Chapter 29

Before he could respond, Yu Lan buried his face in Shao Mingyu’s neck again and took a deep breath.

Shao Mingyu: “…”

He suddenly felt that he was wrong before. A-Lan was not sniffing him like Little Mars.

Shao Mingyu had certainly never felt this way when he was scented by the dog…

*

That thought amused Shao Mingyu and he laughed.

Yu Lan’s face was still buried in his neck, breathing deeply and Shao Mingyu embraced him indulgently. He rubbed Yu Lan’s head and smiled, “Do you really like it that much?”

Yu Lan’s eyes were half closed. With Mister Shao stroking his hair so gently, he felt very comfortable. He said softly, “Yeah…like…”

Shao Mingyu moved the hair off of Yu Lan’s forehead with gentle fingers and said, “You like my scent…do you like me?”

Yu Lan inhaled the woody fragrance he loved and instinctively released more pheromones.

The sweet, grape scent carefully spread out to combine with the woody fragrance around Shao Mingyu. Their scents fused together, swirling, and rising. Intoxicating.

Shao Mingyu swallowed roughly, his Adam’s apple rolling up and down.

This little omega didn’t answer the question but released so many pheromones to combine with Shao Mingyu’s own. Did Yu Lan even think about the consequences of such an action?

Did he really think that Shao Mingyu had endless self control?

He couldn’t stop from holding Yu Lan tighter, the strength of his grip increasing. The original soothing nature of their embrace had changed to something more ambiguous but the drunken Yu Lan didn’t notice.

Shao Mingyu’s hand moved from Yu Lan’s hair to the back of the omega’s neck and he slowly rubbed a certain place. Yu Lan didn’t know why but his body suddenly felt even weaker.

Perhaps because the most vulnerable place on Yu Lan’s body was under Shao Mingyu’s soothing palm but Yu Lan wholeheartedly trusted the alpha. The kind of love and trust that Yu Lan felt was exciting and he felt like his soul was trembling.

He called out softly, “Mister Shao…”

He felt compelled to call out his name. The man holding him was the only thing in his thoughts.

Shao Mingyu lowered his head and whispered in the young man’s ear, “Little Grape, I’ll make a temporary mark for you again, okay?”

Yu Lan said in a daze, “But…I’m not in heat now…”

Maybe because it was too intense, the previous temporary mark faded after two whole weeks. Yu Lan hadn’t shown signs of going into heat again.

And…he was entering the second month of balancing his cycle. This meant that inhibitors could be used again to suppress his heats. Couldn’t he just get an injection?

“That’s true,” Shao Mingyu’s voice was deep and sweet as it caressed Yu Lan’s ear, “But I want to do it.”

Yu Lan trembled.

‘I want to do it.’

Five little words. So simple and yet so powerful.

After a quiet moment passed, Yu Lan slowly lowered his head, obediently revealing the nape of his slender neck.

He didn’t ask any questions, he didn’t say anything. In a gesture of extreme trust, he presented Shao Mingyu with the most vulnerable place on an omega’s body.

Shao Mingyu’s already sweet voice got impossibly more gentle, “Good boy.”

Shao Mingyu turned Yu Lan in his arms, pressed him against the wall and gently kissed his slender neck. The action made Yu Lan start to tremble again.

Then, Shao Mingyu bit down.

*

After half an hour, the restaurant booth door opened.

The waiter happened to be passing by and hurriedly stopped. When he saw the condition of the two people who came out of the booth clearly, the waiter was stunned.

The man held the young man in his arms. The young man’s cheeks were flushed and there was a strong alpha pheromone lingering on his body.

This waiter was the same one who had shown them to the booth and the young man hadn’t smelled so much of alpha pheromones then!

What had happened between the two was obvious.

The waiter hurriedly bowed his head, “Mister Shao, have a pleasant evening.”

Shao Mingyu nodded and walked out, his arm still around the young man.

Lin Yu, who had received a message from Boss, hurried out from the lobby. Remembering the drama he had witnessed in the car, when he saw his family’s Big Boss walking out with the little omega in his arms, Lin Yu almost screamed with excitement!

“Mister Shao, Mister Shao,” Lin Yu’s eyes were bright, as if he could emit a laser beam from them, “Is Mister Yu okay?”

Hearing his name, Yu Lan looked up in a daze, his voice muted, “Lin Yu…”

After speaking, Yu Lan felt dizzy and he collapsed against Mister Shao’s shoulder, looking very weak and dependent on the alpha.

Lin Yu covered his mouth and excited tears filled his eyes, about to fall.

“…” Shao Mingyu said helplessly, “Go out and bring the car around.”

“Yes!” Lin Yu cried with joy and hurried away.

Shao Mingyu, “…”

Had his right hand man always been so dramatic?

As they stood there, Shao Mingyu felt Yu Lan’s breath puff across his neck as Yu Lan leaned on him. Shao Mingyu was very happy.

Recalling that Yu Lan didn’t seem reluctant or question him just now, only lowering his head to reveal his neck, Shao Mingyu felt soft in his heart.

He also felt like a selfish person.

