SSEWC Chapter 5

Zhao Chi was afraid that He Heng would think that pile of things was pushed onto Shi Shuang, so he decided to take the initiative and quickly patched up, saying, “He just arrived, and it’s normal to be a little unfamiliar with the business on the first day, so it’s normal for the efficiency to be slow.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Shuang coldly looked at him, just as he was about to speak.

“Oh, so are you efficient?” He Heng picked up the stack of documents, looking indifferently at Zhao Chi.

Zhao Chisheng nodded repeatedly. How could he miss the opportunity to show off in front of President He?

“Well, I can finish these tasks in just one hour. After all, I have more work experience, President He.”

The next moment, He Heng, “smack”, placed the stack of documents on Zhao Chi’s desk, saying, “Then you do all of these.”

After that, he, under everyone’s gaze, grabbed Shi Shuang’s wrist, pulling him up from his seat. His tone sounded unquestionable, “You, come home with me.”

Zhao Chi was petrified,

The entire office was petrified.

Where did this O airdrop from?

This is clearly the president’s wife.

On the other side of City A,

In a dim underground bar, nauseating alcohol fumes and the scent of sweat mingled together.

On the mottled white walls were bold graffiti, and dim purple lights shone on the moving figures on the dance floor, magnifying desire infinitely, like primal beasts.

At the edge of the counter, a person was shrouded in shadows. The dim light concealed his pale and unhealthy complexion, as well as the bloodshot eyes. However, it highlighted his originally upright contours, indicating that this person had a decent foundation.

At this moment, he sniffed, and his left hand trembled uncontrollably as he approached another person. His expression bordered on pleading, “Brother Di, I beg you, one last time. I promise, I guarantee this is the last time. Just lend me a bit more.”

The man he called Brother Di was named Di Ye. He had a crew cut, sharp features, and the revealed portion of his arms, from under the sleeves, bore a tattoo of a thorned rose. He had a considerable reputation on the streets.

“Shi Min, how many times have I told you,” Di Ye’s eyes revealed a hint of disdain. He looked the other person up and down, then sneered, “I don’t accept credit. There’s no reason for that.”

At this point, he reached out and poked the other person’s shoulder. “Either pay up, or if you don’t have the money, get lost.”

The “Shi Min” he referred to was Shi Shaowen’s illegitimate son, Shi Shuang’s half-brother from a different mother. Despite the decline of the Shi family, he couldn’t shake off his stubborn nature, resulting in accumulating a pile of debts.

“I’ll figure something out,” Shi Min stretched his neck and approached again. “Brother Di, just give me a bit more time. My family…”

Di Ye shook the glass of alcohol in his hand, interrupting him. He whispered lowly in the other’s ear, “Do you think I’m not aware of your situation? Who can’t write an empty check? The debts you owe now are enough for you to repay. As for the Shi family, what is it now?”

“Just a mangy dog that’s been stripped bare,” Di Ye pulled away from his ear, a mocking curve hanging on the corner of his mouth.

In the dim light, Shi Min subconsciously clenched his fist, tightened the corner of his mouth, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

But the next moment, he put on a flattering smile, clasped his hands together, pleading with the other person, “One last time, really, just—”

At that moment, a distant “clang!” sound interrupted Shi Min’s words. He stopped abruptly, his expression turning into one of fear as he looked at several burly men searching for something near the entrance.

In the instant their eyes met, Shi Min shuddered slightly, hastily got up in panic, and without looking back, he ran towards the restroom, knocking over several chairs in the process.

In the instant Shi Min escaped into the restroom, he leaned against the door, yet to catch his breath.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Suddenly, there came a deafening knocking sound from behind.

Shi Min’s pupils contracted sharply,

The trembling door didn’t hold for long. The lead burly man kicked the door open, forcibly pulled Shi Min out, yanked him by the collar, and pressed him against the wall. “I, finally, I’ve found you, you damn animal. When do you plan to repay Brother Sheng’s money?”

“Right away, just give me a little more time.” Shi Min’s voice trembled.

The man raised his hand and, “smack!”, delivered a resounding slap to Shi Min’s face. Immediately, he threw him to the ground and ruthlessly kicked him, causing Shi Min to convulse in pain.

Then, the man made a “three” gesture, looking down on Shi Min from a height.

“Within three days, if you still can’t come up with the money, it won’t be as simple as getting a beating.”

“By then, you’ll pay with your life!”

With that, several people began to mercilessly unleash a barrage of punches and kicks on him.

Outside the old-style apartment,

Someone kept knocking on the door. After several unanswered “Who is it?” questions from Shi Shaowen, he couldn’t resist any longer and opened the door.

