CH 2

After finishing a batch of experimental data, Shen Dai got off work early.

He has a single-room dormitory in the research institute, he usually sleeps there if he works late overtime. However, he tries his best to return home every week. 

After the mortgage of his family’s house was auctioned off, he rented a small apartment for his grandmother in the suburbs. Although it was very remote, it was cheap and clean, his grandma valued cleanliness the most.

He took the subway and then transferred onto the bus. On the way home, he passed a small market that was about to close. He bought some meat and vegetables, as well as a handful of pinkish-purple peonies. Its petals are thin and delicate, clustered together in layers and showing its strong vitality.

In their old house, his grandma would raise all kinds of flowers in the yard. Each of the four seasons had its sproutings, that was his childhood paradise. Now that they moved into a small apartment, only a few pots could be planted on the balcony. Those few pots even had to compete for space among many other miscellaneous things.

The apartment is new, the overall maintenance is acceptable and the lights in the corridor are warm. As Shen Dai climbed up the stairs to the house, he could hear the sound of the TV gradually becoming louder. It played grandma’s favorite Kunqu. When he opened the door, the smell of the food floated into his nose, which immediately relaxed him. 

“Ah-Dai?” Grandma peeked her head from the frosty glass door of the kitchen and said with a smile, “You’re really good at arriving at the right time. I’m almost done making my last dish.”

Shen Dai revealed a gentle smile and called out, “Grandma.” He put down the ingredients, took a vase, and rinsed it with clean water. Then he obliquely cut the branches of peonies and put them in. He picked up some water with his hand and sprinkled it on the delicate petals before putting it on the table. It immediately enriched the atmosphere of the whole house.

Grandma came out of the kitchen with a dish, “How much was it?” She put down the dish and freed her hand to tease the petals, “It’s so fresh, very beautiful.”

“The stall was about to close, so this handful was only 10 yuan. I picked out the freshest ones.”

“That’s a pretty good deal.” Grandma looked at the flower lovingly, “Do you remember that I used to plant peonies near the East Wall?”

“Of course.” Shen Dai went to the kitchen and brought out all the dishes one by one. He also brought out the bowls and chopsticks and served the rice and soup, “Grandma, sit down.”

Grandma looked at the flowers with a smile and then looked at Shen Dai, “You seem paler. You should bask in the sun more, don’t stay in the lab all day.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” 

While eating, they chatted about trivial matters in life and work. Looking at his grandma’s shimmering white sideburns under the light, Shen Dai felt sorrowful.

Grandma was born into a scholarly family. Although it wasn’t of high status or nobility, it was still considered well-off. If she had not unfortunately given birth to a selfish and stupid son, she would now be in a small villa with a garden, guarding a considerable amount of inheritance and pension. She would be planting flowers, reading books, basking in the sun, and enjoying the rest of her life.

Even after falling into this state, she still kept her elegance and tactfulness. She looked for the endearing qualities and pleasure of life in these difficult day while trying not to drag her grandson down. However, Shen Dai knew that her heart had already been pierced full of holes by her own son’s betrayal, the changes in her life, and the pain coming from her body. It’s just that she refused to show it in front of him.

Po ktja Tbe Wlcutjl rjlv kjr agef, atfc tf mbeivc’a kjla ab rjmglolmf tlwrfio. Coafg jii, tlr ugfjafra klrt lr ab ulnf atf ugjcvwbatfg ktb gjlrfv tlw j mbwobgajyif jcv ugjmfoei biv juf. 

Vlcmf rfflcu Tbe Wlcutjl j kffx jub, Vtfc Gjl tjr cba gfmflnfv jcs batfg cfkr. Lf kfca ogbw jczlber ab vlrjqqblcafv, yea tf jirb ofia rbwf lcfzqilmjyif gfilfo. Pc rtbga, tf tjr yffc wbbvs jii kffx. Lf fnfc vbeyafv ktfatfg atf wffalcu atja vjs kjr tlr vfrqfgjaf lwjulcjalbc ogbw yflcu ygbxf. Ufgtjqr flatfg Tbe Wlcutjl bg atf wjggljuf qjgas mtjcufv tlr wlcv. Ccstbk, atlr ktbif atlcu rbecvfv fzagfwfis ylhjggf ab yfulc klat atja la’r cbgwji klatbea j obiibk-eq.

Today, he was working in the laboratory. An inquisitive colleague from HR ​​came to find him and told him that the headquarters asked him to come over, ” Engineer Shen, are you transferring?”

