Title: 顶级掠食者 (Alpha Predator)
Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)
Translator: 月野 見事 (TsukinoMigoto @ kin0monogatari)
Protagonists ：沈岱 (Shen Dai -MC), 瞿末予 (Qu Moyu -ML)
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Shen Dai bought a folding bicycle online, and later changed to cycling and subway to commute for work. It is only four or five kilometres from the subway station to Qu’s house, which is the most cost-effective, and the total commute time is shorter than driving, and he can also exercise.
It’s just that when he rode his bicycle into the gate of Qu’s house, Uncle Heng’s expression became a little stiff.
“Can this be put in the yard?” Shen Dai said, “If not, it can be folded and put in the garage.”
Uncle Heng said, “Mr. Shen, do you know how to drive?”
“Yes, but I don’t have a car.” The car left by his grandfather has long been auctioned.
“If you think it is inconvenient for the driver to pick you up and drop you off, I can give you a low-key car for you to drive by yourself.”
“You don’t think a low-key car is too low-key? If my quality of life suddenly improves significantly, my colleagues around me will be curious. I hope I can follow Mr. Qu’s instructions and let this…” Shen Dai suddenly couldn’t say ‘marriage’, so he changed his words, “Let this relationship be kept secret, so it doesn’t really matter how I go to work.”
Uncle Heng said helplessly: “Okay, let’s put it in the garage.”
Shen Dai looked at his watch: “Then I’ll take a bath first, and I’ll ask you to bring dinner to my room.”
“OK.”
It was already autumn, and the weather was still a little hot. Shen Dai was sweating from riding his bike. He went back to his room to put down his computer and stuff, and hurried into the bathroom to take a shower.
This year, he is writing a new SCI. Before marrying Qu Moyu, he often stayed at the research institute and returned to the dormitory very late, because the atmosphere of the research institute is more suitable for work and study. But now he tries to come back early, preferably to catch up with a hot dinner, because the food made by the chef of the Qu family is healthy and delicious, and he has really eaten enough of the cafeteria and takeaway. If the dormitory has the conditions to do it, he would like to cook for himself. Unfortunately, the dormitory is purely just a place to sleep. It is very important to him to have a good meal every night.
Moreover, although Qu Moyu often meets people outside and seldom eats at home, he always asks his servants to deliver meals to his room, lest he, an outsider, appear abruptly, but occasionally when he is working late at night, he hears the engine of the phantom. When the sound appeared in the yard, he would quietly open a slit in the curtain, watching the driver in a suit and leather white gloves open the carriage-style door. Qu Moyu got out of the car and walked into the house. In just a few seconds of seeing him, his expectations for the whole day can be fulfilled.
In the past, in the Xingzhou headquarters building where tens of thousands of people worked, it was even more difficult for him to see Qu Moyu, but now he can often see him up close, and he feels very satisfied.
After taking a shower, Shen Dai sat in front of the computer while wiping his hair, checking the emails sent by his colleagues at the South African Research Institute, and casually pulling off the sticky pheromone barrier stickers, which he had forgotten to tear off during his shower, that had become wet and throwing it into the trash can.
After a while, there was a knock on his door.
Shen Dai opened the door, thinking it was his dinner, but saw Uncle Heng standing in front of him empty-handed: “Uncle Heng?”
“Master is back, he wants you to go downstairs to have dinner together.”
Shen Dai was stunned: “Uh, Mr. Qu wants me to eat together?”
“Yes.” Uncle Heng looked at his half-dry hair, “You can blow dry your hair before you go down, but hurry up, the young master is waiting for you.”
“Okay, I’ll do it right now.”
Shen Dai closed the door, took off his pyjamas and put on some casual clothes, quickly dried his hair, and hurried downstairs.
During the time he lived in Qu’s house, he had never eaten in the dining hall, he had been in his own room all the time, he sticks true to ‘not disturb’ the young master of the house, of course Qu Moyu knew about it, and he never invited him to eat with him. Today is the first time. For the first time, he and Qu Moyu will ‘dine together at home’.
When he reached downstairs, he saw Qu Moyu wearing home clothes. Compared with his usual straight suit, this soft cotton fabric gave Qu Moyu a sense of relaxation that fit his age suddenly, no matter how advanced his pheromone was. After all, this man is only 24 years old but he still needs a strong weapon to attack and make decisions in a crowd of people more experienced than himself.
Shen Dai walked to the dining hall: “Mr. Qu, good evening.” The tableware and chopsticks were all set, but Qu Moyu was really waiting for him, and he felt a little nervous.
Qu Moyu did not lift his head. He kept looking at a tablet in his hand. He was holding a pen and was writing on the tablet. He used his chin as a gesture for the seat next to him: “Sit down.”
Shen Dai sat down. The last time he ate next to Qu Moyu, he was tense the whole time, but this time it was different. It was the first time he saw Qu Moyu’s profile at home, and he couldn’t help but feel a little joy in his heart.
A trace of elegant fragrance suddenly drifted into Qu Moyu’s nostrils, he was slightly startled and raised his head.
Shen Dai, who had just taken a shower, looked clear and radiant, with his soft pale pink skin and wet hair. A grey T-shirt with a white neckline wrapped around his thin body and he wore simple blue jeans. He has a slender and fair neck. He is also obviously avoiding looking into Qu Moyu’s eyes. He looked years younger and more relaxed, which was completely different from the indifference and calmness persona when he was wearing a white lab coat.
