Chapter 177: Tail of the Eye

Chapter 177: Outer Corner of the Eye

Shi Lv finished reading Elder Ye's message and arched one eyebrow sharply, his expression slightly odd.

With his life experience, he truly hadn’t expected that in modern society, there were still parents forcing engagements without even introducing their children to the intended partner beforehand.

The moment the message was received, System-66 also got an alert about the plot deviation—a blood-red exclamation point pulsing on the screen. 66 popped up and perched on Shi Lv’s shoulder, muttering, "Weird."

In the original story, though Elder Ye had intended to arrange a marriage for Shi Lv, high-society Omegas didn’t grow on trees—you couldn’t just pick one at will. Besides, this wasn’t feudal times anymore. Omegas were all doted on by their parents, raised with care, and no one would push their own child into a pit of fire. Given the original host’s obnoxious new-money attitude, no one would have taken a liking to him.

66 flipped through the plot, the screen flooding with question marks: "This doesn’t make sense. How did you get chosen by the Song family?"

Shi Lv’s lips twitched. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Wasn’t this supposed to be just for show? How did I end up selected?"

He had been discussing a beach vacation with Liang Xu, and now the old man had to pull this stunt—not only killing the vibe but also forcing him to burn brain cells for a way to sabotage the engagement.

*

Shi Lv grabbed the system, ready to discuss it with 66, only to see 66 flop over with a lazy yawn on his shoulder.

Shi Lv: "?"

Shi Lv: "Hold on, 66. Such a major plot deviation, and you have nothing to say?"

66 looked utterly disinterested. "Whatever. You’re definitely not getting a high score anyway. The later plot was already messed up—what’s one more deviation?"

Shi Lv: "???"

He reached out and tugged at the system, pinching the small screen between his fingers. "Since when are you like this, 66? Just a few days ago at the Ye family banquet, you were riding me hard about sticking to the plot. Why are you slacking off now?"

66 lifted its pixelated eyelids to glance at him. "I only need 60 points. And even if I wanted more, you wouldn’t be able to pull off the later plot anyway. Later, you’re supposed to lead Liang Xu on, watch him suffer without giving him pheromones—can you do that? You’re supposed to force him to gouge out his scent gland and go into exile—can you do that? And then Liang Xu returns for revenge, toppling the Ye family and making you pay ten times over—can he do that?"

"I’ve been through so many worlds. Do you think I don’t know what you’re capable of? You guys just aren’t cut out for this. You know that, right? You don’t have the strength for it."

As it spoke, 66 weakly waved its screen and prepared to go back to sleep.

Shi Lv: "..."

He gripped the system tightly. "No, no—even if the main plot is gone, partial points still count! What if I’m just a few points short of 60?"

66: "Heh. You’ve already hit 60."

Its face remained blank. "That one *sister-in-law* of yours made my progress bar max out. Perfectly hit 60. But there’s no way you’re getting to 70, so why should I bother?"

Shi Lv: "..."

He grabbed the system and tossed it aside. "Fine. Go play then."

He hadn’t been counting on it to begin with, and now even less so.

*

Shi Lv turned to look at Liang Xu, trying to figure out how to break the news.

At that moment, Liang Xu glanced at his phone’s caller ID, swerved the wheel, and pulled over to the side of the road.

He answered the call.

Liang Xu didn’t deliberately hide it from Shi Lv. Zhang Ping’s voice came through clearly from the phone. "Boss, our inside man reported. Elder Ye has sent out invitations today to the movers and shakers of Haicheng, inviting them to attend the engagement party between Mr. Shi and the Song family’s Omega a month from now. Entrepreneurs in Nancheng have also received invitations from the Song family. It seems it's the real deal."

Liang Xu's tone was unreadable: "Mhm, got it."

Zhang Ping: "We'd originally tapped into Nan Cheng's connections, planning to take a portion of overseas trade from their share—which was already cutting into the Song family's piece. If Elder Ye ties the knot with them, our plans might be set back big time."

Recently, Liang Xu had been secretly plotting against Elder Ye but hadn't told Shi Lv. Now that Zhang Ping had spoken it aloud, Liang Xu tightened his grip on the steering wheel and shot a sideways glance.

Shi Lv sat quietly in the passenger seat, messing with his seatbelt, seemingly oblivious to their conversation.

