04

 Song Yu wrapped the blanket tighter.

Perhaps because the air conditioner was set too low, a chill ran down his back.

The task was completed, and he pulled his leg back, saying to Si Ling, "Alright, I don't need you to massage me anymore. Turn off the air conditioner and go out."

With his hand empty, Si Ling felt a sense of loss. The delicate and soft touch still lingered on his fingertips. He curled his fingers and replied, "Okay."

After everyone left, 009 issued the task for the next month.

-- Go to the bar almost every two or three days.

Song Yu looked down, clearly unhappy. First, he felt bored, and second, he felt that his wallet was going to be emptied by the expensive bar fees.

009: [You are now a son-in-law, and you can spend Chu Zeyan's money.]

The system's judgment on whose money to spend when indulging in pleasure is rather vague. So Song Yu has not spent Chu Zeyan's money yet.

Chu Zeyan did give him a salary card before the marriage.

This genius mecha pilot had already suffered enough in the early stages; it was one thing for Song Yu to freeload, but to squander money like this was going too far.

After turning off the air conditioner, the room wasn't so cold anymore.

Song Yu lay on the bed playing on his phone for a long time, then, realizing it was getting late, grabbed his change of clothes and went out to take a shower.

However, the light was on in the large bathroom outside, and he could hear running water.

It must be Chu Zhouyan.

His room was right next to the bathroom.

Song Yu had no choice but to use the one that came with his bedroom.

He turned on the heater and waited a few minutes before going in with his clothes. This time he didn't feel cold, but while getting dressed, he felt a force pressing down on his waist—

even if he was slow to react, Song Yu knew it wasn't anything serious.

Was there a ghost… or something?

Song Yu shivered, quickly putting on his bathrobe and rushing out of the room without even putting on his shoes.

After calling 009 a few times without response, he became even more frightened.

Chu Zhouyan came out of the bathroom and saw Song Yu pressed against the wall, biting his lip, looking like he was about to cry.

The young man wore a bathrobe, his hair damp, light-colored strands clinging to his fair cheeks, giving him a delicate, almost fragile beauty.

Chu Zhouyan was momentarily stunned.

He shouldn't have struck up a conversation with his brother-in-law, whom he'd only met a day ago, but seeing the young man's pitiful expression, he found himself unable to resist asking, "What's wrong?"

He had even already anticipated the young man's response—either ignoring him or giving him a disapproving look.

However, neither of these was the case.

Chu Zhouyan never expected that as he leaned forward slightly, just in time to see the young man raise his slender neck, the young man would say in a muffled, almost tearful voice, "Something unclean touched me..."

*

"Here? In front of the sink?"

"Hmm..."

Chu Zhouyan didn't ask further, standing in front of the mirror to observe carefully.

He didn't sense anything unclean, but as he looked, his attention was drawn to Song Yu standing behind him in the mirror.

The young man sniffed his reddened nose, his eyes still misty, his small face looking shaken. He pulled his bathrobe tighter, especially around the waist.

He looked genuinely terrified.

In this age of rapid technological advancement, with the existence of aliens and the rise of other races, most people, except for a few enthusiasts of feng shui and acupoints, don't believe in ghosts or spirits.

Chu Zhouyan didn't sense any of the eerie wind Song Yu had described, but he still carefully inquired about every detail.

"Um... right after the shower, while getting dressed." Song Yu was probably genuinely frightened; his eyes were red, and he looked like a frightened animal, too afraid to stand alone, even casually leaning towards him.

Chu Zhouyan then realized where he was

—in the bathroom where his brother's husband had just finished showering.

Steam filled the air, the floor was damp, and the air was thick with heat; the small room carried a faint scent of shower gel.

The bathroom was a place where ambiguity could easily arise.

Chu Zhouyan subtly suppressed his Adam's apple, as if deliberately trying to distract himself: "I just finished showering, why isn't this mirror fogged up?"

"The mirror is heated."

"Then you were..." Chu Zhouyan paused, "Did you see anything in the mirror?"

Song Yu blushed slightly at the question: "No... I was getting dressed with my head down."

Chu Zhouyan nodded. He told Song Yu to stand still and walk towards the showerhead. The steam was stronger inside, and the scent was more intense.

Song Yu's clothes, which she had changed out of, were still hanging on the metal rack.

