64: Then I’ll change how I address you. Thank you for agreeing – Dad
That night, the little gathering Li Baiqiao had organized didn’t even end very late.
A little past eleven, the friends began to drift off in small groups.
At the entrance of Royal Tiandihui, Li Baiqiao, quite drunk and slurring, cheerfully called Hua Yong “Sister-in-law.” Seeing that Cheng Zhe stayed quiet, he even dragged him along to yell it too.
Li Baiqiao, who hadn’t been out in ages, got completely carried away, shouting “Sister-in-law” hundreds of times — but Hua Yong didn’t mind at all. He smiled and responded each time.
Noticing this, Li Baiqiao even said sincerely,
“Sister-in-law, I really didn’t expect Shaoyou would settle down because of you.”
He rubbed his eyes, sighing with envy.
“Damn, that kid got so lucky.”
Hua Yong smiled gently.
“Is that so? I actually think I’m the lucky one.”
He lightly tugged at the hem of Sheng Shaoyou’s jacket, smiling like a tame little cat disguised as a lion — beautiful, dazzling, dangerous, devastatingly charming.
“That Mr. Sheng is willing to settle down for me — I feel truly fortunate.”
He added softly,
“I heard there’s an old saying in your country — Heaven helps those who help themselves. Toward Mr. Sheng, I’ll always be devout, always yearning, so the gods will stand on my side.”
The brilliant lights of the nightclub cast a halo over Hua Yong’s pale, delicate face, making his already fine features glow even more.
That smile made Sheng Shaoyou’s heart clench.
His chest tightened, and a strange sensation rose from his abdomen — both fulfilling and oddly empty.
Before meeting Hua Yong, Sheng Shaoyou never had any expectations for love, much less devout belief. Even just a year ago, if the world’s greatest fortune-teller had told him he would soon fall for a lying little lunatic, willingly let him take control, even bear him children, he would’ve laughed them off as a brainless fool.
But now, the absurd had come true.
Since male Omegas’ unique reproductive anatomy doesn’t show much externally, as an S-class Alpha, Sheng Shaoyou hardly looked different aside from slight weight gain. But he slept more, tired more easily, and was more emotional than before — all clear signs his hormone levels had changed dramatically.
And recently, the faint movements of the baby inside made it undeniable — a real little life was growing inside him.
One day, when that little thing inside him kicked for the first time, Sheng Shaoyou froze in surprise.
That faint flutter hit him with an emotion he’d never felt before.
He’d never been properly loved by his parents, never thought he’d have a family of his own. But now, feeling this little life utterly dependent on him… that feeling of being so needed was indescribable.
Sheng Shaoyou couldn’t express it, but his heart melted completely at that tiny movement.
And the culprit responsible for forcing an Alpha to walk around with a baby — that smiling “Sister-in-law” — was still grinning at Li Baiqiao, that clueless idiot.
Sheng Shaoyou hated seeing Hua Yong smile at anyone else.
Hua Yong’s radiant smile reminded him of amber wine — mysterious, lively, intoxicating. And selfishly, he wished Hua Yong would save that smile just for him.
For some reason, he felt a ridiculous stab of jealousy.
Those Alpha friends he’d known for years suddenly became intolerable.
He hated how Li Baiqiao clucked around Hua Yong, and hated even more how Cheng Zhe stared at him.
And what he hated most… was Hua Yong himself, smiling at everyone all night.
Wasn’t the young emperor of Country P supposed to be cold, ruthless, a bastard?
Yet here he was, smiling, smiling, smiling.
Damn it. Smiling for what?
Late at night, right in front of him, smiling at others — was he trying to piss him off?
The more Sheng Shaoyou thought about it, the angrier he got. He yanked Hua Yong into the elevator by the wrist.
“We’re leaving. Stop wasting your breath on those boring idiots.”
The supposedly cold and ruthless emperor of P, dragged away by the irritable, hormonal Alpha, meekly let himself be led down to the garage.
Once in the car, Hua Yong raised the divider between them and the driver, then smiled at him.
“Mr. Sheng… are you jealous?”
Sheng Shaoyou deflected:
“What do you think?”
Hua Yong leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his taut, angry lips.
“I’m so happy you’re jealous over me.”
“You’re a pervert,” Sheng Shaoyou muttered.
“Why the hell were you smiling at Li Baiqiao?”
“Huh?” The little pervert tilted his head, his face ethereally beautiful in the dim light.
“He called me ‘Sister-in-law.’ That made me really happy.”
“You like being called Sister-in-law?” Sheng Shaoyou scoffed at his bizarre tastes.
“You’re twisted.”
And objectively, Enigmas were twisted — in intelligence, strength, and everything else.
An hour later, Sheng Shaoyou was regretting agreeing to that damn pointless party.
After being called “Sister-in-law” all night, Hua Yong was still clinging to him even at dawn.
