"Miss Yu, I presume? Please, this way."
When Yu Tianwu arrived at the hotel, someone was already waiting for her. She nodded and followed the server into a private VIP suite.
*Why did they call me here so suddenly? Does it have to do with the trending searches? I thought those were already suppressed,* she wondered, her mind racing.
"You're here. Sit down."
Yu Tianwu’s parents were seated formally at the table, dressed impeccably. Seeing her arrive, they gestured for her to sit across from them.
Sensing an ominous atmosphere, Yu Tianwu asked, "Why did you call me here? Is something wrong?"
"I told you to sit. Didn't you hear me?" her father said, his face grim.
Yu Tianwu had no choice but to follow their instructions. The moment she sat down, a large envelope was tossed in front of her.
"See for yourself. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
*What is this?*
Confused, she picked up the paper envelope and opened it. A dozen photographs and a stack of documents slid out. She pulled them out; the photos showed her on dates with Liu Yan, and there were even shots of them kissing inside the apartment. Seeing this, Yu Tianwu’s face turned deathly pale.
She then picked up the documents. Unsurprisingly, they contained a background check on Liu Yan’s life, his family situation, and even Li Zhenting’s information was included.
"What are you trying to do?" Yu Tianwu asked nervously.
By now, she realized how her parents had discovered her relationship with Liu Yan. It was that fan’s comment combined with her sudden decision to rent an apartment that had piqued their suspicion.
"What are *we* trying to do? What are *you* trying to do!" Her father slammed his glass onto the table. The empty room was instantly filled with the suffocating tension of a gathering storm.
"Haven't you learned your lesson from years ago? Do we need to tell you again how shameful this kind of relationship is?"
"Haven't you embarrassed us enough? Do you want to bring trouble to your mother's and my careers as well?"
"How is it shameful? What kind of era are we living in now? Why can't an Alpha and an Alpha be together?" Yu Tianwu gritted her teeth and retorted. "You've even acted in movies and shows with these themes yourselves. Why can't you accept it?"
"Is that the same thing? Television is television; reality is reality! Alphas and Omegas are a natural pair. What can two Alphas do together? Can you have children? Can you get through your ruts smoothly? If everyone were like you, society would stop developing and the race would die out!"
The middle-aged man had been a multi-award-winning Best Actor for decades. Tempered by years in the industry, his presence was incredibly domineering, and his word was law.
"Children can be adopted, and ruts can be managed with suppressants. Do people live in this world just to satisfy physiological desires and fulfill some reproductive mission? We love each other. Why can't we be together?" Yu Tianwu truly could not understand why her parents, who worked in the most progressive of circles, were so stubbornly conservative.
"How incredibly naive. I didn't expect that after several years, you haven't grown up at all. Yu Tianwu, you are twenty years old. You are no longer a teenager with nothing but romance in your head. Do we still need to teach you the meaning of ethics and morality?"
"If you still don't understand, then it's because you weren't confined long enough."
Her father’s final words made the hair on Yu Tianwu’s neck stand on end.
"I am an adult now. You have no right to restrict my personal freedom." She placed her hands on the table, ready to stand and flee at any moment.
"Who are you going to? That Liu Yan?" Her mother, who had been listening silently, finally spoke.
"Liu Yan. From a single-parent household. His mother died when he was young, and he was raised by his Omega father. He was a hoodlum during his school years and later worked in an auto repair shop."
"This is the person you like?" Her tone was profoundly contemptuous.
"What can he give you? Since you were a child, you've enjoyed material conditions that most children could never dream of. Everything you use is of the highest quality; your wardrobe is filled with nothing but designer brands and haute couture. The schools you attended were elite institutions sponsored by us as investors—that was the only reason they tolerated you growing up so 'freely.' Oh, and your painting. Do you think you could afford the expenses of that hobby or the materials you use on your own? Or could this Liu Yan afford them?"
A massive sense of shame enveloped her heart. Yu Tianwu could not refute her mother.
However, her mother did not stop. She continued, "And what do you think he likes about you? The beautiful looks you inherited from our genes? Your abundant material wealth? Your artistic aura? Your family background?"
At this, Yu Tianwu protested, "He isn't that shallow. Besides, he doesn't even know you're my parents."
"Then if you didn't have everything we provided, if you had no money, if you couldn't continue painting, and if you had no other skills to make a living—if you were left with nothing but a young, beautiful face and the spending habits of a pampered socialite—would he still love you? Would you be worth it?"
