The snow stopped after three days.

Lin Si returned to the film crew.

Xu Xiangyang, sitting in a chair, asked him, “Are you in a bad mood?”

Lin Si snapped out of his daze. “Huh?”

“You’ve been zoning out for a long time,” Xu Xiangyang pointed at his script. “There are only three lines on this page.”

Lin Si awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Sorry about that.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s not like we’re running lines together,” Xu Xiangyang tilted his head slightly toward him. “Did you not enjoy your days off?”

Lin Si caught a whiff of Xu Xiangyang’s pheromones.

His sharp sense of smell immediately identified it as the scent of pinewood.

This wouldn’t have been possible in the past, but recently, for some unknown reason, things had changed.

Noticing Lin Si’s slight sniff, Xu Xiangyang leaned back a bit and said with a smile, “Sorry about that. Work’s been so hectic I haven’t had time to apply my pheromones suppressant.”

Lin Si shook his head. “Not at all. It smells nice.”

Xu Xiangyang brought his nose closer to his own shoulder, sniffed disbelievingly, and chuckled. “It depends on the person, I guess. A lot of people think Omega scents are too cold and distant.”

“I think it’s unique.” Sensing a trace of bitterness in Xu Xiangyang’s laugh, Lin Si sincerely added, “I actually quite like it.”

“Thanks. I thought Alphas preferred sweeter scents,” Xu Xiangyang said.

Lin Si froze, and Lu Wei’s cold warning echoed in his mind.

When he was with Xu Xiangyang, there was an imperceptible influence that made Lin Si see things from an Omega’s perspective, forgetting to keep up his facade.

Awkward and stiff, he replied, sounding almost flustered, “Well, like you said, it depends on the person.”

Xu Xiangyang smiled faintly. “You’re not quite like what I’ve seen online. Though you’re not talkative or enthusiastic, you’re actually pretty cute.” He looked at Lin Si’s wary expression and asked, “Am I bullying you?”

“No,” Lin Si denied, almost reflexively. To cover his unease, he pulled out his phone. He hesitated for two seconds before moving his finger away from the Bubble app and instead opened Dream Town, returning to farming.

His fields were lush with green bean pods.

At a glance, a sense of melancholy welled up within him. Lin Si decided to close the game altogether.

Xu Xiangyang, wanting to lift his spirits, kept trying to engage him in conversation. “What time will you arrive at the party tomorrow night?”

“I’ll be there earlier than you. Actors like you are scheduled for the second batch,” Lin Si said.

“You’re an actor too,” Xu Xiangyang replied. “Your eyes are very expressive. You’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future—take your time.”

For once, Lin Si smiled. “Thanks, Brother Xiangyang.”

————–

Duan Yang closed the itinerary on his tablet. “President Lu, I’ve postponed your physical examination.”

Lu Wei nodded from the back seat. About a minute later, he added, “Remind them to arrange Lin Si’s physical examination too.”

“Understood,” Duan Yang replied. “The charity auction tonight—the organizers have sent over the list.”

“We’ll review it when we get there.”

Lu Wei tapped his fingers rhythmically on his phone screen.

Duan Yang glanced back subtly, a gut feeling telling him that something was off about Lu Wei today.

Lu Wei seemed the same as usual, yet the atmosphere around him felt heavier. He didn’t appear angry, but rather… agitated.

If they were at an airport or a train station, Duan Yang suspected that Lu Wei would unconsciously pace back and forth, repeatedly checking the flight information.

The screen lit up again. Lu Wei pressed his finger against it and finally lowered his head.

The unlocked screen revealed a chat window in Bubble, left open when he left Shengshi earlier.

The last message in the chat was long—uncharacteristically long. It was the first time Lu Wei had said so much to Forget Love.

That day, Forget Love had asked him if he wanted to try out a relationship simulation system.

Almost reflexively, Lu Wei had bluntly rejected the idea, replying: [No.]

He spent the next five minutes reflecting on his response, realizing that he had already been in sporadic contact with Forget Love for some time.

Forget Love responded: [Just give it a try! I’m really curious about how that system works.]

Maybe Forget Love wanted to try something with him, or maybe it was just childlike curiosity. But Lu Wei had already sobered up to the reality of their situation. He realized that this kind of connection couldn’t go on. His replies would give Forget Love false hopes, but in truth, he couldn’t offer any genuine response in return.

