“Even if you came in a burlap sack, I would still think you were dressed to the nines,” He Siyang said.
Shao Yiqing’s eyes turned frosty, completely devoid of joy. “Then should I really go put on a sack? Don’t say I didn’t warn you about manners when the time comes.”
A low chuckle came through the phone from He Siyang. “How could that be? Just having you come is already everyone’s honor.”
What smooth words. Normally, Shao Yiqing would not mind trading banter with him seven or eight times, but feeling under the weather today, he just gave a small smile. “Then let us leave it at that. It is getting late; goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Yiqing,” He Siyang said. “Sweet dreams.”
The call ended.
Shao Yiqing tossed his phone aside, wondering if he could have a sweet dream tonight? Could he? Do not be naive; there has not been a single day he could truly relax since meeting that rebellious son of his.
Shao Yiqing did not blame Shao Peng. At that age, he had been endlessly rebellious too, running all the way from Beijing to Xiangjiang where a whole group of bodyguards could not drag him back.
Now, he finally understood how his father had felt back then.
His father had pampered him to such an extent, yet he had not been obedient or compliant in the least. Let alone the fact that ever since Shao Peng was born, he, Shao Yiqing, had not really bothered to parent him at all. What right did he have to expect his son to feel close to him?
Does the grace of birth and upbringing outweigh the heavens?
This was not a phrase he had any right to say. Ever since Shao Peng was born, his life had been a series of turmoils. By the time he was old enough to remember things, his grandfather was going through a messy divorce. The boy had depended on his Alpha father, yet Shao Yiqing had forcibly snatched him away, forbidding father and son from seeing each other. Shao Peng held a strong sense of rebellion against him, and he himself never completely gave in to the boy, refusing even to listen to his son’s opinions.
Shao Yiqing knew he was an unqualified father. He regretted having a child, but he did not regret snatching Shao Peng away from his Alpha father’s hands.
Given another chance, he would still do it.
Staring out into the night, Shao Yiqing thought of many things from the past, his expression growing increasingly dim. Other people fought for custody because they could not bear to separate flesh and blood; he was different. He did not need Shao Peng to live, but since he had brought him into this world, he had to carve out a future for him. Even if the boy did not want it, Shao Yiqing would shove it down his throat.
From the moment he gave him the surname Shao, Shao Peng’s fate was sealed. He was destined never to make his own choices, destined to have his life controlled.
That night, Shao Yiqing stayed over at the company.
He did not sleep well, plagued by several dreams all tied to the past. He felt too sick at heart to sleep, and the night passed in a tumultuous blur.
The Bali project was progressing smoothly. Early the next morning, the marketing department staff came to find Shao Yiqing. He chatted with several directors in the office for a long time, skipping lunch entirely. The upper management kept the doors closed for a minor meeting, which was a common sight.
Right in the middle of the meeting, Uncle Xu from home called to inform Shao Yiqing that Shao Peng had gone out, saying he wanted to eat outside, and had not touched the meal prepared for him.
Shao Yiqing only said, “Let him be.”
He hung up the phone and told the two directors, “Continue.”
The marketing director said that as just discussed, after MQLs are transferred to the sales department, we should not wait a month or even several months before following up, leaving no tracking basis when results are poor. Whether it is SQL or business opportunities, we still need to set up a refined management SOP.
Shao Yiqing leaned against the sofa, glancing at the person beside him.
Receiving his boss’s signal, the sales director immediately spread his hands. “I have no objections. Director Chen is right. We should be refined in this aspect, and I will definitely cooperate on my end.”
Shao Yiqing then said, “Chen Shuo will come up with a detailed plan shortly regarding the specific implementation, and everyone else will cooperate. Director Chen, hard work.”
Chen Shuo replied, “It is only right. Rest assured, we are all in a community of shared interests; I certainly will not hold anything back.”
Prospering together and suffering together, they were all old hands at this, and superficial corporate pleasantries rolled off their tongues effortlessly.
“As for that project in Bali, Wei Zhixia has been following it, but I suggest you keep an eye on it too, Yihua,” Shao Yiqing said. “I originally planned to make a trip to Bali myself in the next couple of days, but President Yi of Haiyue is coming over in person, so there is no need for me to run around blindly. I trust Wei Zhixia’s work. You just need to supervise from the side and keep him on his toes.”
Wang Yihua nodded. “Alright, I understand.”
