The night was quiet. On this joyous holiday, whether it was friends and lovers sharing the excitement outside or families gathered in the warmth of their homes, everyone was immersed in the beauty of the season.
Having finished their day-long date, it was only natural for the two of them to share some tender intimacy once they returned to their room.
They had just collapsed into each other's arms on the bed, the atmosphere growing heavy with heat, when Li Zi’s phone began to ring.
She withdrew her hand from the man’s chest, reaching for the device, but Li Zhenting pinned her down, refusing to let her move. His face was flushed with arousal, and he glared at the phone with displeasure, clearly unwilling to acknowledge the intruder.
"Let me check. It’s so late; it might be something important," Li Zi said.
She managed to pull herself out of the moment surprisingly quickly. Despite the man’s silent protest, she reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the phone.
"It’s Xiao Liu."
She glanced at the caller ID and handed the phone to Li Zhenting.
"Liu Yan? Why is he calling you in the middle of the night?" Li Zhenting frowned as he took the call. "Hello?"
"Brother Li!!! I finally got through to you!" The voice on the other end was frantic. "The guys at the shop said they couldn't reach you all day, so they found me. A group of people stormed the shop this afternoon and trashed the damn place!"
"What?!"
Li Zi watched as the man’s lazy, impatient expression instantly turned grim. He sat bolt upright, pressing the phone to his ear, his voice dropping to a low growl. "What happened?"
Sensing that something was seriously wrong, Li Zi gestured for him to stay calm and signaled for him to turn on the speakerphone so she could listen.
His heart simmering with rage, Li Zhenting glanced at her and forced down his rising panic, setting the phone down and tapping the speaker icon.
"I don't know! Xiao Zhang and Xiao Tang said they were finishing up the last car this afternoon when a pack of Alphas suddenly burst through the door. Without a word, they started smashing everything. Those two are just Betas; they couldn't fight them off and got hurt. Before they could even react, those bastards took off."
"Brother Li, where were you this afternoon? None of us could get a hold of you." Liu Yan explained everything he knew as quickly as possible, his voice thick with anxiety. "Should we head back now? I need to get my dad settled first..."
It sounded like someone was speaking to him on the other end of his line as well.
"Xiao Liu, it’s me. Don't panic yet." Seeing the veins bulging on the hand Li Zhenting used to grip the phone, his eyes flashing with a fierce, dark aura, Li Zi reached out and covered his hand with hers, her voice steady and soothing. "Take care of your father first."
The Alpha’s skin was cool beneath her touch, but the contact helped suppress his impulsive urge to explode. Li Zhenting took a deep breath and said, "Right. Stay with your dad while he sees the doctor. I’m heading back right now."
After hanging up, he gave Li Zi a complicated look. Though his heart was filled with a thousand regrets for the interrupted night and the end of their perfect day, he stepped into his role as the leader. "I’m going to find out exactly who is behind this."
He checked his own phone, which had been on silent, and saw the long string of ignored messages and missed calls spanning from the afternoon until now.
He had wanted nothing more than to spend their first real date perfectly with Li Zi, never imagining that some vermin would take advantage of his absence to cause trouble at his home base.
Today had been so beautiful. Li Zi had been so good to him. He knew she disliked his violent side, but...
Especially today, he didn't want to leave her side for even a single step.
Li Zhenting gritted his teeth. The struggle and negative emotions overflowing within him manifested as a muffled punch thrown into the duvet, making almost no sound.
Watching the man revert to his rougher self, Li Zi sighed inwardly. No matter how much she wanted Li Zhenting to stay away from that path, circumstances always seemed to drag him back into an environment of violence and danger.
However, she no longer expressed her disapproval through sharp words. Instead, she took the initiative to help him pack his bags. Li Zhenting watched her silently. Though he was incredibly agitated, the fact that he was facing her—and knowing she didn't approve of his violent world—made his eyelashes tremble, betraying a flicker of fear and insecurity.
Li Zi handed him the duffel bag and said helplessly, "Go on. Don't fight... or at least, try not to get hurt."
"Mm."
Li Zhenting bit his lower lip as he took the bag. He truly did not want to leave her. The silver bracelet, now warmed by his body heat, hung around his powerful wrist; he reached out and quietly curled his fingers around the chain.
"I..." His throat felt as though it were stuffed with a sponge, absorbing all the words he wanted to say, leaving him feeling dry and swollen.
"It’s okay. I’ll be done with my exams and heading home in a little over a week. I’ll come find you then, alright?"
Seeing him look so torn between his duty and his desire to stay, Li Zi’s heart softened. She stepped forward to pull him into a hug, whispering comfortingly, "There should still be high-speed rail tickets available. How about I see you off at the station?"
The man’s rigid muscles slowly relaxed in her embrace. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, taking a long, deep breath as if drawing strength from her.
His nose was filled with the familiar scent of the hotel’s shampoo.
In that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: *What would Li Zi’s pheromones smell like?*
He had heard that Alphas and Omegas who formed a bond could use their pheromones to soothe one another.
He wanted to smell hers so badly.
***
Meanwhile, having hung up the phone, Liu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to the person behind him and said gratefully, "Thank you so much for today."
"Yu Tianwu."
Yu Tianwu, who had been leaning against a lamppost quietly watching him make the call, folded her arms and smiled. Under the dim streetlights, her usually vibrant face held a rare touch of stillness.
"Why are you thanking me? It was nothing."
Liu Yan had been searching for Li Zhenting ever since he got the news from the shop, but the calls wouldn't go through and he couldn't find him at the hotel. Just as he was at his wit's end, he had passed a bar and was spotted by Yu Tianwu, who had stepped out for some air.
Upon learning that Liu Yan couldn't reach Li Zhenting, Yu Tianwu had told him not to worry and asked, "Why don't you just call Li Zi?"
Only then did Liu Yan calm down, realizing he had been so panicked he’d turned stupid, forgetting that Li Zi would certainly know where Li Zhenting was.
"It is Christmas, after all. Couples usually go out on dates," Yu Tianwu had said at the time. "You seem to be very close with Li Zi’s boyfriend?"
"Yeah, Brother Li and I have known each other since we were kids. He helped me out, and he’s a loyal guy, so I look up to him as my big brother."
With the weight off his shoulders, Liu Yan finally had the presence of mind to chat. It was only after he relaxed that he noticed the state of the person in front of him.
He realized that Yu Tianwu had been standing outside with him for so long wearing nothing but a dress.
Instinctively, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Why did you come out wearing so little? It’s freezing. Put my coat on, quick."
Yu Tianwu blinked, startled by the sudden warmth enveloping her shoulders. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment before reaching up to grip the collar of the coat.
"My jacket is inside the bar."
"The bar?" Liu Yan looked around blankly, noticing the lively bar Yu Tianwu had just exited. He felt even more guilty. "Ah, I didn't interrupt a party with you and your boyfriend, did I? You should get back inside. Thanks again for today; I’ll definitely treat you to a meal next time."
As he spoke, he moved to escort her back toward the brightly lit entrance.
Looking at Liu Yan’s clean features and the pure concern in his eyes, Yu Tianwu suddenly felt a flicker of boredom toward the social games inside the bar. She pulled the coat tighter around herself and made a decision.
"No, I’m single. How about you treat me right now? I haven't had dinner yet anyway."
