After Getting Pregnant, I’m Divorcing My Alpha - Chapter 4

After seeing Cao Xuan off, Li Guan left without a word. Hua Jiang stood opposite the two, her gaze fixed intently on them.

Shen Xiao spoke first: “Sister Hua, I’ll be heading out soon.”

Hua Jiang pursed her lips, then walked away with the sharp click of her high heels. Xiao Gu, perceptive as ever, said a word to An Xiangdi before following her out, thoughtfully closing the conference room door behind them.

“Your assistant.” Shen Xiao noted Xiao Gu’s actions, “is quite considerate.”

An Xiangdi turned his face back toward him. “I picked him myself.”

A faint smile tugged at Shen Xiao’s lips as he chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to An Xiangdi’s brow.

An Xiangdi pushed him away. “Did you say something to Li Guan?”

At this, Shen Xiao fell silent.

An Xiangdi’s strained relationship with his agency was nothing new. It had started as disagreements over principles but gradually escalated, to the point where even the assigned agent, Li Guan, seemed more like a watchdog than someone who actually did any real work.

Because of this, An Xiangdi had missed out on numerous opportunities over the years, and gradually, some in the industry had grown to dislike him. If this continued, it would inevitably affect his career in the entertainment world.

“I didn’t say much. After I spoke with Director Cao yesterday, I dropped by.” Shen Xiao glossed over the details.

An Xiangdi wasn’t convinced. “There’s no way Li Guan would agree so easily. Tell me the truth what did you do?”

“He lied and said your schedule was full after the New Year. I just mentioned that I have a copy of your schedule.” As for the matter of pheromone suppression, Shen Xiao had no intention of bringing it up. His pheromone suppression served as a warning to Li Guan, a Beta, and it was best if the latter took the hint and didn’t cause trouble for An Xiangdi during this time.

An Xiangdi narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing him, before finally changing the subject. “Are you going back for the New Year?”

“No, I have work.” Shen Xiao’s relationship with his family was strained, and he hadn’t returned home for the New Year in years.

“Then find some time to visit my family.” An Xiangdi stood up from Shen Xiao’s lap. “My parents have been asking about you for a long time.”

“Alright.” Shen Xiao agreed readily.

After parting ways at Royal Dynasty Entertainment, both threw themselves back into their busy schedules. As expected, they spent the New Year apart and didn’t reunite until the fifth day of the lunar New Year, when they visited An Xiangdi’s parents to offer belated New Year greetings.

The next time they saw each other was on the day of the premiere for Director Cao Xuan’s web series, Eyes Hidden in the Corner.

The premiere ceremony was held at a popular Bodhisattva temple in Hangnan City. An Xiangdi had been filming until the early hours of the morning and hadn’t slept all night, rushing to Hangnan at the crack of dawn. From afar, he caught the refreshing scent of sandalwood, which helped clear his mind.

Fans who knew about the premiere schedule had gathered outside the venue early. As soon as they spotted An Xiangdi, they shouted his name.

“Ahhh! An An is so handsome!”

“An An, look over here!”

“Legs for days! An An, take me home!”

An Xiangdi loved hearing others praise him. Even though he looked somewhat weary, he didn’t hold back a slight smile. That smile carried a hint of fragility, which only made the fans cheer even louder.

“Good morning, Teacher An.” Staff members greeted him one after another, and An Xiangdi acknowledged them politely, his gaze eventually settling on Shen Xiao, who was approaching from a distance.

Today, Shen Xiao wore a dark motorcycle jacket and a pair of black Martin boots, exuding a rebellious, almost aristocratic air a stark contrast to his usual style.

But he looked undeniably handsome.

An Xiangdi recalled their brief reunion on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the memory of the other’s sturdy arm wrapped firmly around his waist making his face flush with heat. Afraid of being caught dwelling on such thoughts, he cleared his throat lightly and quickly averted his gaze.

Shen Xiao’s fans had arrived in considerable numbers, standing on one side while An Xiangdi’s supporters occupied the other. Though the two had been married for over two years, their fanbases had little interaction partly because the two had never collaborated on a project before.

But now, not only were they about to work together, they were set to co-star as dual male leads in a drama with romantic undertones. The announcement of the cast by the production team had already sparked a trending topic online. While promoting, the fans had peacefully acknowledged their idols’ spouses, but now, face to face, they seemed unsure how to interact, resorting to shouting their support slogans at the top of their lungs.

Shen Xiao greeted the staff members he passed, but his focus was clear as he made a beeline for An Xiangdi.

Standing at 191 cm, Shen Xiao towered over An Xiangdi, who had to tilt his head up slightly to meet his gaze. Before a word was spoken, something was pressed into An Xiangdi’s palm.

It felt slightly prickly, and when he squeezed it, it made a crinkling sound.

Looking down, he saw a fruit candy wrapped in purple coating.

“Grape flavor.” An Xiangdi was picky, when it came to fruit candies, he only liked the grape ones.

Clutching the candy tightly, An Xiangdi knew it wasn’t the right time to eat it, as the opening ceremony was about to begin.

Shen Xiao didn’t rush him, simply standing by his side.

A few minutes later, the main cast members gradually gathered. After the staff explained the procedures for the ceremony, they distributed sandalwood incense sticks.

Once the auspicious time arrived, everyone offered incense to pray for a smooth filming process, followed by speeches and group photos. By the time the formalities concluded, it was almost 11 a.m.

Hungry and exhausted, An Xiangdi found a quiet corner and popped the grape candy into his mouth.

