Sheng Xuanzhu found the bedroom door locked from the inside. Thinking Shen Que might be upset after seeing the online insults and worried that something might happen if he stayed cooped up inside, Sheng Xuanzhu fetched the spare key and entered the room.
The room was pitch dark, with heavy curtains blocking out all sunlight. Shen Que was curled up under the blankets, scrolling through his phone.
Before this, whenever Shen Que saw him, no matter what he was doing, he would sweetly call out, “Mr. Xuan.”
Today, however, Shen Que didn’t once shift his gaze away from the glowing screen.
“Did something happen?” Sheng Xuanzhu asked, already knowing the answer.
As he approached, the lingering scent of alcohol still clung to him. Shen Que moved away slightly, showing his aversion.
The alpha stiffened. “Are you unhappy?”
“No,” Shen Que replied, unable to articulate exactly what was bothering him.
“Did you need something when you looked for me today?” Sheng Xuanzhu’s tone was cool.
If Shen Que had just asked him what to do or asked for his help, Sheng Xuanzhu could have made all the negative public opinion disappear.
But Shen Que refused. Instead, he got out of bed, his tone indifferent. “Oh.”
Shen Que walked into the bathroom to wash his hands.
Perhaps because he believed that the relationship between Nuofeng and Mr. Xuan surpassed his own, he didn’t speak up. He didn’t want to humiliate himself.
Suddenly, a tall shadow enveloped him.
Sheng Xuanzhu reached out, took his trembling hand, and began to gently rub it.
“Mr. Xuan, it’s not necessary,” Shen Que said, his face flushed and adorable.
“It is necessary,” Sheng Xuanzhu whispered, planting a light kiss on his cheek. “You need Mr. Xuan.”
The scent of alcohol was still there.
Annoyed, Shen Que tried to pull away but found himself trapped in the alpha’s arms.
The omega’s body was delicate and soft, and his slight struggles in the man’s embrace easily stirred the alpha’s darker desires.
“Don’t move,” Sheng Xuanzhu’s voice was low and husky. “Or else we’ll have something else for dinner tonight.”
This alpha, who still carried the scent of another omega, wanted another round!
Fuming, Shen Que pushed against him, mentally cursing him as a womanizer.
“Shen Que! Don’t you dare lose your temper with me!”
Shen Que saw the cold glare in the mirror.
He knew Mr. Xuan was angry.
Shen Que lowered his head, biting his lip and staying silent.
Sheng Xuanzhu felt he had been too harsh. Taking a deep breath, he said, “If it’s about the trending topic, I can help you.”
He realized he was growing increasingly helpless when it came to Shen Que. Seeing him unhappy, he feared Shen Que might revert to the lifeless version of himself from before.
Looking into the eyes staring back at him in the mirror, he quickly found a reason.
Wen Zhibai, when he was alive, never defied him.
He simply wanted Shen Que to be more like Wen Zhibai.
That had to be it.
But at that moment, Shen Que said something provocative: “I don’t need Mr. Xuan’s help.”
Before Sheng Xuanzhu could fully erupt in anger, Shen Que slipped out from under his arm and headed to the dining room for dinner.
Sheng Xuanzhu kept Xie Lan’s advice in mind—losing his temper would only push Shen Que back to how he used to be.
He splashed cold water on his face to calm himself slightly before following Shen Que to the dining room and taking his seat.
The servants had already prepared dinner.
As soon as Sheng Xuanzhu sat down, Shen Que began eating without a word.
Throughout the meal, the two exchanged no words.
Shen Que used to chat at the dinner table, talking about his day, about Dreamer, about his grandmother. Before, Sheng Xuanzhu had found it noisy, but now, the silence felt unsettling.
Shen Que’s unusual behavior left Sheng Xuanzhu feeling deeply dissatisfied.
But he still held back his anger and asked him one last time, “I can help you with your negative news.”
“Thank you, Mr. Xuan. I can handle it myself.”
He knew Shen Que was stubborn; without using forceful means to pressure him, he would never bow his head.
“Fine,” Sheng Xuanzhu glanced at him. “I hope you never need it in the future.”
Halfway through the meal, the two parted on bad terms.
That night, Sheng Xuanzhu paid no mind to Shen Que’s low spirits or his wishes, “doting” on him fiercely instead.
Smelling the lingering scent of another omega on the alpha, Shen Que felt aggrieved but couldn’t bring himself to say it.
The next morning, Shen Que was awakened by the ringing of his phone.
He reached toward the edge of the bed—Mr. Xuan was still not there.
Shen Que smiled self-deprecatingly and answered the call.
“Shen Que, get ready. I’ll pick you up from the Xuan residence,” Dong Xiangyu said urgently.
“Has something happened?”
“I’ll explain when we meet.”
After Dong Xiangyu hung up, Shen Que didn’t dare delay. He quickly got up, washed, and dressed.
By the time he was ready to go downstairs, Dong Xiangyu was already waiting for him in the hall.
“Put on your sunglasses and mask. Keep your head down when we leave. I’m worried there might be paparazzi staking out the Xuan residence,” Dong Xiangyu instructed briskly.
Shen Que was covered up so thoroughly that even if paparazzi caught him entering or leaving the Xuan residence, they wouldn’t be able to recognize him.
The car started and drove for a while before Dong Xiangyu finally told him to remove the coverings.
“Teacher Dong, what exactly happened?”
“The director notified me today that they might cut you from the next episode.”
“Wh-what?” Shen Que remembered signing on for four consecutive episodes as a guest.
Clearly, Dong Xiangyu hadn’t expected this either. Shen Que’s popularity was harmless to the variety show, and with Mr. Xuan’s backing, the production team shouldn’t have actively breached the contract.
Unless there was one possibility.
Dong Xiangyu turned to look at Shen Que and asked gravely, “Did you offend Mr. Xuan?”