Chapter 16
An Le wasn’t used to making eye contact, so he only looked at Lu Heng for two seconds before lowering his head. After hesitating, he nervously said, “Mm, I liked it.”
Before two years ago, An Le had never dared to express his liking for anything.
Because when he was eight, after his mother’s death, his newly arrived younger brother, once he learned what An Le liked, would secretly take it away or deliberately break it in front of him.
His brother was an alpha, incredibly strong from a young age. An Le couldn’t compete.
At first, he would cry to his father, telling him about his grievances, saying how bad his new brother was, always bullying him, stealing his things, and taking his toys.
But his once-loving father had become cruel. Instead of comforting him or helping him, he hugged his brother, who was about the same age, and scolded An Le, “You’re the older brother; you should let your younger brother have his way. Don’t let him steal things; it’s bad for his reputation!”
An Le was shocked. He never expected this outcome. Why, after his mother died, had his loving father disappeared?
From that day on, he felt targeted by his entire family. No one was kind to him anymore. Only the female omega who called his mother’s mother occasionally smiled at him, but he would soon face his brother’s abuse, being violently told to stay away from his mother.
When he was bullied too much, he would fight back, though he couldn’t win, he wouldn’t let his brother go unscathed.
Even when he lost, with more injuries than his brother, he would still receive harsh criticism and punishment from his father. His father never liked him again; never showed him affection again.
This made his brother even more unscrupulous. His life at home became increasingly difficult until he was banished to sleep in the storage room. When he went to his father, his father acted as if he hadn’t seen him, refusing to listen to a word he said.
He was too young then; everyone in the house except him and his brother were adults. He couldn’t defy anyone.
He had tried to run away, but his mother was dead, and his grandparents were gone too; even if he ran, he had nowhere to go.
He had also told his teacher, begging for help, but after the teacher came to visit, the teacher was dismissed shortly after.
And he was “transferred,” forcibly kept at home, occasionally given downloaded learning videos on a tablet without internet access by the nanny.
Until the age of seventeen, when there were guests over and no one was watching him, he secretly ran away and met Xiao Xiao, who was working part-time.
Xiao Xiao wouldn’t take his things away just because he said he liked them; instead, she would put the things he liked in his hands…
Now, An Le thought, Lu Heng should be like Xiao Xiao.
Even if Lu Heng wouldn’t put the things he liked in his hands, he wouldn’t at least be interested in them, and he wouldn’t deliberately destroy them.
Indeed, An Le was right. Lu Heng not only didn’t do anything destructive but said, “If you like it, drink more. You’re too thin.”
He looked down at his stomach, touched it, and whispered, “But, Mr. Lu, I’m already full.”
For the past two years, to save money, he’d eaten less than he did at the An family’s, and the food he made was terrible; he couldn’t even eat it himself.
The food today was delicious; he’d eaten a lot, enough for two meals in the past. He was very full.
An Le’s earnest gaze at his stomach made Lu Heng laugh.
At that moment, Lu Heng suddenly understood why people in his circles liked to keep naive omegas.
Because their innocent and beautiful appearance made one want to destroy their gentle facade, to frighten them into crying and begging, to push them into the mud, to watch them struggle, and then to hold them and comfort them, making them dependent, making them dependent for life.
This was the possessive and sadistic desire inherent in alphas. Even if it’s suppressed by humanity, it still exists, and Lu Heng had it too.
But he knew that An Le’s current mental state couldn’t withstand such torment.
His breath hitched; he stood up and said, “Dessert will be served soon. If you really can’t eat anymore, have them pack it up for you to take home. I’ll be right back.”
An Le had spent these years hiding, first at the An family’s and then in his rented room, having little contact with others. He could sense whether Lu Heng was angry, but he couldn’t understand the desire hidden in Lu Heng’s eyes. He simply nodded slowly, whispering, “Okay…”
He was even somewhat happy.
Because the desserts were really delicious; Xiao Xiao would buy him one whenever she got a bonus.
He also wanted to buy one for Xiao Xiao, but he had no money.
If the dessert could be packed, he could take some back for Xiao Xiao.
Before the dessert arrived, An Le happily took out his phone to message Xiao Xiao: Xiao Xiao, what time do you get off work today?
Xiao Xiao was napping; she didn’t reply.
An Le was about to ask later, but he heard a knock on the private room door. Thinking it was the dessert, he looked up happily, only to see a face that had terrified him for many years.
The alpha at the door was young, about An Le’s age. He quickly entered, locked the door, and rushed towards An Le, ignoring his resistance, grabbing his hand and pulling him into his arms: “Le Le, Le Le, I finally found you! Do you know how much I’ve missed you these past two years?”