The next morning, Chu Yanyi got up early for a swim. By the time he climbed out of the warm water, Chu Yanqi’s call had already come through aggressively.
Draping a bath towel around himself, he calculated the time difference on Chu Yanqi’s end and merely chuckled: “It was just an accidental kiss while drunk. Do you still remember who you kissed the last time you got drunk after a breakup? You even kissed Chen Ke.”
Before his words landed, a sharp explosion of screaming erupted from the other side, followed immediately by the sound of a heavy object hitting the floor. Chu Yanqi’s muffled voice came through: “Stop reminding me about kissing an Omega! I finally managed to mostly forget about it!”
“Let’s leave it at that for now. After you return in a few days, head over to the company first and wrap up the matters from before you left for the Federation. Everyone is there.”
Chu Yanqi uttered a confused “Huh?”: “What is going on with you? Still not coming back? Taking such a long rest? This really doesn’t sound like you. Or have those shareholders stopped hounding you like debt collectors?”
“As a worker, I have the right to enjoy my vacation.” Unhurriedly drying his hair, Chu Yanyi lowered his head, staring at the scars left on his leg after several surgeries; it was hard to imagine how gruesome and terrifying they had been when he was first injured.
Being in a constant, warm temperature for an extended period made him almost forget the pain above, and the wounds appeared completely healed.
Having brushed off Chu Yanqi, Chu Yanyi tossed the communicator onto a nearby lounger and limped with bare feet out of the top-floor swimming pool.
The previous owner was an elegant individual who had hired several designers to spend years constructing an Imperial royal-style manor in this quiet location, taking considerable time to renovate various garden landscapes.
Now that the accumulated snow had melted, looking out at the continuous mountain ranges accented by clusters of newly bloomed flowers nearby, Chu Yanyi managed to appreciate the scenery’s subtle charm.
Taking a quick shower, Chu Yanyi changed clothes and walked out leaning on his cane to eat breakfast, his hair still half-damp.
Zhou Yi seemed to have just arrived as well, pacing near the doorway without entering. The several servants had their own tasks at hand and didn’t pay him any mind.
“Good morning, Zhou Yi,” Chu Yanyi uttered a soft greeting, letting out a rather unrefined yawn.
Zhou Yi’s footsteps paused briefly. Dropping his eyes, he leaned closer to the wall and bowed slightly toward Chu Yanyi, yielding the pathway.
It was as if the person Chu Yanyi saw last night had been a mere fleeting phantom—that high-spirited Zhou Yi, that Zhou Yi who commanded the situation, that… Zhou Yi who had asked him for a kiss under the streetlights.
Chu Yanyi let out a soft sigh: “Go inside. What are you standing out here for?”
Once he was mostly finished eating, Chu Yanyi looked over at Housekeeper Mo, who had been waiting on the side the whole time. Offerting an apology, Housekeeper Mo began reporting on a new round of personnel transfers and minor trivial matters, while Chu Yanyi gave silent nods to acknowledge them.
“In the future, just handle these minor matters as you see fit. No need to wait for my decision on everything.”
Housekeeper Mo stared at the floor with a touch of panic: “How could that be allowed…”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Chu Yanyi waved his hand. “Go attend to your work, and find someone to assist you later.”
The person across the dining table ate quietly, not daring to raise his head, seeming to have zero recollection of his bold action from last night.
Setting down his coffee, Chu Yanyi observed him attentively for a moment, before shifting his gaze with a soft laugh and opening the virtual screen.
Jin Du and his team had already investigated the background of everyone in the manor during this period. Everything was neatly arranged into categories by position and surname, naturally including Zhou Yi, who had been working in the kitchen.
“…Affected by previous trauma, resulting in poor interpersonal communication… slow response… high degree of danger…” Chu Yanyi closed the file after taking a quick glance.
“Remember to come over on time this afternoon,” Chu Yanyi offered his usual reminder after finishing his meal.
