After Entering a Contract Marriage with a Disabled Alpha - Chapter 1

In a private bar in Jiangcheng, the lights were dim.

Melodious piano music flowed through the air. The clientele here were either rich or influential; opening a random bottle of wine cost upwards of ten thousand yuan.

Utilizing his summer break, Pei Yu had been working here part-time for over a month.

As he carried the drinks to a private room, several wealthy young heirs, dressed in luxury brands, narrowed their eyes and lazily gossiped.

“I did not expect the Lin family to actually bring home the wrong child. That young master who used to strut around like a peacock turned out to be a fake.”

“If Lin Shuxing is the fake, then who is the real one? Imagine waking up to find you are worth billions; you would probably laugh yourself awake in your dreams.”

“The name is Pei Yu, I think.”

Hearing his own name, Pei Yu paused for a split second.

He quickly suppressed his surprise. When he looked up again, his eyes were devoid of emotion.

“Hello, here is the wine you ordered. Would you like me to open and pour it for you now?”

A cold, clean male voice broke the socialites’ discussion.

“Fill them up.”

The gossip continued. Pei Yu listened silently, his hands never stopping as he moved to the other side of the table.

“No wonder I always felt Lin Shuxing was tacky deep down,” sneered a Beta who had once pursued Lin Shuxing, only to be mocked as a toad lusting after swan meat.

“What the hell did you just say?”

Qin Fen, the leader sitting in the center, kicked him. “Watch your mouth.”

He stood up angrily, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it.

“So annoying. I am going to the hallway for a smoke.”

As the man slammed the door behind him, Pei Yu finished pouring the wine and prepared to leave.

“Ugh, why did you have to piss off Qin Fen? Do you not know he likes Lin Shuxing?”

“He is just putting on a show. Does this not make it easier for him to chase Lin Shuxing now?” The Beta wanted to curse more, but suddenly remembered that Qin Fen was a junior from a branch of the Qin family.

Not all circles within the elite were equal.

They had money, but they were far below the Qin family, the head of Jiangcheng’s high society. Every move the Qin family made could affect their family businesses. If he talked back now, his family might go bankrupt by tomorrow morning.

His parents had drummed it into him: never offend the Qin family when out playing. Even though Qin Fen was not from the main branch, he had to swallow his anger.

As Pei Yu walked away with his back to them, a few more comments drifted over.

“That waiter is so ugly. Deep Blue is going downhill; they do not even screen their staff anymore.”

“Ugly? He is average, I guess. But his body is nice, that waist is so thin.”

The lewd snickering reached Pei Yu’s ears. He closed the door without a change in expression. As he stepped out, he saw Qin Fen smoking at the corner of the hallway.

After brushing past him, Pei Yu threw himself back into his work.

When it was time for the shift change, he handed over his duties and returned to the staff locker room. Just as he took off his jacket, the replacement bartender followed him in.

“Going back alone again?” the handsome bartender asked casually.

Pei Yu took his old clothes out of his locker and entered a cubicle. He hung his jacket on a hanger just as the sound of the neighboring locker door closing echoed.

“Yes, going back alone.” Pei Yu replied slowly, changing his clothes and finally putting on a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

A few seconds after he stepped out, the bartender followed.

The man looked the youth up and down. After changing into a loose white T-shirt and jeans, Pei Yu’s noticeably slender waist was completely hidden. However, the cheap street-stall clothes could not suppress the boy’s clean and upright stature.

His gaze moved to the boy’s face. At first glance, it was a very mediocre face.

The crude, scratched black-rimmed glasses covered most of it. Messy jet-black bangs hung low to his eyelashes. Perhaps because the bar’s air conditioning was too high, he looked sensitive to the cold; his face was pale, and his lips were dry and colorless.

In short, it was a sickly, unremarkable face.

However, a bartender who spent his life in bars had seen all kinds of beauties. He could see through the clumsy disguise at a glance.

Because the boy’s eyes were beautiful.

Like clear, flawless glass beads, they were a light brown. When light hit them, they looked like amber, shimmering and radiant, making it impossible to look away.

The bartender suspected the boy was a beautiful Omega in desperate need of money.

“I do not know what is on your mind, but it is late. Be careful on the way home,” the bartender said with a smile.

It had been a long time since he heard words of concern. Pei Yu had not expected the bartender to say that; he did not even know the man’s name.

Pei Yu smiled faintly. “Thank you. I will stay safe.”

At 11:00 PM, Jiangcheng’s nightlife was just beginning.

The streets were still crowded. In the summer, street vendors were in full swing. The lingering scent of wood and wine on Pei Yu was soon enveloped by the smell of spicy food and smoke in the air.

