My Ex-Husband Got Married, and the Bride is Actually Me? - Chapter 4

Wen Xiuran stood quietly in place, his face dark with displeasure as he watched the direction in which the beta had left.

One by one, the streetlights flickered on, casting a soft glow. The night deepened, and the cicadas’ chirping grew louder, adding a lively energy to the otherwise tranquil evening.

The shadows of the trees swayed gently in the breeze, bringing with it a touch of coolness and comfort.

Shen Yan lay on his dormitory bed, his thoughts drifting back to the strikingly handsome alpha he had encountered earlier that day.

The man seemed to come from a well-off family, and his looks were exactly Shen Yan’s type.

Why had he forgotten to ask for his name? The campus was so vast—would they ever cross paths again?

The sound of Shen Yan tossing and turning disturbed Xu Chu, who lifted his head groggily and mumbled, “Can’t sleep?”

“Yeah, I’m not used to the bed yet.”

“You’ll get used to it eventually,” Xu Chu murmured, hugging a life-sized panda pillow. “I can’t sleep either. I miss my parents so much.”

“Did your parents see you off when you came here?”

A shadow passed over Shen Yan’s eyes as he turned onto his side. “No, I came alone.”

He was an orphan. As far as he could remember, he had grown up in an orphanage, surrounded by the same four high walls. Perhaps his parents had abandoned him at the orphanage gate shortly after birth because they despised having a beta for a child.

In the orphanage, Shen Yan was often bullied by the other alphas, but the caretakers always sided with them. After all, alphas were usually the first to be adopted.

Every time a family came to adopt a child, Shen Yan would try his best to stand out, but they would always choose an alpha or an omega.

Later, Shen Yan took on odd jobs wherever he could, studied hard, and with the help of kind-hearted sponsors, he finally managed to attend high school.

During high school, he met an alpha around his age—sunny, handsome, and from a happy family. The alpha treated Shen Yan well, even giving him extra spending money. At the time, Shen Yan was overjoyed. Though he hadn’t been adopted, perhaps he could build his own family one day.

Once, when the alpha was drunk, Shen Yan took care of him, even making him a hangover remedy. But then he overheard the alpha slurring into a phone call, “He’s just a beta… How could I possibly marry him? Of course, I’ll marry you. Our families are meant to unite!”

Originally, Shen Yan hadn’t come to university alone. An alpha had accompanied him, but Shen Yan had ditched him halfway.

That alpha had wanted to maintain a romantic relationship with him but was too afraid to tell his parents, hoping instead to keep Shen Yan as a secret lover.

At the time, Shen Yan had smiled faintly and asked calmly, “So, you want me to be your mistress?”

The alpha grabbed Shen Yan’s hand, earnest. “No, Yan Yan, we’re still a couple. Just wait for me, okay? Once I graduate and establish myself in the company, once I have real influence, I’ll convince my parents to let us marry.”

They sat in a café, sunlight streaming through the windows, lush green plants lining the sill. Outside, people bustled about, the world brimming with vitality.

But Shen Yan’s mood was anything but bright.

“How long do you expect me to wait?” Shen Yan counted on his fingers, deadly serious. “Two years? Five? Or ten?”

Mistaking his tone for acquiescence, the alpha’s eyes lit up with hope. “It won’t be long, Yan Yan. Trust me.”

“So, you don’t want your parents to know about our relationship, but you still want to keep in touch with me, right?”

“Y-yeah,” the alpha swallowed hard, looking at Shen Yan with anticipation.

Shen Yan paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, swirling his freshly brewed coffee as he gazed out the window.

The alpha patiently laid out their future together, completely oblivious to the numbness in Shen Yan’s eyes.

After finishing his coffee, Shen Yan slowly pulled out his phone. The screen showed an ongoing call.

When the alpha saw the call screen, his breath hitched. He immediately yanked his hand away from Shen Yan’s, furious. “What the hell are you doing?!”

“Now you’ve heard it. It’s your son who’s been harassing me,” Shen Yan said flatly. “I’ve done what you asked. I expect the money to be transferred to my account as soon as possible.”

After a faint static buzz, a voice responded from the other end of the line, “Fine.”

If it weren’t for the promise of a better material life, Shen Yan would have no interest in dealing with alphas. Their innate nature made them possessive, domineering, and unbearably arrogant.

But the resources alphas controlled were undeniably enviable. To climb higher, Shen Yan had no choice but to target them as stepping stones.

The breakup fee from the alpha’s parents had been enough to sustain him for a while, but what about after that?

Shen Yan bit his nails, staring blankly at the empty ceiling.

“Hey, isn’t the senior-year job fair tomorrow? Should we check it out?” Xu Chu mumbled, his words slightly slurred. “I heard a lot of companies will be there. Might be worth a look.”

Shen Yan’s expression relaxed. His slender fingers tapped idly against the railing as a faint, almost imperceptible smile curled at his lips. “Sure.”

S City was the most developed metropolis in the south. Every graduation season, countless companies flocked to S University for campus recruitment. Many students planning to stay in the city opted for local jobs through these fairs.

