Chu Yin looked up in surprise, shooting her a glance filled with anger.

His lips were pale, and due to the recent coughing fit, a sickly blush tinged his cheeks. He looked like a delicate, sickly beauty, making Yan Xin feel a twinge of pity even as she watched him.

Yet she gritted her teeth and continued, “Although you are also an omega, you are still underage and don’t even have any pheromones. Zhao Jiayang is about to turn nineteen and will be going out of town for school in September.”

“I remember your health isn’t that good, right? Female omegas are naturally more fertile than male omegas, and a family needs to pass on its legacy through offspring.” With every word she spoke, Chu Yin’s complexion grew paler, and he appeared somewhat unsteady. Yan Xin fought to suppress her pity and pretended not to notice his discomfort. “Moreover, my family is in the medicinal herbs business and can provide some support to the Tao family.”

Although Yan Xin appeared righteous, she secretly felt uncertain—compared to the Tao family, the Yan family was actually reaching too high.

But the youngest adopted son of the Tao family had always been frail and rarely appeared in public. She could only hope that he didn’t understand the complexities of the business world, and being young and inexperienced, he could be persuaded by her few words to withdraw.

Although her methods weren’t entirely honorable, love has never been about reason.

When Yan Xin first encountered Zhao Jiayang at the beginning of high school, she fell head over heels for him. She went to great lengths to infiltrate his social circle and became one of his friends.

There were many who liked Zhao Jiayang at school, and he was always ambiguous towards his suitors, never putting omegas in a difficult position. Although Yan Xin had not confessed to Zhao Jiayang yet, she always believed she still had a chance.

…But recently, Zhao Jiayang had clearly rejected several confessions.

Such a firm rejection could only mean he had someone in his heart. Yet, Zhao Jiayang’s social circle almost entirely overlapped with hers, and after patiently observing for a long time, Yan Xin had yet to find the candidate.

Except for one person—Zhao Jiayang’s non-blood-related younger brother, Chu Yin, who was known for being reclusive.

She knew she would encounter Chu Yin today, and the reason for sending Zhao Jiayang back was partly to investigate. But she never expected that Chu Yin would have feelings for Zhao Jiayang as well.

His gaze was unmistakable; watching the way Chu Yin looked at Zhao Jiayang, her heart raced with anxiety, and she had no choice but to take a risk and test the waters.

This omega hardly ever ventured outside and was probably naive enough to be easily manipulated.

And indeed, Chu Yin’s expression changed as she wished.

But the reality was far from what she imagined.

What Yan Xin didn’t know was that she had inadvertently hit Chu Yin’s soft spot—he was not an omega at all. Between alphas and omegas, there was an innate attraction through pheromones.

However, as a beta, he couldn’t even smell the pheromones.

As for fertility… the male beta’s reproductive ability was so diminished that the hope of using it to bear offspring was slim to none.

Feeling insufficiently convincing, she added, “Did you know? His pheromone is white tea flavored, while mine is black tea. We actually match quite well.”

She only thought of Chu Yin being underage and wouldn’t produce pheromones for several years, trying to provoke him a bit. She didn’t realize that Chu Yin was a beta who couldn’t even smell pheromones.

…White tea flavor?

Did it smell different from the white tea they drank at home?

It was said that white tea had seven classic aromas; which one was Zhao Jiayang’s pheromone?

…On the very first day Zhao Jiayang produced pheromones, Chu Yin had learned the scent from him but had never been able to smell it himself.

He felt his mind in turmoil, uncontrollably coughing a few times, but he quickly regained his calm demeanor. He shot Yan Xin a glance and gently clapped his hands, calling Xu Song over.

“Miss Yan has had too much to drink today. It’s late, and it’s not safe for her to go down the mountain alone to catch a taxi. Let the family driver take her home, and remember to send a text to Mr. Yan later.”

“Okay,” Xu Song nodded, “Miss Yan, this way please.”

Chu Yin tightened his coat, turned, and headed upstairs, not sparing Yan Xin another glance.

…

When Zhao Jiayang woke up from his hangover, the sun was already high in the sky.

His memory still lingered on the time he was coaxed by his friends into drinking, but now he found himself lying comfortably in his bed, even having changed from a suit to cozy pajamas.

…What exactly happened last night?

He pressed the call bell by the bedside to summon Xu Song and learned that he had been drunk and was brought back by Yan Xin. He felt somewhat embarrassed—his so-called friends had really let him down. When they saw him, they rushed over and forced drinks on him; he hadn’t eaten much, and by the end, he was completely out of it.

If Yan Xin hadn’t come to his rescue, he wouldn’t even know where he’d end up sleeping tonight. If this news reached Old Master Tao’s ears, he would be in for a scolding.

Zhao Jiayang hated himself for having such careless friends and sighed helplessly but felt a bit relieved. After a moment’s thought, he dialed Yan Xin’s number.

