As the night deepened, An Xun left his company and took a cab to a well-known bar in the city center.

The moment he stepped into the bar, a mixture of alcohol and tobacco scents overwhelmed him, while the loud music was intertwined with bursts of cheers. He pushed through the partying crowd and finally spotted a familiar figure at the bar in the back.

“Nian Nian!” he called out.

The person turned around, saw An Xun rushing over with excitement, and put down his drink, saying, “Babe, why are you so late?”

“Don’t even ask. That damn boss made me work overtime, saying it was all for the company’s development. Contribution, my ass,” An Xun, full of dissatisfaction toward his boss, sat down and called to the busy bartender ahead, “Hey, handsome, get me a depth charge.”

Tao Nian, sitting nearby, leaned over. “You’re not working anymore? If you drink that, you might not wake up until noon tomorrow.”

“I’m done with it. I’m taking leave. I’ll just say I worked four days straight and got hit by a car due to mental fatigue.” An Xun wrapped his arm around Tao Nian’s, “If I pass out drunk, you better not keep drinking. Otherwise, the two of us will just be wasted here.”

The dim lighting made it hard to see his face clearly, but just sitting there, even from his silhouette, it wasn’t difficult to guess An Xun’s looks.

He was the type that alphas liked.

“If anyone’s gonna be wasted, it’ll be you. A guy like me, no regular alpha would be interested in,” Tao Nian lowered his voice suddenly, “See those alphas behind you? They’ve been staring at you.”

“Let them stare. It’s not like they can do anything to me.”

An Xun sneakily glanced back before saying, “Dial back your omega scent. As long as I act like I’m taken, they’ll think I’m not single.”

This trick always worked, and Tao Nian was used to it by now.

An Xun leaned over and casually patted Tao Nian’s arm muscles, marveling, “We’re both omegas, so why are your muscles so developed?”

“Because you’re lazy,” Tao Nian pinched his slender wrist, “Take your pervy hands off. I’m not into OO romance.”

A small glass was filled with strong liquor, and as it dropped into the beer, the liquid splashed out, and the foam disappeared, leaving behind a scent of vodka mixed with fruity beer—refreshing and cutting through the greasy aftertaste.

An Xun took a sip. The sweet grapefruit flavor exploded in his mouth, with a slightly spicy kick down his throat.

His fair face instantly turned a shade of pink, and he smacked his lips, saying, “I haven’t been out drinking for a while. My tolerance has gotten worse.”

Tao Nian teased sarcastically, “I’ve invited you more than ten times, and you always had some excuse. It’s been over a month since you touched any alcohol. Of course, your tolerance is shot.”

“Are you blaming me? I really didn’t have the time,” An Xun clung to Tao Nian’s arm, resting his head on his shoulder, looking like a picture of peace and tranquility. “You wouldn’t believe it—I even blew up my ceramic pot while cooking this morning. By the time I cleaned up the kitchen, I was late, and that damn boss docked me fifty bucks for emotional damage.”

As he spoke, his hand found its way back to Tao Nian’s firm muscles, “Nian Nian, are you showing off your muscles to seduce me?”

Even though An Xun’s shameless remarks were nothing new, Tao Nian still flinched in surprise every time the guy blurted something outrageous. “Quit messing with me. I called you here for something serious.”

“If it’s about dating, forget it. I’m not interested in you.”

Tao Nian’s brow twitched, and for the umpteenth time, he considered ditching the friend he’d known for over ten years and pretending he didn’t know him.

Tao Nian looked around, then said in a low voice, “The An family’s gone bankrupt.”

An Xun wasn’t shocked at all. In fact, he was extremely calm. “Didn’t I tell you half a month ago? You thought I was joking back then?”

“You don’t have any thoughts about it?”

“Nope.”

Tao Nian sighed, “Alright then. I heard the An family is trying to save the company by arranging a marriage with the boss of Yi Hai Group. That boss is over forty, divorced with two kids. Not only is he short, but he’s also fat and ugly. How could they bear to marry off their precious son?”

Although An Xun couldn’t hold his liquor like before, his neck was already red after half a drink, and his stomach felt like it was on fire. Still, when he heard this, a chill crept into his eyes that shouldn’t have been there in his slightly tipsy state.

His tone turned cold, “Of course they can’t bear it. And they don’t intend to let him marry.”

“So…” Tao Nian was about to ask for more details, but seeing the frost on An Xun’s face, he finally realized—An family had two sons, both of them omegas, and the one sitting in front of him was one of them.

The heavy thud of a glass hitting the counter echoed, and Tao Nian suppressed his anger. His hand gripped his glass so tightly that the veins on his hand bulged. “They want you to marry? Are they crazy? Now they remember you exist?”

“Yeah, now they remember I exist,” An Xun echoed nonchalantly, as if it didn’t matter.

An Xun’s father built his empire from scratch and became a chairman at a young age. As the company grew, he became more arrogant and cold toward others. People avoided him, thinking he was stuck-up, yet his mother had inexplicably fallen head over heels for him, deeply attracted by his cold exterior.

It wasn’t hard for a pretty omega to win someone’s heart, so after a brief courtship, they quickly got married and had him. His mother admired his father in a weird way. Since An Xun didn’t look like an alpha and resembled her entirely, she became paranoid, thinking he was there to steal her husband.

The novelty wore off fast, and within a few years, they were sick of each other. He despised her for being immature and belittled her at every turn. She thought he was cheating, which is why he was dissatisfied. Whenever they were together, there was a storm brewing, and their fights were intense.

Amid their screaming matches, both regretted their hasty decision.

They divorced and felt relieved, leaving An Xun behind, unloved and uncared for. His father harbored nothing but hatred for his mother, and since An Xun was a mini version of her, his father didn’t like him either. A few years later, his father remarried a female omega named Chen Xiang.

