An Yao’S Observation Diary Chapter 3
byTuesday, March 18th, Fog
I arranged to meet Su Mo at the Teahouse we frequent.
We met in high school and have been friends for sixteen years now. After graduating from university, we both coincidentally returned to this small county town to work and live. I opened a Clinic, and he became a backbone of the Detective Squad—both professions that keep us so busy we sometimes forget our own names.
Su Mo was taking a rare day off today, and his attire was completely unlike his usual style. He sat casually on the wooden chair, greeting me with a cheerful grin, “Long time no see, Young Master Lin.”
“You’re a married man now, why are you still so flighty?” I pulled up a chair and sat down. “Bai Zhi picked out your clothes, didn’t he? They look good.”
“Of course,” he said proudly. “My Xiao Zhi has excellent taste.”
I smiled. “How have things been lately?”
Su Mo’s expression instantly softened when he spoke about his partner. “Xiao Zhi’s health is much better than before, and he’s preparing for a new art exhibition.”
As he spoke, he showed me his phone’s screen saver. The young man in the picture had a gentle face, holding a palette and smiling brightly at someone off-camera. “You absolutely must come and support him when it opens.”
“I will,” I replied, smiling. “Actually, given Bai Zhi’s current health, you two could consider stopping the Suppressant.”
Su Mo was stunned and suddenly sat up straight. “Will that affect him? After all, I’m a Beta, and I can never achieve a Permanent Mark…”
“The long-term companionship of a lifelong partner is the best tranquilizer, and Betas aren’t entirely without Pheromones; they just have far less compared to the other two genders. The Marking you’ve done over the years is sufficient,” I gently rotated my teacup. “Besides, Bai Zhi’s Pheromones have stabilized since giving birth. There’s no need to worry about it.”
“As long as Xiao Zhi is okay.” Su Mo sighed in relief. “As for Ranran…”
He raised a hand to rub his temple, showing an extremely complex and troubled expression.
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
It’s true, with a little troublemaker like that at home, no one could maintain a constant smile.
Perhaps Su Mo and Bai Zhi never imagined when they got married that their future daughter would turn out this way. But honestly, the little girl is highly deceptive: according to Su Mo, Bai Zhi never suffered from morning sickness or was tormented by the fetus during pregnancy. The delivery was so smooth it made the omega doubt whether he had just overeaten. For the first two years, Ranran was quiet and well-behaved, only whimpering when she needed a diaper change or was hungry—a true angel baby.
Su Mo used to brag incessantly to me, adopting the air of an experienced parent and urging me to consider my own marriage prospects.
“You need to be careful,” I said, rubbing my temples. “Ranran is too smart. Watch out, she might start treating you both like dogs.”
Su Mo didn’t care, thinking I was just a crazy Alpha who had been single for too long, completely failing to grasp the concept of a daughter who could speak fluently at ten months and recite ancient poetry at one year old. He was foolish, and Bai Zhi was foolish with him; neither of them was particularly sharp, and together they managed to raise the current high-IQ Beagle demon king.
The couple probably spent a lot of time wondering how they, one with a detached personality and the other gentle and soft, managed to produce this creature.
“Stop laughing,” Su Mo covered his face, distressed. “If you laugh any more, I’m seriously going to pack Ranran up and send her to your house for a week.”
My shoulders shook with laughter, and it took me a while to catch my breath. “I can’t do that. I have a young person to look after at home right now, so it’s really inconvenient.”
“A young person?” Su Mo raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you aren’t hiding a mistress?”
I coughed. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“But I did ask you here because of him,” I said. “I need your help investigating someone.”
Su Mo immediately dropped his smile, leaning forward instinctively. “What gender?”
“Omega,” I replied.
I recounted An Yao’s situation—from his frantic appearance in the rainy night to the shocking wounds on his body, and the information I had gathered during our time together. As I spoke, Su Mo’s expression grew more serious. His initially relaxed posture, leaning against the chair back, gradually straightened, and he unconsciously tapped his knuckles on the table.
“Lin Qingyan, listen to my advice,” Su Mo said. “Hand this omega over to the police station immediately, and then don’t interfere, no matter what happens next.”
“I’ve handled too many cases like this. I know exactly what kind of situation these omegas are in,” he lowered his eyes. “Family abuse, casually discarded like trash. Pets have more dignity than they do.”
“When I first started, I deluded myself into thinking I could save them, but the current laws don’t protect their rights. What can an ordinary small police officer like me do?”
“They can’t be saved, and I can’t save them.”
“It’s better not to give them hope in the first place.”
I didn’t speak, just silently looked out the window. Outside, the sun was bright and the breeze was blowing—another sunny day, but the light couldn’t reach the depths of the Teahouse.
I understood everything Su Mo said. Over the years running the Clinic, I’ve seen far too many omegas like this: victims of domestic violence, beaten and abused, barely clinging to life, their eyes filled with tears of despair… They were countless, so many that they prevented me from sleeping normally every night, my dreams filled with the painful cries of those omegas.
Why? Why me? Why must I become this kind of person?
The questions and wails echoed repeatedly in my mind, eventually settling into the sediment of memory, leaving small damp marks on my pillow.
“Su Mo,” I asked softly, “when you went undercover to rescue the trafficked omega, did you ever think you would meet Bai Zhi later?”
Su Mo fell silent.
