Forbidden Zone Rose - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: “Alphas Are Like Dogs Pissing Everywhere…”

After sending the message, Su Zhi felt something was off.

Xie Yi worked in the restricted zone and might not be able to get away at a moment’s notice; the afternoon timeframe was a bit too rushed.

He sent another follow-up: “If it’s inconvenient recently, I can set them aside for you. You can come pick them up whenever you have time, or I can arrange a delivery.”

The other side replied quickly:

“It’s convenient. I’ll come pick them up.”

“I’ll be at the shop around 5:00 PM. Is that okay?”

Su Zhi: “Okay.”

Xie Yi: “Thank you.”

The other person’s speaking style was as concise and polite as ever, exuding a faint sense of steadiness and aloofness.

Su Zhi replied with another “Okay,” but then worried if that seemed too cold.

He searched clumsily for a while before finding a fluffy, chibi bird sticker and sent it over.

Su Zhi: [Little chick nodding.gif]

Looking at the dialogue box that was no longer empty but filled with a few simple exchanges, Su Zhi felt his mood lighten slightly for some reason.

Hm, he could use a bit of social skill after all!

Truthfully, Su Zhi was a bit curious about the aftermath of the mining accident. However, that topic wasn’t quite suitable for online messaging, and he wasn’t very close to Xie Yi, so his curiosity remained just that.

“Ding-dong.”

A little after 4:00 PM, the electronic wind chime at the door chimed, signaling a customer.

At this time, Su Zhi assumed it was Xie Yi coming for the flowers. Just as he was about to greet him, he looked up and saw an unexpected person.

A tall Alpha with gold-rimmed glasses and a somewhat refined, scholarly air walked in.

Su Zhi’s brain stalled for a moment: “…Senior?”

Hadn’t he already turned him down? Why had Wu Yong come to Z-City anyway? Was there something unclear in his refusal? Su Zhi didn’t understand.

Su Zhi was stunned, unsure of how to handle this situation.

Wu Yong walked up to him and called out gently: “Xiao Zhi.”

He was older than Su Zhi and carried the heavy, settled aura characteristic of a scholar, yet because he had been a leader at Ruihuan Technology for several years, there was an unhideable arrogance in his gaze. His attire and gestures were very rigid and meticulous; one could tell at a glance he was wealthy and influential.

Su Zhi stood up: “Senior, why are you here?”

Wu Yong smiled: “I was truly worried about you. I pushed aside some work at the company to come see you.”

“…” Su Zhi didn’t know how to respond and repeated for the third time: “Thank you, I’m fine.”

Wu Yong: “I made things too simple; my arrangements weren’t thorough enough. I shouldn’t have let you go alone to a complex place like the mining area, only for you to encounter a collapse. Xiao Zhi, I hope you aren’t angry with me.”

Su Zhi: “…”

Su Zhi: “It’s alright, I’m not angry.”

He wasn’t angry to begin with. Why would he be? Wu Yong had no real responsibility for him; Su Zhi was the one who insisted on going to the restricted zone, and the accident was just an accident.

Why did Wu Yong insist on repeatedly saying he was angry? It made it seem like Su Zhi was being incredibly unreasonable.

Su Zhi wasn’t angry initially, but being told he was so many times actually made him feel quite uncomfortable. Wu Yong was making such a grand, sticky ordeal out of this, as if there were some deep, complicated entanglement between them.

But they weren’t close at all. Their relationship was merely a single favor exchanged because of the emergency with 0409, and even that was mediated through their mentor.

Su Zhi felt an indescribable discomfort—heavy and strange.

Taking a deep breath, Su Zhi explained seriously: “Senior, thank you for coming to see me, and thank you for helping me get into the restricted zone. It really was a huge help. But I am truly fine; I didn’t suffer any injuries in the collapse. Aside from gratitude, I don’t have any negative opinions of you. There’s really no need to delay your work for such small matters.”

Wu Yong: “It’s not a small matter. Nothing regarding you is a small matter to me.”

Wu Yong: “Sorry, I know showing up like this is a bit presumptuous. I was just too worried about you.”

Su Zhi: “…”

Su Zhi: “Senior, there’s no need for this.”

Su Zhi’s head was beginning to ache.

He felt he understood Wu Yong’s words less and less, and the way the man looked at him was very strange. Su Zhi had a bad premonition. He remembered the many Alphas he had encountered before who suddenly went “crazy,” and he felt he was about to experience a situation that had repeated itself countless times—like some sort of illogical loop.

