The next morning, Xia Yan left home with Xu Cong. Fu Changfeng and Xia Chujun came out to see them off.
Fu Changfeng looked stern, having spent the night worrying and brimming with advice for his newly differentiated Omega son.
But Xia Yan couldn’t be bothered to listen and stepped on the gas, speeding off.
Behind him, Fu Changfeng fumed with frustration.
“My father is so naggy. I don’t know how dad puts up with him,” Xia Yan said, shaking his head with a hint of amusement. “I can’t even imagine how he became the campus heartthrob back in the day. They said he was cool and quiet, but he talks plenty at home.”
Still, after spending time at home, Xia Yan seemed to be in a good mood. When the car stopped at a red light, he even hummed a tune.
Glancing at Xu Cong, he raised an eyebrow.
“What’s with you? Those dark circles—don’t let the paparazzi catch you at the airport later.”
Xu Cong’s lashes lowered slightly. “Didn’t sleep well last night. Woke up in the middle of the night.”
“Oh.” Xia Yan, considerate as ever, found an excuse for him. “You must not be used to the bed. I told you the guest room bed isn’t comfortable. Should’ve just slept in my room.”
Xu Cong didn’t respond.
Although Xia Yan had used a blocker, its full effect hadn’t kicked in yet. The faint scent of roses lingered in the air, making Xu Cong’s already sleepless head throb even more.
When they reached the airport, their assistant was already waiting.
Fans who had gotten the news swarmed the area, forming a lively crowd.
Xia Yan put on his signature dazzling smile, winking at fans and making heart gestures, completely shedding the irritable, cursing gamer persona from last night.
Xu Cong, with earbuds in, listened as Bai Yu used the remaining time to nag him about keeping an eye on Xia Yan.
“Got it,” Xu Cong replied.
Glancing at Xia Yan, who was energetically waving at fans, Xu Cong thought to himself, Bai Yu is overthinking. With Xia Yan’s temper, it’d be a miracle if he doesn’t end up bullying someone instead.
Over two hours later.
Xu Cong and Xia Yan landed in City B. The program team had arranged a van to pick them up. Their destination this time was an island, and once they switched to a ferry, their assistants would no longer be able to accompany them.
Xia Yan sat at the bow of the boat, enjoying the sea breeze in high spirits.
He crossed one leg over the other, wearing sunglasses that loosely covered most of his face, glancing around with interest.
“Who do you think the other guests are this time?” he asked Xu Cong. “So secretive. I just asked the PD, and they refused to tell me. They insist on keeping it a surprise until we get to the island.”
Xu Cong, studying a map of the island, responded casually, “Hard to say. Maybe it’s someone you don’t like.”
He wasn’t speaking out of nowhere.
The production team of ‘Relaxing Vacation’ was infamous for stirring up drama. The more intense the conflict between guests, the better. In previous seasons, they’d invited ex-couples, fierce rivals who’d competed for awards multiple times, and even old friends who had fallen out badly—then deliberately put them in the same group for tasks.
“Someone I don’t like?” Xia Yan mulled over it briefly. “Forest? Other than them, I don’t think I have any obvious enemies.” He flipped his hair with a smug grin. “I like to think I’m quite the peacekeeper.”
However, just over half an hour later, when a third guest walked into the lounge, Xia Yan’s expression turned blank.
He wanted to take back those words.
The third guest was Jiang Chuxin, a singer. In addition to his main career, Jiang Chuxin frequently appeared on variety shows, gaining fans with his sharp-tongued, humorous style.
He was well-regarded in the industry, and his popularity was high, so it wasn’t surprising for the production team to invite him.
Moreover, he and Xia Yan were from the same agency, loosely making them colleagues—something the show could easily use as a selling point.
But the moment Jiang Chuxin entered, he exploited the lack of cameras in the lounge to utter something that immediately rubbed Xia Yan the wrong way.
Dressed entirely in black, Jiang Chuxin wore a crisp shirt buttoned all the way up despite the warm weather. His “cool” features leaned into the delicate, understated aesthetic—handsome but unassuming unless you looked closer.
