56
Rejected again, but Qi Wei wasn’t upset.
He even chuckled softly, leading Qi Zhao out by the hand.
He occupied the entire floor, so there was no one else here. The overtime work today was due to an important international conference call, and there weren’t as many people working in the complex as usual.
Qi Wei unlocked the office door with his fingerprint. “You should register yours too later.”
Qi Zhao: “…Even your assistants aren’t allowed to enter your office freely, right?”
“Of course.” Qi Wei knew what Qi Zhao meant, and he said with a smile, “Ah Zhao, even if you come work for me later, you’re my boyfriend first, then my assistant.”
Qi Zhao looked at him. “You said we would keep things professional at work.”
Although he said this, he wasn’t truly reprimanding him, just feeling a little helpless.
Qi Zhao added, “You should be glad I’m not after your money.”
Otherwise, given Qi Wei’s behavior, he could empty Qi Corp’s coffers in a few years.
Qi Wei’s eyes curved into a smile, a spark in them, shining directly at Qi Zhao. “You wouldn’t.”
Qi Zhao paused, his heart touched by Qi Wei’s absolute trust.
…How could Qi Wei not trust him? The trust he gave him came at the greatest cost.
Qi Zhao unconsciously tightened his grip on Qi Wei’s hand, his breathing becoming heavier at these seemingly simple three words.
He wanted to say something, but at this moment, Qi Zhao felt that words were inadequate.
So Qi Zhao leaned closer to Qi Wei, tilted his chin up slightly, and kissed him.
“We’re not in public now.”
Qi Zhao said, “It’s okay.”
So as soon as he finished speaking, Qi Wei wrapped his other arm around his waist, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
Having held back for so long, he inevitably lost control.
—Whenever he touched Qi Zhao, it was difficult for him to restrain his instincts. Qi Zhao had yet to experience a kiss from him that wasn’t like a wild beast’s attack.
But although Qi Wei seemed like a mature, gentle, and refined adult, his tone always carrying a soft warmth, anyone perceptive would sense the danger hidden beneath that facade after interacting with him for a while.
Especially Qi Zhao, who had been claimed by Qi Wei; he felt it most keenly.
So this kind of kiss actually fit Qi Wei’s image perfectly.
A desperate, almost destructive kiss, a forceful plundering, as if trying to steal his soul and hold it captive between his lips…
Qi Zhao felt a sense of foreboding and struggled slightly. “Mmm…”
His resistance this time was stronger than before, so Qi Wei paused, suppressing the urge to pin Qi Zhao down and possess him completely, to silence him with a kiss.
Qi Wei’s knuckles turned white as he restrained himself, the smile in his eyes replaced by a dark coldness, the danger and pressure like a sharp blade hanging over Qi Zhao’s heart.
Qi Zhao met his gaze in his dazed state and couldn’t help but shudder slightly.
But it wasn’t fear, just…
“…Qi Wei.”
Qi Zhao touched his slightly sore tongue and said softly, “You have a meeting later.”
If Qi Wei continued kissing him, it wouldn’t end anytime soon.
Qi Zhao leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips soothingly. “It’s not that I don’t like you. Calm down, okay?”
Qi Wei’s restless gland and pheromones instantly calmed down at Qi Zhao’s simple words and gesture, retracting their claws, no longer threatening to devour him.
He blinked slowly, lowering his head and burying his face in the crook of Qi Zhao’s neck, inhaling deeply. “Okay.”
Qi Wei whispered, “Sorry.”
He had lost control again.
“…It’s okay.”
Qi Zhao patted his hunched back, Qi Wei’s back muscles firm beneath his hand, feeling like he was patting a rock. “I know, don’t worry about it.”
He paused, not realizing that he had completely overcome his avoidance issues. He said slowly, “And even if it wasn’t because of your gland, I wouldn’t mind. Qi Wei, I know you’re like this because you like me very much, and you’re sad when I push you away, and you’re trying your best to control yourself and not hurt me, aren’t you?”
Yes.
So Qi Wei completely relaxed, the tension in his shoulders easing, no longer on the verge of exploding.
Qi Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, and strangely, amidst this relaxed atmosphere, he felt a hint of sweetness.
Qi Wei raised his head and met Qi Zhao’s gaze.
He leaned in and kissed Qi Zhao’s still-reddened lips. “I’ll go to the meeting now. Will you wait for me here?”
“Qiu Ji will bring you some food later. Open the door for him. There are books and a projector in the lounge… Do whatever you want; there’s nothing here you can’t touch.”
Qi Zhao nodded. “Okay.”
Qi Wei had prepared everything in advance.
He thought.
Most likely, the things he didn’t want him to know were carefully hidden away, so he wouldn’t find them and become suspicious.
Qi Wei continued, “I’ll have Qiu Ji wait outside. Find him if you need anything.”
Qi Zhao said helplessly, “Am I a child?”
Qi Wei looked at him, saying nothing.
So Qi Zhao could only say, “Okay, I understand. Don’t worry.”
