AN: This chapter was a bit of a hassle, mostly cause I was trying to decide between making a long chapter and making things flow well. Can't say I did either but here ya go~

*****

For the next few weeks, a strange cycle seemed to have formed without Yibai noticing.

At least twice a week, Chen Guiren would show up at the gym with bruises on his face and a savage smile, declaring his intention to defeat Yibai. Sometimes the latter would comment on the wounds but he stopped when the man teased him about 'caring about other people's marks on him' and 'not getting too jealous over him'.

Yibai punched him extra hard that time.

They would fight and Yibai would win. Guiren, throughout the entire fight, would be grinning like a maniac. Even when he lost with blood coming from his nose, his smile was still there. He even laughed.

It was weird!

"Don't be so mean, Master." He'd whine when Yibai complained about the creepy laughter.

Another thing he'd grown used to was Guiren's way of addressing him. Ever since the second fight, the young man had kept his promise, continuing to call Yibai "Master". It was definitely strange but he couldn't get the stubborn guy to stop.

So he used it to make his job easier.

While his job was simple enough, there were times when troublesome people would come by. People fighting over equipment, tension due to proximity, or even just the usual inane stuff, like bumping into someone.

The gym was small so there was no security. Only a few trainers and him, the receptionist. For obvious reasons, that meant when something happened, there needed to be someone to handle it before police were called. But Yibai couldn't always leave his desk to handle things.

That's where Guiren came in.

The first time there was an incident, Guiren had been standing by his desk, begging for a match. The young man was insisting that he'd gotten much better and wanted someone to try it out on. Yibai roundly ignored him, watching as the incident began.

He didn't want to get involved if things settled on their own but he had to make sure.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Guiren turned to watch as well. Just as the offending party was getting physical, Guiren rushed over before Yibai could even twitch. Within seconds, the person's raised arm was pulled behind their back and they fell to the floor.

Yibai was shocked.

For the first time, he saw how strong Guiren was, pinning the offending party on the ground with ease. Guiren was only a little younger than him yet he managed to pin a much larger opponent with technique as opposed to strength.

He was impressed.

Guiren preened under Yibai's gaze, seeing the beta's thoughts as clear as day.

He definitely liked having this guy's eyes on him.

After the police were called to take the offending party away, Guiren went right back to begging for a fight. He boasted about what other 'cool tricks' he could show Yibai.

Somehow, Yibai felt that Guiren wasn't talking about fighting techniques and promptly refused.

"But if you refuse, how can I ever beat you, Master!?" He complained. His pout would have swayed weaker hearts but Yibai didn't even blink.

He knew this guy would just take advantage of any weakness he saw.

Still, sparring with him was kind of fun and it kept the fight-aholic quiet during his appointments. Yibai could only feel pity for his trainer on the days he wasn't on shift if he had to deal with this guy by himself.

Presently, however, this person was Yibai's problem. Their match had ended moments before but his opponent refused to sit up from where he'd fallen. If not for the manic grin on his face, Yibai might have been worried he'd killed his job's richest client.

"That was... awesome, Master~" He chuckled, staring up at Yibai with a hungry look. Even with his nose bleeding, he looked overjoyed despite his loss. "Let's go again. I'll definitely win this time."

Yibai, as usual, ignored the look. Instead, he couldn't help but voice his thoughts on his attitude.

"How can you be so confident after losing so much?"

"How can I not be?" Guiren sat up, blood flowing down his chin as he smiled. "If it's you beating me, then I'm still winning in the end, right?"

"..."

This guy was crazy, wasn't he? But he was a crazy guy with a lot of money so he couldn't let his bosses lose out on such a golden goose.

He handed the younger boy a towel, worried about how much blood was flowing from his nose. At his gesture, Guiren grinned.

Once again, Yibai took notice of his fangs and couldn't help but ask.

"Are your parents Alphas?"

Guiren blinked, confused. "Eh?"

"Your parents?" He repeated, pushing Guiren's head back to help with his nose bleed. This also meant that the beta was staring up at Yibai. "Are they an alpha/beta pair?"

It was rare but sometimes Alpha's produced a beta when their partner was also a beta. Most just produced other Alphas.

As if to further confuse Yibai, he heard a faint rumbling growl from below. Glancing down, he saw Guiren staring up at him intensely.

"Could you do that again?"

Yibai frowned. "Do what?"

"Your hand..."

