Even a temporary mark affects an Omega’s pheromones.
In a pheromone-centered company, ninety percent of employees—especially executives—are Alpha or Omega.
With the board about to meet, Zhiyu, though mischievous, wouldn’t act up now. He pressed lightly against Li Xi’s neck, brushing subtly.
The styled, slightly stiff strands of hair grazed Li Xi’s neck, making his eyelashes twitch involuntarily. He closed his eyes.
Yet Zhiyu remained still, leaning against him for two minutes.
Afterward, he lifted his head, smiling normally. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Li Xi swallowed, watching the Alpha—still in sensitive period—turn smoothly and open the restroom door, politely letting him go first.
He understood Zhiyu’s intentions. Now wasn’t the time.
Taking a deep breath, Li Xi strode out, but passing Zhiyu, he coldly left three words: “Two minutes.”
Zhiyu paused, puzzled, then realized Li Xi was responding to his earlier “can’t be that quick.”
Li Xi was already at the meeting room door. Zhiyu smiled ruefully, caught up, and gently hugged him at the open door.
Carefully, he whispered near Li Xi’s ear: “Wait until you’re out—I’ll prove it then.”
Li Xi hesitated.
Zhiyu added softly: “Focus on the meeting.”
After the public show of affection, he let go, tactfully giving space.
Before Zhiyu returned to Li Xi’s office floor, the elevator opened, and he met Zhang Jingrui.
Zhang Jingrui held a small bag. “Mr. Ying, this is something President Li prepared for you. If you want to head home now, I can arrange a Beta driver.”
Zhiyu took the bag. “Thanks. I’ll wait at Li Xi’s office.”
Not long after, Zhang Jingrui knocked again.
Zhiyu opened the door.
Zhang Jingrui carried a large 5.5L bottle of water. “President Li said, since you’re sick, no cold drinks. Is room-temperature water okay?”
An Alpha in a sensitive period consumes several times the usual water. Zhiyu quickly said, “Yes, thanks.”
He intended to take it himself, but Zhang Jingrui insisted.
“I’ll bring it to your lounge.”
After placing the 5.5L bottle of water in Li Xi’s office lounge, Zhang Jingrui didn’t forget to say before leaving: “If you need anything, just call anytime.”
Zhiyu nodded. “Okay, thank you.”
Once Zhang Jingrui left, Zhiyu took off his coat and sat on the edge of the lounge bed, lowering his head to check the small bag Zhang had handed him in the elevator.
Inside were an Alpha-specific suppressant, cooling patches, energy chocolate bars, and even a box of the new calming agent…
Ahem. Zhiyu casually set the bag aside.
—
When he opened his eyes again, Zhiyu felt someone nearby.
He turned and saw Li Xi lying on his side on the edge of the lounge bed, remarkably close.
Perhaps it was because in his past life he had permanently marked Li Xi…?
Even during an Alpha’s strongest sensitive period, Zhiyu had somehow slept straight through without realizing someone was next to him.
Having enjoyed a rare deep sleep, he didn’t rush to move.
From past experience, Li Xi usually woke shortly after him.
So Zhiyu simply observed the sleeping figure beside him.
Since the lounge bed wasn’t as large as a home bed, Li Xi had to curl slightly to lie beside him without disturbing him, explaining the unfamiliar side-lying position.
Zhiyu guessed that Li Xi had been busy preparing for the board meeting.
He could clearly see the faint blue beneath Li Xi’s closed lashes.
Perhaps due to changes in pheromones during the Alpha sensitive period, even without any sound from Zhiyu, Li Xi’s eyes slowly moved beneath his lids—not yet fully awake, but showing signs of stirring.
Before Li Xi fully opened his eyes, a warm, burning palm covered them.
Li Xi: “……”
He didn’t struggle; only one person could dare do this.
“…What’s wrong?”
Zhiyu felt Li Xi’s lashes brushing lightly against his palm and hesitantly asked.
Zhiyu smiled knowingly. He noticed that Li Xi just waking up looked strikingly different from his usual composed demeanor.
The usual sharp aura, the expressionless severity, had yet to return. In that moment, the Omega covering his eyes gave a misleading impression of docility and vulnerability.
Of course, Zhiyu knew it was only an illusion.
“Lie still a bit longer. Don’t open your eyes.”
Though Li Xi’s palm shielded his eyes, he said nothing.
Feeling the fine lashes brush again, Zhiyu asked, “How did the meeting go?”
