My Alpha's Secret Softness

"...The youngest son of the Tong family is an Omega. I’ve heard he has a lovely personality. Although he’s a bit young, he’s actually very sensible. I think he’d be a perfect match for you."

Lin Yuehua had called Zhuo Xiangming back specifically for this. After a long preamble, she finally hit the main point: "You aren't getting any younger. I don't interfere in your other affairs, but you can't truly spend your whole life married to your work, can you?"

From his school days to graduation and then into his career, it had been many years, and his mother truly had never meddled in his personal life. Zhuo Xiangming paused for a moment and asked, "Are you genuinely worried about me getting married late, or do you need me to marry someone from the Tong family right now?"

Mother and son had always been straightforward with each other. Lin Yuehua didn't beat around the bush: "I need you to marry into the Tong family, and I happen to be worried about you being a loner. If you marry Tong Yan, I’ll have both matters off my mind."

Zhuo Xiangming’s father, Zhuo Zhengde, was obsessed with art; his heart was never in business. However, he was the only Alpha and the only male of his generation, so he had reluctantly taken over the family estate. From the time he married Lin Yuehua at twenty-five until now, Lin Yuehua had been the one running the household; he had washed his hands of it long ago.

The Zhuo family specialized in the industrial sector, but Zhuo Xiangming’s interest had always been in securities. Since graduation, he had run his own business. To be honest, he didn't know much more about the family's internal affairs than a researcher reading financial magazines.

"Is marriage absolutely necessary?" It wasn't that he was repulsed by the idea; he just felt it was unnecessary. "If there’s a capital issue, I can help on my end..."

"It’s not a lack of money." Lin Yuehua frowned slightly. "The family business is fine. It’s just... have you seen the restructuring documents for Yongxin Plaza and Longshan Riverside?"

Zhuo Xiangming didn't care for the industrial sector, but he kept an eye on such news. "I’ve seen them... You’re planning to take on that project with the Tong Group?"

Setting aside the massive scale of Longshan Riverside, Yongxin Plaza alone—specifically its two central commercial streets—occupied nearly a quarter of the city's most central land. Describing it as "prime real estate" didn't even begin to do its value justice.

If the two families partnered to take it on, the complexity of the intertwined interests would be visible to the naked eye.

Political marriages to consolidate partnerships were common among conglomerates. Growing up in such a family, even if he hadn't experienced it, he had seen plenty of it; he wasn't a stranger to how these things worked.

Besides, a marriage of convenience was just that. As long as the two maintained an outward appearance of marriage during the partnership to put shareholders and investors at ease, the CEO would have peace of mind.

Zhuo Xiangming had no plans to marry recently; in fact, he didn't even know where his potential partner might be in the world. Since Lin Yuehua put it that way, he didn't hesitate much and said, "Fine, then we'll marry."

Zhuo Xiangming had agreed, yet Lin Yuehua didn't look relieved.

"There’s one more thing Mom needs to discuss with you..." She held her teacup, seemingly finding this part difficult to say.

Since she hadn't been embarrassed when asking him to get married, Zhuo Xiangming said, "Go ahead."

"Um... Listen to me. That child from the Tong family is eighteen this year. He's in high school, just started his senior year this semester..."

"I know, you've said that."

Lin Yuehua said softly, "He... his health isn't very good. You know, Mrs. Tong passed away early. Although there's a father and an older brother at home, they’re both men, and the brother is a Beta, so the care for an Omega wasn't quite... They say he was injured during his first heat. He took a year off school, and even now, he has to wear a scent-blocking patch whenever he goes out."

Lin Yuehua spoke vaguely, but as an Alpha who had received AO physiological education since day one of school, Zhuo Xiangming understood immediately: "Pheromone Stress Disorder?"

Lin Yuehua nodded.

This was a relatively common condition among Omegas. Generally speaking, it was easy to develop and easy to treat.

Omegas were naturally delicate and required protection. If they weren't cared for diligently during heat—especially the first one—they could become sensitive to Alpha pheromones later in life. It wasn't that they were easily aroused; rather, it caused total physical pain.

Most cases recovered naturally with treatment. Only a very few severe cases failed to improve, and because medical intervention is difficult for glandular issues, the only solution was to wait until marriage. Once marked by their Alpha, they would slowly recover under the soothing influence of their partner's pheromones.

Generally, this was also the best method and the one that caused the least harm to the Omega's body.

But Tong Yan’s situation required taking a year off school and he still hadn't recovered; his heat cycle was likely erratic as well—

"Are you saying... I have to mark him?"

Lin Yuehua quickly replied, "No, no! Could your mother really be like that?"

Pausing, Lin Yuehua added, "It’s not as extreme as you think. It’s just that with his current condition, his daily life is quite inconvenient. The Tong family asked if, since you're getting married anyway, Tong Yan could move in with you after the wedding. Firstly, to prevent being photographed—to avoid people saying you’re living apart right after marrying. Secondly, you’re an Alpha and a bit older; they want to see if spending time with you will help Tong Yan get better."

Lin Yuehua’s explanation didn't make it any easier for Zhuo Xiangming to accept.

To him, "agreeing to marry" was literal: going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a certificate and then cooperating for a wedding—completing the start of the relationship before the media and the law.

But the situation was clearly more complex than he had imagined. Bringing home an Omega who had barely been an adult for a few days wasn't the same as getting a pet cat or a butler robot. And when pheromones were involved, no matter how carefree one was, no Alpha or Omega in the world would consider it a small matter.

