Bo Xiangzhou was puzzled by An Xun’s behavior. It was the first time he saw An Xun so hurried that he didn’t even have a chance to say hello, which significantly increased the alpha’s dissatisfaction.

An Xun’s actions had Bo Xiangzhou so distracted that he couldn’t focus on his work.

The three assistants exchanged glances, seeing the confusion in each other’s eyes. After years of service, they had never seen a hint of weariness on Bo Xiangzhou’s face.

Feng Sheng, who knew Bo Xiangzhou the best among them, asked, “Is President Bo troubled by something? Why not seek advice from your wife?”

Bo Xiangzhou coldly “Hmm”ed, seeming uninterested in his suggestion. After the assistant left the office, Bo Xiangzhou messaged An Xun.

An Xun replied with a simple sentence: “Blocking the leader’s apology.”

The leader was more important than him.

Bo Xiangzhou didn’t know how to describe his feelings at that moment. He was a bit jealous and wanted to pull him over for a kiss, to kiss him until he admitted his mistake.

Unaware of this, An Xun was completely focused on crocheting roses.

He had left last night without saying goodbye, disregarding the leader’s order. The flattery at dinner couldn’t save him now. He spent a few minutes thinking of a new approach, then simulated a conversation with his leader in his mind. The imagined outcome was the leader smiling broadly and re-trusting him.

But reality was often cruel.

The leader didn’t come in the morning.

A fully prepared An Xun cursed silently to himself.

He felt confident all morning and used the work time to crochet a rose, which turned out much better than the last one; the improvement was visible.

In the afternoon, when the leader returned to the company, An Xun, having already known the leader’s schedule, treated his work with extreme seriousness, trying to make a good impression in front of the leader. When the time was right, he went to see the leader with a weary face.

His excuse to the leader last night was a sudden illness. His direct boss, who knew he often took sick leave, helped him speak up.

The big leader was easy to appease—a compliment would do, but his immediate boss was not so easily fooled. After hearing him exaggerate about the leader, the boss felt unbalanced.

An Xun praised for half an hour until his mouth was dry, and only then did his boss give him a break, warning him not to repeat his mistake and then launching into a lengthy lecture.

An Xun nodded repeatedly, trying to appear cooperative, which ironically didn’t satisfy his boss, who wanted to talk even more to show off his status and abilities.

Ten more minutes of talking left An Xun in chaos.

Pushed to his limit, An Xun silently cursed his boss and gave him a nickname.

Standing for such a long time, moving was painfully sore. Exiting the office, he let his face fall and returned to his desk to massage his calves and complain to Bo Xiangzhou.

[Gulu Gulu]: Honey, I’ve realized my boss loves to show off. He goes on and on when lecturing. No wonder he hasn’t been promoted after so many years. He must be ostracized in management. With his attitude, who would want to deal with him?

Resting one calf over the other thigh, he slightly bent over to massage his muscles. Not long after sending the message, a female colleague approached hesitantly.

An Xun thought she was rushing him for work. “Don’t worry, I’m almost done with the copy. I’ll send it to you soon.”

The female colleague was speechless for a moment, looking down and then up, her eyebrows constantly furrowed. “Um, do you know about President Bo’s financial interview today?”

He knew, of course, but he didn’t care. “What does a financial interview have to do with us? Is the company planning new ventures, or did President Bo say some famous line we need to follow to capitalize on trends? But isn’t the interview not live? Won’t the video only be available in a few days?”

The female colleague was momentarily unsure if she was speaking to the right person. “Because something big happened at the event, and the news media are using this opportunity to boost their performance.”

“How big a scoop? To make the media go crazy like this. The video isn’t out yet, but the scoop is?” An Xun opened Weibo, and there were no hot searches about Bo Xiangzhou. “Where did you see it? I can’t find it.”

“Just posted three minutes ago.”

An Xun marveled, “Wow, you’re fast online.”

The female colleague still stared at his face, making An Xun slightly uncomfortable. “Is there something on my face?”

“No.” Her reaction was incredibly slow, caught in disbelief. “An Xun, is there anyone else in Jiang City with your name?”

“I don’t know, why do you ask?”

She took a deep breath. “Your husband isn’t President Bo, is he?”

An Xun was visibly shocked, almost confirming her suspicions.

She tapped her screen, and it lit up with news about Bo Xiangzhou.

He skimmed it quickly, his face showing only astonishment.

