An Xun personally saw Bo Xiangzhou off, pouring his heart out during their goodbye. He wasn’t sure if Bo Xiangzhou was moved, but he certainly moved himself to tears, albeit cheap ones.

One moment he was wiping away tears, and the next, as Uncle Lin comforted him that it was just a business trip and Bo Xiangzhou would be back soon, An Xun turned around, entered his room, locked the door, set the air conditioning to the lowest, and bundled up Bo Xiangzhou’s blanket on the couch, claiming the entire bed for himself.

Bo Xiangzhou never commented on his dress style except for insisting on formal wear for important occasions, so An Xun continued to embrace his habit of wearing pink.

He thought about changing it but feared Bo Xiangzhou might not like other colors.

Staring at the piles of pink clothes in his wardrobe, he felt nothing but helplessness and despair.

An Xun picked a T-shirt that was not too pink, grabbed his backpack, and left the house without a bodyguard to prevent the overly worried butler from sending someone to tail him or calling every ten minutes.

He cleverly informed Bo Xiangzhou of the whole situation.

[Gulu Gulu]: Honey, I’m out having fun with Nian Nian.

He received no reply; Bo Xiangzhou was probably still on the flight.

An hour after meeting with Tao Nian at the mall, Bo Xiangzhou finally sent a message.

[Sponsor]: Be safe.

An Xun raised an eyebrow. That was surprisingly easy-going of him. He had even prepared some obscure quotes from the internet to use if needed.

It was scorchingly hot outside the mall, neither he nor Tao Nian had brought umbrellas, and they were sweating profusely under the fierce sun.

Tao Nian, fanning himself and drenched in sweat, grumbled, “Stop chatting with your husband. What are we eating?”

“Anything’s fine, just somewhere cool.”

An Xun, his head buried in his phone, didn’t even glance up, causing Tao Nian to internally curse at him for choosing his husband over friends. Suddenly, An Xun burst into laughter, his grin stretching ear to ear as if enveloped by sweet, pink bubbles.

Tao Nian, speechless, finally made a decision and dragged An Xun into a hot pot restaurant, taking the last private room available.

The server handed them the menu, and Tao Nian chose some affordable dishes he liked. Even though An Xun was the one treating, and a potentially wealthy one at that, Tao Nian, knowing An Xun’s uncertain lifestyle, refrained from ordering anything too expensive.

He picked a few meat dishes and passed the menu to An Xun.

Just as An Xun was about to choose, his phone buzzed again. He dropped the menu and laughed as he replied to the message.

Tao Nian: “…”

He guessed it was Bo Xiangzhou.

It was the first time he saw An Xun like this; normally, nothing was more important than replying to messages.

Especially since just last night, An Xun had been complaining about Bo Xiangzhou’s faults, but now it seemed the complaints were fake, and it was all about showing off.

Tao Nian, his teeth practically aching, pleaded, “Please, stop laughing.”

An Xun looked up, puzzled, his smile fading slightly, “Am I laughing?”

“Do I need to secretly take a photo to show you?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Under Tao Nian’s stern gaze, An Xun finally put Bo Xiangzhou aside and marked his choices on the menu, although he kept glancing at his phone, wanting to reply but wary of making Tao Nian jealous. He waited until their food arrived before he continued chatting with Bo Xiangzhou.

The notification at the top of the screen showed a deposit of one million from a bank account ending in the same numbers as Bo Xiangzhou’s personal account. It was the second time this month he had received a million.

An Xun bit his chopsticks, confused.

Did Bo Xiangzhou make a transfer mistake?

Seconds later, a new message popped up.

[Sponsor]: Did you get the money? Have fun.

[Sponsor]: Don’t engage in illegal gambling or visit dubious places.

Excited, An Xun clapped Tao Nian on the shoulder, showing him the phone screen.

[Sponsor]: It’s sunny today, don’t stay out too much.

[Sponsor]: Don’t eat too spicy; it’s bad for your health.

[Sponsor]: Did you remember to turn off the AC when you left?

[Sponsor]: Be careful, don’t get scammed.

An Xun intended for him to see the last few messages, but Tao Nian’s gaze drifted to the earlier ones. The messages sounded like someone coaxing a child, no wonder An Xun was grinning so foolishly; Tao Nian regretted not choosing more expensive dishes to take advantage of him.