The extent of pheromonal influence on AOs was still debated, but it wasn't an exaggeration to say it could sometimes determine life or death.

Traditional concepts had been discarded centuries ago; it wasn't just Omegas who were affected by Alpha pheromones. It was a fact that after marking, an Alpha’s possessiveness could explode, valuing their Omega more than their own life.

Pheromones were the most private line for AOs. They could be beautiful, but they were also dangerous. Having passed through his own volatile differentiation period and impulsive youth, Zhuo Xiangming knew this all too well. So, even if Tong Yan only needed a bit of natural Alpha pheromones for soothing, he couldn't commit easily.

"My opinion alone doesn't matter for this. What does the other side say?" Zhuo Xiangming pivoted.

"This was proposed by President Tong himself. If he hadn't mentioned it, we wouldn't even know about this ailment."

"I’m asking about Tong—"

Lin Yuehua said, "Tong Yan."

"I'm asking about Tong Yan. What does he say?" Zhuo Xiangming asked. "Will he agree to suddenly move in with a complete stranger, an Alpha?"

Lin Yuehua said, "What can he say? The child is only eighteen; it’s up to his father to make the decisions, and he just obeys." Lin Yuehua continued, "This ailment isn't huge in a way—his physical health is fine, he can still run and jump. but it's incredibly troublesome. He's young and can't get married right away, yet he can barely leave the house or go to crowded places. He can't stay like this forever, can he?"

"Isn't President Tong an Alpha?"

Lin Yuehua shot him a look. Halfway through the sentence, Zhuo Xiangming realized he had asked a stupid question.

Pheromones were almost synonymous with s*x; how could a father provide that kind of soothing for his son?

Zhuo Xiangming understood.

While political marriages were common, it was also a fact that every family cherished their Omegas deeply—one only had to look at his own precious younger brother to know that. It was unheard of for someone to be pushed out to marry at eighteen.

The Tong family must truly be distressed by Tong Yan’s condition, and with the two families working on this project, they had conspired with Lin Yuehua to reach this arrangement.

After all, with Tong Yan’s family background, there was no need to worry about whether he had a temporary mark or had been married before. Marking removal surgery was now very sophisticated; if they separated later, it wouldn't hinder Tong Yan from finding another good match at all.

But while it worked in theory, Zhuo Xiangming still couldn't accept it immediately. On one hand, Tong Yan was truly young; on the other, Zhuo Xiangming himself wasn't very willing.

He was nearly thirty, a fully-fledged professional in both mind and body, yet this "solitary flower" of the finance faculty had never even held an Omega’s hand.

Lin Yuehua said, "Don't be so full of yourself. Little Tong's looks are more than worthy of using a bit of your pheromones."

Zhuo Xiangming didn't get angry; he only noticed that Lin Yuehua had let it slip and affectionately called him "Tong Tong."

Zhuo Xiangming asked, "You've met Tong Yan?"

Lin Yuehua stopped beating around the bush; the satisfaction in her eyes was genuine. "I just saw him this weekend. The boy had a violin lesson in the morning. I arrived with his father first, and Tong Tong took a car there himself. He was carrying a violin and apologized to me the moment he walked in, saying he was sorry for being late."

"He's so sensible, so sweet, and he really is good-looking... I've never seen such a beautiful child." Now that she was being direct, Lin Yuehua was all smiles when talking about Tong Yan. Then she sighed: "Poor thing. Such a good child, growing up without a mother, only to suffer like this..."

"..."

"He's really very sweet and sensible. Most of the time after he moves in, he'll be at school anyway. He won't cause trouble for you, so don't worry."

Zhuo Xiangming didn't ask the other question. How do you soothe Tong Yan? Aside from hugging and kissing, how else? If he asked, it would not only be useless, but he might also be teased for being a "virgin" or "wizard" who was hopelessly naive.

Why invite humiliation? Zhuo Xiangming thought sullenly to himself.

Zhuo Xiangming actually knew his mother. Lin Yuehua was always upright and meant what she said. Ultimately, it was because she was truly satisfied with Tong Yan that she was arranging this marriage; the rest was just secondary details to make it happen.

She just needed him to nod, and she would handle the rest.

To ensure Tong Yan could move into Zhuo Xiangming’s apartment before the school year started, the elders of both families planned a grand wedding for late August. The "Wedding of the Century" filled the pages of every major newspaper and magazine. All the media discussed the magnificent ceremony and offered blessings, unaware that the two individuals involved had only met a handful of times before saying "I do" in front of the priest.

Despite several people helping him ward off the drinks, Tong Yan still ended up being coaxed into quite a few glasses of wine.

Having never touched alcohol before, his memory became a complete blur from the moment he stepped into the RV. When he finally woke up, it took a good while for him to realize where exactly he was sleeping.

He was in a large, sun-drenched bedroom. The decor was minimalist—mostly blacks, greys, and whites. A desk sat by the window, which was draped with two layers of sheer curtains, unlike the massive floor-to-ceiling windows in his old room.

This was Zhuo Xiangming’s house. Their marital home.

Tong Yan pushed himself up, endured the pounding headache long enough to take a shower, and habitually applied a scent-blocking patch to the back of his neck before heading out.

The duplex was quiet. Standing on the stairs, Tong Yan waited for a moment, confirming that Zhuo Xiangming wasn't home.

He recalled asking Tong Yang how he s