“With your taste? Reliable? What if you end up hurting our Xiao An?”

“Like your taste any better? You got cheated on within half a month.”

An Xun almost spit out his food. After taking a sip of tomato fish soup, he spoke up to stop the two about to argue, “Change the topic, stop discussing me, and no more matchmaking! My husband would be jealous if he found out.”

His colleague looked shocked, “Husband?!”

An Xun’s eyes curved into a smile, “Yep! I got married at the beginning of this year. Didn’t you guys notice the wedding ring on my hand?”

All the colleagues shook their heads in unison, “We thought it was just a regular accessory.”

A female colleague from a nearby desk overheard and came over, surprised, “I didn’t expect you to be married so young. Tell us, how does your husband look?”

An Xun replied briskly, “Very handsome. Flawlessly handsome.”

“What does he do? Doctor, lawyer, or engineer?”

An Xun hesitated a bit, “None of those, he works in an office.”

The female colleague showed a look of surprise, “That’s impressive! Aren’t those office workers usually quite rich? How much does he make annually?”

An Xun thought for a moment, “Not sure about the annual salary, but he does have a bit of money.”

“That must mean he’s loaded. Don’t be modest. By the way, which company does your husband work at?”

An Xun paused for a long time before finally saying, “…He works at Bo Xiangzhou’s company.”

The colleagues erupted in astonishment, “That’s amazing! He must at least be a department manager. An Xun, you’re way too low-key! No wonder you never seem stressed.”

“There are stresses. How could anyone not have worries?” An Xun muttered, taking a bite of his beef rice bowl.

A colleague teased, “What could you be stressed about? That your husband is too perfect?”

There was something about that remark that made An Xun feel there was hidden meaning behind it.

During the lunch break, he was woken up by a phone call. Without looking, he answered, and it was An Xin, whom he hadn’t heard from in a while. The tone was eerie and weird, pulling him into a tense moment like watching The Ring, making his skin crawl.

An Xin: “How have you been lately, dear brother?”

The tone was drawn out and creepy.

What a prankster.

An Xun hung up and mentally spat. They hadn’t seen each other in months, and now An Xin was acting like a ghost.

After what happened that morning, several colleagues who clocked out with him just sat there, smiling and watching him leave. They assumed he was going on a date.

Feeling his face heat up, An Xun avoided their gazes as he walked out.

The driver, following Bo Xiangzhou’s instructions, had parked in their usual spot. This time, An Xun had skipped the street snacks and ran straight to the car as soon as he left the office, his stomach still empty.

As soon as he got in, Bo Xiangzhou raised the divider. An Xun dove into his arms, wrapping his arms around Bo’s shoulders and giving him a few quick kisses.

The kisses from his partner were enough to melt away the day’s exhaustion. The car was hot, and while kissing, Bo Xiangzhou started unbuttoning his coat, folding it neatly and setting it aside.

An Xun was lifted by Bo Xiangzhou, kneeling on either side of him. This embarrassing position made An Xun immediately want to climb down, but Bo Xiangzhou held him firmly by the waist, not allowing him to move.

Bo’s lips brushed against his neck, not sucking or biting, just gently rubbing, which left An Xun’s mind wandering. Just when he wanted to grab Bo’s face and kiss him, Bo pulled away, his eyes lingering on An Xun’s fair neck.

The slight redness on his neck soon faded.

There was still plenty of time before they reached the engagement party, so Bo Xiangzhou kept up his playful teasing. When the redness faded, he rubbed at the spot again, then soothed An Xun when he got flustered, only to start all over again, clearly enjoying the game.

With his waist locked in Bo’s arms, An Xun couldn’t do anything. He shot Bo a cold look but couldn’t resist when Bo smiled and lightly bit his lip, instantly dissolving any irritation.

Bo Xiangzhou’s eyes were full of affection as he pinched An Xun’s cheeks with two fingers. “Baby, give me a smile. Don’t keep that little face so tense.”

Forced to pout, An Xun spoke with a thick tongue, “Let go of me first. How am I supposed to smile if you don’t let go?”

“Then we’ll save the smile for later.”

Bo Xiangzhou leaned down and kissed him again. “Baby, I missed you at work all day.”

“…I can tell.” This time, Bo was kissing him more fiercely than ever.

An Xun silently complained. How much work was left unfinished to make this guy, usually expressionless, show so much emotion?

