Bo Xiangzhou switched off the flashlight, closed the refrigerator door, and looked down at him.

The omega was half-hugging his knees, looking up at him with a naive and honest expression. His mouth was stuffed with who knows how much food, his cheeks bulging so much that his lips couldn’t seem to close.

Omega bodies tend to have smaller frames, and An Xun’s slender figure, curled up like that, looked even more pitiful in Bo Xiangzhou’s eyes.

“Hungry? Didn’t eat enough dinner?” He asked, immediately realizing it was a redundant question.

Bo Xiangzhou turned around and fetched a glass of water. “Don’t squat on the floor; it’s dirty. Your clothes will get covered in dust.”

An Xun stood up, patting the hem of his clothes that barely touched the ground. They weren’t dirty. Quietly, he stuffed the cheese into his pocket. Baidu said raw cheese doesn’t taste great, so he figured he’d save it to add to his instant noodles later.

Bo Xiangzhou took a sip of water to clear his throat. “Next time, remember to turn on the lights when you come downstairs. What if you slip?”

An Xun had stuffed so much food in his mouth that he couldn’t talk. His teeth ached, his mouth was sore, and he couldn’t chew or swallow it all. In the end, he had no choice but to shuffle over to the trash can, turn his back to Bo Xiangzhou, and spit everything out.

“I won’t slip,” An Xun mumbled awkwardly, curling his toes into his slippers. “President Bo, I just…”

His face flushed slightly. “I just…”

Seeing him in such a silly state, Bo Xiangzhou thought he might as well be dead from embarrassment.

An Xun was wearing an open-front pajama shirt with orange print. When he buttoned the top button, it formed a V-neck, revealing a patch of pale skin on his chest. The shirt was a bit oversized, and whenever he moved too much, the collar would slip off his shoulder. Under the light, his skin seemed to glow with a delicate sheen.

The most eye-catching thing was the small mole on his collarbone.

Bo Xiangzhou rubbed his temples. “Put your clothes on properly. I’ll let it slide this time, but don’t run down here like this again.”

“Okay,” An Xun replied obediently, without realizing what was wrong with his appearance.

At that moment, he came up with a reason and followed Bo Xiangzhou like a little tail, saying, “I’m sorry, President Bo. I didn’t mean to sneak down and eat. I just didn’t have an appetite last night.”

“Why are you apologizing to me? If you’re hungry, eat; if you’re tired, sleep. It’s just human nature. Besides, how can eating your own food be called stealing?” Bo Xiangzhou said helplessly. “I’ve told you before, I don’t bite, and neither does the Bo family. You don’t need to be so cautious when talking to me.”

“Okay.” An Xun still kept his head down.

Bo Xiangzhou finally understood what his married friends meant when they said teaching children was exhausting. It was even more tiring than work.

After searching through two refrigerators, all Bo Xiangzhou could find were frozen meat products. He took out a thick-cut steak and asked, “There’s no vegetables, just this. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine,” An Xun nodded blankly. Did this mean Bo Xiangzhou was going to cook for him?

Impossible, right? Could someone of Bo Xiangzhou’s status really lower himself to cook for him? If An Xun’s family knew, their ancestors would probably jump for joy in the afterlife.

But contrary to his imagination, Bo Xiangzhou moved smoothly and expertly. After defrosting the steak, he drained the blood, sprinkled on some seasoning, heated a pan with olive oil, and then seared both sides of the steak. Finally, he switched to medium heat to cook the edges, adding some rosemary before plating it.

…He looked more professional than An Xun.

Bo Xiangzhou cut the steak into bite-sized pieces and brought the plate over, along with a fork.

An Xun was so shocked he could barely speak. Aside from Tao Nian, no one had ever taken such meticulous care of him.

“After you’re done eating, go to bed.” Bo Xiangzhou pulled out a wet wipe and dried his hands. His voice was gentle. “Do you know how to use the dishwasher? After you’re done, just put the plate in and press the button. No need to take it out. The staff will handle it in the morning.”

“Okay.”

An Xun felt an odd pang in his heart, and his voice came out muffled.

Bo Xiangzhou didn’t ask why. On his way out, he suddenly turned back, grabbed a bottle of high-protein, high-calcium milk from the cupboard, and handed it to An Xun with a straw. “I forgot to tell you, room temperature drinks are in the cupboard. Don’t drink cold ones at night.”

An Xun’s eyes reddened, and his expression was pitiful and delicate.

Seeing the ripples in An Xun’s heart, Bo Xiangzhou looked at him for a long moment before reaching out and gently patting his head. “Get some rest. The day after tomorrow, Grandma is getting discharged from the hospital. Take the day off so I can bring you to the old house to see her.”

The steak was tender and juicy, bursting with flavor in An Xun’s mouth. As he chewed slowly, he asked, “President Bo, what’s Grandma sick with?”

“A stroke. She fell, and combined with some other minor illnesses, she’s been in the hospital for a few months now.”

An Xun was shocked. “Ah? Then, isn’t that…”

Bo Xiangzhou’s grandmother was already of advanced age, and a fall at that stage of life could have serious consequences.

The rest of the thought was unspoken but clear.

However, Bo Xiangzhou was much calmer than An Xun expected. He sat down and said, “Yeah, I’ve come to terms with it. Birth, aging, illness, and death are just part of life. Anything else you want to ask?”

An Xun chewed on the straw and hesitated. “President Bo, do you always stay up this late?”

“No, tonight was an exception. I had something urgent to handle.”

“What…” An Xun stopped himself mid-sentence.

He was asking too many questions. If the urgent matter was some kind of business secret, what would Bo Xiangzhou think of him?

