Old Master Ming was enjoying tea with old friends abroad, completely unaware that the Ming family back home was in chaos.
Ming Shao’s determination to leave the Ming Corporation surprised even Shen Luo, and it threw Ming Shao’s parents into a panic. They hurriedly sought out Shen Luo in the middle of the night. Their original plan was to use the Ming Corporation to force Ming Shao into a compromise—if he refused to divorce, they would start pressuring Shen Luo instead.
After all, they believed this marriage could be ended one way or another, but they hadn’t anticipated things would escalate like this.
The doorbell rang.
Shen Luo didn’t move.
Ming Shao, who was beside him, also didn’t move.
The doorbell kept ringing.
“Aren’t you going to get that?” Shen Luo finally spoke up.
“I’ve already completed the handover of my work,” Ming Shao replied as he peeled an apple for Shen Luo. “Anything related to the Ming Corporation can be directly handled by my assistant.”
“If they want me to return to Ming Corporation now, it would only cause greater losses. I’ve already calculated the specific figures, and someone will deliver the documents to them.”
Shen Luo: “…Figures?”
Ming Zhao: “Yes, from a cost-benefit analysis…”
Shen Luo: This sounds strangely familiar.
But as he thought about it, Shen Luo suddenly felt a twinge of sadness.
“Why do you always calculate those figures?” Shen Luo took the apple and took a bite. It was crisp, with a fragrant flavor.
Ming Shao fell silent, and after a long pause, he looked at Shen Luo cautiously and then apologized, “I’m sorry, Luo Luo, for all the things I did in the past that made you feel sad.”
Ming Shao could guess that Shen Luo didn’t like calculating figures like these. Shen Luo didn’t like analyzing cost and benefit or making everything so precise. Ming Shao initially didn’t understand this, but Shen Luo had taught him to.
People have emotions, and emotions are the last thing that should be measured by cost and benefit.
“I’m just used to thinking about gains and losses, analyzing the pros and cons. Before doing anything, I think about it from all angles.” Ming Shao lowered his head, fiddling with the apple in his hand.
He had been raised under his mother’s constant reminders that, as the heir to the Ming family, he needed to be excellent, calm, and rational. The only thing he wasn’t supposed to need was emotion.
Ming Shao still remembered when he was a child and found a tiny kitten.
But the kitten needed care, and Ming Shao spent time caring for it, time that could have been spent practicing the piano. Sometimes, while Ming Shao was playing the piano, the kitten would jump up and step on the keys, leaving a string of discordant notes.
Ming Shao felt very happy.
Until one day, his mother found the kitten.
From that day on, Ming Shao never saw that kitten again.
Ming Shao’s father was furious. He said, “You’re our pride and joy. Spending time on that kitten—what did you gain from it? How could it compare to practicing piano? What have I taught you? Can’t you even do a simple cost-benefit analysis?”
His mother also said, “We’re only doing this for your own good.”
So, after that, Ming Shao never approached a kitten again. His piano playing became excellent. He won many awards and became the pride of his parents. But Ming Shao himself… he never seemed to be as happy as before.
The marriage arrangement was the same. If not for his grandfather’s insistence, he would never have been with Shen Luo.
His parents always said that he should have a dignified Omega.
An alpha should be with an Omega, not choose a useless beta. Because a beta couldn’t soothe an alpha, during sensitive periods, they would only cause trouble, wasting time and energy—something very inefficient.
But that’s wrong.
Liking someone has nothing to do with any of that.
He liked Shen Luo, whether he was a beta, an Omega, or an alpha—he just liked Shen Luo as a person.
“So, you never had another pet?” Shen Luo switched the apple to his other hand.
“No, but when we lived together, Dong Dong would often come over,” Ming Shao replied.
“And then you used Dong Dong’s paw to knock over the coffee?” Shen Luo recalled the photo that his assistant had forwarded to him, subtly steering the conversation to a lighter topic.
“…That was Dong Dong’s idea,” Ming Shao denied it. “Dong Dong said that agreement should be voided.”
“Dong Dong said that? What else did Dong Dong say?” Shen Luo laughed.
“Dong Dong also said there’s a stray puppy here, asking if there’s any kind-hearted person willing to take him in.”
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