After Entering a Contract Marriage with a Disabled Alpha - Chapter 21

“I wasn’t complimenting you,” Pei Yu said, pointing a finger at the shameless President Qin.

After kissing for so long, Pei Yu’s legs were still a bit weak. A pink flush, like a ripe summer peach, spread across his cheeks very inviting. His lower back and spine, where Qin Shen’s large hands had pressed against him, still felt tingly and numb.

Lately, Pei Yu had been under no pressure; he ate well and slept soundly, and a bit of soft baby fat had returned to his face. He looked very soft and pinchable.

Qin Shen lowered his eyes, discreetly rubbing his fingertips together. He wanted to pinch him. But without a righteous reason to initiate contact, Pei Yu would definitely bristle.

Qin Shen’s deep, dark pupils held only Pei Yu. His burning gaze moved from the stray tuft of hair sticking up on the boy’s head, to his flushed cheeks, to his lips—which he had kissed into a watery red—down his clean, snowy neck, and finally to the waist his arm had so clearly embraced.

Just staring like this, without moving or touching, caused a thirst to rise in Qin Shen’s throat, like a fire burning.

Usually, his desires in this area were extremely low; Jiang Yibai had called him frigid on more than one occasion. Before meeting Pei Yu, Qin Shen had fully believed that label.

Despite the fact that Alphas possess a naturally higher level of possessiveness, control, and desire than others, Qin Shen’s life during his prime youth had been filled with academics and career; he rarely “handled things” himself. After the car accident a few years ago, what little interest he had left was basically stripped from his life. Sometimes, if he had a natural reaction in the morning, he would choose to wait it out or take a cold shower.

Perhaps because he had restrained himself for too long, he tended to seem a bit fierce, a bit like a rogue, in front of Pei Yu. Fortunately, Pei Yu didn’t seem to hate or loathe him for it. It was just shyness, embarrassment, and a mix of shame and annoyance. It was as if every time he shamelessly pushed a little closer, Pei Yu wouldn’t push him away; he would let Qin Shen have his way while scolding him with a red face.

He was truly easy to bully.

As Qin Shen thought this, the physical reaction beneath the jacket didn’t subside; instead, it grew more intense. He reached up and tugged at the fabric of his suit trousers.

“Are you still not going down to draw blood?” After about two minutes, Pei Yu felt his legs growing weak from standing, so he simply sat down on Qin Shen’s bed.

The man’s bedsheets were different from the last time he was in here—they had changed from light gray to dark green, looking very “frigid.”

Frigid…? Pei Yu blinked. His eyes, still watery after the deep kiss, looked vivid and agile. He shook his head, thinking that word didn’t suit Qin Shen at all.

“…”

Qin Shen, a man with a powerful heart who had lived twenty-some years without fear, suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Meeting Pei Yu’s clean, pure, light-brown eyes, Qin Shen’s voice went very raspy.

“I think you might need to go out for a moment.”

Hearing this, Pei Yu froze for a second before anger flared up. He pouted, grabbed Qin Shen’s pillow, and threw it at him.

“You’re a ‘Scum Alpha,’ aren’t you?”

“I just worked so hard to help with your treatment, and I can’t even sit on your bed to rest for a bit?”

As Pei Yu got angry, the red on his cheeks grew more vivid, and his chest heaved with his breath.

“Sorry.” Qin Shen caught the pillow steadily and tossed it back onto the bed. “That’s not what I meant.” He parted his thin lips and said hoarsely, “You’re sitting on my bed, and I…”

Qin Shen looked at Pei Yu and felt that saying such things to someone as pure as a blank sheet of paper was too much.

“What’s wrong with me sitting on your bed?” Pei Yu asked with a frown, his voice fierce, like a cat that had been teased a bit too much. “Do you have a germaphobia or something? Well, now I’m going to sit here even more.” After saying that, Pei Yu smugly wiggled his waist and shifted his hips.

The rounded curve sinking into the dark green duvet was very eye-catching.

Qin Shen’s breath hitched. He forced himself to look away and pulled out his phone, pretending to handle work matters while trying his best not to look at Pei Yu. The air was still filled with the sweet scent of roses—Pei Yu’s scent.

Hearing Pei Yu ask again why he had to leave, Qin Shen looked up. His voice was as raspy as if it were filled with sand. “You’re sitting on my bed, and it’s making me… very uncomfortable.”