“You’re overthinking again, aren’t you?” Bo Xiangzhou sighed. “Just ask. I’m not going to hit you for asking.”

An Xun lowered his eyes, as if he were deeply wronged.

Bo Xiangzhou continued on his own, “It wasn’t exactly urgent. It was the wedding plan proposal. I wasn’t satisfied with what the hotel sent over, so I stayed up to revise it.”

An Xun almost asked about the proposal but held back, afraid Bo Xiangzhou would ask him for suggestions. The less trouble, the better. So he kept quiet.

Bo Xiangzhou looked visibly tired. “I’m heading up now. Good night.”

“Good night.”

As Bo Xiangzhou left, An Xun noticed he had forgotten his glass. “President Bo, you left your glass.”

Bo Xiangzhou walked back and retrieved it. “Thanks.”

When he reached the staircase, Bo Xiangzhou suddenly remembered something. Lately, he had been so busy that his memory was getting worse.

“Are you afraid of the dark?” he asked.

“Huh?” An Xun looked confused.

“If you’re scared, just leave the lights on. You don’t have to turn them off,” Bo Xiangzhou said.

“Oh.”

An Xun glanced up at the bright chandelier. The crystal ceiling light was blinding, with spotlights embedded around the edges of the ceiling. A giant oil painting hung on the wall, and the decor was even more luxurious than the overly flashy An family home. The dining area alone was as bright as day, not to mention the rest of the living room.

How much was this costing every hour? Even the An family wouldn’t dare waste electricity like this.

As soon as Bo Xiangzhou left, An Xun’s eating manners became much less refined. After finishing the meal, he placed the plate in the dishwasher and tiptoed over to the cupboard, grabbing a bottle of fruit-flavored yogurt. The sweet pineapple flavor lingered in his mouth.

Back in his room, An Xun tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He spent the entire night watching videos until dawn.

Having a high compatibility with someone wasn’t necessarily a good thing. After that small touch from Bo Xiangzhou, An Xun could feel his pheromones becoming more intense. His body, which had been using suppressants for a long time, had already built up resistance to them. Just a little bit of alpha’s scent was enough to break his weak defenses.

He opened the drawer, switched back to the suppressant he used to use, and gave himself another shot in the other arm.

The effects didn’t kick in immediately. After about half an hour, the heat in his glands finally cooled down.

The room was filled with the sweet scent of lychee. An Xun opened the windows for ventilation and sprayed a generous amount of scent blocker on himself before fastening a black suppressant collar around his neck.

He wasn’t in the mood to put on makeup today. After applying some sunscreen, he headed out to work.

The road on Huaguang Street had been repaired within three days, and traffic had resumed. An Xun refused Uncle Lin’s suggestion for a driver and returned to his usual low-key ways.

Rumors were already circulating at the company that he had hooked up with some high-level executive. If he kept getting driven to work, he might as well kiss his reputation goodbye. He’d already been accused of taking time off to go give birth in the hospital.

There wasn’t much difference in An Xun’s appearance with or without makeup. His face was naturally pure and pretty, exuding a mysterious allure when he wasn’t smiling, like a mist-shrouded mountain. The rebellious glint in his eyes only made people more curious about him. With makeup, his face took on a more glamorous look, creating a stark contrast with the innocent expression he usually wore around Bo Xiangzhou.

After a late-night meal and breakfast, An Xun was stuffed. He rubbed his stomach and bought an Americano from the café downstairs, settling into a quiet corner to wait until it was time for work.

He wasn’t going to set foot in that awful company until the last possible minute.

The coffee was so bitter it reached deep into his heart. An Xun made a face, wanting to run back to the Bo family home for a bottle of yogurt.

Half his salary had already been docked. What was the point of even going to work?

Frustrated, An Xun stomped his foot and leaned back on the sofa, using the café’s WiFi to play a few rounds of Landlord.

[Nian Nian]: Good morning, darling.

An Xun switched to split screen.

[Gulu Gulu]: Perfect timing, I have something to talk to you about.

Tao Nian’s reply was unexpected.

[Nian Nian]: Please, I beg you, no more talking about Bo Xiangzhou.

[Gulu Gulu]: Wow, are you psychic? How did you know it was about him?

Tao Nian sent him an eye-roll emoji.

[Nian Nian]: Go back and check the chat history. You can’t go three sentences without mentioning Bo Xiangzhou. You might as well make me your wedding emcee. I probably know you two better than the officiant does.

An Xun had his comeback ready, but then Tao Nian’s attitude suddenly shifted.

[Nian Nian]: I love you, and only I can put up with you talking about another alpha in front of me.

[Nian Nian]: Go on then. Did Bo Xiangzhou force you to go to work again, or did he give you something else?

Tao Nian braced himself.

[Gulu Gulu]: He didn’t force me to work. He stayed up late last night revising the wedding plan, and when I went downstairs in the middle of the night for food, he caught me.

[Nian Nian]: Did he yell at you?

Tao Nian rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight for An Xun’s honor, but what came next left him completely speechless.

[Gulu Gulu]: No, he made me dinner. He cooked steak, and it was pretty good.

[Gulu Gulu]: He even patted my head. Why did he pat my head?

Tao Nian was dumbfounded. Don’t ask him—he had no idea.

[Nian Nian]: Enough, stop talking. If you say any more, I’ll get jealous. I’m working during the day and practicing my acting at night, and here you two are, having midnight heart-to-hearts.

[Gulu Gulu]: We’re not having heart-to-hearts!

[Nian Nian]: Right, of course not. You’re just building up some father-son bond.

An Xun was speechless. He quit the game and reluctantly headed off to work.