After Entering a Contract Marriage with a Disabled Alpha - Chapter 13

Qin Shen had difficulty walking, so the small steps between the halls in the house had been remodeled into gentle slopes. There was also an elevator that went directly to the second and third floors.

The smooth, reflective walls of the elevator caught Qin Shen’s stern profile. Pei Yu pushed the back of the wheelchair, the lingering flush on his face still visible in the reflection.

Raising his gaze, he realized that Qin Shen seemed to be watching him through the elevator’s mirrored surface.

“Are we really… sleeping together?” Pei Yu’s lips parted slightly, his palms gripping the handles damp with a thin layer of sweat.

“In the living room just now, didn’t you agree quite readily in front of Grandfather?” Qin Shen asked with a teasing smile.

Pei Yu muttered under his breath, “That’s because you told Grandfather we fell in love at first sight.”

“Do you believe everything Grandfather says?”

Pei Yu froze, not quite grasping the implication. Just as he was about to ask, the elevator doors opened with a ding.

To muffle the sound of the wheelchair, the second-floor hallway was carpeted. It wasn’t the high-friction kind; it was smooth, firm, and decorated with a beautiful diamond pattern.

As he pushed Qin Shen past each room, Qin Shen gave a brief introduction of their purposes.

Aside from several bedrooms, there was a gaming room Qin Yiyang frequently used, a home theater, a billiards and board game room, and a room dedicated to collecting jerseys, sneakers, and motorcycle models. There were the rooms Qin Shen frequented: the study, the gym, and the conference room. Then there were Grandpa Qin’s favorites: a tea room, an art studio, a private library, and rooms for antique porcelain and various collectibles.

Pei Yu listened in a daze, his head spinning.

“You can enter any of these rooms, but if you go to play in Grandfather’s collection rooms, be a bit careful.”

“Otherwise, if you break the porcelain inside, he’ll cry.”

“…” Pei Yu found it hard to imagine Grandpa Qin wailing.

He immediately shook his head. “I won’t go into those dangerous places. If I really broke one, I couldn’t afford to pay it back even if I sold myself.”

Qin Shen frowned slightly. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard Pei Yu say something like that. He tilted his head slightly, his tone becoming somewhat stern.

“Those things are inanimate objects. You are precious. To me at least, those things can never compare to you.”

“Don’t say things like that in the future, do you understand?”

“Oh…” Seeing Qin Shen’s serious expression, Pei Yu nodded obediently.

Although he didn’t quite understand why Qin Shen seemed faintly angry, the feeling of being cherished and valued felt good.

Back in junior high, he couldn’t find any formal part-time jobs and mostly worked in the service industry where customers’ attitudes varied wildly. Pei Yu had heard demeaning words from bosses and customers more than once.

“Then I won’t say it anymore.”

Pei Yu lightly poked the shoulder blade visible beneath Qin Shen’s suit jacket. “Don’t be mad at me.”

Qin Shen knit his brows, raising his sharp, smooth jawline. “I’m not angry.”

“Yes, yes, you’re not angry.” Pei Yu pointed to the furrow between Qin Shen’s brows. “Then relax this part.”

Qin Shen: “…”

He smoothed his brow, his ears turning imperceptibly red.

After the tour, they returned to the bedroom doors. Seeing that Pei Yu truly intended to follow him for a nap, Qin Shen reminded him: “Do you really want to stay with me?”

“Actually, Grandfather lied to you just now. I never said those things.”

“Huh?” Pei Yu was shocked.

“I didn’t expect you to admit to it so cleverly.” A faint smile tugged at the corners of Qin Shen’s lips.

Pei Yu: “!”

He grumbled, “How can Grandfather be like that?” He was like an old prankster. He had lied so convincingly that Pei Yu had even brainstormed the reasons why Qin Shen would say they fell at first sight, creating a perfectly closed loop of logic in his own head.

“Want to see your room?” Qin Shen guided Pei Yu and opened the door to a specially prepared bedroom.

As the door swung open, the faint scent of roses drifted toward his nose.

Looking inside, this bedroom was even larger than Lin Shuxing’s back at the Lin house. It was a classic, elegant Chinese vintage style; the vast areas of rosewood color highlighted a sense of dignified stability without being oppressive.

Various pieces of furniture were arranged in the spacious area, the most eye-catching being the large bed in the center. The silk duvet cover was embroidered with patterns in gold thread, and a bouquet of roses sat by the head of the bed.

