After Abandoning the Paranoid Mad Dog Alpha - Chapter 2

Zhong Yu followed Qin Duo into the car. Even though they were now far away from Shi Yao, that lingering sensation of being watched seemed to follow him like a shadow.

He stiffened as he pulled the seatbelt across himself in the passenger seat. Qin Duo noticed something was off and asked, “What’s wrong, Xiao Yu? Are you too tired?”

Qin Duo’s voice was gentle and deep, pulling Zhong Yu’s drifting thoughts back to reality. He curled his numb fingertips and followed Qin Duo’s lead to make an excuse: “…A little bit.”

As Qin Duo started the car, he glanced over. “Why the sudden return? You didn’t give me any heads-up. Didn’t you say last time you still had half a month left?”

“It’s your birthday, Brother Duo. I finished my classes early over there so I could come back and celebrate with you.” Zhong Yu crossed his hands awkwardly, offering a shy smile. “…After all, you’ve been taking care of me all year.”

Qin Duo let out a soft laugh as he turned the steering wheel. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Zhong Yu lowered his head obediently, his long lashes trembling slightly. He didn’t respond. While he had his own hidden motives, his gratitude was genuine. If the heir of the Qin family weren’t Qin Duo, he wouldn’t be living such a comfortable life.

But the thought of the man who had appeared earlier made him uneasy. After being away for two months, it felt as if some things were slowly slipping out of his control. He rubbed the joint of his pinky finger and spoke as if casually: “Brother Duo, about the match just now…”

“Matches have winners and losers. It’s normal to be bested by someone with more skill.” Thinking Zhong Yu was trying to comfort him, Qin Duo interrupted. At a red light, he took a moment to check his communicator, which had been lighting up. “By the way, Butler Zhang said the birthday banquet tonight has been moved to my uncle’s house. Did he tell you?”

Zhong Yu’s hand froze for three seconds. “…I’m a bit tired, so I won’t go.”

Qin Duo’s brow furrowed, then he seemed to realize something. “Did he not mention it to you?”

Zhong Yu lowered his gaze, his eyes devoid of emotion. He was long used to these slights. When he looked up, he wore a faint smile.

“It’s okay. Butler Zhang is just looking out for me. It would be awkward for someone of my status to show up there, and besides, I’m not used to those kinds of occasions. Uncle Qin was kind enough to take us out of the slums; he’s already been very good to us.”

His tone was light, as if he didn’t care at all. Qin Duo paused, looking as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately just said, “Alright then, as you wish.”

The conversation died down, and a silence settled over the car. They drove back to the Qin residence in silence. As soon as they got out, Qin Duo was whisked away by a crowd of people. Left alone, Zhong Yu slipped back into the house and headed straight for the second floor.

Faint piano music drifted from a room near the stairs. He knocked, and the music stopped abruptly. Zhong Yu turned the handle.

A man sat at the piano. His eyes lit up when he saw him. “A-Yu!”

The man was beautiful and slender, bearing a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Zhong Yu. Dressed in a peach-colored shirt and trousers, he possessed a quiet, elegant aura, though it couldn’t hide his sickly pallor. He looked young, yet his eyes were silent and aged, as if he had already seen through the world.

Zhong Yu hated that look in his eyes the most. But seeing the man’s joyful expression, he paused before speaking: “Dad, I’m back.”

Zhong Yu’s father walked quickly toward him. Hearing the noise downstairs growing louder, Zhong Yu closed the door behind him. His father studied his face with concern. “You look thinner. Why did you come back so suddenly?”

Zhong Yu didn’t explain. His gaze flickered to the medicine bottles on the table. “Did you take your medicine?”

Accustomed to his son ignoring his questions, the father looked at him tenderly. “I took it all.”

“How has your health been lately?” Zhong Yu scanned the room, finding nothing new. He looked up, meeting his father’s affectionate gaze, and immediately looked away. “Same as before. About the same.”

Zhong Yu’s expression softened slightly. “Wasn’t your check-up supposed to be the day before yesterday? Is the report out?”