With his slender, pale fingers gripping his chin, soft tongue teasing his throat, Hua Yong whispered:
“Mr. Sheng… when are you going to officially give me a title?”
Sheng Shaoyou, drenched in sweat and mind foggy, couldn’t answer.
Hua Yong stopped moving, leaned down to kiss him, and coaxed softly:
“When will you marry me and make me Mrs. Sheng?”
This “Mrs. Sheng,” with his power, ruthlessness, and depth, was everything Sheng Shaoyou would’ve hated before.
But now, he was hooked.
His flushed face stubbornly muttered through heavy breaths:
“Get off.”
But Hua Yong refused to let go, always careful not to press against his belly.
They didn’t stop until dawn.
—
Since his old place was being renovated, and Sheng Shaoyou didn’t like living in hotels, they moved back into the small apartment near Shengfang’s labs — where Hua Yong had once stayed.
By now, both he and the baby were stable, but Hua Yong still hired a private doctor to check on him daily.
Long Zuo teased him for overreacting, and Shen Wenlang mocked him for being “a mother elevated by her child.”
Hua Yong, however, glared coldly at Shen Wenlang and retorted icily:
“Being ‘elevated by a child’ is still luckier than falling for some stubborn idiot who can’t even provide a decent life and forces you to flee in the middle of the night. That’s real bad luck.”
Shen Wenlang, in a foul mood himself, couldn’t be bothered and hung up after calling him a “lunatic.”
—
The next day, the doctor came as usual.
Sheng Shaoyou was still asleep, so Hua Yong met the doctor in the living room.
There were two bright red marks on his neck — left there last night when Sheng Shaoyou lost patience.
Seeing them in the mirror that morning, Hua Yong was so pleased he changed into a low-cut shirt, eager to show them off.
The doctor, seeing the marks and noticing Sheng Shaoyou — who rarely slept in — still in bed at 10 a.m., gently advised:
“Some things are best done in moderation. Please don’t overdo it.”
Hua Yong actually smiled faintly.
“You’re right. But when he wants it… I can’t bear to refuse.”
The doctor nodded frantically, not daring to say more.
After the doctor left, Hua Yong got a call from Chen Pinming — rare, since he bypassed Sheng Shaoyou entirely.
He guessed right — Sheng Fang wanted to see him alone.
On the call, Chen Pinming confirmed:
“If it’s convenient, can you come to Hechi alone?”
Hua Yong thought for a moment.
“Alright. Mr. Sheng’s still sleeping — I’ll come now. But if he finds out, he won’t be happy, so I’ll have to trouble Secretary Chen to put in a good word for me.”
Chen Pinming was well aware Hua Yong didn’t need anyone to speak for him.
After a pause, he reminded:
“The Chairman wants to talk about you and Mr. Sheng.”
That was exactly what Hua Yong wanted.
Thirty minutes later, he arrived alone outside Sheng Fang’s hospital room.
Sheng Fang was finishing breakfast and watching the news. He deliberately ignored Hua Yong for over ten minutes before finally looking up.
Hua Yong had greeted him politely with “Uncle” when he entered, but Sheng Fang didn’t reply.
Clearly trying to intimidate him, but Hua Yong stood calmly, like an earnest junior visiting his elder.
When Sheng Fang finally put down his tablet, Hua Yong smiled warmly and repeated:
“Uncle Sheng.”
This time, Sheng Fang acknowledged him and motioned him to sit.
“You said before you’re from P country. You must know North Super Holdings there, right?”
“Yes,” Hua Yong replied.
“Your family — business or politics?”
“Both,” Hua Yong answered.
“But my father’s side was mainly business.”
“And how do you think your father’s business compares to X Holdings today?”
Hua Yong, the young leader who had personally driven X Holdings’ sweeping reforms, didn’t even pretend to be modest.
“Far worse.”
Sheng Fang nodded.
“Indeed. I doubt there’s another company in P that can match X Holdings.”
Hua Yong simply said,
“X Holdings is… fine.”
That amused Sheng Fang — the boy’s understatement about a company that practically ruled P was almost funny.
“Recently, the head of X Holdings proposed to Shaoyou very publicly. You must know. I hope he accepts.”
That surprised him when Hua Yong’s face brightened with happiness.
“I want my son to marry someone of equal standing. A union with X Holdings would secure Shengfang’s future. I hope you understand.”
Hua Yong smiled gently.
“I understand completely. In that case—”
He leaned forward slightly, eyes sparkling.
“Then I’ll change how I address you. Thank you for agreeing — Dad.”
Dad?
Sheng Fang froze, staring at the smiling young man, stunned.
“Who… exactly are you?”
Hua Yong stood, extended his hand, and solemnly introduced himself to his soon-to-be father-in-law:
“Hua Yong. Actual controller of X Holdings.”
Sheng Fang: …