He somewhat regretted asking Wu Yong for help with the restricted zone. If he had known things would turn out like this, even with their mentor’s introduction, he wouldn’t have wanted to get involved with this senior.

Wu Yong looked at him, his eyes unable to mask his obsession and ambition.

He had noticed Su Zhi a long time ago. At first, it was when he returned to school to visit their mentor; he saw that youthful figure following behind Mu Qing, wearing a plain, pale lab coat. Even in such drab colors, the boy was breathtaking at first sight.

Though a Beta, he was more attractive than many Omegas.

No—or rather, it was precisely because he was a Beta that he had that special pull. That aloof, cold temperament, an indifference that seemed unmoved by anything external, naturally enticed Alphas with a desire for conquest to flock to him like moths to a flame—a fatal temptation of contrast.

No one doesn’t fantasize about holding the moon in their arms.

Back then, Wu Yong already had a great deal of interest in this junior, but he could see that Mu Qing protected Su Zhi very closely. Mu Qing was a short-tempered person but possessed great talent and a significant status in the academic world. Fearing he would sour his relationship with her, Wu Yong didn’t show his hand, only greeting Su Zhi casually as a fellow student.

Su Zhi seemed to have a gentle personality, almost without a temper, being polite to everyone and able to exchange a few words. But it was precisely this layer of politeness that formed a soft but firm membrane between himself and the outside world.

Gentle, but only to a point. Take one step further, and you would be blocked. Very few people even managed to add Su Zhi on messaging apps.

Over the years, he had watched Su Zhi reject one Alpha after another—Betas and Omegas as well—until he slowly earned the reputation of being a “Flower on a High Ridge.”

While he felt relieved that Su Zhi hadn’t been plucked by anyone else, he also felt a sense of “sadness for his own kind.” Being an Alpha himself, he worried he would meet the same fate. Thus, he became even more cautious.

Wu Yong waited patiently for several years until he finally found a legitimate opportunity to get close to Su Zhi.

When trouble broke out at the institute and Su Zhi came to Z-City for a vacation, Mu Qing was worried. She treated Su Zhi like her own cub and wanted someone to look after him. Wu Yong, relying on the steady image he had cultivated through years of patience, won Mu Qing’s trust and finally added Su Zhi on messaging.

Afterward, the stars aligned. The experimental sample had issues, and Su Zhi wanted to enter the restricted zone, asking for his help. It was originally a perfect chance to increase favorability, but he hadn’t expected the accident to occur.

Wu Yong had thought about taking it slow; he knew Su Zhi was mild-mannered and slow to react, and pushing too hard would backfire. Those failed pursuers from before were a warning.

But having endured for so many years, now that the opportunity was finally here, how could such surging emotions be so easily suppressed? Alphas were never good at endurance, and he had been planning for long enough.

He wasn’t completely without a plan. After leaving the research lab and immersing himself in the workplace for so many years, he had his own insights into manipulating human hearts.

Wu Yong timely softened his tone, saying warmly: “Senior knows that coming here like this is a bit of a disturbance, but I don’t mean anything else. It’s just that it’s rare for our mentor to entrust me with a task, yet I made a mistake. I feel quite guilty in my heart.”

He gave a way out to dissolve Su Zhi’s wariness: “Besides, coming to Z-City this time isn’t entirely because of this matter. The company has a project here that ran into issues, and I was supposed to come for an inspection anyway; I just moved the trip up a bit.”

Su Zhi: “Oh, so that’s how it is.”

He still felt something was off, but Wu Yong’s attitude was good, and he provided a seemingly logical explanation without saying anything extreme like those Alphas in the past. If he continued to dwell on it, he would seem odd, so he remained stuck in a state of uncertainty.

Wu Yong smiled; his words weren’t entirely false. The company indeed had issues in Z-City. The collapsed mine was Red Stone Mine No. 8—it was too sensitive.

According to Z-City’s development plan, the scope of this survey and exploration wasn’t supposed to include Red Stone Mine No. 8. It wasn’t supposed to be exposed so soon; there should have been time to pivot and cover it up, or at least it shouldn’t have been discovered so bluntly.

He hadn’t expected Su Zhi to stumble into it by sheer accident. A flash of gloom passed through Wu Yong’s eyes.

But these things couldn’t be spoken aloud. The incident had happened, and losses were inevitable; Alphas always loathed failure. Thinking of the sunk costs, his obsession with Su Zhi grew deeper.

