Beta on the Run: Mr. CEO, Take it Easy! - Chapter 7

Near the Liang Media Group building, quite a few talent scouts were lingering about.

Chi Xinglan pulled the brim of his hat lower, helplessly rejecting the man who had been following him for an entire block. “Really, there’s no need. I’m not interested in entering the entertainment industry. Thank you for your kindness.”

The man didn’t give up, persisting with his persuasion. “You must have heard of it, a daily salary of 2.08 million! The chance to strike it rich is right in front of you! With your looks, how could you worry about not making it?! Don’t you want to be wealthy? Are you not short on money?”

Chi Xinglan replied, “I’m too ugly, I have no talent, and I don’t know the first thing about acting. I won’t make any money in the industry.”

The scout looked at his mask-covered face with half-belief. “Even so, just based on your aura alone, as long as you agree to join our Xinle Media, we can ‘package’ you before your debut. You can have whatever face you want.”

“Besides,” the scout continued, “who said you need good acting skills to enter the industry? Don’t fans just look at the face? As the saying goes: ‘As long as the face remains, so does the empire.’ Even if your acting is terrible, a beautiful face is all you need.”

Chi Xinglan: “…”

Seeing his silence, the man began rambling about several new trainees his company was currently preparing for debut. One of them was a relatively famous internet celebrity known for being heavily photoshopped.

Chi Xinglan hadn’t realized that entertainment companies put their artists through such specific “packaging” before they even debuted.

Seeing no reaction, the man tried one last heartfelt plea. “With an aura like yours, you’d become a top star with just a bit of styling. There are plenty of handsome guys, but not many with true class.”

Chi Xinglan said sincerely, “Thank you, but it’s still not necessary.”

“Hey, don’t go! Modern plastic surgery is amazing now, it looks completely natural, you can’t see any traces at all!”

To shake off the relentless man, Chi Xinglan quickened his pace and ran into the building. Since this was Liang Media Group’s territory, the scout could only stop at the door, not daring to step further.

He only sighed deeply: “What a waste. Such good potential, and Liang Media gets them for cheap again.”

Having finally escaped the persistent scout, Chi Xinglan breathed a sigh of relief. If he actually wanted to enter the entertainment industry, wouldn’t it just be a matter of saying one word to Liang Xiao? There would be no need for all this trouble.

In fact, he and Liang Xiao had met on a film set. At the time, he was playing a minor supporting role—not many scenes, but an important one. Back then, his mother was seriously ill, and that role paid 100,000 yuan. He needed that role desperately.

The competition had been fierce, and he only secured it after rounds of auditions. Even after he was officially cast, there were some internal disputes that almost saw him replaced. In the end, it was Liang Xiao who stepped in to keep him on the project.

That was the beginning of his deep connection with Liang Xiao.

After that incident, Liang Xiao had asked if he wanted to pursue acting or become an actor. All he had to do was say yes. Unfortunately, Chi Xinglan had no desire to be an actor. He didn’t like singing or performing; back then, he only participated for the paycheck to save up for his mother’s surgery. That was all.

Thinking back now, had he just brushed past the chance to be a top star? Chi Xinglan couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t like living under a lens, and his personality wasn’t suited for acting. Most importantly, he didn’t want his relationship with Liang Xiao to become a subject of public gossip.

Stepping into the lobby of Liang Media Group, Chi Xinglan felt a bit nervous. The building was grand, with many artists and their bodyguards moving in and out. Despite being with Liang Xiao for five years, this was his first time here.

The receptionist looked at him for a long moment with a skeptical expression, asking softly, “Hello sir, do you have an appointment?”

Chi Xinglan was wearing a baseball cap, a simple jacket, sweatpants, and canvas shoes. He also wore thick-rimmed glasses and a mask. He looked exactly like a celebrity trying to go incognito.

Chi Xinglan hadn’t intended this; he had simply woken up and wanted to wear something comfortable. He wore the cap because the sun was bright, and the mask and glasses were last-minute purchases from a convenience store when he encountered too many scouts after getting out of his car.

Seeing him remain silent, the staff member reminded him, “If you don’t have an appointment, you can wait in the lounge over there.”

Chi Xinglan didn’t hide his purpose. “Liang Xiao asked me to come. You can contact him to verify.”

Liang Xiao? Our CEO?

The receptionist hid her shocked gaze and quickly dialed the secretary’s office to verify his identity. Many people wanted to see their CEO every day, but this was the first time she had seen someone dressed like this who addressed the CEO so directly by name.

At that moment, the secretary who usually accompanied Liang Xiao hurried over, offering an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Mr. Chi. I was delayed by some work; please forgive me.”

The receptionist was stunned and quickly stole another glance at Chi Xinglan. Is this Mr. Chi some big shot? The person coming to receive him was the Chief Secretary. She had never seen the Chief Secretary act so respectfully toward anyone else.

