Chapter 168: Cake

Chapter 168 Cake

"A bamboo fragrance, crisp and refreshing. Why do you ask?"

Song Yi's carefree voice came through the phone, but Shi Lv didn’t respond. His tone was unreadable: "How likely is it for people to share similar pheromones?"

"Of course, it’s rare—maybe one in a million. A city might have two or three with similar scents at most. An identical match is virtually impossible." Song Yi’s voice grew increasingly suspicious. "Wait, Shi Lv, what’s going on? Isn’t this basic biology we learned in grade school?"

Shi Lv gave a soft laugh. "It’s nothing. Thanks, just asking."

Hearing this, Song Yi grew concerned. "Shi Lv, what’s really going on with you? You've been acting off today. You even canceled your birthday plans yesterday. Did something happen?"

Shi Lv had planned to celebrate his birthday yesterday, but due to Elder Ye’s sudden banquet, everything got canceled, and his original plans fell through.

Song Yi wondered aloud, "You’ve been acting weird since yesterday, and now you’re suddenly asking about pheromones. What, did that bamboo-scented Omega dump you?"

Shi Lv replied, "No, just think of it as..."

He laughed softly. "Think of it as me not having won them over yet."

Liang Xu had gone completely underground, not risking even the smallest reveal of his identity. So careful, so afraid of making a single misstep—so utterly distrustful. Wasn’t that the same as not having won them over?

Shi Lv could understand Liang Xu’s secrecy. Beneath that gentle and composed exterior lay an unbreakable pride. He would never allow the vulnerability of his heat to be exposed to others.

It just stung a little—why hadn’t Liang Xu contacted him?

Shi Lv was half an hour late, yet his phone remained silent, without a single message.

It was as if Liang Xu had already accepted that he wouldn’t come.

Shi Lv pressed his lips together slightly. He felt a pang of discomfort but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he pondered another question:

—Why did Liang Xu need an Alpha’s mark?

Liang Xu had once been engaged to Ye Xuan. Shi Lv knew the mark belonged to Ye Xuan, which was why it resembled his own. But he also had a rough understanding of the ABO world’s dynamics. This was no longer an era where Alphas dominated and Omegas were expected to remain chaste. Pheromone therapy was now widely available, with the federal government establishing specialized databases and setting up clinics in major cities, staffed by dedicated volunteers.

Under such circumstances, even if Liang Xu had been deeply marked, as long as he went to the hospital for a match, he could surely find someone close enough—even if not a perfect fit. Medical treatments could then isolate and purify the compatibility, far better than toughing it out alone.

Compared to that, entrusting Zhang Ping to arrange a contract with Shi Lv was the worst-case option.

So why hadn’t Liang Xu gone to the hospital for a match?

The elevator descended smoothly, the digital display counting down from 29 to 1. When the ping signaled its arrival, Shi Lv suddenly understood—at least partially.

Unless... someone was actively blocking him from going.

And that someone could only be Elder Ye.

Omega rights had only recently been recognized, yet Elder Ye was like a ghost of the old society lingering in the new era, reeking of decay. Shi Lv, as his son, had spent less than two days with him and already felt suffocated. So what about Liang Xu?

Though he had recognized the pheromone, Shi Lv found it hard to reconcile the helpless Omega in the dark with Liang Xu—or with X. X and Liang Xu were steady and powerful, carrying the calm confidence born of experience. They had already reached positions others envied and aspired to, self-sufficient enough to rely on no one.

But that Omega?

That Omega was helpless, fragile, suffocating and near death. When the Omega leaned against his shoulder, Shi Lv felt as though they desperately needed an embrace.

A sheltering, comforting embrace.

But how could such completely opposite traits exist in the same person?

For a brief moment, Shi Lv's heart twinged slightly.

He couldn't help but wonder—if, according to Zhang Ping's account, the Omega had suffered unbearable injustices, what about Liang Xu? Had he too endured those hardships that Shi Lv could hardly bear to hear about?

