Comrade Gu Xiaoyin has never quite understood—he’s just trying to pursue an Alpha, so why does it often feel like he’s committing a crime?

There’s an old saying that goes, “working for cabbage money, but worrying like you’re in the drug trade.” That pretty much sums up his mood.

The rescue helicopter soon took the bodyguards away. There were no doctors in the villa, and the wounds caused by the military knife were not easy to handle, so they needed to be sent to the nearest hospital.

Xiao Zong didn’t get on the helicopter; instead, he turned and went to drive the car.

Gu Yin followed him, happily trailing along.

Commander, seemingly still scared, curled up in Secretary Gu’s arms, refusing to come out. After Gu Yin stroked it a little, it started making a “purring” sound and eventually fell asleep.

The road through the forest was bumpy, and the car shook as they traveled. Gu Yin thought about how Xiao Zong had supported him earlier, and he couldn’t help but feel happy.

There seemed to be a slight imbalance in Xiao Zong’s pheromones, and in the enclosed space, the woody resin scent of snow mountain spruce was strong.

It smelled so good. Gu Yin secretly took a sniff, but then worried he might get caught, so he changed the subject.

“How old is it?” he asked.

Xiao Zong glanced at him, “A little over a year.”

That little ungrateful creature had been at home for a year, and it wouldn’t let him hold it, let alone pet it. Every time it saw him, it would hiss and puff up like a hedgehog, only showing a good attitude when it was hungry—flipping its tail at him and looking like it was ready to run away at any moment, as if wronged by the whole world.

Gu Yin looked pretty silly cradling the cat like that.

After the incident, Xiao Zong had developed a particular fondness for off-road vehicles. He had just wrecked one, but immediately brought back several more, parking them at the villa, his city apartment, and the underground garage of his company. After reshuffling the security team, Xiao Zong even planned to give the bodyguards their own fleet of vehicles.

These cars weren’t cheap, and Xiao Zong wanted them immediately, so the manufacturer practically set up a production line just for him.

This must be the joy of being rich.

As for the cat… I—don’t—care—about—it.

Xiao Zong was lost in thought when he suddenly smelled something sweet in the air.

“Is your inhibitor malfunctioning?”

Gu Yin snapped out of his thoughts and touched the gland at the back of his neck, “Ah, sorry.”

During the fight, his movements had been too intense, and the inhibitor patch had fallen off without him noticing.

“You’re always so careless. If the cat ran off, wouldn’t you call for help to find it?” Xiao Zong said in a grumpy tone. “If Wu Yong weren’t reliable and skilled, you wouldn’t even be able to cry about it tonight!”

Fang Chi was always saying something about deer, some kind of deer—clearly, this guy is a clueless roe deer.

Completely unreliable.

Gu Yin had no idea why the boss was upset again. He could only glance at him cautiously and say, “It’s not like that. You showed up right away, didn’t you?” Seeing Xiao Zong ignoring him, he tried to please him by adding, “Did you already know something would happen tonight?”

“Hmph.”

It wasn’t just a coincidence—Xiao Zong had his eyes on the security team because the old man had hinted at it.

Despite Xiao Yan’s explosive temper, the old man had seen countless people in his life. The calmer he was, the easier it was for some to make a misstep.

Xiao Yan’s inaction was a way of giving his grandson the opportunity. After all, Xiao Zong was grown up now, and the old man couldn’t direct him in everything. Having just taken over the corporation, Xiao Zong needed to firmly control his inner circle as well as the other employees in the company.

Gu Yin stayed silent after that, feeling awkward.

His pheromones were so faint they were barely noticeable.

Taking advantage of Gu Yin’s distraction, Xiao Zong quietly took a sniff.

At least it didn’t smell like plain water.

This guy was strange. Normally, when an AO differentiates, their pheromones become noticeable, and the scent that accompanies the pheromones continuously generates, naturally becoming part of their unique scent over time.

To put it simply, it’s called being “seasoned.”

But the scent on Gu Yin was even less noticeable than his body wash, almost like a Beta.

The mountain road gradually smoothed out, and the car’s headlights revealed the distant villa ahead.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Zong broke it first, keeping his eyes on the road.

“When did you differentiate?”

Gu Yin spoke softly, “A little late.”

