9

Today, the products applied to Omega’s face were more than he had ever used in his entire life.

He no longer had the strength to feel embarrassed or self-conscious. He felt like a spinning top, beaten until he was dizzy—his body round and short—following the assistant through various machines, with staff members massaging and kneading him one after another. Wearing a headpiece, he lay on a clean white bed, a warm towel pressed against his face. A young Beta lady gently patted his cheeks with a fragrant transparent lotion, leaving it for five minutes before wiping it off. Then, she applied a thick layer of something like green mud, and a delicate mechanical arm embedded with soothing blue light swept across his face and neck, scanning them back and forth…

Earlier, he might have had some self-deprecating thoughts like, “They’re so beautiful, I’m so ugly,” or “Are they secretly laughing at me?” Now, his mind was empty, with only two questions constantly buzzing through his head.

What are they doing?

What am I doing?

Finally, the test was over. One of the assistants jogged over, eager to deliver the freshly completed analysis report to alpha. The other assistant, not even giving him a moment to rest, clapped their hands and ordered, “Call the people from Area B to come over now and give this gentleman a basic skincare treatment!”

His voice echoed through the spacious room, and before omega could react, a group of people rushed in through the side door, surrounding him and quickly putting him back down. They began discussing among themselves in a flurry of voices.

Omega: “…”

This time, it seemed like even more products were applied to his face. He was surrounded by the warmth of steam and a fragrant atmosphere, feeling drowsy and vaguely aware of someone applying something to his hands.

“Let me add a hand treatment for you.” The woman massaging his face had a sweet voice, her tone as gentle as a spring breeze. “Hands are one of the most important parts we show to the outside world, we can’t neglect them.”

Half an hour passed as if in a dream. Someone removed the face mask for him, and another person wiped away the remaining moisture from his face. Omega sat up, breathing in confusion, and couldn’t help but gently touch his cheek.

The rough texture, with slight depressions, was gone. Instead, his skin felt smooth… almost like a boiled egg, peeled and soft… something he rarely ate.

Omega widened his eyes, about to rub his cheek a little harder to check if this was real, when two assistants descended from nowhere and immediately escorted him back to alpha’s office.

At that moment, the messy drafts and blueprints that had been piled on alpha’s desk were nowhere to be found. In their place stood various bottles and jars of different sizes and colors, like something out of a laboratory.

Alpha furrowed his brow, his face showing clear displeasure as he looked at the delicate containers. Hearing someone enter, he lifted his gaze, his eyes harshly lingering on omega’s face for a long moment.

“Give him a mirror.” Alpha raised his chin slightly, his tone sharp as a blade, cutting with both coldness and pain. “Congratulations, you are undergoing the process of transformation into something human.”

Omega gazed at his reflection in the glossy mirror, as though he was meeting himself for the first time.

His cheeks had become much smoother, and the pores around his nose were nearly invisible. The dirt on the tip of his nose and the greasy shine on his forehead had disappeared, leaving the air around him feeling much cleaner as well.

He had only become slightly paler, but the entire person seemed to shine as if all the dust had been wiped away.

Though he still wasn’t good-looking, still so overweight, with small, single eyelids and messy eyebrows… this was, after all, a version of himself he had never seen before.

“Enough, take the mirror away.” Alpha ordered coldly, “If I have to watch him get so self-indulgent, I might as well skip dinner.”

The assistant took the mirror from Omega’s hands and bowed before exiting.

“Come here.” Alpha spoke indifferently, tossing him a pen and a notebook. “I said, you write.”

Omega didn’t dare disobey, quickly opening the notebook to prepare to take notes. “Please, go ahead.”

“First,” Alpha’s long fingers lightly tapped on the table. He paused, seemingly considering how to phrase his words. “You have combination dry and sensitive skin. Aside from your forehead and nose bridge, the rest of your face can use products with hydrating and moisture-locking effects.”

He pushed a few bottles to the side. “These, you can read the instructions yourself when you get home.”

“For the T-zone, you’ll need these oil-control products,” he moved a few more bottles aside. “Again, read the instructions when you get home. And since you have sensitive skin, you should avoid products with alcohol or acids. For cleansing, stay away from hydrogen hydroxide and soap-based cleansers. Don’t use soap on your face anymore!”

Omega wanted to ask how he knew he used soap to wash his face, but fearing a reprimand, he simply nodded and hurriedly took notes.

Alpha’s instructions are clear and firm, outlining exactly what Omega needs to do for his skin. Omega, feeling nervous about getting scolded, quickly agrees and writes down everything Alpha says. His fear of making Alpha upset shows in how eager he is to follow the orders. Alpha’s serious tone shows how much control he has, leaving Omega little choice but to listen carefully.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a rare sigh. “Alright, as for skincare, that’s all for now. It doesn’t need to be too complicated at first. The rest can wait until the next phase. Now, moving on—”

He let out a cold smile just as the office door opened. Omega turned to see a tall, fit beta woman standing there, flashing him a bright smile.

“Because of your special status, I’ve specially arranged for a personal trainer for you,” alpha said with a pleased arch of his brow. “For the next three months, she’ll be in charge of your workouts at the gym. No problem, right?”

To be middle-aged and still have to endure this kind of grind….

Looking at the trainer’s no-nonsense demeanor, omega immediately felt like crying.