Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Li Yang paused.

Perhaps it was an unspoken understanding, but Ying Xi sensed he was about to leave.

The station bustled with people. The pale-faced teenager, backpack slung over his shoulders, stared blankly at his phone for a moment before pressing his lips together and slowly typing, "Yes."

Ticket purchased, he turned and saw Li Yuyue rushing toward him.

Li Yang was more composed than expected, though slightly surprised at how the two had tracked him down.

"I knew you’d try something. I put a tracker on your phone ages ago," Li Yuyue snarled, rolling up his sleeves angrily before pausing and forcing a smile. "Li Yang, the wedding isn’t for a while yet. Why are you so against it? Or do you just hate Mom and Dad?"

Li Yang remained expressionless. "You figure it out."

Li Yuyue was seething with anger, but Su Shaoning held him back. "We’re in public. What are you trying to do?"

On the way home, the boy was unnaturally quiet, displaying a composure far beyond his years.

Li Yuyue shifted restlessly, perhaps guilt making him uneasy. Eventually, he muttered a warning, "Don’t even think about pulling any dumb tricks."

Su Shaoning tried to break the tension but found nothing to say. Reluctantly, he offered, "Yangyang, I actually saw that person. They’re quite attractive."

Li Yang offered a humorless smile. "Then you marry them."

The retort left Su Shaoning pale, and Li Yang’s indifferent expression only made things more awkward.

"Don't make such a big deal out of it. Just go to school like normal. You can look over the contract—there’s still two months to decide," Li Yuyue said, surprisingly relenting and pulling out the contract again. "And don’t bother calling the cops on me. It’s pointless."

Li Yang took it, asked for a pen, and signed Li Yuyue’s name right in front of them.

"You—!" Li Yuyue clutched his chest in rage but held back, afraid Li Yang would refuse to cooperate. As if by magic, he produced another contract. "Sign again. Your name this time."

Li Yang wrote Su Shaoning’s name instead.

This time, there was no backup contract. Li Yuyue drew back his fist but restrained himself, remembering what he stood to gain.

Back home, Li Yuyue ripped up the two voided contracts and pulled out a fresh one. "I had ten copies made. Stop fighting it."

Li Yang dropped his heavy backpack and stretched his shoulders. "I’m hungry. I’ll sign later."

He had already scouted the room—the window was an easy escape route. There was still a chance.

Li Yuyue ordered Su Shaoning, "Get him something to eat."

Turning to Li Yang, he said coldly, "Don’t even think about going to class until you sign this. Running won’t help. I've got all the time in the world."

Li Yang didn’t bother responding. Silently, he retreated to his room and locked the door.

He turned his phone off, tossed it under the bed, and pushed open the window—only to flinch from the biting cold.

The temperature had dropped sharply, and his thin jacket was useless.

Wrapping himself in a down coat, Li Yang looked up at the gray, heavy sky.

Snow was coming.

The noise from the window must have been loud, because Li Yuyue began banging on the door.

"Li Yang, forget about running. Look—just give me a million, and I’ll leave you alone."

Li Yang lifted his eyelids. "You’d get it faster if you closed your eyes and lay down."

"Since when did you get so mouthy?" Li Yuyue scowled, but his greed outweighed his anger. He grabbed the noodles from Su Shaoning's hands and set them outside the door. "Eat. Food’s here."

Li Yang didn’t move.

Hunger had just been an excuse to buy time. Right now, he had no appetite.

"You stay here. I’m going downstairs," Li Yuyue announced loudly, trying to sound casual.

Soon, Li Yang spotted him from the window—standing guard below, shivering violently and sneezing repeatedly, yet trying hard to stand tall as if unaffected.

It would've been funny. Li Yang silently wished he’d freeze to death, then crawled under the bed to retrieve his phone and turned it back on.

"Yangyang," Su Shaoning said through the door in a hushed voice, "come out and eat. Your dad’s not here… He got fired and is deep in debt. He has no choice."

"After he told me, I checked them out. That person isn’t bad—not nearly as bad as you're imagining."

Li Yang had no interest in his brainwashing. Li Yang retorted coldly, "So debt means pimping out your son to be forcibly impregnated?"

Su Shaoning fell silent, stung by the remark. Finally, he sighed—whether to convince himself or Li Yang was unclear.

"There are plenty of Betas out there who can’t find partners or jobs. As a Beta, you’re actually lucky."