What was he...? Oh, he'd grabbed hold of Guiren's hair when he pushed his head back. Did he want to be patted on the head or have his hair tugged?

Both felt a bit weird to him.

"I have to get back to wo-" He tried to pull back but was interrupted by Guirens' impassioned plea.

"I'll answer your questions or whatever." He offered, crawling closer. "Come on, Master!"

"..."

There was something appealing about having a guy on his knees and calling you master. Yibai, having spent a lot of time around troublesome people, felt slightly excited about the notion but pressed it down.

Guiren was a troublesome person!

"You're really not helping my confusion." He complained, giving in and patting the man on the head. The fact he practically purred at the touch made Yibai consider rethinking his world view.

This guy was a beta, right?

His record stated that much. Heck, even his features could be explained away as just a trait he gained from some Alpha ancestor. It wasn't uncommon for people to have traits that don't match their sub-gender.

Alphas with scent glands, Omega's with knots, and even the odd Beta with fangs.

Genetics was weird sometimes.

Still, Yibai couldn't help but wonder if that was the case with this guy.

So he chose to be upfront about it.

"Are you a beta?"

"What does my record say?" Guiren retorted, holding Yibai's wrist so he couldn't pull away. The beta didn't fight his grip, instead staring down at his captor.

His eyes narrowed. "It says you're a beta."

Guiren smiled up at him, cheekily asking. "Would you prefer it if I was an alpha?"

There was no hesitation in his response.

"If you were an alpha, I'd cut ties with you immediately."

Guiren flinched, his purrs ending abruptly. The young men remained in place, the air around them tense. Yibai waited for a reply, expecting a witty retort or a chastisement over his blunt words.

Yet all he got was silence and an abrupt exit. He almost missed when the younger boy had gotten to his feet.

Guiren was fast too, it seemed.

Still, Yibai said nothing as he watched the client leave for the day.

The next day, Chen Guiren didn't show up. Nor did he come the day after.

Without him around, the gym was deafeningly quiet, though there were still dozens of customers milling about. Yibai had just gotten used to how shamelessly Guiren would beg him for a match so the lack of it was weighing on him.

His mind unconsciously started thinking about Guiren. He thought he might have said too much that time.

Whether or not Guiren was a beta, his family had to have some alphas in it. His words were too careless.

Would he have to apologize? He'd rather not but...

His silence was noticed by the regular patrons and they all took turns trying to get a reaction from the mild-mannered clerk. All of them failed, however, as his responses were so mechanical, they feared any more pushing would blow a circuit in him.

Some wanted to try and challenge him to a match but recalling that their humble clerk was able to best Chen Guiren, who could take them all on despite being so young, they shot down that idea quickly.

A fight was better from the sidelines than from the arena.

All of this only came to Yibai's attention when Yang Ru came by and noticed the crowd. Walking over to the desk, the beta leaned back on the counter to take a look around the gym.

"So," She started, her tone tinged with curiosity. "where's your punching bag today?"

She had seen them fight before and could only watch in amazement as her mild-mannered friend pummeled one of her parents' best customers. She was impressed by her friend's abilities.

Had it not been that Yibai was not her type, she'd consider trying her luck with him. Though she knew she'd be rejected anyway, even if Yibai was her type.

"He's not here, as you can see." Yibai grumbled, staring past her.

"Yeah, I can see that." She cattily shot back. "Do you usually beat the shit out of customers?"

"Only when they ask."

"Ah, I didn't know my buddy was so kinky! Does that mean you have those kinds of interests?"

"What kind of thoughts are you having?"

"What kind do you think?"

Yibai couldn't imagine what kind of thoughts were running through her mind. Yang Ru was the kind of girl who knew things that would have his face burning red in seconds. It was... kind of terrifying sometimes.

He feared the poor soul who dared go through her search history.

Yang Ru continued to tease him, easily getting a rise out of the straight-laced teen. After a bit of back and forth, he interrupted her mid dirty joke.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, covering her mouth lest his pure soul be corrupted by her words. "I thought you didn't like coming here."

Yang Ru, like most teens, wasn't into being around her parents. When possible, she would call to say hi but never truly show up in person.

Yibai thought this was strange as, ever since he started working at the gym, he hadn't even seen the owners. So really, what was she avoiding?

"Well, if you must know... My parents want to meet you." She blurted out, turning to face Yibai.

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I dunno."

