The store clerk’s face turned red with anger. An Xun, unable to control his hands, reached out and touched another clean white T-shirt. He asked on purpose, “Do I need to compensate for it?”

Then, he added, “Too bad, I didn’t dirty it. I understand you’re desperate to boost your sales, but with that attitude, it’s hard for me not to file a complaint.”

The clerk took pride in working at a luxury store, relishing the fear ordinary people had when they saw the brand name and didn’t dare enter. She thought that just by casually walking in a place where others hesitated, she was automatically superior.

But once words were spoken, they were like water spilled—impossible to take back.

An Xun’s right hand had touched the biscuit, but he used his left hand to touch the clothes. The clothes were clean without a stain. He just wanted an excuse to brush her off, but he didn’t expect her to actually challenge him.

The clerk tried to backtrack, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my attitude. Also, as per store policy, if the clothes are dirtied, you’ll need to pay the full price. However, this particular piece is currently on a promotion and can be bought at a 20% discount.”

“Only one piece? Didn’t I dirty two?” An Xun sat on a nearby sofa.

The clerk sneered, “Can you even afford two?”

An Xun gave a mysterious smile. Just when the clerk thought he might be a low-key wealthy customer, An Xun’s face blushed slightly. He turned and, with a bit of shyness, said, “You already know I can’t afford it, and you still ask me to pay? Are you stupid?”

That slap of words hit the clerk hard. His face twitched with anger, almost ready to explode, but he forced himself to keep smiling, “Sir, swearing is not allowed in our store. It’s very uncivilized.”

“You’re not exactly civilized yourself. If you want, just swear back at me. Don’t lecture me about etiquette.” An Xun spread his arms wide, “Come on, I’m sitting right here. Go ahead and curse me out.”

Store policy prohibited insulting customers, and getting caught by colleagues would result in a fine. The clerk’s face turned a mix of blue and white. Just as tensions mounted, a junior clerk leaned over and whispered, “A VIP customer has arrived.”

The junior clerk had her hand cupped over her mouth, so An Xun couldn’t hear what was said. The clerk shot him a glare before switching to a gentle demeanor to greet the new customer.

The new arrival was a young boy, wearing limited-edition branded sneakers, with a few strands of purple-dyed hair on his head.

An Xun recognized him.

As the boy turned his face, An Xun withdrew his curious gaze—yes, he knew him.

The boy recognized him too, “Small world, running into you again.”

An Xun rolled his eyes at him, “You think I want to see you, with your non-mainstream look? You really think a streak of dyed hair makes you a hottie?”

“You’re saying I’m ugly?”

“Are you not?”

The boy rushed up to him, pointing at his own handsome face like some kind of challenge, “If I’m ugly, then how many good-looking guys are there left in Jiang City?”

An Xun replied instantly, “Bo Xiangzhou.”

The boy scoffed in disdain, “Pfft.”

An Xun was taken aback by his arrogance. This kid sure had guts.

Seeing the boy turn his back to pick out clothes, with the clerk eagerly fawning over him, a stark contrast to how she had treated him earlier, An Xun felt a wave of irritation. However, picking out clothes for Tao Nian was more important, and this brand’s designs perfectly suited Tao Nian’s style. So he pushed aside his urge to provoke and focused on his shopping.

The boy, loud as ever, and completely unfiltered, began talking openly, “I’m here to pick out clothes for my boyfriend. I made him mad. Which outfit do you think will show my sincerity? Oh, wait, clothes should match a person’s temperament and appearance, right? Hmm—let me describe him to you. His vibe is… well, I can’t really put it into words, but it’s good, really good. You can just imagine it. As for his looks—one word: stunning. Like peach blossoms in spring, lotus flowers in summer, osmanthus in autumn, and in winter…”

“Snowflakes,” An Xun burst out laughing, “You better stop, or I’m afraid you’ll end up single.”

“You want a punch, don’t you?”

The boy acted all tough, but his eyes and face still had a youthful immaturity, lacking any real menace. He was like a small lion cub, trying to roar with the borrowed strength of a tiger.

“Don’t be so harsh. I’m just telling the truth. What omega wants to be described like that?”

An Xun picked up a black T-shirt, with a logo on the front and a deer print on the back. But thinking Tao Nian might not like the design, he shook his head and put it back.

The boy, who clearly wasn’t great with words, was frustrated. He turned to the store clerk, “What style do you think suits him?”

“Do you have a photo?”

“Yeah.” The boy pulled out his phone and selected a picture of his omega laughing heartily.

The clerk made an incorrect judgment, “He looks lively.”

The boy, still looking through his rose-colored glasses, agreed, “Yeah, kinda.”

The clerk pointed to a burgundy piece, “This vibrant color is very trendy this year. I think it would suit him.”

The boy was immediately smitten with the suggestion and eagerly nodded. Just as he was about to pay, An Xun’s conscience kicked in, “Don’t force your boyfriend, okay? That color doesn’t suit him—it’s too flashy. He’s better off in something like the beige piece next to it.”

The boy eyed him with suspicion, “You’re trying to trick me.”

An Xun shrugged, “You’ll find out if you buy it, won’t you? Either he’ll be forced to wear it, or he’ll feel too bad to say no to you. But your boyfriend’s clearly not the type for loud colors; he’s better off in something more fresh and subtle.”

An Xun moved closer to try to save this omega from his boyfriend’s poor taste, “Have you ever seen him wear bright colors?”

