Chapter 9: The Ambitions of a Wolf

Chi Han pushed open the door to the private room, where Sun Kaining was howling into the microphone like a ghost. Except for Xu Yangcheng, who was his die-hard friend, no one else was cheering him on. The others were huddled in the corners, clutching their heads, clearly suffering from the auditory assault.

Sun Kaining was aware that if he continued singing, Chi Han would pin him to the ground and beat him up. So, he gracefully put down the microphone and took the warm water Xu Yangcheng handed him to soothe his throat. Just as he was about to speak, he caught a whiff of a minty scent. His face changed dramatically, and he exchanged a glance with Xu Yangcheng, who had also noticed it. In a low voice, he asked, “Did you go looking for Qin Wen?”

Chi Han looked over, his expression unfriendly. “Are you that concerned about him?”

“Come on! Everyone knows I like girls,” Sun Kaining quickly defended himself. “It’s the scent on you. The only mint-scented pheromone I’ve encountered is Qin Wen’s.”

The scent of pheromones can, to some extent, reflect an Omega’s temperament. Most Omegas have sweet scents, and some medical institutions can even alter the scent of pheromones according to a patient’s request. A couple of years ago, strawberry was the most popular scent, and Sun Kaining felt like he was drowning in strawberry juice. Later, it was discovered that such alterations could damage the glands to some extent and only lasted a year, so the craze died down a bit. However, Omegas still hoped their pheromone scents could keep up with trends. Qin Wen was the only one with a minty scent, which was a bit cool and not at all sweet. When Sun Kaining first smelled it, he thought it was a refreshing change.

Xu Yangcheng agreed, “It’s quite strong.”

Chi Han took a sip of his drink and said nothing, the light casting a soft shadow in his glass-like eyes, making him seem gentler than usual.

“Alright, everyone out,” Sun Kaining waved his hand. The people in the corner, as if granted amnesty, quickly left. Of course, there were a couple of Omegas reluctant to leave, their eyes almost glued to Chi Han. Only when Sun Kaining gave them a pointed look did they lower their heads and leave.

“Let me think…” Sun Kaining leaned back, his eyes teasing and his tone cheeky. “This is a story of regret! When someone is by your side, pampering and coaxing you, you treat them like air, not even noticing them. But once they’re gone, you find it hard to breathe.”

Chi Han was always steady in his actions. Even compared to an outstanding Alpha like Sun Kaining, he was far superior. Since Sun Kaining had known Chi Han, he had never seen him suffer a setback. Chi Han was always domineering and strong, never letting anything faze him. Now that he had finally hit a snag, Sun Kaining couldn’t resist stepping on his sore spot. That’s what good brothers do.

Unexpectedly, Chi Han looked serious, with a hint of sincere inquiry. “Are you saying I’m regretting it?”

Sun Kaining: “…” Are top-level Alphas all idiots when it comes to feelings?

“Why else would you keep provoking Qin Wen?” Xu Yangcheng, with his delicate features, wasn’t as masculine as other Alphas and rarely spoke. But now, he hit the nail on the head. “You even want to mark him. Chi Han, only an Alpha who likes an Omega would think about marking them.”

Chi Han’s hand, which was rubbing the rim of his glass, tightened slightly. Sun Kaining and Xu Yangcheng’s words were like a hammer pounding on his heart, making him feel numb all over. It was as if a light bulb had gone off in his head, and he finally touched upon his true intentions.

Indeed, deciding to divorce Qin Wen was a plan he had made three years ago. Now, he was just executing that plan. But he hadn’t expected that Qin Wen’s presence had become indispensable. Heaven knows how awkward Chi Han had felt recently.

“Qin Wen still likes you, right?” Xu Yangcheng asked cautiously.

“He does,” Chi Han nodded. Qin Wen was very dependent on him.

“That’s easy then!” Sun Kaining, who had a clear view of relationships and didn’t care about the so-called Alpha pride, advised Chi Han, “You like him, you want him, and now you feel you’ve hurt him, so compensate him!”

Chi Han: “How… do I compensate?”

“Be nicer to him,” Sun Kaining said, exasperated. “When you truly like someone, you instinctively want to be good to them. Instinct, you know?”

Chi Han seemed to understand, then suddenly stood up. “I get it.”

Sun Kaining looked surprised. “Wait, where are you going?”

“To compensate,” Chi Han said softly.

Sun Kaining laughed. “Who would’ve thought…”

Even though Chi Han said that, he was still awkward in his actions.

When he drove to Qin Wen’s apartment building, he saw the living room light was on. He had no idea how Qin Wen had eaten dinner.

Thanks to the rare pheromones, Qin Wen felt comfortable today. After a good sleep, the fog in his head cleared, and he felt particularly energetic. He first braised some quail eggs, then stir-fried some lettuce and made a dish of green pepper beef. After eating, he didn’t feel nauseous, so he logged into an Omega pregnancy forum on his phone, reading various shared experiences while handling some contract issues from his assistant’s emails with his other hand.

It’s laughable. Qin Yaosheng looked down on Qin Wen’s Omega status but relied on his abilities. At the same time, he was wary of Qin Wen holding real power. So, all company decisions had to be reported by Qin Wen, and only after Qin Yaosheng reviewed and approved them could they proceed. In all his years at the Qin Corporation, Qin Wen held a managerial title in name only, without even a personal assistant. Qin Yaosheng demanded that he handle everything transparently.

With Qin Wen’s abilities, he could easily switch companies, but he was an Omega.

That’s why Qin Yaosheng was so confident. He knew Qin Wen couldn’t go anywhere else once he left the Qin Corporation.

Qin Wen had no choice. He had to live, to find a way to survive in a world that claimed to protect Omegas but was full of discrimination.

Fortunately, Qin Yaosheng wasn’t stingy with money. Qin Wen earned a commission based on the size of the deals he closed. Over the years, he had saved up a bit. He was determined to leave the Qin Corporation and had even planned to leave Mo City. He submitted his resignation in the afternoon.

Just after handling three emails, Qin Yaosheng’s call came. Qin Wen answered, “Hello? Dad.”

“What kind of tantrum are you throwing?!” Qin Yaosheng was furious, his voice so loud that Qin Wen’s heart skipped a beat. He bent over, clutching his chest, gritting his teeth without speaking. An Omega’s pregnancy could cause symptoms like palpitations and shortness of breath. Qin Wen had noticed this and taken medication, but he couldn’t withstand Qin Yaosheng’s unreasonable accusations. “What, are you trying to rebel now that you’ve grown wings?! What will happen to the Qin Corporation if you resign now?”

Hearing this, Qin Wen chuckled softly, his unfocused gaze landing somewhere. “The Qin Corporation has never been under my control. If you want me to worry about the family business, you should give me some real power, right?”

“Indeed…” Qin Yaosheng said coldly, “You’ve always been eyeing the Qin family business, you ambitious wolf!”

“Is that so?” Qin Wen suddenly felt exhausted.

No matter what he did, he couldn’t warm a cold heart.

Qin Yaosheng continued to rant, but Qin Wen didn’t hear most of it. After the call ended, it took a while for the ringing in his ears to stop. Qin Wen casually draped a blanket over himself, not wanting to move from his position.

An Omega during pregnancy needs the care of family, but Qin Wen couldn’t get that. Instead, those close to him kept stabbing him in the heart.

Chi Han waited downstairs for three hours. At midnight, he glanced up and saw the light was still on. Something was off. Chi Han got out of the car. By now, Qin Wen should have been asleep, especially since he was still unwell.