An hour earlier.
Liu Yanyan had parted ways with her friend. To be honest, they weren’t really close friends—just acquaintances because their parents had business dealings.
She had been pretending to stand up for her, but in reality, she was doing it for herself. Any girl would be attracted to someone like Lu Jingran. But Lu Jingran liked an ordinary Omega like Zhou Le—how could anyone not be jealous of that?
Zhou Le was the kind of person that everyone envied, and even now, Liu Yanyan still couldn’t forgive herself for letting Zhou Le buy her milk tea. If she hadn’t let him back then, maybe things wouldn’t have ended up this way.
Liu Yanyan was sulking in a small corner of the banquet hall when suddenly, a shadow fell in front of her.
Lu Jingran…
Her heart skipped a beat, and she stood up straight, unsure of what to say.
Before she could figure it out, the tall Alpha in a suit spoke: “Zhou Le is already with me.”
Liu Yanyan froze instantly.
“He’s mine,” Lu Jingran said, his sharp gaze lifting to meet hers. “You’d better remember that.”
“…”
“Hah.” Liu Yanyan suddenly laughed, a twisted expression crossing her face as she looked at Lu Jingran. “What do you even like about him? He’s so ordinary, he was a Beta before. Why do you like him?!”
Lu Jingran’s face remained impassive. “That’s none of your business.”
“I’m just here to tell you: don’t touch him, don’t even think about him. Whether it’s intentional or not, stay away from him.”
Liu Yanyan couldn’t believe it. “Are you really going to fall out with me for him?”
Lu Jingran was silent for a moment, then let out a short laugh. “You seem to misunderstand.”
“I’ve never been close to you. We just know each other. There’s no such thing as falling out.”
Lu Jingran stepped closer, speaking slowly, each word heavy. “But when I do fall out, it’s serious.”
“You and your family will regret it.”
The Alpha pheromones hung in the air, laced with danger.
Liu Yanyan froze in place, too scared to move. This was the first time she had ever felt threatened by an Alpha. She had never had an Alpha’s pheromones pressed against her like this.
Shaking, she replied, “I… I understand…”
—
Recently, Zhou Le had been quite lucky. He didn’t know why, but Uncle Zhou had suddenly raised his salary, saying that he could earn 10 yuan per delivery, which was a significant increase. And the number of deliveries each night was now half of what it used to be, but he was earning much more than before.
Whenever Zhou Le asked about it, Uncle Zhou would just give vague answers. Earning more money was good, but something about this sudden increase in earnings made Zhou Le uneasy.
Moreover, Zhou Le’s mother, Cheng Ying’s sushi business was doing surprisingly well. Following suggestions from others, she had raised the price, and the sales were still great. This month’s income had more than doubled, and they weren’t as exhausted as last month.
Zhou Le thought to himself, If life could always be like this, that would be wonderful.
And sure enough, another good thing happened.
The community where his family lived, in support of the government’s “Warmth to Every Home” initiative, proactively reached out to them. They offered to hire a female caretaker for Zhou Le’s mother, Cheng Ying, free of charge. The caretaker would help with her daily needs and support her entrepreneurial efforts as a person with disabilities, aiming to inspire the development of similar initiatives for others with disabilities.
Now, Zhou Le no longer had to worry about his mother’s day-to-day inconveniences. In fact, with a younger female caretaker, his mother would be even more comfortable. This arrangement meant Zhou Le could attend college in the future without concern.
If not for this, Zhou Le’s plan was to attend university in their city, choosing a school close to home so he could take care of his mother—or even bring her with him to university.
With the government’s support, Zhou Le felt much more at ease.
No one was happier about this than Cheng Ying. Her biggest fear had always been burdening Zhou Le, but now that burden was lifted. She was so moved that she even shed a few tears.
As a mother, her greatest worry was one day becoming a weight her child could no longer bear.
Zhou Le didn’t think much of it at first. But later, when Xia Linchuan jokingly said, “Wow, you’ve been so lucky lately! Did you secretly go somewhere to pray? Tell me where—I want to pray too! Do you think it’ll help me get first place in the finals?”
Lin Xiaoxiao snorted in response.
It was only then that Zhou Le began to sense something unusual. He seemed… almost too lucky lately. And it all started after Lu Jingran’s birthday celebration…
At lunch, while eating together, Zhou Le brought it up. Lu Jingran’s reaction was calm, almost unsurprised. Zhou Le immediately had a guess.
That evening, on the ride home, Zhou Le mentioned it again in the car.
Lu Jingran didn’t deny it.
Zhou Le knew it—it had to be him.
How could he be such a lucky person on his own?
Except for the moment he met Lu Jingran.
“Why… why would you do this?” Zhou Le asked softly.
He was well aware of the gap between himself and Lu Jingran, and he understood the disparity between them. But even so, he had decided to be with him, never expecting anything in return.
“Don’t you like it?” Lu Jingran raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not that,” Zhou Le retorted. “But how am I supposed to repay you? I wouldn’t be able to, even in several lifetimes.”
