Chapter 170: Exposed

Chapter 170: Caught Off Guard

Shi Lv leaned against the kitchen island, his expression earnest. He was still wearing Liang Xu’s apron, holding a glass bowl in his hand. When he said he wanted to confess, it was clearly no joke.

Liang Xu’s eyes flickered away, his lashes dipped, avoiding eye contact.

Those deep amber eyes, shadowed beneath his lashes, appeared shadowed and brooding, faintly tinged with worry.

A young person’s emotions were raw and earnest—unfeigned, yet fleeting.

Liang Xu was a businessman, adept at weighing pros and cons. Getting involved with Shi Lv was a disastrous gamble.

First, Elder Ye loomed as a barrier. He had chosen Liang Xu, an ordinary man, for Ye Xuan because Ye Xuan was terminally ill and wouldn’t live long. What Elder Ye needed wasn’t a son-in-law, but a "controllable" Omega to produce a blood-related heir. In such circumstances, Liang Xu—the ideal vessel—was perfect.

But Shi Lv wasn’t Ye Xuan, nor was he terminally ill.

He was handsome, polished—heir material. Elder Ye would undoubtedly select a high-society Omega from a similar social circle as a suitable match for his youngest son, forging a powerful alliance to elevate the Ye family’s influence even further.

By then, Liang Xu, whose position was already tenuous, would be pushed further to the margins.

Beyond that, he had another concern.

If he agreed to be with Shi Lv, would they do those intimate things?

Would they kiss? Embrace? Would they nuzzle each other’s scent glands, and go further, completing all the lovers’ rituals they were supposed to share?

If so, how could he hide his pheromones? How could he conceal the fact that he was the Omega from the 29th floor of *Zhenhai Hotel*?

Given Elder Ye’s temperament, if he discovered that Liang Xu had privately accepted someone else’s pheromones, Liang Xu would be in serious trouble.

Liang Xu disliked leaving himself vulnerable, but if this secret were exposed, it would be like handing ammunition straight into Shi Lv’s hands.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Shi Lv—it was just that his early experiences had been too tumultuous, and he had witnessed too much of the rot beneath gilded façades. Lovers turning into bitter enemies, becoming resentful partners. He wasn’t willing to reveal his trump card to anyone.

Right now, Shi Lv was indeed guileless and unjaded, indifferent to fame and fortune. But people always changed. Once he took full control of New Leaf Group, he would inevitably clash with Liang Xu’s territory. Steeped in luxury and hardened by power, what kind of person would he become?

Liang Xu wouldn’t risk that future.

If, at that time, Shi Lv used the past to threaten him, Liang Xu would have no defenses left.

And so, under Shi Lv’s gaze, he hesitated for a long time, unable to meet his eyes openly.

Having navigated the business world for years, Liang Xu had a thousand ways to let someone down easy. But now, words stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

The atmosphere between them grew thick with tension.

Shi Lv: “…Hm.”

Liang Xu was the first to sense the awkwardness. Given Shi Lv’s current status, he ought to be handled with kid gloves.

Softening his tone, he instinctively tried to smooth things over with some diplomatic platitudes—but before he could speak, Shi Lv sat down as if nothing had happened, pushing a glass of milk toward him and saying calmly, “It’s fine. These things aren’t about one person confessing and the other immediately agreeing.”

He changed the subject. “Your dark circles look worse. Didn’t sleep well again last night?”

His calm was unnerving.

“…”

Liang Xu sighed. “I’ll manage.”

They sat on either side, beginning to eat in unspoken coordination. For a while, the only sounds in the air were the clinking of plates and cutlery.

After finishing their meal, Liang Xu glanced at his watch. Even in this highly advanced modern era, he still preferred wearing a classic mechanical wristwatch: "It's almost time for work. Let’s finish eating and head out."

Shi Lv nodded.

As he left Liang Xu's home, he subtly glanced at the cabinet where Liang Xu kept his sleeping pills.

He had been awake last night when Liang Xu got up in the dark.

The two drove back to New Leaf Group. As usual, Liang Xu dropped Shi Lv off on the street two blocks away from the company, and they parted ways—Liang Xu drove into the underground garage, while Shi Lv strolled leisurely into the office.

But fatefully, they ran into each other again in the elevator.

