Chà Chà Novel

Gu Yan swore that this was, without a doubt, the hardest he had ever cried in his entire life.

The intense stimulation at the back of his neck sent electric sparks racing through the nerves in his brain. A sharp pain shot up from the base of his cervical spine, but before he could even process it, the sensation transformed into a maddening, tingling itch that spread across his skin.

Tears streamed silently from his eyes, one after another, completely beyond his control, as though he had lost the ability to hold them back.

He bit down hard on his lip, desperately trying to suppress any further sobs. His entire body trembled slightly under Yi Heng’s restraint.

The marking was almost complete.

Yi Heng froze for a moment. Lowering his gaze, he noticed that Gu Yan’s gland was swollen and red, nearly bitten to the point of bleeding. In an instant, his mind cleared.

He loosened his bite and lifted his canine teeth slightly, allowing them to rest gently inside Gu Yan’s gland. He also slowed the release of his pheromones considerably.

When the marking was finally complete, a conspicuous ring of teeth marks remained on the back of Gu Yan’s neck.

I made him cry.

The thought repeated itself inside Yi Heng’s head, echoing so loudly that it seemed to pound against his eardrums.

The instant Yi Heng withdrew his teeth, Gu Yan covered his neck with his hand. Breathing rapidly, he asked in a slightly nasal voice, “Can you let go of me now?”

“No. You won’t be able to stand,” Yi Heng replied.

“I can stand.”

Gu Yan tried to push him away, but there was so little strength left in his hands that the gesture looked more like a feeble attempt to tickle him.

Yet the moment Yi Heng released him, Gu Yan’s vision went black. He stumbled forward, nearly falling, but fortunately, Yi Heng reacted quickly and caught him in time.

“Careful,” Yi Heng said.

Gu Yan: “…”

Damn it. He really couldn’t stand!

How embarrassing!

Even after two months of recuperation, this body was still ridiculously weak. His legs felt like jelly, and only Yi Heng’s strength kept him upright. At that moment, his entire body was saturated with Yi Heng’s pheromone scent.

Instinctively, Yi Heng licked away the tiny traces of blood remaining on his canine teeth.

Gu Yan’s breathing trembled.

Only now did he finally realize that Yi Heng was a dangerous Alpha, too.

Yi Heng was usually so disciplined, so exceptionally self-controlled, and so emotionally stable that Gu Yan had almost forgotten the primitive Alpha instincts buried deep within him.

As natural dominators, Alphas possessed an exceptionally strong sense of territory and independence. They could easily overpower him and release pheromones powerful enough to make his knees buckle.

They were naturally combative. Once provoked, they could resort to extraordinary measures to force others into submission. Their sharp canine teeth could effortlessly pierce the tender flesh at the back of someone’s neck.

Yi Heng had simply suppressed those instincts for far too long.

And once they erupted, he would be even more terrifying than other Alphas.

Yi Heng stared at Gu Yan, taking in every trace of embarrassment, fear, and humiliation on his face.

Gu Yan’s jaw was tense with anxiety, and the corners of his eyes were swollen and red from the painful, tingling sensations. The sight had an extraordinarily powerful effect on Yi Heng.

He reached out and gently wiped away the remaining tears on Gu Yan’s cheeks with his rough fingertips.

This was too embarrassing. Gu Yan couldn’t even bring himself to look at him.

He turned his head away and clumsily rubbed his face with his arm.

“I’m fine.”

Yi Heng’s marking had suppressed the glandular disorder. Apart from some lingering swelling, Gu Yan’s gland no longer hurt at all.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t control my strength properly.”

Yi Heng clenched his fingers. The dampness of Gu Yan’s tears still lingered in his palm.

He realized that he couldn’t bear seeing Gu Yan cry.

Yi Heng rarely experienced such irrational emotions.

Ever since he had developed the ability to think independently, reason had always outweighed emotion.

Even when dealing with friends or relatives, he could maintain an extraordinary level of composure, far beyond that of an ordinary person. He was almost like an emotionless machine, capable only of efficiently solving problems and analyzing advantages and disadvantages.

But now, the reality was entirely different.

When he faced Gu Yan, the very instant he saw him cry, Yi Heng felt that he had done something wrong.

