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

Lu Siyan was pulled forcefully into a firm embrace.

When the accident occurred, if it hadn’t been for Xiao Yanxiu’s keen reflexes and his emergency intervention, the issue at hand right now wouldn’t just be about “someone still harboring wicked designs.”

Xiao Yanxiu had saved him from becoming a candidate for the orthopedic ward, reducing the damage to a few minor skin grazes. It wasn’t until he was swept up in a horizontal carry and whisked out of the living room that Lu Siyan finally reacted.

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

The man’s sharp jawline was right before his eyes. The skin connecting his neck and collarbone was snowy white, clean, smooth, and powerful.

Even the pain from his injuries felt delayed. In the rush of the moment, the hand that had seized the other man’s lapels couldn’t let go in time; instead, he gripped them even tighter.

Xiao Yanxiu glanced downward, noting that while the boy’s mouth said “no,” his body wasn’t moving away in the slightest.

“This…”

This was simply a case of “the lady protests too much”—a classic example of saying one thing while feeling another.

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 rebounding fabric instantly covered the sexy, vibrant red mole on the Alpha’s chest, but the collar had become a wrinkled mess.

It was no wonder he would misunderstand.

Flustered, Lu Siyan reached out to smooth the fabric. Afraid the man wouldn’t believe him, he spoke again with utmost sincerity.

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

The man broke into a silent laugh. “Is it necessary 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 on the other’s neck. He watched as the man turned to fetch a medicine box and then knelt on one knee before him.

He let out a low gasp: “Xiao Yanxiu.”

Before he could reach out to stop him, his cheeks were cupped by the man’s hands.

“Your face isn’t hurt.”

“Hands, waist, feet…”

The man’s warm fingertips checked each location as he spoke the names.

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

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

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

They had only met three times. Even if there had been a temporary marking, this posture was far too intimate.

His fingertips were held and inspected, his ankle was cupped in a palm, and the cool medicinal oil was rubbed into his bruises. The sensation sent goosebumps crawling all the way up his spine.

Lu Siyan felt like he was caught between ice and fire; his body felt chilled by the peppermint, causing him to shiver slightly, yet his face was burning hot. His gaze darted away, avoiding eye contact.

His breath hitched several times.

The moment Xiao Yanxiu finished treating the injuries, Lu Siyan jerked his foot back, wishing he could bury himself deep within the sofa.

The man brought him a pair of slippers, but the size was visibly too large—likely the ones Xiao Yanxiu wore himself.

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

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

Lu Siyan felt guilty enough for dropping by unexpectedly and continuing to bother him. In his haste, he lunged forward to press down on the man’s hand. “No need.”

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

The house was spotless everywhere, and even the pajamas provided for him were brand new. He must have caused a great deal of trouble last night.

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

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

“I… I’m leaving right now, too.”

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

Xiao Yanxiu was dressed in loungewear with no intention of going out, and he was surprised by the boy’s haste to depart.

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

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

Having finished speaking, he noticed Xiao Yanxiu hadn’t moved for a long time. Realizing he was still pinning the man’s hand down, he let go instantly.

“So-sorry.”

What was wrong with him? Why did he lose his mind every time he saw this man?

Xiao Yanxiu looked at him, then smilingly patted his sleeve where it had been crumpled. “Have a cup of coffee before you go?”

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

Xiao Yanxiu arched an eyebrow. “There are desserts in the fridge.”

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

The man saw through his distracted perfunctoriness. “So, thanking me is also ‘no need’?”

Lu Siyan was in the middle of nodding and “uh-huh”-ing in agreement. “No need, no need…”

Who knew that halfway through the sentence, he would snap back to his senses? Flushed red with embarrassment, he scrambled to defend himself: “Need! It’s needed!”

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

But before long, a little figure appeared at the door, peeking in. Wearing oversized slippers, the boy paced back and forth, hesitating for a long time.

He was caught red-handed.

“Is something the matter?”

“I… I’ll help you wash them.”

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

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

Lu Siyan’s movements were very efficient; it was clear he had actually done this hard labor before.

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

A bit of chocolate cream from the dessert got smudged onto his exposed pajama collar; the sweets and coffee had already been filled into his stomach.

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

He was, after all, a pampered, high-born young master. It was one thing for him to be unable to distinguish between Alpha and Omega scents, but now he was actually washing dogs to earn a living?

