The message was sent just as the final dish was brought to the table. Su Yanqing removed his apron and said, “Have you been waiting long? Come and eat.”
Yun Xi was not particularly hungry, but seeing the brightly colored dishes, plated so perfectly they could be posted to social media immediately, he let out a sincere exclamation.
“I did not expect you to be such a good cook.”
Su Yanqing handed him the bowl and chopsticks. “Would you like to try the flavor?”
Yun Xi first reached for the sweet and sour pork ribs. As he took a bite, his eyes instantly lit up. The sweet and sour seasoning was perfectly balanced, coating tender, juicy ribs that left a lingering fragrance with every bite. It was easily on par with a professional chef.
“This is delicious!”
Yun Xi’s eyes sparkled. Between his recent bad mood and moving out, he had mostly been surviving on nutritional supplements at mealtimes. It had been a long time since he had sat across from someone to enjoy a home-cooked meal.
The satisfaction on the Omega’s face was genuine. Su Yanqing’s eyes curved slightly as he poured a glass of water and handed it over. “Eat slowly; do not choke.”
“Is it true that everyone who studies abroad becomes a great cook?” Yun Xi asked with his mouth full. After swallowing, he sighed. “My father originally said he would send me to Country G or Country A to study, but I really could not stand the food in those places. I refused to go. If I had gone, maybe my cooking would be this good too.”
“Practice makes perfect, I suppose.” Su Yanqing lowered his eyes. “Actually, before I went abroad, starting from when I was about ten years old, I was always the one cooking for the family.”
Yun Xi froze. Even if the Su family business had been struggling in recent years, surely they would not make a ten-year-old child run the kitchen. Could they not afford a cook? Based on Su Yanqing’s tone, it did not sound like he did it out of interest.
Recalling Su Yanqing’s previously vague descriptions of his family situation, Yun Xi could not help but ask, “Why? Did they bully you?”
The question was perhaps a bit childish. Su Yanqing gave a helpless smile before saying, “Although telling you might put you in a bad mood, since we have decided to cooperate, I should inform you of the details.”
He let out a soft sigh. “Actually, before I was sixteen, I did not know I was a son of the Su family.”
Yun Xi asked, “What happened?”
“My nominal parents swapped me with their own child. It was not until I was sixteen, when they tried to blackmail their biological son with this secret and my father discovered it, that I was brought back.”
Yun Xi’s eyes widened as several tropes flashed through his mind. A real and fake young master story? Was this trashy novel overdoing it with the plot elements? Even a White Moonlight character with limited screen time had this much backstory?
His thoughts raced back to Su Yanqing’s death in the original book.
“Keep investigating. This matter is definitely connected to Su Yanqing’s younger brother.”
Gu Xun had said with a dark expression and a cold voice, “Yanqing’s death cannot just be brushed aside.”
Was that younger brother the fake young master of the Su family?
The Alpha sitting opposite him kept his eyes downcast, narrating the dramatic family story as if it had nothing to do with him. Yun Xi could not see the expression in those grey eyes, but he assumed they must be filled with sorrow.
Frowning, Yun Xi stood up and sat in the seat next to Su Yanqing, taking his hand. As the Omega’s warm hand covered his own, a glimmer flashed through Su Yanqing’s dark eyes, but he did not move.
“Do not be sad,” Yun Xi said. “I will help you deal with them.”
Su Yanqing looked up, his grey eyes appearing fragile and filled with shattered emotions. Yun Xi opened his arms and hugged him tightly.
After a while, sensing the Alpha’s emotions had stabilized, Yun Xi released him and gave an embarrassed smile. “I think I got a bit too excited. Do not laugh at me.”
Su Yanqing lowered his eyelashes, perfectly hiding a trace of regret in his eyes. “No, I will not. I am very grateful to you.”
“That is good. If you have anything sad on your mind, you can always tell me. I am very good at scolding people.”
Su Yanqing gave a low affirmative sound and said once more, “Thank you, Yun Xi.”
“It is only right. We are allies now, after all.”
Yun Xi returned to his original seat. He picked up his chopsticks and began munching on some shredded potatoes, laughing inwardly. In such a vulnerable moment, who could refuse the comfort of a gentle Omega? Who?
Su Yanqing, just go ahead and fall for me!
Across the table, Su Yanqing gracefully placed a shrimp into his mouth, his long lashes concealing the amusement in his eyes. After all these years, Yun Xi had not changed. As long as he showed a bit of vulnerability, this Omega would obediently rush over to offer warmth and concern. Those fools were actually somewhat useful.
After the meal, Yun Xi volunteered to do the dishes. Seeing Su Yanqing nod, he marched into the kitchen with great momentum, placed all the plates into the dishwasher, and pressed start.
Su Yanqing leaned against the kitchen door, watching his movements. When Yun Xi turned around, he caught a glimpse of lingering doting in the Alpha’s eyes. The two made eye contact for a second before Su Yanqing looked away first.
It seems today’s plan was a success. A satisfied smile curled onto Yun Xi’s lips. Of course, as a reward, Su Yanqing, I will not let you die for no reason.
After washing his hands, Yun Xi sliced a plate of oranges and brought them to the living room coffee table. “I am using your fruit to show my hospitality. Have some after-dinner fruit.”
Su Yanqing thanked him with a smile. Candy jumped over from the cat tree, and Yun Xi scooped the cat into his arms, stroking its fur. Once the oranges were finished and they had chatted for a bit, Yun Xi felt his mission for the night was accomplished. He stood up to head home.
