Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In short, An Nuo married an Alpha he had only met a few times.

On the day they registered their marriage, he swiftly moved out of the An family home and into a sprawling, luxurious penthouse—a place he could never afford even if he worked his entire life.

And after that, he never saw Lu Yunyan again.

Nine whole days passed. If it weren’t for waking up in an unfamiliar room every day, An Nuo might have even wondered if this marriage was just a figment of his imagination.

"Do you know what it’s like to live alone in a 7,500-square-foot apartment? Every night when I go to sleep, I feel like I’m sleeping in a graveyard."

Bai Wu, sitting beside him, calmly replied, "Graveyards are pretty lively at night these days—lots of homeless folks scrapping over spots."

"..."

An Nuo’s phone vibrated. He glanced down—it was a text from his family.

Of course, An Nuo had no intention of replying. After a quick skim, he tapped "Clear Notification."

Bai Wu leaned in. "...A text from your husband?"

"..."

Hearing the term "husband," An Nuo felt so awkward he didn’t know what to do with his hands.

"...No."

"Then why delete it so fast? I thought you were afraid I’d see it."

An Nuo sighed. "It’s from my dad. I deleted it quickly because it grossed me out."

"What disgusting thing did your dad do this time?"

An Nuo let out a breath. "He asked when I’m bringing Young Master Lu home for dinner... As if. I’m not—"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by someone approaching them.

Two guys with gaudy, multicolored hair appeared out of nowhere, whistling lewdly. "Hey there, beauties. Good evening—care for a drink?"

An Nuo clearly didn’t want to engage and shrank back uncomfortably.

Bai Wu, however, smiled and raised his middle finger. "Get lost. My boyfriend will be back any minute now."

The two troublemakers refused to leave, sneering cockily. "Oh really?"

Then a deep, steady voice sounded from behind them. "Yes."

Luo Heng had returned. Tall and muscular, his presence alone—an Alpha’s commanding presence—instantly filled the space.

"Can I help you?"

The two flashy-haired men were Betas. Faced with a taller, stronger Alpha, they quickly backed down and slinked off quietly.

Luo Heng then took a seat between them.

In his left hand were fried bar snacks for Bai Wu; in his right, a fruit and cream sandwich for An Nuo.

"Eat up, you two young masters."

Bai Wu took his share with a grin. "Perfect timing. Another second and I would’ve had to throw down."

"You couldn’t take one punch. When are you going to learn to control that mouth of yours?"

"Probably never in this lifetime."

Bai Wu and Luo Heng were An Nuo’s best friends.

Bai Wu was an Omega; Luo Heng, an Alpha.

The three had known each other since kindergarten, back before they had much concept of secondary genders. They just got along well and always played together.

As they grew up, An Nuo and Bai Wu developed into fairly typical, petite Omegas, while Luo Heng became a tall, broad Alpha.

But the three remained close, getting together whenever they had free time.

This friendship had been An Nuo’s strongest support system in the past.

"So when are you going to stop telling people I’m your boyfriend? You’ve gotten me into a lot of beef."

"Hey, aren’t you used to it by now?"

Tonight, the three had secretly come to the underground city of the capital planet. They’d just watched a high-energy, explosive concert and were now eating in a rowdy, chaotic bar.

They didn’t look much different from the raucous, dancing crowd around them.

But who would have thought that Bai Wu’s father was a congressman and his mother a secretary of state?

Luo Heng’s background was even more mysterious—no one knew who his biological father was, only that his mother was extremely wealthy.

Bai Wu had organized tonight’s outing, inviting them to cut loose at the concert. That’s why the three were here.

Luo Heng said, "It’s getting late. Let’s finish eating and head back."

"Why? We hardly ever get to go out. Let’s stay a bit longer." Bai Wu turned to An Nuo. "Right, right? Nuo Nuo, stay with me a little longer?"

An Nuo was about to agree. After all, going back meant being alone in that tomb-silent luxury apartment—quiet as a tomb. He’d rather stay and soak up the buzz with Bai Wu.

But then his phone vibrated several times in a row. Out of habit, he glanced at it, and his heart instantly tightened—this time, it really was a text from Lu Yunyan.

Lu Yunyan: "Good evening."

Lu Yunyan: "What are you up to?"

A bite of cream sandwich got stuck in An Nuo’s throat, and he nearly choked.

"...What’s wrong? Did your dad send something disgusting again?"

An Nuo didn’t bother answering Bai Wu. His mind was racing, trying to figure out how to respond.

Although the agreement didn’t say he couldn’t go out at night, An Nuo wasn’t about to tell Lu Yunyan he’d come to the underground city.

This was the most outlaw spot on the capital planet—and the area with the worst law and order.

High society looked down their noses at this part of town. In the past, whenever An Nuo was caught coming here, his parents would scold and punish him as if he’d committed some major crime.

Best not to invite trouble.

Thinking this, An Nuo decided not to tell Lu Yunyan the truth.

Firmly pressing send, he replied: "I'm doing homework at home."

He was taking a gamble.

Lu Yunyan hadn't made an appearance since the wedding—there was no reason he'd return just because An Nuo was out for one night. Could his luck really be that bad? Was he truly this unlucky?

Then reality told An Nuo, yes, his luck was exactly that bad.