Lu Jingran let out a quiet laugh.
“What are you laughing at?” Zhou Le asked.
Lowering his voice, Lu Jingran said, “If you don’t mind, I suggest repaying me with yourself.”
“…” Zhou Le’s face turned red. “I—I’m being serious.”
“So am I,” Lu Jingran replied.
Seeing Zhou Le getting flustered, Lu Jingran adopted a more serious tone. Gently, he asked, “Would you ever abandon me?”
?
Zhou Le looked up.
Lu Jingran’s expression was sincere, tinged with a hint of sadness that was hard to ignore.
It was as if he truly feared such a day might come.
“Impossible!” Zhou Le blurted out. “How could I ever leave you? How could I ever not want you?!”
Only then did Lu Jingran’s expression soften, a trace of joy appearing on his face. “If that’s the case, then why are you afraid of me being good to you? Why do you want to keep things so separate?”
“It’s not about keeping things separate. I didn’t choose to be with you for these reasons.”
“I know,” Lu Jingran said. “But I want my Omega to live well. Is that not allowed?”
Zhou Le fell silent.
“And besides,” Lu Jingran continued softly, “right now, you’re in a situation where you need help, aren’t you? You’re about to enter senior year. You can’t keep prioritizing making money over studying. If this continues, will you even be able to go to university?”
Zhou Le lowered his head further.
He had thought about this before.
With his current grades, barely scraping into a university would already be an accomplishment.
Apart from attending classes, he hardly had any time to study seriously.
Lu Jingran leaned in, offering a tempting suggestion. “Don’t you want to be in the same city as me in the future? For university?”
When you love someone, you picture them in your future. Lu Jingran had already included Zhou Le in his, and he hoped Zhou Le would do the same.
Hearing this, Zhou Le’s eyes lit up.
Being in the same city as Lu Jingran?
That would be… amazing.
Sure, they might not attend the same university, but if their schools were close to each other, it would almost be the same as being in the same place.
Zhou Le became excited. “Of course I want to! How could I not?!”
Seeing that his handsome male strategy worked, Lu Jingran added, “Then you need to focus on studying.”
“First, accept my help as your boyfriend. Stop worrying about money for now and focus on your studies. We’ll deal with money later.”
Zhou Le hesitated. “But… it feels wrong to keep taking advantage of you.”
“It’s fine,” Lu Jingran said with a smile. “I’ve got plenty to spare.”
“…” Zhou Le was speechless.
“But… it’s too much to owe,” Zhou Le said.
Patiently, Lu Jingran explained, “When someone helps you, don’t see it as a debt. You’re not the kind of person who forgets favors. As long as you remember their kindness, why can’t you accept their goodwill with peace of mind?”
“Besides… am I just anyone to you?”
Zhou Le’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Lu Jingran. Resolutely, he said, “No.”
Never just anyone. The name “Lu Jingran,” even when whispered in his heart, stirred waves like no other.
….
Zhou Le’s workload had decreased, but he was earning even more money. One day, their family even received a government grant—200,000 yuan in total.
It felt like a windfall from the heavens.
Zhou Le went straight to find Lu Jingran.
“It’s just a matter of cooperating with the relevant departments and donating an extra 200,000 yuan without taking anyone else’s spot,” Lu Jingran explained.
Zhou Le couldn’t stand it. “Then what does that make me?”
Wasn’t this the classic story of a little Omega being kept? Someone who’d eventually be trapped in their Alpha’s arms, completely at their mercy?
Just imagining it made Zhou Le’s cheeks flush red.
He wasn’t sure if it was from indignation or anticipation.
“All you need to do is study hard,” Lu Jingran said. “For me, the best reward would be your academic success.” Then, he added, “But only if you’re happy.”
“No pressure—whether you study or not, whether you get into college or don’t—it doesn’t matter. You are my boyfriend, my Omega, my lover.”
“Everything is up to your choices. Just don’t forget—I’m here for you.”
The Alpha’s words were sincere and heartfelt, and Zhou Le felt a wave of emotion well up inside him.
But staying silent was impossible.
“Close your eyes,” Zhou Le suddenly said.
Lu Jingran didn’t understand why the topic had shifted so abruptly, but he still did as he was told.
A few seconds later, he felt something warm and moist on his lips.
He opened his eyes slightly.
The Omega, like a little puppy, was clumsily pressing against his lips, moving and fumbling around.
But not knowing what to do, Zhou Le ended up making a mess—his licks were wet and all over the place.
The corners of Lu Jingran’s mouth curved upward, and he chuckled softly.
Zhou Le froze instantly, his face turning bright red. Still, he tried to maintain his composure. “Y-you… open your mouth.”
He tried to sound commanding, as if he had the upper hand.
Lu Jingran, ever obedient, complied.
Zhou Le leaned in closer.
Before he could get too far, though, the Alpha pressed a hand to the back of his head and deepened the kiss.
