Chapter 9

Chapter 9

In all his years, Yan Zhuo had never been slapped in the face before.

He pressed the root of his tongue against the inside of his cheek and actually felt a sharp sting.

The young master had more strength than he’d expected.

“Get out!” Ruan Yunchu sat up, staring coldly at him.

Yan Zhuo lifted his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the corner of the young master’s lips; the young master’s cheeks and ears were flushed a faint red, clearly not from embarrassment but from anger.

He’d initially felt a surge of rage, but seeing the young master’s expression, that irritable mood quietly dissipated. After a moment, he unexpectedly couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“This is the reward I wanted. Why is the young master being so stingy?”

He had only touched the corner of his lips; he hadn’t done anything more excessive, and yet he’d already provoked such anger. If the young master ever found out the things he was thinking about, he’d probably be torn apart alive.

Ruan Yunchu let out a cold laugh instead: “You’re the one who’s too greedy.”

Though words spoken at such a time were rarely pleasant to hear, Yan Zhuo still enjoyed seeing the young master’s expression in that moment. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly and lean in to speak, but the young master didn’t give him the chance.

“I knew alphas were like animals in heat, but I never expected betas to be the same,” he said, no longer hiding the disdain in his eyes. “So you want an omega?”

It wasn’t surprising that the young master had this attitude—Yan Zhuo was well aware of betas’ status in modern society.

Unlike the strength of alphas and the rarity of omegas, betas could only take on the most ordinary jobs and end up with another beta, while beautiful, high-status omegas were exclusive to high society, completely beyond their reach, no overlap whatsoever.

The young master was mocking him, calling him a toad lusting after swan meat.

But Yan Zhuo wasn’t angry; he just smiled. “Doesn’t the young master dislike alphas? I thought I might actually have a chance.”

Ruan Yunchu snapped, “Do you think you’re worthy of me?”

“Of course not. The young master is from a noble birth and so beautiful, I can only look up to you,” Yan Zhuo said, his gaze burning, unable to hide what he felt at that moment. “But young master, you can’t fake liking someone. The more I respect you, the more I want to show my true self. Since I like you, I can’t lie to you.”

Ruan Yunchu almost wanted him to lie for once.

But there was no point dwelling on this now. He closed his eyes, feeling no more compunction about his decision to hand Yan Zhuo over.

“Get out. I’ll pretend today never happened.”

He’d just write it off as a dog bite; he could let it go.

Yan Zhuo hesitated for a moment, feeling this was a bit unfair, but the young master’s breathing was heavy – he was clearly losing patience.

“Alright, goodnight, young master. See you tomorrow.”

After saying his goodbyes, he left the room.

Once in the hallway, silence returned. He raised a hand to pat his lips, though he could no longer feel anything, a soft fragrance seemed to linger, and he was reluctant to let go.

The next day, when Chen Quan saw that Yan Zhuo had returned unharmed, he let out a visible sigh of relief.

When Chen Quan was about to go wake Ruan Yunchu, Yan Zhuo immediately used the excuse of the young master’s orders to take over the task himself.

Entering the room upstairs, sunlight had already filtered through the sheer curtains. The young master didn’t seem to be awake yet, lying with his back to the living room, his cheek sunk into the soft pillow, his long lashes distinct, like a perfect doll resting on the bed.

Yan Zhuo couldn’t help admiring the sight for a while, his gaze lingering on those lips, recalling last night. Even the fight at the dock had been worth it.

Before long, Ruan Yunchu seemed to sense someone staring at him, slowly opening his eyes. But once he saw who it was, his originally peaceful expression turned icy.

“What are you doing here?”

Looking innocent, Yan Zhuo passed the buck to Chen Quan. “I happened to be passing by, and Uncle Chen said he had something to do, so he asked me to come wake the young master first.”

“...”

Ruan Yunchu naturally didn’t believe him. His face expressionless, he sat up but didn’t say anything more. “I need to wash up.”

Yan Zhuo stepped forward gracefully, bending to support the young master under his knees and back.

The young master clearly didn’t like being carried around like this, but he habitually placed one hand on Yan Zhuo’s shoulder, his face cold.

Once the young master was in the wheelchair, Yan Zhuo straightened up and suddenly sucked in a breath, then furrowed his brow and grabbed the armrest.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yan Zhuo saw the young master turn slightly in his direction, but in the end he said nothing and went straight into the bathroom.

Later, when they went downstairs for breakfast, they learned that a guest who had been close to the Ruan family had arrived. Yan Zhuo went with Chen Quan to the front courtyard. When they finished, he sighed deliberately, acting tired.

