After Entering a Contract Marriage with a Disabled Alpha - Chapter 22.2

A soft chuckle suddenly escaped Pei Yu. The boy’s features were exquisite, and the sunlight from the window fell evenly across his face like a gentle kiss from God. When he smiled, it was as if the winter snow had melted, making one’s heart itch.

Lin Shuxing was good-looking, but in the details, he still couldn’t compare to Pei Yu. Lin Shuxing’s beauty seemed built on money and status—fashionable and bright, but always carrying a hint of worldliness. Pei Yu, however, possessed a natural beauty. Despite all the unfairness he had faced, his grades remained top-tier, and his aura was like a Taihang flower blooming on a cliffside, standing proud and upright.

Even Qin Fen, who had been steadfastly infatuated with Lin Shuxing for years, couldn’t help but stare in a daze.

From the corner of his eye, Lin Shuxing caught Qin Fen’s fickle, star-struck expression, and he felt like his lungs were about to burst with rage. The school bell rang. Lin Shuxing glared at Pei Yu, Qin Yiyang, and Qin Fen before turning and walking away. The students watching the drama in the hallway exchanged looks and hurried back to their classrooms with sheepish smiles.

Pei Yu looked up at the class schedule, and dozens of pairs of eyes in the front rows frantically turned away. He took out his textbook for the next period. Zhou Yue pulled a strawberry candy from her pocket and placed it piteously on the corner of Pei Yu’s desk.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It was just a slip of the tongue…” “Please don’t be mad.”

If the great beauty ignored her from now on, she felt like she would cry herself to death.

“It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it.” Pei Yu accepted the peace offering and smiled. “The teacher is coming. Let’s start class.”

Because of the morning’s incident, Pei Yu was in a bad mood all day. It wasn’t that things were terrible, he just felt annoyed. He yearned for family affection but could also distinguish people’s true intentions. If his biological parents didn’t love him, it didn’t matter; they were strangers anyway, no different than before. However, when Qin Yiyang mentioned that Jiang He was doing everything to compensate Lin Shuxing, Pei Yu couldn’t help but feel dejected.

Before Lin Shuxing appeared, Jiang He—like most mothers in the world—had been truly good to him. Did ten-plus years of companionship really not measure up to blood?

Pei Yu looked at the chalk writing on the blackboard, his eyes gradually welling up. Fortunately, he sat in the very last row; if he wiped his eyes quickly with his wrist, no one would notice.

Outside Yangshen Private High School.

Luxury cars were lined up neatly along both sides of the road. Most students here came from wealthy families, making the pickup hour look like a luxury car show. Yet, among the numerous vehicles, the most eye-catching was the limited-edition Bentley—one of only a dozen or so in the world.

Qin Yiyang led Pei Yu through the crowd, their eyes nearly blurring before they finally found the Bentley Old Yang was driving today. As Pei Yu got into the car and closed the door, the curious students from Classes 2 and 3 nearby withdrew their gazes.

That should… be the car of the Qin Corporation’s President.

Zhou Yue, holding her friend’s arm, also saw the car picking up Pei Yu. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Fortunately, Pei Yu’s marriage partner treats him well.” If President Qin also had a bad temper, she would truly feel sorry for poor Pei Yu.

Inside the car.

Qin Yiyang habitually took the passenger seat. After Pei Yu got in, he placed his backpack between himself and Qin Shen. Qin Shen had a laptop on his lap; seeing Pei Yu enter, he closed it. He had just inadvertently overheard some passing seniors discussing how the transfer student, Pei Yu, had actually ranked third in the grade.

As the car started slowly, Qin Shen said, “I heard your diagnostic exam results came out today.”

“Yeah, mine were just average,” Qin Yiyang turned around. “Brother Pei is amazing—first in the class and third in the grade.”

“That’s very good.” Qin Shen looked sideways at Pei Yu. Pei Yu pursed his lips, looking lost in thought. Seeing his poor mood, Qin Shen frowned and asked keenly, “Did something happen at school today? You seem a bit unhappy.”

Pei Yu gripped the hem of his school uniform and shook his head like a mute. Qin Yiyang wanted to tell his cousin, “It was because of—”

“Let’s not talk about it. I want to sleep for a bit,” Pei Yu whispered. “I’m a little tired.”