This year, hundreds of companies had arrived, making the competition fiercer than ever.

The campus was bustling with soon-to-be graduates handing out resumes. Thanks to Shen Yan’s striking looks, many recruiters approached him proactively. He patiently answered their questions, one after another.

Standing beside him, Xu Chu crossed his arms and sighed enviously, “Good looks really are the ultimate golden ticket, huh?”

Just as they were chatting, a crowd suddenly gathered in front of a conference room up ahead, murmuring excitedly—clearly drawn by something noteworthy.

“Did you hear? The Wen Corporation is actually participating in this recruitment!” An excited voice cut through the chatter, sparking a wave of whispers.

“You mean that Wen Corporation?”

“Are there any others with that name?”

The Wen Corporation was a renowned domestic leader in inhibitor research and development, with stakes in real estate and other industries. While not quite a national monopoly, it was undeniably a titan in the business world.

Curious, Shen Yan craned his neck to peer into the conference room—and spotted the same alpha he’d seen at the exhibition the day before.

“Who’s that alpha?”

“Oh, he’s from our university’s pharmaceutical analysis program. Also happens to be the son of the Wen Corporation’s chairman. His name is… oh right! Wen Xiuran!”

“Wen Xiuran?” Shen Yan pondered for a moment, casting a thoughtful glance at the upright alpha sitting stiffly.

He pulled out his phone and searched the name, unsurprisingly finding Wen Xiuran’s profile.

“Excuse me, everyone, could you make some room? I need to deliver some water,” a slightly frail-looking boy called out, struggling to weave through the crowd with a stack of meeting records in his arms. Sweat trickled down his forehead, making his efforts seem all the more strenuous.

Shen Yan smirked playfully, taking the omega’s box and offering kindly, “Here, let me help you. Who are you delivering this to?”

“Huh? Oh, uh—thanks,” the omega stammered, momentarily dazzled by Shen Yan’s smile, his gaze flickering away nervously. “These are for the volunteers inside. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s no trouble at all,” Shen Yan replied with a smile. Taking the meeting records, he strode confidently into the conference room.

The moment he stepped inside, the person in charge closed the door behind him.

Shen Yan tossed a water bottle onto the table, signaling for others to help themselves, then grabbed one for himself before leaving.

There were less than thirty minutes left before the official interviews began.

Wen Xiuran had been dragged out of bed early by his father to observe the company’s interview process, and his mood was already sour. He kept glancing at the time, hoping to wrap things up quickly so he could still make it to his lab analysis.

Perhaps too agitated, he unconsciously tugged at his collar.

“Would you like some water?”

Before the words fully registered, Wen Xiuran caught sight of a slender, pale hand—its veins faintly visible—with sleeves casually rolled up to reveal a delicate forearm. His gaze traveled upward, landing on an androgynous face with sharp, well-defined features.

“What a coincidence,” Shen Yan said casually, offering the bottle. “Here, take it.”

Shen Yan’s smile was effortlessly disarming, and since he didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives, Wen Xiuran had no real reason to refuse. His eyes lingered briefly on Shen Yan’s grin and the outstretched water bottle before darkening imperceptibly.

Just as Shen Yan thought the other man wouldn’t take the bait, Wen Xiuran accepted the water with a polite, “Thank you.”

Not wanting to push his luck, Shen Yan greeted a nearby director before making his exit.

A faint trace of peach lingered in the air.

The older alpha’s eyes flickered with mild surprise as he glanced sideways at Wen Xiuran, remarking coolly, “Your scent is a bit unstable.”

Wen Xiuran immediately pulled out a suppressant patch and pressed it against the gland on his neck.

“Was it because of that omega?”

“He’s a beta,” Wen Xiuran replied flatly, his expression unchanging. “Not an omega.”

The alpha contemplated for a moment before nodding. “Hm.”

Instead of leaving immediately, Shen Yan lingered in the back row, chatting with the volunteers and subtly steering the conversation toward Wen Xiuran.

“Wen Xiuran? Oh, I had a friend who went to high school with him. Apparently, he barely talked to anyone back then and even took a leave of absence for a while.”

Shen Yan feigned surprise, widening his eyes in disbelief. “Really? But he’s in pharmaceutical analysis, so his grades must’ve been decent, right?”

“His grades are indeed excellent, and he’s quite good-looking, but no one dares to like him. Seems like he’s been single all along,” a short-haired, bespectacled senior muttered with a pout. “I heard someone confessed to him once and even gave him gifts, but ended up getting beaten up pretty badly.”

Shen Yan’s smile stiffened. “Beaten up for giving gifts?”

The senior stroked her chin, recalling the incident. “Yeah, it caused quite a stir back then. Rumor has it that might be why they dropped out.”

Shen Yan thought to herself, Is this how rich kids violently reject people nowadays?

The phone on the table lit up. Shen Yan casually tapped the screen and saw a new message.

“Yan Yan, I’m downstairs at your dorm. I really want to see you.”