Xiao Zong nodded, then asked, “Are you afraid of me?”

“No.”

“Then why—” Xiao Zong paused, finally unable to hold back, and asked, “Do you think I always have a stern face?”

**

The old butler was nearing retirement and couldn’t quite grasp the younger generation’s business.

For example, why did the conversation between Young Master Xiao and Secretary Gu change so drastically after they returned?

“You peeked at me while I was showering!”

“I said I didn’t!”

“How could you peep at an Omega showering?”

“I didn’t!”

“Meow!”

The cat, freshly awake, added fuel to the fire.

The villa wasn’t that far from the forest. The dense spruce trees made it difficult for cars to pass, so they had to take a detour. Even so, it didn’t take them long to get back.

Feeling guilty and eager to end Xiao Zong’s questioning, Gu Yin firmly accused Xiao Zong of peeping at him and the cat during their bath.

Xiao Zong was at a loss for words. No matter how carefully he tried to explain, neither Gu Yin nor the cat believed him.

The old butler listened for a bit and thought things were getting serious. Young Master Xiao had been raised with strict discipline, so how could he possibly do something like this? The butler decided to intervene.

But just as he was about to, Gu Yin lowered his head, staring straight at the cat’s head, and suddenly said, “So… were you satisfied with what you saw?”

Xiao Zong: ?!

The old butler: I’d better go to bed.

This direct comment caught Xiao Zong completely off guard, and while he was stunned, Gu Yin slipped away with the cat in his arms.

Xiao Zong watched him leave: “…”

The old butler was about to leave as well when he heard Xiao Zong ask, “Where did Secretary Gu get his clothes? They look familiar.”

The butler turned back and said, “Secretary Gu didn’t bring any clothes, so I found some for him from your school days.”

The old butler and the servants had brought quite a few things over from the villa. The older generation believed that a house needed more of the owner’s personal items to truly feel lively.

No wonder the clothes were so loose.

This guy, Gu Yin, had clearly been parading around in his clothes on purpose.

“…Young Master, why are you smiling?” the old butler asked, puzzled.

Am I smiling?

Xiao Zong subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth, then quickly put on a serious face.

“I’m not. You’re just tired, Uncle Yan,” he replied before turning to leave.

Strange. They’d just caught a few traitors, yet Young Master Xiao seemed to be in a good mood?

The old butler watched him walk upstairs and called after him, “What about Wu Yong and those bodyguards who were sent to the hospital?”

Xiao Zong stopped but didn’t turn around. He said, “Send the recordings to the reporters waiting down the mountain.”

The butler shuddered at the thought of the media vehicles swarming at the foot of the mountain like wolves circling their prey.

Another storm was brewing.

**

As expected, the paparazzi, who dabbled in both military and civilian affairs, received a year-end gift from Xiao Zong that night. After listening to the recordings, they wasted no time in reporting it to the police.

Wu Yong might not have been the sharpest, but he wasn’t outright stupid. The recordings he submitted contained far more than what Gu Yin had heard.

Wang Qi and the others had been dropping hints for some time, and once Wu Yong realized Leng Entertainment was behind it, he had started recording bits and pieces, worried about possible conflicts.

Leng Entertainment had reporters present, and they immediately tried to suppress the release of the recordings while notifying the company’s higher-ups.

But the rapid escalation had been fueled by these very individuals. Without them fanning the flames, it wouldn’t have blown up so quickly—let alone the fact that the key players in Xiao Zong’s supposed love triangle were all unmarried. Ye Yumeng, a well-known Omega in the luxury industry, had never publicly acknowledged having a partner.

So what if Xiao Zong was involved with his secretary? There’s an old saying, “The secretary handles the work, and when there’s no work, handle the secretary.” Both the Alpha and Omega were single; it wasn’t even a case of a scandalous personal life.

To seasoned entertainment journalists, this wasn’t even close to a shocking scoop.

But family feuds over inheritance were different. A bastard son bribing the heir’s bodyguard to sabotage the family? And judging from the recordings, they’d even planned to harm the family head?

The tangled web of love and betrayal was worth digging into. Now that the fire had spread to Leng Entertainment, it wouldn’t be easy for them to brush it off.

