Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The funeral arrangements were fully taken care of by late night.

Yan Zhuo hadn't even had time to change his clothes, rushing upstairs excitedly, but the room was empty, with only intermittent music assuring him that the young master was somewhere in the house.

Passing through the small living room, he stepped out onto the balcony and indeed saw a slender figure sitting in a wheelchair, back facing him, seemingly gazing at the distant night view.

"Young master," Yan Zhuo said, going over and quickly crouching down.

Just as he reached for the fair hand, Ruan Yunchu placed his hand on his lap and glanced sideways at him. "All taken care of?"

"All taken care of. Sent away those with ulterior motives; now there are only a few people left in the house."

Ruan Yunchu lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and asked, "What about Chen Quan?"

At the mention of the name, Yan Zhuo curled his lips, a trace of ferocity on his face. "He's loyal enough. He was busy running around today, even took medicine a couple of times from exhaustion."

"Keep him then."

Chen Quan was the steward of the Ruan family, having worked there for decades, and had watched Ruan Yunchu grow up.

Loyal though he was, he had also carried out many misdeeds under Ruan Mingyi's orders.

Yan Zhuo's sharp brows pressed down, displeased. "Doesn't the young master know that raising a tiger brings trouble? He was loyal to Ruan Mingyi—maybe today's behavior was just to retrieve his master's body."

"Chen Quan has been entrenched in District A for years, handling many affairs for the Ruan family. We'll still have use for him."

Ruan Yunchu's tone was indifferent. Before Yan Zhuo could pick more faults, he calmly looked at him. "Speaking of nurturing a tiger, your hidden danger is even greater."

Yan Zhuo let out a wild smile, leaning in to catch the faint fragrance emanating from the young master. "My loyalty to you is witnessed by heaven and earth."

"Is it?"

Ruan Yunchu raised a hand, gently brushing his broad, solid shoulder.

Yan Zhuo was like a crouching beast, muscles taut yet full of strength, giving off intense heat. On such a cold winter night, wearing only a single layer, he didn't even feel cold.

His fingertips brushed the exposed nape, then Ruan Yunchu suddenly clenched his hand, gripping the back of Yan Zhuo's neck and pulling him closer.

The distance shrank abruptly, their noses almost touching. Yan Zhuo's gaze darkened as he noticed the young master's faint fragrance turning richer.

"You say you're loyal to me, but I never knew you had such abilities."

A year ago, during a trip, he had found Yan Zhuo unconscious.

When he woke up, the man knew nothing, but his fighting skills were excellent—a rare find among betas. Inexplicably, Ruan Yunchu kept him by his side until today.

He knew Yan Zhuo was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this accomplished.

"You flatter me, young master. It's just skills learned scrounging in the slums—nothing special."

"With skills like these, why didn't you join the military?"

Yan Zhuo smirked, showing a defiant smirk. "I'm afraid of dying."

Ruan Yunchu snorted. "Staying with me isn't exactly safe."

"I said I'd keep you safe."

"Words are cheaper than deeds."

His fingertip grazed Yan Zhuo's sturdy nape, then Ruan Yunchu withdrew his hand.

Yan Zhuo still stared at him with that aggressive gaze, grinning to reveal a sharp canine tooth, like a man-eating beast.

"I've rendered a service. Shouldn't the young master reward me?"

Ruan Yunchu glanced down indifferently. "What do you want?"

"Anything?"

Hearing the eager tone in his voice, Ruan Yunchu smiled lightly. "Go ahead and say it, but whether I allow it depends on my mood."

"Tsk."

Yan Zhuo's deep eyes showed thought, and he genuinely considered it.

"Then I'll save it for now and cash it in with you later."

"Fine."

Ruan Yunchu let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief.

It was late; he needed to rest.

As usual, Yan Zhuo leaned down and lifted him, gently placing him on the bed and tucking him in.

There were custom smart tools in the room that could move Ruan Yunchu anywhere, but ever since Yan Zhuo first came to serve, he couldn't stand those machines.

After mentioning it a few times to Ruan Yunchu, it gradually became his job.

Ruan Yunchu slept very quietly, lying flat and barely moving. Soothing instrumental music played in the room, with a small nightlight always on.

Bored, Yan Zhuo could tell from the young master's breathing that he wasn't asleep yet and couldn't resist disturbing him with a breathy whisper.

"Young master, why do you insist on playing music even when you sleep?"

He always had the TV on even when not watching, and now he wouldn't let it be quiet at night either.

