After the Corporate Slave Beta and the Top Alpha Married - Chapter 24

“Ji Yu, come here, come here!”

The office was destined to be lively today. Not long after Shang Yuanzhou left, Sun Caicheng arrived, his face covered in a broad smile.

He looked around and felt a twinge of disappointment upon not seeing Shang Yuanzhou. “Has President Shang already left?”

Ji Yu nodded. “Is there something you need, President Sun?”

“I’ve said it before, we’re old classmates. Calling me President Sun sounds so distant,” Sun Caicheng said after a moment’s thought. “How about this: I’m definitely older than you, so call me Brother Cheng. It sounds more affectionate, doesn’t it?”

Ji Yu: “…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say it. It wasn’t the title itself, but rather Sun Caicheng’s drastic change in attitude. Ji Yu wasn’t used to it, and he had no desire to be.

However, having repeatedly wielded the “Little White Flower’s Public Display of Affection” tactic, Ji Yu was no longer the man he used to be.

Ji Yu put on a troubled expression. “A-Zhou… he doesn’t like it when I call other people that.”

“I told him it’s not good to be like that, but he just gets quietly sulky, so…” He didn’t finish the sentence, instead adding: “I think I’ll stick with President Sun.”

Ji Yu hadn’t watched all those TV dramas for nothing; he was becoming increasingly adept at using these tropes. For someone who wasn’t great at socializing, he found this approach surprisingly effective. Since these changes were brought about because of Shang Yuanzhou, Ji Yu didn’t mind using him as a shield to brush these people off.

Even if everyone ended up seeing him as a “White Lotus” who acted out and flaunted his relationship without limits, it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be staying here once the contract ended anyway. You can’t be embarrassed in a foreign country! Plan successful.

As expected, Sun Caicheng’s expression stiffened for a moment. He gave a strained laugh. “Well, then… President Sun it is, then.”

“I didn’t expect President Shang to be so jealous. Ha… ha… ha.”

Meanwhile, in a conference room, Shang Yuanzhou pinched the bridge of his nose. His brow furrowed slightly; he felt a strange itch, as if someone were talking about him.

Sun Caicheng, ever the businessman, quickly pushed the awkwardness aside. “Ji Yu, why did you come back to work so soon? I would have definitely approved your marriage leave. Why didn’t you take a few more days off?”

“But since you love working so much, it works out perfectly. There’s a product introduction for a client tomorrow. Why don’t you handle the presentation?”

Jiang Yibai, who had been listening silently, couldn’t take it anymore. “President Sun, that’s my assignment!”

“And besides, it’s so last minute. With only one day, let alone memorizing it, Ji Yu doesn’t even have the PPT, right?”

Sun Caicheng waved it off. “Just let Ji Yu use your PPT. You’re making too much of a fuss.”

Ji Yu also refused. “I’m not good at giving presentations, and I’ve never done one before. It’s better to let Jiang Yibai do it.”

Sun Caicheng countered, “Don’t worry, just speak naturally. Everything has to start somewhere. Go ahead with confidence.”

“Besides, every time I talk to you, I feel completely at ease. Your tone, your cadence… your voice is like a clear spring, so pleasant to the ear. It really makes people pay attention. Go on, don’t worry.”

Sun Caicheng’s enthusiastic encouragement praised Ji Yu as if he were about to step onto the grandest stage of storytelling a once-in-a-lifetime talent born with the “gift of the gab.”

Ji Yu felt himself blushing at the praise, yet Sun Caicheng kept at it without blinking. Afraid Ji Yu would refuse again, he summoned the department head to stare Ji Yu down and then promptly left.

Under the department head’s prodding, Jiang Yibai reluctantly transferred the PPT to Ji Yu.

When Ji Yu looked at it, he couldn’t help but smile. This PPT was actually the one he had helped Jiang Yibai make previously. The core content remained unchanged, with only a few minor edits and deletions. Since he had made it himself, he only needed to review the material; it wouldn’t take much time to memorize.

That evening after work, Ji Yu took the opportunity while Shang Yuanzhou was showering to stand outside the door and discuss the housing situation.

He didn’t want to be so impolite, but Shang Yuanzhou seemed very busy today. As soon as he mentioned it, Shang Yuanzhou had headed to the study to handle work. When he finally emerged, he went straight into the bathroom.

Ji Yu thought he was just doing a quick wash-up and was about to push the door open when he heard the shower head turn on. Left with no choice, he had to stand outside the closed bathroom door and talk to the person inside while they showered.

The only thing he could do was keep his back turned, avoiding the sight of the tall shadow cast upon the frosted glass door by the light.

“Playing a loving couple doesn’t strictly require us to live here. Why don’t you watch two ‘Overbearing CEO’ dramas with me?”

Inside, Shang Yuanzhou looked at the silhouette leaning against the door. His brows were pressed tight, his expression filled with an uncontrollable agitation.

He had already restrained himself significantly, hiding his darker, more ruthless nature and pretending to be harmless to cautiously approach. He was afraid that revealing his true self would startle the wary “swimming fish.”

He had indeed done well; Ji Yu was much more relaxed around him, even following him to the bathroom door to talk. Yet, even so, given the chance, Ji Yu still wanted to maintain a “safe distance” in private.

Shang Yuanzhou had no interest in those damn “Overbearing CEO” dramas, nor did he want to watch two people shouting and crying at each other on a screen. More importantly, he wasn’t actually ignorant of the fact that they didn’t need to live here to act.

Ji Yu wanted distance. He did not.