He knew Li Xi had already been nominated by the board, still in the qualification review stage.
Judging from the afternoon meeting’s scale, Zhiyu guessed that even if Li Xi hadn’t said so, today was likely the official shareholders’ meeting.
According to company rules, if more than half of the shareholders agreed to Li Xi joining the board, the resolution would pass smoothly.
As expected, Li Xi spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact tone:
“There’s a one-week public notice period. If there are no issues, the business registration changes should complete within a month.”
“Impressive… so I should call you Director Li from now on~”
Some Alpha actively flattering.
Li Xi’s lashes brushed again under his palm. Zhiyu figured that if they weren’t covered, the Third Young Master would probably just give him a cold glance.
Li Xi said, “When it comes to speaking with shares, even if I were incompetent, they wouldn’t refuse.”
Curious, Zhiyu asked, “How many shares do you hold now?”
Without shares, joining the board wouldn’t be possible. Judging by Li Xi’s tone, he seemed to already have quite a bit, sparking Zhiyu’s curiosity about how many shares Li Songqian had given his most beloved third son.
Li Xi didn’t hide it, understanding there was no ulterior motive in the question.
After all, regardless of how many LI Group shares he held, the pre-marital agreement clearly separated them from Zhiyu.
Li Xi replied, “When Grandpa passed, I, Li Qin, Li Lü, and Li Yue each received 5%.”
For a world-class conglomerate like LI, 5% is already an enormous fortune.
Zhiyu asked again, “What about Dad?”
Hearing this, Li Xi smirked, pulled Zhiyu’s hand from his, and pressed his other hand to Zhiyu’s forehead to check his temperature.
Coldly, he said, “His shares stay in his own hands. In this family, until death, no one would feel comfortable handing shares over to anyone else.”
Perhaps thinking Zhiyu was pressing for more, Li Xi checked the temperature difference by pressing his face against Zhiyu’s forehead and added:
“Three years ago, Li Yue signed a proxy agreement. Her 5% is currently under my decision-making authority.”
Thus, even before officially joining the board, Li Xi already effectively had 10% absolute shareholder support.
With LI being a family-controlled group, and the backing of Chairman Li Songqian, Li Xi’s board entry was only a matter of time.
As Li Xi checked his temperature, Zhiyu’s mind drifted to his past life.
Back then, Li Songqian was gravely ill, and LI faced a fierce succession struggle.
Li Yue, as Li Xi’s steadfast supporter, aligned perfectly with the current scenario.
In the later stages of that life, the succession battle essentially boiled down to the eldest Alpha daughter Li Qin versus Omega Third Young Master Li Xi.
Li Lü and Li Yue had taken sides with their own siblings.
At the time of Zhiyu’s abduction, Li Qin was undoubtedly the prime suspect.
Yet when Zhiyu was rescued and hospitalized, he had a vague sense that Li Qin was present as well.
Based on his understanding of Li Xi, even if Li Xi felt nothing for him, he wouldn’t have allowed Li Qin to appear at the hospital if she had orchestrated the event.
In his past life, Zhiyu hadn’t cared for the Li family or the inheritance disputes. He only cooperated with Li Xi when needed.
Now, with renewed contact, after only a few meetings, Zhiyu had almost ruled out Li Qin as a suspect.
A calculating Alpha like her wouldn’t be foolish enough to act so self-sabotaging.
At the time of the LI pheromone empire’s succession battle, the stakes affected the entire ABO society, attracting massive public attention.
Alphas and Omegas split into two camps supporting Li Qin and Li Xi, while Betas mostly watched the spectacle.
If anything happened to Zhiyu, Li Qin would be the prime suspect, and neutral Betas would lean heavily toward Li Xi—a scenario unfavorable to her.
Aside from Li Qin, there was also Li Lü, the Second Young Master, whom Zhiyu hadn’t fully figured out.
From brief encounters, Li Lü seemed outwardly unrestrained, but appearances didn’t guarantee truth.
If Zhiyu could choose to “hide his sharpness,” why couldn’t others?
No one in the Li family was foolish.
Zhiyu’s intuition told him that Li Lü was far more complicated than he appeared.
And Li Songqian?
Married eleven years, Zhiyu and Li Xi had no children yet didn’t divorce.
Li Songqian, a lifetime of scheming capitalist, might have tried one last strategic move in his final days—using Li Qin as a pawn to secure his beloved Omega third son’s rise and eliminate the “useless” Alpha.