The meeting place with Pei Weixi was set at a private club with an exceptionally serene style and atmosphere, like a hidden oasis nestled in the bustling city.
When Shen Yu arrived, he reported the room number, and a waiter led him inside.
There weren’t many people in the club. Works by ecological artists hung on the walls, and the light from crystal chandeliers fell softly onto the mosaic floor beneath their feet.
Amid the floating notes of piano music, men and women conversed in low voices, dressed impeccably—none but the wealthy and noble.
Shen Yu frowned slightly, his fingers pressed against the seam of his pants rubbing faintly at the fabric. He had never attended an occasion like this before, and a strong sense of discomfort immediately surged in his heart.
Shen Yu lowered his gaze, half-dropping his eyelashes to conceal any flaws.
A courteous alpha waiter led Shen Yu to a small banquet hall deep inside.
On the black elongated sofa, Pei Weixi was waiting for him. Her long hair cascaded down her back. Hearing the movement, she looked up, a smile tugging at her lips. Her gaze swept over him once, and she sighed inwardly again: this person had a face that was far too stunningly captivating.
Yet his temperament was extremely cold, mingled with a touch of melancholy. It was a contradictory, complex, and chilling beauty, like tainted snow.
She needed to be cautious.
Pei Weixi withdrew her thoughts and raised her hand, gesturing for him to sit.
Shen Yu sat across from her. His cold, melancholic eyes, devoid of emotion, hid behind his bangs. His voice was indifferent as he cut straight to the point: “Your purpose.”
Pei Weixi quite liked his straightforward personality without any beating around the bush. She smiled and said, “Didn’t I tell you last time? Seduce Pei Ji, make him fall in love with you. And all you need to do is not love him.”
Seeing her so certain, Shen Yu felt a twinge of doubt instead. He parted his lips and asked, “You’re so sure Pei Ji will like me?”
Pei Weixi smiled, took out a stack of documents, placed them on the table, and pushed them toward Shen Yu.
Shen Yu furrowed his brows, opened the folder, and saw the AO Matching Degree Test Medical Report on top. Though there were no names, Shen Yu already had a faint guess in his heart. He asked in a low voice, “Whose?”
Pei Weixi: “Yours and Pei Ji’s.” She paused, curved her lips, and added, “I took a strand of your hair last time.”
Shen Yu didn’t respond. His downward gaze suddenly paused.
Pei Weixi had known the test results long ago and wasn’t surprised by Shen Yu’s reaction. She lowered her eyes and glanced lightly at the document.
In the matching degree column, in black and white on the white paper, it clearly displayed that their matching degree was 100%.
Below was a line of the doctor’s advisory note in small print.
[Congratulations! Your AO pheromone matching degree is extremely high. A 100% match is very rare, which means not only can you produce high-quality offspring, but the probability of true love is also 100% oh ovo]
Pei Weixi’s voice sounded again.
“A 100% matching degree—it’s more than just liking.”
Shen Yu’s fingers tightened slightly on the document.
Pei Weixi looked at him, her tone utterly certain: “Pei Ji will definitely fall hopelessly and deeply in love with you.”
Shen Yu lowered his gaze, staring quietly at the number on the document. He had long anticipated that his pheromone matching degree with Pei Ji wouldn’t be low—after all, the reaction at the back of his neck couldn’t lie—but Shen Yu hadn’t expected it to reach a full 100%.
A 100% matching degree was something even the Central District might not see a few cases of in a year. Pheromones were the condensation of a person’s every unique trait, meaning a high degree of compatibility in physiology, emotions, personality, and behavior—
It wouldn’t be strange to call it a match made in heaven.
Pei Weixi: “I was shocked when I saw the report too. With such a high matching degree, if you and Pei Ji got together, not only would the Pei Family not stop you, they’d welcome it with open arms.”
Shen Yu’s eyelashes drooped low, his expression not particularly clear: “You say that, aren’t you afraid I’ll pull a honeytrap scam on you?”
Pei Weixi looked at him, trying to catch clues of his true emotions on his expressionless face, but she failed quickly.
She smiled and said, “I’ve checked your background. You’ve posed as an alpha for so many years—would you really be willing to marry Pei Ji? And bear his children?”
Shen Yu: “……”
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The two sat facing each other, their shadows stretched long. After a moment of silence, Shen Yu suddenly lifted his long eyelashes, his gaze desolate.
“Why do you want me to do this?”
Her words stunned Pei Weixi. She raised her eyes to look out the window, her gaze briefly dazed as she fell into memories. Then she snapped back, letting out a soft laugh.
A moment later, Pei Weixi spoke: “He’s had everything his way his whole life. From the moment he was born, he’s lived surrounded by adoration, effortlessly taking away all the love that belonged to me. I know I can’t compete with him—the family’s power has long been in his hands. But Shen Yu, everyone has moments of resentment.”
Pei Weixi leaned lightly against the sofa, crossing her legs. She tilted her head, lightly hooking her red lips in a casual tone: “I just want to see him fall once. As his big sister, shouldn’t I set a little setback for my little brother?”
