After the Corporate Slave Beta and the Top Alpha Married - Chapter 13

Even though Shang Yuanzhou wasn’t a pampered young master who had never lifted a finger in his life, Ji Yu still found it impossible to imagine the man actually giving him a bath.

When he had blurted that out, his brain hadn’t been in gear. Now that Shang Yuanzhou had agreed, it was Ji Yu who was panicking.

“Actually, never mind,” Ji Yu said, his face a mask of awkwardness and helplessness. “It’s really too much trouble for you.”

It was hard to take back his own words, so he tried to reject the offer in a different way.

“It’s no trouble,” Shang Yuanzhou’s voice dropped an octave. “Come here.”

His voice was unhurried and his tone was calm it should have been a soothing way of speaking, yet it carried an air of absolute authority that brooked no argument.

Ji Yu gritted his teeth, his heart thumping nervously as he followed Shang Yuanzhou into the bathroom.

Taking a bath meant undressing, which was a formidable task while wearing a plaster cast and a sling. Ji Yu’s hand couldn’t be touched; since he had just been injured, it was fixed in place to prevent movement that could lead to further swelling or infection.

The injury was on his forearm near the elbow. When his wound was cleaned and the cast applied, his sleeves had simply been rolled up. Ji Yu watched as Shang Yuanzhou stared at his arm. “The clothes are going to be hard to get off. Maybe we should just forget it.”

Shang Yuanzhou didn’t say a word. He turned and left.

A moment later, he returned with a pair of scissors.

The scissors looked cold and sharp. The more Ji Yu looked at them, the more he felt he must have been possessed by a ghost to suggest Shang Yuanzhou help him wash.

Ji Yu was still wearing his morning coat a two-piece set with a black outer jacket and a white dress shirt underneath. Shang Yuanzhou set the scissors aside for a moment and reached out to undo the buttons on the jacket.

“I can do it myself.”

Embarrassed, Ji Yu quickly reached out to undo them, but Shang Yuanzhou didn’t withdraw his hand. Ji Yu missed the button and touched Shang Yuanzhou’s hand instead.

He pulled back as if he’d been burned. “Sor—sorry. I’ll do it.”

“Don’t move.”

Shang Yuanzhou kept his eyes half-lidded, his movements slow and gentle as he worked the buttons. His focused expression didn’t look like he was undoing a coat, it looked more like he was carefully unwrapping a gift.

Ji Yu shook his head violently to shake off that nonsensical thought. What am I thinking? I’m not a gift. If Shang Yuanzhou actually received a gift like him, he’d probably throw it in the trash, box and all.

Ji Yu was amused by his own thought, but the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by concern. Because of that brief touch, he realized Shang Yuanzhou’s hand was incredibly hot. It wasn’t a trick of his nervous imagination.

Ji Yu stole a glance at the man’s face. “A-Zhou, do you have a fever? Your hand was really hot just now.”

“I should take you to the hospital. I don’t need to wash today.”

Shang Yuanzhou’s gaze landed on Ji Yu’s injured hand. Though he remained expressionless, Ji Yu felt as if he were being teased.

Ji Yu’s voice grew weaker as he added, “I’ll call a cab and go with you.”

“An Alpha’s physical constitution is stronger than average; our body temperature is naturally higher,” Shang Yuanzhou explained. He paused, then added, “It’s also possible my rut is approaching.”

Though a Beta, Ji Yu knew what a rut was. During this period, an Alpha’s pheromones would become restless, and the person would become irritable and aggressive. If an Alpha had an Omega, they would crave their comfort desperately and refuse to let anyone near them. In severe cases, they might even exhibit “nesting” behavior.

Ji Yu had seen an Alpha in a rut before; they were no different from wild beasts. The scenes he had witnessed as a child were like red-hot iron brands on his heart, leaving marks that could never be erased.

The corners of his mouth twitched, but he didn’t press further with insincere concern. “I see.”

Shang Yuanzhou’s movements paused. He looked up. “What is it?”

