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Qu Chengchen laughed and said, “You are really interesting.”
“Mr. Qu, you don’t have the same knowledge as me. Why don’t you find an opponent of the same level as you?”
“The same level as me?” Qu Chengchen said with a playful expression, “You are quite docile in front of my eldest brother but it turns out you do have claws.”
“He’s my boss.”
“Stop pretending, do you think no one can tell that you have feelings for him?”
Shen Dai put his hands in the pockets of his lab coat, and looked at Qu Chengchen coldly: “How do you know? Did I say it when I gave a speech?”
“You think you’re good at hiding it.” Qu Chengchen wrapped his arms around his chest with a smirk on his face, “In the laboratory accident three years ago, an omega suddenly became in heat. That was you, right?”
“…”
“He suppressed the matter from being made public, but I still found out. As a result, three years later, it was too ‘coincidental’ that you were in estrus again in front of him.” Qu Chengchen raised his eyebrows, “Did you get what you wanted this time?”
Shen Dai’s hands clenched into fists in his pockets. If he could ignore any consequences and if he had any odds of winning, he would really beat up Qu Chengchen right now: “Are you implying that I did it on purpose?”
“I think a person who can enter a research institute should be smart enough not to do reckless stupid things, but these two times…” Qu Chengchen said mockingly, “Is it ‘fate’?”
Shen Dai scolded Qu Chengchen for being shameless in his heart. If it wasn’t for him deliberately making things difficult for Shen Dai during his speech, how could he have such a bad reaction? But he didn’t answer his rhetorical question.
Qu Chengchen smiled and said, “At that time, in order to appease you, he gave you a temporary mark, right? Do you want a real and permanent mark?”
Shen Dai narrowed his eyes, holding back his anger.
“I don’t need to hear your answer. Which omega in this world doesn’t want to get an S-class Alpha’s mark. But unfortunately, he won’t give it to you.”
Shen Dai wanted to laugh a little, but couldn’t. That’s right, every omega wants to get the mark of a loved one. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with the conditions of heirs or property. This is because there are many, many other omegas in this world that only want the mark as the promise of love and loyalty. It’s just that no S-class Alpha would believe that. In the worldview of an S-class Alpha, the mark has nothing to do with feelings. It was just an official seal stamped on the contract for exclusive reproduction rights and property separation. The omega who made them willing to sign the contract must provide enticing terms in return.
He knows this better than anyone else. At the time, he couldn’t help begging Qu Moyu to mark him, but he was also lustful and confused due to estrus. Qu Chengchen’s words are undoubtedly making no sense.
Shen Dai’s tone was already extremely rude: “What are you trying to imply? What are you planning to do?”
“I can help you.” Qu Chengchen stared at Shen Dai meaningfully, “I can help you get Qu Moyu’s mark.”
Shen Dai regretted that he was well-trained in his manners. Thus, he still chose to hold back the swear words that were about to rush out of his mouth. He simply spoke sarcastically: “I told you already. Go find an opponent on the same level as you. Why should you lower yourself to entertain me?”
“We haven’t had a head-to-head confrontation yet. I’m tired of being competitive. Who told him to be born eight months earlier than me?” Qu Chengchen pouted, “It’s only eight months. But he was born gloriously while I was born as the beginning of future problems.”
The affairs of your family really have nothing to do with me. If you tell me this, are you not afraid that I will tell Qu Moyu?”
“Would you?” Qu Chengchen still portrayed a cold smile, “Ask yourself. Do you think that what I just said was no concerns of yours? Even if you don’t have the guts, you also won’t have the guts to tell Qu Moyu about our conversation today. Wouldn’t he be wary of you?”
Shen Dai glared at Qu Chengchen. He didn’t want to stay for another moment. So he turned and left.
