Chapter 66

The next time they saw Zhou Shen was during the culmination of the surveillance operation, when he and the security captain were caught red-handed planning the kidnapping.

Ying Zhiyu and Li Xi returned together to the Li family garden villa.

Looking at Zhou Shen restrained, Ying Zhiyu asked, “After kidnapping me, what did you plan to do?”

In truth, Zhou Shen from the previous life had already provided the answer. Yet Ying Zhiyu still found the whole situation absurd.

Zhou Shen had been Li Xi’s personal butler for ten years—surely he understood Li Xi’s personality? In the previous life, regardless of whether Ying Zhiyu was ultimately rescued alive or dead, Li Xi would never abandon his plan to bring the artificial pheromone product to market.

Ying Zhiyu trusted that, aside from having a finger severed, he had never been harmed during the repeated relocations. Li Xi must have made Zhou Shen some promise. But whatever the promise, threatening Li Xi himself was naïve and foolish.

If Li Xi had a personality that backed down easily, he wouldn’t be Li Xi. And in the previous life, Ying Zhiyu had unexpectedly died—only intensifying Li Xi’s hatred for the kidnappers. How could they possibly hope that by abducting someone Li Xi cared about, they could stop him from doing what they didn’t want him to?

Even though Ying Zhiyu hadn’t witnessed it firsthand in the past life, he was certain: Zhou Shen and the extremists behind him could never have succeeded.

Of course, Zhou Shen wouldn’t voluntarily reveal his plan in this life, not with the humiliation and failure evident in front of Ying Zhiyu and Li Xi. He didn’t utter a word.

The Li family would also not resort to extreme punishment—any interrogation would simply hand all evidence over to law enforcement, leaving the authorities with jurisdiction to act. Ying Zhiyu, before asking, had already expected Zhou Shen to remain silent.

And even then, when he asked Zhou Shen, he wasn’t really asking him. Perhaps he was asking for his own past-life self, caught in fate and misfortune.

No one expected Ying Zhiyu to die. When the kidnappers moved him between hiding spots, he was certain Li Xi had chosen him—Li Xi would protect him.

Regardless of the feelings he had for Li Xi in his previous life, Ying Zhiyu trusted him completely. From that moment, he never thought he would die.

And not only did he not anticipate it—Li Xi surely did not either, nor did the kidnappers expect that Ying Zhiyu would ultimately die from tetanus caused by the severed finger, in the cold ICU after being rescued.

In those final forty-eight hours of his past life, the only connection between Ying Zhiyu and Li Xi had been Li Xi calling his name in a hoarse whisper before his eyes closed…

Ying Zhiyu lightly touched the missing finger on his left hand. A warm palm covered his hand at the same time. He froze, as if awakened from a dream, and turned to look at the person beside him.

Li Xi held Ying Zhiyu’s hand, palm warm, fingers gripping tightly as if afraid the one in his grasp would vanish the next moment. At the same time, it felt like he was quietly transmitting his strength to Ying Zhiyu.

“If I need to step back, I can leave first—so can they.”

By “they,” Li Xi meant the bodyguards stationed just inside and outside the room.

In Li Xi’s eyes, Ying Zhiyu saw complete concern and trust. He could have asked about the “kidnapping location” directly. Not just the location—back in their previous life, Zhou Shen had worked for the Li family for over thirty years. That the family never uncovered this “anti-pheromone” extremist hidden among their own staff already showed how deep and careful Zhou Shen had concealed himself.

And now, in this life, it was merely an apparently random incident in an underground parking lot with no obvious ties to anyone inside the Li family. Yet Ying Zhiyu had painstakingly unraveled clues pointing to two people no one would have suspected.

Whether it was Zhou Shen or Panda, the very fact they had been identified as suspects carried a sense of the “incredible.”

Li Xi was the type to make a choice and never waver or regret it. He chose to trust the Alpha, entrusting all reliable personnel in his hand to his direction. He chose not to question the Alpha’s half-serious, half-joking remarks. What mattered to him was only the present and the future.

Ying Zhiyu returned the grip, gently squeezing Li Xi’s hand, shaking his head. “Let’s go together. I have nothing to say anyway.”

That day, returning to the Li family garden villa, Ying Zhiyu wore on his left ring finger the wedding band from when he had married Li Xi—a simple daily-wear gray-blue band.

In the previous life, it was their eleventh year of marriage. Li Songqian’s illness and the intense battle for succession between Li Xi and Li Qin made it necessary for Ying Zhiyu to accompany Li Xi to public appearances, boosting exposure and swaying the board. During that time, no matter where they were photographed, whether together or alone, both wore their wedding rings.