Massaging his temples, Shao Yiqing said, “Off with you all to work. Report upwards if anything comes up, and come find me if you cannot make a decision.”
Everyone nodded, stood up, and filed out.
Chen Shuo did not leave.
He walked to the door with the others, and once everyone had left, he closed the office door. Glancing back, he saw Shao Yiqing lounging lazily on the armrest of the sofa. Chen Shuo asked, “Did not rest well yesterday?”
Shao Yiqing raised his gaze to give him a sidelong look, speaking with a lukewarm tone. “Too many dreams ruin the sleep.”
“You slept at the company last night?” Chen Shuo sat down nearby. “Been a lot of business lately?”
“I can handle it,” Shao Yiqing looked over. “How do you know?”
“Personnel department said so. Someone clocked in early and caught a glimpse of you.”
There were always a few exceptionally early birds in HR, and office gossip always originated there first. Who was dating whom in the office, Shao Yiqing turned a blind eye to all of it. He did not care about idle tongue-wagging.
“Young master back?” Chen Shuo asked in a teasing tone, instantly guessing the source. “Little Deng has not been by your side these past two days; I figured he went to pick someone up.”
“Can you not be so smart?” Shao Yiqing said. “I loathe people guessing blindly, and I loathe it even more when they guess right.”
Chen Shuo chuckled. “Alright, do not hold it against him. Kids going through their rebellious phase are all like this. Some even pull knives on their parents over a disagreement. Compared to that, Pengpeng is still relatively mild.”
Thinking of Shao Peng’s gaze, Shao Yiqing said coldly, “He wanted to slice me up too, which is why I did not sleep at home. The office is safer after all.”
Shao Yiqing lay down on the sofa. He really had not slept well and needed to catch up on some rest.
Seeing him close his eyes, Chen Shuo looked around, grabbed a blanket from nearby, and went over to cover Shao Yiqing. The moment he brushed against him, Shao Yiqing spoke.
“Stop entertaining delusions. Shao Peng is never going to call you Dad.” Shao Yiqing’s voice carried no warmth.
Chen Shuo still draped the blanket over him. Crouching in front of Shao Yiqing, looking at that mesmerizing face, his eyes were full of pity and fondness. “I never thought of making him call me Dad.”
Shao Yiqing opened his eyes, meeting Chen Shuo’s tender, water-like gaze. Resting his arm on the sofa, he lay in the crook of his own arm with a bewitching expression. “Director Chen, ever since you turned your back on your integrity, you have been out of the game.”
Chen Shuo’s expression darkened, but a moment later, he smiled with a crafty, dangerous edge. “Are you standing up for Lin Mufeng?”
Lin Mufeng was Shao Yiqing’s ex-husband, his first love, and the only Alpha father Shao Peng acknowledged.
Shao Yiqing did not answer.
Chen Shuo began to recount his own deeds. “Right, back when we were starting out, he gave me a hand. We were college brothers and best friends. Without him, there would not be the me of today. Yet I was such a bastard, harboring desires for his Omega, his wife, his spouse.”
Chen Shuo’s fingertips lightly stroked Shao Yiqing’s face. “I backstabbed him, stripped him of all his shares, and even provided favorable evidence when you were fighting for custody of your son, forcing him out penniless. Do you call what I did human? I lost my mind, Yiqing. For your sake, I threw away even the basic bottom line of being a human being. Even so, I could not even win a straight look from you. What am I even chasing after, Shao Yiqing? Am I destined to be played by you my whole life?”
“Want to settle accounts with me?” Shao Yiqing asked leisurely. He reached out and pinched Chen Shuo’s chin, completely unmoved. “You harbored malicious intentions and were willing to sacrifice yourself for me, yet you want to shift the blame onto me? Did I order you to backstab him? It was you, Chen Shuo, who harbored evil designs, wanting to sacrifice your best friend to the heavens just to fawn on me, trading for my trust and shares. After Lin Mufeng was kicked out, apart from me, who held the highest hidden shares in Jiachuang?”
Shao Yiqing patted Chen Shuo’s face. “It is you, the marketing director.”
Chen Shuo narrowed his eyes.
“You got tangible benefits,” Shao Yiqing’s eyes curved with seductive amusement. “Now you cannot bear the condemnation of your conscience, so you want to pin the blame on me to make yourself feel better? Inhumane.”
