Chapter 18

Chapter 18

On his way to the Fu Group, Xia Shiyue noted the early hour. After some thought, Lu Yao decided to buy something for Fu Yanhuai's parents. He found the butler and expressed his wish to visit a mall. The butler mused, "The mall at Silver-A Plaza is quite good. There's a scarf brand there that Madam particularly likes. Are you planning to leave now? I can accompany you."

Lu Yao, concerned about inconveniencing the butler, replied, "I can manage on my own. I don't want to disrupt your afternoon work."

The butler immediately offered, "Oh, not at all. There's a small shop downstairs in that mall where Master enjoys the plants and flowers. I'll call a car for us."

"Hmm... what?"

Lu Yao instinctively began to decline but then reconsidered: since when did butlers from affluent families take the subway? He sighed inwardly, wondering if this was yet another imposition on Fu Yanhuai, and nodded helplessly. "Alright, I'll go with you."

Meanwhile, Xia Shiyue had genuinely prepared a small notebook, looking as though he intended to meticulously record everything during the meeting.

Xia Wenjin had planned to take his own notes today and eyed Xia Shiyue's overly serious demeanor with confusion. "What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to seek revenge on someone."

"How could that be?" Xia Shiyue's gaze was resolute. "I'm here to protect humanity's beautiful future."

Xia Wenjin closed his mouth in exasperation, but after a moment, he quietly warned, "Don't cause any trouble. Fu Yanhuai is cold to everyone, and we're not exactly close."

Xia Shiyue clicked his tongue in frustration. "You're afraid of him?!"

Xia Wenjin quickly corrected himself, "Afraid? Of course not. But there's no need to offend him either. Old Fu isn't in charge of things anymore."

Xia Shiyue pondered this. Today, he was determined to find out what kind of person Fu Yanhuai truly was.

Compared to yesterday, today's meeting was far less formal. After settling on the general outlines of the proposals, the next step was profit distribution, which would be discussed over drinks.

Fu Yanhuai still had some closing matters to attend to, but for the other companies, only assistants or representatives were required.

Shen Tai was absent today; only Shen Jinyan was present. From the outset, Shen Jinyan had made no effort to conceal his intentions, always being the first to arrive for every meeting. He must have inquired about Fu Yanhuai's work habits, as Fu Yanhuai preferred to arrive early rather than just on time.

In the meeting room, an assistant was leaning over, confirming something with Fu Yanhuai, while a few others sat scattered around the table.

Shen Jinyan took the seat closest to Fu Yanhuai. Once the assistant finished verifying the data, he collected the files without a glance and exited.

"President Fu," Shen Jinyan's voice was soft, "my father asked me to confirm a few terms with you."

Fu Yanhuai finally lifted his gaze from his laptop. His features were naturally sharp, and when he frowned, he unconsciously exuded the oppressive aura of an S-class alpha looking down on others.

"Speak."

Shen Jinyan leaned closer to Fu Yanhuai, murmuring as he pointed to the open report before him. Fu Yanhuai merely offered brief grunts of acknowledgment.

Fu Yanhuai could discern that Shen Jinyan didn't genuinely have questions. He patiently waited for Shen Jinyan to reveal his true intentions.

As expected, after concluding his work-related pretense, Shen Jinyan neither closed the report nor moved away. Instead, he maintained his proximity and quietly asked, "Do you like this scent?"

The floral fragrance was rich yet not overpowering, a delicate and elegant aroma.

Fu Yanhuai smelled it, but that was all. He couldn't say whether he liked it or not.

"What answer are you hoping for?"

"How dare I presume to influence President Fu's thoughts?" Shen Jinyan sighed lightly. "But sooner or later, you'll have to grow accustomed to an omega's scent. Even if it's not me, it will be someone else. A beta cannot soothe your rut. This past year, you've worn a bite guard more frequently than the usual rut cycle would suggest."

