Married To My Childhood Friend: An Alpha Business Contract - Chapter 5

Lu Siyan was pulled forcefully into a firm embrace.

When the accident occurred, had it not been for Xiao Yanxiu’s keen reflexes and immediate intervention, the issue at hand wouldn’t just be about someone’s “persistent ill intentions.”

It took until he was swept up in a horizontal carry and whisked toward the living room for Lu Siyan to finally snap out of it—the man had saved him from a potential trip to the orthopedic ward, leaving him with nothing but minor superficial scratches.

“Xiao Yanxiu, I didn’t have any improper motives.”

The man’s sharp jawline was right before his eyes. The skin where his neck met his collarbone was snow-white, clean, and traced with smooth, powerful muscle.

Even the sensation of pain was delayed. In the rush of the moment, Lu Siyan’s hands had gripped the other man’s lapels; he didn’t have time to let go, and instead, he only held on tighter.

Xiao Yanxiu glanced down, noting that while the Omega’s mouth said “no,” his body wasn’t pulling away in the slightest.

“This…”

It was a blatant case of “the more one tries to hide, the more one is exposed”—the definition of being duplicitous.

Realizing the man’s gaze was locked onto him, the Omega finally sensed something was amiss. He abruptly retracted his hands, clenching them into small fists.

The fabric snapped back, instantly veiling the sexy, vivid red mole on the Alpha’s chest, but the collar remained wrinkled and messy.

It was no wonder he would misunderstand.

Lu Siyan scrambled to smooth the fabric over. Fearing the man wouldn’t believe him, he spoke with utmost sincerity once more.

“Xiao Yanxiu, actually, I don’t like you at all.”

The man let out a soft, amused chuckle. “Was there a need to repeat that twice?”

The Alpha was anxious to check his injuries. His body paused for a moment, yet he remained careful as he settled Lu Siyan onto the sofa.

Sinking into the soft cushions, the Omega released his hold around the man’s neck. He watched as the man turned to fetch a first-aid kit and then knelt on one knee before him.

Lu Siyan let out a low gasp. “Xiao Yanxiu.”

Before he could reach out to help the man up, his own cheeks were cupped by the man’s hands.

“Your face isn’t hurt.”

“Hands, waist, feet…”

The man’s warm fingertips checked each mentioned spot one by one.

The moment their skin touched, Lu Siyan nearly launched himself off the sofa like a rocket.

Xiao Yanxiu’s grip tightened, refusing to let go. He pulled him back, muttering, “Behave.”

The scent of peppermint mixed with safflower oil left Lu Siyan’s head spinning.

They had only met three times, and even though there had been a temporary marking, this posture was simply a bit too intimate.

His fingertips were held and inspected; his ankle was cradled in a palm. As the cooling medicinal oil was rubbed into the bruises, goosebumps crawled up his spine.

Lu Siyan felt like he was caught between fire and ice. His body, coated in peppermint, felt cold and shivered slightly, yet his cheeks were burning hot, and his gaze flickered away in avoidance.

His breath hitched several times.

Only when Xiao Yanxiu finished treating the injuries did Lu Siyan abruptly pull his foot back, wishing he could bury himself deep into the sofa.

The man brought him a pair of slippers, but the size was visibly too large—likely Xiao Yanxiu’s own.

When Lu Siyan put one foot in, there was enough space left for another; the shoes were absurdly oversized.

Worried he might trip, Xiao Yanxiu considered for a moment before picking up the phone. “I’ll have the butler bring you a new pair of shoes.”

Lu Siyan, already feeling embarrassed about his sudden visit and continued intrusion, lunged forward in a panic to press down on the man’s hand. “No need!”

Judging by the interior decor, it was clear the Alpha lived alone; there were no traces of a second person.

The house was spotless everywhere. Even the pajamas provided for him were new; he must have caused a tremendous amount of trouble last night.

The Omega couldn’t understand why everything turned into a mess whenever he encountered Xiao Yanxiu.

He didn’t actually want to leave so soon—he could never get enough of the scent of camellia and cedar—but in his flustered state, he blurted out the words.

“I… I’m leaving soon anyway.”

You… you don’t need to go to all that trouble.

Xiao Yanxiu was in casual home wear with no plans to go out, and he seemed surprised by the boy’s haste to leave.

The moment Lu Siyan shouted those words, he regretted it immensely. However, the man gave him no chance to take them back. “I’ll have the driver take you home.”

