Apex Predator - Chap 18

In the workplace, Omegas experiencing heat were entitled to seven days of leave. Although Shen Dai’s heat would always end a little earlier, he would still make sure to be fully rested before going back to work.

But there was no way he could stay here a minute longer, in this room which was still thick with the odour of lingering pheromones.

Going downstairs, he was once again unable to avoid bumping into Uncle Heng.

Proving himself the consummate housekeeper, Uncle Heng maintained a good sense of propriety. Without a trace of emotion on his face, he asked courteously, “Would you be heading out? You must not have fully recovered yet?”

“I’m fine now. I’m going to drop by my place first.” Shen Dai, too, was trying to appear nonplussed, though his footsteps were hurried.

“Let me have the driver send you then. Your body is at its weakest right now.” Uncle Heng added, “In any case, it’s not easy to get a taxi from here.”

Shen Dai once again declined, “It’s fine, I’ve already got one.”

“Just let the driver send you. I heard from Old Wu that you live very far away. If the young master hears about this, he will fault me for not taking care of you.”

It was true, the period after heat was when an Omega’s physical stamina was at its lowest. Due to barely eating and the strenuous “physical activities” of the past few days, his exhaustion would have peaked just as his hormone levels dipped. Just by standing, Shen Dai felt as if his legs were going to give way. In fact, leaving right now was not very sensible, but he was trying to escape.

The moment he mentioned Qu Moyu’s name, Shen Dai could not help but comply. Submissiveness towards Alphas was part of an Omega’s pathetic nature.

“Alright, thank you.”

He boarded the Multi-purpose vehicle and was then driven home by another one of Qu Moyu’s drivers.

Only after the car had reached a distance away from the Qu residence did the sensation of his heart being gripped start to ease. It appeared that the residual Alpha pheromones from Qu Moyu in his body had finally dissipated.

He should have been elated. During those three days, Qu Moyu had not even given him a temporary mark. Three years had already passed, but he could still recall that unparalleled sense of loss when that temporary mark faded.

He took out his mobile phone and clicked on Qu Moyu’s tab on WeChat. The conversation only contained a Friend Request acceptance notification. As before, his Moments page was empty. He could only stare at that uncommunicative profile image, lost in his own thoughts.

As he was going downstairs today, he had been afraid to run into Qu Moyu, and yet he was also longing to see him. He desperately wanted to know how they would get along, but that was entirely dependent on Qu Moyu.

The feeling that someone else was in control of everything was truly horrid.

He was so tired that he fell asleep in the car. By the time they reached, it was already dark.

When his grandmother saw how pale his face was and how he also appeared to be a little weak, she grew concerned. “A-Dai, did you fall sick? How come you’re so much thinner than when I saw you a few days ago?”

“I told you the last time, remember, I’ve been preparing for my presentation during this period, so there has been a bit more overtime. It’s nothing. I’ll feel better after a few days of rest, that’s all.”

Shen Dai plopped himself into the sofa, feeling like he could fall asleep at once.

His grandmother sighed. Caressing his hair, she said affectionately, “My poor baby is being worked to the bone. Have you already eaten? Are you hungry?”

He smiled brightly and asked in a childish way, “Grandma, can you make me a bowl of noodles, please? And can the egg be fried?”

“Alright. Just rest first. You came at the right time to try the braised beef tendon I prepared yesterday.”

Shen Dai gave his aching muscles and joints a good stretch on the sofa, silently gazing up at the ceiling with tired eyes. Although this tiny apartment appeared shabby when compared to the Qu residence, the rent had been paid for with his own money. It was his own safe haven, where the one person in his family that he loved most in the world lived.

Yet at that luxurious villa, where all necessities were taken care of, he was not even entitled to step into the bedroom of his so-called husband, to the extent that they only made love in the guest room. He could not even be compared to a tenant…..

No, this had to stop this instance. His thoughts had begun to spiral into a toxic mix of self-loathing and self-pity, and logic was calling for him to stop drowning in pointless emotional turmoil over what he couldn’t control before they affected his ability to function in his daily life.

By now his feverish brain had calmed down. It was time to come back to his senses.

After a day’s rest, Shen Dai made an appointment with the real estate agent, who had found a few apartments according to his requirements and brought him to view them. Shen Dai narrowed his choices down to two, leaving the agent to negotiate the price.

As long as it fell within the price he had in mind, he wanted to carry out the transaction as quickly as possible. He would spend another two months on a simple renovation, purchase some soft furnishings, and then be able to move his grandmother into his own flat before the new year.

