A One-Night Stand?

An unfamiliar male voice suddenly interrupted Shen Yi's thoughts. He turned to see a tall blond man pointing at the empty seat beside him.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"No, go ahead." Shen Yi quickly picked up his jacket.

The man thanked him, took off his coat, and sat down. He carried the chill of the outdoors with him, as though he had just come in.

"This spot has the best view."

"Especially for having a quiet drink alone."

Shen Yi had just finished his red wine. The attentive bartender refilled his glass at just the right moment and gave the newcomer a menu and some water. The bar had indeed grown livelier after nightfall.

"How's this red? I've heard good things about it," the man asked as he browsed the menu.

Shen Yi gently swirled his glass and said candidly, "I like it a lot. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, it should suit your taste."

"Hmm, I'll try a glass, then."

Hearing his hesitant murmur, Shen Yi glanced at his bottle. It really was too much for one person. Perhaps because he hadn't indulged in a while, he felt a little tipsy tonight.

"If you don't mind, would you like to share this bottle?"

The unexpected offer seemed to surprise the man. Shen Yi smiled and signaled directly to the bartender.

Soon, the man had a glass of the same red wine in front of him.

Sharing a bottle gave them a reason to exchange a few words now and then. One hour passed, then two, and the night deepened.

"Your first time in Boston?" Shen Yi relaxed as the wine went to his head.

"My third. Business trips every time, with no chance to sightsee. I thought I might get to this time, but the weather doesn't look too promising..."

"This much snow in April is certainly unusual," Shen Yi agreed with a smile.

The man took a sip of wine, his gaze drifting casually over Shen Yi's left hand. There were no rings on his long, clean fingers.

"If you don't mind my asking, what do you do?"

"Just an ordinary office worker."

"You don't look remotely 'ordinary.'"

Shen Yi chuckled, tilting his face up to give him a sidelong look. "Maybe because I'm a foreigner? My accent is pretty distinctive, too."

"Your inflection is captivating. Your voice is so clear, like flowing moonlight."

"Thank you." Long accustomed to such frank Western compliments, Shen Yi smiled without committing himself.

The man shifted in his seat, steering the conversation toward more personal territory. "Do you like wine?"

"I wouldn't say I'm especially fond of it. I deal with it quite often for work, so I know a little."

"It has something to do with your job?"

"...You could say that." Shen Yi shrugged. He had never liked revealing too much to strangers.

The man, by contrast, was quite forthcoming about his name, profession, and reason for visiting Boston. The New York lawyer spoke with an elegant British accent and said he was staying at this hotel, too.

"How long are you planning to stay?"

Faced with the repeated question, Shen Yi narrowed his eyes. "You seem particularly interested in me?"

"Yes. That's why I deliberately chose this seat."

He had meant to tease the man, only to have the tables turned on him. Shen Yi paused and studied him closely. He had always been aware of his own appeal, yet now he felt oddly unsure. Was the alcohol getting to him?

Shen Yi asked, "You said you're a Beta, right?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"I..."

"Honestly, it's hard to tell. You seem like both an Omega and an Alpha. It's confusing."

"That's the first time anyone's said I seem like an Omega. People usually mistake me for an Alpha."

Under the man's curious gaze, Shen Yi took a sip of wine and sighed softly. "My boss is an S-Class Alpha. Long-term exposure to his pheromones probably makes it easy for people to misunderstand."

"I see. That certainly could cause some trouble."

Understanding dawned on the man, and his green eyes suddenly brightened. "Could there be something more between you and your Alpha boss?"

Shen Yi's expression instantly stiffened. "Absolutely not!"

"Then... how about giving me a chance?"

The man no longer hid his interest. Shen Yi drank in silence.

"I've never been with a man."

"It doesn't hurt to try something different once in a while."

Shen Yi had nothing against same-sex relationships themselves. In this day and age, dividing people into heterosexual and homosexual was already outdated. Sexuality was simply a personal choice.

It was just that everyone he had fallen for in the past had happened to be a woman. When had his last relationship been? Six years ago, or seven?

His busy days had made him give up far too much. Now he felt an urge to indulge himself. Shen Yi tilted his head and studied the man. Handsome, a little tipsy, a chance encounter in a foreign country... it really was tempting.

He poured the remaining wine into his glass, raised his eyes, and asked:

"Then can I be on top?"

