Wen Xiusen's words really caught Bo Xiyun off guard.
Alpha?
Before Bo Xiyun could react, the long fingers gripping his jaw had already applied force.
Unexpectedly, Bo Xiyun was suddenly pressed down.
"Ugh...?"
The pressure on his jawbone fixed Bo Xiyun's entire face between the man's shoulders. The delicate side of his cheek was even rubbing against the firm skin of the man's neck.
This position felt unexpectedly intimate, and Bo Xiyun instinctively tried to struggle.
Although in the memories from his previous world, someone resembling Wen Xiusen, who looked like a carbon copy of him, had interactions with him, for the awakened Bo Xiyun, this man was still essentially a stranger in this world.
Facing such a blatant invasion of personal space, Bo Xiyun couldn't help but feel a strong aversion.
However, before he could put much effort into his struggle, he suddenly smelled a faint, cool scent of snow.
The purest scent of cold snow made him feel like he was in a vast, open snowfield, where snowflakes were gently falling like soft hail, and everything was pure white.
Even the faint nausea and weakness that Bo Xiyun had been suppressing seemed to dissipate considerably.
The young man couldn't help but relax completely.
Just then, the man, who was so close, spoke.
"Can you smell it?"
With their proximity, when Wen Xiusen spoke, the vibrations of his vocal cords seemed to brush against Bo Xiyun's cheek, reddening the already delicate and fragile skin.
Still soaked in the scent of cold snow, Bo Xiyun hadn't fully processed it yet.
"What... do you mean?"
The pressure of the long finger on his jaw finally eased. Bo Xiyun took a step back, just in time to see the man looking down at him.
His voice was as cold as his breath.
"My pheromones."
It was only then that Bo Xiyun realized that the cold snow scent he had smelled was actually Wen Xiusen's pheromones.
While betas could partially sense pheromones, they couldn't produce pheromones themselves.
So, Wen Xiusen's statement was indeed accurate - he was an alpha.
Bo Xiyun couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He realized he had misunderstood the man's intentions earlier. However, he hadn't expected that the man would use this method to confirm his gender.
Bo Xiyun recalled his experiences in his previous world. At that time, he had thought that he could soothe Yi Zhongshen, promote hormone compatibility, but he had guessed wrong.
As a result, in this world, Bo Xiyun had indeed arrived in a place where external hormones could take effect.
External hormones, also known as pheromones.
So, was Wen Xiusen supposed to match with him because of their A/O compatibility?
Bo Xiyun finally understood why the man had wanted him to sign that kind of contract.
"Sorry—"
Bo Xiyun was about to say something when he was interrupted by a voice not far away.
"Mr. Wen."
The black-suited men who had been guarding the entrance to the corridor were now approaching from the other end. They seemed to be closely monitoring Bo Xiyun's movements.
The leader of the group gave Wen Xiusen a slight nod.
"Mr. Wen, Fourth Young Master has been out for quite a while today."
Wen Xiusen didn't look up, he kept his gaze fixed on Bo Xiyun and asked, "Is it done?"
Bo Xiyun asked, "What do you mean?"
Wen Xiusen brought up the contract again, "The contract."
"It's done."
Bo Xiyun gave the same answer as before.
"I won't sign it."
Wen Xiusen's reaction remained calm and his voice was cold.
"Let's go."
Bo Xiyun looked up at the black-suited men not far away. Every time he had to ride in a car with this group, his weak body instinctively felt nauseous.
The journey wasn't the issue. What concerned Bo Xiyun the most was that if the black-suited men thought he had been "out long enough," he might be taken back to the room where he had woken up.
When he had come out of that room earlier, Bo Xiyun had noticed that it was a standalone apartment. In the highly coveted real estate of Hong Kong, such a place would undoubtedly be considered luxurious.
However, the absence of neighbors meant that he couldn't make noise to attract the attention of people nearby.
Bo Xiyun didn't want to sit idly by, but before he could react, he found himself being led back to the office by Wen Xiusen, who had grabbed his wrist.
Wen Xiusen didn't let him go straight back.
Bo Xiyun finally confirmed that, unlike others who made him feel nauseous just by getting close, he didn't have an aversion to Wen Xiusen's touch.
What was going on?
Bo Xiyun wondered if this had something to do with their A/O compatibility or the control of pheromones.
The black-suited men who stayed behind exchanged glances, and one of them immediately took out a phone to report. They had been prepared to leave, but Wen Xiusen had taken Bo Xiyun back to the room instead.
The remaining few people followed them into the room.
Back in the room, Wen Xiusen's team was still there. The assistant had prepared paper and a pen and immediately handed over the contract when they entered.
Bo Xiyun finally understood the purpose of being brought back by Wen Xiusen.
"Which part don't you accept?" Wen Xiusen's voice remained as cold as ice.