Each time he looked at the balance in his bank account, he reminded himself that he needed to treat Qu Moyu as his boss, to have more gratitude and to have less extravagant expectations.

The fact was that when he had first made the deal with You Xinghai to be You Baiyue’s replacement, he had already mentally prepared himself to have to sell his body. And to be able to sell it to Qu Moyu was clearly a good deal. After all, he too had enjoyed himself. As for the sadness he was feeling, that was his own problem and had nothing at all to do with Qu Moyu. Looking at things with this line of reasoning was very effective.

The agent himself was extremely efficient. On the very last day of his vacation, they and the owner settled on a price that both parties were satisfied with. The next step would be to complete the process.

He felt as if a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders. Being able to provide his grandmother with a comfortable new environment gave him an immense sense of gratitude.

On the first day back at work, his colleagues approached him one after another to show their concern. They all knew that he had been affected by pheromone influence back then on stage and had taken a few days off as he wasn’t feeling well, but they didn’t know the real reason he wasn’t feeling well, nor how he managed to “feel better”.

But obviously, this group of people had other motives than that. A younger female colleague who wasn’t shy at all asked, “Shen-shixiong, I heard from someone that you fainted in the toilet after the presentation the other day. And also that Qu Moyu took you to the hospital?”

“Eh, how come I heard that it was Yan Mingxiu?”

“It was President Yan’s bodyguard, actually,” answered Shen Dai calmly. “In fact, I didn’t faint at all. I was only feeling a little uncomfortable. And it wasn’t due to pheromone influence, it was mostly because I was burning the midnight oil too much the past few weeks, so I just asked for a few days off while I was at it.

And thus, the rumours that had been circulating over the past few days were dismissively put to an end by the person in question. Naturally, everyone was a little disappointed and they all soon dispersed.

But Cheng Zimei was not so easy to get rid of. Grabbing Shen Dai, she asked insistently, “Tell me the truth! Was it really the bodyguard? Someone told me that they saw with their own eyes that it was the Crown Prince!”

“It wasn’t, really, it wasn’t. Alphas and Omegas have to keep an appropriate distance from each other in public. There’s no way Qu Moyu could be that reckless. Honestly, it was Yan Mingxiu’s bodyguard who helped me.” Pulling her in the direction of the meeting room, he added, “We have that meeting with the Professor in the morning. Let’s be serious.”

Cheng Zimei shot him a look that said: “What a shame!”

They both joined the Professor in a video conference call. The Professor was full of praise for his presentation, telling him that the feedback from the higher-ups had been very positive, and telling him not to mind Qu Chengchen’s attempts at making things difficult. That had nothing to do with him, after all, and had no impact on their project, either.

This comforted Shen Dai a lot, at least the sleepless nights before and after the presentation had not been for nothing.

During lunch break, he and Cheng Zimei were too lazy to head to the cafeteria and got their juniors to help them buy food back. When Zhou Lan returned, he had brought not only lunch but also a double-boiled pear dessert – a speciality of a famous dessert chain near the office which was very popular in winter.

“Shixiong, here’s the rice bowl you wanted. Shijie, here are your noodles.” Putting the bag from the dessert shop on the table, he smiled and said, “I bought two double-boiled pears. Eating them in winter helps nourish your lungs and dispel dampness. And I heard that this shop is pretty well-known.”

Cheng Zimei beamed, “Thanks! You have to queue at this shop right? Every time I want to buy it I just give up when I see the line.”

“It was still okay. I didn’t have to queue for long.” Zhou Lan stole a glance at Shen Dai and said, “Shen-shixiong, you’ve gotten thinner these few days. Why not eat a little more?”

Shen Dai nodded, “Thanks. How much was it? I’ll transfer you the money altogether.”

“Ah, there’s no need. Shixiong and Shijie always treat me to meals anyway.”

“You interns have such a low salary, it’s really not a big deal.”

Shen Dai smiled, “But, next time, you don’t have to get one for me. I don’t really eat sweet things often.”

Zhou Lan grinned, trying to hide the disappointment in his eyes, “Alright. In that case, please go ahead and start eating.”

After he had walked off, Cheng Zimei started eating the sweet, delicious and still steaming double-boiled pear. Exaggeratedly smacking her lips a few times, she exclaimed, “Eh, it’s so good! There’s even some bird’s nest inside! Somebody queued up on a cold winter’s day to buy it for you. You better try it!”

“Can you finish your lunch first? Will you even have space left in your stomach after that?”

