Married To My Childhood Friend: An Alpha Business Contract - Chapter 11

Lu Siyan was absent-minded throughout the entire cultural theory class. His mind was completely filled with Xiao Yanxiu.

The Beta teacher called his name twice from the podium, but he gave no reaction. It wasn’t until his friend Mu Yi, sitting beside him, punched him in the arm several times that Lu Siyan stood up in a daze. Even then, he couldn’t answer the question.

“Teacher, Lu Siyan isn’t feeling well. Let me answer this question for him,” Mu Yi offered, stepping in just in time to save him from further embarrassment.

Even after sitting back down, Lu Siyan’s thoughts continued to drift. Mu Yi asked several times, “What’s wrong with you? What are you thinking about?” He looked soul-shaken, as if a fox spirit had hooked his heart and dragged it away.

Lu Siyan remained silent, unwilling to share. He knew he shouldn’t have reacted so strongly to a simple “Precious,” but for a man like Xiao Yanxiu—someone with such superior qualities in every aspect—there was no one he couldn’t have if he wanted them.

Lu Siyan understood that if this was just a game, he didn’t have as many cards as his opponent. He didn’t dare to pour his heart out completely. He didn’t want to engage in something that had no future. But if it were real… how could it possibly be real? At most, it was just a passing whim of novelty for the man.

The Omega sighed inwardly. Having never had any romantic experience, he knew he was no match for a profligate heir like that. Furthermore, Xiao Yanxiu had the face of a cold and heartless playboy; it was as if the words “Don’t fall for me” were written across his forehead. It was enough to leave one’s heart in a state of chaos.

When class finally ended, the two of them hurriedly packed their books to rush to the film set for shooting. Time was tight for public transportation, but just as Lu Siyan was about to head out, he received a call from home. It was his Omega father.

Mu Yi stopped and asked, “What is it?”

Lu Siyan hesitated before hanging up. “They said there’s an emergency at home and want me to take leave and go back immediately.”

Mu Yi adjusted his backpack strap, initially wanting to complain about what “emergency” the Lu family could possibly have, but considering Lu Siyan’s special circumstances, he said considerately, “Go ahead then. I’ll take care of your leave at the set. If there are lines or content I’m unsure about, I’ll call to confirm with you.”

“Thank you, Xiao Yi,” Lu Siyan said gratefully.

The Omega hailed a taxi and rushed home. In all his years with the Lu family, his involvement in family matters—public or private—had been extremely low. He couldn’t imagine what could be so important that his family would urgently demand his return for a discussion. His Omega father’s voice on the phone had even sounded tearful.

Lu Siyan arrived quickly and ran inside, panting for breath. As soon as he pushed the door open, he sensed the icy, stagnant atmosphere. His Alpha father stood by the window with his hands behind his back, fuming with rage. Lu Shiyuan was leaning into their Omega father’s arms, sobbing softly.

Unsure of the situation, Lu Siyan asked, “What happened?”

His voice was small and light, gentle and devoid of any aggression. Yet, that soft inquiry was enough to trigger his Alpha father’s fury. The man slammed the teacup he was holding onto the floor. Shards of porcelain shattered and sprayed near Lu Siyan’s feet. The nearby butler and servants cried out in shock and rushed forward to clean up the mess.

“You still have the face to ask what happened?” the father roared. “You still have the face to come back?”

Lu Siyan’s heart sank. He was badly frightened, but he replied coldly, “Father called me back.”

The Alpha father grew even angrier. “So if your parents didn’t call you, you wouldn’t come back at all?”

Lu Siyan wasn’t the type to talk back; he was usually silent. But today was truly bizarre. Although he didn’t know the details, he could vaguely guess it had something to do with Lu Shiyuan. These kinds of three-way confrontations were not uncommon. His parents had always been biased. In any conflict, he was expected to yield; the moment he showed any sign of wanting to compete, he was in the wrong.

The atmosphere in the house worsened. The Omega father gently patted Lu Shiyuan’s trembling back and interrupted the argument. “Stop shouting. The elder doesn’t act like an elder, and the younger doesn’t act like a younger one. Is there anything we can’t sit down and talk about? Screaming the moment he walks through the door—people will laugh at us if word gets out.”

