Beta on the Run: Mr. CEO, Take it Easy! - Chapter 5

When Liang Xiao returned home, his mother was in the middle of a conversation with Wen Ran. The sounds of their laughter drifted through the large living room. Liang Xiao stopped in his tracks and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

This was not a family dinner; it was a “Hongmen Banquet,” a trap. If he had known Wen Ran would be here, he never would have agreed to come home.

He stood by the entrance and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He actually hadn’t smoked in a long time. Chi Xinglan didn’t like the smell of smoke on him. If he ever came home smelling like cigarettes or alcohol, Chi Xinglan wouldn’t let him touch him. He was quite delicate about it.

At the thought of Chi Xinglan, a smile touched Liang Xiao’s lips. They had only been apart for a short while, yet he already missed him.

In the living room, Mother Liang patted Wen Ran’s hand and laughed. “You dear child, you bring me a gift every time you visit. Why are you so well-behaved? I told you, treat this place like your own home. There’s no need for gifts.”

Wen Ran gave a sweet, shy smile. “I saw it while shopping and thought it suited you, so I bought it. I intended to bring it back right after filming, but we had to reshoot a few scenes, so my visit was delayed.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mother Liang said. “I’m happy whenever you come by.”

The more she looked at this child, the more satisfied she felt. It was a pity her own son was so dense.

Liang Xiao felt he had to interrupt their warm moment. He gave a light cough, walked into the hall, and addressed the elegant woman. “Mom.”

Hearing his voice, Mother Liang’s smile vanished. She gave him a cool glance and huffed. “So you finally decided to come back?”

Ever since Liang Xiao moved out for work, he rarely came home. Between his busy schedule and the fact that having two Alphas in one house led to clashing pheromones, his moving out was justifiable, but she still missed him.

Wen Ran looked at Liang Xiao with delight. “Brother Liang Xiao.”

Liang Xiao gave a curt nod and sat on the opposite side of the sofa. Seeing his cold attitude, Mother Liang frowned. “Ran-baby brought you a gift. Open it and take a look.”

Liang Xiao glanced at the exquisitely wrapped box on the table, showing zero interest. “I’ll open it later.”

Wen Ran’s expectant mood began to wither. He had spent a long time picking out that necktie, thinking it would suit Liang Xiao perfectly. He had even fantasized about Liang Xiao’s reaction, but the man didn’t even care to look at it. It was humiliating.

Wen Ran forced a smile, looking deeply dejected. Mother Liang knew her son’s temperament all too well and looked at Wen Ran with pity. “Ran-baby is so sweet. He even remembered to bring me a gift from S City.”

Liang Xiao remained silent. He had already had his assistant send a portion of the local specialties he brought from S City to the family home. His mother was clearly just saying that to comfort Wen Ran.

Wen Ran kept peeking at Liang Xiao, who had been focused on his phone ever since he sat down. A faint smile would occasionally cross his cold face. Given Liang Xiao’s personality, he wasn’t the type to watch variety shows or funny clips. Was he messaging someone?

Was it that Beta?

The thought of Chi Xinglan was like a thorn in his heart. Wen Ran bit his lip and looked at Mother Liang. “I actually ran into Brother Liang Xiao at the airport. He was carrying quite a few gifts himself.”

His voice grew smaller, like a child who hadn’t received any candy. As he spoke, he felt a flicker of satisfaction, followed quickly by fear. He was afraid of Mother Liang finding out about the Beta’s existence, yet he also hoped she would find out so she could see the person was only with Liang Xiao for money. She would never allow someone like that into the Liang family.

Liang Xiao shot him a cold, warning glance. Sensing the icy look, Wen Ran lowered his head and gripped the hem of his shirt. He knew he had provoked Liang Xiao.

Wen Ran didn’t stay for dinner. As he left, he cast a lingering, reluctant look at Liang Xiao. No matter how many times he tried to move on, he was always dominated by their pheromones. Even though Liang Xiao kept his pheromones tightly restrained, the high compatibility allowed Wen Ran to catch that faint scent of osmanthus. It lured him in, making him unable to extricate himself.

If only he could possess that scent. That Beta would never, ever be able to smell Liang Xiao’s pheromones. At that thought, Wen Ran’s mood improved slightly.

After Wen Ran left, Mother Liang had the gifts cleared away. She looked at Liang Xiao, who was still on his phone, and felt a surge of nameless anger.

“So, who were those gifts for?”

“Liang Xiao.”

“Are you keeping a lover outside?”

Liang Xiao let out a small sigh. “It’s nothing like that.”

He knew his mother would press him. But Chi Xinglan wasn’t a “lover”; he was the person he was pursuing, the person he loved.

Mother Liang clearly didn’t believe him. “I don’t want you messing around, and I don’t want to hear about it from others. Ran-baby is my choice for a daughter-in-law. You should spend more time cultivating your feelings for him.”

In their social circle, many wealthy Alphas kept lovers on the side. Mother Liang had always despised that behavior.

Liang Xiao said nothing.

Mother Liang continued her lecture. “I’ve watched that child grow up. He might be a bit spoiled, but he’s cute, polite, and respectful to his elders. Your father and I are very satisfied with this match. You aren’t young anymore; you can’t keep him waiting forever.”

Liang Xiao remained silent. He knew that if he spoke, his mother would find ten more reasons to rebut him.

Seeing his lack of response, Mother Liang asked irritably, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Have you gone mute?”

