After Getting Pregnant, I’m Divorcing My Alpha - Chapter 8

On the way back, An Xiangdi kept thinking about what Dr. Qiao had said.

The possibility that his pheromones might have a scent made him both nervous and excited.

Raising his arm to take a sniff, An Xiangdi couldn’t detect anything. The initial excitement was replaced by a hint of disappointment. If it really was the scent of water, it sounded rather ordinary. He had always assumed his pheromones would be unique and pleasant.

Putting his arm down, An Xiangdi suddenly felt a bit foolish for his actions. Clearing his throat softly, he glanced around guiltily. Luckily, no one was watching.

At midnight, the plane cut through the darkness and landed punctually at Hangnan City Airport.

An Xiangdi, bundled up tightly, followed the crowd to the exit. From afar, he spotted Shen Xiao waiting at the arrivals gate, wearing a white hoodie and a black mask that matched his own.

“Let’s go,” Shen Xiao said, reaching out without hesitation and taking An Xiangdi’s hand, ignoring the onlookers around them.

An Xiangdi’s gaze lingered on their intertwined hands, recalling how Shen Xiao had once told him that his pheromones smelled sweet. Especially during moments of passion, Shen Xiao would hold him close and whisper, “You smell so sweet.”

Though it was a bit embarrassing, those words gave An Xiangdi a sense of reality, a feeling that he was truly alive.

“Shen Xiao.”

“What’s wrong?” Shen Xiao slowed his pace and turned to look at him.

“Nothing, I just wanted to say your name.” An Xiangdi averted his gaze.

Shen Xiao was silent for a moment before replying softly, “I’m here.”

Despite their careful disguises, the next morning, someone on Weibo had already leaked the news about Shen Xiao picking up An Xiangdi at the airport.

@GossipPrinceV: Fan submission: Spotted Shen Xiao and An Xiangdi at the airport late last night. Looks like Shen Xiao was there to pick him up, and they left together. [Highlight.jpg][Images×9]

SweetEveryDay: Sorry, but I’m totally melting from the sweetness, awsl.

PeachOolong: Ever since Shen Xiao clarified that interview, I’ve realized these two are unexpectedly adorable together.

ConquerHim: Is this the joy of shipping a real couple?

An Xiangdi was awakened by the relentless ringing of Shen Xiao’s phone. Glancing at the time, he saw it was only 3 a.m. Looking beside him, Shen Xiao wasn’t there.

The bathroom door opened, and Shen Xiao walked out, wiping water from his face. Seeing An Xiangdi rubbing his eyes, he asked, “Did I wake you?”

“Are you heading to the set?” An Xiangdi rolled over, half-asleep.

“Yeah,” Shen Xiao replied, not particularly tired. During his busiest times, he’d survived on just one or two hours of sleep for days.

“Oh,” An Xiangdi mumbled softly before drifting back to sleep.

Shen Xiao silenced the call, kissed his forehead, and left the room.

The call was from Hua Jiang, who immediately asked, “You and An Xiangdi weren’t at the set last night. Where did you go?”

“I had something to do,” Shen Xiao replied, unwilling to elaborate.

Hua Jiang, frustrated, took a moment before saying, “As I mentioned before, you need to be careful. With your recent collaboration, a lot of people are watching you two.”

“Hua Jie, Di and I have been married for two years,” Shen Xiao emphasized.

His tone was calm, but it made Hua Jiang tense up. She ended the call almost abruptly.

By the time An Xiangdi woke up again, it was already 9 a.m. He had a scene to shoot at 11.

When he arrived at the set, everyone was on break. An Xiangdi was taken to change into his costume and have his makeup done. By the time he finished and stepped out, he saw Cao Xuan arguing fiercely with the screenwriter, Qi Kexiu, while Shen Xiao and Liang Yao stood silently nearby.

“What’s going on?” An Xiangdi casually stopped a staff member.

“Ah Director Cao wants to make some changes to the script, but Qi Kexiu absolutely refuses,” the staff member replied with an awkward smile. “They ended up arguing.”

Qi Kexiu was the original author of The Eyes Hidden in the Corner and also the screenwriter for this adaptation. As the author, he naturally preferred to preserve the original plot and details, so his reluctance to make changes was understandable. On the other hand, Cao Xuan, as the director, was more concerned with the visual impact and effectiveness of the final product on screen.

However, neither Qi Kexiu nor Cao Xuan was willing to back down, and their argument grew increasingly heated.

After listening for a while, An Xiangdi had a rough idea of which part of the script Cao Xuan wanted to change.

In The Eyes Hidden in the Corner, An Xiangdi played Qian Xin, who was in a mutual but unspoken crush with Shen Xiao’s character, Zheng Jun. Especially after the case unfolded, both of them kept their feelings bottled up. At this point, Zheng Jun met the younger sister of the fourth victim in the serial murder case, Ding Yifan, played by Liang Yao.

Ding Yifan was a timid and introverted girl. During Zheng Jun’s investigation, she developed feelings for his serious, responsible, and selfless nature. After Zheng Jun questioned her a second time about the circumstances of the incident, she confessed her feelings to him.

In the original story, Ding Yifan chased after him from her home and shouted her confession from a distance. However, Cao Xuan wanted to change it to Ding Yifan hugging Zheng Jun from behind.

An Xiangdi raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shen Xiao, then at Liang Yao, who already had feelings for Shen Xiao. Whether they were willing or not, it wasn’t appropriate for them to interfere casually.

