Chapter 73
As expected, the wedding banquet of Guan Jiayu and Bai Lu stirred up quite a frenzy. Videos and live streams flooded various platforms, spreading at lightning speed. The news that a son of the Guan family was getting married successfully pushed its way into the public eye.
Since it was anticipated, no one was surprised. Bai He held Qin Yao’s arm as they followed the elders of the Qin family into the venue.
Several alphas in the family wore understated black suits. Even Qin Diandian chose a black princess dress for herself; she seemed to have gained a clearer understanding of her alpha identity recently.
Bai He had originally planned to wear a black suit as well, but Nan-ge dragged him to the cloakroom and had him change into a deep blue formal outfit: a fitted French shirt and black dress pants, matching Nan Yu’s style.
The season wasn’t too cold anymore, so the medium-weight French shirt was just right.
The wedding banquet was held at the most luxurious hotel in the city, utilizing both indoor and outdoor venues.
Before the official start time, they followed the reception staff through a corridor adorned with flowers and entered the vast outdoor lawn. The beautifully decorated outdoor wedding venue was already filled with guests. Bai He didn’t recognize most of them, though he had seen a few on the news.
After the Qin family entered, the lively chatter around them gradually quieted down. Before long, people began to approach Qin Wei one after another to greet him. Nan Yu stayed by Qin Wei’s side, while Qin Diandian followed the old man.
Old Mr. Qin was naturally accustomed to grand occasions. Bai He noticed that many industry figures only exchanged polite greetings with the old man, but when they approached Qin Wei, their intent to discuss cooperation became much more apparent.
Qin Yao wasn’t idle either. He was currently chatting with the head of some company—he had lost count of how many—in an endless stream. Just listening to the flattery and business talk made Bai He’s ears tired. His gaze drifted to the distant lake, watching a few swans slowly gliding across the water. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his waist, giving him a gentle squeeze, avoiding his ticklish spots.
Qin Yao seemed to have noticed his boredom; this intimate gesture was clearly meant to comfort him. Bai He turned back to look up at Qin Yao, who was chatting with a young boss, wearing his usual professional smile.
Others might not know, but Bai He could tell that Qin Yao was actually quite annoyed too.
He withdrew his gaze and waited. The boss finally ran out of things to say, probably unable to continue the awkward conversation himself, and nodded in farewell. Just as the next person waiting nearby was about to step up to greet Qin Yao, Bai He spoke first. “Qin Yao, I want to go over there and look. Come with me.”
Bai He tilted his head back, his beautiful eyes radiating a natural coolness, much like the catnip pheromones that gradually calmed Qin Yao’s heart.
Looking toward the lakeside Bai He indicated, Qin Yao turned his head and lowered it, gently pinching Bai He’s cheek. “Okay.”
Then he looked up and smiled apologetically at the approaching guests. “Excuse me, everyone.”
Qin Yao had already introduced Bai He earlier, so these guests who came to curry favor naturally wouldn’t want to spoil the mood. They could only smile along and say goodbye.
Away from the crowd, Bai He and Qin Yao stopped at the lakeside viewing platform, leaning against the railing. Bai He’s gaze rested on the swans, while Qin Yao beside him leaned his head on Bai He’s shoulder with a smile. “See? Xiao Bao knows how to act spoiled.”
Bai He looked at Qin Yao in confusion. “Is that your definition of acting spoiled?”
“In my eyes, whenever you call my name, you’re acting spoiled with me.” Qin Yao was visibly excited. Bai He reasonably suspected that if this guy’s tail were out, it would be wagging furiously.
“Xiao Bao, call me again.” Qin Yao pulled Bai He into a face-to-face embrace. “Call my name. I like it when you call my name.”
Bai He looked up at him for a few seconds, then slowly cupped Qin Yao’s face with both hands, his thumbs pressing and gently rubbing against those thin lips, mimicking the motion of grooming Qin Yao when he was in cat form at home.
“Qin Yao.” Bai He’s voice was neither loud nor soft as he called again, “Qin Yao.”
Qin Yao’s breathing deepened. Facing Bai He’s incredibly sincere gaze and call, he really couldn’t handle it.
The hand rubbing Bai He’s waist tightened subconsciously. He abruptly buried his head in Bai He’s shoulder, his voice sounding muffled and depressed. “Xiao Bao, I want to go home. I don’t want to deal with these troublesome people here. I want to stay home with you for the rest of my life…”
Bai He hugged Qin Yao back, turning his face to find the large cat ears buried against his shoulder flushing red.
Oh, so he was shy.
Bai He found it amusing and reached up to pinch the other’s earlobe, startling Qin Yao into freezing. He jerked his head up, looking at Bai He with a face full of shy embarrassment.
“Sensitive ears?” Bai He blinked, then looked at the hand he had just used to pinch Qin Yao’s ear, finding the experience quite fascinating.
“…” Qin Yao wanted to speak but stopped, opening his mouth and then closing it again. He buried his face and mumbled, “Xiao Bao, stop teasing me. It’s not appropriate here.”
“…” Bai He was silent for a few seconds. “Okay.”
