Chapter 139
Xiao Xiao was some distance away from Gu Qian, so he didn’t know who was calling, nor did he care. He went back to playing on his phone.
Gu Qian, however, glanced at Xiao Xiao before getting up and heading into the break room.
The phone rang for a long time. Just as Gu Qian answered, Li Jie’s furious voice erupted from the other end. “Damn it, what took you so long to answer?”
Gu Qian, disgusted by his crudeness, frowned and said, “Heh, is there something you need, Mr. Li?”
Hearing the call connect, Li Jie immediately asked, “How has Xiao Xiao been lately?”
“Why are you asking?” Gu Qian sat down and asked with a smirk, “Are you worthy of knowing?”
Li Jie was speechless. His fists clenched.
“Or perhaps,” Gu Qian continued, “you want to know how Xiao Xiao begged me to mark him during his heat?”
Li Jie remained silent.
“Or maybe,” Gu Qian pressed, “you want to know what effect your temporary mark had on him?”
“None. Absolutely none. Even if you temporarily marked him and enveloped him in your disgusting pheromones, it wouldn’t have any effect on him. He can’t even sense the existence of your pheromones.” Gu Qian’s smile was wicked. “And here I was, still trying to figure out how to deal with you, and you just walk right into my hands.”
Li Jie’s temporary mark on Xiao Xiao had been a thorn in Gu Qian’s side. He was determined to remove it, but he had been too busy lately to deal with it. He never expected Li Jie to call him on his own accord.
Li Jie laughed. “Is that so? How do you plan to deal with me? Gu Qian, don’t forget, I was the one taking care of Xiao Xiao during this time. If you make a move against me, he won’t just stand by and watch, even if he doesn’t like me.”
Gu Qian’s expression changed instantly. “You!”
“Don’t be so hasty!” Li Jie lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said with a chuckle, “President Gu, aren’t you undergoing treatment? Trying to cure that little mental problem of yours? If you make a move against me, wouldn’t that be considered another… episode?”
“And if you have another episode, wouldn’t all that treatment be for nothing?”
“Besides, you did so many things to hurt Xiao Xiao. If it weren’t for the mark and his heat, he would have never come back to you. He hates you. So, if he finds out you came after me, do you think he’ll ever forgive you?”
“Li Jie, don’t get too cocky. I have my ways…”
“No matter how many ways you have, there are always loopholes, aren’t there? And I’ve already recorded this conversation. If you want to make a move, go ahead. Even if I die, I won’t let you and Xiao Xiao have a happy ending.”
“You!” Gu Qian was furious, the veins on his forehead throbbing.
Li Jie was right. He had made mistakes in the past, which was why Xiao Xiao had grown distant. He used to resist his illness, refusing to take his medication seriously. Back then, he couldn’t control himself. He would have strange, inexplicable thoughts, and he would feel scared, terrified. Only by keeping Xiao Xiao firmly by his side did he feel a sense of security. That was why he had unconsciously done so many wrong things.
But now, he had been on medication for a while. No matter how crazy he felt, he wouldn’t go too far. And if Xiao Xiao found out he had gone after Li Jie, all his recent efforts would be wasted. Xiao Xiao would hate him again, despise him.
But could he just let Li Jie be so arrogant?
Gu Qian closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. “What do you want?”
“Nothing much. I just want to know how he’s been.” Handing Xiao Xiao over to Gu Qian was a regret that would haunt Li Jie forever. If it had been his own decision, he would have taken Xiao Xiao and kept running. But it wasn’t. If he had kept Xiao Xiao that day, he would have made two powerful enemies: Lu Heng and Gu Qian. Either one of them could have found him and Xiao Xiao with ease. He had no choice.
“He’s doing great. He doesn’t need your concern.”
Li Jie sneered. “What do you think I care about him for? He’s just my…” He trailed off. Lu Heng’s mission had been to pose as Xiao Xiao’s suitor and rescue him. He had almost let it slip. He wanted to say that he didn’t like Xiao Xiao, he just couldn’t accept that he had handed such a good beta over to a monster like Gu Qian. But he couldn’t say that. And even if he did, who would believe him?
“I don’t care why you’re concerned about him,” Gu Qian said. “And I can choose not to come after you for temporarily marking him. But you’d better pray you don’t fall into my hands. If you do, no one’s pleading will save you.”
With that, Gu Qian hung up. But a moment later, he received a text. It was from Li Jie.
[I’d advise you to treat him better. If anything happens to him, or if I hear any rumors, I’ll bring you and your entire Gu family to ruin!]
The threat in Li Jie’s words made Gu Qian so angry he wanted to smash his phone to pieces. But he couldn’t. He had to control his temper now. He couldn’t let Xiao Xiao think he was crazy, that he was violent. So, he had to endure it. He couldn’t touch Li Jie. He had to endure it, he had to!