With a sharp screech of the chair legs dragging across the marble floor, Zhou Yi scrambled to his feet. The tableware on the table clattered noisily, nearly knocked over by his movement.
“What’s wrong?” Chu Yanyi raised an eyebrow.
Zhou Yi raised his hand, lowered it slowly, and finally pointed at Chu Yanyi’s hair, which was still not completely dry.
“It’s fine, I’m not going out right now anyway; it’ll dry in a bit.” Chu Yanyi looked at Zhou Yi composedly, entirely at ease. “Weren’t you doing quite well last night? Don’t go around imitating Chen Ke, always making fuss over nothing.”
The early morning sunlight floated gently. Raising his head, a momentary glint flashed in Zhou Yi’s eyes, which Chu Yanyi seemed to notice, yet also seemed to ignore.
By noon, that sunlight grew increasingly harsh. Reclining on the lounger without eating lunch, Chu Yanyi reviewed the investigation results Chen Ke had brought back last night over a cup of coffee.
It was largely aligned with his expectations: the person who forged and modified the documents was indeed in the manor. Chu Yanyi had only brought the relevant documents to the manor back then, yet there was no way to narrow down the scope any further. Everyone who should be dismissed had been dismissed, leaving the remaining screening process to Jin Du’s side.
Chu Yanyi let out a smile of unreadable intent.
Some attributed Chu Yanyi’s success to choosing to develop the Third District—a desolate and battered region. From the very beginning, he held zero aversion toward navigating grey zones, even leveraging the orphanage director’s connections to operate seamlessly across the black markets of Desert Planet θ and Desert Planet γ.
He didn’t care about bowing low before prominent figures, nor did he mind the degree of risk underlying transactions. Having had a gun held to his head and money thrown in his face, every return he earned was clearly price-tagged. The first two years were the hardest to endure, yet he ultimately established a firm foothold in the murky, chaotic melting pot of Desert Planet θ.
After maintaining operations for so many years, aside from Ying Yu, very few people had been bold enough to plant a mole right by his side.
He understood the value of every single person he had ever dealt with—except Ying Yu.
Ying Yu’s extreme mystery was one aspect; on the other hand, Ying Yu was a complete and utter lunatic who acted entirely as he pleased.
Could it really be Ying Yu again this time? Chu Yanyi pondered absentmindedly, turning the hourglass on the table over.
He amused himself with his own absurd thought. As his laughter faded, he raised his head and caught sight of the Alpha who had just entered the room, causing his smile to brighten even further.
Zhou Yi wore a somewhat unnatural expression, practically shuffling his way up to Chu Yanyi before lowering his head to await Chu Yanyi’s instructions.
Closing the screen, Chu Yanyi pulled out a file from the binder on his desk. Before he could speak, the stack of documents piled high like a mountain cascaded down all at once like a waterfall.
Accompanied by a few dull thuds, several unclipped binders scattered various sheets of paper of different sizes and ages across the floor—a few pages of acquisition contracts, receipts of various colors, and internal reports. They bloomed messily across the carpet like fresh buds, though they were far from pretty.
It even knocked over the hourglass on the desk along the way.
Zhou Yi froze, but immediately bent down and dropped to his knees, picking up the scattered papers near Chu Yanyi’s feet.
“Chen Ke, that guy… never remembers to pack files properly. I should just push for a paperless system from now on.” Chu Yanyi shook his head, rising leaning on his cane, and extended a hand toward Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi kept his head lowered, clumsily stacking the binders and papers with his left hand, and obediently presented them into Chu Yanyi’s grip. Chu Yanyi’s hand remained suspended in the air without moving, and Zhou Yi didn’t dare move either—not even daring to raise his head, his left hand holding the documents trembling slightly.
Seeing him look somewhat pitiful, Chu Yanyi found it amusing. Taking the documents, he extended his hand once more: “I was telling you to stand up. I told you not to be so restrained in front of me; it’s not as if I can do anything to you.”