The call hadn't ended yet. Song Yi's noisy voice crackled through the receiver, exclaiming, "What? Still haven't made progress? You're literally the most handsome guy in our class—what Omega could be this cold?"

Shi Lv chuckled wryly. "It's not that they're cold... Just drop it, okay? Consider me still working on it. I'll make it up to you for the birthday thing another day."

"Fine, see you later."

The dial tone sounded. Shi Lv snapped his phone shut, slipped it back into his pocket, and the smile on his face vanished instantly, leaving no trace.

Then, he stood alone in the hotel lobby for a long time, watching the elevator doors open and close before him, guests coming and going. In the end, he turned and walked out.

If Liang Xu didn’t want him to know, if he wasn’t ready to remove his mask, if Shi Lv wasn’t someone he could trust, if he refused to expose his vulnerabilities—then Shi Lv would pretend not to notice.

He would wait. Wait until the day Liang Xu was willing to tell him himself.

Leaving the hotel, Shi Lv retraced his steps, sneaking back into the estate under cover of night. He rehung the curtains, restored everything to its original state, as if nothing had ever happened.

*

The next day, Shi Lv went to work at New Leaf Group as usual.

The Ye family was Elder Ye’s absolute domain. Appointing an executive was child’s play for him. In just one day, Shi Lv was seated among the management. Former colleagues greeted him politely as "Young Master Ye."

Shi Lv had no intention of changing his surname. The title made him cringe. After dismissing the formalities, he withdrew to his personal office.

He had chosen the office himself—right next to Liang Xu’s.

He stowed the bear-themed lunchbox into the fridge while 66 reminded him persistently: "There’s a shareholders' meeting today with several critical story beats. I’ve listed them all—make sure you check them off one by one!"

As the plot entered its later stages, Shi Lv’s role expanded, and 66 finally had more lines to deliver.

Shi Lv dismissed it. "Stop asking. I remember."

Management changes always called for meetings, and with New Leaf’s quarterly financial report due, today’s meeting was critical. Both Shi Lv and Liang Xu were required to attend.

With the company’s power dynamics shifting between old and new, Shi Lv was clearly the designated successor. Many were scrutinizing the meeting to gauge his stance. And as per the storyline, Shi Lv’s task today was to publicly embarrass Liang Xu.

Whether through sarcastic remarks or dismissive behavior, the goal was simple: make sure the entire company knew the new "Young Master Ye" had a grudge against Liang Xu.

66 watched him cautiously. "You’ll follow the script, right?"

Shi Lv was busy organizing the office fridge to make space for the bear lunchbox. He’d prepared a new dish today, planning to let Liang Xu try it. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Just wait and see," he muttered distractedly.

66, no longer the inexperienced system from the first world, pressed again: "You promise?"

Shi Lv sighed. "Yes. Publicly embarrass Liang Xu, right?"

Satisfied, 66 flashed on its small display. "And don’t forget the two key lines. Memorize them."

Shi Lv shoved it down impatiently. "Alright, alright. Got it."

Shi Lv entered the conference room half an hour early.

The seats were empty—no one but the idle young master would arrive so soon. Five minutes before the meeting, people began trickling in. Liang Xu had dressed more modestly, swapping his silver-gray satin suit for a subtle matte one, his glasses without their customary chain. He avoided looking at Shi Lv as he searched for his seat.

Nameplates were placed along the long table to avoid confusion.

When Liang Xu found his, he caught his breath.

Right next to Shi Lv.

Demoted from CEO to a sidelined, do-nothing role, Liang Xu was in an awkward spot. At his current rank, he shouldn’t have been seated at the center of the meeting. But there his nameplate sat.

Meanwhile, an important shareholder stared at his own nameplate in the corner, looking puzzled. Shi Lv pretended not to notice.

—After all, the company was Elder Ye’s personal fiefdom, and he was the Ye family’s sole heir. If he wanted to sit next to someone, he would sit next to them.

Everyone in the room was sharp. After a silent exchange of glances, the shareholder pulled out his chair and sat down with a smile.