Li Yang shut the window and sat at the desk, trying to think of someone to turn to.

He opened Ying Xi’s chat, his fingers poised over the keys—but his mind went blank.

Forget it. He’d handle this alone.

Leaning back, Li Yang stared at the ceiling, his expression cold, cheeks and nose still flushed from the cold.

Minutes later, he closed his eyes and fell asleep sitting up.

Half-asleep, he heard shouting. Li Yang frowned, struggling to pinpoint the source—until a familiar voice cut through.

"I’m here to see Li Yang."

The voice—instantly recognizable—snapped him awake. Li Yang bolted upright, disoriented.

Ying Xi?

Almost instinctively, he moved to the door, putting his ear to it, unaware of a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.

In the living room, Li Yuyue’s curses filled the air.

Half a minute later, Su Shaoning knocked, voice tight with pain. "Yangyang, come out for a second."

Without hesitation, Li Yang opened the door.

The sight before him: Li Yuyue, bruised, limping, hunched over the table, hissing in pain—yet still managing to glare venomously at Li Yang.

Su Shaoning wasn’t faring much better, battered and barely able to stand, leaning against the wall with a forced, almost grotesque smile.

"If you’d just said he genuinely liked you, things wouldn’t have come to this," Li Yuyue sneered, his voice oddly subdued, as if afraid someone might overhear. "I chose ‘disagree.’ Let’s see if you’ll say the same to the one outside."

"What do you mean?" Li Yang tightened his grip on his phone, ready to smash it against someone’s head if necessary.

"Someone outside wants to see you." Su Shaoning grimaced as the movement pulled at his injuries. He covered his mouth, his expression twisting between pain and forced cheerfulness. "Mom was right—that classmate of yours really has a thing for you."

The person both of them referred to could only be Ying Xi. Li Yang had already guessed as much, but he still froze when he opened the front door.

"I told you to wait for us, but you ran ahead so fast." Li Xu examined her reflection on her phone, touching up her look. "This is a marriage proposal—you can't be too casu—"

Mid-sentence, she noticed Li Yang standing at the door and immediately her eyes crinkled into a warm smile. "Hello, Yangyang. I'm Ying Xi's mother, Li Xu."

The boy was bundled up in a long white puffer coat, his chin tucked into the collar against the cold, revealing only slightly flushed cheeks and dark, clear eyes.

Those eyes now flickered with confusion and bewilderment, his slightly messy hair making him look adorably vulnerable—enough to make one want to pinch his cheeks.

Li Xu felt her heart melt.

"Hello." Li Yang barely had time to glance at the man beside her before automatically bowing deeply at a perfect 90 degrees, so nervous he nearly tripped over his words.

Li Xu wore an elegant white formal dress, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, radiating elegance.

Beside her stood a tall, distinguished-looking man in a suit, his demeanor gentle and amiable.

His features bore a resemblance to Ying Xi's, and in his arms, he cradled a black cat curled into a ball.

Li Yang quickly recognized it as Lingdang. His hand instinctively lifted, wanting to pet it, but he caught himself and pressed it down with his other hand.

Then his gaze shifted to Ying Xi, standing not far behind the couple.

The boy was as expressionless as ever, but the moment their eyes met, the ice in his features melted into a soft smile, animating his typically expressionless face.

His lips curved as he stepped forward, taking Lingdang from Ying Sui's arms and casually placing it in Li Yang's arms, his tone perfectly serious.

"Lingdang said it missed you. I brought it to see you. Sorry for the intrusion."

Li Xu and Ying Sui exchanged glances beside them.

Was their son always this smooth when in love? None of his usual social awkwardness in sight.

Lingdang let out a couple of meows, its blue eyes fixed on Li Yang as if recognizing him, then purred out a clear "Mommy~"

Li Xu's gaze snapped over, startled—this was the first time she'd heard such clear human speech from a cat.

Li Yang didn’t immediately take the cat, his eyes instead lingering on Ying Xi's swollen knuckles.

The source was obvious where the injuries on the two in the living room had come from.

At least Ying Xi himself seemed unharmed—only Li Yuyue and Su Shaoning came out worse.

Li Yang finally accepted Lingdang, his fingers unavoidably brushing against Ying Xi's hand.

The moment their skin touched, he felt how icy the boy's fingertips were. Ying Xi suppressed the urge to grasp that warmth.

Ying Sui stood behind Ying Xi, prompting, "Shall we...?"

