The Dangerous Omega Who is Good at Disguising Always Wants to Hook Me! - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Self in the Dream

After only a few days of peace, the nightmares returned.

This was, by far, the most terrible dream he had experienced to date.

Flickering neon lights swung chaotically, blurring his vision. Piercing, heart-wrenching screams echoed in his ears. Tables and chairs were overturned, and glass bottles shattered against the floor, sending shards flying everywhere. The ground was covered in a carpet of broken glass.

Panicked patrons were either fleeing or pushing their way out. Alcohol spilled everywhere. The bar, once a place for relaxation and cheers, was now a scene of mindless disorder, descending into total chaos.

Thud!

Qi Yan was blindsided from behind. His hands were suddenly seized and forced behind his back. A heavy kick landed on the back of his leg, slamming him into the floor. His knees hit the ground with a sickening thud, and blood dripping from his forehead blurred his sight.

“Qi-ge!!!”

An alarmed cry rang out. Qi Yan’s hair was grabbed, and his head was jerked upward. His heart was filled with fury and humiliation. The dizzying neon lights continued to spin. The bar was a total wreck, a sea of debris. People he knew were pinned to the ground, unable to resist, their bodies covered in the marks of a desperate struggle.

—However, not everyone he knew shared this fate. One person remained completely unharmed.

“…Sir, I’m sorry. This was supposed to be a matter between us brothers, yet it has disturbed you again…” A young man who bore a striking resemblance to Qi Yan was clutching his bleeding head, standing beside a man in a black suit, apologizing with a pale face.

It made him want to vomit. As his hair was pulled back, Qi Yan felt a wave of dizziness from the bottle that had struck his head. A mixture of alcohol and blood meandered down his skin. He was in agonizing pain, but as he watched the scene before him, a surge of misplaced emotion mixed with his rage, making him feel utterly… disgusted.

So disgusted that he felt an urge to laugh.

“Haha…”

Since he couldn’t break free anyway, he simply laughed as he pleased. His beautiful, alluring peach-blossom eyes stared straight at the man standing in the shadows. Scarlet blood continued to flow down his cold, white, handsome face. He was a mess, yet that streak of red appeared startling and eerily beautiful.

“Exactly. This is a matter between us ‘brothers.’ Isn’t someone being a bit too meddlesome?”

Qi Yan tilted his head, a sarcastic smile on his face, but his eyes were ice-cold as they watched the interloper. A flash of loathing flickered in the depths of his gaze.

“A dog catching mice—worrying about things that are none of your business,” he mocked flatly.

Yi Yang whipped his head around, snapping, “Qi Yan, watch your mouth!”

“Idiot,” Qi Yan shot back with a laugh. The rotating lights swept across him repeatedly; he looked battered, yet it was impossible to look away.

The man in the shadows gazed at Qi Yan with indifference. The bar was too dark to discern his expression. After a long silence, he turned his head to ask Yi Yang:

“…How do you plan to handle this?”

Yi Yang stared at Qi Yan, who was forced to his knees by bodyguards. He walked over step by step, his eyes gleaming with poisonous malice and suppressed rage. “We are brothers after all, so let’s be fair. We’ll settle the score exactly as it stands.”

He picked up a wine bottle.

Smash!

The sound of the glass shattering was deafening. Thick, sticky blood completely covered his vision. The lights suddenly turned a deep scarlet, and shrill wails erupted in his ears. Everything became distorted and illusory. A jumble of scents mixed together, and the sound of an Omega colleague crying rang out—crying so hard it felt as if Qi Yan were about to pass away.

—He wouldn’t pass away, but it was time to resign.

Bringing this much trouble to everyone was unacceptable.

He should never have appeared by their side in the first place.

“Hah… hah!”

Qi Yan woke from the dream, his breathing ragged. The thick, oppressive emotions left him listless. Even discovering that he hadn’t slept in bed, but had fallen asleep leaning against the door, failed to spark any reaction.

