Rong Yi ran all the way home.

When he tried to unlock the door, he fumbled several times before finally getting the key into the lock. Once inside, he kicked off his shoes and bolted toward the bedroom, not even bothering to take off his jacket, and dove headfirst into the pile of blankets.

He buried his head under the pillow, clenched his right fist, and pounded the bed while laughing silently like a madman.

After a few minutes of this, he finally calmed down. Right then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

It was a message from his new boyfriend.

“I forgot to say earlier, good night, and rest early.”

Rong Yi chuckled at his phone, “hehehehehehehe.”

He put down the phone and rolled back and forth on the bed, still giggling, “hehehehehehe.”

The world was so wonderful, and life was so full of happiness.

He covered his face with his hand, feeling as if the faint scent of Chen Keyao was still lingering around his nose.

In this era, where everyone routinely gets long-acting suppressant injections, Rong Yi, being a single Omega, had rarely smelled any Alpha’s pheromones. So even though the dose was faint, it still had some effect on him.

But he was certain that his excitement wasn’t just because of that tiny bit of pheromones.

He was genuinely, deeply happy.

Chen Keyao must really like him. That’s why, when they kissed, he couldn’t help but release that scent. It’s an instinctive reaction from an Alpha when they are near someone they care for, one that no amount of rational control can completely suppress.

Deep down, this Alpha surely wanted to mark him.

Even though, considering the foundation of their relationship, it was still too early to say. But just knowing that his love interest had this desire for him was a joyful thing in itself.

Rong Yi wondered how that thief was doing now; he almost felt like sending the guy a thank-you banner.

.

But after taking a shower and calming down a bit, Rong Yi started to feel a bit uneasy.

Having been hurt too many times in past relationships, it was hard not to feel insecure when faced with sudden happiness.

Thinking back, Chen Keyao had admitted he didn’t know much about him. This relationship had started with both of them experiencing love at first sight.

During their time together, Chen Keyao seemed just as unsure as him, even assuming that his pursuit might be met with rejection.

Why would that be? Even if Rong Yi looked a bit like an Alpha on the outside, deep down, he was a pure Omega with a normal sense of attraction. Didn’t Chen Keyao realize how incredibly charming he was as an Alpha?

Were the Omegas around him all blind?

Rong Yi agonized over this for a long time, and then a terrifying thought popped into his head.

Chen Keyao had seen his ID card, but Rong Yi hadn’t seen Chen Keyao’s. Could it be that Chen Keyao was also an Omega, just like him?

The thought scared the life out of Rong Yi. He quickly pulled out his phone to check Chen Keyao’s WeChat profile.

He hadn’t noticed before, but like most people, there was no mention of a secondary gender in Chen Keyao’s profile.

The more Rong Yi thought about it, the more panicked he felt. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel an odd understanding. No wonder some Omegas still didn’t give up after finding out his gender. If Chen Keyao were really an Omega, he probably wouldn’t be able to let go either. But forcing it wouldn’t lead to happiness; two people lying flat together won’t bring joy.

Luckily, the chances of that were very low.

At worst, Chen Keyao might be a Beta. That was still within Rong Yi’s acceptable range. At least outwardly, Chen Keyao gave off an overwhelming Alpha vibe, and his pheromone scent made Rong Yi feel a special connection.

This could explain why Chen Keyao seemed so insecure around him. After all, most Omegas preferred dating Alphas.

Rong Yi silently lowered his expectations but still felt his heart brimming with happiness.

.

While his love life was thriving, his work suddenly hit a roadblock.

The project he had submitted to the client, which had already passed smoothly and entered the implementation stage, was abruptly thrown into disarray when the client suddenly changed their mind.

It was Rong Yi’s first time leading a project, and now he had a massive headache.

His team members were grumbling, and he had no choice but to grit his teeth and initiate negotiations.

The results weren’t great. A new person had been parachuted in to take charge on the client’s side—someone with boundless imagination but no logic, who stubbornly refused to listen to others. After the meeting, Rong Yi was fuming.

Liu Yuan, who had also attended the meeting, initially kept his distance, but seeing Rong Yi’s frustrated expression afterward, he came over to offer some comfort.

“Don’t take it personally; even I think that bald guy’s a moron,” he whispered to Rong Yi when no one was around. “This change isn’t just a headache for you. We’ll all have to work overtime. It’s annoying.”

“…So you can’t help me out?” Rong Yi asked him with a look of despair.

“Not really,” Liu Yuan replied, “but if you want to throw a sack over him, I can help keep watch.”

Rong Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “What a useless idea.”

Liu Yuan walked with him to the elevator. Along the way, Rong Yi received a message asking him when he’d be done with work and if he wanted to grab dinner together.

This put him in a complicated mood.

Rong Yi replied sadly, “I have to work overtime.”

