Li Yan counted the days. Since they had done it yesterday, they wouldn’t today.
A small sense of relief washed over him at the thought, so when Lu Lianning called him back inside, he didn’t drag his feet as he usually did.
After showering, he lay down on the bed, feeling tired. The performance with Lao Yue today had been pointless.
When Lu Lianning came out, he saw Li Yan lying on his side, absentmindedly fiddling with the bedside lamp.
The small lamp had a delicate tassel design, resembling an expensive craft. It was a souvenir Lu Lianning had brought back from Europe the previous year.
Lu Lianning had always hated sleeping with any light on. In the past, he preferred thick curtains that blocked out every trace of light.
But now, each night, at least one lamp remained on in the master bedroom.
The sound of the bathroom door opening snapped Li Yan out of his thoughts. He withdrew his hand from the lamp’s tassel and tucked it under the thin blanket.
Lu Lianning, still carrying a faint scent of citrus, slid into bed and wrapped his arms around Li Yan from behind.
Lu Lianning remained silent, and Li Yan was even less likely to initiate a conversation.
Besides, Li Yan was exhausted from the day. He hadn’t slept well the night before, and now, lying in bed, his back and legs ached.
Lu Lianning seemed lost in thought, his head nestled against the back of Li Yan’s neck. After a while, his hand slid along Li Yan’s waist and up to his chest, giving it a squeeze.
Li Yan, who had been on the verge of falling asleep, was jolted awake by the wandering hand. He shrank back and grabbed Lu Lianning’s hand to stop him.
Lu Lianning pulled back. “Are you not eating properly? Why do you feel like you’ve lost weight again?”
Li Yan half-opened his eyes, staring at the nightlight glowing in the dark room. “Maybe it’s just the heat lately…”
Lu Lianning didn’t reply but felt a familiar sense of frustration. Even the stray cat Li Yan fed had gotten plump, yet despite hiring multiple nutritionists to create tailored meal plans, he hadn’t managed to help Li Yan gain any weight.
Li Yan was used to Lu Lianning’s random questions, but he remained on guard, answering attentively.
After a while, the breathing against the back of his neck became steady as expected.
Lu Lianning’s hot breath brushed the back of his neck, where his Beta glands had been marked. It still felt a little warm from being marked just the day before, and the lingering scent of Alpha pheromones clung to him.
Li Yan felt a slight discomfort but didn’t dare move, afraid of waking Lu Lianning. So, he decided to go all in and burrowed deeper into Lu Lianning’s embrace, causing Lu Lianning’s chin to rest on the top of his head.
–
The party at the winery had just ended. Du Lin, tipsy from too much alcohol, pretended he needed Lin Sheng’s support. His sister and their friends pointed and laughed at him from behind.
The driver arrived to pick them up around 1 AM.
Once the two were in the car, Du Feifei decided to keep the night going at a friend’s place, opting not to join them.
Lin Sheng rolled the car window down halfway to let out the lingering smell of alcohol. He twirled his phone between his fingers for a moment before asking, as if casually, “That regular at the gym you mentioned—do you know him?”
When Du Lin heard him mention him, he gave his drunken head a slap. “That guy? When I saw your reaction today, I knew something was up. But no, I don’t know him. Like I said, he’s strange. Always alone at the gym and never talks to anyone. And somehow, no matter how hard it is to get a ticket to the match, he always manages to show up.”
Du Lin continued muttering, “Still, I didn’t expect him to be a scam artist.”
Lin Sheng frowned and added, “The clothes he was wearing were by Veratti. They’re handmade, and only five pieces exist. Two months ago, they were already going for 150,000 yuan.”
Veratti was a renowned Italian fashion designer, her brand niche but surprisingly popular among young people. She had been Lin Sheng’s mentor and the reason he had returned to China. They had recently broken up.
Du Lin’s eyes widened, the cool night air sobering him further. “Are you sure? Maybe it was a knockoff?”
How could Lin Sheng be mistaken? He had collaborated with Veratti on that very design, even contributing to its creation. At the time, Veratti had called it the culmination of her life’s work, with Lin Sheng being the one who inspired the unique idea.
But Lin Sheng didn’t explain all that. He simply half-closed his eyes and said, “No, the brand is so niche, only a few people even know about it. I can tell when something’s real.”
Du Lin was incredulous. “Are scammers really making that much money these days?”
The mere mention of it made things worse; as soon as he brought it up, Lin Sheng’s expression shifted repeatedly. Right, this person was out on the streets pulling scams and acting shamelessly, all while wearing the masterpiece that he and Veratti had poured their souls into.
As for Lin Sheng’s own copy, he had thrown it away in a fit of anger at Veratti’s apartment half a year ago.
Lin Sheng remarked, “It’s quite something—wearing a 150,000-yuan outfit while running a 2,000-yuan scam.”
Du Lin’s curiosity was piqued. “But City A isn’t that big. Someone his age shouldn’t be a complete unknown in our circle. Could he be some illegitimate child from a wealthy family? Maybe he hasn’t been acknowledged because he’s a Beta?”
Du Lin’s curiosity got the better of him, weaving an elaborate backstory for the man. Lin Sheng slowly rolled the car window back up. “Look into him. I want that piece of clothing.”
At this point, the two had considered every possibility, from him being a wealthy family’s illegitimate child to other far-fetched theories. But neither had thought that he might be a rich man’s kept lover. After all, Betas weren’t as delicate or soft as Omegas. While some people preferred Betas, this particular one was fairly ordinary. He wasn’t unattractive, but his looks weren’t striking enough to immediately catch anyone’s eye, which was why they never considered that option.
