After stopping for a minute, the voice became clearer. It was someone shouting for help, but the gender was hard to tell. As they got closer, a faint scent of omega pheromones drifted through the air.

It wasn’t his, so it was probably the person calling for help. From it, he could sense the panic of someone like him.

It seemed like this person was being chased by someone.

The alley was long and narrow, and the chaotic footsteps echoed within it. An Xun listened closely—it sounded like three people. The hurried footsteps were uneven in weight, likely belonging to an omega.

An Xun immediately became furious. No need to think much—he already knew what kind of situation this was.

Bo Xiangzhou pulled on him, stopping him from rushing to the rescue. He quickly calculated where they would emerge from the cross alley and positioned himself across from the exit, serving as both a guiding light and a shelter for the omega.

Not long after, an omega stumbled out of the alley, eyes lighting up when they saw them. The omega ran toward them and collapsed straight into An Xun’s arms.

Two drunken alphas followed closely behind, their threatening pheromones swirling in the air.

But An Xun’s body was marked by a more powerful alpha scent, which had an overwhelming effect on the two, rendering their pheromones useless against him.

The drunkards, oblivious to the situation, approached with sleazy smiles.

An Xun shielded the omega and instinctively wanted to kick them away. But suddenly, remembering Bo Xiangzhou was present, he held back his leg and retreated, pulling the omega behind Bo Xiangzhou.

Before the drunken alphas could utter anything insulting, Bo Xiangzhou released a small amount of his own pheromones. The once faint and serene scent of sandalwood instantly deepened, becoming oppressive and overwhelming. The two alphas couldn’t breathe under the pressure, sweat beading on their foreheads as they knelt as if in submission.

Bo Xiangzhou didn’t even spare them a glance. His clothes remained immaculate as the two drunken alphas fainted on the ground, their faces pale as ghosts.

An Xun still felt unsatisfied and asked, “Can I give them a little kick?”

Bo Xiangzhou didn’t answer right away. He stepped forward to check whether the two were pretending to be unconscious or had truly passed out. Their faces were pressed against the dirt-covered ground. He stomped on their hands with enough force to ensure no reaction. Only after confirming they were out cold, with not a single muscle tense, did he say, “Go ahead.”

An Xun released the frightened omega and gave the two alphas a controlled kick, making sure to manage his expression, pretending the kick had no weight behind it.

Bo Xiangzhou saw through his little act and found it even more endearing.

As for the omega, Bo Xiangzhou didn’t ask any more questions, just offered a few words of comfort before guiding him out of the alley.

Bo Xiangzhou’s face was quite striking. Upon first glance, the omega thought they were seeing things. During the ten-minute walk, the omega kept stealing glances, repeatedly verifying if this was the same person they had seen on the big screen.

Once the omega realized who Bo Xiangzhou was, they hadn’t had a chance to apologize before An Xun quickly pulled Bo Xiangzhou away, waving goodbye without looking back.

The omega stood there for a while, watching until the two disappeared from sight, then slowly made their way to the bus stop to return to their small rented apartment.

An Xun could pretty much guess the story. It was simple: the omega didn’t have any valuable belongings, and their skin was a bit rough, likely from working at a shop somewhere. They must have run into those drunkards on their way home after work.

In An Xun’s opinion, alphas like that should have their glands removed and be treated like underdeveloped alphas, bullied by their equals so they could taste what it felt like for an omega.

Bo Xiangzhou had taught them a lesson today, but An Xun felt it wasn’t harsh enough. If it were up to him, he’d beat them half to death and ruin their faces so they wouldn’t dare to show their faces in public ever again.

Bo Xiangzhou placed the items in the back seat of the car and said, “Still mad at those two drunks? Don’t worry. They won’t dare act out again.”

An Xun responded with a “?”

He had a bold guess. “You didn’t overdo it and make them impotent, did you?”

“No, pheromones don’t work like that. They just won’t be able to get up in the morning. If I had to guess, they’ll probably run into some passersby and become an internet sensation in the position we left them,” Bo Xiangzhou continued. “Even if that omega doesn’t report it, the police will investigate once it gains attention. It’ll be up to the omega to decide what to do next.”

The rest of the matter was no longer their concern.

The chicken leg in his hand had gone cold, no longer as tasty as when it was freshly grilled. His appetite, spoiled by Bo Xiangzhou, was now quite picky. Even the fragrant chicken leg had lost its appeal.

An Xun glanced at Bo Xiangzhou, who was responding to messages. He hadn’t started the car because he said he wanted to enjoy looking at the stars a little longer.

Tonight’s stars were unusually bright, unlike their usual faint glimmer. The parking lot outside was wide open, and the towering buildings couldn’t hide the depth of the night sky.

The bright moon hung in the sky, stirring something inside An Xun. Fueled by this moment, he decided to ask Bo Xiangzhou how he truly felt. A kiss wasn’t enough for him; he wanted to hear it directly, from Bo Xiangzhou’s own mouth.

He didn’t want actions or kisses to replace words.

An Xun leaned over, his slender fingers lightly tugging at the hem of Bo Xiangzhou’s coat. He intentionally lingered there, poking the muscles beneath the fabric.

It was like thousands of ants were crawling over him. Bo Xiangzhou grabbed his mischievous hand, his gaze questioning: “What are you doing?”

“Honey,” An Xun softly called out. After a few seconds of silence, he went straight for it: “I like you. Do you like me too?”

