Bo Xiangzhou spoke with an unintentional tone of affection, “Then let it go on strike.”

An Xun didn’t take his book back. Bo Xiangzhou, acting like a thief, had locked his book in the study’s cabinet first thing in the morning, then picked out a few famous works from both Chinese and foreign authors for him to read.

An Xun shook his head and refused. He just wanted to understand love and pass the time; he didn’t want to study. His brain was already filled with too much, and adding more would give him a headache.

He lay on the office desk, pestering him, talking non-stop for half an hour. But instead of being moved, Bo Xiangzhou only ruffled his hair.

His protest ended in failure.

An Xun left with a cold face to meet Tao Nian. The moment he saw Tao Nian, he threw himself into his arms.

Tao Nian thought he had been wronged, “Did Bo Xiangzhou argue with you again?”

“I wanted to argue with him, but he wouldn’t even give me the chance.”

An Xun had made a reservation at a famous Hunan restaurant that was always fully booked, requiring several days’ advance notice.

While they still had some time, An Xun ordered two bottles of low-alcohol liquor.

He rinsed the glasses with tea, filled them, and handed one to Tao Nian.

“Aren’t you afraid Bo Xiangzhou will find out?” Tao Nian took a bite of spicy beef, sweat pouring down his face. He fanned himself with his hand and downed the whole glass of liquor, but it did nothing to relieve the spiciness.

“I’ll just drink a little and go back later,” An Xun said, placing a pot of tea in front of him. “You’d better not eat anything too spicy. Try something milder.”

Tao Nian’s lips were swollen, and the spiciness persisted, making him speak with a lisp, “Can your pampered stomach handle this heavy spice?”

An Xun wasn’t sure, “I don’t know.”

He just craved it and wanted to eat.

Tao Nian, always on edge, suddenly looked cautious. “You’re not pregnant, are you? I don’t remember you craving food like this before.”

“You’re the one who’s pregnant!” Lifting his shirt was inappropriate, so An Xun placed Tao Nian’s hand on his stomach. “Does this feel like I’m pregnant? Stop making things up!”

Tao Nian squeezed a bit and said, “Wow! Look at those abs!”

An Xun was lazy and couldn’t manage abs. Just looking at his thin frame, it was hard to imagine him ever hitting anyone.

In retaliation, he shoved a piece of beef into Tao Nian’s mouth and hugged the teapot, refusing to share.

Tao Nian felt like his mouth was on fire and pleaded, saying all sorts of nice things, until An Xun finally handed him the tea.

An Xun rearranged the dishes, moving the spicier ones in front of himself and leaving the milder ones for Tao Nian.

Tao Nian wasn’t happy with how fond An Xun seemed of Bo Xiangzhou. He didn’t think Bo was good enough for him and had been stewing over it for days. But seeing that An Xun still cared about him made him feel a little better.

Still, it didn’t lessen his dislike of Bo Xiangzhou.

Tao Nian asked, “Do you know what’s going on with An Xin?”

“What’s he up to now?” An Xun was so overwhelmed by the spiciness that he didn’t want to talk.

“He went to a charity gala hosted by the Cheng family as Cheng Song’s male partner!” Tao Nian showed him the news from that morning. “They’re all saying An Xin is Cheng Song’s fiancé.”

An Xun accidentally knocked his chopsticks to the floor, then picked them up and wiped them clean with a napkin. “No need to panic. An Xin doesn’t even count as a lover to Cheng Song. He’s got some tricks, though, managing to cozy up to Cheng Song again. I remember before…”

An Xun started thinking deeper. It was possible that An Xin and Cheng Song had always been fine, but because of what happened at the villa with him, the Sang family, and others, An Xin’s presence would have been awkward, so Cheng Song had probably decided to leave him behind.

He couldn’t understand Cheng Song’s mind—sometimes keeping him, sometimes discarding him like an object. He disliked people who toyed with feelings, but An Xin wasn’t pure-hearted either. He had ambitions and would have to suffer a bit to get what he wanted.

Besides, Cheng Song really didn’t think much of him. If the old lady hadn’t been fooled by his looks, he’d probably still be taking abuse at his previous employer.

An Xun chewed more slowly, realizing that maybe there was an explanation for Bo Xiangzhou’s indifference to him.

