Chapter 9: Attentiveness

Wen Xi’s mother had passed away early, and her father, whose health had declined significantly after a major illness, had lived in seclusion with his second wife for years. Xu Linshen was the child her stepmother had brought into the family.

She remembered when Xu Linshen first arrived at the Wen estate. He was a teenager then—silent, gloomy, and unwilling to speak to anyone. He had ignored Wen Su’s attempts to greet him, which led Wen Xi to dislike him as well. Yet, every time she dragged Wen Su to play in the yard, she would occasionally turn around and catch a glimpse of Xu Linshen pressed against the first-floor window, secretly watching them.

Wen Su had gently comforted her, telling her not to be afraid. She said that Xu Linshen actually really wanted to play with them, but because he had a hard life in his previous home, he was instinctively guarded in a new environment.

Wen Xi hadn’t understood such complex emotions back then. But one day, when Wen Su wasn’t around, she secretly tried to ride Wen Su’s mountain bike. She lost her balance and nearly crashed, only for Xu Linshen to appear out of nowhere and steady the bike for her. He didn’t say much while teaching her how to ride, but he ran behind the bike the whole way, never truly letting go. Sweat rolled down his face, and for once, his gloomy expression was replaced by genuine worry.

Wen Xi started calling him “Brother,” and Wen Su became his close friend because of it. They had welcomed him into the Wen family with such sincerity.

Only later did Wen Xi realize that from the moment Xu Linshen stepped into the Wen house, he viewed everyone as a stepping stone. He wanted to climb upward, step by step, and any threat that appeared in that process would be eliminated one by one.

The sound of Xu Linshen’s deep laughter brought Wen Xi’s thoughts back to the present. She said calmly, “Cheng Si? What does him being in trouble have to do with me?”

Xu Linshen’s gaze turned cold. “If it has nothing to do with you, then why did you play the Good Samaritan when he clashed with that kid from the Zhao family?”

“What,” Wen Xi said, “the Zhaos didn’t tell you?” “?” Wen Xi said without blinking, “If it weren’t for Cheng Si, I wouldn’t have known that Zhao Jie was dying to kill me.”

Xu Linshen froze, his expression becoming solemn. “What exactly happened?”

Wen Xi told him about the switched fencing blade. “…If I hadn’t controlled my strength then, Cheng Si might have been stabbed by me. It’s one thing for Zhao Jie to do that, but he also cursed at me in private… he called me…” Xu Linshen: “Called you what?”

Wen Xi blinked and sniffled slightly. “Just the usual things people say about Omegas. I can’t bring myself to say it. If you want to know specifically, why don’t you go ask Zhao Jie?”

Xu Linshen pondered for a few seconds, his face gradually darkening. The Zhao family had told him the blade switch wasn’t intentional—that they judged the blade wouldn’t hurt Wen Xi and just wanted to give that boy Cheng Si a lesson, so they went along with it to gain a favor. He hadn’t expected Zhao Jie to dare harbor such filthy thoughts toward Wen Xi.

“You don’t need to worry about this anymore,” Xu Linshen said, his eyes icy as he placed a new dish into Wen Xi’s bowl. “Eat first. Leave the rest to Brother.”

Wen Xi curled her lips; she finally had a bit of an appetite. Cheng Si hadn’t actually told her what Zhao Jie said, and it likely wasn’t anything good, but that was enough. Xu Linshen would never allow anyone to trample on the reputation of a member of the Wen family.

Cheng Si had been working his part-time job over the weekend and stayed up very late, nearly failing to get up on Monday morning. Seeing him walk into the classroom with bleary eyes, Jiang Shuo looked as if he’d seen a ghost. “Holy crap, you actually came to class today?”

“Is that a problem?” Cheng Si replied, instinctively glancing toward the front row.

Morning classes hadn’t officially started yet. Wen Xi was reading a foreign-language book. Most of the vocabulary Cheng Si had learned in middle school had been returned to his teachers; he could only recognize a few scattered words—something about investment. She was reading so intently that the sound of a desk bumping her chair didn’t even catch her attention.

“Don’t you have work this afternoon?” Jiang Shuo grinned. “Or are you planning to go straight after becoming famous?” Cheng Si glanced at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Still playing dumb?” Jiang Shuo pulled out his phone and showed him the school forum. “Someone filmed you beating up Zhao Jie. They’re saying you’re incredibly Alpha, and some are even boldly claiming that the title of ‘School Grass’ in our international school might be changing hands.”

