34: Maybe Impotent, Who Knows?
The dog emperor of X Holdings—whom Sheng Shaoyou’s friends mockingly called Mr. UKW—apparently had a very loose tongue.
Early the next morning, while Sheng Shaoyou was having breakfast, he unexpectedly received a call from Shen Wenlang.
Shen Wenlang was using Chang Yu’s phone to call.
Seeing Chang Yu’s name on the screen, Sheng Shaoyou took a deep breath before standing up and walking into the garden to answer.
“Secretary Chang?”
“It’s me.”
The polite, false smile on Sheng Shaoyou’s face froze instantly, his gaze turning dangerous. “Why is it you?”
Shen Wenlang chuckled. “Why couldn’t it be me? Lately, HS and X Holdings have been working well together, and that gentleman and I have developed quite a deep friendship. But you—” His tone sharpened. “I heard from that gentleman that yesterday you called Chang Yu and asked him to prepare some special medication for treating pheromone gland tumors?”
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Of course it does,” Shen Wenlang said smugly. “What a coincidence. Just yesterday, that gentleman delegated all matters regarding the new drug development to me. So asking Chang Yu won’t help you. You’d better come and ask me instead.”
Then let Sheng Fang just die, Sheng Shaoyou thought.
Expressionless, he hung up the phone.
But it rang again almost immediately. Sheng Shaoyou refused to answer.
A text came through right after:
“Don’t be so stingy. For old times’ sake, I can give you the medicine.”
His heart skipped heavily. The phone rang again, and suppressing his rage and disgust, he put it on speaker.
Shen Wenlang said, “President Shaoyou, such a temper.”
“Cut the crap!”
Shen Wenlang faltered for a moment, then forced a smile. “The medicine—it’s not that I can’t give it to you. But having you beg me really isn’t much fun. How about this: you send Hua Yong back—”
“Looking for a beating again?”
Shen Wenlang chuckled lowly. “Not a beating… if something’s itchy, it’s not my skin that’s itchy.”
“Then it’s your asshole.”
“Sheng Shaoyou, can’t you speak properly?”
“How do you speak properly to scum?”
For a second Shen Wenlang was speechless, and he began to wonder if showing gratitude had been a mistake all along.
The last shred of sympathy he held for Sheng Shaoyou vanished. Grinding his teeth, he laughed coldly. “You really hurt my feelings saying that. How about this: I know you can’t bear to give him up, but just one night—send him to X Hotel, I’ll only take one night, then give him back to you, and personally deliver the medicine to your father. How about it? That’s a good deal, isn’t it?”
“In your dreams.”
“President Shaoyou, considering we’re about the same age, I’m already being generous. Think about your father’s illness. Lovers come and go, but you only get one father. Give it some thought—I think you’ll come around—”
Before he could finish, Sheng Shaoyou hung up again.
Hua Yong wasn’t an object. He was a person, and his life wasn’t worth less than Sheng Fang’s.
If Sheng Shaoyou agreed to send him away, that orchid—whose roots had already been torn once—would die too.
His nerves were stretched so tight they felt like a taut string; even a breath of wind could make him tremble. Inside, it felt like someone had pricked a blister in his heart, releasing a fierce, stinging pain.
He stood in the sun for a while, rubbing his temple. When he finally turned around, he saw Hua Yong standing nearby—holding a coat, not sure how long he’d been there, or how much he’d overheard.
Forcing a smile, Sheng Shaoyou said softly, “Why are you outside? Go in before you catch a chill.”
His tone was gentle, but his voice was hoarse—clearly a man who’d stayed up all night, worrying himself sick.
Hua Yong obediently nodded but didn’t go inside. Instead, he walked over and placed his warm palm on Sheng Shaoyou’s cold cheek. “Mr. Sheng, you’ll catch a cold without a coat.”
The coat was thin and light, but because it was Hua Yong draping it over his shoulders, it felt unbearably heavy.
Sheng Shaoyou couldn’t use Hua Yong as a bargaining chip.
He couldn’t bear to.
But… it’s just one night—just one night and he could buy Sheng Fang more time…
Sheng Shaoyou! Stop! Don’t even think about it!
Clutching his forehead, his expression twisted with pain for a moment before he forced it back to normal, dropped his hand, and walked back inside.
Hua Yong silently followed him to the foyer. When he saw Sheng Shaoyou about to leave for work, he suddenly called out: “Mr. Sheng.”
Sheng Shaoyou turned. “What is it?”
The proud S-class Alpha had already put his calm mask back on.
Hua Yong looked at him steadily for a long time before breaking into a bright smile. “Nothing. Will you be back for dinner tonight?”
