Chapter 172: Invitation

Chapter 172: Invitation

What happened next felt natural.

They ordered room service, and the waiter brought beef braised in red wine and lamb chops. Liang Xu turned off all the main lights, leaving the bedroom bathed in a dim, intimate glow. After washing up, he changed into a loose robe and took out a prized bottle of red wine, pouring it into the glass in front of Shi Lv.

The label on the wine bottle was written in flowing foreign lettering, its strokes trailing long tails—not English, likely the name of some renowned winery. Given the occasion, Shi Lv guessed it was ridiculously expensive.

He still wasn’t very sensitive to pheromones, but he felt tonight called for sharing a drink with Liang Xu. Yet as he sipped, becoming pleasantly buzzed, a richer scent wrapped around him—its opening notes crisper than the wine, its finish far more intense, as if blending incense and leather into a mellow aquatic base. Shi Lv’s breath hitched, his body tensed on reflex.

Liang Xu had removed his pheromone patch.

An Omega removing their pheromone patch in front of an Alpha could only mean one thing: an invitation.

Shi Lv truly wasn’t very sensitive to pheromones, but he was still an Alpha.

He looked up at Liang Xu, who remained as calm as always, his lashes casting fan-shaped shadows behind his silver-framed glasses. Yet his fingers barely noticeably tightened against the table, as if nervous.

Shi Lv thought, *He’s actually nervous.*

It was the first time he’d ever seen Liang Xu nervous.

Liang Xu prided himself on his experience and charm, never losing out to any youthful Omega. But there was still a full ten years between him and Shi Lv.

Ten years—enough to leave subtle lines at the corners of his eyes, enough to stiffen his body. Yet in the wine-induced haze, Shi Lv only saw the swaying chain before the older man’s eyes and the unspoken consent in his gaze.

Reaching across the table, Shi Lv carefully took hold of Liang Xu’s wrist and asked, “Is this okay?”

Liang Xu smiled. “Of course.”

Then their lips met.

Scents intertwined, heat passed between them. The expensive wineglass sat forgotten as the taster busied himself with a different kind of pleasure.

Shi Lv and Liang Xu fell onto the bed together. The older man, playing on his experience, attempted to take control, intending to guide the younger.

Unfortunately, Shi Lv needed no guidance.

Instinct alone led him to the Omega's scent gland—his canines grazing the gland, his teeth lightly teasing the skin—and Liang Xu was completely overwhelmed.

He kissed and embraced his desired Alpha like a reckless youth in his early twenties. But when fingers trailed lower, a sharp twinge made him tremble slightly, his eyes slowly closing.

Once this step was taken, there would be no turning back.

Given his physical condition, if he were deeply marked by an Alpha who later turned to another, Liang Xu would have no room for regret. Worse still, there was the threat of Old Master Ye—wealth, power, status, all handed over to another.

Even now, a sliver of doubt lingered in Liang Xu’s heart. Had he been swept away by instinct in the haze of pheromones, making such an irrational decision? But when his body stiffened, Shi Lv noticed immediately, pausing to press a soothing kiss to the Omega’s cheek.

In that intimacy, Liang Xu relaxed slightly and looked up. Shi Lv’s face was full of concern, as if asking what was wrong. So he let go, surrendering to the Alpha’s next move.

But within two minutes, he was tense all over again.

Liang Xu’s feet arched tightly. The Alpha, with no instruction, had mastered certain positions on his own. Long legs were lifted and braced, the younger man’s fingers tracing plump, rounded thighs, while the older one lay rigid, none of the composure he’d shown when inviting Shi Lv to stay.

—His glasses were knocked askew again, dangling loosely from the bridge of his nose. Each time he tried to speak, the words dissolved into stifled gasps.

Seeing genuine discomfort, the glimmer of moisture in his eyes, Shi Lv paused and kissed him again in reassurance.

Even during their first marking, Liang Xu had habitually suppressed every sound in his throat, nearly convincing Shi Lv he was mute. Now, with their hearts aligned, he was still the same.

As if accustomed to enduring all hardships and swallowing them down, Liang Xu excelled at putting on a calm front, yet even on the verge of collapse, he never learned to lose his dignity or beg for mercy.

Shi Lv kissed his lashes, damp with sweat or maybe tears: "Don’t hold back. Tell me if you're uncomfortable. If it hurts, I’ll slow down."

This was supposed to feel good for both of them—what was the point of toughing it out?

But just as Shi Lv nodded to himself, pleased with his performance, he saw a hint of annoyance in the older man’s usually gentle eyes.

Liang Xu’s well-defined brows furrowed tightly, as if in serious discomfort. When Shi Lv actually stopped out of sheer self-control, Liang Xu sucked in a sharp breath, went quiet for a beat, then snapped in frustration, "Shi Lv, have you never watched porn before?"

He gripped the sheets with one hand. "When couples look like they’re in pain in these situations, you think they’re for real?"

"...?"

The college student just stared, confused for a moment.

Liang Xu adored Shi Lv’s naïve charm, but now he was equal parts fond and frustrated, unable to muster another word.

Shi Lv might’ve been green, but he wasn’t dumb. In the yearner’s exasperated gaze, realization clicked. "Oh, you mean—!"

Liang Xu couldn’t take it anymore and clapped a hand over Shi Lv’s mouth.