Wu Yong: “The timing is just right, and the shop is quiet. Would you mind treating me to a meal, Junior?”

Su Zhi wanted to refuse, but for a moment, he couldn’t think of an excuse. If Wu Yong had offered to treat him, he could have declined, but since he was asked to treat Wu Yong, he had no reason to refuse. After all, Su Zhi owed him a favor.

Here it was again—Su Zhi felt a suffocating sense of being entangled.

Wu Yong smiled, about to say more. Just then, the wind chime at the door rang again as someone entered.

A man’s deep voice broke the stagnant atmosphere: “Excuse me.”

When Su Zhi saw who it was, his eyes brightened involuntarily, as if he had seen a savior: “Mr. Xie, are you here for the pre-ordered flowers?”

Wu Yong was displeased. Following Su Zhi’s gaze, his expression stiffened.

The newcomer was clearly an Alpha, and clearly younger, taller, and more handsome than he was. His features were cold and strikingly handsome, with broad shoulders and long legs. His casual clothing couldn’t hide his upright, muscular build; the man seemed almost entirely constructed of pheromones.

Alphas are territorial creatures; an instinctive competitive drive makes them unconsciously compare and compete when facing their own kind. Especially in front of an outstanding peer, the sense of crisis rises exponentially.

Obvious hostility leaked from Wu Yong’s eyes. Based on Alpha instinct, he realized the other was likely a competitor.

In contrast to Wu Yong’s state of high alert, Xie Yi’s black eyes merely swept over him indifferently without stopping for a second, as if treating him as mere air. His eyes were focused on Su Zhi, his voice slightly husky and magnetic: “Mhm. I want to make a flower arrangement. Does the shop offer that service?”

Su Zhi said without hesitation: “Yes, we do.”

Even if they didn’t, they had to! Anything was fine as long as it kept him busy!

Su Zhi: “…Is there an example photo? What kind do you want?”

“This kind.”

Xie Yi opened his phone and handed it over, showing Su Zhi an example photo. It was a rather detailed style—not complex, but something that required learning on the spot and would be time-consuming.

Time-consuming was good. Very good!

It was like a pillow being offered to someone falling asleep. Su Zhi nodded quickly: “I can do that.”

Su Zhi immediately turned to Wu Yong: “Senior, I have to help this customer with a bouquet he ordered. It will take over an hour, and I won’t have time. Sorry, once I return to the capital, I will definitely treat you to a meal.”

When that time came, he would just invite their mentor along. With the mentor’s personality, there would be no space for him to get a word in; Su Zhi would only be responsible for keeping his head down and eating.

Wu Yong: “…”

Wu Yong: “Xiao Zhi.”

His expression was already quite ugly. Under pressure, he unconsciously leaked Alpha pheromones.

Xie Yi finally gave him a look, his gaze as sharp as a sword. The moment Wu Yong met his eyes, his scalp went numb, as if he had been given a cold, downward glance by an extremely dangerous predator.

The rank of this Alpha was likely not low.

Wu Yong himself was an Alpha with excellent pheromones, yet the man before him wasn’t affected by his pheromones in the slightest. Wariness surged in his heart.

Wu Yong took a deep breath: “Alright, then we’ll meet again in the capital.”

The other person’s strength was clearly superior to his own; it wasn’t even a fight. He was already at a disadvantage, and staying longer would only be inviting humiliation. There was plenty of time in the future, and it wouldn’t be good to push Su Zhi too hard.

This was just a flower shop customer; he couldn’t stay here forever. Su Zhi had always been wary of Alphas—if Wu Yong didn’t have a chance, would this Alpha have one? At least he and Su Zhi shared a longer and tighter network of connections. Once Su Zhi returned to the capital, there would be plenty of opportunities.

After Wu Yong left, Su Zhi let out a visible sigh of relief. Dealing with this senior was truly exhausting. He really wasn’t good at getting along with Alphas.

Only he and Xie Yi remained in the shop. Su Zhi hesitated but decided to be honest: “I’m sorry, I actually don’t know how to do flower arrangements. I can call a florist over, or I can take you to another shop to help, is that okay?”

“Mhm, then forget the arrangement. I just asked casually.” Xie Yi’s expression showed no surprise at all as he asked as if in passing: “Is that person pestering you?”

Su Zhi was a bit embarrassed: “You noticed.”

Xie Yi: “Do you need help?”

