Chapter 65 – Plans for the Future
Novel Title: 顶级掠食者 (Alpha Predator)
Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 沈岱 (Shen Dai -MC), 瞿末予 (Qu Moyu -ML))
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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The next day, Xiao Die returned with Bai Xiangwan.
After excitedly showing Shen Dai her photos with Yan Mingxiu, Xiao Die went to cook.
Bai Xiangwan went to see Qiu Qiu. As soon as Qiu Qiu smelled that warm white elm pheromone, he became both obedient and happy. He smiled with curved eyes and giggled. His two little hands waved excitedly. His mouth also babbled something.
After playing with Qiu Qiu for a while, Bai Xiangwan noticed Shen Dai sitting nearby, staring blankly in their direction with unfocused eyes. He waved his hand in front of Shen Dai’s eyes and said softly, “Didn’t sleep well again last night?”
Shen Dai came back to his senses. He cooperatively yawned and said with a bitter smile, “I’m used to it.”
“Have you found a night shift nanny?”
“The agency recommended three. I plan to interview them today.”
“It’ll be good once you have a nanny. You can’t keep exhausting yourself like this, it’s too harmful to your health.”
Shen Dai nodded, “It’ll be better once the nanny comes. I’ve made almost no progress on my thesis since he was born.”
Bai Xiangwan gently poked Qiu Qiu’s little chest, “You’re already three months old. You should be more mature and stop tiring out your dad.”
Shen Dai smiled, “Thanks to your pheromones, Qiu Qiu is much easier to handle than before.”
Bai Xiangwan gazed at Qiu Qiu. His bright eyes flickered as if hesitating about something. After a long while, he spoke, “His alpha father’s pheromones don’t work?”
Shen Dai was stunned for a moment.
Bai Xiangwan turned to look at Shen Dai. His gaze was calm and peaceful, without question, curiosity, or prying. It was as natural as if they were discussing a professional topic, “I smelled it as soon as I entered the room. It’s Qu Moyu, right?”
Although Bai Xiangwan’s expression and the way he asked were very considerate of one’s dignity, Shen Dai still lowered his head in embarrassment.
“I had guessed it long ago. I heard some…- well, I only confirmed it when he came this time.”
“Senior Brother, I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”
“It’s nothing,” Bai Xiangwan shrugged, “He’s the boss. For the sake of money, he can only say a few words to me. It doesn’t matter. He still has to give this project to me anyway.”
Shen Dai said softly, “I don’t want Qiu Qiu to have any connection with him. Qiu Qiu also rejects his pheromones.”
“What about him?”
Shen Dai pondered for a moment before saying, “We ended things between us long ago. He’s also engaged now.”
Bai Xiangwan didn’t think so. As an alpha himself, he might not agree with some behaviours, but he could understand. Qu Moyu deliberately coming here and showing such hostility towards him indicated that in Qu Moyu’s heart, they hadn’t ‘ended’. But looking at Shen Dai’s dark eye circles and weary face, he felt heavy-hearted and didn’t know what to say. After thinking for a while, he asked, “What are your plans for the future?”
“Find a job. I’ve already started looking.”
“Don’t look anymore. Go back and process your resignation, then come work for me.”
Shen Dai looked at Bai Xiangwan, hesitating to speak.
“Are you worried that Qu Moyu will trouble you, or trouble me?”
“Senior Brother, you have already helped me a lot. There’s no need for you to get implicated because of this.”
“The word ‘implicated’ is too severe. I think you’re overthinking it. Qu Moyu is at least the executive president of the group. Troubling a small employee like you is beneath him. The branch company here in Lancheng operates independently. So he can’t interfere with our personnel decisions. He won’t make things difficult for me over this either,” Bai Xiangwan blinked his eyes. “After all, I make him a lot of money every year.”
Shen Dai really couldn’t imagine how Qu Moyu might trouble him. With every deeper conflict between them, he witnessed a darker and more malevolent side of Qu Moyu. However, he felt that Bai Xiangwan’s confidence was reasonable. Currently, the mining area in Lancheng was the main profit centre for the group. Bai Xiangwan was holding such a significant project in his hands. While employment relationships are usually mutual choices, in most cases, employees are in a weaker position. But for such high-end talents, they truly embody the phrase ‘If you don’t keep me here, there will be somewhere else that will’. The company would be more afraid of Bai Xiangwan leaving than Bai Xiangwan would be of being squeezed out.
Shen Dai greatly admired Bai Xiangwan. If his ultimate goal in life was to be like his teacher. And then, being akin to Bai Xiangwan was his intermediate goal.
“What do you say?” Seeing Shen Dai waver, Bai Xiangwan gently persuaded, “If you resign voluntarily, you’ll only lose a bit of compensation and stock options. Come work for me, I’ll give you a good treatment and broad development space. You are the talent I need.”
Shen Dai looked at Bai Xiangwan gratefully. “Senior Brother, what you just said means a lot to me. I have always hoped not to be treated differently because of my gender. When I decided to keep Qiu Qiu, I was prepared for my career to stall for a few years or even to start over. But I didn’t expect it to be harder than I imagined. This past year, if I hadn’t persisted in finishing my thesis, I really felt like I was going to waste away.” He smiled bitterly, recalling that it might have been the most painful, tiring, self-abasing, and anxious time in his life. “You think I’m useful, which is a great encouragement to me.”
