07
This time, when Qi Zhao arrived at Qi Mu’s office, there was no tedious wait.
As soon as he got out of the car, the security guard, having received prior instructions, opened the gate, and the butler hurried to welcome him in. It was the same study, but this time, Qi Mu wasn’t practicing calligraphy while receiving him. When Qi Zhao entered, he was sitting upright in his chair, staring at him.
After the butler closed the door, Qi Zhao didn’t look for a chair to sit down but stood there, looking at Qi Mu.
The estranged father and son looked at each other for a moment. Qi Mu asked ambiguously, “What did you talk about with Second Young Master Qi?”
Qi Zhao wasn’t surprised that he knew he had met with Qi Wei. Qi Wei was the most powerful alpha in the country, the heir to the Qi family, and had a close relationship with the President. Countless eyes were on him. As long as Qi Wei didn’t deliberately hide it, the moment he met with Qi Wei last night and was driven back to the hotel in Qi Wei’s car, the news would have spread throughout their circles.
And Qi Wei had no reason to hide this matter.
Because from now on, Qi Zhao would be by his side, accompanying him to various occasions.
But Qi Mu asking him this…
Did Qi Wei not leave any pheromone markers on him?
Qi Zhao’s eyelashes fluttered slightly; he didn’t speak immediately.
Qi Mu continued, “Liu Feng informed us last night that there’s no need to prepare for the marriage anymore. So what did you exchange with Second Young Master Qi?”
Qi Zhao came back to his senses and focused on Qi Mu. “Didn’t you receive the notification?”
He said calmly, “I’ve undergone a secondary differentiation into an A-rank alpha.”
Qi Mu scoffed. “Qi Zhao, you can fool others with that, but you’re still trying to tell me you’ve undergone a secondary differentiation into an alpha in front of me?”
He left as a beta yesterday, with no warning signs, and today he suddenly became an alpha, an A-rank alpha at that. Who would believe there was no trickery involved?
Qi Zhao nodded. “But whether you believe it or not, my official records clearly state that I’m an alpha now.”
Qi Mu abruptly stood up, finally losing his composure. “Qi Zhao, do you even know what you’re doing?! What price did Qi Wei ask for in exchange for helping you?!”
Seeing Qi Mu’s reaction, Qi Zhao knew he had misunderstood, so he chuckled, looking at Qi Mu with a hint of pity. “Don’t tell me you think Qi Wei wants me to become an alpha, return to the Qi family to work, and then help him take control of the entire Qi family?”
“Isn’t that it?!”
“Mr. Qi.”
Qi Zhao tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Not everyone treasures this declining Qi family of yours. You think your accounts are clean, but Qi Wei has long known that the Qi family is just a gilded cage, rotten on the inside.”
Qi Mu didn’t believe him at all. “Then what kind of agreement did you reach with Qi Wei for him to help you like this?!”
Qi Zhao wouldn’t explain. “That’s none of your business.”
He said indifferently, “I didn’t come back to argue with you. I’m here to take the things I left at home. Where did you put them?”
Qi Mu took a deep breath. Somehow, after hearing that Qi Zhao had met with Qi Wei last night, he recalled what happened seven years ago.
Seven years ago, when Qi Zhao left, he had received news that Qi Wei had looked for Qi Zhao. But what they talked about was unknown; only that it seemed to have ended unpleasantly…
But now, not only was there no anger, Qi Wei had even helped Qi Zhao change his identity information.
Could it be…
No.
Impossible.
The thought flashed through his mind and was immediately dismissed by Qi Mu.
He even felt ridiculous for thinking that way, because Qi Wei was an alpha, the highest-ranking alpha.
A high-ranking alpha who didn’t have an omega was doomed.
Perhaps it was just because of Xu Chenzhou… They all knew that Qi Wei treated Xu Chenzhou quite well.
Qi Mu closed his eyes and suddenly spoke in a softer tone. “Forget it, no matter what, your official records now show you as an alpha. If you’re willing to come back to the family…”
“Qi Mu.”
Qi Zhao found it amusing and interrupted him directly. “When I was a beta, you were afraid I would fight for power with Qi Wense, leading to the family splitting apart, so you exiled me to a foreign country. Now you want me to come back? How do you plan to arrange for Qi Wense? Exile him to a foreign country as well to prevent us from fighting for power and splitting the family?”
Qi Mu heard the sarcasm in his words, but he remained calm, even appearing to see nothing wrong with his actions. “You know, Qi Wense’s abilities are inferior to yours. Otherwise, Qi Yi Liu wouldn’t have been forced into a political marriage. Now that your records show you as an alpha, as long as you want to, you can tame him.”