Now, though, the faint smirk on his face made it hard to appreciate his looks.
He grabbed a chair and sat directly across from Xia Yan, their gazes locking. Without so much as a greeting, Jiang Chuxin threw out a sharp question:
“Xia Yan, I heard you’ve differentiated into an omega. Is it true?”
The atmosphere, already lukewarm, dipped several degrees lower.
As Xia Yan’s face darkened, Jiang Chuxin’s grin widened.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Jiang Chuxin said, amused. “I’m not going to leak it to the paparazzi. It wouldn’t benefit me anyway. I’m just surprised. When I first heard, I thought it was fake. But seeing your reaction now…”
He chuckled softly, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery.
“So, it’s true, huh?”
Xia Yan glared coldly at him. He showed no visible reaction to his omega status being revealed so blatantly, only curling his lips into a frosty smile. “Did your uncle tell you?”
Jiang Chuxin’s uncle was the vice president of their agency, which was why his career had been smooth sailing.
The only bump in his otherwise easy ride came last year when Xia Yan had caught him gossiping behind their backs. He’d cornered Jiang Chuxin in the company’s storage room and punched him a few times—avoiding his face but hitting hard enough elsewhere.
The conflict had stemmed from Jiang Chuxin’s loose tongue, spreading rumors that D.A had cheated their way to an award. On top of that, he had publicly bullied Xiao Ning during an event, drenching him with ice water multiple times. That had been the final straw for Xia Yan as D.A’s captain.
Oddly, Xia Yan hadn’t faced much punishment for the incident.
Their group was too popular to touch, and Jiang Chuxin’s uncle, pragmatic as he was, knew his nephew was in the wrong. Though likely seething inside, he’d let it slide, issuing only a token reprimand to Xia Yan.
Since then, the two had avoided each other as much as possible, pretending to be cordial at public events while secretly rolling their eyes.
Jiang Chuxin’s smile remained. “Does it matter who told me?”
His gaze flicked to Xu Cong, whose expression had turned stormy as soon as Jiang Chuxin opened his mouth. But Jiang Chuxin wasn’t concerned.
After all, this was the production team’s territory. Even without cameras here, Xia Yan and Xu Cong wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him. If anything happened to him, it would trigger an investigation, and Xia Yan would be unable to explain himself.
Leaning back lazily, Jiang Chuxin pushed further with increasingly provocative remarks.
“Now that you’re an omega, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to hang around so many alphas all the time?” His eyes drifted meaningfully to Xia Yan’s neck and wrists, his tone suggestive. “What will you do during your heat? You know, there’ve been news stories about omegas being with multiple alphas during heat. Could that be how your group operates? Pretty chaotic, huh?”
His last three words were whispered, deliberately understated but dripping with malice.
Of course, he didn’t believe D.A operated that way. He just wanted to disgust Xia Yan.
After all, the humiliation he’d suffered in the storage room still festered in his mind. Xia Yan’s meteoric fame only made it worse.
Now, he was relishing the idea of his nemesis being reduced to an omega—a secondary gender vulnerable to alpha pheromones and forced to hide his identity.
Watching Xia Yan’s expression darken further, Jiang Chuxin’s grin stretched wider.
“Better keep yourself in check on the show, Xia Yan. Don’t let your pheromones affect me. Omegas are naturally weaker, and their pheromones are more volatile. If you go into heat during filming, it’ll be a real mess.”
He mimicked the sound of an explosion, smirking.
From the moment Jiang Chuxin spoke, Xia Yan had been standing there with his arms crossed, his gaze icy and fixed on him. Now that Jiang Chuxin had stopped, he asked calmly, “Are you done talking?”
Jiang Chuxin chuckled mockingly and shrugged. “Maybe, or maybe not.”
Xia Yan also let out a small laugh, tilting his head slightly to glance at Xu Cong.
Without hesitation, Xu Cong got up, walked to the door of the lounge, and locked it with a decisive click.
The sound of the lock echoed in the room, transforming the space—its curtains drawn—into a completely sealed environment.
Jiang Chuxin’s expression shifted to one of wariness.
