For an Alpha and Omega to conceive, the prerequisite is to have completed a “full mark.”
In the past, this was called a “lifelong mark.”
Before glandular medical technology advanced, there was no way to remove a mark. Once an Alpha deeply entered an Omega’s reproductive cavity, the pheromone mark would be permanent.
Li Xi wasn’t one to mince words, and Qin Baoyan hadn’t been his private doctor for just a day or two.
He stated bluntly, “We haven’t completed the full mark. Pregnancy won’t happen.”
Qin Baoyan froze, almost in disbelief.
“Not completed? Are you sure it’s not that you were distracted and didn’t notice it already happened?!” she asked, unable to resist confirming.
Li Xi coldly shot her a glance. “Only a temporary mark. No full mark. Contraception or not, it’s the same.”
Hearing this, Qin Baoyan exploded: “Wait, you picked an Alpha with over 90% compatibility, right? He didn’t mark you during your heat? How could he resist?!”
“You’re too cruel! That’s basically torture for an Alpha!”
Qin Baoyan glared at Li Xi as if he were an unscrupulous tyrant.
She assumed Li Xi must have looked down on the in-law Alpha and forced him to serve, yet didn’t allow him the satisfaction of “full indulgence.”
Li Xi: “…”
He had never demanded Zhiyu refrain from lifelong marking. It was the young Alpha who repeatedly hesitated at the final step.
Being longtime friends, Qin Baoyan sensed something subtle in Li Xi’s expression.
Not possible… Could the Third Young Master’s Alpha actually be emotionally indifferent?
“That must be it—something’s wrong, either mentally or physically! You’re legally married, slept together countless times—how could an Alpha resist marking his Omega?”
Li Xi had no patience for the glandular expert’s wild guesses.
After everyone left, Qin Baoyan had a sudden realization:
Wait… if the full mark wasn’t completed, then what explained the Third Young Master’s pheromone surge that night, like a freefall off a building?!
Zhiyu stayed in Shenzhen for three and a half days.
On the afternoon the conference ended, Xia Xianru suggested he stay another night to relax and return to school the next day.
Unfortunately, Zhiyu, as the junior from the foreign languages department had predicted, caught a cold.
Shenzhen’s autumn was still hot and humid. With his head clouded, Zhiyu didn’t linger. He decisively bought a return ticket for that night and left ahead of his advisor.
He returned to the capital past midnight, took a quick shower in Li Xi’s city-center penthouse, didn’t enter the bedroom, and slept on the living room sofa.
Early the next morning, he left before the morning rush to return to school.
He first organized the conference notes and distributed them to the lab’s PhD and research students.
Because Li Xi’s penthouse was so well soundproofed, he only discovered the previous night’s visit when he got up to leave for work. He immediately called Zhiyu.
Zhiyu, however, was in the lab with his phone locked in a locker.
By the time he saw the missed call and returned it, it was already noon before they finally connected.
Li Xi noticed something was off in Zhiyu’s voice.
Zhiyu cleared his hoarse throat. “Caught a bit of a cold.”
Li Xi was silent for a moment. “…Wasn’t it 35°C in Shenzhen?”
The tone suggested he couldn’t fathom how an Alpha could catch a cold in such heat.
Zhiyu, though foggy-headed, immediately caught the key point: “How do you know it was 35°C the past two days?”
Li Xi: “…”
No further explanation was needed. His attention to Shenzhen’s temperature could only mean he had recently been particularly attentive… for obvious reasons.
After finishing the conference notes, Zhiyu had the afternoon free.
Coincidentally, LI Group was holding a board meeting that afternoon. Li Xi mentioned it, and Zhiyu immediately understood.
Whether in his past life or now, Li Xi initially “chose a spouse” to maintain a stable family image, convenient for entering the board later.
Zhiyu, having finished his tasks, offered: “Want me to bring some snacks and drinks to the office this afternoon?”
Had Li Xi told him earlier, Zhiyu could have even prepared a homemade lunch bento. Afternoon tea, however, was still possible.
Li Xi hesitated. “But you’re sick…”
Zhiyu smiled. “Just a little cold.”
