Chapter 8

The air froze for a few seconds.

Wen Yan looked up in shock, only to realize that the alpha had his hair neatly combed, was wearing a well-pressed suit and coat, and his black gloves were spotless.

He looked very solemn, with not a hint of joking or teasing.

Wen Yan pressed his lips tightly together.

Marriage…

“I…”

Wen Yan gently shook his head.

“Since you came to find me, you must be in urgent need of this money. I hope you go back and think it over carefully.”

Half an hour later, Lin Chuanwu stood on the second floor, watching Wen Yan get into a car.

Qiu Tian went to see him off, while Qiu Yi stayed behind.

Qiu Yi’s shock hadn’t subsided yet. He had guessed that Lin Chuanwu wouldn’t marry the youngest son of the Lin family, but he didn’t expect him to want to marry Wen Yan, considering they were at most just a seven-night fling!

“Mr. Lin, I’ve collected the information you asked for about Mr. Wen. Do you… still want to see it?”

“Read it.” The alpha’s expression was cold and concise.

“According to the information, Mr. Wen’s father passed away when he was six, and at fourteen, his mother remarried Wen Jingming, and Mr. Wen changed his surname to Wen the same year. Wen Jingming has a son six years younger than Mr. Wen named Wen Shichuan, who suddenly disappeared two years ago.”

“Also two years ago, Mr. Wen got engaged to a beta colleague,” Qiu Yi’s voice grew smaller, “but because of his brother’s disappearance, they never got married.”

*

At the café in front of J University’s gate.

Wen Yan was tapping on the keyboard, typing a long string of code. After fixing a few bugs, he clicked run, and a bouncing cartoon character appeared on the screen.

“It should be fine now.” Wen Yan pushed the laptop to Jiang Yunya.

That morning, Wen Yan received a call from Jiang Yunya asking for help to fix some bugs, so they agreed to meet here.

Jiang Yunya is an art lecturer at J University and was once a classmate of Wen Yan. Later, they became colleagues. She is also a beta. At that time, because of Wen Shichuan, Wen Yan chose to get engaged to her, but soon after, Wen Shichuan disappeared, and the engagement was naturally canceled. For this, Wen Yan always felt guilty towards Jiang Yunya. Whenever she asked for help, Wen Yan never refused.

“Thank you, it’s really troublesome for you.” Jiang Yunya thanked him, “Are you doing well at the gaming company?”

“The colleagues are nice, and the work is enjoyable.” Wen Yan smiled.

“That’s good.” Jiang Yunya showed Wen Yan the ring on her hand, “I got engaged a few days ago, the other party is also a beta.”

“Congratulations.”

“What about you? Haven’t met anyone suitable for marriage in the past two years?”

At this moment, Wen Yan thought of the alpha’s sinister and handsome face.

Across the café, a Rolls-Royce was parked, the window half-open, and Lin Chuanwu was staring at the dazed young man.

“Jiang Yunya and Mr. Wen were university classmates, and later both stayed on as teachers. Two years ago, they got engaged, but because of Mr. Wen’s brother’s disappearance, the engagement was canceled. After that, Mr. Wen resigned from his teaching position and went to a gaming company. Their relationship hasn’t become distant, and Jiang Yunya often asks Mr. Wen for help, which he never refuses.” Qiu Yi reported with a stiff face.

Lin Chuanwu’s gaze shifted to the woman’s face. She was a mature and intellectual beta, on the same level as Wen Yan, with a similar personality. By worldly standards, they were a perfect match.

Lin Chuanwu closed the car window, his eyes dark and brooding, the car interior filled with a volcanic-like violent aura.

Qiu Yi endured the pain from the pheromone attack, worriedly glancing at Wen Yan.

Sensing something, Wen Yan looked across the street and saw a somewhat familiar car driving away.

Jiang Yunya had to take wedding photos with her fiancé in the afternoon, so she bid Wen Yan a quick farewell, leaving him alone in the café.

Marriage…

Wen Yan was just an ordinary beta, with an unspeakable flaw. He never thought about marriage. If it weren’t for Shichuan’s twisted feelings, he wouldn’t have pretended to be engaged to Jiang Yunya. After Shichuan disappeared, he completely gave up on the idea of marriage.