“Good morning, Yan Xin. I hope I’m not interrupting your sleep.”

“Yeah, I just woke up. I really drank too much last night. Xia Yu and those guys are truly awful. If you hadn’t brought me back, they probably would have left me on the floor to sleep all night. I saw some new limited edition bags from Brand X the other day. Are there any styles you like?”

“I bought the ones you liked. Is there anything else you want?”

“How about lunch? We can definitely do that. Just think about what you want to eat, and let me know. I’ll make a reservation and have the driver come get you. Afterward, we can go shopping.”

Whatever else Yan Xin said made Zhao Jiayang suddenly laugh, his voice low and magnetic.

Xu Song left without closing the door tightly, and Chu Yin stood at the doorway, his hand raised halfway to push the door open as if he were under a spell.

The moment he heard that Zhao Jiayang was awake, he rushed over, only to overhear such a conversation. He squinted slightly, a fleeting shadow crossing his eyes.

In the next second, he turned and went back to his room, stripping down and stepping into the bathroom stark naked. He turned the faucet all the way to the right and carefully avoided getting his hair wet.

Chu Yin stood quietly under the cold water from the shower for five minutes.

With rich experience in being sick, he realized he was starting to have a fever as soon as he felt dizzy. He turned off the shower, changed into pajamas, and turned on the exhaust fan and heating in the bathroom. After tidying up the area, he quickly climbed into bed.

He timed it perfectly; he hadn’t been lying down long when Zhao Jiayang quietly pushed the door open.

“You’re awake?” Chu Yin greeted him with a smile. “Do you have a headache?”

“Not really.” Zhao Jiayang rubbed his temples, looking a bit agitated.

“Then don’t drink so much next time.”

Chu Yin’s tone was gentle. Zhao Jiayang smiled back at him but suddenly realized that Chu Yin looked somewhat off. He hurriedly took a few steps closer to touch his forehead, only to recoil from the shocking heat. His heart raced to his throat, “You have a fever?!”

“It seems to be a little.” Chu Yin tilted his head, “It’s nothing. I’m used to it; don’t worry.”

Chu Yin was so considerate, almost as if he were afraid of causing trouble for others. Looking at him, Zhao Jiayang felt a mix of bitterness and sorrow in his heart.

He sat down by the bed and touched Chu Yin’s flushed cheeks. “Shall I call the doctor to take a look?”

Chu Yin obediently nodded.

The doctor arrived quickly, measuring Chu Yin’s temperature while conducting a swift examination. His serious expression relaxed slightly. “Fortunately, it’s not a lung infection. Young Master Chu has just caught a cold. I’ll prescribe some medicine for him—take it twice a day. He should rest well, and after a few days, he should be fine.”

Zhao Jiayang finally felt a weight lift off his chest, but Chu Yin’s condition still made the cold a serious matter.

He reached out to tuck the blanket around Chu Yin, wrapping him up like a spring roll before releasing him. Turning to Xu Song, he spoke with a hint of reproach, “Uncle Xu, why didn’t you keep a better eye on him? He shouldn’t be staying out late, especially in the evening. He seemed fine when I left yesterday afternoon…”

Xu Song glanced at Chu Yin, who was snuggled up in the blanket, looking like a well-behaved stuffed cat, showing no intention of defending himself.

While Chu Yin was willing to accept Zhao Jiayang’s reprimands, Xu Song couldn’t just take the blame. He sighed silently, bent slightly, and explained awkwardly, “You returned home only in the early hours of last night. Young Master Chu was waiting for you and was busy running around upstairs and downstairs…”

“…”

Zhao Jiayang’s anger had no outlet, stuck in his throat, while frustration and heartache filled the rest of the space.

He was at a loss for words for a moment, finally nodding, “I understand. Uncle Xu, you can go prepare the medicine.”

When Chu Yin felt unwell, he was more sensitive than usual. Zhao Jiayang finally coaxed him to finish his medicine, but the next moment, Chu Yin vomited a small portion due to nausea. Zhao Jiayang looked at his pitiful little eyes and couldn’t bring himself to say anything about preparing another dose.

Considering their physical conditions, the kitchen had prepared a light breakfast of easily digestible congee and side dishes. A servant helped set up a small table by Chu Yin’s bed, and the two shared breakfast, their heads nearly touching.

Chu Yin’s mouth tasted bitter from the fever, and he truly had little appetite, but fearing Zhao Jiayang’s worry, he forced himself to eat more than half a bowl.

“If you can’t eat, then don’t push yourself,” Zhao Jiayang couldn’t bear to see him struggling to eat, taking the bowl and setting it on the table, helping Chu Yin lean against the headboard. “If you feel hungry later, I can ask the kitchen to make something else.”

“Okay.” Chu Yin obediently listened to his arrangement.

The servant silently began to clean up, and Zhao Jiayang worriedly touched Chu Yin’s forehead. “Is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?”

