PA chapter 1

At eight in the morning, the young president of Mu Yin Group was already sitting in his office looking at documents. His phone, placed beside him, lit up, indicating a received photo message. He immediately set aside his work and unlocked his phone.

It was a photo of a man wearing a white shirt and black casual pants, coming out of the residential building. Despite being close to thirty, his face still retained the youthful look. He hadn’t cut his hair for some time, and his bangs hung down to cover his eyebrows, enveloped in a faint halo under the morning light.

He appeared soft, gentle, and harmless, but only Qu Baiyuan knew how ruthless this omega could be.

Then the second photo came in; he was making a phone call. On his left ring finger, there was a slightly worn platinum ring, worn for many years, a ring Qu Baiyuan gave him on the day of his proposal. This person had rejected him in the most brutal way possible, yet he was willing to keep wearing the ring.

Qu Baiyuan reached out through the screen to touch his face, then clicked save, storing the two photos in his phone’s album.

Starting ten years ago, at least twenty photos were sent to his phone every day, and every single one of them was Lin Sheng, his omega. For 3740 days, he had accumulated one hundred thousand photos. Qu Baiyuan thought it was about time to let him go.

Secretary Song Ke knocked on the door and peeked in, saying, “President Qu, the investment cooperation negotiation with Fei Yu Biotech is scheduled to start at ten. We can depart now.”

“Okay.”

Qu Baiyuan stood up, slipping his phone into the pocket of his gray suit pants.

Twenty minutes later, the black Cadillac was stuck on the overpass. The driver and the co-driver, Song Ke, exchanged a nervous glance, afraid that the person sitting in the back might be upset due to the traffic.

But that day, President Qu seemed to be in a good mood. Through the rearview mirror, Song Ke saw the gold-rimmed glasses resting on his prominent nose, reflecting the light from the phone screen. With the scene complemented by the majestic face of an Alpha, a term popped into Song Ke’s mind inexplicably — refined scoundrel.

Mr. Refined Scoundrel was currently looking at the third photo of the day, taken at the entrance of Fei Yu Biotech. Lin Sheng was getting out of a ride-sharing car, holding a cup from a tea shop in a light blue paper cup.

Qu Baiyuan knew he bought a cup of red tea latte every day, with a bit less tea and a bit more milk, blending together like the scent of their pheromones mixing.

He locked the screen, holding the phone in his palm. He glanced out the window at the tall buildings slowly moving backward, thinking with confidence, “You fought so hard to escape from me back then, but you insisted on leaving our scent in your body. How could you possibly leave me?”

The car was stuck on the overpass for more than ten minutes before finally turning onto the Third Ring Road, heading towards the biotech company.

…….

Lin Sheng clocked in at the research building, greeted by several colleagues. Some called him “Dr. Lin,” some called him “Professor Lin.” He couldn’t distinguish who was who, so he politely nodded and smiled, saying, “Good morning.”

He had only recently graduated and had been doing research on pheromone addiction under Professor Li Yongge during his Ph.D. Now, in collaboration with the medical university, the government had established the top domestic pheromone research laboratory in City C, appointing Li Yongge as the chief scientist and bringing Lin Sheng along with him.

Lin Sheng was actually a local of City C, but he hadn’t been back for many years. He used to be afraid to come back because he was afraid of encountering that Alpha.

Now thinking about it, he felt he had been too presumptuous. A lot could change in ten years, and perhaps that person no longer cared about him.

How long can the love from one’s youth last? Especially if that kind of obsessive possessiveness is also considered love.

Lin Sheng stood among the crowd waiting for the elevator, his mind filled with thoughts. If he were to run into Qu Baiyuan now, perhaps he could greet him calmly.

Stepping into the elevator, he quickly reached the fifth floor and entered the laboratory. Just as he changed into his white coat, the secretary of the chairman, Gu Xiaoduo, came to find him.

“Professor Lin, the investment negotiation meeting at ten o’clock needs you to introduce the project situation.”

