Chapter 11
Shen Yu lay sprawled across his bed, the duvet pulled close enough to brush against his face as the quiet of the penthouse wrapped around him. For a brief moment, everything felt still—until faint voices drifted upward from below, low and indistinct, yet unmistakably present.
His eyes opened slowly.
The sound didn't belong.
A quiet sigh left him as he lifted the back of his hand to his forehead, staring blankly at the ceiling while the voices continued, their soft murmur threading through the silence of a space that was supposed to be his alone.
If they were robbers, what exactly were they planning to take?
The thought crossed his mind without urgency. Perhaps the flat-screen television—but even that seemed unlikely. The idea of someone dragging a television out of a heavily guarded penthouse without being noticed felt more absurd than concerning.
With that same detached calm, Shen Yu pushed himself upright and slipped out of bed.
Where someone else might have panicked, his movements remained unhurried. He stepped into the bathroom first, beginning his morning routine with quiet indifference, his hair still a mess of uneven strands as he brushed his teeth. The faint taste of mint lingered as he leaned lazily against the sink, as though the voices downstairs were nothing more than background noise.
Only after that did he make his way down.
A toothbrush still resting between his lips, he descended the stairs—and the moment his gaze settled on the living room, his eyes twitched.
For the first time since waking, he felt something close to regret.
He would have preferred robbers.
Su Ran and Shen Mei sat comfortably on his couch, cups of coffee in their hands as though they belonged there, their conversation flowing effortlessly in a way that suggested they had no intention of leaving anytime soon. The ease with which they occupied his space made the entire scene feel less like an intrusion and more like a quiet declaration that his boundaries meant very little.
It seemed he wasn't the only one with a tendency to ignore them.
Su Ran was the first to notice him.
Her expression brightened instantly as she stood, walking toward him with warmth that might have been convincing if it hadn't come so late. Shen Mei turned as well, her lips curving into a smirk that carried just enough amusement to make it irritating.
"Who's the lucky omega, son?" Su Ran asked, her voice light with curiosity. "Your father mentioned him… said he was beautiful. I think the lucky one might actually be you."
Shen Yu said nothing.
He simply stared at her, his expression flat, unreadable.
The silence stretched long enough to dull her enthusiasm, but it didn't stop Shen Mei. She rose from the couch and walked over, her tone shifting into something more teasing as she tilted her head slightly.
"So, who is he?" she pressed, her eyes glinting with interest. "Or do you want us to find out ourselves? You're not seriously hiding him from your family… right, brother?"
The irritation showed this time, faint but unmistakable, as Shen Yu's brows drew together.
"What do you want?" he asked, directing the question at his mother while ignoring Shen Mei entirely.
The dismissiveness made Shen Mei pout slightly, but Su Ran stepped forward instead, her expression softening.
"Don't speak to your sister like that," she said gently before her tone shifted, something more cautious settling beneath it. "We just wanted to check on you. It's been a long time… ever since the accident, you stopped coming home."
Shen Yu paused.
The coffee pot in his hand tilted slightly as he poured, the dark liquid filling the cup in a steady stream. Then a quiet, humorless chuckle escaped him as he turned to face her.
"Check on me?" he repeated, his voice low, edged with something colder. "For five years, what exactly stopped you?"
The warmth in the room vanished almost instantly.
Su Ran's gaze dropped, her composure faltering as the weight of his words settled in.
"You know that wasn't—" she began, her voice trembling slightly. "We were still in Korea at the time, we—"
"And yet you still called Shen Mei," he cut in smoothly, his tone sharpening just enough to sting. "Because she's an omega. Someone worth your attention."
The words hung heavily in the air.
Shen Mei's lips pressed into a thin line, her silence deliberate. She knew better than to interrupt now; any attempt to defend herself would only redirect his anger toward her.
Su Ran looked up again, her eyes glistening.
"That's not true," she said softly. "You're my son, Yu. I would never think of you as worthless."
Shen Yu chuckled again, the sound hollow.
Turning away, he lifted the cup to his lips and took a slow sip, his expression calm enough that, at a glance, he seemed unaffected. But the coldness in his eyes betrayed him, sharp and unyielding, sending a quiet chill through both women.
"And now I'm worth your time," he murmured, "because I brought home a 'beautiful omega.' I thought, after all these years, you might understand me a little better."
He paused briefly before adding, almost as an afterthought—
"I hate fake people."
The words settled heavily between them.
"Leave."
Su Ran flinched slightly, her fingers trembling as she wiped at her tears, as though trying to steady herself before speaking again. But before she could, Shen Mei stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Mother… let's go," she said quietly, the teasing tone from earlier completely gone.
She glanced at Shen Yu one last time before turning, ready to leave with her.
"I told her to leave," Shen Yu said suddenly, his voice cutting through the moment with quiet indifference. "Not you."
Shen Mei paused.
For a second, she looked back at her mother, something like pity flickering across her expression.
What had you done...for him to stop caring this much?
Su Ran didn't respond. She simply left, her presence fading along with the faint, lingering trace of her tulip-scented pheromones that seemed to sour the air even after she was gone.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Shen Mei exhaled softly and dropped back onto the couch, leaning into it as she tilted her head, one eye half-lidded as she watched her brother. He stood there with his coffee, his gaze distant, unfocused in a way that suggested his thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.
Without looking at her, he spoke.
"What were you actually doing here?"
Shen Mei hummed thoughtfully, pressing her finger lightly against her glossy lips before answering.
"Oh, right," she said, as if remembering suddenly. "Father told me to pass along a message. He wants you and your omega to come to dinner on Friday… since you blocked his number."
Shen Yu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.
"But seriously," she added, her curiosity returning in full force, "who is this omega?"
For a brief moment, Shen Yu's mind drifted back.
" My name is Jiang Li...I'm a student at Tiancheng University, in the art department."
The quiet, hesitant voice echoed faintly in his memory.
Instead of answering, Shen Yu lowered his hand and asked, almost casually—
"Do you have class this morning?"
Shen Mei frowned at the sudden change in topic, but nodded anyway.
"I do."
"Then wait for me," he said, already turning toward the stairs. "I'm coming with you."
She blinked, caught off guard as she stood up quickly.
"Wait—why?" she asked, staring at his back as though the answer might suddenly appear there.
Shen Yu paused halfway up the stairs and glanced over his shoulder, a faint smile touching his lips—though it didn't reach his eyes.
"Didn't you say you wanted to meet the lucky omega?"
Shen Mei froze.
Her lips parted slightly as realization sank in.
…Wait.
He actually likes them that young?