Chapter 2

"no."

As Su Jin got into the taxi with her suitcase, the sky darkened, and that sentence kept echoing in her mind.

He looked out the window, and amidst the rapidly receding shadows of the trees, the moonlight seemed to have lost its footing and fallen from the tall building, how could it not be shattered to pieces?

After turning countless street corners, a familiar black Ghost followed in the distance.

The white headlights flickered, as if capturing the pulse of the night.

Su Jin straightened up immediately.

Even when I try to control it, my heart still races.

He turned his head and started talking to the driver.

They talked at length, about everything under the sun, until the driver felt as if they had known each other for a long time.

"Young man, with your eloquence, it's a shame you're not a stand-up comedian."

The driver was amused and kept laughing.

You seem especially happy today, what good thing happened?

Good news?

Yes, that's right.

How can ending the inopportune deception and fantasy not be a good thing?

He laughed even more heartily.

After the car passed a traffic light, the Ghost turned right, clearly going in the opposite direction from Su Jin, who was turning left.

His smile faltered slightly, and he couldn't help but shake his head in self-deprecation.

How could someone as proud as Sheng Baiyan possibly pursue him?

Moreover, all the affection the other party has shown is poured into Su Yiran's illusion.

As Su Jin dragged her suitcase off the bus and crossed the empty square, her wildly pounding heart gradually calmed down.

How will the Su family explain their impulsive departure?

Thinking of this, Su Jin felt a splitting headache. He picked up his phone and typed and deleted the message repeatedly, but nothing he did could make it coherent.

Just then, Su Ruhai's phone rang.

"Su Jin," the other party's icy voice rang out, "Yiran has been found. Immediately, get out of Sheng Baiyan's place, and don't bring anything with you."

"We will pay for your sister's treatment as agreed. Don't worry about anything else. Someone will come to pick us up and handle things later. The SIM card will also be disposed of in a bit."

“You did a great job, and Sheng Baiyan seems to like it very much.”

Later, Su Ruhai's voice became muffled because fireworks suddenly lit up the square.

The sky was like a bottomless sea, and the moonlight forged crystal trees that burst open inch by inch.

Su Jin suddenly turned around and noticed that a grand commercial opening ceremony was being broadcast on the LED screen of the skyscraper belonging to the Sheng family.

Sheng Baiyan lowered his long eyelashes, his lips slightly curved, and his pupils, like black gemstone boxes, carefully concealed the figure of the person in front of him.

The person next to him was Su Yiran, who looked exactly like him.

A delicate face, shimmering eyes, and a neck like a handful of snow about to melt.

Bystanders exclaimed in amazement, "Who are these two? They're such a perfect match!"

"You don't know that? Isn't that the young master of Shenghui Group? The woman next to him must be his boyfriend. The world of the rich is simply paradise. But the two of them are truly a match made in heaven, making people envious."

The fireworks were still going off. Su Jin pulled her collar tighter, turned her head away, and refused to look back.

Instead of going to the hotel where he would stay, he dragged his suitcase and walked for a long time in the shade of the trees.

The early autumn wind was a bit chilly, and the starlight flickered among the rustling leaves, like the endless cycle of broken bubbles.

Just then, my phone vibrated, and the words "Sheng Baiyan" flashed on the screen.

Su Jin pressed the button, added the person to her blacklist, and turned off her phone completely.

He contacted Ying Chengyu overnight, saying, "Find me handsome guys, lots and lots of handsome guys, I want to enjoy life to the fullest."

——

When Ying Chengyu went to pick up Su Jin in the evening, he never expected that she would be going to his own AI humanoid bar.

Su Jin is universally acknowledged to be beautiful, with a straight and upturned nose, slightly drooping eyes, and a pair of pupils as black as agate at the bottom of a moonlit lake. When she smiles, she is full of clear and shimmering light.

He was rather thin, and his whole body resembled a snow-covered plum blossom in a silk painting, exuding a cold fragrance and easily broken.

To be honest, most people in the school had feelings for someone with such outstanding temperament and appearance.

