An Nian was born into the slums of the Alliance during a harsh winter, the son of a beautiful Omega mother and an absent father. In a society where Alphas hold power and Omegas are considered worthless, An Nian’s mother survived by trading her body for food. When An Nian was ten, his older Alpha brother died of the cold, and his younger brother fell seriously ill. With no money for medical care and no Alpha in the family to access clinics, An Nian was forced to leave the slum to buy expired food. During this trip, he encountered Feng Yunxue, a wealthy Beta matriarch who recognized his mother’s birth record. Feng Yunxue offered to pay for the medical treatment of An Nian’s mother and brother in exchange for An Nian himself, whom she intended to use as a child bride to bring good fortune to her sickly Alpha son, Ji Yangnan. Desperate to save his family, An Nian agreed and was renamed Bai Yu.
Bai Yu was taken into the opulent but cold military family estate. He was assigned to the attic and subjected to rigorous domestic labor, including cooking, cleaning, and sewing. He quickly learned the harsh realities of his new life: Omegas were expected to be obedient, silent, and subservient. He met Ji Yangnan, the young master, who was frail, sickly, and emotionally distant. Their first interaction was marked by tension; Ji Yangnan was cruel and dismissive, calling Bai Yu’s pheromones smelly and referring to him as a trash can. However, Bai Yu’s primary motivation remained his family. He secretly attended the Omega teaching institute to learn to read and write, and he maintained a secret friendship with Shi Chun, another Omega student, with whom he shared letters and small kindnesses.
As Bai Yu grew older, he moved from the attic into Ji Yangnan’s room following a traditional wedding ceremony designed to ward off evil. The marriage was purely functional and cold. Ji Yangnan, an Alpha suffering from a chronic illness, was often away on military duty or isolated in his room. Bai Yu devoted himself to caring for Ji Yangnan’s physical needs, preparing meals, and maintaining the household. Despite Ji Yangnan’s indifference and occasional cruelty, Bai Yu developed a deep, unrequited attachment to him, viewing Ji Yangnan as his entire world. He sought validation through obedience and service, hoping that his dedication might earn him a place in Ji Yangnan’s heart.
The core conflict intensified as Bai Yu reached the age of eighteen. In the Alliance, Omegas are expected to reproduce, and Bai Yu became increasingly anxious about his inability to conceive. He believed his failure was due to his own inferiority, exacerbated by Ji Yangnan’s dislike of his scent. Bai Yu began to beg Ji Yangnan for a permanent bond, specifically asking to be marked. This request highlighted the power imbalance and Bai Yu’s internalized oppression; he believed that only through a physical mark could he secure his status and prove his worth. Ji Yangnan, however, viewed the concept of marking and children as burdensome obligations and resisted Bai Yu’s persistent pleas, creating a rift between them.
A significant turning point occurred when Bai Yu encountered Qiao Fanning, a charismatic Omega from a prominent military family, at a Union distribution center. Qiao Fanning was openly flirtatious with Ji Yangnan, challenging Bai Yu’s sense of security. Qiao Fanning pointed out that Bai Yu and Ji Yangnan were not officially registered or marked, implying that Bai Yu had no legitimate claim to the Alpha. This encounter exposed Bai Yu to the possibility of rivalry and deepened his insecurity. Meanwhile, Ji Yangnan’s health remained a central concern, and his emotional unavailability persisted. Bai Yu continued to serve him faithfully, masking his pain and jealousy, while navigating the strict social hierarchies and expectations imposed on Omegas by the Alliance and his own family structure.