Bo Xiangzhou had blown his cover; his identity could no longer be hidden. Everyone who knew he was An Xun could now guess he was the mysterious spouse linked to Bo Xiangzhou.

Not only that, the news article extensively described Bo Xiangzhou’s expression at the time—tender and filled with happiness.

It was as if he was there; he could already picture Bo Xiangzhou’s look. The female colleague kept watching him as he reigned in his broad smile and sighed, “I was just joking last night. I didn’t know he’d be so eager to reveal my identity. Maybe he was afraid I’d spread rumors about him.”

“Is it really so?”

“Really.” Faced with the colleague’s skepticism, he immediately pulled up photos from the estate.

Photos of him and Bo Xiangzhou were scarce, only a few with him fully in the frame and Bo Xiangzhou half-visible. Even so, they were quite convincing.

He enlarged Bo Xiangzhou’s hand and placed his own beside it. “Can’t you see? Our rings match.”

The colleague felt as if the sky was falling, realizing only now that a hidden big shot had been working beside her for months. “Why didn’t you make it public before?”

“It’s his fault. He wanted to keep it private. Then, I got too bored at home and fell in love with work. Worried about my identity affecting my job, I asked him to keep it quiet. I guess he couldn’t stand the fake identities I made up anymore.” An Xun was somewhat surprised, but hearing Bo Xiangzhou’s expression at the time, he knew he was loved, so he couldn’t bring himself to blame him.

Let it be public then. If he lost his job, then he’d settle accounts with Bo Xiangzhou.

The colleague was dazed. Having nothing to do… falling in love with work… Was this how rich people experienced life?

In less than an hour, everyone in the company knew his identity. An Xun only acknowledged he was Bo Xiangzhou’s wife. He dismissed any questions about being the young master of the An family with a smile.

Former colleagues also came to gossip, which An Xun ignored. He hadn’t checked his alt account for messages in days. His direct leader was the last to realize he was their employee.

They suggested he resign proactively, which shocked An Xun. Logically, shouldn’t they keep him on at the company? Why were they in a rush for him to resign?

The company said they dared not keep him and told him to look elsewhere.

An Xun sulked until the end of the workday, then went to Bo Xiangzhou to argue the matter. Eventually, after a spirited debate, Bo Xiangzhou personally called the company’s chairman to secure his job.

It was just that the argument was so intense, his mouth hurt a bit.

Although he had an additional identity, his colleagues’ attitudes towards him barely changed, reducing his psychological stress. He was still afraid they might resent him and talk behind his back.

An Xun didn’t put on airs and continued to work nine to five. After finishing his tasks, he’d crochet roses. In a month, he had completed more than the planned eleven roses. The number was too few to make a nice bouquet, so he added a few more. With ample time, he no longer had to rush his projects and returned to his usual leisurely pace.

He gave up on the idea of a giant rose. It took too long and required patience, which An Xun knew he lacked. A small one was enough to annoy him, so he decisively abandoned the idea.

•

Bo Xiangzhou’s status was extraordinary, and naturally, his birthday party was no small affair. Guests from all sectors gathered, and gifts piled up. The scale was comparable to their wedding day.

An Xun couldn’t slack off; he was dragged up early by Bo Xiangzhou to dress up. Before the dinner started, he followed Bo around, greeting various tycoons. Bo Xiangzhou didn’t want to delve too deeply into business topics, so if the other party didn’t catch his hints, he’d pull An Xun out as a shield.

Throughout the evening, An Xun couldn’t keep track of how many emergencies Bo Xiangzhou mentioned he had.

He couldn’t stand the false pleasantries of the pretentious scene. Rubbing his stiff smile, he shook off the arm around his waist and ran off to find Tao Nian to play.

Tao Nian’s family, knowing An Xun had been married for a year, pushed Tao Nian towards marriage, introducing him to a host of suitable alphas. The civil affairs bureau was very efficient, sending five or six messages, suggesting which alpha would be a good match for him.

Tao Nian and An Xun hadn’t seen each other for a long time, first because of work, and second because of the marriage push.

An Xun had seen those alphas too and honestly thought they weren’t good—ugly as sin. Apart from being tall and compatible, they had no other merits, just flaws, and their jobs and abilities were mediocre at best. An Xun couldn’t see what made them suitable matches.

Leaning on him, Tao Nian spotted a familiar figure in the crowd during their conversation. “Why are An Zhi Cheng and Chen Xiang here?”

