The city had a way of smelling fear.
Even the faintest hesitation spread like wildfire.
Yaojin didn't need to check the news feed. His phone buzzed continuously. Every notification, a tiny hammer striking at his chest.
"Shen Yaojin manipulated his classmates? The poor omega who became a rich trophy?"
"Lu Zhiyuan's spouse—scheming since school?"
"Exclusive: Former classmates reveal the dark secrets behind Yaojin's success."
Yaojin stared at the screen. His hand hovered over the phone, trembling slightly.
He could feel the weight of every word.
They think they know me. They have no idea.
Zhiyuan's Wrath
Lu Zhiyuan stormed into the living room, his usual calm replaced by a palpable storm.
"No one spreads lies about him," he growled. His voice low, dangerous, but controlled.
"Not in my house. Not in my city. Not in my life."
Yaojin flinched slightly.
He had seen Zhiyuan angry before, but this was different.
Every muscle was taut, like a coiled spring ready to snap.
He felt… protected. But also aware of the storm he was standing in the center of.
"Zhiyuan…" Yaojin whispered.
"I can handle it," Zhiyuan said. "But I'd rather do it myself."
Yaojin couldn't help but glance down. He's… terrifying when he's like this.
The First Blowback
By mid-morning, reporters began calling incessantly.
Emails piled in with requests for interviews, "exclusive photos," and sensational headlines.
Yaojin avoided answering. He had nothing to say.
Nothing that would satisfy people who already thought they knew him.
A knock on the door made him jump.
Bai Lianyi appeared, arms crossed, expression neutral but tense.
"You're handling it… like a good little omega," he said, voice almost teasing, almost dangerous.
Yaojin frowned. "I'm trying."
"You should try harder," Lianyi muttered, then softened slightly. "People will only attack what they fear… or what they envy."
He's not even mine… Yaojin thought, heart fluttering anyway.
Lianyi noticed him staring and smirked. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just saying the obvious."
Of course, you are, Yaojin thought. And still, you're hard to ignore.
Lin Meiqi Strikes Again
Meiqi was already in her penthouse, grinning like a predator.
The latest article was trending.
Stock prices wavered slightly, and investors whispered.
She loved every second.
"Poor omega," she murmured. "So fragile, so predictable."
Her phone buzzed. A message from Zhang Wei:
Zhang Wei: He saw me today. Didn't react as expected.
Meiqi: Good. Keep him close. Make him believe he's safe… until he's not.
Her smirk widened. It's all about control.
Yaojin's Inner Battle
By afternoon, Yaojin retreated to the library in the mansion.
He couldn't face anyone.
He wanted to scream, to cry, to vanish—anything to escape the suffocating judgment.
But he sat.
And he stared.
At the same books he'd read for comfort when he was twelve, thirteen, fourteen.
Books that had been his escape when other kids shoved him, laughed at him, called him weak.
I survived them. I survived all of it.
I survived myself.
The words felt hollow, but they were true.
The Ally Omega
Han Zexu found him there, quietly, as if he had known the exact place Yaojin would hide.
"You shouldn't do this alone," Zexu said softly, sliding into the chair across from him.
"I… I can't control it," Yaojin admitted. "No matter what I say, what I do, they just… twist it."
Zexu leaned forward, voice quiet but firm. "Then let them see what you really are. Not the scared kid. Not the rich trophy. You."
Yaojin swallowed. "And if they don't like that version?"
"They'll have to deal with me first," Zexu said.
Yaojin's lips twitched slightly in a smile. "Always dramatic, aren't you?"
Zexu shrugged. "Someone has to be."
Zhiyuan Takes Control
Later, Zhiyuan arrived in the library without knocking.
He leaned against the table, gaze sharp. "Do you want me to destroy them?"
Yaojin blinked. "They're just rumors. I… I can ignore them."
Zhiyuan's lips twitched. "You can. But I won't."
Yaojin felt warmth rush through him.
Not embarrassment. Not fear.
Warmth. Safety. Possession.
Zhiyuan continued, voice low and unwavering:
"They'll learn quickly that attacking you is attacking me. And no one who touches what's mine leaves unscathed."
Yaojin couldn't speak. His chest was too tight, emotions too raw.
Zhiyuan leaned closer, eyes intense. "Do you understand?"
"I… yes," Yaojin whispered.
"Good."
A Warning Delivered
By evening, Zhang Wei had received another phone call.
"You contacted Shen Yaojin again."
"Yes?" Zhang Wei replied, trying to sound casual.
The voice was low, calm, and deadly. "Consider this your last warning. Step away, or everything you value will unravel."
Zhang Wei's smirk faltered. For the first time, he felt a twinge of fear.
This is bigger than I thought.
Tension Between Omegas
Bai Lianyi caught Zexu checking the news again.
"You're worrying too much," Lianyi said, arms folded.
"I'm worried because it matters," Zexu replied. "Yaojin is my friend."
"You care too much," Lianyi muttered.
"Maybe I do," Zexu admitted quietly.
Lianyi's eyes softened slightly, though he wouldn't let it show fully.
Damn omega, he thought. Always too perceptive, always too stubborn.
Yaojin sat on the balcony, city lights stretching below him.
The headlines screamed.
The past whispered.
The threats lingered.
But beside him, Zhiyuan's presence was steady, unwavering.
"You survived before," Zhiyuan said softly. "You'll survive again. And this time… they'll regret ever trying to touch you."
Yaojin exhaled slowly, feeling a tiny flicker of courage.
Maybe… just maybe… I don't have to face it alone.