He slowly stood up. “Remember to keep in touch.”
I nodded, watching him turn and leave.
Su Mo’s efficiency was high; he sent an encrypted file package that same afternoon.
“Read it and think carefully,” he said. “If possible, it’s best not to wade into these murky waters.”
I didn’t reply, unconsciously turning my gaze toward An Yao. The young man’s hair seemed to have grown a bit, a thin layer covering his neck, catching the sunlight with a warm orange edge that made him look soft and fuzzy. He was currently squatting on the balcony, tentatively touching the green leaves of a potted plant, only to startle himself.
“An Yao,” I called softly, “Your wound isn’t healed yet. Come over later, and I’ll help you tie up your hair.”
An Yao quietly acknowledged me and continued to struggle with the leaves.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, then picked up my phone again. “I understand. Thank you. I’ll treat your whole family to a meal next time.”
“Skip the meal,” Su Mo said. “If you could help watch Ranran for a day, that would be a blessing.”
“I’ll definitely do it,” I laughed. “Absolutely.”
We chatted casually for a few more minutes before hanging up. I took a deep breath, feeling a strange tension looking at the encrypted compressed file on the screen. Conflicting emotions collided in my mind; I couldn’t tell if it was the discomfort of prying into someone else’s privacy or guilt toward An Yao.
An Yao, I’m sorry. I apologized softly in my heart. But I have to know this.
I want to help you… even if this is just my wishful thinking.
The moment I double-clicked the icon, I distinctly felt my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. The decompression progress bar moved slowly, every second infinitely prolonged, slowing the rotation of the entire world.
Decompression completed, and several files popped up. They detailed An Yao’s family situation and related contacts.
An Yao, 22 years old, male omega.
Liang Xin is the biological mother, a female omega. Her former partner, An Zhong (male Alpha), died tragically in a car accident. She remarried Li Guoqiang, a Beta.
Just a few lines summarized An Yao’s short early life.
Su Mo sent a few more messages: Li Guoqiang appears honest on the surface, but after marrying Liang Xin, his true nature was revealed. He often publicly beat the mother and son, and the whole street knew about it.
Su Mo: Furthermore, Li Guoqiang is an alcoholic and a gambler. He has been detained three times for intentional assault.
Su Mo: Later, Liang Xin disappeared. No one knows where she went, leaving only An Yao behind.
My fingertips felt slightly cold. I kept scrolling down the messages.
Chronic Fracture of the ribs, multiple Soft Tissue Contusions, progressive deafness in the left ear…
“An Yao…” I murmured. “How much suffering did you endure…”
Su Mo’s messages continued to pop up, the latest one stopping right in the center of the screen.
“Li Guoqiang accumulated 830,000 in gambling debts last month, and creditors have come to collect three times.”
“But his assets were long ago depleted by years of gambling. What else could a man like that gamble with?”
My eyes widened.
A gambler, a desperate man driven to the brink—
The only thing he had left to pay off his debt was…
“Doctor Lin?” An Yao had approached at some point, his clear gray eyes filled with concern. “Your face is pale. Are you feeling unwell?”
I instinctively raised a hand to wipe my face, realizing belatedly that my fingertips were terribly cold. I forced down the emotions churning in my chest and managed to curve my lips. “I’m fine, just dealing with some medical records.”
He sat down quietly beside me and slowly handed me a tissue. “That must be very tricky, then. You’re sweating cold.”
“It is,” I said, unsure if I was sighing or answering. “It’s really tricky.”
What exactly happened that night? Perhaps the Beta stepfather once again vented his rage on his omega stepson, cursing his runaway wife, resenting his failed bets, lamenting his ruined life, and finally, when the debt collectors hammered on the door, pushing the young man out like discarded goods to settle the debt.
What would he have shouted? Was it, “He’s an omega! He’s worth at least half your debt!” or “Take him! Don’t come back for me!”?
I don’t know. I only know that my heart is aching severely right now, so intensely that An Yao noticed my abnormality.
“Doctor Lin?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“An Yao,” I kept my voice very soft. “Does your neck still hurt?”
An Yao subconsciously touched the back of his neck. The thick gauze was like a layer of snow, temporarily covering the hideous wounds, but the scars underneath still lingered, like shadows that would never dissipate.
“It’s much better,” he said.
I wanted to say something, but then I heard him continue, “I already expected this outcome when I cut it off that night.”
I stopped breathing.
“Living is too tiring. Every day is a life without end. Living hurts so much. Eating hurts, and sleeping hurts too,” he murmured. “Would dying be easier? Would dying mean I wouldn’t have to endure this pain anymore?”
“I really didn’t want to live. I originally thought I might as well just die.”
“You saved me, Doctor Lin.”
An Yao cried, crying very quietly.
There was no sobbing or trembling, only tears constantly rolling down his cheeks, one after another, hitting his clothes and spreading dark, wet marks.
“I’m sorry, am I being useless?” An Yao choked out. “All I can do is cry. I can’t do anything else. I’m just a piece of trash…”
I abruptly pulled him into my embrace.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t know all this.”
If only I had appeared sooner, if only I had known this earlier, if only…
I closed my eyes, finally holding the young man tightly in my arms.
“An Yao, you’ve suffered enough.”
An Yao stared wide-eyed in confusion, then suddenly let out a small animal-like whimper, curling up in my arms and beginning to wail.