He focused his gaze. “Wait, the whole An family is here. Is that Liu Tang?”

“Yeah, it’s him. I invited them.”

Before drafting the guest list, Bo Xiangzhou had asked An Xun’s opinion on whether to invite some irrelevant people. An Xun, being generous, had invited them all.

Tao Nian was incredulous. “Why did you invite them? Have you forgotten their true colors?”

“I haven’t forgotten. I remember everything. The An family and the Bo family have a partnership. It wouldn’t be right not to invite them. I decided to be generous and even invited Liu Tang from abroad.” An Xun watched with interest as An Xin and Liu Tang looked at each other with disdain. “It’s so fresh. Former friends looking at each other like mortal enemies, it would be even better if they started a fight. To see which family can out-talk the other. Nian Nian, don’t you think it’s fun? Let them see how happy I am and then leave in a jealous rage.”

An Xun brushed off the cookie crumbs from his hands. “Nian Nian, baby, play by yourself for a bit. I’m going to drag Bo Xiangzhou over to Liu Tang for a bit, just to annoy him.”

After saying that, he accurately located Bo Xiangzhou in the hall and hugged his arm, whispering, “Won’t you go see your brother Liu Tang? I think he’s missed you after half a year abroad.”

“Baby, when will you change this mischievous streak?”

Though he said this, he still followed An Xun’s suggestion. After catching Liu Tang’s eye, he smiled and tenderly brushed through the omega’s hair.

Bo Xiangzhou played along well. An Xun gave him a satisfied smile. If it weren’t for the public setting, he probably would have kissed him several times.

Liu Tang, having studied abroad, had changed somewhat. He held his composure, not showing any upset despite the provocation. But An Xun still saw the anger in his eyes.

Liu’s father pulled him away, probably looking for a secluded corner to lecture him.

An Xun had chosen the banquet menu with a selfish motive, picking mostly dishes he and Tao Nian liked. The rest were randomly selected from the hotel’s best-selling dishes.

Bo Xiangzhou didn’t restrict his drinking but asked him to control his intake. Originally, he planned to drink lightly and have some adult fun with Bo Xiangzhou later at night. But after dealing with so many people tonight, he drained all his energy and decided to play some innocent games instead.

Adult games were too exhausting; it was less tiring to play children’s games.

Gifts had already been sent to the estate before they returned home. Bo Xiangzhou himself wasn’t interested in opening them; the gifts were nothing he lacked, the same items coming and going. If not for An Xun’s curiosity, they would still be gathering dust in a corner of the bedroom.

An Xun knew these gifts would occupy him for the next few days, so he had the butler arrange for two people to move them to the bedroom.

Once home, he left Bo Xiangzhou behind and immediately rushed upstairs. Bo Xiangzhou thought he couldn’t wait to experience the joy of opening blind boxes and left him to it. After showering and drying his hair, Bo Xiangzhou came out of the bathroom to find An Xun still sitting in the middle of the long-haired carpet, scissors in hand, happily arranging the gifts.

Approaching, An Xun jumped into his arms, and Bo Xiangzhou caught him, hands supporting his buttocks.

An Xun intentionally led him toward the bed, luring him into his trap, following the path he had planned.

Sitting on the bed with An Xun on his lap, their eyes met, pulling a thread of allure. An Xun initiated the move, nibbling on his lips.

His shirt collar was pulled open, and a new layer of marks was added to his chest. An Xun didn’t resist or refuse; the other’s kisses were passionate, sending his blood boiling to one place. He supported the omega’s soft waist, wanting to continue when An Xun pressed a finger against his chest.

An Xun’s face was flushed, and his eyes were reddened from the recent kisses. After two months, he changed his tone, “Husband, you won’t be angry if I didn’t give you a gift, right?”

Bo Xiangzhou fell silent, watching what tricks he would play.

An Xun’s gaze lowered, he tore off the barrier sticker, moved his shoulders and neck, displaying the mottled kiss marks and gland together in front of him. He supported Bo Xiangzhou’s shoulders, bringing his neck closer to his mouth.

An Xun bit his lip, looking extremely embarrassed. “If you don’t mind, I can give myself to you.”

After holding back for so long, that was what he came up with. Bo Xiangzhou pinched his waist, kissed his gland, and said, “Baby is already mine. Tell me, what gift did baby prepare?”