Chi Xinglan smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine. I arrived early.”

“Please follow me,” the secretary said.

Along the way, everyone they encountered greeted the secretary, which meant their gazes naturally followed the secretary to land on Chi Xinglan. They were equally curious: who was this guest being personally escorted by the CEO’s right-hand man?

The inquisitive stares made Chi Xinglan feel awkward and uneasy. He kept his head down, following the secretary while trying to avoid the eyes fixed on him.

“My dear ancestor, even though this role is only the second male lead, this drama is a massive production! Others are breaking their necks just for a chance to show their face. I used all my connections to get this role for you!”

“Don’t take these ‘vile villain’ roles for me anymore. It doesn’t suit my image and I don’t want to play it. Turn it down.”

“But the second male lead is the character that drives the whole plot…”

The sounds of a dispute reached his ears. A familiar voice made Chi Xinglan look up curiously. At the elevator entrance, he saw the face he had seen on the television screen not long ago.

Wen Ran.

Chi Xinglan wasn’t surprised to see Wen Ran here. Because Chi Xinglan was masked and hatted, Wen Ran didn’t recognize him, but merely stared at him with curiosity. Seeing that the secretary was personally escorting him, Wen Ran assumed he was some heavily-disguised big star and even gave him a small nod.

Chi Xinglan couldn’t help but quirk his lips. This was quite interesting.

The secretary stared sternly at the rising floor numbers, showing no intention of making conversation. Even though Wen Ran was curious and wanted to fish for information, he didn’t dare speak up. After all, this Secretary Jiang was Liang Xiao’s confidant, having been with him since the start of his business; he was effectively the company’s second-in-command.

The manager, however, was bold enough to ask, “Secretary Jiang, what’s the background of this gentleman?”

Seeing Chi Xinglan’s gaze sweep over, the manager even gave him a greeting.

Noticing that Chi Xinglan had no intention of speaking, Secretary Jiang replied coldly, “Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t.”

The manager shut his mouth, looking embarrassed.

Wen Ran became increasingly curious about who this young man was. The elevator stopped at the 20th floor, and Wen Ran reluctantly stepped out with his manager.

The elevator continued until it reached the 30th floor, the top floor, where Liang Xiao’s office was located.

The secretary didn’t continue leading the way and slipped away quietly.

Chi Xinglan looked around at everything with curiosity. Unlike the warm, cozy style of their home, Liang Xiao’s office leaned toward a minimalist, cold-toned aesthetic. However, there was a faint, sweet scent of osmanthus in the air, very similar to the fragrance at home.

Walking into the inner office, he found Liang Xiao leaning back lazily in his chair, propping his head with his left hand as he looked over documents.

When he spotted Chi Xinglan, a flicker of a smile crossed Liang Xiao’s eyes. “Come here.”

With a hint of hesitation, Chi Xinglan slowly approached him. Liang Xiao grabbed his hand and gave it a firm tug, pulling Chi Xinglan onto his lap.

Looking at his strange getup, Liang Xiao let out a soft chuckle. He lifted the hat and removed both the glasses and the mask, revealing that beautiful face underneath.

“Why are you dressed like this?”

“I ran into a lot of talent scouts,” Chi Xinglan replied. “They were a bit annoying.”

Because this was the headquarters of a leading entertainment company and located near a major film studio, many attractive civilians often lingered in the area, which in turn drew a large crowd of scouts and entertainment reporters.

Liang Xiao smoothed Chi Xinglan’s messy hair and teased, “It’s because my Xiao Chi is too beautiful.”

Chi Xinglan: “…”

He wasn’t narcissistic enough to think of himself as “beautiful.” At most, he considered himself clean-cut and pleasant to look at—a far cry from those sweet, delicate Omegas. Like Wen Ran, whom he had just encountered; that man was truly beautiful, the dream lover of many Alphas.

Liang Xiao gripped his hand and said with dissatisfaction, “What are you thinking about?”

The man was already sitting in his arms, yet he was still distracted by other things?

Following his habit, Chi Xinglan cupped Liang Xiao’s face and gave him a kiss to soothe the Alpha’s minor irritation. Liang Xiao felt sufficiently coaxed. A gentle smile touched his eyes, and his gaze turned as soft as water—fervent and sincere.

Chi Xinglan felt scorched by that gaze. He lowered his eyelids, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

Liang Xiao wrapped his arms around Chi Xinglan’s waist, slowly tightening his hold as he whispered his name: “Xiao Chi.”

It was as if time had suddenly stood still. The atmosphere between them was thick with tension; their breaths were mere inches apart. Liang Xiao’s hands were large, just enough to firmly grasp his slender legs.

“Haven’t you been eating well lately? Why have you lost so much weight?” His voice was soft, his concern evident.

