Chapter 66 – No Regrets
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*
֍֍֍
After getting off the plane, Qu Moyu didn’t go back to his own home. Lao Wu picked him up at the airport, with the trunk loaded with things he would need for his susceptible period, and took him to his parents’ house.
Over the past year, Qu Moyu rarely went there. No matter how busy he was, he used to go back to have a meal with his parents once or twice a month. But ever since Mrs. Qu sent Shen Dai away, he had been avoiding his mother.
When he got out of the car and saw the old butler of the house, he sensed that something was off. He gave the butler a questioning look and the butler’s face showed a hint of helplessness.
Upon entering the house, Qu Moyu saw Zhou Xiaochu sitting on the sofa in the living room, chatting with his parents. He frowned slightly.
“Brother Yu.” Zhou Xiaochu stood up, smiling at Qu Moyu. “You just got off the plane, right? So did I. Are you tired?”
“Don’t you not have any holidays recently? Why are you back here?” Qu Moyu nodded to his parents. He then looked at Zhou Xiaochu without any change in his expression.
Zhou Xiaochu was studying art abroad and hadn’t graduated yet. Spring break was long over. So he should be at school, not here.
Zhou Xiaochu responded gracefully, “I heard you’re about to enter your susceptible period. So I wanted to come back and accompany you.”
Qu Shen took a sip of tea, looking at his son with no expression, while Mrs. Qu silently stroked the handmade embroidery on her clothes. The intricate stitching and exquisite design exuded a sense of luxury up close.
“Not yet,” Qu Moyu said. “Xiaochu, you’re still studying and shouldn’t take leave so casually. Rest for the night. I’ll send you back tomorrow.”
Zhou Xiaochu maintained his composure, saying, “Brother Yu, I’m your fiancée. It’s my duty to be with you during your susceptible period, which is more important than studying.” He gently held Qu Moyu’s hand, speaking softly, “We are meant to be together for life. Can’t you trust me?”
Qu Moyu gazed at his fiancée, feeling a surge of inexplicable frustration. He knew Zhou Xiaochu hadn’t done anything wrong. He was always gentle and appropriate, composed and impeccable, with perfect qualifications that made him an ideal wife.
But he increasingly resisted his presence.
He controlled his impatience and said softly, “Xiaochu, my susceptible period hasn’t started yet. Besides, we’re not married yet. Making hasty decisions is irresponsible to you. I can’t explain this to your parents.”
Qu Shen interjected, “Xiaochu, you both just got home and must be tired. Let’s arrange for you to rest in the guest room first.”
Though disappointed, Zhou Xiaochu showed no sign of it and gracefully accepted, “Alright. Thank you, Uncle.”
The butler carried Zhou Xiaochu’s luggage and escorted him to the guest room.
Once the outsider had left, the three members of the Qu family exchanged tense glances.
Qu Shen cleared his throat, “Have a seat.”
Qu Moyu sat down, keeping his gaze lowered. He didn’t want to say a single word or face any questions from his parents.
“How are things progressing in Lancheng?” Qu Shen inquired.
At the mention of Lancheng, Mrs. Qu’s heart gave a small, involuntary shudder.
“Everything is going smoothly. Construction has started and the prospects look good,” Qu Moyu replied.
Qu Shen nodded approvingly. “With this project underway, the company’s position is secure. The financing from the Zhou family has been critical and a great help to us.”
Qu Moyu could sense where this conversation was headed.
“Xiaochu is a good child, well-matched with you in every way. He’s also very sensible,” Qu Shen continued, looking directly at Qu Moyu. “Once he graduates, let’s proceed with the marriage. You can ‘mark’ him then. It’s time for you to settle down.”
Qu Moyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice cold. “I will not ‘mark’ anyone.”
“You’ve already ‘marked’ someone once,” Qu Shen retorted sarcastically.
“That was because of Qu Chengchen’s scheming,” Qu Moyu said. His anger resurfaced at the thought.
“That happened because you weren’t careful enough, letting an omega who was supposed to be just a business partner get too involved in your life. Otherwise, Qu Chengchen wouldn’t have had the opportunity to scheme against you,” Qu Shen criticised.
Qu Moyu’s expression darkened further.
“Qu Chengchen reported the incident to the Zhou family. I had to make concessions to calm things down. Can you justify not ‘marking’ Xiaochu? You can use the excuse of not being married yet for now. But once you’re married, it’s time to settle down,” Qu Shen pressed.
Qu Moyu’s tone turned rigid. “Father, this is one thing I cannot agree to. I don’t want to be controlled by anyone.”
“You…-”
“-Enough,” Mrs. Qu interjected, cutting off their heated exchange. “Moyu just got off the plane and has been working tirelessly. He must be exhausted. Let’s discuss this tomorrow.”
Qu Shen, still visibly displeased, asked, “How many days until your susceptible period? If you’re unsure, go directly to the safe house.”
“I’m sure,” Qu Moyu replied as he stood up. “I’ll head to my room now.”
The reason Qu Moyu brought his luggage back to his parents’ house was because his safe house was there. His personal doctor had customised a medication plan for him, which had delayed his susceptible period by almost half a month. Once he stopped the medication, he would enter his susceptible period within a day or two. He planned to take a shower in his room and then make the necessary preparations.
After finishing his shower, Qu Moyu found that the butler had already delivered his luggage to his room, where his mother was also waiting.
