The Beta Wife Claimed by Competing Alphas - Chapter 30

When Mu Yan woke up, his brother was keeping watch beside him.

It felt as though he had slept for a very long time. Despite the apparent comfort, Mu Yan felt a strange sense of unease like waking up in the middle of a high school math exam, feeling well-rested but realizing there are only twenty minutes left before the papers are collected.

There was a metallic taste of blood in his throat, which was deeply unpleasant.

“Do you want some water?” Lin Yi promptly poured some warm water and handed it to him.

Mu Yan took a sip and asked, “Where’s Mom?”

“Sent back to the ward.”

His heart settled slightly, but Mu Yan quickly remembered the message he sent Shang Qiyue this morning, asking if he was coming for dinner so he could go grocery shopping. He hoped it wasn’t too late.

He felt a surge of panic. Shang Qiyue didn’t seem like an unreasonable person, but to stand him up the very first time he offered to cook, if he were Shang Qiyue, he would think this person had zero credibility.

Mu Yan mentally rehearsed apologies, praying it was still early enough to buy groceries. He reached toward the bedside table for his phone, but it wasn’t there. He felt his pockets; empty.

“I have it,” Lin Yi handed the phone to him.

Mu Yan checked the time and then the chat window with Shang Qiyue, letting out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the man was probably busy and hadn’t replied. He likely wasn’t coming.

“It’s four o’clock, Brother,” Mu Yan asked casually. “Why haven’t you gone back to cook for Jiajia?”

Lin Yi reached out to swat his arm, but Mu Yan moved quickly to dodge.

“Are you crazy? Is Xiang Zhuo going to let her starve to death just because he’s home? How could I leave when you’re hurt like this? I couldn’t even hold you back; you just had to play the hero. Mu Yan, I really want to hit you.”

“If it were someone else, I definitely wouldn’t have interfered. But that was Director Zhang,” Mu Yan said, his voice dropping lower as he realized he was in the wrong. “Director Zhang has helped our family so much. Besides, I managed to knock him down too…”

In a fight, height and weight are secondary. A two-hundred-pound man might not necessarily withstand a punch from a scrawny hoodlum.

Mu Yan’s high school was the best in the county, but the town’s security was poor back then, and there were often thugs collecting “protection fees” on the way home. Mu Yan didn’t know how to fight, but he understood those people well—as long as you showed them you weren’t afraid to die, you wouldn’t have to fight a second time.

Fighting is nothing more than seeing who flinches last. That man had been screaming about his powerful father being a congressman, specifically picking on that young Omega doctor; he was the one who was actually showing weakness.

“Mu Yan, Mom was right there beside you, and you just charged in. If Mom and I hadn’t been there, who knows how much trouble you’d get into out there? Can’t you cherish yourself a little? Mom’s eyes are swollen from crying today. You know she believes in all sorts of messy superstitions; she spent half the time muttering to me about how she’s a burden to you.”

“Can’t you just let us worry less? No one would have blamed you if you hadn’t stepped up. You need to be a bit more selfish when you’re out. You’re not an Alpha who can take on ten people at once…”

Mu Yan actually wanted to say he rarely did things like that, but since his brother seemed genuinely angry, he kept his head down and took the scolding obediently.

Once Lin Yi had vented enough, Mu Yan sat up in bed. “I feel much better, Brother. Let’s head back early.”

“Wait a bit,” Lin Yi handed Mu Yan his jacket, signaling him to put it on. “Your boss was just here. He said he’d drive you home in a bit.”

Mu Yan was momentarily stunned. “Huh? My boss?”

“Yeah. He called earlier, and I picked up. I told him you were hurt and would call back later, but he asked where we were and came over to see you.”

Sister Zhou? Mu Yan was confused. Sister Zhou didn’t seem like the type to get involved in this.

“Where did she go then?”

“After security arrived, someone called the police. When the officers came, he went to talk to them. They seemed to respect him quite a bit. Don’t worry; they started it, and there’s surveillance footage. You won’t be in trouble.”

Mu Yan grew even more bewildered. How would Sister Zhou know people at the police station? She was quite introverted and didn’t like socializing; outside of work, Mu Yan had almost no interaction with her.

As Mu Yan was wondering, someone pushed the door open and walked in.

The door brought in a gust of cold air. The man was very tall. Sitting on the bed, Mu Yan had to tilt his head slightly to see his sharply defined features.

“President Shang,” Mu Yan called out instinctively.

“Awake?” Shang Qiyue asked flatly.

Mu Yan nodded, feeling a bit uneasy. Just as he had thought before, why was it that every time he met Shang Qiyue, he was in such a pathetic state?

Lin Yi also thanked Shang Qiyue. “Thank you so much for today. Thank you for looking after Xiao Yan at work, too. If you don’t mind, we’d like to treat you to dinner.”