Su Jin may look as fragile as a white porcelain vase, but she has an extremely resilient personality. She dropped out of school to start her own business and work to earn money. She can handle things on her own and is unwilling to ask for help from others.

Therefore, Ying Chengyu never expected that he would see Su Jin with a pale face, hugging herself tightly, leaning against a tree, as if trying to hide herself.

When he looked up at me, his pupils were like the night-blooming cereus, full of anticipation, blooming for a moment and then withering away.

Ying Chengyu knew he had never liked the other person, but his heart still felt like it had been squeezed tightly.

They arrived at the location quickly; it was a bar decorated with metal vines, giving it a futuristic, artistic feel.

"What kind of handsome guy do you want?"

Ying Chengyu chose a less crowded spot, forcing himself not to look at the other person, and lined up his carefully adjusted lifelike figures in front of Su Jin.

"These usually cost five thousand yuan an hour."

Ying Chengyu generously arranged these lifelike handsome men in front of Su Jin.

“We have all kinds of different types, Su Jin, you can choose whatever you like.”

“This…” Su Jin was a little reserved. His porcelain-like face was flushed. He coughed a few times and turned his head away. “I was just joking. I just wanted to find someone to chat with.”

"Since you're already here, this is my bar. You don't have to pay anything, so why be so polite?"

Summoned by another guest, Ying Chengyu shoved Su Jin into the crowd and left.

"Hey!"

Su Jin swayed and bumped into several people.

He was supported by several lifelike figures and then led to a booth.

Are you alright?

The tallest, most strikingly handsome humanoid figure smiled, gently supporting his waist, his hand clenched into a fist, displaying an extremely gentlemanly demeanor.

Su Jin intended to push the other person away, but when she looked up, she was dazzled by the other person's smile.

The other person's eyes seemed familiar.

The drinks that Ying Chengyu brought were all non-alcoholic, but the music felt like ice cubes, striking my heart in the lamplight.

Su Jin suddenly realized she was a little drunk.

A lifelike figure was tapping his calves, another was massaging his shoulders, and yet another was holding a fruit platter and feeding him pieces of fruit.

What can relieve my worries? Only a handsome guy.

If one isn't enough, then bring a dozen.

But one lifelike figure was quite different. He wore glasses, and the light, like drawn star strings, wrapped around the silver frame. His profile seemed familiar.

That is Heidegger's "Hölderlin's Ode to Germania and the Rhine".

"Man dwells poetically on the earth."

Su Jin raised her glass to the quiet, lifelike human figure.

Do humanoid figures read poetry?

The lifelike figure smiled slightly and adjusted his glasses—Su Jin's heart raced; even this gesture was so lifelike.

“If we can understand life, why can’t we understand poetry?” the android said softly.

"It's like I'm pretending to be indifferent just to get your attention."

Su Jin thought that with the help of big data analysis, artificial intelligence could even deliver sweet words perfectly.

Even if you know it's fake, it's not so bad to dream about an illusion.

He leaned closer, narrowed his eyes slightly, and placed his hand on the other person's shoulder. "You mean, you like me?"

"I like it very much."

The android glanced at Su Jin's hand, its gaze like that of a heavy box awaiting a key, and gently put its arm around the former's shoulder.

I liked him the first time we met.

Su Jin's eyelashes fluttered, his vision blurred, and he couldn't help but lean on the other person's shoulder, his voice as soft as a bubble, "Me too."

The lifelike humanoid has no life, and its embrace is devoid of warmth.

But Su Jin still didn't push the other person away; he felt a cool kiss on his forehead.

Don't touch him!

A cold, sharp male voice rang out. Before Su Jin could react, she saw a dark figure attack the dummy, punching it to the ground and knocking over countless bottles and tables.

Each android is worth a million. Su Jin had been struggling financially for years, and seeing the other person fall to the ground was like a knife to her heart—if the android was injured, what difference was there between this and throwing money into the water?

He rushed over and helped the other person up, only to suddenly meet the eyes of the troublemaker.

The newcomer was pale, with dark circles under his eyes and bloodshot eyes. His usually neat shirt was full of creases—he looked as if he hadn't slept for a day and a night.

