Older Brother - Chapter 4

The sapphire.

Fu Yu had no interest in such vibrant, gaudy trinkets things that offered nothing but fleeting beauty. This did not belong to him.

The Omega had escaped through the window while he slept that night, leaving this tiny blue gemstone behind. And Bai You had been terrified that he would find something left by that mysterious guest.

Fu Yu curled his lip, staring at the gem with a smile that gave away nothing of his true emotions. The old butler felt an inexplicable chill and quietly withdrew from the room.

It rained that evening. When Bai You woke up, his temples were throbbing, and a sense of baseless panic churned in his gut.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before there was a knock on his door a door that usually remained undisturbed for years. The uneasy premonition in his heart intensified. He hesitated for a long moment before finally opening it.

The tall Alpha stood there, his frame completely blocking out the light from the hallway. His voice carried its usual hint of a smile, though his eyes remained cold. “Good morning. How did you sleep?”

The Alpha’s presence was so overbearing that Bai You couldn’t help but take two steps back. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a small matter I’d like to consult you on.”

Fu Yu stepped casually into the room, closing the door behind him with a backhand motion. He fixed his dark eyes on Bai You and pulled the small sapphire from his pocket. “The butler mentioned you were asking if I had found anything. Does this look familiar?”

He held all the power here; once he had figured things out, he saw no point in playing games with Bai You.

Bai You’s gaze dropped to the Alpha’s hand. When he saw what was there, his face turned deathly pale. A shiver raced up his spine, and a wave of icy dread hit his brain.

Of course it looked familiar. This was the sapphire he had lost that night.

Fu Yu didn’t miss the sudden drain of color from Bai You’s face. He idly toyed with the beautiful stone, offering a faint smile. “It seems you’ve decided not to play dumb anymore. Good. I don’t want to waste my breath either. What is your relationship with that Omega?”

Fu Yu hasn’t realized I’m the one, Bai You realized.

Hearing those words, Bai You regained his composure with surprising speed. It made sense; he had presented himself as an Alpha for years. As long as he didn’t slip up and show his true nature, it would never occur to Fu Yu that he could be an Omega. He just needed to find a reason to leave this place before a real slip-up happened.

Bai You remained silent for a few seconds, his mind racing to construct a lie. He spoke slowly. “I do know him. That sapphire was a gift I gave to him.”

Fu Yu sat down at the table as if he owned the place. He propped his chin on his hand and let out a light, questioning hum.

“We don’t meet often, which is why you couldn’t find a record of him.”

Seeing Fu Yu’s impassive expression—unable to tell if he believed him or not—Bai You gritted his teeth and decided to go all in. “He is an Omega who deeply admires you.”

Fu Yu raised an eyebrow, a strange expression crossing his face as if the idea were entirely novel. He let the words linger on his tongue. “An Omega  who deeply admires me?”

Once the first lie was out, spinning the rest of the story became easier.

Bai You surreptitiously wiped the sweat from his palms against the fabric of his clothes. “We haven’t known each other long. We occasionally meet outside. Both he and I share a love for jewelry design. The name he gave me was a pseudonym. He isn’t particularly handsome—just a very unremarkable Omega. It’s normal that you didn’t find him.”

Truthfully, Fu Yu didn’t fully believe Bai You’s words. However, the Omega seemed to have appeared out of thin air; despite utilizing all his connections and searching every corner, there hadn’t been a single trace. This forced him to consider that parts of Bai You’s story might be true.

The part about the appearance, for instance.

The power had gone out that night, plunging the house into pitch blackness. He hadn’t seen the Omega’s face. But he remembered the way the Omega had pressed his hand down, his voice trembling with a despairing plea not to turn on the light. The warmth of those damp, sweaty fingertips felt as though it were still etched into the back of his hand. It was strangely unforgettable.

“Last month, he begged me to pull some strings so he could meet you,” Bai You continued.

Fu Yu looked up. “And so you pulled those strings right into my bed?”

Bai You’s back stiffened. He tried his best to push the memories of that night out of his mind. Taking a shallow breath, he said, “I don’t know what happened between you two. He has cut off all contact with me.”

Silence fell over the room once the explanation was finished. The tall Alpha watched Bai You with a cold, scrutinizing gaze. After a long pause, he said flatly, “I don’t believe you.”

Bai You’s heart skipped a beat. The blood in his veins turned to ice as he scrambled for a way out. Then he heard Fu Yu finish his sentence. “Who exactly is he, and where is he now?”

Bai You felt a bitter sense of irony, but he simply shook his head. “I truly don’t know.”

His plan was to manufacture a non-existent person to divert Fu Yu’s attention. He couldn’t give everything away at once; being too cooperative would only backfire and make the already suspicious Fu Yu even more doubtful.

The two brothers locked eyes.

In reality, they hadn’t sat face-to-face like this in a very long time. Fu Yu had entered the First Federation Military Academy at sixteen, and Bai You had left the Central Planet for further studies at eighteen. Five or six years had passed without them seeing each other. By the time Bai You graduated and returned home, the family had undergone a violent upheaval.

Fu Yu had systematically dealt with everyone who had once stepped on him or humiliated him—either driving them from the family, sending them to prison, or making them vanish entirely. Most of the original inhabitants were gone.

Bai You still remembered what Fu Yu was like as a child. He wouldn’t have called him cute, but he hadn’t been dislikeable either. He didn’t know how he had turned into this version of himself. Back then, when others bullied Fu Yu, Bai You had stepped in to protect him because he couldn’t stand the unfairness. Their relationship had actually been quite decent.

After a moment of tension, Fu Yu was the first to look away. He stood up to leave, wearing a thin, mocking smile. “I’ll make sure you tell me eventually.”

That gaze was like a curved blade wicked, cold, and impossible to resist. Bai You couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you so determined to find him?”

Given Fu Yu’s status, he could have any Omega he wanted.

Fu Yu paused at the door. He raised an eyebrow and uttered three simple words: “I’ve developed a taste.”