to the silver hair and sharp, deep-set features, he had assumed the man was mixed-race.
But now, he noticed a small patch of black roots growing at the base of that silver hair.
Dyed hair?
After a brief moment of silence, before Xia Yan could think any further, he felt something wet on his rear. His pants clung uncomfortably to his skin.
“Is there… a puddle here?” the young man asked in confusion.
Wu Qin’s typing fingers paused for a second. He casually put his phone away and muttered vaguely, “Maybe.” His face, hidden in the shadows, showed a fleeting hint of guilt.
This guy was really too sensitive.
Wu Qin swore he had only induced Xia Yan to get some answers. He hadn’t expected things to take an unexpected turn and catch him off guard.
Today, the young man wore a white shirt and light blue jeans. His jeans were now darkened from where the ‘water’ had soaked through.
Thankfully, his shirt was long enough to cover most of it.
Noticing Xia Yan surveying his surroundings, looking utterly confused, Wu Qin quickly stood up, dusting off his pants. “Let’s go, I’ll buy you something.”
“…”
It was such an obvious attempt to change the subject that Xia Yan spotted it immediately.
His lips twitched as he cooperated with the poorly executed act, showing disdain. “Forget it. With your meager money…” His face said it all: you’re not worth my time.
“Three million. Coming or not?”
The young man hesitated.
Wu Qin added more fuel to the fire: “Or would you prefer walking home in dirty clothes?”
In addition to his pants, Xia Yan’s white T-shirt had also become stained with dirt when he sat on the ground, leaving an unsightly smudge.
“This is your fault.”
Xia Yan frowned, his beautiful face full of discontent, glaring at the man with his peach blossom eyes. His look had no malice, just an effortless charm that oozed from him.
Wu Qin’s heart skipped a beat.
At that moment, he finally understood why his picky, high-maintenance cousin had fallen for this guy. If it weren’t for brotherly loyalty…
Wu Qin coughed awkwardly, unable to think of anything clever to say. He mumbled two words: “Coming?”
Xia Yan thought about it momentarily, as if letting him off too easily would be a waste, but then nodded with an air of superiority. “Lead the way.”
–
Inside the Guomao mall, on the second floor of a store.
Xia Yan was in the fitting room, removing his dirty clothes and changing into a clean, new outfit.
As he dressed, he mentally complained to the system: [The protagonist gong is so childish! I only insulted him a couple of times, and he splashed water on me.]
The system followed Xia Yan’s perspective and didn’t see anything while he was unconscious.
999 nodded in agreement and, after soothing Xia Yan, said, [In this small world, the protagonist gong has the character setting of a foolish husky who’s also the school bully.]
Xia Yan was silent for three seconds, then sighed, [A husky, huh!]
Everyone knows that a husky only looks majestic as a sled dog in snowy landscapes. The rest of the time, they’re clumsy, house-wrecking creatures with negative IQs.
Since his underwear had also gotten soaked, Xia Yan still felt uncomfortable even after changing into new clothes. The water from earlier had a sticky texture, almost like melted syrup, though he had no idea why.
But he felt too embarrassed to drag the protagonist gong to buy underwear with him, so he just tried his best to ignore the strange sensation.
Before leaving the fitting room, he glanced at his old clothes. After a moment of hesitation, he left them behind.
“Sir, this outfit looks great on you,” the sales associate said brightly when Xia Yan came out. She then presented two accessories. “This bracelet would go really well with your top. Would you like to try it?”
Xia Yan casually extended his hand, signaling her to put it on for him.
His fingers were long and slender, with nails that had a soft pink hue. There was no discoloration at his knuckles, only a slightly deeper flesh tone, which made them seem like the most perfect creation under the brilliant crystal lighting.
The sales associate swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling tense.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she fumbled with the bracelet’s clasp. But before she could fasten it, a hand appeared out of nowhere and locked a platinum bangle, intricately engraved with patterns, around Xia Yan’s wrist.
The sales associate blinked, startled. “Sir?”
“The color was too plain,” Wu Qin said, lifting his eyelids slightly as he glanced casually at her before turning to Xia Yan, eager for praise. “This one looks better.”
The man’s features were striking, but his brow had a fierce edge. Combined with his silver hair, he gave off a menacing vibe.
The sales associate paled, quickly backing away under his sharp gaze.
Xia Yan, however, remained indifferent, adjusting the bangle on his wrist with little care. “Not bad. Next store.”
It was clear to anyone with eyes that his comment was just a brush-off.
Yet, Wu Qin visibly brightened at the remark.
After paying, they left the store empty-handed. But after a few steps, Wu Qin realized something was wrong. “Wait.”