“What are you trying to do?” His body tensed, the smirk vanishing from his face. Xu Cong stood by the door, completely blocking any route of escape, while Xia Yan rose from his chair and loomed over him.
Even though Xia Yan had undergone secondary differentiation as an omega, his tall frame and sturdy build hadn’t changed. Standing before Jiang Chuxin, he still exuded an oppressive aura.
“You don’t seriously think you can get away with this here, do you?” Jiang Chuxin’s face darkened. “This is a show set. If you actually do something, you’re just handing the program team a juicy scoop. By tomorrow, every media outlet will have footage of you hitting someone, and the company won’t let you off easily.”
He sneered, his tone laced with disdain. “And besides, what can an omega do? You’re going to hide behind Xu Cong and let him fight for you? That’s pathetic.”
Jiang Chuxin’s taunts were deliberate. He knew Xia Yan’s pride wouldn’t allow him to rely on someone else.
But Xia Yan simply smiled faintly.
“I’d advise you,” he said, gazing down at Jiang Chuxin, “to pick a spot with cameras but poor audio recording next time you decide to provoke someone.”
As he spoke, Xia Yan kicked the chair Jiang Chuxin was sitting on with a sharp motion.
Bang!
The chair toppled over with a loud crash, sliding across the floor. Caught off guard, Jiang Chuxin was thrown to the ground.
He clutched his head, groaning in pain. His head had hit the hard floor with a dull thud.
“Xia Yan, you—”
Jiang Chuxin glared upward, his anger seething. He couldn’t believe Xia Yan dared to actually resort to violence. But before he could finish his sentence, a subtle yet unmistakable fragrance wafted through the air.
It was the scent of dark roses.
At first, the aroma was faint, like a single bloom opening quietly in the dew—delicate and unassuming. But it quickly spread, enveloping the room in a suffocating intensity, as if a field of thorny roses had grown wildly, their sharp thorns intertwining into an impenetrable barrier. The oppressive fragrance seemed to strangle him, growing tighter and tighter.
Jiang Chuxin nearly retched. His face turned pale as his legs buckled, forcing him to his knees. Cold sweat seeped through his back, sending chills through his body.
Panic filled him as he struggled to comprehend the source of the overwhelming pheromones. His first instinct was to assume it came from Xu Cong—an exceptionally rare S-class alpha standing nearby, releasing his dominance to defend his captain. It made sense.
But something was wrong.
Xu Cong’s pheromones were public knowledge—sandalwood, not roses. Moreover, Xu Cong hadn’t moved from his position by the door, merely watching with a calm, disdainful gaze.
No, this wasn’t an alpha’s scent.
A creeping realization dawned on Jiang Chuxin, sending a chill down his spine. His gaze flickered upward, compelled by an absurd thought.
Bang.
The toppled chair was righted, positioned directly in front of him. Jiang Chuxin’s eyes trailed up, only to meet Xia Yan’s calm, smiling gaze.
Seated on the chair, Xia Yan held a small, transparent sticker between his fingers, letting the light catch it deliberately. It was an omega’s scent suppressant patch.
The overpowering rose scent, tinged with a faint note of rum, wasn’t coming from Xu Cong. It belonged to Xia Yan.
Leaning slightly forward, Xia Yan looked down at Jiang Chuxin with a leisurely smirk. His gaze was sharp, like a predator playing with its prey. The fragrance in the room grew heavier, drowning everything else.
“What’s wrong with being an omega?” Xia Yan’s smile deepened, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “An omega can still deal with you. Remember this, Jiang Chuxin: being useless has nothing to do with being an alpha or omega. Trash like you, I can take down ten of you with one hand.”
He sneered, his tone icy. “You think I went too easy on you last time in the storage room? Hear me now—if there’s even a whisper about me being an omega outside this room, I’ll pin it all on you. And when we’re on the show, you’d better behave. Remember, I’m just a weak, fragile omega. If my hand slips and pushes you underwater, well, that wouldn’t look good for you, would it?”
Reaching for a promotional pamphlet on the table, Xia Yan used it to tilt Jiang Chuxin’s face upward, keeping his hands clean.
