The Beta Wife Claimed by Competing Alphas - Chapter 38

“Looking for President Shang? Do you have an appointment?” the staff member on the first floor of the office building asked the Beta standing before him. “If you don’t have an appointment but are meeting with one of the assistants, you can contact them now.”

Mu Yan froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, when the telephone on the desk suddenly rang.

Seeing the caller ID for the private line, the staff member hurriedly answered: “Hello, Assistant Luo. Yes, understood. I’ll send him up immediately.”

He offered Mu Yan a polite smile, his demeanor significantly more respectful than before. “Hello, Assistant Luo mentioned that President Shang is expecting you. Please follow me.”

Mu Yan followed him into the elevator, clutching a lunch box and a thermal flask. The receptionist pressed the button for the top floor before stepping out.

The Mingkang Building stood thirty-five stories tall, with Shang Qiyue’s office located on the highest floor.

When Mu Yan pushed the door open, Shang Qiyue was flipping through documents, his long fingers casually twirling a fountain pen. His brow was slightly furrowed, only smoothing out the moment he saw Mu Yan appear.

Being on the top floor, the office offered an exceptional view. Through the large, bright floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see the landmark tower of City A in the distance.

“Sorry, I forgot to tell the front desk you were coming.”

“It’s alright, sir. I didn’t wait long before that gentleman brought me up.”

“Have you eaten? What did you have?” Shang Qiyue asked.

Mu Yan smiled and said he had eaten at eleven. Since it was Saturday, he wasn’t working overtime; he hadn’t woken up until nearly ten.

The previous night, he and Shang Qiyue hadn’t done anything. After telling him that everything had been arranged, Shang Qiyue simply held him as usual, chatting about the trivialities of life and work before sleep.

Generally speaking, Mu Yan was satisfied with his job, but there were always product managers who couldn’t explain their requirements and annoying colleagues.

Shang Qiyue was three years older than him and, as a manager, held different perspectives on workplace matters. Although his words weren’t always pleasant, Mu Yan found talking to him deeply beneficial.

After saying goodnight, Mu Yan couldn’t help but ask what that “something else” was that Shang Qiyue wanted from him.

Shang Qiyue had wrapped him in his arms like a bolster and kissed his forehead.

“I want you to come to the office tomorrow to bring me lunch.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday. Do you still have to work?” Mu Yan was stunned, entirely unaware of Shang Qiyue’s true motive. “Then why did you stay up so late chatting with me?”

“Yes,” Shang Qiyue said. “It’s fine. I don’t usually work weekends, but a very important project is coming up for bidding, so I need to be well-prepared.”

“That sounds so hard,” Mu Yan said softly, his eyelashes trembling slightly in the moonlight.

Mu Yan’s distressed gaze was genuine. Shang Qiyue looked at him and smiled silently. “It’s usually not tiring, just a bit lately. You’ll come tomorrow, right? Once I see you, I won’t feel tired at all.”

Shang Qiyue was always like this, saying sweet, nonsensical things in perfectly serious settings. Mu Yan was embarrassed by his words but had no reason to refuse.

Mu Yan had prepared three dishes and a soup. The food was packed in a lunch box, black bone chicken soup in the thermal flask, and some sliced fruit in another container.

Shang Qiyue seemed to truly enjoy his cooking, finishing almost everything. Seeing that he was done, Mu Yan thought he might want to take a nap or continue working, so he reached out to clear the containers.

However, his wrist was gently caught.

“I’ll clean up later.” Shang Qiyue pulled him into his arms, pressing him close with a palm resting against his lower back.

Mu Yan’s breath hitched. His body stiffened for a few seconds as he realized he might have misunderstood something.

The delivery Shang Qiyue spoke of wasn’t just about the food.

They were in the office, and Shang Qiyue always wanted to do it in the office.

But he had already promised Shang Qiyue; he shouldn’t back out now.

Mu Yan’s heart hammered against his ribs. He didn’t dare move, but the quieter he became, the tighter Shang Qiyue’s grip grew. His thumb traced slowly along Mu Yan’s waist; it was the peculiar patience of a predator about to taste its prey.

“Why are you so afraid?” Shang Qiyue chuckled softly. “I thought you knew what I meant.”

Mu Yan lowered his head very low, resting his forehead against Shang Qiyue’s shoulder.

“Before, I didn’t. Now I do.”

“Don’t be afraid,” Shang Qiyue soothed him. “I’ve locked the door; no one would dare come in. The windows are one-way glass, too.”

It took a moment for Mu Yan to recover from his racing heartbeat.

“I am fine. I promised you, sir. I’m not unwilling.”

“So good.” Shang Qiyue kissed his forehead and carried him to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Mu Yan was pressed against the glass and kissed. The faint scent of cigars on Shang Qiyue enveloped him. Combined with a sense of weightlessness, it made Mu Yan feel dizzy.