Liang Xu lowered his voice slightly: "Got it."

Zhang Ping's tone carried a hint of urgency: "Boss, what's gonna happen with you and Shi Lv? I heard about the Song family's Omega..."

Zhang Ping was in on Liang Xu and Shi Lv's relationship, and Liang Xu's position directly affected his own future, so naturally, he was anxious.

Liang Xu cut him off: "I'm tied up right now. We'll discuss this later."

He hung up the phone.

They were at the highway entrance, and it was an unusually clear day. Outside, the streets were bustling as Haicheng residents, families in tow, queued up to enter the highway, heading for the beach. Liang Xu tossed his phone back on the dash, and things went quiet.

He rubbed his temples, slightly pained: "Xiao Shi..."

Before he could finish, Shi Lv had already raised his hand, blurting out: "I have no intention of marrying the Song family's Omega, and I wasn't keeping it from you—I just saw the news myself. If you don’t believe me, you can check my phone."

His words were firm, no beating around the bush.

Liang Xu let out a wry chuckle: "I don’t need to check your phone. I know."

Shi Lv was his alpha. He trusted Shi Lv's character and understood Elder Ye well. The old man was used to calling all the shots, like a stubborn feudal patriarch who wouldn’t dream of free will in love. He would arrange everything on his own, even sending out invitations before bothering to inform Shi Lv.

What worried Liang Xu was that even if Shi Lv had no intention of complying, pushing back would be tough.

Liang Xu asked: "Are your documents in his possession?"

Shi Lv paused: "Yes."

When his name and identity were changed earlier, Elder Ye had used his influence to confiscate all of Shi Lv's documents. Since the name change was part of the plot, Shi Lv hadn’t resisted. Now, those documents were still in Elder Ye's hands.

They exchanged a glance, and Shi Lv immediately understood Liang Xu's concern.

With his documents held by Elder Ye, Shi Lv couldn’t leave.

In Haicheng, the Ye family was a corporate powerhouse, and surveillance cameras covered every corner of the city. As long as Shi Lv remained here, Elder Ye could have the whole city turned inside out to find him.

Worse, their relationship might be exposed in the process.

Silence.

Liang Xu frowned, his fingers pressing against his lower lip. His easy smile vanished, replaced by a cold solemnity as his dark lashes shadowed his eyes. Shi Lv recognized this expression—it meant Liang Xu was deep in thought.

Shi Lv was thinking too, but he had only recently stepped into the Ye family. Without trusted allies and with Haicheng's messy power plays, it was way over a college kid's head to navigate. If Liang Xu couldn’t come up with a solution, he certainly couldn’t either.

So, he sat obediently in his seat, waiting quietly for Liang Xu.

When Liang Xu finally came back to himself, this was the sight that greeted him.

His little boyfriend looked pitiful, puppy-dog eyes full of hope. Liang Xu could practically read the unspoken plea on his handsome face: "You have a plan, right? You must have a plan, right?"

The next second, Shi Lv gazed at him eagerly and whispered: "You have a plan, right? You must have a plan, right?"

Liang Xu didn’t know why, but he suddenly remembered an emoji Shi Lv had once sent him—“QAQ.”

It fit surprisingly well.

Totally inappropriate for the moment, Liang Xu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

He reached out and ruffled his boyfriend's hair—neither too soft nor too stiff, the strands slightly prickly against his palm. The texture wasn't as nice as petting their ginger cat at home, yet Liang Xu couldn’t resist giving it a few more affectionate strokes.

Oddly enough, despite Shi Lv's handsome, refined features, towering height, and well-defined abs and pecs—attributes that would undoubtedly draw admiring glances from countless Omegas if he were on a basketball court—Liang Xu found him incredibly cute. His height was cute, his abs were cute, his pecs were cute. In short, everything about him was utterly endearing.

Shi Lv pulled his head away, smoothing his tousled bangs with mild irritation. "What are you doing? We're discussing serious matters here. What about the engagement?"

He looked doubtfully at Liang Xu. "You're not actually going to have me get engaged with the Song family's Omega, are you?"