Every word her mother spoke was like a blade piercing Yu Tianwu’s heart. She desperately wanted to argue, to say that she and Liu Yan weren't those kinds of people, but she didn't know how to begin.
"By the way, we know the organizers of that competition you want to enter. If we don't allow your work to be submitted, do you have any other way?"
"Similarly, we are public figures in the entertainment industry. Our every move is watched. Are you sure your little lover and his family can withstand that much scrutiny and scandal?"
These two sentences completely shattered Yu Tianwu’s defenses. Her face turned ashen, and her hands slid off the table to her sides.
"Please don't make things difficult for him..." *Brother Yan has already had such a hard life,* she pleaded in a whisper.
Seeing that Yu Tianwu had lost her resolve, her mother’s aggressive tone shifted, and she began to play the emotional card.
"We don't mean anything by it. We just hope you can walk the right path. You must realize that only parents truly love you and want what's best for you. We aren't villains; we won't do anything to that boy."
"It's just that there is one thing. The photos of you and Director Wang’s son have been seen by the public. This isn't good for Jing'an’s reputation. Your father and I have discussed it, and our two families will have dinner tonight to discuss your engagement to that boy."
"Engagement?" Yu Tianwu couldn't understand how things had escalated to this point. She shook her head. "I don't want an engagement..."
"You have no say in this matter," her father said coldly. "How much effort do you think we spent appeasing Director Wang’s dissatisfaction?"
"Of course, this doesn't mean you have to honestly live as a married couple with Director Wang’s son in the future. As long as the relationship is formalized, we won't say much if you play around in private, provided you don't go too far."
Every person in this suite possessed an exceptionally superior appearance, the kind that countless unsuspecting fans and viewers flocked to. They lived such glamorous lives, yet the words coming out of their mouths were as foul as the dark underbelly of their industry.
"As long as you're willing to settle down, you can find another Liu Yan or Li Yan later. Just don't bring it into the light, and no one will care."
"Why are you two so disgusting?"
Hearing this, Yu Tianwu suddenly looked up, staring directly at her two closest relatives. Her eyes were filled with loathing.
*Slap!*
In the next second, her father struck her hard across the face.
"Who gave you the right to speak to your elders like that?"
"Am I wrong? Do you think everyone is like you two—having your own family while keeping legions of lovers on the side? Would you dare let your fans know? Oh, right, I almost forgot. You two have maintained a 'loving couple' persona for years!"
"Shut your mouth!" The man slammed the table and stood up, about to discipline her further, but his wife held him back.
"Enough. Calm down. We have to see Director Wang in a bit. Don't make things look too ugly."
At the mention of that name, the man barely suppressed his rage and sat back down. However, his aggressive pheromones swirled around his daughter, causing her to shrink back warily.
"We've said all there is to say. Tell that Liu Yan clearly right now that it's over. Don't let him linger. Otherwise, we'll do it for you."
***
Liu Yan was currently doing a deep clean of the house. As he wiped down the TV stand, he was in a wonderful mood. He thought: *Tianwu hasn't been as busy lately. Maybe we can make a big feast? Or just have hotpot at home? Tianwu is obsessed with hotpot; if she goes a few days without it, she starts complaining about cravings.*
He smiled, sketching out a vision of their life together.
Suddenly, his phone rang. He put down the rag and picked it up. It was Yu Tianwu.
Liu Yan’s eyes crinkled with a smile as he answered. "Hey, Tianwu. Are you done at the studio? Tonight, let's have hot—"
"Liu Yan, let's break up."
On the other end of the line, the voice that was usually lazy and fond of acting spoiled was exceptionally cold.
"Huh? Are you joking? Tianwu, that's not funny at all."
"I'm not joking. I said, let's break up. I'll come by in a couple of days to pick up my things. Don't make a scene."
"No, what's going on? Tianwu, are you in some kind of trouble? Can you come back and talk to me? Whatever the difficulty is, we can solve it together."
It was all too sudden. Liu Yan could only think of that one possibility. He couldn't understand why someone who was so clingy and sweet before leaving the house was now calling to say they were breaking up.
"That's all. I have nothing else to say. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Brother Yan."
Yu Tianwu seemed to be running away from something, hurrying to end the call. Liu Yan couldn't accept it. He tried to call back, but he was hung up on again and again. Finally, he was blocked.
He stood in the living room, holding his phone blankly, not knowing what his next move should be.