There’s really no need to be in such a rush, the “little bitter melon” thought, his lips pouting in visible disappointment.

After speaking, seeing that Xiao Yanxiu hadn’t moved for a while, Lu Siyan realized he was still pressing down on the man’s hand. He let go immediately.

“S-sorry.”

What was wrong with him?

Why did he lose his mind every time he saw this man?

Xiao Yanxiu looked at him, then smiled as he patted the sleeve Lu Siyan had crumpled. “Have a cup of coffee before you go?”

Lu Siyan waved his hands awkwardly. “No, no need.”

Xiao Yanxiu arched an eyebrow. “There’s dessert in the fridge.”

Lu Siyan continued to wave. “No, no need.”

The man saw through his distracted dismissal. “And thanking me is ‘no need’ as well?”

Lu Siyan was in the middle of nodding along. “Yeah, yeah… no need…”

Halfway through the sentence, he suddenly snapped to his senses. Flushed red with anxiety, he stammered a correction, “Need! It’s needed!”

Xiao Yanxiu prepared the coffee and dessert anyway. After settling his guest, he returned to the bathroom to continue washing the dogs.

But before long, a little figure appeared at the doorway, peeking in. Wearing the oversized slippers, he shuffled back and forth, hesitating for a long time.

He was caught red-handed.

“Something the matter?”

“I… I’ll help you wash them.”

“I used to work part-time at a pet shop. I’m very good at this.”

Xiao Yanxiu’s hands were covered in bubbles as he wrestled with the two disobedient dogs. The Omega padded into the bathroom on his tiptoes with a “patter-patter” sound.

Lu Siyan’s movements were very efficient; it was clear he truly had experience with this kind of labor.

He briskly rolled up his sleeves. After a brief interaction to negotiate with the dogs, he decisively tucked a dog’s head under his arm and began scrubbing its back with a grunt.

The exposed collar of his pajamas was smudged with a bit of chocolate cream; the dessert and coffee had evidently made it into his stomach.

Xiao Yanxiu took two steps back. “Is the Lu family…” struggling that much?

By all accounts, this was a pampered, delicately raised young master. It was one thing for him to be unable to distinguish between Alpha and Omega scents, but now he was earning a living by washing dogs?

Amidst his surprise, the man accidentally caught a glimpse of the boy’s life.

Lu Siyan’s family situation was somewhat complicated. He wasn’t willing to say much about it, nor did he want to lay it bare for others to see.

Seeing him hesitate, Xiao Yanxiu guessed he had some unspeakable difficulties, so he stopped prying and changed the subject. “That bottle of ‘O-scent’ wasn’t something you bought yourself, was it?”

For luxury items with such specific effects, sales associates would definitely explain them clearly at the time of purchase to avoid any misunderstanding that might damage the brand’s image.

Furthermore, judging by Lu Siyan’s reaction when he was exposed in public, he clearly had no idea about the categories or functions of these luxury goods.

Therefore, the selection hadn’t been his.

And when they had met, the other party mentioned wanting him to “show mercy” and not make things difficult for the Lu family…

Extracting the key points of information, it was highly likely that someone had made a fuss over the previous misunderstanding at the hospital, deceiving him into thinking there was a feud between the two families.

That was why Lu Siyan, desperate to track him down, had hastily grabbed what looked like a valuable item as a gift, resulting in the blunder.

After all, what bad intentions could a little Omega who worked part-time at a pet shop possibly have?

However…

The person who intentionally gave him that perfume knew exactly what effect a catalyst would have on an Omega, yet they still hid the truth and gave it away.

How malicious. Truly despicable.

Lu Siyan suddenly thought of Lu Shiyuan. His fingertips paused for a moment before he resumed his work.

“Yes, I… I took the wrong one.”

Xiao Yanxiu watched him with his arms crossed. “I’ve looked into the Lu family’s business. They have indeed run into some minor trouble lately, but it has nothing to do with me.”

“The Huayun Center land development project is still in the bidding phase.”

“There are many people who want a piece of the pie. Everyone relies on their own ability, but the prerequisite is having enough liquid capital for operations.”

Lu Siyan listened in a daze and blurted out, “Then can you…” Can you help us?

Before the words fully escaped, he realized he was overstepping. They were practically strangers; how could he ask for a back door? He shut his mouth just in time, and Xiao Yanxiu didn’t hear the second half of the sentence.

The Omega’s lips were pressed thin. His skin, as delicate as porcelain, turned even more pink and radiant under the steam of the hot water.

