After the Corporate Slave Beta and the Top Alpha Married - Chapter 12

“Um, what happened to the person who came with us to the hospital?”

Ji Yu looked around and asked Shang Yuanzhou.

“He left already,” Shang Yuanzhou replied.

Ji Yu didn’t mind. He hadn’t liked the way that man looked at him, so he hummed in response and didn’t press further; he didn’t even ask who the man was.

When they emerged from the hospital, Ji Yu had a plaster cast on his arm. A sling was looped around his neck, allowing his right hand to hang against his chest.

Ji Yu felt a bit helpless and spoke with a hesitant expression. “I don’t think I really need the sling. The doctor said it’s just a hairline fracture; the cast should be enough to stabilize it for four weeks.”

“The doctor also said the sling prevents accidental bumps and swelling,” Shang Yuanzhou countered.

Ji Yu glanced at him. If Shang Yuanzhou hadn’t insisted, the doctor wouldn’t have required the neck strap. Feeling a bit conflicted, he didn’t dare be too blunt. “But it’s very uncomfortable like this.”

“And it makes me look like I’ve been through something terrible,” Ji Yu added, moving his hand with a wry smile. “It feels a bit theatrical.”

A hand landed on a spot not covered by the cast, giving it a light, gentle squeeze.

Shang Yuanzhou looked down at his hand, his voice dropping slightly. “Be good.”

A subtle emotion flickered through Ji Yu’s heart light and airy, like the itch of a falling feather, yet also a bit frantic, like a sudden palpitation.

President Shang must be a very good boss, he thought. He really cares about his employees.

They walked to the parking lot. Because the accident had happened so suddenly, Shang Yuanzhou had taken the keys from the driver and driven them himself; naturally, he was the one driving back.

Ji Yu felt it wouldn’t be right to sit in the back seat alone, as it would make Shang Yuanzhou look like his chauffeur. He walked over and opened the passenger door. Shang Yuanzhou, following behind, paused for a beat before his steps naturally shifted toward the driver’s side.

Ji Yu struggled slightly to pull the seatbelt with one hand. It wasn’t long enough, and he wanted to pull more out, but it was difficult to do with a single hand.

Shang Yuanzhou frowned slightly and took the seatbelt from him.

Ji Yu was smiling, about to offer his thanks, but then he saw Shang Yuanzhou let the seatbelt retract. “Tha?”

“Go sit in the back,” Shang Yuanzhou said. “The seatbelt will press against your sling and make you uncomfortable.”

Ji Yu shook his head in refusal. “I can just loop it underneath. It won’t press down.”

“Besides, how can I sit in the back while you’re driving?”

Shang Yuanzhou gave him a half-smile. “Why not? Or do you just want to keep me company?”

If it were anyone else, they might have laughed along with the joke and said, Yes, I just want to be with you.

Ji Yu opened his mouth, but the “Yes” wouldn’t come out. The truth was, he was just worried Shang Yuanzhou would feel like a driver.

Suddenly, a flick of a finger hit his forehead. Shang Yuanzhou withdrew his hand as his voice reached Ji Yu’s ears: “Don’t worry. I’m not so petty that I’d think driving you makes me a chauffeur.”

Ji Yu covered his forehead where he’d been flicked, his gaze deeply confused.

Did I say those thoughts out loud? Did I? No, I don’t think so.

Even after he moved to the back, Ji Yu was still pondering the question, looking at Shang Yuanzhou several times as if he wanted to speak. Sitting diagonally behind him, he had a clear view of the man’s profile.

Shang Yuanzhou stared ahead, focused on the road. The excellence of his bone structure was evident in the silhouette of his face a straight bridge of the nose and a sharp, clean jawline.

As he watched, Ji Yu forgot what he wanted to ask and simply fell into a daze, staring at Shang Yuanzhou’s profile.

Shang Yuanzhou’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and tightened again, but then he seemed to force himself to relax, his hands returning to a natural hold.

The small spark in his heart had been doused in the thickest gasoline by Ji Yu’s gaze. The flames roared toward the sky, the tongues of fire licking and searing his heart, making his entire being tremble.