He didn’t need a single reason to condemn his own actions at that moment.

He did so without even the slightest hesitation.

Gu Yan’s eyelashes fluttered. He noticed two scratch marks on Yi Heng’s arm, left by his own hands, yet Yi Heng seemed completely unaware of them. Gu Yan swallowed with difficulty, his hoarse throat stinging as though a small knife had scraped across it.

“You… you should go outside first. I’ll be fine after resting for a while…”

Gu Yan gently pushed Yi Heng away, instinctively leaning backward to put a little distance between them.

Seeing that Gu Yan could finally stand steadily, Yi Heng released him.

“Alright.”

Just then, Gu Yan’s phone received a text message. It was from the man they had caught at the repair shop last time.

“This is a photo that person sent me before. I just remembered it and thought I should forward it to you.”

The photograph clearly showed a man’s hand. The skin was exceptionally fair, obviously belonging to someone who had lived a comfortable, privileged life. On the inner side of the left wrist, near the artery, was a tiny black mole.

After everything that had happened today, Gu Yan was far too exhausted to think about it any further. He saved the photograph, leaned back against the headboard, and let all the strength drain from his body.

The next day, the very first thing Wang Zhiliang said upon seeing Gu Yan was:

“Yan Zi, were you alright last night? Yi Heng didn’t say anything, did he? Why are your eyes so swollen?”

Every single question struck a nerve.

Gu Yan was already furious, and now he could no longer restrain himself. He grabbed Wang Zhiliang by the back of his shirt.

Their little boat of friendship capsized in an instant!

Wang Zhiliang had witnessed Gu Yan’s fighting skills before. As he desperately dodged, he began howling at the top of his lungs.

“I was wrong! Yan Zi, I swear I’ll never abandon you and run off alone again! Not the face! Don’t hit my face!”

Gu Yan’s voice shot up in disbelief.

“You’re actually planning on there being a next time?!”

Although Yi Feng had no idea what had happened, he absolutely loved watching a good commotion.

He stood happily to the side, sipping his drink while enjoying the spectacle of Gu Yan beating up Wang Zhiliang.

Halfway through, Gu Yan’s hat slipped sideways.

Yi Feng accidentally caught sight of the bite marks on the back of Gu Yan’s neck.

Yi Feng’s first reaction: “…”

Yi Feng took another couple of looks: “???”

He immediately craned his neck, his eyes widening as far as they possibly could.

He was utterly dumbfounded.

Holy shit! Wasn’t Gu Yan a Beta?

Was his brother really that fierce?

He even bit a Beta?!

Yi Feng imagined his perpetually stern, unsmiling older brother dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, forcefully pinning someone down and biting them without giving them any chance to refuse…

Damn it!

That was ridiculously sexy!

And so intense!

After Gu Yan and Wang Zhiliang finished arguing, Gu Yan turned around, only to notice that Yi Feng’s face had inexplicably turned a little red.

Wang Zhiliang irritably bumped into Yi Feng.

“Seriously? You didn’t even come help me, and now you’re blushing? What the hell are you blushing for?”

Yi Feng gave Gu Yan a complicated look that lingered for two seconds before rolling his eyes at Wang Zhiliang.

“Get lost!”

Wang Zhiliang was thick-skinned and sturdy. Gu Yan’s punches barely hurt him at all, but he still insisted on acting as though he had suffered a terrible injury.

“Yan Zi, when you really think about it, you can’t blame me for what happened last night. How was I supposed to know that you and Yi Feng’s brother…”

Wang Zhiliang ran a hand through his hair and pouted.

“You never told me anything. And here I was, firmly believing all those rumors going around were complete nonsense.”

Gu Yan gave him another halfhearted kick.

But the very next second…

“Yan Zi, is dating Yi Heng fun?”

Gu Yan immediately regretted not kicking him harder.

“Shut up.”

“Don’t leave, Yan Zi!”

As though he had discovered an entirely new continent, Wang Zhiliang stuck closely to Gu Yan.

“Come on, tell me about it! It’s not every day your taste in men finally becomes normal. As someone from your side of the family, what’s wrong with me showing a little concern?”

Gu Yan abruptly stopped walking when he heard the words “your side of the family.”