Was it because they were from different backgrounds?

Tao Nian waved a hand in front of his eyes, “What are you so lost in thought about?”

“I’m wondering when I’ll be divorced.” An Xun really wanted to ask Bo Xiangzhou about his true feelings, but it seemed they only had time together at night.

Out of 24 hours, subtracting sleep, they barely had any time together.

Might as well play dumb and wait until they’ve had their fill of good days. If by then nothing has changed, then he’ll bring up divorce, and the other party shouldn’t object.

It all circled back to divorce in the end.

Tao Nian couldn’t understand his mood swings. Maybe this was the worry all couples in love faced?

Tao Nian did his best to play the role of advisor. “What are you overthinking? I think he likes you. Divorce would only happen if you initiated it. I don’t think he’d agree otherwise.”

“But I can’t tell?” That was An Xun’s biggest confusion.

Bo Xiangzhou’s attitude toward him was like a mystery. They seemed like a couple but also not, especially with how Bo monitored his water intake daily.

The thought annoyed An Xun. Bo Xiangzhou thought he drank too little water and called every few hours to remind him to drink.

What couple has that much free time?

An Xun’s eyes darted around, and Tao Nian, unsure what he was thinking, said, “Maybe he just hasn’t realized it yet. Why don’t you drop a hint?”

An Xun was troubled, “I did drop hints. I bought a bunch of books and read them in front of him every night. In the end, he took them away, saying those books were corrupting me and that I should read some literary works instead.”

Tao Nian burst out laughing. “Reading literature is good! Maybe you’ll become a famous writer and write poems to mock him when you’re upset.”

“I dreamed of writing poems to curse out everyone I hated since elementary school, but look at what I’ve achieved?” An Xun raised his voice. “What does this show? It shows I don’t have the IQ for it! Bo Xiangzhou’s expectations of me are way too high. He even thinks I can work at his company. Do I seem like I’m qualified for that?”

Tao Nian offered a different perspective, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.”

He wanted An Xun to be happy but didn’t trust Bo Xiangzhou. Still, he believed An Xun wouldn’t cling to the wrong person. If their relationship ever fell apart, An Xun would handle it even more decisively than he could.

Might as well help him out. After all, Bo Xiangzhou had money, and if they did divorce, An Xun could at least get a good share. And who knows, maybe Bo Xiangzhou might actually change.

Though he doubted that, it was worth a shot. Maybe An Xun would find true love.

Having convinced himself, Tao Nian said, “Do you want to know the fastest way to confirm your place in Bo Xiangzhou’s heart?”

“I do.”

Tao Nian looked mysterious, “First, promise me that if you ever feel unhappy with him, you’ll divorce him decisively.”

“I probably won’t be decisive about it.”

Tao Nian’s expression immediately darkened.

An Xun cupped his face and lifted it, “I’ll first gather evidence to ruin his reputation. As for why I won’t hit him, it’s to protect myself. Alpha pheromone suppression can really be deadly. So, Nian Nian, if an alpha tries to suppress you, don’t worry about your pride—just run. It could kill you.”

“Has he ever suppressed you?”

An Xun replied, “No, it’s something that happens during heat. In school, the AO physiology class only mentioned that alpha pheromones attract omegas during heat. I didn’t know they could also suppress.”

“Did it affect you?”

“No. If it had, I’d still be lying in bed.”

Tao Nian saw how serious he was and gradually believed him. He motioned for An Xun to come closer, cautiously whispering, like they were conducting a spy operation.

An Xun occasionally nodded and sighed, then hesitated at the end. “Will this really work? If I act like that, I won’t even be able to stand myself. I’d want to slap myself.”

“You’re missing the point. As a proper alpha, no matter what kind of tantrum their omega throws, they must spoil them. If your omega acts up to this extent and he still doesn’t lose his temper, it means two things. One, he likes you and is willing to tolerate everything about you. Two—” Tao Nian elongated his words, “he has an incredibly good temper.”

“Is there any difference between what you’re saying and saying nothing?” He felt like he’d listened so attentively for nothing.

Tao Nian encouraged, “Why don’t you give it a try? But no matter the outcome, stay rational.”

