33: Sell Myself to You? I’m Not Afraid
After several rounds of emergency resuscitation through the night, Sheng Fang stabilized and his vital signs returned to normal.
Sheng Shaoyou stayed up all night at the hospital and came home exhausted. As soon as his fingers pressed on the fingerprint lock, the door opened from inside.
Hua Yong was still awake.
Sheng Shaoyou stared at his pale face in surprise.
“What are you doing here?”
It was autumn now, the weather chilly, and the wind howled through the open door.
Afraid Hua Yong would catch a cold, Sheng Shaoyou wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pushed him inside.
“Were you already awake, or did you never sleep at all?”
Hua Yong let himself be guided obediently into the foyer and softly replied,
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Feigning ignorance, Sheng Shaoyou asked,
“And why couldn’t you sleep?”
He bent down to breathe in the gentle floral scent at the back of Hua Yong’s neck. Instantly, his fatigue and agitation melted away, replaced by calm.
The floral fragrance floated faintly, carrying an almost imperceptible coolness, softly entwining the chosen Alpha.
“Because I was worried about you, so I couldn’t sleep.”
Hua Yong took the initiative to hug him, rubbing his cheek against the hollow of the Alpha’s shoulder.
“Mr. Sheng… is everything alright with your father?”
“Mm.”
Sheng Shaoyou’s back tensed slightly as he reached out to hold him in return.
“Don’t worry. It’s fine. I’ll handle everything.”
His voice was low, almost as if saying it to himself.
The Alpha’s skin was smooth and taut, muscles lean yet firm over steel-like bones, brimming with explosive power — a constant reminder to Hua Yong that this was a top-tier Alpha, powerful and yet gentle, his heart a treasure countless people dreamed of possessing.
“If something like this happens again and I don’t come home, just go to sleep yourself.”
“No.”
Hua Yong’s slender, pale hands pressed firmly against the dark fabric of his back, fingers tracing the elastic muscles.
Like an exhausted cat clinging to its beloved Alpha, he leaned sleepily against his shoulder.
“I can only sleep once you’re back.”
“Don’t act spoiled,” Sheng Shaoyou chuckled lightly, his voice deep.
“You want me to sleep with you — can you afford the price?”
The Alpha’s warmth seeped through his clothes into Hua Yong’s palm, making him tremble slightly.
He lifted his head, those bright eyes serious:
“Is it very expensive?”
That look seemed to encourage Sheng Shaoyou to name any price — no matter what, Hua Yong would pay it.
Amused by his earnestness, Sheng Shaoyou deliberately said,
“Mm. Very expensive. You can’t afford it.”
The light in Hua Yong’s eyes abruptly dimmed, and he lowered his gaze, lips pressed tightly together.
“Oh.”
Under the dim yellow night light, an orange flower seemed to bloom on his tightly pursed lips.
“…I was lying.”
Hua Yong’s eyes — veiled by long, thick lashes — lifted again to meet his gaze.
Sheng Shaoyou lowered his head and kissed those aggrieved lips, his tongue soothingly pushing past his teeth, gliding through the soft warmth of his mouth.
“You already owe me so much. If you keep racking up debts, even selling yourself won’t pay it off — aren’t you scared?”
“Sell myself to you? Not afraid.”
That kiss seemed to spark electricity, lighting his beautiful eyes again.
Hua Yong pressed against his shoulder, confirming:
“Mr. Sheng, is it really that expensive?”
The determination in his gaze was so real that Sheng Shaoyou believed it — Hua Yong truly liked him, and would stop at nothing to “buy” him.
Sheng Shaoyou smiled again, tilted his sharp chin up, kissed those damp lips, and said,
“It really is expensive. But… I won’t sell to anyone else. I’ll give it to you on credit, alright?”
This time, Hua Yong smiled happily, eyes crinkling.
“Thank you, Mr. Sheng. Okay.”
The situation at the hospital only stayed stable for one night.
The next day at noon, Sheng Shaoyou didn’t even get to eat before the hospital called him back during a morning meeting.
At this hour, people like Sheng Shaoqing probably weren’t even awake yet — only Sheng Shaoyou and Chen Pinming stood outside the ICU.
The attending doctor removed his mask with a grim face, warning them,
“We saved him this time, but for late-stage pheromone gland tumors, there’s little we can do.”
Sheng Shaoyou had expected this, and nodded emotionlessly.
“Mm.”
“But—” the doctor suddenly added, making their hearts skip a beat,
“I heard from a pharmaceutical colleague that X Holdings has developed a targeted drug for pheromone gland cancer. It’s still in Phase II clinical trials. If — and I mean if — you can contact the right person and get access to the experimental drug, there might still be a glimmer of hope.”
Chen Pinming could hardly bear to hear it, stealing a glance at Sheng Shaoyou.
His young boss looked cold and composed — an excellent decision-maker, showing remarkable restraint even in the face of life and death.
But Chen knew he must be in great pain.
On the way back, he was unusually silent, sitting in the back on the driver’s side, elbow on the door handle, head leaned against it, brows tightly furrowed, eyes shut.
