But I’m Just a Beta 15

15

Qi Zhao received the job offer. The HR representative was exceptionally polite, not even requiring an interview, just asking when he could start.

Qi Zhao replied that tomorrow would be fine, so HR told him to be at Tang Sheng Real Estate at 9 a.m. the next morning.

He told Qi Wei this while Qi Wei was preparing cold dishes, mixing cold mung bean noodles and kelp. The weather was hot, and they were both prone to craving cold food. Having some chilled dishes from the refrigerator to balance the flavors improved their appetites.

Qi Wei looked down at the dish in the bowl. “What project did he put you in charge of?”

Qi Zhao didn’t hide anything. “He said it’s the team leader of Project Group One.”

He took a bottle of lactic acid bacteria yogurt from the refrigerator. “Er-ge, want some?”

“Yes.”

After replying, Qi Wei chuckled softly, his tone ambiguous. “He sure knows how to find you work.”

“…Is it very troublesome?”

“Last year, a plot of land on the outskirts of Yancheng was slated for demolition and redevelopment. It was a government project, and Tang Sheng won the bid.”

Qi Wei put down the bowl, took the yogurt from Qi Zhao, glanced at the straw he had inserted for him, and smiled, his mood even better. “You know that although Yancheng is an independent city, it’s always jokingly called a suburb of Kyoto. The land there, even in the more remote suburbs, is quite expensive. Tang Huaiyuan originally planned to demolish the buildings first and then assess the market before planning. You know, brick-and-mortar businesses are struggling a bit now.”

Especially since Yancheng was north of Kyoto, the population flow wasn’t as high as in Kyoto. Most of the people living there were employees working in Kyoto who rented apartments.

The entertainment industry wasn’t as prosperous there as in Kyoto, let alone compared to some southern cities.

Hearing this, Qi Zhao guessed, “There are stubborn holdouts?”

This was the biggest problem encountered during demolition and relocation.

Qi Wei: “Yes, and it happens to be a lakeside location, the center of that plot of land. I heard from Tang Huaiyuan that they initially planned to build a resort town, a summer retreat, or something. But if that area isn’t demolished, it’ll be difficult.”

He said slowly, “It seems they initially reached an agreement, but then the other party suddenly demanded three times the compensation.”

Qi Zhao nodded, understanding the situation.

Qi Wei added, “And actually, Tang Huaiyuan isn’t entirely satisfied with the resort project either.”

Qi Zhao understood that too. “After all, we don’t lack summer resorts in the north.”

Qi Wei asked curiously, “Ah Zhao, if it were you, what project would you do?”

Qi Zhao thought for a moment. “I don’t know yet. I’ll have to do a site survey first.”

“Are you going to buy a suit this afternoon?”

“Yes.”

Qi Zhao looked at Qi Wei and extended an invitation. “Er-ge, do you want to go with me?”

It was a holiday today, and Qi Wei was at home.

Hearing this, Qi Wei tilted his head slightly, his smile deepening. Although Qi Zhao was avoiding him, he was still trying to “maintain” their relationship, which meant he was only avoiding, not rejecting. This made Qi Wei very happy.

So even though Qi Zhao was a beta and couldn’t sense pheromones, he could still see the happiness in Qi Wei’s smiling eyes.

“Okay.”

Qi Wei added meaningfully, “This is the first time we’ve gone out together.”

Openly, side by side, not him secretly following behind Qi Zhao.

Qi Zhao: “…”

He thought about it but didn’t say that they were just going to buy a suit.

He had liked him for so many years; he could indulge him a little.

So after lunch, Qi Zhao got ready and went out with Qi Wei.

As he changed his clothes, he fingered the small round ball hanging around his neck and decided not to wear the perfume. Alphas who regularly injected suppressants were easily affected by various pheromones in crowds, becoming unstable, especially those of Qi Wei’s rank.

So sometimes, him avoiding crowded places and frequently clearing areas wasn’t to show off, but because of his alpha constitution.

Qi Zhao didn’t wear the perfume so as not to mask his own scent. This way, if Qi Wei felt unwell, he could smell his wrist. Smelling his neck in public… would be strange.

He was also afraid that wearing the small round ball Qi Wei gave him would prevent Qi Wei from smelling his scent, and then…

Qi Zhao thought about how to soothe Qi Wei and felt his limbs stiffen slightly.

Qi Zhao went downstairs and saw that Qi Wei was also dressed casually in a loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt. But his exposed forearms and the broadness of his shoulders and back under his shirt still made it clear that he was no ordinary alpha.

But… he looked good.

Qi Zhao thought that Qi Wei’s face was also super S-rank, truly flawless.

He noticed Qi Wei holding the car keys and couldn’t help but ask, “Er-ge, are you driving?”

Qi Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, as if puzzled by the question. “Ah Zhao.”

He smiled and said slowly, “This is our first date, and I want you to sit in the passenger seat.”

Qi Zhao: “…?”

He hadn’t expected Qi Wei to care so much about these things…

What did Hua Tang say before?

He had told Qi Zhao that alphas were actually very romantic. If they truly liked someone, they would care a lot about rituals, paying attention to and cherishing even the smallest details.

—Hua Tang had dated an alpha, but they broke up.

At the time, Qi Zhao had simply listened to his heartbroken lament. He hadn’t expected to experience it today.

Seeing him speechless, Qi Wei held the car keys and lowered his voice. “If you don’t like it…”

He paused at just the right moment, not saying what he would do if Qi Zhao didn’t like it, but Qi Zhao could fill in the blanks himself.

Sigh.