Chen Shuo caught Shao Yiqing’s wrist, exerting slight pressure. “No, I am not saying this to shirk responsibility. I just want you to know I did all of that willingly. As long as it is for you, I will do anything.”
Chen Shuo was of the same age as Shao Yiqing, belonging to the same era. Jiachuang was Lin Mufeng’s dream and Shao Yiqing’s idea. When Shao Yiqing and Lin Mufeng founded Jiachuang, Lin Mufeng thought of Chen Shuo first, pulling the three of them together. You could say that Jiachuang’s success today was thanks to the hard work of all three, and Chen Shuo had indeed contributed immensely as a pillar of the company. But that did not prevent the three of them from parting ways, leaving Lin Mufeng stripped of everything.
Because Lin Mufeng was not ruthless enough, not smart enough, and not shameless enough, he was the first to be edged out.
“Shao Peng having me as a father is already enough for him to suffer,” Shao Yiqing let Chen Shuo grip his wrist, offering no struggle or resistance. “Alphas all over Xiangjiang are lining up to be his dad; how can a kid handle that? Furthermore, someone like you, who would sell out his own best friend, will you sell off our father-son pair in the future too? If that happens, I would really be too miserable. If a second-hand marriage fails and my ex-husband’s best friend sells me off, I would genuinely be more tragic than the protagonist of a cheesy soap opera. I would rather have all of Xiangjiang curse me as a flirtatious vixen than let them stand on high and pity or sympathize with me.”
Chen Shuo saw absolute finality in Shao Yiqing’s eyes. He gripped Shao Yiqing’s wrist, tucked his hand back under the blanket, and stood up.
“Did you fire Qin Qianyun?”
Shao Yiqing’s voice sounded from behind him.
Chen Shuo admitted it cleanly. “It was me.”
Shao Yiqing pulled his hand out from the blanket again, playing with the fuzz on the hem. “Reason.”
Chen Shuo replied sideways, “Violating company regulations, engaging in office romance, affecting business development.”
Without raising his head, Shao Yiqing repeated, “Reason.”
Chen Shuo fell silent for a moment. He turned around, gave up struggling, and said, “Wang Yihua had dirt on her.”
Shao Yiqing swept a glance at Chen Shuo. “Find someone of equal caliber to fill her vacancy, and clean up the mess for me privately. I am not close with Wang Yihua, so I am warning you: let this be the last time.”
Receiving Shao Yiqing’s cold glare, Chen Shuo left behind a single sentence: “Got it.”
He pushed the door open and left.
The office finally grew quiet.
Shao Yiqing lay back down completely, pulling the blanket up to cover his face. The blackout curtains were not great. Even with his eyes closed, it was not pitch dark. It disturbed his sleep, which was annoying.
After stepping outside, Chen Shuo returned to his department. His subordinates came to report data to him, but it went in one ear and out the other. Assuming their boss had been chewed out, the staff quickly finished reciting the numbers and scattered.
Chen Shuo paced around his department; the chatter drove him intensely irritable. Returning to his office, he took a suppressant out of the drawer and injected a dose into his arm. Palliatives were no longer working; working with someone like Shao Yiqing meant constantly worrying about being trapped in his schemes.
That face was born bewitching, and the smiling-fox persona would kill someone without a shred of mercy.
How could Chen Shuo not know? Shao Yiqing wanted to screw him.
Ever since Lin Mufeng was edged out.
He could always find a trace of conspiracy hidden beneath Shao Yiqing’s seemingly smiling eyes. He also knew he would eventually die by Shao Yiqing’s hands, but the pathetic part was, even so, he still felt his heart race for him.
He had betrayed Lin Mufeng, ruined Lin Mufeng, slandered Lin Mufeng, and yet he still wanted to become Lin Mufeng.
Chen Shuo could never figure it out: back then, why was someone as innocent as Lin Mufeng able to pursue Shao Yiqing? Why was he able to win Shao Yiqing over? Why was he able to make such a sought-after Omega willingly enter into a marriage contract with him, let him mark him, and bear his child?
He had seen Shao Yiqing at his youngest and most captivating, had seen his youthful arrogance and swagger, had seen his thoughtfulness, gentleness, and deep devotion. When Shao Yiqing sat at the negotiating table, charming prospective partners out of their minds, what could Lin Mufeng do? He could not even speak fluently, turning a nervous wreck during negotiations, not daring to make a peep when others made suggestive remarks about his wife. An Alpha that cowardly, an Alpha who could only hide behind the scenes drawing blueprints, an Alpha whose charm did not even match half of his Omega’s, a rigid and boring Alpha, just why on earth had he managed to win Shao Yiqing over?