Ruan Yunchu's eyes were closed, his long, clearly separated eyelashes bathed in golden light from the lamp, the gentle glow resting on his delicate nose and lips, making him look uncharacteristically obedient.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Yan Zhuo fell silent, but his burning gaze remained fixed on that exquisite face, never shifting away.

"..."

-

"Post-surgery, the patient's vital signs are stable, but due to the brain trauma, he can only remain in a vegetative state for now..."

At the District A Central Hospital, Ruan Yunchu sat with his hands folded on his lap, not having the time to listen to the doctor go on. He cut in, "Can he wake up?"

Chen Quan, standing behind him, glanced at him.

The doctor looked worried. "It's hard to say. Normally, he might wake up miraculously in a few years, or... he might never wake up at all. Keeping him alive costs a lot of money. The family can talk it over."

"Just keep him going as long as possible. Who knows, he might wake up one day." Ruan Yunchu spoke casually as he made the decision.

Leaving the doctor's office, Chen Quan bowed slightly. "Young master, I'll go see how the eldest young master is."

"Go."

Ruan Yunchu was unconcerned, stepping straight into the elevator and passing through the glass corridor into the gland department at the back.

Yan Zhuo walked behind the wheelchair, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

“I have an annual checkup every year, but I haven’t had it yet this year. Since I’m at the hospital anyway, I might as well get it all done at once.” Ruan Yunchu’s sleeves were rolled up for a blood draw, and he looked up and saw Yan Zhuo staring coldly at the needle in his inner arm. He almost laughed. “Are you scared?”

Yan Zhuo: “Why so many vials?”

He suppressed his smile. “Omega glands are delicate, so there are more tests to run.”

When the nurse switched to another tube, Yan Zhuo’s brow furrowed even tighter. Instinctively, he leaned down and touched Ruan Yunchu’s cold hand.

“You should get checked too.”

The words came abruptly. Yan Zhuo turned his head to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Young master, I’m a beta. I don’t have glands.”

“They can check for anything here. Who knows—maybe you have an infectious disease.” Ruan Yunchu curled his lips.

Yan Zhuo met his gaze for two seconds, then gave an enigmatic smile.

“Alright.”

An hour later, the other examinations were finished, and the results were sent to Ruan Yunchu’s terminal. He opened his own and glanced over it casually, but before he could switch to Yan Zhuo’s results, a hand reached over and handed him a paper copy.

“What does ‘elevated pheromone concentration’ mean?” Yan Zhuo pointed at the note on the omega lab report, with a look of humble inquiry.

Ruan Yunchu gave him a glance. “If you don’t even know basic physiological knowledge like this, there’s no need for you to stay by my side.”

Yan Zhuo dropped the act. “Your heat period is approaching. You shouldn’t be dealing with those people. Maybe you should leave A District for a while.”

“Then I’d miss a lot.”

Ruan Yunchu did not decide immediately.

On the way back, Yan Zhuo drove while Ruan Yunchu sat in the back seat of the hovercar, which had been remodeled into a spacious compartment. He could reach out and control every function of the vehicle, but instead he simply activated the privacy mode between the front and back seats and opened Yan Zhuo’s medical report on his terminal.

His gaze swept over the entry in the secondary sex characteristics column—blatantly marked “Beta”—and he let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief.

When he first found Yan Zhuo, the man had already undergone a thorough checkup at the hospital. But for some reason, with all the recent trouble at home, every time he looked at Yan Zhuo, he felt uneasy.

In today’s society, secondary sex characteristics had almost become a symbol of class. Alphas and omegas possessed glands and pheromones unique to them, with physical capabilities far beyond ordinary people. Alpha pheromones also exerted absolute suppression over omegas, and the higher the compatibility, the stronger the effect.

Betas, on the other hand, were different. They had no glands or pheromones, and no risk of losing control.

This was why all the servants in Ruan Yunchu’s estate were betas. His aversion to alphas was almost open. If, when he first found Yan Zhuo, the man had been exuding alpha pheromones, he probably would have thrown him back into the sea instead of casually bringing him home.

Now that the test had been run again, the unease in his heart finally dissipated.

Yan Zhuo was a fine blade. Since he was a beta, it wasn’t out of the question to keep him close and entrust him with important tasks. As for the man’s true intentions… he didn’t care.

The Ruan family was already a crumbling ruin. Whatever Yan Zhuo was after was just money—and he could afford to give it.