Qin Yiyang nodded blankly, took out his Bluetooth earbuds, and stuffed them in. “Okay, I won’t disturb your rest then. I’ll listen to some music.”

Qin Shen’s frown deepened. He suspected there had been a conflict with Lin Shuxing. However, he understood that Pei Yu didn’t want to talk right now, so he sat quietly to give him space.

The car drove at a steady pace. Pei Yu leaned against the seat with his eyes closed. Since he couldn’t fall into a deep sleep, his head would nod every few seconds; he would snap his eyes open, realize the car was still moving, and close them again.

“Do you want to lie down and rest for a while?” A deep, magnetic voice sounded in his ear.

Pei Yu opened his blurry eyes and saw Qin Shen lightly patting his own lap.

“No need,” Pei Yu reflexively refused. It was only a fifteen-minute drive home, though because there was no evening study in the first week, they were hitting rush hour and might be stuck in traffic for a few extra minutes.

“Sleep here,” Qin Shen said. “Didn’t the doctor suggest we have as much contact as possible?”

Pei Yu blinked and, looking at Qin Shen’s profound, stern face, nodded. He slowly lay down on his side. Qin Shen raised his hand, and Old Yang, seeing the command in the rearview mirror, raised the partition between the front and back seats.

Qin Yiyang turned his head for a look. “?”

Pei Yu initially lay down facing Qin Shen. Qin Shen was dressed in a charcoal gray suit, looking extraordinarily noble. Once he lay down, Pei Yu’s breath was filled with the Alpha’s crisp pheromones. Such a scent made him feel at ease, as if an Alpha were guarding him, providing a full sense of security.

Then Pei Yu blinked and realized something was wrong  his nose was a bit too close to a certain “curvature.” After a few seconds, he sat up and silently switched directions to lie down again.

Qin Shen caught a glimpse of the boy’s reddened ears and smiled. He looked down at Pei Yu lying on his lap, his eyes holding a lingering smile. Pei Yu was like a small animal nestling against him. Because he was lying on his side, Qin Shen could clearly see his fair neck and shoulders.

Qin Shen’s heart felt an itch. He reached out to ruffle the boy’s soft, fluffy black hair, then took the opportunity to pinch his earlobe.

“What are you doing~” Pei Yu opened his eyes to look at Qin Shen. “Are you teasing a puppy?”

“No,” Qin Shen’s lips curled. “I’m teasing a child.”

Pei Yu bit his lip. “If you keep joking, I won’t help you with the treatment.”

“The child is quite fierce,” Qin Shen remarked.

In the front seat, despite the partition, Qin Yiyang wasn’t deaf. Hearing the couple flirting in the back, the single boy silently turned up his music. Mm, the music is really good.

Back at the estate, after dinner, Qin Shen noticed Pei Yu’s mood was still low. He brought up: “Do you want to go to the hospital to see Jiang He? You’ve been here for several days, and I haven’t visited her yet.”

Hitting exactly on what was weighing on his mind, Pei Yu looked outside; the sunset glow filled the sky. “Go there now? Won’t it be too much trouble?”

Qin Shen shook his head. “No, we’ll drive. It won’t take long. Besides, in a while, Yangshen will start evening study sessions. You’ll only have free time on weekends, so we won’t be able to go in the evenings then. It’s a good chance for me to meet your mother.”

“Okay then,” Pei Yu agreed softly, his tone betraying his happiness.

They left immediately. The drive from the estate to the hospital was a bit long. On the way, Pei Yu leaned against the window, watching the sunset and the shimmering golden surface of the river under the cross-river bridge. He chatted intermittently with Qin Shen about himself and Jiang He. Qin Shen maintained a smile throughout; as a listener, he hoped to learn more about the Pei Yu he hadn’t known through these fragments of conversation.

Near the high-end private nursing home, they bought a bouquet of flowers and a fruit basket. Pei Yu carried the heavy fruit basket, while Qin Shen held the flowers. At the inpatient department, Pei Yu registered at the front desk and led Qin Shen toward Jiang He’s ward.