A few meters away from the bed was the window. The white sheer curtains were being lifted by the wind, rustling against the desk and chairs. Nearby, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf stood against the wall, already filled with leisure books suitable for a young person.

“Through here is the walk-in closet. Aunt Zhou already had people prepare clothes for all four seasons. The pajamas are hanging here.”

“The bottom drawers have underwear and socks. There are also a few simple wristwatches and perfumes here.”

“Inside here are suppressants, scent-blocking patches, bracelets, and collars. See which ones you prefer using.”

“I didn’t buy too many. Tell me if there’s anything you like in the future, and we can add to it slowly.”

Noticing Pei Yu dazing out, Qin Shen waved a hand in front of the boy’s face. “Snap out of it.”

“Everything is prepared so thoroughly?” Pei Yu was a bit surprised.

In the Lin family, although he had moved into Lin Shuxing’s old bedroom, he never felt the slightest urge to decorate it. He knew that one day he would leave; the Lin house was just a temporary residence, not his home.

Stepping onto the soft carpet, Pei Yu scanned the rose-themed items scattered throughout the room, his heart fluttering slightly.

“You’ll live here from now on. I won’t keep you from your nap. School starts tomorrow, so rest well today.”

Qin Shen turned his wheelchair to leave the room, but the “little tail” behind him kept following.

He thought Pei Yu just wanted to see his room.

His room layout was similar to Pei Yu’s, but the decor was colder and more minimalist. The bedding was gray, and the books on the shelves were all professional texts related to his industry.

After a quick look around, he saw that Pei Yu still hadn’t left.

“Hm? Not going back to your room?” Qin Shen asked.

Pei Yu held the handle of his suitcase, swaying it twice as he met the dark eyes beneath the man’s prominent brow bone.

“I… I think I’ll still sleep with you.” Pei Yu lowered his head. Proposing this caused a faint blush to spread across the side of his neck.

Noticing that the gaze Qin Shen fixed on him was growing darker, he quickly explained: “About the content of the agreement… I think in the short term, I might not be able to do anything with you beyond…”

“Beyond kissing.”

“But holding hands and hugging… I can do that.”

Pei Yu blinked his clear eyes and, in front of Qin Shen, said something that Qin Shen found hilarious.

“We’re just going to hug and sleep together. I trust that Mr. Qin won’t have any… thoughts about me.”

The two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.

Finally, Qin Shen’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He raised a hand and beckoned. “Lean down here for a moment.”

Pei Yu blinked and leaned over, immediately smelling the intensifying scent of cool cedar pheromones coming from the man.

“Thank you for trusting me,” Qin Shen whispered, his thin lips close to the boy’s ear.

“However—” Qin Shen suddenly placed his hand on the back of the boy’s neck. Beneath the scent-patch lay the Omega’s soft gland.

“Even I don’t trust myself, you know?”

When the back of his neck was lightly squeezed, Pei Yu’s body tensed. He almost jumped; a bolt of electricity surged from the base of his spine upward.

Pei Yu’s eyes shimmered with a thin mist, and the red mole at the corner of his left eye seemed to grow more vivid.

“Then…” Pei Yu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of fear.

The hand covering his neck finally let go, and Pei Yu let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

“I can control myself.”

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t have thoughts about you. Understood?”

“U-Understood.” Pei Yu’s face was flushed with shame.

Qin Shen curled his lips. “If you don’t mind, we can hug and sleep together.”

It was Pei Yu’s turn to choose. His head felt dizzy as he opened his lips: “Then, can I try it out first?”

“Try it out…?” Qin Shen lowered his head, hiding a chuckle behind his hand.

Pei Yu’s face turned bright red. “Is that not allowed?”

If he couldn’t handle it, he would immediately run to the room opposite to sleep!!!

“It’s allowed. Let’s try it then.” Qin Shen loosened his tie with a slight flex of his fingers and took off his jacket before getting onto the bed.

Pei Yu took off his shoes and climbed in from the other side.

The bed was very wide. Once Pei Yu lay down, he was a great distance away from Qin Shen, as if there was a vast boundary between them.

“If you want to try it, you can move a bit closer,” Qin Shen said.

Pei Yu licked his lips like a wary little animal, moving bit by bit toward the “scary” Alpha who supposedly coveted his neck.

