Chen Miao wrung out a towel in the bathroom, unfolded it after soaking it in hot water, and gently wiped Chen Yu’s face as he lay on the hospital bed.
Chen Yu half-opened his eyes and glanced at him. Chen Miao leaned in closer and, as if to comfort him, said, “Don’t be afraid. I spoke with your doctor, and there’s a very good chance you’ll recover fully after the surgery. You’re still young, after all.”
Chen Yu’s long eyelashes cast shadows on his lower eyelids under the light. He forced a slight smile.
Given Chen Yu’s condition, it was clear that the surgery needed to happen as soon as possible. Once his health stabilized, it was scheduled immediately.
With the necessary funds already secured, everything else was quickly arranged.
The surgery was set for the afternoon. Before entering the operating room, Chen Yu held Chen Miao’s hand tightly. His face was pale, and his palms were damp with sweat.
Chen Miao stretched his stiff lips into a smile and said, “Xiao Yu, don’t be nervous or scared. The doctor performing your surgery is very experienced. I need to take care of some things for a few days, but after the surgery, a caregiver will look after you. Focus on recovering, and I’ll be back in three to five days.”
Chen Yu gripped his hand even tighter, his eyes darting anxiously before settling on Chen Miao’s face. He asked, “You won’t be here when I wake up?”
“The caregiver will take good care of you. I’ve left some money with her.” Chen Miao looked at him and said, “I promise, I’ll be back in five days at the latest.”
Chen Yu finally closed his eyes, released his grip, and said, “Thank you, Xiao Yan-ge.”
Chen Miao responded gently, “Mm.”
He watched as Chen Yu was wheeled into the operating room, staring at the closed doors for over ten minutes before finally turning to leave.
It was 9 PM when Chen Miao arrived at the hotel mentioned in the message. He was stopped at the entrance to the lobby, where the doorman recorded his name and asked if he had a reservation.
The hotel seemed very discreet, operating on a membership basis. The lobby was lavishly decorated, with a style reminiscent of European medieval architecture. From the center, spiral staircases wound upwards in layers.
After confirming his name, Chen Miao was led to the second floor. At the entrance, he was frisked, and even his phone was taken.
The person who searched him bowed politely, gesturing for him to proceed. Since this was Chen Miao’s first time in such a situation, he felt a bit tense. He paused in front of the dark wooden door before slowly turning the handle.
As soon as he stepped inside, the attendant swiftly closed the door behind him.
Inside, two people lounged on a sofa, sipping drinks and looking rather intoxicated. Someone else could be heard moving around in the bathroom.
Chen Miao pressed his back against the door, unable to move.
His heart pounded, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. Why were there three people?
The two Alphas on the sofa had already noticed him. Their clothes were half undone, and they reeked of alcohol. The thick scent of Alpha pheromones filled the room, assaulting his senses.
They looked young and not unattractive, but their eyes locked onto Chen Miao like a pack of starving beasts that had only caught a small piece of meat—not nearly enough to share.
The brown-haired Alpha, half-naked, stood up and waved at Chen Miao, who remained frozen at the door. “Come here. What are you standing there for?”
Chen Miao still didn’t move. The other Alpha, lounging on the sofa, chuckled and said, “Don’t tell me he’s scared.”
“We haven’t even started, and you’re already scared?” The brown-haired Alpha’s voice grew more excited as he walked toward Chen Miao barefoot and dragged him toward the sofa.
As his wrist was grabbed, Chen Miao said, “He didn’t mention at the start… he didn’t say there’d be three of you… you can’t do this.”
Now closer, Chen Miao could see the bedroom behind the sofa. The walls were lined with sinister-looking devices, ones he had never seen before but instinctively recognized as deeply obscene.
The Alpha pushed Chen Miao down, pinning him in place as he struggled. “What did you think? With a price this high, you thought we were just going to play nice?”
He squeezed Chen Miao’s face, forcing him to look at the Alpha lounging on the sofa. “Your face is average, but your body feels pretty firm. Betas like you last longer than those delicate Omegas.”
Chen Miao’s mind was in chaos, overwhelmed by panic. His eyes darted frantically around the room, taking in the equipment on the walls and the black leather handcuffs on the bed. He began to backtrack. “I don’t… I don’t want to do this.”
Three Alphas playing with him for three nights—even if he got the three million, he wouldn’t live to spend it!