Fu Yanhuai narrowed his eyes slightly. Shen Jinyan didn't miss this subtle expression and leaned even closer. "President Fu, what I mean is…"

Xia Shiyue stood at the meeting room door and immediately spotted Fu Yanhuai at the head of the table. But what was that person next to him doing? Didn't they know Fu Yanhuai was a married man? Why were they sitting so close?!

Xia Shiyue instantly forgot about his father and marched over with righteous indignation. "President Fu!"

Xia Wenjin's hand trembled as he closed the door, nearly giving himself high blood pressure from Xia Shiyue's sudden outburst.

Fu Yanhuai raised an eyebrow, glancing at Xia Shiyue before looking at Xia Wenjin behind him.

Xia Wenjin hurried forward. "President Fu, this is my unruly child. He's here today to gain some experience."

Fu Yanhuai stood and shook Xia Wenjin's hand, exchanging polite pleasantries. "So this is Master Xia."

"Ah, no, no, not at all."

While Xia Wenjin spoke, Xia Shiyue boldly met Shen Jinyan's gaze.

Xia Shiyue recognized Shen Jinyan. The capital's social circles were small; even if they weren't close, they'd seen each other before.

Shen Jinyan also seemed to recognize Xia Shiyue. He pressed his lips together, sensing a new threat. Xia Shiyue was also an omega—had the Xia family caught wind of the special serum's impending release?

"Hello," Shen Jinyan greeted first. Both came from prestigious families, and Shen Jinyan didn't want the atmosphere to turn awkward. "My father has mentioned you many times."

Xia Shiyue sized him up. "Oh?"

He didn't continue the conversation, leaving the air chilly. Fu Yanhuai and Xia Wenjin had already taken their seats, and the meeting was about to begin. Shen Jinyan texted his assistant to take his place, then turned to Xia Shiyue with a smile. "The materials from the secretary haven't been picked up yet. Shall we go together?"

Xia Shiyue turned and walked out first. Xia Wenjin pretended nothing had happened, calmly shifting his attention back to Fu Yanhuai.

To his surprise, Fu Yanhuai wasn't even looking their way. Of course, the head of the table could see everything happening in the meeting room, but Fu Yanhuai had no patience for mixing personal matters with work. He signaled for the meeting to start, and Xia Wenjin couldn't help but admire his professionalism—no wonder the Fu Group had grown so strong.

Xia Shiyue and Shen Jinyan entered the pantry one after the other. Shen Jinyan got right to the point. "Master Xia, have you also heard about the special serum?"

Xia Shiyue hadn't. He wasn't familiar with medical research, but he didn't let it show. He replied coolly, "That's not your concern, is it?"

Shen Jinyan, with feigned regret, spread his hands. "I didn't want it to be, but if you're also interested in President Fu, then I'm afraid it does concern me."

Xia Shiyue looked as if he'd been insulted. "Do I look like some cheap person who'd go after a married man?"

Shen Jinyan was stunned momentarily, then his face fell. "What's the point of maintaining a nominal marriage? How can a beta be Fu Yanhuai's partner?"

"And you think you can?" Xia Shiyue retorted. "And how do you know their marriage is just in name? Even if it is, why should you care?"

Xia Shiyue's confrontational tone made Shen Jinyan frown. "Then what I do is none of your business either. Why are you so angry?"

Xia Shiyue simply stated, "Fu Yanhuai is my friend's alpha. Of course, I have a right to be angry."

This trip had been worth it! Seeing someone boldly making advances toward Fu Yanhuai without being clearly rebuffed was downright unacceptable!

Xia Shiyue expected Shen Jinyan to respond with more sarcasm, but instead, the other man went quiet, giving him a complicated look.

Xia Shiyue's eyes narrowed. "What, nothing to say now?"

Shen Jinyan schooled his expression. "In that case, may the best man win."

Without giving Xia Shiyue a chance to reply, Shen Jinyan left the pantry and took the elevator. Xia Shiyue's expression grew serious.

Something wasn't right. There was definitely something fishy here.