Why would he want to marry me…

Wen Yan returned home to find Wen Jingming had come again.

In just a few days, his hair had turned much whiter, and he visibly aged.

“Sorry,” Wen Yan couldn’t bear to look at his eager eyes, “I can’t get that much money right now.”

Wen Jingming said woodenly, “Forget it, I’m asking too much. I’ll think of something else.”

“Uncle.” Wen Yan called out to him, feeling extremely guilty, “I’m really sorry.”

Wen Jingming was taken aback, rubbing his face, “In my heart, you two have always been brothers, so when I found out about Shichuan’s feelings for you, as a father, I couldn’t accept it at all, so I said a lot of hurtful things to you. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Two years have passed, Shichuan can’t be alive anymore, you should let go and look forward…”

Leaving these words, Wen Jingming left.

Wen Yan stayed on the sofa all night. The next day after work, he went to Wen Jingming’s home.

Wen Jingming lived in the old district, where the houses were low and not as modern and clean as the newly developed areas in recent years, but it was very lively. Wen Yan hadn’t even reached the building when an old lady greeted him warmly.

Downstairs were stalls selling fresh vegetables and family-run restaurants. The Wen family lived on the sixth floor. As Wen Yan climbed up, two boys in school uniforms ran past him.

Watching their backs, Wen Yan suddenly thought of himself and Shichuan a few years ago.

He was momentarily dazed…

A loud “bang” brought Wen Yan back to his senses. He looked up to see a few fierce-looking alphas kicking the door hard.

“If you don’t hand over the person and pay the debt, we’ll splash red paint on your house! We’ll write ‘debt dodger’ in big letters at your door so everyone knows what your family did!”

After saying that, the group swaggered away.

The house was almost emptied, and Wen Jingming was huddled in a corner with his new wife, both with disheveled hair and dirty clothes, looking very embarrassed.

Wen Yan went over to help them up, “Uncle.”

“At first, we thought he failed in business, but who knew he was gambling and owed not just seven million in high-interest loans, but ten million. Now he’s missing, and the debt collectors are blocking us…” Wen Jingming took a sip of wine.

Chen Meisu started wiping her tears, “That beast… I told your uncle not to care about us, but he just wouldn’t listen.”

Wen Yan looked at this woman.

Before Wen Shichuan disappeared, Wen Jingming had already gotten close to Chen Meisu. Later, when Wen Shichuan disappeared, Wen Jingming was greatly affected, and it was Chen Meisu who stayed by his side to help him recover.

Wen Jingming was a man of loyalty and righteousness. In this situation, he couldn’t possibly abandon Chen Meisu.

Just like after his mother passed away, Wen Jingming didn’t drive him away and raised him until he graduated from university.

The money Wen Yan sent him, he never accepted once.

If Wen Jingming were a malicious stepfather, Wen Yan wouldn’t feel a shred of guilt.

But Wen Jingming wasn’t.

After leaving Wen Jingming’s home, Wen Yan got on a car heading to the eastern suburbs.

To him, there was no difference between getting married and not getting married.

After a series of luxurious villas passed by, the gray, cold building soon appeared outside the window.

Qiu Yi was still the one to lead him inside. As they passed the enclosure, the wolves and white lions stared at him coldly, giving Wen Yan the illusion that it was the man staring at him through the bodies of the beasts.

Wen Yan’s back was stiff until he sat in front of the alpha.

Lin Chuanwu was draped in a coat, holding a cigarette while sitting on the sofa. He stared at Wen Yan, his brows heavily furrowed, making his eyes look even more cold.

Wen Yan suddenly remembered the many news articles he had seen about him in recent days, describing him as ruthless, violent, and losing control during his susceptible period…

Every word made Wen Yan’s chest tighten.

“Have you thought it through?” Lin Chuanwu asked.

“Yes.”

“When I say marriage, I mean sleeping in the same bed, opening your reproductive cavity during my susceptible period, and letting me in.”

