TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 19

The lounge was filled with the deep-sea scent unique to Alpha. Yu Su happily hugged the blanket, turned over, and was just about to close his eyes when something caught his attention.

“…Is that Chi Yanxing?” he murmured, half-leaning over the bed to take a closer look.

On the small table beside the bed sat a white picture frame, holding an old photograph that had been so well-preserved it barely showed any signs of age.

Yu Su reached out and touched it. “It really looks like Chi Yanxing… Could this be him as a child?”

In the photo, a teenage boy stood stiffly in front of a villa, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and black pants, his expression slightly rigid, as if he hadn’t been keen on taking the picture.

Yu Su squinted, a sense of familiarity creeping in.

“Wait, the color of that door…” It looked exactly like the one at the seaside villa.

He studied the image again, finally confirming that it was indeed taken at the seaside villa. Back when he first arrived in human territory, he had carefully examined every nook and cranny of that place—this carving, this height, it was undoubtedly the same house.

“So Chi Yanxing had already been to the seaside when he was this young…”

Propping his face up with one arm, Yu Su traced a finger along the image of the boy. “As expected, handsome guys are good-looking from childhood.”

He had no idea when this photo was taken, but that seaside villa was located near his home waters. Maybe back then, he had already hatched and become a little mermaid.

Yu Su indulged in his romantic thoughts.

Then he suddenly remembered that poor little female mermaid who turned into sea foam after falling in love.

Yu Su shuddered violently, immediately retracting his hand and diving under the covers.

“Sleep! Just go to sleep!”

–

Thanks to the perfect temporary marking, the Alpha was brimming with energy. Chi Yanxing spent the entire afternoon handling work outside. When his phone buzzed with a reminder, he saw it was the scheduled time from his planner.

He stood up and walked toward the lounge, pushing the door open just a crack. Initially, he had planned to wake Yu Su from here, but after staring at the lump under the covers for a few seconds, he somehow ended up stepping inside.

The Alpha stood at the edge of the large bed, watching as the Omega curled up into a small ball under the blanket. So small, as if he could easily fit into his territory.

“You’re not even a mermaid. How did you get scared by a children’s cartoon?” Chi Yanxing murmured, then reached out to pat the covered figure.

“Yu Su?”

No response. The Omega even shifted slightly, adjusting his sleeping position.

“Yu Su.”

Yu Su swatted his hand away.

After several failed attempts to wake him, Chi Yanxing raised an eyebrow slightly and finally straightened up, raising his voice slightly, “Alright then, I’m leaving. You just sleep by yourself.”

The blanket shifted slightly before suddenly being pulled down by the person inside. Half-asleep, Yu Su stubbornly squinted his eyes and murmured, “No, no, no—I’m awake, I’m awake…”

His voice trailed off, and his drowsiness grew stronger.

Chi Yanxing paused for a moment, then simply pulled the blanket away with one hand and lifted Yu Su up. But instead of waking up, Yu Su, now surrounded by an even stronger ocean scent, slept even more soundly.

Chi Yanxing: “…”

Expressionless, the Alpha carried Yu Su out and placed him in his own wheelchair. The moment Yu Su left the warmth of his embrace, he yawned and finally woke up.

Chi Yanxing’s gaze carried a hint of amusement. “Not sleeping anymore?”

Yu Su, still half-dazed, rubbed his face. “Ah… no more sleeping. Uh, Chi Yanxing—”

Chi Yanxing looked down at him, his sharp, narrow eyes softening for just a brief moment.

Then he heard Yu Su continue, “I think… I just dreamed about you…”

Chi Yanxing glanced at his watch and started walking away. “Oh? Dreamed about what? Me stealing your yellow croaker?”

To his surprise, a light and casual voice came from behind, from the automatically following wheelchair.

“I dreamed that… we were playing together by the sea.”

Chi Yanxing suddenly halted in his steps.

“By the sea? Playing together?”

–

There was a lingering sense of familiarity in his mind, but every time he tried to grasp it, it slipped away. Chi Yanxing remained silent all the way to the meeting room. Only after ensuring that Yu Su was settled on the small terrace did he push open the door and step inside, where his scheduled visitor, Xu Yuan Shan, was already waiting.