He stared at Wang Zhiliang, looking as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the words. His tightly pressed lips suggested he was trying to decide exactly how to curse him out.

However, looking at Wang Zhiliang’s hopelessly clueless expression, Gu Yan swallowed the words that had already reached the tip of his tongue.

He abandoned Wang Zhiliang and walked straight ahead with his head lowered.

Forget it. There was no point explaining anything to Wang Zhiliang.

The more he tried to explain, the more confusing things would become.

A few days later, a grand charity gala was scheduled to take place, and Gu Yan had also received an invitation.

However, since his surname was Gu, he had to attend alongside Gu Chengjing and the rest of the Gu family.

It had been quite some time since Gu Yan last saw Gu Chengjing, and the man had changed so much that he was almost unrecognizable.

In the past, Gu Chengjing loved showing off, but his limited financial resources meant that everything he wore looked outdated and utterly tasteless.

This time, however, he had undergone a complete transformation.

An expensive, custom-tailored suit stretched tightly around his beer belly, its buttons looking as though they might burst open at any moment.

His hair had been meticulously styled, and the watch on his wrist had been replaced with a new, extremely expensive one.

The calculating caution that once lingered in his eyes whenever he looked at Gu Yan had vanished, replaced by the arrogance and smug satisfaction of a petty man who had suddenly come into fortune.

Even the necklace hanging around Shen Yan’s neck was worth three times as much as the one she used to wear.

With her chin raised high, she linked her arm through Gu Chengjing’s and didn’t spare Gu Yan so much as a glance.

The two of them seemed determined to flaunt their newfound wealth in front of Gu Yan, deliberately strolling past him every now and then before their departure.

Gu Yan sat on the sofa, scrolling through his phone. No matter how hard they tried to attract his attention, he never once looked up.

He remembered that his subordinate had previously reported someone secretly resolving Gu Chengjing’s financial troubles.

It seemed Gu Chengjing had found himself a powerful backer.

Judging by how smug the couple looked now, Gu Yan suspected that this mysterious influential figure was still supporting the Gu family, or perhaps there was some kind of mutually beneficial exchange taking place between them.

“Come on, come on! It’s time to leave!” Gu Chengjing called out loudly.

Gu Xingxing was also dressed exquisitely today.

However, standing in front of Gu Yan, he still couldn’t bring himself to hold his head high.

Those expensive designer clothes could satisfy Gu Chengjing and Shen Yan’s vanity, but they did absolutely nothing to heal his wounded self-esteem.

He couldn’t understand what his parents were so happy about.

Once they arrived at the gala, in the eyes of high society, he would still be nothing more than an illegitimate son who didn’t truly belong among them.

No matter how much effort he had put into becoming outstanding, those people would still rather associate with Gu Yan, whose reputation had been completely ruined, than acknowledge him.

And reality proved Gu Xingxing right.

When the Gu family arrived at the charity gala, the other guests merely gave them indifferent glances before returning to their conversations.

Shen Yan tried several times to join the circles of wealthy ladies and strike up conversations, but no one paid her any attention.

Everyone there knew perfectly well that Shen Yan was a mistress who had climbed into a man’s bed to elevate her social standing.

Gu Yan instinctively searched the crowd for Yi Heng.

At an important event like this, the Yi family would undoubtedly be the center of everyone’s attention.

Sure enough, Yi Heng was standing in the distance, holding a wineglass while conversing with a man whose refined and distinguished bearing was every bit as impressive as his own.

Gu Yan found Wang Zhiliang and asked, “Who’s that?”

Wang Zhiliang, who had been busy boasting to his friends, nearly jumped out of his skin.

Following Gu Yan’s gaze, he drew in a sharp breath.

“Huh. I don’t know either.”

“That’s my uncle by marriage.”

Yi Feng made his way through the bustling crowd toward them, his gaze settling on Gu Yan.

Gu Yan had exceptionally well-proportioned features and a slender, balanced figure. Dressed in a white suit, the sharpness of his facial features was softened, making his black hair and overall appearance seem unusually gentle. He even gave people the mistaken impression that he was well-behaved and obedient.

However, what truly caught Yi Feng’s attention was the cufflink on Gu Yan’s sleeve. His brother was wearing something remarkably similar today.

Noticing Yi Feng’s gaze, Gu Yan raised his hand.

