The salted fish substitute just wants to lie down

Zhou Yi is a transmigrated soul inhabiting the body of a man with the same name, who had been working as a substitute lover for a wealthy Alpha CEO named Shang Yichen. In this world, society is divided into Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, with pheromones and heat cycles governing relationships. Zhou Yi, who is secretly an Omega, poses as a Beta to maintain his employment, as Shang Yichen has a known aversion to Omegas and is emotionally fixated on his first love, Gu Shuning. The original owner of this body had fallen in love with Shang Yichen, but Zhou Yi approaches the arrangement purely as a transactional job, earning 200,000 yuan monthly along with housing and benefits.

Zhou Yi’s professional demeanor is tested when he is summoned at 2:30 AM to pick up Shang Yichen from a bar, where he encounters Meng Rongze, an Alpha who previously bullied the original Zhou Yi. Meng Rongze mocks Zhou Yi’s status as a Beta substitute and makes cruel remarks about his value, but Zhou Yi deflects the harassment by feigning vulnerability, which inadvertently triggers Shang Yichen’s protective instincts. Shang Yichen, who views Zhou Yi as a stand-in resembling Gu Shuning, takes him home. During the ride and at the apartment, Shang Yichen releases pheromones freely, causing Zhou Yi physical distress as he approaches his estrus cycle. Zhou Yi must constantly suppress his Omega identity using inhibitors and pheromone-neutralizing sprays to avoid discovery.

A critical turning point occurs when Zhou Yi visits a private hospital due to severe pheromone imbalance caused by overusing inhibitors. The doctor, Liang Shaowen, warns that Zhou Yi’s condition is dangerous and suggests he find a compatible Alpha for relief. While at the hospital, Zhou Yi meets Liang Shaowen’s older brother, Liang Xianzhang, an Alpha who suffers from congenital gland atrophy—a condition that renders him unable to smell or release pheromones. Their brief interaction in the smoking area leaves both men with an unexplained physical reaction. Later, while seeking relief at a high-end bar during his estrus, Zhou Yi is harassed by an aggressive Alpha and flees into a nearby room, where he hides in the arms of Liang Xianzhang, who happens to be passing by. Meng Rongze and his group nearly discover Zhou Yi, but Liang Xianzhang shields him.

Zhou Yi’s estrus intensifies, and he collapses in Liang Xianzhang’s arms. Liang Xianzhang, for the first time in his life, can smell and release pheromones in Zhou Yi’s presence. He takes Zhou Yi to his apartment, where their bodies respond to each other with unprecedented intensity. Liang Xianzhang wears a bite arrester to prevent marking Zhou Yi, but they still engage in intimate relations. The next morning, Liang Shaowen examines Zhou Yi and confirms that Liang Xianzhang’s gland atrophy is improving due to the Omega’s influence. The doctor explains that their bodies may be a fated match, a rare genetic compatibility that could restore Liang Xianzhang’s Alpha functions.

Zhou Yi wakes up and prepares to leave, unaware that Liang Xianzhang has discovered his phone message indicating Shang Yichen is returning early. After a polite breakfast, Zhou Yi attempts to depart, but Liang Xianzhang offers to drive him home. Upon arriving, Zhou Yi realizes they live in the same apartment building—Liang Xianzhang is his new neighbor. Zhou Yi retreats to his apartment, where he falls ill with a fever from the physical exertion and stress. Shang Yichen, on his business trip, notices Zhou Yi’s delayed and less affectionate responses and feels unsettled, though he attributes it to Zhou Yi’s typical devotion. Meanwhile, Liang Xianzhang struggles with his growing attachment to Zhou Yi, experiencing nesting behaviors and obsessive thoughts. When a medicine delivery meant for Zhou Yi is mistakenly brought to Liang Xianzhang, he realizes Zhou Yi is sick and rushes to his door. The story concludes with Liang Xianzhang finding Zhou Yi in a weakened state, opening the door in his disheveled condition, and the two neighbors facing the complexities of their newfound proximity and the secrets Zhou Yi must continue to hide.