If the Lin family villa were not so far from the bar with no direct bus, Pei Yu would never have spent the extra money on a taxi.

After taking a bus to the station closest to the villa, Pei Yu stood alone by the roadside to hail a ride.

The driver who accepted the order looked at the destination and thought strangely: if he lives in a luxury mansion, why did he not call for a premium car service?

“Please fasten your seatbelt,” the driver reminded him.

Pei Yu nodded.

On the way, the shift manager sent out the week’s wages. Seconds after receiving it, Pei Yu transferred the money into a private hospital account.

The debt decreased by a small fraction. Pei Yu let out a long breath, feeling the invisible pressure on his shoulders lighten slightly.

The high-end private bar where he worked paid a high hourly wage, triple digits, and with the generous tips from wealthy heirs, he earned quite a bit by the end of the month.

His mother, Jiang He, was a female Omega. Ten years ago, her husband died in a tragic car accident. Under the immense shock, she developed a rare pheromone disorder and required long-term hospitalization and expensive specialized medication.

After receiving a large compensation payout, she raised Pei Yu alone.

They lived frugally, but two years ago, the compensation money finally ran out. Since then, their standard of living plummeted. Though their lives were difficult, they relied on each other, and he had learned to find joy in the hardship.

A part-time job opportunity like this would normally never have fallen into his lap.

It only happened because he was a child of the wealthy Lin family in Jiangcheng.

Pei Yu leaned back against the seat with his eyes closed. Thinking about everything that had happened recently, anyone would feel like they were in a dream.

Not long ago, when medical expenses became tight, he was a top student who did not have to pay high school tuition. He planned to earn money during the summer after his junior year. He had already found a job tutoring elementary students, but before he could start, people from the Lin family showed up at his door.

A lawyer in a black and white suit produced a DNA report, stating that he was the son of Lin Yifeng, the chairman of Lingfeng Appliances. He had been swapped at birth by an intern nurse.

Lingfeng Appliances was an international home appliance giant. It owned numerous sub-brands, specializing in refrigerators, air conditioners, and smart home products.

Hearing he was the misplaced son of a wealthy family brought a surge of complex emotions. Along with the panic and confusion, a boiling joy rose from deep within.

This way, could Jiang He finally get the best treatment?

The private lawyer had seen many such scandals in the elite circles. Seeing the faint smile on the boy’s face, his expression remained neutral. He simply informed him of the time and place to meet his biological parents.

He never even considered that Pei Yu might refuse. The investigation report was clear: Pei Yu’s foster mother was sick and needed money. No one would turn down a chance to flip their fortunes, especially with a family as massive as the Lins.

Pei Yu did exactly as the lawyer expected and agreed immediately.

On his way back that day, Pei Yu searched for information about the Lin family online. Once his excitement cooled, he quickly noticed something felt off.

In TV dramas, finding a biological son was not supposed to be like this, was it? Just sending someone to coldly notify him?

The reality was not far from his guess. Lin Yifeng was busy attending an international economic conference, so the ones who came to meet him were a mother and son, followed by a butler.

The woman was Luo Meihua, his biological mother, a quintessential, sophisticated noblewoman.

Jiang He’s biological son was named Lin Shuxing. His features bore some resemblance to Jiang He. He did not seem to care about Pei Yu’s existence at all, clinging to the lady’s arm and acting spoiled.

Luo Meihua was incredibly doting, though she occasionally looked at Pei Yu with a conflicted, complicated gaze.

Halfway through the meal, when Lin Shuxing went to the restroom, Luo Meihua finally sat next to Pei Yu, gently stroking his cheek and hair.

“Mom knows your family situation was not good. You have suffered all these years. Xiaoxing said he does not mind your arrival. Mom hopes you can move in. We will pay for your foster mother’s medical expenses, so do not worry too much.”

“Xiaoxing has been pampered since he was a child, and he is an Omega. Mom hopes you can get along well with him.”

After she spoke, Pei Yu nodded awkwardly. Hearing footsteps approaching the private room, Luo Meihua glanced at the door and sat back in her original seat with a smile.

When the dinner ended, Pei Yu remembered he wanted to ask Mrs. Luo if he could temporarily delay moving into the Lin house.

“Of course not. What would people think if the Lin family’s biological son stayed outside?”

“Mom is helping you pay for your foster mother’s expenses. Is it not good for you to move into the Lin house?”

The noblewoman naturally referred to herself as Mom while making it very clear that Jiang He was only his foster mother.

