Omega Manual chapter 66

 I’m Not Jealous

In Shelley’s terrified gaze, Irey somehow managed to drag him onto the pirate ship.

As the ship surged high at the bow, the whistling wind tousled Shelley’s long hair. The entire amusement park spread out beneath their feet. His heart pounded violently in his chest, and Shelley couldn’t help but scream like all the other tourists.

It wasn’t particularly high or frightening, but the thrill and excitement brought by the wind rushing into his chest were sensations he had never experienced before.

So this was why children loved coming to amusement parks.

This was the feeling of playing in an amusement park.

After getting off the pirate ship, Irey took him to nearly every attraction in the amusement park. Fuba Port’s amusement park wasn’t large, and it didn’t have very expensive or complex facilities. In less than half an hour, the only thing left unexplored was the giant pink ferris wheel.

The staff was a Beta female, dressed smartly in uniform, swiftly checked their tickets for them, and smiled.

“You’re from the southern cities, right? Enjoy your holiday in Fuba Port and have fun!”

“Thank you. How could you tell?” Shelley asked curiously.

She smiled and gestured with a sign Shelley didn’t understand. “It’s the demeanor. People from the south always seem reserved, like they’re always considering something. It’s easy to tell.”

“Oh?” Irey raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the railing. “Can you tell with me too?”

She gave him a shy smile. “It’s not as obvious with you. If you were alone, I might not be able to tell.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, then.”

Shelley felt uncomfortable being sandwiched between Irey and the woman.

He reached out and grabbed Irey’s arm, pulling him forward impatiently. “Let’s go. There’s nothing more to talk about.”

Before the female staff could open the iron door for them, Shelley opened it himself and pushed Irey inside.

The small compartment swayed slowly and climbed upwards. Through the window, they could still see the female staff waving and smiling at them.

That inexplicable discomfort in Shelley’s chest became even more pronounced, although the woman had done nothing.

Suddenly, Irey couldn’t hold back his laughter from the seat opposite. Shelley pursed his lips, suddenly feeling his own behavior was rather childish.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, just find your jealousy cute,” Irey said with a smile.

“I—” Shelley’s cheeks flushed immediately. “I’m not jealous!”

Irey leaned closer, lowering his voice. “She’s a Beta, can’t smell pheromones. If she were an Alpha or Omega, she’d smell me all over you, practically announcing we just slept together.”

Shelley’s head buzzed. The embarrassment and awkwardness made his cheeks red enough to bleed. “Halton! You—”

Irey didn’t give him a chance to say more. He reached out, cupped the back of his head, and kissed him directly.

The ferris wheel ascended slowly. The sky outside gradually turned into a view from the window, thin clouds drifting with the wind. The noise of the amusement park faded away, everything quieted down.

Their compartment hadn’t reached the very top yet; surely the people behind could see them kissing. But at that moment, Shelley didn’t care about anything. The world melted into this kiss; he felt nothing but Irey’s lips, tongue, and warmth.

That restlessness in his chest was almost immediately smoothed out. A faint tea aroma lingered in his nose, irresistibly drawing him in.

Irey was right; maybe he was jealous after all.

He didn’t want to see Irey smile at others like that, didn’t want him talking to strange women, didn’t want to think about the possibility of him being with someone else in the future.

But did he even have the right to feel this way?

He and Irey Halton weren’t lovers. The temporary mark behind his neck, born of necessity, was fading with time and would eventually vanish without a trace.

They were just two strangers who had met by chance.

And he was just a cowardly coward who dared not face death alone, hiding under the shelter and companionship of another.

When the kiss ended, their compartment had just reached the very top. The sky poured down from above, clouds drifting past behind them.

Irey leaned his forehead against Shelley’s, his smile childlike.

“Kiss kiss, mwah mwah,” he said.

In the evening, the two returned to the hotel, laden with bags of snacks and toys they had bought, their suitcase almost bursting.

Douding was busy counting at the hotel front desk. When he saw them return, he ran over excitedly, circling around Irey’s pile of things with envy.

“Want some?” Irey lifted the shopping bag high, teasing him like a little dog.

“Want!” Douding shouted crisply and cleanly, making Irey embarrassed. He took out a lollipop and a dog pendant from the bag and gave it to him.

The boy cherished them, saying “Thank you, boss” repeatedly.

Shelley couldn’t help but laugh at the scene, feeling like he was seeing two Ireyes in the same frame, big and small.

“Douding, I have a question for you,” Irey beckoned to him, “If we want to go to Mount Yinbu from here, what’s the best way?”