What if being with Shao Mingyu affected Yu Lan’s self confidence? As long as Yu Lan consented, Shao Mingyu planned to assign some bodyguards to the omega. Would monitoring him like that constrict his freedom?

Shao Mingyu knew that Yu Lan would meet an endless number of people in his life.

He couldn’t stop the little guy from getting to know more alphas.

But at least for the few days he was away, he wanted Yu Lan to carry his mark.

Shao Mingyu was surprised that once the temporary marking was done, Yu Lan became even more clingy. Between being drunk and receiving the bite mark, Yu Lan turned into a small ball of rice cake, sticky and sweet.

Yu Lan stayed with his face buried in Shao Mingyu’s neck, calling his name over and over, holding the alpha close. He rubbed his small head against Shao Mingyu’s palm as if begging to be held and stroked more.

Shao Mingyu wanted that as well.

Temporary marking had an impact on both alpha and omega but the effects varied from person to person. For example, omegas can become very sticky after receiving a mark but not every omega will be overcome by neediness.

With past markings, Yu Lan hadn’t shown any significant changes in his mood or actions and Shao Mingyu thought that this behavior was normal for him.

But now, Shao Mingyu suspected that after the previous temporary markings, the little guy was holding back.

Thinking of that possibility, Shao Mingyu’s lips curled into a smile.

After walking a few steps forward, they came to a corner and two people suddenly appeared in front of them. Before they could bump into each other, both sides stopped.

The smile on Shao Mingyu’s lips faded.

When the other party saw Shao Mingyu, the man slowly raised the corners of his lips. He looked at Yu Lan wrapped around the alpha’s body and said, “Mister Shao, it’s been a long time.”

The man’s companion, who was a head shorter, gushed excitedly, “Oh, Mister Shao is here, too? What a coincidence!”

Two pairs of eyes turned their attention to Yu Lan, sizing up the omega with invasive and thoughtful gazes.

Shao Mingyu pressed Yu Lan’s face more firmly into his neck to hide his face and nodded slightly.

Shao Mingyu didn’t have any intention to stay and chat but the smaller man seized the opportunity. He gestured towards the taller man and said with a flattering smile, “It’s so good we ran into you! I’m here with Wen Qiong as his agent to talk about his upcoming movie-”

The agent was speaking quickly and when Yu Lan heard the name ‘Wen Qiong’, he suddenly raised his head.

Shao Mingyu frowned and lifted his hand to stroke the back of Yu Lan’s head. He asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Lan pulled the hand away and turned to look at the other people. His eyes met another pair…

The man had long black hair and was very beautiful. The indifference in the stranger’s eyes turned into a keen interest as they looked at each other.

Wen Qiong?

Yu Lan felt dizzy and it was hard to think. He remembered being very jealous of this man in the car earlier. Why would he suddenly appear?

He hugged Shao Mingyu’s neck tightly and whispered, with a tone full of accusation, “Mister Shao…”

Shao Mingyu felt as if he were being interrogated. Yu Lan’s face seemed to say, ‘If you aren’t acquainted with this man, why would you meet with him here? Did you secretly make an appointment and sneak away?’

Shao Mingyu was amused and touched the tip of Yu Lan’s nose in a fond gesture. He laughed softly, “It happened by chance.”

Wen Qiong’s agent originally wanted to ask if Shao Mingyu was interested in investing in the actor’s upcoming movie. But Shao Mingyu wasn’t listening at all, his attention fully on the omega in his arms.

When he saw Yu Lan’s face, he almost gasped. This little omega was too beautiful!

Wen Qiong came from the Silver Moon Tribe and his appearance made him number one in the entertainment industry. But this little omega looked even better than Wen Qiong!

Where did this little star come from?

Wen Qiong suddenly took a step closer and asked with a smile, “Mister Shao, is your little friend from the Silver Moon Tribe?”

Wen Qiong’s agent opened his eyes wide, “Huh? Silver– Silver Moon Tribe!?”

He was also from the Silver Moon Tribe?

Shao Mingyu raised his eyes to look at them. His expression was mild but it still made the agent’s heart rate speed up.

Wen Qiong’s voice was very gentle, “He looks beautiful, I want to ask him if he’s interested in entering the entertainment industry.”

Shao Mingyu slowly said, “Wen Qiong, just worry about yourself.”

The agent swallowed nervously and he quickly pulled back Wen Qiong to get him to stop talking.

The agent knew the true relationship between Shao Mingyu and Wen Qiong. A few years ago, Wen Qiong was having trouble with his debut and after hearing they were acquaintances, the agent thought it was a good idea if Wen Qiong could seduce Shao Mingyu.

But in the end, this big boss seemed to have no interest in Wen Qiong and Wen Qiong didn’t seem to care either. Frustrated, the agent made a proposal to the PR department and orchestrated a wave of scandal between the two of them. This got the agent targeted by Shao Mingyu and his company.

The agent had given up his lofty schemes and after so many years, surely Shao Mingyu had forgotten such a small thing. Would this big boss be an investor?