Qi Zhao looked at the downcast Qi Wei, feeling a little helpless. “…I don’t dislike it.”

After saying that, he felt it was strange, so he added, “Anything is fine with me.”

Qi Wei curled his lips, and when he looked up, he was once again the picture of gentle elegance. “Okay.”

Qi Wei didn’t drive a very expensive car, but a custom-made one.

To the untrained eye, the brand would seem unremarkable, but those in the know would recognize it as bulletproof.

Qi Zhao remained silent, still not saying that they were just going out to buy a suit.

He got into the passenger seat with Qi Wei’s “assistance.”

As Qi Zhao lowered his head to fasten his seatbelt, Qi Wei got into the car from the other side.

The car’s interior was simple, mostly black, very much Qi Wei’s style.

Dangerous and restrained.

They only had time to buy a few ready-made suits for now, so they went to a suit store first.

Qi Zhao had a good figure, so choosing wasn’t difficult, especially since he had his own preferences.

Clearing the store was unavoidable, especially since Qi Wei didn’t want to be stared at.

While he was trying on suits, Qi Wei instructed the staff coldly, “Wrap up all the clothes he tried on, whether he wants them or not, and send them to my address. Pack the ones he wants and the ones he doesn’t want separately.”

The suits in this store were expensive, so each suit would be packaged individually. Qi Wei specifically mentioned separating them, clearly not referring to individual pieces, and the staff understood, replying softly, “Yes, sir.”

Qi Wei picked up a tie clip and waited for Qi Zhao to come out. He went over to help. “Ah Zhao.”

He said gently, “I’ll tie it for you.”

Qi Zhao glanced at the hand that was now holding his sleeve and didn’t say anything.

The space around the cuff was limited, so touching Qi Zhao’s wrist was unavoidable. Qi Zhao didn’t really mind, but a certain alpha found it hard to resist. After buttoning Qi Zhao’s cuffs with elegant but extremely slow movements, he brushed the back of his hand against Qi Zhao’s, lingering until his fingertips before retracting his hand, a gesture full of ambiguity.

Qi Zhao felt a little itchy from the contact, but he was more worried about Qi Wei’s pheromones losing control—he didn’t know whether to be grateful that the staff were all betas.

Clothing stores often hired betas; it made things easier when assisting customers with their clothes.

Qi Zhao looked up as Qi Wei turned to get a tie and asked him in a low voice, “Er-ge.”

Qi Wei turned around. “Hmm?”

Qi Zhao met his dark eyes, his voice even softer. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Qi Wei paused. He was actually fine. After all, in order to have a proper outing with Qi Zhao, he had specifically injected himself with several doses of suppressants. But…

Qi Wei held the tie against Qi Zhao’s suit, his lowered eyelids casting a large shadow, obscuring his expression. His tone was casual. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

Since Qi Zhao had asked, it was different.

Qi Wei deliberately played with his words, but he truly put on an indifferent air. After saying that, he added, “I’ll tie your tie for you.”

Qi Zhao knew what an alpha’s desire for control encompassed, so he didn’t refuse Qi Wei at this moment, lest he agitate the already unstable alpha further.

So he obediently lowered his head, letting Qi Wei wrap the tie around his neck and against his collar.

As a beta, Qi Zhao never paid much attention to protecting his neck. He didn’t even think about the fact that an alpha’s gland was on the side of their neck, while an omega’s was on the back of their neck. For them, the neck was a dangerous and intimate area.

Even though Qi Wei chanted in his mind many times that Qi Zhao had forgotten, that he didn’t mean anything by it, his heart still swayed violently, his reason struggling on the precipice of collapse.

Qi Zhao raised his head again, letting Qi Wei slowly tie a Windsor knot, then reached out to adjust his collar.

Contact was unavoidable again, and this time, it was difficult for Qi Zhao to remain unaffected.

It was his neck, after all… even if he was a beta, this was a vulnerable spot for any human.

Qi Wei’s fingers were calloused, and the scratch made Qi Zhao flinch noticeably. But this time, he remembered to explain, lest the alpha misunderstand. “…It tickles.”

But his low voice, and the hint of something akin to a coquettish complaint that he himself hadn’t noticed, drove the alpha even crazier.

He wanted to pull Qi Zhao’s tie, pull him into his arms, hold his head, and kiss him hard.

Not just a kiss, but a mark.

So what if he was a beta, unable to sense pheromones, unable to be marked? Just leaving his teeth marks on his neck was enough to deter those who coveted him…

No.

It wasn’t like back then anymore.

He wasn’t the bastard who could only hide in the shadows, watching Qi Zhao joke and play with others. Those who approached Qi Zhao with ulterior motives had long since abandoned him, clinging to power, and he had dealt with them all.

Qi Zhao was already his.

So he couldn’t rush.

Qi Wei let go of his hand, restraining himself to the point that the veins on his arms bulged, before he managed to take a step back. This step felt like a thousand pounds, but seeing the impeccably dressed Qi Zhao, the mountain pressing down on his heart shattered and dissipated.

He was slightly dazed, genuinely happy, so he chuckled softly. “Ah Zhao, you look great.”

This was how Qi Zhao should be.

Qi Wei reached out and, without any other thoughts, fastened the tie clip for him. “…You’re the most beautiful person in the world.”

He had thought, before he knew what he would differentiate into, that it would be best if he were an alpha.

Because an omega in such a family, especially with his status at the time, would most likely be destined for a political marriage. But if he were an alpha, he could study hard and then apply for a job with Qi Zhao.

He wanted to be Qi Zhao’s assistant, his secretary, or even his driver, if nothing else.

As long as he could see him every day, he would be content.