Before Pei Yu could understand the meaning, Qin Shen added another sentence, “disciplining” the fearless boy who knew no better. “If you don’t leave, waiting another ten minutes might not even help.”

Pei Yu: “…”

His exquisite face turned explosive red instantly. He finally understood what Qin Shen meant. That “I’m very uncomfortable” made Pei Yu’s face feel scorched; he didn’t dare think about exactly where he was uncomfortable.

Like a startled rabbit, Pei Yu scrambled up and fled Qin Shen’s bed and his field of vision without looking back. The tips of the boy’s ears were completely red, looking adorable hidden in his fluffy hair.

Qin Shen’s gaze followed him until Pei Yu sped up and finally disappeared from sight. With a bang, the sound of a door closing echoed from the hallway. Qin Shen let out a very slow breath, waiting for his racing blood to calm down.

Back in his own bedroom, a huffing Pei Yu walked toward his bed, leaped, and threw himself onto it. Driven by his chaotic mind, he rolled around like an active cat, his hair becoming a mess and his shirt riding up to reveal the thin pink flush on his fair, flat waist.

Pei Yu pulled up the covers and bundled himself inside. He was still muttering softly; if one listened closely, it was “Qin Shen,” “pervert,” “big pervert.”

A few minutes later, Pei Yu suddenly went quiet. He held his breath and listened to the sound of wheels in the hallway.

…Qin Shen had gone down to draw blood.

Pei Yu rolled around on the bed for a while, then rushed into the bathroom to wash his face with cold water. Crystal droplets wetted his features and hair; his delicate face looked as fresh as a peeled lychee.

Pei Yu noticed his lips. They were red—redder than usual—and slightly swollen. Recalling the shameful experience of his tongue being lightly teased and tasted, his mind, which had just cooled down, showed signs of heating up again.

“Don’t think about it,” Pei Yu warned himself. He went back to his desk, opened his backpack, and pulled out a new physics test. Physics… always helped one calm down.

Downstairs, Qin Shen finished drawing the last tube of blood under the arrangement of the medical staff. The blood was placed in a medical refrigerator; the specific tests would be done back at the lab.

The lead medic said respectfully, “The results will be ready in about two days. We will send the report to Assistant Li.”

Qin Shen covered his wrist, which had been pricked several times, and said deeply, “Thank you for your hard work.”

The medic recalled President Qin releasing his pheromones for a one-on-one confrontation with another Alpha earlier. He couldn’t help but worry. “Mr. Qin, releasing your pheromones earlier might affect the timing or the severity of your next rut. If possible, stay with Young Master Pei as much as you can. His pheromones and scent will unconsciously improve your mood.”

Qin Shen nodded. “Understood. Thank you for the research. If there are any funding requirements, write up an application and send it to Assistant Li for review.”

The medic smiled. A big reason they stayed in the private research institute under the Qin Corporation was Qin Shen’s unwavering support for scientific research. “Alright. I believe our team will soon develop a drug that can effectively improve pheromone disorder.”

Qin Shen touched his watch and nodded. “Mm.”

“By then, it will also help reduce the pressure of treating the illness for Young Master Pei.”

As soon as the medic finished speaking, he felt… a bit cold. The stern President Qin’s eyes were dark, as if they had said something wrong. After a long pause, Qin Shen finally said, “I see.”

Not long after the medical staff left, Qin Yiyang returned from eating BBQ with his friends. He was carrying a box of skewers perfectly packed in an insulated bag. The BBQ place they went to tonight was amazing, so Qin Yiyang decided to bring some back for Pei Yu to try. As for his cousin, he didn’t like this kind of “junk food.”

Seeing the large group of medics leaving the estate, Qin Yiyang curiously asked Aunt Zhou what they were doing. Aunt Zhou simply said they were here to draw blood and measure pheromone data. Qin Yiyang nodded and was about to go into the living room to greet Qin Shen when he heard Aunt Zhou say with a suppressed smile, “A-Shen and Young Master Pei even kissed.”

“He’s been alone for so many years, and now he has a partner. The Old Master can finally rest easy.”

“?!” Qin Yiyang’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly asked for details about the kiss. Learning it wasn’t a simple kiss, but a full ten-minute deep kiss, Qin Yiyang was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped. He couldn’t help but marvel, “Holy crap, I didn’t realize my brother looked so frigid but was actually so explosive!”

