The wind was blowing fiercely, whistling past their ears with enough force to make them ache.
When Yi Heng didn’t respond immediately, Gu Yan assumed he was unwilling and hurriedly added,
“Actually, it doesn’t have to be a hug.”
“There are lots of ways to exchange pheromones. Holding hands would work too.”
“It doesn’t have to take long. The doctor said treatment at this level is mainly about gradually guiding the process, so it should be quick—”
“All right.”
Yi Heng answered without hesitation.
Gu Yan immediately fell silent.
His eyes shot upward toward the tall, mature Alpha standing before him.
Yi Heng had actually agreed that quickly.
After all, exchanging pheromones every day went well beyond the terms of their agreement.
Yi Heng had absolutely no obligation to spend his extra time helping him.
Their gazes met in midair.
For a moment, everything between heaven and earth seemed to stand still.
Even the air appeared to freeze around them.
Yi Heng’s eyes had always been cool and indifferent.
Yet Gu Yan felt as though something had flickered through them just now.
They stood facing each other, an invisible force seeming to draw them together.
Then Gu Yan watched Yi Heng take two steps forward.
In the next instant—
A pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind, pulling him into an embrace.
“Like this?”
Yi Heng’s deep, steady voice sounded impossibly close.
The words brushed softly against Gu Yan’s eardrums, yet they struck him like a deafening thunderclap.
His thoughts scattered completely, leaving him unable to think.
He wasn’t ready for this!
And besides…
They were hugging right outside Yi Heng’s company building!
Wasn’t he worried that his employees might see them?
Gu Yan felt his arms pinned gently against his sides as his entire body pressed against the Alpha’s broad chest.
The faint scent of cool fir instantly filled his senses.
Yi Heng’s embrace was extraordinarily warm.
His body shielded Gu Yan completely from the wind and the chill blowing in from behind.
It took Gu Yan a long time to find his voice again.
His throat felt tight.
“Mm.”
Dark clouds gathered over the city.
A raindrop landed on the tip of Gu Yan’s nose.
His ears burning, he gently pushed against Yi Heng.
“It’s raining.”
Autumn rain arrived quickly.
Within mere seconds, fine droplets descended like a delicate curtain of silk, gradually soaking their clothes.
“The driver is waiting by the roadside.”
Yi Heng swiftly took off his expensive suit jacket and held it above both their heads.
“Let’s go.”
The entire city was enveloped in slanting wind and fine rain.
Yet beneath the broad jacket, it felt as though a small world existed just for the two of them.
The rhythmic patter of raindrops against the fabric sounded like a series of drumbeats, each one gently plucking at the strings of Gu Yan’s heart.
He and Yi Heng broke into a light run toward the car.
Whether they wore leather shoes or sneakers, neither could avoid splashes of rainwater.
But neither of them had the slightest interest in worrying about that.
*
Inside the Yi Group headquarters.
Du Ting stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the two tiny figures below run together toward a car parked by the roadside.
He slowly raised a hand and adjusted his glasses.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
The department manager entered quietly and placed the project proposal his team was responsible for on the desk.
Only then did Du Ting finally withdraw his gaze from the window.
*
That evening.
Gu Yan lay on his soft bed, staring at the empty ceiling, unable to fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.
Whenever he closed his eyes, the image of Yi Heng wrapping his arms around him appeared in his mind.
And every time, his heartbeat became strangely irregular.
Eventually, Gu Yan gave up trying to sleep.
He rolled over, sat up, and casually grabbed a book from his bedside table.
But as he read…
His gaze settled on a single line, and he drifted into a daze.
Yi Heng was so strong.
And the scent of his cologne mixed with his pheromones smelled incredibly good.
If only the rain had started a little later…
Ding!
His phone screen suddenly lit up.
Gu Yan snapped out of his reverie.
He rubbed his face and tossed the book aside.
It was a message from one of the people he had sent to investigate.
According to the report, the person driving the Camry had used a false name, and even his identification documents had been forged.
The trail had suddenly gone cold.
The person following Yi Heng had clearly anticipated that someone would investigate, so every trace had been meticulously erased.
Gu Yan clicked his tongue and instructed his people to continue keeping an eye on the repair shop.
If someone tried following them again in the future, there was a chance the culprits might return to the same place to have their vehicle scrapped.
In addition, Gu Yan secretly assigned people to investigate the Yi Group’s management, focusing particularly on members of the Yi family itself.
Anyone who knew Yi Heng’s schedule so precisely was most likely someone within the Yi Group.
*
Only a few days after the short holiday ended, T University unexpectedly announced that midterm examinations would be held the following week.
The classroom erupted into a chorus of miserable groans.
Only the three students sitting in the very back row remained completely calm.
Wang Zhiliang stretched lazily.
He had never bothered attending exams like these.
As for grades…
They were nothing but fleeting clouds.
Yi Feng, on the other hand, didn’t dare skip his exams because of Yi Heng’s intimidating authority.
However, he always managed to scrape through with scores barely above the passing mark.
The two turned their heads and saw Gu Yan calmly holding a textbook, carefully underlining and marking passages.
Both of them stared in disbelief.
Wang Zhiliang leaned closer.
“Yan Zi, haven’t you always looked down on people who follow the crowd and take these boring exams?”
Gu Yan thought to himself,
That was the original owner, not me.
He turned another page.
“Can’t I change things up once in a while?”
Wang Zhiliang stared at the five thick textbooks and gave an awkward laugh.
“Sure, but this time, your buddy isn’t joining you.”
“Studying over a thousand pages in one week? You might as well kill me now.”
