Bo Xiangzhou was waiting for An Xun’s next words, having prepared for various difficult questions, but An Xun’s query turned out to be much more cunning than he anticipated.

An Xun moved closer slowly, his voice tinged with hesitation and shyness, “Can I sleep in your arms?”

Bo Xiangzhou was taken aback, “?!”

His first reaction wasn’t to refuse, but rather to touch An Xun’s forehead, “You’re not sick, what are you talking about?”

“I’m not talking nonsense.” An Xun fabricated a clumsy lie, “I had a nightmare last night, it was terrifying, I was so scared I couldn’t sleep, I’m afraid I’ll dream it again tonight, so I thought maybe I could sleep better if someone held me.”

“It’s just a dream.”

“Does that mean you don’t want to?” An Xun looked pitiful.

Bo Xiangzhou thought it was one of An Xun’s schemes to act cute and hesitated a few seconds before playing along, “If you’re really scared, hide in my arms then.”

It was An Xun’s first time actively seeking comfort in someone else’s arms. His ears reddened as he looked up to see Bo Xiangzhou’s profile.

An Xun pursed his lips; he seemed to not only not mind but actually enjoy it.

Hmm, this must be liking.

Reflecting on their past interactions, aside from being overly suspicious, Bo Xiangzhou excelled in many aspects; having such an alpha as a husband wasn’t too bad.

An Xun felt a surge of joy, excited until midnight, occasionally propping himself up to sneak glances at Bo Xiangzhou, only to be gently pressed back down by the alpha’s large hand.

He fell asleep with thoughts in his mind, while Bo Xiangzhou, who seemed to be sleeping soundly, was actually wide awake.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that An Xun’s motives weren’t so pure, possibly preparing a big surprise for him in the morning.

His worries were unfounded, however. An Xun behaved properly, except for his uncontrollable hands while asleep; he was very serious upon waking.

Yet his walking was awkward, constantly looking back in three steps, even wearing a jacket awkwardly around him.

Bo Xiangzhou pondered all day, propping his chin in his office, recalling An Xun’s profile hundreds of times, connecting his recent behavior with his personality, only to come to a baseless conclusion.

He must be thanking him for the email issue, even though he wasn’t good at expressing himself.

But who thanks someone by sleeping in their arms?

His susceptible period had postponed many tasks; his office desk was buried under piles of documents, awaiting his attention. But with the mystery unresolved, he had no interest in them, finding the usually indispensable documents utterly repellant now.

An Xun, however, added fuel to the fire, causing Bo Xiangzhou even more distress.

[Drowned Fish]: Good morning, hubby.

[Drowned Fish]: Super sweet smile JPG.

Bo Xiangzhou didn’t react, touching the screen just before it went off, tapping it over and over again.

He replied with a “Hmm, good morning.”

An Xun, seeing Bo Xiangzhou through a thick filter of affection, interpreted even these simple words as Bo Xiangzhou being very satisfied with the morning greeting.

An Xun couldn’t help but smile, his laughter reaching a colleague’s ears who nosily asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Good news.” If it were bad news, he’d be looking for a place to cry by now.

Feeling good, he finished all of today’s tasks in three hours.

[Drowned Fish]: My dear Nian Nian, thanks for your advice, I think I do like Bo Xiangzhou.

Tao Nian regretted his words; he originally wanted to encourage a divorce but couldn’t bear to dampen his spirits, so he replied dismissively to change the subject.

That’s falling in love; what to do next? The silent treatment only comes in zero or countless instances, and he hoped An Xun would come to realize this on his own, for his strategist had no solution.

Unaware of the undertone in Tao Nian’s words, An Xun remained cheerfully oblivious, even calling Bo Xiangzhou “hubby” in front of others, a term tinged with shy affection.

Bo Xiangzhou was puzzled by his inexplicable attitude and was unused to it but didn’t voice any objections.

After a few days sleeping in his arms, the intoxication of love somewhat subsided.

With his emotions settled, An Xun began to consider Bo Xiangzhou’s thoughts.

He didn’t feel that Bo Xiangzhou liked him particularly much; his actions and demeanor were as usual.

His expression grew serious, reflecting his deep thoughts.

An Xun’s thoughts and expressions were always rich; one second he could be focused on work, and the next, discussing the latest celebrity gossip.

Bo Xiangzhou leaned over, straightening the book in An Xun’s hand, “How’s the situation with Mr. Zhao progressing?”

“It’s been addressed, should be resolved in a few days, but the company seems to be investigating my identity, they’ve sent several emails asking who I am,” An Xun closed the book.

The book was more a decoration in his hands; he had bought several about love, hoping to hint and gauge his standing in Bo Xiangzhou’s heart, but the man seemed oblivious, even advising him to read less of such books and more classics.

“Let them investigate then; they won’t find out anything even by next year,” Bo Xiangzhou unbuttoned his tie, swallowing a sobering pill.

An Xun felt a flicker of desire but restrained himself, “Why won’t they find out? How do you guys investigate someone’s identity? Is it illegal?”