Supporting Li Xi’s career was a given. Even in a past life, when they weren’t as close, Zhiyu had always been unconditionally supportive.
Setting aside personal feelings, Li Xi had the capability, vision, and decisiveness.
Having him at the helm of LI, a globally influential pheromone business empire, would benefit the company and could help safeguard the rights of the Omega community. At a higher level, it could promote harmony and equality in ABO society.
No matter Li Xi’s reasons for wanting to inherit LI, his rise was ideal.
At noon, Zhiyu ate at the school cafeteria, then returned to Li Xi’s city apartment.
As a competent in-law husband, he had to look presentable before the afternoon “public couple” performance at LI Group.
He called Li Xi’s stylist to do his hair.
Zhiyu removed the ring around his neck, placed it on the left ring finger, and gently touched it. In his past life, this was the finger the kidnappers had severed. He had some theories about why they targeted it specifically.
Eleven years remained before that incident—he wasn’t in a hurry to draw conclusions.
After styling, he grabbed pastries delivered by the property manager and left for the LI Group building.
Li Xi must have informed the front desk.
The moment Zhiyu introduced himself, the front desk girl’s eyes lit up.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Ying. Master Li is currently in a small meeting with the eldest young lady and Second Young Master. He said you can wait in the office.”
Zhiyu nodded politely and followed a young Beta to the executive elevator.
The Beta, smart and outgoing, congratulated him on his marriage to Li Xi and gushed about how star-like he looked. Zhiyu smiled, thanked him, and let him chatter on until they reached Li Xi’s office.
His assistant, Zhang Jingrui, took over, and the Beta bowed and left.
Zhiyu found LI Group staff amusing.
The front desk called Li Xi “Little Master Li,” but the eldest and second children were “Eldest Miss” and “Second Young Master.” Zhang Jingrui called Li Xi “President Li.”
Li Xi was “President Li”—so what should Li Songqian be called?
Meanwhile, as Zhiyu analyzed staff behavior, LI Group employees were doing the same…
[Group Chat: Did the boss V me 50 million today?]
[Front Desk Girl: 📸📸📸]
[Front Desk Girl: This Alpha’s legs are longer than my life!!]
[Pig-Riding Worker: Who’s this?]
[Backstage Guy: Holy crap, you’re taking photos!]
[Backstage Guy: Little Master Li’s Alpha! So handsome I can’t even!]
[Milk Tea Squad Leader: Who?? Little Master Li’s who??]
[Front Desk Girl: Rich is really great, I want to have a young Alpha to spoil too!]
[Backstage Guy: Rich is really great, I want a young Alpha to spoil too!]
[Pig-Riding Worker: I want a rich lady to spoil me!]
[Everyone: AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH]
The chat was flooded with “AAAAHHH” from all sides.
Even the onlookers who didn’t know the truth soon joined in.
In the end, the discussion sparked by Zhiyu’s arrival in the work chat ended with nothing but a flood of “AAAAHHHHHH” across the entire group.
Of course, Zhiyu, sitting in Li Xi’s office, had no idea about any of this.
After waiting about half an hour, Li Xi walked in with Zhang Jingrui.
Li Xi pushed the door open, and Zhiyu stood from the guest sofa.
During the wait, Zhiyu hadn’t approached Li Xi’s desk. After all, the pre-marital agreement explicitly stated that Zhiyu was not allowed to touch any LI Group affairs.
Li Xi paused for a moment as he opened the door, slightly stunned.
Although Zhang Jingrui had already informed him that Zhiyu was here, the Alpha hadn’t seen him for several days—and today, Zhiyu was dressed like this…
Once Zhang Jingrui left, Li Xi swallowed and, with a stiff face, asked, “Red carpet, are we walking the red carpet?”
Zhiyu smiled wryly. “The stylist spent nearly an hour on this look.”
An hour of styling had made every strand of hair perfectly in place.
At 6’2” with ideal proportions, Zhiyu, under the stylist’s careful touch, exuded an air of unmistakable elegance. He was so striking that one couldn’t look away.
Li Xi lingered at the door for a moment before moving toward the office’s guest area.
Zhiyu pushed the delicate food boxes on the tea table toward him. “Finished with the board meeting? I’m not late, am I?”
