Everyone, including Tan Meng, believed Yan Yi would break down in grief and that, in this state, he might no longer be suitable to serve as chairman, perhaps even unable to properly care for his own child.
But Yan Yi was far more firm and decisive than he appeared. He knew exactly how to measure his limits. Little Lu Yan grew up just like any other child of his age; despite the painful circumstances surrounding his birth, he was still raised safely and smoothly.
In everyone’s eyes, Yan Yi’s perfection matched his rank. He seemed to lack nothing.
In the past month, a group of gland hunters led by the Red-tailed Hawk A3 had become increasingly rampant, using brutal methods. The Union Headquarters held an emergency meeting regarding the recent wave of omega disappearances, and nearly half the higher-ups believed it was necessary to request armed support from the PBB.
Yan Yi picked up a stack of documents on the table and leaned back in his chair, scanning the list of this group of gland hunters. Aside from that A3 alpha, the main members included Israeli Golden Scorpion M2, North American Gray Wolf M2, and Whale Shark M2, among sixteen core operatives in total. They had already been classified as a DISASTER-level terrorist organization and had recently moved into domestic territory, causing severe disruption.
Organizations composed largely of high-level alphas were always difficult to deal with. After careful consideration, Yan Yi agreed to submit a request for assistance to Gu Wei.
Gu Wei’s holographic projection appeared above the conference table, yawning with his chin propped in his hand. His military uniform, with shoulder epaulets, hung loosely over him.
Yan Yi flicked ash into the ashtray at his side. “Send me one A3 alpha. I don’t care about the ability. Four M2 alphas—include the Giant Horned Rhino and Snow Leopard. The other two, you choose. Don’t worry. I’ll lead them. There won’t be any losses on your end.”
Gu Wei scanned him up and down. Yan Yi felt completely different—he carried the bearing of someone else entirely.
The rarely vocal Union Chairman had finally spoken. Gu Wei had no reason to refuse and sent over the deployment list of PBB operatives. Originally, there had been a Red Falcon alpha among the assignments, but after reviewing the documents, Gu Wei paused and replaced another name instead.
The meeting lasted until two in the afternoon. Having gone too long without eating, Yan Yi had no appetite left. On his way back to the rest room, his body felt slightly feverish, and he realized he had run out of cigarettes.
A bodyguard opened the door to the rest room for him. Inside, a gray-backed falcon alpha was seated on the sofa—around his mid-thirties, with a steady, composed appearance. When he looked at Yan Yi, he deliberately masked his gaze with cold restraint and dominance.
As Yan Yi’s assistant, his ability to freely enter the rest room was proof of his unusual status. Mu Lan stood up and draped his own coat over Yan Yi, calmly mentioning that he had taken Lu Yan to his home to play earlier and could bring him back for dinner that night.
Yan Yi’s expression shifted from neutral to cold. He lifted his eyes slightly. “Who allowed you to take him?”
The alpha paused, releasing a calming pheromone. He sensed that the omega was entering a volatile heat cycle and lifted Yan Yi horizontally onto the sofa, gently stroking his back to soothe his superior.
At Yan Yi’s level, even the strongest suppressants were no longer effective. He had also tried the concentrated suppressant specially prepared by Doctor Zhong, but the pain during episodes was unbearable, often causing him to lose control and destroy things. Eventually, it was set aside.
Because of this, Mu Lan remained here.
He retrieved several medication bottles from the drawer, used a pill cutter to divide them according to prescription, mixed them carefully, and handed Yan Yi a glass of water.
Yan Yi glanced at it and swallowed the pills, warning Mu Lan not to do unnecessary things. Mu Lan could only nod and agree to send Lu Yan home after dinner.
He was concerned about the chairman’s health. Long-term use of antidepressants might accumulate side effects in the body, but Yan Yi was unexpectedly authoritarian in this matter and refused any interference.
“Do you want me to take care of it for you?” the alpha asked softly, lowering his head to kiss beside Yan Yi’s ear, pretending not to see the obvious reaction beneath his trousers, his tone restrained and controlled.
Yan Yi leaned against his shoulder, half-lidded eyes glancing at him.
“Sorry.” Mu Lan lowered his gaze properly and quietly released calming pheromones, letting Yan Yi rest his head on his lap for a while.
Yan Yi slept until four in the afternoon. A bodyguard informed him that Xia had returned from the military to visit. He had nothing urgent, so he went to see him.
The little lion had matured slightly compared to two years ago, but in front of Yan Yi he still bristled, pointing at Mu Lan and demanding why he would rather stay with that man than consider him, asking what he lacked.
