Shao Yiqing answered officially, “Whenever you wish. Whenever you want to come, you’re always welcome here, provided President Yi doesn’t find it a bore.”
“Xiangjiang is far too pleasant for living. I’ve half a mind to settle down here,” Yi Tao shook his head. “Still, home is hard to leave behind. A foreign city is always just a foreign city; it never matches the air of one’s hometown.”
Shao Yiqing let out a light laugh.
Yi Tao looked over. “I’m actually quite curious: why did President Shao leave the capital to come all the way down here? No matter how nice Xiangjiang is, it certainly can’t compare to President Shao’s hometown.”
His eyes carried a hint of suggestion, eager to dig deeper into things. Shao Yiqing caught every single signal, as if he had made some unfathomable choice.
“Good or bad comes down to experience,” Shao Yiqing replied. “Which city is better or worse, which city carries more of a hometown vibe? I have a relatively strong adaptability, so I don’t care about such things. To me, they’re all the same. With modern development, major cities are largely similar and equally convenient to live in. You ask why I chose this place?”
Shao Yiqing spread his hands and looked around. “It’s far from the capital, and I’m somewhat rebellious.”
Yi Tao had expected to hear some earth-shattering reasoning, never imagining Shao Yiqing would be so playful. Stunned for a moment, he burst into laughter. Both of them found the explanation both brilliant and absurd. Yi Tao chuckled, “Very well, very well.”
The car pulled up right in front of Yi Tao.
Shao Yiqing played the gracious host, attempting to persuade him to stay. “Leaving so soon? President Yi went through all the trouble of coming here. Care to stay a bit longer and look around?”
“Enough,” Yi Tao said. “I’ve already fully experienced the charm of this city. I am content.”
As he spoke those words, his eyes locked straight onto Shao Yiqing.
A moment later, Yi Tao added, “I sincerely invite President Shao to visit Bali someday. It’s romantic and breathtaking, very popular among young people. President Shao is still young; you should get out more and experience things. Haiyue will provide full-scale accommodations for President Shao.”
Shao Yiqing accepted the sentiment gracefully. “Then let me thank you in advance for your hospitality.”
Yi Tao smiled. “Alright, let’s call it a day. Until we meet again.”
Shao Yiqing raised a hand. “Xiao Deng, see President Yi off.”
Deng Su nodded, bowing his head slightly. “This way, President Yi.”
Shao Yiqing stood in place, watching Yi Tao descend the steps and head toward the car. Only after Yi Tao was safely seated inside did the curve of Shao Yiqing’s lips fade.
Deng Su watched the car drive away. When he returned and saw Shao Yiqing still gazing into the distance, he sighed, “Finally got that big Buddha sent off.”
Shao Yiqing turned back around and walked into the company.
Deng Su trailed right behind him.
Yi Tao had left, but the gifts he sent still needed to be unpacked. Too lazy to bother with them himself, Shao Yiqing instructed Deng Su to open the boxes and see what was inside.
Deng Su was more than happy to do such chores, quite curious about the ulterior motives behind the gifts from an old fox like Yi Tao. Guessing what lay inside the exquisite boxes was impossible, so Deng Su simply tore open the packaging. Peering into one of the boxes, he pulled out the contents and gasped, “It’s liquor.”
Sending gifts of farewell usually carried a risk of misstepping, but alcohol was a safe bet.
Yi Tao clearly knew the rules of gifting; that tie had been purely intentional.
Shao Yiqing was sipping his coffee when he heard the exclamation. Setting his cup down, he walked over, took the bottle from Deng Su’s hands, inspected it from various angles, and declared, “Fine wine. Put it back, and we’ll use it as a gift for someone else tomorrow.”
Deng Su noted, “The packaging looks expensive, President Shao. Maybe we should keep it for ourselves.”
Lustful as Yi Tao might be, he certainly didn’t skimp on this front; his generosity was absolute. Deng Su had seen plenty of fine things following Shao Yiqing, but the bottles Yi Tao sent held an extremely high status in the wine world, and considering their vintage, they were exceedingly rare.
He tried to persuade Shao Yiqing to keep them.
Yet Shao Yiqing didn’t waver in the slightest. “Anything that can be bought with worldly possessions isn’t truly precious. Good things should be left for people who know how to cherish them.”
Deng Su could only pack the items away again.
The person Shao Yiqing intended to gift them to was none other than Dudezhong.