After considering, Xia Shiyue texted Xia Wenjin's assistant: *Check if Shen Jinyan has had any prior dealings with the Lu family.*

Assistant: You mean the Lu family?

Xia Shiyue: Fu Yanhuai's partner.

Assistant: Got it.

Xia Shiyue dropped onto the sofa outside to wait—today, he was determined to see Fu Yanhuai no matter what.

Fortunately, the meeting ended relatively quickly. As soon as the conference room door opened, Xia Shiyue walked straight in. People were leaving, but he immediately spotted Fu Yanhuai.

Xia Wenjin was still talking to Fu Yanhuai about something. Xia Shiyue waited until the room emptied before stepping forward and clearing his throat. "President Fu, I'd like to speak with you privately."

Xia Wenjin's blood pressure was rising again. Xia Shiyue avoided looking at him now. Fu Yanhuai slid his chair back slightly, crossed one leg, and gave a casual nod. "Sit."

With Fu Yanhuai's permission, Xia Wenjin couldn't object. He shot Xia Shiyue a warning glance not to cause trouble.

Now that the room was finally clear of bystanders, Xia Shiyue came right out with it. "I don't know if Lu Yao has mentioned me to you, but we met working at the same pastry shop. From now on, Lu Yao will be coming with me—he'll join my pastry shop."

Fu Yanhuai's attention perked up at this. Lu Yao had indeed mentioned making a friend at the pastry shop, but he hadn't expected that friend to be Xia Shiyue.

Fu Yanhuai's demeanor shifted entirely from how he'd spoken to Shen Jinyan earlier. "Coming with you? What can you offer him? Some run-of-the-mill shop?"

His sarcasm was as cutting as ever. Xia Shiyue hadn't anticipated Fu Yanhuai's private personality to be like this. Suppressing his anger, he retorted, "At least I know what Lu Yao likes and wants. Do you? Skip the sarcasm—what were you and Shen Jinyan doing earlier?"

In truth, Fu Yanhuai and Shen Jinyan had kept a considerable distance, but Xia Shiyue wanted to see if Fu Yanhuai would react.

Mentioning someone else made Fu Yanhuai's tone frost over again. "If Lu Yao wants to be a pastry chef, I can have him work on high-end banquets and dessert art exhibitions directly. You're not really helping him."

Why should Lu Yao follow anyone else? Wouldn't staying with him be the best choice?

Unaware that his wording had struck a nerve Fu Yanhuai himself didn't recognize, Xia Shiyue demanded bluntly, "Fu Yanhuai, answer my question."

"I don't know what you're trying to get at," Fu Yanhuai replied impatiently. "The only one who can stay by my side is Lu Yao."

He was certain his pheromone resistance couldn't be cured, and he had no interest in replacing Lu Yao with another beta. In fact, Fu Yanhuai was beginning to appreciate Lu Yao.

Xia Shiyue wasn't convinced. "You're telling me you don't like Shen Jinyan? Not even a little bit attracted?"

Fu Yanhuai gave him a look that said 'you're an idiot', his disdain and disgust practically tangible. Relieved, Xia Shiyue thought to himself—at least he was faithful. That was something.

Fu Yanhuai checked the time. "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."

"Wait." Xia Shiyue hadn't yet addressed the most important matter. He looked Fu Yanhuai in the eye and stated calmly, "I can tell Lu Yao likes you a lot. But his feelings aren't an excuse for you to trample on his feelings. If you keep this up, I'll convince him to leave you. Love won't last if you keep taking it for granted, President Fu. You'd better think about that."

Still preoccupied with Shen Jinyan's odd behavior, Xia Shiyue left quickly. Fu Yanhuai remained seated, unmoving.

He didn't feel the expected irritation at being lectured. Xia Shiyue's words stuck with him.

"Lu Yao…"

Fu Yanhuai felt strangely affected. Did Lu Yao really like him that much? It seemed so.

Would Lu Yao's feelings ever fade?

He recalled Lu Yao's eyes and fell silent for a moment.

It seemed Lu Yao would always like him.