09
As a super S-rank alpha, Qi Wei’s hand was large, able to completely cup Qi Zhao’s head, his fingers and the heel of his palm controlling Qi Zhao’s head, preventing him from escaping.
The moment Qi Zhao looked up and met Qi Wei’s dark, unreadable eyes, he felt as if his soul had been pinned down by a giant nail, unable to struggle or escape.
His eyelashes trembled slightly. As Qi Zhao lowered his head, his other hand unconsciously landed on Qi Wei’s shoulder, attempting to push him away.
Qi Zhao thought Qi Wei was going to kiss him.
But the alpha’s head moved past his, resting on his shoulder instead.
Qi Zhao froze, his pushing hand stopping.
Then he felt Qi Wei tilt his head slightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck, and inhale deeply.
A truly deep breath.
The movement wasn’t small, sending shivers down Qi Zhao’s spine, his scalp tingling, goosebumps erupting all over his body.
But Qi Wei loosened his grip slightly. Qi Zhao’s mind was too muddled to think, and instinct made him relax completely, his body tense, but like a “doll,” letting Qi Wei get close and smell him.
He recalled Qi Wei’s words about him smelling good, and his ears couldn’t help but feel hot.
He was a… beta.
Could an alpha actually find a beta without pheromones to smell good?
The attraction of pheromones and scents should exist between alphas and omegas.
Qi Zhao’s mind wandered for a couple of seconds, then he felt Qi Wei inhale deeply again.
He stiffened, his fingertips numb.
The situation was too bizarre, making him want to escape, but the alpha seemed to be trapping him in place with pheromones—
At this moment, Qi Zhao finally understood that Qi Wei telling him to carry a knife might not have been a lovesick whim.
Because alphas were easily controlled and driven out of control by pheromones… like wild beasts.
Silence stretched between them as Qi Wei pressed against the crook of Qi Zhao’s neck, inhaling his scent deeply through his clothes.
The scent of a beta without pheromones was very faint, but for Qi Wei, the thirst that had gone unquenched for years finally found some solace, like rain after a long drought.
But this small comfort only ignited a deeper desire in Qi Wei.
He wanted more.
He wanted to mark…
Betas couldn’t be marked.
Qi Wei’s grip on Qi Zhao’s hand tightened abruptly.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, his mouth filled with so much saliva that opening it would reveal his current state. He was truly like a beast about to lose control, starved for too long, finally encountering its only “food,” eager to devour it completely, bones and all.
The canine teeth that alphas used to create temporary marks on glands and inject pheromones itched intensely.
It wasn’t until Qi Zhao softly called out, “Er-ge,” that Qi Wei tightened his grip again and barely regained some sanity.
He realized he was holding Qi Zhao too tightly, both his hand and the hand cupping the back of his head…
So Qi Wei released Qi Zhao and slowly lifted his head from the crook of his neck.
He gently lifted Qi Zhao’s hand, looking at the red marks that were slowly appearing where he had gripped it, his eyelids lowered, his voice hoarse. “Sorry.”
Qi Zhao actually thought it was alright.
Although Qi Wei’s behavior seemed bizarre and creepy to him, it wasn’t to the point where he wanted to call the police. So he said, “It’s fine.”
He looked at Qi Wei, whose veins were faintly visible on his forehead. Perhaps because he had become much calmer over the past seven years, and because Qi Wei had truly helped him a lot, Qi Zhao asked gently, “Are you still feeling unwell?”
He had thought… that Qi Wei smelling him would make him feel better.
Although he was a beta, since Qi Wei said he wanted to smell him, it should have some effect.
Qi Wei’s fingertip rubbed against the back of Qi Zhao’s hand, over the red mark.
His palm was calloused, and the rough touch made Qi Zhao pause, forgetting what he was going to say.
It was because…
No one had ever touched him like that.
It was intimate and ambiguous, yet also carried a hint of teasing.
Fortunately, Qi Wei only touched him once. Perhaps sensing his stiffness, he didn’t touch him again, but calmly and discreetly held his hand in his. But ultimately, it was Qi Zhao’s hand. How could Qi Zhao not notice his hand being held captive?
But if this could make Qi Wei feel better, Qi Zhao wouldn’t refuse.
He wasn’t an omega who would be sent into heat just by being touched by an alpha.
“Ah Zhao, don’t worry too much about me.”
Within a few breaths, Qi Wei had composed himself, his tone regaining its gentle warmth, reminding Qi Zhao of the spring breeze, enveloping him in comfort. But Qi Wei’s words weren’t so formal as to create distance. “Haven’t you heard the saying?”
He smiled. “Worrying about a man is like digging wild vegetables.” (Meaning it’s pointless and tiring)
Qi Zhao came back to his senses. “…”
He couldn’t help but curl his lips, his thoughts pulled away from the fleeting moment of intimacy. “Er-ge.”
He called out with a smile, but didn’t say anything more, which made Qi Wei’s heart itch even more.
He wanted to kiss those lips that called him “Er-ge.”
But Qi Wei knew he had to restrain himself.
Just smelling Qi Zhao’s scent had made him so tense that he almost called the police. If he kissed him… Qi Wei sighed inwardly.
Qi Wei could only hold his hand and continue showing Qi Zhao around the room. “This is the study. I’ll clean it up later and free it up for you. I’ll use another one.”
“Of course,” he changed his tone, “if you don’t mind, I won’t move my things and we can share it.”
Qi Wei added naturally, “I don’t have many things taking up space.”
His work mainly involved electronic devices. Compared to physical books, Qi Wei preferred e-books and audiobooks, so he didn’t have many physical books. But the study in the master bedroom did have three walls filled with bookshelves, two-thirds of which were filled with books.
Qi Zhao glanced at the books and felt that it was probably no coincidence… they were all genres he was interested in, or books he had read.
Qi Wei, holding his hand, opened a bookcase and took out a notebook. “This is the manuscript of ‘Crue,’ the only copy.”
Qi Zhao’s eyes lit up instantly. “Teacher Lu’s ‘Crue’?”
Qi Zhao loved this novel. He had reread it many times, and he had even gone to the cinema to watch the movie adaptation several times. It was just a pity that the author herself had said that in order to get it published, the content had been altered from her original draft, with several major changes.
Qi Zhao had always wanted to see what the original story was like.
Qi Wei’s lips curved upwards. “Yes.”
He said casually, “If you want, I can take you to have dinner with her next time she’s in Kyoto.”
Qi Zhao: “You’ve met Teacher Lu?”
Qi Wei loved the way Qi Zhao looked at him with bright eyes, even if it was because of someone else… he could suppress his jealousy for this moment, for Qi Zhao’s expression. “Yes, she has a lot of collaborations with the Qi family’s entertainment company. Several copyrights are under the Qi family’s name, so I met with her once and signed a long-term cooperation agreement. All the copyrights for her subsequent books are with the Qi family.”
The Qi family offered a lot of money, and Teacher Lu naturally agreed readily.
“Then… Er-ge, doesn’t that make you Teacher Lu’s boss now?”
Qi Zhao didn’t know if Qi Wei knew, but he thought Qi Wei should be aware.
This Teacher Lu was one of his favorite novelists.
Qi Wei chuckled softly. “Yes.”
He still couldn’t help but gently rub the back of Qi Zhao’s hand in his. “You’re her boss too.”
Qi Zhao paused slightly, a little uncomfortable with these words, and turned his head slightly.
But…
He was actually a little happy.
Qi Zhao was intelligent. He knew that Qi Wei being able to say such words casually meant that he truly treated him, a beta, as an equal.
