After Wei Juncheng finished speaking, neither of them said another word, and a strange silence filled the car.
After a moment, Qin You finally found his voice and comforted him dryly.
“It’s fine. Auntie might’ve been exaggerating.”
He continued weakly, “I don’t believe… I just don’t believe an Omega could smell worse than you.”
Wei Juncheng nodded frantically, as if affirming his words or fooling himself. “Right, I don’t believe it either. Yes, that’s it.”
Qin You didn’t say anything else, patted his shoulder with a heavy expression, and silently mourned for his brother.
Take care, brother.
The two still had to head to the office, so the unexpected matchmaking session was set aside for now. Wei Juncheng pulled himself together, started the car, and drove away from the community.
The company wasn’t far from home, only about a 20-minute drive, and the tall office building soon came into view.
The two Alphas walked into the company side by side, and Wei Juncheng went up to the reception desk first to ask, “Is the general manager in?”
The receptionist, a young woman who had recently joined the company, wore her intern name tag neatly on her left chest. She recognized Wei Juncheng, but since he rarely appeared in the office, she was so excited that her face turned red.
She stammered as she answered, “He’s in. But today, someone from You’an Group came over. It seems to be about the new game. The general manager is in the 12th-floor conference room talking with them.”
Learning that Zhang Hao was busy, Wei Juncheng decided not to disturb him. He pulled Qin You along, and the two entered the elevator.
When the elevator arrived at the 12th floor, they passed the conference room on their way to Wei Juncheng’s office. Zhang Hao was sitting inside.
Zhang Hao was seated facing outward, and through the glass, Qin You saw him frowning deeply, seemingly negotiating something with the other party.
The person opposite sat upright, their back facing the frosted glass, leaving no view of their profile.
Strangely, as soon as Qin You caught sight of the person’s back, a sharp pain shot through his temples. The sudden headache almost made him lose his footing.
“You, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Wei Juncheng asked with concern.
Qin You shook his head. Seeing his pale complexion, Wei Juncheng quickly supported him and helped him to the office to rest.
Even after sitting down for a while, Qin You’s headache didn’t subside.
He took the paper cup of warm water Wei Juncheng handed him, swallowed some painkillers he carried with him, and massaged his temples with his fingers. But the pain in the back of his head still felt as if someone had forcibly carved out a piece.
Just then, Lian Yi called, saying he’d come to pick up Qin You after work to go to Shengyuan for dinner. Not wanting to delay, Wei Juncheng reported the situation to Lian Yi and escorted Qin You downstairs.
As the elevator descended, the conference room door opened.
Zhang Hao walked out first, his earlier good mood completely gone. His face was dark, and he had no interest in acknowledging the annoying voice behind him.
The person being ignored didn’t seem to mind. This man wasn’t tall, but his proportions were decent. He wore a silk V-neck shirt tucked into tailored suit pants, revealing two delicate collarbones—it was rare for a Beta to dress like that.
As he walked, his chin subconsciously tilted slightly upward. His eyes were narrow and long, with a tear mole at the corner, giving him an air of cold beauty.
The Beta smiled as he spoke, his face calm.
Suddenly, as if he noticed something interesting, he stopped in his tracks, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He closed his eyes and took a deep, indulgent sniff of the air, looking both greedy and intoxicated. Zhang Hao’s heart skipped inexplicably when he saw this.
“Qin You came to the company?” he asked.
Zhang Hao didn’t answer directly, snapping impatiently, “What’s it to you? Don’t get any ideas about him, or this deal’s off.”
Bai Qi didn’t seem bothered by Zhang Hao’s obvious hostility. He said nothing more, simply flashing a fake smile that made Zhang Hao’s stomach churn.
After all, there was no rush and there is still a long way to go.
Lian Yi, who was alarmed by Wei Juncheng’s call, was already on edge. Seeing Qin You come down, looking alright apart from being a little pale, he relaxed slightly.
He instructed Liang Qifang to drive straight to Shengyuan. It wasn’t rush hour yet, so the traffic was manageable. If they delayed, Jiang Road would be jam-packed later.
