The word “good” carried both praise and coaxing. Shen Jiayu obediently adjusted his stance, lowering his eyes to look at the Alpha, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
In a place where the boy couldn’t see, Wen Xiuheng’s lip line tightened, his gaze deepening.
The man carefully looped the strap around the youth’s leg, doing his best to avoid touching the boy’s skin during the process. His “little friend” was fragile and slender, it seemed as though a single palm of the man’s hand could easily wrap around that thin upper thigh.
The adjustment buckle was set to its smallest circumference, just enough to wrap around the base of the leg. The thin black ring stood out prominently against the backdrop of the white trousers.
Wen Xiuheng was merely using this as a demonstration for Shen Jiayu. He then picked up the top clip and fastened it to the hem of the shirt.
“This way, the shirt won’t wrinkle easily,” the Alpha said in a husky voice. He stood up straight and looked down at the boy.
Slightly dazed, Shen Jiayu shifted his gaze away from the man’s distinct, bony hands and gave a soft “Mhm” in response. That faint trailing sound was like a feather fan gently brushing across the Alpha’s heart.
Wen Xiuheng’s voice was tinged with extreme restraint: “I’ll wait for you outside. The shirt stays should be worn underneath.”
Shen Jiayu’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he gave a soft nod.
After Wen Xiuheng left the fitting room, it wasn’t long before Shen Jiayu changed into the formal suit and stepped out.
The moment the curtain was pulled back, even Wen Xiuheng couldn’t help but show a look of slight surprise.
This pure white formal suit truly suited Shen Jiayu perfectly. The trousers made his legs look slender and straight. The chest and cuffs featured exquisite rose designs that weren’t overly busy. The waist design was the most eye-catching, besides a distinct cinched waist, thin fringe like waist chains dangled from it. Every single chain was embedded with light pink, rose colored jewels, even a layman could tell those gems were of immense value.
Wearing this suit, Shen Jiayu looked pure and divine.
Perhaps sensing that Wen Xiuheng’s reaction this time was different from before, Shen Jiayu bit his lip and asked softly, “Sir, what do you think of this set…?”
The Alpha curved his lips slightly, walked up to the youth, and gently caressed his cheek. “What do you think? Do you like it?”
“…I like it.” Shen Jiayu gave a shy smile. He felt that the Gentleman probably liked this set as well.
Wen Xiuheng replied dotingly, “It’s most important that you like it.”
Three days later, the banquet officially began.
On Saturday evening, Wen Xiuheng brought Shen Jiayu to the event venue.
The banquet was held in the grand hall on the second floor. The first floor had strict security checkpoints where every guest had to present an invitation to enter.
Before officially entering the hall, Wen Xiuheng had Shen Jiayu take his arm.
The moment the two walked into the venue, they instantly attracted numerous gazes from the surroundings.
Among the guests, some had heard of Shen Jiayu. No one expected that after the Shen family’s bankruptcy, the head of the Wen family would still be willing to fulfill this marriage alliance. As for those who hadn’t heard of him, they were all whispering to those beside them, trying to find out exactly who the youth standing next to Wen Xiuheng was.
It was common knowledge that the renowned head of the Wen family was famous for being cold-blooded and heartless. Countless high-quality Omegas had taken the initiative to pursue him in the past, yet Wen Xiuheng had ignored them all. Rumors had even circulated in social circles that the Wen patriarch might never marry in his life. Who would have thought that today, the person standing by his side would be a Beta he was allied with through marriage?!
Upon learning the youth’s gender, the guests couldn’t help but show shocked expressions.
“He’s actually a Beta!”
“You’ve got to be kidding? Isn’t Wen Xiuheng an S-class Alpha?”
“It must be an act, right? The Wen family’s young master is so cold, this alliance definitely won’t last long.”
“I think Wen Xiuheng doesn’t like that Little Master Shen at all. The two of them are just putting on a show.”
“But then again, even if he’s a Beta, this Master Shen is way too beautiful!”
“Did you see the suit Master Shen is wearing? I tried to custom order from that brand back then and couldn’t even get on the waiting list. It’s terrifyingly expensive.”
Feeling the many gazes landing on him, Shen Jiayu uncomfortably tightened his grip on Wen Xiuheng’s arm.
“Jiayu,” Wen Xiuheng called him softly. He gently covered the youth’s arm with his other hand. “While we are here, just look at me, okay? Don’t worry about anyone else.”
Shen Jiayu knew the Gentleman was comforting him and nodded obediently.
In front of them, the host of this banquet, Meng Qianyi, took the initiative to come forward and greet them.
The Meng family was also a top-tier powerful family in the country. Meng Qianyi had stepped back behind the scenes in recent years, leaving family affairs to his eldest son, but in terms of seniority and influence, he was still qualified to host such a banquet.
Meng Qianyi said with a beaming smile, “Xiuheng, welcome. Thank you for coming.”
“You’re too kind, Uncle Meng,” Wen Xiuheng replied politely.
Seeing the youth on his arm, Meng Qianyi asked in surprise, “And this is…?”
Wen Xiuheng placed his hand around Shen Jiayu’s waist from behind. He gazed at his “little friend” and said calmly, word for word: “This is my beloved, Shen Jiayu.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding gossip-hungry guests all gasped.
Be-loved???!!!
The notoriously cold-blooded Wen Xiuheng actually referred to that youth as his “beloved” when introducing him!
