Chapter 109
“You like it?” Gu Qian asked with a smile. “You really just like it?”
Xiao Xiao nodded eagerly. “Yes, I like it.”
With a look of mock regret, Gu Qian produced a beautifully packaged box from behind his back. “Well, compared to this, which one do you like more?”
Xiao Xiao stared at the small, exquisite cake in Gu Qian’s hand, then lowered his head and mumbled, “Between a pancake wrap and a cake, of course the cake is better.”
But what did that have to do with him?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when Gu Qian placed the cake box in his arms. To keep it from falling, he quickly steadied it with his hands. “Boss?” he asked, confused.
“I was just passing a cake shop and thought this one looked nice,” Gu Qian explained. “But after I bought it, I realized I don’t really like cake. So, it’s for you.”
“For me?” Xiao Xiao stammered. “Wh-why for me?”
There were so many people in the company. Gu Qian had several assistants and a secretary. Why would a little thing like this ever fall to him?
Gu Qian smiled. “I see you eating those pancake wraps all the time. Consider it a subsidy. Otherwise…”
Otherwise what? Xiao Xiao wondered silently.
“It’s just too pitiful.”
Xiao Xiao’s head dropped. He knew it. It was always that phrase.
Too pitiful.
Ever since they first met, that’s how Gu Qian had described him. It didn’t matter that no one bullied him anymore, that his colleagues were all friendly, even kind to him. It didn’t matter that his salary had improved, that his life was better, that his skin was fairer and he wasn’t so painfully thin anymore.
Gu Qian still said he was pitiful.
Sometimes, Xiao Xiao felt that when Gu Qian looked at him, his eyes were filled with nothing but pity, as if he were looking at some small, stray animal.
Xiao Xiao didn’t bother being polite. He put the pancake wrap away, deciding to eat it later that night.
He carried the cake back to the office, sat at his desk, and began to eat it, one bite at a time.
It was delicious.
Gu Qian’s actions were strange sometimes, but the things he bought were genuinely good. The portion was small, too, so Xiao Xiao could easily finish it by himself.
There weren’t many people working overtime tonight, only two or three others. After finishing the cake, Xiao Xiao dove into his work, hoping to finish early and get some rest.
What he didn’t know was that Gu Qian was sitting in his own office the entire time, watching him on a monitor, watching the serious expression on his face as he typed away at the keyboard.
Gu Qian was very fond of Xiao Xiao.
When he first brought Xiao Xiao back to the company, no one around him understood. Why bring back a semi-literate kid who knew nothing, and then spend time teaching him, giving him a job, and letting him stay and work in peace?
Everyone assumed he was interested in Xiao Xiao. But two years had passed, and Gu Qian still hadn’t made a move. So they dismissed the idea, which only made them more confused. No one believed Gu Qian would bring a stranger back and invest in him for no reason.
He gazed at the beta on the screen and smiled softly. “They’ve failed again. When they finally succeed, I’ll tell you everything.”
Gu Qian’s eyes were filled with a feverish obsession. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Xiao Xiao’s face when he was completely dependent on him, infatuated with him.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t time yet.
It was 8:40 PM by the time Xiao Xiao finished his work. Normally, he wouldn’t be tired at this hour, but ever since learning about An Le’s situation a couple of days ago, he’d felt completely dejected. On top of that, Gu Qian’s warning had made him even more miserable.
He felt exhausted and worn out.
He considered just leaving for the day, but he saw the light was still on in Gu Qian’s office. He knew he had to get his work approved first. He could only leave once Gu Qian was satisfied.
He took a deep breath, drank a glass of water, and walked over to Gu Qian’s office.
“Boss, it’s done.”
Xiao Xiao placed the file on the desk. Gu Qian picked it up. After a minute or two, he set it back down. “Good work.”
The knot in Xiao Xiao’s chest finally loosened. He could go home. He let out a yawn. “Okay, Boss. I’ll be heading back then.”
“Wait.”
Gu Qian stopped him. “Are there any other colleagues still here?”
“Nope,” Xiao Xiao said, a little resigned. “They left half an hour ago.”
Only a few people had been working late, and he was the last one.
Hearing that they were alone, Gu Qian’s blood began to sing. A golden light that Xiao Xiao couldn’t see flashed in his eyes. He smiled. “Xiao Xiao, next month, I’m planning to promote one of you to be my personal assistant. Any thoughts?”
“Assistant?” Xiao Xiao was stunned for a moment. “Does it come with a raise?”
“Double your current salary.”
“That much!”
Xiao Xiao’s eyes lit up. He couldn’t help but smile. “So… Boss, the fact that you’re telling me this privately… does that mean you’re thinking of promoting me?”
It seemed too obvious. Xiao Xiao figured Gu Qian wouldn’t just bring this up with an employee for no reason unless he intended to give him the position.
Gu Qian nodded with a smile. “That’s right. But it depends on your performance.”
“Okay!”
Overjoyed, Xiao Xiao rushed to pour Gu Qian a glass of water, then went to knead his shoulders and massage his back, waiting on him hand and foot before finally leaving for the night.
