Chapter Text
Sheng Shaoyou knew from a very young age what was expected of him; he was only ten when his father had pulled him out of his mother’s funeral while he had been crying and forced him to “get it together”, that he was an Alpha, he was the heir, he shouldn’t be crying over anything.
Little Shaoyou decided then that he would be a better Alpha than his father, a kinder Alpha, someone gentle, not someone who claimed Omegas and threw them out, having so many children, cheating on his wife, Shaoyou’s mother.
He was the Alpha who helped Omega kids escape bullies, using his high-grade pheromones not to harm, but to soothe. From people to animals, and even flowers, it seemed that they were drawn to his pheromones. Omega kids would instantly stop crying when he comforted them. Small animals were attracted to his warmth, and he usually found himself surrounded by puppies and kittens. Wilted flowers bloomed again under his fruity pheromones.
Despite his father’s harsh upbringing, Shaoyou never lost sight of his goal—to become the kind of Alpha he believed his mother deserved. But under his father’s iron fist, the boy couldn’t help but act out, turning into a monster of a son. When he came of age, old enough to work at Shengfang Biotech, he did his best to undermine his father, purposely messing up deals that the company needed just because he liked seeing his father pissed.
If his father didn’t care to raise him right and only cared for his affair partners and bastard children, he would treat him worse right back, and he knew that no one else could replace his status as heir, his closest younger brother was a gambler who just lost their money, while every other sibling was too young, either in school or still crawling.
“Do not mess this up for me, alright? This is going to be an important meeting with HS Group, so you be on your best behaviour.” Sheng Fang lectured his son again, for the tenth time this evening. He couldn’t have this meeting ruined by Shaoyou’s awful attitude.
“Yes, father,” Shaoyou responded mechanically; he knew when to behave. This relationship with HS Group was truly needed; the other pharmaceutical company had grown steadfast over the past year, and was already a big competition to them, working with them and being civil would be best for Shengfang Biotech, and Shaoyou needed that for when he took over.
HS Group was known to be a branch of X Holdings, supervised by the boss Shen Wenlang, a Country P man, and that place was known to pretend to be civilised, like the people were acting, it might as well be a dictatorship led by the boss of X Holdings, the unknown head, who never showed his face was known to provide 30% of the country’s GDP, the only trillionaire in the world who controled everything, could make the government dance on his fingertips. Still, anything anyone in Jianghu knew of Country P was rumours, each one worse than the last.
As Shaoyou walked through the halls, he and his father were led by President Shen’s private secretary. As Secretary Gao led them to the door to the president’s office, another secretary was walking by, pale, soft skin, plump, pretty lips, eyes focused on the multiple files he was trying to handle, his frilly shirt flowing as he strutted. The S-Tier Alpha was so stunned by the sight that he couldn’t move out of the delicate Omega’s way in time, causing them to bump together, sending all work files flying everywhere as both of them tumbled down.
The Omega landed on top of Shaoyou, surrounded by files. His hands landed on both sides of Shaoyou’s hips, almost caging the Alpha on the floor as he looked up, his soft eyes shining with unshed tears, “Forgive me, I didn’t see you.” He scrambled up, collecting the files.
The scent of orchids wafted off the Omega’s warm skin; it was strong for an average Omega, enveloping Shaoyou in its soothing aroma. It was a fragrance so calming, so inherently peaceful, that it instantly put Shaoyou in a state of peace he had never felt before. His instincts, usually sharp and alert, dulled in the presence of this beautiful creature. He found himself wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around the Omega, to shield him from any harm, to keep him safe within his embrace forever. “It’s alright, but do be careful in the future, if you landed on the floor it could’ve hurt.”
The Omega nodded vigorously, his long, dark lashes fluttering against his porcelain cheeks as he gathered the scattered documents. “Yes Sir, I apologize for the inconvenience,” he said softly, his voice like the tinkling of wind chimes on a breezy day, like a siren song that lured sailors in to their deaths. As he stood up, brushing off his crisp white trousers, Shaoyou caught a glimpse of the Omega’s eyes, wide and honest, reflecting the innocence and purity that radiated from his very essence. In that moment, Shaoyou felt an inexplicable connection, a sense of belonging he’d never experienced before.
And then Shaoyou watched the Omega enter the office before him, his father and Gao Tu, only realising he was on the floor alone while the two watched, “Shaoyou, get up!” His father sneered, face flushed in embarrassment as Shaoyou shot up, “Why didn’t you say anything to that Omega? Just let him get away with bumping into you?”
“It was an honest mistake, Baba.” Shaoyou rolled his eyes, fixing his suit before straightening his tie. And the three walked in.