They couldn’t have all had a collective hallucination, could they?
Meng Qianyi was clearly stunned as well. He knew his junior very well. Wen Xiuheng was extremely capable, which was why he became the CEO of the entire Wen Group in his twenties. However, in the past, he had been exceptionally indifferent regarding matters of the heart. Meng Qianyi had even thought about introducing him to Omegas of equal social standing, but Wen Xiuheng had shown absolutely no interest.
Unexpectedly, he had now brought an extremely beautiful young man here and called him his beloved.
Meng Qianyi tried his best to keep himself from appearing too shocked or losing his composure, then said, “Mr. Shen, you are very welcome.”
Shen Jiayu’s face felt slightly hot. The moment he heard the Gentleman introduce him as his “beloved,” his face had instantly turned a deep crimson.
Shen Jiayu gave a polite smile and responded, “Thank you, Uncle Meng.”
Meng Qianyi continued, mentioning that Wen Xiuheng’s father, Wen Cheng, would also be coming, though he hadn’t arrived yet.
Wen Xiuheng reacted rather coldly to this. After a few words of small talk, he told Meng Qianyi they would see him later at the dance.
The dance wouldn’t start for a while. Wen Xiuheng led Shen Jiayu to a quiet seating area. He could tell his “little friend” was quite constrained in this kind of environment, so he accompanied him to sit alone first to get used to the surroundings.
With Wen Xiuheng’s status and ability, he didn’t need to use such occasions to curry favor with business connections. On the contrary, just by sitting there, people would naturally want to come over and talk.
But to avoid disturbing his “little friend,” Wen Xiuheng used his expression to silently tell those people not to approach.
Wen Xiuheng told Shen Jiayu that if he was hungry, he could eat something first. But Shen Jiayu’s mind was filled with the upcoming dance, he was worried he might make a mistake somewhere and embarrass the Gentleman.
After sitting for a while, Shen Jiayu mentioned to Wen Xiuheng that he wanted to go to the restroom. After a moment of contemplation, Wen Xiuheng asked if he needed to be escorted. Shen Jiayu shook his head with a red face, saying it wasn’t necessary and he could manage.
He felt that the Gentleman truly treated him like a child who needed constant care.
After coming out of the restroom, Shen Jiayu saw Wen Xiuheng talking to others in the distance. Thinking there was still some time before the dance, he wanted to seize the moment to practice his steps one more time.
Because he had sprained his ankle, they had been delayed for a while. Although they had resumed practicing after the injury healed, Shen Jiayu couldn’t help but feel worried.
He walked to an empty terrace. Below the terrace was a garden with just enough space for him to practice. He sent a message to Wen Xiuheng on his phone, telling him where he was going and that he’d be back soon.
Few people went to the garden below the terrace, but it was clear that the design and decoration here were very deliberate. The lighting fixtures in the garden were made in the style of candle flames, scattered throughout with a sense of order. The light and shadows had a hazy texture. The garden was filled with roses, which were currently in full bloom.
Shen Jiayu became overjoyed because of the roses filling the garden. He couldn’t help but slow his pace to look closely. The petals were layered, blooming passionately and brilliantly.
He really wanted to look a bit longer, but the dance was starting soon.
With a hint of reluctance, Shen Jiayu walked quietly to the center of the garden and stood still.
He softly whispered the beats and steps to himself, his small face serious as he began to practice.
“Forward 1, 2, 3…”
“Right 4, 5, 6…”
“Then back…”
On the other side, Wen Xiuheng ended his conversation early. Looking toward the direction Shen Jiayu had left, he still didn’t see him.
The Alpha frowned slightly, worried that his “little friend” might have run into some trouble. Just as he took out his phone to contact Shen Jiayu, he saw the message the boy had sent him.
Wen Xiuheng followed the direction Shen Jiayu had gone and soon discovered his figure.
The tall Alpha stood on the terrace, looking down at him.
Among the thousands of blooming roses in the garden, his “little friend” was the most beautiful one.
Shen Jiayu practiced alone, earnest and focused.
The fringe hanging from his waist swayed along with his dance steps, the embedded gems reflecting sparkling, dazzling points of light.
The slender figure moved forward, turned, and retreated. Every step seemed to land right on the Alpha’s heart.
The man couldn’t help but walk down the spiral staircase, approaching his “rose.”
“Jiayu,” Wen Xiuheng called softly.
Shen Jiayu stopped mid-step and turned to look at Wen Xiuheng, his eyes filled with a trace of panic and bashfulness: “Sir…”
He looked like a child caught secretly practicing before a performance.
The Alpha curved his lips, walked up to Shen Jiayu, and placed his large hand on the youth’s hair.
“I’ll practice with you.”
Shen Jiayu’s eyes slowly widened, and then his small face gradually filled with a pleasant surprise.
If the Gentleman was willing to practice with him one more time, he would feel much more at ease.
Shen Jiayu tilted his small face up, his eyes curving into crescents: “Mhm, okay!”
Amidst the sea of roses and under the hazy light and shadows, a tall figure and a slender figure began to dance slowly together.
There were no unnecessary words between the two, only the unspoken understanding and connection of eyes after countless practices.
At this moment, it was as if the noise from the banquet hall upstairs had nothing to do with them.
They left the glitzy and glamorous social stage to stand together in the tranquil sea of roses.
No lights, no music, this was a waltz without an audience, belonging only to the two of them.