“Um… my stomach feels a bit off, and I’m a little dizzy.”

Zhao Jiayang turned to call the doctor but was stopped when Chu Yin grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t bother the doctor, I’m aware of my own body. It’s nothing,” Chu Yin said with crescent-shaped eyes, smiling sweetly while acting cute. “Just stay with me for a while.”

Zhao Jiayang looked at Chu Yin and found it hard to say he had an appointment that afternoon and needed to leave soon.

His internal struggle flashed briefly before he bent down and gently pinched Chu Yin’s cheek. “Alright, I’ll make a call and then come back to keep you company, okay?”

“Okay!” Chu Yin nodded seriously.

Fearing he might disturb Chu Yin’s rest, Zhao Jiayang deliberately stepped out onto the balcony before dialing the number, but the room was too quiet, and Chu Yin overheard the entire conversation.

“Yan Xin, I’m sorry. My younger brother has a fever, so I’ll invite you next time.”

“No, no need to visit. He’s a bit shy and doesn’t like to see outsiders…”

This statement placed Yan Xin firmly in the “outsider” category. Zhao Jiayang’s words were just unintentional remarks, but he had no idea how Miss Yan, with her keen insight, would toss and turn all night thinking about it.

Chu Yin’s expression remained unchanged as he curled up in the blanket, contemplating what to do next time a situation like this arose.

… It’s not a good idea to keep betting on my health. If inflammation occurs accidentally, it would be a loss…

…

That August, before Zhao Jiayang went to university in the capital, Xu Song accidentally stumbled upon him kissing Chu Yin in the gazebo.

One sitting and one standing, Zhao Jiayang was already half a head taller than Chu Yin, almost trapping him between his arms and the pillar, before bending down.

Looking fierce, he ultimately only pressed a fleeting kiss on Chu Yin’s lips.

Chu Yin’s cheeks turned a faint red, and he turned his head, smiling beautifully. Xu Song, infected by his happiness, chuckled softly from a distance.

…

Zhao Jiayang and Tao Zhixing studied at the same university, far away in the capital. Even with the Tao family’s private jet, it took a long time to fly.

He had been raised as Tao Zhixing’s assistant and was indeed exceptional, helping him a lot.

The Tao family’s business thrived in both visible and hidden sectors, with many people eager to flatter the old Old Master Tao, proclaiming his sons to be outstanding.

Old Master Tao wasn’t worried at all about his children snatching power; he happily accepted flattery and enjoyed listening to it. Some people wanted to use this opportunity to connect, hoping to introduce their omega daughters who were waiting to get married, but were all turned away by Mrs. Tao’s firm response: “Every child has their own fortune; I can’t decide their fates.”

Logically speaking, with parents like this, one should feel at ease, but Chu Yin, listening nearby, felt increasingly anxious.

He was good-looking and still underage. Although others couldn’t smell his pheromones, they assumed he was an omega. Chu Yin tacitly accepted this and never explained or clarified the truth.

Since confirming his relationship with Chu Yin after graduating high school, Zhao Jiayang’s heart was wholly devoted to him. Even when an omega with an appropriate family background pursued him, Zhao Jiayang turned them away without hesitation.

Yet, despite this, as Zhao Jiayang grew older, the number of omegas attracted to him, either for him or for the Tao family’s wealth and power, continued to increase.

Zhao Jiayang noticed Chu Yin’s melancholy and repeatedly assured him that he carried fast-acting suppressants. Even if omegas went into heat in front of him, he would give them a shot and send them away. He liked only Chu Yin, as a person, and it had nothing to do with gender.

He genuinely didn’t care that Chu Yin was a beta.

Chu Yin felt deeply touched, but he was still concerned.

The painful childhood memories echoed in his mind, with Yin Xia constantly murmuring, “Why do you have to be a beta? If only you were an omega…” The flattery Zhao Jiayang received and the shy, timid glances from beautiful, delicate omegas toward Zhao Jiayang…

This was Chu Yin’s heaviest nightmare, keeping him from a good night’s sleep.

As his eighteenth birthday approached, he knew that once he came of age, he could no longer pretend to be an omega.

That night, after having a nightmare of Zhao Jiayang leading an unfamiliar omega into a wedding hall, he sat on the bed all night, finally making up his mind.

He was aware of the scope of the Tao family’s business. As soon as he came of age, he would not consult anyone and directly called the director of the research institute, saying he wanted to undergo artificial pheromone injection and asked him to keep it confidential.

… Since everyone is trying to introduce omegas to him, then I’ll just become an omega.

Chu Yin reached up to touch the nonexistent gland on the back of his neck, feeling a flutter of excitement about what he was about to do, and began to hum a tune.

The sound was soft, but it faintly resembled the lullaby that Yin Xia used to hum during her rare moments of sanity many years ago.