97
Qi Wei’s birthday also fell during the Spring Festival holiday.
Qi Zhao had already decided on his gift, but with Qi Wei constantly watching him, he could only temporarily set it aside and give him something else.
—He opened the box he had brought from the Qi family home.
Inside was a small, gold “art piece,” made from melting down the gold anklet he used to wear, sculpted into the shape of plum blossoms and bamboo, with a small hole for threading a cord, so it could be worn as a necklace, similar in size to a regular gold chain.
Qi Zhao had learned how to braid cords while working part-time abroad, so he braided a black cord and threaded it through the pendant, presenting it to Qi Wei. “Happy birthday.”
He had even wrapped the gift box himself using colorful paper.
Thankfully, he had saved some wrapping paper from previous gifts; otherwise, with Qi Wei constantly watching him, there would have been no surprise at all.
Qi Wei took the gift, happy to receive it. Adults didn’t usually make a fuss about birthdays, and Qi Wei had even forgotten his own. “What is it?”
He could feel a slight weight.
Qi Zhao smiled. “Open it and see.”
He added casually, “See if you can guess.”
Qi Wei opened the box and saw the gold pendant.
He paused, then almost instantly recognized it. “…The gold anklet you used to wear.”
He even knew, “You haven’t worn it since you cut it off. I thought you sold it.”
Qi Zhao looked at him and sighed softly. “Qi Wei.”
Qi Wei looked at him, puzzled, and Qi Zhao said sincerely, “You truly know too much.”
Qi Wei paused, understanding what he meant.
So he coughed slightly and changed the subject, lowering his head towards Qi Zhao. “Ah Zhao, can you put it on for me?”
He whispered, “When I was young, I always envied other children whose parents gave them pendants. I’ve never received such a gift.”
And the plum blossom and bamboo symbolized good fortune.
Qi Zhao’s heart ached. He took the pendant from Qi Wei’s hand, loosened the cord, slipped it over his head, and then tightened it.
Looking at the back of Qi Wei’s head, he thought that it wasn’t just about this gift.
Qi Wei had probably never had a proper birthday celebration.
This thought filled him with a deeper ache, making it difficult to breathe.
It wasn’t Qi Wei’s fault, yet he had to bear so much pain, suffering he shouldn’t have to endure, because of his parents’ mistakes.
Qi Zhao gently hugged Qi Wei’s head, his face against his hair. “…I’ll buy you a new one after the Spring Festival.”
Qi Wei wrapped his arms around his waist. “No need.”
He enjoyed this moment of being cared for by Qi Zhao, closing his eyes in his embrace and inhaling deeply. “I want this one.”
He said, “Ever since I knew you cut it off, I’ve always wanted it, even if it was broken.”
Although it had been melted down and reshaped, knowing it was still the same gold, Qi Wei was incredibly happy.
Qi Zhao paused, not fully understanding, but vaguely comprehending Qi Wei’s feelings.
Because it was related to him, especially since it was the anklet his maternal grandparents had given him when he was born, something that had accompanied him throughout his childhood.
Perhaps in the alpha’s eyes, having this object was like holding onto the time he hadn’t witnessed, the time Qi Zhao had spent without him.
…How strange.
But,
Qi Zhao smiled.
He thought that perhaps he was also a little… different.
Qi Wei was so obsessive, yet he found it endearing.
“As long as you like it.”
Qi Zhao loosened his embrace slightly, and when Qi Wei looked up at him, he leaned down and kissed his forehead.
He thought that Qi Wei would probably like the ring, a symbol of their future together, even more.
Qi Zhao, completely unaware that Qi Wei had already bought the rings, started thinking about what kind of ring to buy.
Qi Zhao didn’t strictly follow traditions, only visiting An Xinzhi’s grave on the last day of the Spring Festival holiday.
An Xinzhi had signed an organ donation agreement, donating everything, so her tomb was empty, just a few pieces of her clothing and personal belongings buried there.
Qi Wei went with him. Qi Zhao wasn’t superstitious; it was just a formality, so he didn’t say anything.
After lighting the incense and cleaning An Xinzhi’s tombstone, his fingertips gently traced her photo.
Qi Mu had still loved An Xinzhi very much when he arranged her burial.
Her death had been difficult for him to accept, and Qi Zhao vaguely remembered him, unshaven, carefully placing the photo on the tombstone.
Qi Zhao hadn’t been very sensible at the time, but he could still feel Qi Mu’s love for An Xinzhi.
Otherwise, a man so concerned about his image wouldn’t have become so disheveled.
So Qi Zhao couldn’t understand, if Qi Mu had loved An Xinzhi so much, how… how could he have brought Jiang Qingyue home just a year later?
So, as they left the cemetery, Qi Zhao couldn’t help but ask his alpha, “If Qi Mu loved my mother so much, how could he marry Jiang Qingyue so soon?”
What about an alpha’s supposed unwavering loyalty to their partner?
“…Ah Zhao,” Qi Wei said softly, “honestly, an alpha’s genes do make them appear incredibly loyal to their partners, but that’s only when their partner is still alive. An alpha is just a gender, not a magical spell. Just like how men and women come in all shapes and sizes, it’s just a matter of gender, you can’t judge their personality, character, or behavior based on that.”
