After Getting Pregnant, I’m Divorcing My Alpha - Chapter 3

“Achoo!”

Hearing the sneeze, Shen Xiao paused while drying An Xiangdi’s hair.

An Xiangdi sniffled. “Didn’t you say you had something to do tonight?”

Earlier in the day, he had been sulking with Shen Xiao, and now his words carried a hint of deliberate provocation.

Shen Xiao tossed the soaked towel aside and pulled a clean one from the backseat to continue wiping the water off him. “It wasn’t important. I’ll make it up tomorrow. Besides, you didn’t reply to my message later.”

An Xiangdi blinked, recalling the message he had sent Shen Xiao while getting his makeup done in the afternoon. He raised an eyebrow, realizing Shen Xiao must have replied then. “Xiao Gu, pass me my phone.”

“Sure!” Xiao Gu, sitting in the passenger seat, quickly rummaged through her bag and handed An Xiangdi his phone.

An Xiangdi opened his phone, saw Shen Xiao’s message, and chuckled. “What? Are my strands of hair not pretty enough?”

Without waiting for Shen Xiao’s reply, he added, “I’m good-looking from head to toe.”

“Mm.” Shen Xiao curved his lips slightly and tossed the half-damp towel aside. “Xiao Gu, could you turn up the air conditioning, please?”

“Ah sure.” Xiao Gu snapped out of her daze from listening to their conversation and reached over to turn the air conditioning to the highest setting.

An Xiangdi ruffled his hair, which was almost dry after Shen Xiao had spent so long drying it. However, his clothes were still damp and uncomfortable.

“Take your clothes off.” Before Shen Xiao even finished speaking, his hands were already moving.

An Xiangdi was more than happy to be taken care of, and since Shen Xiao was personally attending to him, his earlier sulkiness vanished. He lifted his arms to let Shen Xiao help him out of his soaked shirt. Just as he was about to undo his pants himself, Shen Xiao froze for a moment, then reclined the seat, picked him up, and moved him to the very back row, blocking the view from the front.

After some fussing in the back row, they finally managed to dry off completely.

Shen Xiao draped the black overcoat he had saved for An Xiangdi over him. An Xiangdi, now comfortably bare underneath, lazily leaned against the backseat.

Shen Xiao glanced at him, pulled him into his arms, and said, “Take some medicine when we get back.”

“No.” An Xiangdi refused without hesitation.

Shen Xiao didn’t press further, his eyes deep and unreadable, lost in thought.

An Xiangdi looked up at him, marveling at how handsome he was no matter the angle sharp eyebrows, a tall nose bridge, and a clean, crisp haircut. He was the epitome of a flawless dream lover.

Shen Xiao held An Xiangdi’s right hand, giving his palm a gentle squeeze. “I have to go back early tomorrow morning.”

“To make up for the interview?” An Xiangdi thought of the “not important” event Shen Xiao had mentioned earlier.

“No, it’s the wrap up scene.” Shen Xiao looked down at him.

An Xiangdi let out an “oh.” Shen Xiao had been filming a TV series in a neighboring city for the past few months, and the two of them had barely seen each other during that time.

Shen Xiao’s eyes were filled with an undeniable tenderness as he urged again, “Take some medicine when we get back.”

Catching the increasingly strong scent of brandy pheromones, An Xiangdi turned over, breaking free from the embrace. “Fine.”

He had no defense against this man’s pheromones. Knowing that refusing now would only lead to another unpleasant day for both of them, he relented.

After returning home, An Xiangdi took the cold medicine as Shen Xiao had instructed and soaked in a hot bath. By the time he was flushed all over from the heat, Shen Xiao lifted him out of the tub.

Curled up on the chaise lounge, An Xiangdi’s gaze followed Shen Xiao, who was bustling about boiling water and peeling an apple.

Shen Xiao had a towel wrapped around his lower body, and as he moved back and forth, his eight-pack abs were dazzlingly visible. When he crouched down, even just holding an apple, his biceps were prominently defined.

An Xiangdi’s thoughts began to wander. After a moment, he followed his heart and beckoned to Shen Xiao, “Come here.”

Shen Xiao paused, set down the half-peeled apple, and walked over to the chaise lounge.

An Xiangdi raised his hand, pulled him down abruptly, and before Shen Xiao could steady himself, pressed a kiss to his lips.