Then he glanced at the other students frantically flipping through their textbooks and clicked his tongue in admiration.
“Not everyone is cut out for university, after all.”
“Learning half a semester’s worth of material in seven days is pretty impressive.”
Gu Yan merely smiled, ignoring Wang Zhiliang, who was dramatically acting out a ritual suicide beside him.
Yi Feng bounced his leg while studying Gu Yan with a curious expression.
Ever since Gu Yan had played that game with his brother, their relationship seemed to have been put on fast-forward.
According to his parents, Yi Heng had been visiting Gu Yan’s apartment practically every day lately.
Who knew what the two of them were doing together?
With his brother’s ice-cold personality, what could they possibly be doing?
Yi Feng examined Gu Yan’s serious, focused profile.
Although he was still somewhat reluctant to accept it, he had to admit that Gu Yan had changed a great deal since getting together with Yi Heng.
Looking at it that way, Gu Yan was at least better than the countless admirers who used to hover around his brother with ulterior motives.
However, just as Yi Feng began developing a little goodwill toward Gu Yan…
That goodwill was completely wiped out the very next day.
*
The following day happened to be Saturday.
The sun was shining brightly outside, making it the perfect weather for sleeping in.
Yi Feng slept until late morning before leisurely wandering downstairs.
“Mom… is lunch ready yet? I’m starving.”
He yawned and carelessly dropped into a chair at the dining table.
But the moment he looked up—
His eyes met Gu Yan’s smiling gaze.
“!!!”
This was practically the best horror movie of the year!
Yi Feng was so startled that he jumped straight out of his chair.
“What the hell! Why are you here?!”
His voice was so loud that his mother, who had been busy in the kitchen with the housekeeper, came out to see what was happening.
Mother Yi gave her thoughtless son an exasperated look.
“Why are you making such a fuss? Don’t scare your sister-in-law.”
Gu Yan: “…”
Yi Feng: “Huh?”
Yi Heng and Father Yi had been talking in the garden.
Hearing the commotion inside, they also came in.
Yi Feng looked at Yi Heng, then at Gu Yan.
Only then did he finally realize—
His brother had actually brought Gu Yan home to meet their parents!
“Why didn’t anyone tell me beforehand…”
Yi Feng muttered unhappily.
He hadn’t prepared for this at all.
Now Gu Yan had seen him looking completely sloppy and disheveled at home.
What if Gu Yan went back and told Wang Zhiliang?
And Wang Zhiliang was a notorious blabbermouth.
Wouldn’t his lifelong reputation be completely ruined?!
*
Father Yi went into the kitchen to help his wife bring all the dishes to the table.
Once everyone had taken their seats, he spoke warmly.
“This is Xiao Yan’s first time visiting our home. Don’t be shy.”
“Help yourself to anything you’d like.”
Gu Yan looked at the table full of exquisite dishes worthy of a five-star restaurant and quietly brought out the gifts he had prepared for their first meeting.
In truth, Yi Heng had purchased all these gifts beforehand, carefully choosing them according to his parents’ preferences.
Father Yi and Mother Yi were so delighted that they couldn’t stop smiling.
“Xiao Yan, you’re far too polite!”
“Just coming to visit is enough. There was no need to bring gifts!”
Gu Yan felt a little embarrassed by all the praise.
After all, his only contribution had been carrying the gifts.
Yi Heng hadn’t allowed him to spend a single cent on them.
The more Yi Heng’s parents looked at Gu Yan, the more they liked him.
They immediately instructed the butler to place the gifts in the most prominent spot in the house.
They were also extremely pleased with Gu Yan himself.
In particular, his manners and behavior were completely different from the rumors circulating outside.
It was almost as though those rumors described an entirely different person.
A child as sensible and beautiful as Gu Yan, though a Beta, was far more impressive than many young Omega masters and ladies from wealthy, prestigious families.
“Xiao Yan.”
Halfway through lunch, Mother Yi gracefully set down her chopsticks and suddenly asked,
“Do you have any plans to get married this year?”
Gu Yan immediately choked on his fruit juice.
He and Yi Heng were only pretending to be a couple!
They weren’t even in a real relationship, so where had this talk of marriage come from?
Yi Feng couldn’t resist butting in.
“Nothing’s even settled yet. It’s way too early, Mom. What’s the rush?”
“You’re acting like my brother will stay single forever if he doesn’t get married this year.”
Father Yi shot Yi Feng a warning look.
Yi Feng reluctantly shut his mouth.
Meeting Mother Yi’s expectant gaze, Gu Yan’s face turned bright red.
He had no idea how to respond.
He nervously tightened his grip on his chopsticks.
Just then, he felt Yi Heng gently touch his hand.
“I’d like to wait until Gu Yan finishes his studies before considering marriage.”
Yi Heng spoke up to help him out of the awkward situation.
“You silly boy, you could still start planning ahead.”
Mother Yi knew her eldest son’s personality very well.
She understood that he was independent-minded and always arranged everything carefully, so she decided not to press the matter further.
“Oh, right!”
Mother Yi stood up and retrieved a small box from the cabinet behind her, smiling warmly.
“This is the gift we’ve prepared for Xiao Yan to welcome him into our home.”
The box was opened.
Everyone present, except Father Yi, froze in astonishment.
Inside was an incredibly valuable necklace, part of Mother Yi’s bridal dowry from years ago.
Its design was suitable for both men and women.
“Mom, you…”
This was only their first meeting!
Yet his parents were already treating Gu Yan this well?
Yi Feng was so jealous that he could practically grind his teeth to dust.
Mother Yi smiled at Yi Heng.
“Xiao Heng, help Xiao Yan try it on.”
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