Although that’s what she said, Qiao Qiao couldn’t resist Cheng Song’s constant pleading. Out of great compassion, she willingly threw herself into his arms, letting him hold her.

Sang Qi kept shooting daggers at him with his eyes, silently warning him not to upset the kid to the point of crying again. This gaze didn’t have much intimidation for Cheng Song, but it still made him drop the idea of teasing the child further. Instead, he honestly played along with Qiao Qiao.

If Qiao Qiao cried again, he’d truly end up on the Sang family’s blacklist, and it would be near impossible to even get a chance to hold the child again.

Qiao Qiao’s tiny hand rested in his palm, a soft, chubby little hand that barely wrapped around his index finger. As she waved it around absentmindedly, the sight tickled his heart. Cheng Song suppressed the urge to tease her and sat her on his thigh, gently pinching her little arm.

“You love kids that much? Why don’t you just have one of your own?” Sang Qi tore open a yogurt lid and handed it to Cheng Song. “Here, feed her. This mission is now yours. Be gentle, don’t be a brute and poke the kid.”

Cheng Song accepted it and replied, “Come on, do I look that brainless to you? Of course, I’d be careful feeding a kid. Besides, how am I supposed to have a kid on my own? Should I make one with thin air?”

“Cut ties with those lovers of yours, calm down, and seriously find an omega to settle down with. Why couldn’t you have one then?” Sang Qi offered some sincere advice. “You’re old enough now, and I’m still worrying about your love life.”

This last comment made Bo Xiangzhou chuckle. Cheng Song gave him a slap on the arm, grinning, “What are you laughing at? Wipe that smile off your face! Don’t think just because you’re getting married that you and Sang Qi can start lecturing me together.”

Bo Xiangzhou raised an eyebrow. “What does this have to do with me? It’s Sang Qi who’s been nagging you to get married like a parent. I don’t have time for that.”

Cheng Song, with a mocking tone, said, “Yeah, you really don’t. Your heart is entirely wrapped up in your fiancé now.”

He covered Qiao Qiao’s ears and handed her a fish stick. “Your fiancé is the eldest son of the An family, right? Speaking of, the An family is pretty strange. Clinging to your family wasn’t enough for them—they tried to throw their second son my way too.”

Bo Xiangzhou asked, “An Xin?”

Cheng Song nodded. “Yeah, seems pretty scheming. First time we met, he already knew how to flir—”

“Stop.” Sang Qi interrupted, “Don’t talk about your scandalous affairs in front of the kid. Qiao Qiao’s an omega, he doesn’t need to hear this. I’ll take him upstairs, then we can talk.”

Cheng Song reluctantly pinched Qiao Qiao’s chubby little face before switching the conversation to Bo Xiangzhou. “Xiangzhou, when are you gonna have a kid for me to play with? I’ll take care of them during the day and send them back to you at night.”

Bo Xiangzhou stayed silent, but Sang Qi, siding with him, responded, “You’re only getting away with this because Xiangzhou has a good temper. If it were any other alpha, they’d have picked a fight with you by now. If you really want a kid, why don’t you just go adopt one from an orphanage?”

“I’m afraid they won’t bond with me. If I fall head over heels for an omega later and get married, by the rules of my family, all the inheritance has to go to a biological child. If that causes tension between the kids, it wouldn’t be good.” Cheng Song handed Qiao Qiao back to Sang Qi. “I’m single. I work all day and fool around when I’m off. How could I possibly raise a kid? If they don’t end up dead because of me, it’d be a miracle.”

Bo Xiangzhou commented offhandedly, “At least you have a clear understanding of yourself.”

Cheng Song replied, “I’m thirty now. If I didn’t have a clear understanding of myself by now, what would be the point of living?”

Sang Qi carried Qiao Qiao upstairs. Bo Xiangzhou dropped his casual demeanor and said, “Now, continue. What’s up with An Xin?”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

His friend’s attitude shifted sharply when it came to serious matters, his tone so cold it could make anyone nervous.

Cheng Song, intrigued, asked, “Did An Xin offend you?”

“No, I just want to understand a bit more.”

He wasn’t digging into An Xun’s past, and he didn’t care much about An Xin either. But it was rare for an omega to actively pursue Cheng Song. A family like the An’s shouldn’t stoop to being someone’s lover, yet he did, even scheming to rise higher…

The intentions were obvious.

Having tasted success, they’d want more, thinking that the resources and power they gained were a reflection of their own charm.

The An family’s ambition was far greater than he had anticipated, yet they didn’t even measure whether they were worthy.

He’d seen plenty of these situations. As long as no one crossed his bottom line, he could pretend to be unaware.

Cheng Song twirled Qiao Qiao’s rattle and said, “Ambitious, daring, and scheming. Haven’t found anything else yet…”

Mid-sentence, the phone rang. Out of the three phones lying on the table, only Bo Xiangzhou’s lit up. Cheng Song leaned forward to see the caller ID, which read “An Xun,” and teased, “Oh, just three hours out and your fiancé already misses you. Once you’re married, it’ll be even worse. You only came out because of Qiao Qiao today. Next time, even Qiao Qiao won’t be able to persuade you to come out. Ah, love, so enviable.”