Compared to An Xun, he was the one who deserved pity.

Tao Nian, deadpan, asked, “Didn’t you say you didn’t like Bo Xiangzhou?”

“I never said that, I’ve always liked his money,” An Xun replied as he dropped some shrimp into the pot.

Tao Nian questioned, “Just the money? You don’t like him at all?”

An Xun hesitated; he wasn’t sure himself. He had liked many things but never really liked a person. His heart had raced many times, but he couldn’t tell if it was anxiety or affection.

He had experienced the flushed cheeks and racing heart others spoke of, but that was during marking.

“Probably… a bit,” An Xun answered uncertainly.

It would be strange not to have some feelings after spending so many days together.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. Tao Nian picked a few slices of black chicken and placed them in An Xun’s bowl, “Don’t overthink it, just eat. We’ll pretend I never brought it up once we’re done eating.”

Tao Nian was sweating bullets for An Xun. He was just being nosy; he shouldn’t have asked such a cursed question.

If An Xun truly fell hopelessly in love with Bo Xiangzhou’s tenderness, then things could get complicated. The temperaments of the wealthy were so fickle—one moment they could be sweetly staring and kissing, the next they might throw a divorce paper in your face.

Moreover, An Xun was pretending to be someone Bo Xiangzhou liked; Tao Nian prayed that Bo Xiangzhou hadn’t really fallen for him, otherwise An Xun’s life might be in jeopardy once his façade was exposed.

Omegas had always had a low social status, and the Omega Protection Law was just a smokescreen. It was touted as being for the benefit of omegas, but in reality, many methods were devised to control them, including the Civil Affairs Bureau’s role in matching suitable spouses.

This rule wasn’t fully enforced yet due to widespread dissatisfaction among omegas, which had stalled the implementation of this regulation.

But the wealthy relied on this rule to screen omegas. He and An Xun shared the belief that no matter how much they resisted, the rule wouldn’t be abolished.

An Xun sent several pictures to Bo Xiangzhou, who patiently replied to each one, even complimenting his photography skills.

An Xun’s heart bloomed with joy.

Tao Nian’s teeth hurt again, “Still laughing?! Do you realize you’re almost marinated in alpha pheromones?”

“Don’t be jealous, I still love you the most. Alpha pheromones are just a tool to get through my heat. The smell will fade in a few days,” An Xun said, biting into a mousse cake and moving to feed some to Tao Nian.

Tao Nian blocked him, chuckling, “Stop grossing me out! I don’t want any! Save it to feed Bo Xiangzhou; he definitely won’t mind.”

“You’re wrong, he definitely would,” An Xun stuffed the rest of the cake into his mouth. “He’s had many moments when he wanted to say something while watching me snack in bed but held back. He’s used to it now; he doesn’t say anything when I eat in the bedroom in the mornings.”

“What can he say? Can he hang you up and spank you?”

An Xun thought about that scenario and said, “I’m not into that kind of kink.”

After eating, they sat in the private room for half an hour. An Xun patted his swollen belly and gestured, “I wish I hadn’t eaten so much; I look several months pregnant.”

Tao Nian joined in, “Send a picture to Bo Xiangzhou to guess how many months.”

An Xun pinched him, and Tao Nian dashed out of the room, leaning against the doorframe and teasing, “The pregnant male omega, please hurry up and settle the bill.”

He laughed as he punched him lightly in the chest, then pulled out his phone to pay at the front desk.

There were five or six people crowded around the front desk, and An Xun couldn’t squeeze through, so he leaned against Tao Nian waiting for the crowd to disperse.

Among the people, one alpha stood out, a youthful figure with a somewhat immature face and slightly undeveloped features, wearing a school uniform from a prestigious school with a few strands of purple-dyed hair.

An Xun couldn’t help but stare a few extra seconds; the young man was intriguing. The prestigious school suggested good grades, but the dyed hair gave off a delinquent vibe.

This striking contrast made An Xun want to approach and make friends, satisfying his curiosity.

As he planned his approach and rehearsed his opening lines, an omega, clearly a well-behaved top student, appeared from behind the young man.

