Becoming the Abused Omega and Conquering the Hidden Alpha chapter 45

Chapter 45

For years, Shu Ci had been plagued by a rich imagination.

Thanks to an overactive cerebral cortex, his creative inspiration never ran dry. But this also meant he often couldn’t control the way his mind transformed words into images. Sometimes, he’d read a script during the day only to dream up several classic scenes, complete with storyboards, that same night.

With the person in question now standing so close, the memorable scenes he had read word-for-word late into the night felt like a fine, dense net closing in, pulling him into its entanglement.

Yu Xingxing strode toward him like a shooting star. For a moment, the young man’s features blurred in Shu Ci’s vision, replaced by phantom images of the ruthless methods of revenge that had been inflicted upon him in the story.

Startled, Shu Ci took a small step back.

“Brother Shu! Brother Shu?” Yu Xingxing waved a hand in front of his face. Seeing no reaction, he tilted his head in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

He had seen Shu Ci stop abruptly mid-stride from a distance and turn to look at him.

His gaze had been a little dazed, but as Yu Xingxing got closer, he could read the undisguised fear in Shu Ci’s eyes.

How strange. What is Brother Shu afraid of?

Utterly baffled, Yu Xingxing watched him take that small step back. Did it seem like… he was afraid of being followed?

“It’s-it’s nothing,” Shu Ci said, snapping back to reality as he silently recited Lu Wanqing’s words to himself.

They had already changed so many things. Yu Xingxing might not follow his original trajectory. He took a deep breath and gently pushed the younger man toward the school gate. “Alright, I’m here. You should hurry home.”

But Yu Xingxing was as immovable as a rock.

The boy stared at him, his gaze as sharp as a torch. “Something’s not right. Brother, you’re acting really strange.”

…Could it be that the Admiral didn’t know about some secret romantic interest here at the university?

Yu Xingxing—in his self-appointed roles as Head of the Shipping Fan Club and Guardian of His Boss’s Marital Bliss—instantly grew serious. He felt his trip hadn’t been a waste after all. Forgetting all about going home, he shielded Shu Ci from the crowd, his eyes darting around warily as he insisted on escorting him to his classroom.

“Hey, hey! Seriously, of all the paths, do you really have to take the one right down the middle?” Before Shu Ci could react, he was being ushered into the very center of the crowd.

This route would inevitably lead them right past the white moonlight!

He nervously watched the bold young Alpha clear a path, his eyes meeting those of a not-so-distant Omega with skin like fine jade and lips of crimson. The other boy had clearly noticed them too. His gaze swept past Yu Xingxing before finally landing on Shu Ci.

A faint scent of roses drifted past them.

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Yu Xingxing paused for a second, glancing sideways at the Omega in the white shirt with a slight frown.

It’s over, Shu Ci thought, closing his eyes in resignation.

The two of them really were the classic pairing of an idol and his devoted follower. The white moonlight spent more time looking at him than at Yu Xingxing, not even deigning to give the young man a single glance.

Inevitably, the focus of the surrounding crowd shifted to the high-spirited teenager.

“Oh my god! Which department is that Alpha from?”

“What is the campus heartthrob committee doing? How have I never seen such a handsome and cute Alpha before?!”

“What year is he in? Is there still a chance for me before he graduates?”

Shu Ci quietly waited for some cliché drama to unfold, listening to the gossip while observing Yu Xingxing from the corner of his eye.

Though the boy wasn’t his type, he had to admit his looks were exceptional. He was dressed in casual clothes—a simple black and white outfit that, while not as sharp as a uniform, was clean and dazzling. His eyes, in particular, were irresistibly clear and sincere.

If this were a different script, Shu Ci could have packaged him into a massively popular “younger wolf-dog” type. Unfortunately, in the original book, this kid’s “devotion” to the white moonlight ran so deep that his status as a law-breaking character was almost on par with Gu Lanzhu’s.

Before Shu Ci could even feel a pang of regret, he realized the whispers had turned to him.

“Isn’t that Shu Ci from the Performance Department next to the handsome young Alpha?”

“Shu Ci? I heard he got married. Why is he still in school?”

“Ah, so this married Omega is already hooking up with a junior?”

“Didn’t people get into a huge fight over him before? He’s always been a flirt. You really think he’d settle down just because he’s married?”

Hearing the familiar taunts, Shu Ci couldn’t help but look back.

Spending so much time with Lu Wanqing had given him a false sense of security, making him believe things had genuinely changed. It wasn’t until he heard those words that he realized he still hadn’t completely escaped the predicament of his original character.

Yu Xingxing’s hearing was sharp, and he naturally heard the comments as well.