An Alpha’s nature is to possess. Shang Yuanzhou was at the peak of the Alpha hierarchy; his possessiveness was naturally stronger than anyone else’s.

Shang Yuanzhou remained silent. He didn’t want to talk about it, especially since the messages he had seen on Ji Yu’s phone this morning was still weighing heavily on him.

The locked phone had lit up automatically when the message arrived. Shang Yuanzhou had only caught a glimpse, but the words were carved into his eyes, stinging with pain.

Aidan: “Yu, when are you coming abroad? I really want to see you.”

Shang Yuanzhou knew that foreigners were often more expressive and less reserved than people in his own country. This person’s relationship with Ji Yu was likely just that of a friend. But even the man who held absolute power in A City couldn’t help but feel a long-lost emotion: jealousy.

He was jealous that this person could tell Ji Yu “I miss you” so openly.

The shower head poured down a stream of steaming water. Shang Yuanzhou’s hair was wet, clinging to his face and partially obscuring his dark, deep eyes.

“A-Zhou?” Outside, the young man called out, puzzled by the lack of response. His normally clear voice sounded muffled through the door and the steam, carrying a hazy quality.

Shang Yuanzhou finally replied with an “Mm.”

“Then let’s move back. It’s perfect timing since the banquets are about to start.”

Ji Yu let out a small cheer in his heart, not even caring about the mention of the banquets. He had “matured” from a budding flower to a full-blown “White Lotus.” Nothing could stump him now that he’d watched dozens of CEO-themed dramas.

Relieved that their future cohabitation wouldn’t be as awkward, Ji Yu said, “Then I won’t disturb you anymore. Get some rest early.”

“Ji Yu.”

Shang Yuanzhou stopped him. His voice, heard through the splashing water, sounded a bit… raspy?

Ji Yu stopped in his tracks. “Mm? What is it, A-Zhou?”

“After I left today, no one at the office made things difficult for you, did they?”

Inside, Shang Yuanzhou took a step back, leaning half his body against the cold tiles of the shower. Water cascaded over his torso, flowing down the lines of his abdomen. He didn’t close his eyes, but stared at the silhouette on the frosted door. He had no standing to ask what he really wanted to ask, so he just picked a random topic.

Ji Yu replied, “No, though President Sun dumped Jiang Yibai’s client presentation on me. Jiang Yibai is probably going to hate me now.”

The oblivious Beta didn’t realize that what he said didn’t actually matter. As his voice traveled into the bathroom, the intense pheromones smelling of bitter liquor surged out as well, wrapping around the Beta outside like an embrace.

Shang Yuanzhou’s voice grew even more husky. “Are you worried about being hated?”

Outside, Ji Yu smiled and spoke candidly: “Not at all.”

Shang Yuanzhou wasn’t surprised by the answer and let his lips curve slightly. His wet hair was still dripping, and his face showed a sense of restraint, yet he gave a low, raspy chuckle. It didn’t sound like small talk; it sounded more like intimate teasing in the middle of… something else.

“I just didn’t want the extra work of the presentation,” Ji Yu continued, standing by the bathroom door. He felt like sighing. “I don’t want to speak in front of a group of people at all. I don’t know why Sun Caicheng threw this at me. Isn’t he afraid I’ll mess it up?”

Shang Yuanzhou suppressed a low groan. “You don’t need to be nervous. Just do your best.”

“Sun Caicheng might not have been on the wedding guest list, and I requested that the news shouldn’t expose your identity or face, but the fact that I married you will still spread through this circle. Those who need to know will know.”

“Sun Caicheng’s important clients will likely know as well. What matters isn’t what you say or how well you say it; the fact that you are there to give the presentation will close the deal.”

He could see through the motive behind Sun Caicheng’s actions in an instant, answering Ji Yu’s confusion without needing to think.

Ji Yu froze, then fell silent. Shang Yuanzhou, unable to hear his voice, let his pheromones brush roughly over the bite mark on the oblivious Beta’s neck. “What are you thinking?”

Ji Yu was unhappy that Sun Caicheng was using him to exploit Shang Yuanzhou’s influence. He spoke hesitantly: “Then… should I turn it down? After all, it’s using your favors.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Shang Yuanzhou narrowed his eyes, giving a low scoff. “These small matters are far from reaching the level where I would feel indebted.”

A project worth tens of millions was dismissed by him as “small matters.”

Outside, Ji Yu marveled at this. He thought to himself that Shang Yuanzhou didn’t need to watch CEO dramas; he was the real deal. But he was curious: “Then why did you tell me to do my best?”

Normally, wouldn’t one say, “Just say whatever, those people aren’t signing because of your presentation anyway, it doesn’t matter if you mess up”?

“It’s an experience for you. If you can gain something from it, I’ll be happy for you.”

“We were classmates, and we’re partners now, so…”

The mentions of “classmates” and “partners” were just necessary prefaces given their current status. The truth was what Shang Yuanzhou thought in his heart:

“I want you to become better and better.”

Outside the door, Ji Yu stood rooted to the spot, his expression one of utter helplessness like a wild pika in the fields being unexpectedly stroked by a warm, large hand.

“Of course, it doesn’t matter if you truly mess up,” the man’s deep, raspy voice came clearly through the splashing water. “I’m here for everything.”

Ji Yu was stunned for a long time, not knowing what to say. He only managed to murmur Shang Yuanzhou’s name: “A-Zhou…”

At that sound, the tension inside finally broke. Shang Yuanzhou turned off the shower. His voice sounded like a thick fog dangerous, yet wrapping around a safe haven.

“Go and get some rest.” “Goodnight, Ji Yu.”