"Seriously, what are you telling your parents about me?" He said with a frown. "First the job and now meeting them for dinner? If they try to set us up, I'm ending our friendship here."

"Oi, don't blame me! My folks are just curious about you, that's all. "She snapped back. "I don't have many friends-"

"You have no friends." He pointed out, though Yang Ru continued on as if he'd said nothing.

"-aside from you, so they want to meet you." She explained, peeking up at her friend. "It's what normal people do."

Yibai snorted, not responding to her jab.

He knew that was a dig at him for refusing to introduce her to his parents. At this point, the only people at his school to have even seen his parents were the faculty and that was only at his orientation.

Yibai intended to keep it that way. Even if the school was entirely populated by betas, he feared what his mother or worse, his father would say to his classmates.

Yibai might not be the most popular guy in school but he much preferred having a reputation based on his own actions as opposed to one based on his parent's actions.

***

Despite his reluctance to meet his friends' parents, Yibai agreed to Yang Ru's invitation. Regardless of the weirdness, they were his bosses, so he should at least thank them for hiring him.

As such, after handing off his duties to the next clerk, Yibai went to the locker room to change, It didn't take him long to change though he did remember to greet his co-worker who was also getting dressed.

When he exited the locker room, he spotted Yang Ru leaning against the wall while on the phone. As he drew closer, her conversion could be heard.

"How is he then?... Yeah, I was going to bring him over today but if dad isn't feeling well, there's no point..." She grimaced in disgust. "Mom, I don't need the play by play of dad's heat, okay? That's not something I ever want to think abo-... M-mom! Please!" She pleaded as her mother apparently ignored her pleas.

After a minute, she covered her face, looking as if she was seconds from dying from embarrassment. Whatever her mother was saying, was troubling to the usually chipper girl.

It's all fun until one's parents shared just a bit too much, it seemed.

"Look, I'll pick up some congee from that place you like later for dad but please don't let me walk in on something gross~" She begged, covering her eyes as if to shield them from what her mother was saying. "Okay?"

There was a moment of silence before Yang Ru sighed with relief.

"Kay! Love you too, mom. Give dad my regards." Without another word, she hung up. She immediately let out a breath, sounding every part of the distressed teen.

Yibai stepped closer. "Something happened?"

Yang Ru jumped, having not noticed Yibai's approach.

"Eek!" She clutched the wall, glaring at him. "Damn it, Jun Yibai, are you trying to kill me!?"

"You wouldn't die that simply." He retorted, cocking a brow.

If it was her, her death would be with fireworks and fanfare. To die from being caught by surprise was too dull a death for her. She'd never accept it.

Yang Ru snickered, though she quickly coughed to hide it as Yibai's grey eyes drifted to her. His serious face when saying something so silly was too much. How could she not laugh?

To his question, she responded. "My dad isn't feeling good so my mom is taking care of him." She explained, sighing. "So I guess you'll have to wait to meet your in-laws."

"Don't joke about that." He grumbled, though something she said tickled his curiosity. "Your dad is going through heat?"

Heat was a phenomenon that afflicted omega on a semi-regular basis. There was no standard for their timing. Some had them a couple of times a year and others had them monthly.

As a beta, Yibai only knew that during an omega's heat, they were primed to be bred and attracted all kinds of attention due to their pheromones. It seemed incredibly troublesome to him, as it meant the omega was bedridden for days to at most a month without suppressants.

As their daughter, Yang Ru obviously knew this but also knew her mom would be 'comforting' her dad, so she planned on staying as far from their bedroom as possible while still staying in the same house. Considering they were both Omega's, it was going to be a long week.

When she explained that, claiming she'd probably have to stay with her uncle for a while, Yibai frowned at the new information.

"Your parents... are omega's?"

Yang Ru's eyes narrowed mildly.

"Is that a problem?" Yang Ru's tone was cold. Gone was the friendly and open attitude he's grown used to.

Yibai, after all this time, had found her bottom line.

He shook his head though he felt a bit nervous about the situation. He really didn't have an issue with Omega's. He just couldn't help but feel nervous like a child sneaking in to take some cookies without permission.

His father, if he learned that Yang Ru was the child of an Omega pair, would surely demand Yibai cut ties with her. He absolutely didn't want that.

She was the first friend he'd felt safe getting close to. He didn't want to risk it if he could help it. Yet another reason he was thankful their meeting fell through. He could now plan accordingly.

