Pushing open the mahogany door to the private room, the first thing that greeted him was a lavishly styled, spacious area, where every corner oozed the scent of wealth.

An Xun sat down nervously, especially since Bo Xiangzhou didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

Well, it wasn’t exactly bad either, but… An Xun couldn’t quite describe it. Bo Xiangzhou’s gaze was complicated, something he couldn’t fully comprehend.

What was it? Was he still not obedient enough? Even after all this? What else did he need to do? Did he need to act like a naive fool? Might as well just kill him, that’d be quicker.

The richer An Xun’s inner world was, the more fake his exterior became.

At this point, should he call him “hubby” or “gege,” or respectfully address him as “Bo Zong”?

According to his character setting, he couldn’t openly stare at Bo Xiangzhou’s handsome face. He had to sneak peeks and then cover his face, bite his lip, and blush like crazy to complete the shy trifecta.

During the time they were ordering food, he used the menu as a shield to keep sneakily glancing at Bo Xiangzhou across from him.

He had seen interviews about Bo Xiangzhou before. His aristocratic aura alone could crush a crowd of alphas. Like most omegas, just a single cold glance from him could make An Xun’s blood boil, making him want to leap on him and take a few bites.

He thought he had kept himself in check pretty well, but in real life, Bo Xiangzhou was even more irresistible.

Today, Bo Xiangzhou was still dressed in his signature elite style, but with a touch of casual flair. The collar of his white shirt was fastened with a golden hollowed-out triangular pin, layered under a loose yet refined blazer, making him look like he could walk right onto a runway at any moment.

An Xun felt inferior in comparison. This alpha lived more fashionably than he did; you’d never guess he was a 31-year-old leftover alpha.

Mature old man, cultured scoundrel—he liked that. This was exactly his type.

Though, Bo Xiangzhou did have peculiar taste, apparently liking the dumb, sweet, naive type.

Catching his gaze out of the corner of his eye, Bo Xiangzhou finally couldn’t help but turn his head and meet An Xun’s eyes after the sixteenth sneak peek.

An Xun was so focused, he didn’t expect their eyes to lock. It felt like getting caught doing something bad, and he let out a small “ah,” barely stopping himself from blurting out, “You scared me!”

Realizing he hadn’t softened his voice, An Xun quickly covered his face and added, “Ahh~~”

His face, unfortunately, flushed bright red.

What the heck was he doing?!

Bo Xiangzhou’s eyes swept over him with a strange look, and after a long pause, he finally started today’s topic, “You look a bit different from your photos.”

He said it tactfully. The An Xun in front of him felt completely different from the one in the pictures. Aside from the face, nothing matched. He seriously suspected they were two different people.

An Xun didn’t know which photo he was referring to, so he tried to brush it off, “Photos are all edited.”

Reality is what counts.

After a long silence, Bo Xiangzhou seemed to accept this fact, “Do you have an alpha you like?”

An Xun thought for a few seconds, then quietly said, “…Yes.”

Bo Xiangzhou’s expression remained unchanged, “I don’t like forcing things. I haven’t signed the contract yet, and about the An family…”

An Xun cut him off, “It’s you.”

Bo Xiangzhou: “?”

Bo Xiangzhou hadn’t heard clearly, “What?”

An Xun, overwhelmed with embarrassment, silently gave himself a thumbs-up in his mind, then bravely delivered a cheesy line: “The alpha I like is you. I like you, like the wind traveling eight thousand miles.”

After that, he covered his face and closed his eyes. He really couldn’t face anyone anymore.

In an instant, the air froze, and the room plunged into an eerie silence.

Peeking through his fingers, An Xun saw Bo Xiangzhou’s expression—difficult to describe.

He understood now. Bo Xiangzhou didn’t like cheesy pickup lines.

In the business world, where Bo Xiangzhou handled sudden events with ease, this was the first time he felt helpless.

Wanting to demonstrate his good qualities, An Xun proactively asked, “Bo Zong, are you alright?”

Bo Xiangzhou took a deep breath, “I’m fine.”

An Xun genuinely admired his ability to keep it together. If it were him, he’d be throwing up by now.

Skipping over that topic, Bo Xiangzhou continued, “I know your relationship with the An family isn’t good…”

An Xun’s eyes widened. Was the Bo family involved in the underworld? How did they know about that? Did this mean his true nature had already been exposed?

Bo Xiangzhou’s eyelid twitched as he explained, “It’s just a guess.”

An Xun hadn’t contacted the An family in years, and the An family acted like he didn’t exist. According to the old lady, when they discussed the marriage, the An family even wrote An Xun’s name wrong.

Thinking about this, Bo Xiangzhou’s expression softened slightly. At least An Xun wasn’t as foolish as he looked, knowing how to survive and seek shelter when needed. As long as he didn’t cause trouble, everything was negotiable. Even if they didn’t develop feelings over time, he would still fulfill his responsibilities as a married alpha.