So when Ying Zhiyu was abruptly kidnapped, the finger presented to Li Xi by the abductors likely still bore that gray-blue band.

Now, holding Li Xi’s hand with the left hand wearing that ring, Ying Zhiyu strode out of the butler’s quarters, out of the Li family garden villa.

For him, the past life was over. He had made new choices, found a partner, and had a child. Old grievances, loves, and missed opportunities were all left in the previous life.

—

The Zhou Shen incident exposed many problems within the Li family office.

The Li family had employed numerous Beta staff members, assigning them to mid- and senior-management positions across departments, precisely because Betas were presumed uninvolved with “pheromone” interests. Unexpectedly, this provided an opening for extremists.

A major internal purge was inevitable. Not only would the family head Li Songqian be busy, but the heirs—Li Qin, Li Lü, Li Xi, Li Yue—could not avoid it either.

Once the “behind-the-scenes mastermind” matter was resolved, the LI company’s new artificial pheromone drug, delayed to lure the “big fish,” would finally launch. Li Xi would be busier than ever.

Meanwhile, graduation season arrived at the Biomedical University. Ying Zhiyu’s research on “AO differentiation” in the institute’s lab was officially renamed in his doctoral thesis as “ABO epigenetics.” He explicitly stated that the study of producing offspring with optimal gene expression was closely linked to every member of ABO society—it was every parent’s responsibility to their child.

This had nothing to do with whether the parents were Alpha, Omega, or Beta.

Ying Zhiyu’s current research theory did not aim to differentiate offspring with glands; instead, the goal was to ensure that the next generation in ABO society expressed genes as optimally as possible.

The key to this optimization lay in the combination of prenatal pheromone supply and maternal sense of security. In essence, the reproductive system acted as an emotional organ for the mother.

When the mother feels secure, pheromone transmission through the reproductive tract flows smoothly.

If the maternal sense of security is lacking, the pheromone channels are blocked.

The reason Alpha and Omega individuals seem to excel in every industry, giving the impression that those with pheromones are inherently superior in intelligence, strength, or lifespan, is not due to the glands or pheromones themselves.

Rather, it stems from the fact that during gestation, these individuals received a greater sense of security in the womb, which fully activated and stimulated their innate gene expression.

Pheromones often merely serve to simulate this “sense of security.”

In the conclusion of his thesis, Ying Zhiyu presented a perspective seemingly unrelated to biological genetics: true eugenics is ensuring children are born into a loving environment with responsible parents. Love and responsibility are not only the source of security but also the best nourishment for raising the next generation.

In May, Ying Zhiyu successfully defended his doctoral thesis.

As in his previous life, his advisor, Xia Xianru, once again recommended him for a position at the National Institute of Biological Sciences upon graduation.

However, Ying Zhiyu considered it for three days before politely declining.

In his previous life, Ying Zhiyu had devoted almost all his time to research. Li Xi had done the same. For various reasons, they both chose to sacrifice “life” itself, throwing themselves fully into work.

But this life was different. They now had a family, including their little love, Xiaoqingshu.

Ying Zhiyu wanted to explore different possibilities in life, see the world, and experience living. Perhaps someday in the future—one year, two, three—he would return to his beloved work.

For now, at this moment, he only wanted to lazily sleep across the king-sized beds of every private island, estate, castle, and luxury vacation home his Omega owned around the world.

Hmm, he thought—they still had so many scenarios left unexplored. And the promise Li Xi made about “handcuffs at the headboard” had yet to be fulfilled.

Stepping out of the Biomedical University’s Life Sciences report hall, Ying Zhiyu was stopped by the low growl of a sports car engine.

He instinctively turned toward the sound.

An Aston Martin Valhalla, just released this year, drove slowly, keeping within the campus speed limit, approaching from a distance.

As the moon-white supercar slowed in front of him, the driver’s side door lifted, and a long, straight leg stepped out first.

Li Xi, dressed in a high-end “CEO suit,” exuded understated luxury and meticulous attention to detail—from his watch, belt, and cufflinks to every carefully coordinated accessory.

Ying Zhiyu raised an eyebrow, tempted to whistle in appreciation.

But before he could speak, the over 1.85-meter-tall, imposing Omega stepped forward and tugged on Ying Zhiyu’s oatmeal-colored trench coat belt, squinting.

“What’s with showing off? Trying to seduce someone?”

Ah—accusing the villain first!

—

The flashy Aston Martin was Li Xi’s gift to Ying Zhiyu for his graduation.

With the doctoral defense completed successfully and the biomedical lab project concluded, their next task was moving.

The university city residence was far from the LI Group headquarters. Considering Ying Zhiyu’s final year in the busy lab, and Li Xi’s unwillingness to be separated, they had chosen to move there initially.