Xu Yuan Shan stood up with a broad smile and extended his hand. “President Chi, it’s not easy to see you.”

Chi Yanxing briefly shook his hand. “Not at all, Director Xu. You’re the truly busy man.”

Xu Yuan Shan waved a hand dismissively. “Hahaha, actually, I’ve been quite free lately. My visit today is mainly to discuss our previous collaboration. When your father was in charge, there were social gatherings and networking events. But with you at the helm, if I want to have a private conversation, I have to schedule an appointment.”

This Alpha, Xu Yuan Shan, was a seasoned businessman—every sentence he spoke was filled with hidden traps.

But Chi Yanxing was already accustomed to this kind of superficial back-and-forth. “Since Director Xu mentioned it, I should make sure to keep up with these events. Otherwise, you might end up complaining to my father.”

Xu Yuan Shan smiled in satisfaction. “Yu Xing will be pleased to hear that.”

A flicker of mockery flashed through Chi Yanxing’s eyes.

Xu Yu Xing—Xu Yuan Shan’s youngest son. A well-known social Omega in the business world—young, beautiful, and most famously, someone with a 60% compatibility match with Chi Yanxing.

Over the years, whenever Xu Yu Xing’s name was mentioned, people would immediately associate him with Chi Yanxing. And Xu Yuan Shan had certainly played a role in reinforcing that connection.

But now, things were different. Chi Yanxing’s gaze briefly drifted outward, just in time to see Yu Su gulping down water from a large bottle.

The way he chugged it down made Chi Yanxing inexplicably thirsty.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, but he quickly withdrew his gaze.

“Since you’ve made the trip, Director Xu, let’s get to the business discussion…”

A personal assistant, who worked 24/7 without rest, silently entered the room to pour water for them before retreating, gently closing the door behind them.

–

On the small terrace.

Yu Su took a deep breath. He had spent most of his life under the sea, never expecting to have a chance to be this high up.

The afternoon sun was a bit harsh, but luckily, the terrace had a shaded area, and the central air conditioning gently released cool air. The temperature was just right for Yu Su.

“Chi Yanxing really knows how to enjoy life. But then again, he’s rich—he can do whatever he wants with his own territory.” Yu Su leaned back with his hands behind his head, sighing in admiration.

His nap had been comfortable, and he had even had an interesting dream. Yu Su squinted slightly at the sunlight.

“If only Chi Yanxing could be as fun now as he was in my dream.”

Grown-up Alphas were always stern-faced, not at all as obedient and cute as they were when they were young.

Yu Su shifted his head slightly, recalling the dream—a chaotic jumble of memories piecing themselves together.

—

“You’re here again today?”

The young Chi Yanxing, looking exactly like the one in the photo frame, nodded and pulled out a small basket from behind him. Inside were a bunch of crispy dried fish.

“I came… to feed the fish. The kitchen just made fresh fried fish snacks—crispy, tender, and flavorful.”

The little mermaid pouted. “Do I look like those ugly fish? You should call me ‘Little Fish’ instead! Little—Fish!”

“…Feed Little Fish.”

“That’s more like it! I love making friends with good-looking people. Hmm… If someone looks like you, as long as they come to the seaside, I’ll definitely show up to play with them.”

The newly-differentiated Alpha accidentally released a hint of his scent.

“Really? You’re not afraid of me?”

“Why would I be afraid of you? I’d be more afraid that you’d be scared of me!” The little mermaid flashed his tiny claws in the water, then bared his small white teeth. “But you smell so nice—I don’t even have time to like you, let alone fear you.”

The Alpha’s lips gradually curved into a smile. Then, with a serious nod, he said, “Don’t worry, this whole area belongs to my family. I won’t let anyone find out about you.”

“I trust you, Yanxing-ge! Now hurry up and toss me the fish—this smells way too good!”

—

But in the end, he never got to eat that fish because the grown-up Chi Yanxing had woken him up. Yu Su sighed in disappointment. “So close.”