The driver arrived at their destination. Several minutes had passed, and the divider was still up. Hesitant, the driver ended up calling Bo Xiangzhou.

Yelling would have ruined the mood, and he didn’t want to risk losing his bonus for the month because of that.

Seeing the caller ID, Bo Xiangzhou declined the call. Once the redness on An Xun’s face faded and the swelling in his lips had gone down, he sprayed a generous amount of scent-blocking agent on both of them and automatically helped An Xun into his suit jacket.

The jacket was thick and warm enough.

Bo Xiangzhou held An Xun’s hand, feeling the warmth. His hands were no longer as cold as before.

Despite being a bit annoyed by Bo’s earlier roughness, An Xun saw how considerate he was and gave him a better attitude. Wrapping his arm around Bo’s, they walked inside under the gaze of the waiting attendants.

They didn’t need to pretend anymore, so An Xun didn’t cling to him. After mingling with a few people Bo introduced him to, he sat down at their designated spot.

The engagement party for the eldest son of the Cheng family naturally attracted a high-profile guest list. An Xun hated these kinds of events. Regardless of the occasion, whenever the elite gathered, business talks inevitably followed. Bo Xiangzhou was tangled up with them, unable to escape, and An Xun didn’t know many omegas. He quietly played on his phone while sitting at the table.

The banquet hall was decorated festively, elegant without being tacky. As the time approached, the host took the stage to warm up the atmosphere, though it was clear that these elites weren’t going to play along like ordinary folks; it wouldn’t be fitting for their status.

An Xun considered saying something to ease the awkwardness but found himself unable to speak in such an uncomfortable atmosphere. He tugged on Bo Xiangzhou’s hand and traced circles in his palm.

An Xun asked curiously, “Doesn’t this tickle?”

“No,” Bo answered, though his heart did feel a little itchy.

Finding it boring, An Xun stopped after drawing a few circles. He had hoped to see Bo lose his composure, but aside from during his heat, he never saw that happen.

Bo always seemed so calm.

The host, with plenty of experience, didn’t stand around awkwardly despite the cold reception. After a long introduction, the engagement ceremony finally began.

Cheng’s eldest son appeared holding his fiancé’s hand. Alpha gentle, omega tender, they looked perfect together, like a matched set.

“Baby, can you spare me a bit of that gaze?” Bo Xiangzhou suddenly whispered into An Xun’s ear.

An Xun paused, realizing he’d been staring too long, and Bo was getting jealous.

He had never met Cheng’s eldest son before. There wasn’t much information about him online, and the few photos and videos didn’t match Bo’s description of him as mild-mannered. He looked more like a calculating businessman in the images. His younger brother, Cheng Song, bore little resemblance to him, except for their identical peach blossom eyes, which faintly connected these two otherwise vastly different people.

An Xun patted Bo Xiangzhou’s hand, “Don’t worry~ I only like you.”

“Then stop staring at him.” Bo knew exactly what was on An Xun’s mind—he was looking with admiration, but others might not see it that way. “Baby, your gaze just now was a bit bold. You might have made his fiancé misunderstand. I’ll explain it later, but next time, don’t stare for so long.”

“Got it.” An Xun whispered back, “If I had known it would cause a misunderstanding, I wouldn’t have stared at all.”

He was even older than Bo Xiangzhou, and only now getting engaged. There must be some hidden story behind it.

Bo Xiangzhou chuckled at An Xun’s musings. “Baby, there is a hidden story, but not the kind you’re imagining. Save your wild thoughts. I’ll tell you more on the way home.”

An Xun was just about to ask why he couldn’t explain it now. What difference would it make?

Turning his head, he met Bo Xiangzhou’s deep gaze. In Bo’s eyes, An Xun could see his own reflection, and in that brief moment, he understood Bo’s silent message.

It wasn’t good to gossip, no matter the topic. Everyone here was sharp, and someone might overhear and use it as leverage.

An Xun felt like his soul had been purified. “Dealing with people like you is really dangerous.”

Bo Xiangzhou smiled. “Not dangerous. You’ve got me. Say whatever you want, as long as it’s not too much, and I’ll handle it.”

“It must be tough for President Bo to have married someone like me.”

Bo’s response was sincere, “Not tough at all. You’re wonderful, baby.”

“If you keep saying that, I’m going to get all puffed up.”