Shen Xiao was only stunned for a second before releasing a surge of pheromones and swiftly taking control. While exchanging a passionate, lingering kiss, he tugged off An Xiangdi’s robe, lifted him, and laid him on the bed.

The next morning, An Xiangdi turned over, groggily opened his eyes, and reached out to the empty space beside him. Shen Xiao had most likely already left.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he rubbed his sore lower back as he got up and spotted the breakfast Shen Xiao had left for him in the living room along with a box of cold medicine.

His phone vibrated softly. An Xiangdi picked it up and saw a message from Shen Xiao.

Xiao Xiao: Awake?
Xiao Xiao: Eat your breakfast and take the cold medicine. One more day of it today.

Leaning against the table, An Xiangdi typed quickly.

Dizi: How did you know I’d be up at this time?

The reply came swiftly.

Xiao Xiao: We’ve known each other for over twenty years.
Xiao Xiao: Remember to take the medicine, as compensation for only showing me a strand of your hair yesterday.

Reading this, An Xiangdi let out an exasperated laugh. Who was it that had pinned him to the bed and thoroughly exhausted him yesterday?

When Xiao Gu came to pick him up, he was sitting at the dining table, leisurely finishing his breakfast while the Bluetooth speaker played “Croatian Rhapsody” on loop.

“Teacher An, it’s time to go,” Xiao Gu called out, raising his voice.

Snapping out of his thoughts, An Xiangdi set down his half-eaten breakfast. Just as he was about to follow Xiao Gu out, he remembered Shen Xiao’s reminder about the cold medicine and decided to take it along.

Outside, the first snow of the year was falling the latest initial snowfall Zongming City had seen in years. Shivering, An Xiangdi quickly slipped into the car.

Retrieving the thermos from the front seat storage compartment, which Xiao Gu had thoughtfully filled with warm water, An Xiangdi broke off two pills and took them.

Xiao Gu stole a glance through the rearview mirror at An Xiangdi’s actions and spoke softly after he finished the medicine, “Teacher An, Teacher Shen asked you to send him a message after taking the medicine.”

An Xiangdi, who had been about to take a photo of the pills, paused and tossed his phone aside. “Not sending it.”

Xiao Gu turned around, flustered. How was he to know that his reminder would make the person behind him change his mind?

“Is my flight at 9 p.m. tonight?”

“Yes.” Switching to work mode, Xiao Gu opened his tablet and explained seriously, “We’re heading to Pingbei City for rehearsals. We’ll be staying there for a while.”

“Mm.” An Xiangdi propped his chin on his hand, gazing idly out the window.

The New Year was approaching, and once again, he and Shen Xiao had no joint projects even their Spring Festival Gala performances were scheduled on different television stations. Moreover, Shen Xiao still had some scenes left to film, making it almost certain they wouldn’t be spending the Spring Festival together.

Pursing his lips, An Xiangdi watched the vast white scenery outside before turning his attention back. He picked up the medicine he had set aside, snapped a photo, and sent it to Shen Xiao.

Dizi: Took it. [image.jpg]

For two consecutive weeks, An Xiangdi and Shen Xiao hadn’t been able to meet in person. Both were so busy they barely had time to catch their breath, only managing to squeeze in video calls late at night. Sometimes, they were so exhausted that they dozed off mid-conversation, only to discover the next morning that the call had been left running all night. Yet, by unspoken agreement, neither brought up the matter of the talent agency again.

When they finally saw each other again, it was under circumstances An Xiangdi hadn’t anticipated.

“Teacher An, Brother Li asked you to come to the company.” Xiao Gu swallowed nervously as he mentioned Li Guan, already imagining the displeased reaction An Xiangdi would have.

“What does he want?” An Xiangdi frowned. Just hearing the name “Li Guan” gave him a bad feeling. “If it’s about Director Qiu again, tell him to save his breath.”

“N-No, it’s not that. There’s a drama specifically requesting you to star in it.” Xiao Gu lowered his voice mysteriously. “It’s directed by Cao Xuan.”

An Xiangdi’s irritation faded somewhat. The name “Cao Xuan” still held significant weight for him.

Cao Xuan had graduated from Pingbei Film Academy in his twenties and soon after made a splash in the industry with his suspense film Whispers, which swept nearly 80% of the awards at that year’s film festival. Since then, he had dedicated himself to directing suspense works. Now approaching fifty, while his subsequent projects might not have broken new ground, they remained heavyweight contenders, winning awards year after year.

