Low-Grade Omega - Chapter 5

The final result was a cold, bitter parting. Ji Yicheng had forced Li Yao to add his contact information on the neural link, but then he vanished for several days.

Without the need to put on an act for Ji Yicheng, Li Yao was more than happy to enjoy the peace.

The relentless rain that had poured for days finally ceased. Sunlight broke through the clouds, casting golden rays that swept away the gloom and oppression the storms had brought.

Li Yao woke up early today. He cleaned himself up meticulously and treated himself to a rare luxury, taking a public aircraft to the First Children’s Hospital.

He cleared all his outstanding medical bills in one go and even made an advance payment for future treatments. After finishing all the paperwork, the massive sum of money that had barely warmed in his pocket was already slashed by nearly half.

Mianmian’s illness was a black hole for money, which was exactly why he was always desperate for cash.

Today also happened to be the day Mianmian was moved from the Intensive Care Unit to the sterile ward. Her condition remained precarious, but she had at least managed to claw back from the brink of death. Li Yao breathed a sigh of relief, though the knot of anxiety in his chest didn’t fully loosen.

Mianmian’s primary physician met with him and gave a blunt analysis of her current state.

“The patient has only temporarily stabilized. Her complications are severe. For the follow-up intervention, we need to use pheromone extracts from her biological parents as a supplementary sedative. This could increase the surgery’s success rate by about 10%. It’s not a high number, but it’s better than nothing.”

Li Yao’s expression soured upon hearing this. He had found Mianmian five years ago. Congenital gland deficiency, pheromone hypersensitivity, and a heart condition, any one of these was a terminal sentence for such a fragile child.

A child who clearly wasn’t meant to survive had been raised to the age of six by Li Yao through sheer blood, sweat, and tears.

No matter how difficult things had been before, he had never felt truly hopeless. But listening to the doctor now, he felt an unprecedented sense of displacement.

If he lacked money, he could find ways to earn it. But where was he supposed to find the biological parents who had abandoned Mianmian and vanished without a trace? Even if he did find them, extracting pheromones was physically draining. He didn’t believe for a second that parents irresponsible enough to dump her would be willing to provide them.

The doctor knew his family situation and realized the request was a tall order, but some things had to be stated clearly. She sighed and said, “You aren’t her biological father. If possible, we still hope you can try your best to find the parents and have them provide the pheromone extracts.”

Li Yao could only nod for the time being, though he didn’t have the slightest clue where to start looking.

The doctor offered a suggestion, “Imperial law strictly forbids abortion, so newborn births are generally registered in the archives. You could try finding the hospital where Mianmian was born and see if you can track down the parents through their records.”

This suggestion was practically useless. Putting aside the difficulty of finding the right hospital, patient privacy wasn’t something easily bypassed. Still, it was a lead, and Li Yao committed the doctor’s words to memory.

Inside the sterile ward, Mianmian was covered in tubes. Although she was six years old, she looked no older than four.

She kept her dark, round eyes open, curiously watching the doctors and nurses bustling around her. She didn’t cry or make a fuss, appearing to be in relatively good spirits.

Having just left the ICU, Mianmian was incredibly fragile. Li Yao wasn’t allowed inside to see her yet, so he could only watch her secretly through the observation window.

The little girl’s face was still pale, but compared to how she looked lying lifelessly in the treatment pod before, looking as though she might stop breathing at any second, she seemed much better.

Li Yao felt a bit more at ease. He didn’t want the little girl to notice he was there, so he left after only a short while.

Walking out of the hospital and into the bustling city traffic, Li Yao felt a sense of daze as he stood at the crosswalk.

The astronomical medical fees that had been crushing him were finally settled, and he even had a significant surplus. He didn’t know what else to do with himself besides waiting for Mianmian’s condition to improve.

It felt as though Li Yao had suddenly lost all his goals and momentum.

He watched the swarming crowds, unsure of where to go. It felt like he could go anywhere, yet it also felt like there wasn’t a single harbor where his lonely boat could dock.

“Sir, would you like to buy a flower?”

The sudden inquiry snapped Li Yao back to reality. He realized he had already crossed the street and was standing in front of a flower shop.

A young Beta girl in a bear-patterned apron was holding a bouquet of China roses, smiling at him with shy politeness.

Before he could rationally refuse, he heard himself ask, “Do you have lilies?”

The girl nodded. “Yes!”

She turned and ran into the shop to find the lilies.

Ten minutes later, Li Yao pushed open the glass door of the flower shop, clutching a bouquet of pale pink lilies. The bell above the door gave a crisp chime. As the elegant, faint fragrance drifted in the wind, Li Yao suddenly remembered the future he and Ji Yicheng had once fantasized about as teenagers.