It was just after six o’clock when they arrived at Shengyuan.
At dusk, the setting sun lingered on the horizon, reluctant to leave, its light casting the clouds in shades of purple and gold.
Shengyuan’s houses, painted in beige and brown, exuded a warm, homely atmosphere under the glow of the sunset.
When the doorbell rang, Aunt Zhang was in the kitchen making soup. She dried her hands on her apron and ran over to open the door for them.
Feng Jing sat on the sofa, replying to work emails.
She had just turned fifty but looked barely over forty due to her excellent self-care.
Even at home, she wore her business suit, impeccably pressed and free of creases. Sitting on a soft armchair with her back straight, a laptop on her knees, she typed away while occasionally sipping from the coffee on the armrest.
“Mom,” Qin You greeted.
Lian Yi echoed softly, “Auntie.”
Feng Jing glanced at Qin You and paused her work. “You’re here? Sit down. Aunt Zhang is cooking, it’ll be ready soon.”
As expected of his own mother. Qin You couldn’t help but pout. Her words were as sparse as ever, even after ten years.
Dinner, however, was surprisingly to Qin You’s liking.
The fresh yam was crisp and sweet, and the vegetables were all his favorites.
In fact, he didn’t like those green vegetables very much, and preferred fruits and vegetables. Today’s pumpkin soup was cooked very soft and melted in the mouth. Qin You liked the taste very much and had an extra bowl for dinner.
Focused on eating, Qin You didn’t notice the silent exchange of glances between his mother and his wife at the table.
Feng Jing watched Qin You eating attentively, with no expression on her face, but a little smile can be seen in her eyes.
Lian Yi didn’t have as good self-control as her, and thought Qin You was so cute. He exchanged a knowing smile with mother Qin.
After dinner and some sliced fruit prepared by Aunt Zhang, the two prepared to leave. Feng Jing saw them off at the door.
As they stepped out, Lian Yi shivered from the cold night wind.
Qin You glanced at him. The wind was blowing straight down Lian Yi’s open collar, raising tiny goosebumps on his pale neck.
Resigned, Qin You took off his scarf and wrapped it snugly around Lian Yi.
“Ah You,” Feng Jing suddenly called from behind. Qin You stopped and turned.
“When do you two plan to have a child?”
His recent accident had left Feng Jing deeply shaken. She felt it was time to revisit the matter they’d postponed.
Caught off guard, Qin You wasn’t prepared to give an answer. “No rush on that. I still need to recover, and Lian Yi’s been tired lately. Let him rest for now.”
Without continuing the topic, he headed to the car, oblivious to the unhappy expression on the Omega behind him.
It was still early when they left Shengyuan.
Lian Yi drove out of the garage, turning onto the main road, while Qin You adjusted the GPS beside him.
Neither of them spoke, leaving only the mechanical female voice of the navigation system breaking the silence.
Lian Yi tilted his head slightly to glance at Qin You. The Alpha’s face was expressionless, no different from usual, but Lian Yi had an illusion of icy indifference. That illusion stung him, making it hard to focus.
He quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road. Qin You found it strange since they had only been driving for less than five minutes.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s still early. Do you want to take a walk at Riverside Park?”
Lian Yi stared absentmindedly at the small Maitreya Buddha ornament on the dashboard—something Qin You had brought back as a gift from a business trip.
When Qin You went on his first week-long business trip, Lian Yi missed him terribly that he kept acting coquettishly and complaining during video calls. But when Qin You returned, the cheerful Buddha statue had somehow soothed him with ease.
Now, the timid Omega was encouraged by Qin You’s gift and felt that his random request might be met with understanding.
But Qin You didn’t speak for a long time, and he quickly lost confidence and said to himself: “The doctor… the doctor also said that you should go out more. It’s good for… good for recovery.”
Qin You couldn’t figure out why Lian Yi was suddenly interested in a walk, but an Alpha’s love for his partner came with infinite patience.
