27: I Only Like Mr. Sheng
Li Baiqiao was used to lively parties. This time, to avoid annoying his older brother, he settled for a more restrained venue — but it was his birthday, after all, and he was unwilling to just quietly eat dinner and be done with it.
After a few rounds of drinks, the restaurant staff came in to clear the dishes, turned on the projector, dimmed the lights, switched out the live band for a DJ, and replaced the wine menu at the bar with cocktails. The restaurant’s top floor transformed into a lounge with a terrace.
The décor was luxurious — all stone and gleaming metal. The marble floor was polished enough to reflect faces, the crystal chandeliers glowed dimly, beams of light spilling through their facets and glancing off youthful, beautiful smiles.
The Alphas and Omegas present were all outstanding — in the softened light, tipsy and flushed, they were all exceptionally attractive.
Lights, music, alcohol, pheromones…
Under this perfect atmosphere, a few newly acquainted A–O pairs were already clinging to each other, kissing wetly to the beat of the music, the mingled pheromones making the air sticky-sweet.
Sheng Shaoyou stepped out midway to take a business call on the terrace, gesturing for Hua Yong to stay seated and wait.
Hua Yong nodded and sipped his mojito — his third already, without realizing. He’d always liked rum with a hint of citrus.
Seeing that Sheng Shaoyou wasn’t around, Li Baiqiao, who’d been flirting with the hostess, immediately made his way over.
“Little sister-in-law,” he drawled.
Hua Yong rested his cheek in his pale palm and glanced at him faintly.
That glance made Li Baiqiao’s heart itch. He plopped down opposite him and tried teasing: “Bored now that Shaoyou’s not here? I’ll keep you company.”
“No need,” Hua Yong said. “I’m not bored.”
How come this little orchid seemed to have two faces? Soft and obedient with Sheng Shaoyou, but with Li Baiqiao he was all cold rejection, immune to flattery or teasing.
Li Baiqiao remembered the first time he met him — he’d leaned in to greet him, only to almost get his nose bloodied by a careless bump. But he hadn’t been able to blame him, only his own over-familiarity.
As the saying goes: nothing tastes better than dumplings, nothing’s more fun than a sister-in-law.
For Alphas, the harder the flower was to reach, the stronger the urge to conquer it. And this Omega…
Li Baiqiao’s gaze roamed over Hua Yong’s delicate wrist, pale face, and graceful neck, imagining how Shen Wenlang had hidden him away for nearly a month. The fire in his chest burned hotter, his smile turning slightly lewd.
“Little sister-in-law, I heard you disappeared for a while?”
Hua Yong ignored him, so he casually opened a tonic water, took a sip, and kept talking.
“You made Shaoyou frantic, you know.”
At the mention of Sheng Shaoyou, the orchid’s expression softened slightly. He turned his head innocently and asked: “Was he… very anxious?”
“Anxious? He was practically dying!”
Li Baiqiao had always kept his friends’ confidences, but before this cool little beauty, his resolve weakened. He was even willing to betray Sheng Shaoyou just to keep Hua Yong talking.
“I don’t think Shaoyou’s ever liked any Omega the way he likes you.”
Hua Yong just smiled faintly, not as pleased as Li Baiqiao had expected. His gaze drifted lazily to the terrace, locking on Sheng Shaoyou’s back as he took his call.
Li Baiqiao was consumed with envy.
After a beat, running out of topics, he said: “You know, Shaoyou isn’t the only Alpha in the world.”
Hua Yong only murmured softly, “Mm,” as if confirming the obvious.
Li Baiqiao had been around the block — never one to steal from a friend — but this Omega was exactly his type. And Shaoyou hadn’t even marked him! That meant he didn’t like him that much, right? Rules be damned.
He waved his phone at Hua Yong.
“How about adding me on WeChat? When Shaoyou gets tired of you, you can come find me.”
Hua Yong slowly turned his head, studying him with confusion before asking:
“Find you?”
What, you think I can’t afford to keep an orchid?
Li Baiqiao’s competitive streak flared.
“Yeah. If you’re with me, I can give you everything he gives you.”
Hua Yong pressed his lips together and smiled lightly.
“You can’t.”
What the hell?