Li Xi shook his head. “Only part of the board attended earlier. They’re on a short break. The meeting resumes in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh,” Zhiyu replied, then asked, “Do you want me to make a lap later?”
Since he was here, he should show his face—and ideally, they could subtly display some public affection.
Li Xi had indeed planned to bring Zhiyu along, but…
He looked at Zhiyu for a long moment. “Better change your outfit.”
Zhiyu glanced down at himself and laughed. “Too formal?”
The Li family stylist, perhaps idle for too long, had seized the chance to go all out.
Zhiyu’s outfit was loud and flamboyant—brooch, pocket square, the whole works—like a groom straight out of a dream.
Li Xi’s gaze drifted over him—from his face, to his body, to his legs.
Formality wasn’t the problem—everyone at the board meeting was impeccably dressed—but the Alpha was… dazzlingly conspicuous.
If Zhiyu strutted out like this, no one would imagine him as a calm, obedient Alpha capable of living a quiet life.
Zhiyu went to the inner room to change.
Li Xi’s office had a private lounge and dressing area. Their heights—185 cm and 188 cm—were close enough that, as long as they didn’t swap pants, their clothing sizes were basically the same.
After changing, Zhiyu returned, and the phone on the tea table buzzed.
Li Xi’s eyes caught the screen instinctively. Just one glance froze his gaze.
It was Zhiyu’s phone, left on the table.
The lock screen showed a new WeChat message:
[Senior, I’m the daughter of Teacher Ma who went to Shenzhen with you. Add me, add me~]
Zhiyu, having finished changing, noticed Li Xi still standing where he had been before.
He walked over. “How’s this outfit?”
Li Xi hummed softly and started toward his desk, but halfway there, stopped and strode back.
“You have a WeChat message,” Li Xi said, eyes fixed on him.
Zhiyu, puzzled, asked, “Hmm?”
He picked up the phone, illuminated the screen, and paused—then understood.
“This is the daughter of one of our biology faculty. She went on the business trip with her teacher.”
On the first night in Shenzhen, Zhiyu and his group had dinner at the hotel. He had intended to introduce the vice president of the foreign languages student union to a new female freshman, but his phone was at 1% battery. By the time he opened WeChat and pulled up the QR code, the screen went black—automatically shutting down.
The next day was packed with conference registration, the opening ceremony, and welcome banquet, leaving no chance to meet the freshman. Later, Teacher Ma entrusted her daughter to friends in Shenzhen to tour around, so she didn’t return with Zhiyu’s group.
Hence, the freshman had presumably asked her teacher for Zhiyu’s WeChat to add him.
After explaining, Zhiyu asked, “Is that clear?”
Li Xi slowly said, “Mm.”
The handsome Alpha smiled, cleared his throat, and encouraged, “Good. If there are any questions in the future, ask me in person.”
Just then, Zhang Jingrui knocked, signaling the board meeting was about to resume.
Zhiyu, having changed, followed Li Xi to briefly face the board.
Along the way, Zhiyu held Li Xi’s hand. Halfway there, Li Xi suddenly stopped.
Zhiyu’s voice was still hoarse from his cold. “What’s wrong?”
Li Xi frowned. “Are you sick, or is this your sensitive period?”
Zhiyu paused.
Li Xi had noticed his pheromones were unusually strong today. But Alpha sensitive periods typically manifest as agitation or aggression. Zhiyu’s temperament seemed normal, so Li Xi hadn’t initially considered the sensitive period.
Now, holding hands, Li Xi could feel Zhiyu’s body temperature was off.
Zhiyu thought for a moment. “Maybe caught a cold first… then sensitive period?”
Li Xi continued to frown.
Zhiyu waved it off. “It’s fine, doesn’t affect us…”
Before he could finish, Li Xi let go and strode toward the meeting room.
“I have something to handle. Rest fifteen minutes.”
After briefing the nearly seated board members, Li Xi turned, pulling Zhiyu into the VIP unisex restroom on the boardroom floor.
The same man who had just commanded the board now loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his long neck.
“You have fifteen minutes to sort this out.”
Zhiyu hesitated. “…I can’t be that quick.”