The man smiled awkwardly. "If that's what you want, I can oblige. But at a time like this, wouldn't it be better to let someone experienced take the lead?"

"You sound very confident."

"I'll make sure you're satisfied. I promise."

Flirtation hung in the air. Shen Yi didn't pull away from the hand that quietly covered his own, and the man leaned closer.

There was nothing wrong with a one-night stand. They wouldn't see each other again anyway.

Just as their noses were about to touch, Shen Yi's phone suddenly vibrated on the table.

It was as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him. He sobered instantly.

Before he could think, he had picked up his phone. When "Yuan Chen" appeared on the screen, Shen Yi's face went deathly pale.

This was the last person who should have appeared at this moment. At this hour, Yuan Chen should have been suffering through his Heat Period.

The call ended quickly, leaving only a missed-call notification. A chill ran down Shen Yi's spine. He sprang to his feet, his chair scraping harshly across the floor.

"Are you all right?"

"Sorry, something urgent came up. I have to go!"

Shen Yi left the bar without looking back. As the elevator descended, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Was it an accidental call? But his instincts as a secretary told him something must have gone wrong.

When he reached the room, he found the contracted partner who had gone inside earlier standing in the hallway.

"What happened? What went wrong?"

The contracted partner hemmed and hawed. Only after Shen Yi pressed him did he admit, "He said he smelled Omega pheromones and threw me out."

"What do you mean? Aren't you a Beta?"

"Actually... Omega pheromones can help an Alpha in Heat Period, so I used a little artificial pheromone to help establish a connection..."

"You used Omega pheromones without permission?" Shen Yi's voice turned abruptly cold.

The contracted partner didn't dare look up. "I-I didn't expect him to reject them so strongly..."

"..."

"It was a very small amount! And it's synthetic. It dissipates quickly..."

Shen Yi's expression darkened completely, making the contracted partner even more timid. An ordinary Alpha would have been aroused by it. Who could have expected this one to react so violently?

Shen Yi rubbed between his brows and let out a long sigh. Now they were in trouble.

"This is a serious breach of contract. Do you realize how badly you've messed up?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Please leave. The contract is terminated. We'll discuss the penalty later."

Shen Yi made the decision without hesitation. This wasn't the time to be angry. Dealing with the immediate crisis came first.

He immediately called the second contracted partner.

Fortunately, the call connected quickly. Shen Yi struggled to explain the situation and asked him to come as soon as possible.

"It's snowing heavily right now, so getting there will be difficult. I'll try to catch the first flight tomorrow morning."

The other man explained that he was too far away, but promised to come as soon as he could.

Now Shen Yi would have to face Yuan Chen alone. His palms sweated with nerves, and his mouth went dry.

He took a deep breath and swiped his key card to open the door.

Yuan Chen sat on the living room sofa, his bathrobe loosely tied and water still dripping from the ends of his hair, as though he had just finished bathing. He propped his forehead on one hand, hiding his expression. A nearly empty bottle of whiskey stood on the coffee table.

Shen Yi was somewhat surprised. This was much calmer than he had expected. An Alpha in Heat Period shouldn't have been like this.

"President Yuan, are you all right?" He took a few steps closer and asked softly.

Yuan Chen slowly turned his head.

Shen Yi's breath caught.

It was a face he had never seen before. His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils dilated like a wild animal's. These were the most typical symptoms of Heat Period.

He looked less like a person than a ferocious beast poised to strike.

Shen Yi instinctively backed away and immediately dialed Professor Hu.

"Professor, President Yuan's Heat Period has started, but his Heat Period partner might not arrive until tomorrow morning. What should I do?"

"What? It's already started? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. But he still seems fairly stable at the moment. Is there anything special I need to do?"

"It's only a matter of time before he loses his reason. Remember, you must not use suppressants under any circumstances. If things get out of control, there's an unlabeled injection in the medical kit I gave you. It's a sedative you can use in an emergency."

"Will the sedative put him to sleep?"

"No. It will only slow his movements. It won't solve the underlying problem."

Shen Yi had barely committed those words to memory when pain suddenly shot through his wrist. His phone flew out of his hand and landed hard on the carpet.

Professor Hu's anxious cry of "Shen Yi?" still came faintly from the phone.

At some point, Yuan Chen had closed in on him, his fingers clamped around his wrist like an iron vise.