Apex Predator - Chap 10

You Baiyue’s tone of voice turned cold, “What are you talking about?”

“If he already gave you a permanent mark, you would have posted more than a photo, after all, a mark symbolises a vow of ownership.”

From what Shen Dai had observed, You Baiyue wasn’t shy about flaunting his exclusive lifestyle. It was both his character and his way of crafting his image. Since there was nothing more envy-inducing than obtaining the mark of a top-tier Alpha, how could he have stayed quiet about it?

“We’re still young and still uncertain about our plans for the future, of course we have to be a little careful.”

“But that’s why you aren’t already expecting, and why there wasn’t any news about a marriage or engagement, either.”

Shen Dai laughed and shook his head, “So that means that apart from a mark, you don’t have anything at all. Who wouldn’t suspect its authenticity? And if I could think of this, President Qu would have thought of it as well.”

You Baiyue gave a humph, “So what if they suspect it, this is just a matter between us both.”

“A lot of people don’t see it as just a matter between you both. But at the very least, it has nothing to do with me.”

Seeing a scowl appear on You Baiyue’s stunning face, he knew for sure that You Baiyue would report what he said back to Qu Chengchen: A good way to get back at Qu Chengchen for offending him the other day.

He could understand why You Baiyue was so determined to obtain a permanent mark. As You Baiyue had alluded to before, it represented being able to eventually hold great wealth and social status in the palm of one’s hand. To be able to monopolise the reproductive resources of a top-tier Alpha would ensure optimal survival conditions for one’s future progeny. In the end, humans never strayed far from their animal instincts. So upon learning that he could not get a mark from Qu Moyu – in an extremely clear-headed and shrewd move – he turned to Qu Chengchen .

But which S-class Alpha would let themselves be controlled that easily? Shen Dai wagered that You Baiyue and Qu Chengchen must be playing a game of chess with each other.

This blatant scheming under the pretext of marriage made him feel sick. Now, Shen Dai was by no means a hopeless romantic – on the contrary – he was rather sensible and pragmatic. But in his view, everyone had feelings, and while there would always be some exchange of value, two people should not solely be matched based on worth. At the very least there should be some deeper connection. After all, these two ideas could coexist, so there was no need to be that utilitarian.

Then again, it could just be that he never had access to great wealth before, and therefore no way of understanding the perspective of the truly rich.

After a brief moment of anger, You Baiyue’s temper cooled.

“Was it Yu-ge who told you that? He suspects that we only share a temporary mark between us?”

“No, I’m just going along and chatting about the subjects that interest you.”

“So, it turns out you’re the one who’s worried. Since Yu-ge wanted to marry me in the first place, if not for this mark, there would be no point in marrying you.”, added You Baiyue with a chuckle

Shen Dai admitted, “Whatever it is, I’ve already been paid. You both can do whatever you like.”

Just as things were starting to get awkward, Qu Chengchen arrived.

Shen Dai was reminded of the time he was subjected to pheromone suppression, as well as the subconscious fear when facing a top-tier Alpha. When Qu Chengchen approached, he immediately felt ill at ease.

You Baiyue took two large steps towards Qu Chengchen’s side and hugged his waist. He said sulkily, “Why are you so late?”

Qu Chengchen quickly pulled him into his arms, bending his head to place a kiss in his hair. “Just heavy traffic, but dinner’s not started yet right?”

Both of them looked like just an ordinary pair of young sweethearts.

Qu Chengchen looked at Shen Dai and said, “So we meet again.”

Shen Dai nodded his head to greet him.

“And how about my older brother?”

“He’s over there with…”

“What I meant was- ”, interjected Qu Chengchen, smiling wryly, “once again he has no qualms about leaving you alone like this.”

Without batting an eyelid, Shen Dai replied, “Is there any danger here?”

Qu Chengchen lowered his voice, “There shouldn’t be.”

At that moment, Qu Moyu came over. Putting his arm around Shen Dai’s waist as if it were completely natural, he asked in a gentle tone, “Are you hungry?”

The fragrance of ebony wood came wafting down from above his head and surrounded him. Shen Dai felt a tremor in his heart, “I’m alright.”

Glancing at Qu Chengchen and You Baiyue, Qu Moyu said, “Since everyone is here, let’s have dinner.”

As they walked towards the dining room, Shen Dai said under his breath, “Judging by his reaction, your guess is most likely correct.”

Qu Moyu responded with a “Mm.”

Shen Dai wanted so badly to ask what Qu Moyu planned to do now with this new piece of information. At any rate it was up to Qu Moyu to decide when they would divorce, but he knew also that this wasn’t something that he should ask about, since it didn’t even have anything to do with him.

After everyone was seated, You Xinghai raised his wine glass.

“Today is a great day. To have so many family members gathered in front of me at home -but I’ll cut the pleasantries. First, I’d like to give a toast to welcome A-Dai back to the family.”

Shen Dai was brought back to the near past, when You Xinghai came looking for him to discuss their “partnership”. He thought of how You Xinghai was clearly in a tight spot but was still trying to maintain his dignity.

