Chapter 10: He had to be a proper gentleman.

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Although Shen Shuyi hadn’t been involved much in the wedding planning, the day arrived faster than he expected.

The day before, he and Xie Chenzhou had gone to the civil affairs office to register their marriage.

Which meant that before the ceremony even began, they were already legally married.

Even though a day had passed, Shen Shuyi still hadn’t fully processed it.

This wasn’t the kind of marriage he’d imagined, and Xie Chenzhou wasn’t the partner he’d envisioned.

But now that things had come to this, it seemed he had no other choice.

The wedding was held at the most luxurious hotel in H City, the Dorff Hotel, which featured a spacious garden-style lawn perfect for a Western-style ceremony.

Inside the hotel’s presidential suite, a stylist was helping Shen Shuyi into his formalwear and tidying up his hair.

“You’re really good-looking, sir. Your skin is so fair, and this suit suits your temperament perfectly. By the way, I didn’t dare ask earlier, but are you mixed-race?”

The stylist was a petite female Omega with a round face, a sharp chin, and large, bright eyes—so delicate she looked like she’d stepped out of a manga.

Shen Shuyi thought she was the one who truly fit the definition of beautiful, but he still replied gently, “Yes, my mother is mixed-race.”

“Ah, then you’re very lucky. I rarely see Betas as good-looking as you. You’re prettier than most Omegas.”

Omegas naturally loved beauty, especially female Omegas. This stylist wore a sheer dress with butterfly patterns and glittery heels, and she couldn’t stop complimenting Shen Shuyi and his outfit.

By the end, Shen Shuyi was feeling a little embarrassed from all the praise.

After the styling was done, a makeup artist came in to apply a light base. That was all that was needed. The makeup artist said Shen Shuyi’s skin was in great condition and that too much product would be unnecessary.

Dressed and styled, Shen Shuyi walked over to the full-length mirror in the hotel room to take a look.

He did look different, more refreshed than usual.

The petite Omega stylist brought over a freshly trimmed rose boutonniere and said, “Mr. Shen, the boutonniere is ready. Let me pin it on for you.”

Shen Shuyi was taller than her, so when she stepped forward, he bent down slightly to make it easier.

Just then, the suite door opened.

A tall man stepped inside.

His presence was commanding. As soon as he approached, his shadow completely enveloped the Omega in front of Shen Shuyi.

Her hand trembled slightly as she tried to pin the flower, but after several attempts, she still couldn’t manage it.

Then the Alpha behind her spoke. “I’ll do it.”

The Omega looked relieved, like she’d been granted a pardon. “Then I’ll leave you to it, Mr. Shen.” She quickly grabbed the makeup artist and hurried out of the room.

It was strange. Why did Omegas always seem afraid of Xie Chenzhou?

This stylist was one example. Lingling, Qiao Wan’s friend, had reacted the same way.

If Xie Chenzhou’s pheromones were so intense that they scared Omegas, wouldn’t it be hard for him to find a compatible Omega partner in the future?

Unless it was someone like Shen Shuyi’s third brother or fifth brother, whose pheromone levels were unusually high.

While Shen Shuyi was lost in thought, Xie Chenzhou had already taken the boutonniere from the stylist and pinned it to Shen Shuyi’s chest.

“All done,” Xie Chenzhou said in a low voice.

“Thanks.” Shen Shuyi smiled and noticed that Xie Chenzhou’s own boutonniere hadn’t been pinned yet.

“Where’s yours? Want me to help?”

Xie Chenzhou looked away. “It’s in the next room.” That was where he’d been styled.

He paused. “I’ll go get it.”

He left the room and returned shortly with another boutonniere in hand.

“Is yours a black rose?” Shen Shuyi asked curiously. It was a different color from his own.

“I think this variety is called Black Baccara. Its meaning is ‘deep love,’” Shen Shuyi said with a smile as he helped pin it to Xie Chenzhou’s chest. “Seems fitting for a wedding flower or bouquet. The color’s beautiful too.”

He was just making conversation, but when he looked up, he saw Xie Chenzhou gazing down at him, eyes dark and deep.

Those pupils were pitch black, like an endless abyss, as if they could swallow Shen Shuyi whole.

The look was intense, but Shen Shuyi didn’t pick up on it. He simply wondered why Xie Chenzhou was staring at him.

“All done,” Shen Shuyi said.

To match Shen Shuyi’s height, Xie Chenzhou had crouched slightly earlier. Now he straightened up.

His figure completely enveloped Shen Shuyi, as if unwilling to leave any gaps for others to intrude.

With the styling finished, it was time to head downstairs. Shen Shuyi and Xie Chenzhou went down together.

The hotel lawn had already been decorated with a grand floral arch. Guest chairs draped in white fabric lined both sides of the grass, and a straight path down the center was covered in vibrant petals.

The entire wedding setup had been designed by Xie Chenzhou’s team. Shen Shuyi had only glanced at the presentation once and hadn’t paid much attention after that. Now, seeing it in person, he noticed that the area was filled with black roses, stretching from the buffet corridor all the way to the rose wall at the end of the aisle.

On the wall, Black Baccaras and red roses were intertwined, giving the whole venue a uniquely romantic atmosphere.

Shen Shuyi felt oddly shy and pretended to look around casually.

