Soon, the ball officially began.
The invited guests arrived in pairs at the center of the banquet hall, surrounded by many other onlookers.
Before the music started, Wen Xiuheng and Shen Jiayu took their positions like everyone else. The man’s arm circled the slender waist, while his other hand clasped the youth’s, his large palm tenderly enveloping the hand that was a size smaller.
Wen Xiuheng lowered his gaze and whispered comfortingly, “Don’t be nervous, Jiayu. Just do it like we practiced.”
Shen Jiayu replied in a soft, waxy voice, “Mm, I’m not as nervous as before.”
Because Sir is here, Shen Jiayu added silently in his heart.
He knew that as long as Sir was there, he would feel at ease. During their previous practices, even if he accidentally made a mistake, Sir would lead him back to the correct steps.
Wen Xiuheng slightly tightened his grip on Shen Jiayu’s hand, acting as a gesture of praise and encouragement.
As the music officially commenced, the two moved slowly in sync with the melody.
Above them were magnificent, shimmering crystal chandeliers, beneath them was a precious, intricate carpet.
With every advance, retreat, and turn, they met each other’s gaze time and again.
Their movements were fluid and elegant, every step precisely on beat.
Shen Jiayu was like a rose blooming lightly upon the wilderness, while Wen Xiuheng was the tree that shielded the rose from wind and rain.
The rose grew freely and briskly, the tree lived to protect the rose.
Unbeknownst to them, the pair attracted the gazes of many other guests. Some were shocked, while others felt admiration and envy.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that these two had put their hearts into this dance.
Setting aside their familiarity with the routine, it was unimaginable to anyone present that the consistently cold and detached head of the Wen family would be willing to spend time and energy accompanying his marriage partner in such a dance.
If the head of the Wen family didn’t care for or value his partner, how could he go to such lengths?
Looking at them now, what they saw wasn’t just a dance, it was practically the Wen family head’s doting affection and possessiveness toward the young Master Shen!
The surrounding guests whispered to one another from time to time; rumors like “Wen Xiuheng doesn’t like Young Master Shen at all” were completely debunked.
As the song ended, the entire hall erupted in warm applause.
Having made no mistakes during the dance, Shen Jiayu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up at Wen Xiuheng with a beaming smile, and the man couldn’t help but gaze back at him for a long time.
The Alpha’s gaze shifted from the youth’s beautiful eyes down to his upturned, smiling lips. The full lips were dyed a faint pink. For a moment, the Alpha wanted to kiss him regardless of everything, but reason ultimately prevailed.
Hiding his possessiveness within his silver-gray eyes, the man restrained himself, reaching out to stroke the youth’s cheek and the back of his neck with controlled tenderness.
After the dance ended, Shen Jiayu’s appetite improved significantly.
Wen Xiuheng took him to the dining table, which was laden with various foods and desserts.
Shen Jiayu chose pizza and salad, and Wen Xiuheng stayed by his side, eating a little with him.
While eating the salad, the youth noticed a type of nut he had never seen before. Curious, he popped it into his mouth, and his small face immediately crumpled.
It tasted terrible.
As he was debating whether to force himself to swallow it, a hand suddenly reached out in front of him.
Wen Xiuheng had noticed the boy’s expression almost instantly. He immediately reached out to catch it, a paper napkin resting in his palm.
“Be good, spit it out.”
Shen Jiayu obediently spat the item out.
Wen Xiuheng immediately handed him a glass of water. “Rinse your mouth.”
“Mm.” Shen Jiayu nodded and followed instructions, looking incredibly well-behaved.
After rinsing, Shen Jiayu finally felt the strange taste disappear. His small face carried a slight frown, and a trace of water lingered at the corner of his mouth, making him look aggrieved and pitiable.
Looking at him, Wen Xiuheng’s heart softened completely. He took another napkin and gently wiped away the moisture from the corner of the youth’s lips.
When his long fingers briefly and unintentionally brushed against those full lips, the Alpha’s eyes darkened.
Shen Jiayu sat there submissively and obediently.
After Wen Xiuheng finished wiping his mouth, the youth said in a soft, waxy voice, “Thank you, Sir.”
Wen Xiuheng’s lips curved into a doting smile.
This scene was witnessed by two strangers sitting not far across from them. Both wore expressions of utter shock, they never expected to see the day when the cold-blooded Wen family head would show such a gentle and considerate side, taking care of his partner as if he were a child! For a moment, their jaws nearly hit the floor.
Shen Jiayu looked up and happened to see the two people in front looking at him and Mr. Wen. Seeing the expressions on their faces, Shen Jiayu’s face flushed red instantly.