Ji Yu shook his head and pulled the left side of the jacket off his shoulder himself. Shang Yuanzhou pressed a hand against his shoulder; the thin fabric of the undershirt sat between the palm and the skin, yet it was so hot Ji Yu couldn’t help but shrink back.

“You seem to dislike Alphas and Omegas very much.”

Ji Yu wanted to say he didn’t, but Shang Yuanzhou was staring at him with long, narrow eyes that seemed to see through everything.

The words changed at the tip of his tongue. “It’s not dislike.”

“I just feel that Alphas and Omegas are ruled by pheromones. They’re human, yet they can’t control themselves.”

Heats and ruts how is that different from animals mating? The thought was too harsh, so Ji Yu didn’t say it.

The room fell silent. Ji Yu pursed his lips, feeling a bit regretful for saying such a thing to an Alpha’s face. His tone softened as he said embarrassedly, “I… I didn’t mean you.”

The hand on his shoulder tightened slowly. Ji Yu’s body gave a little shiver; he was genuinely worried that a man on the verge of a rut might lose his temper and punch him.

Shang Yuanzhou was wearing pajamas, the loose fabric covering his frame, but Ji Yu had seen that body lean, refined muscle. Not to mention Shang Yuanzhou towered over him, his presence completely enveloping him. Ji Yu, despite having a good physique, was made to look petite by comparison.

He waited trepidatiously, only to hear Shang Yuanzhou’s deep, magnetic voice: “You’re right.”

Eh?

“But even without pheromones, there are still hormones in the human body.”

Shang Yuanzhou placed a hand over Ji Yu’s heart and pressed down slightly. “You’re a Beta, free from the trouble of pheromones. But how do you know that every decision you make isn’t influenced by hormones? Impulses, anger, joy, sadness, pain… all of these together constitute a living person.”

Ji Yu was stunned, his expression a bit blank and dazed. Shang Yuanzhou found him cute and felt an urge to pinch his cheek. “I am influenced by pheromones, but I don’t reject them.”

He let out an unreadable chuckle. “They are part of what makes me me.”

And they are always restless, craving to crush the person in front of me into my body to become the other part.

Ji Yu pursed his lips, not knowing what to say. Rationally, Shang Yuanzhou was right. But… He shook his head to clear those old memories and realized Shang Yuanzhou’s hand was still resting on his chest. It was hot, like it was searing his heart.

“Your hand,” Ji Yu said hesitantly, taking a small step back.

Shang Yuanzhou withdrew his hand, his expression natural. “Don’t move.”

He picked up the scissors and started on the right shoulder of the half-removed coat. The cold metal pressed against Ji Yu’s skin as it moved downward, leaving a chilly trail. In the summer heat, it wasn’t unpleasant; quite the opposite, it felt refreshing. However, if he didn’t know it was a pair of scissors, it would have felt like a cold-blooded snake slithering down his arm.

The morning coat was ruthlessly ruined. Seeing the two separated sleeves fluttering down, Ji Yu realized a bit late:

“This coat…”

Shang Yuanzhou: “?”

Ji Yu looked serious: “Those people shouldn’t make me pay for it, right?”

Shang Yuanzhou laughed, finding Ji Yu more and more adorable. “You can blame it on me. No one dares to ask me for compensation.”

The truth was, after such a major accident, the company wouldn’t dream of asking for money; they were too busy trying to apologize so they wouldn’t lose his business entirely.

“Eh? Wait, wait, wait!”

Ji Yu pressed a hand against the hand that had already reached for his collar, saying in a panic, “Let’s not take this one off?”

Shang Yuanzhou was silent for a second before asking calmly, “How are you going to bathe without taking it off?”

…Good question. So why on earth did I suggest he help me wash?! He must have been possessed.

He realized Shang Yuanzhou only looked cold, but was actually unexpectedly helpful. Whether it was jumping in to save him or now insisting on helping him after agreeing to it, he wouldn’t let Ji Yu back out. He was a very good person.

Seeing the first button already undone his collarbone half-exposed beneath the shirt Ji Yu had a sudden flash of inspiration.