Most of the guests were from the Shen and Xie families, along with a few prominent families and business partners who had close ties to them. Shen Shuyi didn’t have many close friends and didn’t think it appropriate to invite classmates, so he’d only invited one Beta from the Sheng family, who was fairly close to him.

The Shengs were longtime acquaintances of the Shens, though not quite as wealthy. In Shen Shuyi’s generation, the only child close to him was that Beta.

His name was Sheng Hengye, currently studying at Huada Normal University. It wasn’t as prestigious as Huada’s main campus, and the teaching major didn’t quite match the image of a wealthy heir.

Unlike Shen Shuyi, Sheng Hengye was the only child of the Sheng family. His parents, one Beta, one Omega, had struggled to conceive. and his mother had suffered complications during childbirth, leaving her unable to have more children. As a result, Sheng Hengye was doted on endlessly. Whatever he wanted, his family supported. When he said he wanted to be a teacher, they hired over ten tutors during high school to help him get into Huada Normal.

Truthfully, Sheng Hengye wasn’t particularly gifted. He was about the same as Shen Shuyi. The only difference was that he’d been spoiled since birth and carried some of the typical habits of a rich kid. Still, he and Shen Shuyi got along well enough.

Since Sheng Hengye was Shen Shuyi’s guest, his seat wasn’t with his parents. He sat among the younger crowd, chatting with everyone like a social butterfly.

The ceremony was timed for an auspicious hour. Shen Shuyi stood at the entrance of the aisle, waiting for the emcee to call him in. Xie Chenzhou had been pulled away by Zhao Jian to meet some business partners and wasn’t by his side.

Sheng Hengye took the opportunity to come over. “How are you feeling? I heard from your third brother that last month, President Xie came to your house and picked you out from a group of Omegas. He said you didn’t seem too keen on getting married, but you had no choice because of the situation?”

Shen Shuhan was here today, dressed sharply and helping his father and stepmother greet guests. He was the face of the Shen family, more socially adept than his older brother and second sister. He often represented the family at events like this.

His second sister hadn’t come. Word was she was swamped with work in the lab and hadn’t been seen all month.

“Your family really doesn’t care about you, huh? Your older brother only talks to clients, and your parents haven’t even come over. Only your third brother said hi. If you really don’t want to marry that guy, you don’t have to force yourself. I’ve got some money saved up. Want to find a way to leave the Shen family?” Sheng Hengye was getting more serious. “Go abroad. Z University should have exchange programs, right? You could run away. I’ll cover for you.”

Shen Shuyi thought his ideas were wild. “Run away? Break ties with my father?”

“Why not? He’s got so many kids. He doesn’t care about you. You’re basically invisible in the Shen family.”

Shen Shuyi couldn’t deny it, but he wasn’t as impulsive as Sheng Hengye. For him, it felt like he could survive anywhere.

In the Shen family, or outside it.

Whether they valued him or not didn’t matter. He was like a cockroach, resilient, able to live through anything. If that was the case, why go to such lengths to leave? Staying meant access to resources. Just being a Shen family heir already gave him a head start over many others.

Plenty of people live their whole lives in obscurity. Not everyone is as lucky as Sheng Hengye.

Seeing that Shen Shuyi didn’t respond, Sheng Hengye knew he wouldn’t go through with it. That was the difference between them.

Soon, Sheng Hengye looked up and saw Xie Chenzhou walking toward them.

“I’m done talking,” he said quickly, clearly intimidated by Xie Chenzhou. “You really can’t be persuaded, huh? Xie Chenzhou isn’t exactly a good guy, and the Xie family is full of wolves. If he ever bullies you to tears, don’t expect me to be able to help.”

Then he added, “Oh, I got Tan Yu’s contact info. Didn’t you used to like him? We had a high school reunion recently and invited you, but you said you were busy. Anyway, I got his green bubble ID for you. He seemed interested, asked how you were doing. I’ll send it to you now. Whether you reach out is up to you.”

Sheng Hengye fiddled with his phone, and Shen Shuyi felt his own phone buzz in his suit pocket.

“I’m out of here!” Sheng Hengye darted off before Xie Chenzhou reached them.

Shen Shuyi stood there speechless.

Was that… a love triangle setup?

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Sheng Hengye had already made it back to his parents’ side and taken a seat among the older guests by the time Xie Chenzhou stopped in front of Shen Shuyi.

Xie Chenzhou’s gaze lingered on Sheng Hengye’s retreating figure, then slowly shifted back to Shen Shuyi.

He was in a foul mood.

That Beta had clearly said something to Shen Shuyi. Probably sent him someone’s contact info. Told him to add them.

A storm was brewing in Xie Chenzhou’s eyes.

He wanted to snatch Shen Shuyi’s phone and delete every trace of Sheng Hengye’s messages and contacts.

But he couldn’t do that.

He had to be a proper gentleman.

That irritating Beta didn’t even have pheromones, yet somehow had left a scent on Shen Shuyi.

With a dark look in his eyes, Xie Chenzhou reached out and gently brushed Shen Shuyi’s shoulder. The motion was soft, almost imperceptible, but his wrist was trembling slightly.

Only after confirming that his own pheromones had once again fully covered Shen Shuyi’s body, erasing any trace of someone else’s scent, did he speak in a calm voice.

“It’s starting.”

The wedding had begun.

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Translator note: 📌

I will be posting 2 chapters everyday at 9:30 PM ~ Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) zone.

Thank you for reading 💖 see you again in the next chapter~ cherries 😘