The next day, he came to visit Dudezhong. This time, Deng Su tagged along, bringing all the items Yi Tao had gifted as presents for Dudezhong.
Feeling embarrassed because of the blunder he pulled last time, Dudezhong tried to talk Shao Yiqing into taking the gifts back. But Shao Yiqing insisted, “You reported Sheng Tingzhou’s whereabouts to me, and I successfully met him. Though the outcome wasn’t ideal, you did everything you were supposed to. As for any mishaps, I don’t mind them. Are you starting to fuss over trifles, Uncle Du? Or are you a perfectionist now?”
Dudezhong’s old face flushed red. “You come to me for a favor once in a blue moon, and I couldn’t even help you properly. How can I possibly have the face to accept your things? Take them back, take them back.”
“Plans change faster than execution, isn’t that normal?” Shao Yiqing said. “Who has the ability to pin Sheng Tingzhou down and wait for me to arrive? As long as the result wasn’t ruined, I got to see the person, so as far as I’m concerned, this matter is a success.”
Dudezhong had a cigarette pinched between his fingers, but arguing logic with Shao Yiqing was a losing battle, so he could only watch as the young assistant placed the gifts on his store counter.
Dudezhong took a deep breath. “Fine. But I have to make one thing clear to you: I honestly had no idea when Sheng Tingzhou stepped out. It was just the span of a single cup of tea, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. You don’t know how panicked I was back then, thinking to myself, Oh crap, I hope he didn’t leave, otherwise our whole hustle today was a waste of time. Who would’ve thought that the moment you walked out the door, you’d manage to strike up a conversation with him? You’ve really got skills.”
Remembering his encounter with Sheng Tingzhou, Shao Yiqing figured Dudezhong probably wouldn’t believe the truth anyway. He hadn’t exerted a single ounce of effort; Sheng Tingzhou had been the one to initiate the conversation with him.
“You have no idea, Yiqing,” Dudezhong leaned against the sofa with a solemn expression. “Sheng Tingzhou is not someone to mess with. Among all the high-ranking executives in the group holding real power, who dares utter a single breath in front of him? When Sheng Tingzhou says one, nobody dares say two. Was all that momentum built up by Sheng Hang? Bullshit. Just look at everything Sheng Tingzhou has done since returning: restructuring the board, cracking down on Ruirui, seizing equity, purging positions. To put it bluntly, he’s executing a clearing of the court. What is he doing? Gathering all absolute authority into his own hands, giving zero face to those old corporate foxes. Truly ruthless, not something a normal person would do.”
Hearing this for the first time, Shao Yiqing looked intrigued. “Is that so?”
Dudezhong said excitedly, “Indeed! Nobody knows what the Sheng family is up to, but based just on those few moves by Sheng Tingzhou, it’s obviously no small matter. Anyway, the Sheng Group was walking on eggshells for a while; everyone felt their lives were in danger, and nobody’s job was guaranteed. Face? There’s no such thing as face when Sheng Tingzhou refuses to grant it. He truly doesn’t give a damn.”
Even someone like Dudezhong, who had nothing to do with the Sheng Group, felt a cold sweat for those people. “I don’t know whether his antics are a blessing or a curse, but either way, it’s none of our business and won’t harm us. I originally intended to advise you to buddy up with the Sheng family for the sake of your enterprise’s future development, but after dining with Sheng Tingzhou last time, I decided to forget it and avoid provoking him. This kid is even more vicious than his old man. Befriending him might be fine, but crossing him? You’re done for. Just look at what he did to Xu Daoquan’s family.”
Dudezhong shuddered at the thought. In fact, he hadn’t told Shao Yiqing that during the dinner table incident, he had a fleeting second of regret. Fearing he might offend Sheng Tingzhou, he had wanted to terminate his deal with Shao Yiqing, but things were already too far along for him to turn back.
Mentioning this, Shao Yiqing asked out of curiosity, “I heard from Xu Mingfu that the reason Sheng Tingzhou targeted Ruirui was because the two families had bad blood?”
“That’s no secret. They’ve been competitors for years. Bound to rack up some bad blood, no?”
“No,” Shao Yiqing said. “I’m talking about personal grievances. Did Xu Daoquan target Sheng Tingzhou’s father?”
“Sheng Hang didn’t… oh,” Dudezhong realized. “You’re talking about his early-deceased Omega father?”
Shao Yiqing nodded.
