Ch. 26 Don’t flatter yourself
By evening, Shen Siru could no longer stomach another greasy, overly nutritious bowl of chicken soup. He didn’t even need a scale to tell, he could feel himself gaining weight day by day. The doctor’s words from that morning still echoed in his mind. He wanted to be discharged early.
Song Zheli had come to the hospital to visit a doctor friend. Upon hearing that his friend was on the same floor as Shen Siru, he decided to drop in and say hello.
But just as he was about to leave, Shen Siru seized the opportunity and roped him into helping with his discharge procedures.
Song Zheli paused for a moment and asked, “Does Ji Xiang know?”
“He’s busy with his newlywed life. I don’t want to bother him. I’ll tell him once everything settles down.”
Song Zheli’s lips twitched. So, you don’t want to bother him, but have no trouble bothering me?
“Director Song, I know you’re a very kind and helpful person. Ji Xiang is always praising you in front of me, saying you’re very responsible and dependable,” Shen Siru lied shamelessly. “I swear I won’t give you any trouble. Just pretend to be my family or close friend, talk to the doctors to get my discharge approved, and I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll grab a cab and head home on my own, I won’t bother you at all.”
Song Zheli couldn’t withstand Shen Siru’s overly familiar tone and exaggerated flattery. He had once assumed that Shen Siru was a shy introvert… and clearly, he had overthought it.
Thinking of Ji Xiang, he considered it for a moment and finally agreed to help.
The bodyguards were easy to deal with, but the nurse auntie had been treating Shen Siru like her own son. It took a lot of convincing to assure her that he was strong and healthy enough to leave. After accepting a refund from the nurse, Shen Siru began packing up his bags, ready to call a car and head home.
Song Zheli followed behind him. Under the dim streetlights, Shen Siru’s figure looked small and pitiful, like an unknown drifter dragging the last remnants of his belongings with nowhere to go. In the end, Song Zheli couldn’t bear to let someone who’d just been hospitalized head home alone. He stepped forward and took the suitcase and bags from him. “Come on. I’ll drive you.”
Shen Siru was, of course, happy to accept. He showered Song Zheli with praise, stamping him with a ‘truly good person’ card, then gave him the address and got into the car.
“You can just drop me off at the entrance. I really appreciate it.” Shen Siru pulled out his phone, speaking sincerely. “Would it be alright if I added you on WeChat? You were the one who saved me when I fainted, and now you’re even sending me home at night. I’d like to treat you to a meal sometime to thank you.”
“No need to go througg all that trouble. Helping someone out is no big deal,” Song Zheli said modestly, but still added Shen Siru’s contact. He reiterated, “Any friend of Ji Xiang is a friend of mine.”
Shen Siru seemed to be thinking about something for a moment before suddenly blurting out, “Do you like Ji Xiang?”
Without any warning. Without any build-up. Song Zheli had anticipated that someone might notice, but he hadn’t expected such a blunt question.
If the person asking had been Ji Xiang himself, maybe he’d have just come clean. But this was Ji Xiang’s friend. He was caught completely off guard.
“Forget it, don’t say anything. Just pretend I never asked,” Shen Siru held up a hand to stop him, then after a few seconds of silence added, “But… he’s married now. You can’t be the other man.”
Song Zheli: “…”
The car fell into a complete silence. Shen Siru pressed his hands together in apology. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to accuse you or anything…”
“It’s fine. I understand.”
Truth be told, saying he liked Ji Xiang wasn’t quite right. It was more like admiration, he saw Ji Xiang as the ideal partner.
Song Zheli took a go-with-the-flow approach to romance, but deep down, he was old-fashioned. He believed everything in the world had its no own place and reason, for example, alphas and omegas being biologically complementary. And that, Beta-to-beta pairing had been the earliest form of human reproduction.
So, when choosing a partner, he intended to follow what society deemed the most optimal path. Ji Xiang, a fellow beta, fit all the basic criteria. And through their interactions, Song Zheli had come to genuinely like him.
What puzzled him was why Ji Xiang would choose to marry an alpha. No matter how deep or long-lasting the love, biology never lies.
Seeing Song Zheli grow more solemn, Shen Siru assumed he had gone too far. He bit his lip and quietly excused himself from the car.
He slowly dragged his suitcase towards the building, pulling out his phone to message Ji Xiang. Just as he hit ‘send’, someone stepped into his path.
Looking up, Shen Siru vaguely recognized the face. The man politely said, “Mr. Shen, our President Yuan would like to speak with you privately.”
Instinctively, Shen Siru glanced around and, sure enough, spotted a sleek obsidian Porsche parked nearby.
“There’s nothing to talk about. I have nothing to say to him.”
He tried to walk past but was quickly blocked by the assistant. “Please don’t worry. President Yuan has already taken an inhibitor injection to suppress his pheromones—he won’t harm you.”
Pheromone-blocking injections temporarily shut down an alpha or omega’s pheromone output, rendering them indistinguishable from betas. It was a heavily regulated drug.