He blurted out, “If I take it off, what will I do about putting clothes on? Taking them off can be done with scissors, but putting them on can’t. And since it’s the first day of the injury, it’s best not to move it too much. So… let’s keep it on.”

Shang Yuanzhou thought about it. “Fair point.”

Ji Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to speak when he saw Shang Yuanzhou turn and leave. He was about to follow when he heard: “Stay here.”

He stood in place, blinking blankly.

Shang Yuanzhou returned quickly with a stool the kind without a backrest. He set it down and took Ji Yu’s shoulder to guide him onto the seat. “I’ll give you a wipe-down.”

Ji Yu waved his hands hurriedly. “No, no, I’ll just wash my face.”

“Your body is sweaty and uncomfortable; you won’t sleep well,” Shang Yuanzhou said steadily. “Let’s get this over with so you can rest early. Don’t act tough when you’re an invalid.”

Ultimately, Ji Yu didn’t refuse. He was the one who brought it up; if he acted coy now, he’d only be wasting both their time. Shang Yuanzhou must be exhausted today too; the sooner they finished, the sooner he could rest.

He felt a bit guilty for wasting so much of the man’s time already.

The showerhead sprayed water with a splashing sound. The bathroom was quiet; neither of them spoke. Once the water was hot, Shang Yuanzhou took the showerhead and filled a basin.

His long, well-defined hand dipped a cloth into the water, letting it soak before wringing it dry. The cloth was small a hand towel and Shang Yuanzhou could almost completely conceal it in his palm.

He shook it out, folded it, and reached up under the hem of Ji Yu’s shirt. Since the buttons were done, his hand and the towel stretched the thin fabric taut, trapping the hand inside.

The bathroom grew so quiet that even the water seemed to stop; the only thing audible was their breathing. Through the fabric, the movements of the hand underneath were clearly visible. Stroke after stroke, sometimes light, sometimes firm.

Ji Yu began to regret buying such small towels. It couldn’t completely cover Shang Yuanzhou’s hand; the ghost-like sensation of fingers brushing against his skin felt hot and tingly, making his body shiver.

It was too strange. Truly too strange.

Shang Yuanzhou was very careful. Perhaps because it was his first time doing this, or perhaps because he wasn’t used to touching a man’s body, he exercised restraint to keep his hand from touching Ji Yu’s skin. But it was impossible to avoid completely. The result of his “caution” was that the touches felt fleeting and accidental, like an ambiguous caress.

Ji Yu endured the back-scrubbing until it was finished. Shang Yuanzhou had been silent the whole time. He put the towel back in the basin to rinse and wring it again. His hand clenched into a fist as he wrung the cloth, his knuckles protruding and the veins on his hand throbbing with the force of his grip.

A faint tearing sound was heard.

Shang Yuanzhou paused and unfolded the towel. A tear had appeared in the middle; if it were any larger, the tiny towel would have been in two pieces. He folded it again and handed it to Ji Yu, his face maintaining its usual calm.

“You do the front. Can you manage with one hand?”

“Yes,” Ji Yu nodded quickly, his tension finally easing. If Shang Yuanzhou had insisted on doing the front too, that would have been truly bizarre. He figured Shang Yuanzhou probably just didn’t want to touch another man’s body.

Once Ji Yu was finished, Shang Yuanzhou rinsed the towel again, changed the water, and wiped Ji Yu’s back one last time.

Ji Yu took the towel for the second time and thanked him. “I really troubled you today. Thank you.”

Shang Yuanzhou leaned against the doorframe, his head slightly lowered. He didn’t look up but said, “You were injured while cooperating with my photoshoot. Don’t overthink it, and there’s no need to feel guilty.”

Despite the words, Ji Yu didn’t actually think that way. He wasn’t ungrateful. When Shang Yuanzhou reached out, Ji Yu handed him the towel and said seriously, “Regardless, thank you.”

Shang Yuanzhou remained noncommittal. Everything he had done was for his own selfish reasons; when Ji Yu thanked him, he almost wanted to laugh. I suppose I should be glad he didn’t give me a ‘Good Person Card’ yet.