A moment later, just as the elevator arrived, he received another message.

“I’ll wait for you.”

Standing next to him, Liu Yuan was curious. “Who are you texting with? You keep frowning one second and smiling the next like… like a weirdo.”

Rong Yi looked up at him and then grinned even wider.

Finally, a chance to show off! All day, he’d been too stressed about work to brag!

He tried to control his smile, attempting to act casual. “My boyfriend.”

Liu Yuan looked genuinely surprised.

“Your boyfriend?” he asked. “Since when?”

“…Just recently,” Rong Yi replied.

In fact, they had only officially gotten together last night, but saying that made him seem too eager.

Liu Yuan didn’t say anything, but it was clear he felt relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Then, just like he always had before, Liu Yuan gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Good luck with everything!”

Rong Yi chuckled and sighed. “Let’s hope that bald guy gets out of here first.”

.

Even though he was swamped with work, the warmth of love made everything feel better.

They didn’t get a chance to have dinner together, so Chen Keyao ended up bringing him dinner instead. Even though it was just takeout, food tasted extra delicious when it came from his boyfriend’s hands.

Rong Yi almost wanted to parade Chen Keyao around the office, but in the end, he felt it would be too showy, so he restrained himself.

Chen Keyao lingered when he had to leave, and the two of them ended up standing by the office entrance, tugging at each other, looking very odd.

“People who don’t know might think you’re a couple,” the Beta girl at the front desk remarked after watching the whole scene.

Rong Yi spread his hands cheerfully. “As long as we know we’re not, it’s fine.”

But about whether Chen Keyao was an Alpha or Beta, Rong Yi still felt he should find a subtle way to bring it up.

Back in the office, while everyone else was miserably grinding through their work, Rong Yi was still radiating sunshine, even humming a tune, looking annoyingly cheerful.

.

But after a few days of this, Rong Yi started to wilt along with everyone else, looking even more downcast than his coworkers.

Their relationship was still fresh, practically like a honeymoon, but they were so busy they barely had time to exchange a few messages each day. It was inhumane. Rong Yi had always felt a bit awkward about making Chen Keyao come over just to bring him dinner, but when Chen Keyao said he had class that night and couldn’t make it, telling him to eat well, Rong Yi felt utterly heartbroken.

When Liu Yuan came by to check on his progress, Rong Yi launched into a passionate rant about that bald jerk, saying he was ready to put the “throw a sack over him” plan into action.

Liu Yuan was shocked.

“You seem like a completely different person,” he said. “I always thought you were pretty quiet and reserved.”

Rong Yi felt awkward.

That was because back then, he still had feelings for Liu Yuan. Now that he had nothing but pure feelings for him, he was completely unrestrained, letting himself be as free-spirited as he wanted.

These days, he was also very quiet and reserved around Chen Keyao.

Not because he was pretending, but because in front of someone he liked, he was terrified of screwing up, and that made him tense.

It was exhausting, but now he didn’t even have a chance to be exhausted, which left him feeling frustrated.

.

Seeing that overtime wasn’t enough to keep up with the schedule, Rong Yi switched tactics and shamelessly visited the client’s company every day, enduring endless frustration to keep negotiating with that bald guy.

The bald guy, feeling secure in his role as the client, acted all high and mighty. At first, Rong Yi managed to hold his temper and be polite, but eventually, he snapped, slammed the table, and had a huge argument with him, drawing quite a crowd.

After the fight, Rong Yi felt like he’d failed as a professional. He was worried that he might have doomed the project and dragged his entire team down, but to his surprise, the bald guy relented. All other requirements remained the same, but they were given an extra two weeks of time.

Rong Yi was left feeling dazed and a little reflective, thinking that maybe the bald guy had a bit of a masochistic streak. Polite talk didn’t work, but a good fight did.

When he returned to the office with the good news, just as he was about to inform his boyfriend, he received a call from Liu Yuan.

“You’re done for,” Liu Yuan said, laughing uncontrollably. “That bald guy has his eyes on you.”

Rong Yi shuddered. “You’re joking, right?”

That bald guy was unattractive, creepy, and at least twice his age. Rong Yi wasn’t even interested in finding out his secondary gender.

Was this guy trying to keep him as some sort of pet? Was he a masochist?

“He wants to introduce you to his nephew,” Liu Yuan said, clearly enjoying Rong Yi’s distress. “I bet the next time you go, he’ll bring it up. You’d better be prepared!”

“…His nephew is… an Alpha?”

“Definitely not,” Liu Yuan replied, “because he said only an Alpha like you is worthy of his nephew! Hahahahaha!”

“…”

“I suggest you agree and at least go meet him,” Liu Yuan said. “That guy’s unpredictable. If he flips out, we’re all screwed. Just think of it as a sacrifice for the greater good?”