An Xun grabbed something nearby and threw it at Meng Xiao, who flinched and shielded his face. An Xun mocked him, “That’s all the guts you have?”

His gaze was like an arrow dipped in venom, causing Meng Xiao to instinctively shrink his shoulders before he forced himself to relax and said pridefully, “You’re only brave with words.”

An Xun rolled up his sleeves, his actions bearing a refined air reminiscent of Bo Xiangzhou.

He was eerily calm, his voice cold as ice, “How do you know I wouldn’t hit you right here in the conference room?”

Meng Xiao’s voice trembled, “…Company rules prohibit fighting.”

“If you dare to do it, you should dare to face the consequences. You shouldn’t be afraid of getting hit.”

Meng Xiao backed away, his legs trembling.

An Xun sneered again, “Enjoy watching me get scolded, did you? Did it satisfy your ego? Always falling short and taking your frustrations out on me, I’ve tolerated you long enough. Your fun is over, now it’s my turn.”

With nowhere to retreat, Meng Xiao fell into a corner. An Xun gently closed the door.

The fear in Meng Xiao’s face looked genuine. Indeed, An Xun always followed through on his words. Those colleagues who had deliberately conflicted with him had found themselves secretly retaliated against. Everyone maintained a façade of harmony but knew deep down it was his doing.

Fear quickly enveloped Meng Xiao, his heart ensnared by an impermeable net, his breathing becoming more labored, the net tightening around his heart.

“Why do you look at me? I’ve always been patient, never starting trouble unless absolutely necessary. You make it seem like I’m the bully here.” An Xun patted his face, “We both know who the real villain is.”

Sounds of footsteps approached from outside, but neither of them noticed until An Xun’s hand was almost on Meng Xiao’s head when the conference room door opened.

Meng Xiao turned with fear still evident on his face.

The boss looked shocked, pointing at An Xun, unable to speak.

Already seething with anger, An Xun’s pent-up frustrations were about to explode, but the boss’s arrival only added fuel to his fire, “Your dad…”

He cut himself off.

The boss was still his superior, and he had to maintain some decorum.

An Xun sat down, preempting the boss’s questions, “My fault. I’ve been fed up with Meng Xiao for a long time, lost my temper today and cornered him in the conference room. Whatever he says, I admit it, he’s right. That’s my piece. I don’t accept any punishment from the company, and if it really comes to it, just fire me. The company is better off without me, and so am I.”

“Little Zhang mentioned before that you were conspiring against him. I didn’t believe it at first, and I favored you because you are an omega, but now…”

“Disappointed? What about it? Do omegas have to be meek and frail? If an alpha acts out, it’s just their competitive nature, but an omega has to take it silently? If you’re disappointed, so be it, it doesn’t affect me.”

Unable to suppress his anger, An Xun’s voice rang clear, “I never asked for your favoritism. I’m fine with being treated fairly, but I did isolate him, though I didn’t expect him to play the victim first. He thought I was an easy target, harassed me when I first joined, sent me insulting messages. Why shouldn’t I retaliate if he sexually harassed me? I didn’t pin him against the wall and hit him in front of everyone, that was me being merciful.”

“With what happened today, there’s no need for reconciliation. If you disagree with my resignation, then I’m taking leave and staying home.”

The boss hesitated. An Xun had done something he’d been wanting to do for a year. He crossed his legs in a defiant pose, mimicking the boss’s air of superiority, “If you can’t decide now, fine, I’ll wait for your notice at home.”

·

Stepping out of the company and breathing the fresh air, An Xun felt liberated, thinking to himself, Damn, that felt good. Should’ve done this earlier.

He planned to play the victim with Bo Xiangzhou, pretending to be a hapless, non-confrontational employee to gain sympathy.

Resignation wasn’t immediate; he had to fill out a form for the boss to sign, find a replacement, and complete the handover according to the crappy company’s rules.

Unsure if Bo Xiangzhou would find out the real reason for his resignation, he decided to keep it under wraps until the actual day he left.

Every second in that lousy company felt suffocating, facing immense work pressure and watching out for sneaky colleagues.

