CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2

Mu Hanfeng stood facing their direction, leaning casually against the wall.

One hand was tucked into the pocket of his black trousers while the other held a phone. His head was slightly lowered, his attention seemingly fixed on the screen as though he hadn't noticed anyone approaching.

The corridor lights cast soft shadows across his sharp profile.

Tall.

Cold.

Untouchable.

Tong Che's first instinct was simple.

Run.

Turn around immediately and disappear before Mu Hanfeng noticed him.

Unfortunately, fate clearly had no intention of cooperating.

Before he could even take a step backward, Mu Hanfeng suddenly put away his phone and raised his head.

His gaze landed directly on Tong Che.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Then Tong Che felt it.

The natural pressure that belonged to a top Alpha.

It wasn't deliberate.

Mu Hanfeng wasn't releasing pheromones.

He wasn't trying to intimidate anyone.

Yet the oppressive aura that came from someone standing at the very top of the food chain still swept over him like a tidal wave.

Tong Che's heartbeat instantly skipped.

His legs weakened.

His body seemed rooted to the spot.

Running away was impossible now.

Pretending not to see him was even more impossible.

At that moment, Lou Gui lightly squeezed his elbow.

The meaning was obvious.

Go greet him.

Tong Che nearly wanted to cry.

Still, he forced himself to raise a hand and gave a stiff little wave.

"Hello, Teacher Mu."

Mu Hanfeng didn't answer.

But neither did he look away.

Those deep eyes remained fixed on him.

The corridor suddenly felt silent.

Too silent.

Tong Che felt like a rabbit that had accidentally wandered into a hunter's territory.

The scalp beneath his blond hair tingled.

Every nerve in his body screamed at him to retreat.

Yet he could only stand there.

Unable to move.

Unable to speak.

Unable to breathe properly.

Time seemed to freeze.

One second.

Two seconds.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

The longer Mu Hanfeng looked at him, the more Tong Che felt his heartbeat becoming unstable.

The pressure wasn't physical.

It was psychological.

A famous movie emperor.

A top Alpha.

His idol.

And now, probably someone who thought he was deliberately trying to ride his popularity.

Tong Che felt his soul gradually leave his body.

Just as he began wondering whether Mu Hanfeng would actually say something, the Alpha finally withdrew his gaze.

Without even offering a simple acknowledgment.

Without a single word.

Mu Hanfeng turned around and walked away.

His long legs carried him effortlessly down the corridor.

Soon his figure became smaller.

Then disappeared completely.

Only after he was gone did Tong Che realize he had been holding his breath.

His back hit the wall.

He bent forward slightly and pressed a hand against his chest.

His breathing became uneven.

Fast.

Deep.

Almost desperate.

"Xiao Che!"

Lou Gui finally recovered as well.

Turning around, he immediately noticed Tong Che's condition.

"What happened to you? Are you okay?"

Tong Che slowly straightened.

His throat felt strangely tight.

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

After trying twice, he finally managed to squeeze out a weak response.

"I'm fine."

Lou Gui stared.

Then muttered to himself.

"Is this what people mean by Alpha-Omega suppression? That's terrifying."

As a Beta, Lou Gui couldn't smell pheromones.

Nor could he truly understand the biological instincts between Alphas and Omegas.

To him, Mu Hanfeng's pressure had only come from his overwhelming presence and status.

Naturally, he assumed Tong Che's reaction came from Omega instincts.

Only Tong Che knew the truth.

It wasn't because of instinct.

At least not entirely.

The moment he calmed down, he realized something.

Mu Hanfeng hadn't actually tried to suppress him.

In fact, when Mu Hanfeng looked over earlier, the faint sea scent surrounding him had already disappeared.

The Alpha had deliberately restrained it.

So why had Tong Che reacted so strongly?

Because Mu Hanfeng was too close.

Too tall.

Too imposing.

And because those eyes had unknowingly awakened memories Tong Che never wanted to touch.

Memories buried deep beneath ten years of suppressants.

Deep beneath years of pretending everything was fine.

"Can you walk?"

Lou Gui's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Tong Che took another slow breath.

This time his voice finally returned.

"I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"Mm."

He pushed himself upright.

The two entered the elevator together.

As the numbers descended floor by floor, Lou Gui suddenly spoke.

After a long silence, he said reluctantly,

"Forget what I told you before."

Tong Che glanced over.

Lou Gui clicked his tongue.

"Tonight, stay away from Mu Hanfeng."

Tong Che blinked.

Lou Gui continued,

"If you can avoid him, avoid him."

Naturally, it wasn't because Lou Gui suddenly developed a conscience.

Quite the opposite.

The accidental encounter had convinced him that Mu Hanfeng disliked being associated with Tong Che.