Yang Ru visibly relaxed as she saw her friend's sincere expression. At once, her usual cheeky smile returned.

"Cool!" She grabbed his arm, dragging him out the door. "Then let's go. I have to go on an errand but we should hang out for a bit."

***

A few days later, within a large estate that could easily house quite a few dozen families, a homeowner dragged himself through the door and let out a heavy sigh.

Jingyao walked into his home, exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into his nice expensive couch and fall asleep until his husband came home and gave him a much-needed massage. Maybe they could fit in a cuddle if they didn't pass out immediately. Who knows, the night was young.

Yet to his surprise, his spot on the couch on which he had placed all his hopes of relaxation on, was occupied.

By his son, who should have been somewhere else.

"Guiren, what are you doing here?" He growled, glaring down at the young man who shared his and his husband's genes. It was the only thing that saved the boy from a swift kick off his rightful resting place.

Guiren grinned, his tone light as he spoke. "What? Am I no longer welcome, dad?"

"You know the answer to that." Jingyao shot back, grabbing the back of the couch. "I'm more curious about why you are here instead of that gym you like so much?"

Honestly, he hadn't expected Guiren to take to that place so readily. He and his husband had chosen to enroll their son at a gym as a means to expel all the excess energy he had and teach him how to hold back his strength. Guiren was strong, even for an alpha, so they couldn't be careless with his more predatory urges.

Yet, while the gym was a good place to expel energy, Guiren refused to hold back and ended up hurting quite a few trainers despite his age. God forbid he gets any stronger. The trouble he'd cause would be way too excessive.

"I'm playing the long game, dad." He proclaimed, smiling with confidence. "Didn't you say distance makes the heart grow fonder?"

Jingyao's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you harassing this time?"

"Why does it have to be harassment?!"

"Because that's how you are?" He stated, crossing his arms. "So tell me who you're bothering now?"

Jingyao could only hope his son wasn't causing trouble for the owners. It had taken a lot of money to get them to accept his battle-hungry son into their small gym. With how much trouble he'd caused his previous gyms, the money was surely going to be needed later. Still, he hadn't heard any complaints, so he assumed his son had finally matured a little and learned how to control himself.

Yet his words made him worry that his son had gotten himself in some situation.

"I'm not bothering anyone!" Guiren insisted, jumping to his feet. "I'm just having a good time with a cool guy!"

"Did this 'cool guy' agree to this 'good time' or was it you who insisted?"

"..."

As he thought. Jingyao sighed, feeling pity for the poor soul who had gained his son's attention like this. There wouldn't be a single moment of peace for them.

Elsewhere, Yibai sneezed, wondering if someone was talking about him.

"He isn't weak, dad!" Guiren insisted, staring up at his father. "Mas-that guy isn't going to break. I've just been sparring with him."

"Sparring?" He echoed, frowning. "Didn't the owners say it was mostly beta's who attended that gym? Where didn't you find an alpha that could keep up with you?"

"That's just it! He isn't an alpha! He's a full-blooded beta."

The Alpha blinked in surprise. "A beta?"

"En, we've been having matches every time I go. It's great!" He cried, grinning savagely. "Really, it's just... Dad, there are times I don't hold back and he can still take every strike! Even better, I bet he will get even stronger later on. I'm super excited!!!"

Jingyao could see that. He had never seen his son so enthusiastic about a fight. While he definitely was a fight nut, his desire to do so was more out of anger or frustration than actual enjoyment. Yet Guiren's eyes glowed with glee just thinking about this beta guy.

But it did beg the question,

"Why are you here instead of the gym then?"

"Like I said, I want him to miss me, like that saying implies." He proclaimed shamelessly.

Ah, so this was all one-sided then.

"I don't want you harassing someone like this, Guiren." He chastised, looming over his son. Despite how strong the boy was, Jingyao was an adult alpha. Even if he didn't want to, he'd have to back down. "Think about the future, your future true mate."

Every Alpha dreamed of finding their other half just as much as Omega's did. Though in Guiren's case, he needed his omega more than other Alphas.

It wasn't common knowledge but an Alpha's true mate tended to help curb an Alpha's more base nature. Most alphas could live without such a buffer but Guiren was more in tune with his nature than others, possibly due to having two alphas as parents.

His omega would be nothing but good for the boy.

Guiren grimaced, hating the thought. If there was anything he disliked, it was being tied down.

"I don't want a true mate! I like Mas- that beta." He argued. "You and father didn't wait for your true mates."