It seemed the ears were indeed a sensitive spot. Bai He chuckled inwardly.
There weren’t many guests on the lakeside viewing platform, but that didn’t mean there was no one, nor did it mean no one noticed them. Apart from the powerful bosses circling Qin Wei, almost everyone else was secretly observing Qin Yao and Bai He by the lake.
Beside the outdoor buffet table, Zhou Sheng swirled the wine glass in his hand, following the crowd’s gaze toward the platform. “Before, I always thought Qin Yao was just playing around.”
Next to him, Zhang Yao didn’t respond. His gaze swept over the people present, spotting Guan Shao not far away.
“Who knew that guy would actually fall for someone,” Zhou Sheng continued talking to himself. “I’m curious just how charming Bai He is to capture his heart.”
Zhang Yao looked elsewhere with an expressionless face. Seeing a waiter passing by with light wine, he reached out and took a glass from the tray, placing it in front of Zhou Sheng. Before the other could speak, he took the high-alcohol wine from Zhou Sheng’s hand.
“Drink this.” Handing the sake to Zhou Sheng, Zhang Yao said indifferently, “If you get drunk, I won’t clean up after you.”
Zhou Sheng’s behavior when drunk wasn’t great; Zhang Yao had already experienced it and didn’t want to suffer again.
Zhou Sheng, receiving the sake, let out a sudden cold laugh but didn’t lose his temper. He swirled the glass leisurely. “What’s good about this? Do you have any taste?”
Zhang Yao withdrew his gaze from observing the venue, looking down at Zhou Sheng, who was sitting beside him with legs crossed. He remained cold. “My lack of taste is better than your lack of drinking etiquette. Drink it or not? If not, forget it.”
“F*ck.” Zhou Sheng laughed in anger, throwing his head back to down the mouthful of wine in the goblet. “Fine, I’ll give you face. I won’t argue with you.”
As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped Zhang Yao’s butt quietly, even shamelessly giving it a squeeze.
When people are speechless, they really want to roll their eyes. Zhang Yao turned his head away, his endurance excellent, forcing himself not to show a cracked expression.
At this moment, someone walked over with a wine glass to greet Zhou Sheng. Zhou Sheng took the wine but didn’t drink it, setting it aside to chat with the person for a while. The person asked, “I heard Young Master Zhou and Young Master Qin are on good terms. Why haven’t I seen you together? He’s been with that person all along…”
The person paused, then chuckled. “I remember that person is called Bai He? They…?”
“Go ask them directly about their relationship.” Zhou Sheng narrowed his eyes, leaning back in his chair irritably. “Everyone comes to ask me. Do I look easy to get information from?”
He had already encountered several people today asking about Qin Yao and Bai He’s relationship.
Anyone with eyes could see it, but these guys insisted on asking around for confirmation. Some even wondered why they hadn’t heard any news from the Qin family.
Zhou Sheng found these idle people strange. When people fall in love, do they have to announce it to the world? Idiots.
Staying in crowded places was annoying. Zhou Sheng uncrossed his legs and stood up, turning to grab Zhang Yao, who was still observing the venue, and dragging him towards a less crowded area without allowing refusal.
Zhang Yao wanted to struggle but gave up. He followed Zhou Sheng into the hotel and took the elevator to the seventh floor. The Guan family’s wedding banquet would last late into the night, so rooms had been booked for the attending guests. Zhou Sheng dragged Zhang Yao back to the room, closed the door, and pressed Zhang Yao down, burying his head to bite the other’s neck.
The force wasn’t light. Zhang Yao hissed, and Zhou Sheng paused, lightening his touch.
“What exactly were you looking at just now?” Zhou Sheng looked up. He wasn’t stupid; how could he not notice Zhang Yao observing the venue earlier?
Zhou Sheng sometimes felt he was being baffling. He always felt Zhang Yao gave him an unreal feeling. When he pressed Zhang Yao down to make love, the other gradually stopped resisting, and his eyes even seemed to hold a detached emotion, as if he didn’t care about anything.
This made Zhou Sheng inexplicably irritable. He always felt this guy Zhang Yao would slip away if he wasn’t careful, and slip away thoroughly.
“I advise you to think carefully before biting. Alpha marking alpha isn’t a joke.” Zhang Yao leaned back, his voice indifferent. This made Zhou Sheng, who had nowhere to vent his temper, feel tumultuous inside. Suppressing the unfounded irritability, he stared at Zhang Yao and asked, “Answer me, what were you looking at just now?”
Zhang Yao stared emotionlessly at Zhou Sheng’s gloomy eyes, turning his head away. “Nothing.”
Before Zhou Sheng could explode again, he raised his hand to cover Zhou Sheng’s mouth. “Shh, don’t speak.”
The warm palm covering his lips and the whispered words made Zhou Sheng freeze instantly.
He saw Zhang Yao turn his head to lean against the door, seemingly listening carefully to something.
The hotel room’s soundproofing was excellent. They had entered in a hurry just now, and a decorative frame knocked off the counter by the door was stuck in the gap, so the door actually wasn’t closed tightly.
