“Sorry, sorry, don’t hit me, don’t hit me…”
In the biting cold wind, amid the vast white snow, the Omega crouched on the ground with his head in his arms. He was wearing nothing but a thin work uniform, his bare feet frozen bright red, with his toes curled up pitifully.
Whether from the cold or fear, his lips were trembling, and he couldn’t speak clearly. “It wasn’t on purpose… didn’t—didn’t see… someone was chasing… scared…”
Snowflakes fell silently around him. In front of this high-end private club, the wretched-looking Omega was completely out of place compared to the stately European-style building behind him.
From not far off, someone was running toward them, cursing as they came, wielding a weapon in their hand.
Hearing the noise, the Omega turned back fearfully, trying to scramble away. But his feet were numb from the cold, and he had some injuries, too. Just as he tried to stand up, his legs gave out and he collapsed back down.
He crawled forward two steps, only to be stopped by a pair of long, straight legs.
The black leather shoes were polished to a shine, and the suit pants were pressed to perfection. In this white snow, they radiated an intimidating chill.
The Omega froze in panic, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
“Are you alright? Can you stand up?”
It wasn’t the threat he expected. Instead, a deep, cool voice came from above his head—cold like the falling snow, yet strangely reassuring.
“N-No… I can’t… It’s broken, m-my leg is broken…” he shook his head in a panic, words spilling out incoherently.
At that moment, the pursuers caught up to them.
Terrified, the Omega hugged himself and shouted, “It’s just dishwashing. I came to wash dishes! Washing dishes is fine, but taking off pants is not, no marking either! I’m very good at washing dishes, I’ll wash them really clean!”
The pursuers halted beside them. The leader bowed respectfully and said, “Young Master Duan, terribly sorry to disturb your mood. This is an disobedient Omega. He’s not right in the head and has offended you.”
After speaking, he gave a signal to the thugs nearby. Understanding immediately, the two men stepped forward to grab the Omega.
The young man struggled to dodge, kneeling in the snow and clasping his hands together in a desperate plea. “S-Sir, please help me… don’t let them take me away, they—they hit people…”
Before he could finish, the two strong men grabbed him, one on each side, and lifted him off the ground. One of them pulled out a handkerchief and stuffed it into the Omega’s mouth. All his words turned into muffled whimpers.
With the weak sounds of pleading now silenced, the leader continued, “Apologies, Young Master Duan. We’ll properly discipline him. This kind of thing will never happen again.”
The Omega’s eyes were large, his watery pupils full of terror and desperate pleading. He was like a piece of cargo, dragged along by force, his limp feet leaving a winding trail in the snow.
It was truly a sight that stirred pity.
“Wait.” The man’s voice cut in, cold and commanding, leaving no room for argument. “I want this person.”
“This…” The leader hesitated slightly.
Duan Baisui said mildly, “If you can’t make that decision, then have your boss come talk to me.”
“That’s not what I meant… It’s just, look at him. He still has no manners. How about you let him stay here for two days, I’ll have someone teach him properly, then send him to you?”
Duan Baisui didn’t respond. Instead, he stepped up to the Omega and asked, “Do you want to come with me?”
The young man nodded frantically, tears streaming down without end.
Duan Baisui reached out and removed the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth, then said to the two men holding him, “Let go.”
The two thugs exchanged a glance with the manager, who sighed and waved a hand. The Omega was released, and his legs gave out again as he dropped to the ground, sobbing, “Thank you, thank you…”
Duan Baisui bent down and picked him up in his arms, carrying him away without so much as a glance back. The driver had already opened the car door. Duan Baisui placed the young man in the back seat and got in after him.
The wind and snow were shut out behind the closed windows, and the temperature inside the car was much warmer than outside.
Looking at the pitiful Omega, Duan Baisui asked, “Where’s your home?”
“N-No home,” the Omega stammered. “The rent was due… I—I got kicked out…”
Noticing that he was still cold, Duan Baisui draped his overcoat over the young man and asked again, “Any friends or family?”
The youth nodded, then shook his head, struggling to explain, “Grandma… passed away. Uncle… doesn’t want me anymore. Said if I came back… he’d break my legs.”
Duan Baisui fell silent and didn’t speak for a long while.
“Young Master Duan… are we going home?” the driver in the front couldn’t help asking.
“S-Sir… please keep me,” the young man pleaded earnestly, tears still staining his face. “I can do a lot—mop the floors, wash dishes—very clean. I—I can read too, I have a diploma. I can do anything you ask. Salary… just eight hundred is fine, but… but I hope it comes with food and a place to stay.”