Ji Yu is watching me. He is watching me intently.

This fact made Shang Yuanzhou feel an almost instantaneous surge of excitement. He really, really, really wanted to let it out. He forced himself to relax inch by inch, unwilling to break the spell.

Only after Ji Yu looked away did Shang Yuanzhou speak in a calm tone: “Since your hand is injured, you should take leave from the company for a while.”

His patience was crumbling; Shang Yuanzhou didn’t know how much longer he could keep up this pretense in front of Ji Yu.

Ji Yu looked down at his hand and sighed.

“Or do you plan on going to the office with that cast?” Shang Yuanzhou teased. “You’ll have trouble even typing. Do you plan on acting as a plaster-doll mascot?”

Ji Yu was amused. Imagining the scene, he shook his head. “I guess I’ll pass.”

Perhaps because the atmosphere felt light, he spoke up boldly: “Even if it were a plaster-doll mascot, it would have to be someone as good-looking as A-Zhou to be pleasing to the eye.”

Shang Yuanzhou looked at him in surprise. Ji Yu’s heart skipped a beat; just as he was about to apologize, Shang Yuanzhou said, “Flirting with the boss? Careful, or I’ll dock your pay.”

Ji Yu instantly burst into laughter, pleading, “Please don’t, boss!”

Then he reconsidered and argued righteously, “You’re the one who said we should pay attention even in private, so we don’t slip up later.”

“So, there is no boss here. Only A-Zhou.”

A smile rippled through A-Zhou’s pale red eyes. “I can’t win an argument with you.”

Ji Yu felt that their relationship had grown closer after the fall from the horse. He was very grateful that Shang Yuanzhou had saved him; if Shang Yuanzhou hadn’t caught him and cushioned the fall, it likely wouldn’t have been a simple hairline fracture. Whether it was hitting his head on the ground or being stepped on by a panicked horse, it could have been fatal.

As for Shang Yuanzhou becoming more friendly and joking with him, Ji Yu figured it was likely out of guilt for the injury. All in all, he was a very good boss. If Ji Yu weren’t planning to go abroad and didn’t hate being cramped in an office cubicle, he might have asked if Shang Yuanzhou’s company was hiring.

Ji Yu sat on the sofa, watching Shang Yuanzhou pour him some water. He blinked blankly. “Aren’t you going to the office?”

Shang Yuanzhou looked him up and down, from the cast to the neck strap. “With you like this, how can I feel at ease leaving you home alone?”

“The doctor prescribed medication for you. I’ll go make dinner. You’ll take the medicine after we eat. Drink some water and rest for a bit first.”

First, President Shang acted as his driver, and now he was going to be his chef.

Though Ji Yu felt they were closer, he still wasn’t used to it. He felt “favored and startled”—heavy on the “startled.” He followed him into the kitchen with some trepidation, watching Shang Yuanzhou take vegetables out of the fridge. “Can you actually do this, A-Zhou?” he asked, sounding unconvinced.

Shang Yuanzhou gave him a look with deep meaning. “Don’t worry. I’m very ‘capable.'”

He laughed at his own words, feeling he was acting quite childish today. Like the high schooler Shang Fan, not like Shang Yuanzhou.

Ji Yu didn’t believe him and couldn’t help pressing, “Really? Maybe we should just order takeout.”

He was a patient, after all. With a fresh fracture, he really didn’t want to eat anything bizarre.

Shang Yuanzhou rubbed his knuckles, feeling a sudden urge to flick Ji Yu’s forehead again. Considering the man’s injury, he said helplessly, “I wasn’t born a CEO.”

Once the topic was opened, Shang Yuanzhou continued naturally. “You know I’m an illegitimate son.”

“The reason I only transferred to Berlin in my senior year was because the Shang family only found me then. Before that, I was just an ordinary kid from an ordinary family.”

As he spoke, Shang Yuanzhou was already washing the vegetables. Ji Yu watched him; his expression was calm, as if he were talking about someone else.

Ji Yu didn’t think too much of it and asked, “What was your previous home like?”