“Not yet. Dr. Liao has been busy lately. The check-up has to be pushed back a few days, likely until next week.”

“Aren’t routine check-ups every month? Why the delay this time?” Zhong Yu’s face darkened. He hesitated, his voice sounding forced: “Does Uncle Qin… does Uncle Qin know?”

The father patted Zhong Yu’s shoulder comfortingly. “It was your Uncle Qin who told me. A friend of his isn’t doing well, so he sent Dr. Liao to help out. A-Yu, we are living under someone else’s roof; we should be understanding. I don’t have any major issues; skipping one check-up isn’t a big deal.”

His father’s voice was soft, but his words brought Zhong Yu no comfort. Instead, he felt an increasing sense of irritation. Suppressing his frustration, he said coldly, “I’ll be heading back to my room then.”

His father hesitated. “Then tonight… do you want to have dinner together?”

Zhong Yu looked at the hope in his eyes but eventually turned his back. “Better not. I’m going back.”

His room was right next door. He slipped in without alerting anyone downstairs. The room was large—a standard guest room of the Qin residence—complete with a bathroom, a walk-in closet, a study, and even a piano. Yet, at a glance, the room felt empty and devoid of life.

He took a shower, changed into pajamas, and started unpacking. He pulled out a round gift box containing souvenirs he bought on another planet—knick-knacks his father had mentioned in bedtime stories when he was a child. He had wanted to give them to him, but he felt awkward, as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it. It felt as though a needle was still wedged between father and son.

Zhong Yu sighed and set the box aside, digging another small gift box out from the corner of his suitcase. Inside was an exquisite platinum necklace with a translucent water-blue pendant. This was the birthday gift he had prepared for Qin Duo—a mecha storage necklace he had saved up for half a year to buy. He had planned to give it to him tonight, but after Qin Duo lost the championship, the timing felt off.

Should I give it?

He bit his lip, his thoughts drifting back to the unexpected person at the competition. That man hadn’t changed much in two years, though he seemed taller. His eyes were sharper than before, like a wolf eyeing its prey, waiting for the perfect moment for a lethal strike.

When those words were silently mouthed, Zhong Yu had instinctively looked away and fled. Two years ago, he had left without a word, never expecting to see him again. He hadn’t known what to say then, and he didn’t know now.

They had both grown up in the slums, where survival was the only priority. Zhong Yu was tired of the endless fear and the filthy, lewd eyes that followed him. He was like a penned lamb—beautiful but fragile—waiting to be devoured once he matured. So, the moment he had a chance to escape that cage, he left without hesitation.

His finger brushed the blue pendant. The crystal’s facets shimmered clearly under the light. He remembered the day he left, carrying a backpack with almost nothing in it, boarding the hovercar to the Central City with his father.

The sky in the Central City was impossibly clean—an endless bright blue with a few fluffy white clouds. Sunlight poured down from above, gilding the rows of skyscrapers in gold, like a fairy tale. It was nothing like where he grew up—that broken, decaying place, always hazy with radiation pollution and smelling of ash and rot.

He had never seen such a beautiful blue before. Even if he had told Shi Yao he was leaving, what would it have mattered? Shi Yao wouldn’t have stayed for him.

But he truly hadn’t expected Shi Yao’s hatred to burn so fiercely. Zhong Yu looked down, wondering if he should apologize to Shi Yao at some point. He was a pragmatist; if playing nice could solve the problem, he would do it without hesitation. After all—his brow furrowed again—he was running out of time.

Exhausted from the journey, Zhong Yu fell into a deep sleep for nearly four hours. When he woke up, it was past 9:00 PM. He groggily checked his communicator and was instantly wide awake.

Qin Duo had sent him a bar’s location half an hour ago, saying he was drinking with friends after the banquet and asking if he wanted to join. Zhong Yu immediately sat up and replied that he would be right there. There was no reply; Qin Duo was likely already drinking.

Qin Duo was friendly and lacked the arrogance of his peers. Despite Zhong Yu’s background, he held no prejudice. But his friends were different—high-born heirs who looked down on everyone. Out of respect for Qin Duo, they didn’t show it openly, but they privately despised Zhong Yu.