In the living room, Qin Shen finished instructing Li Shuang to keep an eye out for the test report over the next two days. He looked up, only to meet Qin Yiyang’s mischievous expression.

“Bro, I heard about you and Brother Pei. You’re quite something~” Qin Yiyang teased.

Qin Shen kept a straight face, his voice cold. “Don’t want those sneakers you were looking at anymore?”

A one-hit KO. Qin Yiyang laughed awkwardly and made a zipping motion over his mouth. Qin Shen saw the bag in his hand and asked simply about it.

“Brought some for Brother Pei to let him try something new,” Qin Yiyang said.

Qin Shen instinctively frowned, thinking this kind of food wasn’t nutritious for an Omega who had just differentiated, and eating it late at night would hurt his stomach. Just as he was about to tell Qin Yiyang not to give it to Pei Yu, he paused. Thinking that Pei Yu was only eighteen—an age prone to cravings, he said, “Mm. Remember to tell him to eat only a little.”

“OK,” Qin Yiyang said. “Then I’ll head up now so it doesn’t get cold.”

Qin Yiyang knocked on Pei Yu’s door. Pei Yu thought it was Qin Shen and dawdled for a while before opening the door. When he saw it was Qin Yiyang, he let out a tiny sigh of relief.

Smelling the spicy cumin scent, Pei Yu looked down and asked, “Is that for me?”

“Yeah, BBQ. Want a taste?” Qin Yiyang handed it over.

Pei Yu took it and smiled. “Thanks.” Then he noticed Qin Yiyang was looking at his face—specifically, a bit lower.

“I heard about you and my brother.” Qin Yiyang smirked.

Pei Yu’s face flushed slightly; he repeated in his heart that he must stay calm. “Yeah, it was mainly to test the pheromone data.”

Qin Yiyang naturally wouldn’t pry further; he had that much tact. He was just curious.

“Are you very curious?” Pei Yu’s voice was steady.

Qin Yiyang scratched his head. “A little bit.” After all, he and his circle of friends had always been single.

“Mostly, I just can’t imagine my brother in a… scenario like that.”

He truly couldn’t picture his stern, high-and-mighty cousin, who acted like an old-fashioned official, actually kissing someone. The contrast was just too strong.

“Does your brother know you’re curious about this?” Pei Yu pulled out his phone.

Qin Yiyang watched him typing. “???”

Pei Yu blinked, perfectly composed. “I’ll ask him. If he doesn’t mind, I’ll tell you a bit about it.”

Qin Yiyang was horrified. “!”

He looked at Pei Yu, who was showing a hint of a “black-bellied” mischievous side, and quickly took his leave.

“Bye! I’m totally not interested! I won’t disturb your snack!”

After Qin Yiyang scurried away, Pei Yu closed the door with a smile.

He didn’t really like eating strong-smelling food in his bedroom, so after thinking about it, he went downstairs to eat in the living room. He didn’t expect to see Qin Shen there, sitting in the dining area with a laptop on the table.

Despite the convenient elevator, the old estate was massive, and moving between floors still took time. Consequently, laptops were scattered throughout the house, each set to auto-sync.

Qin Shen also didn’t expect Pei Yu to come down for a late-night snack.

Pei Yu paused, hesitating whether to approach, but Qin Shen beckoned him over. Pei Yu had no choice; turning around and leaving now would be far too awkward. Besides, he wasn’t the one who had experienced a “physical reaction” earlier.

“Still working this late?” Pei Yu pulled out a chair and placed the BBQ on the table, sitting down next to Qin Shen.

“A few urgent matters to handle,” Qin Shen said.

The cool blue-white light of the screen reflected on the man’s face. Qin Shen’s jacket was draped over his lap, and his sleeves were rolled up halfway. His fingers tapping on the keyboard were incredibly attractive translucent like cold jade, pale, with distinct knuckles and neatly trimmed nails.

The knuckles on the back of his hand protruded slightly, showing a faint hint of pink every time they bent. He didn’t look like he was typing; he looked like he was performing an art piece, like playing the piano.