The young man couldn’t hide his emotions. His gaze shifted from the others, his expression darkening with displeasure. The atmosphere around him grew heavy as he turned to glare at the people behind them. “His husband is perfectly fine with him continuing his studies after marriage. He even hired someone—that’s me—to escort him to school. Can your future partners do that?”

The crowd, not expecting him to defend Shu Ci so openly, froze. For a moment, no one knew what to say.

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“Don’t think I can’t tell who you’re trying to provoke with those loud whispers. I don’t mind ripping off the mouths you clearly don’t want.”

The first two sentences were gratifying to hear, but the last one sent a shiver down Shu Ci’s spine.

The dark, twisted version of Yu Xingxing had said that exact line. He seemed to have a penchant for the phrase “ripping off mouths.”

Shu Ci frowned, quickly grabbing the boy’s sleeve and pulling him away from the crowd. As they walked away briskly, he said sternly, “Watch your words. No violence.”

With that, he gave Yu Xingxing a light, symbolic tap on the back of the head.

“Huh?” Yu Xingxing clutched his head, stunned for a second before obediently retracting his fangs.

“Oh,” he mumbled, his expression a little aggrieved as he glanced back. “But they were bullying you. The boss wouldn’t be happy if he heard that either.”

Shu Ci gave him a long, deep look. So, is this kid just fiercely protective by nature?

In the original novel, the white moonlight had exploited that boyish sincerity to cause trouble for others. But Shu Ci wouldn’t. No matter how protective someone was, they couldn’t just ignore right and wrong.

“Has Lu Wanqing ever told you what your status symbolizes? Your every word and action represents not just yourself, but also the vast organization behind you, and the tireless efforts of countless generations who brought it glory. The golden shield is meant to be a symbol of security, an example to others. It’s not a license for you to act on impulse and threaten to rip people’s mouths off. Do you understand?”

Yu Xingxing’s face flushed red and pale in turns. He was, after all, familiar with discipline. If his boss found out he’d spoken so rudely to civilians, he’d undoubtedly be writing a self-criticism report.

“I… I understand,” he said, scratching his head and nodding forcefully. “I just—I couldn’t hold it in.”

He had grown up smoothly for over a decade. Thanks to the status of his father and family, he had never been exposed to such malicious words before and had nearly lost control. Yu Xingxing looked away from the group behind them and continued walking with Shu Ci.

Seeing the boy’s drooping, puppy-dog eyes, Shu Ci’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“The mark of maturity is not letting the words of others easily sway your emotions. It’s one thing to be unhappy, but we both know whose words deserve a serious response and whose can be dismissed as farts. It’s not worth wasting your energy on insignificant people and matters.”

Yu Xingxing’s gaze fell on Shu Ci.

He looked as if he was so used to hearing such things that they no longer stirred a single ripple in his heart. Did his boss, who cherished Shu Ci like a treasure, have any idea how much his wife had to put up with on a daily basis?

“By the way, did you know that Omega they were all crowded around just now?” Shu Ci asked, looking up at him.

Yu Xingxing was busy plotting how to tattle to Lu Wanqing on Shu Ci’s behalf and didn’t hear the question at all. He looked completely lost. “Huh? What?”

“The one you specifically stopped to look at.”

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“Ah!” Yu Xingxing came to his senses. “You mean the rose-scented one?”

Shu Ci raised an eyebrow, his expression clearly saying, You even know what his pheromones smell like, and you dare say you don’t know him?

“I really don’t know him,” Yu Xingxing said, scratching his head. “I just thought he was a bit strange, like he was deliberately releasing his pheromones in a crowded place to bait people.”

“Can’t you just assume he’s not able to fully control them?”

“Normally, for an Omega who can’t fully retract their pheromones and isn’t on suppressants, their scent would dissipate into the air after they’ve been in one area for a while. Even if a faint smell lingers, an Alpha wouldn’t notice it without deliberately trying to, let alone match the scent to a person. But his scent was obviously released in a short burst. It was highly concentrated and very clearly targeted.”

Well, damn. Shu Ci felt like his own knowledge base as an Omega was less extensive than Yu Xingxing’s.

So, the white moonlight was the type who liked to bait a hook?

“You really don’t know him?” Shu Ci narrowed his eyes, not missing a single one of Yu Xingxing’s expressions. “They said he’s some young master from the Bai family.”

“The Bai family?” Yu Xingxing tilted his head, thinking. “You don’t mean the Bai family that’s barely hanging on just to inherit a title, do you?”

You’re asking me? I wanted to ask you.

The world-building and background in the original book were fragmented and sparse, with very little information on important supporting characters. Shu Ci deeply regretted not reading more of the books Lu Wanqing had left behind; he couldn’t keep up with Yu Xingxing’s line of questioning at all.

