The Beautiful Cannon Fodder Becomes The Heartthrob of the Dating Show - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: May I Kiss You?

Xu Jingchu wanted to say, “It’s fine, it doesn’t matter,” but seeing the man’s persistent gaze, he silently swallowed his refusal.

Hao Nan had said that Alphas are unreasonable during their rut—it’s best to just go along with them to prevent giving them an excuse to act out, commonly known as making a scene.

Xu Jingchu tried to imagine Huo Yan making a scene and couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.

“What are you secretly happy about?” The man pinched his lips, his gesture intimate. “Tell me so I can be happy, too.”

It would have been fine if he hadn’t asked, but the question made Xu Jingchu laugh even more, his eyes crinkling into crescents.

“I… I was thinking about you being unreasonable…” he said through his laughter, a lovely flush rising to his cheeks. “That would definitely be very funny… hahaha…”

Huo Yan’s gaze deepened as he set down his water glass. “Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm, just you being all serious like you are now, and then…” Xu Jingchu started laughing again. It wasn’t actually that funny, but it had somehow struck his funny bone; two physiological tears welled up in his clear, bright eyes.

Huo Yan’s breathing grew heavy. His tall frame suddenly pressed the boy back onto the sofa again, his voice deep and magnetic: “Is it really that funny?”

Xu Jingchu hadn’t realized the danger yet, his eyes still curved. “Maybe I just have a low threshold for humor?”

Huo Yan hovered over him, the pad of his thumb gently stroking the boy’s snowy-white wrist, the darkness in his eyes growing more intense. He realized he was actually a greedy person; even though he had just marked him, he still wanted to do more.

In this moment, Huo Yan realized that in his very bones, he was no gentleman; there was even a wicked, predatory nature hidden within him.

A tingling sensation spread from his wrist, and Xu Jingchu struggled while laughing. “Don’t… it tickles…”

Earlier, when his face was touched, he had also said it tickled.

Huo Yan’s fingertips moved up slowly, lightly scratching the boy’s soft, smooth palm. “How about this?”

Xu Jingchu tried to dodge while laughing, but with his wrists held firmly by the man, he couldn’t move. He had no choice but to beg for mercy: “It tickles… Huo Yan, let me go, okay?”

Even while being restrained in such an intimate posture, the boy remained completely defenseless. How could someone be so beautiful and captivating even while begging for mercy?

Huo Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed subtly. His narrow dark eyes were fixed on the boy’s opening and closing lips. The dangerous aura could finally no longer be hidden, seeping out from the depths of his unfathomable eyes.

Meeting such a dangerous gaze, Xu Jingchu’s laughter stopped abruptly. He finally realized, belatedly, that their posture was far too… intimate.

He shifted uncomfortably, calling out cautiously: “Huo Yan?”

“Mm.” A low response rumbled from the man’s throat, his dark eyes never leaving the boy’s lips.

Noticing where his gaze had fallen, Xu Jingchu’s heart skipped a beat.

The feeling of unease grew stronger.

“Could… could you let me go first?” Xu Jingchu’s gaze flickered away, not daring to look the man in the eye.

Why was Huo Yan staring at his mouth? What… what did he want to do?

An ambiguous, thick atmosphere spread silently. Even Xu Jingchu, who was slow in these matters, realized something was wrong.

Thump-thump, thump-thump— His heart beat like a drum, and the temperature of his face rose uncontrollably.

“Chuchu…” The man’s warm thumb brushed against the corner of his eye. Xu Jingchu’s eyelashes fluttered violently, followed by a scorching breath as the man leaned closer. “May I…” kiss you?

Before the last three words could be spoken, the office door was suddenly pushed open.

“Boss, lunch is—”

Seeing the two on the sofa in a posture that looked anything but innocent, the professional smile on Secretary Shen’s face, as he held the lunch, came to a sudden halt. However, he quickly scanned the rest of the office as if nothing were wrong, saying in a perfectly normal tone: “Oh, the Boss isn’t here. I’ll come back later.”

Then he turned around and left without hesitation, even remembering to close the door behind him.

Xu Jingchu: “…”

Huo Yan: “…”

With Secretary Shen’s interruption, the atmosphere vanished completely. Huo Yan’s rationality quickly returned. He straightened up with composure and reached out a hand to the boy lying on the sofa.

Xu Jingchu hadn’t quite recovered from that strange atmosphere and instinctively avoided the man’s hand, sitting up on his own.

Huo Yan’s fingertips paused, and his eyes dimmed. Did I really scare him after all? But they had already done a temporary marking twice; the boy didn’t resist then, did he?

Xu Jingchu inadvertently caught the expression on the man’s face and suddenly snapped out of it.

Huo Yan was still in his rut; all abnormal behavior could be considered normal. Even if the man really wanted to kiss him just now, it was under the influence of the rut.

Thinking of this, Xu Jingchu felt a bit regretful and quickly said: “I didn’t mean to avoid you just now. I… I just didn’t react in time. Don’t overthink it.”

Hao Nan said Alphas in their rut love to overthink because they feel insecure and need proper soothing.

But he didn’t know that an explanation like this was essentially an invitation for next time.

It wasn’t that he was afraid, but rather that he hadn’t adapted yet. So, once he adapted, he could do anything he wanted to him.

This realization made Huo Yan’s mood brighten instantly. He reached out and gently smoothed down the stray tuft of hair on top of Xu Jingchu’s head.

Xu Jingchu blinked and looked at him obediently, not pulling away.

The corners of Huo Yan’s lips lifted slightly. His Omega wouldn’t be afraid of him, nor would he leave him.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

Seeing him smile, Xu Jingchu breathed a silent sigh of relief and nodded: “Hungry.”

Huo Yan opened the office door to find Secretary Shen “standing at attention” outside.

The man’s dark eyes swept over him. “Lunch,” he said flatly.

Secretary Shen very tactfully handed over the lunch bags in both hands, eyes fixed straight ahead: “Boss, if I said I didn’t see anything just now, would you believe me?”

Huo Yan glanced at him sideways: “Speak like a human.”

Secretary Shen immediately straightened his back: “Is my bonus for this month still safe?”

His answer was the “bang” of the office door closing.

Secretary Shen: “…”

Downstairs.

Huo’s second aunt scrambled up from the ground, pointing at the security guards who had thrown them out and cursing furiously: “You curs! You’re blind! Do you have any idea who I am? You actually dare to throw us out? Believe it or not, I’ll have Huo Yan fire you immediately!”

It was currently clock-out time, and people coming and going stopped to point and stare at the scene being made outside the Tingfang Group.

Because of Huo Yan, Huo’s second uncle had enjoyed the best of everything over the years. When had he ever been treated like this? His face turned the color of pig liver in an instant.

With her hair disheveled, the second aunt pointed at the guards and cursed them viciously, looking exactly like a shrew shouting in the street.

Regardless of what had happened, this display alone was enough to lose all face.

In a car not far away, Huo Yun witnessed this scene. He cursed under his breath and drove away immediately.

He hated Huo Yan, but compared to his mother’s embarrassing ranting, he would rather just leave.