Shang Yuanzhou began chopping. In the rhythmic thud of the knife hitting the board, he produced perfectly even, thin strips of potato.

“A very normal family of three living in an old apartment. My stepfather was a laborer, and my mother did some simple odd jobs.”

A degenerate gambler and a drunkard living in a cheap basement with a bastard son.

“My mom would have dinner ready before my stepfather got home. I started learning by watching her back then.”

A man coming home after losing money, cursing and swearing, brawling with a woman who had been drinking. Everything in the house was junk; it didn’t hurt to break it. And he, getting hit in the crossfire until he bled, was junk too. Even less valuable than things you had to spend money to buy.

He continued, “Later, my mom passed away and the Shang family found me. There’s not much else to say.”

Shang Yuanzhou turned slightly so Ji Yu could see the results of his chopping. He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Now do you believe I can cook?”

Ji Yu puffed out his cheeks. “I believe you.”

Shang Yuanzhou looked at him. “What, not convinced?”

“I remember you were at the top of the rankings after your very first exam at Berlin.” Ji Yu shook his head. “Cooking and good grades… the perfect child from next door.”

“You must have been quite pampered in your old home then. And even more so now.” He paused, not finishing the thought.

Shang Yuanzhou minced some garlic and chuckled softly. “Can’t help it. Born with a good life.”

He dismissively attributed everything to “good luck.” He tossed half the minced garlic into the hot oil. The sizzle of the pan made his voice sound slightly distorted:

“You still remember I ranked high in the first exam? I thought you didn’t pay much attention to class matters back then.”

Ji Yu stepped forward, using his uninjured hand to turn on the range hood. “What?”

Shang Yuanzhou didn’t turn around, nor did he ask again. “Nothing.”

Ji Yu had been worried that Shang Yuanzhou would produce some bizarre “dark cuisine,” but he relaxed halfway through. Once he actually tasted it, he realized he had relaxed too soon.

The flavor wasn’t bad, per se. But it definitely wasn’t “good” either.

It was a very subtle feeling. It was as if he had very earnestly prepared a bowl of plain water it was incredibly bland.

Ji Yu looked suspiciously at the home-cooked dishes. He had clearly seen Shang Yuanzhou put in green onions, ginger, garlic, and salt. Which step had gone wrong?

“What’s wrong?” Shang Yuanzhou asked, watching him.

“Nothing. It’s delicious,” Ji Yu lied. It was a complete betrayal of his conscience; Shang Yuanzhou must have been cursed by the God of Flavor. But since the man had worked so hard, Ji Yu finished every bite.

Half an hour later, under Shang Yuanzhou’s supervision, he took his medicine.

It was still summer, moving toward the peak of the heat. Between the photos, the horse riding, and the fall, his body felt terribly sticky. Ji Yu looked at his clean bed, then at himself, and agonized for a long time.

Knock, knock, knock

A knock sounded on Shang Yuanzhou’s door. A “little carp” with red ears peeked his head in. “Um… can you help me wrap my cast in plastic wrap?”

“I can’t really do it with one hand.”

Shang Yuanzhou frowned. “You want to shower?”

When Ji Yu nodded, he refused immediately without thinking. “No.”

“Plastic wrap can’t completely keep the water out. And how are you going to wash with one hand?”

Ji Yu’s delicate brows knit tightly. He really couldn’t accept sleeping while feeling this dirty and sweaty. “Then… why don’t you help me?”

Under any other circumstance, Ji Yu wouldn’t have said something so impulsive. But after being saved today, their relationship felt closer. They were both men, and he was a Beta while Shang Yuanzhou wasn’t an Omega. Living under the same roof felt like being college roommates.

…Shang Yuanzhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was laced with an imperceptible rasp. “That’s going to be a bit difficult for me.”

So difficult it felt like a trial.

Eh?

Ji Yu thought about it and realized it was true. After the initial impulse, he realized how awkward it would be. “Never mind”

He was cut off before he could finish. “But,” Shang Yuanzhou said, his long, narrow eyes dark and inscrutable, like a bottomless marsh waiting for prey to fall in, “we can try.”