"We can discuss it," Bo Xiyun sighed inwardly. He wasn't willing to be locked back up, but he also wouldn't agree to any sponsorship contract.
With the ongoing inheritance dispute and the obvious invisible surveillance, Bo Xiyun realized that Wen Xiusen might be his only way out at the moment.
However, he couldn't agree to being sponsored like that. How could an independent person be raised like a cherished pet?
"I don't accept the content of the contract related to guardianship," Bo Xiyun said. He recalled the previous confrontations and discussions they had before. It was clear that Bo Xiyun couldn't accept the sudden transformation into an omega. This time, Bo Xiyun was prepared to have a proper conversation with Wen Xiusen.
From their brief interactions today, he had noticed that Mr. Wen seemed like a reasonable person.
"Your reputation is so widespread, you have leisure and wealth, and you're a rare alpha," Bo Xiyun said in a calm tone. "You should have many choices, right?"
Wen Xiusen lifted an eyebrow, glanced at him, and admitted indifferently, "Yes."
Then he continued in an even colder voice, "I chose you."
Bo Xiyun was left speechless. The man didn't pay any attention to his objections and continued to examine the contract in his hand. The assistant standing by explained respectfully, "Young Master Bo, after signing the contract, your daily expenses will be calculated based on the average spending level of the past three years. Your various companies under your name will not be affected and will continue to be independently held by you. As for the three companies that have already filed for bankruptcy, if you wish, you can immediately halt the bankruptcy proceedings and proceed with asset restructuring..."
The assistant explained the contract's contents thoroughly, and the conditions offered in the contract were quite generous. However, the more favorable the conditions, the clearer it became that they had no intention of ending the discussion without an agreement.
Bo Xiyun felt somewhat helpless. He didn't want to argue with the person in front of him. Still, he couldn't accept this contract either. While the two of them were in conversation at the table, the black-suited individuals standing guard outside the room kept glancing inside.
Inside the room, Bo Xiyun continued to speak with the man. "As an alpha, you should understand my feelings. People shouldn't be controlled by pheromones. Being an... I'm even more like this. I can't accept such a distorted relationship."
Wen Xiusen's gaze lifted from the contract, and he looked at Bo Xiyun with an expression that was difficult to interpret. He repeated in a low, slow tone, "Distorted?"
At the door, one of the black-suited individuals's phones vibrated. He glanced at the screen and didn't hesitate to pick up the call. After a brief conversation, he hung up and walked into the room, still holding his phone, as if he were looking for someone to answer the call.
With his back turned to the door, Bo Xiyun didn't notice the approaching individual and continued his conversation with Wen Xiusen. "Yes," he nodded, "Money, physical needs, pheromones—this distorted exchange. I only accept genuine emotions."
Bo Xiyun knew that Wen Xiusen likely wouldn't agree. He pointed out a specific clause in the contract he had only glanced at, which stated: "Satisfaction of needs: This requirement does not involve emotional or psychological aspects."
However, just as Bo Xiyun finished speaking, he sensed a sudden change in Wen Xiusen's demeanor. Across the ineffective low table, Wen Xiusen leaned forward, his handsome features cold and intimidating. His much taller frame exuded a palpable aura of dominance.
"What?" It was a seemingly simple question, but Wen Xiusen's cold and intense expression sent shivers down Bo Xiyun's spine.
"You once financially supported me for three years, and the first clause of our agreement explicitly forbids discussing emotions or becoming entangled," Wen Xiusen said.
Bo Xiyun's heart sank. He had a terrible feeling that his worst fears were coming true.
When Bo Xiyun initially considered his connection to Wen Xiusen, he speculated several times about the reasons behind it. Perhaps it was because he, as the young master, had some assets, or maybe one of his companies had caught Wen Xiusen's eye. Another possibility was that, as a rare omega, he had been sold off by his older brothers.
However, Bo Xiyun had never dared to consider the one possibility that turned out to be the reality: in the midst of the bustling entertainment industry, he had somehow attracted the attention of Wen Xiusen, a person he had never thought to provoke. Instead of fragile blossoms, he had found himself ensnared in a frozen, wintry forest.
Wen Xiusen's emotions seemed to leak out for just a moment before he swiftly returned to his cold composure.
"Now that Mr. Bo has changed his mind," Wen Xiusen said, lifting his hand to erase the marked item on the contract without hesitation, "Can we proceed with signing the contract?"
A heavy silence filled the room, and even the black-suited individuals holding phones hesitated to intervene. Each sentence exchanged between the two at the table emphasized the growing determination of the one controlling the situation.
It seemed that even though agreeing to the nearly impossible emotional exchange for Wen Xiusen, he was determined to make Bo Xiyun sign the contract.
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Tn: I smell drama, a bad one at that...