Jiang Shuo had gone home right after school that day and missed the climax, so he’d spent his time on the forum rewatching his friend’s heroic moment. Cheng Si had no interest in such things, but he noticed that the forum was flooded with topics regarding Wen Xi.

Jiang Shuo noticed too and glanced toward Wen Xi, lowering his voice to comfort him. “Don’t even think about it. Even if you’re a bit famous now, you still can’t compare to Wen Xi. She has a natural magnetism for drama.” He paused. “I haven’t told anyone else, but did you know Zhao Jie was actually bailed out? But—he’s back in again, and the charges might be even more serious this time.”

Cheng Si’s expression shifted. “What do you mean?”

“It means he was originally only going to be sentenced as a rapist, but he just had to go and seek death,” Jiang Shuo said. “As soon as he was bailed out, he tried to go after the Omega who reported him. The police caught him red-handed. Now he’s facing charges for illegal confinement and attempted murder. With all those crimes combined, he likely won’t be coming out for the rest of his life.”

Jiang Shuo sighed in admiration. “Wen Xi is too powerful. Her methods are ruthless and leave no room for mercy. I’m impressed.” Cheng Si said flatly, “It wasn’t Wen Xi.” “Huh?” Cheng Si said, “It was likely Xu… her second brother who took action.”

He had seen plenty of Xu Linshen’s ruthlessness during his time at the Wen estate. Back then, Xu Linshen still acted like a “good brother” to Wen Xi, and his predatory business tactics hadn’t yet been brought into the light.

Jiang Shuo let out a “holy sh*t” before thinking of something. “So, we’re already in our third year and no Alpha has ever gotten close to Wen Xi… could it be because her brother is too terrifying?” Before waiting for an answer, he patted his chest in relief. “Thank god I didn’t go try to pay her any attentions.”

Cheng Si: “…You were planning to pay her attentions?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jiang Shuo asked. “Everyone loves beauty. What’s wrong with showing some interest?” Cheng Si asked expressionlessly, “And how exactly were you planning to do that?”

Jiang Shuo lifted his school uniform sleeve under the desk to show off his abs, chest, and biceps, saying proudly, “I’ve been working out specifically for this. What do you think, handsome, right? Don’t be fooled by Omegas looking all delicate; some of them are even more lustful than Alphas. They love this stuff.”

Cheng Si: “…”

“Of course,” Jiang Shuo sighed regretfully, “I don’t have the guts to do it now.”

That’s good then. Cheng Si secretly pulled back his own collar to take a look. I have them too.

Just then, the bell rang. Jiang Shuo went quiet, and Cheng Si spent the lesson staring at Wen Xi’s perfectly straight back, lost in thought. He felt like a concubine waiting for the Emperor to flip his name tag—but the “Emperor” showed no intention of doing so even by the time afternoon classes were about to start.

So, after sleeping through the morning at his desk, Cheng Si decided to skip the afternoon classes.

After school, Luo Wanran didn’t have her family nanny cook. She planned to take Wen Xi for coconut chicken in her favorite supercar. The roar of the engine created a beautiful wave of sound along the tree-lined drive.

“A friend recommended it to me. They said the coconut chicken is amazing and the ingredients are super fresh,” Luo Wanran shared her dinner plan. “But it’s in the commercial district, so it might be crowded. I made a reservation, but the owner is stubborn and said he can’t do private bookings because he doesn’t want to offend his regulars.”

Wen Xi’s anticipation vanished instantly. “Then why go? Isn’t it just going to be a squeeze?” “Coming down to the mortal world for good food once in a while won’t kill you,” Luo Wanran said. “If it’s not good, I’ll call you ‘Daddy,’ okay?” Wen Xi finally agreed. “You said it.”

“By the way, you didn’t go to Cheng Si’s house the other night?” Luo Wanran was one of the few who knew Wen Xi’s true orientation. Despite looking like an Omega, Wen Xi only ever took the dominant role. “It’s rare to see someone who fits your taste. I thought you’d go straight for—”

Wen Xi interrupted her with a lazy smile. “He hasn’t even differentiated yet. Go for what? Be a decent person.” Luo Wanran caught the key point. “So once he differentiates, it’s fine?”

“…” A strange expression crossed Wen Xi’s face. After a silence, she said, “We’ll see.” She didn’t have any plan to reveal her Alpha status to Cheng Si just yet.

As they spoke, the traffic light ahead turned red. Luo Wanran’s supercar was a limited edition; the carbon-fiber body and red interior were eye-catching wherever it went. As she rolled down the window, the driver next to her was already staring with undisguised admiration.

