Chapter 122
The concern in Gu Qian’s eyes was real; Xiao Xiao could see it. But for some reason, the anxiety in his heart wouldn’t subside. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “You really won’t hit me?”
“Of course not.” Gu Qian stroked Xiao Xiao’s head with a smile. “How could I ever hit you?” He frowned, not understanding why Xiao Xiao would even think that. He couldn’t dote on him enough; how could he possibly hit him? Had he not shown Xiao Xiao enough how much he cared? Was that why Xiao Xiao couldn’t see how much he liked him?
Xiao Xiao lowered his head. “Well, you said it. If you dare hit me, I… I will absolutely not stay with you.”
“Mm,” Gu Qian nodded with a smile. “Good. I won’t give you a chance to leave me.” He would never hit Xiao Xiao. Even if, as Xiao Xiao said, he stopped listening to him, he still wouldn’t hit him. At most, he would lock him up and keep him by his side until he was obedient again.
Xiao Xiao’s feelings were complicated. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was bothering him, but a heavy weight settled in his chest.
“Well… let’s go back to the company, then.” The client meeting was over, but it wasn’t quitting time yet. They still had to go back to work.
But Gu Qian shook his head, his voice cheerful. “We don’t have to go back to work. I’ll help you move.”
Xiao Xiao said, “…Alright, then.” He didn’t understand why Gu Qian was so eager to live with him, but it seemed he couldn’t refuse.
Since everyone was still at work, Xiao Xiao was the only one in the dorm when he got back. Gu Qian sat on the edge of the bed, watching him pack his things from the closet. Suddenly, Gu Qian’s eyes landed on the phone Xiao Xiao had left in the middle of the bed. It wasn’t cheap; Xiao Xiao must have saved for a long time to buy it.
But…
Gu Qian reached out, his palm covering the phone, and then pressed down hard. He felt the screen shatter under his hand. Then, he turned the phone face down and moved it to the edge of the bed. Just as the phone was about to fall, Gu Qian quickly pulled his hand back. At that exact moment, Xiao Xiao backed away from the closet, holding a large bag, and bumped into the phone.
With a clatter, the phone hit the floor.
Xiao Xiao quickly turned around, dropped the bag, and rushed to pick it up.
“It’s broken!” And it was badly broken. One corner of the phone was cracked, the screen in the middle was completely shattered, and it looked like a spiderweb. What’s more, it wouldn’t turn on. Not a single flicker of light.
Xiao Xiao was devastated. “It just fell. How could it break this badly?” He looked up at Gu Qian.
Gu Qian spread his hands innocently. “I didn’t touch your phone.”
Xiao Xiao pressed his lips together and said no more. He clearly remembered putting his phone in the middle of the bed. How could he have bumped into it just by backing up? He was a little suspicious of Gu Qian, but there was really no reason for him to deliberately break his phone. Even if it was an accident, with Gu Qian’s wealth, there was no need to lie. So, he started to suspect that he had been in a daze and had misplaced it himself. But this phone was so expensive. He had saved for half a year to buy it, and now it was useless. What a waste.
Xiao Xiao was heartbroken.
After he finished packing, Gu Qian offered to carry his things to the car. Xiao Xiao didn’t even crack a smile, just held his broken phone, his mood gloomy.
As Gu Qian drove, he said, “If it’s broken, it’s broken. I’ll buy you a new one.”
“I don’t want you to buy it.” Xiao Xiao was unhappy. “I’ll buy it myself.” Just then, they passed a phone store, and he quickly shouted, “Stop the car! I want to buy a new phone.” In this day and age, a phone was your life. Xiao Xiao couldn’t last a day without one, so he had to buy a new one immediately.
Gu Qian smiled and pulled the car over, then followed Xiao Xiao into the store. Xiao Xiao browsed for a bit, found the same model as his broken one, and told the salesperson, “I want this one.”
The salesperson quickly brought out a display model for him to try. Xiao Xiao didn’t bother and just said, “Give me a new one. I’ll put my SIM card in.”
“Of course.” The salesperson was delighted. They loved customers like this—no fuss, just straight to buying. So generous. The salesperson quickly brought out a new phone, turned it on, connected it to the network, and after getting everything ready, said, “Sir, the phone is all set up. I’ll help you install the SIM card.”
Only then did Xiao Xiao hand over his broken phone. The salesperson took out the SIM card, put it in the new phone, and then handed it to Xiao Xiao with a smile. “All done, sir. Will you be paying with a card or cash?”
Xiao Xiao looked at the new phone, his heart aching. He glanced at Gu Qian, who was standing to the side, and then said, “I’ll use a QR code.” This phone was very expensive. After buying it, the money he had worked so hard to save would be back down to four digits. For the past two years, he had been supporting An Le and hadn’t had much of a chance to save. Still, he had scrimped and saved a little. But now, in one fell swoop, he was back to where he started.
Gu Qian stood by, watching Xiao Xiao scan the code and pay. A satisfied smile spread across his face…
Because he had spent so much money, Xiao Xiao was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. It wasn’t until he saw Gu Qian’s house that his spirits lifted a little. The house Gu Qian had bought was huge, lavishly and beautifully decorated. A single bathroom was about the size of their employee dorm room.