At the entrance, Su Yanqing hesitated and called out to him.
“What is it?”
Yun Xi turned back and saw a look of hesitation on Su Yanqing’s face. Su Yanqing seemed to have made a decision. “My family situation is complicated. If you do not want to get involved in this mess, it is fine if our agreement is cancelled.”
Yun Xi was surprised. “Why say that all of a sudden? Did something happen?”
Su Yanqing’s gaze lingered obscurely on Yun Xi’s neck for a few moments before he said softly, “When I ran into you this morning, your body was covered in a very strong scent of an Alpha in their rut.”
Su Yanqing seemed to want to say more, but seeing Yun Xi’s sour expression, he stopped. No wonder Su Yanqing had been acting strange today. He had misunderstood and thought Yun Xi had been fooling around with someone else yesterday. Yun Xi felt there was nowhere to turn for justice. This was no different from being the victim of a baseless rumor.
He opened and closed his mouth, but before he could organize his words, he noticed the Alpha was secretly looking at his neck again. A spark of inspiration flashed through Yun Xi’s mind. He took a step forward, grabbed Su Yanqing’s hand, and placed it on his own neck.
“Feel it. Look closely. Is this a hickey or something else?”
Only a small, dim yellow lamp was on at the entrance. The light hit the two of them as the Omega tilted his head back, exposing his vulnerable neck in a completely defenseless manner. It seemed difficult to tell if it was truly a hickey. Su Yanqing moved closer, lowering his head and using his fingertip to gently stroke the delicate skin of the Omega’s neck.
Unlike Su Yanqing’s gentle outward appearance, his fingers were somewhat rough with slight calluses. Pressing them against his skin made Yun Xi feel itchy. Enduring the itch, he urged, “Are you done yet? It is an insect bite. Do you need to look for this long?”
That annoying finger finally pulled away. Su Yanqing took a step back and said apologetically, “I am sorry. I do not have any experience in that area, so I could not really tell the difference.”
No experience in that area? Yun Xi’s gaze uncontrollably drifted downward. Just as it reached its destination, before he could get a good look, his eyes were covered by a hand.
“Behave.”
Yun Xi immediately held his breath. Two seconds later, Su Yanqing removed his hand. He did not mention Yun Xi’s brazen behavior but instead asked, “Then the pheromones on your body are?”
Yun Xi coughed lightly and said, “I ran into an Alpha in their rut and accidentally got some on me. It was so disgusting I could not sleep all night.”
Su Yanqing raised an eyebrow, though it was unclear if he believed him. For the sake of his revenge plan, Yun Xi gritted his teeth and peeled off the barrier patch on the back of his neck. He turned around, exposing his gland to the Alpha’s sight.
“Look for yourself. If I really went off to have fun with that Alpha, how could my gland be this clean?”
Su Yanqing’s Adam’s apple moved. The Omega was standing with his back to him, completely unprotected. His most vulnerable part was displayed so openly, making the tips of the Alpha’s teeth itch with the urge to bite down hard on that fair skin and pour pheromones into the gland. At that moment, what kind of state would this Omega be in?
All sorts of dark thoughts flashed through his mind. A fire seemed to light up in Su Yanqing’s grey eyes, but as soon as Yun Xi turned back around, it vanished instantly, and he returned to being the refined gentleman.
“Yes, I see.”
Su Yanqing took the barrier patch from Yun Xi’s hand and carefully helped the Omega stick it back on. He said warmly, “I misunderstood you. I am sorry.”
Yun Xi gave him an annoyed look and said, “Since I have already agreed to marry you, I will keep my promise. You can rest assured.”
At least until he saw the expression on Gu Xun’s face after he suffered a defeat, Yun Xi would keep his promise.
Over the next few days, Yun Xi focused on practicing with his band. As the performance approached, he sent an invitation to Su Yanqing.
“So, are you coming to support me?” Yun Xi asked into the phone, leaning lazily against a sofa in a booth.
Su Yanqing was sitting in a restaurant. He glanced at the man across from him, curled his lips slightly, and said softly, “Yes, I will be there.”
After hanging up, noticing the confused look from the person opposite him, Su Yanqing explained, “A friend invited me to see a performance tomorrow.”
The confusion in Gu Xun’s eyes did not fade. “Who? Do you have friends like that in this country?”
Su Yanqing took a sip of coffee and said, “Someone I met recently. A very interesting young person.”
Gu Xun clenched his hand under the table, and alarm bells rang in his mind. The tone Su Yanqing had used with the person on the phone was very unusual.
“Is it an Omega?” Gu Xun could not help but ask.
Su Yanqing raised an eyebrow in surprise and smiled. “Is it that obvious? Speaking of which, I heard you had a partner recently as well. How is that going?”
Su Yanqing actually has someone he is being ambiguous with. Gu Xun was distracted and felt his heart racing. Hearing Su Yanqing mention Yun Xi, he knit his thick brows tightly and said, “It was not really a relationship. Just an idiot Omega. I would never have agreed if my family had not pushed me so hard.”
“Oh?” The smile in Su Yanqing’s eyes faded slightly. “Why do you say that?”
“There is nothing to say. I have already broken up with him.” Gu Xun remembered how he had almost lost control in front of Yun Xi at the elevator a few days ago, and his expression worsened. “Even after the breakup, he kept pestering me, causing me to enter my rut early. Omegas just love using these low handed tactics.”
“Is that so?” Su Yanqing picked up his coffee cup, hiding his tightened lips. “Then you truly are pitiful.”