Qi Zhao said coldly, “So you also know that even if I were just a beta, even if Qi Wense knew I was just a beta, as long as I wanted to, I could make him willingly submit to me.”
He looked at Qi Mu’s aging face, exposing his ugliest side. “You just don’t want to face my beta status, you don’t want to be gossiped about for choosing my mother, because you yourself believe that choosing my mother was a mistake!”
Qi Zhao’s omega mother wasn’t highly compatible with Qi Mu, and her rank wasn’t high either. But they fell in love as youngsters, and at the peak of their infatuation, Qi Mu married her.
But her body had a defect, which wasn’t detected initially. It wasn’t until she became pregnant with Qi Zhao that the genetic defect became apparent. They had discussed for a long time whether or not to keep the child. In the end, Qi Zhao was born, but his mother didn’t live past his fifth birthday. The following year, Qi Mu brought home a new omega.
The new omega was highly compatible with him, and they soon had a perfect child. At that time, Qi Zhao’s status was still okay because he had shown intelligence and talent from a young age, and his stepmother treated him decently. But the day he was confirmed as a beta was also the day Qi Wense was confirmed as an alpha.
From that day on, everything changed drastically.
Qi Zhao didn’t try to defend himself or explain that he just wanted to stay at home. Back then, he was ambitious; he wanted to be the future head of the Qi family, even if he was a beta.
However, what he wanted was a fair chance to compete with Qi Wense. But because they all knew, and feared, that Qi Wense, even as an alpha, couldn’t surpass him, so…
Seven years of wandering abroad.
Qi Mu’s face changed instantly as his true colors were exposed. He took a sharp step forward. “You…!”
Alpha pheromones erupted instantly. Betas couldn’t smell pheromones, but the oppressive pheromones of an alpha could still make them feel suffocated.
However, the moment those pheromones attacked, the pheromones inside the round ball pendant on Qi Zhao’s neck reacted as if provoked. The initially faint scent, as if merely沾染 (zhān rǎn – tainted, stained) by Qi Wei, instantly transformed into the strong smell of liquor.
The difference in rank immediately made Qi Mu subconsciously “tuck his tail between his legs.” However, this was just the beginning. As Qi Mu charged towards him, Qi Zhao quickly stepped back and pressed the button in his hand.
An alpha pheromone field, undetectable to betas, instantly erupted from it, sweeping across the entire villa, making everyone who could sense pheromones turn pale. Qi Mu, being the closest, bore the brunt of it and knelt before Qi Zhao on the spot!
Qi Zhao froze. He realized that the pendant probably contained Qi Wei’s pheromones, but this method of suppression… was unheard of.
Looking at Qi Mu, speechless, kneeling on the ground, supporting himself with his hands, yet still involuntarily bowing his head towards him, Qi Zhao felt a momentary flashback to seven years ago.
He, too, had knelt on the ground, tugging at Qi Mu’s trousers. Back then, he still called him “Dad,” and he promised him, told him to trust him…
Qi Zhao rubbed the button in his hand and suddenly chuckled. “I originally wanted to ask you, now that I’ve become an alpha, about what you said about kneeling and begging me when I became an alpha… It seems there’s no need to ask now.”
Qi Zhao turned around. “One hundred million.”
His voice faded as he walked away. “I’ve calculated it. Over the years, one hundred million is just about right. I’ll return it to you.”
Qi Mu had indeed invested in his upbringing in the early years; he didn’t deny that.
But during his years abroad, Qi Zhao had only used Qi Mu’s money for the first six months when he had no other choice. He hadn’t touched a single penny of the living expenses Qi Mu sent him after that.
“…Ah Zhao.”
As Qi Zhao reached for the doorknob, he heard Qi Mu call out to him with difficulty.
He paused slightly but didn’t wait to hear him finish.
Whether it was an apology or those condescending, seemingly reasonable criticisms, he didn’t care anymore.
…Qi Mu’s kneeling, to him, was a cancellation of everything.
Whether it was the last bit of resentment in his heart, or their father-son relationship. Let it end here.
Ignoring the pale-faced servants, Qi Zhao took the elevator down to the first floor. He was about to go to the other side of the villa to collect his belongings when he ran into Qi Wense.
Qi Zhao’s relationship with Qi Wense had actually been quite good before. Qi Wense used to like following him around. Later… nothing in particular happened, just the fleeting nature of time and the changing of hearts.
