67
That night, after ensuring Qi Zhao was asleep using his pheromones, Qi Wei took out his phone and messaged Nan Yangsha.
[Q: Close the net.]
After sending the message, he deleted it and turned off his phone.
Qi Wei looked down at Qi Zhao sleeping in his arms, his forehead resting against his shoulder, an unconscious gesture of affection, trust, and dependence.
Qi Wei smiled, his lowered eyelids hiding the complex emotions in his eyes.
He knew that he and Qi Zhao would eventually have to face this issue.
So, rather than having Qi Zhao accidentally discover his connection with Liu Feng when their relationship became more intimate, and risk unnecessary complications, it was better to address it now, before things escalated.
He even had to thank Qi Yuanyu.
After all, he had been struggling with how to reveal this to Qi Zhao in a way that seemed “natural.”
Now, with Qi Yuanyu telling Qi Wense, and Qi Wense telling Qi Zhao, it would give Qi Zhao the impression that “Qi Wei’s family truly doesn’t see him as one of their own.”
But…
Qi Wei gently touched Qi Zhao’s face, his fingertips tracing his features, lingering on his earlobe, softly caressing it.
Given Qi Wense’s personality, he would definitely tell Qi Zhao, in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, that he hadn’t contacted Qi Zhao once because of his restrictions.
But Qi Zhao hadn’t asked him why he hadn’t allowed Qi Wense to contact him.
Was he waiting for him to bring it up and confess? Or had the image he had carefully constructed, of him truly disliking the Qi family, taken root in Qi Zhao’s mind? Making Qi Zhao believe, as he wished, that he had prevented Qi Wense from contacting him because he was worried Qi Wense would cause him trouble, because he felt the Qi family was too emotionally draining for Qi Zhao, and he didn’t want him to suffer.
…Would Qi Zhao think that way?
Since he hadn’t asked, Qi Wei wasn’t sure.
He even considered bringing it up himself.
But in the end, he decided not to.
The next day was a day off, so Qi Zhao turned off his alarm and slept until past nine.
When he woke up, he noticed that their position was different from before, realizing that Qi Wei had already woken up and was working.
Qi Zhao opened his eyes slightly and looked at Qi Wei, who was leaning against the headboard, their gazes meeting.
Qi Wei put his tablet aside, leaned down, and kissed Qi Zhao softly on the forehead. “Time to wake up?”
Qi Zhao hummed in agreement, and Qi Wei waited for him to come to his senses before helping him sit up. “What kind of wontons do you want?”
Qi Zhao knew what he meant, so he thought for a moment. “Seaweed and egg drop soup.”
He yawned sleepily. “And I want soy milk.”
“Okay.”
Qi Wei, looking at his still sleepy face, couldn’t help but cup his cheeks in his hands, his fingertips and palms gently caressing his face and hair, brushing against his earlobe as he lowered his head and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Ah Zhao.”
He just called his name, nothing else. And Qi Zhao knew Qi Wei was just calling him, purely expressing his affection.
This alpha… was truly clingy around him.
They had done more intimate things, yet Qi Zhao still felt his ears burning slightly, his heart racing. “…Hmm.”
Qi Wei chuckled softly. “Are you shy?”
Qi Zhao gently pushed him away, giving him a playful glare. “Are you getting up or not? We’ll be having lunch soon if we delay any longer.”
Qi Wei loved it when Qi Zhao talked to him like this, so he pulled him into a tight embrace, inhaling his scent before releasing him and getting out of bed. “I’m going.”
After Qi Wei went downstairs, Qi Zhao glanced at his tablet, which was still on, but didn’t touch it.
After washing up, he brought the tablet downstairs with him, casually asking, “Do you have work today?”
“Yes, a few things.”
Qi Wei paused, then after filtering the soy milk, adding honey, and stirring it, he placed it before Qi Zhao and said, “I need to arrange for someone to take over Qi Yuanyu’s work.”
Qi Zhao froze, instinctively wanting to search for news on his phone, but Qi Wei reached out and stopped him.
Qi Zhao looked up and met Qi Wei’s helpless gaze. “Ah Zhao, the person involved is right in front of you, and you’re searching for news reports?”
Qi Zhao coughed slightly, obediently putting down his phone and taking Qi Wei’s hand instead. “My bad… I won’t do that again.”
It was an old habit.
Qi Wei looked down at Qi Zhao’s fingers intertwined with his and smiled. “It’s okay.”
He said, “I’ll forgive you this once.”
Qi Wei then gestured for Qi Zhao to eat first. “I’ll tell you later.”
Qi Zhao said okay, and as he lowered his head to pick up his spoon, he saw the alpha discreetly yet swiftly take his phone after releasing his hand.
Qi Zhao: “…”
He didn’t quite understand.
Qi Wei didn’t have his phone password; what was the point of taking it?
Qi Zhao ate his pork wontons, recalling his Alpha Behavioral Studies lessons, thinking that perhaps Qi Wei didn’t want to be disturbed during their rare weekend together.
There shouldn’t be any work on a day off, and even if there was, he wouldn’t deal with it unless it was urgent, and urgent matters would warrant a phone call, so Qi Zhao let it go.
