1122 - Chapter 3

Jiang Yi had never experienced a love like this before, it was as if he had found his other half, the missing piece of his soul.

How could there be a younger boyfriend who understood him so well, whose words were so sweet, and who doted on him so much?

This was completely different from the relationships he had in college. Compared to the innocence and naivety of his campus days, the intense chemistry of adulthood, the raw honesty between two grown men, the perfect physical compatibility brought him immense joy.

With his boyfriend, he experienced pleasure like never before.

So much so that, in the depths of their love, they even tattooed each other’s names on their necks. Since they were both Alphas and could never mark each other, the tattoos became their substitute. Kissing the tattoo was their way of claiming one another.

This was their secret.

And his boyfriend was incredibly clingy, like a big puppy. Every night, he had to hold Jiang Yi, cuddle him, and sometimes even accompany him while he worked overtime. When Jiang Yi complained about Yan Nanchen, his boyfriend would listen attentively and join in the venting.

He was so well-behaved that Jiang Yi couldn’t help but call him “puppy.”

It was also the pet name he loved to murmur while caressing his boyfriend’s face during their most intimate moments. His boyfriend adored it, every time Jiang Yi called him that, he grew even more excited.

“Puppy” meant little pup, his treasure, his adorable younger boyfriend.

And his boyfriend was truly fascinating his favorite pastime was styling Jiang Yi. In his apartment, the walk-in closet was replenished weekly with new suits, shirts, leather shoes, cufflinks, all custom-made just for him.

Jiang Yi would often lean against the wardrobe, watching his boyfriend fuss over the outfits like a devoted spouse, meticulously coordinating colors and explaining how each piece would accentuate his figure and proportions.

Every time, Jiang Yi would tease, “Puppy, aren’t you afraid that if I dress this well, others will want me?”

His puppy would turn to him with the fierceness of a guard dog and growl, “Who dares? You’re mine.”

“You know, your taste is pretty similar to your brother’s. At least he doesn’t criticize me anymore.” Jiang Yi wrapped his arms around his boyfriend from behind. “Husband, you’re amazing.”

Yan Nanchen’s hand, holding a hanger, trembled almost imperceptibly. As he stared at the clothes he had prepared for Jiang Yi, a storm of complicated emotions swirled in his dark eyes. The sweetness and bitterness in his heart were separated by an impenetrable wall, forever unable to merge.

Utterly divided.

“Yi Yi.”

“Hmm?”

“How… how do you feel about Yan Nanchen now? Has he been giving you trouble lately?”

“Lately? No, I hardly see him. I’m swamped with Director Duan’s work, and now that the sex guide project has entered clinical trials, I have to report the progress to him daily.”

“I see.”

Sensing his boyfriend’s unusual mood, Jiang Yi cupped his face and turned him around. His brows were furrowed, as if burdened by something beyond his control. “Puppy, what’s wrong? Are you upset?”

Before he could say more, his boyfriend pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Yi Yi, we’ve been together for two months now. Do you want to meet my family?” Yan Nanchen thought to himself, he couldn’t keep living like this, torn between anxiety and fear. Maybe it was time to come clean.

Jiang Yi didn’t hesitate at all. He smiled and said, “I don’t want to.”

Yan Nanchen’s expression froze: “Why?”

“I think it’s too early, and can you guarantee we’ll make it to the end?” Jiang Yi considered himself a very realistic and rational person. Even though he had already experienced the dreamlike sensation of love with his boyfriend, it was precisely this fantasy that made him wary. “You’re the eldest son of Galaxy Group, a favored child of heaven. I’m just an ordinary person. There’s a chasm-like gap between us, worlds apart. Do you understand what I mean, puppy?”

“Do you care about social status matching?”

“Puppy, it’s not about whether I care or not. It’s that we’re not even at the stage to discuss this. We’re just dating right now, not talking about marriage. These are two different things, understand?”

Yan Nanchen felt his breath catch in his throat, leaving him with no control over this relationship with Jiang Yi. But he was serious his heart and eyes were completely filled with Jiang Yi. Yet he had shamelessly used his brother’s name to deceive Jiang Yi and even dared to fantasize about marriage.

He didn’t even have the courage to tell the truth, what right did he have to dream about the future?

Seeing his boyfriend hanging his head like a dejected big dog, Jiang Yi kissed his cheek to comfort him: “I’m not putting myself down, nor am I trying to widen the gap between us. Puppy, do you understand what I mean?”

“So you feel the time we’ve been together isn’t enough for you to decide to take the next step with me, is that it?” Yan Nanchen asked.

Jiang Yi nodded: “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

“What if we stay this good forever and ever?”

Meeting his boyfriend’s slightly reddened eyes this tall, strong man holding him with a pleading look as if about to cry Jiang Yi felt a pang in his heart. Why was he so rational in warning himself not to get lost in this fantasy? The truth was, the disparity between his status and Chu Beiheng’s was simply too vast.

