“What company?”
In high school, Qin You had indeed thought about starting his own company, but as far as he remembered, he hadn’t put it into action yet. Now a company seemed to have dropped out of the sky, leaving Qin You a bit bewildered.
“A gaming company that we started back in university. The idea first came to us while working on a computer science group project together. You were in charge of game development, Haozi managed operations, and I handled promotion. The company has grown quite a bit now, so you don’t need to worry about living off your wife.”
When Qin You heard him bring up his college years, he became curious. That had been the time of his life he looked forward to most in high school, yet he couldn’t remember any of it now. So he started asking Wei Juncheng more questions over the phone, hoping to piece together memories of his college life.
Wei Juncheng has always been honest with Qin You. In high school, he basically told him everything he knew, and it was the same now. Qin You asked, and Wei Juncheng answered, with the two of them close enough that Qin You soon had a rough understanding of his own college life.
Qin You and Wei Juncheng always had good grades in high school. With stable performance in the college entrance examination, both of them entered T University, which ranks first in the country. Zhang Hao had been a solidly mid-to-high performer in his senior year mock exams, but during the actual exam, he outdid himself, becoming a dark horse and scoring even higher than Wei Juncheng to also make the cutoff for T University. Wei Juncheng was very upset about this and he talked about it a lot when the three of them met.
Qin You studied computer science in college. He’d always been a bit rebellious—his mother wanted him to study business so he could take over the family business after graduation, but he had little interest in the family assets that others envied.
Meanwhile, Wei Juncheng and Zhang Hao followed their families’ wishes: one chose business management, the other, economics.
When they first started college, both of them tried to play it cool on the surface, but in private, they almost fought over the title of “campus heartthrob” in the School of Economics and Management. However, in terms of appearance and figure, Alphas were always a bit more striking. Zhang Hao is actually good-looking, but Beta’s facial features are more delicate, gentler and more refined, lacking the seductive power of Wei Juncheng’s typically assertive Alpha looks.
So in the end, the title of heartthrob went to Wei Juncheng, who spent a month taunting Zhang Hao about it in their group chat.
In his freshman and sophomore years, Qin You still attended classes on campus. He was naturally smart and could quickly understand the material on his own, so he attended lectures mainly to fill in any gaps. After class, he’d write programs and go through problem sets, always scoring exceptionally well on exams.
Although Qin You didn’t hold any class officer roles in college, he was still popular due to his good looks, high GPA, and easygoing nature. Upon entering T University, he quickly attracted the attention of many Omegas and Betas.
There was always a certain quality about him—something elusive but captivating—that intrigued people, though Zhang Hao and the others couldn’t quite put it into words.
In terms of pure looks, Wei Juncheng was actually the most handsome of the three. He had a natural sharpness in his features, with thick brows and large eyes set on high brow bones. Although he was born and raised in Beijing, people often mistook him for being mixed-race due to his looks.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, any sharp impression vanished. It was because he was too good at making jokes and acting cute. Qin You and Zhang Hao were often so exasperated that they wanted to squash him, yet they would end up just grabbing him under one of their arms and pulling his hair and leg hair when he wasn’t paying attention.
Qin You’s appearance wasn’t as aggressive as Wei Juncheng’s. His eyes were more narrow and long, with deep creases in his eyelids and naturally curled lashes. When he looked down at people, there was an innate air of aloofness.
On the surface, Qin You seemed easygoing, but he was actually indifferent to most things. When he went out to eat, shop, or go on dates, he usually let the other person decide, which made Qin You give others a sense of being easy to talk to for no reason. In reality, he simply didn’t care what they did, so he didn’t mind letting others make the decisions.
Wei Juncheng found a term for this casualness, called “scumbag vibe”. When Zhang Hao heard it, he immediately praised the vividness of this word.
He would bemoan the countless Betas and Omegas who had fallen victim to this vibe while snatching the last piece of beef from Qin You’s plate, pretending to be teary-eyed.
Qin You was so angry at Zhang Hao’s hypocrisy that he drank up all his favorite frappuccino.
By junior year, their company had already started to gain momentum, and as the main developer, Qin You’s time at school gradually decreased.
At the end of the summer vacation of his sophomore year, Qin You suddenly called them and told them that he had a boyfriend. They were shocked at the time. They wanted to ask him out, but Qin You refused to agree.