Liang Xu, however, was on edge. Shi Lv’s attitude was unpredictable. He had prepared to cut ties, yet the nameplate was placed right beside Shi Lv. Sitting there felt wrong, but not sitting there was also impossible. With all the shareholders already seated, he could only paste on a calm smile and reluctantly take his seat.

66 frowned at the baffling uptick in the mission completion rate, deep in thought.

...The host hadn’t even said a word, so how had Liang Xu already been humiliated?

Was the system glitching?

It gave itself a frustrated tap, but instead of resetting, the data rose another fraction.

...?

At the table, Liang Xu stiffened slightly.

Shi Lv quietly shifted closer.

His movements were subtle, making no sound, as if he were merely adjusting his position unconsciously. Yet he inched closer and closer to Liang Xu, until their chairs were nearly flush.

Too close.

At this distance, Liang Xu could even smell his scent—crisp and clean, like a mountain after rain, fresh and pleasant.

Seeing that Liang Xu showed no sign of disgust, Shi Lv glanced at the screen, which displayed his line—a snide comment: “Ah, President Liang, those dark circles under your eyes. Didn’t sleep well last night?”

In the original text, Liang Xu, unmarked, had stayed up all night and naturally hadn’t slept well.

The original guy was incompetent and wasn’t as likable as Shi Lv. During his internship at New Leaf Group, Liang Xu had never given him the time of day. Now that the original guy had shot up the ranks overnight, he was out for payback. His snide tone made the shareholders immediately grasp his intent.

Before the meeting could start, Shi Lv seized the moment and leaned in, whispering to Liang Xu, “Ah, President Liang, those dark circles under your eyes. Didn’t sleep well last night?”

The ‘Oh’ came out as a softer ‘Ah,’ turning the snide remark into a casual interjection, while the rest carried real worry in his voice.

Liang Xu’s brow twitched, and he hastily lowered his gaze. The alpha’s handsome features were filled with concern, even a hint of distress.

He clenched his fingers, unsure how to respond.

Since taking charge of New Leaf Group at a young age, Liang Xu had always been the one in power. No one had ever worried about him, nor did he need their concern.

But this feeling now was… strange.

All the New Leaf executives were present. The newly appointed Young Master Ye openly leaning in to chat about trivial matters with him made every shareholder glance up briefly before quickly masking their reactions. A few exchanged knowing looks.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. What was even more excessive was Shi Lv unilaterally closing the distance between them—the alpha’s breath nearly brushing his skin, his scent enveloping him. Liang Xu instinctively tensed further, his ears pinked slightly.

Liang Xu instinctively raised his hand, touching under his eyes as he deflected, "...No, are my dark circles really that noticeable?"

For a moment, he thought his secret had been uncovered by the alpha.

"Very bad," Shi Lv grumbled softly. "I sent you a goodnight text yesterday, but you didn’t reply. Were you asleep by then? Looking at you now, you must not have slept well?"

He had pretended to notice nothing yesterday and sent X a goodnight text before bed.

After saying all this in one breath, the alpha’s warm breath brushed against the back of Liang Xu’s ear. Unable to take it any longer, Liang Xu leaned back to create distance. "...I slept quite well. Thanks for asking."

Shi Lv glanced at the screen again.

The second line was: "If you're tired, rest more. You should take a break too."

In the original context, this was meant to imply forcing Liang Xu out of power.

Shi Lv leaned in again, whispering, "If you're tired, rest more. You should take a break. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends lately—it’s exhausting just watching you."

Liang Xu automatically protested. "No, I think I’m fine."

If anyone else had said this, it would have been a power grab. But Shi Lv only urged him once before obediently sitting back, as if genuinely just concerned.

The meeting room was silent.

The shareholders lowered their heads, pretending to organize documents, their gazes fixed straight ahead. A few middle-aged shareholders, already balding, left only shiny bald spots in view. They did their best to make themselves inconspicuous—some fidgeting with their hands, others scratching their heads, a few with stern expressions, brows furrowed as they stared intently at the meeting agenda in their hands, as if those two flimsy pages held life-or-death importance. Others shrank into their seats like quails, wishing they could vanish on the spot.

