04
Qi Zhao didn’t understand.
Fine, whatever.
Why was Qi Wei getting angry?
He just wanted to tell Qi Wei that there was no need to treat him like an omega. He wasn’t that delicate or fragile.
Not in a derogatory sense, but omegas were naturally more fragile than betas. Even if an omega became stronger through training, their physical essence wouldn’t change. For example, they were more sensitive to pain than betas, their skin bruised easily, and they were prone to allergies.
This wasn’t a bad thing; on the contrary, it was a good thing.
Because most omegas from ordinary families, if they didn’t want to be dependent on alphas, could use this to become quality inspectors. The higher the omega’s rank, the higher the salary they could get.
The truly lowly wage slaves in this world were betas.
However…
Qi Zhao lowered his eyes.
He had to admit, Qi Wei’s words stirred up some indescribable strange feeling in his heart.
Like goose feathers brushing against a lake, creating subtle ripples.
Qi Zhao let Qi Wei press the cotton swab for a while longer. After waiting, he felt it was about time, but Qi Wei still hadn’t let go of his wrist. So he said, “Second Young Master, it should be fine now.”
Qi Wei paused.
He removed the cotton swab and stared at the needle mark, making sure it wasn’t bleeding before asking in a slow, ambiguous tone, “What did you just call me?”
Qi Zhao: “…”
Angry again.
It wasn’t that he was perceptive, but that he felt Qi Wei was easy to understand.
Perhaps because he was now in a high position, he didn’t need to hide his emotions too much. Whether it was joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, Qi Wei displayed them openly.
Sometimes, even when smiling, he carried a hint of killing intent and danger; sometimes, he spoke softly and slowly, but clearly held back his anger.
Like now.
Qi Zhao lowered his head. “What do you want me to call you?”
Qi Wei raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. “Will you call me anything I ask you to?”
Qi Zhao: “…”
He wanted to say that he might not be able to say anything too outrageous, but then he remembered that Qi Wei was his “client” now. What he was asking from Qi Wei was significant, and the compensation he could offer was too little… If it was a little outrageous, he could adapt. He would just say it.
So Qi Zhao nodded.
Then he watched Qi Wei hold his wrist, pondering for a long time.
Perhaps because Qi Wei fidgeted too much, while thinking, his fingertips rubbed against the inside of Qi Zhao’s wrist.
The alpha’s fingers were calloused. He didn’t know what kind of calluses they were, but although they weren’t thick, they weren’t thin either, and they tickled Qi Zhao.
Mainly because Qi Wei’s movements were light, like a cat’s tail brushing against him intermittently.
It felt very strange.
No one had ever done this to Qi Zhao, and Qi Zhao hadn’t researched it.
So he didn’t know that this was a somewhat intimate and affectionate gesture.
But after enduring for a long time, Qi Zhao finally couldn’t help but struggle.
He couldn’t break free, but it made Qi Wei stop, looking at him with slight confusion, as if he didn’t know what he had done.
Qi Zhao: “…”
How long was he supposed to sit here with Qi Wei? Until the end of time?
But he didn’t say anything, just looked at Qi Wei.
Qi Wei lowered his eyelids, and after a few seconds of silence, he said, “Er-ge (Second Brother).”
He said, “Just call me Er-ge for now.”
Qi Wei was two years older than Qi Zhao. Qi Zhao could certainly call him “ge” (older brother), but he didn’t know why… Qi Wei seemed a little sad?
“…Er-ge.”
Qi Zhao complied and asked, “Then I’ll leave now?”
Qi Wei hummed in agreement but didn’t let go of his hand. “I’ll arrange a driver for you… I didn’t plan for you to leave without me tonight, so I’ll have Xu Chenzhou be your temporary driver. He’ll drive my car, and I’ll have another car brought over.”
His tone wasn’t one of consultation, so Qi Zhao replied, “Okay.”
Qi Wei tilted his head and looked at him. Qi Zhao thought he had something more to say, but he remained silent.
