Neo-Chang'an had barely woken when the leak dropped like a thunderclap across the city. From the gleaming towers of the Lunar Dominion to the neon-lit streets pulsing below, every screen, every hologram, every whisper carried the same scandalous scene: Li Xuan and Zhou Yu's rooftop ritual, once meant to be sacred and secret, now laid bare in blinding detail.
The footage cut through the city's morning haze, spreading with ruthless speed. Holo-projectors flickered on the sides of buildings, their glow reflecting off rain-slicked glass as media drones swarmed the sky like mechanical vultures. Crowds gathered beneath, sucked into the viral storm streaming from countless devices. The image was both breathtaking and intimate: the two men entwined in psychic connection, their pheromone auras—radiant Eclipse Gold—illuminating the night like a luminous rift between worlds.
Society reacted with a cruel fascination. The headlines spun the story in every possible way. Some called it a breathtaking defiance of tradition, a rare love unbound by old laws. Others whispered of scandalous submission, of manipulation and control, painting Zhou Yu as the tragic omega ensnared by Li Xuan's ruthless alpha will. Rumors bubbled like poison gas—speculating about the extent of Li Xuan's power over Zhou Yu, questioning whether the bond was true or just a deeply orchestrated charade.
Zhou Yu sat in the penthouse—alone, but far from comfort—his chest tight with humiliation and fear. Each new buzz of a message or chatter on social media chipped away at his resolve. He doubted whether their bond could weather such scrutiny, wondering if this exposure would be their undoing or the forging of something stronger.
***
Hours later, in an atmosphere thick with unsaid emotions, LunarCorp's grand gala was raging in full force. The chandeliers cast golden halos over the assembled elite, the room buzzing with power plays and veiled glances. The leak's reverberations thundered through the crowd, an invisible current sparking excitement, dread, and curiosity in equal measure.
Li Xuan appeared, statuesque and unflinching, stepping to the center of the spotlight with an air of unchallengeable command. The room fell precipitously silent, all attention drawn to the alpha who defied convention and fear alike.
With a voice calm, sharp, and resolute, Li Xuan declared, "Zhou Yu is mine. Not by contract alone, but by the sacred bond of True Mates—an unbreakable bond granted by fate and recognized by the gods themselves."
Gasps fluttered through the crowd. Faces shifted—some in shock, others in reluctant awe. Alphas exchanged tight words about dominance, power, and legitimacy, some brands of jealousy and bitterness coloring their tones. Omegas whispered amongst themselves, a mixture of envy, hope, and fear. The media frenzy sharpened, spinning the story into headlines that would dominate for weeks.
Zhou Yu, standing quietly beside Li Xuan, felt a tempest within. Li Xuan's public protection transformed his image from fragile pawn to a partner of undeniable worth—but the glare of public scrutiny was merciless. Pride warred with embarrassment, relief tangled with exposure.
***
After the gala, retreating behind the fortified doors of the penthouse, the public mask slipped away. Li Xuan's demeanor softened, vulnerability threading through his usual steel control. He pulled Zhou Yu close in a quiet embrace, fingers tracing soothing patterns along his back, eyes vigilant for any trace of distress.
Zhou Yu's breath steadied as he felt the protective intent behind Li Xuan's touch—a promise not only to command but to shield. The air between them thickened with the electric charge of pheromone mingling, each inhale binding them tighter in a silent promise.
Li Xuan's voice dropped low, confessional in tone. "I will guard you from the world's venom, no matter its cost."
Zhou Yu's heart clenched at the raw honesty. This wasn't power play—it was devotion.
***
Private moments bore the weight of their new reality. Zhou Yu fought shame as he adjusted to the sudden shift from secret bond to public spectacle. He learned to wield the influence granted by his status while guarding the fragile kernel of privacy that still remained.
Li Xuan wrestled with the truth growing inside him—a fierce protectiveness that blurred the line between calculated revenge and genuine love. He saw Zhou Yu's exhaustion, the toll pressed deep into his features during rare quiet moments.
Their closeness manifested in small, charged gestures: accidental brushes of fingers across skin, glances that held longer than politeness allowed, and the palpable rise of pheromone heat that neither tried to conceal. The chemistry between dominance and surrender entwined with love, pride, trust, and fear into a volatile tension impossible to ignore.
***
Amid this storm, threats mounted. LunarCorp's rival alphas whispered dark possibilities in shadowed corridors, jockeying to exploit the vulnerability exposed by the public bond. Li Xuan's authority was questioned beneath polite smiles; Zhou Yu's autonomy was cast in doubt by sardonic murmurs.
One evening, Zhou Yu murmured tightly, "The world hates what it cannot control."
A dark smile flickered across Li Xuan's eyes. "Then we will command their obedience in ways they never imagined." The threat was a vow—a promise for the battle to come.
***
But the night held one more fury.
The penthouse door slid open with a hint of dread, revealing a figure cloaked in dark memory and sharper intentions. Zhou Yu's past returned as an ex-lover, eyes gleaming with knowledge that cut deeper than any blade.
"I know everything about what he planned... and why," the visitor said softly, voice dripping with the dangerous truth they carried.
Time seemed to still as the fragile trust between Li Xuan and Zhou Yu trembled on the edge. Past betrayals threatened to unravel their bond while new dangers slipped inside, carrying whispers of ruin and secrets longing to be unleashed.
***
The glare of media spotlights clashed with the shadows within the penthouse. Their entwined pheromones pulsed strong, a fierce defiance against a world that sought to dismantle them.
Neo-Chang'an's brightest stars were set on a collision course, and the aftermath would echo across their lives forever.