The Little Wretch Differentiated into an Alpha - Chapter 2

Gu Yanxiu had never once doubted Brandon’s suspicions.

After all, on the very day Zhu Xinrou’s ex-husband passed away, the butler had already placed their entire family’s dossier on his desk.

Her ex-husband, Lu Chengfeng, had been one of the most famous racing drivers on Blue Star. Gifted with extraordinary talent, he became the first Beta driver in Federal F1 history a household name and a verified superstar of the track.

Then came that fatal final. On the brink of clinching the F1 World Championship, Lu Chengfeng lost control of his vehicle. It careened into the spectator stands, killing two people.

The Blue Star Automobile Federation launched an investigation and discovered that Lu Chengfeng had injected an excessive amount of Alpha pheromones before the race, causing a mental breakdown.

His titles were stripped, he was banned for life, and the astronomical compensation claims bankrupted him overnight.

He divorced Zhu Xinrou that same year and moved to the Outer Harbour District with his child, scraping a living at a repair shop.

That child was named Lu Ye. He was a year younger than Gu Yanxiu and should have just turned sixteen.

Before his father’s downfall, Lu Ye’s record was spotless. At the age of ten, he had even achieved a Grand Slam in the Blue Star Junior Racing circuit. The media had showered him with praise, claiming his talent far surpassed his father’s.

But then Lu Chengfeng’s scandal broke. The excessive pheromone injections had permanently damaged his glands, leaving him plagued by illness for years until he passed away last month.

It was a perfectly clear history; there was no room for doubt.

More importantly, there was no reason to doubt his own father, Gu Yi.

With over eighty years of history, the Lush Group was more than just a leading conglomerate in Asia. His father had spent years painstakingly managing the business for one purpose: to use his position as the head of Lush to pivot into politics.

With the Blue Star Federal elections imminent, his father wouldn’t do anything reckless.

Since these family matters were difficult to explain outright, Gu Yanxiu simply told Brandon, “Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen.”

But his words did little to soothe Brandon.

“Xiu, trust me, there is definitely something off about that kid!”

In the next heartbeat, Brandon reached out and flicked his communicator open. He tapped it rapidly, projecting a large holographic screen in front of Gu Yanxiu.

In the image, his stepmother, Zhu Xinrou, was surrounded by bodyguards. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she hugged a boy who stood half a head taller than her.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and long legs. Though his frame was sturdy, he was painfully thin you could see the ridges of his spine protruding through his threadbare, oversized T-shirt.

Aside from that, nothing else was visible.

He wore a baseball cap and a mask, keeping his head low, hiding his entire face from view.

The hologram was dynamic, allowing Gu Yanxiu to swipe and change the perspective. Yet, no matter how Brandon rotated the image, the boy’s face remained a mystery.

His nose, however, was prominent straight and sharp, with a slight bump on the bridge that gave his profile a brooding, fierce look.

“I’ve seen the news,” Gu Yanxiu said.

Just as he was about to look away, Brandon swiped again. For a fleeting frame, a glimpse of an eye appeared beneath the brim of the cap.

The holographic image was startlingly real. When the frame froze, that eye seemed to stare directly at Gu Yanxiu.

It was a deep, dark eye—not like a human’s, but a wolf’s.

The gaze felt heavy and physical; it was weary yet razor-sharp, as if it were looking at a lifeless object.

Gu Yanxiu paused for a moment.

Brandon, oblivious, kept poking at the mask that covered the boy’s face.

“He’s already gone public with his identity, yet he’s still hiding his face! There has to be something wrong with how he looks!”

Gu Yanxiu pulled his gaze back, only to see Brandon slap his thigh in frustration.

“Bloody hell, you don’t think his lower face looks exactly like your dad’s, do you?”

Gu Yanxiu: “You have a very vivid imagination.”

***

Even as Gu Yanxiu prepared to leave school, Brandon remained perched against the car window, rambling on with final warnings.

“Covering his face in front of the media is suspicious, and your stepmother’s attitude is even weirder! That kid is coming to the Upper District today. If he’s still acting all secretive once he’s home, you really need to be careful!”

Gu Yanxiu replied, “How is that even possible?”

Brandon was practically jumping with anxiety. “Why won’t you believe me!”

Gu Yanxiu eventually relented. “Fine, I’ll be careful.”

Only then did Brandon relax, watching as the Gu family car drove away.

Inside the car, Gu Yanxiu smiled helplessly, dismissing the suspicions as utter nonsense.

Everything at the Gu household was as peaceful as he expected.

Autumn had just arrived at the estate at the foot of Mount Santoscana. Behind the manor, thousands of acres of ancient forest were beginning to turn yellow. The setting sun painted the snow-capped mountains crimson as the servants went about their business, tidying the fallen leaves in the front courtyard.

When Gu Yanxiu stepped out of the car, he noticed a lone vehicle still parked by the fountain.

“Young Master.” Old Albert, the butler, greeted him with a polite smile.

“Is Auntie Zhu back?” Gu Yanxiu asked casually.

Albert nodded, his expression turning slightly subtle. “The Madam has just arrived. She’s currently in the dining room arranging dinner.”

He didn’t say a single word about the child Zhu Xinrou had brought back.

Gu Yanxiu felt a flicker of confusion, and for some reason, Brandon’s frantic face popped back into his mind. It was a bit unusual, but Gu Yanxiu didn’t dwell on it.