Later, Qin You mentioned he’d even flown to the U.S. to pursue him, but they didn’t get back together. Instead, there was news that he married Lian Yi.
Wei Juncheng and the others weren’t sure what had happened there, and now that Qin You had amnesia, he didn’t dare to bring it up in front of him.
As for Qin You’s brief relationship with his previous boyfriend, he himself was unclear; he only knew the guy was a Beta with the surname Bai. Wei Juncheng and Zhang Hao privately nicknamed him “pretty boy¹” as a sort of derisive nickname.
Others might not know, but he knew his brother². If he wasn’t extremely serious, he would never have called in the middle of the night to announce his love affair.
After starting the company, Qin You kept a small portion of his earnings for himself and spent the rest on gifts for his boyfriend.
That pretty boy didn’t even have the time or courage to meet them for a meal, yet Qin You defended him, claiming it was his own choice. Which was absurd—if Qin You had really wanted it that way, he could’ve kept his relationship private, and Wei Juncheng wouldn’t have known a thing.
Whenever he recalled the excitement in Qin You’s voice that night and how he later picked him up from the airport, seeing him crouched in the parking lot smoking after a red-eye flight, Wei Juncheng itched to grab that pretty boy and tear him apart.
So when he heard that Qin You was going to marry Lian Yi, Wei Juncheng was really shocked.
He didn’t believe Qin You would move on so quickly, and he couldn’t understand how his friend and Lian Yi, who seemingly hadn’t had any contact since graduation, had ended up together.
At the wedding, the two grooms wore white suits. Qin You’s expression was calm, with no trace of happiness, while Lian Yi smiled brightly. He held tightly to the Alpha’s arm, tilting his head toward him and watching him as he spoke.
The surroundings were decorated in a pink-purple palette, with balloons and irises adorning each table.
Wei Juncheng glanced at the table, frowning.
His brother didn’t like irises.
When the banquet ended, guests began to leave.
Qin You and Lian Yi held hands and said goodbye to everyone at the entrance of the hotel. TThe hotel is said to be the property of Lian Yi’s parents. For the wedding of the two newlyweds, the entire hotel lobby was cleared today, and only this wedding banquet was being held.
After the guests departed, the lobby fell silent. The hotel manager and Lian Yi’s butler whispered to each other. Lian Yi’s parents and Qin You’s mother had left, leaving only Wei Juncheng still seated.
He peered toward the entrance, where, even after everyone had left, the Omega still held the Alpha’s hand. Lian Yi took Qin You’s other hand, gently rubbing his wedding ring, as if it were a cherished toy he couldn’t bear to let go of. Qin You let him, his eyes lowered indifferently.
After a while, the Alpha seemed to remember something. He reached over and lightly tapped Lian Yi’s gland through the protective patch, as if he was confirming something, with a serious expression.
Lian Yi didn’t seem to care. He couldn’t stand the itch of Alpha’s poking and buried himself in his arms like a quail.
Qin You stood with his back to Wei Juncheng, holding Lian Yi in his arms. In that moment, the omega locked eyes onto Wei Juncheng.
Wei Juncheng was caught off guard by his gaze, and just as he was about to look away, he was shocked by the cold warning in Lian Yi’s eyes.
Lian Yi was still nestled in Qin You’s embrace, his whole body showing a well-behaved and dependent posture, with a polite smile that seemed even more perfect. But there was a flash of coldness in his eyes, sharp enough to pierce through him if it had been tangible – it was the first time that an Omega’s stare made Wei Juncheng’s back feel cold.
This polite and well-behaved Omega on the stage seemed to have accidentally torn off a corner of his disguise, revealing the ugly possessiveness inside.
Wei Juncheng’s throat felt dry. Watching Qin You’s oblivious back, and made up his mind to talk to him.
When Qin You and Lian Yi returned from outside, Qin You was surprised to see that Wei Juncheng hadn’t left.
Even Qin You himself had mixed feelings about this marriage, from today, Lian Yi was his wife, but wasn’t exactly a confidant. On the other hand, the good brother in front of him was obviously the perfect person to confide in. Qin You grinned, while Lian Yi tactfully withdrew his hand and stepped aside, appearing magnanimous. His magnanimous appearance made Wei Juncheng, who had just seen his true face, secretly roll his eyes.