It was unlike Wen Qiong to say such words and it was obvious that Shao Mingyu greatly valued the person in his arms. Why would Wen Qiong try to provoke Shao Mingyu now?

Provoking Shao Mingyu didn’t just mean losing a potential investor, it also had the potential of pushing Wen Qiong out of the entertainment industry altogether!

Fortunately, Wen Qiong didn’t say anything more. He only nodded and took a step back but his gaze lingered on Yu Lan, still smiling gently.

Shao Mingyu didn’t spare him another glance, stepping around them to leave.

Yu Lan, still hiding in Shao Mingyu’s arms, happened to meet Wen Qiong’s eyes as they passed. After that, he pursed his lips, raised his head and tugged on Shao Mingyu’s collar.

Shao Mingyu bowed his head obediently and Yu Lan raised his face and stared at Shao Mingyu as if he wanted something.

“What is it?”

Yu Lan closed his eyes and raised his head further, giving a small pout.

Shao Mingyu, “?”

He thought for a moment and then lowered his head further to rub the tips of their noses together gently.

Yu Lan squinted his eyes in satisfaction and leaned his head comfortably on Shao Mingyu’s shoulder once again. He looked over Shao Mingyu’s shoulder to Wen Qiong standing behind them.

Wen Qiong’s face never changed and he continued to look at them with a smile on his face, completely unprovoked.

…

I hate people like you, Yu Lan thought willfully.

In the car, Shao Mingyu didn’t put Yu Lan down in his own seat and Yu Lan also refused to let go. He adjusted Yu Lan in his lap so that the omega was comfortable.

After thinking for a moment, he said to Lin Yu, “Keep an eye on Wen Qiong and his people.”

“Wen Qiong?” Lin Yu paused as he fastened his seatbelt, surprised to hear that name again.

“Yes.”

Shao Mingyu didn’t explain further, turning his head to stare out the window with an indifferent expression.

*

Yu Lan slept on the drive to the manor and barely remembered being carried inside. He awoke the next morning in Shao Mingyu’s bed.

When he woke up, he found himself buried in Shao Mingyu’s arms, his two hands holding the alpha’s waist and his head against the alpha’s chest.

Yu Lan, “…!”

He was so frightened, he sat up suddenly but because of the hangover, he was so dizzy he almost fainted.

The movement woke up Shao Mingyu. He opened his eyes and looked at the omega’s red flushed face.

Yu Lan said awkwardly, “Mister…Mister Shao, good morning.”

Although he had slept in the same bed as Mister Shao before, this was the first time they had woken up together. Yu Lan felt so embarrassed that he didn’t know how to face Shao Mingyu.

As he started to realize how much he smelled like Mister Shao’s pheromones, Yu Lan suddenly recalled how drunk he was last night and the way he acted.

Yu Lan felt so ashamed that he wanted to bang his head against the wall! Why did he remember every single thing from last night? Didn’t being that drunk give people amnesia? Why did he do all that!?

“Mister Shao, I’m so sorry! Last night, I-”

Yu Lan was desperately trying to apologize but Shao Mingyu reached over to drag him back under the quilt and into his arms.

It was rare for Shao Mingyu to sleep in and even though he had been awake for some time, he still didn’t get up. He wanted to lie in bed and hold this person in his arms.

It was unfortunate that the person he wanted to hold seemed unable to stay obediently asleep.

Shao Mingyu’s lips lifted into a smile and he rubbed Yu Lan’s head gently. With a low voice he said, “Do you remember what you confessed to me when you were drunk?”

“!!” Yu Lan’s face was so red it felt like it was on fire and could start dripping blood. He stammered, “Mister Shao…Mister Shao-”

The hand stroking Yu Lan’s head paused.

He sat up a bit and looked at Yu Lan with a teasing gaze, his tone was deep and ambiguous, “When you were drunk, you kept calling out my name just like that but you never said anything after. I’m really curious what you would have said last night.”

Yu Lan froze.

Wasn’t it obvious?

I like you.

I love you.

I want you to love me, too.

Hug me, hold me, kiss me…mark me.

If he didn’t hold back, Yu Lan would have said a lot of bold and presumptuous words.

If he said it now, sober and in broad daylight, Yu Lan would be forced to dig a hole and cover himself up!

Even knowing he never said those things to Shao Mingyu out loud, Yu Lan still wanted to faint from embarrassment and shame.

Yu Lan was quiet for a long moment and then Mister Shao suddenly sat up, letting the quilt fall away to reveal…

His naked chest! Mister Shao wasn’t wearing a shirt!

Just now, while he was sleeping, Yu Lan had been held tightly in Mister Shao’s arms. His hands had been holding Mister Shao’s waist and his head had been on Mister Shao’s chest.

His naked chest! Yu Lan had been touching those firm, chiseled muscles with no barrier between them!

Yu Lan felt his soul leave his body.

Shao Mingyu noticed where Yu Lan was looking and raised his eyebrows. He said, teasingly, “You took my clothes off last night. I had to fight off your wandering hands…”

Yu Lan leaned forward and buried his head in his pillow, feeling a scream building in his chest.

He wanted to die.