“Let’s go.”

The main manor was a Renaissance-style building that had undergone several renovations to integrate smart technology.

At the entrance stood a massive spiral staircase, which Gu Yi had transformed into a rainforest display. Enclosed by molecular glass and stretching up to a glass dome on the roof, it was filled with lush greenery and housed two adult jaguars.

As Gu Yanxiu walked past, the artificial weather system inside the rainforest was simulating a rainstorm.

Dark clouds gathered beneath the dome, with occasional flashes of lightning. The two jaguars lay lazily under the thick foliage, licking their paws.

Seeing Gu Yanxiu, one of them stood up slowly and rubbed its massive head against the glass.

Albert smiled. “Yinghuo has always been fond of you, Young Master.”

Gu Yanxiu reached out and gently stroked the spot on the thick glass where the jaguar’s head rested.

These two jaguars, Yinghuo and Qiming had been brought back from a biological research centre by Gu Yi years ago. Back when Gu Yanxiu and the jaguars were both small, he used to dodge the servants to sneak into the rainforest and play with Yinghuo.

“Oh, Yanxiu, you’re home early! It was the first day of term. Are you exhausted?”

A sudden female voice broke the silence.

Gu Yanxiu turned to see his stepmother, Zhu Xinrou, hurrying out from the sitting room with a bright, welcoming smile.

She was forty this year, with delicate features and a well-maintained complexion. Decked out in jewels, she looked barely thirty.

Like most of the staff in this house, she was a Beta. She struggled with fertility and had remained childless in the five years since she married Gu Yi. Perhaps because of this, she had always been meticulously attentive toward Gu Yanxiu bordering on sycophantic.

Today, however, her flattery felt excessive.

She stepped forward, beating the servants to the punch as she took the coat from Gu Yanxiu’s arm.

“The exams today must have been draining. The kitchen just received fresh matsutake mushrooms and lobsters; I’ve already had them prepared to help you keep your strength up!”

Gu Yanxiu gave a brief, polite reply. “Thank you, Auntie.” He hesitated for a moment before tilting his head slightly to study her.

She actually looked quite haggard. She had spent days crying after the news of Lu Chengfeng’s death broke.

Of course, she wasn’t crying for Lu Chengfeng. She was crying because the news of his death had hit the front pages, thrusting Gu Yi, who was currently running for the Federal Parliament into the eye of a media storm.

Every outlet was fixated on how this “awkward” child would be handled. Gu Yi had rushed to the Parliament immediately and hadn’t returned since.

Zhu Xinrou had been terrified, weeping at home for fear that if this caused a scandal, Gu Yi would cut off her credit cards.

It wasn’t until a couple of days ago, when she made a grand show of retrieving the child from Outer Harbour District IV, that the storm finally began to subside.

But now, what was she acting so guilty about?

Meeting Gu Yanxiu’s gaze, her eyes darted away. She immediately changed the subject. “How did the exams go? You were so busy at the company over the holidays, I hope it didn’t interfere with your studies?”

Zhu Xinrou was never this proactive in making conversation.

Gu Yanxiu didn’t take the bait. Instead, he looked at her directly. “Did you only get back from the Outer Harbour today, Auntie?”

Zhu Xinrou froze, her face a mask of poorly hidden embarrassment.

“Ah. yes. I assume you’ve seen the news. Things over there were a bit complicated, so I was delayed for a couple of days.”

She still didn’t mention her child.

Brandon’s frantic voice echoed in Gu Yanxiu’s mind once more.

Is there really something about that person worth hiding?

The memory of those cold, dark eyes flashed through his mind. Gu Yanxiu turned away from Zhu Xinrou and looked straight at Albert.

“Let’s eat. Set an extra place at the table today.”

His tone was calm, yet left no room for argument. Whatever secret was being kept, he would see it for himself.

Zhu Xinrou panicked visibly.

She hurried forward, blocking Gu Yanxiu’s path with a strained smile.

“Oh, there’s really no need for that! That boy just came from the Lower District; he doesn’t know the first thing about etiquette. It would only be an eyesore. I haven’t seen you in days, Yanxiu, you look like you’ve lost weight.”

Gu Yanxiu gave a faint smile. “It’s no trouble.”

Zhu Xinrou choked on her words, offering an even more awkward explanation. “And… and he’s incredibly antisocial! Very strange! He doesn’t like people and won’t speak. He’s filthy, too—he smells quite odd. Yanxiu, I know how much you value cleanliness, so perhaps.”

Her voice cut off abruptly.

Her eyes widened in a mix of shock and guilt as she looked past Gu Yanxiu’s shoulder.

Gu Yanxiu turned around.

He found himself staring directly into those same dark, lifeless eyes he had seen in the hologram.

Inside the rainforest display, the artificial rain was still falling.

Clouds swirled and thunder rumbled faintly. In the dim light of the lightning flashes, the two jaguars bristled, their beautiful spotted coats quivering as they let out low, threatening growls at the stranger.

Opposite the glass wall, the door stood open. A tall, thin youth stood there in silence. Messy hair shadowed his eyes, revealing only a sharp, hollow jawline and pale, cracked lips.

Gu Yanxiu’s gaze froze.

The boy’s mouth was bleeding, his cheek was bruised a dark purple, and the distinct mark of a handprint from a recent blow was visible on his face.

The sight was harrowing, making his skin appear hauntingly pale.

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