Extra: Cui/Shen
They say that when a person is near death, they see their life flash before their eyes like a “revolving lantern.”
But the one lying in the delivery room was clearly Shen Ti, yet Cui You felt like he was at deathās door, and he even began to see hallucinations.
Shen Tiās sweat-soaked hair clung to his face, his eyes tightly closed. The hand heād been gripping suddenly lost its strength.
Cui Youās heart tightened.
“Wife, say something. You… you can even bite me, I’m scared…”
“What are you standing there for? Youāre not in here as a spectator! Use your pheromones to comfort him!”
A cold shout snapped him back to reality.
The tall Alpha curled into a ball beside the bed, following the medical staff’s instructions and continuously providing pheromone comfort to his Omega.
Shen Tiās heart was still beating. But his own pheromones were beginning to run dry during the labor.
Cui You gritted his teeth, completely unaware that his tears were falling.
His pheromones smelled like gunpowder, mixing with the metallic scent of blood in the delivery room. It felt as if he were alone on a battlefield.
On this day of blood and tears, Cui You realized with agonizing clarity what a “f*cked up deal” the marriage alliance heād once ignored truly was.
An exchange of interests between two families, those powers and statusesāthey were bought with Shen Tiās entire life and well-being.
On the day Cui You returned home on leave, he learned from his father that he was to be engaged to the young master of the Shen family.
He didn’t say a word. After dinner, he went straight to a club.
As a member of the Cui family, they never had control over their own fates; for the sake of so-called honor, they had to give everything to the family and their title.
Whether he fought it or not, there wasn’t much difference.
“Brother You is back. Shouldn’t we have a few drinks?” “I say, isn’t it better to be a ‘rich playboy’? Training at the Central Base is so tough; look how thin my Brother Youās face has gotten.”
“I have a diet plan. Thereās an inspection when I get back; Iāll be thrown into solitary if I fail.” He declined, sinking into the sofa and watching them play with a glazed look in his eyes.
Halfway through the night, several shapely Omegas entered the booth. Cui You raised an eyebrow, a distant smile on his face.
There were many married Alphas among them. They played hard and had many tricks, seemingly believing that as long as there was no marking, everything was fine.
So what was marriage, exactly?
As long as an Alpha wanted to, they could be unrestricted. Wasn’t that incredibly unfair to the Omega in the marriage?
“Which one do you like?” someone asked, tapping his shoulder.
Cui You shoved him back into the sofa, pressing hard against the man’s ribs. “No thanks. Not interested.” “Tsk tsk. The ‘abstinent’ type?” “Go play. Mind your own business.”
He snatched a strawberry from the fruit plate, bit the stem, and walked out of the booth with his hands in his pockets. He walked through the empty corridor toward the stairs.
A faint scent of coconut milk drifted past him.
Cui You stopped and looked over. The scent was coming from the Omega bar downstairs.
Logically, the decor should have filtered out the scent, but in a place like a bar meant for “hunting,” the materials the owner used could hardly block the penetration and dissipation of naturally strong pheromones.
He had excellent vision and quickly locked onto the source of the fragrance through a window.
An Omega dressed glamorously looked a bit tipsy, his eyelashes fluttering as he whispered to someone beside him. From this angle, he could see the collarbone beneath the slightly open collar.
Cui You unconsciously bit through the whole strawberry. The sweet and sour juice spread through his mouth, snapping him back to his senses.
…What the hell am I looking at?
He withdrew his gaze and walked away quickly.
“Ah Ti, why did you come here as soon as you got back to the country? I thought youād go find Shu Ci.” A friend asked, resting their chin on their hand.
Shen Ti swirled his glass and smiled. “Heās filming a movie audition video. Even if I call, he might not come.”
He hadn’t contacted Shu Ci at all, mostly because he was worried Shu Ci would worry. Shu Ci could always be the first to sense when his mental state was fluctuating. This time… being called home to an arranged marriage right after graduation, he wanted to process his own feelings before seeing Shu Ci.
“True. And there are handsome Alphas to look at here. If he came, heād definitely be shy. Better for us to drink until we drop!”
“Drink until we drop.”
To hell with the marriage alliance.
On the day he met his partner, Shen Ti met the head of the main house for the first time.