“It’s just a stereotype, assigning labels to different genders, but actually… there have been cases of S-rank alphas falling for other omegas after their partners passed away, and vice versa.”
He wanted to tell Qi Zhao that it was because Qi Mu’s rank was low, but he didn’t want to lie, to use rank as an excuse. Especially since his Ah Zhao was so intelligent; he would definitely see through him.
Qi Zhao wouldn’t like that.
Qi Zhao, hearing his words, paused and turned to look at Qi Wei.
Qi Wei added, “But I’m different, Ah Zhao.”
He was truly afraid of being seen as the same kind of alpha as Qi Mu.
So Qi Wei tightened his grip on Qi Zhao’s hand. “The recording I gave you is still valid.”
Qi Zhao smiled. “I know.”
He could feel it.
After over a decade of watching him, Qi Wei had gone from a powerless, abandoned illegitimate child to the “Second Young Master” whose past no one dared mention. It was said that S-ranks formed their own circle, and Qi Wei, within that circle, was undoubtedly a dominant figure.
Qi Wei had reached this point; he could have easily abandoned him and found someone else, or forced him into submission, but he hadn’t.
He had cautiously, even clumsily, approached him, nervously offering his heart…
Qi Wei was different, of course.
“Let’s have some nuomici later,” Qi Zhao changed the subject as they got in the car, “the kind with rolled soybean powder.”
He used to enjoy those small, sweet treats when he was a child in the south.
Qi Wei, relieved, said, “Okay, we have the ingredients at home… What do you want for dinner?”
Qi Zhao thought for a moment. “Let’s buy some shrimp, crab, and chicken feet? I want a clay pot with shrimp, crab, and chicken feet.”
After the holiday, Qi Zhao officially started working at Qi Corp.
Unlike the dramatic clichés in novels, even though his relationship with Qi Wei was well-known, the chief secretaries and assistants at Qi Corp all acknowledged his abilities.
In fact, the assistants had been looking forward to him joining them ever since he started helping with Qi Corp’s work at the end of last year.
Qi Zhao was directly appointed as the chief assistant, in charge of both the secretarial and assistant departments, and the previous head was more than happy to hand over the reins.
When Qi Zhao and Qi Wei arrived at the company, Qi Wei squeezed his hand and let him go to meet with his team. The previously serious and formal assistant immediately dropped the act and exclaimed, “Oh my god, I’ve been waiting for you!”
Qi Zhao had been worried about replacing someone, and he had even mentioned it to Qi Wei.
At the time, Qi Wei had told him that the previous chief assistant had wanted to transfer to a branch company in the south for over a year, to get married and settle down in his hometown. But he hadn’t been able to find a suitable replacement, so he had been eagerly awaiting Qi Zhao’s arrival.
After Qi Zhao joined, he immediately transferred to that branch company as the vice president and would be promoted to president after the current president’s term ended.
Some people saw being transferred to a branch company as a demotion, but others saw it as a good opportunity.
It depended on their individual needs.
Qi Zhao knew the chief assistant’s name; he had often seen him in the news with Qi Wei.
Qi Zhao smiled. “Assistant Xia, don’t worry, I’ll complete the handover with you quickly.”
Assistant Xia’s eyes lit up. “Thank you!!!”
Assistant Xia introduced him to the members of both departments, some of whom Qi Zhao knew, some he didn’t.
Xu Chenzhou wasn’t there, and Qi Zhao could guess why.
Firstly, Xu Chenzhou was an alpha he was close to, and secondly, Xu Chenzhou was in charge of the technology division. Qi Corp’s tech company wasn’t in Kyoto, nor in this industrial park, but in a southern city, and Xu Chenzhou was probably based there.
Him picking him up before… Qi Wei must have specifically called him back for that “task.”
Assistant Xia emphasized one name. “Nan Yangsha.”
He explained, “He’s an alpha, handles external affairs, usually reports directly to Second Young Master.”
He didn’t explicitly state what kind of “external affairs,” but Qi Zhao could guess.
So Qi Zhao glanced at Nan Yangsha, and Nan Yangsha bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment.
Assistant Xia continued, “But Assistant Qi, given your relationship with Second Young Master, you can also have Nan Yangsha report directly to you, or give him instructions directly.”
Nan Yangsha nodded in agreement.
“And then there’s Xinfeng Technology, also under Qi Corp, but the connection is more discreet. They submit quarterly reports, which we just need to review and confirm. CEO Liu will contact Second Young Master directly if there’s anything important.”
Qi Zhao nodded. “Okay.”
Qi Wei’s secretarial and assistant departments were large, and so was their office area, so Qi Zhao spent most of the morning getting to know the people and the layout.
Different areas had different responsibilities and tasks.
Naturally.
The salaries of Qi Wei’s secretaries and assistants were incredibly high.
After all, they were the ones running the company when Qi Wei couldn’t work during his ruts, and they had never made a mistake in all these years.
During the lunch break, Qi Zhao naturally went to find Qi Wei for lunch.
His employee ID card was different; it gave him access to the CEO’s private elevator, so he went down directly, so Qi Wei wouldn’t have to wait too long.
On his way, Qi Zhao checked his phone and saw—
[Qi Mao has filed for bankruptcy liquidation. What will become of the A-rank young master Qi?]