Another five minutes passed. After adjusting the wording several times, Lu Wei finally sent a message to Forget Love:

[I’m not looking for a life partner on this app. You should try matching with other Alphas instead of spending your time chatting with me.]

After that, Forget Love suddenly went silent, not saying another word.

Throughout the day, Lu Wei found himself repeatedly tempted to open the app, but he ultimately managed to compress those impulses into just two restrained attempts.

However, the once quick-to-reply Forget Love never logged in again.

Lu Wei shut off his phone and turned his gaze to the entrance of the venue on his right. Calming himself, he drew a clear line between his personal and professional life. He instructed Duan Yang, “Send the tea house location to Liao Ji. Have him bring Lin Si over.”

“Understood.”

————-

Stars on the Summit was one of the most prominent galas in the entertainment industry, combining awards with a charity auction. Most of the industry’s A-listers, rising stars, and top executives attended the event.

After the red carpet wrapped up in the evening, Lin Si took his seat. At his table were a few seasoned veterans and several popular celebrities. He greeted them briefly and exchanged the occasional polite comments, keeping the conversation light.

The charity auction progressed quickly, with most items having prearranged buyers. Lin Si, who hadn’t eaten since midday, felt his stomach growling. However, since he was scheduled to perform a song later, he refrained from eating anything at the table.

He sat quietly, only moving to wave at the camera when it focused on him. Otherwise, he remained still—except for the moment when Lu Wei made a striking move. With an undeniably high bid, Lu Wei won a painting, prompting Lin Si to instinctively turn his head to glance at another section of the venue.

Lu Wei’s gaze cut through the sea of dark suits and the dazzling reflections of diamonds from the women’s jewelry, meeting Lin Si’s in the air.

Lin Si blinked quickly and turned away, his eyes darting nervously. He hadn’t been spying on Lu Wei, but the sudden eye contact left him flustered, unsure how to react other than to avoid it.

Just then, Liao Ji approached, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “After you’re done singing, don’t go back to the table. Wait for me backstage.”

“Why?” Lin Si whispered back.

“I’ll tell you later,” Liao Ji replied, patting his shoulder.

Lin Si performed his song and, as instructed, didn’t return to the main table. However, he couldn’t find Liao Ji backstage either.

Taking advantage of the time, he hurried to the restroom. Afterward, he wandered to a quieter spot to call Liao Ji.

A group of people passed by quickly, and Lin Si didn’t pay much attention until a sharp, pungent scent hit the air, forcing him to wrinkle his nose and look up.

The scent belonged to a familiar figure walking away.

A sudden churn twisted in his stomach. Lin Si dropped down his gaze, covering his mouth to suppress a dry heave that threatened to rise. Even breathing felt difficult.

People occasionally passed through the hallway. Lin Si pressed himself against the wall, gripping it tightly, using the pressure to propel himself forward. Hunched over, he stumbled toward the parking lot, desperate to get away.

He didn’t know what was happening to him, but instincts told him he couldn’t let anyone see him like this.

“Why are you running?”

The faint sound of rushing air from Lin Si’s steps came to an abrupt halt. He clenched his jaw tightly, eyes wary as he stared in the direction of the voice.

Lu Wei’s hand dropped from the car door, and he pulled back the leg he was about to step into the vehicle with. Taking a few steps closer, he repeated calmly, “Why are you running?”

Realizing it wasn’t some random stranger, Lin Si finally let his guard down. He exhaled the breath he had been holding, inhaling sharply and loudly as if his body was desperate for air. The next moment, his strength seemed to drain suddenly, and he bent over, weakened.

Reaching out instinctively, his hand searched the air for something to steady himself. When it found it, Lin Si gripped tightly, holding on as though it were his lifeline.

It was Lu Wei’s’s forearm.

Whether it was the change in posture or simply leaving the previous environment, the nausea in Lin Si’s throat began to subside the moment he grasped Lu Wei’s arm.

However, Lu Wei refused to let anyone touch him. He frowned deeply and asked impatiently, “What’s wrong with you?”

“I… might have,” Lin Si panted, his voice weak and broken, “…I might have eaten something bad.”