Gu Qian took another deep breath, finally placing the phone he was gripping tightly on the nightstand. He got up, poured himself a glass of water, and stood by the window, sipping it while trying to calm himself down.
Xiao Xiao played on the sofa for a while, but Gu Qian, who had gone to take the call, didn’t come out. He felt an unconscious flicker of annoyance and wanted to go find him.
But when he reached the break room, he found Gu Qian standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, staring blankly outside. He walked over and hugged him from behind, asking in a small voice, “Why didn’t you come out?”
Gu Qian started, then turned and pulled him into his arms. “It’s only been a little while. Did you miss me already?” he asked with a smile.
Xiao Xiao didn’t speak. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he really did like being with Gu Qian now.
“You can’t even bear to be apart from me for a moment,” Gu Qian said. “How are you going to go to work?”
Xiao Xiao still didn’t answer. “I just want you to hold me,” he said.
Even though the office and break room were filled with Gu Qian’s scent, which was usually enough to soothe him, he preferred being held by him. Even if it wasn’t constant, just like during the day when Gu Qian was working, he would come over and hug him for a moment, and it would make him feel so comfortable.
Gu Qian stroked Xiao Xiao’s back. He wanted to ask if Xiao Xiao had forgiven him for everything he’d done before. But the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he didn’t dare to ask. He was afraid of hearing the word “no.”
Finally, he took a deep breath. Neither of them spoke.
The days that followed were much the same. They spent every day in the same room. Gu Qian no longer restricted his freedom. He could go out, wander around the company as he pleased. But Xiao Xiao no longer wanted to. It wasn’t because he had lost all hope, but because he didn’t want to see those people anymore.
Following his doctor’s advice, Gu Qian paid close attention to Xiao Xiao’s mental health. He would take him shopping, to the movies, even to parties. Every time, he would pull Xiao Xiao to his side and introduce him to everyone as Mrs. Gu.
It was the first time Xiao Xiao had experienced what it was like to be the center of attention at a party. But he wasn’t happy. Instead, he felt a little scared. He didn’t like having so many people stare at him.
But Gu Qian was delighted. He told everyone, one by one, that as soon as the Gu family fell, he would marry Xiao Xiao. This put everyone in an awkward position, not knowing whether to congratulate him or not.
In that moment, Xiao Xiao suddenly started to laugh.
Hearing him, Gu Qian turned and asked, “Are you happy, Xiao Xiao?”
Xiao Xiao’s smile faded slightly. He shook his head and said quietly, “And you say you’re better. Look at the things you’re saying. You’re making everyone uncomfortable. They don’t know how to respond.”
Gu Qian looked around, then a corner of his mouth lifted. “It doesn’t matter. If they don’t know how to respond, they don’t have to. I’ll do the talking.”
After the party, Gu Qian was drunk. Xiao Xiao took him home. But just as they arrived, a doctor in a white coat showed up. It was the psychologist who often counseled Gu Qian.
Xiao Xiao stood at the door, pursing his lips. “He’s drunk,” he said in a small voice.
The doctor nodded and asked with a smile, “Can he still talk?”
Xiao Xiao nodded. “He can.” It was just that his words were a jumble of nonsense.
“As long as he can talk,” the doctor said. “Then I’ll have to take up sixty minutes of your time.” He said as he changed into slippers and entered, compressing the usual two-hour session into one.
Xiao Xiao let him in. Gu Qian was lying on the sofa, asleep. The doctor walked over, sat down across from him, and gently tapped his face to wake him up.
Gu Qian’s eyes opened, his expression still dazed. Looking at the familiar house, he instinctively called out, “Xiao Xiao, where are you?”
Sitting right beside him, Xiao Xiao said helplessly, “Just turn your head.”
Gu Qian immediately turned and, seeing Xiao Xiao next to him, pulled him into an embrace. “Where did you go? I was looking for you everywhere. Please don’t leave, okay? Don’t leave…”
“I… I won’t leave.” Xiao Xiao’s hands and feet were clumsy with panic. He glanced nervously at the doctor.
The doctor smiled. “Please try to calm him down. He’s not fully conscious today, so you can sit in on the session.”
Although Gu Qian was actively seeking treatment, his illness was still his weakness. Even though Xiao Xiao knew about it, he didn’t want him to see the full extent of his condition. That was why he had never allowed Xiao Xiao to be present during his therapy.
Xiao Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then hugged Gu Qian back and soothed him in a low voice, “I won’t leave. The doctor is here for your session. Sit up properly.”
“Session?” Gu Qian looked back instinctively, his dazed gaze sweeping over the doctor before turning fierce. “An alpha. Where did this alpha come from? Why is there another alpha in our house?”
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