The syringe deformed under his fierce grip. Chen Shuo let the blood stream down his arm, tracing a horrifying curve. Consumed by jealousy, even ruining his best friend utterly was not enough to appease him.
Skipping lunch, Shao Yiqing caught up on a few hours of sleep in his office. When he woke up, the sky had already grown dark, and his phone had received numerous calls. He had missed He Siyang’s birthday banquet.
Shao Yiqing called back a bit past seven; the party was probably already well underway. He excused himself, saying he was held up and would not make it.
To his surprise, He Siyang insisted he was not late and offered to come pick him up in person. Unable to resist the warm persistence, Shao Yiqing relented.
He was in a much better mood after waking up and figured he might spare He Siyang this once.
Yet if someone was begging to be played with, what could he do?
Could Shao Yiqing possibly refuse?
He agreed to He Siyang’s arrangement. After the call ended, Shao Yiqing returned home to change and wash up. When it came to being well-dressed and presentable, he never compromised.
Uncle Xu was at home. Shao Yiqing changed his clothes while listening to Uncle Xu report on Shao Peng’s whereabouts for the whole day: “He did not eat breakfast; I had it made for him, but young people love to sleep in and did not wake up until noon. After getting up, he went swimming for half an hour. When he finished, he said he would not eat at home, arranged to meet some classmates, and drove off in your car.”
“Let him be, let him drive whichever car he wants,” Shao Yiqing lowered his head to button his cuffs. “Driving without a license and having bad luck means waiting to get caught. Do not go out today; see if he calls you. Even if he gets pinched, do not rush to bail him out. Let him stay inside and get some criticism and education. He hates that the most.”
Uncle Xu said, “Alright.”
Watching him change, Uncle Xu asked, “You are still going out this late?”
Shao Yiqing said, “Someone threw a banquet and invited me. I tried to refuse, but it did not work. I might as well go humor them since I am free.”
Uncle Xu asked, “Little Deng is not driving you?”
Shao Yiqing replied, “I told him to go back and rest. Someone else is coming to pick me up.”
Uncle Xu nodded and did not ask any further.
After waiting for a short while, He Siyang arrived to pick him up, driving his car right up to the front of his house.
He did not stay seated in the car. The moment they reached the destination, he hopped out. He Siyang was dressed exceptionally flamboyantly today in a leather jacket, oversized dark sunglasses, and a textured perm. Radiant with high spirits, he actually looked a bit like a birthday host, but he made sure to cater to Shao Yiqing’s mood first. Seeing Shao Yiqing emerge from inside, he clapped a few times, shaking his head while nodding.
“Are you giving me this much face?” He Siyang scanned Shao Yiqing from head to toe, his eyes full of adoration. “President Shao?”
Shao Yiqing did not mind the childishness. He spun around once in front of him, spreading his hands. “Satisfied?”
“Extremely satisfied,” He Siyang delivered the right emotions. “Did you not say you were going to wear a burlap sack? You really came dressed to the nines.”
“If you are not satisfied, I will go back and change.” He made a motion as if to leave.
He Siyang grabbed him by the arm, nodding rapidly. “I am satisfied, absolutely satisfied.”
Only then did Shao Yiqing stop.
“Let us go,” He Siyang raised his chin. “The birthday boy coming to pick you up midway is a special privilege exclusively for you.”
His eyes shone brightly, enough to see right through to the bottom of his heart.
Sometimes a person still needs to hide things, otherwise, they easily fall into traps.
Shao Yiqing patted his chest and got into the car.
He Siyang’s birthday banquet had already started. Because Shao Yiqing arrived late, by the time he reached the venue, everyone had already partied past the peak. The birthday cake had long since been sliced up, the climax of the party had passed, and groups of people sat around looking drowsy, playing chess, poker, or tapping away at their phones.
Shao Yiqing had not attended this kind of youth-centric party in a long time. Compared to many parties he had been to, He Siyang’s gathering was relatively restrained, featuring no overly flashy or worldview-shattering antics, resembling more of a get-together of old friends.
