[Breaking! Nouveau-riche Beta finally fulfills his dream of marrying into wealth! Once notorious for chasing rich young masters, now he’s locked down the only son of an old aristocratic family!]
[Can shamelessness buy you a marriage? Seductive slut’s wild pursuit of a wealthy Alpha finally pays off? Waiting for the divorce so he can split the family fortune!]
When news of the marriage alliance between the Huo and Si families topped every major headline, several sales associates from luxury-brand counters at Haicheng’s largest shopping center were huddled outside a VIP lounge, gossiping in low voices.
“That’s him, right? He’s really marrying into the Huo family?”
“The news is already out. How could it be fake? I heard the Huos even came all the way from Jing City to Haicheng especially for this.”
“But doesn’t he have a whole bunch of ex-boyfriends? What about those guys who used to come pay his bills? They don’t mind? And doesn’t the Huo family have tons of rules? Can they really tolerate someone like him?”
“Oh, come on. You’ve seen what he’s capable of. Why else would the entertainment media have given him that nickname? What was it again? Oh, right—the Haicheng Socialite Butterfly!”
Their excited gossip, though deliberately hushed, still carried inside. The young man holding up his phone and searching for the perfect angle for a posed photo paused, then glanced toward the doorway.
One of the associates standing in front accidentally met his eyes, and her smile froze. The others realized they had been too loud as well. All of them looked toward the young man in alarm, their faces full of panic.
But someone quickly emerged from the fitting room with a smile, trying to change the subject.
“Mr. Si, do you like this set? We notified you the moment it arrived. This is the very first one in Haicheng.” The manager wore her professionally warm smile, but when she looked up and met the eyes of the person before her, she could not help pausing.
He was a young man with platinum-blond hair, the soft, fluffy strands spilling over his shoulders. His features were exquisite and brilliant, his beauty so lush and seductive it struck with almost physical force. Under the lights, he looked even more dazzling.
He wore a softly textured embroidered silk shirt. Its V-neck framed his long neck and deep collarbones perfectly, making it difficult to look away.
At that moment, the young man was watching her with a smile that was not quite a smile. His breathtakingly beautiful face gave nothing away.
The shop fell silent. Even the manager, normally unflappable, grew nervous.
After an indeterminate moment, the young man finally shifted his gaze away from those tactless employees and toward his flawless reflection in the full-length mirror. He lifted a hand and tucked the hair beside his cheek behind his ear.
“The first one isn’t the same as the only one. There’s nothing special about it. Give it another half month and there’ll probably be more people wearing this than I have rumored ex-boyfriends.”
Not only was he not angry, he even made a joke.
The manager exhaled in relief. Knowing his wedding plans were approaching, she deliberately teased him. “I heard you’re getting engaged to the Huo family. The wedding is sure to be magnificent. You’ll have to take plenty of photos afterward and let us broaden our horizons.”
Si Ling was on good terms with her and rarely embarrassed her. The corner of his mouth lifted as he answered with a smile in his voice.
“You really think too highly of me. A Beta like me is already blessed beyond measure to marry up to a top-tier Alpha like Mr. Huo. How would I dare ask for some grand ceremony? What if the duck already in my hand flies away halfway through the wedding?”
He had just compared the Huo family’s only son and current head to a duck. The people outside the room exchanged strange looks.
The manager pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh and played along. “You’re so beautiful that Mr. Huo is bound to like you. What does it matter whether you’re a Beta or an Omega?”
Sensing that Si Ling’s mood had improved, the manager kept flattering him while discreetly waving a hand behind her, signaling those employees to hurry away.
Unexpectedly, before the group outside could leave, the young man raised a hand at an unhurried pace. “Then I’ll try a few more sets. Have them bring them for me. I happen to have a date with the duck… Mr. Huo tonight, so you can all help me decide what looks best.”
We’re doomed. Those were the only two words left in the manager’s mind.
Si Ling was one of the shop’s most valued customers. Even though she knew perfectly well that he was retaliating, the manager could not refuse a customer. She could only signal the employees outside to start preparing.