Scandals involving powerful families were far more interesting than those about celebrities. These families had high social standing and complex dynamics, often creating dramatic conflicts. Plus, their members were usually exceptionally good-looking, due to strict marriage conditions.

The Xiao Family name alone drew massive attention, especially when it involved Leng Family’s bastard son. This could boost yearly numbers.

Those stirring up trouble were now stepping on people’s livelihoods, earning the disdain of their peers.

Everyone in the industry was a seasoned fox, so why were they playing at ghost stories here?

The night shift police received the report, and because it involved a kidnapping, it was immediately forwarded to a special task force.

Following procedure, the task force had to contact Xiao Zong. Normally, they wouldn’t reach out to the CEO directly but would go through his lawyer.

Lawyer Wang quickly provided proof of Xiao Zong’s injuries and a medical certificate.

A mild concussion from a car accident required at least one to two months of rest, without overexertion or emotional strain. Xiao Zong had already retreated to the mountains, yet the paparazzi had still surrounded the entire area.

Even the police sympathized with him.

That night, countless entertainment reporters scrambled to submit their drafts after reviewing the exclusive material. By the next morning, the news had spread widely.

Xiao Zong didn’t sleep well, though.

That faint sweet scent lingered in his mind all night.

In his dream, he unconsciously chased after that warm, sweet fragrance, until he found himself kissing a pair of soft lips. Something inside him seemed to explode, igniting a blazing fire that overwhelmed all his senses.

His fingers tangled in the other person’s soft hair, and he greedily took what he wanted, to the point where he thought he could hear sobs in his hazy state.

“Don’t… don’t cry…”

Even in his subconscious, Xiao Zong tried to control himself, soothing the person in his arms and struggling to get a clear view of their face.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make out their features, though he was vaguely aware they had light-colored hair.

Blonde…

A gunshot rang out.

Xiao Zong woke up with a start, sitting up in bed, drenched in sweat, his sheets soaked through.

“Whew—”

He knew exactly what the artificial intelligence hadn’t finished saying—he used high-intensity work to burn off an Alpha’s excess energy, suppressing his body’s natural instincts: its response to pheromones.

But no matter how starved he was, it shouldn’t have been triggered by someone he’d only met once, especially since he could barely remember what they looked like.

I probably hit my head too hard in the car crash, he thought. He felt ashamed of his bizarre and personal dream.

It was all Gu… Wei Mian’s fault. Why did he have to send Gu Yin to the villa with such important documents?

After his usual complaints about his assistant, Second Young Master Xiao finally collected himself, tossing aside the covers to take a shower and change clothes.

Since he wasn’t working, his home attire was simple.

A gray V-neck knitted sweater and light beige cotton casual pants—classic, understated, and expensive, but without flashy logos like some trendy luxury brands.

Wearing something soft and fluffy (the sweater counted) made his mood more relaxed.

Later that night, at Lu Ming Mountain.

The dining area was on the first floor, and the servants had already started setting things up.

Despite his busy lifestyle, Xiao Zong had refined tastes when it came to living arrangements. Money was there to make life more comfortable and convenient. If he couldn’t take vacations, he made sure other areas of his life were upgraded.

He didn’t cook, but the villa’s main kitchen and dining room were semi-open, creating a warm, homey atmosphere. The servants and bodyguards, about a dozen in total, lived in the side wings of the villa.

The guest rooms were reserved for family members—this place wasn’t meant to entertain outside guests, so there was no need for a reception hall. It was designed purely as a private retreat.

Xiao Zong felt a bit light-headed.

Even though he knew the Leng Family would soon retaliate, he was surprisingly calm.

Strangely, though, the little secretary didn’t seem to be in a good mood today.

Gu Yin, who usually bounced back quickly after a scolding, was sulking, and Xiao Zong found it rather amusing.

Right now, Gu Yin looked like he hadn’t slept all night.

His dark circles were practically dragging down to his chin.

He looked like someone who had… indulged a little too much.

Xiao Zong thought about it, realized it was inappropriate, and mentally buried the second half of that thought, pretending it had never crossed his mind.

For once, Gu Yin didn’t greet Xiao Zong with his usual energetic “Good morning, boss!” Instead, he quietly said “Morning” and then turned to help set the table for breakfast.

His cheeks were red all the way down to his neck, looking just like a freshly boiled shrimp.