Shi Lv had moved to the top-floor office, right next to Liang Xu’s, sharing the same elevator.

Liang Xu came up from the basement level, while Shi Lv entered from the first floor. When the elevator doors opened, Shi Lv was momentarily taken aback—Liang Xu stood among a group of executives, inexplicably averting his gaze. The executives, however, greeted Shi Lv warmly with a chorus of "Good morning, Young Master Shi."

Having parted less than two minutes ago, they now found themselves running into each other in front of so many people.

Liang Xu felt awkward, and Shi Lv was a little embarrassed too. So they simply nodded silently, saying nothing further.

Meanwhile, the executives exchanged meaningful glances, silently passing around speculations.

"What's going on? Has Mr. Liang fallen out of favor?"

"Did they have a fight? Is that it?"

"Oh? Should we adjust our attitudes toward them from now on?"

"Not necessarily. Maybe it's just a lovers' quarrel—they'll make up by nightfall. Let's observe a bit longer and see how things play out."

Having reached a consensus, they exited the elevator.

*

After becoming a senior executive, the biggest change Shi Lv noticed was the sheer number of meetings.

Small meetings every three days, major ones every five—financial summaries, investment proposals, quarterly planning—each matter required discussion and decision-making, with endless details to hash out. Exhausted by it all, Shi Lv began to miss his days as an intern.

While Shi Lv was stuck in meetings, System 66 reviewed the plot.

In the novel, this period was also a rare time of peace.

The original host resented Liang Xu because, as an intern at New Leaf Group, he lacked Liang Xu’s guidance. His skills were subpar, and he had no interest in learning, often bungling tasks and slowing down the entire team. His colleagues openly and subtly mocked him, which only deepened his frustration.

At this point, his dislike for Liang Xu was purely that of an intern resenting his superior—compounded by his belief that, as the true young master, he had been deprived of his rightful place for years, while Liang Xu reaped the benefits.

Whenever he thought of Liang Xu, impeccably dressed and surrounded by admirers, while he himself scraped by, maxing out credit cards for luxuries Liang Xu wouldn’t even glance at, resentment festered. He felt deeply wronged.

But he still didn’t know Liang Xu was the omega from the 29th floor of Zhenhai Hotel. Liang Xu was flawless in his work, leaving the original host no leverage against him. So, for now, he limited himself to snide remarks and minor provocations, embarrassing Liang Xu in front of the executives. More extreme actions would come later.

System 66 closed the original text and summarized: "All you need to do is keep finding fault with him in meetings and humiliating him."

As for Shi Lv’s performance…

—Humiliation was indeed achieved, but as for "finding fault"... well, it could barely count.

The progress bar rose inexplicably. Though it deviated from the original plot, it was steadily increasing, so System 66 let it slide.

For example, right now, they weren’t sitting together. Liang Xu deliberately kept his distance, choosing a seat farther away in meetings without name tags—directly across from Shi Lv.

The topic of today's meeting was the approval of an investment proposal. After the executives had their say, it was Shi Lv's turn to make the final decision.

Shi Lv only vaguely grasped what was going on and felt totally out of his depth. While he could usually follow regular meetings, anything too technical left him lost. The proposal involved hundreds of millions in funding, and he didn’t dare make a hasty decision. So, he surreptitiously tapped at his phone under the table, shooting Liang Xu a message on BlueBlue: *"Mr. X, what do you think of this investment proposal?"*

He knew Mr. X was Liang Xu, but he just wanted to call him that.

The moment he hit send, Liang Xu’s phone vibrated on the table.

Liang Xu instinctively palmed his phone, only to notice Shi Lv staring at him from across the table, eyes practically begging. Reluctantly, he also hid his phone under the table and unlocked it.

The screen showed a message on BlueBlue.

*"……"*

To 66’s surprise, the task progress bar skyrocketed.

Liang Xu’s usual calm and composed smile was about to slip.

He and Shi Lv had long exchanged contact information on regular messaging apps, but for reasons beyond him, the young master of New Leaf Group insisted on reaching out to him on BlueBlue.

And BlueBlue was, undeniably, a mainstream gay dating app.