“So that’s what you wanted to ask? I thought it was something serious.”

Bo Xiangzhou put down his phone, leaned toward him, looked into his eyes, and with a gentle, affectionate tone, repeated twice, “I like you. Of course, I like you.”

The moonlight spilled through the car window, and An Xun saw Bo Xiangzhou’s figure bathed in the soft light. His rugged features softened, and his expression and words were exactly what An Xun had hoped for.

Bo Xiangzhou asked, “Why are you asking this all of a sudden? What nonsense are you thinking about now?”

“I’m not. I just wanted to ask.”

“Really? An Xun, you better be sure. If you hesitate and don’t get the answer you want, don’t take it out on me later by getting mad.”

An Xun thought about it and then grumbled, “You’ve already said you like me. That means we’ve confessed to each other, and we both know how we feel. Yet, you still call me by my full name, and even in your contacts, I’m listed by my full name. You couldn’t even change that?”

This matter was worth considering. Calling someone by their full name was a bit too formal. Bo Xiangzhou asked, “So, what do you want me to call you?”

“Is this… my problem to think about?”

Before An Xun could get worked up, Bo Xiangzhou added, “Xun Xun?”

It felt a bit weird.

Another nickname popped into Bo Xiangzhou’s mind, and with a mischievous grin, he lazily and sincerely asked, “Baby?”

An Xun’s face grew hot with embarrassment.

He glared at him. “Pick another one! Don’t call me ‘baby,’ I’m not a kid anymore.”

“You can still be a baby even when you’re grown.” Bo Xiangzhou’s smile was filled with amusement. “No, I’m sticking with ‘baby.’”

“Baby?” Bo Xiangzhou tried calling him again.

The repetition sounded smooth and pleasant.

An Xun stubbornly kept quiet, but Bo Xiangzhou turned the tables, playing with his fingers, “Baby, why aren’t you answering, baby? Are you unhappy with this nickname, baby?”

An Xun clenched his teeth. How could he have known Bo Xiangzhou was such a tease in private?

Bo Xiangzhou buckled his seatbelt and said, “Baby, let’s head back to the hotel. If you don’t eat your chicken leg soon, it’ll be completely cold.”

“It’s already cold.” An Xun used three wet wipes to thoroughly clean his hands, not even leaving the spaces between his fingers untouched. Once his skin was rubbed red, he finally stopped. He tore off a piece of chicken and fed it to Bo Xiangzhou.

Bo Xiangzhou was highly cooperative, and An Xun’s mood improved significantly.

Once they got to the hotel, An Xun pulled out the room key from his pocket. Suddenly feeling mischievous, he put it back and sat down by the door with his hands stuffed into his sleeves.

The elevator brought Bo Xiangzhou directly to the hallway of their suite. He had bought a bowl of porridge downstairs and was a few minutes behind An Xun. When he stepped out of the elevator, the first thing he saw was An Xun’s small, pitiful figure squatting by the door.

“Why are you sitting on the floor instead of going inside?”

“I lost the room key. When we bought the hat, I checked, and it was still there. But now I can’t find it. Boohoo, I probably dropped it in the alley. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

An Xun looked back, his eyes gleaming with a watery sparkle.

No emotion, all technique—the tears were getting more convincing by the day.

Bo Xiangzhou played along. “How could I be mad at my baby? Come on, get up. Sitting on the ground like this isn’t a good look. I’ll call the front desk and have them bring us another key.”

“Are you serious?” An Xun burrowed into his arms.

Bo Xiangzhou freed one hand to wrap around his waist. “Which part?”

“The part about not being mad at me.”

“Of course it’s real, 100% genuine.” His hand rested on An Xun’s waist. The pocket was shallow, and the fabric was thick, so Bo Xiangzhou hadn’t noticed his small movements.

When An Xun had changed his coat earlier, Bo Xiangzhou saw him put the room key into his left pocket. He’d just touched that pocket from the outside and hadn’t felt anything. So, Bo Xiangzhou wrapped his arms around An Xun, reached into his left pocket with two fingers, and pulled out the room key.

“Baby, no need to feel guilty. Losing the room key isn’t your fault. But, you might have to spend a little more time in the cold.”

The timing was perfect. An Xun smiled and slipped out from under his arm. “Just kidding! I didn’t really lose it.”

As he said this, he reached into his pocket. But the panic on his face was visible to the naked eye. He turned his pockets inside out, revealing nothing but clean emptiness—not even a grain of sand.

“Huh? Where’s my key?” An Xun spun in a circle on the spot. His range of movement had been small, yet somehow the key had mysteriously disappeared.

His face showed slight embarrassment. “This time, I’m not joking. It’s really gone.”

“Did the room key grow wings and fly away?” Bo Xiangzhou pretended to be skeptical.

An Xun’s thinking was different. “It did. It just flew away a moment ago.”

“You’re so funny, baby.” Bo Xiangzhou pinched his ear, then opened his palm, revealing the room key that had ‘flown away’ minutes earlier. He casually put it back into An Xun’s left pocket. “Look, it’s flown back now. Can you open the door, baby?”

It was so obvious. If An Xun still didn’t get it, he would officially be the biggest fool in the world.

Damn it. When did he notice? And when did he take it? How did he not even feel it?

An Xun angrily bit Bo Xiangzhou on the lips. “Keep teasing me, and be careful or you might lose that wife you just got.”

“Baby wouldn’t get mad at me over something so small.”

“Stop flattering me!! I’m not listening!”