Bo Xiangzhou said, “Aside from financial help to the An family, I’ll transfer a million a month from my personal account as pocket money. If that’s not enough, we can discuss it.”

An Xun, still lost in the relief of maintaining his character, was suddenly dazed by the mention of money.

“Too little?” Bo Xiangzhou said calmly, “A million is plenty. I’m worried you’ll waste it.”

An Xun was so shocked he couldn’t speak. What? If he didn’t waste it, could it go up to ten million a month?

Suppressing the corners of his mouth from rising, An Xun wondered how he was going to spend that million.

“So, you want me to be a full-time househusband?” An Xun thought. It wasn’t impossible, but could his kitchen survive the damage?

“A full-time househusband?”

With the money on the table, An Xun’s smile became more sincere, “I mean staying home to do laundry, cook, and handle all the housework. Don’t worry, Bo Zong, I’ll quit my job and cook for you. I’m a great cook.”

He shamelessly boasted, though in his heart, he was thinking about which cuisine was easy to learn. Give him a week, and he should be able to master it.

Bo Xiangzhou, however, said indifferently, “No need. There are maids at home. If you need anything, tell the butler or me directly.”

There was one crucial point Bo Xiangzhou didn’t mention. After thinking for a few minutes, An Xun ate a few more bites of steak and chicken rolls, teary-eyed with worry, then stuffed half a kouign-amann into his mouth, only half full, before finally asking:

“Do I need to quit my job?”

Bo Xiangzhou said unhurriedly, “It’s up to you. The choice is yours. If you don’t like your current job, I can find you something more suitable.”

How was that any different from saying nothing? In the end, he still had to work.

Between working under Bo Xiangzhou’s nose or continuing to scrape by at his lousy company, An Xun chose the latter.

He had a lot of resentment toward work. Who knew when he’d have an outburst and accidentally reveal his true nature?

Not wanting to risk it, An Xun said, “No need. I’m pretty happy with my current job.”

“When do you have time?”

“I’m always free.”

Bo Xiangzhou, while replying to messages, seemed distracted, “Alright, then pick a time for us to get our marriage certificate. If you want, you can decide the wedding date too.”

“Bo Zong, you can choose the time.”

Caught up in eating, An Xun forgot to soften his voice, and the sudden clear, clean tone made Bo Xiangzhou think there was something wrong with his ears.

Suppressing the questions in his mind, Bo Xiangzhou said, “I’ll adjust to your schedule. There’s no rush. Just pick a day when you’re off.”

An Xun blinked. That probably wasn’t going to happen. He hadn’t gone to work in days, and this morning, his boss had called to scold him. Thankfully, he had the sense not to resign in a fit of rage.

With his boss that angry, there was no way he’d get any time off.

An Xun played the pity card, “Maybe you should pick~”

He could always find a way to sneak off later. Who cares if they docked his pay? With that million, who’d care about a few hundred?

“Alright.” Bo Xiangzhou lifted his chin, “Give me your phone, let’s add each other. I’ll notify you once we’ve confirmed a date.”

“Oh.” An Xun opened his QR code card and stretched out his arm to hand it over.

Bo Xiangzhou glanced at him, then at the pink cat-eared anime boy profile picture, and the adorably indescribable personal tagline—

Heart of a cute tiger, rawr.

An Xun looked puzzled. He felt like Bo Xiangzhou wasn’t just adding a friend but undergoing some kind of tribulation.

Could it be that he was… stunned by the cuteness? Was he reluctant to look away? No way, right?

Bo Xiangzhou let out a deep, heavy sigh. His tolerance was usually high, and the sensation of being completely overwhelmed only lasted a minute before it transformed into an understanding and respect for An Xun’s unique tastes.

He handed the phone back, “I have something else to attend to. Do you need me to send someone to take you home?”

“No need.”

Bo Xiangzhou’s gaze lingered on his face for a few seconds, leaving An Xun unsure of what to make of it. Slowly, he raised a sweet, well-behaved smile.

Bo Xiangzhou withdrew his gaze and soon disappeared from An Xun’s sight.

Long legs stepping into the car, the phone on the other end carried the secretary’s report about an unexpected visitor in the office.

While listening, Bo Xiangzhou thought, Liu Tang is a jealous person. About the same age as An Xun, but far worse in temperament. Impulsive and easily angered, he’s been spreading rumors about being my boyfriend for ages. If An Xun comes into the picture…

What if he gets bullied? An Xun doesn’t seem like the type to fight back.

After the call ended, the assistant asked, “Bo Zong, Uncle Liu just called. He wants to know what color scheme you want for the guest bedroom. Green or blue?”

Bo Xiangzhou pondered for a moment, “…Pink.”

He had discovered that An Xun surprisingly liked pink.