Actually, after getting off the elevator just now, Zhang Yao noticed someone around the corner. He didn’t see clearly who it was, but the voice sounded familiar.
Listening from the room, the voices got closer. Hurried footsteps mixed with the sounds of an argument—it was two people.
Zhang Yao pressed against the door, a bad premonition rising in his heart. He pulled Zhou Sheng towards the interior of the room.
“F*ck, where are we going?!” Zhou Sheng was dragged by Zhang Yao. He looked at the unclosed door and realized something. Narrowing his eyes, he stopped Zhang Yao, who was running towards the bathroom, pulling him over and clamping his neck, lowering his voice. “Going to the bathroom is basically giving ourselves up? If we encounter people messing around, they’ll definitely take a shower.”
Zhang Yao frowned, looking up. “Then where to hide?”
“Follow me.” Zhou Sheng released his arm around Zhang Yao’s neck, leading him to the empty wardrobe at the far end of the cloakroom. He opened the wardrobe door, grabbed Zhang Yao’s waist with both hands, and lifted him up. “Get in.”
Zhang Yao climbed into the wardrobe. He instinctively reached out to pull the door but was stopped by Zhou Sheng. An ominous feeling arose. “What are you doing?”
He thought they would take one wardrobe each; Zhou Sheng should go to the next one.
“I haven’t gotten in yet.” Zhou Sheng raised his eyebrows, climbing onto the wardrobe with both hands. With a light leap, he was up. The wardrobe wasn’t big; two alphas squeezed inside were completely body-to-body. Just as the wardrobe door was closed with difficulty, the room door was pushed open. Shortly after, the sound of the door closing was heard, followed by arguing. Before two sentences were exchanged, the two people rolled onto the bed, arguing while rolling.
Zhang Yao fumbled for his phone in the dark, turned down the brightness, and found the recording function.
Looking up, he found Zhou Sheng, who was close at hand, staring at him.
Normally, Zhang Yao could face the other calmly. Perhaps because they were too close now, breaths mingling, smelling each other’s pheromones, he felt a bit uncomfortable.
Both being alphas, smelling each other’s pheromones wasn’t pleasant. This feeling made both of them a bit irritable.
Zhang Yao turned his head away, focusing his attention on the two people in the room.
From the voices, he could already guess it was Guan Jiayu and Bai Lu. The two didn’t really do anything; they just entangled on the bed for a while, then started arguing again.
“You clearly told me you wouldn’t use our child!! Guan Jiayu, you’ve changed! You’ve become insane to get the Guan family and the company!!”
“Bai Lu, how do you want me to say it for you to believe? I’m not using our marriage; it has to be this way so you and the child can have a good life in the future.”
“Even without the company and the Guan family position, we can still live very well!!” Bai Lu shouted. “I ask you, if we didn’t have this child, would you not do this?!! He’s our child! He’s still an unborn baby!”
“Calm down first. Let’s finish today’s wedding banquet, okay? I’ll explain to you later…”
“You lied to me! You didn’t tell me at all that you would hold such a big wedding, with so many guests. I even saw Bai He!!” Bai Lu cried as he spoke. “Even so many reporters came. Am I a fool? How could I not see what you want to do?! You didn’t tell me these things before…”
“Guan Jiayu, don’t you like me very much?”
“Say something…”
Silence outside, followed by another round of lingering intimacy. The two alphas in the wardrobe were suffering immensely. Both Zhang Yao and Zhou Sheng were sweating, yet the two outside showed no signs of stopping.
Zhang Yao checked the time. It hadn’t been long since the wedding banquet started; it should be ending soon. Finally, after another ten minutes, it quieted down outside. Guan Jiayu coaxed Bai Lu out of the room.
Once there was absolutely no movement, Zhou Sheng kicked the wardrobe door open. The pheromones that were about to explode rushed out. Zhang Yao supported his body, gasping for breath, not forgetting to retort, “They didn’t go to the bathroom.”
Jumping down to stand on the floor, Zhou Sheng pulled at his collar, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not a roundworm in their stomachs. If they didn’t go, they didn’t go.”
Zhang Yao: “…” Truly a bastard, definitely did it on purpose.
Zhang Yao sat on the wardrobe to catch his breath. He sent the recording to Bai He, then jumped down, glancing sideways at the room. It was a bit messy.
Zhou Sheng frowned. “This is my room. Not going to their own room to screw, just entering any random room they see. F*ck them.”
“The banquet is about to start.” Zhang Yao checked the time and reminded, “Let’s go down.”
Meanwhile, Bai He and Qin Yao, each with an earbud listening to the recording, had different expressions. Qin Yao took the earbud off Bai He’s ear, stopping the recording. “Sure enough, just as I guessed, Guan Jiayu indeed wants to use his marriage with Bai Lu. And judging by the current situation, Bai Lu isn’t willing.”
Of course Bai Lu wouldn’t be willing. How could the little white flower who always advocated nobility be willing to have his love and child tainted by interests?
Bai He deleted the recording and put down his phone. “The banquet is about to start. Let’s go over.”
Recommended Reads