As the sweet and tangy flavor spread across his tongue, he heard someone in the distance call out, “It’s over!”

On the first day of filming, the crew had scheduled the afternoon for free time. All An Xiangdi could think about was his bed, his steps unsteady as he forced himself to maintain composure for the sake of his fans.

Once inside the van, An Xiangdi waved to his fans before the driver skillfully navigated through the crowd and sped away.

As the window closed, An Xiangdi leaned his head against the seat, letting his bangs fall over his eyelashes as he quickly drifted into sleep.

Shen Xiao was delayed by some matters and left later than An Xiangdi. As the two departed from the temple one after the other, their fans were left murmuring among themselves.

“See, I told you they don’t get along well.”

“Yeah, they don’t even share a van. It’s awkward to watch.”

“But I saw An An accept a candy from Shen Xiao.”

“You must have seen wrong.”

Standing drowsily at the hotel front desk, An Xiangdi buried his face in the fluffy collar of his oversized down jacket, waiting to check in and get his room key.

The crew had reserved all rooms above the 25th floor of the hotel, and as one of the lead actors, An Xiangdi naturally had a single room.

“Go enjoy yourself,” An Xiangdi said as he took the key from Xiao Gu and headed straight for the elevator.

It was Xiao Gu’s first time in Hangnan, and he had been eager to explore. Delighted by An Xiangdi’s permission, he exclaimed, “Thank you, Teacher An! Please rest well!”

Back in his room, An Xiangdi turned on the air conditioner, wrapped himself in the blankets, and, ignoring his hunger, fell into a deep sleep.

Perhaps because the sweet and tangy taste of fruit candy still lingered in his mouth, An Xiangdi had a dream.

He dreamed of the summer after their junior high graduation when he and Shen Xiao had a fight over some trivial matter. To appease him, Shen Xiao sneaked out of his house and brought him a handful of grape-flavored fruit candies.

Back then, to avoid being caught by his family, Shen Xiao tried to climb back over the wall but accidentally broke his leg. The scene shifted to a stark white hospital, but before he could make out any details, the dream ended.

An Xiangdi frowned slightly and groggily opened his eyes.

The room was pitch black, save for the dim yellow glow of a desk lamp beside the small sofa in the corner, where Shen Xiao sat reading a script.

“What time is it?” An Xiangdi wasn’t surprised to find him in his room.

“Almost midnight,” Shen Xiao looked up the moment he woke, the script in his hand untouched.

An Xiangdi rolled over. “I had a dream.”

Shen Xiao moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Hmm?”

“I dreamed about that time in junior high when we fought, and you accidentally broke your leg.” An Xiangdi couldn’t even remember what they had argued about.

“The time I brought you candy?” Shen Xiao remembered it clearly. “I broke your new phone.”

An Xiangdi touched his nose, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. “Oh? We could’ve just bought another one.”

Shen Xiao didn’t reply. Instead, he tugged An Xiangdi’s arm and pulled him into the bathroom, waiting for him to wash up and brush his teeth.

An Xiangdi had been pampered since childhood and had never suffered any grievances, so his willfulness was nothing unusual. But he also had a short memory once his temper cooled, he’d forget all about it. Now, stirred by the dream, the long-buried memory resurfaced, filling him with a sense of shame.

“Are you hungry?”

Shen Xiao, who had been contemplating where to take An Xiangdi for a late-night snack, was caught off guard.

“My treat,” An Xiangdi said, noticing the flicker of surprise on Shen Xiao’s face. As if to mask his embarrassment, he raised his voice and added, “Come on a date with me. Will you go?”

Shen Xiao gently pinched his reddening ear and smiled. “Yes.”

They stepped out into the night and wandered through the night market near the hotel. But the crowds were overwhelming, so they decided to buy some food and take it back to the room.

Early the next morning, the two arrived together at the filming location arranged by the crew. They changed into their costumes one after the other and were then led into the makeup room.

“Good morning, seniors!” One of the lead actresses, Liang Yao, who was already in makeup, approached them. She was the only actress in the entire series, aside from An Xiangdi, who had romantic scenes with Shen Xiao.

“Morning,” An Xiangdi greeted her and was directed by the makeup artist to take a seat.

Shen Xiao nodded in acknowledgment and sat in the empty chair beside him.

As An Xiangdi closed his eyes to review the scenes they were shooting that day, a voice suddenly sounded beside him. Opening his eyes, he saw Liang Yao holding a lunchbox out to him.

“Teacher An, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I made these rice balls myself. Please try one.” Liang Yao smiled innocently. When An Xiangdi didn’t move, she added, “I made plenty and shared them with everyone. Since you arrived late, I saved some especially for you.”

An Xiangdi felt there was something off about her words, but not wanting to embarrass a junior, he picked up a small one and thanked her casually.

Having given one to him, Liang Yao immediately turned and offered the box to Shen Xiao. “Teacher Shen, would you like to try one? These are all for you.”

Shen Xiao only took one: “Thank you, but you should ask the others. We already ate before coming this morning.”

The “we” clearly referred to him and An Xiangdi.

Liang Yao had no choice but to reply with an “Okay” while holding the lunchbox as she walked out.

An Xiangdi kept his head slightly lowered. While the makeup artist turned to grab something else, he quietly took out his phone and looked up Liang Yao’s profile. When he saw “Omega” listed under the gender column, he let out a cold laugh.

No wonder she offered him “just one to try” but told Shen Xiao “they’re all for you” clearly, she was targeting his Alpha.