In just a few days, Pei Yu had not fully accepted the massive change in his identity. Jiang He was very good to him; he did not want to change how he addressed her so quickly.

During his few seconds of hesitation, Luo Meihua had already finished paying the bill. She said with a smile, “Why do you not call me Mom?”

No sound came out.

Meeting her expectant gaze, Pei Yu felt a slight discomfort. Yet, not wanting to disappoint a mother who had just found her biological son, he tried to open his mouth.

A few seconds passed, but he could not say it. He lowered his head, clutching his hem and biting his lip. From the corner of his eye, he saw her elegant brows knit together.

Lin Shuxing, carrying a box of pastries given to VIP guests, naturally took Luo Meihua’s arm.

“Mom, it is only the first day they have met. Give Brother some time. He was so poor before; now that the pheasant has turned into a phoenix, he probably is not used to it. He will be fine after staying at home for a few days.”

Pei Yu remained silent.

Lin Shuxing looked down on him. Pei Yu sensed the malice in his tone.

Luo Meihua replied, “What are you saying? If you say that, are you not including me too?”

She said it, but she was not angry.

Lin Shuxing was the child she had loved and raised; he was incredibly considerate in daily life. He knew how to soothe her emotions and make her happy. When she first learned he was not her biological son, she had been terrified that he would leave her for Jiang He.

As expected of the child she raised herself, he was incredibly loyal. He even acted spoiled, saying he did not want outsiders to steal his wonderful mother, and asked if he could stay while they brought his brother back.

Luo Meihua enjoyed the way her son looked at her with pure adoration.

The bond of upbringing is stronger than blood. Is this not proof of how excellently I raised my child?

She glanced at Pei Yu, with his plain clothes and overlong hair. He reeked of the lower class. No wonder he was the child Jiang He raised.

“Your original family was not even middle-class. I will have to educate you properly once you are at the Lin house.”

Pei Yu could not stand the two of them insulting Jiang He to his face and started an argument.

An indignant Luo Meihua said haughtily, “Do you not want Jiang He to get the best treatment? Do not make a scene in public.”

With prying eyes all around them, Pei Yu’s impression of her hit rock bottom. He stopped hoping for a connection with Luo Meihua; having Jiang He was enough for him.

“Little Master, we have arrived. Please take your belongings before getting out.” The driver’s reminder pulled Pei Yu back from his memories.

Pei Yu paused, gave a self-mocking smile, and got out. He reflexively gave the driver a five-star rating.

In the dead of night, the security booth outside the wealthy neighborhood was still lit. A swarm of small insects gathered around the orange glow of the streetlights.

Seeing the familiar figure, the duty guard opened the door but followed protocol: “Sorry, unauthorized personnel are not allowed inside.”

“I know,” Pei Yu said, unsurprised.

In this wealthy district, property fees were exorbitant, and security was correspondingly strict. If one was not an owner, all visitors had to be personally registered by the owner. Someone like Pei Yu, who was supposed to live there permanently, should have been registered long ago.

Yet the Lin family owners had never come to do it. Even the guard found it strange.

He had heard other residents talk about the Lin family. Should he not treat a recovered biological son well? He felt that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Lin cared much about the matter.

The guard shook his head and said, as he had the previous nights, “If there is no permanent registration, a family member must come out to pick you up.”

Pei Yu nodded helplessly. It was not that he had nowhere to live; Jiang He’s house was mortgaged, but he could still stay there. At worst, he could stay in a hotel or rent a room.

But thinking of Jiang He, who was currently receiving treatment in a high-end private hospital.

He had to bow his head.

He sent a message to Lin Shuxing, saying he was at the neighborhood entrance.

At the same time, Lin Shuxing, who was eating a late-night snack in the living room, put down his food. “Mom, Brother is back. It is dark out, I will go pick him up.”

“That child. I told him he did not need to work part-time, but he just will not listen. Is the family lacking that bit of money?” Luo Meihua huffed softly. “Xiaoxing is the best, going out to pick up his brother every night.”

Lin Shuxing put on his jacket. “He is my brother, after all. Plus, he just got back, it is a good time to build our relationship.”

The night was as thick as ink. Half the moon hid behind thin clouds.

Cool, white moonlight fell on the pebble-paved path, glowing with a soft luster.

Pei Yu followed behind Lin Shuxing. The only sounds were the rustling of insects in the grass and their footsteps.

Following the path, they finally reached the brightly lit Lin villa. Outside the hollowed iron gates, Lin Shuxing suddenly turned around.

His narrow eyes, which bore a slight resemblance to Jiang He’s, curled upward.

“I am saying, can you please hurry up and get the hell out of my house?”

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