On this day in the capital, the sky was so blue it looked as though a high-purity filter had been applied. The post-autumn sun unsparingly drenched the white marble steps of the hotel, and the air held not just the bitter crispness of ginkgo leaves, but also a faint, fermenting sweetness characteristic of a wedding feast.
Inside the car, Silas Shen lightly brushed his fingertips against the charcoal-gray fabric of his suit. Today, he had rarely foregone his somewhat rigid silver-rimmed glasses, replacing them with a pair of extremely low-profile rimless lenses that made his eyes—usually cool as frost—appear even more profound.
"Professor, time to get out."
Hunter Huo was the first to push the door open. He rounded to the passenger side and opened the door with the gallantry of a gentleman. His blonde hair was blindingly brilliant under the scorching sun, and the navy-blue tie fastened at his collar was the exact same shade as the dark blue shirt Silas wore beneath his suit. This blatant, almost provocative color coordination gave Silas a fleeting illusion of being "possessed" the moment he stepped out of the vehicle.
As the two walked side-by-side into the hotel lobby, the boisterous crowd experienced a few seconds of eerie silence.
Silas remained as he always was—like pine or bamboo, his stride carrying the rigor and restraint unique to a researcher. The charcoal suit traced the lean, resilient lines of his waist to perfection, making him look like a legendary blade sheathed in its scabbard. Beside him, Hunter was a swirling, flamboyant mass of heat. The youth was smiling so brightly that his spirited energy made him look like a giant Golden Retriever that had finally successfully claimed its place in the palace and stolen a world-class bone.
"Professor Shen! Over here!"
Lin, dressed as a groomsman, was busy handing out celebratory cigarettes. He looked up, saw Silas, and immediately waved cheerfully. However, when his gaze landed on the exceptionally tall, high-presence blonde Alpha at Silas's side, the pack of cigarettes in his hand nearly hit the floor.
"Huo... Student Huo?" Lin rubbed his eyes, sounding hesitant. "You guys are..."
Lin remembered clearly that on Professor Shen's invitation, the space for a companion had been left blank. He had only made the joke out of habit at the time, never expecting this professor—who seemed too aloof for the mortal world—to actually bring someone.
"I am Professor Shen's Plus-One."
Hunter cut in first, even leaning in slightly to naturally rest a hand on the small of Silas's back. He pronounced the words "Plus-One" with exaggerated clarity and roundness, his voice carrying a sense of public declaration as if he wished every passerby in the lobby could hear him.
Lin's eyes bounced three times between their nearly identical tie colors, then shifted to Silas's profile—noting that the Professor hadn't recoiled from Hunter's touch. The gossipy expression on his face rapidly transformed from shock to an "I get it now" epiphany.
"Oh—! Welcome, welcome! Student Huo—no, Plus-One Huo, please come in!" Lin chuckled mischievously, stepping aside to lead them to the head table. "I knew it. I felt like Professor Shen's suit was missing something today. Turns out, it was just missing an accessory like you."
The word "accessory" made Silas's fingertips curl slightly, and a faint flush crept up his earlobes, yet he did not voice a rebuttal.
The wedding ceremony was far less tedious than Silas had imagined. There were no long-winded speeches from dignitaries or forced sentimental segments—only the bride holding the groom's hand, walking step by step down a long aisle strewn with pale pink petals to the sound of melodic music.
Silas and Hunter sat very close together.
The lights shifted on the stage. The groom, Lin, was an ordinary Beta. He lacked the top-tier pheromones that could make an Omega weak in the knees, and in this moment, he couldn't even smell the fragrance leaking from his bride due to her excitement.
Silas watched silently. He saw Lin staring at the bride; there was no predatory aggression in that gaze, only a meticulous, long-lasting tenderness. He couldn't perceive her pheromone fluctuations, but he could understand the tears of happiness in the corners of her eyes. He couldn't feel the pull of biological instinct, but he could acutely sense the way the bride gripped his arm with a slight, nervous pressure.
Before Lin even heard the words "I do," his eyes had already reddened.
Silas's heart felt as though it had been struck by something soft.
This was a language beyond pheromones. It was the most primitive and sincere expression of a human individual, casting aside genetic compatibility and biological hierarchies like Alpha and Omega.
It turns out... you really don't have to rely on those damned 99% figures to confirm love.
"Professor."
A low murmur reached his ear, accompanied by that incredibly familiar scent of oranges and warm sunlight.
Before Silas could react, he felt his left hand covered gently by a dry, broad palm.
It was Hunter's hand.
The youth's movement was exceptionally tender, completely devoid of the flamboyant arrogance he had displayed while marking his territory earlier. He simply covered Silas's hand lightly, his pads not even applying pressure, merely transmitting a quiet and steady warmth.
Silas instinctively wanted to pull away, but when he turned to look, he found Hunter staring at the newlyweds with uncharacteristic focus. The side-lighting hit the boy's face, outlining his sharp nose and slightly pursed lips with an air of profound sincerity.
In this moment, Hunter also seemed to have read a certain truth about "the choice of the soul" from Lin's love story.
The fingers that Silas had originally tensed to break free faltered for a moment in mid-air, and then, slowly, they relaxed.
He didn't pull away.
He simply allowed Hunter to hold his hand in front of everyone, in the presence of this witness to an ordinary man's love.
At the cuff of the suit, the charcoal-gray fabric pressed against the back of Hunter's hand. The heat emanating from that small patch of skin felt like it had ignited a long-buried experiment within Silas's body—one named "Anticipation."
The moment the couple exchanged rings, Silas even tentatively shifted his fingertips deeper into the youth's palm.
Hunter felt that tiny response. His grip tightened in an instant, carrying a nearly trembling ecstasy, but he quickly and restrainedly returned to a gentle hold.
Applause rose like a tide from the stage. Amidst the clamor, Silas felt for the first time that being someone's "Plus-One" might be more grounding than achieving any world-class scientific breakthrough.