Dudezhong looked perplexed. “I’ve caught wind of that too, but it was never confirmed, so I don’t know if it’s true. Word is that Sheng Hang’s Omega died because of the Xu family. They allegedly bribed the surgeon or something when he was giving birth to the second Sheng child, and he hemorrhaged to death. It’s a pretty wild rumor.”
Then, changing the subject, Dudezhong suggested, “Aren’t you pretty close with Xu Daoquan’s son? Why don’t you ask him?”
“He’s living in a haze himself; how could he possibly give me an answer?” Thinking of Xu Mingfu’s naive statements, Shao Yiqing knew he was raised inside a glass bubble.
Dudezhong caught on immediately. Having met Xu Mingfu, everyone knew he was a pampered darling raised in a honey jar.
With the Xu grandparents doting on him so heavily, information blocking in certain aspects was inevitable.
Click.
The bedroom door clicked open.
A male Omega dressed in loungewear stepped out wearing slippers, holding a baby in his arms. Glancing toward the living room, he said, “It’s too stuffy in the room, so I came out to sit for a bit. Am I interrupting?”
Shao Yiqing smiled. “Of course not.”
As the male Omega emerged, Dudezhong stood up immediately, walked over, and took the baby into his arms, asking solicitously, “Your complexion looks so poor. Didn’t you sleep well?”
“He kept fussing. So annoying,” the male Omega whined playfully.
Dudezhong affectionately ruffled his hair.
This wasn’t his first Omega partner.
Dudezhong’s eldest son, Du Zhuocheng, was nearly thirty years old, and the male Omega in front of him certainly couldn’t have given birth to a child that old. Dudezhong and his first wife had separated before divorcing. Rumors had it that Dudezhong was already hooking up with this male Omega while still legally married, and they remarried less than half a year after his divorce was finalized.
The age gap between him and his current partner was over a dozen years.
Dudezhong’s Omega, Xie Zhu, was the same age as Shao Yiqing. Shao Yiqing had given monetary gifts when the two got married, and though their paths hadn’t crossed much since, Xie Zhu retained a vivid memory of Shao Yiqing. Nobody could forget a face like that in a short span of time, especially since Shao Yiqing defied the common stereotype of Omegas. He possessed a capability Xie Zhu could only envy. Looking toward Shao Yiqing, Xie Zhu’s eyes lit up.
“Are you guys talking about the Sheng family?” Xie Zhu asked.
Shao Yiqing made no attempt to hide it. “Interested?”
Xie Zhu patted the baby’s back. “I wouldn’t call it interested. I’m just someone who rarely steps out, but I’ve been hearing rumors outside lately. Sheng Tingzhou is back, right?”
Holding the baby, Dudezhong asked, “Judging by that tone, do you know him too?”
Xie Zhu replied, “I don’t know him personally, but an old classmate of mine does. She was head over heels for him, and ended up being abandoned and cast aside by Sheng Tingzhou.”
Dudezhong frowned. “For real?”
Seeing his husband’s skepticism, Xie Zhu smiled. “Of course. That classmate of mine got pregnant with Sheng Tingzhou’s child, but Sheng Tingzhou refused to acknowledge it. Distraught, she jumped into the river while pregnant. Though she was rescued, the word got out. Of course, people didn’t dare spread it around wildly; only a few of us old classmates know about it.”
Shao Yiqing leaned against the sofa, idly wrapping a finger around his own hand. “Is that so?”
Xie Zhu nodded with certainty. “I don’t know if it’s true or false. A friend of mine told me. Crucially, I’ve never even met Sheng Tingzhou myself, so who knows what kind of person he is or if he’d really do something like that.”
Mindful of something, Dudezhong pressed further, “You’ve never mentioned this to me before. What’s your friend’s background? Could she even reach Sheng Tingzhou’s level?”
“Don’t underestimate people. She was very pretty,” Xie Zhu said. “Naturally not comparable to Yiqing here, but capturing someone’s lasting attention was well within her ability.”
Dudezhong cautioned Shao Yiqing, “Don’t listen to him. He’s too bored stuck at home and loves listening to rumors.”
Shao Yiqing spread his hands. “It’s fine. Gossiping is human nature. I like it too.”
Dudezhong smiled, then admonished his Omega: “Don’t go repeating this outside. Not a single word of it.”
Knowing what his husband was wary of, Xie Zhu promised he had discretion.
