08
Back in the car, Qi Zhao opened the box again.
Qi Wei glanced at it. He knew it contained Qi Zhao’s belongings. There weren’t many items; some were certificates and medals, others… were relics left by Qi Zhao’s mother.
Qi Zhao’s mother was an omega from an ordinary family, with no connections to the upper class. Her rank wasn’t high either, but because she had known Qi Mu since childhood and they grew up together, Qi Mu developed feelings for her and proposed to her during university, promising her a lifetime of happiness.
But…
Qi Zhao’s maternal grandparents had passed away early. At the time, they hadn’t undergone thorough medical examinations. If they had, they might have discovered Qi Zhao’s mother’s genetic defect earlier.
However, after they found out, during the first few years of Qi Zhao’s life, he underwent a major checkup every year, all because of that genetic disease.
The checkups stopped the year Qi Zhao was confirmed as a beta, but every result before that had been negative.
The doctor said that Qi Mu’s A- rank had compensated for the defect.
And indeed, that was the case. High-ranking alphas and omegas were sought after not only because their pheromones were different, carrying a “mental attack,” but also because their genes were superior.
Take Qi Wei, for example. Judging by his height and physique, one could confidently say he was a high-ranking alpha. He handled everything with ease, and even after several sleepless days and nights, he remained energetic.
So Qi Zhao truly envied alphas.
Qi Zhao then moved into Qi Wei’s home.
Qi Wei didn’t live in the Qi family’s old mansion, but in a villa community. Although it was called a community, the villas were detached and far apart from each other. The entire community occupied a large area, but there were only eight households.
The villas had both front and back yards. The backyard had a large swimming pool with a diving platform and a water slide.
Qi Zhao had been raised in affluence, so these things weren’t new to him.
Qi Zhao didn’t have much luggage, so Qi Wei first took him to register his fingerprints at the main entrance. While registering, Qi Wei stood beside him, arms crossed, watching him, and asked, “Can you accept sleeping with me?”
Qi Zhao paused, his fingers instinctively curling, causing the fingerprint registration to fail. He had to try again.
He lowered his head, unable to look at Qi Wei, his voice low. “…Could I have a separate room?”
Although sleeping with Qi Wei… didn’t seem like a loss, if Qi Wei gave him a choice, he would choose not to.
In fact, Qi Wei sincerely wanted a real relationship with him, not some strange arrangement. After he refused, Qi Wei nodded, a hint of regret in his voice, but he still agreed. “Okay. Do you have any preferences for the room’s direction?”
The villa was large, with many rooms, so naturally, he could choose.
Qi Zhao shook his head. “Anything is fine.”
Qi Wei: “Then you can sleep in my room. I’ll switch to another one.”
Qi Zhao: “…?”
While they were talking, Qi Zhao had finished registering his fingerprints.
So after entering and closing the door, Qi Zhao asked, a little puzzled, “Er-ge, I can’t smell pheromones.”
Indeed, an alpha’s belongings would carry the scent of their pheromones, especially in their bedroom and bed, where the scent was the strongest. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be situations where, during an alpha’s rut, if the omega wasn’t available, the alpha could use the omega’s belongings to build a nest and barely get through it.
Qi Wei letting him sleep in his room… If Qi Zhao were an omega, or even an alpha, it would make sense, because they could smell the pheromones. The key was that he was a beta.
Betas couldn’t smell anything.
Hearing Qi Zhao’s words, Qi Wei stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.
There was another door leading further into the house from the entrance hall. They were now standing in the entrance hall, which wasn’t narrow, but Qi Zhao’s back was only a few steps away from the door. Surrounded by cabinets, walls, and artwork, there was nowhere to move. Only the space behind where Qi Wei was standing was spacious.
This confined environment, coupled with Qi Wei’s physique, created a sense of pressure, making him unconsciously tense.
Qi Wei was slightly amused, but there was also a dark, playful danger in his eyes. “Ah Zhao, you said you’ve never been in a relationship, yet you understand an alpha’s little tricks so well?”