Just a little more, and that fish would have been in his mouth.

Yu Su sniffed, trying to recall the delicious scent from his dream. But suddenly, he caught a strong floral fragrance. Turning his head, he saw a fair-skinned young man standing just beyond the glass doors.

The young man had delicate features. He glanced at Yu Su, first looking him up and down from his legs to his face before locking eyes with him.

“Who are you?” the young man asked.

Yu Su tilted his head. “Who are you?”

–

“Holy crap! Look at the photo in the group chat—”

“Oh my god… Isn’t that ‘60%’? Why is he here?”

Someone looked up the information. “The receptionist Alpha lady said that someone from the Xu family seems to be visiting today…”

“Then it makes sense for this person to be here. Every time this little noble Omega comes around, he acts like he’s inspecting his own company. The boss doesn’t bother with him, and the employees probably just turn a blind eye and let him in.”

“Has the news about the boss finding a matched Omega not spread yet?”

“This is only the first day he’s been seen publicly. Even we just found out internally, so how could the Xu family have heard about it?”

“Then… can that weak little Omega in the wheelchair stand up to this little white lotus?”

“That’s hard to say. The young master of the Xu family always puts on a delicate and elegant facade, but now he’s up against a truly fragile official match. Who knows who’ll end up losing face here—”

Indeed, it was uncertain who would come out on top.

Xu Yuxing took a few steps up to the small balcony, standing in a blind spot where those inside couldn’t see in, and those outside couldn’t see out.

“Who are you? How did you get up here?”

Yu Su blinked, looked at him, and said, “I took the elevator up, of course. Didn’t you?”

Xu Yuxing was momentarily stunned. This Omega looked easy to bully, but as soon as he spoke, his words had a sharp sting.

“…I’ve never seen you in our circle before. If no one brought you, do you think you could just waltz in here?”

“Oh—” Yu Su suddenly understood. “You mean this? I came up with Chi Yanxing.”

Xu Yuxing froze. Just then, a gust of wind carried the lingering deep-sea pheromones over, hitting him like a solid rope, making it difficult for the noble Omega to maintain his expression.

“You were temporarily marked by President Chi?” Xu Yuxing’s voice almost cracked from shock.

Yu Su had been answering questions for so long that he was running out of patience. He let out a half-hearted “ah” and then turned to admire the high-altitude blue sky and white clouds.

What else could he do? As if he had a choice. If he still had his sharp teeth and claws, he’d want to bite back.

Xu Yuxing suddenly stepped forward. “I’m an Omega from the Xu family, and my compatibility rate with President Chi is as high as 60%. Where did you even come from? Did you even get tested before being sent up to be marked by an Alpha? Are you not afraid of pheromone collapse?”

Yu Su remained calm, steady as a mountain. What should have been a conversation between two young men somehow ended up feeling like a conversation between two different generations. Especially since Yu Su was sitting while Xu Yuxing was standing.

One looked like the elder, the other like the grandson.

Yu Su even held a uniquely styled large glass cup, lazily sipping from it every now and then.

“Listen, Omega bro, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. You keep talking about Chi Yanxing—you should be looking for him, not me.” Yu Su pointed inside toward the meeting room. “Talking about marking nonstop… You sound like you’re really desperate to be bitten, but there’s no point getting mad at me for that.”

“I’m not an Alpha.”

Xu Yuxing gritted his teeth, nearly losing control and flipping Yu Su’s wheelchair over.

But he still remembered where he was and the image he needed to maintain. Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed his anger. “You’re just an Omega with no background, no status. Even if your compatibility score is slightly higher than mine, do you really think you can perfectly match an Alpha of his level?”

Yu Su suddenly lost interest in staying here. This was a nice place, but it had become way too noisy. He turned his wheelchair and passed by Xu Yuxing. “Strange human.”

What did his compatibility have to do with him?

Xu Yuxing felt like he had punched a cotton pillow—completely ineffective.

As Yu Su passed, the fresh scent of the temporary mark washed over Xu Yuxing’s nose—cool, crisp, carrying a barely detectable hint of chill.

It was new.

And it carried an unmistakable Alpha territorial claim and warning.

