49
After landing at the Kyoto airport, Qi Zhao yawned, covering his mouth, already feeling the familiar sense of a busy schedule awaiting him.
This was the inherent nature of a big city.
Qi Wei opened the car door for him, and Qi Zhao naturally settled into the car, attended to by the alpha.
Qiu Ji was the one driving, of course. Qi Zhao assumed he already knew about their official relationship. But honestly, for those around Qi Wei, whether or not they were officially together didn’t make a difference.
Even without the contract, they would still treat Qi Zhao as Qi Wei’s partner, as another boss.
As the car headed home, Qi Zhao, feeling tired, remained silent.
The partition in the car was raised—Qi Wei always kept it raised for privacy—and Qi Wei turned to Qi Zhao, lowering his voice. “Do you want to lean on me and rest for a while?”
It would take two or three hours to get home from the airport, even longer if they encountered traffic.
Qi Zhao paused.
He wasn’t a particularly clingy person and wasn’t used to such gestures, but…
Qi Zhao shifted and, as the alpha wished, leaned against Qi Wei’s shoulder.
He looked up at the energetic Qi Wei, feeling a familiar pang of envy.
An alpha’s energy was truly amazing.
Qi Wei smiled and wrapped his arm around Qi Zhao’s waist, pulling him closer.
This position was indeed much more comfortable, so Qi Zhao didn’t adjust his posture any further.
It was more intimate, but they were together now, so there was no need to be so self-conscious about intimacy. Besides, he had to get used to it.
Qi Zhao said, “I can’t really sleep.”
“Yes,” Qi Wei said softly, “I know, but this is more comfortable, isn’t it?”
That was true.
Qi Zhao closed his eyes and heard Qi Wei ask, “Ah Zhao, when will you be finished with that project at Tang Sheng?”
“My part should be finished by the end of the year,” Qi Zhao said. “After all, we’re the project team, not the engineering team. Once I finalize the project proposal and it passes the internal and government reviews, and I complete the handover with the engineering team, my work is done.”
Qi Wei smiled. “So you can come work with me after the new year?”
Qi Zhao hummed in agreement and casually asked, “What do you want me to do?”
He thought Qi Wei would probably make him an assistant or a secretary, a position that required him to be with him all the time, but he hadn’t expected Qi Wei to drop a bombshell.
Qi Wei looked down at Qi Zhao, his voice low. “I want you to be the boss.”
Qi Zhao: “…?”
He raised his head, but since Qi Wei was holding his waist, not giving him any space to move, Qi Zhao could only rest his chin on his shoulder and look at him as he spoke. “Are you serious?”
There was no question mark because he could tell from Qi Wei’s expression that he was serious.
Qi Wei: “Yes.”
He lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on Qi Zhao. “I think that’s the position most suited for you.”
Qi Zhao froze, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, his breath hitching for a moment. When he could breathe again, it was accompanied by the sound of his own heart pounding in his chest, echoing in his soul.
At this moment, he suddenly understood why Qi Wei always wanted to kiss him.
Qi Zhao found it strange.
This urge to be close to someone, to even kiss them, an action that he had always found… indescribable, he actually had this impulse now.
Qi Zhao suspected it was because he had fallen into Qi Wei’s captivating gaze.
Those dark eyes, beautiful and deep, were incredibly alluring.
So Qi Zhao moved slightly, and before the alpha could react, he tilted his head up and lightly kissed Qi Wei on the lips.
This time, it wasn’t a kiss on the corner of his lips, but right in the center.
As he pulled back, he couldn’t help but say, slightly embarrassed, “Is this also an alpha’s genetic advantage? How are you so good with words?”
Qi Wei finally seemed to react, blinking slightly. He looked at Qi Zhao and responded vaguely, his voice low, “Ah Zhao, that was a sneak attack.”
Qi Zhao: “?”
He raised a metaphorical eyebrow, finding Qi Wei’s words unreasonable. “Why didn’t you say that when you kissed me?”
Qi Wei pretended not to hear, just murmuring, “Ah Zhao, I wasn’t even prepared.”
Qi Zhao understood what he meant and sighed. “You…”
He wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what.
So he simply fell silent, and under Qi Wei’s intense gaze, he whispered, “Close your eyes.”
Unlike the impulsive kiss earlier, this time, it was prompted by Qi Wei. Taking the initiative while being watched by Qi Wei felt a little awkward.
The moment Qi Wei heard his words, he immediately closed his eyes.
So Qi Zhao took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and leaned closer to Qi Wei.
He didn’t know that the moment he closed his eyes, the alpha opened his, watching as Qi Zhao kissed him, his movements slightly hesitant.
Because Qi Zhao had just had some ice water, his lips were a little cold, but soft, the touch distinct, making Qi Wei’s already shallow breathing even more strained, his hand on Qi Zhao’s waist tightening.
As Qi Zhao started to pull back, Qi Wei raised his other arm without hesitation, his large hand cupping the back of Qi Zhao’s head, easily parting his lips.
From the very beginning, his kiss was forceful and intrusive, his tongue scraping against the roof of Qi Zhao’s mouth, a devastatingly aggressive move that made Qi Zhao instinctively recoil.
The space inside the car was limited. When Qi Zhao’s back, pressed against Qi Wei’s chest, hit the car door, he realized he had nowhere to escape.