"Enough. Don’t say another word," he muttered hoarsely. "Just keep going."

Shi Lv did as he was told.

—The consequence was that no matter what Liang Xu said afterward, Shi Lv didn’t stop.

One was a twenty-year-old with energy to burn, the other a thirty-year-old who’d gone without for years. Liang Xu was crazy sensitive—wherever Shi Lv’s fingers trailed, goosebumps broke out across his skin.

By the time things settled, he couldn’t even lift a finger.

Liang Xu drifted off.

The next second, when his body was suddenly lifted into the air, he jolted awake, only to hear Shi Lv say, "Let’s take a bath. We’re sweaty all over."

The tub was already filled with water.

Sinking into the warmth, his aching muscles eased up. But when he sensed the younger man’s intentions, he protested. "No, not now."

Shi Lv chuckled, raising his hands. "Just cleaning."

Liang Xu closed his eyes again and let Shi Lv take over.

Drowsiness overtook him before the cleaning was done, and he fell asleep against the tub’s edge, unaware of when Shi Lv lifted him out. Yet even in sleep, his body seemed to remember Shi Lv’s scent, instinctively pressing close to the alpha.

Breathing in Shi Lv’s warmth, he sank into deep slumber.

A peaceful night.

The next morning, Liang Xu’s internal clock woke him early. His back ached too much to straighten, so he leaned against the bedframe, scrolling through financial news on his tablet.

Shi Lv, on the other hand, was a chronic late riser—three alarms and five snoozes were his routine. Today, without any alarms, he slept until the sun was high.

When he finally opened his eyes, Liang Xu was peeling back foil to swallow a pill with warm water. Noticing Shi Lv awake, Liang Xu stiffened slightly and discreetly returned the medicine to the drawer.

He acted naturally, and with the tablet shielding his movements, Shi Lv didn’t notice. Instead, he nuzzled his fluffy head against Liang Xu’s waist and yawned widely. "Do you still have to work today?"

Shi Lv’s hair was fine and soft, pleasant to the touch. Unable to resist, Liang Xu gave it a quick ruffle before pulling his hand back like nothing happened. "Yes, there’s a meeting today. You have one too—forgot?"

Shi Lv: "...Oh."

Being forced to drag himself to a meeting on the first day after their first night together, Shi Lv was indignant as he got up right on time to change out of his pajamas. Given their current relationship, there was no need to avoid each other, so he turned his back to Liang Xu, stripped off his clothes, and started putting on his day clothes.

There was a full-length mirror to his side, giving a clear view of Liang Xu behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, Shi Lv noticed that Liang Xu had stopped swiping on his tablet at some point.

Though his gaze remained fixed on the tablet, Liang Xu kept sneaking looks in Shi Lv’s direction before quickly looking away. Shi Lv found it amusing—after last night, was he still sneaking peeks? So he made a show of baring his waist, even slowing down the motion of pulling on his clothes.

Sure enough, Liang Xu looked again.

Their eyes met in the mirror, and Liang Xu froze for a moment before hastily averting his gaze.

Shi Lv’s mood lifted immediately.

He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth, running through ideas for where to go on their upcoming vacation—whether to invite Liang Xu to a movie or something else. But halfway through brushing, something suddenly smacked him hard on the head.

System 66 stormed over furiously and whacked him on the head with a loud *thwack*: "Host! I’ll overlook you dating the protagonist again, but there’s plot today! And you were thinking of skipping work?!"

Shi Lv rinsed and spat. "'Again' dating the protagonist? What do you mean 'again'? Liang Xu is my first love."

Since there was plot today, 66 could finally speak. It grumbled, ticking off on its fingers: "Your previous host Jiang, the one before that Xiao, the one before *that* Bai, and… Ugh, forget it. I’m used to it by now—every single host ends up dating the protagonist!"

Shi Lv finished rinsing his cup. "Ah, I remember. You’re called the 'Tragic Protagonist NPC Roleplay System,' right?"

"Exactly!" 66 nodded, then belatedly noticed the amusement in its host’s eyes. Enraged, it smacked Shi Lv again and snapped, "Here’s today’s mission! Read it now!"

Not wanting to provoke it further, Shi Lv tapped the screen to expand the original text.

Yesterday was supposed to be a major turning point in the novel.

Liang Xu’s identity was exposed, and the original host had used it to blackmail him into doing exactly what they’d just done.

The original text read: *"Shi Lv thought, this Omega, who had taken his second mark for free, deserved to pay some price."*

The original host was far from gentle—the act had been rough and violent. Shi Lv skimmed the details, his eye twitching.

Shi Lv: "So you stayed quiet yesterday because it accidentally aligned with the plot, huh?"

System 66 perched on his head, avoiding eye contact and refusing to respond.

Shi Lv continued reading.

*"For Liang Xu, this was naturally an immense humiliation. He desperately tried to hide their relationship in front of colleagues, but Shi Lv had no intention of letting him have his way."*

*"Liang Xu’s office was large and open, leather sofa included, with only a single glass partition door. With constant foot traffic outside, everything inside was clearly visible."*

*"So, he came up with a brilliant idea."*

Shi Lv slammed his cup down upside-down on the counter. "Perfect. I just came up with a brilliant idea too."