Shao Yiqing straightened up and extended a finger toward the baby in Dudezhong’s arms. The infant turned its head, reached out with a tiny hand, and grabbed Shao Yiqing’s finger. Seeing this, Dudezhong and the others all smiled, and Deng Su chimed in from the side, “The little one really likes President Shao.”
Shao Yiqing was amused as well. “Let me hold him.”
Dudezhong handed the baby over. With gentle care, Shao Yiqing settled the infant, dressed in split-crotch pants and a diaper, onto his lap. The little baby looked around. At an age prone to stranger anxiety, it didn’t cry at all, instead leaning dependably right against Shao Yiqing’s chest. This action cracked everyone in the room up with delight.
Dudezhong remarked, “Yiqing’s pheromones must be tuberose, right? Kind of similar to Xiaozhu’s. No wonder he’s not scared.”
Shao Yiqing gently pressed his fingers against the baby’s cheek. “Do you like me? If you like me, stay in Uncle’s arms and come home with Uncle, alright?”
The baby bounced up and down on Shao Yiqing’s lap.
Looking extremely happy.
As an unmarried man, Deng Su couldn’t help feeling a wave of yearning for marriage upon witnessing this scene.
Playing along smoothly, Dudezhong offered, “Deng Su is a fine young man without a partner yet, right? Should I introduce someone to him?”
Realizing he was suddenly the topic of discussion, Deng Su blushed and awkwardly replied, “I don’t have one yet, but…”
“He likes Omegas,” Shao Yiqing cut in. “Please introduce a good-looking and morally upright one to him, Uncle Du.”
“Really? Likes Omegas? Male O or female O, any specific preference for their primary secondary gender?” Dudezhong looked at Deng Su, who embarrassedly mumbled that either was fine, though preferably female.
After playing for a little while, the baby grew hungry and started crying for milk. Mistaking Shao Yiqing for the Omega parent who birthed him, likely because their pheromones smelled so similar, the infant began gnawing on Shao Yiqing’s clothes, wetting the fabric with drool. Xie Zhu immediately stepped forward, scooped the baby out of Shao Yiqing’s arms, and apologized, “I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine, it’s not like I’ve never given birth before.” Shao Yiqing didn’t mind. Besides, he had always been open-minded. Leave aside Dudezhong and Deng Su, he wouldn’t care even if other Alphas were present.
“I’m going to feed him,” Xie Zhu said, smelling faintly of milk. “You guys chat.” He walked toward the bedroom.
Dudezhong handed cigarettes to Shao Yiqing and Deng Su. Shao Yiqing waved his hand. “I’ll pass, not that addicted.”
Deng Su wasn’t as reserved, accepting the cigarette and thanking him.
Because of Xie Zhu’s interruption, their conversation ended on a harmonious note. Shao Yiqing didn’t bring up the feud between the Sheng family and the Xu family again, chatting with Dudezhong about random small talk instead. Dudezhong advised him to find a partner, using himself as an example of how true love could blossom with someone over a dozen years younger like Xie Zhu, let alone someone with Shao Yiqing’s looks.
Dudezhong urged him to settle down and properly find an Alpha to spend life with. Shao Yiqing nodded along on the surface, but in reality, everything went in one ear and out the other, tossing the advice aside the moment he stepped out the door.
Inside the elevator, Shao Yiqing remained silent.
Deng Su stared admiringly at the cigarette Dudezhong had given him, muttering something under his breath that Shao Yiqing ignored.
Downstairs, as they stepped out onto the steps, Shao Yiqing suddenly stopped.
Deng Su turned back to look at him, baffled.
Shao Yiqing lowered his head to check his chest. His shirt was damp where the infant’s drool had stained it. Pressing his fingertips slightly against the damp patch, Shao Yiqing issued an order to Deng Su: “Bring Pengpeng back.”
Deng Su didn’t follow the train of thought immediately, but seeing Shao Yiqing’s actions, he realized what had triggered him. Unwilling to kill the mood, yet mindful of the tense father-son dynamic, Deng Su offered a suggestion: “Pengpeng probably hasn’t started break yet, right? He probably can’t get away these next couple of days. Should I contact him first and see…”
“Bring him back.” Shao Yiqing stepped down the stairs. “Tell him his older brother is here.”
Shao Yiqing’s tone left no room for negotiation: “Coax him, trick him, do whatever it takes. I don’t care if he agrees or not.”
“This Saturday, I want to see him at home.”