Chapter 10: Dominant Husband's Fury and the Truth Unveiled

"So, you're married?" Boss Bai's face froze in disbelief, his wide eyes brimming with shock.

Shao Ye scratched his head awkwardly, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Yep, got the certificate just last week. Once I save enough for a proper wedding, I'll be sure to invite you, Boss Bai."

Boss Bai stood there, stunned, unable to utter a word as a flash of something unreadable flickered in his gaze.

Meanwhile, Shao Ye couldn't contain his excitement. With the ink barely dry on his new, high-paying job contract, he bolted out the door, eager to share the good news with Lu Zhanxing.

At Boss Bai's company, full-time employees could request salary advances. With 5,000 Alliance Credits in hand—a month’s worth of prepayment—Shaoye made a beeline for the convenience store where Lu Zhanxing was slogging away.

The moment Shao Ye stepped inside, his eyes locked on Lu Zhanxing. The man, supposed to be working as a sorter, was sweating bullets, hauling heavy loads like a damn pack mule.

"Lu-ge, what the hell are you doing?!" Shao Ye's voice rang out sharply.

Caught off guard, Lu Zhanxing almost toppled off a high ladder.

The supervisor, busy munching sunflower seeds nearby, sauntered over, waving his hand dismissively. "Hey! Watch it! If the goods fall and break, you'll pay for them. And no chatting on the job—take it outside after work!"

Shao Ye's face flushed crimson with anger as he snapped at the supervisor, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. "He's a sorter. Why the hell are you making him do stocking? Let me guess—when he can't meet sorting quotas, you'll just force him to work overtime, huh?"

The supervisor sneered, feigning innocence. "This is a legitimate company. Our policies are clear—no overtime required. He’s not even scheduled for sorting during this shift, so there's no quota to meet."

Shao Ye's glare turned venomous. "Not scheduled? No clocked hours? Then why is he still working non-stop?!"

The supervisor shrugged, indifferent. "Helping out during downtime—what's the big deal? Everyone volunteers."

"Volunteer?" Shao Ye’s voice dripped with disdain. "Who the hell 'volunteers' to be your free labor? And while doing tasks outside his damn job scope? If something goes wrong, you'll charge him, won't you? Let me guess—if he gets hurt, you'll claim he's off the clock and wash your hands of it? Or better yet, call him a part-timer because you deliberately keep his hours under the threshold, so you don't owe him squat?"

The rapid-fire accusations left the supervisor stumbling backward, his smirk faltering into a nervous grimace.

He tried to bluff his way out, puffing up like a cornered animal. "Don’t act smart, kid. Everyone here does the same. You think you're special? If you don't like it, you’re free to leave. Lazy, entitled brats like you deserve to stay broke forever!"

Before the words finished spilling out of his mouth, Lu Zhanxing leapt down from the ladder, his eyes blazing. He grabbed the supervisor by the collar, lifting him clean off his feet.

The supervisor’s bravado shattered instantly. His legs gave out, his face drained of color, and he started stammering. "Wh-what are you doing? I'll have you fired! Let’s see how you two losers survive then!"

Lu Zhanxing clenched his fists, his knuckles white, barely holding back the urge to deck the man. But the thought of their financial situation made him grit his teeth and let go.

Then, out of nowhere, a sharp crack echoed across the store.

Shao Ye's slap landed square on the supervisor’s cheek, leaving an angry red imprint. The sound froze everyone in their tracks, wide-eyed in shock.

"You dare screw with my husband?!" Shao Ye snarled, his voice booming with unrestrained fury. His eyes burned like twin embers, ready to ignite. "If I don’t deal with you properly today, the name 'Shao Ye' might as well be mud."

Lu Zhanxing stood rooted, stunned. The words "my husband" echoed in his mind, throwing him into momentary disarray.

But Shao Ye didn’t even notice. His fists flew with terrifying precision, pounding into the supervisor's smug face until the man was begging for mercy.

"Stop! Please stop! I was wrong!" The supervisor clutched his head, his voice trembling with terror and anguish.

Shao Ye, his fury mostly spent, surveyed the once-overbearing manager now groveling like a beaten dog at his feet. A grim satisfaction crept over him, cooling the last embers of his anger.

"Apologize to my Lu-ge," Shao Ye commanded, his tone as sharp as a blade, punctuating his words with a firm slap to the supervisor’s swollen cheek.

The supervisor hesitated, his eyes darting nervously between Shao Ye's unyielding stare and the silent presence of Lu Zhanxing looming behind him. Swallowing his pride, he muttered begrudgingly, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

He had underestimated them, assuming these young, broke upstarts could be easily cowed. Never had he expected such ferocity—the kind that forced even a cornered rabbit to bite back.

"How does it feel," Shao Ye's voice dripped with disdain, "to choke on your own impotence while being forced to obey someone stronger? Does it burn? Does it sting?"

The supervisor's face darkened as the meaning behind Shao Ye's words sank in. His gaze shifted to the watching employees, who no longer hid their smirks. They’d stopped working altogether, their defiant glee ignoring the supervisor's seething glare.

Humiliation gnawed at him. His authority lay in shambles.

"Don’t worry," Shao Ye sneered, pulling out a thick wad of cash and flinging it contemptuously at the supervisor’s head. "Your medical bills are covered." Then, grabbing Lu Zhanxing’s hand, he turned on his heel. "Let’s go, Lu-ge. Time to head home."

As they walked away, the supervisor scrambled to pick up the scattered money, his hands trembling with suppressed rage. He barked at the gawking employees, "What the hell are you looking at? Anyone not ready to work can get the hell out!"