“Who would’ve thought our calm and abstinent President Bo would also fall into the traps of love. Wow, a sight to behold!”

Before Cheng Song could finish, the call abruptly ended.

An Xun’s message was brief: Grandma was getting superstitious after her discharge from the hospital, wanting to check the feng shui in the master bedroom. He didn’t have enough experience to stop her, and after a few questions, she saw right through him.

“Chatterbox Cheng,” Bo Xiangzhou said, “There’s an urgent matter at home, I have to go. Let Sang Qi know.”

Cheng Song rolled his eyes, “Workaholic.”

When Sang Qi came back downstairs after putting Qiao Qiao to bed, Bo Xiangzhou was already gone. Cheng Song was lounging with his legs crossed, playing on his phone. Sang Qi put a hand on his shoulder. “Where’s Xiangzhou?”

“He’s got family now, so he went home to take care of business.”

“You got nothing to take care of?”

Unknowingly falling into Sang Qi’s trap, Cheng Song replied, “Nothing.”

Sang Qi grinned brightly. “Perfect, I was thinking about renovating Qiao Qiao’s little bedroom. Since you’re free, come help.”

Cheng Song asked, “You don’t have servants for that? If not, I can lend you some.”

“There’s more meaning in doing it yourself,” Sang Qi said, pulling him along. “I’ll make sure to give you a ‘good guy’ card in front of Qiao Qiao, so you’re not working for free.”

Cheng Song negotiated, “One card? That’s it? At least five! And next time he sees me, he has to ask me to hold him.”

“Qiao Qiao’s easy to coax. Say a few nice words, and he’ll let you hold him.”

·

An Xun was on edge, Old Madam’s silence making him nervous.

Could she be angry? She just got discharged; she couldn’t have gotten upset so quickly, right? If something happens to her…

The thought of such chaos made An Xun dizzy. If anything went wrong, he’d be implicated!

Licking his dry lips, he swallowed the words forming on his tongue. The Old Madam’s gaze made it clear she didn’t want to hear from him. More accurately, she didn’t want to hear from anyone except Bo Xiangzhou.

Inwardly, An Xun lit a candle for him.

He wished Bo Xiangzhou good luck.

Not long after, Bo Xiangzhou arrived, and Old Madam immediately gave him a cold, piercing look. She let out a chilling laugh, sending shivers down An Xun’s spine like he was standing in Siberia, carving ice sculptures in short sleeves.

With an icy tone, Old Madam spoke, “Xiangzhou, are you bullying your grandma because she’s old?”

“No,” Bo Xiangzhou replied, his voice steady, his expression unchanged.

An Xun silently critiqued him. He looks like he’s asking for a beating. Couldn’t he say something comforting to the old lady at a time like this?

Old Madam shared the same thought as An Xun—she really did want to smack her grandson. But faced with his calm demeanor, her anger only surged further. She struggled to maintain control and asked, “Then what is this supposed to mean?”

Bo Xiangzhou didn’t seem like the talkative type, and An Xun was dying of anxiety. Afraid Old Madam might faint from the stress, he tentatively held her hand and said softly, “Grandma, can I speak on his behalf?”

Blinking rapidly, Old Madam finally responded, “There’s no need for you to explain. I’m old, but I’m not blind to what’s going on.”

Her face softened a bit. “I know it’s selfish of me to force you two together, but you don’t have to go through such great lengths to pretend to be a loving couple. I know feelings take time to develop, and I’m not in a rush. I can wait, even if that day never comes…”

Bo Xiangzhou interrupted, “Grandma.”

“Alright, I won’t say any more.” Old Madam’s voice grew emotional, tears welling up in her eyes. She laughed and cried at the same time. “I’m not asking for much. I just want to see you with someone in the future. Right now, you don’t feel lonely because work keeps you busy. But once you slow down, who will you have to talk to?”

“I’m not forcing you to get married and have kids right away, but someone has to inherit the family business. I’d rather be the bad guy now than see you settle with just any omega, living like polite strangers. If you have children in a loveless marriage, they won’t grow up feeling happy.”

“An Xun is a good match. Your personalities complement each other. You may be cold to others, but you’ll have to be more attentive to someone younger. Even if you can’t become loving partners, you can at least be kind to him, like a friend, when he’s sick, checking in on him. It would also stop the An family from taking advantage of him.”

“Besides, I don’t know if you’ve inherited your father’s poor taste in people. If you end up with a scheming omega, who knows if the Bo family will ever have a peaceful day.”

Old Madam clasped An Xun’s hands. “My dear, I’m sorry you’ve been put through this.”

Hearing her heartfelt words moved An Xun, his eyes turning red as he shook his head vigorously, “No, I’m not put through anything. I’m fine.”

“I’ll make sure to send you something nice later,” Old Madam said, almost pleading. “And don’t worry, the Bo family bears no ill will toward you. So, how about moving back to the master bedroom?”

An Xun stuttered, “But, but, but where would President Bo live? On the fourth floor?”