"Li Yang, forgive me for being forward, but..." Ying Xi lowered his lashes, his dark eyes fixed intently on Li Yang.

The warmth in his gaze spread, his expression earnest and devout, even carrying just a hint of barely-hidden hope. "Could you give me a chance to stand by your side?"

Li Xu seized the moment to add, "Ying Xi's pheromones are too strong—most people can't handle them. No one can stay by his side for long. But you—you're unaffected. You're the most suitable candidate for marriage. That’s why we’re here today to propose."

Realizing how abrupt that sounded, she quickly amended with an apologetic look, "I know springing marriage on you like this is inappropriate. Sorry, Yangyang."

Li Yang stiffened, genuinely caught off guard by the word "marriage."

He didn’t respond, his slender fingers mindlessly petting Lingdang's soft fur. His head dipped slightly, obscuring his expression, but the tension in his lips hinted at his icy demeanor.

Behind them, Li Yuyue, seeing the trio completely ignore him and address Li Yang directly, couldn’t hold back a loud, indignant "Hey!"

"We’re his parents! If you want our son to marry yours, shouldn’t you ask us first?"

Li Xu pretended not to hear him.

Before coming, Ying Xi had someone investigate the recent events in Li Yang's household. The fact that she hadn’t already thrown Li Yuyue out was a testament to her patience.

"You can have Li Yang—for five million," Li Yuyue declared excitedly. "Otherwise, don’t expect to walk out of here unharmed."

Ying Xi clenched his fists, his gaze turned razor-sharp as it landed on Li Yuyue.

A wave of oppressive pheromones followed, immediately pinning both men in place.

Though it lasted only a second, Li Yuyue still buckled under the pressure, collapsing to his knees as both he and Su Shaoning struggled to breathe, unable to resist.

"Don’t bully a Beta." Li Yang took a measured breath before responding, his tone deliberately cool. "Ying Xi and I aren’t compatible. Anyone can see that."

"You’re the most compatible, but I understand your hesitation." Li Xu’s expression softened further, tinged with apology. "Yangyang, all you’d need to do is stay by Ying Xi's side. High-ranking Alphas rarely go into rut—he's on regular pheromone suppressants. You’d be in no danger, and we’d fulfill any condition you ask for."

She shot a contemptuous look at the two on the floor. "Of course, except anything involving your parents."

The message was clear—if he married Ying Xi, his parents would gain nothing.

Li Yang froze mid-pet. "Any Beta could do that. It doesn’t have to be me."

Besides, he was a Beta who could smell pheromones.

Even if Ying Xi’s scent only repelled him without further effects, there had to be better options for such an arranged marriage.

Li Xu smiled gently. "But Ying Xi only likes you."

Ying Sui, reading Li Yang’s hesitation, glanced at Ying Xi before speaking frankly. "Give Ying Xi five years. If you still don’t like him by then, you can leave with a hundred million. We won’t stop you."

In short, the Yings wanted Li Yang with Ying Xi—and in return, Li Yang could use the family’s resources for whatever he desired.

It was a marriage, but also a deal that only favored Li Yang.

At the mention of a hundred million, Li Yuyue and Su Shaoning’s eyes practically popped out of their heads.

This was basically money for nothing—why wasn’t he agreeing already?!

The two rushed to Li Yang’s side, pasting on smiles. "Li Yang, didn’t you hear? A hundred million! If you’d told us they were this rich, I'd have treated you better!"

"Yangyang, just say yes," Su Shaoning urged.

"Shut up." Ying Sui’s voice was sharp. "Let him make his own choice."

The room fell silent. Li Yuyue and Su Shaoning had no choice but to clamp their mouths shut, though their eyes gleamed with greed.

Li Xu spoke softly, "Take a chance. Give Ying Xi a chance. Okay?"

In his arms, Lingdang began nuzzling around, kneading contentedly against him, purring loudly.

Li Yang snapped back to attention, lifting his gaze to meet Ying Xi’s—this time without looking away.

"Are you sure you won’t regret this?" he heard himself ask, his voice rough. For some reason, his heart had begun pounding, its rhythm accelerating until it nearly choked him.

"I won’t." The taller boy’s eyes softened with a tender smile, his voice low. "This is me being selfish."

He could have simply helped Li Yang escape this place. But he’d been greedy—he’d wanted him.

"Okay." Li Yang gave a small nod. "I agree."