Definitely not that kind of relationship

[Secretary Shen, long time no see. This is Yuan Hao. Are you free for a drink?]

"What a lunatic."

After reading the message he had just received, Shen Yi deleted it and blocked the sender. People like that weren't worth his time.

He was in a hurry to head out. Lin Xiaofeng had arrived ten minutes ago and was already cursing him out for being late. Shen Yi gave his half-dry hair a quick blast with the hair dryer, grabbed his phone, and headed out in a casual outfit, the standard attire for a night of drinking.

The May night was warm, with a gentle breeze against his face and the scent of flowers drifting through the air. It was a pleasant evening. With both hands in his trouser pockets, Shen Yi walked down the slope. The residential complex's only quiet bar was just a three-minute walk away.

Several small tables stood outside the bar, where customers could have a simple meal and a drink, though residents of this upscale complex rarely ate or drank by the roadside.

Lin Xiaofeng had already claimed a table. Seeing Shen Yi stroll over, he waved the bottle in his hand.

"Got fired and you're still taking it easy?"

"Insults the moment we meet? You office workers really are full of resentment."

"You seem to be living pretty well, though. You look great."

Shen Yi grinned, his eyes curving into crescents as he flashed his signature brilliant smile. Lin Xiaofeng sucked in a breath at the sight.

"God! Now that you're an Omega, you're really..." he muttered, almost to himself.

By the time Shen Yi pulled out a chair and sat down, Lin Xiaofeng had already set grilled skewers and beer in front of him.

"Bought this for you," he said, tossing a black plastic bag into the middle of the table. Curious, Shen Yi reached inside and pulled out a beautifully packaged Panda Plush.

"What's this?"

"A Panda Plush from S City."

"What'd you get me this thing for?"

"I queued forever to buy it, and they said they'd throw in an extra one."

Despite his sharp tongue, Lin Xiaofeng was actually very thoughtful. Everything he did showed how much he cared. Shen Yi tore off the wrapping and gave the plush a squeeze.

"Pretty cute."

"Why are we drinking outside?"

"I'm looking out for you! You only just differentiated, and you want to go to a bar packed with Alphas? Don't you know how dangerous the world is?"

"Xiaofeng... you really are old-fashioned."

Shen Yi laughed even harder. Lin Xiaofeng was practically treating him like a newly hatched chick.

His friend had a point, but Shen Yi had already mastered Pheromone Control. Besides, he was an S-class Omega. Smelling an Alpha's pheromones wouldn't make his knees go weak and send him out of control. Of course, someone deliberately releasing pheromones with malicious intent would be another matter, but what Alpha would do something that crazy?

Lin Xiaofeng opened a bottle and filled Shen Yi's glass to the brim, his eyes still full of concern.

"Can you... drink?"

"Could you stop treating Omegas like they're that fragile?"

Shen Yi accepted the glass without hesitation. After they clinked glasses, he drained his in one go, choking a little and frowning.

Watching him, Lin Xiaofeng downed a glass too, his expression relaxing somewhat.

"Do you know the company's practically in an uproar because of you?"

"What do you mean? Shouldn't things have settled down by now?"

"There are posts on the Anonymous Forum already, saying things like 'S-Class Alpha's secretary differentiates into an Omega.' They're anonymous, but it's obvious who they're talking about. The views have skyrocketed. I don't even need to look to know how nasty the comments are."

Shen Yi pursed his lips helplessly. Gossip like this was always embellished, and there were bound to be plenty of malicious comments. Anonymous sites had always been like that.

"You're way too calm. Even I'm worried for you."

"That's who I am, isn't it?"

"The hardest part's already over. Now I just want to focus on living my own life."

Shen Yi refilled his empty glass. They were drinking fast, and the bottle was soon empty. Lin Xiaofeng clinked glasses with him out of habit.

"What are you planning to do next?"

"Hmm... rest at home for a while?"

"Quit joking. Be serious."