“How did you guess I prepared a gift?”

“When does baby play tricks without a purpose?”

An Xun pondered, “Then I need to change my method next time.”

Under the guise of gifting, it was not simply about giving gifts; he received so many gifts that he became numb to them. Birthdays were just a ceremony, the real purpose was to solidify cooperation and friendly relations between many families. From the beginning, he never had a concept of birthdays, so naturally, he had no expectations for gifts.

But the gifts from An Xun were always different. If given, he would find a conspicuous place to store them, and if not, it wouldn’t affect him.

An Xun patted his shoulder, and Bo Xiangzhou tacitly turned sideways, one hand around his neck, the other pulling open the bulging blanket.

He thought the bulge under the blanket was An Xun’s shark plushie, but it wasn’t. Hidden inside was a bouquet of roses, wrapped in kraft paper and sprayed with a lychee-scented perfume.

The petals were uniform in color, and the crochet craftsmanship was obvious. They were artificial flowers, but the quality varied, and the craftsmanship was inconsistent. The gaps between the petals were uneven, showing that the person wasn’t professional and still carried personal emotions.

…No wonder then. He woke up on time, even more eager to go to the company than Bo Xiangzhou.

Bo Xiangzhou spread his palm, rubbing his fingers. “Actually, baby doesn’t need to go through so much trouble.”

“It’s necessary.” An Xun withdrew his hand, continuing to hug him, their noses touching. “President Bo, are you moved? If you can’t think of what to repay with, you can use sincerity.”

“But I feel sincerity alone isn’t enough to repay.”

“Whether it’s enough, I decide. Sincerity for the next life is enough.” An Xun said, “The roses won’t wither, but they will collect dust. Remember to take care of them, President Bo. If they get dirty, I’ll beat you.”

“Baby is quite fierce.”

Bo Xiangzhou suddenly grasped his head, the words swallowed in a passionate kiss. “You know that…”

The tender words overflowed from between his teeth, “Baby, husband doesn’t have experience maintaining these flowers. Humblely asking, how do I take care of them?”

Bo Xiangzhou gave him breathing space. “Just shake off the dust facing downward, don’t wash with water, or they won’t look good.”

“Three times a day?”

An Xun pushed him down, lying on top of him, kissing freely, smearing his mouth with saliva. “No! Once every half month is enough. Although I gave them, you can’t care about such a decorative item more than me!”

“There’s a problem with caring too much?” Bo Xiangzhou returned the kiss with a smile.

“Yes, where do you put me then? You can only have room for me in your heart, not be fickle.”

“This counts as being fickle?”

An Xun indignantly said, “If you keep babbling endlessly like this, I’ll cut them up!”

“Baby, don’t be angry. I’ll love only baby in this lifetime.”

The sudden confession made An Xun blush. “Can I believe what you said?”

The bedroom quieted down, An Xun sitting on his waist, looking at him expectantly, hoping he would say the answer in his heart.

Bo Xiangzhou held his hand, fixed his collar, and elongated the two-word answer. “Believable. Baby knows all my cards. If there’s any falsehood, let baby ruin my reputation.”

Breathing halted for a moment, An Xun’s eyes moistened slightly. He pulled Bo Xiangzhou up to hug him, listening to his strong heartbeat, whispering softly, “What if I can’t bear it?”

Bo Xiangzhou softly said, “Baby should love himself first, then love me. But I think, baby doesn’t need to worry about this, because it won’t happen.”

The aroma of agarwood mixed with lychee was extremely pleasant. An Xun hooked his finger with his, saying, “I wish I had met you earlier.”

The overlapping wedding rings reflected the silver light, Bo Xiangzhou staring at his own reflection in the other’s pupils. “Didn’t baby say, meeting earlier would be illegal?”

“You believe that too when I’m just joking.”

“I’m also joking.” Bo Xiangzhou sighed. “I wish I had met baby earlier.”

That way, An Xun wouldn’t have been alone; his childhood would have had more love.

But now it wasn’t too late; he would make up for the missing love one by one.

His baby had someone to love him.

Bo Xiangzhou glanced at the time, placed the crocheted roses in an empty vase on the coffee table, quickly tidied up the unpacked gift boxes, and hugged him tightly as if he couldn’t get enough. He then said something that slightly overwhelmed An Xun.

“Baby, no matter how sentimental, we can’t stay up late tonight. It’s time to sleep.”