"We didn't need them but you are getting out of control, Guiren!" Jingyao's voice was deepening, a subtle growl flowing forth that made most of the servants nearby lower their head in submission.

Out of sheer stubbornness, Guiren kept his gaze on his father. With a clenched fist, the staredown only lasted a few seconds more before the victor was decided.

"Would you allow an omega to get between you and father?" He shot back, his eyes darting away as he felt his father suppress him.

Jingyao's eyes narrowed at the thought.

If that idiot husband of his dared try and leave him, he'd definitely tie him down like he did in high school. There wouldn't be an unmarked spot for that floozy Omega to even get close to, let alone bite.

He knew what Guiren was doing but it was for his own good. He had to find this child's mate or else they'd never get him to be fit as an heir. The traits he had were only useful in controlled states. The way he was now, he'd only make trouble in the future.

Guiren could see that his father was not letting the matter go, the elder man being just as, if not more stubborn than his son.

"I'm not letting this go, dad! I like that guy."

Jingyao stared down at his son before sighing. He knew that look well. He'd had the same expression back when he started to pursue his husband.

Men with those kinds of looks rarely failed to get what they wanted.

Ah, that determination would be so much more useful if you weren't so much of a hassle to raise. He thought with a sigh. Still, there was another matter to discuss.

"If you aren't going to that gym, you can make yourself useful and attend a get together with your Aunt Li and her daughter."

The get together was quite important to Jinyao, as his company was in the middle of a very profitable deal with another company. Unfortunately, the other side wanted certain conditions that Jingyao was unable to provide at the moment, so he'd sent his elder sister to smooth things over first.

Perhaps if Guiren saw how normal people acted, he'd learn a few things about when and where to show one's aggressive side. A punch to the face did, indeed, solve quite a few problems but the shitstorm that usually followed was never worth it.

Gurirne, as expected, grimaced at the order. "Why do I have to go?"

"Because you are my heir and you need to earn that title." He pointed out with a serious expression. "Go there, make connections, and maybe find yourself a proper mate."

"Dad!"

"You have nothing better to do, do you?" The elder challenged, cocking a brow. When the young man said nothing, Jingyao nodded with satisfaction. "As I thought. Now get dressed."

Guiren, with a deep scowl, stormed to his room, his door slamming as he disappeared from sight. Jingyao sighed, feeling a bit guilty.

He truly did want his son to be happy and marry the one he loves but... The amount of damage that boy had brought forth was starting to worry both his parents. They knew it was just a matter of having too much energy and no good means to channel it.

Their son really liked fighting, so they could do nothing else but sign him up for a gym.

And now, somehow, he'd fallen for some Beta there.

God, he was too exhausted to deal with all this~

Just then, the front door slammed open and a familiar scent filled the room as his mate walked in. He looked almost twice as tired as him. Even his husband, a strong and capable Alpha, looked ready for a nice five-hour coma.

But first...

"Hubby, come over here." Jingyao called out, crooking his finger toward the man. Like a sirens call, he followed Jingyao's call.

What followed was to be expected, though Guiren very nearly walked in on his parents 'reestablishing their bonds'. Luck was on his side as he heard their love-filled cries and ran in the opposite direction.

He'd considered asking his dad for a ride to the venue but nothing would make him get any closer. 

Besides, the hotel wasn't that far. How much trouble could he possibly get into in such little time?

*** 

Yibai stared up at the hotel, a bit in awe.

How could he not be? A 4 star hotel that housed celebrities and politicians on a regular basis. An establishment whose nightly rate had so many zeros, it boggled the mind to think the guest was just renting a room and not buying a villa. To think that he, a regular guy, was even allowed to step into the lobby was shocking.

Not for the first time tonight, Yibai wondered how his father had managed to get a conference hall here.

He knew he and his dad's co-works pooled their resources often but to be able to afford this was... impressive.

Then again, they were renting the room for only two hours so it was probably all they could afford.

Still, despite Yibai's desire to be a background character, he felt a bit excited. Who wouldn't be when stepping into an entirely different world? How could a single threshold be as magical as a portal? Separating the world of the everyday citizen from the world of riches and fame.

Perhaps had he been born an Alpha or even an Omega, he might have yearned to join this world but he was just a beta. He was content with his small income and simple life.

There was no need to complicate things.

Yet like all things in Yibai's life, things were rarely simple.