The omega fixed his gaze on An Xun, and the alpha, noticing, also glanced over and coolly asked, “What are you looking at? Never seen puppy love before?”

An Xun: “…I’ve never seen such blatant puppy love before.”

This kid probably hadn’t been beaten down by society yet.

The alpha smirked proudly, “Then you’re really unworldly.”

Sensing An Xun’s mood darken, Tao Nian quickly pulled him back, whispering urgently, “Don’t argue with a minor; making a scene here isn’t worth losing face over.”

An Xun paid grudgingly and passed by the young man, his feathers clearly ruffled, “Watch it, or I’ll tell your parents about your puppy love, you little punk. I’m not stooping to argue with a kid, but next time you see me, you better walk the other way, or I might just lose my temper and give you a thrashing.”

“Who knows who would thrash whom.”

The alpha was unyielding in his retort, but he wondered why this man had a scent he found strangely familiar.

·

An Xun called Tao Nian out for drinks that night. They vented all their frustrations with alcohol before heading home, managing to avoid Uncle Lin. Energized, An Xun stayed up late revising their fun plans with Tao Nian.

After a midnight snack, they rolled into a bar!

He woke up multiple times throughout the night, puzzled by his restlessness, until he saw Bo Xiangzhou’s items piled on the sofa, suddenly feeling an intense craving for alpha pheromones.

He piled Bo Xiangzhou’s belongings on either side of his body, inhaling the lingering alpha pheromones, and slept with a pillow hugged tightly for several nights.

·

The bar was bathed in colorful neon lights, the dim glow concealing each patron’s facial expressions.

An Xun had reserved a booth and was sipping a low-alcohol margarita on the leather couch, waiting for Tao Nian, who had been forced to work overtime.

[Gulu Gulu]: It’s your turn to work overtime now, after laughing at me.

[Nian Nian]: Don’t forget you’re treating tonight. Be careful or I’ll drink you under the table.

The thumping music from the bar was deafening, and every now and then, cheers erupted from the crowd on the dance floor. An Xun glanced over to see an alpha dancer unbuttoning his shirt to reveal half of his chest, his muscular build stirring excitement among the spectators.

An Xun crossed his legs, an image of Bo Xiangzhou flashing through his mind.

With a bit of a schoolboy’s judgment, he thought, Is this really worth getting excited about? He’s not as handsome as my husband.

He gulped down his drink and almost choked, quickly dabbing at the corners of his mouth with a napkin before replying to a message.

[Gulu Gulu]: If I go broke, I go broke. My husband has money.

He sipped his drink more carefully, not overestimating his tolerance again. Realistically speaking, his alcohol tolerance was virtually non-existent; a single beer could probably leave him dizzy for half a day.

[Gulu Gulu]: Hurry up, tonight might be the last time I can cut loose.

[Nian Nian]: Is Bo Xiangzhou coming back tomorrow?

[Gulu Gulu]: I asked yesterday; he said he’s not sure, but it’s probably in the next day or two.

[Nian Nian]: Then I’ll try to come as soon as I can.

An Xun picked a conspicuous spot, and Tao Nian spotted him the moment he walked in. He rushed over with a smile and sampled the godfather cocktail An Xun had ordered.

Half-joking, half-complaining, An Xun said, “It’s about time you showed up. I was about to start punching alphas out of frustration.”

“Were you harassed by alphas again?”

“Several,” An Xun pointed towards a few alphas lurking in the shadows, glaring at him.

None of them looked remotely decent—all plainly unattractive.

Tao Nian sighed, “They really think they stand a chance with you?”

“Apparently.”

An Xun took off his pale pink sun-protective clothing, revealing a low-cut shirt underneath. The oversized shirt was tucked into his black trousers, accentuating his slim waist.

Tao Nian’s eyes sparkled with admiration, no matter how many times he saw it; he was always struck by his friend’s stunning looks.

An Xun, holding his drink, pulled Tao Nian to the dance floor to let loose. Caught up in the lively atmosphere, Tao Nian, inspired by An Xun’s whimsical tone, said, “If I were an alpha, I’d definitely fall in love with you at first sight.”

A bit tipsy, An Xun looked him over and sincerely replied, “I like them a head taller than me.”