The only thing that Shaoyou took from that meeting was the Omega’s name, Secretary Hua Yong, when he had offered his father his card. Sheng Fang had ignored it, but Shaoyou took it without a second thought. Other than that, his father had been an embarrassment in the meeting, trying to fight with President Shen when they were supposed to be civil, which led to the Shengs being thrown out, as Wenlang obviously didn’t want to sell his company.
After the meeting, Shaoyou made his way back to his office, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Secretary Hua Yong. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of tranquillity the Omega’s presence had brought him, nor could he ignore the strange pull he felt towards him. All he could think about was the Omega’s delicate features, the way his body had fit perfectly against Shaoyou’s when they fell together.
It was a shame that he wasn’t allowed to go to HS anymore because of his father nearly starting a pheromone clash with the boss. And Sheng Fang was now even worse with him, like it was somehow his fault that he didn’t stop the altercation; neither of them had known that Wenlang would be an S-Tier Alpha, easily bringing his father to submission. However, Shaoyou was sure he could’ve taken him in a fight, even if he rarely fought with his pheromones; he was too good to engage in what he basically saw as a dick-measuring contest.
—The Next Day—
“What are you doing here?” Wenlang asked the Enigma as he unlocked the door to his office to find Hua Yong already sitting there. The head of X Holdings was cold—so unlike the clumsy Omega he had shown Shaoyou—so harsh the air seemed to stand still in his presence.
Hua Yong didn’t look up, smiling with his eyes closed as his head rested on his fist. He passed a piece of paper towards Wenlang’s seat, silently ordering him to sit down. “I want you to behave around Sheng Fang, give him this.”
Wenlang narrowed his eyes at Hua Yong, clearly displeased by the order given to him. However, he knew better than to disobey. With a huff, he sat down, snatching the paper from the Enigma’s hand. As he scanned the contents, his expression shifted slightly, “A mating chase? Since when do you participate in debaucheries like this? Since when are you a host?”
Hua Yong finally lifted his head, his eyes opening slowly to reveal pools of deep magenta, a pink so dark that it seemed to suck in the light around them. A small, enigmatic smile played on his lush lips as he gazed at Wenlang, his voice low and smooth as silk when he spoke, “Debauchery is such a harsh word, isn’t it? I prefer to call it… passion.”
He leaned back in his chair, throwing his feet over Wenlang’s desk, the movement fluid and graceful, like a cat stretching after a nap. “And since when does it concern you how I choose to spend my free time?” Hua Yong’s tone held a hint of challenge, but beneath that, a subtle undercurrent of amusement, as if he found Wenlang’s disapproval entertaining rather than threatening.
“You… You want Sheng Fang to send Shaoyou to P Country in hopes of him running into you, isn’t it?” Wenlang scoffed, rolling his eyes, “Are you really sure your precious Alpha can survive you? You don’t coddle people, you break them down and rebuild them into machines that serve yourself. That’s how you maintain power.” He leaned forward, his icy gaze boring into Hua Yong, “You really believe Shaoyou can agree to that? And what if he chooses an Omega for himself?”
“Do you need to be broken further, Wenlang?” Hua Yong’s voice was soft yet chilling, shutting the Alpha right up as his Enigma pheromones rose in the air, like serpents waiting for their master’s order to attack, “You’re my friend, so I let you keep your tongue, and this company. Do not step out of the line. And if Shaoyou chooses an Omega, I’ll kill it.”
Wenlang paled at Hua Yong’s threat, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew better than to cross the Enigma, but hearing those words spoken aloud sent a chill down his spine. Something was unsettling about the way Hua Yong said it, as if he meant every syllable. “I’ll get you Shaoyou.” The Alpha swallowed, coughing as the air became easier to breathe.
Hua Yong nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, but the air seemed to vibrate with tension. After a moment, he spoke again, his voice low and measured, “See that you do.” Then, without another word, he rose from his chair and exited the room, leaving Wenlang sitting there, his heart pounding in his chest. The Enigma’s parting words hung heavy in the air, a promise and a threat wrapped in a single sentence.
Once outside, Hua Yong paused, taking a deep breath to centre himself. His plan was now set in motion, and there was no turning back. He knew the risks, but the reward was worth it. Shaoyou was special, different from other Alphas, and Hua Yong intended to claim him as his own, no matter the cost, make him his exclusive Omega, only his.
He remembered the day they met, when an eight-year-old Hua Yong had bumped into an twelve-year-old Sheng Shaoyou. From that moment on, Hua Yong was hooked, consumed by the desire to possess Shaoyou completely. That bitter orange scent took complete hold of him; the boy who wanted nothing to do with his father’s business took hold of it just to make the perfect opportunity to strike.