The people at the party had all heard rumors about Shao Yiqing. As for those meeting him for the first time, they all acted quite warmly. This was not entirely because He Siyang’s friends were giving face, but rather because those who had previously only heard Shao Yiqing’s name had been provoked by rumors to the point of itching with curiosity, eager to meet him for a long time.
“Yiqing was not invited here to play drinking buddy,” He Siyang blocked drinks for him, radiating maximum boyfriend energy. “If you want to drink, find me privately later. I will drink you all under the table.”
The group jeered, telling He Siyang not to be so obvious.
To this kind of teasing and display of so-called boyfriend energy and Alpha charm, Shao Yiqing remained completely indifferent. He had witnessed far more explosive confessions, such as declarations to God sacrificing thirty years of lifespan just for a single night of intimacy. Compared to those, He Siyang’s antics were mere child’s play.
They might fool a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, but to a love-seasoned veteran like Shao Yiqing, they meant nothing at all.
“Are all your friends here?” Shao Yiqing asked.
He Siyang looked around. “Who are you referring to?”
Shao Yiqing did not bother hiding it. In front of an Alpha harboring malicious designs against him, he brought up another Alpha: “President Sheng.”
Utterly frank.
Utterly arrogant.
Visibly, He Siyang’s eyebrow twitched, but he quickly masked the emotion, changing into a beaming smile. “Do you really want him to come?”
“Seeing how well-informed he is, I wanted to chat with him about golf,” Shao Yiqing said. “Looks like there will not be a chance, though.”
“I invited him,” He Siyang held his glass. “Though the party is half over, he probably will not come.”
“That is a pity,” Shao Yiqing walked outward. “I was hoping to talk business with him.”
He Siyang immediately chased after him. Hearing Shao Yiqing mention business, he realized he had overthought it, and the corners of his mouth curved back up. “If you want to do business with him, sure. Lingrui was just acquired and probably needs renovations; I can help you talk to him.”
“No, I will do it myself.” Shao Yiqing brushed him off.
He Siyang was easily elated. Of course, ever since Shao Yiqing arrived, anyone with eyes knew what He Siyang was trying to do, and tacitly assumed Shao Yiqing and He Siyang were an item. With He Siyang sticking close to Shao Yiqing like a declaration of ownership, how could outsiders fail to understand?
After a while, someone suddenly came over to relay a message, whispering to He Siyang, “President Sheng is here.”
Shao Yiqing was right beside him; how could he not hear?
He Siyang showed a look of genuine surprise. “He actually gave me face. I thought he would not come.”
With that, he tilted his head toward Shao Yiqing. “Did you not want to talk cooperation with him? Here is your chance.”
Shao Yiqing put down his wine glass and followed He Siyang out.
Sheng Tingzhou had arrived near the end. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, things livened up, though not everyone dared to crowd around and strike up a conversation. Only Xiao Songhe and a few others qualified enough surrounded him.
First, he presented a gift to He Siyang and explained the reason for his late arrival, giving He Siyang plenty of face. With just a few brief sentences, Shao Yiqing knew this man was not simple.
Clearly, Sheng Tingzhou was not on the same tier as this group of people. A superior whose status outranked the others, willing to stoop to pad the numbers for a friend with whom he was not particularly close, his thoughts must run deep.
“Mr. Shao is here too?” Sheng Tingzhou extended a hand. “Long time no see.”
Using a girlfriend-like tone, He Siyang called out to Shao Yiqing, “Yiqing.”
Shao Yiqing glanced at him, shook Sheng Tingzhou’s hand, and said with polished politeness, “I will have to schedule another round with President Sheng sometime. I fell slightly short during our last game, and I have been lying awake all night since returning, feeling so unsatisfied.”
Sheng Tingzhou smiled. “At your service anytime.”
As the two let go of their hands, He Siyang invited everyone inside, murmuring happily about how glad he was that Sheng Tingzhou had come, never expecting him to show up.
Xiao Songhe said, “I went to invite him in person. The man rushed over straight out of a meeting just to make your party.”
He Siyang raised his voice. “Incredible! You actually did something useful for once?”
“Damn it, can you spit out anything civilized from that dog mouth of yours?”
Shao Yiqing had no mind to listen to their banter. His gaze was fixed entirely on Sheng Tingzhou amid the crowd.
The other man also wore an expression of indifference. Sheng Tingzhou looked cold and perfunctory, completely detached from the lively people around him.