Though Liang Xu could be ruthless in private, he always maintained a dignified and refined demeanor in public. Yet here he was, stuck fumbling with an explicit dating app under the table in front of so many people—with the young master of New Leaf Group on the other end, addressing him with the cringe-inducing nickname *"Mr. X."* He dreaded to think what rumors would spread if any of the executives caught wind of this.

Liang Xu had a reputation to uphold.

In today’s hurry, he’d forgotten to mute his phone. He turned off the screen and stuffed it into his pocket, ignoring it.

Shi Lv pressed: *"Mr. X?"*

*"...Mr. X?"*

*"Why aren’t you answering?"*

*"Did I upset you?"*

The progress bar skyrocketed, and 66 whooped: *"Su Zhu! Keep it up! Su Zhu! Go for it!"*

The phone pulsed weirdly against his thigh, way too compromising, and the two executives beside him shot him sidelong looks, curiosity flickering in their expressions.

Liang Xu’s polite smile froze. His annoyance flared, and he had no choice but to pull out his phone—only to see Shi Lv had sent him a sticker of a soaked kitten.

The kitten clung to the edge of a riverbank, dripping wet, fur plastered to its body, ears drooping pitifully.

Liang Xu glanced up. Across the table, Shi Lv bit his lip, gaze lowered, looking just as pitiful.

His anger evaporated instantly.

Liang Xu: *"This proposal is flawed. Three reasons: First..."*

He spelled out his critique and sent it to Shi Lv, letting out a barely-there sigh.

Surely that was the end of it?

But two seconds later, his phone buzzed again.

Shi Lv: *"Copy that."*

*"Understood."*

"Thank you, Mr. X."

The message was split into three parts, sending his phone buzzing three times in a row—hard not to suspect it was intentional.

66 cheered wildly in the mental space: "Master! You rock! Master! Keep it up!"

Liang Xu: "…………"

Never had Liang Xu been this dumbfounded.

A single meeting didn’t just involve one investment proposal requiring Shi Lv’s approval—there were at least two or three, sometimes as many as seven or eight. For the simpler ones, Shi Lv could handle them himself, but given his lack of experience, he worried about hidden pitfalls. So, he’d glance at Liang Xu for confirmation, only signing off after receiving a subtle nod and smile.

When he truly couldn’t figure something out, Liang Xu’s BlueBlue (messaging app) would chime incessantly, forcing him to turn off all alerts. Yet, whenever Shi Lv had a question, Liang Xu still patiently answered.

Liang Xu was used to working on a computer and wasn’t particularly fast at typing on his phone, unlike Shi Lv, who typed at lightning speed. It took him much longer to compose a reply.

And as he typed away, the atmosphere in the meeting grew increasingly strange.

Liang Xu and Shi Lv had been exchanging so many glances, surreptitiously texting each other under the table—none of the executives were fools. They noticed.

Those seated farther away exchanged meaningful looks, while those nearby whispered among themselves.

One covered his mouth with a hand: "Why does it feel like Young Shi runs everything by Liang Xu? Didn’t they take away his authority? So… did they or didn’t they?"

Another leaned in: "Stripped nothing. What kind of power removal is this? More like Liang Xu’s pulling a 'puppet master' move."

A third frowned: "Puppet master? But Young Shi doesn’t seem the least bit coerced. Shouldn’t an ‘emperor’ being sidelined resist?"

A fourth suddenly understood: "Ah, I get it—Liang Xu’s the Power Behind the Throne!"

"..."

One hushed them sharply: "Watch your words. If Liang Xu’s the Power Behind the Throne, then what’s Elder Ye? Careful, or the old man will come after you."

And so, in this bewildering and eerie atmosphere, two weeks flew by.

Liang Xu’s position showed no obvious change—the executives still treated him with deference.

Shi Lv gradually got up to speed on operations, swamped with work, while Liang Xu, seemingly idle—sipping tea and flipping through papers—quietly worked his connections. He avoided Elder Ye, the company executives, and… Shi Lv.

Some things, Liang Xu needed to keep in his own hands to feel secure.

All of this was clearly written in the original text, and 66 had informed Shi Lv of everything. Yet Shi Lv played dumb, never asking.

He was preparing to move.

With a better financial situation, Shi Lv left his old, shabby rental and relocated near New Leaf Group. His ginger cat’s meals grew increasingly fancy, turning the little guy into a chubby butterball—a dead ringer for Gingerbread. Concerned for its health, Shi Lv had to put him on a diet.