After all, he was an “adopted” branch member. He didn’t have the courage to call him “Brother,” so he pursed his lips and called out to Shen Lin: “House Head… Brother.”
“Sit. Your father said you were willing to go.” Shen Lin looked at him carefully. “What are your own thoughts?”
Shen Ti was stunned and looked at Shen Lin. From his tone, it sounded like as long as he disagreed, the person for the alliance could be changed. But if he did that… his parents would be unhappy. After all, the interests promised within the family would go to whichever branch participated in the alliance. Shen Linās question was out of concern for him, but his gentleness sounded a bit cruel to Shen Tiās ears. How could people like them ever truly live for themselves?
“Of course I’m willing.” Shen Ti smiled. “I heard we have a 95% match rate? Iām the one getting the better end of the deal, then.”
The probability of a match rate over 90% was low, and over 95% was even rarer. Among his married friends, the highest was only 93%. Watching his parents, who had an 85% match rate, argue all day, Shen Ti wondered if the higher the compatibility, the easier life would be?
Shen Linās glasses reflected the light as he stood up and handed a file to him.
“All the information on the Cui familyās young master is here. Heās a bit of a playboy, a bit unrestrained, but heās cleanāno major scandals. He was thrown into the military by Mr. Cui years ago, so he has a proper job and professional constraints. Although his personality is a bit flippant, it shouldn’t be hard to handle him.”
Shen Ti took it and flipped through. His gaze landed on the photo. His partner’s eyes were very beautiful, holding a free soul. Looking down, his life story was investigated in extreme detail. It was clearly the work of Shen Linās subordinates; theyād even written about the time heād sneaked out of school in middle school to get into a fight. Shen Ti laughed out loud as he read.
“Why is there even a record of him sneaking snacks in the middle of the night and getting food poisoning and going to the hospital?”
No wonder they said there were no major scandals. They were all minor ones! All kinds of embarrassing stories!
Shen Lin adjusted his glasses. “Arrogance is a common trait among Alphas. Knowing his weaknesses… he will be more careful about your weight in his life.”
“Hopefully it won’t come to that.” Shen Ti closed the file. “Thank you.” “No need to thank me. If there were a choice, I would rather not pave my own path by sacrificing you all.”
Shen Linās voice deepened, carrying a trace of unobservable sorrow.
“If you feel wronged, you can tell me. When I reach that position, no one will dare stop you if you want a divorce.”
Shen Ti went quiet for a moment, then gave a deep bow. “Thank you. I will work hard for the Shen family; you can rest assured.”
He didn’t know how other House Heads were, but he knew Shen Lin would definitely achieve what he set out to do.
Cui You stood on the second floor, looking down in terror at the Omega from the bar that night, who was now standing in his family’s foyer, looking perfectly respectable.
He was completely unfamiliar with the complex web of Omega siblings in the noble families. Heād only ever hung out with Alphas and had no idea who this person was.
The person who had given him such a sudden shock with a single glimpse was actually at his own engagement scene. It felt almost tragic to Cui You.
“Are you a ‘wooden goose’? Making everyone wait for youāare you some great young master?”
Someone suddenly tapped his head. He turned and saw his sister looking at him coldly. She was in uniform, looking sharp and capable.
In the Cui family, aside from talking business regarding family interests, they rarely shared any sibling affection.
Cui Youās eyes tilted up in a faint sneer. “You never make people wait, but your husband is always running back to his own family’s house.”
Before the punch could fly, he darted downstairs. As soon as he stopped, that lovely Omega was suddenly in front of him.
“Mr. Cui.” The other party looked at him with a beaming smile. “Cough. Hello.” Cui You took a step back and whispered, “And you are…?”
Looking at his blank and nervous expression, Shen Ti realized this man hadn’t read the files at all. He didn’t even know who he was getting engaged to today.
The people around them gave them plenty of space. The Shens and Cuis watched them talk and didn’t interrupt; the guests hadn’t all arrived yet, so it was good for the young couple to get to know each other.
Shen Ti felt like playing a bit. He took a step forward and lowered his voice in Cui Youās ear: “At the club a few years ago… Mr. Cui doesn’t remember me?”
The time and place he gave matched Cui Youās memory perfectly, but he had no recollection of this person at all. The only thing he remembered from those days… Was that faint, alluring scent of coconut milk.