Chen Quan, the butler of the Ruan household, was always attentive to everyone’s movements. Now, as expected, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yan Zhuo stretched his stiff body and said, “I got hurt last night.”

“What happened?” Chen Quan’s expression changed slightly.

“With so many people, I might have been grazed by a bullet while dodging. I’ll go back to my room and bandage it.”

Given all Yan Zhuo had done for the Ruan family, Chen Quan couldn’t be harsh with him. He insisted outright that Yan Zhuo go to the medical room in the back courtyard for proper treatment and examination.

Yan Zhuo pretended to refuse a couple of times, then, seeing Chen Quan’s insistence, he took the opportunity to agree and soon headed to the medical room.

Chen Quan watched him go before returning to report to the young master.

After relaying the news from the guest, he was about to leave when he saw the young master hesitating, like he wanted to say something. Guessing that the young master had something to say, Chen Quan decided to bring it up himself.

“Yan Zhuo was injured last night, but he was trying to tough it out. I sent him to the back courtyard to get treated.”

Ruan Yunchu’s gaze flickered a little, but he kept his face neutral. “Is it serious?”

“Hard to say. Once the exam results come in, I’ll—”

Ruan Yunchu frowned slightly, about to refuse, but Chen Quan was faster.

A report came through on his terminal, including photos of wound sutures.

On the dark-colored skin were scattered cuts and bruises, some deep, some shallow, a shocking sight.

Chen Quan’s face tightened. “Looks like it’s pretty bad. A lot of wounds. I don’t know how he got through the night like that.”

He meant that Yan Zhuo hadn’t sought treatment immediately after being wounded but had come back to sleep like nothing happened.

That reminder made Ruan Yunchu think back to what happened in his room last night, and the sympathy he had felt evaporated instantly.

“What else could it be? It’s just stupidity.”

The young master almost never spoke about anyone that sharply. Hearing this, Chen Quan gave an awkward cough.

“Young master, though Yan Zhuo can be a bit casual sometimes, he’s really dependable, and...” He paused, recalling the car records from the previous assassination investigation. “He’s extremely loyal to you.”

The moment the car hit, Yan Zhuo didn't hesitate for a second—he shielded Ruan Yunchu first. If he'd been putting on any kind of act, he wouldn't have reacted like that.

Chen Quan had seen plenty of people in his life. He could tell that Yan Zhuo's identity was complicated, but when it came to the young master, his intentions were completely selfless.

Ruan Yunchu let out a soft chuckle, but his eyes were icy cold.

He knew Chen Quan was sticking up for Yan Zhuo because he genuinely believed it, but he still couldn't bring himself to let down his guard around others.

Especially someone like Yan Zhuo—a wildcard, unpredictable, someone he couldn't control, always messing up his plans.

-

This wasn't Yan Zhuo's first time at the small building behind the Ruan residence.

Because the young master was frail and often ill, after taking over the Ruan family, he had hired a team of live-in doctors and set them up with the latest equipment. Yan Zhuo recalled that even the medical robots by the door had only been brought in recently—just two at the Alliance Central Hospital they'd been to, but here there were three ready to go.

He stripped off his clothes, and sure enough, his body was covered in wounds, some bad enough that they needed stitches. Without any pain relief, he watched with a straight face as the robot moved its two chubby hands and used a thin mechanical arm in the middle to bandage him up.

He didn't make a sound throughout the process. Afterward, he put his clothes back on and yawned, feeling drowsy.

"Can I go now?"

"Yeah, come back for a check-up in a few days." The doctor, also a beta, wore a white coat and glasses. He had a gentle, refined look.

Yan Zhuo couldn't help staring at him for a few seconds, his eyes dark and threatening. The doctor looked back, confused, but wasn't upset at all—instead, he just smiled good-naturedly.

So this was the kind of beta the young master liked—gentle, meek, and obedient.

No wonder he always thought Yan Zhuo was annoying.

Yan Zhuo grabbed his coat and left the small building, feeling bitter.

His mood was terrible right now. Remembering the rumor that the young master hated alphas, he was at a loss for a moment.

What had happened to make him so turned off by alphas, to the point where the whole house now had no one but betas? Did the young master never have any contact with people who weren't betas?

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. Yan Zhuo gritted his teeth and thought of a name.

Wasn't that so-called childhood friend of the young master—the one who had sneaked up the stairs that night—a real alpha?

So why didn't Ruan Yunchu find Lin Zheng disgusting?

Yan Zhuo's face darkened, and his mood turned even worse.