For the next hour, Si Ling tried on more than a dozen outfits in a row. He had the accessories for each one changed several times. The sales associates bustled around him until they were dizzy, all while having to offer styling suggestions nonstop until their mouths practically foamed.
By the time Si Ling finally grew tired of choosing and they escorted him out, the group belatedly realized that he had not bought a single thing today.
Si Ling was an important customer at every major shopping mall in Haicheng. Normally, whenever he went shopping, he would not stop until his bodyguards’ hands were loaded with bags.
The manager respectfully saw him to the entrance and blamed his unusual behavior today entirely on those loose-lipped employees, making sure they learned their lesson.
–
Elsewhere, Si Ling carried his bag toward the restroom, fully aware of what was happening in the shop behind him.
In his opinion, making a few sales associates run around hardly counted as going too far. If a more vindictive customer had encountered what happened today, they might have lost their jobs altogether. Compared with that, what did his little stunt amount to?
His phone gave a soft vibration. Si Ling saw the reminder he had set for his appointment.
Although rumors of his marriage alliance were already raging outside, he truly had not lied in the shop. Today would be the first time he met the man he was supposed to marry.
Irritation rose inexplicably in his chest. Si Ling quickened his steps toward the restroom, intending to freshen up beforehand.
He was habitually late, but the person he was meeting this time was different. He had wasted time in the shop and was inevitably in a hurry. Yet just as he rounded the corner of the corridor, he slammed straight into a tall figure.
Caught completely off guard, Si Ling lifted a hand and his palm landed against the man’s hard, solid chest. Before he could stumble, a powerful hand firmly caught his wrist.
The man steadied him, but at the same time, the warmth spreading from that palm traveled up Si Ling’s wrist and through the rest of his body, making him feel even worse.
“Thanks.”
He barely regained his balance before looking up. When he saw a handsome, composed face, he froze for a moment.
The man was an Alpha, more than half a head taller than him. He wore a dark-brown plaid suit. His eyes were deep-set, his brows clean and sharp, and his features were exceedingly upright and handsome. A faint vertical crease between his brows suggested years of habitual frowning, while his high nose and thin lips were almost too severe, giving him a somewhat old-fashioned air of seriousness.
He looked nothing like the sort of person who should be appearing here at this hour.
Once Si Ling was steady, the man withdrew his hand with perfect propriety. His expression did not change as he said only, “Slow down.”
“Sorry, sorry. I’m in a bit of a hurry.” Si Ling was uncomfortable and quickly looked away. After thanking him, he rushed into the restroom just a few steps away.
The restroom was empty. Si Ling checked carefully before heading into the innermost stall.
After locking the door, he took a vacuum-sealed injection from his bag, expertly tore open the packaging, rolled up the soft sleeve of his shirt, and injected the pale-blue liquid into his forearm.
As the medication entered his body, the faint heat lingering throughout him finally began to recede. Si Ling regained some energy. After resting for a moment, he wrapped the discarded packaging in tissue, making sure the words OMEGA SUPPRESSANT were completely covered before throwing it into the trash.
Once that was done, he left the stall and washed his hands at an elegant round basin decorated with blue lotus motifs. After drying his slender, pale fingers, he looked up and smoothed his slightly disheveled hair.
He had barely admired himself for a few seconds when his phone rang at an inconvenient moment. Si Ling guessed who it was, his face darkening slightly as he answered.
“Xiao-Ling, you’ve arrived, right?”
Si Yuanzhou’s falsely genial voice came through the phone. Si Ling rolled his eyes at the mirror, but his voice was light and sweet when he spoke.
“I’m here. I’m just about to go upstairs.”
Si Yuanzhou audibly relaxed. “Make a good impression on President Huo. Your marriage is basically settled, but it’s best not to let anything go wrong. His side was already dissatisfied that you’re a Beta. Before you get the marriage certificate, don’t give them anything to criticize…”
“I know. Don’t you know my personality? What kind of person can’t I handle?” Si Ling interrupted him, then deliberately added, “If it really doesn’t work, just switch Second Brother back in. He’s an Omega, after all. He was the one they originally arranged the match with.”
Si Yuanzhou laughed awkwardly, not daring to respond directly. He could only sigh theatrically. “Xiao-Ling, Dad has failed you. When you get married, I’ll make it all up to you.”