That rare, dazzling smile softened Sheng Shaoyou’s heart until it could barely beat.
“Mm.”
“What would you like? I’ll cook.”
“Make whatever you feel like eating.”
“Okay. How about crucian carp soup?”
Sheng Shaoyou couldn’t stand his expression right now—every second of it was torment. He nodded vaguely and turned to open the door.
But suddenly, a warm body pressed up against him from behind—lips scented faintly of orchids, a cool breath against his nape. “Mr. Sheng, don’t be so unhappy anymore. Be good, okay…”
The warm breath from his lips made Sheng Shaoyou shiver slightly. He knew clearly that this Omega who held him so lightly depended on him, loved him.
In this world, almost every Omega wanted to snag a rich Alpha, marry well, and live happily ever after.
But Hua Yong was different. He was the first—and perhaps the only one—who didn’t think much about the future, yet sincerely wished for Sheng Shaoyou to be the most carefree Alpha in the world.
He had once silently begged Sheng Shaoyou—who was picky about partners—not to choose him. Even went into debt just to buy and monopolize Sheng Shaoyou’s sleeping hours. He fell in love with Sheng Shaoyou, massaged him, made soup for him, kissed the back of his neck, wishing he wouldn’t be so unhappy.
He was the only one Sheng Shaoyou never fully possessed, yet once imagined spending his life with.
They dated like middle schoolers, kissed like high schoolers, never did what adults should, yet slept together like an old married couple.
Sheng Shaoyou’s mother once said: love is complicated.
At the time, Sheng Shaoyou agreed. Love was too complicated, so he didn’t bother thinking about it.
But now, he no longer thought so.
Love was just the result of subtraction—it wasn’t complicated at all. If you stripped away all the messy desires and still couldn’t let go, still liked them so much it hurt—that was love.
He thought he really loved Hua Yong.
And this love made him feel less alone.
Three days later, Zheng Yushan called. He eagerly informed Sheng Shaoyou that a certain P-country dignitary was making a sudden visit to Shanghai that night, and X Holdings had booked the entire Tiandi Hui venue to host him.
Rumor had it that the infamous Mr. UKW would also appear, staying at the presidential suite of their own X Hotel.
To prepare, the hotel had rejected all outside guests 72 hours in advance, relocated reservations to their other luxury properties, and even paid triple compensation.
This visit involved Mr. UKW, who never appeared publicly, and all attendees were banned from carrying phones or any recording devices.
“What an extravagant setup!” Zheng Yushan exclaimed.
Sheng Shaoyou had already experienced Mr. UKW’s ostentatious style in P country.
Police cars in formation, armed royal guards, generals in his security detail…
But in Sheng Shaoyou’s eyes, unless it required the head of state to personally receive him, it was just fluff.
He said, “Probably because he’s done too many shady things, made too many enemies, and is afraid someone will kill him.”
Zheng Yushan replied, “People capable of killing him probably haven’t even been born yet.”
“Then maybe he’s just so ugly he’d die if seen.”
“With his power and money, even if he was missing limbs, plenty of people would still throw themselves at him.”
“Maybe he’s impotent. Who knows? Insecure people cause the most trouble.”
“Shaoyou, do you really hate him?” Zheng Yushan teased. “There was a rumor you offended him in P country. I didn’t believe it—someone as smooth as you? But now it seems… maybe it’s true?”
Sheng Shaoyou didn’t want to explain. “That X Holdings mystery man is strange. Maybe he just hates my pheromone.”
“Huh? Discriminates against S-class? But that Shen Wenlang is also S-class, and he’s gotten close to X Holdings lately.”
“Who knows. Maybe he just hates the smell of bitter orange and rum.”
“Doesn’t seem likely—their ‘Drunken Branch’ series is selling even better after the partnership.”
Zheng Yushan hesitated but said, “If you and Wenlang don’t have some blood feud, one day we should all meet and talk it out. He may have a sharp tongue, but his heart’s okay. Besides, he has influence with Mr. UKW now. In business, more friends means more opportunities. There are no permanent enemies if there’s profit to be made, right?”
Sheng Shaoyou couldn’t refute that—it was true. But he and Shen Wenlang did have a blood feud. The hatred of stealing his lover, and soon, perhaps, the hatred of killing his father.
Still, Chen Pinming once said the dog emperor of X Holdings wasn’t actually that cruel, even back in P country.
After some thought, Sheng Shaoyou decided to take a chance and asked Zheng Yushan for an invitation to the reception.
If he could meet the dog emperor, he’d bow his proud head and sincerely plead for targeted medication for Sheng Fang.
After all, humbling himself was better than sacrificing his Omega.