It turned out to be Sheng Baiyan.

Su Jin had never seen him like this before. Years of strict family education had made Sheng Baiyan's every move follow the rules.

But at this moment, he was standing on lamplight, like a ghost ship sailing on the sea, surrounded by the shadows of a storm.

"I've been looking for you for two days."

Sheng Baiyan's breathing was unsteady, strands of his combed hair fell across his forehead, and his eyes were scorched.

He grabbed Su Jin's arm immediately. "Do you know how worried I was? I searched every street, afraid something might have happened to you."

"And what did I see?" he sneered. "You took the money I gave you and hired so many men to surround you."

Do you even know how to write the words "shame" and "integrity"?

"I have no idea."

Su Jin smiled at the other person, shook them off, helped the mannequin up, and carefully brushed the dust off its clothes.

"All I know is that it feels amazing to use your money to hire a handsome guy."

Su Jin took a deep breath, her smile deepening. "Compared to President Sheng, these young and gentle men are definitely better."

Sheng Baiyan narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression terrifying.

Su Jin was suddenly pressed against the wall by him, almost hitting the wall, but the other person put his hand behind his head.

But a moment later, the man narrowed his eyes slightly, and his other hand locked around his throat like shackles, before kissing him deeply.

A fishy smell suddenly filled my mouth.

All the soft parts of my mouth felt like they had been burned by flames, a burning, stinging pain.

Like a silver python coiling around its prey, Su Jin was so constricted that she could barely breathe, and the little air left in her lungs was being plundered by the other party.

"Release...open...uh."

Su Jin was originally speaking with righteous indignation, but her voice trembled at the end due to exhaustion.

It was as if the fishing line had been wrapped around several times and then thrown into the sea; even he himself felt as if it was a reluctant acceptance.

As expected, Sheng Baiyan's pupils, hidden behind his silver-rimmed glasses, suddenly contracted, and his eyes darkened abruptly.

The barrier patch on Su Jin's neck was torn off with a swish, and the other person's breath was like a scorching scorpion's sting, lightly brushing against her skin.

The overwhelming pressure from the top-tier Alpha instantly spread out, like a net from heaven and earth, and no one dared to approach.

The aroma of absinthe dissipated, and beads of sweat slid down Sheng Baiyan's chin, landing on his Adam's apple, which was tightly fastened to his collar, glistening with light.

The man, who was usually calm and refined, had shed his mask and was now glaring like a silver serpent.

The Omega's instinct to pursue top-tier Alphas was like an anthill, gnawing at Su Jin's bones until they creaked.

His fingers clenched tightly, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, as the information surged through his veins, forming dark blue vines on his skin, desperately suppressing the spread of the white plum fragrance.

It's as if a planet is struggling to break free from the gravitational pull of its star, refusing to submit even if it's shattered to pieces.

Just as Sheng Baiyan was about to pick him up and take him away, Su Jin suddenly spoke.

"Is President Sheng taking such initiative because he wants to be one of these handsome men?"

He looked up at the other person, then took out a few napkins and wiped his hands.

"Unfortunately, even if President Sheng wanted to, I'm afraid I wouldn't be interested."

"Su Jin".

Enraged to the extreme, Sheng Baiyan's forehead and the back of his hands bulged with veins, his jaw tightened, and he closed his eyes briefly.

When he opened his eyes again, the man was expressionless, like a statue, except for his pupils, which were like the scarlet wounds from silver snakes.

He sneered, then left without looking back.

____

Su Jiayinuo transferred the money, and everything started to get back on track.

Perhaps it's because he's found a true Omega who matches him perfectly, and he's so happy he's forgotten all about home.

Perhaps it was because she understood that forgetting was the best punishment, and that she wasn't worth his concern at all.

In any case, Sheng Baiyan did not contact him again.

However, life went on, and Su Jin kept looking for part-time jobs, not daring to stop, while Ying Chengyu helped him find a lot of work.

“It’s an assistant at a high-end custom bridal shop.” Ying Chengyu led him to the place. “They say it’s an assistant, but I’ve already told them that there’s nothing much to do. It’s just helping people hand out water and tidy up their dresses. It’s not too tiring.”