After a long silence, Qi Zhao took the initiative. “Then Er-ge, I’ll leave now?”
Qi Wei finally released him. “See you tomorrow.”
He curled his lips, his eyes curving into crescents, his dark eyes filled with gentle warmth. “Rest early, good night.”
Qi Zhao stood up, paused, and then said, “…Good night.”
Qi Wei finally heard the words he wanted to hear and smiled even more gently.
He gestured for Qiu Ji to escort Qi Zhao downstairs, and Qiu Ji bowed and extended a hand towards Qi Zhao. “This way, please.”
Qi Zhao followed him into the elevator without looking back, then down to the underground parking lot.
He knew Qi Wei was watching him the whole time, but he didn’t know that Qi Wei raised the hand that had been holding his wrist for so long, brought it to his nose, and inhaled deeply.
The alpha’s pheromones surged for a moment, the scent of liquor in the air becoming sweet and intoxicating.
Qi Wei’s eyes darkened, his rolling Adam’s apple and the uncontrollable lick of his lips across his palm made him look incredibly aggressive and dangerous at this moment.
Too faint.
Betas didn’t have pheromones. Qi Zhao’s scent lingered on his hand, but it faded quickly, not even enough to quench his thirst.
He wanted to… hold him, bury his face in his embrace, and take a deep breath.
The car was the same one that had picked up Qi Zhao earlier that day. But when Qi Zhao was about to sit in the passenger seat, Qiu Ji discreetly opened the back door.
Qi Zhao was about to say he would sit in the front when Xu Chenzhou spoke nervously from the driver’s seat, “Just sit in the back.”
He didn’t want to be met with Qi Wei’s ambiguous smile and the question, “You’re driving, and he’s sitting in the front?”
Qi Zhao paused, glanced at him, and finally sat in the back.
This position… signified many things.
After the car door closed, Xu Chenzhou asked, “Back to the hotel?”
Qi Zhao hummed in agreement, his tone as usual. “Thank you for the trouble.”
Xu Chenzhou wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.
The car drove out of the underground parking lot and merged back into the hustle and bustle. Qi Zhao looked out the window at the bright lights and suddenly felt it was all so meaningless.
But what could he do?
Qi Zhao closed his eyes gently and tugged at the corners of his mouth silently in the darkness.
After a long silence in the car, Xu Chenzhou was the first to speak. “Actually, I feel like you’ve changed a lot on this trip back.”
Qi Zhao didn’t open his eyes, as if asking a question, or perhaps agreeing. “Really?”
Of course.
Xu Chenzhou thought.
If it were Qi Zhao from seven years ago, he wouldn’t have agreed to Qi Wei’s terms.
If it were Qi Zhao from seven years ago, he would have grabbed his collar by now, demanding an explanation.
If it were Qi Zhao from seven years ago, he would have started pouring out his woes the moment he picked him up that day.
Complaining about the terrible food abroad, the unfamiliar life, cursing this world that divided people based on secondary genders, and cursing his family for their lack of genuine affection…
Qi Zhao had a good personality, but he wasn’t without a temper.
But now, he couldn’t even see a trace of temper on Qi Zhao.
He felt that over the past seven years, Qi Zhao’s sharp edges had been smoothed out.
The person he once believed would have a miracle descend upon him, allowing him to differentiate into an alpha, a top-tier alpha, had vanished in the passage of seven years.
Xu Chenzhou pursed his lips. He had so much to say, yet he didn’t dare to, and didn’t know how to.
Qi Zhao didn’t look at him, but as if aware of his inner turmoil, he sighed softly. “Xu Chenzhou.”
He no longer called him Ah Zhou. “You don’t need to overthink it. I’ve pretty much figured it out.”
Xu Chenzhou was slightly taken aback. “…What?”
“The Qi family matter.”
Qi Zhao said slowly, “With Qi Wei’s abilities, he must have known about it long ago. He didn’t solve it, had you pick me up, had you tell me what happened, and then had me talk to Qi Mu… Although I don’t know how he did it, he really understands me, and he understands Qi Mu.”