That day, as he finished prepping the wet food for the cat, 66 suddenly chimed in: "Heads up, Host—big story moment incoming! Big story moment incoming!"

Shi Lv: "...Hm?"

The small screen displayed the chapter title from the original text.

"Identity Revealed"

Shi Lv got the picture.

The only identity Liang Xu had hidden from him was that of the Omega on the 29th floor of Zhenhai Hotel.

The turning point in the plot has finally arrived.

Finally able to speak to the host through the mission, 66 was in tears. It relayed the entire original text at once to prevent any misunderstanding on Shi Lv's part.

"Due to prolonged restlessness, chronic sleep deprivation, and excessive use of sleeping pills, Liang Xu's hormone levels fluctuated violently, leading to physical complications. During tomorrow's shareholder meeting, he would suddenly fall into a pseudo-estrus state."

"The meeting came abruptly, and Liang Xu forgot to change his scent gland patch. The worn-out patch failed to block the leakage of pheromones, and the scent of Green Bamboo Wine gradually seeped out into the small conference room."

"Liang Xu recognized the risk immediately and rushed to the bathroom to deal with it."

"He left promptly, so none of the other executives noticed—except for Shi Lv, his Alpha mate."

"An Alpha who has marked an Omega is always particularly sensitive to their Omega's scent."

"The pheromones lingered at the tip of his nose. Musing, Shi Lv watched Liang Xu's retreating figure before quirking a faint smile."

"He had discovered something amusing."

"Meanwhile, Liang Xu stumbled into the bathroom. He shut the door, turned on the faucet, and splashed water over his face. His usually immaculate hair fell loose, sticking to his temples. Droplets rolled down his brows, the bridge of his nose, and his jaw, bringing a fleeting moment of clarity."

"He couldn’t apply the gland patch properly. After much fumbling, his wet fingers only caused the adhesive to lose its stickiness. The patch slid off into the trash."

Though ABO equality was now the norm, Omegas still faced disadvantages in the workplace. There weren’t many Omegas among New Leaf Group’s upper management—only one or two worked on the top floor. One was on maternity leave, while the others were unavailable, so Liang Xu wasn’t immediately worried about someone entering the bathroom.

With difficulty, he fumbled for his phone and messaged Zhang Ping. There weren’t many within New Leaf whom Liang Xu could fully trust, and he certainly didn’t want others to see him in such a state.

But Zhang Ping had a supplier meeting that day and might not check his phone anytime soon. Liang Xu could only wait.

As time ticked by, the heat at the nape of his neck grew increasingly unbearable. His thoughts grew hazy as he braced himself against the marble countertop, waiting for Zhang Ping to arrive.

He didn’t know how long he endured—perhaps minutes, perhaps half an hour—before the bathroom door inched open. Liang Xu snapped to attention, squinting at the newcomer. His expression cracked for a split second.

—The man was strikingly handsome but bore dark circles under his eyes, his cheeks slightly hollowed, showing signs of excess.

His predatory stare fixed on Liang Xu, lips curling with a mocking smile, as if saying, "I’ve got you now."

It wasn’t Zhang Ping.

It was the original host.

Though his mind was clouded, Liang Xu knew with absolute clarity—this was the beginning of hell.

From this moment on, Liang Xu’s secret was exposed, his weakness seized by the original host. The story would soon plunge into its most brutal phase of torment. The original host had always despised Liang Xu, loathing the Omega who had humiliated him in the hotel. Now that these two identities overlapped—and with such a perfect leverage in hand—Liang Xu was fated to endure relentless torment and vengeance.

After reading this, Shi Lv deadpanned: "...Alright."

He had long suspected the original host was mentally unstable. Now, it was confirmed.

He didn’t want to dwell on the warped mindset behind the original host’s actions. What concerned him was Liang Xu’s physical condition.

False heats only occurred when an Omega’s body and mind were severely compromised. And just the day before, at Liang Xu’s home, Shi Lv had indeed seen him taking sleeping pills.

The small medicine cabinet in the living room was packed with various medications. Shi Lv knew Liang Xu had a hard life—under Elder Ye’s oppressive control, few could escape suffering. But Liang Xu’s outward composure, his calm and gentle facade, had given Shi Lv the illusion that he was invincible, impervious to harm. Only upon seeing those densely packed medicines did Shi Lv realize his mistake.