While Pei Yu unwrapped the BBQ bag, he glanced at Qin Shen’s screen but couldn’t understand a word. He shifted his gaze to Qin Shen’s wrist; the man had changed his watch. The dial featured a golden palm tree—low-key yet luxurious. It looked very expensive.

Pei Yu asked if he wanted a bite, but Qin Shen shook his head. “I don’t eat at night.”

Recalling how Qin Shen exercised his upper body, waist, and legs every day, Pei Yu marveled silently. As expected of the discipline of a fitness enthusiast.

He ate slowly, skewer by skewer, gradually relaxing. The sight of Qin Shen working was very pleasing to the eye; from the side, the man’s eyelashes were long and hung obediently, and his nose was high and straight.

After two skewers, Pei Yu couldn’t handle the spice. Just as he was about to get up to go to the kitchen for water, Qin Shen pushed the glass next to his laptop over.

“You can drink mine,” Qin Shen paused. “If you don’t mind.”

Looking at the glass that was half-empty and clearly used, Pei Yu blinked.

He hesitated…

“If you mind, I’ll go pour some for you. Your hands are messy, it’s inconvenient.”

Grandpa Qin didn’t like too many strangers in the house, so there were only a few servants—just enough to get by. Servants also had set hours and shifts; at this hour, they had already returned to the side building to rest.

Seeing Qin Shen place his hand on the wheelchair armrest to turn around, Pei Yu pressed his clean palm onto the back of the man’s hand.

“Don’t bother,” Pei Yu said slowly. “Anyway… we’ve already kissed.”

Pei Yu said the last part very quietly, but Qin Shen heard it anyway.

“Alright. As you wish.” Qin Shen sat back properly.

Pei Yu gripped the handle of the glass and sipped the water to ease the spice. His lips were a bit red from the chili, and as the water flowed between them, they took on a moist luster. His small Adam’s apple bobbed as he drank, and Qin Shen watched him from the side.

Strangely, Qin Shen’s throat felt itchy.

After putting down the glass, Pei Yu rested for a moment before continuing to battle the remaining skewers while admiring Qin Shen’s hands. The lines of his wrist were sharp, and the small mole shifted slightly with his movements. Pei Yu realized he might be developing a hand fetish; Qin Shen’s hands were truly beautiful, like the slender ribs of a jade fan.

He picked up a skewer of handmade beef meatballs. The surface was grilled to a golden crisp and sprinkled with white sesame seeds, the aroma wafting toward him.

“Do you want to try a bit? This place is really delicious.” Pei Yu always felt it was a bit rude to eat alone in front of someone else.

Qin Shen stopped his work, his pale, thin eyelids lifting slightly. He looked at the meatball Pei Yu held out to him—there were three on one skewer, perfectly round.

“Mm.”

Accepting Pei Yu’s feeding gesture, Qin Shen parted his lips and took a small bite of the meatball. He ate slowly, in a refined and noble manner. After chewing thoroughly, he savored the distinctive, heavy flavor and commented, “Not bad.”

Pei Yu looked at the first meatball on the skewer, which still had two-thirds of it left.

Can someone tell me why anyone would just take a tiny bite of a meatball? Aren’t you supposed to eat the whole thing at once?

“It’s good, right?” Pei Yu replied absently, while his mind screamed: What do I do?! What do I do?!

If he threw the first one away, it would look like he was too disgusted by Qin Shen. If he put the skewer down and ate something else, it would be too obvious.

“Are you not eating?” Qin Shen asked calmly.

“!”

Pei Yu’s heart jumped. “I-I’m eating… why wouldn’t I eat?”

Under Qin Shen’s watchful gaze, Pei Yu lowered his head and bit into the spot Qin Shen had just bitten. Slowly, and with a burning face, he finished the entire meatball.

The boy’s ears were completely flushed. Pei Yu could even feel a trace amount of the Alpha’s crisp, clean pheromones.

Seeing this, the corner of Qin Shen’s lips hooked imperceptibly. The kid really is easy to bully.

Holding hands, hugging, a deep kiss, and an indirect kiss—all happening on the same day—was a bit too much stimulation for Pei Yu. That night, after a hot bath, he lay comfortably in bed and, as his consciousness grew hazy, he had a dream.

In the dream, the setting was Qin Shen’s bedroom. The room’s decor was cold, but he and Qin Shen were anything but—in fact, it was very hot.