Duan Baisui stared at him for a long while. This face… He had seen it in his dreams. It felt as though there was some deep connection between them, yet clearly, this was their first meeting. That strange sense of familiarity and warmth was what had made Duan Baisui act so impulsively just now and ask for him without hesitation.
“Let’s go home,” Duan Baisui said to the driver.
“Understood.”
He kept the Omega with him. Just as the club’s manager had said, this person truly was different from ordinary people. His mind was too simple and naïve.
Duan Baisui arranged a room for him and called a doctor to examine his injuries. Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong.
“There are only my old clothes here. You can make do for now. Someone will bring you new ones tomorrow. For daily chores, there’ll be a housekeeper to guide you. If one day you find a better place to go, you’re free to leave at any time.” Duan Baisui’s voice remained calm and cool as ever.
“N-No, sir, please don’t—don’t buy new ones. I have luggage at the place where I worked yesterday. I can go back and get it,” the young man said quickly.
Duan Baisui asked, “You still dare to go back?”
The young man shook his head. “I don’t dare… but—but the person who introduced me to the job is there. If I give him fifty yuan, he should be willing to help me get my luggage out.”
Duan Baisui studied him carefully, unsure whether this person was truly naïve or just pretending. The club had clearly taken an interest in him for his looks and Omega status. It was obvious they wanted him for sexual services. The person who had introduced the job surely knew that, and yet still brought him there. There was a big difference in commission between recommending a dishwasher and recommending someone to accompany clients. He had been sold and still didn’t realize it, and now he was even thinking of using fifty yuan to get that person to help him retrieve his things.
“I’ll have the driver get it for you tomorrow,” Duan Baisui said.
“If—if it’s about money, I’ll pay.”
“No need. I have friends in there, too,” Duan Baisui replied.
“Thank you… You’re such a good person.”
He’d lost count of how many times the young man had thanked him.
Just as Duan Baisui was about to leave, the young man spoke again. “Sir, my name is Zuo Nian. From now on, I’ll follow all your instructions.”
Zuo Nian.
Duan Baisui’s footsteps paused. A rush of scattered memories surged through his mind.
“What’s your little sister’s name?”
“He’s not a sister, he’s my little brother. His name is Zuo Nian—Nian Nian.”
Duan Baisui shook his head, forcing himself back to clarity. It had to be a coincidence. How could it possibly be?
The next morning, when Duan Baisui came downstairs, he saw the young man mopping the floor. He was still barefoot. The frostbite on his feet was shocking to see.
“Auntie Liu,” Duan Baisui called the housekeeper over.
“Young Master,” Auntie Liu put down the coffee she had just brewed and quickly came over.
“He’s injured. Let him rest for now. Don’t assign him any chores for the time being.”
Auntie Liu looked at the young man who was working so earnestly and said, “I tried, but he’s stubborn. He said you were kind enough to take him in and even paid for his medical expenses last night, so he wants to start working early to repay you.”
He really was stubborn to the core. Duan Baisui sighed. “Got it.”
He walked into the living room and called out to the young man, “Zuo Nian.”
“Here,” the young man stood up shakily. “Mr. Duan, do you have instructions for me?”
“In this house, you’re to follow Auntie Liu’s arrangements. If she tells you to rest, then rest properly. The cleaning will be taken care of by someone else. Once your body has recovered, we’ll arrange other work for you,” Duan Baisui said mildly.
His features were naturally cold and austere. When expressionless, he gave off an indifferent, unapproachable air.
Zuo Nian looked a little flustered, clutching the cleaning cloth. “S-Sorry.”
“And one more thing…” Duan Baisui glanced at his feet. “There are slippers in the shoe cabinet.”
—
Last night, he had brought someone home from the club. The news quickly reached Duan Yan. After the morning meeting, Duan Baisui was summoned to his office.
As he casually flipped through some documents, the man asked offhandedly, “Who was it?”
Duan Baisui replied, “A very simple-minded Omega—probably tricked into it.”
Duan Yan finally looked up. “You brought someone home without investigating their background?”
“He looked really pitiful. If I hadn’t taken him away, he might’ve died.” Duan Baisui answered honestly.
He had always spoken plainly with his Alpha father. Duan Yan had a reputation for being difficult and aloof with everyone outside, but he was always attentive toward Duan Baisui and his Omega spouse.
At that moment, there were two knocks on the door.
“Come in,” Duan Yan said.
The secretary stepped in. He was Duan Yan’s trusted assistant and had worked with him for many years, dependable and thorough.
He handed over a file to Duan Yan. “Chairman Duan, here’s the information you requested.”
Duan Yan carefully read through it, then passed it to Duan Baisui.
On the paper was a detailed report on Zuo Nian.