Qu Chengchen’s methods do not seem to be justified. But they all point in the right direction. Whether it is to use You Baiyue or using Shen Dai himself, they are all done in order to suppress Qu Moyu. As he had said, they are entangled by blood relationship, family and also the public’s view. Due to these limitations, he could not confront Qu Moyu head-on, so he used hidden methods, and Shen Dai was inevitably dragged into it.
Although Qu Moyu had said that he had to tell him everything that Qu Chengchen had said to him, Shen Dai really couldn’t tell him. This is because the topic of ‘marking’ is too sensitive to be mentioned. He didn’t dare to bring it up in front of Qu Moyu. It would seem like he is coveting something that does not belong to him. After all, Qu Moyu himself had also ‘warned’ him.
At the same time, he also knew very well that Qu Chengchen would not give up on this idea. So, he had to be careful and protect himself from being pulled into this whirlpool.
On Friday afternoon, Shen Dai received a call from Cheng Ruoze, Qu Moyu’s assistant, who wanted to arrange for his grandmother to see a doctor. On the phone, he specifically asked Cheng Ruoze to pretend to be a friend who helped him so as to not let his grandmother know too much details about going to this kind of hospital.
Cheng Ruoze brought a driver to take them to the hospital on Saturday morning.
Grandma knew that she was going to switch hospitals and doctors, so she was somewhat nervous. Shen Dai kept comforting her, but she was worried all the way. From the previous night until now, no matter what Shen Dai said, she still looked so absent-minded.
When Cheng Ruoze went to go through the formalities, Shen Dai waited in the rest area with his grandmother. Seeing that his grandmother was still in a low mood, he looked for a video of a panda cub for her to watch and wanted to amuse her.
His grandma smiled reluctantly.
“Grandma, don’t be afraid. We have better hospitals and better doctors. Your operation will definitely be a success. This is a good thing, right?”
“I’m not afraid, I wish that I had the surgery earlier.” Grandma patted Shen Dai’s hand, “You don’t have to worry.”
“Then why do you always look so uncomfortable?” Shen Dai teased, “You’re this old already but you’re still afraid of seeing a doctor.”
His grandma sighed softly. She then looked at Shen Dai but hesitated to speak. It can be seen in her eyes that she was a bit sad.
“What’s the matter?” Shen Dai’s heart also became uncomfortable.
“Your dad called me yesterday.” His grandma seemed to be unable to hide it any longer and quickly threw the heavy load in her chest out.
Shen Dai’s face suddenly sank. He wanted to ridicule with a statement “he didn’t die yet” at first, but he couldn’t bear to say it. Even if that person was no longer worthy of being called a son to his grandma, he knew that there were few mothers who could really let go of their sons. He took a deep breath, calmed his own heartbeat, and spoke in a muffled voice, “He has been missing for several years.”
“Hmm, but I’ve always had a hunch in my heart that he’ll be back sooner or later.”
Shen Dai gritted his teeth and said, “What are you going to do when he comes back? You’re going to get along just fine with him? What else do we have in the family that he can sell?”
His grandma’s eyes were red: “He didn’t say where he was, or what he wanted to do. He just… he said he missed his mother.”
Shen Dai’s chest was suffocated as if it was blocked by something. But he knew that it was hatred that suffocated him.
Seven years ago, it was the time when he was preparing for his graduation thesis. He was also doing an internship at the research institute on the side, seeking a place in the talent plan. He was aiming to get a high-paying job opportunity that is to join the Xingzhou Group Rare Earth Research Institute. It is the dream of every person who studied rare earth to be in the research institute. At that time, he was only twenty years old, with excellent grades and a promising future. He had a grandmother and grandfather who loved him, a warm and beautiful home, and he was full of bright expectations for the future.
But all this was ruined by his biological Omega father.
That selfish beast sold off all the property in the family as a mortgage for his boyfriend. They lost everything overnight, and they also carried huge debts. His grandpa was very sad and fell ill. His grandma, who had lived a good life, was forced to move to a low-rent apartment, and all the expenses in the future were covered only by his salary. The rent, living expenses, and medical expenses were so overwhelming that he could hardly breathe. If he did not receive any help from his teacher at that time, he did not know how he would get through it all.