Shen Yi smiled and leaned back. The chair's backrest was hard and unyielding, so he simply sprawled lazily against it. Its thin legs wobbled, and he deliberately rocked the chair in playful mischief.

"I'll take a year off. I've worked too hard all these years."

"I agree with that," Lin Xiaofeng said. They were the same age, but Shen Yi really was relentless. Otherwise, how could he have devoted all his energy to the company-or rather, to Yuan Chen?

He hesitated, then asked cautiously:

"Be honest. There's really nothing going on between you and President Yuan, right?"

"Xiaofeng, say that again and I'm going home."

Shen Yi frowned and took another irritated sip of beer.

"You're really not in that kind of relationship?"

"It's weird that you'd even think that."

"Can you swear to heaven?"

At the mention of swearing, Shen Yi hesitated. He wasn't religious anyway. A little lie wouldn't send him to hell, would it?

"Definitely not."

"Weird... then why do I keep getting this gut feeling?"

Lin Xiaofeng bounced his leg unconsciously, sending vibrations through the table to Shen Yi. For some reason, even Shen Yi started feeling uneasy. He crossed his legs. Lin Xiaofeng's instincts were usually spot-on. He needed to distract him fast.

"Let's drink."

"Something's off."

"I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that. My differentiation into an S-class Omega happened naturally."

Lin Xiaofeng suddenly froze and asked:

"You're an S-class Omega?"

"...Yeah." Shen Yi looked puzzled. "What about it?"

Looking incredulous, Lin Xiaofeng gave Shen Yi a once-over.

"But aren't all those S-class Omegas..."

"?"

"Aren't the S-class Omegas on TV all pretty and delicate? Tiny little things you can hold in your arms like dolls."

"So?"

"How come our Shen Yi didn't get any of those 'perks'..."

Sitting there with his legs crossed, Shen Yi really was a far cry from the typical image of an S-class Omega. Honestly, he had barely changed from his days as a Beta.

Not that Shen Yi wasn't good-looking. His finely sculpted features, like carved jade, had been famous ever since he joined the company. Whenever anyone mentioned the "president's special assistant," they thought of Shen Yi. But his good looks had a more striking, masculine edge.

He had a lean build and stood 183 centimeters tall, taller than Lin Xiaofeng. In short, Shen Yi was nothing like Lin Xiaofeng's idea of an S-class Omega.

Shen Yi narrowed his eyes. "What, I don't look like an S-class Omega?"

"...Not really."

"Am I supposed to go through puberty again and grow some more flesh here?" Shen Yi gestured at his chest. "Is this all the perks an Omega gets? Losing all my muscle?"

To prove his point, he uncrossed and straightened his leg. Sure enough, the long legs exposed beneath his shorts were slimmer than before.

Lin Xiaofeng scrutinized Shen Yi's legs, his gaze lingering on the smooth skin.

"Hey, what's up with your legs? You've lost all your muscle?"

"Yeah, my leg hair and armpit hair fell out too. I'm a Sphynx Cat now."

"Who asked you about that!"

His reaction made Shen Yi laugh out loud. Feeling mischievous, he released a little of his pheromones, put a hand on Lin Xiaofeng's head, and pulled him closer.

"Don't like it? Aren't you curious? Just take a sniff~"

While the two of them were roughhousing like children, a sedan drove into the quiet lane. Its sleek body spoke to its owner's status. The slowly moving car suddenly stopped in front of the bar, and a rear door opened.

A long leg clad in black dress trousers emerged. Yuan Chen stepped out and walked steadily toward them, the click of his leather shoes against the ground unusually distinct.

Lin Xiaofeng spotted him first. His eyes widened in surprise, and he frantically pushed at Shen Yi. "Hey, hey! Shen Yi! Stop!"

But Shen Yi hadn't caught on yet and kept fooling around.

Suddenly, someone grabbed the back of Shen Yi's T-shirt collar with such force that both he and his chair were dragged some distance away. The chair legs scraped across the ground with a piercing screech. In an instant, an unbridgeable gulf seemed to have opened between him and Lin Xiaofeng.