Lin Chuanwu spoke each word clearly, his dark eyes fixed on Wen Yan, “Now, I’ll give you one more chance to back out.”

Wen Yan didn’t expect him to be so blunt, and couldn’t help but tremble slightly in embarrassment.

Wen Yan shook his head with a pale face, “…I agree.”

Lin Chuanwu’s pupils suddenly dilated, and as he stood up, his coat slipped off, making the shape of his arm and shoulder muscles more apparent, giving a sense of oppression and danger.

Wen Yan trembled slightly as Lin Chuanwu pinched his chin, forcing him to look up, then looked down at his face.

A narrow face, handsome and gentle features, once a teacher, now a manager in a company, always wearing conservative shirts, a man mature and decent by worldly standards.

Yet beneath the shirt was a body like a succubus…

Lin Chuanwu heard the sound of his blood boiling, his Adam’s apple moving.

“Three days later, bring your documents, and we’ll get the marriage certificate.”

It was Qiu Yi who sent Wen Yan back, and along the way, Wen Yan held a bank card, his face almost transparent.

Back home, Wen Yan had nightmares all night, all about the alpha. When he woke up, he was drenched in sweat, his heart pounding. He covered his face, calming down for a while before getting out of bed.

It happened to be Sunday, so Wen Yan went to the bank, divided the money into two cards, and then took the card to the Wen family.

Wen Yan handed the card with fifteen million to Wen Jingming, “Use it to pay off the debt, and the rest for you and Aunt Chen to live on.”

Wen Jingming asked, “Where did you get so much money?”

“I borrowed it… from my boss.”

Wen Jingming took the card and sighed.

“I have to rush to work, so I’ll leave now.” As Wen Yan was about to leave, Wen Jingming said, “Xiao Yan, wait a moment.”

“The day before Shichuan disappeared, he called me. I heard the sound of waves on the phone, like he was on a ship.”

“What ship?”

“I don’t know. I just heard someone on the phone shouting something about ‘Haitian.’ I told the police all this, but they couldn’t find anything.” Wen Jingming said regretfully, “At the time, I was so angry that I resented you, so I didn’t tell you, and then I never found the opportunity.”

Wen Yan stared blankly out the window.

Back at the company, Wen Yan typed ‘Haitian’ into the search engine. There were companies, people, and projects named Haitian, but no news about a ship.

The computer’s glow cast on his face, making him look pale yet calm.

When Wen Shichuan first disappeared, he would find clues from the things Shichuan left behind, but the trail would always go cold. Wen Yan had gotten used to it. Just as he was about to close the webpage, an entertainment news popped up in the lower right corner.

It was news about a rich second generation, saying he spent ten million to build a ship and planned to host a grand party on it three days later, inviting top celebrities and businessmen.

The report was accompanied by a picture of a man with a casual posture standing in front of a huge ship, with the word ‘Hai’ on the ship’s body, the rest of the word blocked by the man.

The report’s date was exactly two years ago.

Wen Yan extracted the keywords from the report and continued searching, but couldn’t find any useful information.

Wen Yan stared motionlessly at the rich second generation in the photo until someone knocked on his desk, and Wen Yan looked up to see Yu Qing standing in front of him.

“The NPC dialogue in this instance needs to be revised.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to them.”

“Why are you staring at a photo of the Liu family’s young master instead of working? Do you want to climb the social ladder like an omega? Not to mention you’re a beta, at your age, do you think anyone would be interested in you?” Yu Qing said coldly.

Wen Yan’s pupils slightly contracted, “Liu family, Liu family’s young master?”

“Stop pretending. Aren’t you working with Liu Feng now? This is his brother’s child, didn’t you know?”

After Yu Qing left, Wen Yan had Chang Jing revise the game dialogue, then he started searching for information on the Liu family.

Liu Feng indeed had two brothers, the second brother had only one daughter, and the third brother had a son named Liu Ning.

Being the only son of the Liu family, he was very pampered and unruly, often mingling with other rich second generations.

Could he be related to Shichuan’s disappearance?

Two days later, Chang Jing suddenly placed a handful of candies on his desk.