Just as he was moving at a snail’s pace, a hand slid beneath the small of his back. With a gentle pull, Pei Yu rolled right into the man’s embrace. Through the thin fabric of their shirts, his back pressed against Qin Shen’s chest. As the warmth transferred between them, Pei Yu froze, not daring to move an inch.

“Relax. I’m just holding you,” Qin Shen said.

Pei Yu let out a shy, soft “Mm.”

The nap was mostly an excuse; having slept so long in the car, he wasn’t actually tired. His spine remained stiff, but after tens of seconds passed and he realized Qin Shen truly wasn’t going to do anything troubling, Pei Yu slowly relaxed.

I’ll have to get used to this kind of contact eventually, Pei Yu thought to himself.

He had no idea that his vulnerable nape was completely exposed to the Alpha’s burning gaze. Qin Shen’s long lashes drooped as he stared at the scent-blocking patch. It wasn’t the little kitten sticker he had given Pei Yu earlier; it was a little rabbit, likely one Pei Yu had put on himself later.

The sticker was crumpled and wrinkled, probably because Pei Yu had to reach behind his own head to apply it. Taking advantage of the fact that Pei Yu couldn’t see him, Qin Shen’s gaze became predatory. He stared at the curve of the neck so close to him; with just a slight increase in his breathing, he could capture the faint scent of wild roses.

Perhaps the gaze from behind was too hot, because Pei Yu felt like his neck was about to catch fire. Yet, he convinced himself it was just his imagination—after all, Mr. Qin wasn’t doing anything. Their upper bodies were close, but their legs were kept completely apart.

The atmosphere became heavy and warm. The tips of Pei Yu’s ears turned red as he whispered, “Mr. Qin…”

“Not calling me ‘Brother’ anymore?” A husky, teasing voice came from behind.

Pei Yu’s eyelashes trembled. Flushed with shame, he unconsciously clenched his fists against his chest. “You and Grandpa teamed up to lie to me, and now you’re laughing at me,” he protested softly.

“I admit my fault. How should you punish me?”

Qin Shen lay on his side, his right arm pinned beneath Pei Yu. His other hand rested lightly on the boy, not dare to pull him closer for fear of scaring him. The person in his arms felt incredibly soft; Qin Shen desperately wanted to hold him tight, but knowing that would be overstepping, he merely tightened his own fist.

How to punish him? Pei Yu couldn’t think of anything for the moment. “I’ll tell you once I’ve thought of it.”

“That works.”

After a while, Pei Yu gradually adapted to the experience of being in close proximity to an Alpha. He didn’t know what was going through Qin Shen’s mind; from the man’s outward behavior, he seemed like a perfect gentleman.

A few minutes later, the relaxed Pei Yu wanted to ask about Qin Shen’s parents. He turned around, only to come face-to-face with eyes as dark as ink. His heart skipped a beat, and his words took a sharp turn. “Are you not asleep yet?”

“You aren’t either,” Qin Shen said.

“I’m not that sleepy,” Pei Yu replied. As he spoke, his breath brushed against Qin Shen’s lips. Startled, Pei Yu immediately flipped back over.

Qin Shen suppressed the laughter bubbling in his throat. If he laughed now, Pei Yu would likely be too embarrassed to stay. In the warmth of the afternoon, the two eventually drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 14

Qin Shen was woken by his phone. He turned off the alarm and checked his messages—it was time to handle some work. He glanced sideways and saw that the sleeping Pei Yu had grown much bolder; the boy had tucked his face and legs right up against him without a hint of fear.

Qin Shen paused, then carefully extracted his arm, which had been pinned under Pei Yu all afternoon. His arm was completely numb. He let out a soft hiss of discomfort, and when Pei Yu let out a few sleepy mumbles, Qin Shen froze instantly, afraid of waking him. Knowing that a newly differentiated Omega needed plenty of rest, Qin Shen exited the room as quietly as possible.

Outside, he ran into Qin Shuo coming out of the tea room.

“Is Xiao Yu still napping?” Qin Shuo asked.

Qin Shen nodded. “Yes. He differentiated recently, so he needs more sleep.”

“Heh, see? I’m the reliable one. One trick and I got Xiao Yu to agree to share a room with you.”

“Oh, about that—I told him. He knows.”

Qin Shuo blinked. “Knows what?”

Qin Shen said flatly, “He knows you lied to him.”

Qin Shuo: “…”

“So, is he moving to the room across from yours?” Qin Shuo looked at his grandson, who seemed completely unhurried. “You don’t know the first thing about chasing someone. If we wait for you to act on your own, it’ll take forever.”