He was only human. No one could truly remain unshaken unless they had long grown accustomed to hardship.

As the host fell into thought, 66 poked his shoulder. "So, host? You look so serious. Is it hard to act out?"

Shi Lv lowered his gaze, refocusing on the original text. "It really is hard to act out," he admitted.

Meanwhile, in the mindscape, 66 glanced between the original text and Shi Lv, wiping a digital sweat.

The look of someone who'd overindulged, a sinister gaze, a mocking smile...

Was this even something Shi Lv could pull off? Was he really capable of acting like this?

66: "...Good luck, host. Just give it a try. If it doesn’t work, then forget it."

So what if his acting wasn't perfect? Who says 60 isn't passing?

...But it’d still be nice to at least hit 60.

66: "QAQ"

Using the plot as their guide, during the meeting that afternoon, Shi Lv couldn’t help but keep stealing glances at Liang Xu. He even slipped out during lunch to quietly buy a pack of adenoid patches.

If discovery was inevitable, at least make sure no one else noticed.

Once everyone was seated and the meeting began, Shi Lv first sent a couple of routine greetings on BlueBlue, then asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

Liang Xu seemed slightly puzzled: "...I’m fine?"

66 remained vigilant. According to the plot, Liang Xu would suddenly feel unwell and excuse himself. It had to monitor the progression.

But after waiting and waiting, even until the meeting adjourned, Liang Xu remained perfectly composed. The anticipated plot point never arrived.

66 landed on the table in confusion, tilting its head at Liang Xu. Its tiny screen displayed nothing but bewilderment as it activated its scanning system, running a full-body check on the protagonist of this angst-ridden story.

"That's strange..." 66 muttered. "His hormones are fluctuating, but it doesn’t seem to have reached false estrus levels yet. Anxiety is significantly higher than before, and today's sleep patterns are worrying, but still not critical... Why is this deviating from the plot?"

The AI was puzzled by the discrepancy, looking back and forth between Shi Lv and Liang Xu.

Liang Xu, oblivious to the system scrutinizing him, was busy replying to Shi Lv on BlueBlue.

One hand propped casually against his forehead, the other hidden under the table typing away. After deliberately dressing down in recent days, he had recently resumed wearing his glasses with chain accents, the silver chain glinting in front of 66. He was every inch the confident New Leaf CEO.

The surrounding executives paid no mind—they were long accustomed to Liang Xu and Executive Ye being buried in their phones, each lost in their own world.

66 withdrew its gaze and turned to Shi Lv, who was also tapping on his phone.

...If there was one variable, the only possible one was the host.

Because of Shi Lv’s completely different personality and approach compared to the original host, Liang Xu’s anxiety was nowhere near as extreme as in the original text, and his false estrus hadn’t arrived today.

But this plot deviation had instead become a looming threat. Until the end of the month, neither 66 nor Shi Lv knew whether this unpredictable episode would come, when it would come, how intense it would be, or how it might affect his health.

They coexisted peacefully for many days, and just when 66 thought the plot had been derailed by the host’s influence, one afternoon, Shi Lv suddenly couldn’t find Liang Xu.

He had gone to Liang Xu’s office as usual to discuss an investment proposal, only to find it empty save for a neatly arranged executive chair. After checking the schedule and realizing Liang Xu was supposed to be in a meeting, Shi Lv made his way to the department Liang Xu was overseeing.

The department head spotted him and greeted him with a smile. "Executive Ye, looking for CEO Liang? He’s not here—he left midway. We were in the middle of a meeting when he suddenly stopped it, told us to discuss among ourselves, and then left."

Shi Lv’s heart sank.

Given Liang Xu’s meticulous dedication to work, leaving in the middle of a meeting could only mean one thing—his adenoids were acting up.

He sidestepped the approaching department head and returned to the top floor.

The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he paused mid-step.

In the hallway, there was indeed a barely detectable hint of Green Bamboo Wine.

Bitter, slightly astringent, the fresh bamboo scent undercut by an intensely potent liquor.

On the other side of the door, as the Omega inside struggled in distress, Shi Lv stood outside the restroom.

He took a deep breath and gripped the door handle.