But he didn’t care too much at the moment. He pulled Qin You over and the two went to the nearest small private room.
Qin You turned on the overhead light, and the two of them sat down at a nearby table and chairs.
Wei Juncheng placed his hands on Qin You’s shoulders, scrutinizing him from top to bottom which made Qin You feel creepy. He then put his hands on his face, twisting it left and right. Qin You was annoyed by him and swatted him away.
“What? Are you bored?”
“Okay, this is my brother You, for sure.”
Wei Juncheng felt comfortable all over after being scolded by Qin You.
“So, tell me the truth, what’s going on between you and Lian Yi?”
Lian Yi’s gland condition was private, so Qin You kept it brief, mentioning only their pheromone compatibility and Lian Yi’s need for him due to his health.
Qin You spoke calmly, without any particular expression.
Wei Juncheng, however, was displeased on his friend’s behalf. “So, you’re just being used as some kind of medicine by your former deskmate…? That’s rich. Someone’s using you, and you’re just going along with it.”
That was too much. Qin You give Wei Juncheng a hard look, realizing he wasn’t joking. “I’m just helping out, that’s all.”
“Just helping out? You’re going this far to help him? You even had to marry him for it? Sounds like you’re just some kept man! A higher-level one, too. He’s got you completely wrapped around his finger. Do you still want to pursue love across borders this time? Do you still want to cry at the airport?”
Wei Juncheng’s voice grew louder, his grip tightening on Qin You’s collar, wrinkling the white suit.
Qin You noticed that he was not emotionally stable and tried to hold his hand to calm him down first. Wei Juncheng reacted by shaking him off. Qin You was caught off guard and his hand hit the edge of the dining table.
The sound of bone striking wood echoed clearly in the small room, and the sharp pain made Qin You gasp, his hand instantly reddening and swelling.
Wei Juncheng regretted it when he heard the sound. He and Qin You had known each other for seven or eight years and had never fought.
His eyes turned red with frustration, recalling the despairing days his friend had once endured. He pushed Qin You away. “I just can’t stand to see you chasing after humiliation like this!”
Qin You didn’t respond, merely pulling out a chair to sit back down. He took a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it but not smoking, letting the nicotine burn between his fingertips.
“Ah Cheng, Bai Qi and I are a thing of the past, there’s no fixing it. I loved him, I admit that, but now, here—” He pointed to his chest. The red embers of the cigarette nearly touched the white fabric of his wedding suit, close to burning a yellow mark into it.
“It’s empty. No one else can get in there. You understand?”
Qin You was frank, no matter his once unreserved love or his current dry and barren heart, he had never lied about his feelings.
He wore the guise of a carefree drifter, but beneath it was a sincere, pure heart.
Wei Juncheng had often thought that if such a person was willing to give his love to another person, that person must be extremely happy. Qin You’s love was never grand and eye-catching.
If he had to describe it, he felt it would be like an evergreen vine, tightly entwined.
His embrace was gentle, but also tight and protective, like an impenetrable shelter. Under Qin You’s care, his partner would always have the most solid support.
On a sunny afternoon, Qin You would generously open his soft heart and invite his lover to take a walk on it.
However, the loss of that Beta made his good friend fall into depression for a time.
This once proud and high-spirited Alpha began to wither, spending his days with cigarettes and alcohol. Wei Juncheng still remembered the shock and anger he’d felt when he couldn’t reach Qin You for a long time and, upon visiting his place, found it filled with a suffocating stench of smoke.
He feared his proud friend would lose his dignity once again.
“And what about Lian Yi? What’s going on with him?”
Qin You glanced at him, opened his mouth as if to say something, but he seemed to have remembered something and fell silent again.
His index finger tapped the table slowly, thinking for a long time, and finally said, “Ah Cheng, you didn’t see what he was like back then. When I saw him for the first time at the matching center, I knew—”
He took a deep breath and continued.
“I couldn’t just leave him.”
———————————————
Notes:
¹pretty boy – [小白脸] literally means “little white face”, in a positive context it can just mean as it is, a ‘compliment’, but it can also mean “a man who only relies on women for financial support, or a man who is supported by his partner.” It has a derogatory meaning. This is a sort of play-with-words as it has the character “Bai”.
²Brother – not blood related, in this kind of context, it just means like a very close friend.