Lu Siyan took the scolding in silence, knowing that explaining was useless, and kept his mouth shut.

His Omega father stared at him, his tone stern. “Siyan, let me ask you: last night you said you were going to sleep at a classmate’s house. Was that true?”

Last night… Lu Siyan thought of Xiao Yanxiu, and his face turned deathly pale. He couldn’t answer. He couldn’t bring himself to lie, so he just turned his face away.

His Alpha father was so enraged his finger almost poked Lu Siyan’s nose. “You… you… simply scandalous! A disgrace!”

Lu Siyan didn’t know how they had found out. The Omega father let go of Lu Shiyuan and walked over to take Lu Siyan’s hand. “Siyan, what is wrong with you? How could you make up lies to deceive your parents and run off with another man? If Shiyuan hadn’t insisted on going to the Xiao residence this morning and accidentally heard your voice…”

The Alpha father was beyond furious. “I didn’t believe it at first. If Shiyuan hadn’t been so certain it was you, this would have stayed hidden!”

The Omega father spoke earnestly. “Siyan, do you know how much time and energy the family has put into the Huayun project? This project is vital to us. During this time, Shiyuan has been working non-stop, barely having time for a hot meal, all for the sake of the family. You’ve been allergic to suppressors since you were young, you’re introverted and don’t have a boyfriend… when your heat hits and you’re suffering, and you meet an Alpha and taste the sweetness of being marked, you want to be with him… the family understands that.”

Lu Siyan was slow to react, but he finally noticed the wrongness in those words. He hadn’t expected his own parents to judge him this way. The Omega’s eyes trembled, and he interrupted in disbelief, “Father, Xiao Yanxiu and I aren’t…”

Those two temporary markings were truly just accidents. The man had helped him simply because he saw him suffering; beyond that, there had been no transgression. The frequent contact afterward had many reasons—whether it was a mistake, a coincidence, or fate, he admitted it—but it was never because he “tasted the sweetness of being marked” or lost his reason to instinct.

Seeing that he still wouldn’t admit it, the Alpha father snapped, “If you hadn’t given yourself to him—sold yourself—would he protect you like that? Shiyuan begged people and worked himself to the bone for the Huayun project, staying up late to revise plans, pouring in his blood and sweat just to arrange this meeting. And the result? You crawled into the man’s bed! You whispered in his ear, and the deal was done. All of Shiyuan’s hard work looks like a joke in front of you. Xiao Yanxiu set a condition: he’ll give us the project, but the person in charge of the Lu family’s side, the position of General Manager, must be in your name. In the future, the lion’s share of the dividends will be yours!”

Master Lu found it ridiculous. “Lu Siyan, have you ever handled a major project? Can you take that money with a clear conscience? Even Shiyuan didn’t dare say he wanted all those hundreds of millions in profit, yet you have the thick skin to ask for it!”

The Omega father stopped the argument. “Alright, alright. I think I understand now. Isn’t it just about money? If that Xiao Yanxiu really likes our Siyan and is planning for his future, then let the project be in his name. Is it possible Siyan would keep all the money for himself later? We’ll just distribute it proportionally when the time comes. The company’s cash flow, Shiyuan’s hard work—no one will lose out. Besides, joining the Xiao family through marriage isn’t a bad thing.”

Countless wealthy families would beg for such an opportunity. The Omega father didn’t object.

Lu Shiyuan’s eyes were swollen. He wiped his tears and stood up. “Father, if it were just a simple romance, I wouldn’t be this heartbroken. If Siyan can enter the Xiao family and be safe, wealthy, and happy, I would be happier than anyone. Even if I don’t get a single share of Huayun, it doesn’t matter. Siyan was taken away as a child and lived a hard life before coming home at fourteen; I owe him for that.”

The veins in Lu Siyan’s forehead throbbed. He truly detested how Lu Shiyuan acted—always playing the part of the devoted brother while constantly sabotaging him behind his back, unable to stand seeing him do well.

The Omega interrupted irritably, “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Seeing his poor attitude, the Alpha father raised his hand and delivered a sharp slap. Slap!