“Hmm?” Xia Yan asked.
“…”
Wu Qin had been about to ask, *What happened to your old clothes?* But considering Xia Yan’s personality, he figured the clothes had probably been discarded.
Wu Qin felt uncomfortable thinking someone at the store would see what was on those pants. “I think I left my wallet in the store. Wait for me a minute, and I’ll be right back.”
Without waiting for a response, he rushed off.
Xia Yan stood there, speechless. [This protagonist gong is definitely a fool.]
Although Wu Qin had said he’d be back in a minute, he returned two or three minutes later. In his hand was a bag, filled to the brim, and the top of a white shirt was peeking out.
“Wow, going back for the wallet, and you end up buying a couple of outfits?” Xia Yan snorted inwardly and continued walking ahead.
Awkwardly, Wu Qin scratched his nose. He had returned to retrieve Xia Yan’s old clothes but felt guilty, afraid that Xia Yan would notice. So he had hastily bought a new set of clothes and placed them on top as a cover.
“To the left, there’s a Vacheron Constantin store.”
“…”
“Let’s go inside.”
Wu Qin had already figured out Xia Yan’s personality in just a short half-day.
Arrogant and greedy.
In terms of relationships, he was always the one being pursued, sitting on his high horse. He had so much that he looked down on everything.
Why flirt with others when he already has a boyfriend?
Because he didn’t care.
His greed was evident when it came to money. As long as Wu Qin was willing to spend, he knew he could always win Xia Yan back.
In a way, it was cute.
Wait! Wu Qin suddenly questioned himself.
Wasn’t he here to catch him cheating?
–
Nightfall descended.
A black Audi pulled up in front of the hotel, and a handsome young man stepped out from the passenger side. He held his head high and casually pointed towards the trunk.
The Alpha in the driver’s seat twitched his mouth. This young man really thinks he is his personal chauffeur now, doesn’t he?
Frustrated, he ruffled his hair, got out of the car, tossed the keys to the valet, and dutifully grabbed the pile of bags, following the young man into the elevator.
After a long moment of hesitation, he couldn’t help but ask, “You live here?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not going home?”
“…” At the mention of home, Xia Yan thought of that stalker, and his lips unconsciously tightened. “Not for now.” He opened the door to his suite and gestured for the man to carry the bags inside.
The hotel suite had two bedrooms and a living room, all impeccably clean.
A half-opened suitcase lay near the sofa, its contents messy and unorganized, indicating that he had only recently moved in.
Wu Qin had a keen sense in certain situations despite his somewhat foolish demeanour.
“Is someone giving you trouble?” he asked.
“No.” Trouble? That stalker wasn’t just trouble—that was straight-up illegal.
Xia Yan scoffed internally but kept a haughty expression on his face, quickly ushering the protagonist gong out before he could ask more questions. After all, they were ‘rivals in love’ no need to be nice.
Wu Qin ground his teeth in frustration, nearly laughing out of disbelief. Unbelievable! Using him and then tossing him aside!
Whatever, he thought. It’s not like Xia Yan is his boyfriend. Why is he so invested in this?
As he left the hotel, Wu Qin’s dark eyes lingered at the entrance for a while. Eventually, he took out his phone and messaged his cousin.
[Looks like your little boyfriend might be in trouble]
Damn it! He’s such a saint.
Wu Qin cursed himself as he got into his car, slamming the door shut with a bang.
–
The next few days passed peacefully for Xia Yan.
His job required him to be at the bar only on weekends. With his current mission still incomplete and no new tasks on the horizon, he did not need to wrack his brain for solutions.
The messages and calls from his admirers? He ignored every single one of them.
Pretending not to notice.
He lived like a hermit, and the only person he kept any contact with was the protagonist shou.
At times, Xia Yan wondered who was really bound by the collar—was it Shen Wenqing or him? He constantly worried about the collar, which could only be unlocked by his fingerprint.
He fretted over the possibility that some accident might happen, leaving Shen Wenqing unable to remove it when necessary.
Sometimes, Xia Yan even had to drop by Shen Wenqing’s house to see him in person and set his mind at ease. And occasionally, those visits ended up with them in bed together.
The only saving grace was that they hadn’t gone all the way yet.
Which made sense—Shen Wenqing belonged to the protagonist gong. There was no way he would end up derailed like Tu Xi in the previous world, right?
Six days passed in a blur, and the stalker had yet to appear. Xia Yan felt significantly more relaxed.
Sitting backstage, he leisurely unwrapped gifts from the previous weekend. Among the dozen or so items, a Patek Philippe watch worth millions caught his attention.
“Wen Changming… sounds familiar.” he murmured to himself.