Upon seeing the bruised and battered face of Shi Min, Shi Shaowen’s expression darkened. He pushed the doorknob, intending to close the door, but Shi Min forcefully pushed his way in.

Shi Shaowen cast a wary glance at him, his voice carrying obvious displeasure. “What are you doing here?”

Shi Min was originally his illegitimate son raised outside the family, never receiving much discipline.

However, during a certain period in the past, Shi Shaowen’s judgment was clouded by certain things. Due to Shi Min’s Alpha status, when he turned eighteen, Shi Shaowen treated him as his heir and brought him back to the Shi family.

Although Shi Min was stubborn and unyielding, with a dishonest character, at that time, Shi Shaowen still naively believed that some things could slowly change.

It wasn’t until Shi Min squandered the family fortune and accumulated a pile of debts that Shi Shaowen woke up to reality.

He realized that he had made many mistakes in his life, and there might not be a good ending.

“Give me some money,” Shi Min repeatedly sniffed, his tone extremely impatient, looking like the picture of an addict.

Seeing Shi Shaowen’s lack of response,

“Hurry up!” Shi Min shouted at him, “Are you deaf or something?”

Shi Shaowen wasn’t surprised by his appearance and spoke with a deep voice, “My money was gone two years ago because of you. Don’t you know the current situation at home?”

In the end, he added,

“Also, I advise you to quit that thing as soon as possible, or you’ll end up losing your life.”

The next moment,

“Bang!” Shi Min knocked the only desk lamp off the table. “Is this the extent of your capabilities after giving birth to me? You can’t even repay a small amount of money, damn!”

He scratched his head like a mad dog, pacing back and forth in the room.

Just at that moment, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a red piece of paper on the table’s corner.

It was a receipt for tuition fees.

And the receiver was Shi Mu’s high school.

No money?

If there’s no money, how could Shi Mu still attend school?

With this thought, Shi Min’s eyes suddenly changed. He slowed his pace, and with a pointed expression, he asked, “What about the younger one?”

The “younger one” he referred to was Shi Shuang’s sister, Shi Mu, who was currently in high school.

Shi Shaowen knew well that Shi Min had become a desperate person who valued only money. When he heard these words, Shi Shaowen guessed what he was getting at.

Seeing Shi Shaowen silent with pursed lips, Shi Min sneered. He picked up the receipt and waved it in front of Shi Shaowen, saying, “Do you really think I’m stupid?”

The next moment,

Shi Min’s eyes rolled a few times, and he asked, “Is it Shi Shuang who paid the tuition?”

Seeing a subtle change in Shi Shaowen’s expression, he almost confirmed his suspicion. Then, he smirked,

“It’s him, isn’t it?”

Whenever it came to matters related to money, Shi Min’s mind always worked exceptionally fast.

He was well aware of the situation with this old guy in front of him. The old guy had plenty of issues, couldn’t make money anymore, so where could Shi Mu’s tuition come from?

He hadn’t forgotten who Shi Shuang had married all those years ago.

Although Shi Shuang’s Alpha had backstabbed the Shi family behind their backs.

But after all, he was the CEO of Tian Sheng Group. As his Omega, how could Shi Shuang not manage to get even a bit of money?

Thinking about this, a ruthless expression flashed in Shi Min’s eyes. A plan was already forming in his mind.

He crumpled the receipt, treating it like trash, and with a “bang!” closed the door. He walked briskly down the corridor.

Inside the residential area, there was a lively atmosphere. Taking advantage of the weekend, many kids were playing soccer on the lawn.

Shi Min stood near the steps of the building, and suddenly, something bumped into his foot.

He looked down and saw that it was a small ball rolling towards him.

“Big brother, big brother, can you help pick up the ball?” a child shouted from a distance.

Shi Min glanced at the child, then at the ball, a malicious smile playing on his lips.

The next moment, he kicked the ball away with a single sweep of his foot.

The little ball was gone, and the child started crying loudly. Shi Min, however, found even more amusement in this. He then took out his phone, looked at a number in his contacts, and a thought crossed his mind.

Even if Shi Shuang didn’t care about anyone else, he couldn’t possibly ignore the safety of his beloved sister.

In the villa at night,

Shi Shuang sat at the spacious dining table,

Suddenly, a buzzing sound echoed in his ears, and something hit his leg.

He looked down and found that it was a working robotic vacuum cleaner.

So Shi Shuang lifted his foot, and the robotic vacuum cleaner “buzzed” past him, leaving its path spotlessly clean.

The villa’s burgundy-colored floor shone brightly, reflecting shadows like a mirror.