“Xiao You’s wedding candies.” Xiao You was their group’s PR.

Xiao You was handing out red gift bags, placing wedding candies on each colleague’s desk.

He was a quiet alpha, but now he was radiating happiness.

“His wife is a beta.”

“He must really like her to marry a beta.” Chang Jing sighed as she unwrapped a candy.

Wen Yan lowered his eyes, thinking of that domineering and sinister face. He was an alpha, and he was just a beta. Why insist on marrying him?

Wen Yan wouldn’t narcissistically think he liked him, probably just treating him as… a bed partner. After all, betas aren’t as fragile as omegas and can endure anything…

“Xiao You is three years younger than you, and he’s already married. When are you going to let us have your wedding candies?” Chang Jing asked again.

Wen Yan didn’t know how to answer, so he just told her to get back to work.

In the afternoon, Wen Yan was taken to the civil affairs bureau.

On the way to the civil affairs bureau, Qiu Yi temporarily stopped at the most luxurious mall in Beijing.

“Mr. Lin has an urgent meeting, and will meet you directly at the civil affairs bureau entrance later. Mr. Lin asked me to take you to pick out a few outfits for the photo shoot.”

The mall was cleared out, and a luxurious brand was only serving Wen Yan, displaying limited edition clothes from around the world in front of him.

Wen Yan casually picked a black suit, which surprisingly fit well. He stood in front of the mirror, examining himself.

Last time, when he was picking clothes with Chang Jing, he noticed it too. At the time, he didn’t think much of it, but the alpha’s gaze made Wen Yan feel embarrassed, making him aware of his body’s inappropriateness.

A beta, yet like…

Wen Yan tried on others, but none were much better.

So he chose the first set.

After leaving the fitting room, the omega store clerk enthusiastically praised him, making Wen Yan feel overwhelmed and hurriedly leave.

Qiu Yi’s eyes lit up when he saw him come out, suddenly understanding why the big boss insisted on marrying him. He was truly a celestial being!

Wen Yan sat quietly in the waiting area of the civil affairs bureau’s hall. Besides the staff, there were no other couples.

At first, Wen Yan thought the country’s marriage rate had dropped to a terrifying level, until Qiu Yi told him that Lin Chuanwu had used his connections, and the civil affairs bureau wouldn’t be open to the public that afternoon.

“Mr. Lin’s identity is special, and such a big event as marriage can’t be made public for now.”

Wen Yan once again felt the alpha’s prestigious status.

“Mr. Lin, Mr. Wen is waiting for you inside.” Qiu Yi’s voice came from outside the door.

“Okay.”

Soon, Lin Chuanwu walked in, and Wen Yan was covered in shadow.

Wen Yan stood up, “…I brought all the documents.”

There was no response for a while, but the gaze on him was very intense. Wen Yan looked up and found the other person’s eyes very deep and dark, tightly fixed on him.

Wen Yan’s back trembled slightly. Was he dressed so poorly that he was being looked at like this?

“I’ll change after the photo shoot…”

Lin Chuanwu said nothing.

The expensive clothes made Wen Yan look even more handsome and charming, with a noble and calm demeanor. Such a temperament should have been cold and abstinent, yet his body wasn’t entirely thin, with flesh where it should be.

Like a fully ripe fruit.

Lin Chuanwu’s throat was dry and painful, suppressing the restless anxiety.

“Let’s go register.”

After handing over their documents to the staff, and after the review, someone led them to take their marriage certificate photo.

Behind them was a red curtain, in front was the camera. After Wen Yan sat down, Lin Chuanwu followed, their shoulders touching, and Wen Yan felt the other’s scorching temperature, involuntarily shrinking back.

“Look at the camera.”

Wen Yan raised his head.

Lin Chuanwu’s gaze also moved away from Wen Yan’s profile.

“Smile a bit.”

Wen Yan gently curved his eyes.

Lin Chuanwu was naturally unsmiling, but his cold brows and eyes softened a bit.

The flash exploded, the photo frozen at 4 PM on March 16, 2045.

Wen Yan married an alpha he had only met a few times.