Hearing Pei Weixi’s words, Shen Yu wanted to laugh—even burst out laughing—but he knew that would seem too deranged, so he forcibly held it back. Yet the pleasure in his heart of finding a kindred spirit couldn’t fade away, his chest rising and falling in waves.
He had thought he was the only one who couldn’t stand Pei Ji.
Love him?
Then destroy him.
Shen Yu looked at Pei Weixi, his pale lips curving slightly, his voice captivating: “I have two conditions.”
Pei Weixi keenly sensed the shift in his aura. The first time she met Shen Yu today, she had felt he was slightly different from that omega who proactively seduced her at the bar—
But now, their silhouettes overlapped perfectly.
A flicker of uneasy premonition flashed in Pei Weixi’s heart. It came too quickly for her to discern, so she suppressed the emotion, pursed her lips, and said, “Go ahead.”
“First, when I cut ties with Pei Ji, I hope you can handle the aftermath.”
“Second, I want a permanent residency permit for the Central District. I’ll graduate from school smoothly, and the rest shouldn’t be difficult for you.”
Hearing his demands, Pei Weixi raised one eyebrow in surprise. She had thought Shen Yu would make excessive requests—at the very least, he’d ask for money to pay off his family’s gambling debts first.
A moment later, she nodded: “Perfectly doable.”
With that, Pei Weixi stood up and extended her hand to Shen Yu.
Shen Yu rose as well and shook her hand.
With the deal sealed, when Shen Yu left the club, warm sunlight bathed his body. He looked up at the sky—clear skies stretched endlessly, a rare fine day.
Shen Yu had come after his major class and still needed to rush back for the weekly Study Companion psychological counseling session.
He opened his terminal, and another red message box popped up. Shen Yu’s face remained expressionless as he blocked it again, then checked the private email from the school an hour ago.
The email was a notice about the Study Companion change. Due to scheduling conflicts with classes, his previous companion had submitted an application. The school had approved it and assigned him a new Study Companion, ending with well-wishes.
Perfect. Shen Yu hadn’t liked his previous Study Companion anyway, who always subtly mocked his background while flaunting the superiority of Central District folks.
A change? That was great.
Shen Yu quickly returned to school and arrived at the designated psychological counseling activity site. The event was outdoors, on lush green lawns with clouds of trees spreading out.
A group of young alphas with refined temperaments and extraordinary attire stood under the trees, chatting and laughing. Even among these obvious prodigies, Pei Ji was the most eye-catching—he was naturally the center of attention.
Pei Ji spotted him immediately. He said something with a smile to his companions and strode quickly toward him. A scorching, hot, and familiar aura instantly invaded Shen Yu’s territory.
Recalling that email, Shen Yu’s gaze swept the area. No one else seemed to be coming over, though plenty cast glances their way, only to hurriedly look away upon meeting his eyes.
Shen Yu stood tall and straight, raising an eyebrow slightly as he watched Pei Ji approach. It slowly dawned on him: “So you’re my new Study Companion?”
Pei Ji looked at him, lips curving in a low smile: “Ah, you figured it out?”
The heart pounding in my chest was trying to break free from its master’s control. It wanted to get closer to you, to feel your scent, to stay with you longer, to preserve your scent, to leap into your body and merge with you.
Eagerly, uncontrollably so.
The distance between them closed in an instant.
Pei Ji leaned in slightly toward Shen Yu.
He suddenly paused, keenly detecting another alpha’s scent on Shen Yu.
The smile on Pei Ji’s face stiffened at once. He pursed his lips, darkness swirling deep in his eyes, and asked nonchalantly, “Why are you so late? Where did you go?”
The wind rustled the unknown bionic trees overhead, their shadows swaying and dancing over them.
Shen Yu lifted his gaze, glancing lightly at him. He extended his hand, catching the flickering light in his palm, and said casually, “Just wandered around, had some fun.”
Pei Ji pursed his lips, his dark eyes locking onto him tightly. In a calm tone, he asked, “Did you have fun?”
Shen Yu withdrew his hand and shook his head: “No.”
Pei Ji raised a brow: “Why?”
Shen Yu lowered his head, watching Pei Ji step into his shadow. He blinked slowly, his long, dense eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings dancing in the interplay of light and shadow.
The wind blew back and forth, the tree shadows shifting as if the shadows themselves were moving.
Shen Yu raised his eyes to meet Pei Ji’s, their gazes intertwining.
Pei Ji looked back at him.
Shen Yu suddenly smiled at him, lips curving: “Because my wonderful day has only just begun—thanks to you.”
Pei Ji froze.
His heart thundered out of control, and all the surrounding clamor receded like the tide.
Everything seemed to freeze, paused in place, while the canopy of green trees overhead exploded into wild growth in an instant, their dense shade enveloping them in this world.
He heard Shen Yu’s voice.
“Pei Ji, let’s be together.”