Letting the person he liked sleep in his bedroom was undoubtedly a territorial act, because they would be covered in the lingering scent of his pheromones. Besides that, if the other person was an omega or an alpha… it was also a flirtatious tease, a sexual suggestion.
Qi Wei knew that Qi Zhao had never been in a relationship; of course he knew.
He had been like Qi Zhao’s shadow, following and watching him for so many years. But… there were still gaps. The days he hadn’t seen him. The days he didn’t know about. Whether Qi Zhao had any ambiguous relationships that didn’t quite reach the level of a relationship…
Even though Qi Wei quickly dismissed the thought, the mere hint of it made his pheromones rage uncontrollably. If they could materialize, they would probably turn into sword qi, tearing the house apart.
Qi Zhao couldn’t smell pheromones, but he could sense the change in the alpha’s aura. He instinctively felt uneasy and took a small step back, trying to distance himself from Qi Wei, to escape the shadow of his presence, to give himself a sense of security. He also spoke quickly to explain, “I’ve studied alpha behavior, taken elective courses in alpha behavioral studies, and… I’ve read novels.”
In novels, alphas liked to tease their omegas this way. So whenever he saw such scenes, Qi Zhao understood why the idea of an alpha and a beta being together was considered extremely niche by most people.
Physiologically, betas couldn’t provide pheromones to regulate an alpha, and over time, the alpha would develop various physical or psychological illnesses. In terms of intimacy, compared to omegas, betas were like uncarvable deadwood, utterly uninteresting.
If he were an alpha, he would also want to find an omega.
Qi Zhao felt he had made himself clear, and Qi Wei should retract his intimidating posture.
However, the alpha raised an eyebrow and took a large step forward, closing the distance between them, causing Qi Zhao to unconsciously press against the door.
Even a beta could sense danger.
He could feel that Qi Wei was “unstable” now and guessed that his pheromones might be a little out of control, because… his legs felt weak.
And the culprit lowered his head, staring intently at him with dark eyes. “What novels?”
Qi Zhao froze. “…”
He had thought Qi Wei would repeatedly question and emphasize whether he had truly never been in a relationship—that’s what the books said alphas did.
“Many…,” Qi Zhao replied. “I can’t name them all off the top of my head.”
Qi Wei said okay, then added casually, “Make a list for me later, okay?”
Qi Zhao: “…?”
Had alpha possessiveness reached this level?
…The books were too conservative.
Qi Zhao paused, not understanding, but respecting the request. “Okay.”
It was just a book list, not like he was asking him to recite embarrassing lines.
Qi Wei looked at Qi Zhao, licking his lips silently. The dangerous aura he exuded didn’t disappear but intensified. His slightly out-of-control pheromones, in addition to the strong scent of liquor, also carried a faint, sweet scent, as if tinted with jam.
Qi Wei moved.
Qi Zhao noticed him raising his hand, but he didn’t dodge.
So Qi Wei carefully touched Qi Zhao’s face.
His fingertips were very hot, probably due to the influence of his liquor pheromones.
The touch, with its burning temperature and Qi Wei’s light movements, tickled slightly, and Qi Zhao couldn’t help but turn his head.
But the alpha didn’t lose control and pin him down as the books described. Instead, he slowly lowered his hand.
When Qi Zhao looked up, Qi Wei had already turned around, his face hidden from view, but his slightly hoarse voice still revealed his current unstable state. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to your room.”
Qi Zhao paused slightly before following Qi Wei.
Alpha…
The higher the alpha’s rank, the more terrifying their rut. Super S-rank alphas were rare throughout history, but they always had omegas by their side. If Qi Wei truly hadn’t even accepted an omega’s pheromones… had he relied entirely on suppressants all these years?
Were suppressants even effective for an alpha of his level?
Qi Zhao knew that the higher the alpha’s rank, the less effective suppressants were.