Including that very thin undergarment.

A simple white one.

Chu Zhouyan looked away and held his hand up in the air for a moment.

The windows were tightly closed, without any gaps to let in the cold air.

Besides, the summer night air was also slightly warm.

"What do your pheromones smell like?" he suddenly asked.

Song Yu was taken aback: "What?"

"The scent of pheromones." Chu Zhouyan pointed to the toiletries on the shelf by the wall. "These all smell like oranges, but there are more than just these scents in the bathroom."

Chu Zhouyan's nose was very sensitive, and he easily detected that the bathroom smelled mixed, but since he hadn't differentiated, he couldn't smell any pheromones.

"There shouldn't be any scent..." Song Yu lowered his head and sniffed at his wrist. "My pheromones are very weak."

Chu Zhouyan was stunned.

Could such a weak Alpha possibly mark Chu Zeyan?

Looking at him, he wasn't even as tall as his brother, and his arms and legs were all thin and long, making him seem weak.

Unable to find anything for the time being, Chu Zhouyan had no choice but to tell the truth.

With someone else around, Song Yu wasn't so scared.

He glanced at the other person; the boy had just finished showering, his hair still wet, and water droplets were already dripping down his neck and soaking his collar.

"Your clothes are wet," Song Yu reminded him, and was about to reach out to hand him the unused towel when he heard an OOC warning in his head.

He paused, then immediately adopted a fierce expression, waving the towel at the other man's chest: "Don't drip water from your hair onto the bathroom floor, it's filthy."

Actually, the floor was quite wet; a few drops wouldn't have mattered. But Chu Zhouyan subconsciously felt—everything here was so clean and fragrant, he couldn't let it get dirty.

He took the towel from the young man, his fingertips applying slight pressure.

It had a very faint, pleasant scent.

"I've used everything in the house; if you don't like it, you can't stay here," the young man said menacingly, "And why didn't you call me yet?"

Chu Zhouyan lowered his eyes and obediently called out, "Brother."

Song Yu, pleased by the address, didn't cause any more trouble.

Perhaps the two were talking too loudly, attracting Si Ling's attention.

Seeing the tall young man still lingering in the young man's bedroom so late, the man's expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered: "What's wrong?"

The man's composed aura made Song Yu feel safe, and he immediately frowned: "I told you a long time ago there was something wrong with this bathroom, and now look what happened, something dirty really touched me!"

Hearing Song Yu say the same words to someone else, Chu Zhouyan felt a strange irritation.

He turned his face away, silently comparing the two tones in his mind.

Clearly, when Song Yu approached him, his voice was trembling with fear; but now, speaking to Si Ling, it wasn't so much a complaint as…

The word "coquettish" surfaced, and Chu Zhouyan's irritation intensified.

He was only 18, and unlike the equally distracted Si Ling, he couldn't enter the bathroom with a calm expression.

After checking for a while, Si Ling didn't find the dirty thing Song Yu had mentioned.

"You think I'm lying to you?" Song Yu looked sullen. "That thing was really strong just now, it'll easily leave marks on my waist, I'll show you if you don't believe me—"

He started to unbutton his bathrobe.

Chu Zhouyan raised an eyebrow, glanced at Si Ling, and immediately stopped the young man: "We don't disbelieve you, how about this, let's install a camera, if you're scared."

Song Yu hesitated for a moment, then stopped: "Install a camera in the bathroom?"

How strange.

"Yes." Si Ling replied, "Of course, only on the sink side."

The bathroom was large, and the shower area was separated by an opaque sliding door, so even with a camera, nothing could be seen.

Si Ling continued: "Only you have permission to view the recording."

Song Yu finally agreed.

Si Ling was very efficient; the next day, she had someone install the camera and gave Song Yu the access code. Although he was very careful, Song Yu still didn't dare to shower alone in the bathroom.

Compared to the mission, this was just a minor incident. For the next month, Song Yu spent his evenings going to bars for drinks and his days idly at home.

Perhaps out of sheer boredom, Song Yu secretly began implementing his "raising a younger brother plan."

