Chapter 12: Xie Chenzhou's Unsteady Breath

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Xie Chenzhou reacted faster than Shen Shuyi could process. Before Shen Shuyi could even blink, he felt someone half-embrace him, shielding him completely.  

In the end, not a single drop of alcohol touched Shen Shuyi, it all landed on Xie Chenzhou instead.  

Thankfully, Xie Chenzhou was tall enough that the liquor only splashed onto his clothes, sparing his face. Even so, the damp stain on his chest made him look slightly disheveled, a far cry from his usual impeccable appearance.  

The guests who witnessed the scene gasped in shock.  

Shen Shuhan’s friends paled. "President Xie, are you alright?!"  

Shen Shuyi, meanwhile, had already grabbed a pack of tissues from the table, pulling out a wad to press against Xie Chenzhou’s chest. The usual faint scent of incense on him was now overpowered by the sharp tang of alcohol.  

"Are you okay?" Shen Shuyi asked quietly, dabbing at Xie Chenzhou’s clothes while glancing up to gauge his expression.  

Xie Chenzhou showed no particular reaction, his dark eyes lowering to meet Shen Shuyi’s gaze.  

Shen Yihang and Ye Mingxi rushed over upon hearing the commotion.  

"Shen Xingyao!" Shen Yihang roared. "What have you done?!"  

Shen Xingyao knew he’d acted impulsively, but his pride refused to let him back down. His eyes burned red as he glared at Shen Shuyi and the group of Shen Shuhan’s friends behind him.  

"Someone’s triggered," one of Shen Shuhan’s friends muttered under their breath. "Realizing he can’t even measure up to Shen Shuyi..."  

Ye Mingxi, who hadn’t yet grasped the full situation, quickly pulled Shen Xingyao aside, not wanting him to be publicly scolded further. "Xingyao? What happened? Was it an accident? Apologize right now!"  

Shen Xingyao stiffened, refusing to budge.  

Whispers spread among the guests.  

"I knew something like this would happen sooner or later."  

"Honestly, what was the Shen family thinking, arranging a marriage with Shuyi, a Beta?"  

"It’s a parenting issue. Mingxi clearly didn’t teach her son manners. Xingyao’s behavior is appalling... spoiled children are a mother’s shame."  

"What a mess. Family members turning on each other like this."  

Shen Xingyao had never been humiliated like this before. He’d always prided himself on being an exemplary Omega. a model student in his teachers’ eyes, a child his parents could boast about.  

Omega schools taught that an Omega should be poised, gentle, and graceful at all times.  

Today, he’d not only broken every tenet of that upbringing but had also become a laughingstock in front of everyone.  

And it was all because of Shen Shuhan’s friends and Shen Shuyi!  

Just as Shen Xingyao was about to retort, Xie Chenzhou spoke.  

"I’m the one who doesn’t deserve Shuyi."

The moment those words left his mouth, every eye in the room snapped to him.  

Xie Chenzhou took a step forward, looking down at Shen Xingyao. "A person’s worth isn’t determined by their gender. And in that regard, you will never measure up to him." 

Xie Chenzhou was so tall that Shen Xingyao had to crane his neck to meet his gaze.  

But it wasn’t his height that made Shen Xingyao falter, it was his pheromones.  

For the first time, Xie Chenzhou unleashed them without restraint, not to entice or coax, but to oppress.  

Shen Xingyao’s face drained of color. He stumbled back a step.  

"I don’t deserve Shuyi," Xie Chenzhou murmured, leaning down slightly. "And you... are even less worthy."  

Shen Xingyao’s legs gave out. He collapsed to the floor.  

"What’s happening?" guests murmured.  

"Pheromone rejection?"  

"President Xie’s pheromones aren’t something ordinary Alphas or Omegas can handle."  

"No wonder I felt dizzy earlier when he walked by..."  

"Xingyao’s an SSS-rank Omega, right?"  

"Yes, just like Mingxi."  

"Did you see how pale Mingxi turned in front of President Xie? Same reaction—pheromone rejection."  

"It’s unbelievable. To trigger rejection in an Omega... No Omega could ever coexist comfortably with him daily. Forget marking, it’s about basic compatibility."  

"No wonder, then. Only a Beta like Shuyi could stay unaffected around him."  

The tide of gossip began to shift.  

Humiliation gave way to numbness. Hearing Xie Chenzhou’s low, deliberate words "You will never measure up to him", Shen Xingyao’s mind went blank.  

A moment later, he shoved through the crowd and fled.  

Ye Mingxi chased after him.  

Shen Yihang, meanwhile, was left to apologize profusely to the guests, lamenting his failure as a father.  

The spectacle had undeniably shamed the Shen family.  

Shen Shuyi, however, was more concerned about Xie Chenzhou’s clothes.  

"Are you uncomfortable? Did it soak through? Should I take you to change into a spare set?"  

There were backup suits in the hotel room upstairs.  

Xie Chenzhou studied Shen Shuyi for a long moment before nodding calmly.  

After excusing themselves from the guests, Shen Shuyi and Xie Chenzhou left the banquet hall and took the elevator up.  

The elevator cabin was small, and soon, the faint scent of alcohol permeated the air.  

Shen Shuyi, feeling partly responsible for the incident, broke the silence. "I’m sorry. Xingyao and I have never gotten along. I didn’t mean to drag you into it."  

Xie Chenzhou’s response was unexpected. "I’m the one who failed." 

Shen Shuyi looked up in surprise.  

Xie Chenzhou didn’t turn around. He faced the elevator doors, watching Shen Shuyi’s reflection in the polished metal.  

Shen Shuyi waited for him to elaborate, but no further explanation came.  

Failed how?  

Shen Shuyi couldn’t pinpoint it.  