He nodded and picked up his phone to reset the navigation.
Lian Yi glanced at him. Qin You interpreted it as a sign of the Omega’s lack of security, so he leaned in and planted a kiss on his right cheek.
Lian Yi’s skin was flawless—fair, smooth, and tender. Qin You’s soft lips pressed against it, catching the sweet scent of eucalyptus.
Qin You thought for a moment, then gave in to temptation and left a tiny tooth mark.
Blushing furiously from Qin You’s affectionate gesture, Lian Yi sat in the driver’s seat for a moment to calm down before restarting the car.
Riverside Park wasn’t far from Shengyuan, but parking wasn’t allowed inside. Lian Yi parked in a temporary spot by the city moat, leaving a short walk ahead.
It was still early, so they treated it as a stroll. The two walked side by side in silence.
Their shadows on the ground grew closer until they overlapped completely, leaving no space between them.
The playful night breeze swirled around Lian Yi’s curls, flipping up the collar of his coat. Qin You reached over to fix it for him.
A group of teenagers on bikes passed by, shouting to their companions ahead. The pair paid them no mind.
But then, a few of the teenagers circled back and stopped beside them, pushing their bikes.
The leader of the group glanced at Lian Yi.
Lian Yi wasn’t wearing a mask today, only wrapped in Qin You’s scarf. But his small face, tucked into the oversized scarf, didn’t seem to worry about recognition.
The teenager approached them, greeting them politely before hesitantly speaking.
“Big bro, is this your wife? He looks a lot like Lian Yi.”
“Does he?” Qin You smiled faintly but didn’t respond further.
“Yeah, really! Those peach blossom eyes—exactly like Lian Yi’s.”
“Who’s Lian Yi?” someone in the group asked in confusion.
A companion whispered an explanation, “A singer. Super popular. The theme song for my favorite drama, For My Liege, was sung by him.”
“Well, I’m more superficial than you,” another chuckled. “I like Lian Yi just because he’s so good-looking. And his figure! That video of him dancing in a red shirt at his last concert—I still rewatch it. His waist must be so thin…”
The leading alpha was getting more excited, even gesturing with his hands to show the curve.
“But I heard,” Qin You interjected, cutting them off in a calm tone, “he’s already married.”
The boy was stunned by his reminder.
After a few more words, the two sides lost interest in chatting. The group of people rode away again, arm in arm, chattering.
Qin You pulled the still-motionless Lian Yi forward, continuing toward Riverside Park. His mood wasn’t great.
Walking beside him, Lian Yi kept his gaze on the colorful aurora lights of the riverside bridge, unexpectedly calm.
Amid the whistling wind, the Omega spoke.
“Do you remember the day we decided to get married at the matching center? That night, we came here for a walk too.”
The Alpha, clad in a black windbreaker, stood tall as the wind tugged noisily at his coat.
An inexplicable irritation welled up within him. His fingers twitched, and he instinctively reached into his coat pocket, only to find it empty.
Lian Yi smiled at him and handed him a white cigarette.
Qin You held it between his lips and bent down, letting Lian Yi light it with a silver lighter.
As they leaned close, Lian Yi could hear the faint sound of the cigarette burning.
The flickering flame illuminated the darkness briefly, and white smoke rose, obscuring Qin You’s face. Lian Yi couldn’t make out his expression.
“I’ve always thought,” Lian Yi said, his gaze distant as it settled on the dark river, his thoughts drifting, “that it was the most precious day of my life.”
I am a coward—timid, selfish, despicable, willing to go to any lengths. But that day, I summoned all the courage I could muster for a faint hope, just to stand by your side.
I have no regrets, only gratitude.
Qin You took a drag from the cigarette, letting the nicotine numb his mind for a moment. He stubbed out the cigarette, pinched it between his fingers, and pulled the Omega close, kissing him deeply with the lingering scent of tobacco.
The Alpha felt a strange flutter in his chest. He licked Lian Yi’s lips and murmured softly,
“I think I feel the same too.”