“I know. Every day you’re frowning, thinking hard about every message you send. Don’t tell me it’s because of this?” An Xun clinked his glass with his. “Nian Nian, you’re worrying too much. Do you think I’m that brainless?”

Tao Nian rarely stayed silent.

An Xun gave him a light punch. “So that’s how you think of me? I’m not talking to you anymore.”

There were five dishes on the table, none of them finished. A wooden screen separated their table from the next, but the people behind them were so loud that An Xun’s brain was bombarded with several alpha self-assessments.

They all liked pretty omegas.

He had supreme confidence in his appearance, so he wasn’t worried about his looks. It was just his personality he wasn’t sure about—he wondered if Bo Xiangzhou’s standards for a partner had changed after spending the last six months with him, and whether those standards now included him.

Next to a flower shop at the left corner of the mall exit, a pottery store had recently opened. It had been in business for only a week and was promoting itself with the gimmick that customers could create their own pieces. The tactic had earned rave reviews.

Tao Nian had passed by after work once and found it boring, but An Xun wanted to go. After downing the last drop of his drink, he went with him.

An Xun held an ice cream in one hand and a skewer in the other. His clothes didn’t have any pockets. Tao Nian, holding two phones, half complained, “You’re eating something cold and something hot at the same time. Do you really think your stomach will like that?”

“If I die, I won’t drag you down with me.” An Xun was already prepared to gulp down medicine once he got home.

His phone buzzed in Tao Nian’s hand. The caller was an unknown number, and the address showed it was from Jiangcheng. There were no scam or marketing tags.

Tao Nian was about to hang up. “You sure are busy.”

“Don’t hang up! What if it’s my delivery? I bought a single sofa chair online the other day, paid extra for express shipping. Quick, answer it for me. Maybe it’s here.” An Xun had already moved to a quieter spot.

“Isn’t Bo’s bed big enough for you to lounge on?”

“I can’t just lie in bed and rot all day. I’m planning to put the chair in the back garden so I can sunbathe on it when I’m bored.”

“Wow, sounds like a comfortable life.”

An Xun leaned over as Tao Nian put the phone on speaker between them. Despite the weak connection, the voice on the other end was still recognizable—it was An Xin.

An Xin: “Brother~”

An Xun made a gagging sound, his expression souring. His tone shifted from sweet to harsh. “Stop acting cute. What’s your point?”

“You just wanted to check if Bo Xiangzhou was with me, didn’t you? You could have just asked. Do you really think I wouldn’t tell you? No need to disgust me like this, I just finished eating.” While he spoke, his ice cream melted, covering his hand in sticky liquid.

An Xun quickly downed the last of his skewers and borrowed a napkin from a cute girl nearby.

The girl was generous, handing him a whole pack of wet wipes.

After cleaning off his hand, An Xun returned to Tao Nian’s side, took the phone, covered the speaker, and whispered, “What did he say?”

“He’s showing off, bragging about getting close to Cheng Song.”

“Is that even worth bragging about? If the internet digs up his identity and the media runs with it, they’ll think he’s Cheng Song’s fiancé. All it would take is one word from Cheng Song to say he’s not, or for him to find a new date, and An Xin would be a joke. Does he really think a scandal will let him marry into the Cheng family?” An Xun scoffed. “In his dreams.”

He uncovered the speaker and listened enough to get the gist of it.

An Xin: “I didn’t want to go to the event with him, but I was afraid he’d be lonely, so I put my own plans aside to keep him company…”

An Xun rolled his eyes. What kind of charity event needed a date? How embarrassing. A spoiled young master who doesn’t even run his own company—what important plans could he have had? He probably invited himself along.

An Xin: “I kissed him, and he wasn’t drunk or asleep. Brother, you got married early. Can you tell me why he didn’t push me away?”

Was he throwing shade about that incident at the villa when Bo Xiangzhou ignored him?

If you have an issue, go take it up with Bo Xiangzhou. He was the one blocking the view that night, so An Xun hadn’t seen a thing.

An Xun responded, “I don’t know why he didn’t avoid it. All I heard from my husband is that Cheng Song never minds kissing any of his partners, even in front of friends. If you really want to know, I suggest you ask your mom. After all, isn’t that how she got you?”