“Trade secret, can’t tell you that,” Bo Xiangzhou, reeking of alcohol, tousled his hair, and the smell enveloped An Xun.

An Xun frowned, “I just took a shower, you don’t tell me and yet rub alcohol all over me.”

“Is there?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry,” Bo Xiangzhou backed away a bit, “I’ve got a cold recently, my sense of smell is a bit off.”

An Xun muttered, “Drinking with a cold, was it because there were omegas there?”

Bo Xiangzhou possibly sensed the jealousy in his tone, though An Xun had always teased him this way.

Bo Xiangzhou chuckled lightly, “Can’t you smell whether there were omegas or not?”

An Xun pretended to sniff, “Caught your cold, my sense of smell is off, can’t tell.”

“Blaming me again? What’s the matter? Not getting along with your new department manager?”

“Where do you get your news?” An Xun was suspicious, “You’re not secretly watching me, are you?”

“Is that all your brain does all day, make up things?” Bo Xiangzhou pulled out a small gift box from his coat and handed it to An Xun, “This was given by a business partner, I thought it would suit you. Can we not be mad now?”

“No,” An Xun said, yet hypocritically accepted the gift, a gold wheat ear brooch.

He wouldn’t use it in daily life and would store it away. He rarely wore suits, could count the occasions on one hand, and had too many suit accessories, this one likely wouldn’t make the cut with over a dozen new ones he hadn’t worn yet.

Being wealthy was also a hassle, he envied Bo Xiangzhou, who didn’t have such troubles, his wardrobe filled with suits, making his clothes look like they were for an elementary schooler in comparison.

After Bo Xiangzhou finished his work and lay in bed, An Xun was still absorbed in his book, which had a pink cover and similar font placement, probably part of a set. Bo Xiangzhou noticed that he was reading “Intimacy” today.

Last night, it was “The Omega Love Guide.”

Bo Xiangzhou raised an eyebrow, “Why have you started reading books about love?”

Idiot, it’s obviously about love, yet he doesn’t think deeper.

An Xun shifted the blame, “Nian Nian recommended them, there are six in the series, want to read?”

An Xun’s habits differed from his; he liked to keep things within easy reach by the pillow, always appearing messy.

Bo Xiangzhou, unable to straighten out his bad habits, let him be.

He had skimmed through these books at the office; An Xun picked one more focused on the psychology of alpha love and forcefully handed it to Bo Xiangzhou.

Bo Xiangzhou flipped through it, finding the text seemingly logical but actually baseless, written based on personal opinions without scientific proof or public experiments.

Especially the line, “An alpha’s eyes only see charming omegas,” which couldn’t apply to all alphas, at least he didn’t think his eyes were so limited.

Charm isn’t just about looks; some omegas have a reserved charisma that takes time to appreciate.

Bo Xiangzhou looked worried, what was he reading all day, could he not pick up bad habits?

An Xun was engrossed when a hand reached out and pulled his book away, moving the entire series to the coffee table.

Facing his displeased look, Bo Xiangzhou said, “Read less of these unsubstantial things. As a distraction, okay, but don’t take them seriously. At most half an hour a day, reading too much will dull your smart mind.”

An Xun was skeptical, “Do I need to learn?”

“Don’t talk down about yourself. Aside from being impulsive, you are quite intelligent.”

“So this is how you see me…”

An Xun was hurt, but he didn’t voice it.

Impulsiveness wasn’t his fault.

An Xun’s emotions were more unpredictable than a weather forecast, which at least had warnings and accuracy, while An Xun’s mood swings were sudden.

Bo Xiangzhou was used to it, holding him in his arms to comfort.

An Xun covered his ears, annoyed, whispering, “I hate you.”

Bo Xiangzhou went along with it, “Hate if you must, but can we not be angry anymore? What if it makes you ill?”

His soothing words flowed easily, An Xun unable to discern their sincerity.

He wondered if Bo Xiangzhou had used the same tactics on another omega before him, just like now.

Glancing at Bo Xiangzhou’s silhouette blurred by the dim light, his gentle eyes seemed genuine.

He didn’t want to suspect Bo Xiangzhou of having feelings for other omegas, because he had said it was only him, but he couldn’t help it; the books said so, several divorced omegas confirmed that an alpha’s words could deceive, and it was impossible to love only one omega for life.

He had just taken away his book after reading it; was this a breach or genuinely because he thought the book lacked nutritional value?

An Xun jabbed his arm forcefully.

Bo Xiangzhou pretended to be hurt, touching his face with a fingertip, “Are you calm now? If not, please show mercy, I need you to accompany me to my uncle’s in a couple of days.”

“Which uncle?”

“Shen Qingrang, the one I mentioned before the wedding, missing a little rascal from that family.”

An Xun thought for a moment, “No recollection, not going.”

“Then I’ll have to force you.”

“Do you believe my tears could flood your car?”

Bo Xiangzhou laughed softly, “The car isn’t worth much, but you, if you swell your eyes from crying, that wouldn’t be worth it.”

An Xun wouldn’t admit that his mood had been lifted by that comment, “Your car should go on strike after hearing that.”