Douding looked surprised. “Mount Yinbu? You guys want to go there? It’s high and cold, not much fun. Are you those reckless mountaineering enthusiasts?”

Douding’s remark was surprising, and Irey patted him on the head. “Why do you care so much? Just tell us if you know, or forget it if you don’t.”

Douding scratched his head. “Of course I know! If you want to go there, the best way is to take a fishing boat. There are boats leaving for the snow mountain area near the harbor every week to catch fish. Just talk to the fishing boat captain and ask him to take you along when he goes out to sea. You can get to Mount Yinbu in three or four days if you’re fast!”

“In three or four days, they would arrive.

In an instant, Shelley felt somewhat dazed.

In other words, at the latest, within a week, he would reach the foot of Mount Yinbu.

So fast.

After experiencing so many twists and accidents, he could finally reach the resting place he had long wanted to go to.

However, he felt no joy or relaxation. Instead, his heart became heavy, sinking slowly in his constricted chest.

Irey showed no emotion, merely nodded and said, ‘Okay, got it,’ then took out a packet of jerky from his bag and handed it to Douding as a thank you gift. Douding gratefully tore open the bag and ate with an oily mouth.

‘By the way, there’s a cold wave tonight, and it’ll get very cold,’ Douding said after finishing the jerky, then limped over but deftly brought a thick blanket to stuff into Irey’s arms, ‘Make sure your darling doesn’t freeze when sleeping tonight!’

Irey made a sound and lifted his foot to pretend to kick him, ‘You little rascal, where did you learn such words?’

Douding made an oily ghost face and ran away.

Just as Douding said, as soon as night fell in Fuba Port, the wind picked up, not only dropping the temperature sharply but also bringing snow. The hint of spring seen during the day vanished without a trace, leaving only the howling north wind whipping through the streets and alleys, rattling the windows.

The thick blankets brought were put to use. The warmth of two bodies squeezed under one blanket was unaffected by the cold wave. However, in the darkness, Shelley couldn’t sleep no matter what, only able to stare blankly at the ceiling.

A rustling came from the bedding beside him, and then he felt Irey’s hand reach under the blanket to grasp his hand, scratching his palm with his fingertips.

‘Can’t sleep?’ Irey asked softly.

‘Yeah, maybe it’s a bit cold,’ Shelley said.

He was lying, and Irey knew he was lying.

However, two seconds later, Irey still moved closer, wrapping Shelley in his arms.

‘Is this better?’

‘Yeah.’ Shelley closed his eyes.

Neither spoke for a few minutes, unsure how to break the silence yet seeming to want to enjoy the peace for a while longer.

Shelley was the first to speak.

He turned his head to look at Irey beside him, meeting his eyes.

‘Halton,’ Shelley said, ‘If you were to die one day, what would be written on your tombstone?’

Irey thought for a moment, ‘Well—”If there’s nothing else, I’m off then.”‘

Shelley burst out laughing unexpectedly, ‘Can’t you be serious?’

‘I am serious,’ Irey said, ‘Jenny and Caroline are gone, who would visit my grave? It’s better to amuse myself and entertain passersby.’

With that, he adjusted his position, propped his arm under his head to better gaze at Shelley, ‘And you?’

Shelley was silent for a moment, ‘I don’t know.’

‘Don’t know?’ Irey laughed, ‘It’s tough for you, planning suicide for so long.’

Shelley ignored his teasing, ‘I haven’t thought about it. Because I… probably won’t have a tombstone.’

Irey silently watched him.

‘Manta’s family doesn’t know I left the city. Even if they knew, they wouldn’t care. There are many Omegas of my appearance; I’m not some irreplaceable special commodity. After they discover my disappearance, they might publish a missing person notice and look around the nearby districts. If they can’t find me, they’ll give up and find a new, better-looking Omega from the family to move into that house.’

Shelley smiled faintly, ‘After all, that place hasn’t been my property for a long time; it’s Manta’s family’s golden cage for raising Omegas.’

Irey was silent for a moment, his deep eyes staring directly at Shelley, ‘That won’t happen.’

‘Hmm?’

‘If you were to die, I would erect a tombstone for you, with your name, life story, and achievements. Maybe not in an expensive place, but somewhere I can see every day. When spring flowers bloom, I’ll bring flowers to your grave. If I come across something you liked to eat, I’ll bring an extra portion and place it by your tombstone. In my spare time, I’ll tell nearby children your story, about the person who devoted a lifetime to developing incredible mobile technology, about the miracle-maker in the tech world. Not an Omega from somewhere, not a rich young master from somewhere, but Shelley Manta.’