For example, if he wanted to buy clothes for Chu Zhouyan, he would use the excuse that he was too tired from carrying things while shopping to call Chu Zhouyan along, and then try them on himself while buying a set in Chu Zhouyan's size; he would also have the kitchen prepare a lot of dishes so that he could eat more while avoiding food waste, leaving the rest for the growing Chu Zhouyan.

However, Song Yu was afraid of being out of character, so he only did this to Chu Zhouyan every few days, ignoring

him the rest of the time. He didn't know that this "abandoned cat effect" would actually make Chu Zhouyan addicted.

Finally, one night, Song Yu didn't have to go to the bar. He excitedly rushed to the bookshelf, took out a comic book, ran downstairs to the living room in his soft slippers, and turned on the TV.

009 Reminder: [Host, you won't be able to concentrate on anything if you try to multitask like this.]

Song Yu covered his ears: "I can do it, I'm not stupid." 009

chimed in: "You're the smartest."

Song Yu sprawled comfortably on the sofa. After a while, Chu Zhouyan came down with his tablet.

009: "Chu Zhouyan is reading academic papers."

Song Yu: "..."

To some extent, the Chu family had raised their child very well. Even in such a harsh environment, Chu Zhouyan didn't neglect his studies and successfully entered a prestigious university. He even studied diligently during the time he was waiting for the start of the semester.

Everyone admires the strong, and Song Yu was no exception.

He silently closed his comic book and glanced at Chu Zhouyan.

The boy was wearing the new clothes that Song Yu had "accidentally" bought a few days ago while they were shopping. His overall demeanor seemed much more cheerful than usual.

It's just that his hair was too long.

He needed to take better care of it.

Chu Zhouyan had spent six very important years of his life amidst the arguments and insults of his biological parents. He had never given up on his studies and had long since become accustomed to finding peace and quiet amidst the chaos.

However, Chu Zeyan's villa was too deserted, especially the bedroom. The soundproofing was excellent; with the windows closed, the entire room was eerily quiet.

He couldn't concentrate.

So, lately, he had been studying in the living room, where at least the cleaning lady would make noise.

But he hadn't expected Song Yu to be here tonight.

During Chu Zhouyan's stay, he had personally confirmed the rumors—

they were true.

Song Yu always dressed beautifully before going out, wearing a silk blouse that accentuated her waist, making her already slender waist appear even more graceful.

The boy's thoughts had already drifted away, so he didn't notice the person behind him.

"What's this?" Warm breath brushed against his ear, and Chu Zhouyan's shoulders stiffened. He turned to look, and the young man was behind him.

Song Yu was very close; a slight turn of his head and his lips could brush against his cheek.

The young man's face was very white, with a small chin, but his cheeks looked very soft.

Did he usually get this close to strangers at bars?

Chu Zhouyan held his breath, averting his gaze, and said awkwardly, "I've contacted my advisor about the research materials. I'll be helping out in his lab when the semester starts, so I need

to get a feel for it first." So even smart people work hard!

Song Yu's gaze towards Chu Zhouyan held a hint of admiration.

The young man's gaze was undisguised, fixed directly on him. Chu Zhouyan's body stiffened and went numb, filled with an indescribable emotion.

"Your hair's grown long," Song Yu said again.

Chu Zhouyan gave a stiff "Mmm."

"It's bad for your eyes like this," Song Yu said, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him up. However, although Chu Zhouyan looked thin, his arm muscles were taut and hard, and Song Yu couldn't move him. Feeling like a parent failing him, Song Yu immediately said, "Come here, let me cut your hair!"

"With hair this long, how can I study? How can I get good grades?"

Song Yu felt guilty.

Fortunately, Chu Zhouyan was obedient, immediately turning off the tablet, sitting up straight, looking like he was ready to let Song Yu do as he pleased.

Having never cut hair before, Song Yu immediately became excited, grabbing a pair of scissors from the TV cabinet. Seeing this, the aunt didn't dare object and could only obediently bring over a trash can.

Song Yu leaned close to Chu Zhouyan, assuring him, "Don't worry, leave it to me!"

Chu Zhouyan obediently hummed in agreement.

He first lowered his eyes, then after a while, his gaze slowly moved upwards, from the young man's waist, collarbone… finally settling on his face.

Song Yu didn't fit the stereotype of an Alpha; he wasn't strong, and his skin was excessively pale. In every way, he resembled a top-tier-looking Omega.