The room was filled with the unrestrained Alpha pheromones. Chen Miao tore himself from the Alpha’s grip and sprinted toward the door.
Just as he was running, the Alpha kicked the back of his knee, making him stumble forward. The two alphas closed in behind him—one wrapping his arms around his torso while the other pulled his legs apart and tried to yank his pants down, all the while muttering curses. “You think you can just back out? I already paid the deposit! You walked through that door—didn’t you know what you were signing up for? Stop pretending!”
Chen Miao kicked out wildly, managing to land a hard blow to the man’s waist.
The Alpha snarled, dragging Chen Miao’s legs toward the bed. “Lock him up! Fuck! You dare kick me? I’ll make sure you don’t forget this!”
Just then, the bathroom door swung open.
An Alpha with peach blossom eyes1eye shape 
, older than the others, emerged and released a scent of lemon and mint into the room. “Tsk, what are you doing?”
“This kid took the money and now wants to back out!”
He walked over to the bed and glanced at Chen Miao, who was still struggling. He lit a cigarette, slipping it between his lips. “He doesn’t really seem like someone who’d be selling himself.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he exhaled a puff of smoke into Chen Miao’s face. He grabbed Chen Miao’s chin and turned it toward the wall. “Ever seen these before? Used them?”
Chen Miao’s face flushed red. “No… I won’t… I won’t do this.”
“Not from our circle, huh? Then why’d you take the job?” The man chuckled, adding, “Doesn’t matter. Tonight, we’ll give you a taste. Who knows, you might end up liking it.”
By now, Chen Miao’s clothes had been half-torn off. The man, pretending to be considerate, handed him a glass of wine. In front of Chen Miao, he dropped a small pill into the glass, saying, “Drink this, it’ll make everything a bit better and more enjoyable.”
The two Alphas worked together, one pinning down Chen Miao’s legs while the other restrained his hands. Forcing his mouth open, they poured the drink down his throat.
Chen Miao struggled violently, managing to spill most of the liquid, though some went up his nose, causing him to cough uncontrollably.
The Alpha with the cigarette nodded to the others. “It’s a new drug. Perfect time to see how well it works. I’ve heard it’s quicker than the last one.”
With the drug administered, the group of Alphas relaxed their guard, underestimating Chen Miao simply because he was a Beta. They believed that even without the drug, a single Beta wouldn’t stand a chance against three full-grown Alphas.
As soon as the Alpha saw Chen Miao starting to weaken and go limp from the drug, he loosened his grip just slightly. Seizing the moment, Chen Miao sprang up from the bed and landed a punch squarely on the brown-haired Alpha’s head.
The Alpha cursed, clutching his head as dizziness set in. Chen Miao charged forward like a crazed bull, grabbing anything within reach and swinging wildly. He crawled ahead, using both his hands and feet.
Teacups and other items on the table clattered to the floor as he flung them in their direction. In one swift motion, he lunged for the door, turned the handle, and bolted out.
The shouts of the Alphas and the hurried footsteps echoed behind him, but all the sounds blurred together. His vision was hazy, and his entire body burned with heat as if on fire, with a tingling sensation coursing through his veins.
He stumbled as he ran down the stairs, someone close behind him. More footsteps sounded ahead, belonging to security guards in uniform advancing toward him.
Chen Miao could no longer tell which way to go. When he reached the lobby, he tripped and collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, Lu Anling entered, surrounded by eight private bodyguards in black suits, with Lu Lianning following closely behind.
Lu Lianning’s face was expressionless, his tall, lean frame clad in a sleek silver-gray suit that fit him perfectly. His hair was immaculately styled, as though he had just walked out of a high-profile press conference.
Chen Miao saw a pair of black leather shoes stop right next to his hand.
He lifted his head slightly, his vision still blurry, but for some reason, the icy chill in Lu Lianning’s eyes seemed remarkably clear.
Suddenly, the entire lobby fell silent, as if someone had pressed a pause button.
Outside, muffled booms of fireworks filled the air, one explosion after another.
Lu Anling tossed a key toward Lu Lianning, who caught it with ease. The key was for the top-floor suite of the hotel.
Lu Anling suddenly said, “Ah Ning, I hope you find happiness in the new year.” He wore a smile that suggested he had already won. “Don’t play too late. Remember to come home.”