Si Ling could not stand listening anymore. Suppressing his disgust, he rolled his eyes. “Sure. I want the villa on West Mountain.”
The other end of the call went silent.
Si Ling had known exactly how he would react. Annoying him once was enough. “I’m hanging up. I’ve arrived. Dad, remember to have someone get the villa ready.”
Before the man could launch into another sentimental performance, Si Ling ended the call and looked up at the beautiful, gloomy face reflected in the mirror.
That leech of a man was unbearably irritating.
At that moment, though, Si Ling felt even more grateful that he had concealed the truth when he presented as an Omega.
His situation in the Si family was not good. He had thought pretending to be a Beta would keep him out of their disputes, yet in the end he still could not avoid being used as Si Yuanzhou’s stepping stone in a marriage alliance.
If he were a rare and precious Omega, then all those rich young masters who flocked after him would have a perfectly legitimate reason to marry him, and Si Yuanzhou would get the business partners he wanted.
Unfortunately… Si Ling had no intention of letting any of that happen.
With a ding, the elevator arrived at the sky restaurant on the top floor of the mall. Si Ling stepped out and turned his attention to the date in front of him.
He was thoroughly accustomed to blind dates like this. Over the years, that calculating stepfather of his had arranged plenty of them for him, though every one had eventually come to nothing.
This time, for reasons he did not understand, the marriage arrangement with the Huo family had been settled directly. Even so, Si Ling was certain Huo Chengyu would not be the exception.
No family would accept an Alpha marrying a useless Beta. The Huo family was famously traditional, so they ought to be even stricter about something like this.
“…”
The restaurant limited the number of guests, so there were very few people inside. It was neither overly formal nor as noisy as usual. A server led Si Ling to their reserved booth by the window. As he passed the divider, a familiar back came into view.
Seeing the suit jacket draped over the chair, his steps paused and an ominous feeling rose inside him.
It couldn’t possibly be this much of a coincidence, could it?
Si Ling rounded the long table just as the man looked up. Their eyes met, and Si Ling smiled. “Why is it you?”
Huo Chengyu frowned faintly as he lifted his head, clearly recognizing him as well. “Young Master Si?”
“That’s me. What a coincidence.”
Si Ling was still smiling when the man rose and pulled out a chair for him like a gentleman. “Let’s order first.”
Si Ling sat down readily and set his bag aside.
Compared with their hurried encounter in the mall, Huo Chengyu now took his first careful look at the person he was meant to marry.
The young man looked very young. Long platinum-blond hair fell over his shoulders. He wore a Chanel-style jacket, with a soft decorative ribbon wrapped around his slender neck and one end hanging down his chest. Several diamond-encrusted bracelets were stacked around one pale wrist, extravagant and eye-catching. He was propping his chin on one hand and smiling at Huo Chengyu.
Si Ling flipped through the menu with his other hand, though his attention was clearly nowhere near ordering food.
“Mr. Huo, you’re not quite like the rumors.”
Huo Chengyu was not the type to play along with teasing. He answered flatly, “Is that so?”
“Mhm. The news made you sound like some fat old man in his thirties. So it was all made up.” Si Ling’s eyes curved with amusement. “You’re exactly my type.”
Huo Chengyu was silent for two seconds before choosing only one point to answer. “I am thirty.”
“I like older men. Older men know how to take care of people. Much better than hotheaded boys.”
Si Ling deliberately continued in that vein. Sensing how little interest the man had in chatting, he prepared his next move.
He lowered his eyes to the menu and feigned worry. “I’m so hungry. Mr. Huo, do you come to this restaurant often? Is there anything you recommend? I have no idea what to eat.”
Huo Chengyu replied, “This is my first time here.”
“All right, then I’ll recommend something to you. I’ve been here several times.” Si Ling tapped the menu. “The baked snails are good. Last time I came with Brother Huang, he loved them. I thought they were cooked perfectly too.”
Huo Chengyu gave a faint nod and an acknowledging hum.
Si Ling glanced at him and continued frowning. “But I’m not very good at ordering steak. Could you choose one for me? Brother Lin usually orders for me, but he isn’t here today…”
Huo Chengyu remained utterly unmoved. In a deep voice, he asked, “What texture do you like?”