But for the Yuan Group, a pharmaceutical company that specialized in medical devices and drug development, acquiring it was hardly difficult.
These injections weren’t widely used due to their severe side effects, including dependency, glandular pain, hormonal imbalance, and even potential gland atrophy [mfn]shrinkage or degeneration of a gland, leading to reduced or loss of function[/mfn].
Shen Siru clenched his fists. “What does he want?”
“President Yuan just wants to catch up.”
Shen Siru sneered coldly. He wasn’t buying it.
Just then, a car horn sounded behind them. Song Zheli had returned, rolling down the window and calling, “Shen Siru, you forgot something!”
Through the window, he saw the serious expression on Shen Siru’s face, and the suited man standing in front of him that looked familiar. It didn’t take long for Song Zheli to recognize Yuan You’s assistant.
He grabbed the tote bag and quickly walked over, placing himself between Shen Siru and the assistant. He nodded politely but distantly. “Assistant Yu.”
“Mr. Song,” the assistant greeted, stepping back slightly. “Our President only wishes to apologize to Mr. Shen. There’s no need for you to be involved.”
Song Zheli’s gaze shifted towards Yuan You, who had just stepped out of the car. “Apologize? Since when did apologizing involve ambushing someone like this?”
Yuan You didn’t respond. He waved his assistant back to the car and kept his eyes fixed on Shen Siru, whose expression was stiff with hostility.
“How did you develop your pheromone rejection disorder?” Yuan You’s voice was much softer than it had been the day they reunited.
Shen Siru didn’t answer, instead stepping behind Song Zheli. After a moment of silence, Song Zheli said, “If he doesn’t want to talk, maybe you should stop asking.”
Only then did Yuan You glance at him and said coldly, “And who are you to answer for him?”
Yuan You was already at his limit. He hadn’t been able to get close to Shen Siru these past few days, so he’d started digging into the past—into the cause of Shen Siru’s condition and the people around him.
He and Song Zheli were nothing more than acquaintances, aside from working at the same company, the only other link was Ji Xiang. Yet here was Shen Siru, following this near-stranger home with full trust.
At first, Yuan You had been relieved Song Zheli only dropped him off. But seeing him show up again now was unbearable.
His dark eyes locked onto Shen Siru, his lips twitching as he bit the inside of his cheek.
They had been together for a year. Shen Siru knew all of Yuan You’s subtle expressions. This was the prelude to his anger.
He didn’t want a scene. With Yuan You’s status, a public spat would make tomorrow’s entertainment headlines.
Shen Siru gently tugged at Song Zheli’s sleeve and gave a small shake of his head, whispering, “Can I trouble you to walk me upstairs?”
With a hostile ex showing no signs of backing down, Song Zheli obviously couldn’t let Shen Siru go up alone—it was dangerous in every sense.
But that intimate gesture of Shen Siru’s was like a fuse that lit up to Yuan You. His eyes darkened with growing fury.
Song Zheli silently mouthed “Don’t be afraid”, as if Yuan You were some sort of monster. He grasped Shen Siru’s wrist with one hand, balanced the bag on top of the suitcase with the other, and led him towards the building entrance.
Just as Shen Siru tried to catch up, Yuan You grabbed him from behind.
He clutched Shen Siru’s hand tightly, then, without warning, interlaced their fingers.
It was the way Shen Siru had once told him was the most secure way to hold hands—
“This way, we’ll never let go.”
Back in high school, Shen Siru had worn the blue and white uniform of No.1 High School as he pulled Yuan You through city streets, running towards the afternoon sun. He had held up their joined hands, with a silly little braided string ring on his finger—the first Valentine’s gift he ever gave Yuan You.
The memories shattered back into place. Yuan You suddenly looked dazed, his gland burning under the effects of the suppressant. He growled through the clenched teeth, “Shen Siru, you promised you’d never leave me.”
“If you had to choose between the two of us, who would it be?”
“Why do people always ask these dumb questions? It’s like asking who I’d save if you and my parents fell into a river.”
“If you don’t say it, how will I ever know I’m your only one?”
“Fine, fine, I choose you. Happy? I don’t even like him—he’s just a regular friend. Plus, he already has someone.”
“Then swear you’ll never leave me. Never abandon me.”
“Okay, I, Shen Siru, swear I’ll never leave Yuan You behind. So, Young Master Yuan, are you satisfied? Now can we eat already?!”
Shen Siru stared at him coldly, something flashing in his eyes. After a long moment, he sneered, “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re nothing special. How can you even be worth my time.”
“That was the last thing you ever said to me. Now I’m giving it back to you—word for word.”
Even if it tore him apart, even if the pain ripped through his chest, he would break away from Yuan You and walk the opposite path—never again repeating the same mistakes. That was the lesson he’d carved into his bones.
Shen Siru clenched his fists, clenching the knuckles of his thumbs and trembling subconsciously as he walked away with Song Zheli.
He didn’t want to let down his cowardly 18-year-old self.
I going to beat that scum! (o´罒`o)
Thank You for the new chapter♡ฅ(ᐤˊ꒳ฅˋᐤ)