“ARE YOU CRAZY, BABA?” Shaoyou had been busy working in his mini office in his father’s company, while Shengfang had taken Shaoqing to a business party, his attempt to get his second-born into company affairs, yet Shaoyou knew his little brother wasn’t one for business, only fun.
He was eating stir-fried noodles, spicy chicken, and a coffee to keep himself going for later doing overtime. He had ordered dinner when his father barged in, telling him he wanted his son to fly to P Country to attend a party he had already confirmed in his name a week ago. A mating chase party, “You can’t just ship me over to that uncivilised horror show of a county! Fo-For a mating chase? WHAT ARE WE? Animals!?”
Shaoyou’s father slammed his fists on the table, making the spare chopsticks clatter and the bowl of noodles jump. “We’re Alphas, child!” He bellowed, his face red with anger and frustration. “This is an honour, something you should be grateful for!”
But Shaoyou just rolled his eyes, not intimidated by his father’s display. “Grateful? For being invited to play in some sick game?” he retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. “No thanks, Baba. I’m not interested in breeding some poor Omega like livestock. This is the definition of uncivilised.”
Sheng Fang scoffed, his anger palpable, “Uncivilised?! That country is thriving; it’s one of the few places we can’t touch without getting our fingers burned. They’ve got technology and resources we can only dream of. At this party you will be attending, the boss of X Holdings will too, the one who never shows up anywhere. If he’s an Omega, as people say, you can dominate him in this chase.”
Shaoyou rolled his eyes, setting his chopsticks down, “I’m not whining, Baba, I’m stating facts. Country P is backwards compared to us. They don’t even have Omega protection laws; they aren’t a legal society. I refuse to participate in any Omega’s harm.” He said like it was final. Hurting Omegas wasn’t an option.
Sheng Fang’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing into slits as he glared at his son. “You’re not thinking about the bigger picture here,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “X Holdings controls a significant portion of the global economy. If we can forge an alliance with them, it could mean untold wealth and power for our family.”
Shaoyou froze, his heart sinking. Of course, his father wouldn’t listen, wouldn’t understand. This was all about punishing Shaoyou, about proving his authority over his own son, “And if I get him? The Boss of X Holdings, an Omega, and use my S-Tier pheromones to reduce him to his primal instinct, then what? Will you give my Omega a home? Do you think you’ll be the one running his company while he’s my housewife?”
Sheng Fang seethed, his face red with rage, “That’s not your concern! Your concern is following orders, not questioning them! You should be grateful I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself, to show me you can be a true head of this company, not some spoiled brat who throws tantrums whenever he doesn’t get his way!”
The Alpha paced back and forth, his agitation growing with each passing second, “I know what I’m doing, Shaoyou! I’ve made arrangements and set up the private jet for you already. You’re going to Country P, and that’s final!”
Shaoyou felt a chill run down his spine as he realised the gravity of the situation. His father’s words left no room for argument, no possibility of escape as he watched his father rush out, closing the door on him.
Shaoyou slumped back in his chair, staring blankly at the wall as the reality of his situation sank in. He was being sent to Country P, a place he had always considered barbaric and dangerous, simply because his father wanted to punish him.
But amidst the disgust, a small spark of defiance ignited within him. He refused to go quietly, to submit to his father’s whims without a fight. So he ran when his father’s maids forcefully packed his bags for him, he left, without his phone or any way for anyone to reach him, he didn’t stop until he made it to the opposite side of the town, to an old abandoned park, it used to be his favourite as a child, his mother would bring him there to swing him on the swing sets, let him play around the slides and wipe his butt when he fell from the monkey bars.
Shaoyou collapsed onto the rusty metal swing; it creaked under his weight, his chest heaving with ragged breaths as the adrenaline began to wear off. The once vibrant playground now lay in disrepair, overgrown with weeds and littered with discarded trash. Yet, for Shaoyou, it held a bittersweet nostalgia, a reminder of happier times before his mother's death and father’s influence had turned his life upside down.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the desolate landscape, Shaoyou’s mind raced with uncertainty. He had nowhere to go, his father’s threats echoed in his ears, and the promise of dire consequences if he failed to comply. He looked up when he heard creaking beside him, as someone else sat down on the other swing, “Hua Yong?”
“Mr Sheng, I thought that was you,” The Omega smiled sweetly, playfully starting to swing as the old metal creaked from it, “What are you doing in a children’s park?”