Now that Li Xi’s work was finished, moving back to the city center was naturally more convenient.

In a family like the Lis’, moving required no effort from the owner. A professional team handled every step.

Important documents and valuables, however, were best accounted for in advance.

While sorting through his study files, a folder slipped to the floor.

Bending down, Ying Zhiyu saw it contained several property purchase contracts.

Earlier that year, he had bought the family’s steamed bun shop and a new apartment in the north capital district, where his parents were accustomed to living. He also bought additional units for himself and his sister nearby.

His plan was for his sister to live there before marriage, close to their parents, making mutual care convenient. In the future, after she married, they could decide whether to remain near their parents or move elsewhere. Ying Zhiyu’s own apartment followed the same logic.

Li Xi, naturally, wouldn’t be comfortable living with Ying Zhiyu’s parents. Despite the Li family’s vast estate and multiple villas, they rarely all stayed home together, and Li Xi had long moved out.

So Ying Zhiyu’s purchase was for bringing Li Xi and Xiaoqingshu home, allowing them to stay overnight after meals without rushing back each time.

Originally, he planned to put the property folder in the safe. But when he opened it, he realized it was already too cluttered.

Since they were moving, he took the chance to clean it out while mentally calculating his current personal assets.

First, the monthly living allowance stipulated in the pre-marriage agreement.

For the first year after marrying Li Xi, he received 10 million per month, totaling 120 million; the second year, 240 million; the third year, 360 million—growing yearly.

So, over three years, his “kept man” allowance totaled 720 million—a true disposable fortune.

All of it was transferred monthly from Li Xi’s private accounts, with no personal income tax owed. In other words, the 720 million was pure income.

He then invested part of it in the Li family office. By leveraging some insider advantage discreetly, his investments in stocks, funds, and bonds doubled his principal after taxes.

Of course, beyond cash flow, he had also received many luxury gifts over the three years.

The two custom-made wedding rings alone cost over a hundred million at the time—Ying Zhiyu’s Alpha ring slightly simpler than Li Xi’s Omega one.

Over time, their collectible value increased. News reports suggested Ying Zhiyu’s ring was now worth over a hundred million.

Beyond rings, anniversary bands, birthday gifts, watches, cufflinks with rare gemstones, brooches, tie clips, and other luxuries had accumulated.

Ying Zhiyu did some mental math: the total value of these jewelry pieces alone had easily surpassed nine figures.

After tallying the trinkets and accessories, he remembered he still had significant other property assets under his name.

For instance, on the day after their wedding, after the customary tea ceremony for the elders, Li Songqian had generously gifted them three city-center penthouses. These were considered marital property, so Ying Zhiyu owned half.

Then, last year, with the birth of Xiaoqingshu, he—an Alpha son-in-law—naturally benefited as well. Li Songqian also gifted them a lakeside vacation estate in the suburbs of the capital.

The university city property with a yard had been purchased under Ying Zhiyu’s account, using his scholarship and patent income. According to the pre-marriage agreement, this was considered premarital property.

Ying Zhiyu had even explained to Li Xi that his monthly living allowance, invested in the family office, couldn’t be withdrawn, so they could list both names on property titles or use Li Xi’s account to pay.

Li Xi, however, seemed indifferent to these relatively minor marital assets, perhaps considering Ying Zhiyu’s non-existent “Alpha pride.” In the end, the paperwork was completed with little interference from either of them, and the property title ended up solely under Ying Zhiyu’s name.

Of course, the properties weren’t all. Cars were next. Thanks to his generous Omega husband, Ying Zhiyu owned two limited-edition supercars.

The first, a Ferrari Monza SP2, had been driven by Li Xi to the university to pick him up on Ying Zhiyu’s birthday, September 9. The second, the moon-white Aston Martin Valhalla, had been gifted on the day of his doctoral defense.

Adding together all these scattered “kept-man benefits,” Ying Zhiyu realized he had unknowingly become a bona fide billionaire.

Yet if one were to consider the largest portion of his real assets, it would be the divisible income from the trust clauses Li Xi had amended in their pre-marriage agreement.

Over the past three years, the investment returns from Li Xi’s personal assets in the family trust fund—even if split evenly—conservatively amounted to several tens of billions.

Of course, this money couldn’t be accessed without divorce, and Ying Zhiyu figured he’d probably never get the chance in this life.

Thinking of this, he let out a soft, amused sigh.

Li Xi noticed Ying Zhiyu had been quietly fiddling in the study for some time. Walking into the open Alpha study, he found Ying Zhiyu sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the safe, alternating between broad smiles and resigned sighs.

“Sighing for what?”