“…”
Si Ling tapped the fingers supporting his chin. He gave a casual answer or two, but his gaze grew complicated.
Did this man have no curiosity whatsoever? His date had been mentioning other men over and over, yet Huo Chengyu’s bland reaction was nothing like what one would expect from a notoriously possessive Alpha.
And earlier, when Huo Chengyu had pulled out his chair, they had stood close together. Si Ling had not smelled even the slightest trace of Alpha pheromones.
He really had that much Alpha self-control?
That made Si Ling recall Huo Chengyu’s background.
The Huo family was an old aristocratic clan with deep roots in Jing City and rarely appeared in public. The little information anyone had about them had come three years ago, when one of the family’s distant relatives in the entertainment industry described the Huo family’s strict household rules on a variety show.
There were only a handful of rules, yet they were so rigid that they made people stare in disbelief when the episode aired and sent the topic straight onto the trending list. Even their sleeping and waking hours were spelled out clearly.
No wonder someone raised in a family like that was so steady and mature. Si Ling covertly studied the man across from him and shook his head inwardly.
What a humorless old fossil. How boring would it be to marry someone like this?
By the end of the meal, Si Ling had nearly fallen asleep from boredom.
The man opposite him acted as though he were interviewing a subordinate. His voice remained calm and almost completely flat. After asking Si Ling’s age and occupation, he said little else and never once mentioned the flood of negative news about him.
Si Ling could not help wondering: did he not care about that either?
Once they had eaten their fill, Si Ling stood and left with him, but still felt he had not worked hard enough tonight. He reached out and looped his arm through Huo Chengyu’s. Sensing the man stiffen slightly, he spoke in a soft voice.
“We’ve talked so much today and gotten pretty familiar. Can I call you Brother Huo from now on?”
He clearly saw the man’s already furrowed brow draw tighter.
Si Ling blinked innocently and waited for him to ask, Do you act like this with everyone?
But two seconds passed, and Huo Chengyu’s expression remained calm. He only slid his arm unobtrusively out of Si Ling’s hold. “Whatever makes you happy.”
Si Ling: “…” Boring.
On the way out of the restaurant, Huo Chengyu explained that he had business to handle and needed to return to the company. Si Ling remembered the pile of clothes he had tried on earlier and said, “Before I came to see you, I tried on some clothes at the mall next door. I was planning to buy them after dinner. Aren’t you going shopping with me?”
Without even thinking, Huo Chengyu replied, “I’ll have my assistant buy them and send them to your home. It’s getting late.”
Si Ling lowered his gaze to his phone screen—8:30 p.m.
Apparently the rumors really were true. Was President Huo actually trying to rush home before ten like a good boy so he could go to bed on time?
Because of the hour, Huo Chengyu could not drive him home personally and instead arranged for his own driver. Before leaving, Si Ling leaned against the car window and deliberately put on a reluctant expression.
“Brother Huo, I thought I might get to visit your home today. I didn’t expect you to be so busy.”
His performance was exaggerated, but Huo Chengyu had no interest in appreciating it. Seeming somewhat distracted, he replied casually, “There’ll be a chance before the engagement.”
“Oh.” Si Ling answered instinctively, then suddenly realized what he had heard and stared at him in shock.
But Huo Chengyu gave him no chance to speak again. He gently shut the car door. The driver pulled away, and Si Ling stared blankly out the window as that figure gradually disappeared from view.
What engagement?
He had behaved like this and Huo Chengyu still wanted him? Was the man that desperate?
========== Author’s Note ==========
The story is officially underway! This one is about our gorgeous little drama queen and our straitlaced, repressed daddy. They’re each other’s one and only, 1v1, with very strong mutual attraction. Ling-baby has plenty of people crushing one-sidedly on him, but he’s only interested in Old Huo. Those “ex-boyfriends” are all just rumors; there was never any real contact or relationship. The later plot will explain it~
This story is all about old-school sweetness—very old-school, very sweet, and honestly nothing especially novel about the romance, with a little face-slapping and throwing one’s weight around on the side.
