The Dangerous Omega Who is Good at Disguising Always Wants to Hook Me! - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: I Have Someone I Like

One of the three great illusions of life: He likes me.

Wasn’t it just a string of coincidences? The environment in his residential area was decent; being neighbors with Shen Xiuliu was a coincidence. During their first meeting, the man had suffered from respiratory alkalosis; it was only natural to help him. Meeting him at a bar while searching for a runaway cousin was even more normal.

As a head of the PHY Scientific Research Institute, it was perfectly logical for Shen to be acquainted with Qi Yan’s mentor, Tan Yimin. Given that Qi Yan had happened to help him before, the decisiveness of his investment likely stemmed from that sense of gratitude. So, where did this illusion come from?

But the way he looked at me just now was very strange…

Recalling every detail since their meeting, it seemed the man’s shadow was everywhere. Not just in his personal life, but at school, at his part-time job, and even at the PHY Scientific Research Institute he planned to join. Thinking about it carefully, the man had practically permeated every aspect of his existence.

“I probably have a delusional disorder,” Qi Yan muttered, lightly punching his palm to define his current condition.

He feared that as his insomnia began to improve, it had morphed into a delusional disorder, causing him to imagine his kind but unlucky neighbor was secretly in love with him.

How narcissistic.

He was just a neighbor who had helped Shen Xiuliu a few times. How could such an absurd idea arise? How long had they even known each other?

Was it a month?

No.

Shen Xiuliu had no reason to fall for someone he had known for such a short time.

Qi Yan dared to say that if he posted his current thoughts online for advice—I suspect my Omega neighbor likes me for the following six reasons…—he would surely be mocked by many as a “Standard-Confident Alpha” (a man who thinks too highly of himself).

As he walked, Qi Yan nodded solemnly. A man shouldn’t—at least, he mustn’t—become a “Standard-Confident Alpha.”

Haha, he was really just scaring himself.

The “game” was over, but the bar was still crowded. Qi Yan found the band hiding backstage and informed You Yi that Shen Xiuliu was waiting for him in the lounge.

“Huh? Why would he come here? Brother Qi, did you get the wrong person?”

You Yi frowned, looking as if Qi Yan were playing a joke. Given Shen Xiuliu’s personality, how could he possibly come to a bar alone to find him?

“To be honest, my cousin is extremely arrogant and cold. It’s impossible for him to actively seek me out. Without exaggeration, given his dictatorial personality, if he wanted to see me, he’d just send bodyguards to kidnap me and bring me before him, just like last time. That’s his real style,” You Yi said with a look of disdain, recalling the last time he was forcibly taken home.

Is it really that exaggerated?

Qi Yan wanted to ask. How did Shen Xiuliu’s personality even come close to being arrogant, cold, or dictatorial? Could it be that he only acted so gentle in front of him?

Dammit. There goes the Delusional/Standard-Confident Alpha mode again.

“Why don’t you go see for yourself? I’m just passing on the message,” Qi Yan said with a laugh, suppressing his “confident” thoughts. “By the way, You Yi, I didn’t mention it before, but I’ve met Mr. Shen Xiuliu a few times.”

Seeing that You Yi wasn’t keen on going, Qi Yan simply used Shen Xiuliu’s name. He didn’t mention they were neighbors, but did mention the business dinner with his mentor.

“…It really is him?” Upon hearing the name, You Yi’s expression became quite subtle. “Could it be someone with the same name?”

He seemed unwilling to admit Shen Xiuliu was his cousin. However, seeing Qi Yan look at him like he was an idiot, he realized the name and physical description matched perfectly. Why was he still in denial?

You Yi laughed twice to cover his embarrassment. “Haha, Brother Qi, I’ll go check if it’s my cousin right now. Thanks for telling me.”

“Yeah. Also, this—please return it to him.” Qi Yan handed the glasses he had just found to You Yi. They were the ones Shen Xiuliu had accidentally dropped.

These glasses had better luck than their owner. They had been knocked onto a potted plant in the corner, narrowly escaping being crushed under the feet of the dancing crowd.

When Qi Yan came in, he happened to notice something reflecting light on the plant. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Shen Xiuliu’s glasses.

“Eh?” You Yi blinked and reached out hesitantly. “But my brother doesn’t wear glasses. Are these really his?”

Qi Yan paused mid-gesture. Shen Xiuliu doesn’t wear glasses?

“They belong to Mr. Shen. He arrived at a bad time; the carnival game had just started, and they were accidentally knocked off,” Qi Yan explained.

“Hah?!” You Yi’s expression became even more exaggerated. He looked horrified. “No way! Shen Xiuliu entered right when the carnival game started? Wasn’t he unlucky enough to get hit? Or kissed? Or harassed? Or mobbed? If he was that unlucky, our bar is definitely going bankrupt immediately!”

Qi Yan: “…”

Seriously, what kind of image does Shen Xiuliu have in your eyes?

“No, I happened to see Mr. Shen at the time and brought him out.”

“Oh, that’s good. Brother Qi, you saved this shop.” The terrified You Yi breathed a massive sigh of relief, patting his chest and speaking with a melancholy tone. “You don’t know, my cousin has a terrible temper. Anyone who offends him is lucky to survive half-dead. He’s extremely petty, narrow-minded, vengeful, and particularly malicious.”