Qi Zhao followed Qi Wei into the elevator. He glanced at Qi Wei’s clenched fist, noticing the bulging veins on the back of his hand and the tense muscles in his forearm, and fell silent.
He had never encountered an alpha with such a strong desire for him, and he naturally didn’t know what to do.
So Qi Zhao remained silent as Qi Wei led him into his bedroom. His voice was a little hoarse, but his tone sounded normal. “Put your things away first. I’ll move my things out later.”
Qi Zhao didn’t object, just silently pushed his suitcase inside and placed the box on the table.
The room was very clean, but not like it had been cleaned by housekeeping.
It was normal. An alpha like Qi Wei probably didn’t like others entering his private territory. Those who could enter…
Qi Zhao looked up at Qi Wei, whose eyes held a hint of suppression.
Qi Wei noticed his gaze and lowered his eyes to meet his. He was still trying hard to control his pheromones, which were frantically weaving a net around Qi Zhao, so his expression was inevitably a little gloomy.
But behind that, there were more complex, indescribable emotions.
Qi Zhao finally spoke. “…Er-ge, have you never accepted an omega’s pheromones?”
Qi Wei: “…”
He seemed to tug at the corner of his mouth, or maybe not. In any case, he told Qi Zhao frankly, “Ah Zhao, I’ve said it before, I only have eyes for you.”
Qi Zhao clenched his fists.
He found it hard to describe his feelings at this moment, but… he reached out and lightly touched the back of Qi Wei’s hand.
Honestly, Qi Zhao only felt the touch, nothing else. Before he could react, Qi Wei grabbed his hand.
Qi Zhao paused, not struggling to free himself.
Qi Wei’s grip was firm; he could feel the pain, but it was within a tolerable range.
And more than the pain, Qi Zhao first felt the heat.
Qi Wei’s body temperature was truly high.
Especially after a moment of silence, Qi Wei loosened his grip slightly.
He looked down at Qi Zhao, who was looking down, his throat bobbing as he fought back his desires. He exhaled a hot breath and finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “Ah Zhao.”
A low murmur, like a devil’s whisper, carrying a hint of enticement.
The advantage and disadvantage of a beta not being able to sense pheromones were fully displayed at this moment.
The advantage was that Qi Zhao wouldn’t know that his base instincts were already trying to seduce him with pheromones, tempting him to fall. If he were an omega, or even an alpha, he would be dizzy and fall into the trap, ready to be taken. The disadvantage was that because Qi Zhao couldn’t sense it, he couldn’t be seduced. The pheromones of a super S-rank alpha were useless at this moment.
But the way Qi Wei called his name made Qi Zhao’s ears hot, his nerves like squid tentacles, curling from the heat.
Qi Zhao’s voice was low. “If you… want to hold hands, or hug, it’s okay.”
He could try to convince himself that it was just like holding hands or hugging between friends or brothers, and then slowly accept it.
But he forgot one thing. For alphas, besides physical contact, scent was also important.
So Qi Wei, being indulged and even “treated well,” held his hand, restrained himself as he pulled Qi Zhao closer, bent down slightly, and closed the distance between them. “Then… what if I want to smell you?”
Qi Zhao: “…?”
What?
The beta’s brain short-circuited for a moment.
Qi Zhao almost subconsciously replied, “I don’t have pheromones.”
Of course, Qi Wei knew he didn’t have pheromones. In fact, he was currently very annoyed that he had pheromones, causing Qi Zhao to be covered in his scent. He probably wouldn’t be able to smell Qi Zhao’s own scent unless he pressed against his skin.
This irritation ultimately caused Qi Wei to lose his composure. He lowered his head completely, his nose touching Qi Zhao’s temple, and inhaled deeply. He couldn’t even control his words and actions, murmuring like a monster about to devour someone, “But you smell good.”
The scent he craved, the scent he constantly searched for during every rut, he…
Qi Wei raised his other hand and cupped the back of Qi Zhao’s head.