He was sitting astride Qin Shen’s lap. Not sideways, but face-to-face.

Qin Shen’s hand was on his calf. The man’s hand, carved like a work of art, was gently rubbing his lower leg. The hand and the leg pressed together were both very fair, but Qin Shen’s skin was a noble, cold white, while his own was a more translucent “milk” white.

Qin Shen moved slowly, his long fingers playing wantonly with the soft flesh of the boy’s calf, the veins on the back of his hand prominent. The milky white overflowed between his fingers, and within two minutes, Pei Yu’s skin was turned pink by the callused fingertips. The faint pink dots on the snowy white skin were as beautiful as Pei Yu’s pink bead bracelet.

Pei Yu sat on the man’s lap, his face flushed deep red.

“Stop rubbing,” Pei Yu said softly, resisting as he felt ticklish. He grabbed Qin Shen’s wrist.

Qin Shen raised an eyebrow. “Is it uncomfortable?”

“But don’t you like my hands? You’ve been looking at them for a long time; you haven’t looked away once.”

Pei Yu’s face burned with shame. He bit his lip and remained silent. His eyes liked them, but that didn’t mean his body liked them… His lips were pouted slightly, his eyes full of the desire for Qin Shen to stop.

“Alright. As you wish.” Qin Shen let go.

Pei Yu had just breathed a sigh of relief when those hands gripped his waist. Pei Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and his scalp went numb.

“How about a kiss then?” Qin Shen gripped his waist, slowly leaning forward.

Pei Yu looked down at the man’s pale, thin lips and leaned forward with a shy face. Their lips and teeth entwined. Pei Yu’s tongue felt numb and hot, more intense than the deep kiss from the treatment.

…

In the bedroom, the scent of wild roses in the air suddenly grew dense, carrying a slight “astringent” note.

Pei Yu snapped his eyes open. His face looked as if it had been soaked in water; damp hair clung to his forehead, and the tip of his nose was tinged with pink. He was very hot.

Fumbling for his phone in the dark, Pei Yu checked the time: 4:30 AM. The air conditioner’s timer must have turned it off, and he was completely bundled in the duvet—no wonder he felt so hot.

Pei Yu got up to turn the AC back on. He moved his leg, and suddenly, he felt something. His entire body went stiff. He widened his eyes in disbelief and sat there dazed for a long time. Minutes later, he got up, went to the walk-in closet to grab a fresh pair of underwear, and walked resignedly into the bathroom.

A short while later, Pei Yu emerged with a flushed face, holding a piece of damp fabric. He looked around for a hanger but couldn’t find a drying rack or a closet rod. Having no choice, he decided to go to the laundry room on the first floor.

Pei Yu gripped his underwear and opened the door. The moment he stepped out, another door opening sounded.

Qin Shen was wearing a deep blue bathrobe, his stern face still carrying a trace of sleepiness.

“I smelled a very strong rose scent just now. Has your second heat this month started…?”

Qin Shen suddenly pursed his lips and stopped talking. He looked down at the underwear Pei Yu was holding.

Pei Yu followed his gaze, and his face instantly turned an explosive red—so red it looked like it might bleed. He hurriedly hid it behind his back.

The two stared at each other. Neither spoke.

After a long silence, Pei Yu finally spoke with a face so red he looked ready to cry: “Are all you Alphas part dog?”

Not all Alphas were like Qin Shen. Pheromones exist in human body fluids. Qin Shen just happened to be an S-class Alpha with exceptionally keen senses, and he had a 100% compatibility with Pei Yu, so he could easily capture the change in the concentration of roses in the air.

Qin Shen’s jaw tightened as he looked at the red-eyed Pei Yu, who looked close to tears.

“No.”

“I’m just particularly sensitive to your pheromones.” Qin Shen’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Don’t think too much of it. When I was your age, I occasionally… released some pressure too.”

Pei Yu’s face turned even redder, and he hurriedly denied it: “I wasn’t doing that kind of thing!”

“Uh.” Qin Shen was rarely at a loss for words, but he realized the reason Pei Yu was in this state, he must have had a dream. He cleared his throat and turned to go back to his room. “It’s fine. Just pretend you didn’t see me.”

The door closed once again.

In the dead of night, Pei Yu deeply experienced the true meaning of “social death.”

Fortunately, Qin Shen didn’t know he had dreamed about him.

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