When Xu Chenzhou called him and asked if he wanted to seek Qi Wei’s help, Qi Zhao had guessed it.
Approaching Liu Feng was useless. This matter could only be resolved by going to Qi Wei.
He had initially thought that Qi Wei was doing this because he had called him crazy back then, but he hadn’t expected Qi Wei to want him. But precisely because it was the latter, judging from Qi Wei’s choice not to resolve the matter beforehand despite knowing about it, he also knew that Qi Wei was determined to have him. He had no choice, so to speak.
So, rather than making things too ugly, Qi Zhao chose to agree.
Xu Chenzhou fell silent.
Qi Zhao sighed again. “I’m not a fool.”
He just didn’t bother to dwell on many things.
He came back this time for his cousin. Since Qi Wei could solve the problem the fastest, he chose Qi Wei.
And becoming an alpha… was too tempting for him.
When they arrived at the hotel, before getting out of the car, Qi Zhao said to Xu Chenzhou, “Thank you for everything, no matter what.”
He also reassured Xu Chenzhou, “Not calling you ‘Ah Zhou’ isn’t because I blame you, but because Qi Wei seems to be unhappy about it.”
Although he hadn’t been in a relationship, he had done a lot of research on alphas.
It was said that the higher the rank of the alpha, the stronger their possessiveness towards their partner, and some even exhibited a pathological desire for control. Because he didn’t quite understand, Qi Zhao had specifically looked up what possessiveness was and what constituted as strong.
Now, for the sake of Xu Chenzhou’s future, it was better to call him by his full name.
Just like him sitting in the back seat.
However, he felt that Qi Wei was actually quite a good person.
Even though he knew he and Xu Chenzhou had a good relationship, even though they had signed a contract, he was still willing to let Xu Chenzhou drive him, instead of cutting off contact between them.
…He really was a little different from the devil in the rumors.
After Qi Zhao got out of the car and entered the hotel, he first asked the hotel staff, “Is the hairdresser in your salon a beta?”
Most of the hotel staff were betas, but hairdressers weren’t necessarily.
The staff member replied, “Only one is an alpha.”
“Good.”
Qi Zhao pressed the button for the seventh floor and casually fiddled with his bangs.
He wouldn’t have to hide them anymore.
He lowered his head and took off his glasses, looking at the plain lenses in his hand, suddenly feeling a little unaccustomed.
After seven years of mediocrity, he had thought he would spend his life in a foreign country in a daze. He hadn’t expected to not only encounter a turning point, but also seize it.
That’s why… he said thank you to Xu Chenzhou no matter what.
Of course, he was also grateful to Qi Wei.
Qi Zhao clutched the plain glasses in his hand and walked into the hair salon.
Some of the staff had already left for the day. They were taken aback when they saw him.
Qi Zhao noticed one person staring at him with wide eyes, a look of surprise on their face. After explaining his request, he asked the hairdresser who came to serve him, “Could you ask the alpha in your salon what signal my pheromones are emitting?”
He had guessed that Qi Wei would mark him, but he didn’t know what kind of mark.
Qiu Ji and Xu Chenzhou were both close to him; it didn’t seem right to ask them.
The hairdresser said okay, went to ask, and then returned with an envious look. “Did your alpha friend leave that mark because he’s afraid you’ll be bullied by other alphas? The alpha in our salon said he must be very powerful, and that you two must have a very good relationship.”
He said, “The message your pheromones are sending is, ‘If anyone dares to bully him, I’ll chase them to the ends of the earth.'”
Qi Zhao: “…?”
Was that really left by Qi Wei?
How childish.
But…
Qi Zhao curled his lips, finally letting out a genuine laugh.
He clenched his hand into a fist, chuckling softly. “He seems to haven’t changed at all.”
Qi Wei still seemed to be that psycho who grabbed him and spouted childish and unrealistic nonsense like a madman.