“Are you looking at this? Yi Heng gave it to me this morning.”

Gu Yan had been a little surprised when he received the gift earlier that morning. The cufflink shimmered with tiny, starlike sparkles and was incredibly beautiful.

Realization suddenly dawned on Yi Feng.

So that was it!

No wonder they looked so similar. They were a matching couple’s set!

Just then, a sudden, sharp cry rang out nearby.

“Ah!”

Gu Yan turned his head and saw that Gu Xingxing had somehow wandered over and collided with a tall young man.

Gu Yan narrowed his eyes, recognizing the young man immediately.

He had seen his photograph while investigating the internal personnel of the Yi Group.

His name was Du Ting.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Gu Xingxing rubbed his nose and apologized in a panic.

He had originally been heading toward Yi Feng, but an unfamiliar man had suddenly appeared in his path. Unable to dodge in time, he had crashed straight into him.

Du Ting adjusted his glasses and reached out to steady Gu Xingxing, who had lost his balance.

“It’s alright. Are you hurt?” he asked gently.

It was precisely this movement that made Gu Yan’s eyes widen in an instant.

Under the bright lights, he saw a black mole on the inner side of Du Ting’s wrist.

Gu Xingxing hadn’t expected the young man’s voice to be so gentle, and a faint blush rose to his cheeks.

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

Then, desperate to escape the awkward situation, he hurriedly searched for something else to say.

“Um… do you know where the restroom is?”

Du Ting pointed in a direction.

“Go straight ahead, then turn right when you reach the end.”

Gu Xingxing gave him a grateful smile.

“Thank you!”

“Hey, Yan Zi, have you gone stupid?”

Wang Zhiliang nudged Gu Yan.

Ever since the collision, Gu Yan had been wearing a grave expression, staring fixedly at the same spot.

Gu Yan snapped back to his senses.

“It’s nothing.”

He withdrew his gaze and turned back toward Wang Zhiliang and the others, but the relaxed mood he had arrived with was clearly gone.

While listening to everyone chatting and laughing, he silently took out his phone and opened his photo gallery.

The color and position of the mole on the wrist in the photograph were exactly the same as those on Du Ting’s wrist.

Gu Yan’s fingertip slid across the screen before his grip on the phone gradually tightened.

He looked toward Du Ting again.

Every gesture the man made was graceful and appropriate. The smile on his lips was perfectly measured, and he conversed effortlessly with the businessmen around him.

At first glance, he appeared to be nothing more than a polite, modest, and friendly newcomer to the business world.

But the friendlier Du Ting appeared, the more a chill crept through Gu Yan’s heart.

The ominous feeling growing inside him only became stronger.

The thought that such a dangerous person had been hiding right beside Yi Heng, so close to him all this time, filled Gu Yan with inexplicable panic.

He had to warn Yi Heng as soon as possible.

Making an excuse, Gu Yan slipped away from Wang Zhiliang and the others.

He wanted to tell Yi Heng immediately.

However, Yi Heng seemed unable to get away at the moment.

He had only just finished speaking with his uncle by marriage when a man and a woman approached him.

The man had a large, protruding belly, and the young woman following behind him was probably his daughter.

Gu Yan declined the glass of wine offered by a waiter and stood off to the side, watching with a frown.

Ever since the young woman greeted Yi Heng, her eyes hadn’t left him for even a second, as though her gaze had taken root in him.

While the man conversed with Yi Heng, the young woman thoughtfully swirled the wineglass in her hand, causing the liquid inside to sway back and forth.

Then came a startled cry.

“Oh!”

The wine spilled across Yi Heng’s chest, soaking the front of his suit.

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention. Let me clean that up for you right away.”

Clutching a handkerchief in her delicate hand, the young woman nervously began wiping Yi Heng’s chest.

Gu Yan’s tightly furrowed brows lifted slightly, and the fingers hanging at his sides twitched.

Why did everyone seem so fond of staging these little accidents just to get close to someone?

This girl’s acting wasn’t even half as convincing as Gu Xingxing’s.

“Tsk…”

Gu Yan pressed the tip of his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

Suddenly, he felt incredibly irritated.

It was as though something had lodged itself in his chest, leaving him feeling unbearably stifled.