Alpha’s arms were wrapped around Shen Que. Apart from heavy breathing, the room was completely silent.
It wasn’t until Shen Que was certain Sheng Xuanzhu had fallen asleep that he allowed his own breathing to ease slightly.
Shen Que endured like this until dawn. When he sensed the alpha behind him showing signs of waking, he nervously closed his eyes again, pretending to sleep.
The close proximity between them made the alpha’s sharp, leathery scent even more intense in the morning.
Perhaps because Shen Que was tense while pretending to sleep, he trembled slightly when Sheng Xuanzhu’s fingertips brushed against his face.
“Awake?” Sheng Xuanzhu asked in a low voice.
Shen Que suppressed the urge to flee, trying hard to calm his nerves and ignore him while pretending to sleep.
The next second, Sheng Xuanzhu chuckled. Shen Que was still the same as before—outwardly timid, but actually quite determined deep down. With that thought, Sheng Xuanzhu slid his palm over the small omega’s delicate, fair neck. “Get up and freshen up, then I’ll take you to see your grandmother.”
At the mention of his grandmother, Shen Que’s eyelids twitched, and a faint floral scent involuntarily escaped.
Seeing that he couldn’t keep up the act, Shen Que had no choice but to rub his eyes and pretend to wake up. “Xuan… Mr. Xuan, good morning.”
The two separated to freshen up and then sat together at the table for breakfast. Throughout the meal, Shen Que was on edge. He barely ate a few bites before putting down his bowl and chopsticks, sitting stiffly and waiting for Sheng Xuanzhu to speak.
Fortunately, Sheng Xuanzhu kept his word. After breakfast, the driver took Shen Que to the hospital.
His grandmother had been placed in a private room with dedicated care. When Shen Que arrived, she was still asleep, so he first went to the medical staff to learn about her condition.
The doctor was very professional, having identified many previously unnoticed illnesses and provided a systematic treatment and recovery plan.
Listening to the doctor’s words, Shen Que knew that Mr. Xuan was truly fulfilling their agreement.
Back in the room, Shen Que carefully wiped his grandmother’s hands and face with a warm towel, thinking that if Mr. Xuan could treat her and give her a better life, then his own suffering didn’t matter.
Moreover, so far, Mr. Xuan seemed much more trustworthy than Sheng Xuanzhu.
When his grandmother woke up and saw Shen Que beside her, she was surprised. “Quebao? How did you get here? Your work…”
“I’ll come visit you more often from now on,” Shen Que said anxiously. In the past, whenever his grandmother was hospitalized, Sheng Xuanzhu forbade Shen Que from leaving the Sheng household. To avoid worrying her, Shen Que could only lie and say he was too busy with work.
“Quebao,” his grandmother smiled warmly, always so gentle. “The people you hired to take care of me must be expensive, right? Your career has just started to pick up—why are you spending money so recklessly? Grandma can take care of herself.”
Mr. Xuan’s people? Shen Que glanced at the caregiver nearby. “Grandma, don’t worry. Actors earn a lot of money. Spending it on you is only right.”
“Will I be able to see Quebao on TV then?!”
As his grandmother smiled, someone knocked on the door.
Shen Que went to open it and saw a beta in a white coat standing outside. His memory felt a bit hazy.
“Don’t recognize me already?” Xie Lan smiled casually. “I went to the Xuan residence earlier, and they said you were visiting your grandmother, so I came to find you.”
At the mention of the Xuan residence, Shen Que’s heart skipped a beat, and his fingers instinctively curled into the hem of his clothes. He remembered that a man had indeed come to see him last night, examining him.
“Quebao, who is it?”
Shen Que’s gaze briefly swept over Xie Lan, his panicked dark eyes carrying a hint of liveliness that made Xie Lan’s eyebrows unconsciously lift.
Xie Lan smiled warmly and entered the room, greeting Grandma openly. “Grandma, I’m Xie Lan, a friend of Shen Que. I’m an internist at this hospital, and Shen Que asked me to look after you.”
Shen Que opened his mouth, worried that Xie Lan might mention Mr. Xuan. He didn’t want Grandma to worry, but it seemed Xie Lan was quite skilled at interacting with the elderly. The two chatted back and forth about many things, from square dancing to home-cooked meals, and Grandma visibly perked up.
Shen Que could sense that Xie Lan was different from both Sheng Xuan Zhu and Mr. Xuan.
When it was time to leave, Shen Que walked Xie Lan to the door. “Dr. Xie, thank you for keeping Mr. Xuan’s matter from Grandma just now.”
“Don’t mention it. Grandma’s health is what matters,” Xie Lan said, slipping his hands into his pockets and stopping. “Mr. Xuan asked me to check on how you’re doing. Are you still having headaches or fever today?”
Remembering the events of the previous night, Shen Que shook his head sheepishly. “The medicine from last night worked really well.”
“Here, take this,” Xie Lan pulled out a small, exquisitely crafted medicine bottle. “I noticed some swelling on your temple. Apply this three times a day, and the pain should be gone in a few days.”
Shen Que hesitated to take it, so Xie Lan simply placed it in his hand. “Mr. Xuan isn’t very good at taking care of others. If he ever mistreats you or if you need anything, you can call me.”
With that, Xie Lan stepped into the elevator and disappeared from Shen Que’s sight. When Shen Que came to his senses, he realized that besides the medicine bottle, there was also a note in his hand with Xie Lan’s contact information.
Shen Que didn’t save the number in his phone, just casually stuffed it into his pocket along with the medicine bottle.
He spent the whole day with Grandma until she fell asleep, then gave a few instructions to the caregiver before preparing to head home.
As soon as Shen Que stepped out of the hospital entrance, a car pulled up in front of him. When the window rolled down, Xie Lan’s smiling face appeared. “What a coincidence. Let me give you a ride back.”
“No need to trouble yourself.”
“It’s a long way from here to the Xuan residence, and there’s no direct public transportation. I happen to be heading that way, so hop in!”
Xie Lan’s enthusiasm left Shen Que with no choice but to politely get into the car.
During the ride, Xie Lan was quiet, focused on driving, while Shen Que sat nervously, head bowed and fingers clenched, not uttering a word.
As they neared the Xuan residence, Xie Lan suddenly asked, “Want to grab some late-night snacks? I know a great barbecue place nearby.”
Shen Que blinked, thinking that Mr. Xuan might be home. If he violated the contract on the very first day, it would surely anger Mr. Xuan. He declined, “Dr. Xie, it’s already… quite late.”
“Alright,” Xie Lan agreed readily.
When they arrived, Shen Que naturally thanked Xie Lan and even managed a faint smile—a rare, warm expression that made Xie Lan feel he was far more pleasant than Wen Zhi Bai.
The servant who had chased after Shen Que the previous day opened the door for him. As soon as he stepped inside, he was hit by an overwhelming, unbearable scent of an omega. The intensity of the aroma suggested that a passionate encounter had just taken place here.
Clearly, the only person who could engage in such activities in this villa was Mr. Xuan.
The sweet, cloying scent of plum wine from the omega now smelled like foul alcohol to Shen Que. Already weak, he leaned against the doorframe, nearly vomiting again.
Staggering out of the villa, Shen Que saw that Xie Lan hadn’t left yet and weakly retreated into the car.
“It seems Mr. Xuan won’t remember you tonight,” Xie Lan said, as if foreseeing everything. “Now, will you join me for some late-night snacks?”
Shen Que looked surprised. “Did you do this on purpose?”
“Some scenes aren’t really suitable for you to see.” You’re too pure, shouldn’t be tainted by dirty things.
But Xie Lan didn’t voice the latter half of that thought.