Chapter 118
“Well… that’s not it.”
Xiao Xiao didn’t know what it was, but after clearing the air with Gu Qian, he felt their interactions were no longer as easy as before. Gu Qian’s tone and attitude toward him weren’t as gentle, either. Instead, they held a kind of careless, teasing quality.
“If that’s not it, then why were you going to spray this?” Gu Qian said, twisting the cap off the spray bottle and pouring the contents into the trash can.
Xiao Xiao pursed his lips. He didn’t know how to describe Gu Qian’s current attitude toward him. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “I… I just don’t want to affect my colleagues. Your pheromones are a little overpowering, and they’ve all been avoiding me.”
“It’s not the first time. They should be used to it by now.” Gu Qian leaned down and kissed the top of Xiao Xiao’s head. He smiled. “Besides, you’re my person. Shouldn’t you carry my scent?”
Xiao Xiao didn’t know if Gu Qian was just messing with him, but now that their relationship was out in the open, he felt an invisible pressure that was making him uncomfortable. He didn’t say anything else, just lowered his head to avoid Gu Qian’s gaze. But in the next second, Gu Qian cupped his chin, forcing him to look up. “Xiao Xiao, look at me. Answer me.”
Gu Qian’s grip was strong, and it hurt. Xiao Xiao’s expression changed, and he instinctively reached up to hold Gu Qian’s hand, whispering, “I feel like… you’re not as gentle as you used to be.”
Xiao Xiao didn’t know how to describe the feeling. He just felt that Gu Qian had suddenly changed. Whether it was his temper or his personality, everything he did now carried a sense of command, and he couldn’t refuse or resist. He didn’t like this feeling.
“Not gentle?” Gu Qian paused, then released him. He smiled. “I don’t think so. Or are you having regrets and just saying that to me?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s not?” Gu Qian laughed. “Then why is it that when I left my scent on you before, you never said anything like this? You never went to buy some pheromone neutralizer. Why, now that we’re together, do you suddenly care about these things?”
Gu Qian wasn’t happy. He loved leaving his scent on Xiao Xiao, letting everyone know that Xiao Xiao was his. But Xiao Xiao was a beta. He couldn’t mark him, and the scent he left on him wouldn’t last. It would be gone in a few days. This made him feel incredibly desperate, made him feel like Xiao Xiao didn’t truly belong to him, and that filled him with panic. So, whenever he had the chance, he would secretly wrap Xiao Xiao in his pheromones. He had done this for two years, and for two years Xiao Xiao hadn’t resisted. Now, suddenly, he was being rejected, and he felt extremely upset.
“I didn’t know before.” Xiao Xiao grabbed Gu Qian’s hand and said in a small voice, “I never knew you were leaving your pheromones on me. I only knew that every few days, my colleagues would start avoiding me.” Xiao Xiao pleaded, “Boss, can you please not leave your pheromones on me?”
“No.” Gu Qian’s brow furrowed, the smile gone from his eyes, replaced by a touch of sadness. “It’s just a little bit. Xiao Xiao, don’t refuse me, okay?”
Xiao Xiao was at a loss for words. He took a deep breath. “In the future…”
“I’ll try to leave less,” Gu Qian interrupted. “And in a few days, you’ll be my personal assistant in my office. You won’t be interacting with them anymore, so it won’t affect them.”
Xiao Xiao paused. “Well… okay then.” If he was just staying in the office, it was true that he wouldn’t affect anyone else. And since he couldn’t smell pheromones himself, it seemed like a workable solution. And although Gu Qian’s tone wasn’t harsh, Xiao Xiao knew there was no room for negotiation.
He could only agree. After all, it was just a little bit of pheromone on him; it wouldn’t derail his life. And he’d gotten through the past two years like this. He could keep going now.
Xiao Xiao thought that agreeing would be the end of it. But he was surprised when Gu Qian didn’t move away. He looked up curiously. “I’ve already agreed. Is… is there something else?”
Honestly, Xiao Xiao felt like things were moving way too fast. They had confessed and gotten together, and it hadn’t even been two hours. How had they already jumped to having a lover’s quarrel, like some old married couple? According to the usual script, shouldn’t they be all lovey-dovey right now?
“What did you just call me?” Gu Qian asked.
Xiao Xiao: “…”
Gu Qian’s focus never seemed to line up with his. He sighed helplessly and whispered, “Boss?”
“Our relationship has changed,” Gu Qian said. “You should change how you address me, too.” Now that they were partners, calling him “boss” didn’t seem right.
Xiao Xiao paused, thinking Gu Qian had a point. He asked quietly, “Then what should I call you?”
Gu Qian’s smile returned. “Anything but ‘Boss’.”
Xiao Xiao nodded, then tried, “Gu Qian.”
“Using my full name makes us sound like strangers. No.”
Xiao Xiao pursed his lips. “Qian-ge?”
Gu Qian still frowned, looking dissatisfied, and didn’t say anything.
Xiao Xiao was stumped. He said jokingly, “You don’t expect me to call you ‘husband,’ do you?”