It wasn’t until he was back in his dorm that he replayed the events in his head. Gu Qian’s behavior was so confusing. Just yesterday, he had warned him, told him he wasn’t an Omega and shouldn’t have any fantasies about an alpha—about him.
So why offer him a promotion today?
What was Gu Qian really trying to do?
Xiao Xiao pouted, took out the leftover pancake wrap from the afternoon, and ate it. Then he washed up and lay in bed, trying to figure out Gu Qian’s motives.
“Ugh, whatever. I’ll just go with the flow.”
He thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer. Finally, he pulled the covers over his head and fell fast asleep. As for Gu Qian’s intentions, whoever could figure them out was welcome to try.
One thing was for sure, though: he was going to grab this opportunity for a promotion.
Money was incredibly important to him. Whether for An Le or for himself, he had to save a lot of it. Money gave him confidence. Money gave him security. And what if An Le’s alpha left him someday? He’d need money to help An Le get his mark removed. Otherwise, An Le would be in terrible pain.
He had already looked into Lu Heng’s background, and Gu Qian had assured him that Lu Heng would never abandon An Le, but he couldn’t help but worry.
Besides, An Le was getting married. From now on, the only thing he really had to look forward to was probably getting promoted and making more money.
So, the next morning, Xiao Xiao was more enthusiastic than ever. He kept popping into Gu Qian’s office to check on him, pouring him water, making him coffee, massaging his neck and back. He did everything he could to please him.
The only thing Xiao Xiao couldn’t understand was why Gu Qian, the president of a company, loved working overtime so much. He never left the office before 8 PM. As his personal assistant, Xiao Xiao would have to stay as late as he did.
But for the money, he would endure it.
That night, the entire office building was empty except for the two of them.
Gu Qian was still reviewing documents.
Xiao Xiao yawned, standing behind him and kneading his shoulders. It was a bit hot today, and the air conditioning was turned down low. The high collar Gu Qian usually wore to cover his gland had shifted slightly from his movements, revealing a small patch of skin.
In that instant, Xiao Xiao’s hands froze. He was in shock.
Gu Qian’s gland was covered in a dense pattern of tiny needle marks.
Noticing he had stopped, Gu Qian said in a low voice, “Continue.”
“Ah, okay. Right.”
Xiao Xiao’s gaze darted away nervously. A person’s gland was an extremely private area, even for an alpha. If he asked about it, it would be incredibly rude. Alphas were so proud; if he asked such a personal question, Gu Qian would definitely get angry.
But he couldn’t stop wondering why an alpha’s gland would have so many needle marks. He didn’t know much about the reproductive privacy between alphas and omegas, but he knew the gland was a very delicate area. One injection would be painful enough, let alone that many.
His mind wandered as he continued the massage. He didn’t know how much time passed before Gu Qian finally put down his files. It was already 9:10 PM.
Gu Qian turned his head. “That’s enough. Time to go home.”
Xiao Xiao felt like he’d been granted amnesty. “Okay, then… I’ll be going.”
“Wait.”
Gu Qian called out to him again.
Xiao Xiao turned back, curious. “Is there something else, Boss?”
Gu Qian did this often. Whenever he was about to leave, Gu Qian would stop him, sometimes to say something nonsensical, other times to ask a strange question. Most of the time, it was nothing worth thinking too deeply about.
He wondered what it would be tonight.
He looked at Gu Qian expectantly.
But what Gu Qian said tonight was completely unexpected. “Do you like me?” he asked.
Xiao Xiao froze on the spot.
He had no idea how to answer. His mouth hung open, but no sound would come out.
Gu Qian smiled. “Do you want to pursue me?”
Xiao Xiao neither confirmed nor denied it.
Gu Qian stood up and walked over to him. He tilted his chin up, forcing him to meet his gaze. Their eyes locked, and Gu Qian’s were full of amusement.
“I’m not easy to win over,” he said. “But if you want to try… it’s not impossible.”
And with that, Gu Qian left.
The entire office building was silent, with only Xiao Xiao remaining.
He stood there for a long time before Gu Qian’s words finally sank in. “He… he’s not against me liking him. He’s… he’s giving me permission to pursue him.”
“He’s giving me permission to pursue him!”
A huge grin spread across Xiao Xiao’s face. An incredible joy bubbled up inside him with nowhere to go. He jumped up and down on the spot a few times before happily turning off the lights and electronics and running excitedly out of the building.
Sitting in his car, Gu Qian watched as Xiao Xiao burst out of the building, smiling as he ran towards the nearby employee dorms.
Gu Qian’s eyes were filled with an obsessive adoration, so much so that he forgot he was on the phone.
The voice on the other end grew impatient. “President Gu? President Gu?”
“Go on,” Gu Qian said, his attention returning.
The man on the phone sounded troubled. “President Gu, we’ve used up all of your pheromones, but it failed again. Should we continue?”
Gu Qian touched his own gland, the look of adoration in his eyes shifting to one of determined hope. He smiled. “Of course, we continue. I’m on my way over now.”
Recommended Reads
