[ABO] The Despised One Becomes an Internet Sensation After Marriage - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Li Xi made sure to close the door on his way out.

The vast office suddenly felt quiet and empty.

“When did you get here?” Fu Shiyan asked first, sitting down across from Xu Zhimian.

“Not long ago.” Xu Zhimian got straight to the point. “I’ll leave as soon as I get my phone back.”

Fu Shiyan’s hand paused while pouring water. Did Xu Zhimian really not want to spend a single moment in the same room as him? It seemed his hasty confession this morning had spooked him.

“No rush.”

Xu Zhimian frowned. “I am in a rush.”

“In that case,” Fu Shiyan said, his expression unchanging, “kiss me, and I’ll give it back to you immediately.”

“…” Xu Zhimian looked at him. There wasn’t much expression on Fu Shiyan’s face; his tone was casual, almost indifferent, as if the awkwardness of having a confession rejected didn’t exist. It felt as if his own attitude didn’t matter much to the man.

Xu Zhimian gripped his water cup tightly. After a moment, he set it down and stood up. “If you won’t give it back, fine. I’m leaving.”

Fu Shiyan raised an eyebrow from the sofa but didn’t say a word to stop him. He stayed absolutely silent.

Xu Zhimian’s body tensed. He bit his lower lip. This behavior was far too easy for Fu Shiyan to read. Before he could take two steps, he was yanked back by Fu Shiyan and ended up sitting right on his lap.

Fu Shiyan’s hands locked around his waist. He looked down, a hint of a smile floating in his eyes. “Are you angry?”

He lightly brushed his finger against the corner of Xu Zhimian’s eye. “Getting angry won’t help. The phone isn’t on me.”

Xu Zhimian snapped his head up to look at him, scowling. “Then why did you tell me to come here?”

“I said it wasn’t on me. I didn’t say it wasn’t here.”

A rare surge of genuine anger bubbled up in Xu Zhimian. He swung a heavy punch into Fu Shiyan’s shoulder. “Is messing with me fun?!”

He used his full strength; it was clear he was truly upset.

Fu Shiyan let out a muffled grunt, but his lips curled into a silent smile. “I didn’t realize you were this fierce. The phone is charging. I’ll give it back when it’s full.”

Xu Zhimian threw him another icy glare. “Let go of me!”

Fu Shiyan kept his hands firmly on Xu Zhimian’s waist. After several failed attempts to break free, Xu Zhimian leaned in and bit Fu Shiyan’s shoulder hard, not holding back at all.

Fu Shiyan hissed in pain.

Ironically, after the bite, it was Xu Zhimian’s eyes that turned red. He buried his face in the crook of Fu Shiyan’s neck and muttered muffledly, “…Fu Shiyan, you are really annoying. You don’t even like me, so why did you confess?”

He lifted his head, eyes bloodshot. “Is it out of pity? Or is it because I really look just like him?”

This time, it was Fu Shiyan who froze. “Why would you think that?”

He cupped Xu Zhimian’s face, his dark, deep eyes filled with sincerity. “What I told you this morning wasn’t a whim. That day you told me about your experience with Jiang Xiaocheng… do you know? What I felt wasn’t pity, it was heartache.”

Xu Zhimian stared at him unblinkingly. “Heartache isn’t love.”

Fu Shiyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “You’re right. Heartache isn’t love. But what I feel for you is a mixture of much more than that.”

“Possessiveness, the urge to protect, desire, and responsibility all tangled together. I think that is what love is.”

Just like when he saw him again at Victoria after returning to the country—on the surface he was unmoved, but in reality, his heart was already in an uproar. He was angry at Xu Zhimian’s self-abandonment, and even angrier seeing him smiling and chatting with others. He couldn’t stand anyone else touching Xu Zhimian, to the point where he couldn’t stop himself from giving him a room card again.

He told himself it was the “last time.” Even back then, things were already wrong.

Xu Zhimian’s heart raced. Their distance was closer than ever; he could clearly see the movement of Fu Shiyan’s throat and feel the burning heat of his palms. For once, the distance between their hearts felt incredibly small.

But—

“I don’t want to be anyone’s substitute.”

He tilted his head toward Fu Shiyan until their noses touched. His gaze drifted to the Alpha’s thin lips, and he pressed a finger against Fu Shiyan’s heart. “When you said those words, were you thinking of me, or him?”

A faint look of confusion appeared on Fu Shiyan’s face. “Who is ‘he’?”

He’s still asking who?

Xu Zhimian’s teeth clenched, his eyes reddening. “Is there any need to play dumb?”

This genuinely stumped the CEO. He arched an eyebrow. “Oh? Why don’t you tell me.”

Xu Zhimian’s face was now full of grievance. He bit his lip and said heavily, “Your first love.”

Fu Shiyan froze for two seconds, and then, a low chuckle escaped him.

They were so close that the sound of Fu Shiyan’s laughter felt like it was in 3D surround sound around his ears, making his heart tingle. He snapped irritably, “What are you laughing at?”

Fu Shiyan’s smile didn’t fade. He wrapped his hand around the finger Xu Zhimian had pressed to his chest. “Hmm… my first love? Where did you hear this gossip?”

Xu Zhimian’s eyes widened slightly. “Go-gossip?”

Fu Shiyan’s nose brushed against his cheek, cool and ticklish. “Mm. I’ve never dated anyone.”

Xu Zhimian froze instantly.