After a midday stroll and a bowl of clay pot rice noodles, he returned, his spirits high.

[Gulu Gulu]: Nian Nian darling, I’m finally free!

He couldn’t resist sharing with Tao Nian.

[Gulu Gulu]: It’s hilarious, the damn boss even said he favored me. I didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s still favoring me? I almost thought I had committed some unforgivable sin.

Tao Nian clicked his tongue.

[Nian Nian]: Dude, you’ve got guts. We’ve got a jerk in our office too, built just like you, always says that any alpha who dates me really loves me.

[Nian Nian]: What business is it of his that I’m buff? I’m happy with myself. What’s an alpha worth, anyway? Not as reliable as you.

An Xun agreed, feeling uplifted.

[Gulu Gulu]: Alphas might not be completely honest with you, but I’m different. I can give you my heart and even my life.

[Nian Nian]: Keep your life, man. What do I need your organs for? To keep them as relics?

[Gulu Gulu]: You don’t get it, you mutt. I say this because I love you. It’s trendy to confess like this now.

Tao Nian kept him company with chatter almost all the way home, finally sending a voice message as typing became too tiring.

An Xun answered the call, hearing Tao Nian’s weary voice, “Do you think Bo Xiangzhou will ever hire you at Bo Corporation?”

“No way,” An Xun replied firmly. “At most, Bo Xiangzhou would help me send a resume through normal recruitment processes. He always keeps work separate from personal matters.”

“What if you pass the interview? You’d be working under his watchful eye. What then?”

“I won’t do anything. Just lie low like a salted fish.” An Xun held down the voice button, “Nian Nian, you’re thinking too far ahead. I’m not planning on working for the next six months, I’m going to leech off Bo Xiangzhou at home. I’ve worked so hard to get free, I haven’t even recovered mentally yet. If he asks me to work, I won’t go. If he forces me, I’ll just cry.”

“With your stubborn personality, who would dare force you?” Tao Nian chuckled, “You’d slap Bo Xiangzhou himself if he pissed you off.”

“I’m not as violent as you make it sound.”

Tao Nian was distracted, “Mm-hm, you don’t drink and can’t handle the wind, so very considerate and gentle.”

An Xun straightened up, admonishing, “It’s already late, and you’re still not sleeping. How will you have the energy for work this afternoon, Tao Nian Nian? Don’t you want your paycheck?”

“I want the money, just not the work.” Tao Nian leaned back, “An Xun, baby, support me. Let’s elope without telling your husband, travel the world.”

An Xun, oblivious to the insincerity in his words, “That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’ll find a chance to take you out for some fun, let you experience the joy of spending freely. Bo Xiangzhou keeps too tight a leash on me. I can’t even play on my phone at night without pretending to go to the bathroom, and there I am, trying not to laugh at funny videos, almost suffocating. He even asked me last night if I was cramping up again.”

“What did you say?”

“I blurted out that my brain cramped.”

“I can see that.”

“I’m home now, won’t keep you up any longer, hanging up now.” An Xun turned off his Bluetooth headset and put it away, simultaneously concocting a foolproof reason for leaving work early.

Uncle Lin was surprised to see him back so early, “Madam, is the company on holiday?”

“No, I felt unwell and took leave.” An Xun had wiped off his lipstick during the ride, his lips now pale and dry.

“Where do you feel unwell?”

An Xun sincerely responded, “Everywhere.”

As soon as he left Bo Xiangzhou’s bed, he felt uncomfortable all over, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where.

That answer sounded dubious, but Uncle Lin trusted him implicitly, seeing him as a good kid by nature. He promptly called the family doctor, who found nothing wrong after a thorough check. Even so, Uncle Lin didn’t doubt his words and even called Bo Xiangzhou, who was in the middle of negotiations with a foreign company, to report with genuine concern. Bo Xiangzhou’s expression changed slightly.

After finalizing the contract, Bo Xiangzhou hurriedly instructed his secretary on a few tasks and then raced to the estate.

The thick gray blackout curtains blocked the harsh sunlight from outside, and An Xun was cuddling a giant leek plushie in his sleep, traces of konjac snacks still around his mouth.

