4: Or… Do You Want to Come Home with Me?
The Beta manager rushed over, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
He had just been toasting familiar VIP clients, which delayed his arrival a little.
The scent of pheromones in the hallway was so thick that even a Beta like him—who usually wasn’t sensitive to such things—felt his knees go weak. No wonder the standby Omegas in the lounge had all been stirred up just now…
Releasing dominant pheromones in public was generally frowned upon, but as an S-class Alpha, Sheng Shaoyou could precisely control the target of his suppression. So, aside from being a little dazed by the overpowering scent, no one else suffered serious effects.
Seeing the manager arrive, Sheng Shaoyou instantly withdrew his pressure.
The Alpha—whose face had already contorted in pain—gasped for air like he’d just been rescued from drowning, tears and snot running down his face as he struggled to stand upright and began complaining tearfully to the Beta manager.
That A-class Alpha had indeed been thoroughly crushed. But Sheng Shaoyou was a super VIP and a close guest of the owner, so the Beta manager couldn’t afford to offend him. All he could do was smile awkwardly at the Alpha and offer a placating explanation. “I’m very sorry—this was all a misunderstanding…”
“Misunderstanding?” The Alpha, still coughing, finally caught his breath. Though he didn’t dare directly target Sheng Shaoyou or even meet his eyes, he gritted his teeth and said bitterly, “That call-boy of yours sure is high maintenance! What’s the point of working in this business if he can’t handle anything? Fucking ruined my night!”
Sheng Shaoyou’s generosity was well-known throughout the management team of Tiandihui. Even if this had been a deliberate provocation, no one dared raise their voice to the source of their revenue. So the Beta manager decided to change the subject. He feigned surprise and asked, “Call-boy? Which one?”
“Him!” the Alpha spat, pointing.
The Beta manager followed his finger—and saw the young man hiding behind Sheng Shaoyou.
Wait… him?
He remembered noticing the unfamiliar yet stunning Omega earlier when the night shift began.
That pale, delicate skin, sharp chin, flawless features—and that cool, alluring floral scent of his pheromones…
Even someone like the Beta manager, whose eyes were notoriously sharp from spending his days around beauties, had been momentarily struck by this Omega’s looks at first glance.
And what was his name again?
Right—Hua Yong.
“Fuck—” the Alpha snapped, seeing the manager stare at Hua Yong in a daze. “What are you zoning out for? Well? What are you going to do about this?!”
The manager couldn’t do anything about Sheng Shaoyou, but disciplining a part-time newcomer on his first day? That was easy.
He straightened his face and turned to Hua Yong. “What happened?”
Hua Yong stood close to Sheng Shaoyou, his pale face tinged with the soft red of vulnerability and lingering panic—most likely affected by the earlier pheromone outburst.
Clutching Sheng Shaoyou’s sleeve, he explained honestly, “I kept trying to tell the guest I was just here to promote drinks. But he wouldn’t listen… I’m really lucky Mr. Sheng stepped in when he did…”
The Beta manager stared at him speechlessly.
If Sheng Shaoyou weren’t here, he’d be rolling his eyes to the sky.
Sure, the job listing said “beverage promoter.” But as an Omega working in nightlife, you should know what’s expected—eating, drinking, entertaining, and intimate engagement are practically part of the package!
How else could the pay be so generous?
What the hell was HR doing? Just because someone has a pretty face, you bring them in without even explaining the job properly? Now he had to clean up the mess.
The Alpha, painted as a brute forcing himself on an unwilling beauty, was clearly still bitter. Having slowly recovered from Sheng Shaoyou’s suppression, and still humiliated from the earlier scene, he now turned on the manager, barking, “Look at what kind of people you hire!”
“This how you treat guests here?! Goddamn, worse than some dive karaoke bar! I’ve been partying for years, and I’ve never seen such bullshit!”
“I’m terribly sorry!” the Beta manager rushed to appease him. “Tonight’s expenses are on the house—everything, for you and your friends.”
Then he turned back to Sheng Shaoyou and bowed repeatedly in apology.
To smooth things over further, he added, “This gentleman is Mr. Sheng from Shengfang Biotech. You’ve heard of Shengfang, right? Top of the industry in Jianghu, a major taxpayer—”
Trying to save face for the Alpha, the manager smiled servilely. “Gentlemen like you and Mr. Sheng are both well-known in society. No need to let a little misunderstanding sour things between you. Give it some time, and you’ll laugh about it, maybe even become friends.”
The Alpha was a minor young master in his own right—but compared to Sheng Shaoyou, who was part of Jianghu’s elite inner circle, his status didn’t even come close.
Noting the Alpha’s softened expression, the savvy manager pressed his advantage: “Of course, I understand you’ve been through a lot tonight. As additional compensation, in addition to waiving your tab, we’ll give you ¥20,000 in cash vouchers. I hope you’ll give Tiandihui another chance.”
The Alpha had heard of Sheng Shaoyou before, though he’d never met him. The Beta manager’s tactful flattery soothed his bruised ego. He grinned stiffly and extended a hand toward Sheng Shaoyou. “Let’s just let it go, yeah? Didn’t mean anything, I had too much to drink…”
But Sheng Shaoyou kept his hands in his pockets, staring at him expressionlessly.
The manager’s heart sank. Forcing a grin, he begged, “Mr. Sheng, please, just this once. Don’t make things harder—”
“Is saying sorry to an Omega really that hard for you? What makes you think you’re so noble?”
The Alpha’s forced smile froze.
The manager was quick to catch the unspoken sentiment—Sheng Shaoyou clearly favored Hua Yong. So he turned to the latter, signaling frantically with his eyes.