“Any low emotions you’re feeling now are normal. What you’ve been through has been really tough. But I believe you’ll recover. It looks like you’re almost ready.” Bai Xiangwan’s gaze was sincere and powerful. “Come work for me.”
Originally, Shen Dai had planned to return to Beijing to find a job. First, because he was concerned about his grandmother, and it was his home. Second, because there were more job opportunities and higher salaries there. But Bai Xiangwan’s few words changed his mind.
Staying here meant he could be far away from Qu Moyu, far away from the person who had hurt, humiliated, and exploited him.
Shen Dai’s gaze became firm. “Senior Brother, give me some time. I’ll go back and handle my resignation. And then I want to bring my grandmother over. Once everything is settled, I’ll come work for you. I won’t let you down.”
Bai Xiangwan looked at him with a gentle gaze and smiled. “I believe in you.”
***
Qu Moyu was sitting in his private jet. The pre-flight safety preparations were already completed, just waiting for clearance from the control tower. He rested his chin on his hand, seemingly staring out the window motionlessly. But he was actually listening to Yan Mingxiu, who was sitting opposite him, video chatting with his wife.
“Yes. We will take off soon and should be home around the same time.”
“I bought local specialties, enough for you to share.”
“You still want to film in the mining area? Do you know how sunny and harsh the environment is? Stop always thinking about challenging yourself.” Yan Mingxiu’s tone was reproachful. But there was an unmistakable gentle smile in his eyes.
They didn’t chat for long. Their conversation was very domestic. Yet it kept drawing Qu Moyu’s attention.
After hanging up, Yan Mingxiu took off his Bluetooth earphones and checked his watch. “We should arrive around four o’clock?”
“Yes, around that time,” Qu Moyu teased, “So loving. You guys talk every day?” He had seen a few of Zhou Xiang’s films and had met him twice at parties. Compared to the various personas he played in his roles, the real-life movie star was very easygoing, obviously a high-EQ, good-tempered person.
Yan Mingxiu smiled. “We see each other infrequently. I often travel for work, and he often films on location.”
Qu Moyu was never one to pry into others’ privacy, not just out of politeness but also because he wasn’t interested. However, this time, he couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, “Mingxiu, when you married him, weren’t you worried? He is a beta who can’t be ‘marked’.” An S-class alpha would face countless temptations in life. Only by ‘marking’ could most likely ensure their loyalty.
“Before meeting him, I had the same doubts as you. After meeting him, I realised these doubts were unfounded.” Yan Mingxiu’s expression was calm and serene, clearly indicating that this wasn’t the first time he had been asked such a question. Every time he answered, he genuinely believed in it.
Qu Moyu’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. Why could Yan Mingxiu marry a beta while he couldn’t even handle an omega he had ‘marked’? He had never experienced such defeat.
He couldn’t get Shen Dai’s face out of his mind—angry, terrified, tearful. Due to the recency effect, Shen Dai’s resistance to him was magnified infinitely. He could hardly remember the admiration, worship, dependence, joy, and passion that had once been on Shen Dai’s face.
Shen Dai had said he liked him and then said he hated him. Thinking of this, Qu Moyu’s heart ached.
Shen Dai had made his feelings clear. In response, Qu Moyu had done things he was ashamed of, acting ridiculously. His pride would not allow him to keep pestering, nor allow an omega to affect his mindset and behaviour this way. Shen Dai was so ungrateful—did he really think he couldn’t live without him?
At that moment, the flight attendant came over with two glasses of soda water. She placed them on the table between the two men and respectfully said, “Mr. Qu, Mr. Yan, the plane is about to take off. We are expected to arrive at the destination at 4:15.”
Qu Moyu snapped back to reality. “Alright, please bring me a glass of mineral water. Thank you.”
The flight attendant soon replaced the soda with a glass of mineral water.
Qu Moyu took out a bottle of medicine and swallowed two pills with the water.
Yan Mingxiu recognized the medicine bottle and frowned. “That’s medication to delay the susceptibility period. It’s quite potent.”
Qu Moyu replied lightly, “Well, I have things to do.”
“The signing ceremony for our project can be moved up or postponed; it’s all set anyway. Why take such harmful medication?” Yan Mingxiu’s deep eyes scanned Qu Moyu from top to bottom, finally understanding why Qu Moyu had noticeably lost weight in just a few days.
“I haven’t taken much. I just need to hold on until I get home.” Qu Moyu forced a lighthearted smile. “The schedule is already set.”
He wouldn’t tell anyone that he was delaying his susceptibility period out of fear. The susceptibility period is always tough. But as an alpha, he should be used to it by now. However, this time was different. Over the past year, his longing for someone had never ceased. Entering the susceptibility period would only amplify this desire.
It’s fine. Life is a battle against desire. He didn’t believe he could be controlled by a mere omega. Indeed, he likes Shen Dai. But liking someone wasn’t important. If he couldn’t let go of this burdensome emotion, how could he consider himself an S-class alpha?
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*Translator’s Note: Why does Bai Xiangwan job offer sound like a proposal to me? Lol. Let’s wait and see how QMY will suffer during the susceptible period. *evil smiles* -K
Next update: 2022.06.29
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*Proofread by 2024.07.31* I will proofread these chapters slowly and randomly when I’m free. I prioritise the mature chapter first because of censorship. So please understand if there are any delays or discrepancies. TQ.
Proofread version of the rest of the novel will only be available on Novels Space.space while Mature Chapters will be released on my Blog.
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