Qi Wei had once again taken away all his space, not allowing him to move.
And sensing his distraction, Qi Wei even nipped his tongue lightly, as if in punishment.
Qi Zhao gasped in pain, an involuntary moan that only fueled the fire.
Qi Wei’s pinky finger brushed against the side of Qi Zhao’s neck, the rough touch tracing the bite mark, a sensual caress that made Qi Zhao feel both itchy and numb, with a strange stinging sensation, like being pricked by tiny needles.
Qi Zhao tilted his head back slightly, feeling as if his soul was being devoured by Qi Wei, the sense of danger difficult to describe.
He only knew that Qi Wei was truly ferocious.
The alpha’s usually hidden possessiveness, aggression, and dominance were on full display now.
He not only wanted to trap Qi Zhao, leaving him with no escape, but he also demanded his complete attention, not allowing him any other thoughts or actions.
If Qi Zhao didn’t know that Qi Wei truly loved him, he would suspect that Qi Wei was treating him like a puppet, or that his love had twisted into something unhealthy and possessive.
By the time Qi Wei released him, Qi Zhao was leaning against the car door, completely supported by Qi Wei’s arm, his limbs weak from the kiss.
—The prolonged suffocation had left him dizzy, breathing purely on instinct.
But he didn’t know how beautiful he looked in Qi Wei’s eyes.
The cruel, possessive nature that had been suppressed deep within him was unleashed, urging him to push Qi Zhao further, to make him tremble in his arms…
Qi Wei’s Adam’s apple bobbed. As if bewitched, he lowered his head and gently kissed the corner of Qi Zhao’s eyes.
His rationality was still intact, remembering that Qi Zhao didn’t like being licked, so he just kissed and caressed the contours of his face, finally capturing his lips again with a needy kiss.
Qi Zhao tried to struggle, but to no avail, trapped by the alpha’s embrace.
His lips and tongue were numb. Qi Wei, his tongue pressing hard against his canines, finally forced himself to pull back.
Qi Zhao met his dark, intense gaze, his entire being, even his soul, trembling slightly.
Because the Qi Wei just now had been forceful, not giving him a chance to refuse.
“…Ah Zhao.”
Qi Wei’s voice was so hoarse that it was almost unrecognizable. He held Qi Zhao, his rational mind telling him to loosen his grip, to give Qi Zhao some space to recover, but his emotions urged him to hold him even tighter, even fearing that his momentary loss of control, the beast he had unleashed, would frighten Qi Zhao, make him want to escape, to regret being with him…
Especially since he was holding Qi Zhao so tightly, he naturally felt his slight tremble.
The veins on Qi Wei’s arms, hands, and neck bulged from the conflicting forces of restraint and desire, a terrifying sight.
But his voice was gentle, trying to regain his usual composed facade. “Don’t be afraid… Don’t be afraid…”
He gently patted Qi Zhao’s back. “I won’t kiss you anymore.”
Qi Zhao actually found this Qi Wei even more frightening.
So after a moment of hesitation, he moved his hand and wrapped his arms around Qi Wei’s waist, his voice slightly slurred from the intense kiss. “I’m not afraid of you. Qi Wei…”
Qi Zhao whispered, “Calm down.”
Qi Wei calmed down slightly, looking at Qi Zhao, whose eyes, after emerging from their hazy state, held a gentle warmth that seemed to embrace all his flaws. He tightened his hold on Qi Zhao again, but lowered his head, burying his face in Qi Zhao’s embrace, and inhaled deeply.
Qi Zhao’s scent was heavily infused with his pheromones. It was thanks to the alpha’s keen senses that he could still distinguish Qi Zhao’s unique smell.
For Qi Wei, this was the best tranquilizer, a single dose enough to alleviate all his ailments.
“…Qi Wei.”
Qi Zhao sighed helplessly. “You’re truly a master manipulator.”
He wasn’t deliberately teasing Qi Wei to lighten the mood, but genuinely felt this way. “I was the one who almost suffocated, and my lips are still so sore that I can barely speak, yet I’m the one comforting you?”
Evil capitalist.
Qi Wei inhaled deeply again. “…I’ll be gentler next time.”
He lowered his voice, genuinely regretful. “Does it hurt a lot?”
Qi Zhao pursed his lips, tasting the faint metallic tang of blood, a little embarrassed to discuss this with Qi Wei, but he still nodded. “Yes.”
So Qi Wei raised his head, his eyes seemingly innocent. “Ah Zhao, open your mouth and let me see if I injured you.”
An alpha’s canines, used for marking, were sharp and could pierce the skin.
Qi Wei knew he had lost control and bitten Qi Zhao’s tongue and lips multiple times. His lips were slightly broken, but that was fine; they would heal by tomorrow. But his tongue… that would affect his eating and speaking.
Like a mouth ulcer or a blister on the tongue.
So Qi Wei’s request was reasonable, normal.
But…
Qi Zhao stared at him for two seconds. “No.”
He said firmly, “I’ve read novels. If I listen to you now, you’ll lose control and kiss me again.”
Qi Wei paused, looking at Qi Zhao, who was arguing with him so seriously, and chuckled softly, burying his face in Qi Zhao’s embrace again, murmuring, “Ah Zhao, you’re so cute.”
He wanted to devour him whole.