After Qi Wei sat down, he briefly explained the Qi Yuanyu situation. “Although Qi Zhiwen is the current head of the family, I’m the one who truly calls the shots. But Qi Yuanyu is somewhat extreme. After all, he’s also an A-rank alpha, and despite being suppressed by me, he’s still unconvinced.
Qi Wei added casually, “Not to mention, he’s never seen me as his younger brother.”
Qi Zhao’s heart ached at his words, his grip on the spoon tightening.
He turned to look at Qi Wei, who, noticing his gaze, smiled. “Ah Zhao, it’s okay. It’s always been like this, and I’ve never expected anything different. When Qi Yuanyu first approached me, I knew he wanted to use me. But I couldn’t refuse.”
Because at the time, Qi Wei’s omega mother was critically ill.
And Qi Wei knew very well that in a remote place like Guangtang, it was better to gamble and go with Qi Yuanyu, so he could receive a better education and have more opportunities.
It was mutual exploitation.
But… Qi Wei hadn’t been completely without hope at the time.
He was still so young, of course, he had longed for the love and care that other children received, even just a little.
Qi Wei continued, “When I differentiated into an alpha, and was designated a super S-rank, Qi Yuanyu was the most displeased. You know, between alphas, even fathers and sons, there’s always a sense of rivalry, often leading to strained relationships. Qi Zhiwen started thinking about promoting me, since I was close to Yang Shou, and Yang Shou had a high chance of becoming President.”
“But Qi Zhiwen only intended to give me the CEO position, while keeping most of the decision-making power in his own hands.”
In short, everyone prioritized their own interests.
Qi Yuanyu was the most displeased because he knew that the super S-rank title would make Qi Zhiwen value Qi Wei more. Even if it was still out of self-interest, Qi Wei’s treatment would improve.
So at the time, Qi Yuanyu even resorted to violence.
—Literal violence.
Although it was a time of peace, without war, assassinations weren’t just a plot device in novels.
But everyone had underestimated the power of a super S-rank alpha. Even “accidents” couldn’t kill Qi Wei, at most leaving him with minor scratches.
And amidst these attempts on his life, Qi Wei rose to prominence in the business world, earning his place at the negotiating table with Qi Yuanyu and Qi Zhiwen, no longer just a puppet figurehead.
Qi Wei didn’t like things being out of his control, but he also didn’t want to become the head of the family so soon, burdened by responsibilities.
He had done all of this just to bring Qi Zhao back, so he told Qi Zhiwen that he could remain the nominal head of the Qi family. Qi Yuanyu was capable, and he hadn’t intended to harm the Qi family, just compete with Qi Wei.
So Qi Wei was willing to give him a chance, as long as he did his job properly, he wouldn’t hold his past actions against him.
His target was only Qi Zhao; he didn’t care about anything else.
But now that Qi Yuanyu had involved Qi Zhao, it was different.
“…He was mainly in charge of some of the Qi family’s older businesses,” Qi Wei said casually, “jewelry, design, luxury goods. Now that he’s down, I have to find someone to replace him, and some matters need my approval, to make sure Qi Yuanyu hasn’t set any traps for me.”
Qi Zhao hummed in agreement. He looked at Qi Wei, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, and asked softly, “Did it hurt?”
Qi Wei paused. “What?”
Qi Zhao continued slowly, “When he sent people to kill you… I know what kind of methods they use.”
It wasn’t that Qi Zhao had experienced it himself, but being in this circle, he knew the kind of schemes they employed.
Qi Zhao looked at Qi Wei. “So, did it hurt?”
Qi Wei must have been injured.
Qi Wei’s heart was filled by these simple words. He reached out and took Qi Zhao’s hand, his other arm gently wrapping around Qi Zhao’s waist, his expression still casual. “Ah Zhao, you know, I’m an alpha, and the higher the alpha’s rank, the stronger their genes, and their recovery is also…”
Qi Wei couldn’t finish his sentence because he met Qi Zhao’s gaze, which was filled with heartache and sadness.
He was upset because of what he had gone through.
His Ah Zhao… was feeling sorry for him.
Qi Wei truly didn’t think those past experiences were a big deal, but the emotions Qi Zhao displayed were like a warm embrace, comforting and soothing him across time and space.
And it was true.
During those countless lonely nights, licking his wounds, he had thought of Qi Zhao.
Just thinking of Qi Zhao could calm the destructive rage within him, turning it into a gentle stream under the moonlight.
Qi Wei lowered his head, nuzzling Qi Zhao’s neck, inhaling his scent deeply.
Before, he could only imagine holding Qi Zhao while hugging his pillow, but now, it was different.
He could truly hold him.
He could freely inhale his scent, receive his care and concern.
Even though Qi Zhao knew how strong alphas were, he still worried about him.
Qi Wei’s lips curved upwards, the sense of contentment bringing him immense joy, his gland throbbing with pleasure, his pheromones dancing around Qi Zhao.
Like a sweet, refreshing cocktail with bubbly fizz, where was the aggressive, oppressive violence now?
“Ah Zhao,” Qi Wei said, “it didn’t hurt.”
He raised his head, his gaze fixed on Qi Zhao. “Every time I thought of you, the pain disappeared.”