Mrs. Qu glanced at her son and then at the three large suitcases, saying, “The safe house is ready. I’ll help you pack these things later.”
“There’s no need. Let them handle it,” Qu Moyu replied. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and sat in the armchair in front of the window. He quietly watched the newly sprouted peach branches outside.
His half-dry hair hung over his forehead, obscuring his eyes and most of his thoughts. Mrs. Qu always felt a sense of distance from her son. And now that feeling was even stronger. He seemed so far away that she couldn’t reach him, even though he was so close.
Mrs. Qu hesitated to speak first.
“Mother, are you here to persuade me about Xiaochu or to inquire about Shen Dai?” Qu Moyu slowly turned his head. His eyes appeared even more inscrutable in the dim light.
Mrs. Qu’s breath hitched as she softly said, “You met him.”
She suspected that Qu Moyu’s trip to Lancheng was likely to find out Shen Dai’s whereabouts. In the information age, if Qu Moyu really wanted to, it wouldn’t be too difficult. It’s almost impossible for someone to completely erase their traces.
In the year since Shen Dai had left, Qu Moyu had seemed as if everything was normal. He hadn’t expressed his dissatisfaction overtly, just using his busy schedule as an excuse to rarely come home. But Mrs. Qu felt—perhaps it was a mother’s intuition—that her son was becoming increasingly despondent.
From the snippets of conversation she overheard from others, she knew that the young master Qu at the company had become more irritable than before. Meanwhile, the young master at home had become more silent.
Qu Moyu swirled his glass. The ice clinked against the sides like the heartbeat flowing in the river of time. He recalled his two encounters with Shen Dai in Lancheng. They were too awful, too chaotic, too ugly to find many words to describe. He simply said, “I met him.”
“Is he… is he doing well?” Mrs. Qu wanted to discern from Qu Moyu’s expression whether he knew about the child’s existence.
Qu Moyu could see through her intentions clearly, “Not well.” An omega without money, power, or family, raising a child alone in a foreign place—how well could they be doing? From the first moment he saw Shen Dai, he felt that his omega shouldn’t be living in such a small house, looking so exhausted and leading an obviously struggling life. He always wanted to give Shen Dai a good life. But Shen Dai refused. How dared he refuse?
Mrs. Qu’s face quickly darkened. Her lips trembled slightly as if she had much to say but was holding herself back.
“He gave birth to an alpha boy. That’s what you wanted to ask, isn’t it?”
Mrs. Qu suddenly raised her head, staring blankly at Qu Moyu. Slowly, her eyes turned red. She had always been worried about whether that child had been born. After going through such torture, it was very likely the child wouldn’t survive. But Shen Dai did give birth to the child, achieving something that most people, including herself, couldn’t.
“He washed away the ‘mark’, so how did he keep the child?” Qu Moyu couldn’t understand this point. The only possibility was some kind of medical technology he was not yet aware of. “Did you help him?”
Mrs. Qu felt a sharp pain in her heart. She knew all too well what Shen Dai had sacrificed to keep that child. But she had promised Shen Dai not to tell anyone. She would always remember what Shen Dai said to her before the surgery.
He had smiled and said, “No matter how much this child angers me in the future, or fails to meet my expectations, I will never use this matter to guilt-trip him. Because this is my own choice. Let this matter be our secret. Please don’t tell anyone.”
Mrs. Qu took a deep breath. “How is the child? Is he healthy?”
“He cries a lot, very loudly.” Qu Moyu suddenly smiled. But the smile quickly disappeared. He seemed to regret not having looked closely at the child. Thinking back now, he felt some remorse. He should have taken a good look at his and Shen Dai’s child. “He should be healthy.”
“…What’s his name?”
“Shen Yue.”
“Shen Yue. Shen Yue, what a nice name.” Mrs. Qu repeated the name several times. “What about his pheromone level?” She had a thought, an overly idealistic one. But if, by any chance, Shen Dai had given birth to an S-class alpha, wouldn’t all conflicts be easily resolved? Wouldn’t there be a perfect ending?
Qu Moyu shook his head. “I don’t know.”
He had no desire to know Shen Yue’s pheromone level. The possibility of a B-class omega giving birth to an S-class alpha was extremely low. Moreover, Shen Dai hadn’t mentioned it. Anyone who gave birth to an S-class alpha would definitely announce it to the world. So he had never considered this question from the beginning. Because he assumed that Shen Yue was at most an A-class.
Mrs. Qu had the same thought. So she didn’t press further. She sighed, “No matter what, the child was already born. And Shen Dai didn’t cause you any trouble. If he needs money…”
“He doesn’t need it.” Qu Moyu’s fingers tightened around the wine glass, turning his knuckles white from the pressure. He stared at his mother. With his voice cold, he asked, “Are you satisfied with this outcome?”
Mrs. Qu slowly lowered her head. After a long while, she spoke in a hoarse voice, “In my lifetime… there are many, many things I regret. But this is not one of them.” She stood up gracefully and walked away.
Qu Moyu sat quietly in the darkness. He slumped in his chair, motionless, as if he might dissolve at any moment. He didn’t know how long had passed before he smashed the wine glass in his hand onto the floor.
֍֍֍
*Translator’s Note: Why are all the fathers in this story full of shits???? -K
Next update: 2022.06.30
֍֍֍
*Proofread by 2024.07.31* I will proofread these chapters slowly 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.