Lu Siyan stumbled to the side. His cheek was struck so hard it was forced away, and a stinging, throbbing pain radiated through him. His right ear went momentarily deaf, filled only with a ringing sound.

The Alpha father’s eyes were nearly spitting fire. “Is that how you talk to your brother?”

The Omega father, feeling distressed for him, rushed over to hug Lu Siyan. “Why did you hit the child out of nowhere?”

Lu Shiyuan, feeling the scene wasn’t chaotic enough, added fuel to the fire. “Father, I didn’t want to say this, but Xiao Yanxiu has a fiancée. She’s the granddaughter of the Rong family, their allies for four generations. They are perfectly matched in status—she is many times more respectable than Siyan. Do you understand what having a fiancée means? To put it nicely, Siyan is a kept lover; to put it bluntly, he’s just a plaything for the crown prince. Once he gets married, Siyan will be a mistress kept in a side house, unable to be seen in public. If he could stay under that protection forever, it might be okay. But I fear the day the man’s novelty wears off, when he gets bored and loses interest, he’ll just throw some money at Siyan and kick him out.”

The Alpha father was fuming with rage. “What a disgrace to the family! A complete disgrace! Our Lu family might not compare to the Xiao family, but we’ve never had someone so scandalous and shameful.”

“Even if the Huayun project offers astronomical profits, I would rather not have it than let you do something that disgraces our family name!”

The Omega father held Lu Siyan, equally shocked by this revelation. “This won’t do, Siyan. You can’t do this. Even if the Xiao family is all-powerful in Yunjing, as your parents, we can’t just watch you degrade yourself. Be good and stop seeing Xiao Yanxiu. I’ve been looking for a suitable Alpha for you lately—good family, good character, someone who matches you. Find a stable family to marry into early, and your heat won’t be so difficult to handle.”

Lu Siyan clutched his face. He was still reeling from the shock of learning that Xiao Yanxiu had another fiancée besides Jiang Shuyao.

Just then, someone peeked into the room through the half-closed door. It was a friend of Lu Shiyuan’s. “Shiyuan, about your brother…”

The person stopped mid-sentence upon seeing the room full of people. They awkwardly scratched their head. “Oh, the family is all here. I… I’ll come back in a couple of days.”

The Alpha father, in the heat of his anger, heard it was about Lu Siyan and barked, “Stay right there. If there’s something about my Siyan, tell me, his father.”

“This…” The friend looked hesitantly at Lu Shiyuan.

Lu Shiyuan remained silent, signaling his permission. The person then said, “Sorry, Uncle. I just overheard this by chance. They say Xiao Yanxiu has been keeping a young Omega by his side recently, enjoying the novelty.”

Lu Shiyuan pretended to stop him. “Muyang, don’t talk nonsense about things concerning Siyan’s reputation.”

His friend acted as if prepared, quickly pulling out a photo. “It’s true. I just treated it as gossip at first. They said the little Omega delivered himself to the door, being very proactive, even going to the bar entrance to block Xiao Yanxiu, and finally, they went home together. I saw the person in the photo looked like Siyan and was worried he was being tricked because he’s young, so I came to tell you. I really didn’t expect Uncle and Auntie to be here.”

The Alpha father snatched the photo.

It was from the day Lu Siyan had brought the perfume to apologize. A round little white bear Omega was looking down shyly in front of a tall Alpha in a black trench coat. The Alpha was leaning forward slightly, eyes lowered, smiling as he said something to him. A black umbrella, held with a bias, came from behind the man, but most of it covered the Omega’s head, blocking out the wind and rain from all sides.

The Alpha father’s rage burned, especially when he confirmed the time in the bottom right corner of the photo—it was shortly after the Omega had been discharged from the hospital. To be so impatient to throw himself at the man…

“Shameless thing!” The photo was crumpled and thrown violently to the ground.

Lu Siyan didn’t even get a chance to see the photo’s contents; he wasn’t allowed to confront or defend himself against the “ironclad evidence.”

Slap!

The world went quiet. Everything turned a blinding white, making it impossible to see clearly. In a perfectly orchestrated trap of framing, he had taken another furious blow. Both sides of his face were now swelling rapidly, the skin tight. A hint of metallic sweetness seeped from the corner of his split lip.