“Sorry. I don’t remember any Omegas besides my wife. Nothing ever happened between us. Today is my engagement ceremony; I hope youāll behave yourself.”
Cui Youās voice was low, and those last few words were sharp and heavy. Unexpectedly, the other person laughed.
“How is it that I feel like you can’t even remember your own fiancĆ©?” Shen Ti reached out, revealing the rings they were about to exchange. He held them before Cui You, his eyes crinkling.
Cui You was stunned for a moment, feeling like he really had become the “wooden goose” his sister called him. His playboy face took on a look of sheer stupidity.
Holy sht. This person is my wife?!*
The engagement and wedding went incredibly smoothly. Cui You found that aside from that one time heād teased him at their first meeting, he was usually the picture of grace and composureāthe kind of “gentle and dignified” partner the Cui family praised.
He liked it, too.
That included their physical compatibility; Shen Ti was very satisfied with that part, which Cui You could tell since their honeymoon.
It wasn’t until Shen Ti later left the Shen house with his suitcase and proposed a divorce that Cui You realized that the Cui familyās “liking” was never the kind of love Shen Ti wanted.
Shen Ti could have kept up the facade and lived a life of false affection forever, but Shu Ciās frequent activity had successfully triggered him.
Shu Ci and Lu Wanqing were like a control group standing right beside them.
The more Lu Wanqing respected, understood, and supported Shu Ci, the more disappointed, indignant, and regretful Shen Ti felt in his own heart.
When Cui You went to the Shen house to beg for a reconciliation, he was called into the study by the newly returned Shen Lin. Shen Lin handed him an albumāa record of all the major moments in Shen Tiās life since childhood.
First place in a speech contest. A top-tier essay. An honors graduate in Financial Management from abroad, with a double major in Communications.
Shen Tiās years of study in a country that didn’t restrict Omegas were radiant, and these were things Cui You had never known, nor ever thought to learn.
If he really liked him, he could have known, couldn’t he?
“He promised me he would work for the Shen family. Obviously, he isn’t someone who breaks his word. He knew his mental state could no longer support the alliance, so he chose to serve the family in other ways.”
“Back then, I couldn’t do anything for him. That doesn’t mean I can’t now.”
Cui You understoodāShen Lin was backing Shen Ti up.
Shen Ti was different from him.
He was just one of many with the Cui surname. Unless he became the most valuable person in the family, he would never have control over his own life or a voice.
But Shen Ti, even after tearing up the agreement and giving up the alliance, wouldn’t easily become a discarded pawn. He still had value in the Shen family.
His abilities were recognized by Shen Lin and used by the government.
He simply didn’t need the Cui familyāor himāanymore.
“Waaaahā”
A piercing cry pulled Cui You back from his “revolving lantern” memories. The doctors and nurses were surrounding the bed; some were checking the baby, others were checking the adult.
Both father and son were safe.
He looked at the scratches on the back of his own hand, then leaned down and pressed his cheek against Shen Tiās hand. His tears soaked the back of his hand.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Tiās voice was weak. “Lu Wanqing asked you to set an example. Are you going to go out and meet him like this, crying?”
“Him? Heād better not laugh at me. Iām afraid heāll cry harder than me in the future.” Cui You said fiercely, busying himself with tucking Shen Ti in. “Tell me if anything is uncomfortable. You can’t kick me out. You can live wherever you want these next few monthsāif you go to the Shen house, Iāll stay with you.”
Shen Ti glanced at him.
“What if I want you to sign the agreement?”
Cui Youās eyes pained. He rubbed his sore nose. “As long as it makes you happy, I’ll sign. But you can’t take away my right to take care of you and the baby.”
That’s an obligation, not a right, okay?
“Don’t cry.” Shen Ti laughed silently, squeezing his knuckles. “I have something I want you to do.”
“Tell me.” Cui You immediately stood up. “Go see the baby? You don’t even have to say it; that’s not ‘trouble.’ Don’t worry, I’ve already done my homework…”
Shen Ti tugged at his finger and shook his head.
“Give me a kiss.”
Cui You was stunned for a moment, then leaned down, his lips trembling as he pressed them against the dry, pale lips of the man who had just given birth.
And then, he heard Shen Tiās smiling voiceā
“Congratulations to us on becoming fathers.”
He was just as playful as heād been at their first meeting on their engagement day.
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