Yan Yi stood by the desk, arms crossed, leaning slightly. He lifted his chin, signaling Mu Lan to leave first, and smiled faintly as he watched the young lion lash out. Training had made him tanner, his build more refined and powerful. The only thing unchanged was his hopelessly romantic temperament.
“I prefer someone older than me. Is that okay?” Yan Yi said with a faint laugh, holding a cigarette between his fingers.
Xia Jingtian choked for a moment. “That’s it?”
Yan Yi’s smile faded slightly. He nodded.
Afterward, there were still deployment discussions for the operation. Yan Yi arranged a time with Xia to talk properly and finally sent the little troublemaker away.
When he returned to the rest room for his coat, Yan Yi suddenly paused, staring at the medication drawer.
He looked around, confirmed nothing was unusual, and opened the drawer to inspect it. The bottles were neatly arranged exactly as before. He picked them up one by one and smelled them, but there was no unusual scent.
Mu Lan came over to lock the door and saw Yan Yi standing there in a daze. Assuming it was still a lingering effect of his heat cycle, he approached and gently steadied Yan Yi’s shoulders, releasing calming pheromones.
Yan Yi asked, “Did you touch the drawer after I left?”
Mu Lan frowned slightly in confusion. “I immediately notified security to search for suspicious personnel.”
Yan Yi held the bottle in his hand and remained silent for a long time.
Two days later, Yan Yi received confirmation that PBB operatives were ready for deployment. At the same time, he also received shocking feedback from the higher-ups: just before dawn last night, someone had attacked the terrorist group’s temporary base. The Red-tailed Hawk A3 was severely injured and disabled. According to intelligence photos, the attacker deliberately spared his life without delivering a finishing blow.
So when Yan Yi led his team there, it was nothing more than cleanup. The omega hostages were returned home, and Yan Yi’s reputation among omegas rose sharply, dominating headlines for several days.
It should have been a moment of relief, but Yan Yi lost his temper during the debriefing meeting. He berated the intelligence and surveillance departments for half an hour, even Gu Wei’s hologram was not spared and was forced offline.
“Find out who did this,” Yan Yi said, pushing the documents forward while pressing his aching temples.
The papers contained blurry black-and-white surveillance images. Only a faint outline of a shoulder could be seen. The intruder had erased all traces beyond that.
The entire day, Yan Yi’s mood remained on the verge of rage. No one dared provoke him. Even Mu Lan could only follow behind him, quietly releasing calming pheromones from a distance.
It wasn’t until the small Lu Yan was brought in by the driver, running into Yan Yi’s legs, that his expression finally eased. The little rabbit clumsily called out “Daddy,” ears bouncing as he clung to him.
Yan Yi lifted him up, smoothing his soft fur. “Was baby good today?”
“Good!” Lu Yan said, rubbing Yan Yi’s face and giggling.
Yan Yi’s rare smile returned.
The child then pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it with effort. Inside was a ring. Mu Lan had given it to him the previous day, though no one knew if it was intended for Yan Yi.
Yan Yi froze slightly and looked up.
Mu Lan silently took the ring, then was stopped before he could kneel by Yan Yi gripping his arm.
“Running out of money?” Yan Yi asked flatly.
Mu Lan sighed. “You’re really heartless.”
Not far away, a patrol member in uniform stood briefly still, his hat lowered, watching silently before turning away.
Yan Yi no longer accepted Mu Lan’s calming pheromones and took leave to stay home during his heat cycle. Fortunately, Lu Yan was cared for by a nanny.
On the bedside table were scattered medication bottles. An empty concentrated suppressant lay on the floor. Yan Yi swallowed a sleeping pill and forced himself to rest.
The suppressant dulled his heat but caused unbearable pain. His whole body trembled as he curled up under the blanket.
Half-asleep, he suddenly felt himself pulled into a warm embrace. A pair of large hands anxiously stroked his back, releasing overwhelming calming pheromones that eased his pain.
It felt as if warm wings wrapped around him, soft feathers cushioning his body.
The pheromones worked so effectively that Yan Yi clung to the alpha, seeking his lips, trembling as he tried to find safety in him.
“Good baby, it won’t hurt soon,” the alpha whispered hoarsely.
Yan Yi pressed against him and murmured, “It hurts.”
The alpha kissed him even more gently, holding him as if he would melt away.
In the dream, he heard the alpha calling him “baby” over and over, telling him not to take those medications anymore.