Originally, there were many servants in the villa, and cleaning the house was their job. Of course, they had an even more crucial task: to monitor Shi Shuang at all times, ensuring that his every move was under “He Heng’s” control.

However, ever since he ran to the top floor of the Tian Sheng building and was brought back a month ago, He Heng seemed to have changed.

He first replaced several chefs, citing “poor cooking, almost got food poisoning” as the reason. Then, he replaced some housemaids, claiming “low efficiency, I might as well buy a few robots.” Finally, he dismissed the butler, stating “I’m allergic to the material of your wig.”

Now, the current situation was that chefs and maids came to the house every day to cook and clean, but they left promptly, and there was no one monitoring him anymore.

Every morning, Shi Shuang would go to the company with He Heng, claiming, “I don’t keep idle people. Do you think Omegas don’t need to work?”

As for the ten million cheque, He Heng indeed cashed it. At that time, he had an expression on his face that seemed to say, “Well, it’s just ten million. Am I lacking that much money?” He directly transferred the money to Shi Shuang’s account.

However, Shi Shuang was unaware that He Heng had deliberately instructed people to double-check the amount before transferring it, fearing that a slight mistake might turn ten million into a hundred million.

Shi Shuang worked diligently, learning more enthusiastically than anyone else. Even though his dream had always been to become a piano performer since a young age, he knew that, like life, there were certain opportunities that wouldn’t come around a second time. He didn’t know when He Heng might change his mind again, so he had to seize every chance to seek independence and escape from He Heng’s control.

After having some money, he secretly sent his sister tuition and living expenses a few times, and He Heng did not intervene. He didn’t even mention a word.

At some point, the boundaries that once confined him were subtly expanding. He was given more and more freedom by He Heng.

Every day, when it was time to finish work, the driver would come to pick him up and take him home. By the time he arrived home, dinner would be ready, as the Alpha was always busy, given the countless meetings and endless projects.

He Heng usually couldn’t make it back before dinner, often returning after 11 p.m., sometimes even in the early morning, and occasionally, he wouldn’t come home at all, choosing to stay overnight outside. So Shi Shuang ate alone every day.

Today was no exception. After finishing dinner, he placed the plates in the dishwasher and stored the leftover dishes in the refrigerator.

Just then, Shi Shuang’s phone vibrated.

The number displayed was unfamiliar, which surprised Shi Shuang since not many people called him. Hesitating for a second, he still answered the call.

As soon as he heard the voice on the other end, Shi Shuang’s pupils suddenly contracted. His fingertips instinctively tightened, and his face turned slightly pale. His beautiful eyebrows pressed low, anger evident in his eyes.

Without waiting for the other person to say a second sentence, he directly hung up the call.

The next moment, the screen suddenly lit up again, displaying several text messages,

[I know you’re watching.]

[Dare to hang up on my call? You will regret it.]

[You think it’s this late; Shi Mu should be attending evening self-study at school, right? I wonder how good the security is at their school.]

Seeing the words “Shi Mu” it felt like a part of Shi Shuang’s heart was pricked. He immediately picked up his phone and called back, squeezing the screen with such force that it seemed like he wanted to shatter it, “What are you up to? I warn you, if you dare to do anything to her, I…”

“You?” Shi Min’s low laughter came from the other end of the phone. “What can you do to me?”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Don’t be in a hurry. I haven’t done anything to your precious little sister yet, but I’ve run into a little problem and need some money.”

“Isn’t the money from the Shi family enough for your indulgences?” Shi Shuang sneered.

When he presented as an Omega at the age of eighteen, his father, Shi Shaowen, suddenly brought Shi Min, his illegitimate child, back to the Shi family. That day, it was as if he had swallowed a fly; it was nauseating.

And Shi Min was only a few months younger than him.

Shi Shuang knew that Shi Shaowen was never a good father. Even though Shi Shuang’s mother passed away early, he still remembered the year of her death. At her funeral, Shi Shaowen cried heartbreakingly, as if the sky had fallen.

Who would have thought that when his mother was pregnant with him, Shi Shaowen had already been unfaithful?

When Shi Shuang learned the truth, he felt nauseous, sick to the point of wanting to vomit.

Since then, he had almost always stayed at school, only returning home to visit his sister.

Until after graduating from university, when Shi Shaowen used him like a pawn, marrying him off to “He Heng,” and Shi Min completely destroyed the Shi family.

If life were a canvas, the year his mother passed away marked the appearance of a massive black crack on Shi Shuang’s canvas.

Then the cracks multiplied, until eventually, the canvas turned entirely black.

