ABO: A Debt to Repay - Chapter 2

He Lin sat quietly in Xu Xi’s house. The hotpot on the table was still bubbling. He Fang quickly turned off the electric stove and, upon seeing Xu Chang still sitting nearby, shouted angrily, “Get out!”

Xu Chang knew he was in the wrong, but with his thick skin, he forced a grin and said, “Isn’t everything fine now? I’ve already sworn off gambling. Just let it go, will you?”

“Let it go? Xu Chang, do you even have a shred of humanity left?”

He Fang was so furious that tears streamed down her face. Xu Xi gently held her hand and comforted her, “Mom, don’t waste your energy on him. Weren’t you planning to divorce him anyway?”

Xu Chang scoffed, even grinning smugly. “What are you so mad about? You’re my Omega. You’ve already been permanently marked—you’ll never be able to leave me.”

He Fang wiped her tears, her tone icy. “Modern medicine exists. I can have the mark removed with a procedure.”

“Oh sure, the surgery exists. But do you even have the money to pay for it?”

Xu Chang had dodged her divorce attempts countless times before. Now, he was simply making it clear: he would never let her go.

“That’s enough.”

He Lin finally broke his silence. He had no intention of listening to their domestic disputes and turned to He Fang with calm authority. “I’ll help you get divorced. I’ll also cover the cost of the mark removal surgery.”

Then he looked at Xu Xi, finally answering the question he had left hanging earlier:

“I want her.”

“No! Absolutely not, you—”

“Whether it’s a yes or no, let her decide for herself.”

He Fang shook her head at Xu Xi, trying to dissuade her. Xu Xi took a deep breath, walked over to He Lin, and asked, “If I agree, will I still be allowed to come home?”

He Lin’s lips curved slightly. Looking down at Xu Xi, he said, “So that’s what you were worried about? Don’t be. You can go home, go to school—I won’t interfere with your life more than necessary.”

“Then… I agree.”

He Fang immediately pulled her daughter back, about to refuse on her behalf. But He Lin glanced at his watch and said flatly, “If you refuse, I’ll withdraw the three million I paid. Your daughter will go right back into those men’s hands. I trust you understand what that means.”

He wasn’t wrong—but the truth was too hard to swallow. What parent could bear to see their child taken away by a stranger? Yet He Fang had no choice. She was too powerless…

Clutching Xu Xi, she broke down in tears. Feeling her guilt and sorrow, Xu Xi’s eyes also grew wet.

“Pack your things. Be outside in ten minutes.”

He Lin left first. Xu Xi gently patted her mother’s back, gave her a small smile, and said reassuringly, “It’s okay, Mom. She said I could come back. He seems wealthy and powerful—maybe he could even be our protector.”

“Mom, this isn’t a bad deal. You’ll finally be free of Dad, and once your surgery is done, I’ll visit you. Things will only get better from here.”

He Fang silently helped Xu Xi pack. She took only her schoolbag and a few changes of clothes. As she left, she didn’t say goodbye. She just said, “Mom, I’ll be back in a few days. We still have a hotpot dinner to make up for!”

Xu Xi was far too mature for her age. He Fang stood at the door, watching her get into He Lin’s car, her heart aching as tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

“Madam, Mr. He asked me to take you to process the divorce papers.”

Only then did He Fang notice another man waiting outside. She nodded. He dragged Xu Chang along as they headed to the civil affairs bureau.

Inside the car, Xu Xi sat beside He Lin. The man didn’t acknowledge her—clearly busy with work. Xu Xi, too, kept quiet, silently watching the scenery pass by. Everything felt surreal. She couldn’t fully comprehend what had just happened.

But this unbelievable chain of events had happened. She had no idea what lay ahead. Her heart felt heavy, and she clutched the sleeves of her school uniform tightly, forcing herself to stay calm.

What Xu Xi didn’t know was that, though He Lin seemed focused on his work, he was also restraining himself.

The outside world saw He Lin, president of the He Group, as cold and abstinent, uninterested in Omegas. But the truth was—he was ill.

He suffered from a rare glandular disorder. Unless he encountered an Omega with an exceptionally high compatibility, he couldn’t even smell their pheromones—let alone be attracted.

And “exceptionally high” meant over 95%. In today’s age, anything over 70% was already rare. He Lin, now 28, had long stopped hoping—until one day, while inspecting a plot of land, he caught a faint, sweet scent of acacia blossoms in the air.

It was unfamiliar. Enchanting. The scent of an Omega’s pheromones.

That was why he intervened and rescued Xu Xi—and why he was bringing her home now.

This very Omega sat beside him now, exuding pheromones so intoxicating that He Lin had to clench his fists to restrain himself. He could’ve taken Xu Xi right there in the car, but he didn’t want their first time to be rushed or crude.

The car drove into an upscale villa district, home to the elite Alpha class. Because of their territorial nature, each villa was surrounded by private gardens and spaced far apart—ensuring that no one’s pheromones would interfere with another’s.

He Lin finished organizing his documents, instructed his staff not to disturb him for the next few days, and turned to Xu Xi. “Get out.”

Xu Xi followed him into the villa. The moment the door closed, the pheromone-blocking device activated. Suddenly, Xu Xi felt a twinge of fear.

She stopped in her tracks, hesitant to move forward. He Lin, noticing the girl wasn’t following, said nothing. Instead, he took off his suit jacket, walked over, set Xu Xi’s bag down in the entryway—

—then abruptly scooped her up.