Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Wen Si scoffed, his gaze briefly flicking to Bai Qi before he looked away. "Come with me."

"Alright."

Qi Heyan glanced back at Bai Qi, offering a reassuring look, then strode forward, his expression hardening as he followed Wen Si into the casino.

The Beta’s face was grim, likely still simmering from yesterday’s events. The casino had been shut all morning, and on his way there, Bai Qi had seen many people waiting outside in misery—some even bickering.

They were scolding family members for gambling, which inevitably led to more shouting. The Omega was long accustomed to the sight of tears and blood.

Bai Qi was inherently stubborn. If he disliked a place, his entire being recoiled from it.

The Beta seemed to have noticed. Today, as if possessed by an unusual kindness, he even had someone fetch Bai Qi a chair and offered him a handful of sunflower seeds. The Omega sat primly, leaving the rest untouched.

He neither understood nor was interested in these things. Listening to Qi Heyan repeatedly win against Wen Si and others, Bai Qi only felt bored.

"You really do have some skill," Wen Si finally conceded, no longer testing him. He looked at the Alpha with admiration. "Name your price. Yesterday, you wanted a house, right? That’s easy!"

"Hold on." Qi Heyan stopped Wen Si just in time, inwardly relieved. He crossed his arms in front of him—a relaxed posture—and smirked. "We don’t want the house anymore, but we still want the money. And, Boss Wen, I did something big yesterday. I’m genuinely a little scared, you know?"

Wen Si wasn’t a fool. He immediately grasped Qi Heyan’s meaning—fear of retaliation from the casino. The Beta burst into laughter, pointing a finger at the Alpha with theatrical arrogance. "No problem! As long as you ensure I don’t lose money every time I come here, it’s a deal. Ten thousand star coins a month. How’s that?"

Before Qi Heyan could react, Bai Qi looked up in surprise. He hadn’t expected Wen Si to be so generous. Over the years, he’d only managed to save a few thousand star coins himself.

The Omega remained silent, quickly averting his gaze and lowering his head. This was an exorbitant amount of money… Qi Heyan’s promise of "making big money" seemed to be coming true right before his eyes.

But… could they really accept this money?

"And as for the casino, they wouldn’t dare touch you. Otherwise, they’d be crossing me." Wen Si spoke with confidence. In the slums, his word still carried weight.

"Any other requests?"

Wen Si tapped the table with his knuckles. "If not, I’ll take my leave."

"Boss Wen!"

Qi Heyan suddenly stood up. Bai Qi also raised his head, his hands clenching involuntarily, a knot of tension forming in his chest.

Catching Bai Qi’s expression from the corner of his eye, Qi Heyan felt a pang in his chest. He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and forced a smile. "Never mind. You can go."

Wen Si rolled his eyes and left without another word.

"Qi Heyan."

Bai Qi walked over to the Alpha, his brow still furrowed. "Let’s go."

"Sorry for the wait."

Qi Heyan gently squeezed Bai Qi’s shoulder, a light, reassuring touch, as if to calm his emotions.

The Alpha thought that since Wen Si had left, he could take Bai Qi shopping for clothes that afternoon. Winter was approaching, and neither of them had proper winter attire. But fate had other plans—the moment they stepped outside, someone called out to them.

Bai Qi turned to look. It was a man leaning on a cane. The Omega stared for a moment before remembering who he was—the manager of this casino. Was he here to cause trouble for Qi Heyan?

He grabbed Qi Heyan’s sleeve, thinking that if the man meant harm, he’d drag Qi Heyan and run. A man with a limp shouldn’t be able to outrun them.

Qi Heyan also tensed, forcing a polite smile. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"Don’t be nervous." The man smiled warmly, limping toward them. "I’m the manager of this casino. Would you mind if I had a word with you in private?"

Qi Heyan didn’t respond immediately, but Bai Qi grew anxious. He tugged hard at Qi Heyan’s clothes. What if this man was bad news?

The kind of villain who specialized in deceiving people.

"Relax. I’m here to negotiate."

The man’s tone was friendly. After a long moment of consideration, Qi Heyan agreed. He first turned to explain to Bai Qi, "You go back first. I’ll tell you everything in detail once I’m done here, alright?"

Bai Qi hesitated, worrying at his chapped lips. He opened his mouth to say something but ultimately held back. "Fine."

"Go on, then."

Without waiting for Qi Heyan’s reply, Bai Qi turned and walked away without a trace of hesitation. If he was just wasting time here, he might as well go find work at his adoptive mother’s place. Besides, he still had things to buy today.