In the elevator, he caught a glimpse of Qin Shen’s tense face and the way his hand tightened around the bouquet.

“Are you…” Pei Yu was surprised. “Are you nervous?”

Qin Shen paused and denied it. “No.”

“Oh.” Pei Yu giggled. “You don’t need to be nervous. It’s just a marriage of convenience anyway, and my mom knows you treat me well.” It wasn’t like a real couple naturally meeting the parents. There was no need for Qin Shen, who had helped him so much, to be this anxious.

“Mm…” Qin Shen’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

They turned a corner and walked a few more meters to reach the ward. Just as Pei Yu was about to push the door, he noticed it was slightly ajar. He raised his hand to knock, but through the small glass window on the door, he saw Lin Shuxing inside.

Lin Shuxing was nestled in Jiang He’s arms, talking to her with a smile. Jiang He was leaning against the headboard, smiling tenderly.

Pei Yu had seen that tender smile many times before.

“What’s wrong?” Due to the height of his line of sight, Qin Shen didn’t know why Pei Yu had stopped.

Pei Yu lowered his hand. “Lin Shuxing happens to be visiting my mom too. Let’s wait outside for a bit.”

Qin Shen understood. He scanned the area and pointed to a seat outside the ward. “Sit there and rest for a while.”

Pei Yu nodded, but as he turned to leave, Lin Shuxing’s clear, wheedling voice drifted out from the ward.

“Mom, you have no idea how much I suffered at school today…”

Pei Yu paused. He didn’t want to leave anymore; he stood silently by the door to listen. Qin Shen also heard the conversation and raised an eyebrow.

Lin Shuxing gave a twisted account of the morning’s events. Jiang He knew in her heart that Pei Yu wasn’t that kind of person, but she still comforted Lin Shuxing softly. Once he was mostly calmed down, she said, “There must be a misunderstanding between you and Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu is a good child; I hope you two can get along.”

Lin Shuxing huffed. “Fine, I’ll try.”

“Mom, there’s one more thing. Can you talk to Pei Yu for me?”

Jiang He asked, “What is it?”

“Isn’t the Lin family holding a banquet Saturday night to officially acknowledge Pei Yu? Can you tell him not to have the banquet? So many people who dislike me are just waiting to laugh at me…”

Jiang He looked troubled. “This…”

Lin Shuxing acted spoiled. “Just ask him! If Pei Yu and Qin Shen agree, my parents will definitely cancel it. A friend told me today that several people I have conflicts with are planning to humiliate me at the party. It would be so embarrassing…”

After a few more soft pleas, Jiang He’s sense of guilt overrode her hesitation. Looking at the boy whose nose and mouth so closely resembled her husband’s, she said, “Alright, I’ll find time to call Xiao Yu and talk to him.”

“Mom, you’re the best!” Lin Shuxing picked up an apple and a paring knife. “I’ll peel an apple for you. I never peel fruit at home…”

Watching the warm scene inside the ward, Pei Yu felt incredibly weary.

“Are you alright?” A flash of heartache crossed Qin Shen’s eyes.

“What could be wrong?” Pei Yu turned away. “Let’s go back.”

Qin Shen looked up. “You don’t want to wait a bit longer to go in and see her?”

“I won’t wait.” Pei Yu smiled, his delicate features softened by the fluorescent lights. “Waiting feels quite boring anyway.”

Qin Shen felt a pang of bitterness for him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“What does this have to do with you? Why are you apologizing?” Pei Yu leaned down, half-closing his eyes to sniff the elegant fragrance of the white roses. “We’ll take these flowers back to the bedroom. And the imported fruit—we’ll go back and eat it together.”

Pei Yu shook the beautifully wrapped fruit basket and said playfully, “I’ll tell you a secret: I’m way better than Lin Shuxing. My grades are better, I peel apples better than him—I can even challenge peeling the whole skin in one long strip without breaking it…”

As he spoke, his voice broke into a sob.

Tears dripped down his cheeks and landed on the back of Qin Shen’s hand. The temperature of the boy’s tears was scalding. Pei Yu’s eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Qin Shen. “But why does Mom choose him over me…?”

“She’s the only family I have left.”

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