“What a terrible dream!”

The sky outside was just beginning to turn gray, and the furniture in the room was faintly visible. The bed was a total mess; the pillows, quilt, and sheets had all fallen to the floor. Qi Yan leaned back against the door, tilting his head up and taking deep breaths to regulate his heavy heart. He looked like a drowning man desperately stretching his head above water to gasp for life-saving oxygen.

After a long while, he finally struggled out of the nightmare’s grip and reached out to turn on the light. The sudden, blinding glare forced him to shut his eyes.

When he opened them again, his emotions had finally stabilized. He calmly tidied the room he had disarranged and went to the bathroom to wash up. His gaze kept falling on his head and face; there were no wounds, no blood. Other than the dark circles under his eyes being heavier than yesterday, there was no change.

“Qi Yan, it was just a nightmare. Don’t take it to heart.”

He met his own gaze in the mirror, his lips twitching into a slight smile as he spoke in a low, husky voice.

It was as if he were looking at himself, yet also as if he were using the mirror to stare at the other version of himself—the one covered in blood with a distant, hollow gaze. The head wound continued to trail red lines down his face; he was covered in injuries, looking eerie and cold, no different from a ghost.

“There are many things to do today. I can’t waste time.”

Qi Yan lowered his head to wash his face, talking to himself. The rippling water distorted his reflection. He stopped looking at the mirror, as if he hadn’t noticed that the “self” in the reflection was full of indifference and hostility.

It was almost identical to the version of him in the dream.

Thanks to Tan Yimin, Qi Yan was now technically an employee of the PHY Science Research Institute.

Although he was only assisting with a joint research project, not only was Qi Yan happy, but his fellow disciples were also quite thrilled. After all, this was excellent work experience that would be a significant boost to their futures.

Naturally, through Tan Yimin’s introduction, Qi Yan became acquainted with Shen Yunshu. He was indeed a formidable figure in the scientific community. Their conversations were deeply impressive, and the advice Shen Yunshu provided was incredibly beneficial to Qi Yan.

However, during their first meeting, the way Shen Yunshu scrutinized him was somewhat strange. It caught Qi Yan’s attention, but he didn’t dwell on it.

“Your research should be ready for clinical trials before you graduate, right?” Shen Yunshu’s interest in Pheromone Disorder Syndrome was genuine, just as Shen Xiliu had said at the restaurant.

As Qi Yan was leaving the institute, he ran right into him, so they walked out together.

Hearing the question, Qi Yan replied with a smile, “If all goes according to the current plan, we can apply for clinical trials by the end of this year.”

It would be just in time for his postgraduate defense. With the data from clinical trials as support, next year’s defense would likely be even smoother. Thinking about the upcoming schedule, which was bound to be busy, Qi Yan had no heart to dwell on the nightmares that plagued him.

“Mhm, that’s good. Is the funding for the clinical research sufficient?”

Shen Yunshu asked casually. If it wasn’t enough, he didn’t mind providing support. He admired those with outstanding abilities, and currently, Qi Yan fit that criteria perfectly.

Shen Yunshu had only recently returned to the country. Between handling Shen Xiliu’s situation and a mountain of work, he had almost no time for anything else. He knew Shen Xiliu and Qi Yan were acquainted, but he hadn’t paid much attention to the specifics of that.

As for their pheromone compatibility, that was a task Shen Yunshu had delegated long ago. The hospital automatically performed compatibility checks, and when they discovered that Qi Yan and Shen Xiliu had a compatibility rate of over 90%, they notified Shen Yunshu immediately.

However, that was only a reference value; a more detailed check would require the two of them to go in person.

Qi Yan, unaware of all this, said, “It’s sufficient. Not long ago, Mr. Shen Xiliu provided support for the project. Progress is smooth now, largely thanks to him.”

His tone was very polite, carrying a hint of gratitude toward Shen Xiliu.