He sighed inwardly. “I’ll wait for you here.”
The smile in Qi Wei’s eyes deepened, and he squeezed Qi Zhao’s fingertips. Even without any outward display of emotion, the reluctance in his gesture was evident.
He truly liked him very much.
Qi Zhao didn’t intend to go anywhere or touch anything. He first looked around Qi Wei’s office, then stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out.
Qi Mao also had many offices with floor-to-ceiling windows, and Qi Zhao used to have his own office in the Qi family.
That office also had a floor-to-ceiling window, and he used to enjoy standing there and looking at the scenery outside.
Especially on rainy days.
Looking at the city through the window on a rainy day gave him a complex sense of “peace,” a feeling he had always tried to understand.
Only today did he realize that his calmness back then wasn’t true calmness, but a kind of stillness, and beneath that stillness, there was a sense of emptiness.
Because now, standing by the window and looking out at the world, he didn’t feel the melancholic sentimentality of a young artist, but simply found the city beautiful.
Qiu Ji was quick and efficient, delivering the food shortly after. Qi Zhao thanked him and went into the lounge.
Qi Wei’s lounge here was practically a large bedroom, connected to a study, with a refrigerator, washing machine, and bathroom.
It was practically another home.
His suits and casual clothes were neatly arranged in the transparent wardrobe, not just one or two sets, but a whole collection, in various styles.
Qi Zhao pulled over the movable table, fiddled with it for a moment, and turned on the projector, finding that most of the movies were ones he had seen before. This wasn’t surprising; many of the movies he watched were mainstream, not obscure films seen by only a few thousand people worldwide.
So Qi Zhao thought that Qi Wei’s arrangements were truly impeccable.
The cheese sweet potato, as Qi Wei had said, was sweet and fragrant, a single bite leaving a lasting impression.
And inexplicably, Qi Zhao felt that this was the best cheese sweet potato he had ever eaten.
The kind he would never forget.
Qi Wei’s meeting wasn’t long, but it had to be held in person because it couldn’t be done entirely online, and he didn’t like others entering his “territory.”
Of course, he also had his own ulterior motives.
When he returned, Qi Zhao hadn’t finished watching the movie he chose.
He had seen this movie before; it was about a relationship between two alphas. But it wasn’t a romance movie. The main plot revolved around an alpha police officer who disguised himself as an omega to infiltrate a criminal organization, then became entangled in another case, building trust with an alpha from another country amidst suspicion and cooperation, and only subtly revealing his feelings for the other alpha at the very end.
Qi Zhao was rewatching it now, and he noticed many details he had missed before.
When Qi Wei came in, they exchanged glances. Qi Zhao didn’t pause the movie, and Qi Wei didn’t say anything, just sat down beside him, naturally taking his hand and wrapping his arm around his waist, watching the rest of the movie with him.
When the credits rolled, Qi Zhao asked Qi Wei, “Have you seen this before?”
Qi Wei hummed in agreement; of course, he had seen it. Because he knew Qi Zhao had seen it. “It’s not bad.”
“Many scenes are beautiful.”
Qi Zhao said, “The director has a strong aesthetic sense.”
Qi Wei chuckled, readily admitting his shortcomings. “I don’t really understand these things.”
Of course, he didn’t. Unlike Qi Zhao, who had grown up in a refined environment, learning about art and culture from a young age, Qi Wei had been a street urchin, discarded and abused.
Qi Zhao paused, leaning slightly against Qi Wei. “It’s okay if you don’t understand.”
He said honestly, “I always thought learning these things was just for show, since I’m not going to work in this field.”
Qi Wei was amused by his words and kissed him lightly. “Ah Zhao, you don’t like it?”
Qi Zhao nodded. “I suffered every time I had art appreciation class.”
Qi Wei tried to imagine it. “I can’t imagine you suffering.”
Qi Zhao held his hand. “Don’t even try, it’s all dark history…”
He casually changed the subject. “Is your work done?”
Qi Wei nodded. “Yes.”
He finally revealed his ulterior motive. “Yan Shuang and the others invited me to play golf. Do you want to come?”
Qi Zhao paused slightly.
Yan Shuang was a domestic S-rank alpha. Qi Zhao had met him a few times, but they weren’t close, although they did have each other’s contact information.
More importantly, he was also someone who often appeared in the news with Qi Wei, especially in paparazzi photos of their daily lives: fishing together, playing golf, playing basketball…
They had been photographed many times.
Qi Zhao knew that Yan Shuang was Qi Wei’s friend and understood what he meant.
So he looked at Qi Wei, slightly exasperated. “…You can just tell me directly.”
Qi Zhao said, “If you want me to meet your friends.”
Qi Wei paused and apologized immediately. “Sorry.”
Qi Zhao sighed inwardly. “I’m not angry.”
He just felt that it was Qi Wei, not him, who seemed to not fully grasp the concept of them being together.
Still so insecure, still resorting to his usual manipulative tactics.
Was he that lacking in security?
Qi Zhao felt an inexplicable ache in his heart.
