Why Is This Omega Stalking Me…?

Chapter 49

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The thought of a stalker lingered heavily in Jiang Li’s mind, refusing to fade no matter how much he tried to distract himself. It wasn’t just unsettling—it was suffocating in a way he couldn’t quite explain. The memory of that unfamiliar Alpha’s pheromones flooding his apartment clung to him, making his skin crawl and his stomach twist unpleasantly. Even when he sat down with food in front of him, he found himself unable to eat, his appetite completely gone.

What disturbed him most, however, was the irony of it all.

When he had followed Shen Yu in the past, he had never been careless. He had never left behind evidence, never allowed his presence to be detected so blatantly. He had stayed hidden, careful, and controlled. But this... this felt different. Whoever had entered his apartment hadn’t tried to hide it. The scent had been overwhelming, intentional, as if meant to be noticed. As if meant to tell him something.

Or claim something.

That thought alone made Jiang Li pull his knees closer to his chest as he sat on his bed, hugging himself tightly. The apartment, which had always been a place of comfort, now felt foreign and unsafe. Every small sound made him tense, and every shadow seemed deeper than it should have been. He considered calling his friends more than once, but each time, he stopped himself. Explaining what had happened would inevitably lead to questions he didn’t want to answer—questions about why he was so shaken, about things he had long tried to bury.

In the end, he chose silence.

Instead, he opened his laptop and turned to the only distraction available to him—dramas. The exaggerated voices and dramatic storylines filled the quiet space, giving him something else to focus on besides the creeping unease. One episode turned into another, and then another, until his thoughts began to blur and his eyelids grew heavy. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and he fell asleep with the laptop still open beside him, its faint glow illuminating his face in the dim room.

Hours later, the sharp sound of his ringtone broke through the silence.

Jiang Li woke abruptly, his heart racing as he fumbled for his phone. The familiar recording of him and Luo Xin singing blasted through the room, making him wince.. Even after all this time, he still hadn’t changed it, despite constantly telling himself he would. Without fully thinking, he answered the call, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Hello...?"

"Have you eaten?"

The deep, familiar voice on the other end immediately cleared the haze from his mind. Jiang Li sat up so quickly that he nearly lost his balance, his eyes darting toward the clock. The sight of the time made his breath catch—it was already half past seven.

In an instant, he remembered.

He had told Shen Yu about his morning class.

Yet here he was, still in bed, having completely overslept.

"I—I..." he stammered, his thoughts scrambling uselessly for an excuse.

"You haven’t, right?" Shen Yu’s voice remained calm, but there was a certainty in it that left Jiang Li with no room to deny it.

He froze, unsure whether to laugh at himself or feel like crying. How could he explain that he hadn’t eaten because he had been too afraid to even leave his room? That he had locked himself inside like a coward, checking the door multiple times to make sure no one could get in? That an unknown Alpha had entered his apartment and taken his clothes?

Even someone like him—someone who had once followed another person without permission—was now afraid.

"Make sure you don’t skip breakfast," Shen Yu continued, his tone shifting into something more instructive. "And don’t eat anything too oily. It should be light but healthy. Rice porridge would be fine, with toppings like tuna or fish."

Jiang Li nodded instinctively, even though the other man couldn’t see him. He held the phone closer to his ear, as if the small action could somehow close the distance between them. He murmured a quiet response, but inwardly, he grimaced at the suggestion. There was no way he wanted something so bland. If anything, he craved something flavorful—lo mein, or fish cakes—anything but porridge.

A brief silence followed, and then Shen Yu spoke again, this time with quiet certainty.

"You’re not going to eat it, are you?"

Jiang Li stiffened, caught off guard before he could even attempt a lie.

"Get ready in ten minutes. I’ll be there."

The call ended before he could respond.

Jiang Li stared at his phone for a moment before slowly lowering it, his gaze shifting back to the clock. Ten minutes. The number echoed in his mind, and panic quickly followed. He hadn’t even showered yet, and the thought of leaving his room still made him uneasy. Nevertheless, he forced himself to move.

Approaching the door cautiously, he hesitated before opening it slightly and peering outside. His eyes scanned the apartment carefully, his senses on high alert as he stepped out. The air felt normal, the overwhelming scent from before now gone, but that didn’t fully ease his nerves. He checked each room one by one, taking his time to make sure no one was there. Only after confirming that the apartment was empty did he rush to the bathroom.

His shower was quick and rushed, barely enough to feel clean, but he didn’t allow himself the luxury of taking longer. He dressed in whatever clothes were closest, not bothering to match them properly. By the time he finished, more than twenty minutes had already passed.

When he stepped outside, Shen Yu was nowhere in sight.

Jiang Li stood by the roadside, shifting slightly as he waited. Ten minutes stretched into thirty, and although he noticed the delay, he didn’t complain when the car finally arrived. He simply opened the passenger door and got in quietly, his cheeks faintly flushed as memories from the previous day resurfaced.

Shen Yu didn’t comment on anything. Instead, he reached into the backseat and handed Jiang Li a plastic bag. The smell hit him immediately—rice porridge, mixed with tuna.

Jiang Li stared at it in silence, his expression subtly tightening.

Meanwhile, Shen Yu took a sip of his coffee and started driving as if everything was completely normal.

The scent filled the car, growing stronger as Jiang Li reluctantly opened the container. Steam rose from the porridge, carrying the smell directly to him. By the time they stopped near the university gates, his appetite had completely disappeared.

"I’ll eat it," Jiang Li said, though his voice lacked conviction.

Shen Yu glanced at him briefly, raising an eyebrow.

That single look was enough to make Jiang Li realize there was no escaping it.

Slowly, he picked up the spoon and brought it closer, but the smell hit him again, stronger this time. His stomach churned violently, and the association came instantly—vomit. The thought alone made him gag, and before he could stop himself, the reaction worsened.

Shen Yu noticed immediately and shifted slightly, as if intending to intervene, but it was already too late.

Jiang Li leaned forward and vomited.

The sound and sight filled the car, leaving Shen Yu completely stunned. He froze, his mind blank as he stared at what had just happened. His car—his carefully maintained, favorite car—had just been dirtied, and he could do nothing but watch.

Jiang Li, meanwhile, felt utterly drained once it stopped. His breathing was uneven, his eyes red as he slowly turned his head, only to see Shen Yu still staring. Embarrassment flickered briefly, but it was quickly overshadowed by exhaustion and the lingering nausea. The sour smell in the car made him gag again, and Shen Yu’s expression tightened immediately.

"No—" he started, but the warning came too late.

The retching sound followed once more.

Shen Yu closed his eyes briefly, his hands clenching as he sat there, silently enduring the situation. When it was finally over, Jiang Li slumped slightly, all his strength gone. He couldn’t even bring himself to feel properly ashamed anymore.

Without saying a word, Shen Yu removed his coat and used a tissue to gently wipe Jiang Li’s mouth clean. His jaw was tight, his expression unreadable, but his actions were careful despite everything.

Never in his life had he imagined himself doing something like this.

The smell alone was enough to make anyone recoil, yet he stayed.

For a long moment, the car was silent.

And in that silence, a quiet thought surfaced in Shen Yu’s mind, unexpected and uninvited.

Was he truly ready... to be a father?