He was an orphan, picked up and taken in by an elderly woman named Zuo Guilan, who raised him as her own grandson. Not long ago, Zuo Guilan passed away, leaving her old house under her name to Zuo Nian. But somehow, Zuo Nian had signed an agreement to give up his inheritance, handing the house over to Zuo Guilan’s eldest son, and then, he was kicked out.
With no place to stay, he took on odd jobs wherever he could and rented a cheap basement room. Because he was constantly deceived or had his wages withheld, he eventually couldn’t afford rent and was thrown out again by the landlord.
The reason he ended up working at the club was that they offered food and lodging. He was desperate for a place to stay, but ended up being tricked once more.
“If he wants to stay, let him. You rarely get involved in things like this,” Duan Yan said. “Just be more cautious in the future.”
Duan Baisui responded with a quiet “Mm.”
After a pause, he asked, “Dad… doesn’t Godfather have any kids?”
Duan Yan looked confused. “Your godfather’s not even married. How could he have kids?”
“He and Uncle Ason… weren’t they together? Or maybe… they were, but broke up?”
Duan Yan’s cold, stern face actually broke into a rare smile. “They are dating, but that only started recently. How did you know?”
It didn’t match. It was nothing like what he saw in his dreams.
“No reason, I just asked casually,” Duan Baisui replied.
“Mhm. If you’re free, come home for dinner sometime. Your little dad keeps talking about you,” Duan Yan added, without pressing further.
“Okay.”
By the time he got off work in the afternoon, the driver had already followed his instructions and brought back Zuo Nian’s luggage.
A worn-out little suitcase and a canvas bag that had been washed so many times it had turned yellow.
The driver said Zuo Nian’s ID card had originally been held by the club, but when he went today, the manager returned it to him as well.
When he got home, Zuo Nian was in the kitchen helping Auntie Liu. He really couldn’t stay idle for even a moment.
Duan Baisui handed him the luggage and said, “Check if anything’s missing.”
Zuo Nian opened the suitcase. Inside were only a few sets of clothes, a couple of pairs of shoes, and an old floral jacket that had belonged to an elderly woman.
Seeing Duan Baisui watching him, Zuo Nian explained, “This was my grandma’s. My uncle and the others burned all of her things. I could only secretly keep this one.”
Duan Baisui felt a twinge of discomfort in his chest. He hadn’t expected someone to have it quite this rough.
Good-looking, yet lacking a strong family background or a clever mind. No matter how hard he tried, it would always be a dead end.
Just then, Zuo Nian began rummaging through his canvas bag. He pulled out an ugly little rag doll and exclaimed with joy, “Abei Bei, you’re still here! You scared me. I thought they’d thrown you away!”
Duan Baisui’s gaze flickered slightly. The same—this was the same again—Zuo Nian’s Abei Bei.
“Sir, I’m really very grateful to you.” Zuo Nian stood up and gave him a deep bow. “I’ll definitely work hard to repay your kindness.”
His smiling face overlapped perfectly with the one from his dreams. Duan Baisui rubbed his temples and got up, replying, “Mm.”
Back in the study, he searched for the term “past lives and present lives”. After thinking about it, he felt the phrase didn’t quite fit the situation, so he deleted it and searched for “parallel worlds” instead.
He believed in the existence of parallel worlds, but what confused him was: did his self in that other world really have a deep connection with Zuo Nian? Why did he keep seeing those fragments?
Dinner was ready, and Auntie Liu came to call him.
At the large dining table, he sat alone.
Auntie Liu said, “Tonight’s two homestyle dishes were both made by Xiao Nian. He works quickly and diligently.”
Zuo Nian seemed to be well-liked. He’d only been here a day, yet all the household staff were already full of praise for him.
Duan Baisui took a bite. Indeed, the taste was good. He asked, “Where is he?”
“He’s eating in the small dining room.”
The small dining room was where all the household staff ate.
Duan Baisui nodded. Looking at the empty table, he said, “From now on, let him eat with me.”
Auntie Liu was stunned for a moment, then smiled warmly. “Alright.”
Not long after, Zuo Nian appeared in the dining room carrying a big bowl, a grain of rice stuck to the corner of his lips. He looked a little nervous. “Mr. Duan…”
The young man’s dazed expression struck Duan Baisui as unexpectedly cute. He nodded toward the seat next to him and said, “Sit here.”
Zuo Nian obediently sat down. Duan Baisui asked, “Did you make these two dishes?”
Mistaking the question as a criticism, Zuo Nian panicked and quickly said, “Yes! Sorry, I—I made the decision on my own. I heard from Auntie Liu that your stomach’s not in great shape, so I wanted to make something light and easy to digest for you.”