“You can.” Hearing that, the smile in Gu Qian’s eyes was impossible to hide. “It’s settled then.”
With that, Gu Qian walked away.
Xiao Xiao froze. Settled? He was just making a suggestion. How did it suddenly get decided? He didn’t think that name was very appropriate. At least, he knew he’d never be able to say it in front of other people. He scrambled to his feet and chased after him.
The moment Xiao Xiao left, the office erupted in quiet chatter.
Gu Qian was their boss, but what Xiao Xiao didn’t know was that before he had joined the company, Gu Qian rarely came to the office. He had several companies under his name and was very busy, only showing up for quarterly inspections. But after Xiao Xiao arrived, Gu Qian was in the office almost every day, personally managing this subsidiary. And his favorite spot wasn’t the president’s office, but Xiao Xiao’s desk. Most of the time, whenever he passed by, he would stand there for a while. And the pheromones Gu Qian left on Xiao Xiao were more than enough to make him the talk of the company.
It was the same now. Everyone knew Xiao Xiao had gone to the boss’s office to confess that morning. And everyone knew he had succeeded. So, the topic of their discussion had been upgraded.
“President Gu is finally showing his true colors. He’s been holding back so long his fangs were starting to dull.”
“Yeah, I wonder if Xiao Xiao can handle it.”
“Xiao Xiao has such a good temper, and he likes President Gu so much. He probably can, right?”
“When are Xiao Xiao and President Gu getting married? I’m ready for the wedding banquet.”
Everyone in the company knew what Gu Qian was like when he wasn’t around Xiao Xiao. After all, he was the famous madman of the business world. As his employees, it was impossible for them not to know what their boss was like.
It seemed… only Xiao Xiao didn’t know just how crazy and intense Gu Qian could be.
The subject of their discussion, Xiao Xiao, followed Gu Qian into his office. “You… you need to be clear,” he said anxiously. “From now on, do I really have to call you that?”
Gu Qian was already seated. He smiled. “Yes. Let me hear you say it.”
Xiao Xiao stood in front of the desk, his face turning red. “Husband?”
Gu Qian was delighted. “Yes. From now on, no matter where we are, no matter the occasion, you have to call me that.”
Xiao Xiao frowned. “Even at work?”
Gu Qian nodded. “Mhm.” It was a must.
Gu Qian said, “Xiao Xiao, let’s get married.”
Xiao Xiao: “???”
He thought Gu Qian was just playing with him, but how long had it been, and now Gu Qian wanted to marry him? Was he dreaming? Was he still asleep? But how was that possible?
Gu Qian stood up and walked over to Xiao Xiao. Seeing him still lost in a daze, he reached out and traced the outline of Xiao Xiao’s face, smiling. “Xiao Xiao, I think we should get married. I’ll prepare the wedding, okay?”
Xiao Xiao didn’t say yes or no. It all felt too unreal, too fast. It didn’t give him any sense of security. He subconsciously wanted to shake his head and refuse, but Gu Qian gripped his chin. “Don’t refuse. Xiao Xiao, you can’t refuse.”
That feeling of being ordered around returned. He shook his head helplessly and opened his mouth to speak, but Gu Qian’s fingers slipped into his mouth again, stopping any words he was about to say.
Xiao Xiao’s legs went weak. He instinctively struggled to back away, but Gu Qian wrapped an arm around him, quickly walked him to the wall, and pinned him there. “Xiao Xiao, I… I really want to marry you. I like you, and you like me enough to confess to me. I’m so happy. So, don’t refuse me, okay?”
Xiao Xiao was pressed against the wall, his hands grabbing Gu Qian’s arm. He used all his strength but couldn’t pull the hand out of his mouth. Saliva trickled down from his fingers and chin. Unable to stand it, he bit down hard on Gu Qian’s finger.
But Gu Qian acted as if he couldn’t feel the pain, just smiling. “Tsk, naughty Xiao Xiao. How can you bite me? Lighter. Any harder and you’ll bite my finger off.”
Xiao Xiao didn’t dare to bite down with full force, but he felt like he was already biting very hard. If it were him, he would have been screaming in pain. But Gu Qian still wouldn’t take his hand out, instead pushing it toward his throat, which not only made him want to gag but also made him feel a little suffocated, short of breath. He beat at Gu Qian’s arm with his free hand, and Gu Qian finally pulled his fingers out.
Xiao Xiao was still pinned to the wall, trembling. He looked at Gu Qian helplessly, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of fear. “Are… are you… really…” Are you really sick in the head?
He felt like Gu Qian had tricked him. Before he got him, he was a gentle, good alpha, but after… he was like a pervert.
Gu Qian grabbed both of Xiao Xiao’s hands and pinned them above his head with one hand. His other hand slipped inside his shirt. As Xiao Xiao’s expression turned to one of terror, he asked, “Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t you like me, Xiao Xiao? Is this… not something you’re willing to do?”
“But these are things that normal couples do. Why aren’t you willing, Xiao Xiao?”
Xiao Xiao didn’t know what to do. His eyes were red, and tears welled up. He whispered, “It’s… it’s not…”
Recommended Reads