But what if, as his boyfriend said, they stayed this good forever and ever?

He kissed his boyfriend and smiled: “If we stay this good forever and ever, then I’ll love you without hesitation. Even if others try to stop us, I’ll love you recklessly. I promise you that.”

I promise you.

Yan Nanchen’s eyes flickered. What should he do? He desperately wanted to say he would too. But how could he say it? Whose name could he use to make this promise? Still his elder brother’s?

“And what about you, Chu Beiheng? If we stay this good forever and ever, would you go all out for me?”

The moment Chu Beiheng’s name was spoken, Yan Nanchen felt his heart being ruthlessly crushed by an invisible hand, the suffocating pain making it hard to breathe. Condemnation and self-loathing echoed wildly in his mind, cycling endlessly to berate him.

Are you worthy of answering this question?

What right do you have to make promises?

Do you have the face to go all out?

Yan Nanchen, you’re just a selfish liar.

He buried his face in Jiang Yi’s shoulder, suppressing the guilt in his heart. After a struggle, determination surfaced in his eyes: “Yi Yi, I promise. I’ll always be your puppy. Puppy will love you forever.”

Chu Beiheng might not be real, but puppy is.

Jiang Yi heard the choked-up tone in his boyfriend’s voice, the utter devotion and seriousness making him laugh. At this moment, he still didn’t understand what it meant, he thought it was just his boyfriend being earnest and fearful.

“Alright, let’s not talk about such serious topics. You promised to cook for me at noon,” he coaxed with a smile, leaning in to whisper by his boyfriend’s ear, “You promised to wear only an apron while cooking for me.”

“Mm.” Yan Nanchen struggled to suppress his anxious emotions, forcing a smile for Jiang Yi. “I’ll go make something delicious for you right now.”

Kitchen.

Jiang Yi sat at the kitchen island, resting his chin in his hands as he watched his boyfriend cook for him. His gaze lingered on the well-defined muscles of his upper body, barely concealed by the apron, athletic but not exaggerated, perfectly sculpted and undeniably sexy. The kind of body that looked lean in clothes but was all muscle underneath.

The black apron created an irresistible atmosphere. Every turn to grab an ingredient revealed the striking V-line beneath, a stark contrast against the gray sweatpants, creating an intense visual impact.

“Puppy,” Jiang Yi called out, his eyes brimming with adoration.

“What is it?” Yan Nanchen remained focused on his task.

“How are you so amazing? You have great taste, a sweet tongue, you can cook and bake, you give me massages, you know how to coax me, and you even know how to act spoiled.” Jiang Yi grinned. “These two months with you have spoiled me rotten. What would I do without you in the future?”

“So we’ll stay together forever and never separate,” Yan Nanchen said as he drained the pasta and began searing the steak.

“But what if… you stop liking me? Or if you have to enter an arranged marriage and leave me? Wouldn’t we have to separate then?” Jiang Yi’s eyes followed his boyfriend’s hands, completely unaware of how intently he was staring. “I refuse to be some secret lover.”

“Yi Yi, I will always love you.” Yan Nanchen flipped the steak, watching the crimson marbling darken. “No one can stop me from loving who I want. In my family, there’s no such thing as arranged marriages and even if there were, no one could force me into one. Besides, you’re my beloved, not some lover. If you’re willing, I’ll proudly introduce you to everyone.”

He would tell the whole world that Jiang Yi was the one he loved.

Don’t ask him how he could make such a firm decision in just two months.

Don’t ask because even he didn’t know. But he was absolutely certain.

His torment, his pain, his remorse they clung to him like vines, twisting and tangling, climbing wildly. As long as he kept silent, this struggle would linger in every breath he took. The deeper his love, the deeper his self-loathing.

“Really?” Jiang Yi sounded skeptical. Two months was that really enough to reach this level? But then he thought of Director Duan and realized it wasn’t entirely impossible.

Often, the smarter and more intelligent a person was, the more easily they fell into what they believed to be a rational love. Because they would soberly convince themselves, smoothing out the so-called logic of deep affection.

Seemed like he wasn’t smart enough.

“Really.” Yan Nanchen set the meal in front of Jiang Yi, resting his hands on the counter as he leaned down slightly to gaze at him. “Enjoy, baby.”

Jiang Yi noticed his boyfriend’s chest muscles subtly stretching the apron as he bent down. Biting his lower lip, he looked up to meet his boyfriend’s gaze. “Puppy, you’re making me consider whether to have lunch first or you first.”

Yan Nanchen raised an eyebrow and untied the apron strings behind his back. “Perhaps we can do both?”

Jiang Yi laughed. “You’re really too clever, always knowing exactly what I’m thinking. So can I sit on your lap while having lunch?”

“Of course.”

At this moment, they were just newly in love. All the rationality and reality they spoke of were merely words succumbing to passion was an instant thing, where was there time for excuses?

But time would indeed prove who was constantly making excuses in this love affair.

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