Then he thought to the more distant past twenty years ago. He had been brought to the You residence by his Omega father, only to be spitefully thrown out by You Xinghai. That year, he was only seven years old, but already he understood what it meant to lose face, and what it meant to be ashamed.

It was cold that day, possibly it had even been raining. On that dark night his father held him as he cried, repeatedly telling him that he regretted giving birth to him. He would never forget that feeling of helplessness for the rest of his life.

Not that he could deny that his father was in large part to blame for his own fate, but all this was started because of that philandering scumbag You Xinghai.

And now that You Xinghai was once again flushed with success, he was “welcoming” him back to the family?

You Xinghai must have been pleased with himself, to have latched onto the big tree of the Qu family just as the You family was on the brink of collapse. With both You Baiyue and him in his hands, he could surely bet on either and not lose.

Shen Dai mused that if a marriage partnership was what it took to bring the You family back to life, then never mind being welcomed back to the family, perhaps even his Omega father could have been given a courteous invitation.

He looked over to You Baiyue, and noticed that he too was coolly raising his glass and smiling. Did this person not care in the slightest about the pain his mother must have gone through? This ease with which he put profit above all else was truly like father like son.

It made him sick to the stomach, but all he could do was put on a fake smile and gulp down a mouthful of wine.

He very rarely drank and wasn’t particularly good at holding his alcohol.

Now though, to escape the nauseating situation he found himself in and the unbearable tidal wave of memories, he took in a sip after sip of wine.

By the time the evening ended, Shen Dai was already a little tipsy.

“Time to head back.” A deep and sonorous voice reverberated in his ear, accompanied by a pheromone scent that intoxicated him even more than the wine.

He looked up to see a pair of piercing black eyes, then was pulled up by his arm back on his feet.

“I’m sorry.” said Shen Dai, a little tongue-tied. “I’m a little….I’m not drunk, just a little dizzy.”

“Mn, keep walking.”

Qu Moyu’s arm was stretched across his back, supporting his swaying body. Shen Dai was aware that he couldn’t walk properly, but it was more that he didn’t want to walk properly. He preferred to disavow all he learnt about balance since the age of one to pretend to be drunk, just to get a bit closer to Qu Moyu.

The two of them walked out of the house. When the driver opened the passenger door for him, Shen Dai hesitated, not wanting to get in, afraid that he reeked of alcohol and that he might throw up inside.

Qu Moyu bundled him into the car.

Shen Dai’s feverish mind was in total disarray. Closing his eyes he whispered, “I’m sorry, President Qu, I behaved really badly.”

“As long as you know.” replied Qu Moyu, sounding displeased.

The moment the door shut, a light epiphyllum fragrance mixed with the odour of alcohol came rolling out like a ribbon, filling up the interior of the car.

Qu Moyu furrowed his eyebrows. He did not like this smell, did not like the odour of alcohol mixed in with Shen Dai’s pheromone scent.

He gazed at Shen Dai, who had his neck tilted upwards, his slight Adam’s apple moving gently under the skin of the throat. His skin, which appeared white in the dimly-lit interior, seemed to take on a soft lustre, like the glaze of porcelain, no longer resembling anything like his usual calm and reserved self.

“I’m sorry…”, said Shen Dai, still mumbling an apology. His eyebrows tensed, the ends of his eyelashes were visibly wet.

Qu Moyu suddenly noticed the look of clear anguish on Shen Dai’s face.

Shen Dai really did lose his manners today, and the reason for it, the reason he drank too much, was really quite obvious.

In investigating this person’s background, Qu Moyu could understand this person’s past just from skimming a few paragraphs. The language of the dossier was simple and without embellishment, but at this moment he could see the underlying pain in those words.

He passed Shen Dai a bottle of mineral water. Shen Dai immediately downed half the bottle, and then brought down the window slightly to let the wind blow at his forehead, wanting to suppress the effects of the alcohol. He didn’t want to be such a mess in front of Qu Moyu.

“Close the window, it’s too loud.”

Shen Dai had no choice but to wind the window back up: “President Qu…”

“You don’t need to apologise again.”

“Ok.” Borrowing a bit of courage from the wine, Shen Dai asked, “President Qu, are we going to divorce soon?”

“What?”

“You Baiyue – If he’s only been marked temporarily, wouldn’t you want to marry him?”

“I have better things to do with my time.”

Shen Dai let out a sigh of relief: “But you asked me to find out if…”

“That information is useful to me.”

“Ah.”

A deep silence ensued.

“President Qu.”

“The reason I know that You Baiyue only has a temporary mark is because I had one, too. You were the one who gave it to me. Do you still remember?”

Qu Moyu gave no reply, looking out the window without an expression. The interior of the car was so compact, there was no chance that he had missed it- still, he acted as if he had not heard anything.

“A temporary mark does indeed share some similarities to a permanent mark – except it’s not”, Shen Dai slowly continued, “but I had one before.”

Yet another long silence.

Finally, Shen Dai murmured very softly, “Thank you.”