If Tong Che tried anything at the dinner tonight, Mu Hanfeng might crush him tomorrow.

Lou Gui wanted attention.

He wanted publicity.

But he definitely didn't want his most valuable money-maker destroyed.

Tong Che silently looked at the changing elevator numbers.

Then nodded.

"Okay."

The elevator doors opened.

For the first time that evening, he felt slightly relieved.

By the time they got into the car, Tong Che had completely recovered.

Or at least, he looked recovered.

The panic had faded.

The embarrassment remained.

And after the embarrassment faded, something else slowly surfaced.

Excitement.

A ridiculous amount of excitement.

Only now did Tong Che truly realize what had happened.

He had just met Mu Hanfeng.

Not through a screen.

Not through a movie.

Not through an interview.

The real Mu Hanfeng.

A living, breathing Mu Hanfeng.

And he had stood less than a meter away.

Tong Che had entered the entertainment industry four years ago.

In those four years, Mu Hanfeng had always existed in a completely different world.

Even now, despite becoming one of the hottest young actors in the country, Tong Che knew perfectly well that there was still a huge gap between them.

Mu Hanfeng relied on talent.

Awards.

Strength.

Experience.

Tong Che had only just begun climbing.

The distance between them remained enormous.

Yet somehow—

They had actually met.

The memory replayed itself uncontrollably.

Those dark eyes.

The bridge of his nose.

The thin-rimmed glasses.

The sharp jawline.

The prominent Adam's apple visible above the collar of his black shirt.

The broad shoulders.

The narrow waist hidden beneath tailored fabric.

Even his breathing had seemed steady and powerful.

And then—

That scent.

The scent of the sea.

Deep.

Cold.

Endless.

Tong Che covered his face.

His ears slowly turned red.

Every detail that had been overlooked in the moment suddenly became vivid.

Painfully vivid.

His heartbeat sped up all over again.

Then another thought surfaced.

And immediately ruined everything.

His first impression.

It was definitely terrible.

Absolutely terrible.

Mu Hanfeng probably thought he was some shameless Omega desperately trying to use him for publicity.

The more Tong Che thought about it, the more depressed he became.

He wanted to bury himself alive.

"Xiao Che."

Lou Gui's voice interrupted again.

"We're almost there."

Tong Che snapped back to reality.

"Adjust your expression."

He immediately patted his face twice.

Forget it.

What was done was done.

He couldn't change the past.

The only thing he could do now was prove through actions that he genuinely wasn't trying to cling to Mu Hanfeng for attention.

Absolutely not.

The silver-white Maserati steadily approached Light Joy Hotel.

Outside, countless reporters and cameras were already waiting.

Tonight's battlefield had officially begun. :::

The silver-white Maserati rolled to a smooth stop in front of the Light Joy Hotel.

Lou Gui got out first and hurried around to open the door for Tong Che, performing every bit of the attentive-manager act for the waiting cameras.

Tong Che stepped out of the car.

Dressed in a white high-fashion suit tailored perfectly to his figure, he looked elegant and refined beneath the dazzling lights. The moment his polished shoes touched the ground, flashes exploded around him.

Click! Click! Click!

The shallow dimple at the corner of his lips appeared as he revealed the exact smile he had practiced countless times before.

Not too enthusiastic.

Not too distant.

Perfect.

The surrounding reporters couldn't help drawing in breaths of amazement.

"His face is insane..."

"No wonder he's trending every day..."

"He looks even better in person."

Tong Che had long become accustomed to such reactions.

His expression never changed as he signed autographs, waved politely, and entered the hotel lobby before finally making his way into the banquet hall.

The hall was already crowded.

Crystal chandeliers illuminated the luxurious venue while celebrities, investors, directors, and media personnel mingled in small groups.

Tong Che casually swept his gaze across the room.

But he didn't find Mu Hanfeng.

After a moment's thought, he felt it made sense.

With Mu Hanfeng's status, the fact that he was attending this kind of banquet at all was already giving the organizers face.

Arriving late would be perfectly normal.

Before Tong Che could continue thinking, Lou Gui had already dragged him into social mode.

A glass of wine was placed into Lou Gui's hand.

A glass of grape juice was handed to Tong Che.

Tong Che's alcohol tolerance was notoriously terrible.

Unless absolutely necessary, Lou Gui would never allow him to drink.

Tong Che lowered his eyes and took a sip.

The movement was graceful and unhurried.

Even something as simple as drinking grape juice looked elegant when he did it.

Many people couldn't stop staring.

Most of the people approaching him were artists whose popularity was lower than his current level.

Tong Che never deliberately got close to anyone, but he never acted arrogant either.

The conversations were polite.

Friendly.

Professional.

Exactly the way things should be.

