The boardroom felt colder than usual.
Shen Yaojin sat beside Lu Zhiyuan, hands folded on the table, posture calm. He had learned quickly that showing fear here was like bleeding in shark-infested waters.
Unfortunately, sharks were exactly what he was surrounded by.
The projector glowed at the front of the room, graphs and financial reports scrolling across the screen. No one paid attention to Yaojin. Everyone paid attention to what he represented.
A liability.
A weakness.
A future problem.
"Before we move to the next quarter's forecast," the silver-haired shareholder said, adjusting his glasses, "I would like to address an internal concern."
Yaojin felt Zhiyuan's hand brush lightly against his knee under the table. A silent warning.
"Speak," Zhiyuan said calmly.
The man nodded. "Rumors have been circulating. About Mr. Shen's background. His education. His family."
The room went silent.
Yaojin's fingers tightened.
"We are a company built on reputation," the man continued. "If the public believes your spouse married into this family for financial gain, it could affect investor confidence."
Someone else chuckled softly. "Or worse. They may think we were manipulated."
Zhiyuan's eyes turned dangerous.
"He is not here to manipulate anyone," Zhiyuan said, voice flat.
The silver-haired man looked directly at Yaojin. "Then perhaps Mr. Shen would like to clarify his background. Transparency builds trust."
Every eye in the room turned to him.
Yaojin's throat felt dry. He hated this. Hated how they treated him like a presentation slide.
"My family is normal," he said quietly. "I went to school like everyone else. I don't have a criminal record or hidden agenda."
A younger executive tilted his head. "Normal is vague."
Zhiyuan slammed his palm on the table this time. Not lightly. The sound echoed.
"That's enough."
Everyone froze.
"He is not your investment portfolio," Zhiyuan said. "He is my spouse. If anyone here has a problem with that, they can take it up with me. Not him."
Silence swallowed the room.
Yaojin stared at the table, heart racing.
He didn't have to do that, he thought. But he did.
Breaking Point
The meeting ended awkwardly. No one said much after that. People avoided Yaojin's eyes as they filed out, as if he were something fragile. Or contagious.
He walked out without waiting for Zhiyuan. He needed air.
The hallway felt too long. Too narrow. His chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped wire around his ribs.
He locked himself in the restroom and leaned against the sink.
It's just business, he told himself. They always attack what they don't understand.
But the words from earlier echoed in his head.
"Financial gain."
"Manipulated."
He stared at his reflection.
"You look fine," he whispered. "So why do you feel like this?"
His hands trembled slightly. He gripped the edge of the sink until his knuckles turned white.
He didn't cry. He refused to.
They don't get to see me break.
Lin Meiqi's Move
In her office, Lin Meiqi scrolled through a private forum where wealthy elites loved gossip. She smiled as she read the new threads.
"Lu Zhiyuan's spouse rumored to come from a financially unstable background."
"Possible motive: company shares and security."
She tapped her phone thoughtfully.
"Unstable," she murmured. "Such a pretty word for painful."
She opened another file. Old school records. Scholarship applications. A photo of Yaojin younger, thinner, smiling awkwardly at a competition.
"You tried so hard," she whispered. "That makes breaking you even more satisfying."
She typed a message to a journalist she trusted.
Meiqi: There's a story brewing about Zhiyuan's marriage. Want exclusive details?
The reply came instantly.
Journalist: Always.
Two Omegas, One Quiet Café
Han Zexu found Yaojin later that day in the company café, staring blankly at his phone.
"You okay?" Zexu asked softly, sitting across from him.
Yaojin blinked. "Yeah. Just tired."
Zexu didn't believe him. He rarely did. "I heard what happened in the boardroom."
Yaojin sighed. "News travels fast."
"It always does when rich people are bored."
Yaojin laughed weakly. "You're getting good at this."
Zexu hesitated. "Bai Lianyi said I shouldn't worry about gossip."
"That alpha doesn't worry about anything."
"He does," Zexu said quietly. "He just hides it better."
Yaojin stared into his drink. "So do I."
They sat in silence for a while. Two omegas in a world that loved to judge omegas.
"You're not alone," Zexu said eventually.
Yaojin looked at him. "I know."
Jealous Alpha, Quietly
Bai Lianyi stood near the café entrance, pretending to check his phone while watching Zexu talk to Yaojin. He didn't like how close they were sitting. He didn't like how relaxed Zexu looked.
He doesn't look like that with me, Lianyi thought.
He walked over and placed a hand on Zexu's chair. "Stealing company secrets?"
Zexu jumped slightly. "We're just talking."
"Good," Lianyi said, eyes flicking to Yaojin. "Keep it that way."
Yaojin raised an eyebrow. "Possessive much?"
Lianyi smirked. "Just observant."
Zexu stood up. "I should go back to work."
Lianyi nodded, then watched him walk away.
Interesting, he thought. I don't like how much I notice him.
Back at the Mansion
Yaojin didn't expect Zhiyuan to find him in the library that night. He sat on the couch, scrolling through endless articles and comments about himself.
Zhiyuan took the phone from his hand without asking.
"Stop reading that."
"It's everywhere."
"It's irrelevant."
Yaojin looked up at him. "It doesn't feel irrelevant."
Zhiyuan sat beside him, unusually close. "They'll forget."
"People don't forget scandals."
"They forget people who are protected."
Yaojin frowned slightly. "And I'm protected?"
Zhiyuan met his eyes. "Yes."
Yaojin hesitated. "Why?"
Zhiyuan didn't answer immediately. He rarely did when questions got too close to the truth.
"Because you're under my name," he said finally.
Yaojin looked away. That answer felt too safe. Too corporate.
But at least he didn't say "contract."