With his vibrant and commanding features, Xia Yan looked every bit like a masterpiece of creation—arrogant, flamboyant, and carelessly stunning. His amber eyes, beautiful like peach blossoms, carried a certain danger when they locked on their target.
High above, proud and untouchable—that was Xia Yan.
At least, that was how Xu Cong saw him.
Standing by the door, Xu Cong watched silently, his arms crossed. A subtle flicker passed through his gaze.
When their eyes met earlier, Xu Cong had understood immediately that Xia Yan intended to teach Jiang Chuxin a lesson and wouldn’t tolerate interference.
Xu Cong had no objection to this.
But now, surrounded by the overwhelming scent of roses, Xu Cong’s heart thudded wildly, out of rhythm.
He stared at Xia Yan.
Sitting on the chair, legs crossed, Xia Yan exuded an air of defiance. Swinging his legs slightly, he looked like a rogue villain.
Yet he also resembled a blade hidden among roses—beautiful and dazzling, commanding and irresistible, tempting everyone who saw him.
What a nightmare.
Xu Cong blinked and sighed inwardly. Turning his neck slightly, he ground his teeth as if holding back something unspoken.
His chest rose and fell subtly, and the hint of rum in the rose fragrance seemed particularly prominent to him.
He thought, Bai Yu had truly worried about the wrong person.
This time, it wasn’t Xia Yan they should be worried about causing trouble on the variety show—it was him.
…..
Jiang Chuxin’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
Being suppressed by Xia Yan’s pheromones to the point of complete helplessness was utterly humiliating. Alpha dominance was a natural hierarchy. If it had been Xu Cong, it wouldn’t have felt so disgraceful—after all, he wasn’t prepared, and a sudden attack was hard to counter.
But it just had to be Xia Yan.
An omega.
After a brief bout of dizziness, Jiang Chuxin’s alpha physique began to show its advantages, easing the discomfort. He could finally pull himself together and salvage some dignity for a fight.
Yet, when he lifted his head and met Xia Yan’s gaze—those amber eyes staring at him unblinking, like flawless gemstones—he inexplicably froze for a moment.
His mind blanked for a second, and the words on the tip of his tongue faltered.
Xia Yan raised an eyebrow, his temper evident, and repeated, “I asked you a question. Will you behave yourself or not?”
Reluctantly pressing his lips together, Jiang Chuxin slowly got up. He could feel the piercing gaze from behind him. When he turned, Xu Cong was staring at him unyieldingly, his expression cold but with a hint of menace in his eyes, as if ready to snap his spine at any moment.
No wonder these two lunatics came from the same group.
Jiang Chuxin cursed silently.
He moved to the farthest sofa, muttering unwillingly, “I got it.”
After the variety show, he’d settle the score with Xia Yan.
…
Xia Yan was quite satisfied with this outcome. He couldn’t care less about Jiang Chuxin’s aggrieved expression.
He chuckled, leisurely getting up and opening the window. The overwhelming scent of roses finally began to dissipate, drifting out through the window. He then popped a pill and reapplied a suppressant patch to his neck.
But his own attempts at application were clumsy, repeatedly failing to align it properly. Finally, a pair of hands reached out, taking the thin patch and placing it precisely over his gland.
The rose scent was completely sealed off.
Only a faint hint of rum lingered, reluctant to fade.
“Thanks,” Xia Yan said to Xu Cong.
Leaning against the window, Xu Cong casually sprayed an inhibitor in the room to further dilute the scent.
“Next time, don’t release your pheromones without warning,” he scolded Xia Yan. “If another guest had walked in, they’d have easily figured out your identity. And…”
He paused. “It could affect the other alphas too.”
Xia Yan yawned lazily in the sunlight, clearly unconcerned.
But with teary eyes from sleepiness, he smiled sweetly at Xu Cong, his gaze rippling like water.
“What? Did I affect you?” He nudged Xu Cong teasingly. “No way—you’re an S-rank.”
Xu Cong ignored him, suddenly finding a potted plant outside the window incredibly fascinating.