Occasionally, a glance crossed paths, locking onto Shao Yiqing. Neither of them backed down; a fiery atmosphere hovered in the air, only broken when someone else stepped up to speak to Sheng Tingzhou.
After mingling with He Siyang for a little while, Shao Yiqing excused himself, saying he needed to step out for some air. He Siyang tried to follow, but Shao Yiqing stopped him without giving a reason, leaving behind only a look that kept He Siyang guessing.
He Siyang stared at the direction of Shao Yiqing’s departure, gazing off for a long time. Beside him, Sheng Tingzhou’s dark eyes were obscure, tailing the figure that haunted He Siyang’s dreams, before finally lowering his eyelids after a long moment.
A deck of cards was dealt out in front of him.
Someone wanted to challenge him to a game.
He took off his wristwatch and placed it in the center of the table. A voice somewhere in the nether told him his luck tonight was poor, and he was afraid he was going to lose a round.
Shao Yiqing did not wander around.
He sat in an empty courtyard.
Just as he expected, Shao Peng had been detained for driving without a license, and Uncle Xu was already on his way to bail him out, reporting on the boy’s situation.
“Let him be locked up for a bit. Do not let old man Wan let him off easily again,” Shao Yiqing sent a voice message.
Before long, he received a reply from Uncle Xu: “I understand everything, do not you worry. If Pengpeng has a good attitude, I will bring him out; if not, I will let them re-educate him. I know my limits.”
Uncle Xu was someone Shao Yiqing trusted relatively well. He did not worry when Uncle Xu handled things, nor did he worry when Shao Peng caused trouble. He could always bail him out, entirely depending on whether he felt like it.
In his standoff with Shao Peng, the initiative always remained in Shao Yiqing’s hands. A father is a father. Whether acknowledged or not, he is still the dad.
After dealing with Shao Peng’s affairs, Shao Yiqing received messages from several managers at the company, as well as friendly inquiries from business partners. Yi Tao was among them, inviting him to vacation in Bali.
Shao Yiqing asked him whether he meant his Bali or the real Bali.
Yi Tao said anywhere was fine, let him pick.
Just as Shao Yiqing was about to reply, the courtyard door was pushed open. The glass door could not block out the aggressive aura of an Alpha as Sheng Tingzhou strode in, forcing Shao Yiqing to put down his phone.
Shao Yiqing flashed an official smile at him and gently called out, “President Sheng.”
Sheng Tingzhou did not explain why he had appeared here, and Shao Yiqing did not ask. He only noticed that Sheng Tingzhou’s wristwatch was gone. His wrist was bare now, the tendons clear and distinct.
“Why come out here?” Sheng Tingzhou asked him.
Shao Yiqing lowered his hands. Sitting on the edge of a flower bed with a riot of blooming Chinese roses behind him, he countered, “And why are you here?”
Sheng Tingzhou did not answer him immediately. He probed into Shao Yiqing’s eyes. The oppressive presence of a high-ranking Alpha was too powerful, a single look enough to intimidate a fragile Omega.
But Shao Yiqing had nothing to do with fragility.
He pushed right back, locking eyes with an equally formidable gaze.
“He Siyang said you probably would not come,” Shao Yiqing crossed his legs, his spine straight, a single rose petal resting on his shoulder making it look like an accessory from afar. “Looks like you still gave him plenty of face.”
Sheng Tingzhou kept one hand in his pocket, his deep gaze locked onto that standout rose. Ignoring Shao Yiqing’s challenge, he simply said, “You are not interested in him.”
Shao Yiqing raised his head. “What?”
The evening glow was dying out. Under the faint light of dusk, Sheng Tingzhou lowered his voice. “You know He Siyang’s intentions, yet you are not interested in him either. Why dress to the nines to attend his birthday party, Mr. Shao?”
Shao Yiqing understood. He tilted his head like an obedient little puppy, smiling craftily. “President Sheng is smart. Why don’t you take a guess?”
Sheng Tingzhou said, “Do not call me President Sheng. You are older than me. By seniority, shouldn’t I call you older brother, or uncle?”
“Not allowed to call me that,” Shao Yiqing commanded softly. “I occasionally forget I am no longer young, and calling me that just reminds me I should not be mingling with you kids.”
“How would you like me to address you?”