Fortunately, the young man didn’t wait for a response and continued on his own. “After the Royal Court and the sole Alpha inheritance system were abolished, those families fought to retain their noble titles to secure their status. Although the succession ceremony can still be held after reporting to the council, it’s mostly just a symbolic gesture now. Real status depends on the economic, political, and military power within each family.”

“For example, Big Brother Cui’s family secured their current position through medicine and arms dealing. The Bai family is pretty much the opposite example. They have very few descendants, and each generation is less accomplished than the last. I think for the last three generations, they’ve only had one child each, just to keep the title going.”

Shu Ci recalled the plot and added, “I remember… I think he and the Gu family are childhood sweethearts.”

“If you put it that way, then it must be that Bai family!” Yu Xingxing slapped his forehead. “I heard that the Uncle Bai from my father’s generation couldn’t keep the family afloat, so he married into the Chen family. His only condition was that his child had to be named Bai.”

“So, he’s the grandson of the Chen family, but his surname is Bai so he can inherit the title,” Shu Ci said, slowly piecing the relationships together. “Then the Chen family and the Gu family are…”

“They have been friends for generations and are also business partners.”

It all clicked for Shu Ci.

He finally understood why Yu Xingxing didn’t know the white moonlight.

According to the original plot, Admiral Yu was supposed to have been won over in the Outer Regions. Yu Xingxing was never kidnapped as a child and rescued by Lu Wanqing, so he returned to City A much earlier. The Yu family sided with Councilman Gu, which naturally led to more frequent interactions between the two families. And since the Gu and Chen families were old friends, it was perfectly logical that Yu Xingxing would have known them since childhood.

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But this time, Admiral Yu didn’t follow Councilman Gu, and Yu Xingxing himself had lived in the Outer Regions for much longer. It was no surprise at all that he didn’t recognize the white moonlight.

Having figured this out, Shu Ci breathed a sigh of relief.

Since the two of them had no connection, he no longer had to worry about Yu Xingxing going down a dark path.

“So, what’s the deal with this Bai person and you?”

Having spent some time with Shu Ci, Yu Xingxing knew he wasn’t the type to ask questions idly. If he was suddenly digging for details, there had to be a reason.

Shu Ci walked up the steps to the academic building and turned to look back at him.

Just then, he saw the white moonlight standing not far away, staring at him with an intensity that made his skin crawl. He quickly looked away and shook his arms.

“Who knows? I think he assumes I’m trying to steal his man,” Shu Ci said with a pout. “If it weren’t for Lu Wanqing, I’d seriously suspect that Gu Lanzhu is the only Alpha in anyone’s brain in this world.”

Yu Xingxing’s mouth fell open, his mind trying to process the massive amount of information in that sentence. Suddenly, he saw a blond man walk out from around the corner of the building, heading straight for Shu Ci.

…

“Well now, looks like Little Xingxing is getting capable.” Drenched in sweat, Cui You emerged from a temporary container shelter and handed a coded message to Lu Wanqing, who was on night watch. “So many words, and he used some unknown cipher. At first glance, I couldn’t even read it.”

Lu Wanqing took it and read it line by line under the moonlight.

“They’re preparing to pin the blame for an ineffective rescue on us to force a complete change of leadership in Districts Seven and Eight. Tell our people to be cautious with the media these next few days. The Chen family has sent over several media outlets they control. Talk less, do more. Avoid being taken out of context or having some nonsense filmed and published.”

Cui You’s face was grim as he acknowledged the orders.

Lu Wanqing folded the message and pulled out a lighter. Just as he was about to set it on fire, a thought struck him. He unfolded the paper and turned it upside down.

Cui You looked on with curiosity. “What’s this? The kid knows how to stack mirror ciphers now?”

Lu Wanqing lowered his gaze and said nothing, simply flicking the lighter.

A flame leaped onto the corner of the paper, burning fiercely until it had consumed the entire note, leaving nothing but a puff of ash.

That little brat. Using a double cipher not for official business, but to talk about Shu Ci. And if he had to mention Shu Ci, did he really have to bring up some “rose-scented man” and “blond man”? A double cipher was complicated enough, but he gave a cryptic, two-line summary without any context.

Did he have any idea how popular Shu Ci was? He was just doing this on purpose to make him stand out here and stew in the sea breeze all night.

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Author’s Note:

Xingxing: I will protect my boss’s dramatic love life—!

Shu Ci: That’s really not necessary = =

Lu Wanqing: When you get back, you have 200 extra sets of one-handed push-ups and an additional lesson on ciphers.

Xingxing: ???

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