"Mom." Bai Qi knocked on the door. After a moment, the woman opened it, raising an eyebrow at the sight of him. Before he could ask, she spoke first. "It’s too late now, no work left."

"Where’s your little Alpha? Not with you?"

Bai Qi frowned. "He’s not *my* Alpha. We’re just friends."

"Friends." His adoptive mother chuckled as if hearing a joke. Having lived so long, this was the first time she found Bai Qi so naive. In a good mood today, she offered him a few more words of advice. "That Alpha’s exploits at the casino yesterday are already famous. You can hide it from anyone else, but not from me. He’s not from around here."

Bai Qi lowered his head, silent, his fingers knotting together anxiously—a nervous habit.

His adoptive mother eyed him. "You might not like him now, but feelings can grow over time. He doesn’t seem simple—the kind who could completely dominate you. Bai Qi, he’s from a different world. If you fall for him, your life will be ruined."

"He’s not like you."

"What’s the difference? We’re both men." Bai Qi’s voice lacked conviction. Of course, he knew the differences between them. The Alpha and he… truly weren’t from the same world.

"What does being a man matter? All men lie, and he’s an Alpha. You’re an Omega. Can you even control him?"

Her voice softened slightly. "I’ve watched you grow up. Take this as a warning—don’t get lost in him. Be careful, or you might never escape."

The Omega fell silent for a moment before looking up at his adoptive mother. "He’ll leave eventually. We won’t end up together. Don’t worry."

"Sometimes, it’s best not to speak too soon." His adoptive mother stroked Bai Qi’s hair, her voice growing gentle. "Wealthy, powerful men are the most likely to betray you. You can only trust yourself, understand?"

"I…" Bai Qi paused for a few seconds, then nodded, offering his adoptive mother a small smile. "I understand."

"Alright, I’ve talked enough with you. I’m tired now. You should go." With that, his adoptive mother closed the door. Bai Qi blinked, took a deep breath, and walked on. His adoptive mother had had a child once, whom he’d met years ago, but a severe illness had tragically taken that child’s life…

The Omega often wondered: if he’d had loving parents, would he still be like this? Constantly overthinking everything, constantly exhausted.

Just like today. He had encountered a world he couldn’t comprehend. Bai Qi didn’t think he was stupid; he could farm, make things, and support himself. But that sense of powerlessness still enveloped him. It was too unbearable, too painful.

Qi Heyan was unlike anyone he usually encountered. Everyone revolved around him. The Omega disliked this feeling of losing control, and he disliked being controlled by others.

As for love… could he even love someone?

But he was still young. He had so much time ahead of him. Did he really have to waste it on another person?

"What a shame, what a shame."

Muttering to himself, Bai Qi knocked on another door—this time, a different clinic. After he knocked, the person who answered didn’t invite him inside. The Omega said softly, "Inhibitors."

The scrawny man who opened the door grinned at Bai Qi. "Heard your man’s doing well. You…"

"You have so much to say?" Bai Qi’s tone instantly turned sharp. He pursed his lips, glaring at the man with hostility. "Where’s your father?"

"He’s busy. I’m handling things today." The man, intimidated by the harsh tone, didn’t dare speak back and hurried to fetch Bai Qi’s inhibitors. He was timid and only dared to bully the weak. While he wouldn’t make a big move against Bai Qi, that didn’t mean he couldn’t pull small tricks.

The man returned with a different brand of inhibitors and casually tossed in another box of pills. "Same price. Take it and go."

Bai Qi glanced down, his mood already sour. He didn’t want to waste time with the man. "This isn’t the same as what I usually get."

The man "tsk"ed impatiently and shoved the items at Bai Qi. "Packaging always changes, you know? Do you want it or not?"

"I do."

Bai Qi began counting out the money, but as he did, he noticed another box mixed in. He wasn’t very literate, but he recognized the character for "pregnancy." The Omega frowned. "What’s this?"

"Contraceptives." The man said it shamelessly, spreading his hands. "On the house."

"Why would you give me this?" Bai Qi was startled, his voice changing pitch. "I don’t need this."

"Just take it when it’s given to you. Don’t be so picky. It’s free, understand?"

With that, the man slammed the door shut. He turned around triumphantly, and when his wife gave him a disapproving look, he merely said, "He has an Alpha now, so what’s the big deal if they get together? I even gave him contraceptives!"

"Anyway, have you cooked yet? Hurry up."

The woman said nothing, silently entering the kitchen to cook.

Bai Qi didn’t realize he’d been tricked. He simply hid the inhibitors and the other pills, walking home with a scowl.

No one noticed that nestled in Bai Qi’s arms was a box of expired—

contraceptives.