“The honorifics are not allowed either,” Shao Yiqing said tyrannically. “If you do not mind, you can take a page out of He Siyang’s book and call me Yiqing.”
That ambiguous form of address was He Siyang’s deliberate tactic, knowing full well Shao Yiqing was older than him yet still calling him Yiqing with ulterior motives.
Of course, Sheng Tingzhou did not address him that way. He dropped the topic and returned to the main point. “Mr. Shao, let us stop beating around the bush, shall we?”
That reasonable tone surprisingly carried a hint of gentleness.
Shao Yiqing stood up and conceded, “Alright.”
He walked up to Sheng Tingzhou and laid it out for him: “President Sheng wants to know why I came to He Siyang’s birthday party, right?”
Sheng Tingzhou tacitly agreed, waiting for him to speak.
Shao Yiqing sighed, looking somewhat disappointed in lost potential, and launched into a smooth explanation. “Someone like He Siyang does not understand the concept of taking things step-by-step. His eyes already told me what he wants. The first time we met, he got acquainted. The second time, he expressed interest. The third time, does that not call for action?”
As the evening glow grew dimmer, Shao Yiqing’s features grew more bewitching.
“On an occasion as big as a birthday banquet, with such a great opportunity, if it were me playing dirty, I would use extreme methods right now to snare my target. If I were playing it straight, I would confess to him in this lively atmosphere and force him to lock down our relationship. In any case, I would not stay indifferent. No one would slap the birthday boy in the face, as long as they have a conscience.” Shao Yiqing revealed the punchline. “Today is a great opportunity for He Siyang.”
“So,” Sheng Tingzhou lowered his gaze, noting Shao Yiqing’s low collar and the alluring luster of his collarbones, “you chose the role of the conscienceless villain?”
Shao Yiqing smiled. “So smart.”
Sheng Tingzhou furrowed his brow.
Then he heard Shao Yiqing add, “Or rather, it is not that I chose a role; it is that I am a conscienceless villain by nature. To dress up meticulously and attend in grand style at such a lively birthday banquet, just to slap a top-tier Alpha in the face and make him spiral into ruin because of me, do you not think that is both cruel and thrilling?”
Shao Yiqing was too frank.
Frank to the point of being spine-chilling.
If the person facing him were not Sheng Tingzhou, someone who had lived through wild days abroad, just hearing these words would probably send a chill down their spine.
Omegas were the vulnerable group.
But Shao Yiqing was not.
In other people’s eyes, top-tier status was noble; in Shao Yiqing’s eyes, it was only fit to be trampled underfoot.
Shao Yiqing was like a fox, seductive and bewitching, yet also like a cold-blooded venomous snake, dangerous and fatal.
Sheng Tingzhou had seen plenty of enchanting flirts, but none as vicious as Shao Yiqing.
Yet this viciousness, which ought to have been unsettling, left Sheng Tingzhou burning up inside.
It was as if someone who had worn a mask for half a lifetime had finally encountered another mischievous version of themselves.
“Shao Yiqing,” Sheng Tingzhou called his name for the first time, his voice just as erotic as Shao Yiqing had anticipated. Suppressing the excitement in his brow, he said, “Go ahead.”
A blazing fire crackled fiercely in the air.
He had not said much, yet it felt as though he had said a lot.
He Siyang is not worthy of you.
Go crush his hopes.
Go make him spiral.
Those thoughts bled through Sheng Tingzhou’s wild gaze, ringing clear across the evening air.
Facing those eyes, Shao Yiqing suddenly hooked his finger around Sheng Tingzhou’s.
With zero preamble, he issued an invitation: “Will you be my backing?”
That skin burned hot; that body temperature scorched the senses.
Without any emotional foundation or prior warning, it felt as though the two of them had suddenly become sweet, deeply understanding lovers, ebony wood and tuberose blending into one, indistinguishable from each other.
Sheng Tingzhou’s pulse beat heavily under Shao Yiqing’s palm as he asked sincerely, “What is my reward?”
Pressing his hand against Sheng Tingzhou’s chest, Shao Yiqing stood on tiptoe and whispered into his ear, “Free admission to watch a dramatic spectacle, plus getting what your heart desires.”
Sheng Tingzhou’s expression shifted slightly.
Shao Yiqing’s warm breath brushed against Sheng Tingzhou’s cheek as he asked with deep meaning, “Sheng Tingzhou, do you like the little rose on my neck?”