Chapter Text
Wu Suo Wei was exhausted—more than usual. Lately, waking up felt like dragging himself out of a battlefield. His limbs ached dully, and when he lifted his shirt before stepping into the shower, bluish bruises mottled his stomach as though someone had grabbed him too hard in his sleep. They appeared without reason, multiplying day by day. He didn’t know why.
The mirror offered no mercy. Dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes, evidence of the restless nights that stretched endlessly behind him. Sleep had become a stranger.
Breakfast was as plain and joyless as his mornings—dry toast and bitter coffee gulped down without appetite. Then came the real ritual: tablets and suppressant patches, layered carefully onto his skin to mask his true scent. He had been using them for so long that applying them felt as natural as breathing. The tablets were the kind betas used to subtly boost their pheromone profile, but Wu Suo Wei needed them to bury what he truly was- an omega.
He had always told himself he identified as a beta. But in truth, it wasn’t identity—it was survival. In this hierarchical world, respect flowed only toward alphas. Betas received scraps of acknowledgment, a courtesy compared to what omegas endured. Omegas were dismissed as decorative, fragile, good for assisting others but incapable of leading or excelling on their own. Wu Suo Wei knew that if he were ever exposed, everything he had would crumble.
He couldn’t let that happen.
Suppressants, however, came at a price. His body was growing resistant—where one patch and one pill a day were once enough, he now needed three or four patches just to make it to lunchtime, and twice the medication to keep his scent muted. His expenses had doubled, yet his income had not. Whatever money he earned after rent and groceries went straight to his mother’s medical treatments and his own suppressants. His life was held together by debt, pills, and fear.
But at least, as a beta, people listened to him.
He worked as an Inventory Assistant at BioSyn Pherologics, one of the top three biochemical corporations in the country and among the ten fastest-rising companies in the world. They specialized in suppressant patches, synthetic pheromones for alphas and omegas, and experimental pheromone-based injections. Landing this job had been the proudest moment of Wu Suo Wei’s life—the result of sleepless nights buried in study guides and interview rehearsals. For one year and eight months, he had worked without complaint.
Not once had anyone looked at him like he was lesser. Not once had anyone dismissed his words before he finished speaking. That validation alone was worth every bruise, every pill, every lie.
As he stepped into the office lobby, a familiar voice welcomed him.
“Da Wei! You look like death warmed over. Still not sleeping?” Jiang Xiaoshuai asked, eyes full of concern.
Wu Suo Wei grimaced. “Wow, thank you. Exactly what I wanted to hear after spending fifteen minutes trying to look alive.”
Xiaoshuai snorted. “Fifteen minutes counts as effort? I spend that long just styling my hair. By the way—notice anything different?” He struck an exaggerated pose.
Wu Suo Wei blinked at him. His hair, as always, looked… like hair. “What’s the point of taking so long when you just end up pulling it out in frustration later?”
Xiaoshuai clutched his chest dramatically. “That is because my manager refuses to recognize genius! I submit ideas, he ignores them. I tested him once—I asked an intern to submit the exact same proposal I made. Guess whose got approved? Not mine! That’s why I’ve been stuck in the same junior position for three and a half years!”
Wu Suo Wei felt a familiar pang. “That’s the curse of being an omega. People don’t see your contribution—they only see the superficial beauty.”
“Hey!” Xiaoshuai protested immediately. “Our beauty is ours too. If we put in the work, we deserve acknowledgment. One day, we’ll get it.”
Wu Suo Wei shook his head, unable to muster that much hope. “The world doesn’t work that way… But don’t mind me. Your optimism is good. It makes coming here less miserable.”
Xiaoshuai’s expression softened, his smile bright and sincere. “Always, Da Wei. See you at break.”
As he watched his friend disappear into the Research and Development wing, Wu Suo Wei couldn’t help but envy him. Xiaoshuai may have been treated unfairly, but he still believed the universe would reward effort.
Wu Suo Wei didn’t believe in such things anymore.
He only believed in hiding—and praying that his carefully constructed façade would never collapse.