Su Jin understood that the other party was helping her and was also mindful of her pride, and she was very grateful.

He went to a bridal shop where a single dress could easily cost a million dollars. There were very few customers, and the shop was not busy. Occasionally, there were some very nice men's suits, and the owner even let him try on sample garments to check the tailoring effect.

"This outfit is simply made for you." The shop owner looked at him in the mirror and exclaimed in admiration, "Let me lend it to you for free when you get married."

Su Jin just smiled at this – meeting Sheng Baiyan had already exhausted all his luck in life.

He can't afford things that are too expensive.

Most of the people who come and go from this bridal shop are quite prominent, and occasionally there are people from Sheng Baiyan's circle, which always makes Su Jin nervous.

He deliberately wore glasses and a mask, trying to conceal himself several times, but later he realized that people wouldn't even linger on him, so he gradually relaxed and approached them.

Therefore, when he saw Sheng Baiyan bring Su Yiran to the dress shop that day, he was struck dumb.

A deafening roar filled my ears, and I was completely bewildered.

Seeing him standing there in a daze, the store manager gave him a push.

Su Jin seemed to wake from a dream, finally opening her eyes and greeting the two with utmost professionalism.

"Hello, Mr. Sheng and Mr. Su."

Even though she told herself to remain calm and collected, Su Jin's trembling voice betrayed her the moment she opened her mouth.

He could only keep his head down, not letting the two people opposite him see his expression. "I am your personal waiter. What kind of dress would you like?"

Unexpectedly, Sheng Baiyan didn't react.

She only glanced at him briefly, and her gaze did not linger there.

Su Jin could only smile and say, "Could you gentlemen tell me the occasion so I can make a recommendation?"

"Wedding dress engagement."

Su Yiran had never met Su Jin before, and showed no reaction to the voice, looking utterly dejected.

"Please introduce yourself."

got engaged.

Like being pricked by an unexpected needle, Su Jin felt a sudden pain in her heart.

He felt his face stiffen from smiling, but he still professionally delivered a long and eloquent speech.

"This dress is called Snow Country Chizuru."

He described the fabric, which was the very one the boss had asked him to try on.

"It uses an antique-style Hangzhou silk weaving technique, but the fabric is infused with extremely fine silver threads. Although it is a suit, the fabric is crisp and has a distinct antique feel."

Su Yiran nodded, indicating that Su Jin should choose what he could wear.

When the other person sat down in the chair and gestured for Su Jin to put his shoes on, Su Jin was stunned for a moment.

Su Yiran's eyes widened. "I like these shoes. Help me put them on."

Su Jin lowered her eyes, still smiling as she slowly squatted down, preparing to put on the other person's shoes.

“These don’t look good,” Sheng Baiyan suddenly said. He picked out a pair and threw them in front of Su Yiran.

The latter raised an eyebrow, but did not let Su Jin make a move.

Su Yiran started choosing clothes for Sheng Baiyan again, but the latter showed little interest, his gaze always fixed on a Song Dynasty-style porcelain vase by the window.

The pattern on it resembles searching for plum blossoms in the snow.

Tie, suit, leather shoes—with everything ready, Su Yiran wanted to tie Sheng Baiyan's tie herself, but he refused.

"Your hand is injured, isn't it?" Sheng Bai said in a very calm tone. "Let him come."

Su Jin's brows twitched slightly, but she still stepped forward in the end.

Sheng Baiyan was too tall, and Su Jin, who was already tall and slender, still had to look up when she looked at him.

During their brief time together, Su Jin enjoyed tying Sheng Baiyan's tie—in the soft morning light, both of them were immersed in the mist of gemstones, so close to each other, intimate and familiar.

At this moment, the past suddenly surged forth like a tidal wave, almost overwhelming Su Jin.

But everything is already separated by thousands of miles.

Sheng Baiyan kept finding fault, pointing out that the tie was too loose or too tight, too high or too low. Finally, he took Su Jin's hand and tied a knot together.

Su Jin stepped back, while the man's eyes were like cold stars, their light icy and clear.