Lu Yunyan: "Care to guess what I'm up to?"

An Nuo: "?"

Lu Yunyan: "I'm waiting for you at the bar entrance."

Lu Yunyan: "The same car that picked you up last time. Come out."

An Nuo: ………………

You've got to be kidding me.

Who could have guessed Lu Yunyan was asking a question when he already knew the answer?

His location no longer mattered. The embarrassment of being caught in a lie instantly overwhelmed An Nuo.

Putting down the half-eaten cream sandwich, An Nuo stood up abruptly: "I gotta go!"

"Huh?"

Bai Wu hadn’t expected An Nuo to bail on him first.

"So sudden? Why?"

"...He's picking me up! He’s right at the entrance!"

"..."

Bai Wu and Luo Heng were just as shocked.

No need to say it explicitly—who else could "he" be?

"...I have to go!"

Actually, An Nuo didn’t have to be so nervous.

Although coming to the underground city wasn’t exactly a good thing, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Even if Lu Yunyan caught him in a lie, he could probably charm his way out of it.

But An Nuo was used to being submissive at home. When he felt he’d done something wrong, he didn’t need the other party to do anything more—psychologically, he already felt small.

An Nuo’s gaze swept over Bai Wu and Luo Heng: "...Are you coming out with me? Do you want to see him?"

Having friends along would give him some courage.

Luo Heng didn’t have much of a reaction, glancing at Bai Wu.

But Bai Wu betrayed An Nuo just as quickly, shaking his head immediately: "No, no... maybe another time!"

Coming to the underground city wasn’t exactly respectable. Bai Wu’s status was special, and his family’s discipline was strict—the fewer who knew, the better.

Bai Wu’s eyes were firm, his tone resolute: "Take care, see you next time."

"Why!" It was An Nuo's turn to groan, "You haven't even met him yet! Don’t you really want to see him?"

But his phone vibrated a few more times.

Bai Wu chimed in: "You’ve got texts, check your texts first."

An Nuo picked it up and saw that it was indeed from Lu Yunyan again.

Lu Yunyan: "Coming out on your own?"

Lu Yunyan: "Or should I come in to get you?"

An Nuo: ………………

Now he really had no time to fool around with Bai Wu anymore.

An Nuo: "...Alright, I’m leaving!"

But as An Nuo was really about to leave, Bai Wu and Luo Heng stood up in perfect sync to see him off.

They accompanied him all the way to the bar entrance and watched as An Nuo got into the luxury car parked by the roadside.

Bai Wu sent a message: "Kinda gives off the vibe of getting caught cheating by your husband while fooling around."

An Nuo replied instantly: "Piss off piss off"

...

After nine days apart, An Nuo finally saw his newlywed husband.

They were in the same position as during their second meeting, maintaining the same distance.

The difference was that now there was an earth-shattering change in their relationship.

And this time, An Nuo could also catch the scent of Lu Yunyan's pheromones.

Actually, at normal social distances, both Alphas and Omegas can smell each other's pheromones.

It's an innate, natural scent, much like perfume, and difficult to completely conceal.

But smelling it doesn’t really have any effect—again, like perfume, it's just a scent, no different from the smell of shampoo or body wash.

Only during special periods would these pheromone scents provoke abnormal emotional fluctuations in others.

Generally, it's still within controllable limits; after all, humans aren’t animals, and such instincts are far from enough to break down self-control.

So An Nuo hadn’t been curious before about how it was concealed, and he wasn’t puzzled now about why it was emanating.

His first thought was that it actually smelled quite pleasant.

Very, very faint.

It seemed to be a woody scent, leaning toward sandalwood.

The interior of the car was enclosed, and An Nuo secretly took another sniff, suddenly feeling as if he had stepped into a Buddhist temple—solemn and sacred.

Instantly, his mind cleared of desires, and he grew very nervous.

It had been too long since they last saw each other.

They had only met a few times before getting married, and unexpectedly, the period of separation afterward was even longer. In the end, Lu Yunyan showed up so suddenly.

Not only was there no time to shake off the awkwardness, but An Nuo was also flustered that his lie was exposed. He didn't know where to look or what to do with his hands.

An Nuo felt he should speak up first but wasn’t sure what to say. After a quick thought, he greeted Lu Yunyan, "...Hi?"

Hi?

Long time no see?

Lu Yunyan looked at him, his expression gentle as always, but his eyes were piercing and severe, carrying an intense aggressiveness that gave his whole demeanor an undeniable sense of invasion.

Lu Yunyan asked him deadpan, "Did you have fun out there?"

"..."

An Nuo’s heart tightened, sure the tone was a sarcastic jab.

He immediately apologized, "...Sorry, I didn’t mean to hide it from you just now."

He used "hide" instead of "deceive."

It sounded better.

An Nuo asked softly, "...Are you angry?"

Lu Yunyan replied calmly, "I’m not angry."

Whether he believed it or not, the tone alone was enough to send chills down An Nuo’s spine.

Lu Yunyan said, "Sorry, my rut is approaching, so I’m feeling a bit irritable and anxious. I’m not angry with you."

"..."

It clicked for An Nuo—no wonder Lu Yunyan had come to find him. His rut was approaching.

Wait—

Did that mean his support therapy was about to begin?

And then...

Would he also have to fulfill his spousal duties?