Shen Dai was reluctant to recall those most difficult years of his life. There are also other classmates and colleagues who came from very poor places around him, who are trying to live a good life. He does not feel sorry for himself. He is tired from work, stressed, and poor. He can bear all these, and accepts that he cannot be like a normal person. It is difficult for him to fall in love, get married, and start a family. His real and deep pain comes from the betrayal of his own close relatives. It was also painful to see the pain carried by the person he loves but unable to do anything about it.
Later, his salary increased and  he received some project bonuses. So, his life has improved. And then, Qu Moyu dropped from the sky in a dramatic way, completely dragging him out of the quagmire.
He thought everything would be fine now, but why did the old culprit appear again?!
His grandma took Shen Dai’s hands and spoke softly, “Ah Dai, don’t be angry. I know you don’t want to see him. I won’t let him come back. To me, he… he is already dead.”
Shen Dai held his grandmother’s hands instead, with thin bones and dry skin. These are a pair of old hands. These hands had comforted him to sleep, cooked hot meals for him, and gave him support without expecting anything in return. He could really feel that the wound in grandma’s heart that never healed was torn even more. His nose was sore, and his heart was aching. He put his arms around his grandma’s shoulders. He wanted to say something comforting, but he didn’t know what to say.
Shen Dai knew that his omega father would definitely come back. That person, who had been spoiled since childhood, was extremely selfish and willful. He also would do whatever he wanted to do, never caring about how it would impact others.
He made up his mind to move away as soon as possible and changed his grandma’s cell phone number. It would be best if that bastard would never find them in his life and that they never communicate with each other again. That is the best outcome for both father and son.
After a busy day in the hospital, he communicated with the new chief surgeon about the treatment plan, and the operation time is set to be done in the next month.
When they got home, the two of them were tired. Grandma went to bed early after eating. Shen Dai was lying in bed but couldn’t sleep. Everything that happened recently made him anxious and irritable, but he couldn’t see a solution to it. All these issues. Whether it is the issue of his grandmother’s health or of his own feelings, they are far beyond his control. So he can only passively deal with them one by one.
Shen Dai stared at his phone and couldn’t help but to click on Qu Moyu’s dialog box again. He stared at the tree’s grey-black bark avatar in a daze.
‘I miss him, what is he doing? If they were in Qu’s house now, would the two of them be having sex now’… He thought to himself.
Shen Dai suddenly wanted to get a reply from Qu Moyu, even if it was a single word. He does not want any cold verification information. He started to type, hesitated for a long time, deleted, deleted, modified, and bothered with it for a long time, not knowing what to send. He was thinking of what to say that will sound natural and will make the possibility of Qu Moyu replying higher.
When he thought about it, he should thank him and don’t talk nonsense. Sincere thanks will not be surprising at all and it is also something that he should do.
He sent a paragraph: All the procedures for my grandma have been completed, and the operation time is scheduled to be done in the middle of next month. Director Bai is very confident about it. Thank you.
After sending this sentence, Shen Dai started to wait with his mobile phone in his hands. No matter what he did, he would turn to look at the WeChat interface every other minutes. He was full of expectations but he was disappointed over and over.
It wasn’t until one hour and seventeen minutes later that Qu Moyu’s avatar had a red dot on the number for the first time. He replied with a simple: You’re welcome.
Shen Dai stared at their conversation for a long time, hesitated again and again, but finally said: good night.
This ‘good night’ wish was like a stone sinking into the sea. There was no reply all night.
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Next update: 2022.04.11
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*Translator’s Note: I like how this novel insinuate real life problems as well regarding gender discrimination at work and also in the family setting. Thank God I really am not living in ABO world. If not, I might get more headache. I love SQC so much that I’m even influenced by her schedule lol. So give me holidays on weekends. I will publish the next chapter on Monday onwards. -K