But he couldn’t quite place the name.
[…] The system chimed in. [He’s the Alpha who sent you that pink diamond.]
[…]
[He’s also been messaging you these past few days, but you’ve ignored him.]
A pang of guilt hit Xia Yan.
He pulled out his phone, intending to reply, but he reconsidered after a moment’s thought. What good would come from engaging with someone who’s been sending him gifts? Rather than string the guy along, making him give up entirely was better.
“Yan Yan, are you ready? It’s time to go onstage,” called the sultry drummer.
Xia Yan casually tossed his phone onto the dressing table. “Coming.”
The four of them headed toward the stage.
Because of what had happened last time, Tang Zihang seemed awkward and hid behind the bassist, keeping his head down, too afraid to make eye contact with Xia Yan.
Xia Yan, not one to comfort others, pretended not to notice.
On stage, the bar was ablaze with energy, and the thunderous music drowned out the small details in the shadows.
Squeak—
The backstage door was suddenly pushed open. A man, dressed in black and wearing rubber gloves, entered. Under the bright overhead light, he picked up a black phone and swiftly began to operate it.
Three minutes later.
He erased all traces of his actions and quietly left the backstage area.
–
Whenever Xia Yan performed, the bar was always packed. People had gotten used to it by now.
But today, something happened that rubbed a few patrons the wrong way.
Xia Yan had someone with him.
Of course, there were always people around him. Plenty of admirers hoped to climb their way up and claim the beautiful, dangerous flower for themselves. But it was always one-sided—Xia Yan’s demeanor was consistently cold and indifferent, caring only about money.
Now, however… Xia Yan’s attitude toward that particular Omega was noticeably softer.
In a group chat, a lively discussion was underway.
[I offered to buy him gold bars the other day, and he didn’t even respond.]
[The last time he replied to me was seven days ago.]
[Someone took a picture of them leaving the bar together last weekend.]
[So, does this mean Xia Yan has found true love and plans to dump the rest of us?]
…
A tense, uncomfortable silence followed.
After a long pause, someone in the chat, now using an anonymous handle, angrily typed: [What the hell?! After all we’ve done for him, he falls in love with an Omega? Is he playing us?]
The anonymity emboldened the malice in the room.
[Omega? Naturally promiscuous, needing Alpha pheromones to soothe them. What does a Beta even have?]
[What a brainless idiot.]
[We can’t let this slide. He should belong to us.] Someone’s message took a darker turn. [If the normal approach doesn’t work, then use…]
The ellipsis left the rest up to the imagination.
No one would have felt out of balance if Xia Yan had remained forever untouchable, a flower on a distant peak. But the problem was that they had pursued him, had dinner, and chatted with him.
They’d been so close, they thought they could reach him.
Losing that opportunity was hard to accept.
In addition to the extreme voices, there were more rational people in the group, unwilling to go along with the twisted plot: [Are you guys crazy? I gave him gifts willingly and never expected anything in return.]
With that, the man left the chat.
[Now that we can’t win him over, you’re all crying about the money you spent? Pathetic.] ‘July’ exited the group chat.
[A bunch of losers. You’re disgusting.] ‘Tomorrow’ left the group chat.
[You all know what Xia Yan’s personality is like. Don’t act like you’ve been heartbroken or betrayed. Stop being like Yan Ming, you pathetic fakes!] The message was signed ‘I’m the Greatest’ who also left the chat.
…
The group of over fifty people was suddenly down to just a dozen.
Anonymous 2: [Keep talking! I’m not leaving. I want to see what you’ll do next.]
Anonymous 22: [This is getting darker by the day.]
Anonymous 17: [I’ve got a phone. I can call the police, 110.]
Ten seconds later.
The group chat, Chasing the Light, was disbanded.
The chat may have been deleted, but the darkness in some people’s hearts had already been awakened.
–
Xia Yan sat at the bar counter at the vibrant, colourful bar, with Shen Wenqing by his side, wearing the collar.
Countless eyes followed their every move, but the two were already used to being watched, showing no signs of discomfort. Xia Yan propped his chin up with one hand.
“I want a drink,” he said with a teasing smile, his eyes glimmering as he repeated, “I want you to buy me a drink.”
Shen Wenqing nodded. “What do you want?”
“Bloody Mary, Margarita, Mojito…” Xia Yan listed off several drinks, his lips glistening. “There are so many I want; I can’t decide.”
Tonight, he planned to finish Task 3.
Shen Wenqing, as expected, obliged. “Then let’s get one of each.”
—
TN : O-O I didnt expect Wu Qin is the protagonist gong. I thought he’s just a side character like Zhao Wenhan O-O thanks for reading everyone!