“Then go ahead and puff up. As long as it’s within my ability, you can do whatever you want.”

To outsiders, An Xun’s smile wasn’t very noticeable, and he didn’t seem particularly happy. But to Bo Xiangzhou, it was clear that An Xun was trying hard not to laugh. Normally, he would have nestled into Bo’s arms by now, instead of sitting beside him, pretending to be serious.

An Xun desperately needed something else to focus on. Scanning the banquet hall, he didn’t see anything amusing, but he did spot An Xin.

Yep, he was here too. They were nearly an entire banquet hall apart—clearly a deliberate arrangement.

No wonder An Xin had acted so eerily at noon. He had been showing off.

At such an important event, neither of their parents had made the guest list, but An Xin had. That said a lot about his status.

Bo Xiangzhou blocked An Xun’s view, “Baby, if there’s something to deal with, I’ll handle it privately with you later. Now’s not the time.”

“I’m not that impulsive,” An Xun replied, as long as An Xin didn’t provoke him.

After the ceremony, the banquet began, but the food looked better than it tasted. The beef was sweet, the chicken bitter—An Xun couldn’t come to terms with this meal. Even if he lived to a hundred, he’d remember how bad it was.

This hotel was going straight onto his blacklist!

Bo Xiangzhou only drank wine. He probably found the food bad too, since he didn’t offer An Xun any, instead giving him some small desserts to fill his stomach.

After what felt like torture, the banquet finally started to wrap up. People gathered around to exchange pleasantries, and even Bo had to go along with it, not wanting to seem out of place or lose control of the situation.

From now on, An Xun thought he needed to treat Bo Xiangzhou better. Even though Bo was so busy, he still found time to think about him. He must really love him, and not just physically—this had to be love for his soul.

In the middle of the banquet, An Xun saw Qiao Qiao. The child still remembered him and came running over to snuggle in his arms.

Kids get tired easily. Even though he was yawning, Qiao Qiao still wanted to play with An Xun. His eyes blinked open and shut, and An Xun was nearly moved to tears. After chatting for a bit, he returned the child to his omega father to sleep.

Now on his own, An Xun wandered near the dessert area, stuffing himself with a few pieces of mousse because he was starving.

An Xin approached slowly, swaying a wine glass, moving towards him at an unhurried pace. An Xun turned to leave, but An Xin was faster, blocking his path.

With a smug tone, An Xin said, “Brother, it’s been months. Why are you avoiding me now? Your little brother just wants to catch up.”

He signaled for a server to bring An Xun a glass of champagne.

An Xun, being straightforward, downed it in one gulp, missing the surprise in An Xin’s eyes. “Whatever you wanted to say is in the drink. I’m done here, go find someone else to chat with.”

“But I just want to chat with you. After all, I’m not that familiar with anyone else. Right, brother?” An Xin got close, his breath hot against An Xun’s ear like a snake’s tongue, making the back of his neck feel sticky.

With patience, An Xun replied, “Can you talk like a normal person? If not, go see a psychiatrist. I’ll cover the medical bill. Just stop grossing me out. You’re getting your creepy aura all over me, and my husband’s going to ask what dirty thing I picked up outside.”

“Brother, your words hurt me. I miss the days when we kept each other warm in bed.” As An Xin spoke, he tilted his glass.

An Xun grabbed his wrist, “Your room had air conditioning. Why squeeze into a tiny broken room? If you’re going to lie, at least base it on facts. If you really like staying in small, shabby rooms, maybe in a few years, that dream will come true.”

Their confrontation drew attention from others. Sensing this, An Xun quickly changed his expression and spoke in a soft, pitiful tone, “Brother, for the sake of the years we lived together, I won’t hold your mistakes against you. But take some advice from me: now that you’re with President Cheng, don’t go around flirting with other alphas. I know you like President Bo, but he’s already married to me. I don’t want you to come between us.”

The banquet hall was huge, and the dessert area was relatively quiet, so the commotion hadn’t reached the busy elites engrossed in business.

An Xin was clearly in the wrong, and the people nearby weren’t gullible omega sweethearts who would believe one side of the story. After An Xun squeezed through the crowd, there were a few seconds of whispered conversation before everything dispersed.

No one dared to offend Bo Xiangzhou’s wife, even if he looked soft. Talking too much could end up causing trouble for them.