Chapter 60

Assuming the person who had kidnapped Ying Zhiyu in his previous life was Zhou Shen.

Due to his own background, Zhou Shen had purposefully joined the Li family’s pheromone empire right after university, drawn by the promise of pheromones.

Meanwhile, extremist Beta groups were vehemently opposed to the so-called “pheromone worship” in ABO society.

What would happen if pheromones were made compatible for Betas?

To normal-minded people, enabling Betas to benefit from pheromones alongside Alphas and Omegas simply meant equality—letting them enjoy the same physiological advantages artificially.

But extremist Beta groups saw it differently.

They despised pheromones and rejected any form of “pheromone worship.”

Some believed that the Alpha and Omega glands forced individuals to act on instinct rather than reason. That sensitivity periods and heats turned rational thinkers into beasts dominated by biological drives.

Glands and pheromones, to them, were vestiges of incomplete human evolution.

How, then, could such groups allow artificial pheromones—which might seduce, assimilate, or even turn other Beta individuals against their own kind—to appear on the market?

Zhou Shen had taken care of Li Xi abroad for over a decade. The only thing Ying Zhiyu had instinctively resisted in his past life was accepting that Li Xi might develop feelings for him.

Couldn’t anyone else see that?

Li Songqian, Li Qin, Li Lü, Li Yue—the Li family probably understood better than anyone else.

Otherwise, why would Li Songqian value Li Xi so highly, favoring him as the next heir of LI Group?

In his past life, Li Xi had been married to Ying Zhiyu for eleven years without a single child, yet Li Songqian had turned a blind eye and tolerated Ying Zhiyu’s presence.

Did he not care about the centuries-old family legacy?
Did he not care about bloodline succession?
Perhaps he simply couldn’t control his own son…

Then there was Li Xi’s personal bodyguard, Panda. In the past life, despite the lukewarm relationship between Ying Zhiyu and Li Xi over the years, Panda had always treated Ying Zhiyu with respect. As Li Xi’s closest bodyguard, Panda fully understood the weight Ying Zhiyu held in Li Xi’s heart.

A clever and calculating mind like Zhou Shen’s would only understand Li Xi’s weaknesses even better.

Realizing this, Ying Zhiyu’s expression shifted. He immediately took out his phone to contact the bodyguards.

Earlier, he had stayed behind alone because no matter how skilled the mastermind was, there was no way they could attack him at the LI Group headquarters. So he had let the bodyguards accompany the little love letter and the nanny home.

By now, it was nearly midnight. When the call was answered, the groggy voice on the other end said, “Young Master Ying?”

Hearing it, Ying Zhiyu relaxed. “Did you all get home safely?”

The bodyguards’ temporary drowsiness actually confirmed everything was normal—they would rotate shifts at night and were not scheduled for overnight duty.

Sure enough, the next response was in full working tone: “We arrived half an hour ago. Little Miss didn’t wake once, and the nanny is still with her in the room.”

“Good, thank you for your hard work. It’s fine, you can rest now,” Ying Zhiyu replied.

After hanging up, he thought: if Zhou Shen had really been the one behind events in his past life, his goal in kidnapping Ying Zhiyu had been to prevent Beta-compatible artificial pheromones from reaching the market.

Then it was possible the target now might shift to their child—the little love letter.

Pretending to “argue” with Li Xi could risk drawing attention to the baby. Better to keep the focus squarely on himself.

Li Xi’s eyes never left Ying Zhiyu.

He had never seen the young Alpha look so tense, worried, anxious—as if he foresaw trouble, or…

What had he experienced?

“I actually traveled back from the future. Our relationship eventually stabilizes—we harmonize like a perfect duet—and we have two children.”

“Maybe I learned it in my past life?”

“Mm. Actually, I didn’t finish drinking Meng Po’s soup completely. I brought memories from my past life, so I know a bit of everything.”

Ying Zhiyu exhaled a sigh, the relief of “surviving a calamity” still lingering at the corners of his eyes, only to meet Li Xi’s furrowed brow.

He flinched slightly, reflexively averting his gaze.

At home, it was past midnight.

After carefully washing his face and hands, Ying Zhiyu first checked on the sleeping little love letter in the nursery. Even at this hour, the baby might need feeding, so he watched the nanny complete a nighttime feed before leaving.

To avoid disturbing anyone in the bedroom, he showered in the guest bathroom before returning.

Yet the bedroom light was still on—Li Xi hadn’t slept.

Standing at the door for a second, Ying Zhiyu climbed onto the bed, naturally taking one of the Omega’s hands and gently stroking it. “After a full day of work, why aren’t you sleeping?”

Li Xi lowered his eyes to the hand in his, wanting to ask: before the call in the car, why had the young Alpha’s face turned pale? How did he know about the real-name, limited-sale plan for artificial pheromones?

Stocks rose and fell under his notice, but sometimes, when someone observed his almost “clairvoyant” ability, he would unexpectedly buy stocks that later plummeted.

Was it coincidence, or was the Alpha hiding something?

“You…”

Ying Zhiyu murmured, meeting Li Xi’s gaze intently.

Li Xi clenched the hand holding his own left hand, closed his eyes, and said, “We won’t have two children. Three, four… or maybe just the little love letter is enough.”

Hearing this, Ying Zhiyu’s hand froze briefly on Li Xi’s. Half a second later, he softly replied, “Okay.”

“I want you, Ying Zhiyu,” Li Xi added.

In over a year of marriage, no matter how much Li Xi had adored Ying Zhiyu’s pheromones—even during the Omega’s heat or pregnancy with the little love letter—he had never so directly expressed his desire.

Ying Zhiyu squeezed the hand gripping his own, replying again, “Okay.”

Later, at the crucial moment, Ying Zhiyu kissed Li Xi’s sweat-damp temple, his voice gentle and soothing. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”