But An Xiangdi was unwilling to let it slide.

“Director Cao, Qi Kexiu, how about this?” An Xiangdi interrupted the two, who were locked in a heated argument.

Cao Xuan, still panting heavily, turned and glared at An Xiangdi, his fierce expression clearly lingering from the intense argument. “What do you want to say?”

Qi Kexiu, wearing black-rimmed glasses, didn’t look as aggressive as Cao Xuan, but he wasn’t far off.

“I was thinking, why don’t Shen Xiao and I act it out and let the two of you judge the effect? How does that sound?” An Xiangdi spoke so smoothly that no one noticed the problem in his words.

Why would he and Shen Xiao act out a scene that was supposed to be between Shen Xiao and Liang Yao?

“Fine!” Cao Xuan, still fuming, agreed immediately and stomped over to the equipment. “Let’s start right now!”

Although Qi Kexiu still held his ground, there was no better solution at the moment than to film a trial run, so he stepped aside as well.

“Liang Yao! What are you doing? Move away from the camera and let An Xiangdi and Shen Xiao give it a try!” Cao Xuan yelled when he saw Liang Yao still standing in front of the camera.

Startled by the shout, Liang Yao, as a delicate Omega, felt deeply wronged. Biting her lower lip and with red-rimmed eyes, she stepped aside.

Shen Xiao, who had been tense, relaxed noticeably. He had long been accustomed to An Xiangdi’s cleverness and wasn’t fooled by his words. Still, seeing everyone else fall for it amused him.

An Xiangdi walked to the location specified in the script. As he passed by Shen Xiao, he lowered his voice and said, “I’m cleaning up your mess!”

“Mhm, my omega is always right.” Shen Xiao usually only said things like this in bed, which showed just how good his mood was at the moment.

An Xiangdi stumbled slightly, his ears flushed red as he walked to his designated spot.

Once the assistant director signaled the start, the two immediately got into character. The first scene to be filmed was the “shouted confession.”

“Ding Yifan” stood by the window, watching Zheng Jun walk away slowly, the sunlight illuminating “her” flushed face.

Almost instantly, “Ding Yifan” rushed out of the house, chasing after Zheng Jun with what seemed like the fastest speed of “her” life. Just as the other was about to turn the corner into the alley, “she” shouted loudly, “Officer Zheng! I like you!”

Zheng Jun paused, his silhouette stretching longer and longer under the sunlight. After a long moment, he turned around and said, “Sorry, I already have someone I like.”

The expression on “Ding Yifan’s” face shifted several times from infatuation to heartbreak, then to forced acceptance. Finally, “she” smiled and said, “Officer Zheng, thank you.”

As soon as the scene ended, Cao Xuan was so stunned he forgot to cut the camera.

Qi Kexiu, not caring whether Cao Xuan was an experienced director or not, sneered arrogantly, “I told you my original script would work better.”

“W-we haven’t filmed the second version yet! Don’t get cocky!” Cao Xuan was growing less confident but refused to back down.

Qi Kexiu leisurely sat down, exuding an air of certainty that he would win.

An Xiangdi paid no attention to their petty argument, rubbing his warm cheeks instead.

He and Shen Xiao were both twenty-nine-year-old men, with one foot already stepping into their thirties. Yet here they were, confessing to each other from a distance both embarrassing and mortifying.

Eager to see the effect of the “hug-from-behind” confession, Cao Xuan didn’t give An Xiangdi and Shen Xiao any time to catch their breath, quickly reminding them to start filming again.

The earlier part of the scene remained the same, with the only difference being that after “Ding Yifan” rushed out of the house, “she” ran straight into Zheng Jun’s back, wrapping “her” arms tightly around his waist.

“Officer Zheng, I like you.” An Xiangdi, now playing “Ding Yifan,” leaned against Shen Xiao’s back and held him even tighter after saying those words.

Shen Xiao, playing “Zheng Jun,” kept a straight face, though he was laughing inwardly. His fingertips trembled slightly before he grabbed “Ding Yifan’s” hand, deliberately brushing against “her” palm as he let go.

“Sorry, I already have someone I like.”

At this moment, Shen Xiao’s eyes were filled with deep affection all for An Xiangdi. Not for “Ding Yifan,” nor for “Qian Xin.”

“Cut, cut, cut, cut!” Cao Xuan yelled irritably. Though he was reluctant to admit it, the first confession method was indeed more effective. It not only captured the young girl’s initial timidity and hard-won courage but also hinted at the melancholy of unrequited love between Zheng Jun and Qian Xin.

In the end, the outcome of the script dispute was clear. Qi Kexiu got to keep his original version and, in a much better mood, didn’t bother Cao Xuan any further.

Cao Xuan, on the other hand, pulled Liang Yao aside to show her the “shouted confession” scene An Xiangdi and Shen Xiao had just filmed, pointing out what she should pay attention to when acting it out later.

With his task accomplished, An Xiangdi retreated and asked Xiao Gu for a bottle of cold water, pressing it against his warm cheeks.

Ever since he had openly confessed his feelings to Shen Xiao from a distance, the heat in his face hadn’t subsided.

Shen Xiao, a smile playing at the corners of his lips, walked over to him and slipped a grape-flavored candy into his mouth. Leaning in close to his ear, he whispered softly, “Dizi, I like you the most.”

“Get lost!” The warmth that had just begun to fade surged back in an instant. An Xiangdi gave him a light kick and ignored him completely.