Bo Xiangzhou entered quietly. An Xun, with one leg draped over the plushie and his toes curling, looked flush and hardly sick.

“An Xun?”

An Xun stirred as if called by a demon, waking slowly with Bo Xiangzhou’s face looming large before him. He froze, his expression like that of a student caught skipping class by the principal. Silently straightening up, he smoothed out the wrinkles on another blanket.

Sorry, he shouldn’t have put his feet on Bo Xiangzhou’s beloved blanket.

Bo Xiangzhou was more intimidating than any principal, with authority the principal could never match.

His expression was unreadable as An Xun wrapped the blanket around himself, hugging his legs, and ventured, “Husband, you’re home early today.”

An Xun scooted back, making room for him to sit.

Looking up at him was straining his neck.

He decided to tell Tao Nian later that when choosing an alpha, it’s better not to pick someone too tall. Someone like Bo Xiangzhou at 1.9 meters was too much; it was exhausting to talk, and he had experienced it on their wedding day—he had to stretch his neck and stand on tiptoes just to kiss him. If Bo Xiangzhou were even a centimeter shorter, he wouldn’t have been able to reach.

Bo Xiangzhou hung up his coat and started to close the curtains when he saw An Xun’s bright, dark eyes and paused, “I came home early to check on you.”

“To see me?”

“Yes, I heard from Uncle Lin that your heart was troubling you.” He pulled the curtains shut to block the natural light, turned on the ventilation system, and his tone took on a lecturing note, “You’re spraying so much perfume with a heart condition? Can you handle it?”

The room plunged into darkness again, and he flicked on the light. An Xun’s less-than-convincing appearance was exposed, along with suspicious traces of snack-stealing at the corners of his mouth.

An Xun, caught off guard and defensively clutching at his flimsy vestige of innocence, “Ah? When did I have a heart condition? I just have a headache and feel dizzy.”

“Doesn’t the pungent perfume make the dizziness worse?”

“…Yes.”

Uncle Lin had reported the doctor’s findings, and he queried, “No fever, so why the dizziness?”

An Xun’s eyes darted around, “From working?”

Bo Xiangzhou chuckled softly, a pleasant sound that tickled An Xun’s heart, as if brushed by a feather.

“Why ask me? How would I know?” Bo Xiangzhou’s lips curved slightly, his focus not on An Xun’s poor excuses, “Did you get bullied at work?”

How did you guess? That’s amazing.

An Xun suppressed his shock, lying through his teeth, “No, I get along well with my colleagues. We work in great harmony, and I feel very happy with them.”

Bo Xiangzhou found that amusing, “Tell the truth.”

His amber eyes were deep, like a vast abyss touched with a trace of warmth, yet their oppressive nature didn’t diminish; if anything, it felt dangerously enticing, unnerving if one looked too long.

His gaze was piercing, and An Xun felt like a mere novice in his presence, unable to resist even for three seconds.

He surrendered, “Okay, there are some undercurrents, but it’s nothing serious, I’ve handled it.”

“How did you handle it?”

“Handshake and make up! Working together for the company’s glory!” An Xun’s tone was definitive.

“Alright, then I won’t interfere,” Bo Xiangzhou said, “But if you get bullied again, you can’t be as passive as you were today. Being non-confrontational everywhere just makes you an easy target.”

Bo Xiangzhou ruffled his hair, “Next time, I don’t want to see you running home defeated.”

What does that mean? Is he encouraging me to fight? Didn’t he prefer me gentle?

Before he could ponder further, Bo Xiangzhou added, “Take another day off tomorrow, I’ll arrange for a full physical exam for you.”

“I’m not sick.”

“Better safe than sorry.”

Bo Xiangzhou handed him a wet wipe, leaving An Xun bewildered.

“I don’t mind you eating snacks, just do it openly next time. And remember to open the windows or turn on the bedroom’s ventilation system if you don’t like pulling back the curtains. Perfume smells nice, but don’t overdo it. Inhaling too much isn’t good for your health over the long term.”

An Xun: “!”

He had never seen such systems at the An residence! He remembered now; there was one in the guest bedroom too, but he hadn’t paid attention and had placed a vase over it.