He didn’t usually hang out with them, but today was an exception because of the birthday. He picked out a simple black shirt and jeans. His natural beauty made the simple clothes look even better, highlighting his slender, clean-cut figure.

Before leaving, he sprayed a bit of perfume, then changed his mind and used a deodorizer to remove the scent. He stared at himself in the mirror for a long time before finally deciding to tilt the scent-blocking patch on the back of his neck slightly to the side.

No artificial perfume could match the sweetness of pheromones. As long as the “core area” wasn’t exposed, there was no danger; the scent would only be detectable if someone was extremely close.

He didn’t bring the necklace. Instead, he winced as he used his card to buy a pair of cufflinks online. By the time the delivery bot arrived at the bar, he had just arrived as well.

The entrance was bustling. Qin Duo still hadn’t replied, so Zhong Yu went inside on his own. He had never been to such a rowdy place; he knew they were dangerous for him and usually stayed away, especially after manifesting as an Omega.

Inside, kaleidoscopic lights flashed overhead. The air was a thick, cloying mix of various pheromones. The sound of clinking glasses, laughter, and shouting was constant.

Zhong Yu looked out of place in his cleanliness. Standing alone at the entrance, he immediately caught the attention of most Alphas in the vicinity. Someone whistled, and another man, clearly drunk, intentionally bumped into him.

As the stranger’s Alpha scent hit him and their bodies brushed, the hair on the back of Zhong Yu’s neck stood up. The proximity made him regret the foolish thing he had done at home.

The man leaned in close, his brown eyes squinting as he looked him up and down. His nose twitched as he leaned toward the back of Zhong Yu’s ear. Zhong Yu was certain he couldn’t smell anything, yet the man took a deep, intoxicated breath and wore a deliberate, suggestive smile.

He was flirting.

Zhong Yu pretended not to understand. His heart pounded as he feigned composure amidst the man’s bold advances. He brushed past the man’s shoulder and headed deeper into the bar, where he could see Qin Duo and his group sitting in the back. Burning gazes followed him the whole way, but he ignored them.

As he got closer, he saw Qin Duo lying back on the sofa with his eyes closed, seemingly drunk. Zhong Yu had a small idea; he stepped forward quickly and gently held Qin Duo’s arm. “Brother Duo, have you had too much to drink?”

Hearing his voice, Qin Duo slowly opened his eyes, his gaze a bit blurry. “…Xiao Yu? Why are you here?”

Zhong Yu didn’t know who Qin Duo was expecting, but he soon found out. Footsteps approached from behind. Qin Duo raised a glass from the side table and gave a thumbs-up to the newcomer.

“I accept my defeat. Shi Yao, let’s drink more!”

The person behind him didn’t speak. All that could be heard was the sound of ice clinking against glass and the sound of liquid being swallowed.

Zhong Yu froze at the mention of that name. His heart hammered against his ribs. He wanted to find an excuse to leave, but his mind went blank. Qin Duo didn’t give him the chance. Still tipsy, he turned to introduce them:

“Xiao Yu, this is today’s mecha competition champion, Shi Yao.”

Many people in the booth looked over. Zhong Yu took a deep breath, steadied his nerves, and slowly turned around.

Shi Yao was wearing a white shirt—a bartender’s uniform. He was tall, and the sense of pressure he exerted while looking down at Zhong Yu was immense. The bloodstains from earlier were still on his face, and his jet-black eyes were like a whirlpool, trapping anyone who met his gaze.

Charming and dangerous.

It was as if he weren’t a bartender, but an investigator hunting down a fugitive. And Zhong Yu was his fugitive.

Zhong Yu managed a weak smile. “…Hello, I’m Zhong Yu.”

He was terrified that Shi Yao would reveal their past relationship to get revenge, but the other man didn’t even acknowledge him. Shi Yao’s gaze dropped, staring fixedly at Zhong Yu’s hand resting on Qin Duo’s arm. He didn’t look away for a second.