Amidst his surprise, the man caught an unexpected glimpse into the boy’s life.

Lu Siyan’s family situation was somewhat complicated; he wasn’t willing to say much, let alone proactively expose his wounds to others.

Seeing him stammering, Xiao Yanxiu guessed he had some hidden troubles, so he stopped prying and changed the subject. “That bottle of Omega perfume… you didn’t buy it yourself, did you?”

For luxury items with special effects, the sales assistants would certainly explain everything clearly at the time of purchase. There wouldn’t be a case of buying it by mistake, as that would damage the brand image.

Moreover, considering his reaction when he was exposed in public, Lu Siyan clearly had no idea about the categories and functions of these luxury goods.

Therefore, the selection hadn’t been made by him.

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

Extracting the key information, it was highly likely that someone had taken the previous misunderstanding at the hospital and blown it out of proportion, tricking him into believing there was a conflict between the two families.

That was why Lu Siyan, desperate to track him down, had rushed over with what seemed like a valuable gift, resulting in the blunder.

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

But…

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

How utterly malicious. Their heart was truly damnable.

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

“Yes… I took the wrong one.”

Xiao Yanxiu watched him with his arms crossed. “I’ve looked into the Lu family business. They have indeed encountered some small troubles recently, but it has nothing to do with me.”

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

“There are many people wanting a piece of the pie, and 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 were fully out, he realized he was overstepping. They were practically strangers; asking for a “back door” favor was inappropriate. He shut his mouth just in time, and Xiao Yanxiu didn’t hear the second half of the sentence.

The Omega’s lips were slightly pursed. His skin was delicate, and under the steam of the hot water, it became even more pink and radiant.

Lu Siyan rolled his trouser 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, splashing orange-scented bubbles all over him.

Omega: “What are their names?”

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

Once the full dog-washing service was over, the driver responsible for the transport arrived at the door.

Lu Siyan changed back into his own clothes from the day before and hurried downstairs, but Xiao Yanxiu stared at 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 happily.

“By the way, Xiao Yanxiu, can I get your WeChat?”

A thick lamb’s wool scarf wrapped around most of his face, leaving only those large, round eyes staring at him from the entryway, blinking away.

He had thought the chance for their next meeting would be in the distant future, but he hadn’t expected the other party to take 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, once I’ve prepared a new gift, I’ll come and apologize to you again.”

“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, short-sighted, but quite bold. Him? Trying to climb into the Xiao family?”

Lu Shiyuan blocked the doorway, his face full of disdain. He held a tall glass in his right hand, swirling the red wine inside, staring at him with a contemptuous gaze.

Lu Siyan did want to take this opportunity to ask him what was going on with that bottle of Omega perfume, but he didn’t want to make a scene and let the family scandal spread 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, and tomorrow they could stab you in the back without a sound.

The Omega kept a cold face and pushed past the person in front of him. Red wine splashed all over Lu Shiyuan, and along with the gasps of surprise came ugly accusations from behind.

“Oh my god, 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 part-time to save up for a proper apology gift for Xiao Yanxiu.

After finishing his schoolwork and his duties as a private tutor, Lu Siyan rolled onto his bed.

He thought of the Alpha and buried his head to sniff his own fingertips—they still carried the scent of camellia and cedar.

It was sweet and warm, making his heart race.

The WeChat Moments he found were sparse, containing only a few snapshots of skiing and car racing.

Xiao Yanxiu looked devastatingly handsome just by standing there.

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

But as a top-tier member of the “rich, handsome, and tall” circle, he soon found himself unable to smile. He discovered that his crush’s name was highly linked with another top-tier Omega celebrity from the entertainment industry.

The two of them even had a “CP” (Couple) super-topic with over two million fans.

Inside the super-topic were fan creations, various video edits, frame-by-frame analyses, and “couple items” that had been ferreted out…

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

Half an hour later.

Xiao Yanxiu, who was working from home, received a message from his assistant. Following his orders, they had already extended a favor to the Lu family regarding the Huayun project.

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

He looked around the room for a conversation starter. Just then, the fragrant Coffee wagged his tail and came over to nuzzle his knee.

The Alpha had a bright idea. He took a photo of himself petting the dog and was about to send it when a giant red exclamation mark popped up in the chat box.

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

Xiao Yanxiu: ?