Chapter 17
Seated at the long, spacious dining table, Shen Yu found his gaze drifting—again and again—toward Jiang Li.
Ever since they had stepped out of the car, something had shifted. It wasn't obvious enough for others to notice, but to Shen Yu, the distance was unmistakable. Jiang Li had withdrawn, just slightly, just enough to feel deliberate.
"How old are you, darling?" Su Ran asked lightly, lifting her champagne glass with effortless elegance.
At the question, Jiang Li paused. A soft smile curved his lips as he glanced—almost instinctively—toward Shen Yu before turning his attention back to her.
"I'm twenty-three," he replied gently. "In eight months, I'll be twenty-four."
A sudden cough broke the flow of conversation.
Shen Mei, seated at the far end of the table beside He Lian and her son Kim Taemin, covered her mouth as all eyes turned toward her.
Realizing the attention she'd drawn, she waved a hand dismissively and reached for her water. "Don't mind me," she said between sips, her eyes already glinting with mischief. "I was just thinking… isn't the age gap between my brother and Jiang Li about seven—no, eight years? Wow."
Her grin widened as she looked directly at Shen Yu.
He didn't respond.
His gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before dropping to his plate, his expression unreadable. He had barely touched his food when a soft chuckle reached his ears.
Frowning slightly, he turned.
Jiang Li.
The omega was looking toward Shen Mei, that same gentle smile resting on his lips.
"It is quite a gap," he admitted quietly.
"Ehh, who cares about that?" Shen Mei waved it off with exaggerated ease. "Age is just a number, right… Shen Yu?"
Shen Yu ignored her completely.
Across the table, Shen Yong's expression darkened, his gaze sharpening behind frameless glasses as he looked at his son. He was just about to speak when Su Ran's hand settled lightly on his arm, stopping him before the tension could escalate.
Shen Yu noticed.
He simply chose not to react.
Instead, he lowered his gaze again, staring at his untouched plate, his appetite long gone. His mood had soured without warning, settling into something heavier than simple irritation—something he couldn't quite name.
From the corner of his eye, he watched Jiang Li.
The omega was… perfect.
He spoke when spoken to, smiled at the right moments, laughed softly without drawing too much attention. He didn't cling to Shen Yu, didn't lean too close, didn't blush excessively or stumble over his words like before.
There was no awkwardness.
No intensity.
Nothing out of place.
And somehow, that perfection felt wrong.
"Is this your omega?"
Shen Yong's voice cut through his thoughts.
Shen Yu resisted the urge to sigh. His father had already asked that question—more than once. Why repeat it?
Suppressing his irritation, he lifted his gaze slowly, meeting Shen Yong's eyes. For a few seconds, he said nothing, and the table fell into a brief, uncertain silence.
"...He's with me," Shen Yu replied at last, his tone even.
Shen Yong nodded, then turned his attention to Jiang Li, who was quietly cutting into his steak.
"Is that true?" he asked.
Shen Yu expected hesitation.
A blush, perhaps. A glance in his direction. Some sign of that familiar nervousness.
But Jiang Li simply looked up and nodded.
"Yes, sir," he said calmly. "I'm Shen Yu's omega."
The certainty in his voice was steady—too steady.
Shen Yong seemed satisfied, a faint smile touching his lips as the conversation around the table resumed. Laughter returned, voices overlapped, and the dining room quickly regained its lively atmosphere.
But Shen Yu remained still.
Silent.
Watching.
The person before him… didn't feel like the same Jiang Li.
It was as though the image he once held had shattered quietly, like glass breaking somewhere deep in his mind. And in its place stood someone composed, controlled—someone he couldn't quite recognize.
If Jiang Li could act this well now…
Then what about before?
Had that been an act too?
Had he fallen for it again?
A familiar restlessness stirred within him, sharp and insistent.
He needed air.
Without warning, Shen Yu pushed his chair back. The legs scraped harshly against the marble floor, drawing brief attention.
"Excuse me," he said curtly before turning and walking away.
As expected, the moment passed quickly. By the time he reached the doors, the conversation had already resumed behind him as though nothing had happened.
Outside, the night air greeted him with a cool stillness.
Shen Yu slipped his hands into his coat pockets, retrieving a lighter and a cigarette with practiced ease. The flame flickered briefly before he brought it to life, inhaling slowly.
Smoke curled upward, dissolving into the dark sky.
For a moment, the quiet helped.
But it never lasted.
"...He's interesting."
The voice came from beside him.
Shen Yu didn't need to turn to know who it was.
Taehyun stood nearby, leaning casually against the wall, his presence as imposing as ever.
Shen Yu exhaled a thin stream of smoke before glancing at him. "You think so?"
Taehyun nodded, his expression unreadable. "It seems our Yu-ah isn't too pleased about that, though."
That familiar grin appeared again—infuriatingly calm.
"Is it because he blends in so easily?" Taehyun continued. "Even with your family… something you've never quite mastered."
A quiet chuckle left Shen Yu, low and humorless.
"It seems I have a habit of letting people like that into my life," he replied, his gaze locking onto Taehyun's dark eyes. "Isn't that right… Taehyun?"
For a brief moment, the grin slipped.
Irritation flickered—quick, but real.
Then it was gone, masked beneath a light laugh as Taehyun stepped back, raising his hands slightly in mock surrender.
"Oh, I didn't mean to touch old wounds," he said easily.
But then his eyes shifted past Shen Yu, something catching his attention. The grin returned, sharper this time.
"Well… look who came looking for his lover," he added. "Your 'suitable' partner, already worried."
With that, he turned and left.
Shen Yu scoffed under his breath, dismissing the remark as nothing more than an excuse—until he turned.
Jiang Li was walking toward him.
His arms were wrapped around himself, as though trying to keep warm, his steps hesitant but purposeful.
"Is something wrong?" he asked softly, stopping a short distance away. "Or… did I do something wrong, Shen Yu?"
Shen Yu studied him.
The blush that once came so easily… was gone.
For some reason, that unsettled him more than anything else.
He let out a quiet breath, looking away as his voice dropped, colder than he intended.
"No," he said. "You're doing well."
Silence followed.
The wind passed between them, cool and steady, carrying with it an awkwardness that neither of them addressed.
"Of course," Jiang Li murmured after a moment. "That's what you wanted."
Shen Yu heard him.
Every word.
"Oh… if that's the case," Jiang Li continued, his tone returning to polite neutrality, "I'll go back inside. It's getting cold… or should we leave?"
Shen Yu ran a hand through his hair, irritation surfacing again, sharp and unfiltered.
"Just go inside, Jiang Li."
The edge in his voice was unmistakable.
Jiang Li didn't argue.
He simply nodded and turned, walking back toward the mansion with quiet obedience.
From where he stood, Shen Yu watched as the doors opened and Jiang Li stepped inside. Almost immediately, people gathered around him again—drawn in by his presence.
Shen Mei's animated voice rose above the others, as lively and persistent as ever.
Jiang Li fit in.
Effortlessly.
Perfectly.
And somehow…
That wasn't what Shen Yu wanted.