“Baby, you know my schedule so well?” Bo Xiangzhou picked a few scarves and tried them on An Xun, choosing a blue and white one that matched his outfit.

An Xun was quite proud. “Of course, I got your monthly schedule from your assistant.”

Bo Xiangzhou knew about this as his assistant had consulted him before handing it over.

The estate was warm, constantly heated. He neatly folded the scarf on the chair, knowing An Xun would lean over after breakfast, waiting for him to tie it around his neck.

Such laziness! Yet Bo Xiangzhou indulged him, always ready to cater to his needs.

Bo Xiangzhou wiped the corner of An Xun’s mouth with his thumb, “Baby, I have to be busy this afternoon, so I won’t be able to pick you up. Watch what you eat; don’t eat anything that might upset your stomach.”

“Ow.” An Xun pressed down his flicked-up hair strands. “Husband, the boss just said in the group chat that he’s inviting us out for dinner tonight, so I won’t be coming home early.”

“No alcohol, everything else is up to you.”

An Xun pretended not to hear.

Bo Xiangzhou shot him a look that made An Xun somewhat retreat, but it also sparked his rebellious side, “I’ll drink if I want to! See if you can stop me!”

The butler, noticing the mood, discreetly left.

Once they were alone, Bo Xiangzhou cupped his face and pulled him onto his lap, lightly pinching his hip.

An Xun tensed up, then quickly became compliant, “Actually, I could just drink juice, juice is fine too.”

Seeing his good attitude, Bo Xiangzhou relaxed the conditions. “Once you’re at the company, screenshot the hotel info and send it to me. Make sure there are no mosaics or Photoshop traces. Include the boss’ name from the company group, along with the message’s timestamp and the status bar time. Don’t blur out the dinner time. If I find out you faked any of it, I’ll call your boss directly. You can have a maximum of two drinks. Let me know once you get to the dinner location and again before you start drinking. You must call me after two drinks.”

Is this checking up on me?

An Xun was a bit stunned, “Should I also compile a list of attendees and send it to you?”

“No need, just the hotel name and your boss’ name will do.”

An Xun was puzzled, “Are you afraid I’ll cheat on you?”

“I’m afraid you’ll get lost!” Bo Xiangzhou pinched his cheek. “Do you not have a clear understanding of your own alcohol tolerance?”

An Xun bristled at the topic, swatting his hand away. “Nonsense, I used to have a strong tolerance. You might not even outdrink me.”

“That was before…” Bo Xiangzhou shifted the conversation playfully, smiling, “So baby was that impressive, huh? What did baby drink? How many bottles could you handle?”

“Why are you asking? You’re not plotting something, are you?” An Xun enlarged his eyes, scrutinizing his expression closely.

An Xun was unexpectedly cautious, and Bo Xiangzhou felt a bit relieved, seeing that he had grown smarter, albeit only towards him.

With an unchanged expression, Bo Xiangzhou said, “Baby, thinking this way about your husband makes me sad. I’ve just rarely seen omegas who drink during my decade-plus in business. So I’m curious about some parts of your past. If baby doesn’t want to talk about it, should I assume baby’s stories of prowess are just exaggerations?”

“I’m generally lenient with my partner and don’t restrict him from doing anything. If baby really likes to drink, and has been uncomfortable not drinking for years, I think I could ease up on my control, but only if what baby says is true.”

Tempted by the idea of drinking, An Xun carefully considered, “How about we talk about this when I get back tonight?”

“Baby is usually so decisive and smart, to see you hesitating is surprising,” Bo Xiangzhou teased, poking his face. “Go to work, husband is a bit upset now. We can talk when I’m no longer upset.”

An Xun looked up at him, “Huh? What’s got you upset?”

“Baby doesn’t trust husband, keeps things from husband.” Bo Xiangzhou sighed, “Maybe husband hasn’t been doing well enough. Seems like I’ve been too strict with baby, creating a gap between us.”

His face showed a touch of sorrow, but his eyes remained gentle as he leaned in to kiss An Xun’s lips. “Stay warm. I’ll pick you up after the dinner. Don’t drink too much; you won’t be able to fend off any alphas with bad intentions.”

An Xun looked back three times as he walked away, disturbed by Bo Xiangzhou’s seemingly hurt expression, his resolve wavering.

He was caught in a fierce internal struggle, his brow furrowed. Suddenly, he stopped, turned, and rushed back to Bo Xiangzhou, taking his hand, “Then I’ll tell you, so you don’t mess up at the meeting today because you’re distracted.”

He declared again, “You asked me to tell you, okay? It wasn’t me who brought it up.”

“Uh-huh, it was me asking baby.”

He gestured for Bo Xiangzhou to bend down. An Xun slightly tilted his head up and said, “My tolerance isn’t great, a jin of baijiu gets me tipsy.”

Bo Xiangzhou smiled lightly, his tone even softer, “Baby is so impressive. I can’t even match baby’s drinking skills. How did baby train like that?”