Sure, Li Baiqiao was a good-for-nothing compared to Sheng Shaoyou, but the Li family had been a major force in Jianghu for over a century. While not as fabulously wealthy as X Holdings, they outranked the recently rich Sheng family in influence.
And this orchid didn’t even seem to be all that high-maintenance!
What could Sheng Shaoyou possibly give him that Li Baiqiao couldn’t?
“What do you want, then? Tell me. How do you know I can’t give it to you?”
Hua Yong tilted his head and said softly:
“I only like Mr. Sheng.”
Li Baiqiao froze.
Wait… what? Like?
He hadn’t expected this orchid to actually be… purehearted.
He laughed at himself but didn’t give up, murmuring:
“But feelings change. How long have you even known him? Not even a year yet, right? Ah Yong—”
He deliberately lowered his voice, leaning close to his ear:
“Life is long. Today you like him; tomorrow, maybe you’ll like me. If not tomorrow, then in three years, five, ten…”
Li Baiqiao felt ridiculous — saying such corny things just to coax an Omega into bed — but he pressed on:
“You’re so beautiful and outstanding. Surely lots of people are chasing you. Sooner or later you’ll change your mind. You don’t have to decide now, but when you do, remember to consider me first.”
Hua Yong bit his straw, glanced again at Sheng Shaoyou’s back. His lips parted just slightly, revealing white teeth and a glint of soft, wet tongue.
Li Baiqiao suddenly felt jealous… of the straw.
“I won’t change my mind.”
Ten, twenty years? What does it matter?
Even after fifteen years, he still only liked Sheng Shaoyou — more and more each day.
Li Baiqiao chuckled at the Omega’s naivety.
“Didn’t expect you to be such a romantic. Shaoyou really is lucky.”
He stood, patted Hua Yong’s shoulder, and went off to chat up a familiar young Omega at the bar.
The air inside grew thicker with pheromones.
Hua Yong lowered his head to text. After a while, a reply came: What are you rushing me for? Just finished eating.
Only then did he slowly take a small amber vial from his pocket, twist it open, and down the whole thing expressionlessly — the bitter taste of the pheromone suppressor filling his mouth. He stood and walked toward the downstairs restroom.
Five minutes later, the partygoers began to notice something strange. Only a few insensitive Betas were still happily dancing to the music.
“Do you smell that?” one Omega whispered to another.
“That floral scent — like an Omega in heat?”
“Yeah, but… not quite.”
Before they could puzzle it out, a tall Alpha with a dark expression stormed in from the terrace.
“Isn’t that the Sheng heir? What’s got him in such a rush?”
“Oh — that’s right. He brought an Omega tonight… orchid-scented.”
Sheng Shaoyou’s phone call had been unusually long. In the past year, he’d wrestled away a lot of HS’s contracts, but at the cost of heavy pre-investment, slashed profits, and lower industry rates — sparking widespread resentment. His team and shareholders were complaining nonstop.
On top of that, while Hua Yong’s information was valuable, scientific progress required systems and teams. The gene-editing project was hitting bottlenecks again.
When he finally hung up, still stewing over the complaints, he looked up — and Hua Yong was gone.
A strong floral scent drifted to his nose.
His heart lurched.
He strode quickly inside, dialing Hua Yong as he scanned the room.
“An Omega’s in heat in the restroom!” someone exclaimed.
Sheng Shaoyou’s brow knotted as he rushed toward the stairs. The further down he went, the stronger the orchid scent became, his unease deepening.
At the door to the Omega restroom stood a few bewildered Omegas and curious Alphas.
He barked:
“Hua Yong!”
The crowd instinctively parted.
“He’s the Alpha? Then go ahead.”
Sheng Shaoyou pushed inside. The scent was suffocating in the confined space. He held his breath, knocking on stall doors until he reached the second-to-last one.
There, he found the young man trembling, curled up against the wall. He looked up as the door slammed open, his glassy eyes damp and confused as they met Sheng Shaoyou’s.
“Mr. Sheng?”
His breath and voice were heavy, his cheeks faintly flushed. Seeing Sheng Shaoyou, he tried to stand, but his legs gave way and he slid back to the cold floor.
“I feel awful,” Hua Yong whispered.
Sheng Shaoyou’s mind went blank for a few seconds — then he was already reaching down, sweeping him into his arms.