He Really Didn't Want to Lose You

The third day of the handover.

Shen Yi discovered something new: apart from his colleagues in the Secretary Department, no one at the company knew he was an omega. Everyone he met asked whether he was feeling better and whether his sick leave was over, apparently assuming he had taken time off because he was ill.

This was clearly Yuan Chen's doing. He had issued a gag order, and his loyal colleagues in the Secretary Department had kept their mouths shut.

Shen Yi didn't actually mind people knowing, but since President Yuan had given the order, he was happy to stay silent.

Even though he tried to stay in the office, he inevitably had to go out and move around. Each time he caught the faint scent of his colleagues' pheromones, neither body scent nor perfume, he found it novel. He instinctively reined in his own pheromones, which ended up becoming a form of training.

At five in the afternoon, as soon as the workday ended, Shen Yi began clearing his desk. He packed important documents into a cardboard box, emptied his personal belongings from the drawers, and tore up the row of sticky notes beside his monitor before throwing them in the trash.

The secretaries gathered nearby, their eyes full of regret. They hadn't even been able to arrange a farewell dinner, so all they could do was sigh to themselves.

Once he had finished tidying up, Shen Yi shut down his computer for the last time. After taking care of a few final tasks, he picked up the document envelope he had prepared and stood.

He carefully buttoned his suit jacket, straightened his tie, then went to the office door and knocked lightly. Yuan Chen's low voice answered from inside.

Yuan Chen looked up from his monitor and watched Shen Yi gently close the door and approach. There was a rare brightness to Shen Yi's face. Although he wasn't smiling, it was clear he was in a good mood.

President Yuan paused his work and leaned back in his chair. As it slowly swiveled, Shen Yi reached the desk and calmly handed him an envelope.

"What's this?"

"My resignation letter."

Yuan Chen gave a soft laugh and opened the envelope. The document he drew out was identical to the one previously submitted, except that this one had been laminated.

"A resignation letter."

"Yes."

"You even had it laminated?"

Shen Yi nodded, calmly meeting President Yuan's sharp gaze.

"It doesn't matter if you tear it up. The relevant documents have already been uploaded to the HR system, and the automated resignation process has begun."

"..."

"The handover was completed today. I've given Secretary Li the headhunter's contact details and forwarded all our correspondence to you. They said they'll continue recommending candidates, so please make time to check, no matter how busy you are."

"It seems you've prepared everything very thoroughly."

"I believe in finishing what I start."

Yuan Chen put down the resignation letter. Tearing it up wouldn't stop Shen Yi from leaving, and they both knew it.

His head throbbed as though it would split, and he pressed hard against his temples.

"Won't you reconsider?"

"I'm sorry to give up an annual salary of a million, too."

"Tell me your terms."

Honestly, Yuan Chen had already lowered himself by going this far to keep him. But Shen Yi knew better than anyone that this was precisely how unwilling he was to let go, so he pretended to consider it.

"Hmm... if you're willing to take responsibility for my life, President Yuan? For instance, looking after me for the rest of my life?"

"Do you mean that?"

Shen Yi smiled faintly. Of course he didn't. Yuan Chen, dating an omega? Pure fantasy. He only dared say it because it was a condition Yuan Chen could never possibly accept.

"Then I'll take my leave."

After saying a polite goodbye, he turned and left. Yuan Chen made no further attempt to keep him. Shen Yi briefly said goodbye to the secretaries, then walked out of the office.

When he returned his employee badge to HR, the department head came over to speak to him personally. The resignation request he had just uploaded had the entire department talking.

"Shen Yi, the documents you submitted include a diagnosis confirming your differentiation into an omega..."

"Yes, that's right."

"My goodness... this is so sudden."

"It felt sudden to me, too."

Shen Yi replied calmly. Those curious looks made him uncomfortable, and he didn't want to explain any further. He stepped back from the counter, his expression still composed.

"Do I need to provide any other documents?"

"Everything is here. There shouldn't be any problems."

"Good. Thank you for your help."

He tried hard to ignore the whispers and turned to leave. With all his burdens lifted, his steps felt particularly light as he walked out of the company.

An hour later, his phone began to be bombarded with texts. The news that he was an omega and had resigned spread rapidly.

Everyone from acquaintances to people he barely knew slipped questions about his differentiation into their greetings. Of course, he had no obligation to satisfy their curiosity.

Just as he was considering switching off his phone, another text arrived, this one from the First Hospital in City A.

His follow-up appointment was tomorrow.

"..."

His feelings were complicated. He had already accepted his situation, yet the moment he saw the appointment reminder, a wave of dizziness still swept over him.

Shen Yi closed his eyes. Negative emotions wouldn't help. He had to pull himself together as soon as possible.

"I'm an omega, an omega..." he repeated under his breath like an incantation, continuing for a long time.

"How have you been feeling lately?"

"All right."

"How's your pheromone control? Do you react strongly to alpha pheromones?"

Shen Yi pressed his lips together and nodded. Discussing these things with Professor Hu embarrassed him a little, but he had to accept it. He kept adjusting his expression, trying to look as though nothing was wrong.

"Yes, everything's fine."

Fortunately, Professor Hu was very professional and treated him like any other patient. That matter-of-fact approach actually made Shen Yi more comfortable. Distance was more reassuring than excessive concern.

"Your heat period is expected in early November, around the fifth or sixth."

Modern medicine could already predict heat periods accurately. That was convenient, at least.

"Since this is your first time, I recommend not using medication."

"Understood."

"Please find a partner beforehand. You should know this part well enough, so I won't go into detail. Let's look at the ultrasound we just took."

Professor Hu turned the monitor toward him. Shen Yi studied the black-and-white image. Although he knew it showed his own abdomen, he couldn't make any sense of it.

"Here. This is the implantation site for mental imprint fusion."

"..."

Professor Hu pointed his pen at a small oval. After thirty years of life, suddenly discovering an organ in his body that he'd never known existed felt very strange.

"Its structure is still highly unstable. Conceiving may be very difficult."

"You mean it'll be difficult to fuse mental imprints?"

"The chances are very low. In cases like this, imprint fusion is virtually impossible."

So that was it. Shen Yi readily accepted the news. Seeing his reaction, Professor Hu couldn't help laughing.

"Is being unable to fuse imprints something to be happy about? Judging by your expression."

"Is there a problem with that?"

Professor Hu suppressed his laughter, his gaze softening. At that moment, he was no longer speaking as Shen Yi's attending physician, but as a friend.

"Yuan Chen came to see me the day before yesterday."

"..."

"He asked if there was any way to win you back. A pharmaceutical company president actually saying something like that-it's a miracle."

"It seems he's having a harder time accepting this than I am."

Professor Hu shook his head, finding it absurdly funny. He leaned comfortably back in his chair and twirled the pen in his hand.

"He also asked whether there was any way to cure his 'problem.'"

"..."

"I told him to stop dreaming, and he actually took it to heart. It seems he's finally realized the stakes."

"Shouldn't he see a therapist for that?"

"Exactly. I'm not a psychiatrist. But he didn't seem too discouraged."

The more he thought about it, the funnier it became. Professor Hu pursed his lips. After openly criticizing Yuan Chen, he suddenly turned serious.

"But seeing him make up his mind to overcome this problem, I'm actually quite pleased as his friend."

"..."

"It seems he really doesn't want to lose you?"

The answer to who Yuan Chen didn't want to lose was obvious. Unable to argue, Shen Yi merely rubbed his earlobe without realizing it.