His stepmother treated him worse than his father. Otherwise, a young master like him wouldn’t have ended up in this situation—hiding in the school dormitory during his school years to avoid going home, and borrowing money to rent a place and work after coming of age.

Feeling the effects of the alcohol, An Xun shook his head. “Don’t worry, I won’t marry. I’ve already cut ties with the An family. Their bankruptcy makes me happy. I’ll admit, the Yi Hai boss is rich, but I prefer someone rich, handsome, and young. If they could find such an excellent alpha for me to marry, maybe I’d consider it.”

“Even if they did, it wouldn’t be your turn.”

An Xun clung to his arm. “Stop bursting my bubble. I fantasize every day about an alpha like that coming to save me, rescuing this poor omega who’s gradually losing hope in life. Like, for example, Bo Xiangzhou.”

At the mention of Bo Xiangzhou, An Xun’s face lit up with a smile, a look of admiration for both wealth and good looks.

At this point, Tao Nian had only four words in his mind: greedy and lustful.

“This isn’t about losing hope. You’re just becoming a perv,” Tao Nian said. “Forget about Bo Xiangzhou. He’s the dream guy of every omega. Half the omegas in Jiang City want to marry him. Listen to me, the competition’s too fierce. Either lower your standards or stay single.”

“Then I’ll stay single. The alphas now? No money, no ambition, ugly, and still full of confidence.”

His phone buzzed in his pocket. An Xun, already tipsy and leaning against Tao Nian, didn’t bother to check who it was. He lazily answered the call with his eyes half-closed.

Hearing the noise on his end, the person on the other side of the phone burst into anger, “You’re out drinking again? As an omega, can’t you have some self-respect? Stop hanging around with shady people in sketchy places.”

It took him a few seconds to realize it was his stepmother on the phone. An Xun responded calmly, “Yeah, your son sure has self-respect. He was dating gangsters back in middle school. What’s it to you if I drink? I’m not spending your money. Instead of lecturing me, why don’t you think about how to handle your own mess? You won’t be bouncing around much longer. Once An family declares complete bankruptcy, your life as a rich lady will be over.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. “Send me your location. I’ll have someone pick you up.”

“No, I’m not marrying that fat pig.”

“This is important. You’re coming whether you want to or not. Otherwise, I’ll send the bodyguards to drag you over. You’ll be the one embarrassed in the end.”

An Xun replied lightly, “Don’t speak too soon. You might be the one embarrassed.”

The line went dead with a click.

Half an hour later, his stepmother sent a text message:

[Across the street from the bar, black Lexus, license plate 79K30. Are you coming over yourself, or should we come to get you?]

An Xun raised an eyebrow. They weren’t playing around, huh? He thought they’d give up, but it seemed they were determined to take him back. It looked like he’d have to deal with this if he wanted peace.

Tao Nian glanced at the message from his seat nearby. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to fight them, obviously. There’s no way I’m marrying that guy,” An Xun pocketed his phone and headed toward the door.

Having seen An Xun fight before, Tao Nian was confident in him. “Hurry back then. I’ll be here waiting.”

Amid the blaring music, An Xun shook his head, still a bit tipsy, but his heightened alertness made him snap to attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an alpha in the shadows watching him with ill intentions. Once he realized he’d been spotted, the man started following him.

An Xun quickened his pace, pulling up his hoodie to hide his flushed, slightly drunk face. He figured that if the alpha kept following, he’d duck into an alley and teach the guy a lesson.

His steps were unsteady as he made his way to the door, and the alpha stuck to him like glue, giving off a creepy, lecherous vibe that made An Xun feel nauseous.

He kept glancing back as he walked. Just as the man was about to catch up, An Xun slipped and crashed headfirst into a tall alpha.

The man visibly stiffened for a moment, his body frozen for a few seconds.

Being so close, An Xun could smell the woody fragrance on the man, with a faint hint of sea breeze.

This lustful guy couldn’t see his face, but his drunken haze made him sniff shamelessly, thinking to himself, judging by the scent, this guy’s definitely handsome.

But there wasn’t time to dwell on that now.

As a drunk omega, he was way too noticeable to alphas, even when trying to blend in.

Right now, the priority was getting out of here. Who knows, maybe this guy in front of him was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Sure, his suit was sharp, but anyone hanging around a bar at this hour probably wasn’t a gentleman. Strip away the suit, and he’d probably be just as bad as the other alphas inside.

His nose hurt a bit from bumping into the man’s hard chest, so An Xun rubbed it, then glanced back again. For some reason, the alpha who had been following him was heading back.

Holding his dazed head, An Xun tugged at his hoodie, muttering a quick, “Sorry, handsome, how about a kiss?” before darting away, leaving behind a cold and indifferent silhouette.

His words were so flirty that the man’s expression darkened slightly.

At that moment, the previously unnoticed assistant behind him spoke up, “Bo Zong, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

It was the first time the assistant had seen President Bo get flirted with like that, and he was a bit nervous, afraid it might cost him his salary. But tonight had been an accident—he hadn’t expected his boss to encounter such a bizarre situation right after stepping out of the car.

The assistant was internally panicking but maintained a calm exterior. “President Bo, should I investigate?”

The lighting outside was dim, and the omega had covered his face.

The assistant was worried—it would take a lot of effort to dig deeper if they wanted to pursue this.

“No need. It was just an accident,” Bo Xiangzhou patted the spot where An Xun had bumped him, brushing off some imaginary dust, before returning to his usual indifferent expression. “Where is he?”

The assistant knew right away that the matter had been dropped and breathed a sigh of relief. “Young Master Shen is in a private room on the second floor.”