“You’ve been smoking cigars,” Mu Yan noted with instinctive concern. “Is the pressure very high? I remember you hadn’t smoked for nearly a week.”

Shang Qiyue was momentarily speechless. How could this person still be saying things like that when he was about to be devoured?

He brushed away the sweat-dampened hair from Mu Yan’s brow, looking into those eyes that were so beautiful he couldn’t look away. “Focus.”

It was strange. Usually, his face wasn’t the type to be unforgettable in a crowd, so why did those eyes look so alluring and beautiful now?

One of Shang Qiyue’s hands supported him while the other gently steadied his waist. The heat of his palm seeped through the thin shirt with an aggressive edge, yet he remained as patient as if he were comforting an untamed kitten.

“Why are you so nervous, baby? Don’t be afraid. Just relax a little, okay?”

Mu Yan’s eyelashes trembled violently. Just as he was about to speak, a knock suddenly sounded at the office door.

“President Shang, I’m here to deliver the tender documents you asked me to print.”

Mu Yan’s heart constricted. His ears burned, and his entire body went rigid.

The person outside knocked again. It sounded like a male Alpha. “President Shang, are you in your office?”

Mu Yan felt weak all over. He reached out to push Shang Qiyue gently, his eyes searching frantically like a startled rabbit for a place to hide.

However, Shang Qiyue unhurriedly stood up while holding him and walked directly toward the door. He pressed Mu Yan closer into his chest, signaling him to hide his face.

The man’s palm was warm; the pressure wasn’t heavy, but it carried an undeniable authority.

Mu Yan’s heart rate spiked, his pupils shrinking. He didn’t know what Shang Qiyue intended to do. He was tense to the limit, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

The person outside was still waiting. Shang Qiyue held the back of his neck with one hand; it was a gesture that felt like comfort, yet also like he was quietly toying with him.

Mu Yan struggled instinctively for a moment, trying to push Shang Qiyue away.

But he quickly suppressed his natural reaction.

He could not disobey his master.

The person outside seemed to hear footsteps within the room. He knocked once more, rather presumptuously. “President Shang, are you there?”

For a subordinate, such behavior was incredibly rude. He was likely a new hire who didn’t understand workplace etiquette.

Mu Yan’s fingertips dug hard into Shang Qiyue’s shirt, his knuckles turning white. His thin arms shook slightly, and the stray hairs on his forehead were soaked with cold sweat.

He didn’t even dare to exhale too forcefully; his chest heaved violently as if he were suffocating.

Holding him, Shang Qiyue walked right up to the office door.

The hand that had been resting on Mu Yan’s waist moved silently to the doorknob.

The top floor of the Mingkang Building didn’t just house the CEO’s office. The offices of Shang Qiyue’s two assistants were also on this floor. In fact, Mu Yan had overheard in the elevator that a small meeting was scheduled for 1:00 PM in the conference room on this very floor.

If the door opened now, the consequences would be dire.

The terror caused him to lose all strength instantly. Even his resistance felt drained. His lips turned pale, and his eyes stung, the corners moist with suppressed dread.

And then, he heard Shang Qiyue let out a low chuckle, filled with a sense of casual amusement.

The hand on the doorknob returned to the back of Mu Yan’s neck, gently and tenderly cradling it.

“Leave them with Assistant Luo.”

The person outside paused, then responded. The sound of footsteps soon faded into the distance.

Silence finally returned to the air.

Mu Yan’s legs went weak. He leaned his forehead against Shang Qiyue’s shoulder, his chest heaving. His fingers still gripped the shirt tightly; he felt as though all his strength had been siphoned away, his very breath hitched with a lingering tremor.

Just now, he really thought Shang Qiyue was going to open the door.

But he didn’t.

Shang Qiyue was like a man controlling a kite; the tension on the string was just right, enough to keep the kite from falling, but not enough to let it fly away.

Mu Yan bit his lip hard, his eyelashes fluttering like a dying butterfly, yet he remained silent, the suppression making him feel as if he were suffocating.

Shang Qiyue looked down at the person in his arms, his gaze dark and heavy, his voice tender and doting. “It’s okay now. He’s gone. No one else saw you. Good boy, cry it out. Cry for me, alright?”

“You’re so beautiful. How could I bear to let anyone else see you?”

Mu Yan finally broke into tears, his whole body shaking. The corners of his eyes were flushed deep red as wet tears slid down his pale cheeks. He had bitten his own lip until it bled. He curled into Shang Qiyue’s embrace, desperately trying to restrain himself but finding it impossible.

Shang Qiyue’s deep black overcoat and gray shirt were turned into a mess.

He would have to change his clothes this afternoon.

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