Xie Jun, standing to the side, didn’t understand what was going on and his expression was just as unnatural.
Xie Wangyuan had been abroad for six years, while Qin Yu had only appeared publicly in C City for four. The two of them shouldn’t know each other at all. The single “I’ve long admired you” only made people think of the incident Xie Wangyuan caused not long ago, making the situation even more intriguing.
Xie Wangyuan was certain that before he returned to the country, he had never seen Qin Yu’s face in his memory. So… what exactly was Qin Yu reacting to now?
Lowering his eyes, Xie Wangyuan glanced at the hand extended toward him, the plain silver band around Qin Yu’s index finger reflecting the light of the chandelier overhead.
Xie Wangyuan licked his lips, shoved both hands into his pockets and finally spoke. “You’ve long admired… what name of mine?”
His tone was deliberately shameless and the way he refused the handshake was rude enough. Qin Yu withdrew the right hand that had been ignored for far too long and said softly, “Second Young Master Xie truly is… quite the character.”
Xie Wangyuan smiled as well but it was a flippant, teasing smile. “Oh, not at all. Third Young Master Qin is pretty striking too. Especially, ”
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Fixing his eyes on the beauty mark beneath Qin Yu’s eye, he tilted his head slightly and murmured, lips curved, “Especially this mole. I like it a lot. Whenever you have time, why don’t we meet next time at Spring Creek Breeze?”
Every word came out stretched and languid, making him look exactly like some rogue harassing an innocent man.
Childhood song melodies continued to drift from the violin in the banquet hall. Though no one else stood near them except Xie Jun, the entire hall had already turned all its attention their way.
One was a notorious playboy who adored betas, ten a night, if the rumors were to be believed. The other was the Qin family’s heir, a beta with methods so ruthless he didn’t seem like one at all. Tall silhouettes, one dressed in white, the other in black, stood toe to toe, sharp as blades. No one could look away, eager to know what would happen next.
Qin Yu’s eyes suddenly darkened.
Watching him closely, Xie Wangyuan caught the shift instantly. He chuckled quietly and stepped back, sounding almost innocent. “Seems Third Young Master Qin misunderstood. I meant your business… private… box.”
Qin Yu’s gaze did not ease. Xie Wangyuan was about to continue when Xie Jun cut him off with a stern, “Wangyuan.”
Xie Jun turned to Qin Yu, his smile as composed as always.
Although he’d been interrupted, Xie Wangyuan wasn’t irritated. His gaze still traveled up and down Qin Yu, as though appraising a desirable product, even looking like he might whistle like some street punk admiring a pretty man.
Not far away, Ren Ke set down her champagne flute on the long table, took out her phone and started typing at lightning speed.
[Scholar Ke]: Bro, that man has finally made his move. [lighting cigarette.gif]
[Scholar Ke]: In broad daylight, under the eyes of the masses, beneath heaven’s watch… honestly…
I Drank, Do As You Please: I knew it! I knew Bro Yuan would never listen to me!
I Drank, Do As You Please: What did he do???
I Drank, Do As You Please: Don’t tell me he dragged Qin Yu straight upstairs to a little dark room to do the unspeakable?! Not in front of the whole banquet hall?!
[Scholar Ke]: No, no such thing.
[Scholar Ke]: All I can say is: the winds rise, the waters surge, neither side yields, strong meets strong and as for who tops and who bottoms…
I Drank, Do As You Please: Hold on, sis, sis, SIS!
I Drank, Do As You Please: I know you love gossip but this is too much. Bro Yuan is an Alpha, obviously he’s the one on top!
[Scholar Ke]: Heh. Kid, you’re still too young. You’ve seen too little.
[Scholar Ke]: [lighting cigarette.gif]
I Drank, Do As You Please: Even if I’m young, I still know there’s no way a beta can overpower an Alpha!
I Drank, Do As You Please: Wait, no, why am I letting you drag me into this?!
I Drank, Do As You Please: Bro Yuan doesn’t even like those betas. He just plays around, that’s all.
[Scholar Ke]: Oh? Really. Then he likes omegas?
I Drank, Do As You Please: He doesn’t like omegas either, he can’t even stand their pheromones.
[Scholar Ke]: Then how do you know he doesn’t like betas?
I Drank, Do As You Please: Sis, I’ve achieved enlightenment.
I Drank, Do As You Please: Bro Yuan… actually likes Alphas!