Did his brother like this type?

Could an Alpha like this conquer a powerful Omega?

Or is it a marriage of convenience, each getting what they need?

But what does Song Yu possess that Chu Zeyan needs?

The answer is obvious.

Song Yu's fragile appearance, easily arousing a desire to conquer, is exactly what many strong individuals seek—their pheromone compatibility is 100%. Even though Chu Zeyan is an Omega, it doesn't mean he can't possess an Alpha.

If it were Song Yu, he definitely wouldn't have the strength to resist.

Chu Zhouyan's nostrils were filled with a sweet fragrance.

It was a very light yet alluring scent.

He didn't know much about perfume, but he guessed that Song Yu wore this every night before going out.

He suddenly remembered the trash talk his roommates used to say when they watched porn together in high school.

"The color will darken if you do it many times."

"Of course."

"You get used to it."

Probably because he hadn't differentiated yet, the young man was usually carefree at home, wearing loose clothes, and sometimes he would see things he shouldn't have.

The color was very light.

Judging by this standard, probably nothing had happened.

But Song Yu is already married to his brother, how could he not have done it? And the young man always comes home late at night, could he not have been fooling around with those people?

Maybe he really hasn't.

Maybe he just suddenly lost his partner and wants to drown his sorrows in alcohol to forget the pain.

But that's dangerous.

Song Yu going to a bar alone is like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

Those people will probably all swarm around him when they see such a handsome guy.

Chu Zhouyan clenched his fists, the veins on his arms bulging.

Song Yu was completely unaware of the thoughts of the prospective male college student opposite him. His attention was focused on Chu Zhouyan's bangs, his whole body slightly hunched, so nervous that he bit his lower lip hard.

Finally, it was done, and Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

009: [Congratulations to the host for completing the side quest, humiliating Chu Zhouyan, reward 1500 points.]

Song Yu: "?"

009 explained: [You deliberately ruined Chu Zhouyan's hair.]

Song Yu: "..."

He didn't do it on purpose.

But it does seem like... there's a gap.

But it doesn't matter.

Song Yu told Chu Zhouyan not to look in the mirror while showering tonight, and Chu Zhouyan agreed and conscientiously cleaned up the trash on the floor.

Song Yu felt embarrassed and immediately messaged Si Ling, asking him to arrange for a stylist to come the next day.

After showering that evening, Chu Zhouyan stared at his hair in the mirror.

It was uneven and looked somewhat comical.

Chu Zhouyan's usually gloomy expression softened.

After a moment, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.

*

After spending half a month in bars, the progress bar reached 50%.

With fewer tasks related to that, Song Yu's main task now was to provoke the main character.

Thinking of the other's imposing aura, Song Yu chickened out and returned to the villa with a dejected expression. Si Ling was waiting in the living room as usual, thoughtfully preparing tea and desserts.

Song Yu felt he seemed to have gained a little weight recently.

But he couldn't resist the temptation of food.

After eating the cake in small bites, he licked the crumbs from the corner of his mouth. After finishing his meal, he threw a tantrum at Si Ling, saying, "I'm definitely going to get fat like this! Aren't you happy to see me fat?"

The young man had been pampered and looked radiant, showing no signs of coming from the slums.

He looked more like a spoiled young master.

Si Ling said gently, "How about I reduce your portion by half tomorrow?"

Song Yu thought it was a good suggestion and nodded.

Tonight, an Alpha kept pestering him for his contact information. Song Yu refused by saying he wasn't an Alpha, but to no avail. In the midst of the entanglement, he accidentally bumped into a waiter, spilling the entire glass of wine on his clothes.

It was dry now, but still sticky.

Song Yu didn't stay in the living room; he wanted to take a shower quickly. But as he stepped onto the last step, a shadow fell in front of him.

Chu Zhouyan was blocking his way.

The boy was already tall, and Song Yu, on the steps, was almost craning his neck. He said impatiently, "What are you doing?"

Chu Zhouyan moved his lips, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally spoke, "Are you lonely?"

W-what?

Before he could react, the person on the other end continued,

"Don't go to a bar, find something clean." Chu Zhouyan stared intently at the dry, wrinkled, and slightly see-through parts of Song Yu's shirt.

He slightly swallowed hard: "The inexperienced kind." (

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