Xiao Xiao was amazed. He happily wandered around the room a few times before coming out to sit on the sofa and fiddle with his new phone. Gu Qian sat down next to him, handed him a glass of water, and asked in a low voice, “Do you like it here?”
Xiao Xiao happened to be thirsty. He took the water, drank a few sips, and said quietly, “I like it.” He didn’t lie, adding his praise, “It’s big and beautiful.” This was the world of the rich, the life of the rich. It was amazing.
Xiao Xiao put down the glass, took out his phone to take a picture, and was just about to send it to An Le when Gu Qian pressed his hand down on the phone. “Xiao Xiao.”
Having his phone suddenly taken away, Xiao Xiao was unhappy again. “What are you doing? I want to send a message to Lele.”
“If it’s not important, it can wait.” Gu Qian firmly took the phone from Xiao Xiao’s hand, placed it on the coffee table, and then pulled him into an embrace. “I bought this house almost two years ago,” he whispered. “It’s in your name. So, this house is yours.”
“Mine?” He had been a little scared when Gu Qian had first hugged him, but hearing this, his mind went blank for a second. Then he stammered, “Why… why would you buy me a house?”
“Because I know you’ve had a hard life, both when you were young and after you grew up. You’re afraid of not being needed, afraid of not having a home. You have no sense of security. So I’ve always planned to give you a home.” After helping Xiao Xiao at the bar, Gu Qian had had someone look into his background. He knew almost everything about what Xiao Xiao’s life had been like as a child and as an adult. His heart ached for him. As much as he desperately wanted to possess him, he also wanted to spoil him.
“Give me a home?”
“Yes, give you a home. A real home. From now on, no one will bully you again. I’ll cherish you, I’ll love you.”
Xiao Xiao smiled, but tears streamed down his face. No one had ever said they would give him a home. Gu Qian was the first. His face was covered in tears, and he wanted to wipe them away but couldn’t, because Gu Qian was holding his hands, not letting him move. He had no choice but to say helplessly, “Then… can you be a little gentler?”
“Of course, I can.” With that, Gu Qian leaned down and kissed his face, kissing away the tears, moving step by step toward his gland. Licking, gently grinding his teeth, a flood of pheromones surged out, making Xiao Xiao, who normally couldn’t sense pheromones, lose his mind…
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he finally opened his eyes. He stared at the unfamiliar chandelier, trying to remember what had happened before he passed out.
He and Gu Qian had done it. On his first day moving into Gu Qian’s house. And… he seemed to smell a thick scent of mint. He remembered Gu Qian’s pheromones were mint-scented, but he hadn’t smelled any mint when he first came into the room. So the scent he was smelling must be Gu Qian’s pheromones. But he was a beta. How could a beta smell pheromones?
Xiao Xiao’s head ached. He rubbed his temples and turned his head, only to find the room empty. Gu Qian was gone. But he could still smell the faint scent of mint in the room. He frowned. Not only could he smell the pheromones before he passed out, but he seemed to be able to smell them now, too.
“What on earth is going on?” Why could he smell pheromones?
Just then, Gu Qian pushed the door open, carrying a bowl of porridge. He walked to Xiao Xiao’s side, sat down with a smile, and said, “You must be hungry. I made some porridge. Have a taste.”
Xiao Xiao looked at the porridge in the bowl. The color was normal, the smell was normal; there was nothing wrong with it. And an alpha’s needs were indeed strong. He had used up a lot of energy and was starving. So, he was just about to take the bowl and eat when Gu Qian pulled it back with a smile. “You worked hard today. Just sit tight. I’ll feed you.”
Xiao Xiao’s face instantly turned red. “It’s not that bad,” he mumbled. “I can eat by myself.”
Gu Qian didn’t say anything, just scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it to make sure it wasn’t too hot, and then brought it to Xiao Xiao’s lips. Xiao Xiao had no choice but to open his mouth and eat. The moment he swallowed, Gu Qian had another spoonful ready.
He had to admit, Gu Qian seemed to have a knack for taking care of people. He was treating him exceptionally well, helping him wash up, feeding him… It made Xiao Xiao feel a little guilty.
Gu Qian had this kind of magic. Sometimes, he made Xiao Xiao feel scared, like he was sick. But other times, he made Xiao Xiao feel that he was good, that he was the gentlest person in the world.
After feeding him the porridge, Gu Qian got into bed and held him. They stayed tangled together until eleven at night, when Gu Qian finally let him go to make dinner. Xiao Xiao lay on the bed, his gaze a little dazed. He felt that every time he was with Gu Qian, he tended to lose his mind. Today was no different. He had just lain there, wrapped up with Gu Qian for so long that he had forgotten to ask why he could smell pheromones.
So, Xiao Xiao sat up, his legs weak, and looked for his pants. He didn’t know if Gu Qian had done it on purpose, but there were none of his clothes in the room. After searching for a while, he only found one of Gu Qian’s shirts. He bit his lip and put it on, but before he could even finish buttoning it, the door opened.
He looked up and saw Gu Qian standing in the doorway, staring at him blankly.
Recommended Reads