Lu Siyan rolled his pant legs up above his knees, revealing a pair of well-proportioned calves. In the bathtub, the Border Collie and the Husky gave their fur a slight shake, sending orange-scented bubbles splashing all over him.

Omega: “What are their names?”

Alpha: “The smart one is Coffee. The stupid one is Cola.”

After the full-service dog wash ended, the driver responsible for the escort arrived at the door.

Lu Siyan changed back into his clothes from the day before and hurried downstairs, while Xiao Yanxiu stared after him, feeling a bit dazed.

The man’s mind was filled with the image of the Omega in the bathroom, covered in bubbles and laughing heartily.

“Oh, right, Xiao Yanxiu, can I have your WeChat?”

A thick lambswool scarf covered most of his face, leaving only those large, round eyes staring at him from the entryway, blinking.

He had thought the next chance to meet would be in the distant future, but unexpectedly, the other party took the initiative. By the time he snapped out of it, they had already added each other as friends.

Lu Siyan waved at him from outside the door. “Xiao Yanxiu, I’ll come to apologize again once I’ve prepared a new gift.”

“See you next time.”

The high-end, comfortable business car sped for two and a half hours on the city expressway.

As soon as Lu Siyan arrived home, he ran straight into Lu Shiyuan, who was hosting a party in the garden.

The Omega had always been out of place among these young masters and ladies; likewise, they looked down on him.

“Shiyuan, is this the Omega your parents adopted?”

“Ordinary looks, shallow vision, and quite the nerve. Someone like him actually dares to try and climb into the Xiao family?”

Lu Shiyuan blocked the doorway, his face full of disdain. His right hand swirled red wine in a crystal glass as he stared at him with contempt.

Lu Siyan did want to take this opportunity to ask about that bottle of “O-scent,” but he didn’t want to air his family’s dirty laundry in front of so many people.

These so-called upper-class elites were the best at kicking someone when they were down; there was no sincerity to be found.

Today, they could sit together and drink, but tomorrow they could stab you in the back without a word.

The Omega wore a cold expression and pushed past the person in front of him. Red wine splashed all over Lu Shiyuan. Along with the gasps of surprise came harsh accusations from behind.

“Heavens, Shiyuan, your clothes! This is the new Spring/Summer arrival from Glow, it’s so expensive.”

“Where did this country bumpkin come from? What a lack of manners, so uneducated.”

“Are you okay, Shiyuan?”

Lu Siyan ran back to his room and locked the door, refusing to let anyone in.

He had just started university this year, and his schedule was tight. In his spare time, he had to work to save up for a proper apology gift for Xiao Yanxiu.

After finishing his schoolwork and his part-time tutoring duties, Lu Siyan flopped onto his bed.

Thinking of the Alpha, he buried his face in his hands and sniffed his fingertips; the scent of camellia and cedar was still there.

It was sweet and warm. His heart began to beat wildly.

The Moments on the man’s WeChat were sparse, containing only a few snapshots of skiing and car racing.

Xiao Yanxiu was so handsome it was practically a crime, even when just standing there.

After spending three hours looking through these simple daily posts, Lu Siyan felt it wasn’t enough, so he went to social media sites to search for the man’s name.

However, as a top-tier member of the “rich, handsome, and elite” circle, Lu Siyan soon found himself unable to smile. He discovered that the Alpha he liked was heavily “shipped” with a top-tier Omega celebrity from the entertainment industry.

The two even had a “CP Super Topic” (fan community) with over two million followers.

Inside the community were fan art, various video edits, “evidence” analysis, and even “a couple of items” that fans had unearthed…

Among them was a bracelet from Grow—the very same one Lu Siyan had seen on Xiao Yanxiu’s wrist.

Half an hour later.

Xiao Yanxiu, working from home, received a message from his assistant. Following his instructions, they had already granted the Lu family some convenience regarding the Huayun project.

The man leaned back in his study chair and picked up his phone, grumbling to himself that the Omega hadn’t even sent a message to say he’d arrived home safely.

He looked around for a topic to start a conversation. Just then, the fragrant “Coffee” trotted over, wagging its tail and rubbing against his knee.

Xiao Yanxiu had a stroke of genius. He took a photo of himself petting the dog and went to send it.

Immediately, a giant red exclamation mark popped up in the chat box.

[You are not yet his friend. Please send a friend request first.]

Xiao Yanxiu:?