Xu Yuxing clenched his fists and used his legs to quickly step past Yu Su, heading for the meeting room.

“…So, what I’m saying is, for our next collaboration, we’re planning to work with Jian Corporation. That might disappoint you, Chairman Xu.” Chi Yanxing sat with his long legs crossed, his slender fingers interlocked over his knee, exuding absolute control.

Xu Yuanshan had felt the conversation going in an unspeakable direction for a while, but he hadn’t expected the other party to outright say they were ending their cooperation.

His expression darkened. “Actually, I didn’t come alone today. Yuxing came with me. It’s been a while since he’s seen President Chi. Why don’t you two young people have a chat? I won’t interfere.”

A hint of mockery flashed in Chi Yanxing’s eyes. Just as he was about to reply, a knock sounded at the door. A pale-faced young man stood outside, visibly upset. Xu Yuanshan glanced past Chi Yanxing and called out, “Yuxing, come in.”

Only then did Xu Yuxing push the door open.

“Father, President Chi.”

“Come over here. I was just talking to President Chi about you… Hm?” Xu Yuanshan’s gaze shifted slightly and landed on someone outside—someone sitting in a wheelchair, idly spinning in circles.

“That is…?”

Chi Yanxing naturally took over the conversation, delivering a heavy blow to the Xu father and son. “That’s my Omega. Since we’re all here, let’s do introductions. Yu Su—”

Yu Su peeked his head in and responded lazily, “What?”

“Let me introduce you. This is Chairman Xu, and beside him is his son, Xu Yuxing. Just like you, he’s also an Omega.”

Yu Su nodded. “Yeah, we’ve met. He just said he wanted you to bite him.”

Xu Yuxing’s face turned red. “When did I ever say that?!”

“Yuxing, mind your manners,” his father scolded, though he kept his tone measured. Then he turned to Chi Yanxing with a forced smile. “This… Mr. Yu, is he the new Omega you found?”

Chi Yanxing answered directly, “Yes. A rare find—100% compatibility.”

The last few words were especially emphasized.

Xu Yuanshan’s expression twisted for a brief moment. He had assumed that Chi Yanxing’s stable pheromones were due to the use of a new inhibitor. He never expected that the man had found a perfectly matched Omega and already marked him.

He stood up, tidied his clothes, and barely maintained the dignity of an alpha. “Since President Chi has made his stance clear, there’s no need for further discussion. I wish you success with your new project.”

Chi Yanxing also stood up, keeping up the formalities to the end. “Take care, Chairman Xu. I won’t see you out.”

Xu Yuan Shan knew there was no salvaging the situation, so he turned and left. Meanwhile, Xu Yu Xing remained frozen in place, his face full of disbelief.

He stared blankly at Chi Yanxing. The man before him had deep features, an outstanding presence, and exuded a powerful alpha aura that could drive any omega crazy. He had always assumed that, as the only omega to meet the minimum compatibility threshold, Chi Yanxing would eventually turn back to him. But in the blink of an eye, this most coveted alpha in high society had been snatched away by some unknown omega.

And that omega was a sharp-tongued, wheelchair-bound cripple!

Xu Yu Xing’s expression looked as if he had just lost a billion dollars.

Chi Yanxing lifted his gaze, his impatience evident. “Do you have something else to say?”

Faced with the alpha’s imposing presence, Xu Yu Xing instinctively shook his head. “N-no…”

Chi Yanxing stepped past him and walked toward Yu Su. “If not, then leave. The company doesn’t entertain outsiders.”

Xu Yu Xing’s eyes instantly turned red with shame and anger. He bit his lip and stormed off.

Once the Xu father and son had left, Chi Yanxing finally stopped next to Yu Su and immediately asked, “Did Xu Yu Xing bully you?”

Yu Su raised his eyes and replied honestly, “How could he? He’s not even as good-looking as you. I couldn’t be bothered to talk to him.”

Chi Yanxing: “…”

So, most of the time you’re willing to talk to me because I’m good-looking?

–Author’s Note:
Chi Yanxing: Guess this face is all I have going for me…

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