Su Zhi shook his head: “It’s fine, not a big problem.”

Compared to those Alphas who would resort to violence at the slightest disagreement, Wu Yong at least only caused headaches with his words; he wasn’t considered truly difficult to deal with yet.

Xie Yi’s eyes darkened at some point, his voice low as if coaxing: “Do you encounter this often?”

Su Zhi couldn’t help but sigh: “Sigh…”

His whole body seemed to deflate, like a fluffy chick losing air. If he had a cowlick, it would surely have wilted too. Perhaps because they had experienced a life-and-death situation together, his wariness had thinned out at some point.

After sending off the senior who talked like he was chanting sutras, Su Zhi’s emotions were a bit turbulent. He muttered to himself in a small voice: “This is why I don’t like Alphas.”

The next second, he realized Xie Yi was also an Alpha. He had actually spoken ill of his gender in front of him—his emotional intelligence was a disaster.

Su Zhi tried to salvage it: “Sorry! I wasn’t talking about you, just…”

“It’s okay,” Xie Yi smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t like Alphas either.”

He spoke with his usual calm, his black eyes deep, showing no sign of being stung by Su Zhi’s unintentional words.

Su Zhi was dazed: “…You have such a good temper.”

Alphas usually had high self-esteem and didn’t allow for questioning or opposition, yet Xie Yi had remained stable, dignified, and restrained. Despite his aggressive looks, he seemed incapable of getting angry, which was a striking contrast.

There was a deeply hidden indifference in Xie Yi’s eyes. His voice was low and cold, seemingly containing mockery—though it was unclear if he was mocking others or himself: “Isn’t it so? Creatures ruled by pheromones, losing their reason and acting only on instinct—no different from beasts.”

Su Zhi hadn’t expected Xie Yi, as an Alpha, to be even more extreme than himself. He couldn’t help but say: “Eh? It’s not that serious. Hormonal fluctuations are understandable. In fact, even Betas are affected by various hormones in the human body, just not pheromones. Everyone has moments when they are ruled by hormones. Humans are animals too, after all.”

“I just think sometimes some Alphas act too illogically, unpredictably.”

“And,” Su Zhi had another very simple reason: “Mainly, I can’t beat them in a fight. It’s better not to take the risk if I can avoid it.”

Su Zhi snapped back to reality and smiled apologetically: “Sorry, I don’t know why I started complaining to you. I’m talking too much. I’ll go get the White Camellias.”

Xie Yi: “Okay. However,” he paused, “can you turn on the ventilation system?”

Su Zhi: “Hm?”

Xie Yi lowered his eyelashes: “That Alpha just now released his pheromones.”

Su Zhi: “!”

An Alpha’s pheromones are a strong stimulant to their own kind and can trigger aggression. Since Xie Yi hadn’t shown it, he must have been forcibly suppressing his discomfort.

Su Zhi thought Xie Yi’s temper was truly good. He felt a bit sorry for involving him in such a thing—being attacked by another Alpha’s pheromones was simply a stroke of bad luck. He quickly turned on the ventilation system, and the excess Alpha pheromones in the shop were gradually sucked away as the system operated.

Xie Yi’s expression relaxed slightly.

Su Zhi: “Wait a moment, I’ll go get the flowers.”

Xie Yi: “Mhm.” His gaze heavily followed Su Zhi’s back.

Su Zhi was wearing a light blue shirt today; when he turned around, he revealed his slender, fair neck. If Su Zhi were an Omega, there would be a gland there to receive pheromones, but he was just a Beta. His glands were undeveloped and completely sealed; an Alpha’s pheromones could only hover around the outside, leaving no mark.

Even so, it was unbearable to Xie Yi.

If he hadn’t just injected a suppressant, he might not have been able to resist driving out the Alpha’s foul-smelling pheromones and wrapping Su Zhi’s entire body in his own Enigma pheromones. Even if no mark could be left, he would trap him in a nest, firmly pinning his limbs, and lick him repeatedly until he was completely soaked—and he wouldn’t stop even if the boy begged for mercy.

Su Zhi came back with the White Camellias. The newly arrived flowers were very fresh, and the dew on the packaging dampened his collar.

Xie Yi glanced at the collarbone revealed by his shirt, adorned with a few transparent water droplets that flowed along the curve into the small hollow between his collarbones. Suppressing the desire in his eyes, he spoke politely: “Alphas are like dogs pissing everywhere to mark territory. You have to be careful.”

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