Liang Xiao sighed. “I have no plans to enter an engagement with anyone right now.”

Except for Chi Xinglan. But Chi Xinglan wasn’t willing.

Mother Liang continued, “What exactly are you dissatisfied with when it comes to Ran-baby? The boy is beautiful, from a good family, and our families have been close for generations. We know everything about them. He’s a perfect match. Plus, your pheromone compatibility is incredibly high. You should know how hard it is to find a partner with such high compatibility. This marriage offers you only benefits, no drawbacks. That child has loved you single-mindedly since he was small. So many people are lining up to marry into the Wen family; if he weren’t waiting for you, do you think you’d still have a chance?”

Liang Xiao rubbed his brow. “Just how much has he brainwashed you? If you like him that much, you can adopt him as a godson instead of forcing him on me. Besides, I never asked him to wait. I have been rejecting him consistently. He knows it, and you know it too. A forced melon isn’t sweet; everyone understands that logic.”

To him, Wen Ran was a younger brother at most. There was no other feeling there, nor would there ever be a “growing affection” over time.

It was nothing like what he felt for Chi Xinglan. With Chi Xinglan, it was love at first sight.

It wasn’t just about a pretty face. Just looking at Chi Xinglan made him ache with a heat that burned like a rut. They were like a fish and water—he couldn’t survive without the water, even if the water didn’t necessarily need him.

Mother Liang huffed. “He doesn’t need to brainwash me. Whether a forced melon is sweet isn’t for you to say. You haven’t even tried it, so how do you know it’s not sweet?”

Liang Xiao was speechless. You’ve said it all; what’s left for me to say?

Mother Liang cut him a sharp glance. “Or is it true that you really have someone else out there?”

At that moment, Liang Xiao’s mind was entirely filled with Chi Xinglan. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to introduce him to his mother, but he knew her personality. If she found out Chi Xinglan was a Beta, a massive conflict was inevitable.

When Liang Xiao was five, his mother suffered a miscarriage that left her unable to conceive again. She had spent a long time coming to terms with it, and that unborn child remained her life’s greatest regret. Wen Ran’s birth shortly after helped pull her out of that shadow, which was why she doted on him so much. Wen Ran was the Omega child she had always wanted, and she had hoped for a family alliance since the very beginning.

Since Liang Xiao reached adulthood, she had hinted at it constantly. Now, she didn’t even bother to be subtle.

But Liang Xiao felt nothing for the idea of heirs. He wanted to spend his life with the person he loved, not have his future decided by business interests or secondary genders. If he loved someone, he wouldn’t care if they were an Alpha, let alone a Beta.

Until Chi Xinglan fully accepted him, he didn’t want his peaceful life disrupted. He wasn’t ready for his mother to know about him yet. However, he knew he was destined to disappoint her: he had no intention of having children with anyone else.

Chi Xinglan waited for a long time, but Liang Xiao didn’t return. Deep into the night, the living room lights remained on. The hotpot was still steaming, and the dishes on the table were mostly untouched.

Chi Xinglan lay slumped on the sofa, staring blankly at the large screen. He had let three movies play back-to-back. It was now 1:00 AM.

Liang Xiao rarely came home this late, and Chi Xinglan realized he probably wasn’t coming back at all. On nights like this, his mind always became extra sensitive.

Ding—

Chi Xinglan’s gaze shifted to his phone.

[A social media account you follow has posted a new update.]

It was Wen Ran. Chi Xinglan only followed one person on his feed. He had accidentally hit the follow button the last time he was snooping, and after hesitating for a long time, he had never hit unfollow.

He clicked the notification.

Wen Ran: The gift for Auntie was a hit! She loved it, so happy! ^^

Chi Xinglan’s breath hitched. He scrolled down to the comments, knowing Wen Ran occasionally replied to fans.

[Auntie? Is this your boyfriend’s mom?] [The person above is so bold! Is that even a question?] [Is this President Liang’s mom?] Wen Ran: It’s ‘Auntie,’ yes. We see each other often. [Wait, is that President Liang in the top right corner?] Wen Ran: Yes. [Are you going home with your boyfriend?] [Such a clingy couple!]

Wen Ran didn’t reply further. It was his signature style: say just enough to be ambiguous. He left a vague answer that allowed fans to speculate wildly without confirming or denying anything. It was a classic entertainment industry tactic for “CP” baiting.

Chi Xinglan exited the app. So, Liang Xiao’s “something came up” meant accompanying Wen Ran home.

A surge of sourness rose in his chest, slowly turning into a bitter ache. Fighting back a wave of nausea, he sent a message to Liang Xiao: [Are you not coming back to sleep tonight either?]

His face was pale. The acid in his stomach burned his throat, and he finally couldn’t hold it back. He rushed to the bathroom and threw up until he was empty.

Chi Xinglan leaned over the sink, his nose stinging and tears spilling uncontrollably. It hurt so much. He splashed cold water on his face and looked at his disheveled reflection, feeling a deep sense of sadness.

That text message had crossed the line. He had lost his composure. He shouldn’t have harbored fantasies about Liang Xiao, nor should he have expected love from him. He was just a plaything Liang Xiao had bought with money, someone who could be dismissed at any time.

A plaything longing for the love of his benefactor. How pathetic.

Chi Xinglan didn’t look at his phone again. He used the wall for support and made his way back to the bedroom, curling up on the bed and clutching his stomach until he fell asleep.

One more month. Just one more month, and it will be over.

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