“No.” The boy disagreed, “But I think that color would look good on him. He could try a new style.”

“Only if he’s willing to. With how reserved he is, forcing a new style on him will just make him uncomfortable.” An Xun was about to push several clothes into the boy’s arms but pulled back, as if treating him like his own kid. He then asked, “Do your parents know you’re dating?”

“No, my family doesn’t allow me to date so young.” The boy became wary, “Why are you asking?”

“If they don’t know, how dare you buy luxury goods? You’re not afraid of getting caught? Still in high school, right? Don’t flaunt your relationship too much. Buying clothes is risky—it’ll attract attention and rumors. Maybe you don’t know this, but he definitely does. Just by looking at him, you can tell he’s not the type to tell you everything.”

An Xun put the clothes he had been eyeing back, “Take the elevator to the first floor, turn left, and buy him a small cake. Add a few promises with it, and it’ll be fine. Omegas aren’t as hard to please as you think.”

The boy hesitated, “But he says he doesn’t like sweets.”

“Like I said, whether he really dislikes sweets or not, you won’t know until you try, right? It’s better than buying flashy clothes that make him uncomfortable, or force him to hide them to avoid getting caught for dating too young.”

“You really think so?”

An Xun was getting impatient, “Just try what I suggested, alright? If it doesn’t work, you can come find me, and I’ll help you fix it.”

The boy pressed further, “Where would I find you?”

“You sure talk a lot. How does your boyfriend put up with you?” An Xun opened his WeChat business card, “Here, scan it.”

The boy shook his head, “No way. If he finds out I added another omega, he’ll get mad.”

“Go to hell.” An Xun wanted to kick him, “You little chicken.”

Now genuinely annoyed, he shoved the clothes he picked into the junior clerk’s arms, “I’m checking out. As for us, maybe we’ll run into each other again by chance.”

The boy blocked his path, “So… let’s add each other? But you better not start any conversations with me.”

“Move aside.” An Xun didn’t want to waste more time talking to the kid and decided to pull out the “husband card.” “I’ve got a husband, and he’s super suspicious. We better not keep in touch, or he might get the wrong idea.”

“Then where would I find you? I’ll need to hold you accountable if it doesn’t work!”

“Get lost. Holding me accountable? You’re lucky I don’t kick you.”

The junior clerk carefully folded the clothes and placed them in a special bag. An Xun paid quickly and escaped the boy’s pursuit.

Since he didn’t know Tao Nian’s exact pants size, An Xun went to several stores and bought a few sets of T-shirts to give him as a surprise later.

In the afternoon, it was time for his interview. An Xun found a locker, stashed away his showy shopping bags, and dressed in simple attire for the interview.

Compared to others, he didn’t stand out much—he was just average. He didn’t have any experience in operations, which made him seem rather ordinary. Luckily, the interviewers were also young rookies, and with his familiarity with major online platforms and his knack for following trends, An Xun barely scraped through the interview.

That evening, he discussed the interview with Bo Xiangzhou.

Bo Xiangzhou was surprised, “You’re not lying down anymore?”

An Xun replied, “You hate me, so I won’t force my presence on you.”

Bo Xiangzhou, in the middle of rolling up his sleeves, paused. He walked over, pinched An Xun’s cheeks, and squeezed his lips into a pout, “Still not over it?”

“Let go! Or I’ll bite you!” An Xun said with no real threat in his voice.

Bo Xiangzhou smiled, “Your temper’s gotten a lot bigger.”

“Of course! I’ve grown up! I’m not the obedient little me anymore!” An Xun protested, shaking a bag of chips as the crispy sound of them colliding became the background music.

“Were you ever obedient?” Bo Xiangzhou let go and reached for some bottles on the shelf.

An Xun stood tall, “I used to be! If you think I wasn’t, it’s because you didn’t care enough about me!”

“Why not just say it outright? No need for the subtle jabs.” Bo Xiangzhou poured three types of vitamins into his hand and passed them to An Xun.

An Xun swallowed them with a gulp of milk, “Saying it outright doesn’t work. I’ve mentioned divorce so many times.”

“Bring up divorce again, and you’ll start going to bed at 8 PM.”

An Xun’s head shook wildly, “No way! We agreed on 10 PM, and that can’t change!”

“Then go to bed.” Bo Xiangzhou patted his head, “Shaking your head like that, aren’t you afraid you’ll make yourself dizzy?”

“If I do, that’s on you.”

The lights went out, and the sound of shuffling came from behind. Then Bo Xiangzhou responded softly, “Alright, that’s on me.”

An Xun frowned. Ugh, so mushy! How gross.

·

The new job seemed difficult at first, but in reality, it was easy to get the hang of. As a newcomer on probation with little experience, the company didn’t assign An Xun many tasks.

He never felt sleepy at work because if he did, he just took a nap. No one cared. His coworkers were all busy competing with each other, but he had no interest in joining the rat race. After finishing his tasks, he took it easy.

Finally, the high-priced commission he had ordered arrived.

The artist’s skills were superb, every detail radiating the quality you’d expect from such a costly piece. An Xun was very satisfied, but unlike others, he didn’t give a small tip. Instead, he exchanged a few polite words and then changed his background image to the new one. He even shared it with Tao Nian.

He was still angry at Bo Xiangzhou, but this had nothing to do with looking at cool artwork.

Life was too exhausting. He had to treat himself better. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to keep up his good-boy act, and his true nature would be exposed in no time.