Beta on the Run: Mr. CEO, Take it Easy! - Chapter 15

The sound of water running in the bathroom started up once again.

The steady pitter-patter of water was mixed with ragged, heavy breathing, a sound that would make anyone’s heart race. Chi Xinglan buried his face in the quilt out of sheer frustration; his hands were already aching and sore.

It was now 3:00 AM. He was so exhausted he could barely lift his eyelids. Hugging Liang Xiao’s pillow and inhaling the familiar scent, he fell asleep almost instantly.

When Liang Xiao finally emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, even the noise of the hair dryer couldn’t wake the sleeping Chi Xinglan. He was sprawled across the pillows, having kicked the blanket aside at some point. His long, slender white legs were exposed against the soft bedding as he slept soundly.

Liang Xiao stood by the bed, carefully tracing the lines of his legs, his rounded toes, and his pinkish ankles. They looked incredibly cute; even his cool, pale skin seemed to give off a soft, silvery glow in the dark of the night.

He was as beautiful as a work of art. In Liang Xiao’s heart, Chi Xinglan was the most stunning person he had ever seen. That was why he had fallen in love at first sight and remained obsessed ever since. Before meeting Xinglan, Liang Xiao hadn’t considered himself the type of person to be swayed by mere appearances, unlike other Alphas. As it turned out, he was no different from the rest.

From the moment he met Chi Xinglan, he had wanted to bring him home.

Within a few seconds, the heat he had worked so hard to suppress came surging back, as if he were being consumed by a sea of fire. His desire was a bottomless pit. Liang Xiao stood silently by the bed, staring for a long time. The sound of him swallowing was jarringly clear in the silent room.

He knelt on the bed, his gaze becoming clouded with passion once more.

Chi Xinglan was sleeping deeply, but he felt as though something was constantly pestering him. The scorching temperature made him try to shrink away.

“Mm.” He let out a soft hum, trying to brush away the “bad thing” that was interrupting his dreams.

Liang Xiao leaned down and kissed his face. He trapped Chi Xinglan between his arms, inhaling the scent of osmanthus pheromones lingering on him. Heavy breaths fanned against his ear, followed by one wet, hot kiss after another, making it impossible for Chi Xinglan to stay asleep.

Not yet fully conscious, Chi Xinglan murmured dizzily, “Just endure it a little… don’t… I’m so sleepy, don’t stop me from sleeping.”

Liang Xiao bit his earlobe, his voice low, raspy, and thick with hidden meaning. “I have endured quite enough.”

Awareness finally flooded back. Chi Xinglan pushed away the head buried in the crook of his neck. His voice, still thick with sleep, was soft and gentle, sounding almost like he was acting spoiled. “Go take a suppressant, okay?”

Liang Xiao refused him with silence.

Chi Xinglan gave him a light kick of protest. “The doctor said I need to stay quiet and rest.”

Liang Xiao paused, then forced out a single word: “Mm.”

Just as Chi Xinglan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Liang Xiao grabbed his hand. Under Chi Xinglan’s horrified gaze, he pulled his hand toward him.

Chi Xinglan: “…” His hands still hurt from before.

He struggled for a moment, but seeing that Liang Xiao had no intention of stopping, he said aggrievedly, “My hands are so sore.”

Hearing this, Liang Xiao took his hand and began gently rubbing his wrist. He didn’t speak, but his burning gaze made Chi Xinglan want to hide. Chi Xinglan followed his line of sight and swallowed hard. Just as he was about to refuse again, Liang Xiao grabbed his calf and began to knead it gently.

Another half-hour passed.

Chi Xinglan let out a yawn, then looked at Liang Xiao with a deadpan expression. His voice was no longer soft; he even boldly threatened him: “Either go sleep in the guest room or take a suppressant. Pick one.”

Liang Xiao was stunned. He used a hot towel to wipe Chi Xinglan’s feet clean, then pulled a suppressant from the drawer and injected himself without hesitation. As he did so, he kept his eyes fixed on Chi Xinglan. His gaze was dangerous, like a lion on the savannah that had locked onto its prey, ready to pounce at any second.

Chi Xinglan curled up under the covers, burying his face to avoid the stare. An Alpha in their rut was truly fierce.

Liang Xiao went into the bathroom yet again. Chi Xinglan lost track of how many cold showers he had taken that night. In a daze, he felt the mattress sink beside him as a pair of cool hands pulled him out from under the quilt and back into a warm embrace. Chi Xinglan instinctively snuggled into his chest and fell into a deep sleep.

Liang Xiao’s rut lasted for several days, finally ending on the 31st. Perhaps due to the suppressants, it had lasted longer than usual.

Today was the final day of the contract.