This incident felt both inevitable and inexplicable as if, from the moment they’d decided to hold this wedding, it had been bound to happen.  

Maybe Xie Chenzhou couldn’t articulate his failure because he saw it as his responsibility to bear.  

Shen Shuyi remembered their vows earlier, recited side by side from the same script.  

Some things were pretense.  

And yet, some things felt undeniably real.  

Xie Chenzhou had booked two separate rooms for changing and touch-ups—one for each of them. Since Shen Shuyi didn’t need to change, he followed Xie Chenzhou to his suite.  

Shen Shuyi’s room was one Xie Chenzhou had already entered, but this was Shen Shuyi’s first time stepping into Xie Chenzhou’s space.  

Xie Chenzhou swiped the keycard and pushed the door open.  

The layout was similar to Shen Shuyi’s, though the furnishings differed slightly. Xie Chenzhou walked to the wardrobe, opening it to reveal a spare suit, neatly pressed and identical in style to the one he wore now.  

He took it out and began undoing the buttons on his cuffs.  

Shen Shuyi offered to help but hesitated, unsure what to do. By the time Xie Chenzhou shrugged off his jacket, Shen Shuyi belatedly realized he’d been staring.  

Flustered, he gestured to the sitting area outside. "I’ll wait out here. Call if you need anything."  

With that, he retreated, closing the bedroom door behind him.  

Xie Chenzhou’s gaze lingered on the door long after Shen Shuyi left.  

Only then did he finally look away.  

Xie Chenzhou’s pheromones had been unsteady since stepping into the elevator with Shen Shuyi.  

Truthfully, they always wavered when Shen Shuyi drew near.  

But earlier, when Shen Shuyi had pressed those tissues to his chest, fingers brushing over the damp fabric, it had been too much.  

Like the flutter of a dove’s wings, stirring a breeze that roused the dormant pheromones beneath Xie Chenzhou’s skin.  

His breath hitched.  

No. 

Shen Shuyi was right outside. If his pheromones surged now, it would frighten him.  

It wasn’t a loss of control, not yet. but the risk of them leaking out was too high. People might assume things.  

Not that Xie Chenzhou minded being misunderstood.  

But Shen Shuyi might panic.  

He couldn’t afford to reveal this side of himself. Couldn’t let Shen Shuyi see him as dangerous.  

Couldn’t risk him running.  

He’d woven his net too carefully, preparing to ensnare Shen Shuyi for a lifetime.  

Xie Chenzhou changed into the fresh suit, then retrieved a bottle of pheromone suppressants from the wardrobe and took a sip.  

When Shen Shuyi knocked after what felt like too long a wait, Xie Chenzhou didn’t answer.  

"Are you done?" Shen Shuyi called through the door. "I’m coming in?"  

The door creaked open.  

Shen Shuyi stepped inside just as Xie Chenzhou was putting the bottle away.  

"Vitamins again?" Shen Shuyi recognized the container. "Are you feeling unwell?"  

Xie Chenzhou shook his head. "Supplements."  

Supplements? At his age?  

Xie Chenzhou was only five years older than him.  

Shen Shuyi frowned. "You work too hard. Managing such a large company must be exhausting."  

After the wedding, he’d be joining Xie Chenzhou’s company as an assistant gender psychologist. He’d do his best not to embarrass or burden him.  

A stray thought crossed his mind: I hope he doesn’t go bald in a few years.

He was so lost in the absurd notion that he didn’t notice Xie Chenzhou approaching.  

Didn’t notice the way Xie Chenzhou’s gaze raked over him, possessive and hungry, or how his pheromones curled through the air like invisible hands, mapping every inch of him.  

Only when Xie Chenzhou had his fill did he finally reel them back in, along with his impolite staring.  

"Chenzhou." Xie Chenzhou said abruptly.  

"Huh?" Shen Shuyi blinked up at him.  

"You can call me Chenzhou," Xie Chenzhou repeated.  

He’d remembered the contact Sheng Hengye had sent Shen Shuyi earlier.  

An old flame? Someone Shen Shuyi had once liked?  

Xie Chenzhou pulled out his phone. "Change my contact name."  

"Your... contact name?" Shen Shuyi was lost.  

"Important people should have notes," Xie Chenzhou said. "To avoid questions."  

"Oh." Shen Shuyi marveled at his attention to detail, pulling out his own phone. "What should I change it to?"  

Xie Chenzhou turned, his gaze heavy.  

Shen Shuyi corrected himself. "Chenzhou."  

Xie Chenzhou held out his hand, palm up.  

Without thinking, Shen Shuyi handed over his phone.  

Xie Chenzhou opened the messaging app, where an unread message from Sheng Hengye sat at the top.  

He forwarded the contact to himself, deleted the chat, then edited his own contact name in Shen Shuyi’s phone.  

**Chenzhou.**  

Then he returned it.  

Shen Shuyi stared at the name, lips quirking.  

"What?" Xie Chenzhou asked.  

"Nothing." Shen Shuyi shook his head.  

He’d expected something like **"Husband."**  

The thought amused him, and he smiled again.  

Then Xie Chenzhou held out his own phone.  

Shen Shuyi hesitated before taking it. After a moment’s consideration, he edited his own contact name in Xie Chenzhou’s phone.  

**Shuyi.**  

Not much different from his usual username, yet somehow carrying a new weight.  

Xie Chenzhou took the phone back, his thumb brushing over the name absentmindedly again and again.

As if etching it into his skin, repeating it in his mind a thousand times.  

Only when he was certain it was seared into memory did he force himself to speak calmly.  

"Let’s go."  

He would make sure he was always someone special to Shen Shuyi.  

Even if it meant being just a little more special than anyone else in the world.

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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 😘