Lin Sheng was a little surprised. “Me? Aren’t these meetings attended by the chief scientists?”

Gu Xiaoduo explained, “Professor Li is on a business trip. The chairman said he wants you to go. Today’s meeting is about the project on addiction treatment.”

Understanding, Lin Sheng nodded. He had been working on the addiction treatment project with Professor Li for a long time. After years of research and self-treatment, he was now considered an expert in this field. Convincing the investors shouldn’t be too difficult.

“Okay, I’ll be there on time,” Lin Sheng smiled at her.

As a fellow omega, Gu Xiaoduo was momentarily dazzled by his smile and awkwardly looked away. “Um, see you later.”

Lin Sheng had a certain aura that seemed different from other omegas, Gu Xiaoduo thought. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly made him different, but sometimes he made people forget he was an omega.

Actually, Lin Sheng caused quite a stir when he arrived at the company. He was young, academically strong, and very handsome, so many single Alphas in the company were interested in him. However, when they saw the ring on his left ring finger, they realized he was already taken.

Lin Sheng only learned that the investor was Mu Yin Group when he was waiting at the door of the meeting room. He asked Gu Xiaoduo if it was still possible to switch, but Gu Xiaoduo regretfully said it was the chairman’s specific order and couldn’t be changed.

“Mr. Wan is currently introducing the company’s basic situation. You’re up next. It’s simple, just talk about the impressive parts. Besides, the other party won’t understand anything too technical anyway,” Gu Xiaoduo whispered, blocking her mouth with a folder. “And today’s CEO who came is so handsome and young, it’s worth taking a look.”

Gu Xiaoduo finished speaking mischievously and winked at him. Lin Sheng couldn’t help but smile wryly. It seemed to be really him.

Before long, he was called in. He took a deep breath and quietly took off the ring from his left hand and put it in his pocket before pushing the door open.

Qu Baiyuan sat in the middle of the long conference table facing the door, and Lin Sheng saw him as soon as he entered.

He had lost weight, Lin Sheng thought numbly, and his presence seemed even more imposing than before.

Their eyes met briefly, and Lin Sheng politely greeted the attendees before fluently introducing the situation of the addiction treatment project. He was very familiar with this project, like his own child, especially considering he was a subject of the study himself.

“As a hereditary disease unique to omegas, pheromone addiction syndrome has been misunderstood for many years. Patients are thought to be weak and irrational, inexplicably falling in love with a stranger. They have no choice but to do so because of the high compatibility between the person they accidentally meet and their pheromones.

Due to a lack of understanding of this disease, many of them mistakenly believe they have truly fallen in love with the source of addiction, missing the optimal withdrawal period. In more extreme cases, patients who have completed the final bonding cannot bear the pain of withdrawal symptoms after breaking up with an Alpha and choose death as a relief.

These tragedies can now be avoided.”

Lin Sheng ignored the burning gaze and continued, “We should have the freedom to love someone, and we should also have the freedom not to love someone. However, addiction patients are deprived of this freedom. The detox drugs we have developed aim to restore this freedom. The freedom not to love someone.”

Song Ke saw Qu Baiyuan’s expression getting colder and realized belatedly that he had seen the person speaking on the CEO’s phone before.

Qu Baiyuan’s phone screensaver was that warm and charming smile of the boy. The boy had grown up, a little less warm but still charming.

After Lin Sheng finished speaking, he turned to look at the host, who nodded at him before asking if the investors had any more questions.

Song Ke originally had a question, but now he hesitated to speak up. Just as he was hesitating, Qu Baiyuan spoke, “So, Professor Lin Sheng, have you been cured of your illness?”

This sentence instantly quieted the room, but Lin Sheng did not show any offense. He met Qu Baiyuan’s gaze head-on and replied calmly, “I have recovered, thank you for your concern, President Qu.”

He answered casually, as if he had just recovered from a minor cold, rather than from a severe mental illness that caused omegas to uncontrollably crave affection and marking, completely losing control.