“No.” Shen Dai was also puzzled. “Did they say what it was about?”

“Of course not, why would I ask you otherwise?” The colleague pondered, “The headquarters generally don’t care much about the matters of our research institute. Just go first, someone is picking you up at the front desk.” 

“Okay.” Shen Dai went back to the laboratory and greeted his colleagues before going straight to headquarters. He hesitated on whether to call and ask his laoshi, but decided to check out the situation first.

The headquarters of Xingzhou Group cost 500 million yuan to build, it could really hold up the sky. Most of the time, Shen Dai came here for the canteen. He rarely ever set foot in the offices or scientific research areas.

He walked into the lobby and saw three or four people standing at the front desk. He couldn’t tell who was waiting for him. However, as soon as he walked over, a young man dressed in a suit and leather shoes greeted him, “Engineer Shen, right? Hello.”

“Hello.” The two shook hands. Shen Dai said, “How should I call you?” 

“My name is Cheng Ruoze, I’m the president’s assistant.” He made a “please go ahead” gesture and casually took Shen Dai’s shoulder as he strode forward. He looked like he was in a hurry. “Let’s walk while talking.”

“Uh, okay.” Alphas were generally tall, so Shen Dai had to quicken his pace to catch up with him, “Assistant Cheng, may I ask if I’m…”

“This way.” Cheng Ruoze used his employee card to open an elevator.

The grandiose interior of the elevator was covered with a thick wool carpet. It can be seen that it’s an internal elevator for the superiors at first glance. Shen Dai walked in with uncertainty and wanted to ask again, but was interrupted by Cheng Ruoze, “Actually, I don’t know the specific situation either. I was just ordered to pick you up.” 

Shen Dai frowned, he has no idea what he was about to face. Science researchers like them usually grasp some bits of inspiration or follow traces of clues before judging, experimenting, and exploring. But here, he wasn’t given any hints at all, he really couldn’t figure it out.

From the corner of his eyes, Cheng Ruoze suddenly caught sight of the pheromone sticker on the gland behind Shen Dai’s neck. He was obviously stunned and unconsciously withdrew half a step to the side. “You’re an… omega?”

Shen Dai smiled and nodded.

“My apologies.” Cheng Ruoze apologized awkwardly. He secretly sized up Shen Dai from top to bottom for another take. The young man in front of him was tall and slender, and his skin looked clean and pale. He let out a gentle yet handsome impression. The lab coat he was wearing just happened to nicely highlight the outline of his body. His straight shoulder and waist rested nicely under the cloth, if they were one bit thicker, it would look excessive, if one bit thinner, it would look too frail. His temperament was the same as his appearance and the impression he gave people was just right, if one bit more, he would appear cold, if one bit less, he would appear common. As the elevator soared, Cheng Ruoze felt his heartbeat becoming a little unruly. Why has he never heard that there was such an omega at their company before? 

Based on the normal social etiquette between strangers, alpha and omega should not touch more than shaking hands. It was inappropriate just now when Cheng Ruoze put his hand on the other’s shoulder. However, Shen Dai did not feel offended, he knew that his appearance was not as delicate and soft as most omega, he knew that he was more like a beta. Moreover, his pheromone is usually very faint, it hardly left a scent after putting on barrier stickers. He was mistaken for beta countless times growing up. In fact, it’s actually good for him, especially at work.

The elevator rose to the 28th floor. As soon as the door opened, a gorgeous handmade carpet extending to an office with an ebony door could be seen.

Shen Dai took a deep breath, “It was Director Qu who wanted to see me?” Was he about to be promoted? But he hasn’t produced much results lately.

Cheng Ruoze came back to his senses: “This way, please.” 

Shen Dai followed him into the office. When he saw the person in the room, he was stunned. Ebony door… how did he not think of it before? He unconsciously put his hands into the pocket of his lab coat. People around him always say that he’s just like his name. They praised him with words such as calm, cool-headed, steady, and the like. However, he himself doesn’t think he has any special calming skills. He only thinks that people should use their brains more and emotions less, but that doesn’t mean he will not be nervous.

“President Qu, I’ve bought Engineer Shen here.” Cheng Ruoze looked at his watch. “The meeting will begin in twelve minutes.”

“Okay.”

When Cheng Ruoze left and closed the door, the person sitting on the sofa reading documents raised his head. Two pairs of eyes met through a collision in the air. 