He turned to wash the towel, gave it a few casual scrubs, and said, “Your towel seems to be broken.”

“Eh?” Ji Yu was confused. “Is the quality that bad?”

“It seems so,” Shang Yuanzhou said without a hint of guilt. “I’ll throw it away for you.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Your legs” Shang Yuanzhou started, but Ji Yu cut him off hurriedly. “No need for the legs! You should get some rest too.”

Shang Yuanzhou hummed in agreement. Before leaving the bathroom, he squeezed the toothpaste onto Ji Yu’s brush for him.

As Ji Yu put the mint-flavored toothpaste in his mouth, he silently awarded Shang Yuanzhou a “Good Person Card.” When Shang Yuanzhou had mentioned being afraid of a collaborator clinging to him, Ji Yu had agreed, thinking it was a possibility given the man’s status and looks. But now he felt he had been narrow-minded.

It was entirely possible that someone would want Shang Yuanzhou for the person he was. He was comfortable to be around, he protected you in danger, and he was attentive to the small things. Ji Yu let out a “tsk.” He couldn’t imagine what kind of person would be worthy of him.

Noble in character, peerless in beauty, and staggering in wealth. It never occurred to Ji Yu that the one thing this world lacks is a truly perfect person.

Ji Yu slowly cleaned up with one hand. When he passed Shang Yuanzhou’s room, he saw the door was closed and hesitated but didn’t knock. To knock just to say thanks again would be an interruption rather than gratitude.

Back in his room, Ji Yu sat down on a chair. He hadn’t changed his pants yet. Since he had practically rolled around on the ground earlier, he couldn’t just get into bed like this. Even though he hadn’t changed his shirt, it was at least an undershirt, so it wasn’t that dirty.

He intended to change his pants, but he just sat there in a daze. A cool night breeze blew in through the open window. Ji Yu slowly closed his eyes. The last time he had felt such a comfortable breeze was three months ago on the grass of Starry Valley. Now, he was in A-City. At least it wasn’t the Ji home, he thought, finding some silver lining.

After resting for a bit, he checked the time: 9:50 PM. It was indeed getting late. Ji Yu sighed and began trying to undo his pants with one hand. The morning suit came with trousers of the same fabric; perhaps for the sake of riding, the design was different from standard dress slacks.

The more he tried to undo them, the more his brow furrowed. Ten minutes later, he was certain something was stuck he couldn’t get the pants off.

Between asking Shang Yuanzhou for help and cutting them open, Ji Yu chose the latter without hesitation. He remembered the scissors were in the bathroom, but when he went there, they weren’t on the sink. Had Shang Yuanzhou taken them?

Ji Yu looked around the living room but didn’t see them. Shang Yuanzhou was using the study, and Ji Yu wasn’t sure if there were important documents inside, so he didn’t want to enter. His contract strictly forbade him from entering the study without permission. As a corporate slave, he was an expert at following contracts.

Knock, knock, knock

“A-Zhou, are you asleep?”

Ji Yu’s knock was very light, and his voice was so soft it could easily be ignored. If the person inside was asleep, it wouldn’t be enough to wake them.

The room was dark; only a thin line of moonlight squeezed through the gap in the curtains. The man leaning against the bed was tall, sitting there like an inseparable shadow. One leg was bent, and his hand was moving rapidly.

An Alpha’s physical prowess extends to all areas, including hearing. The soft, cat-like voice behind the door made Shang Yuanzhou let out a muffled groan. He pulled out some tissues to clean himself and, in the darkness, accurately tossed the ball of paper into the trash can in the corner.

Shang Yuanzhou didn’t go to open the door. Having found his release, he sat lazily on the bed. His body wasn’t quite satiated, and he didn’t feel like putting on his “good guy” act in front of Ji Yu—at least not today.

He hadn’t been thinking of the current Ji Yu. Ji Yu’s words in the bathroom had sent his thoughts back to high school. It was also a sweltering summer, not long after he had transferred to Berlin High.