“No need to be nervous. I think it tastes very good. I just wanted to thank you.” Duan Baisui said calmly.
“Don’t say that. It’s what I should do.”
He lowered his head like a little quail, leaving Duan Baisui uncertain whether inviting him to eat together had been the right decision.
Duan Baisui turned to look at him and asked, “Am I scary?”
“No! Of course not,” Zuo Nian quickly denied.
“Then eat, and pick up some food with your chopsticks.”
Zuo Nian had a big chicken drumstick lying across his bowl. He glanced at Duan Baisui and asked, “Would you like the drumstick?”
Duan Baisui smiled. “No need.”
He… really was kind of cute?
—
In mid-July, Duan Baisui received an email from the AO Management Bureau.
Now that he was twenty-six, he had been scheduled for mandatory pairing. He was required to go on a date with the matched Omega within one week to determine their relationship.
Upon receiving the notice, Duan Baisui felt both angry and helpless.
This policy had been introduced long ago to ensure the genetic continuation of high-ranking Alphas and Omegas. But Duan Baisui had no desire to marry a stranger in a flash wedding. It wasn’t what he wanted. He hoped to be with someone he truly liked.
Under repeated pressure from the bureau, Duan Baisui finally agreed to meet the matched Omega. Both came from similar family backgrounds, and their compatibility score wasn’t bad—eighty-five percent. But they had absolutely nothing in common.
In the café booth, the silence between them was awkward. Each of them played with their phone, passing the time.
At last, Duan Baisui’s phone rang. A sudden meeting required him to return to the company.
He explained the situation to the Omega, who was very understanding, got up, shook his hand, and joked, “Well, this was a terrible date.”
Yeah, and this kind of terrible date might repeat again and again. Worse, under the bureau’s arrangements, it could even lead to a terrible marriage. Something neither of them wanted.
That evening, Duan Baisui met up with Zhou Xu. Zhou Xu was a notorious playboy, someone who passed through countless flowers without letting a single leaf stick. He was the same age as Duan Baisui and had recently been subjected to forced pairing as well.
Zhou Xu said, “It’s not that I don’t want to, I’m just afraid no one will want me. With my reputation, whoever marries me is seriously unlucky.”
Duan Baisui replied, “It’s not that bad.”
“That’s why I came up with a brilliant idea,” Zhou Xu said mysteriously.
“What is it?”
Duan Baisui thought, There’s no way anything that comes out of that dog brain of his is going to be good.
“Fake marriage!” Zhou Xu declared.
Sure enough. Dog brain.
Duan Baisui shot him a sideways glance. “What’s the difference between marrying some random person and being forcibly matched?”
“There is a difference!” Zhou Xu argued. “The one I picked is my little assistant. I just found out today that he’s the childhood friend I met when I went to the countryside years ago! He still remembers me. He even joined my company. It’s fate, right? He’s an S-rank Omega and is also facing forced matching. We hit it off right away and agreed to get married, but each do our own thing—no interfering. If one of us finds someone we truly like, we can divorce anytime.”
Duan Baisui: …
“Aiya, don’t give me that look,” Zhou Xu slung an arm around Duan Baisui’s shoulder. “I’m just out of options, okay? Just taking things one step at a time. It’s still better than being assigned someone by the bureau.”
…That did kind of make sense.
When he got home, the lights in the living room were still on. As soon as Duan Baisui walked in the door, Zuo Nian popped out and called sweetly, “Mr. Duan, you’re back? Auntie Liu taught me how to make hangover soup. Would you like some?”
Looking at Zuo Nian, Duan Baisui couldn’t help but think of Zhou Xu’s so-called brilliant idea.
After Zuo Nian moved into the house, he had been taken for a health check as required. He was an A-rank Omega, but probably due to a lack of pheromone nurturing from parents growing up, his gland development was underdeveloped. He wouldn’t experience a heat cycle.
An Omega without a heat cycle didn’t require an Alpha’s instinctive marking. It meant they could coexist peacefully.
Besides, Zuo Nian had already been living under the same roof with him for nearly a month. Even if they added a marriage certificate, nothing much would really change. Their interactions wouldn’t become awkward, and he wouldn’t feel anxious about a stranger Omega entering his territory.
Over the past month, both of them had kept their pheromones well under control. Zuo Nian was also someone who understood boundaries. He was well-behaved and obedient. If he was willing, Duan Baisui would take responsibility for his future. And if he wasn’t, Duan Baisui wouldn’t force him.
“Zuo Nian, do you want to get married?” Duan Baisui asked bluntly.
“What?” Zuo Nian thought he had misheard.
“A contractual marriage with me. Are you willing?”
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