“Well…” An Xun hesitated, confirming Bo Xiangzhou’s expression was normal before speaking, “In high school, I skipped classes with Tao Nian to drink beer and eat skewers. In college, I learned to drink baijiu and went to bars with Tao Nian. I could have three Long Island Iced Teas without getting drunk and still tried to snatch a skateboard from a kid to play, though I never learned and ended up falling off while trying to spin.”

An Xun added, “Not anymore, though. One drink and I’m down.”

“That sounds a bit regrettable.”

Bo Xiangzhou’s eyes were full of amusement. An Xun sensed something amiss and tried to escape, but Bo Xiangzhou caught his scarf and pulled him close, nibbling on his lips. “From now on, you’re allowed to drink, but in moderation, prioritize your health, don’t get drunk, just sip enough to enjoy. As for—”

An Xun’s heart raced, holding his breath.

Bo Xiangzhou lifted his chin, looking down into his eyes, “We’ll talk about those high school misdeeds when we get home tonight.”

With no one around, the alpha nibbled on his earlobe. “Baby, enjoy your dinner tonight.”

“How can I enjoy it with you saying that?”

Bo Xiangzhou covered his mouth as An Xun was about to curse, then playfully pushed the flustered An Xun into the car.

As the car drove off, Bo Xiangzhou opened his hand, a complete set of teeth marks on the edge and outer side of his palm—bitten by An Xun.

It was shallow, not painful. His baby still cared about him, knowing his own strength.

Originally, he covered his mouth with the palm of his hand, intentionally moving it higher. An Xun couldn’t bite him this morning, probably still angry until tomorrow morning, the day after…

Bo Xiangzhou understood his personality, so he didn’t just let him bite to vent. Before the meeting, sitting in his office, he pondered over ways to apologize. There was a score to settle, and apologies to be made.

After much thought, nothing felt as satisfying as a transfer and some snacks.

[Hubby]: Baby, did you receive the notification for the deposit to your little treasury?

[Hubby]: Baby, want some imported German chocolate?

An Xun scoffed coldly at the message and ignored it. When it was time to play him, where was this eagerness?

Apologies, too late!

He didn’t reply, knowing Bo Xiangzhou would buy it anyway. An Xun put his phone on the desk and borrowed a utility knife from a colleague to open a package.

Holding the brightly colored crochet thread, it felt light in his hands. He had already sketched out the crochet pattern before the delivery arrived.

It was a bunch of roses. He hadn’t decided how many yet; he wanted to pick a meaningful number but worried about his progress, settling for starting with nine roses.

If time allowed, he’d make a giant version, fifty centimeters long, sure to be eye-catching when carried.

He followed a tutorial video, stitch by stitch, which soon caught the attention of a female colleague.

“What are you crocheting there?” she asked curiously.

“Crocheting roses.”

“Are you giving them to a friend? That’s quite a sacrifice, how long does one take?”

An Xun shared the same concern, “I don’t know, it’s for my husband. He has money and lacks nothing. He used to lack a wife, but now even a wife isn’t lacking. I have to find another way to make it meaningful for him.”

“Anything you give would be meaningful to him.”

An Xun shook his head, “What meaning is there in giving something someone else has given? It’s just the giver that’s different.”

They had registered their marriage at the beginning of the year but without a foundation of affection. After a cold war and reconciliation, the birthday gift Bo Xiangzhou gave wasn’t heartfelt. An expensive painting by a renowned foreign artist, worth five million, was now gathering dust somewhere. The money was there, but it held no meaning for him.

They had only recently gotten together, and An Xun hoped for a good start so that Bo Xiangzhou would give something heartfelt next time.

With the boss away at a meeting in the city, An Xun sped up his work. He needed to ensure quality while completing tasks within the planned time, a real test of his skills and focus.

He didn’t get distracted and finished his morning tasks ahead of schedule. Glancing at his colleagues’ reactions, he took out his crochet hook and lace thread to continue working.

This meticulous task wasn’t typically his to do; his only experience was watching Tao Nian crochet a scarf for a girl alpha he liked in high school, though it was never given.

By the end of the day, he had almost finished one rose intermittently. He occasionally hit a snag, then checked his phone to find the solution, correcting mistakes along the way. Midway through, he was so frustrated he thought about giving up. But thinking of Bo Xiangzhou, he was annoyed—yet in the end, it was for his husband, and the gift had to be impressive enough to boast about.

An Xun stroked the wine-red petals. The tight stitches had plenty of gaps, not noticeable unless looked at closely. He put his heart into it, not minding if Bo Xiangzhou didn’t appreciate it—if he didn’t, An Xun would kick him out.

An unappreciative alpha didn’t deserve to be with him.

With the company dinner approaching and the boss not yet back, he had a few more minutes to finish the green stems.

He shook his almost numb hands, feeling a sense of accomplishment as he looked at the finished product. He didn’t make a fuss, quietly placing it in a drawer, locking it, and putting the key in his bag. He sent Bo Xiangzhou a message about leaving the company and joined a few beta colleagues in a taxi.