Shang Yuanzhou had been taken in by the Shang family because of the possibility of him differentiating into an Alpha. He was “taken in,” not “recognized.” Back then, his name was still Shang Fan.

Behind the rockery in the school woods, Shang Yuanzhou’s hand was a bloody mess. The cicadas in the summer heat were irritating. He sat on the grass with his head lowered, letting the thick blood drip.

A shadow fell over him, blocking the light. Shang Yuanzhou looked up and then looked away, bored. It was Ji Yu. Shang Yuanzhou didn’t have a strong impression of him and didn’t care why he was there.

He stood up to leave, but Ji Yu spoke after a moment of silence: “They gave me money to come here and kick you while you’re down.”

Shang Yuanzhou sat back down. “Finish your piece and get lost.”

His differentiation had failed, and he was likely to become a Beta. Having the class’s first Beta, Ji Yu, come to mock him was a blatant humiliation. It was a way to say he was worse than a Beta—that he needed two tries even to become one.

“I refused,” Ji Yu said.

The most money-strapped person in class had turned down what was likely a significant amount of money because of him. Shang Yuanzhou looked up at him, prepared to knock out one of Ji Yu’s teeth once he heard the inevitable pity.

But he was wrong. Ji Yu’s tone wasn’t one of pity or sympathy. He said seriously, “Being a Beta is good.”

Shang Yuanzhou was stunned, then he burst into laughter a low chuckle that grew into a loud laugh laced with mockery. “Quite the act.”

“If someone told you they could turn you into an Alpha, you’d be the first dog to go wagging your tail.”

He didn’t know Ji Yu well, but he knew the boy would do almost anything for money; he had no spine and no convictions. The boy didn’t get angry; instead, he spoke in a calm and certain tone: “I wouldn’t.”

Shang Yuanzhou wanted to scoff, but he fell silent upon meeting the boy’s gaze. In that moment, he had a strange feeling that Ji Yu was telling the truth. The space grew quiet, leaving only the sound of cicadas and birds.

“Alphas and Omegas are like birds with glowing wings,” Ji Yu said suddenly. “Beautiful, but trapped in a cage, ruled by pheromones for their whole lives. Being a dull grey sparrow that can fly freely in the sky is good.” He smiled slightly. “I like freedom.”

Ji Yu left. Shang Yuanzhou watched his retreating back thin and clean. Perhaps from that moment on, Shang Yuanzhou was destined to become an Alpha, the ultimate predator. Not because of some nonsense about being “comforted” by Ji Yu.

At that time, he thought: Ji Yu loves freedom so much. If I lock him up and break his wings, would this grey sparrow let out a beautiful and desperate cry in an instant?

He wasn’t an Alpha yet, but even then, he possessed the Alpha’s nature for extreme possessiveness a wicked, extreme thought directed at Ji Yu alone.

Ji Yu’s words today had reminded him of those high school memories. During the rest of their high school days, his gaze had unconsciously followed Ji Yu. Malice was joined by pity; reason was pulled between destruction and affection. Between the two, the first thing he learned was endurance.

And after hearing those words again, the thought in his heart remained unchanged.

Ji Yu stood at the door. Hearing no sound from inside, he figured Shang Yuanzhou was asleep. Just as he was about to leave, the door opened.

Shang Yuanzhou stood there, his expression calm and even gentle. “What is it?”

“Um, my pants are stuck. I wanted to cut them open, but I can’t find the scissors.”

Ji Yu sounded relieved. “It’s great that you’re not asleep. Where did you put them?” Then, as if remembering something, he added, “Or… can you help me undo my pants?”

Ji Yu didn’t have any ulterior motives; he just thought it would be a shame to ruin them if they could be saved. He looked up at Shang Yuanzhou while he spoke, his face slightly flushed from the heat of his earlier struggle.

Fatal.

Shang Yuanzhou pressed his tongue against his cheek, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he slowly said, “Alright.”

If he didn’t know it was impossible, he would have thought Ji Yu was seducing him.