Shen Yunshu paused slightly, glancing at Qi Yan. He smiled and said, “In our line of work, the biggest fear is a lack of funds. It’s good that things are going well for you. I’ve been abroad for a while; it seems Xiliu’s eye for talent hasn’t diminished if he found someone as excellent as you.”

“Director Shen is too kind. It’s my honor to have received help from Mr. Shen Xiliu.”

“Is that so?” Shen Yunshu gave a meaningful smile. He seemed to have discovered something. “That’s quite nice then. It sounds like you two get along well. In that case, I suppose even if I wanted to…”

“Director Shen.” Before Shen Yunshu could finish, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, interrupting him.

Shen Xiliu approached them, his hands tucked into his trench coat pockets. Wearing black-rimmed glasses, his pale, handsome face was expressionless as he stared at Shen Yunshu. “Second Uncle, the items have arrived. Do you need me to find someone to help you take them to your lab?”

“…No need, I’ll get them myself.” Shen Yunshu sized him up for a moment, then smiled at Qi Yan. “Excuse me, I’ll go pick up those things first.”

“Director Shen, do you need a hand?”

“No, no. It’s after hours, I won’t trouble you.”

Shen Yunshu waved a hand with his back turned, the white corners of his lab coat fluttering. He walked past Shen Xiliu, leaning in to whisper something to him. Shen Xiliu’s expression shifted, and Shen Yunshu continued on his way.

“Mr. Shen, long time no see.” Shen Yunshu had arrived and departed quickly. Qi Yan walked up to Shen Xiliu to greet him.

Since the incident at the bar, he had only seen Shen Xiliu once from a distance. They no longer ran into each other every time they went out, nor did they meet at the bar.

For some reason, seeing him again now, Qi Yan felt a sense of unease throughout his body.

“Long time no see.” Shen Xiliu looked up at him, offering a faint smile. “Qi Yan, are you heading home?”

If he was going home, would their paths coincide?

Qi Yan thought for a moment. “I plan to grab some dinner first and then walk home. What about you, Mr. Shen?”

“The same. I only came to deliver some things to Director Shen.” Having not met for just a few days, it felt as though they had become even more like strangers. The gaze behind Shen Xiliu’s lenses was somewhat obscure. He said softly with a smile, “Speaking of which, I haven’t had the chance to thank you properly for your help at the bar last time. If you don’t mind, may I treat you to dinner?”

Qi Yan declined. “It was just a small matter. Mr. Shen doesn’t need to take it to heart.”

“How could it be a small matter? You’ve helped me many times already. If I don’t repay the kindness, I’ll feel quite uneasy,” Shen Xiliu said.

He began to count Qi Yan’s help since they met, remembering every event with incredible detail, not missing a single point.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Shen.” Seeing other people leaving for the day and realizing it wasn’t convenient to keep standing in the lobby of the research building, Qi Yan felt it would be impolite to keep refusing.

Shen Xiliu’s eyes curved, and the smile on his face was quite striking. “It is my honor to have the chance to thank you for your help.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. Let me go change out of my lab coat first.” Qi Yan laughed helplessly. He was still wearing his white lab coat. Much like Shen Yunshu, when he wasn’t officially on duty, he wore it quite casually; left open, it gave him a different vibe—clean, elegant, and academic. His beautiful peach-blossom eyes were even more enchanting.

Shen Xiliu took the opportunity while adjusting his glasses to steal a few more glances. He felt there was something of a “uniform temptation” about it; it looked much better than when his uncle wore it. “I’ll wait for you outside then.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Qi Yan walked quickly, his long legs soon carrying him out of sight. He had a tall, upright posture that even a white lab coat couldn’t hide.

Once he was out of sight, Shen Xiliu left the building and returned to his car. He rolled down the window, leaning against the edge, and made a call with a dark, deep gaze. “Is everything arranged?”

“Mr. Shen, everything is ready. We are just waiting for you to arrive.”