The workers ducked their heads, their momentary boldness dissolving back into mechanical obedience.

On the way home, Shao Ye brimmed with excitement, telling Lu Zhanxing all about the new job he’d landed. Arms loaded with groceries, he made big plans for a celebratory feast.

Lu Zhanxing, however, wore a complicated expression. He was relieved that Shao Ye had found decent work, yet unease churned in his chest. As an Alpha, he couldn’t ignore the subtle, unsettling vibe from Boss Bai, the factory owner. There was something in Bai’s eyes when he looked at Shao Ye—a possessiveness that made Lu Zhanxing’s instincts bristle.

Back at their modest apartment, Shao Ye tied on an apron and dived into the kitchen with gusto. When Lu Zhanxing tried to help, Shao Ye waved him off, shooing him out like a playful yet commanding whirlwind.

Soon, the apartment was filled with the rich, mouthwatering aroma of home-cooked dishes. The small table groaned under the weight of vibrant, steaming plates and a fragrant pot of soup. It was a sight so inviting that even the humble setup felt special.

"We’re going to need some new furniture," Shao Ye remarked while setting the table. "How about tomorrow? I’ll check out Boss Bai’s factory in the morning, finish early, and then we can shop together."

"Sure," Lu Zhanxing replied, taking a bite of the food. His eyes widened immediately. The flavors were astounding—far surpassing the high-end cuisine he’d once tasted in the finest galactic restaurants.

After days of instant noodles, this meal felt like pure bliss. Yet something gnawed at him. These dishes, these cooking techniques—they were unlike anything he’d encountered across the Alliance's eight great star systems.

Curiosity finally got the better of him. "I didn’t know you could cook this well. Where did you learn?"

The question made Shao Ye freeze for a split second. His instincts flared, a tight coil of tension forming in his chest.

The recipes were from Earth, a place these people knew nothing about.

He cut in quickly, his tone casual but firm: “I’m no gourmet chef, alright? Who’s got the time to learn all that fancy stuff? It’s all trial and error on my end.”

“Well,” Lu Zhanxing replied with surprising honesty, “you’re a natural. This could easily rival the so-called culinary gods of Imperial Capital Star.”

Shao Ye put down his chopsticks, his expression turning serious. “Lu-ge, you’ve actually tried the Imperial Capital’s legendary cuisine? That’s reserved for the big shots. Don’t tell me you’re secretly a noble too?”

Lu Zhanxing’s hand paused mid-air, chopsticks hovering as if caught off guard. He could tell Shao Ye was fishing for information, but outright lies might only dig a deeper hole. He settled on a measured response: “I’ve attended the Lu family’s banquets.”

At the mention of the Lu family, Shao Ye’s reaction was instant. His chopsticks slipped from his grasp, clattering onto the table.

“Again with the Lu family? Like a damn ghost that won’t leave!” Shao Ye grabbed a fresh pair of chopsticks and kept eating. “So, have you met that sleazeball Lu Zhanxing?”

“I have,” Lu Zhanxing replied, his voice calm as ever.

“Isn’t he supposed to be some greasy creep with a fat face, the kind who leers at everyone?” Shao Ye pressed, his curiosity unrestrained.

Lu Zhanxing sighed internally, baffled by the bizarre image Shao Ye had conjured. “He’s not.”

“Impossible. Lin Na showed me a photo of Lu Zhanxing—400 pounds of lard, minimum,” Shao Ye muttered, his brows furrowing in contemplation.

Something clicked for Lu Zhanxing, and he leaned in. “Lin Na? Who’s that?”

“Oh, Lin Na’s the school beauty of Imperial O’Dell Academy. You know the Lin family, right? Not as powerful as the Lu family, but still a big deal on Imperial Capital Star. Lin Na’s their pampered eldest daughter. Rumor has it, her family tried to marry her off to Lu Zhanxing to seal a union between the clans. Lucky for her, her pheromone match with that pig didn’t pan out. When my pheromones got matched with Lu Zhanxing’s instead, she tipped me off and helped me escape O’Dell Academy.” Shao Ye continued shoveling food into his mouth as he talked.

Hearing this, Lu Zhanxing finally pieced together the truth.

The Lin Na Shao Ye mentioned wasn’t just a passing acquaintance. He knew her well—and not in a way he cared to reminisce about.

On the surface, Lin Na seemed like the epitome of elegance and grace—a model Omega straight out of a textbook. But beneath the veneer lay a twisted sadist who delighted in tormenting others for sport.

Years ago, she’d set her sights on Lu Zhanxing. Her obsession was relentless, escalating into schemes to trap him. Knowing her true nature, Lu Zhanxing had always rejected her advances with as much politeness as their family ties allowed.

But the more he resisted, the more unhinged she became. On the night of his coming-of-age banquet, she drugged his drink, plotting to force a bond with him. Even as the drugs wracked his body and left him on the verge of unconsciousness, Lu Zhanxing refused to give in. He’d rather endure lifelong pheromone dysregulation than let her have her way.

The humiliation drove Lin Na to retaliate. She smeared his reputation across Omega’s circles, painting herself as a helpless flower who narrowly escaped his supposed predatory advances. To her twisted satisfaction, the rumors stuck, turning Lu Zhanxing into a villain in the eyes of many.

Lu Zhanxing hadn’t cared much about her petty gossip. The military gave him the perfect escape from her clutches, and he’d thought he’d left her schemes behind.

Yet now, hearing Shao Ye’s story, it all made sense. The boy’s mistaken impression of him, his chaotic escape from school—these were all Lin Na’s handiwork. That woman truly was a specter haunting his life.