[Scholar Ke]: 🙂
[Scholar Ke]: Ren Yi, you’re not a white-cut chicken. You’re a cow.
As for the rest of the birthday banquet, no one really cared anymore. Who could bother paying attention to the birthday star’s cello solo, the gift presentation from the children or the towering birthday cake? None of that was nearly as exciting as watching the drama unfold.
Everyone in the hall had turned into human camcorders, heads swiveling from one side of the hall to the other, eyes burning with gossip and anticipation.
Damn it, why wasn’t Second Young Master Xie moving anymore?!
Xie Jun had dragged Xie Wangyuan to a corner sofa and ordered him to stay put and not move another step.
Having woken from his hangover with only a glass of cold water, Xie Wangyuan’s stomach still hurt badly and of all places, Xie Jun had brought him to the dessert area. Everything around him was cakes and pastries that made him nauseous just looking at them and not a single proper bite of real food.
Stomach empty, he reached out and pulled the entire dessert stand toward himself, using a fork to pick out the fruit.
He knew perfectly well the whole hall was watching him but Xie Wangyuan was thick-skinned. Even being stared at from all directions didn’t bother him; he kept poking through the dessert tray, then, feeling hot, shrugged off his jacket. His shirt, which only had a few buttons done to begin with, lost another as he unfastened one more.
Glancing at Xie Jun, who stood not far away, still talking and laughing calmly with others as though nothing had happened, Xie Wangyuan couldn’t help thinking that Xie Jun truly deserved his reputation. Even in this situation, he remained composed, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Why couldn’t Xie Tiancheng’s younger son have inherited this level of emotional control?
Unable to figure it out, Xie Wangyuan twirled a cherry stem between his fingers twice, tossed it into his mouth to chew and then looked around the hall for that tall, striking silhouette.
His height and presence made him stand out, so he was easy to spot.
Spitting the cherry pit onto the table, Xie Wangyuan’s gaze followed Qin Yu’s movements closely.
Over the years, he’d seen and briefly interacted with countless betas, far too many to remember. Qin Yu’s looks were undeniably his type and he had indeed been curious about Qin Yu because of the rumors.
He couldn’t have been mistaken earlier. This beta truly had some inexplicable, undefinable emotion toward him.
Xie Wangyuan wanted to know why and… he recalled again the look that had flashed in Qin Yu’s eyes.
He had to admit, just like his face, that gaze was extremely striking as well.
Because it was a child’s birthday banquet, the event ended early. Qin Yu ignored Wang Changlu, who had been standing by the door to send the guests off, ignored the mocking look in Qin Jingzhuo’s eyes and ignored the countless inquisitive gazes behind him. Without hesitation, he strode straight to the car.
He Rui, sitting in the passenger seat and playing on his phone, jumped at the sound of the door slamming. “M–Mr. Qin?”
Qin Yu closed his eyes briefly, then looked out at the clusters of guests leaving the Wang residence in twos and threes. “Go to Hongjing Garden.”
“Mr. Qin, Chairman Qin said you were to return to.. ”
“I’ll call him after I get home. Drive to Hongjing Garden.”
It had been six years. Qin Yu had thought he would never again experience such sudden, obvious emotional fluctuations.
The car passed beneath the dimming courtyard lights. On the window’s reflection, Qin Yu saw his own face flicker sharply into clarity, then fade back into the dark, along with the tear mole beneath his eye.
He shut his eyes once more. His right thumb pressed hard against the wide band on his index finger, the knuckle whitening.
Xie Wangyuan didn’t remember him. Qin Yu had realized this that night long ago and he had never expected otherwise.
It wasn’t the first time someone had “complimented” the tear mole beneath his eye but Qin Yu had never imagined that the one doing it now would be him, would be Xie Wangyuan.
And he had never imagined that the current Xie Wangyuan would truly be exactly like this.
Exactly like he was in that entertainment-news video.
He could get a beta to undress in front of him with such ease, stare openly at every bare body presented to him, keep multiple betas to accompany him through the night and still have the audacity to flirt with him publicly during tonight’s banquet as though no one else existed.
Promiscuous and careless.
Qin Yu turned his head. “He Rui, investigate someone for me.”
“Xie Wangyuan.” The streetlights outside cast shifting shadows across Qin Yu’s side profile, making it unreadable. “Everything from the moment he went abroad until now.”
He Rui caught a glimpse of Qin Yu’s expression through the rearview mirror and immediately looked away. “Yes, Mr. Qin.”