Noticing the boy’s blushing face, Wen Xiuheng cast a cool glance toward the two. His silver-gray pupils turned indifferent and icy. The two instantly shuddered and quickly turned away, pretending they hadn’t seen a thing.
Also witnessing this scene was Wen Xiuheng’s father, Wen Cheng, who happened to be passing by. He simply stood at a distance, casting a cold, detached look.
Wen Xiuheng saw him too. Father and son looked at each other across the crowd of guests, their expressions like those of strangers.
Wen Xiuheng merely gave a cold nod toward Wen Cheng as a greeting. Wen Cheng snorted coldly and strode away. Wen Xiuheng didn’t pay him any further mind.
Shortly after, Meng Qianyi came over with champagne to offer a toast, surrounded by several other business figures.
Wen Xiuheng didn’t want the boy to be disturbed, so he told Shen Jiayu to wait for him there for a moment, saying they would go home to rest once he returned.
Shen Jiayu nodded obediently.
Before leaving, the Alpha stood up and lightly brushed his large hand over the youth’s fair, slender nape, quietly and possessively applying another temporary mark.
In this banquet, there might be blind fools who would try to approach, and he would not let anyone covet his rose.
Shen Jiayu sat obediently in his seat waiting, picking out a chocolate from the desserts to eat. The chocolate had a filling that felt cool and refreshing, the taste was very novel, so Shen Jiayu ate another one.
After finishing the sweets, Shen Jiayu turned his head to watch Wen Xiuheng from afar.
The man was already handsome and profound, and his black formal wear accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making him appear tall and upright. No matter who he stood with, he was always the most eye-catching. Holding a glass of champagne, the Alpha appeared perfectly at ease amidst the crowd.
Shen Jiayu noticed that when Sir wasn’t with him, his temperament became sharp. It was as if he were surrounded by wind and snow, and the gazes of others toward him were often filled with respect and fear.
But when Sir was with him, he never felt that ice-like coldness.
Shen Jiayu lowered his eyelashes slightly, thinking slowly.
Suddenly, a figure sat down in front of him.
Shen Jiayu looked up to see a stranger, a man with cold, narrow eyes and a faint smile looking at him.
The strange Alpha initiated the conversation: “Hello, I am Yan Junhe. Perhaps Xiuheng hasn’t mentioned me to you. I am his mother’s younger brother.”
Shen Jiayu’s eyes widened in surprise. Sir’s mother’s brother… that would be Sir’s… uncle. Sir had indeed never mentioned his mother to him, nor had he mentioned an uncle.
Yan Junhe seemed to have expected this and let out a casual, soft laugh.
“It’s alright, I just came over to say hello.” Yan Junhe’s gaze slowly swept over Shen Jiayu’s face, inadvertently landing on the side of his neck.
Any Alpha or Omega could strongly sense the pheromones Wen Xiuheng had left on Shen Jiayu. The Alpha’s pheromones were broadcasting a single message to everyone. Shen Jiayu belongs to him, and no one else can covet him.
A pity, Yan Junhe thought, his lips curling slightly. Your partner is a Beta; he alone cannot sense your pheromones.
“Hello, I am Shen Jiayu, Sir’s… partner.” Shen Jiayu introduced himself politely, his ears turning red when he said the word “partner.”
Yan Junhe’s smile remained unchanged. “I know. Just now, when I first saw you, I was reminded of Xiuheng’s childhood.”
Sir’s childhood…? Shen Jiayu’s eyes showed surprise and curiosity. He didn’t know what Sir was like as a child. Since he was ten years younger than Sir, he would have been even younger during Sir’s childhood.
Yan Junhe continued, “Xiuheng had almost no friends when he was little, and he didn’t like going out much. But he kept a cat. It was very small and cute, a bit like you…”
At this point, Yan Junhe deliberately paused before continuing, “But one day, for some reason, that cat scratched him. Later, it suddenly disappeared from the house…”
While telling this, Yan Junhe kept observing Shen Jiayu’s expression. Shen Jiayu went from surprise to worry, and then to confusion.
“Later, I heard the Wen family butler found it under a tree in the yard a few days later, and that cat, it…” Yan Junhe didn’t continue. Instead, he spread his hands and shrugged with a smile, wearing an expression that said, “you can guess the rest.”
Shen Jiayu’s expression froze momentarily. Yan Junhe watched with interest; he knew Shen Jiayu could guess what he wanted to say.
In front of him, Shen Jiayu slowly lowered his head.
Yan Junhe waited patiently to see more “interesting” expressions on the youth’s face. He looked so frail and young, he was probably feeling flustered and scared right now. Perhaps when he looked up, his eyes would be red, how entertaining that would be…
The next second, Shen Jiayu looked up.
“Sir wouldn’t do that.”