Feeling somewhat flattered by the unexpected favor, Zhou Yi loosely held Chu Yanyi’s right hand. Once standing, his eyes had no idea where to look.
“Why are you acting so strange today?” Chu Yanyi asked despite knowing the answer. “Sobered up? Regretting it?”
The expression on Zhou Yi’s face froze for a second. He parted his lips, unable to utter a single word.
As their eyes met, Chu Yanyi caught something flitting wildly through the depths of his gaze. Curving his lips slowly, his fingers slid up Zhou Yi’s arm to rest upon his shoulder.
“Rest assured, the car keys are kept for you. It’s not strange for a drunk person to do anything; besides, I was drunk too.”
Silence enveloped the study. Zhou Yi’s lips trembled as he tried his best to squeeze a single word from his throat. Chu Yanyi placed his index finger between their lips in a quiet gesture.
“I’ll tell you some good news: Doctor Chen—the doctor you bit before—said he found a way to treat your throat. Once he returns, cooperate with him properly and don’t go biting people again.”
Zhou Yi showed no joy on his face. It took a long time for his rapid breathing to settle, after which he gave a light nod.
Mr. Chu had his reasons for everything he did; it was already wonderful enough that he didn’t hold last night’s foolish action against him.
He tried hard to comfort himself in his heart, yet another voice whispered beside his ear: “Chu Yanyi is lying to you. He is an A-grade Alpha; he doesn’t get drunk so easily.”
“In that case, help me organize these files first? You know how to categorize them, right?”
Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“You do know. Don’t forget you were able to read that transfer agreement last night—you’ve merely forgotten temporarily. It’s fine, I’ll teach you again.” Chu Yanyi stood behind Zhou Yi, leaning down to wrap both arms around him as he opened the binder.
The fine sand inside the hourglass fell bit by bit. Zhou Yi seemed to learn how to distinguish various receipts and contracts very quickly; though still unpracticed, he made no mistakes.
Standing behind him in a commanding posture, Chu Yanyi stared at that fluffy head. He suddenly reached out, sliding his hand slowly down the back of Zhou Yi’s head into his collar, brushing past the uneven brand, and coming to rest upon the location of the Alpha gland, kneading it with great interest.
“Isn’t this very well done?”
Even for a Beta with a degraded gland, this sensitive area was not something others could touch freely. For an Omega, such an action was no different from a sexual advance, while for an Alpha, it was a downright provocation.
Zhou Yi’s body turned rigid for a moment due to Chu Yanyi’s abrupt action, but quickly relaxed again. He continued doing his task attentively, merely dropping his head even lower, leaving his gland completely exposed to Chu Yanyi’s view.
Chu Yanyi felt his cold fingers gradually absorb Zhou Yi’s body temperature. Withdrawing his hand, he sniffed his fingers; there was no scent of Alpha pheromones, only a rich smell of medicine—likely the medicinal patch Zhou Yi had applied.
A while ago, he had casually mentioned that the smell of medicine on Zhou Yi was heavy, and Zhou Yi had never worn bandages again when coming to see him after that.
“Strange, I clearly smelled your pheromones last night.” Chu Yanyi let out a soft laugh. “Looks like I really drank quite a bit last night.”
He sat back behind the large desk, a position where Zhou Yi couldn’t see the expression on his face clearly.
His gaze rested intently on Zhou Yi—or rather, on the documents in Zhou Yi’s hands—yet his spoken words carried meticulous care: “Go over to Doctor Wu’s place for another checkup when you have time. How come there hasn’t been a shred of progress after so long?”
Zhou Yi’s fingers quivered. He didn’t know if Chu Yanyi had discovered that he intentionally refrained from taking the gland recovery medication. He harbored a faint, ominous foreboding: if his gland truly recovered, he would lose everything he currently possessed.