Thus, 66 was surprised to find that the progress bar had ticked up again.

Liang Xu was embarrassed again.

66 sneaked a glance—Liang Xu’s expression remained calm, still wearing that gentle smile. Aside from the deepening flush behind his ears, nothing seemed amiss.

The AI scratched its nonexistent hair. "Strange."

Why did it increase?

Though it didn’t understand the reason, an increase was still good. Satisfied, 66 patted Shi Lv. "Nice work, host. Keep it up."

With the pre-meeting lines mostly delivered, Shi Lv signaled for the meeting to begin. The shareholders, finally escaping the tension, gasped like fish thrown back into water. They rushed to speak, packing two hours' worth into just one.

Shi Lv’s understanding was limited, and they spoke too quickly. Fortunately, Liang Xu was beside him, so Shi Lv leaned over to ask questions, whispering through half the meeting. When shareholders sought his opinion, Shi Lv didn’t bother pretending—he just asked Liang Xu directly.

The original host had also asked Liang Xu here, but it was meant to mock and ridicule, making it clear to the shareholders that Shi Lv and Liang Xu were irreconcilable—that the former head of New Leaf Group had completely fallen from grace, with no chance of regaining favor. But after repeating the original lines, Shi Lv would quietly wait for Liang Xu’s answer, occasionally jotting down notes, just as he had when seeking Liang Xu’s advice before.

The shareholders observed their interactions. Shi Lv’s gaze lingered on Liang Xu, nodding now and then, his eyes shining with admiration.

Not all shareholders had attended the Ye family banquet. Many swore under their breath: "Who said these two were at odds? That the young master despised Liang Xu? They nearly got me killed! This doesn’t look like hatred at all!"

And under Shi Lv’s attentive gaze, 66’s completion rate slowly climbed.

Liang Xu sat on pins and needles, unable to grasp Shi Lv’s intentions. Cold one day, adoring the next—as unpredictable as the shifting clouds. He mocked himself inwardly, feeling the young man’s hot-and-cold treatment was too much to bear, and just wanted to extricate himself.

So when the meeting ended and shareholders began leaving, Liang Xu tidied his documents and politely bid Shi Lv farewell. After a brief handshake, he smiled and nodded. "Young Master Ye, now that I’ve stepped down and most of New Leaf’s affairs have been handed over, and all department heads have been introduced to you, there’s nothing left for me to do. I’ll take my leave first."

With that, he tried to pull his hand free—but it didn’t budge.

Liang Xu’s smile stiffened. Physically, he was no match for a young alpha, and socially, he couldn’t openly shove aside New Leaf’s heir in public. He forced a smile. "Is there something else, Young Master Ye?"

Icy and detached.

"...Could you not call me 'Little Master Ye'?"

He struggled slightly, and Shi Lv seemed to come to his senses, releasing his hand without any intention of forcing him to stay. Liang Xu breathed a small sigh of relief, only to see Shi Lv standing there, looking visibly downcast, his brows drooping—almost pitiful.

Liang Xu paused mid-step, hesitating for a moment before adding politely, "...Is there anything else you need?"

Shi Lv then asked softly, voice tinged with sadness, "Does the promise you made... still count?"

Liang Xu was taken aback. "What promise?"

Shi Lv: "You promised to bring me a cake for my birthday. Does that still count?"

Before Liang Xu could respond, Shi Lv looked even more crestfallen, tentatively tugging at Liang Xu's sleeve.

He asked cautiously, "You promised to bring me a cake... Did it stop counting because I became the Ye family's heir?"

"..."

As the Ye family's heir, what kind of cake couldn't Shi Lv have? With just a word from him, hundreds would come running to deliver cakes of all kinds—enough to make him sick of them.

Yet here Shi Lv stood, as if desperately hoping for Liang Xu to nod.

Against his better judgment, Liang Xu did.

He sighed silently. "...I bought one—it's at home. Do you still want it after all?"