Li Xi walked over. Clearly, compared to what might make an Alpha happy, he was more concerned about whether Ying Zhiyu had any troubles.

Ying Zhiyu simply lay back on the wool carpet, rolling over lazily, and sighed, “I’m so rich.”

In his past life, he might have had a tendency to downplay it, feeling that the “kept-man perks” weren’t entirely justified. He had never really tallied his assets or felt much about them.

But in this life, after only three years of marriage, just calculating his personal assets left Ying Zhiyu almost unrecognizable to himself when it came to the figure “billion.”

Glancing at the piles of jewelry boxes, files, and cards in the safe, Li Xi understood why the young Alpha had let out such a sigh.

Yet Li Xi, accustomed to these matters, felt nothing. Instead, he looked at the nearly 1.89-meter-tall Alpha rolling on the plush carpet and thought he was unbearably cute.

Young Alphas were always like that: sometimes mature, calm, seemingly unshakable no matter the situation. Li Xi had never imagined he’d one day feel a sense of “reliance” on someone else.

But sometimes, the Alpha was just utterly adorable. Right now, he was so cute that Li Xi wanted to scoop him up and stuff him into his pocket.

Pocket too small.

Better to hold him in his arms.

So, the moment after Ying Zhiyu had been rolling on the carpet, enjoying the bliss of “marrying into wealth,” Li Xi grabbed him by the head and pressed him into his embrace.

…

Three hours later, the bedroom was scattered with used condoms, massage oils, damp clothes, and melted ice packs.

Li Xi was a man of action and integrity—he kept his word, let go, and, in some sense, spoiled his little Alpha.

Not a single minute of those three hours was wasted. They had unlocked countless new pleasures and games.

Ying Zhiyu’s necktie, once expensive, now wrinkled beyond recognition, hung around his neck. It had been part of their earlier “handcuffs on the headboard” play, tied according to Li Xi’s instruction. He didn’t mind. He simply rested his head on his Omega’s firm abdomen, occasionally massaging Li Xi’s wrist.

“Not hurt just now, right?”

Though a toy, the handcuffs were still a test of sorts. Unlike the ties Li Xi had used before, this was a step too far.

Li Xi chuckled lightly, “Something like this hurt me?”

Not just toys—even real handcuffs wouldn’t contain him. He’d only been cuffed on one hand, conveniently positioned on the headboard. Amateur methods couldn’t hold Li Xi.

Ying Zhiyu blinked. Okay, yes—he had to admit, his Omega’s defensive skills were eight leagues ahead of his own.

Li Xi, ruffled and tickled by the fuzzy head against him, still didn’t want it moved. His right hand remained in Ying Zhiyu’s grasp, so with his left, he stroked the little Alpha’s head resting on his abdomen.

The young Alpha lay happily, humming and swaying. Li Xi, gently caressing Ying Zhiyu’s nape, thought: spoiling a child might be questionable, but my Alpha is fully grown—why not spoil him a little?

If Ying Zhiyu liked it, next time they could try even more variations.

After a while, Li Xi asked, “Any plans next?”

Ying Zhiyu had declined an opportunity at the National Institute of Biological Sciences—a position many others would kill for.

Li Xi had expected that the Alpha’s personality might incline him toward such research.

But after so long married, Ying Zhiyu was used to being pampered by his Omega. Content, he replied casually, “Don’t know. Let’s start with a gap year.”

Just then, Li Xi’s phone on the nightstand rang.

The new LI Group “artificial pheromone” drug had launched, the LI Pheromone Group’s stock hitting a historic high.

Thanks to this success, Li Xi had been promoted to Vice Chairman of LI Group—seven to eight years ahead of his previous life.

Since he had not yet stepped down from the R&D director role, the call was from the R&D department regarding hiring external chief consultants for the next drug development project. Li Xi, his throat a little hoarse, opted to end the call and have the pre-screened candidate resumes sent directly.

Half a minute later, the email notification chimed. Li Xi opened the first resume on the tablet:

Name: Ying Zhiyu
Gender: Alpha
Age: 24
Height: 188 cm
Education: PhD in Genetic Engineering, Biomedicine University
Marital Status: Married

Past Achievements:

• Awarded the National Scholarship seven times (three consecutive years in undergraduate, twice in master’s, twice in PhD).
• Honorary R&D Consultant at LI Pheromone Laboratory.
• International Bio Cup Innovation Breakthrough Award.
• Core member of the research team in the International ABO Genetic Engineering Competition, winning the Gold Prize.
• PhD dissertation “ABO Epigenetics” published in Genes, selected as one of the Top Ten Most Influential Papers of the Year.

Specialty: Bringing fortune to one’s spouse.

-The End-