Qin Shen remained noncommittal. “There’s no rush. Besides…”

“Besides what?”

“He’s still young.”

By the time Pei Yu woke up, it was 3:00 PM. He moved his suitcase to the opposite room and quickly organized his clothes. He went downstairs to ask Aunt Zhou where Qin Shen was, and learning that he was working in the study, Pei Yu decided not to disturb him. Facing Grandpa Qin alone felt a bit awkward, so he was relieved when Qin Yiyang invited him to play video games.

Pei Yu had never played this kind of co-op game before. Qin Yiyang explained the controls: “It’s basically like this. Super easy.”

They played a few rounds. Qin Yiyang had expected to put in a lot of effort to carry a newbie, but Pei Yu was much better than he imagined. He caught on instantly.

“Save me, save me! Sister-in-law, hurry up and step on me!!” Qin Yiyang yelled.

Pei Yu’s hand slipped, and he nearly failed to save him. After clearing the level, Qin Yiyang looked at Pei Yu’s flushed face. “This game is thrilling, right? Look, your face is all red from playing!”

Pei Yu: “…”

“Let’s discuss something,” Pei Yu said, putting down the controller.

“What’s up?” Qin Yiyang opened two cans of ice-cold Cola and handed one to Pei Yu.

“At school, absolutely do not call me ‘Sister-in-law’.”

“Right, right! Sorry! Then I’ll call you Brother Pei? I’m still a minor, and you’re older than me. Brother Pei! I’ll remember it from now on.”

“Good.” Pei Yu felt relieved and took a long, refreshing gulp of Cola. He realized he hadn’t seen Qin Shen’s parents yet and asked about them hesitantly.

“Oh, them…” Qin Yiyang’s expression soured. Even though the room was empty, he leaned in to whisper. “My brother’s relationship with our parents is very bad.”

“Why?”

“It has to do with… how he took over the Qin Corporation.”

As Qin Yiyang explained, Pei Yu finally understood. Grandpa Qin had three children, but none had any business talent. He had hoped to find a successor among them, but it was his daughter’s child—Qin Shen—who showed incredible genius from a young age. Grandpa Qin decided to groom his grandson as the heir.

This sparked fury in Qin Shen’s uncles. While Qin Yiyang’s father eventually accepted his role as Vice President, the eldest uncle could not. He conspired with Qin Shen’s own father and various shareholders to seize control. When that failed, they went as far as orchestrating a car accident to murder Qin Shen.

Qin Shen ended up sending his eldest uncle to prison. Grandpa Qin had wanted to plead for mercy, but the betrayal was too cold-hearted; seeing Qin Shen’s paralyzed legs, the old man stayed out of it. Qin Shen’s father hadn’t participated in the murder attempt, but he had caused massive financial losses to the group. Meanwhile, Qin Shen’s mother had known her husband was targeting their son but had done nothing to stop it.

Since then, the relationship had been severed. They only returned to the estate for holidays, spending the rest of their time traveling the world.

“So that’s how it is…” Pei Yu felt a pang of sympathy. “It seems Mr. Qin and I are quite alike—both unwanted ‘little cabbages’ whose parents don’t love them.”

“Brother!” Qin Yiyang suddenly shouted.

Pei Yu froze. He turned his head stiffly to see the other “little cabbage” staring right at him.

“…”

Dead. He had been caught gossiping about the man right to his face. Pei Yu’s face turned bright red, and he didn’t dare look at Qin Shen.

Fortunately, after a few seconds, Qin Shen broke the awkwardness. “Come to the study with me for a moment. I have something to tell you.”

Pei Yu followed behind Qin Shen like a guilty shadow. Qin Shen didn’t scold him for prying. Inside the study, Qin Shen produced a document, a list detailing luxury cars, watches, jewelry, real estate, and several prime shops in the city center.

“What is this?” Pei Yu asked.

“The dowry the Lin family sent with you,” Qin Shen replied.

“They were that generous?” Pei Yu was deeply skeptical. Given how the Lins treated him, they must have done it just to save face for themselves.

“They were,” Qin Shen said, “because the Qin family also gave them a substantial betrothal gift.”

Pei Yu realized the truth. “I knew they wouldn’t just give me all this for free.”

“It’s not for me.” Qin Shen picked up a pen and the transfer papers. “Your dowry, keep it for yourself.”

Pei Yu: “…???”

Support