But this time, Qi Wense held a large box and handed it to him. “These are all your things.”
Qi Zhao paused, took the box, and checked the contents. “Thank you.”
Without another word, Qi Zhao walked straight past him. Qi Wense clenched his fists.
He could certainly smell the strong scent of liquor pheromones on Qi Zhao. Even without any specific signal, the mere fact that a beta could carry such a strong scent of an alpha’s pheromones undoubtedly signified something.
But Qi Wense knew he couldn’t do anything.
Unless he wanted the Qi family to perish.
He could only go and check on their weak father, and continue to keep his distance from his beloved older brother.
When Qi Zhao reached the entrance, he saw that Qi Wei had already come out.
Leaning against the car door, he turned his head as if sensing something and met Qi Zhao’s gaze.
Qi Zhao paused, quickened his pace, and, as expected, was met with Qi Wei’s car door service.
After getting into the car, Qi Zhao didn’t mention anything, and Qi Wei didn’t ask.
Qi Zhao was grateful for this consideration. He really didn’t want to talk about his family’s messy affairs with anyone.
But as the car silently descended the hill, Qi Zhao suddenly said, “Can we stop the car for a moment?”
Qi Wei raised an eyebrow and gestured to Qiu Ji. “Pull over.”
Then he asked Qi Zhao, “What’s wrong?”
Qi Zhao was a little embarrassed. “I want to smoke a cigarette.”
He wasn’t actually addicted to smoking, but his heart felt heavy right now. There was a sense of relief, but also melancholy… A mix of complex emotions brewed within him, and he needed an outlet.
Qi Wei didn’t say whether it was okay or not, but he unlocked the car door and got out of the car with Qi Zhao.
Qi Zhao leaned against the railing by the roadside and took out his cigarette case from his pocket.
Perhaps the lighter was out of gas; Qi Zhao flicked it several times, but it wouldn’t light.
Qi Wei, who had walked over slowly, suddenly reached out and took the cigarette from his mouth.
Qi Zhao was caught off guard, watching in slight surprise as Qi Wei held the cigarette, which looked small and delicate in his large, well-defined hand, between his fingers. “…”
Qi Wei lowered his head, looking at the teeth marks on the filter, his voice unconsciously becoming hoarse. “Ah Zhao.”
He called softly, his tone gentle, completely consultative. “I’ll use one request to ask you to quit smoking, okay?”
“…”
It was already phrased as a request, so why add “okay?”
Qi Zhao didn’t necessarily have to smoke. Qi Wei talking to him like this, with some semblance of gentleness, could also help him collect himself.
So he put down the lighter in his hand. “It’s not impossible… But, why?”
Did Qi Wei not smoke?
Did he think it was unhealthy?
“Because,” Qi Wei lowered his eyes, his gaze enveloping Qi Zhao, and said casually, “some alphas have smoke-flavored pheromones. You smelling of smoke makes me a little… unhappy?”
His slightly raised intonation didn’t sound like he wasn’t sure if he was unhappy, but more like he was carefully choosing his words, lest he scare the prey he had already caught in his net.
Qi Wei put the cigarette in his pocket and held out his hand to Qi Zhao. “Since you’ve agreed, let’s quit smoking from now on.”
Qi Zhao: “…”
He didn’t really mind, but the fact that even the smell of smoke could provoke an alpha’s possessiveness… well, it refreshed his understanding of alphas once again.
Or was it because Qi Wei’s rank was too high?
Qi Zhao handed the cigarette case and lighter to Qi Wei.
Qi Wei looked at the compliant Qi Zhao, his eyes curving into crescents. He put the cigarette case and lighter into another pocket, and finally, unable to resist, reached out and gently ruffled Qi Zhao’s newly cut hair, sighing sincerely. “Ah Zhao, you’re so good.”
An alpha’s desire for control would naturally be satisfied by their chosen partner’s obedience.
Qi Zhao stiffened slightly but didn’t avoid Qi Wei’s touch. Instead, he couldn’t help but ask softly, “Er-ge, can you… call me that again?”
Qi Wei tilted his head slightly, not asking why, just calling out again, “Ah Zhao.”
Ah.
Qi Zhao’s heart trembled again, his hands clenching involuntarily into fists, and he closed his eyes.
Quite a few people called him that, but only Qi Wei… only when Qi Wei called him that, did it remind him of his mother, whose memory was already blurred.
So he knew.
He knew Qi Wei’s feelings for him…