After the two had chosen their clothes, Su Yiran finally became interested. He pulled Sheng Baiyan aside and asked Su Jin to take pictures.

"Does it look good? Does it look good?" he asked excitedly. "Are they a good match?"

"They look great together, a match made in heaven, a perfect couple."

Su Jin smiled and tried her best to search her meager vocabulary.

"This dress was tailor-made for you. I wish you a long and happy life together."

For some reason, Sheng Baiyan's face darkened upon hearing this. The two picked out a few things and left.

As they walked, Su Yiran excitedly said, "It's my birthday tomorrow, brother, can I choose this one?"

Su Jin leaned against the door, watching the sunset resemble a rotten fruit, the afterglow like blood staining the horizon, thinking how long this day had been.

The next day he decided to clean up the stigmata.

In modern society, to protect Omegas, hospitals require Alphas to accompany and register patients for this type of surgery.

Left with no other choice, he went to find Ying Chengyu again.

The other party was a little worried, "It would be too painful to wash it off without anesthesia."

"Listen to me, I am an Alpha, and I know Alphas best."

"Love has a very strange effect on Alphas. If the Omega they love washes away their deep-seated traits, their information flow will go out of control during the process. Their body will feel like it's being torn apart by a thousand knives. They will be able to immediately discover what you've done."

Ying Chengyu frowned and stood in front of Su Jin, saying, "This is like destroying the territory occupied by a lion. You'll drive him crazy."

"I don't want to keep his mark, not even for a second longer."

Su Jin closed his eyes and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Besides, you said that only Alphas who fall in love with Omegas would act this way. I'm just a substitute for Su Yiran, so how could he be affected?"

"Alphas naturally have absolute dominance over Omegas."

He clenched his hands, “As long as I keep his mark, I will always crave his pheromones, like a slave bound by a rope.”

"I no longer want what belongs to him."

Ying Chengyu choked for a moment, then sighed, "Why did you do this to yourself?"

Upon hearing this, Su Jin simply turned her head away without saying a word.

"Fine, fine." Ying Chengyu rubbed his temples. "Since we're going to see this through, let's have someone get you a fake certificate. After a while, you can leave and have peace of mind."

—

From the very beginning, the physiology and hygiene teacher said that the body is the most vulnerable part of a person.

"Apart from Beta, whether it's Alpha or Omega, we must protect their bodies well."

Su Jin still remembers what her teacher said.

"That's the second most important place after the heart."

"The skin is rich in nerves and has almost no keratin, so it is like a semi-transparent membrane, which is why most people's skin has a pinkish tinge that shows through."

"In the event of an accident, everyone should try to protect the body with their hands, because extreme pain can even cause some people to faint or go into shock."

It is clearly a wound, carrying a sacrificial pain, yet it has been given an extremely romantic name.

The scabs from deep-seated marks are called rose knots—planted with love, eternally immortal.

However, the stains left by washing away the label will leave two scars that a lifetime cannot fill.

Su Jin never regretted it, even when she was restrained by straps on the operating table.

As the scalpel sliced ​​through the nerve, Su Jin immediately felt an overwhelming pain. Then, with each inch the metal stent expanded, it felt like a file scraping her nerves, akin to being slowly sliced ​​to death.

He gripped the edge of the bed so tightly that his fingernails almost fell off.

When the sharp, long cone dug out the bright red rose knot, Su Jin couldn't help but burst into tears.

It hurts, it hurts so much.

The roots of hope planted deep in the heart were gradually pulled out, and a dark, sunken pit appeared in the chest.

Despair was all-encompassing.

He lost too much blood and was wheeled out of the operating room with his neck wrapped in thick gauze.

Through her tear-blurred vision, Su Jin saw Sheng Baiyan looking utterly disheveled.

As if a ghost had returned to life, the man appeared terrifyingly pale, and the light burned into a patch of ash in his eyes, which could never be restored.

His forehead and back were soaked with sweat, and his breathing was disordered.

"To erase my criminal record, you underwent such a dangerous surgery." The man's voice was filled with despair. "Su Jin, do you hate me that much?"