He Rui had seen the man in that viral video not long ago. He inwardly muttered that there was nothing worth investigating about that alpha, that any investigation would just reveal a pile of dirty, scandalous affairs.
Unless… He Rui suddenly trembled. Has his boss caught that alpha’s attention? Has something already happened? Had he been forced into-?!
He Rui cautiously lifted his eyes again, trying to observe Qin Yu, who had already switched on the reading light and begun working through documents with calm focus.
But Qin Yu looked exactly the same as he did during normal business, composed and immersed. He Rui couldn’t see anything at all.
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator humbly requests tribute in coffee form. (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · A Beta who looks particularly attractiveChapter 2 · Illegitimate child? BetaChapter 3 · Am I going to kick a hornet’s nest?Chapter 4 · A banquet that only Betas can attendChapter 5 · The young man’s heart was wastedChapter 6 · What’s so fun about Beta?Chapter 7 · Your dad has too many loversChapter 8 · Date with a ‘beautyChapter 9 · Long Time no see…Chapter 10 · He’ll definitely be the dominant oneChapter 11 · Seeing Qin Yu was like a dog seeing a bone.Chapter 12 · Young Master Qin, what a coincidenceChapter 13 · I don’t like things that other people have touched.Chapter 14 · Just call him “little brother”Chapter 15 · Are you going to pursue Xiao Mei O?Chapter 16 · The dead are deadChapter 17 · Qin Yu, aren’t you going to take responsibility?Chapter 18 · Xie Wangyuan and his dog are not allowed insideChapter 19 · Got into his carChapter 20 · He really gave me a hard timeChapter 21 · You actually Like that beta?Chapter 22 · Like an Alpha catching his wife cheatingChapter 23 · How do you want me to repay you?Chapter 24 · An Alpha without pheromonesChapter 25 · I’m determined to get my hands on Qin YuChapter 26 · Whatever service you needChapter 27 · Honey, shall I put it on for you?Chapter 28 · Mr. Qin has a rather unique aesthetic senseChapter 29 · Who says Qin Yu is hard to deal with?Chapter 30 · Please teach me, Teacher QinChapter 31 · These are all he can lose.Chapter 32 · I’m looking for someone who has “disappeared”.Chapter 33 · A new meaning in his lifeChapter 34 · Your birthday is in a few days, right?Chapter 35 · Just the two of us.Chapter 36 · It was like Qin Yu’s O-selection banquetChapter 37 · He saw himself clearly in his eyesChapter 38 · Do those Betas really make you this comfortable?Chapter 39 · Qin Yu, you just wait.Chapter 40 · I’m to blame for stealing tonight’s main characterChapter 41 · If you have only one piece of clothing left, you winChapter 42 · I admit defeatChapter 43 · He is my lover!Chapter 44 · What kind of cult is Yuyuan?Chapter 45 · There are no other BetasChapter 46 · Go to bedChapter 47 · Susceptible periodChapter 48 · Qin Yu, are you a damn dog?!Chapter 49 · It would be best to lock us up completelyChapter 50 · I’ll give you five million, leave my sonChapter 51 · Other Alphas smell awfulChapter 52 · He can’t possibly be like those stupid Alpha dogsChapter 53 · Only youChapter 54 · Go ahead and say what you just said again if you dareChapter 55 · I thought you were going to meet someone at night.Chapter 56 · Swallow it.Chapter 57 · Service fee for the second young masterChapter 58 · He touched it himself and showed it to meChapter 59 · To make an Alpha no longer need an OmegaChapter 60 · They’re kindly taking me in?Chapter 61 · Qin Yu is different.Chapter 62 · HelpChapter 63 · At times like this and that with Qin Yu.Chapter 64 · We will never abandon themChapter 65 · My wife’s surname is QinChapter 66 · Two numbersChapter 67 · Qin Yu and dogs are not allowed insideChapter 68 · Eat a lotChapter 69 · It’s a must-eatChapter 70 · Batian misses youChapter 71 · Earn money to support your wife.Chapter 72 · I hug you like a crossChapter 73 · Use these to exchange for a wish.Chapter 74 · Extra 1Chapter 75 · Extra 2Chapter 76 · Extra 3Chapter 77 · Extra 4Chapter 78 · Extra 5Chapter 79 · Extra 6Chapter 80 · Extra 7Chapter 81 · Extra 8Chapter 82 · Extra 9Chapter 83 · Extra 10Chapter 84 · Extra 11Chapter 85 · Extra 12