She was about to brag to Wen Xi about her new car when she caught a familiar figure in her peripheral vision. She gasped, “Talk of the devil! Wen Xi, look! Over there at the grill stand—isn’t that Cheng Si?”

Wen Xi turned her head, looking in the direction she pointed.

Because they were getting closer to the commercial district, the intersections were filled with three-wheeled food stalls—selling braised goods, crepes, and takoyaki. Almost all the vendors were middle-aged uncles and aunties, except for the one at the grill stand, who was exceptionally young.

The boy had shed his expensive school uniform. His short hair looked even sharper. He wore only a black tank top, revealing strong, lean arms and shoulders. As his wrists tensed while skillfully flipping the skewers, his muscles moved with a sense of wild tension. Combined with the sign that read “Sao-Ge’s Skewers” (Charming Bro’s Skewers), he had attracted quite a crowd.

“My god, he’s faster than us. Did he skip afternoon classes just to do this?” Luo Wanran felt her world-view being challenged. “Is selling skewers really more important than a lecture from a top-tier instructor that money can’t buy?”

Wen Xi’s brow furrowed slightly. Before she could say anything, an electric patrol vehicle marked “Integrated Enforcement” suddenly sped up from behind. Instantly, the street vendors acted as if they were facing a great enemy. Ignoring the customers waiting for food, they hopped on their trikes and bolted.

Cheng Si was clearly no stranger to this. He calmly cut the heat, swung his long legs onto the driver’s seat, and slammed the accelerator to the floor. He managed to break out of the pack of uncles and aunties, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

Luo Wanran watched in awe. After a long pause, she finally snapped out of it once the wild figure disappeared from view. She rubbed her nose. “I didn’t realize our school had such… uh, skillful students. Truly a hidden dragon.”

The light turned green. Luo Wanran suddenly had a bold idea. “Since you don’t want to squeeze into a restaurant anyway, how about I take you somewhere else to eat?”

Wen Xi looked back, her expression unreadable. “Up to you.”

Twenty seconds later, Luo Wanran caught up to Cheng Si’s beat-up trike in her supercar. A minute later, she stopped at the entrance of an alley. Looking down, she could still see the back of Cheng Si on his trike. “You go down and grab a seat first. I’ll park the car and be right back.”

Wen Xi looked at her with an “are you serious” expression. “Don’t tell me the place you changed to is here?” “Exactly,” Luo Wanran said. “If Cheng Si can cook for you, his grilling should be decent too. Don’t you want to taste skewers made by his own hands?” “…” Wen Xi: “No.”

“Yes, you do,” Luo Wanran teased. “If it’s not good, I’ll call you ‘Daddy,’ okay?” Wen Xi sneered. “Your ‘Daddy’ is getting really cheap.”

Despite her words, Wen Xi got out of the car. The alley was nearly empty, with only a few people taking shortcuts. After walking a bit, she indeed saw the trike labeled “Sao-Ge’s Skewers” and Cheng Si crouching by the roadside smoking. The cobblestone path smelled of damp earth after the rain. The boy’s bronze skin was bathed in the haze of smoke, looking like a stray, tattered wild dog refusing to give in, full of overflowing vitality.

Hearing footsteps, Cheng Si looked up. The moment he saw her, his unfocused eyes suddenly locked on. He still had a cigarette in his mouth, making his Adam’s apple stand out sharply against his jawline.

Before Wen Xi could even speak, Cheng Si—as if afraid she would turn and vanish instantly—crushed the cigarette out with his palm, ignoring the red burn mark on his skin. He crossed his arms, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and very quickly pulled off his black tank top. He revealed defined abs and a full chest built from long-term training, carrying a hint of explosive power.

Wen Xi: “?” Wen Xi: “What are you doing?”

Under her complex and questioning gaze, Cheng Si had a sinking feeling he had just done something stupid again. But it was already done. Wen Xi was likely just passing by, and he didn’t know when he’d get another chance like this.

So, Cheng Si braced himself and answered truthfully in a dry voice: “I’m paying you attentions.”

“Put it back on,” Wen Xi said.

Cheng Si silently put the tank top back on, feeling frustrated that his plan had backfired. Perhaps Wen Xi wasn’t one of those Omegas Jiang Shuo talked about; maybe she didn’t like this.

The next second, Wen Xi pointed at the large characters on the trike and spoke through gritted teeth: “Sao… Ge’s… Skewers? You’re quite dedicated to the role.”