Chi Xinglan woke up early even earlier than Liang Xiao. In truth, he hadn’t slept much at all. Even when he did drift off, he kept waking up startled; his sleep was restless.

Though he had long ago decided to leave today, now that the day had truly arrived, he wavered. Perhaps it was Liang Xiao’s tenderness during this rut that made him fall for him all over again, or perhaps it was the emotional sensitivity of pregnancy that made him feel like Liang Xiao truly loved him.

He wanted to believe Liang Xiao loved him regardless of the child that he wouldn’t just keep him for the baby’s sake, but simply because of who he was.

He looked at Liang Xiao’s sleeping face, feeling a pang of reluctance. He wasn’t actually a very brave person, and there was an unbridgeable gap between him and Liang Xiao. Even without that obstacle, there were countless other problems between them. Just like this rut: Liang Xiao had to take multiple suppressants every day. If he were an Omega, he could have soothed him with pheromones, and Liang Xiao wouldn’t have had to suffer through constant injections.

Unfortunately, he was just a Beta; he had no pheromones.

Liang Xiao’s eyelashes fluttered. Before Chi Xinglan could look away, their gazes met.

“Why are you awake so early? Can’t sleep?”

Liang Xiao nuzzled against the crook of his neck, kissing him several times before finally getting up. During the days he had spent resting at home for his rut, work had piled up. Combined with the year-end rush, a mountain of corporate affairs awaited his return.

Chi Xinglan followed Liang Xiao like a shadow, getting out of bed, brushing his teeth, and eating breakfast together. Even until the moment Liang Xiao left for work, Chi Xinglan still hadn’t told him about the pregnancy. Many words were at the tip of his tongue, yet he didn’t know how to voice them.

He didn’t even say goodbye.

It turned out that when the time for true parting arrived, even saying “goodbye” required immense courage. He didn’t tell Liang Xiao he was leaving, nor did he want to. Perhaps a small part of him clung to a shred of hope, wondering if Liang Xiao would come looking for him once he was gone.

Maybe by then, all the problems would have resolved themselves. Perhaps during their time apart, they would have both thought things through—finding a reason to stay by each other’s side forever, or finding the reason to convince themselves that the other was not the person to spend a lifetime with.

Chi Xinglan had an appointment with the doctor in the afternoon for a prenatal check-up. The doctor was pleased that he had decided to keep the child and spent a long time explaining various precautions for the pregnancy.

While waiting for his blood test, he sat in the hospital corridor, staring blankly at the patients passing by.

“Ran-bao is livestreaming!”

“His birthday is being held so grandly! Is this a birthday banquet?”

“I think I saw CEO Liang. Did he go to the party too?”

“The rumors are debunked! This is a slap in the face for the haters! Their relationship is perfectly fine!”

Two young girls sat nearby, excitedly discussing the livestream. The names of Wen Ran and Liang Xiao repeatedly drifted into his ears. Chi Xinglan listened in silence for a long while until they left. Then, he slowly opened his phone and clicked the notification:

The account you follow, @WenRan, is live!

It was Wen Ran’s birthday; of course Liang Xiao would go. Liang Xiao had mentioned it to him last night. Curiously, Liang Xiao rarely brought up Wen Ran, and even when he mentioned the party, he acted as if they weren’t close: “The child of my parents’ friends is having a birthday. I need to make an appearance.”

He clicked into the stream. The scene was lively and grand. The camera frequently cut to Liang Xiao, who stood in a corner holding a glass of wine, quiet and composed. Wen Ran, dressed in formal attire, stood on stage giving his birthday speech.

After a long string of official thank-yous to fans, friends, and parents, Chi Xinglan grew impatient and was about to close the app when Wen Ran suddenly pivoted to the main topic.

“My birthday wish hasn’t changed in all these years. Perhaps because it hasn’t been fulfilled yet, I repeat it every year.”

“Everyone knows that Liang Xiao and I have known each other since we were children.”

“Our parents approve, and we have an emotional foundation.”

“Many years ago, both families made a promise: when I reached adulthood, we would be engaged.”

“It’s been so many years. I think it’s time to fulfill that promise.”

The camera followed Wen Ran as he walked step by step toward Liang Xiao. Chi Xinglan’s heart rate quickened with every step; his face turned pale with tension. In this moment, he was terrified. He didn’t want to hear the answer.

“Chi Xinglan? Are you there? It’s your turn.”

The nurse’s voice snapped him back to reality. He shut off his phone, answered her, and walked into the lab. The blood draw didn’t take long. Chi Xinglan returned to the same corridor to wait for the results.

He sat in the corner in a daze, his hands and feet cold, his body trembling slightly. When he finally left the hospital, he looked up at the sky.

The snow had stopped.

It seemed that his ending was the beginning for Liang Xiao and Wen Ran.

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