The looming scent of ephemeral flowers made Qu Moyu briefly dazed. He remembered that three years ago, when he visited the institute for the first time, he encountered an accident – an Omega turned out to be in heat in the laboratory. Omegas always have warning signs before they go into heat, and carry suppressants with them. It’s just too careless and irresponsible for an adult to put himself in that embarrassing situation in public. Moreover, the fragrance is too strong and confusing. Compared with the simulated pheromone when he is doing anti-pheromone training, the general Omega will not have such a strong pheromone when he is in heat, and the general Alpha will definitely be affected by such a strong pheromone. If he can’t bear it, if he can’t control the situation before the security department arrives, the group will face huge legal risks and a public opinion crisis.
Looking back now, it was the only closest time in his life to losing control.
At this time, he smelled this short-lived fragrance again, although it was very faint, it still brought back those memories. He glanced at the back of Shen Dai’s neck, and sure enough, there was no pheromone barrier sticker, just a piece of flawless skin. When people drink, exercise, take a bath, etc., the blood flow will increase, and the smell of pheromones will naturally become stronger.
Shen Dai noticed his gaze and suddenly remembered that he had just torn off the pheromone barrier sticker. He subconsciously covered the back of his neck with his hand and got up: “I’m sorry, I’ll go…”
“No.” Qu Moyu looked back, “It’s okay, let’s eat.”
Shen Dai sat down hesitantly, but couldn’t sit still. He hasn’t had his neck naked in front of others for a long time. After the differentiation of adulthood, Alpha and Omega’s pheromone barrier stickers are like the clothes they wear every day when they go out, to protect themselves and not cause trouble to others. That is to say, they usually only do not cover up in front of their family and loved ones.
It’s not that they will do something when they smell the pheromone, but it does cause some disturbance to others. Shen Dai was a little flustered at this time. He didn’t know if Qu Moyu had smelled his pheromone. If he smelled it, would he have some… ‘thoughts’?
But seeing Qu Moyu’s expression as usual, Shen Dai breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time he was also a little disappointed.
“I heard from Uncle Heng that you bought a bicycle?”
“Yes, I ride from here to the subway station, and take the subway directly to the company, which is very convenient.” Shen Dai explained, “Thank you, Mr. Qu, for giving me a car, but that’s too ostentatious, it’s good for me to commute like this. It’s faster than driving.”
“Well, that’s fine too.”
At this time, Uncle Heng came over with a new pheromone barrier sticker in his hand. Shen Dai quickly took it and pasted it on the back of his neck. Then he let out a sigh of relief and regained his sense of security.
The ephemeral fragrance disappeared immediately, and Qu Moyu remembered that that day when Qu Chengchen went to smell the back of Shen Dai’s neck, it was true that his pheromone smell was really weak, maybe his glands were really not well developed.
The two ate in silence. Shen Dai ate more cautiously. During the dinner, he kept secretly looking at Qu Moyu, observing what he liked to eat, and thinking about why he wanted to eat with him.
Qu Moyu suddenly said, “I have something to ask you.”
“Ask away.”
“Last time you already met my parents. I’ll take you back to You’s house next time.”
Shen Dai knew that this hurdle would definitely happen, and he resisted a little: “Okay.”
“Mr. You said that he has been taking care of you all these years, but according to my investigation, he has not.”
Shen Dai put down his chopsticks and said solemnly, “He has not.”
“So, do you have any close relationship with You Baiyue?”
“Nope”
“Never met him?”
“Never met him.”
“This time we’re going to You’s house, I need you to do something for me.” Qu Moyu also put down his chopsticks and stared at Shen Dai with his deep eyes.
Shen Dai never dared to look directly at Qu Moyu, so he could only act as if he was listening.
“I suspect that what Qu Chengchen gave You Baiyue was not a permanent mark, but a temporary mark.”
Shen Dai had a strange look on his face. Both Qu Moyu and You Baiyue broke up their engagement because of this mark, but he was still concerned about whether the mark was permanent. If it was just a temporary mark… so what? He suddenly felt a blockage in his heart: “Will it be that?”
“The temporary marking is only valid for a week, but before it disappears, there will be some characteristics that are the same as the permanent marking, such as an alpha pheromone smell on Omega’s body. The temporary markings are not deep, and the skin on the back of the neck is not scarred. The damage can be completely healed, but it can’t be seen if there is a pheromone barrier sticker on him. If he has the smell of Qu Chengchen’s pheromone, it is not necessarily a permanent mark, it may also be a perfume made of Qu Chengchen’s gland extract.” Qu Moyu slowly narrowed his eyes, “All the signs between them make me doubt the authenticity of this mark.”
Shen Dai lowered his head: “Then what do you need me to do?” He remembered the temporary mark that Qu Moyu once gave him. Of course he knew the characteristics of a temporary mark. He was once protected by an S-class Alpha pheromone and it was soothing. He was once surrounded by the smell of ebony wood and he once had the illusion of being owned by Qu Moyu for a while.
The temporary marker is just a vain dream that causes someone to wake up with nothing but loss and emptiness.
“I need you to confirm it for me.”
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Next Update: today
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*Translator’s Note: SCI, I believe, when it comes to research, in my personal experience is referred to as ‘Science Citation Index’. This means Shen Dai is writing a research paper to be published in a journal to further add to his credibility as a researcher in his field. Since he is a PhD student, I believe it is also a requirement to publish a few papers under SCI journals (like me T. T which I’m procrastinating right now). But maybe SCI in this story means something else, so correct me if I’m wrong. -K