Until a voice suddenly cut through the atmosphere.

"Yo."

"If it isn't Big Star Tong."

"It's been a long time."

The strange tone immediately drew attention.

Everyone present worked in the entertainment industry.

Nobody was stupid.

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Tong Che raised his eyes.

Standing across from him was a male Omega with delicate features and a somewhat feminine appearance.

Qi Xie.

The second male lead from the ancient costume drama that had made Tong Che famous.

Back then, Qi Xie had been significantly more well-known than Tong Che.

Now the situation was completely reversed.

Tong Che calmly took another sip of grape juice.

As though he hadn't noticed the hostility.

"Long time no see, Teacher Qi."

Qi Xie sneered.

"I can't afford to be called teacher by Big Star Tong anymore."

Several people nearby quietly stepped away.

Nobody wanted to get dragged into someone else's conflict.

Tong Che remained calm.

"You debuted before me."

"Calling you teacher is only proper."

The words themselves weren't wrong.

But in Qi Xie's ears, they sounded like mockery.

His expression immediately darkened.

The veins on his forehead almost bulged.

Tong Che inwardly sighed.

He truly didn't understand why some people insisted on making enemies everywhere.

He was already considering finding an excuse to leave.

Then Qi Xie suddenly sneered.

"I really don't know how some people become famous."

"Was it because of their face?"

"Or their pheromones?"

"Or maybe because they're good at flirting?"

The surrounding air instantly became awkward.

Even Lou Gui frowned.

"Watch your mouth."

"Don't talk nonsense in public."

Qi Xie merely laughed coldly.

At that exact moment—

Neither he nor Tong Che noticed that someone had entered through the banquet hall doors.

An Alpha.

The kind of Alpha who instantly became the center of attention wherever he appeared.

Naturally—

It was Mu Hanfeng.

Earlier.

On the way to the banquet.

Mu Hanfeng's manager, Yun Su, had casually brought up the topic.

"What do you think about that hot search?"

The meaning was obvious.

Did Mu Hanfeng intend to do anything about Tong Che?

Mu Hanfeng had already watched the interview clip.

The Omega in the video had clearly blurted out "Mu" without hesitation.

The annoyance that flashed through his eyes afterward didn't seem fake.

But Mu Hanfeng couldn't care less.

Whether it was genuine or not made no difference to him.

He wasn't insane enough to target someone because of a single word.

Besides...

His thoughts drifted back to their encounter earlier.

The Omega's pale face.

The slight stiffness.

The fear hidden beneath those clear black-and-white eyes.

For some reason, the image resurfaced again.

Mu Hanfeng unconsciously rubbed his fingertips together.

Was he really that frightening?

"So what if he tries something else at the banquet?" Yun Su asked.

The question interrupted his thoughts.

Mu Hanfeng raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of something?"

Then he added lazily,

"Pour red wine on me?"

Yun Su immediately burst out laughing.

"You're sick."

The old cliché of accidentally spilling wine onto someone to create romance had become a joke throughout the industry.

Cheap.

Embarrassing.

Outdated.

Anyone with a functioning brain would never attempt it.

The two men entered the banquet hall while chatting casually.

At the same moment—

Qi Xie suddenly revealed a strange smile.

Before Tong Che could react—

Qi Xie stepped forward.

Bang.

His shoulder struck Tong Che's left wrist.

The force wasn't particularly strong.

For most people, it would have done nothing.

But Tong Che wasn't most people.

His left hand had never been very strong.

Normally he wouldn't even use it to hold a glass.

Today he only did so because his right hand had been occupied greeting people.

The instant Qi Xie hit him—

Tong Che's wrist trembled.

The goblet tilted.

Purple grape juice splashed through the air.

Time seemed to slow.

A dark blue suit entered his vision.

Splash.

The juice landed perfectly.

Purple stains spread across the expensive fabric.

Tong Che's pupils contracted.

His heart nearly stopped.

"I'm sorry—"

He immediately apologized while looking up.

Then he froze.

The unfinished words stuck inside his throat.

His brain went completely blank.

Standing before him—

Wearing the dark blue suit that was now stained with grape juice—

Was Mu Hanfeng.

The very Alpha he had spent the entire evening trying desperately to avoid.

The very Alpha he had promised himself he would never accidentally offend.

The very Alpha who, less than half an hour ago, had jokingly said:

"What, is he going to pour wine on me?"

Tong Che:

"..."

Mu Hanfeng:

"..."

The entire banquet hall:

"..."

For one horrifying second, nobody spoke.

Tong Che could practically hear the sound of his own future career shattering into pieces.

Finished.

Absolutely finished.

If there were rankings for the worst first impressions in entertainment industry history—

He was certain he had just secured first place.

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