Qi Yan: “…Stop it. Just go see him.”

Who talks about their own brother like that? You Yi was as much of a drama queen as the rest.

Qi Yan shoved the glasses into his hand and turned back to the bar. If he listened any longer, his “Standard-Confident Alpha” side would come back online and start analyzing every strange detail again.

“Tch, I’m telling the truth,” You Yi muttered. He was actually trying to hint to Qi Yan that Shen Xiuliu was a bad person.

If possible, it was best not to collaborate with him. The man was cold and picky—the worst partner You Yi had ever seen. Plus, Shen Xiuliu was incredibly petty; if they did collaborate, Qi Yan must never offend him, or he’d suffer for it.

Fine, he doesn’t recognize a good heart when he sees one. He didn’t catch my hint, but I’m sure he’ll understand in the future.

With those thoughts, You Yi took the glasses to the lounge. He didn’t bother knocking, pushing the door open loudly. “I heard you wanted to see me. What for? You’re not here to help Dad convince me to go home, are you?”

Inside the lounge, Shen Xiuliu sat with his legs crossed, his back straight, holding a white towel. His slim-fitting light blue trench coat draped elegantly, making him look tall and thin. However, his pale face was incredibly cold. With the three faint beauty marks under his left eye, he exuded an aura of world-weary, arrogant aloofness.

As he looked up casually, his arrogant face seemed to look down upon You Yi with disdain, as if to say: What kind of stupid things are you saying?

In fact, he said exactly that: “What kind of stupid things are you saying?”

My foolish little brother.

You Yi’s brain automatically provided a voice-over for Shen Xiuliu. He tossed the glasses to him irritably. “Then what are you doing here? Given your personality, it’s impossible for you to see me for no reason. And wearing glasses? Shen Xiuliu, since when did you become nearsighted? Are you just using them to look intellectual?”

Shen Xiuliu caught the glasses. Looking down at them, he knew Qi Yan had found them for him. His mood instantly improved. “It’s none of your business.”

“Hah?” You come to find me, and then say it’s none of my business? Are you sick?

Before You Yi could speak, he saw Shen Xiuliu pull a black card from his pocket. Held between his index and middle fingers, it shimmered with a colorful, mesmerizing light.

His expression changed instantly. He lunged forward and slid into a kneel before Shen Xiuliu, grabbing his leg. With an incredibly bright smile, he spoke almost reverently: “Oh, my dear, gentle, handsome Onii-chan! Have you come to save your poor, helpless, weak little brother who is living in dire straits?”

One second they couldn’t stand the sight of each other; the next, he had surrendered completely.

You Yi cautiously reached out his fingers, trying to pluck the black card from Shen Xiuliu’s hand, speaking affectionately: “Brother, you don’t know. Ever since I left home, I’ve slowly realized that the person who treats me best in this family has always been you!

Only you have me in your heart, teaching me with a ‘tough love’ approach. All that punching and kicking in the past was just a whip to drive me forward—it’s evidence of love! Without your past help, I would have likely starved to death after leaving home. I would never have had the chance to walk the path of my dreams…”

“Stop talking such disgusting nonsense,” Shen Xiuliu interrupted him expressionlessly. “You can have the money, but from now on, you must follow my orders in everything I want you to do.”

“What are you saying?” You Yi looked at him reproachfully, quickly snatching the card and stuffing it into his pocket. “You are my Onii-chan, the one who feeds and clothes me. It’s only natural for you to order me around.”

“As long as it doesn’t weigh on my conscience,” You Yi added with a wink.

Shen Xiuliu: “…It seems you’ve learned a lot of disgusting tricks while you were away.”

“Heh, I learned them all from our lead singer. As long as they work.” With the black card in hand, You Yi jumped up joyfully. Finally, he didn’t have to live in poverty anymore. “Brother, Dad doesn’t know you gave me the card, right?”

Even if he claimed he’d never bow for money, You Yi was still rational. When he could have both bread and ideals, he naturally wouldn’t give up either.

“He doesn’t know for now. Don’t spend money like water as you did before. If you use it normally, he won’t notice,” Shen Xiuliu said indifferently.

You Yi blinked. “Then can I buy a sports car to use for work? Nothing too expensive, just the lowest tier I’ve bought before. Any lower might not be safe.”

Where they lived was too far from the bar. It was a hassle to go out every day—taking the subway, the bus, and then a taxi. It was exhausting.

“Heh. You can go straight to hell on the day you pick up the car.”

Shen Xiuliu gave a mocking smile. Where did this stupidly naive rich kid come from?

Oh, right. Their Shen family raised him.

“…Petty.”

Shen Xiuliu didn’t even bother giving him a glance. He wrapped his glasses in a handkerchief, tucked them away, and stood up, clutching the towel carefully. “One more word of nonsense and I’m taking the card back.”

You Yi slammed his hand over the pocket containing the card, but his eyes fell on the towel in Shen Xiuliu’s hand. “How can you take back a card you’ve already given? Brother, you have no class! Forget that for a second—what do you want me to do?”

He decisively changed the subject.

“It’s a very simple matter.” Shen Xiuliu looked down at him, a faint smile on his lips. “I have someone I like. You have to help me pursue him.”