“Then you and Qi Qingran…”

At the mention of “Qi Qingran,” Fu Shiyan’s face darkened, and his brow furrowed deeply. “Did someone say something to you?”

He didn’t intentionally lower his voice, and combined with his sharp features, his somber expression was quite intimidating. Tears welled up in Xu Zhimian’s eyes. “And you still say you didn’t date him? If you didn’t, why such a big reaction?”

Xu Zhimian was truly heartbroken now. His eyes were rimmed with red. Only then did Fu Shiyan realize he had been too harsh. A rare look of panic flickered across his face. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

Fu Shiyan pulled Xu Zhimian into a tight embrace, resting his chin on the Omega’s soft, fluffy hair. He coaxed him gently, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so mean.”

Xu Zhimian buried his face in the Alpha’s chest, his voice trembling and muffled. “You lied to me. I hate you.”

That oil painting Jin Se hid in the box, the passcode that hadn’t changed for years… he didn’t believe they had never been together.

“Listen to me,” Fu Shiyan said, kissing his hair. “I was never with Qi Qingran. My mother and his parents were old family friends. Qi Qingran’s parents and my parents died in the same car accident. My grandfather had Qi Qingran adopted into Uncle Jiang’s household to be raised. We grew up together. We are only family and friends.”

“If you’re just family and friends, why would he send a painting like that? And what about 0413 in your passcode? What day is that?” Xu Zhimian’s voice was muffled but loud.

“The painting?” Fu Shiyan addressed the first question. He thought for a moment and said, “You actually found that.”

“That painting was handed to me by Uncle Jiang, but I never opened it. As for that passcode,” Fu Shiyan smiled silently, “that was the day I first saw you.”

Xu Zhimian’s heart jolted. He looked up abruptly. “What do you mean? Our first meeting wasn’t in June…”

He stopped himself. During the compatibility quiz on the show 21 Days, Fu Shiyan had written that their first meeting was at “Jiangnan Nightscape.” It was the place where he had worked as a singer during his freshman year—he had worked there for seven months, from November to May.

Fu Shiyan rubbed his hair. “The first time I saw you was at Jiangnan Nightscape.”

Back then, he had a meeting with Huo Chengyuan’s brother, Huo Chengjiang, to discuss a partnership. As they came down the spiral staircase, Fu Shiyan first heard the sound of a piano. Most music at Jiangnan Nightscape was folk, with singers usually using guitars for accompaniment.

It was the first time Fu Shiyan had heard someone using a piano. He glanced at Xu Zhimian casually, not thinking much of it, but Huo Chengjiang seemed extremely interested.

“This is my new hire. This Omega really sings well; a lot of people can’t forget him after hearing him once. Today happens to be his performance of an original song. President Fu, why don’t we sit down and listen?”

Fu Shiyan wasn’t interested in listening to songs. He was swamped with company issues, and Qi Qingran had just impulsively chosen a political marriage with the Gu family, causing the old man to be furious and pressure him daily. He was being squeezed from both sides and had no time for “refined” pursuits.

But Huo Chengjiang had made the offer. Huo Chengjiang had come to City A a few years prior and had established a formidable foothold in a short time. If Glory could partner with him, it could turn their current situation around. He couldn’t snub him.

The first floor was packed. It seemed the singer was indeed popular; some people had even brought light boards and glow sticks. It looked like a mini-concert. Huo Chengjiang took him to the best viewing spot on the second floor.

Looking down, he could only see half of Xu Zhimian’s profile. His eyelashes were long and thick, the curve of his face was delicate, and his neck was slender. His exposed skin was very white, and his frame was thin—he looked like a very fragile Omega.

Fu Shiyan lit a cigarette. He had never been interested in fragile Omegas.

Xu Zhimian tested the notes. After a moment, he played a slow prelude—long and continuous. At a certain point, he began to sing. Despite looking fragile, his voice was powerful but not sharp; it was clear, like a mountain spring flowing down.

Fu Shiyan blew out a smoke ring. The tone was good.

The noisy hall downstairs gradually went silent as girls held up their phones to record. Fu Shiyan put out his cigarette. When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted.

Huo Chengjiang didn’t understand artistic songs; he just thought it sounded good and made him look good, so he turned to Fu Shiyan proudly. “What do you think?”

Fu Shiyan wasn’t there. He looked at the sofa behind them and saw Fu Shiyan sitting there with his eyes closed, taking a nap.

When asked, Fu Shiyan opened his eyes slightly. “Mm. It helps with sleep.”

It was the truth. Fu Shiyan had suffered from insomnia for weeks, but listening to that song had actually made him drowsy. Before leaving, he asked Huo Chengjiang for the recording and the song title.

“Let me think… I think it was called ‘Long something Rain’.”

“Rain After a Long Drought?” Fu Shiyan finished.

Huo Chengjiang: “Yes, yes! That singer is a college student after all; he chose such a poetic and high-level name.”

Fu Shiyan nodded in agreement. “Mm.” It was indeed very poetic.

That day, the villa had just had its locks installed. When setting the code, he instinctively added that day’s date—0413—after 0907. It has never changed since.

“You aren’t a substitute for anyone. You don’t look like anyone else.”

As Fu Shiyan spoke, Xu Zhimian’s hand against his chest could clearly feel the vibration of his voice. After a long while, he realized the truth, and a visible blush crept over his face.

It turned out… the “breakup date” he had been jealous of for so long was actually the date of their first meeting. And Fu Shiyan had noticed him even earlier than he had realized.