“No need. The company sent me. Caring for employees is part of the job. It’s good that Mu Yan is feeling better,” Shang Qiyue smiled warmly at Lin Yi, but when his gaze shifted to Mu Yan, the smile became somewhat teasing.

Lin Yi felt that this President Shang was different from the Alphas he had known before. He dressed exquisitely, and the police treated him with great respect; he didn’t seem like an ordinary person, yet he spoke politely, without a hint of arrogance. He was gentle with Xiao Yan and even kept his pheromones perfectly under control.

He also had a kind face almost familiar but Lin Yi was certain he didn’t know anyone of that social status. He just must have a friendly face.

If Xiao Yan’s boyfriend were like him, Mom might not be so against an Alpha being Xiao Yan’s partner, Lin Yi thought.

But he was immediately startled by his own thought. Xiao Yan and Lu Chong hadn’t broken up yet; how could he think such things? No matter his flaws, Lu Chong was still Xiao Yan’s boyfriend. As long as they weren’t at the marriage stage, it was Xiao Yan’s business, and not his place to interfere.

Mu Yan had no idea what his brother was thinking. He just felt Shang Qiyue’s gaze was a bit too piercing and lowered his head in embarrassment.

The actual nature of his relationship with Shang Qiyue was separated from the “boss and subordinate” label by only a thin veil. One tug from Shang Qiyue, and the sordid reality would be exposed right in front of his brother.

The gaze Shang Qiyue fixed on him felt burning, as if it might sear a hole through his cheap sweater.

“The one who hit you is the youngest son of a congressman in City A,” Shang Qiyue said. “The police have taken him away, and in a few days, his father will be invited for tea as well. A mere congressman’s son acting so lawless, once he’s in, I won’t let either of them out until they’ve lost a layer of skin.”

His tone was calm so calm it sounded as if he hadn’t just sent people to jail, but had merely sent them some oranges.

Mu Yan was moved and grateful. But he was also a bit afraid.

A human can easily crush an ant; the ant, instinctively, will be afraid of that person, even if the person is kind and has just killed a spider several times the ant’s size. He didn’t want to make Shang Qiyue angry, but Shang Qiyue was like a young king, even if he wasn’t showing tyranny or moodiness, the power itself was enough to inspire fear.

“Thank you for the trouble,” Mu Yan said softly.

“It’s no trouble. Letting people like that continue to be arrogant is the real trouble for society.”

Shang Qiyue spoke as if he were some model citizen. Lin Yi, knowing nothing, smiled and agreed with a few words.

Shang Qiyue turned politely to Lin Yi. “Mr. Lin, I drove here. Where do you live? I’ll drop you off on the way.”

“No need,” Lin Yi declined immediately, picking up his bag and phone. “I can take the bus back, route 17 is very convenient. It’s enough of a bother for you to take Xiao Yan home.”

Shang Qiyue didn’t insist. He smiled politely. “It’s no trouble; it’s on the way. I certainly wouldn’t be at peace letting Mu Yan go back like this.”

The door closed again. Lin Yi’s footsteps gradually faded away.

“Thank you for coming all this way for me.”

Shang Qiyue didn’t reply but reached out to gently touch the gauze wrapped around Mu Yan’s head.

“How did this happen?”

Shang Qiyue’s hand felt scorching. Mu Yan instinctively wanted to pull away, but he restrained himself and didn’t move.

“Hit by a thermos.” Mu Yan answered softly.

“Does it hurt?” Shang Qiyue asked.

“It hurts,” Mu Yan hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully.

He kept his head down, happening to see the bloodstains on the collar of his sweater. His neck and face were clean; his brother must have wiped him with a towel or wet wipe while he was unconscious.

“So pitiful,” Shang Qiyue said.

If it were anyone else, Mu Yan wouldn’t have liked the tone or the words. Superior, pitying, slightly mocking. Like treating a stray dog that had been bullied badly.

But since it was Shang Qiyue, Mu Yan didn’t have the right to dislike it. He just dryly called him “Sir”, just as an injured puppy should whimper pathetically upon seeing its master. Only then would the master feel pity and realize the puppy cannot survive on its own.

Shang Qiyue did indeed smile.

“Do you want to hit him back? Once you’re feeling better, I’ll take you to the police station to find him. Would hitting him with a beer bottle feel better in your hand?”

His tone was casual, just as it had been when he mentioned sending the father and son to prison.

Lynch law? Hadn’t lynch law been strictly prohibited by legislation twenty years ago?

Mu Yan was slightly stunned. After a moment, he spoke hesitantly, “That’s not necessary. Thank you, President Shang. I just kicked him kicked him down there earlier.”

Mu Yan found it hard to understand “an eye for an eye” type of revenge. If he used Shang Qiyue’s power to hit back, wouldn’t he become just as much of an abuser of privilege as that man?

He wasn’t actually a dog, and he didn’t want to act tough just because of his master’s influence.

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