His sister had always been the softest spot in his heart, so he would never allow that beast Shi Min to harm Shi Mu in any way.

Suddenly, Shi Min laughed lowly, a laughter so vulgar, “I don’t know if the Shi family has enough money for me, but I do know where Shi Mu goes to school and when she comes home on vacation.”

“I don’t know if you’re willing to help me pay off my debts, but tell me, if I were to share Shi Mu’s school address with those people, do you think they would care if she’s just a child? Those people are all desperate characters, money is life to them. Whether I live or die, it doesn’t matter to you. Of course, it’s better for you if I die. But after I’m gone, do you think they won’t come after the Shi family?”

Following that was another string of grating laughter.

Shi Shuang’s eyes turned red, his voice losing its composure, “How much do you f**king owe?” For the first time, he wished the person on the other end of the line would disappear from this world.

“100,000. Tomorrow night at 6:15, go to X Bar. I’ll tell you the address. My bank account is frozen, and they want cash. You better not play tricks on me.”

After making that call, Shi Shuang realized his hands and feet were ice-cold. He freshened up and returned to his bedroom. However, once lying in bed, he found it impossible to sleep.

At 11:30 PM, after tossing and turning for a while, Shi Shuang decided to go to the kitchen for a glass of water.

When he pushed open the bedroom door, a faint light emanated from the living room on the second floor. Upon closer inspection, the television was on, but the volume was turned down low.

Alpha seemed to have returned.

Following the light source, Shi Shuang walked out and saw Alpha sitting on the sofa, watching a sports game.

He Heng was still wearing the shirt and trousers he wore during the day. However, the tie was removed, and the top two buttons were undone. The cuffs were rolled up, revealing a sleek and well-defined muscle structure.

Alpha was engrossed in the game, yet he kept the volume low, as if afraid of disturbing someone.

Shi Shuang never knew that He Heng had a hobby of watching sports, at least this was the first time he had seen him watching a game in the past two years. It was also the first time he saw He Heng showing interest in something unrelated to work after taking off his working façade.

Perhaps noticing the commotion in the corridor, He Heng turned around and, upon seeing Shi Shuang standing there, naturally asked, “What’s wrong, did I wake you up?”

During his university years, He Heng shared a room with two roommates from the same major. While they were close and playful during the day, they were considerate enough to keep noise to a minimum at night to avoid disturbing each other if one returned late.

Alpha was genuinely curious when he asked the question earlier.

“No,” Shi Shuang shook his head slightly.

He Heng’s facial features looked gentle, and his long eyelashes cast a shadow when he blinked. His gaze towards Shi Shuang was soft, without a trace of the once icy and indifferent demeanor.

In fact, over the past month, Shi Shuang had noticed this change. Even when He Heng intentionally put on a serious act or spoke in a peculiar manner, Shi Shuang could sense the difference from before.

Because the eyes can’t lie.

He has even started to have trouble recalling how the other person originally looked. Sometimes, he even gets the illusion that He Heng didn’t use to look like this.

These subtle changes are like stones disturbing the calm pond, making his perception of He Heng increasingly complex.

He used to hate this Alpha who sought to control his life, but now, he finds that he can’t summon that hatred anymore.

His own heart seems to have become quite chaotic.

There’s still a bit of chill in the air at the villa during the night.

Seeing Shi Shuang standing there in thin clothing, his delicate and fair ankles completely exposed, He Heng furrowed his brows slightly.

“Why aren’t you going to sleep yet?”

The low tone of his voice snapped Shi Shuang out of his daze. He looked up, and in the dim light of the living room, he saw He Heng’s handsome profile. Those deep eyes still held a hint of concern.

The villa was spacious, always feeling somewhat empty, but at this moment, he suddenly felt like he wasn’t alone.

Shi Shuang’s palm, hanging by his side, unconsciously clenched.

“I…” He bit his lip, suddenly feeling the urge to tell He Heng about what had just happened.

Maybe He Heng would understand,

Maybe he would help him?

But in the end, that fleeting thought slipped through his fingers like the night breeze.

Shi Shuang looked at He Heng and said, “I’m going to bed.”

He Heng nodded, “Hmm.”

Watching Shi Shuang’s figure leave, He Heng turned his attention back to the TV.

However, Shi Shuang’s hesitant expression from earlier lingered in He Heng’s mind. He sensed that Shi Shuang was acting unusual today.

Could it be that he has some difficult-to-express secrets?

Could it be…

He Heng suddenly realized,

Could it be that Shi Shuang…

also wants to watch the game?

Should he have invited him to watch the game together just now?

 

 

 

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