All these grueling days made one almost forget — he too was a patient being urged by doctors to be hospitalized.
Why did it have to be X Holdings?
Why was it always X Holdings making life impossible for him?
Sheng Shaoyou’s head throbbed painfully as he kept his eyes closed all the way home, still unable to make a decision.
He cruelly told himself: If the old man dies, so be it. Better dead — then I can sell my last 10% stake before the stock keeps falling and be done with it.
The company is his, not mine. Why should I be chained by his hollow title of chairman, forced to support a bunch of useless relatives he never stopped scheming for? Besides, he isn’t just my father — everyone can cry together when he dies. Why should I be the only one wracking my brain for a way out?
Just die already. The sooner the better. Clean and done.
“President Sheng, we’ve arrived.”
He wiped his face and got out.
At 10 p.m., Chang Yu returned home from a private gathering.
Seeing two missed calls from Sheng Shaoyou, he dared not delay and called back immediately, though his tone was very calm.
“President Sheng — what can I do for you?”
“Secretary Chang.”
Sheng Shaoyou was alone in his study, having sat there since afternoon.
Hua Yong had even brought dinner in, spoon practically to his lips, but he only forced down a few bites before sending him out.
He hesitated alone in the study, finally swallowing his pride and calling Chang Yu at X Holdings — but the call didn’t go through.
After two agonizing hours, Chang Yu finally called back, polite yet distant.
Finding it hard to ask but showing nothing on his face, Sheng Shaoyou smiled.
“It’s been a while, Secretary Chang. Hope you’ve been well?”
“Thanks to you, President Sheng.”
“I’ve seen a lot of Shengfang Group in the news lately. You’re so busy — how did you find time to think of me?”
Oh, the news?
That could only mean bad news.
Sheng Shaoyou forced a smile.
“It’s… a personal matter. I wanted to consult you.”
“I’m all ears.”
To this presumptive “future boss’s spouse,” Chang Yu dared not be rude, but also had to keep his distance — secretly praying not to be resented, knowing how obsessed his boss was with this Alpha.
“…Targeted drug?” Chang Yu feigned surprise.
“News sure travels fast. Yes, we’ve developed a targeted drug for pheromone gland cancer, and it’s in clinical trials now. But why are you suddenly asking about it?”
Sheng Shaoyou was not used to begging, but no matter how uneasy he felt, he steadied his nerves and replied calmly,
“My father’s health has been poor for years. He retired due to illness and has been hospitalized for a long time —”
He tightened his grip on the phone, though his voice remained light.
“Today, the doctor said your company’s targeted drug is a blessing for patients. So I had no choice but to trouble you — my father’s condition depends on your kind assistance.”
After finishing, seeing no response, he promptly added sincerely:
“As they say, great kindness goes without thanks. If Secretary Chang is willing to help, if you ever need me in the future, just say the word.”
Even if he could use Sheng Shaoyou, Chang Yu didn’t dare.
All he wanted was for Sheng Shaoyou to stop being so hard to deal with — so his boss could win him over faster and everyone else could have an easier time.
“President Sheng, I can’t give you an answer right away,” Chang Yu said carefully.
“Our boss has been very busy and hasn’t been managing the company’s affairs for a long time. But he personally oversees the targeted drug for gland cancer — even signed the project proposal himself two years ago.”
Two years ago?
That was right when his father was first diagnosed.
What a coincidence — even the heavens seemed unwilling to let that unfaithful old man die.
Sheng Shaoyou’s heart pounded like a drum, his anxiety like an ant on a hot pan, but he forced himself to breathe steadily and listen.
“…Our boss is unusually invested in this drug. Everyone on the team — from project lead to junior researcher — can report directly to the central office. So I’ll have to check with him before I can get back to you.”
Sheng Shaoyou hadn’t expected to get what he wanted in one call anyway.
Hearing him agree to “check with the boss,” his hopes rose and his tense expression softened slightly.
“Of course, I understand. I’ll wait for your good news. Thank you.”
When his father was first diagnosed, Sheng Shaoyou had considered funding a targeted drug himself.
With such high incidence, if successful, it would have been a sure-win business.
But drug development was a gamble with a 1% chance of success — billions in annual investment, a decade-long timeline… and most drugs still failed just before the finish line.
Two years ago, as the youngest parachuted board member, he’d wanted to try but lacked the authority to gamble the company’s future on his father’s life.
Now he had the power to act — but Shengfang couldn’t wait anymore.
Those blizzard-like critical care notices finally made Sheng Shaoyou understand the saying: “A son wants to care for his parents, but they are already gone.”
And that damned emperor of X Holdings — even his dumb luck hit the mark precisely, completing in two years what others couldn’t in ten.
What Sheng Shaoyou didn’t know was that, for this targeted drug, X Holdings — under the domineering drive of its head — had thrown its entire weight behind it these two years.
To accelerate the progress, the research institute worked around the clock, pouring over a hundred billion annually into just this one drug.