In the novel, Liang Xu's character was one who carefully assessed situations and weighed pros and cons. He never did anything that wasn't worth the effort. Shi Lv knew he was working to overthrow Elder Ye, but it would take time. Besides, an engagement wasn't the same as marriage—there was still room to back out. Under these circumstances, the safest course of action would be for Shi Lv to go along with it temporarily, stabilize Elder Ye with the engagement, and then break it off later.

But...

How could an engagement not involve the person he truly loved?

Shi Lv understood the stakes and the current predicament. Still, if Liang Xu really intended for him to go through with the engagement, he would be upset. He lowered his head and muttered sullenly, "I don’t want to get engaged."

Liang Xu, still amused, was surprised by his words. He paused briefly, straightening his crooked glasses before chuckling. "Who said I was going to let you get engaged?"

His alpha—how could he possibly hand him over, even just for show? That was not happening.

Then, his expression grew serious. "But Shi Lv, there are some things I need to clarify with you first."

It had been a long time since he had addressed Shi Lv by his full name. Shi Lv sat up attentively. "Go ahead."

Liang Xu gazed at him quietly. His deep amber eyes, when not smiling, were unreadable. "The Song family is one of the most powerful wealthy families in the southern city, their influence matching or even exceeding the Ye family. An alliance with them would elevate the Ye family's status even further. And as the Ye family's heir, after Elder Ye's passing, your position would also rise. Do you care about any of that?"

Shi Lv: "...?"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Care about what?"

The Ye family was already unimaginably wealthy to him. Besides, Shi Lv had an easygoing attitude toward power—it was nice to have, but not essential. He had come from an ordinary family and had lived just fine.

In fact, compared to living under Elder Ye's oppressive control and navigating the ruthless power struggles of high society, he much preferred his old life.

Liang Xu seemed to relax slightly, but the moment was fleeting. Before speaking again, his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I've met the Song family's Omega."

Shi Lv: "...?"

Liang Xu: "Highly educated, beautiful, gentle, and refined—the Song family raised him to be the perfect Omega, exactly what most alphas want."

Shi Lv: "???"

Liang Xu's tone was calm and measured, as if discussing a stranger, yet Shi Lv sensed something unusual beneath the words.

Liang Xu's voice tightened slightly.

Shi Lv frowned. "...So?"

Liang Xu looked at him steadily. "He's young, around your age—much younger than me. He wouldn’t have wrinkles like mine."

Shi Lv froze for a second.

From Liang Xu's seemingly random remarks, he caught on. His eyes widened slightly as he asked hesitantly, "Liang Xu... are you worried I might regret it? That because the Song family's Omega is outstanding, well-educated, and attractive, I need to think carefully now to avoid future regrets?"

Liang Xu added, "He's still very young."

Shi Lv understood.

He leaned back against the seat, feeling equal parts irritated and entertained. "What does his age have to do with me? I don’t like him—not now and never will. I’ve only ever liked one person my whole life, and that'll always be true. Don’t you know that?"

His words were so blunt that Liang Xu’s calm expression faltered. A pink tinge spread behind his ears, and he turned his head away without speaking.

The moment he turned, Shi Lv perked up. Chin in hand, he studied Liang Xu. "Do you really have fine lines around your eyes?"

Liang Xu’s eyes, hidden behind silver-rimmed glasses, appeared gentle and refined at first glance, with little aggression. But upon closer inspection, the slight upward tilt at the outer corners gave them a foxy sharpness when he wasn’t smiling.

Shi Lv looked left and right, admiring him from every angle, utterly smitten. He couldn’t spot a single wrinkle.

Liang Xu was already restarting the car. Avoiding Shi Lv’s gaze, he lowered his head to turn the key. "Alright, let’s head to the beach for a walk. I’ve booked a seafood dinner—"

Before he could finish, he froze mid-motion.

Shi Lv had taken off his glasses.

His vision blurred abruptly, and something seemed to spiral out of control. Liang Xu instinctively sensed unease. The next second, Shi Lv’s handsome face filled his vision.

His young boyfriend cupped his chin and pressed a soft, fleeting kiss to the corner of his eye.

Liang Xu couldn’t help but blink, his lashes brushing against Shi Lv’s lips. Shi Lv studied his face. "I don’t see any lines. Where are they?"

Liang Xu chuckled and was about to point them out when Shi Lv murmured under his breath,

"Even if there were, you’d still be beautiful." Shi Lv’s final whisper hung in the air, tender and unguarded.