When An Xiangdi first entered the entertainment industry, he had pursued a career as a singer. Later, when he transitioned into acting, he studied many of Cao Xuan’s works and had always wanted to collaborate with him.

However, his relationship with his talent agency had been strained. As long as it didn’t interfere with their profits, the agency had repeatedly pressured and troubled him, both overtly and covertly.

“Would Li Guan actually agree to this?” An Xiangdi raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

“I.” Xiao Gu didn’t know how to respond.

An Xiangdi waved a hand dismissively. He had only asked casually and had no intention of putting Xiao Gu in a difficult position. “Let’s go.”

When they reached the 23rd floor of Imperial Dynasty Entertainment, An Xiangdi spotted a woman standing in the hallway on a phone call, and a vague premonition stirred within him.

The woman was Shen Xiao’s agent, Hua Jiang, an Alpha. She had a sharp, no-nonsense short haircut and wore a neatly pressed black suit, buttoned all the way to the top. Gripping her phone, she spoke in a tone that was anything but polite, coming across as cold and unapproachable.

“If I come back and you still haven’t handled this, you can start packing.” After delivering this icy remark, Hua Jiang ended the call and looked up, her eyes meeting An Xiangdi’s. “Teacher An, long time no see.”

An Xiangdi returned the greeting with equal coolness. “Ms. Hua, it has been a while.”

Hua Jiang gave him a once-over, then averted her gaze and walked into the conference room.

An Xiangdi was rarely looked down upon, but Hua Jiang was one of the few who did or rather, she hadn’t given him a friendly glance since he and Shen Xiao got married two years ago. Being the type to repay others in kind, he saw no reason to be polite in return.

As he stepped into the conference room, An Xiangdi’s eyes immediately landed on Shen Xiao, who was deep in conversation with Cao Xuan. The premonition he’d felt earlier grew even stronger.

“Ah, Teacher An is here.” Shen Xiao had noticed An Xiangdi the moment he stepped inside, but it was Cao Xuan who spoke first.

An Xiangdi’s smile softened his usually aloof demeanor. “Director Cao, hello. Just call me Xiao An.”

“Come, Xiao An, sit here.” Cao Xuan didn’t stand on ceremony either, patting the empty seat beside him.

An Xiangdi naturally walked over and sat down, glancing up to see Li Guan. The other man’s face was dark with displeasure, clearly unhappy with the current situation likely forced to attend for some unavoidable reason.

“Yesterday, I had dinner with Xiao Shen, and we happened to discuss the new series,” Cao Xuan explained. “This time, we’re trying something fresh that appeals to younger audiences, planning to film it as a web series. Since it’s a dual male lead setup, I’ve been struggling with casting for days. Xiao Shen recommended you yesterday, and I thought, you’d be a perfect fit.”

“Director Cao, you’re too kind.” An Xiangdi glanced at Shen Xiao, who sat ramrod straight, looking utterly serious.

“I came today to ask for your thoughts.” Cao Xuan had been somewhat worried beforehand. An Xiangdi was notorious in the industry for prioritizing himself, and web series naturally couldn’t compare to films or TV dramas in prestige. If the other party looked down on it, things could turn awkward. However, Shen Xiao had given his word, and Cao Xuan had no reason to doubt him.

“May I take a look at the script?” An Xiangdi didn’t agree immediately. Out of professional responsibility, he wanted to review the script first.

Shen Xiao slid the script over to him. “Here.”

Cao Xuan leaned back slightly, giving the two some space to communicate.

An Xiangdi lowered his head and carefully flipped through the script for a while. The title was Eyes Hidden in the Corner another suspense drama with many highlights and a subtle romantic subplot. Finding nothing to criticize, he nodded readily. “It’s a great script. With you directing, Director Cao, it’s bound to be an excellent work. I’m willing to take it on.”

“Then it’s settled. Filming starts after the New Year, and the contract will be sent to you in the next few days.” Cao Xuan was pleased with his prompt agreement.

Shen Xiao’s gaze was profound. “This will be our first collaboration.”

“What? Afraid I’ll outshine you?” An Xiangdi leaned in, half-joking.

Shen Xiao reached out, pulling An Xiangdi into his embrace and whispering into his ear, “Of course not. I’m playing the cop.”

An Xiangdi caught the rich scent of brandy and, recalling some scenes he’d skimmed through in the script, pinched Shen Xiao’s arm unceremoniously. “We’ll see on set!”