, When we graduate from university, let’s open a little flower shop. You can use your good looks to attract Omegas to buy flowers, and I’ll be in charge of the money. It would be even better if we could have two cats or a dog.

A young boy’s dreams of the future are always naive, childish, and quite laughable.

At least, that was how they seemed to the current Li Yao.

No longer needing to worry about money, and with Ji Yicheng having not appeared for a while, the restless Li Yao found himself a job, a feeder at a stray animal rescue center.

He chose this job because Mianmian loved small animals. While he was feeding the “fur babies,” he would record little videos with the director’s permission and send them to Mianmian’s doctor to show her.

Mianmian was very fond of a newborn spotted puppy at the center. She kept reminding Li Yao to take extra care of it, saying she would adopt it once she recovered and was discharged.

Naturally, Li Yao was happy to fulfill any of his daughter’s wishes. He spoke to the director in advance to ensure the puppy was reserved for them.

This warm, peaceful life lasted about a week before the long-absent Ji Yicheng reappeared. However, he didn’t come in person. Instead, it was the assistant Li Yao had met before.

“Mr. Li, our CEO would like to see you. Please come with me.”

The assistant’s tone was courteous and polite, a professional fake smile on his face, though there was a hint of curiosity and scrutiny deep in his eyes.

At that moment, Li Yao had just finished work and bought groceries. He was standing at his front door, not even having had the chance to take out his keys.

He remained silent for a long moment before lowering his head and answering muffledly, “Alright, just a moment.”

Li Yao took a shower and changed his clothes before heading out again. The whole process took nearly half an hour, but the assistant showed no sign of impatience, politely escorting him onto the aircraft.

The low-profile yet luxurious aircraft ascended rapidly, flying toward the other side of the city.

Half an hour later, Li Yao was escorted into the rooftop garden restaurant of the most prestigious luxury hotel in the city.

“The CEO will arrive in about an hour. Please wait here patiently.”

The assistant gave him those instructions and then left gracefully without waiting for a response.

Without a guest’s orders, the hotel staff wouldn’t dare barge in, leaving Li Yao alone in the vast garden.

It was night now, and looking up, one could clearly see the brilliant, magnificent Milky Way. Gentle moonlight filtered through the transparent energy shield at the top of the garden, casting a hazy veil over the blooming flowers.

In the center of the garden was a beautifully decorated long table with flickering candlelight. A gentle breeze carried the faint scent of blooming roses, creating an atmosphere that was both intimate and romantic.

Li Yao raised an eyebrow. He could guess what Ji Yicheng was trying to do, but…

Was it really necessary given the nature of their relationship? It was nothing more than a transaction, goods for cash.

Li Yao curled his lip into a sarcastic smile.

The assistant had said to wait an hour, but in reality, Ji Yicheng arrived in less than thirty minutes.

The cold-faced Alpha clearly had exhaustion and impatience in his eyes. He looked like a tightly wound string, but after sitting down across from Li Yao, he visibly relaxed.

“Have you been waiting long?”

The Alpha’s tone was as indifferent as ever, but Li Yao sensed a subtle trace of gentleness.

Since things had been tense between them before, it seemed Ji Yicheng was making an effort to soften the atmosphere.

Keeping in mind that the man was his benefactor, Li Yao took the opportunity to be agreeable. He smiled and said, “Not very long.”

Ji Yicheng gave a slight nod, and the conversation ended there.

The meal was quiet, with no exchange between them.

Li Yao focused entirely on his food, pretending not to notice how the Alpha across from him seemed to hesitate to speak several times.

He didn’t have much of an appetite, and after finishing only half, he said, “I’m full. Please take your time, Head of the Ji Family.”

Ji Yicheng looked up, glancing at the steak on Li Yao’s plate that was only half-eaten. “Not going to have any more?”

Li Yao shook his head. “No.”

Hearing this, Ji Yicheng set down his cutlery and stared at him, his brow furrowing slightly in dissatisfaction.

He called out, “Li Yao.”

Li Yao was puzzled and tilted his head slightly. “Is something wrong, Head of the Ji Family?”

“It’s my birthday today. Can’t you be a little less dismissive?”

Birthday?

Li Yao was stunned. He thought back carefully and realized that today was indeed Ji Yicheng’s birthday.

“You don’t remember my birthday?”

The expression on the Alpha’s face didn’t change, as if he didn’t care, but his tone rose noticeably.

Clearly, he cared quite a bit.

In Ji Yicheng’s memory, the Omega used to remember his preferences and his birthday perfectly just to please him. Therefore, forgetting his birthday was supposed to be impossible.

Li Yao found it hilarious. He clasped his hands, leaned back against his chair in a relaxed posture, and smirked. “Sorry, I really did forget.”

“Head of the Ji Family, it’s been five years. Who would still remember the birthday of an insignificant person?”

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