“Shen Dai had barely opened his lunch container before Cheng Zimei forced him to try a mouthful of pear soup.”

“Mhmm, it’s really good. Not that sweet.” He added, “Though isn’t queuing for it a bit ridiculous?”

“Nah, recently it’s been all over the internet,” Cheng Zimei glanced at Zhou Lan from afar. “This little junior has had his eye on you ever since he joined the Research Institute. He has pretty good taste!“

Shen Dai said helplessly, “If you’re free, help me give him a hint. I don’t know how to handle it. I’m afraid of hurting his self-esteem.”

“Handle what? I reckon he’s not half bad. His height and appearance are not bad, also he’s got good grades. Alphas in science and engineering are a little dull, but they’re also simple and adorable.”

“No, come on, plus he’s so much younger than me?”

“What’s wrong with that? Even he doesn’t mind.”

“I owe so much money I can’t even begin to talk about relationships. Wouldn’t that be holding the other person back?”

Cheng Zimei sighed, “A-Dai, I really have to tell you. Firstly, the one who owes the money is not you, it’s your grandmother. To be more precise, it’s your father. Secondly, let’s say you do have a debt, even then, you still need to live your life, you still have to chase after happiness. What if there’s someone who is willing to take on this struggle with you? How many people with feelings for you have you avoided over the past few years for the sake of this nonsense? You can’t keep going on like this.”

“No one in their right mind would agree to take on this struggle with me. And, even if there were, there’s no way I would want to burden another person with that.” Giving Cheng Zimei a serious look he continued, ”Who on earth would want to fall in love and marry someone who owes millions? Zimei, I know you mean well, but you know well in your heart that it’s just not possible.”

“Someone rich might!” Cheng Zimei lowered her voice and said, “Listen to me. I’ve asked around and it turns out Zhou Lan’s family is pretty well-off. The best thing for someone like you is to find someone rich, then all your problems will be solved!”

Secretly, Shen Dai could not help but agree. He had indeed “found someone rich” and solved all his problems with money. Only, it also led to many new problems.

“Stop messing around. Help me! Don’t let him waste his time anymore. We’re in the same laboratory, there’s just no way for us to avoid each other. It’s so awkward.“

Cheng Zimei pouted and ate her pear sulkily. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Fine, I’ll do it next time around.”

Shen Dai was packing up his things to leave work when he received a call from an unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Mr Shen? It’s Old Wu. Might I ask if you’re still at the office? Or have you already gone home?”

“I’ve only just finished. I’m preparing to go back right now.”

“Ah. That’s good timing. The young master is requesting for you to go down to the basement so that you can go home together.”

“…Alright.”

In the days after his heat ended, not once did he and Qu Moyu see each other or have any contact. They had gone from the most ardent physical intimacy to being cold as two strangers. This abrupt and immense disparity had been a source of constant sadness for him over the past few days. The saddest part was knowing that he wasn’t even in a position to feel sad.

What was even sadder was that, at the mere thought of being able to see Qu Moyu again very soon, his feelings were once again ignited.

He took the lift down in a hurry and ran over to Qu Moyu’s reserved parking space. This area only had parking space for top executives, so there weren’t many people around. Still he lowered his head, afraid to be seen by anyone.

When he got into the car, Qu Moyu was looking straight at him calmly, with a slight smile on his face. He was not looking at documents, nor was he checking his mobile phone. It seemed that he had only been waiting for him all along.

His heart could not stop itself from leaping for joy.

“Come over here,” said Qu Moyu, reaching his hand out to Shen Dai

Shen Dai hesitantly placed his hand in Qu Moyu’s palm. Seizing it, Qu Moyu pulled him into his lap. And pressing the tip of his nose to the back of Shen Dai’s neck, he then breathed in lightly.

1. There’s no such thing as free lunch | Cheng Zimei says “吃人嘴短”, which appears to come from the phrase “拿人手段，吃人嘴短.” I was unfamiliar with this phrase and also did not find any legitimate sources for its meaning, only crowdsourced answers on social media. It appears to imply that if one has benefited from someone else’s generosity, they should not harm or disrespect that person. Instead, they should help them in return and speak kindly about them if necessary.

2. There’s even bird’s nest inside! | Edible bird’s nest, 燕窝 an expensive Chinese delicacy made from the saliva of swiftlets, with a gelatinous consistency. It is believed to have various health benefits, such as improving the immune system and promoting healthy skin. It is often served as a soup or a dessert.