His knuckles briefly tugged at Lu Wei’s suit but after a moment of hesitation finally fell onto his own knees. After some time, he finally straightened his posture.

Duan Yang hurried over, holding Lu Wei’s coat. He glanced at the car and then at the two of them standing at the rear, changing direction to approach. “President Lu, what happened?”

“To the hospital,” Lu Wei said.

Duan Yang asked, “Which hospital?”

Lin Si, as if facing a great enemy, shook his head. “I’m fine, I won’t go.”

Duan Yang continued, “Mr. Lin, are you going to the hospital?”

Lin Si: “No, no, I’m not going.”

“…” Duan Yang, unable to make sense of the situation, awkwardly said, “Oh… alright then.” He raised his hand and handed the coat to Lu Wei.

Lu Wei glanced at Lin Si but didn’t force him to go to the hospital. Instead, he instructed Duan Yang, “Call his manager.”

“Understood, President Lu.”

With that, Lu Wei got into the car.

From Lu Wei’s back, Lin Si saw him fold his suit jacket with one hand into a neat, impeccable shape before draping it over his solid forearm—the same one Lin Si had just grabbed.

Lin Si blinked a few times, not daring to linger in the parking lot. He quickly walked away, heading toward the nanny van, where Liao Ji hurriedly approached him.

Before Liao Ji could ask anything, Lin Si cut him off, “Why did you call me backstage? What’s going on?”

“What’s going on with you?” Liao Ji spun him around to check him over. “Where do you feel unwell?”

Lin Si, determined not to go to the hospital, acted as if he was fine no matter how uncomfortable he felt. As he got into the van, he casually waved his hand. “I’m fine. They’re exaggerating. Where exactly are we going now?”

“No idea. I asked Duan Yang but he didn’t say,” Liao Ji replied, looking wary from head to toe. He handed his phone to Lin Si. “Here’s the address from Lu Wei’s side. I looked it up—it’s a teahouse, a proper one.”

After drinking half a bottle of water, the nausea in Lin Si’s throat finally disappeared completely. He glanced at the address and seemed far less worried than Liao Ji.

Maybe the sudden nausea earlier had left him no time to feel anxious, or maybe Lu Wei’s “helping hand” in the parking lot had caused his trust in Lu Wei to rise ever so slightly.

Or perhaps, it was just that he felt abandoned, and today had already been a miserable day.

“It’s fine, let’s go.”

The teahouse was quite far, so Lin Si searched for Liu Shenyan, the Vice President of Hangji Entertainment, on his phone. After glancing through a few pictures, he confirmed that the person he had bumped into in the hallway earlier was Liu Shenyan, and that the scent he had smelled outside Qin Xiao’s room that day also belonged to Liu Shenyan.

Lin Si could have tried guessing the relationship behind it all, but he always believed his mind should focus on the things he truly cared about.

At this moment, for example—Y.

After a long while, he finally tapped into his chat bubble, opening the conversation interface.

He wasn’t sure if this counted as a failed confession.

But he very clearly, within his otherwise blank emotional history, felt a kind of sadness he had never experienced before.

So intense it could strictly be classified as a significant trauma to his young, innocent heart.

He hadn’t done anything wrong. Just the other day, he had even built a snowman for Y, carefully placing the black glass beads in their proper spots and giving the bigger snowman his favorite red-striped scarf and hat.

But he thought, Y hadn’t done anything wrong either. Y had been saying “no” all along, never giving him hope, and had very decisively said it was impossible.

Lin Si dragged the white circle on the screen, moving it farther away from Y, spinning it in circles in place.

The nanny van suddenly braked. Lin Si, caught off guard, slid a little off his seat, his shoulder pressing against the back of the seat through his down jacket.

The driver opened the soundproof window. “Sorry, the car in front pull the brake suddenly.”

“It’s fine, safety first,” Liao Ji said, waving his hand.

Lin Si sat back up, only to see a new line of text appeared in the chat window.

“Meow~ Forget Love stretch a lazy paw toward Y.”

Author’s Note:
Don’t worry—there’s no way this will turn into angst!

T/n: Happy New Year everyone. New chapter is up. If you want to support me, buy me a Ko-Fi or go to my paypal page. Happy Reading ❤️