“I have been eating. Auntie even made small snacks.”

Actually, since the weather turned cooler, he had lost his appetite and preferred sleeping in. He had become lethargic, unable to find the energy for anything. He was already thin to begin with, and after that mysterious bout of stomach discomfort, he had visibly leaned out even more.

Liang Xiao no longer let him cook, instructing the housekeeper every day to nurse him back to health with various medicinal soups and healthy meals.

“Mm, that’s good,” Liang Xiao replied casually, his large hand mindlessly stroking Chi Xinglan’s thigh.

Just as he finished speaking, Chi Xinglan’s stomach let out a loud gurgle.

Chi Xinglan: “…” He was too embarrassed to speak.

The housekeeper had made his favorite seafood for lunch, but he had found the fishy smell overwhelming and couldn’t stomach it. He’d only managed a few bites of rice before receiving Liang Xiao’s call and deciding to skip the rest.

“Hungry?”

Liang Xiao paused. He didn’t doubt Chi Xinglan’s previous claim, assuming he had simply eaten a little and gotten hungry again quickly. He picked up the phone to have his secretary order a meal.

The office was quiet. Liang Xiao held him, unwilling to let go, and idly scanned the documents on his desk while they waited for the food.

Chi Xinglan was still thinking about meeting Wen Ran in the elevator. Lost in his thoughts, his hand unconsciously tugged at Liang Xiao’s tie, fiddling with it.

Liang Xiao’s attention had long since drifted from the paperwork to Chi Xinglan. He let the other man toy with his tie, finding his dazed expression quite amusing.

He whispered softly, “Xiao Chi.”

Chi Xinglan didn’t realize how suggestive his movements were at that moment. He gripped Liang Xiao’s collar and even began fiddling with the buttons of his shirt.

“Xiao Chi.”

Liang Xiao emphasized the syllables, his voice deepening into a low, raspy tone that carried an extremely dangerous signal—like a beast about to break out of its cage.

Chi Xinglan snapped back to reality and instinctively tried to flee. He had just started to shift to get off Liang Xiao’s lap when he was pinned firmly against the Alpha’s chest.

“Xiao Chi, where are you going?”

Liang Xiao’s hot breath fanned against his face. If he lowered his head just a fraction, he would be kissing Liang Xiao’s thin lips. Chi Xinglan tried to pull back slightly.

The next second, Liang Xiao gripped the back of his neck and pressed his lips against his. Chi Xinglan had no time to dodge. Liang Xiao’s scent invaded his senses, occupying everything.

His jacket was pushed down to his waist, his shirt hem pulled up, and a warm palm slid along the curve of his waist.

“Xiao Chi…”

It was like a lover’s murmur. The ambiguous voice wrapped around his ears, plucking at his heartstrings. Through the fabric of their clothes, he could feel Liang Xiao’s scorching body temperature. It was burning hot.

The documents on the desk were swept aside as he was lifted and seated on the office table. A forceful kiss descended once more.

Realizing what Liang Xiao intended to do, Chi Xinglan frantically pushed against his chest. “Mph… Liang Xiao, don’t do this…”

Before he could say more, Liang Xiao silenced him again. His hands were bound by the tie and pinned above his head. Chi Xinglan tried to kick him, but his legs were forced apart. Every move he made was anticipated by Liang Xiao.

Liang Xiao knew him all too well.

When Liang Xiao finally let him go, Chi Xinglan didn’t even have time to catch his breath before a sharp sting at his chest made him let out a muffled groan.

“Liang Xiao! No! This is the office. Someone could walk in at any moment!”

Chi Xinglan struggled in his arms, his eyes darting toward the door, terrified that someone would burst in.

Liang Xiao nipped at his flushed earlobe and left a trail of wet kisses down the side of his neck. His low, husky voice held a hint of amusement. “They won’t. No one is allowed to enter my office without my permission.”

In these five years, this was the first time Chi Xinglan had stepped into his office. Liang Xiao had imagined countless times what it would be like to have him by his side, just like this.

Chi Xinglan’s struggles were futile. Just as he was about to speak again, the office phone rang.

Ding—

The two of them froze. Liang Xiao frowned and pressed the speakerphone. “Speak.”

Liang Xiao’s impatient tone made the secretary on the other end of the line grimace. He didn’t want to disturb his boss’s private time either.

“President Liang, the meal you ordered has arrived. Should I bring it in now?”

Hearing this, Chi Xinglan looked at Liang Xiao and let out a small smile, appearing somewhat triumphant. Liang Xiao gripped his calf in dissatisfaction. Just as he was about to hang up, Chi Xinglan’s stomach betrayed him with another gurgle.

Chi Xinglan gave an innocent smile.

Liang Xiao had no choice but to give up. He helped Chi Xinglan fix his clothes and pants before speaking into the phone. “Come in.”

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