It was a handsome man who could light up the whole space. He can seamlessly integrate into any background and turn it into a scene of a movie. His face is of infinite fantasies, he has an upright nose and a broad forehead, his eyes contain the entire galaxy, and his facial features are as sharp and perfect as a knife. He sat in a relaxed posture on the soft sofa but still had the aura of a sword. It’s just that he collected and restrained himself, it was as if he was the calm sea, yet no one dared to underestimate the surging undercurrent beneath. This is because he is a S-class alpha. He is the proud son of the heavens who was born with the top pheromones and stood at the top of the human food chain.

He is the first heir of Xingzhou Group —— Qu Moyu.

Shen Dai stared at Qu Moyu in a daze. He hasn’t looked at this person from such a close distance for a long time now. It seemed as if he could still smell the scent of ebony from his memories. Of course, this is probably his illusion. It is basic etiquette to put on pheromone barrier stickers in public places. When it’s on, the faint scent could only be smelled at a close social distance, and Shen Dai is still pestering at the door.

He calmed down as soon as possible and noticed that there was actually someone else in the room. A middle-aged alpha with glasses sitting on the other side of the sofa, looking like he was waiting for an order. Shen Dai knows this person, he belongs to the legal department of the company. He’s not sure about the specific position but he must definitely be an executive. 

Qu Moyu sized up Shen Dai without hesitation. His eyes were calm but unfathomable, he smiled, “Engineer Shen, come sit.”

Shen Dai’s Adam’s apple moved. He walked over and bowed slightly, “Hello, President Qu.” Only after nodding to that executive as well, did he finally sit down.

He glanced over and found that the documents in Qu Moyu’s hand were his own personnel file, with his two-inch photo pasted on it. Why was Qu Moyu looking for him?

“Shen Dai.” Qu Moyu tapped his information file with his slender fingers, enunciating his name clearly, “Dai refers to Mount Tai right?.” 

“Yes.”

“It’s a nice name. Who gave it to you?”

“My grandpa.” Shen Dai felt an upsurge of emotion. “He is a traditional Chinese painter and likes painting mountains.”

“Mount Tai is known as the first of the Five Sacred Mountains and it’s the place where ancient emperors held grand ceremonies to worship the heavens for prosperities. Such a meaningful word, it seems that the old man has high hopes for you.” It’s hard to imagine an omega carrying such a rich name, but strangely, Qu Moyu felt that this name was very suitable for the person in front of him. 

Shen Dai smiled, embarrassed, “Maybe he just likes Mount Tai.”

Qu Moyu stared at Shen Dai, “The ‘accident’ in the laboratory three years ago didn’t have any undesirable impact on your work, did it?”

“No, it’s been fine.” Shen Dai’s face suddenly burned, “Y-you still remember.”

“I have a good memory.” 

“That time… thank you for helping me, President Qu.” Shen Dai will never forget that day. At the most shameful, fearful, and desperate moment of his life, Qu Moyu descended from the sky. He not only saved him, but also blocked the news from getting out and settled all other troubles after that. Recalling the day after the trauma, his most profound memory was actually the entanglement of their rich pheromones, the desire, the scorching hotness, the impulsiveness, the torture, the restraint, and the unsatisfied eagerness that slowly precipitated in the bottom of his heart.

Since then, whenever he saw or heard of Qu Moyu, he would pay special attention. He didn’t know whether this counted as a secret crush but he occasionally had some unrealistic fantasies. Though it’s more admiration than anything else, because this person was too high, too far, and too perfect. He never thought he would get another chance to be at such a close distance after that accident.

“You are an excellent researcher of our company, it is expected of me to help.” Qu Moyu said, “I asked you to come here today because first, I want to formally get to know you, and second, I want to know if you have any requests.”

“… Requests?” Shen Dai didn’t understand. “President Qu, I don’t quite understand. Laoshi hadn’t mentioned anything to me recently.” 

Qu Moyu raised his eyebrows slightly, “What I mean is, after marriage. You can put forward whatever requests you may have, such as living expenses, living environment, personal habits, diet habits, beliefs, car preference, and so forth, as long as it’s not overboard.”

Shen Dai only heard a buzz inside his head. He’s not stupid, he could even be called smart, but he couldn’t react to these words for a long time.

Qu Moyu quickly glimpsed at his wristwatch. He leaned slightly, while he didn’t look impatient, he lowered his tone, “Engineer Shen, President You said that you had personally agreed to marry me. Is there an error in our information?”