Hua Yong didn’t want to speak up, but the manager’s desperate gaze was impossible to ignore. He tugged at Sheng Shaoyou’s sleeve and whispered, “Mr. Sheng, it’s okay. Let it go.”
It was clearly a soft plea for peace.
Sheng Shaoyou frowned. “You sure?”
“He’s sure, of course,” the manager jumped in quickly. “Just a misunderstanding, after all…”
Sheng Shaoyou had been drinking that night—vodka, no less. He wasn’t drunk, but definitely buzzed. The manager’s chatter was starting to grate on his nerves.
He turned his face lazily. “Did I ask you? I was asking him.”
The manager was stunned—and even more annoyed at Hua Yong.
“Then say it yourself, Hua Yong.”
Hua Yong kept his head down, long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. “I’m sure. Let’s just forget it.”
The farce was finally over.
After escorting the two VIPs out, the Beta manager turned to Hua Yong and snapped, “You. My office. Now.”
Hua Yong agreed softly—but his eyes lingered on Sheng Shaoyou’s retreating figure.
After a pause, he asked the manager, “Can you wait a moment? I want to speak to Mr. Sheng before I go.”
The manager had seen plenty of pretty Omegas who tried to cozy up to powerful men. But remembering how protective Sheng Shaoyou had been earlier, he allowed it with a raised brow. “Go ahead. Make it quick.”
“Mr. Sheng—”
At the entrance of Tiandihui, Sheng Shaoyou looked down at the hand tugging his sleeve once again.
Hua Yong had clearly chased after him, slightly breathless, his exposed lower abdomen rising and falling, a strip of pale skin peeking from beneath the ill-fastened uniform.
“Can I have your contact information…?”
Just thinking about that waist being grabbed by different Alphas left a bitter taste in Sheng Shaoyou’s mouth. He answered coldly, “No.”
Hua Yong’s expression turned awkward, but he tried to explain, “It’s just that—”
“No need to thank me,” Sheng Shaoyou cut him off sharply.
Hua Yong opened his mouth again, but before he could speak—
Sheng Shaoyou curled his lips, amused. “Or… do you want to come home with me?”
After all, what Omega could resist an S-class Alpha?
Especially one who was handsome, rich, and had just saved them in a moment of danger. And Hua Yong seemed to really need money. He’d been close to Shen Wenlang, so surely he knew the game. Maybe his “I don’t sell” attitude was just a matter of price…
Hua Yong froze, not immediately grasping the implication. When it hit him, his already flushed cheeks turned scarlet. “I didn’t—”
But Sheng Shaoyou didn’t give him the chance to finish. His smile cooled. “No need to offer yourself. I’m not like Shen Wenlang—I’m not interested in things that throw themselves at me.”
With that, he shook off Hua Yong’s hand and got in the car.
The Beta manager watching from nearby snorted quietly. He’d seen this play out a thousand times. Sure, Hua Yong had a pretty face, but thinking a lowly server could climb into Sheng Shaoyou’s league? Utterly delusional.
Now that Sheng Shaoyou was gone, Hua Yong had lost all his leverage. The manager was out of patience. “Are you done? I’ve got a ton of work waiting. Move it.”
Hua Yong turned his head and shot him a flat look.
For some reason, a chill ran down the manager’s spine. Must’ve been the night wind, he told himself.
The next day at noon, Sheng Shaoyou had just finished a meeting and was about to take a short nap in the break room behind his office when Chen Pinming knocked.
Sheng Shaoyou loosened his tie and said lazily, “Come in.”
Chen Pinming looked troubled—bad timing. Still, he braced himself. “Just now, Secretary Hua from HS Group came looking for me.”
Hua Yong? Sheng Shaoyou paused.
Couldn’t get his contact info directly, so now trying to go through his people? Says no to going home with him, but now pulling the classic push-pull game?
Thinking of how that A-class Alpha had been utterly enchanted by Hua Yong the night before, Sheng Shaoyou snorted inwardly. No wonder even Shen Wenlang, who supposedly hated Omegas, had fallen for him. That sweet, innocent face was nothing but bait.
“Secretary Hua asked me to give this to you.”
Only then did Sheng Shaoyou notice the small kraft paper bag in Chen’s hands.
“So you’re doing delivery work now?”
Chen Pinming, a Beta not sensitive to pheromones, was usually sharp and reliable. Sheng Shaoyou had never expected even he would fall for Hua Yong’s tricks. Beauty really was dangerous.
Chen flinched at the coldness in Sheng’s tone and hurried to explain. “It’s not a gift. Secretary Hua said he found your cufflink at He Ci the other day. He didn’t have your contact, so he asked me to pass it on.”
…Oh. Just returning lost property?
Then why not say so earlier?
An Omega asking for an Alpha’s number, wearing that expression—who wouldn’t get the wrong idea?
Chen Pinming sensed that his explanation had only made things worse. The atmosphere grew colder. Wisely, he excused himself and fled the office.
Sheng Shaoyou stared at the bag for a long moment, then picked it up and turned it over—sure enough, a cufflink fell out.
He usually had staff manage his accessories. A missing cufflink meant the other one had likely been tossed already. So this return was… pointless.
He frowned—until he saw the note inside.
Neat handwriting.
“Mr. Sheng, I found this cufflink at He Ci. I didn’t have it with me yesterday, which is why I asked for your contact—to return it properly. I’m very sorry for all the trouble last night. Thank you so much for helping me. – Hua Yong”
Sheng Shaoyou turned the note over a few times, then lost interest. He tossed the note and cufflink into his drawer and lay down for a nap.