Shaoyou sighed; the Omega’s cheerful demeanour brought on a sense of comfort to him. “Escaping,” he replied bluntly, swinging idly to match his pace. “My father wants me to Country P for this weird, debauched party. I don’t want to go.”
Hua Yong’s smile faltered for a split second before he regained his composure, his expression turning sympathetic. “Ah, I see. Well, sometimes family can be… Overbearing.” He chuckled softly, “Your father was… Something the last time I saw you.”
Shaoyou laughed as well, “Yeah, do tell your boss that I owe him one for putting my father in his place.”
“I will,” Hua Yong then sighed rather sadly, “Speaking of my family, they’re in P Country, they want me to come home for this year’s… This party where Omegas and Alphas choose each other… And get with an Alpha, apparently I’m getting out of my prime.”
“Is your family crazy? You can’t go!” Shaoyou denied instantly. The boy in front of him was just a sweet Omega; he looked barely out of college, and if what he had heard about P Country was even slightly true, the Alphas there would ruin the beautiful boy before him. “Don’t go, what’s even fun about getting with a random person?”
Hua Yong tilted his head, a wistful smile playing on his lips, “It’s tradition, and besides… Sometimes fate has a way of choosing for us.” His eyes locked with Shaoyou’s, a hint of mischief dancing in their depths, “Besides, it’s not random. They let their instincts choose their mate for them…”
The Omega’s gaze drifted to the sky, where stars were beginning to twinkle against the darkening sky, “In P Country, we believe that during these parties, the pheromones released by the participants can awaken dormant desires… It’s like destiny chooses it for you.”
Shaoyou raised an eyebrow sceptically, “Destiny chooses? Sounds like a bunch of crap sold to Omegas to me.” He scoffed, shaking his head, “Omegas are just drugged to follow their instincts blindly, to be dominated by Alphas.”
Hua Yong chuckled, a melodic sound that sent shivers down Shaoyou’s spine, “Sometimes, though, it takes more than just instincts to truly connect with someone.” The Omega swung closer to Shaoyou, their knees almost touching, “Perhaps… Perhaps it’s not just about breeding or dominance.”
“What do you think it’s about?” The Alpha asked as they sat together in the night’s silence.
Hua Yong’s eyes sparkled with intrigue as he pondered the question, “Connection… Trust… Understanding.” He leaned in closer, his warm breath tickling Shaoyou’s ear, “When two souls meet, it’s not just about pheromones and instincts. It’s about finding that missing piece, that complement to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.”
“You make the concept of being forced into heats and rut so people can hunt and be hunted so romantic…” Shaoyou laughed as Hua Yong started swinging again, “Is it what you’re sold or what you believe?”
"Well, I suppose I’ve been sold the romantic version, but deep down… I believe it, too.” Hua Yong admitted, his voice soft and sincere, “There’s something primal and beautiful about surrendering to one’s desires, about finding that perfect match.”
The Omega’s gaze drifted to Shaoyou, his eyes searching the Alpha’s face, “Maybe it’s the idea of being completely claimed, of having someone so deeply invested in you that they’d risk everything to possess you.” Hua Yong’s voice dropped to a whisper, “To be desired that much… It’s intoxicating. Wouldn’t you think so?”
The Alpha smiled at the Omega’s innocent words, “I’m an Alpha, I’m not possessed. I’d be the one posessing.”
Hua Yong’s eyes sparkled with mirth at Shaoyou’s bold declaration, “Oh, an Alpha who thinks he’s above possession, hmm?” The Omega teased, his voice laced with playful sarcasm. “How very arrogant of you.”
“I’m an S-Tier Alpha, there’s nothing above me.” Shaoyou said, arrogance in his tone clear, “Though that has never mattered to me, I’d never use my pheromones to oppress.”
“Does Mr Sheng not believe in the existence of Enigmas? They could even mark Alphas.” Hua Yong replied with a sly smile, “Could mark you.”
“Ah yes, less than one in a billion, Alpha of Alphas, could mark anyone, even Alphas,” The Alpha leaned close to Hua Yong, “Bullshit.”
Hua Yong hid a small smile that played on his lips at the way his Alpha so carelessly denied his existence, “Well, it’s getting late, I should get back to my apartment and pack, it was nice to see you again, Mr Sheng.”
With a final nod, Hua Yong turned and walked away, disappearing into the darkness of the abandoned park. Shaoyou watched him go. He was going to P Country, too, the Alpha decided. Not for his father, but for this Omega with such a sweet tongue, he didn’t want anyone taking advantage of him. The Alpha would go to this mating chase disguised as a party, and keep that Omega safe.