The youth’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was exceptionally firm.
There was no panic or fear on his face, his rose-colored eyes were full of sincerity.
“He wouldn’t.”
Yan Junhe was suddenly stunned, his smiling expression hardening.
His gaze sharpened in surprise. After a moment, he said slowly with a smile, “Well, I also believe he wouldn’t. There must have been some other reason for that cat.”
Before he could finish, a tall, familiar figure blocked his view of Shen Jiayu.
Wen Xiuheng had also been keeping an eye on Shen Jiayu from a distance. When he noticed Yan Junhe sitting next to him, he ended all his conversations early.
The expression on the man’s face was very calm, calm to the point of being indifferent and icy.
Seeing him protecting Shen Jiayu like a guardian, Yan Junhe’s tone became relaxed with a hint of teasing: “My dear nephew, I didn’t expect to meet your partner for the first time at someone else’s banquet.” He shook his head slightly as he spoke.
Wen Xiuheng’s voice was freezing: “Perhaps you’ve forgotten. My affairs ceased to have anything to do with the Yan family a long time ago.”
“Oh? Really?” Yan Junhe shrugged. “Was it starting from after my sister passed away?”
The calm expression on Wen Xiuheng’s face grew several degrees colder.
Behind him, Shen Jiayu looked up at Wen Xiuheng in surprise.
Yan Junhe had no interest in continuing to make a fool of himself. He gave a light laugh, stood up, and walked away.
After Yan Junhe disappeared, Wen Xiuheng turned and stroked Shen Jiayu’s hair. “Are you alright, Jiayu?”
Shen Jiayu felt his mind was a bit of a mess, both because he had learned that Sir’s mother was no longer around and because his head was starting to feel dizzy for some reason. His body felt light, and his consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred.
Shen Jiayu blinked slowly and murmured in a waxy voice, “Sir, I think I’m a bit dizzy…”
Wen Xiuheng’s expression became tense. He frowned slightly, his first instinct being to place his hand on Shen Jiayu’s forehead to check his temperature.
No fever.
However, the corners of Shen Jiayu’s eyes were gradually turning a deep crimson. His eyes were moist, as if covered by a layer of mist, and his vision was losing its focus.
This state looked a bit like… being drunk.
His boy was very good, he shouldn’t have snuck a drink while he was away. The most likely possibility was that he had accidentally consumed food containing alcohol.
Wen Xiuheng turned to look at the food on the table, his suspicious gaze landing on the chocolate dessert.
By now, Shen Jiayu felt the dizziness becoming stronger. His fluffy head leaned gently against Wen Xiuheng’s midsection.
The Alpha pursed his lips, his large hand completely cupping the youth’s head, stroking it gently.
Shen Jiayu rubbed against his waist like a kitten and softly called out, “Sir.”
Wen Xiuheng used his other hand to cup the youth’s cheek, looking into his eyes. His voice was low and husky. “Jiayu, I’ll take you to the lounge to rest, okay?”
With his chin resting against the man’s waist, Shen Jiayu looked up at him. His moist eyes held a look of grievance, he didn’t know what was happening to him, only that his whole body felt light, he couldn’t even sit steadily, and his head was a muddle.
But he still tried his best to understand what Wen Xiuheng was saying. He nodded slowly against the man’s palm and whispered back, “Okay…”
Wen Xiuheng immediately scooped the youth into a horizontal bridal carry. Amidst the curious stares of those around them, he carried the boy toward a nearby lounge.
The banquet supervisor saw this and immediately came forward to inquire. Wen Xiuheng briefly explained the situation, asking them to check the food on the table and to prepare a hangover remedy as quickly as possible.
Facing the most important guest of the banquet, the supervisor dared not dally and went to fulfill every request.
Wen Xiuheng carried Shen Jiayu and sat on the bed. The youth was small, lying obediently in his arms with half of his face buried in the man’s chest, letting out incoherent murmurs.
“Mm, ugh…”
Wen Xiuheng’s eyes darkened. Cupping the youth’s face and holding his slender nape, he looked into those misty, rose colored eyes.
“Jiayu, look at me.” The Alpha’s voice was deep and husky, his long fingers stroking the tender cheek. “Tell me, does your heart hurt?”
His biggest worry was that the alcohol would increase the load on Shen Jiayu’s heart.
Fortunately, Shen Jiayu still possessed a final shred of consciousness. His face held a bewildered expression, and he frowned slightly, looking both cute and pitiable.
“…No, it doesn’t hurt.” The youth’s voice was soft and waxy. His full lips parted slightly, revealing a glimpse of his bright red tongue.
The Alpha’s gaze became increasingly dark, his restraint pushed to the absolute limit, as his fingers gently brushed against the boy’s lips.