The Corporate Slave Beta Is Surrounded by Alphas - Chapter 17

As a superior, suddenly asking a subordinate about their relationship status is bound to seem incredibly strange. Thus, standing before Cheng An now, Lu Xunzhou found himself unable to find a single conversational thread to pry into the matter of that other man.

His gaze merely drifted over Cheng An’s figure.

Normally, Cheng An was quite casual with his ties he didn’t tie them with meticulous precision, often leaving them slightly askew. But today, the knot was perfect, clearly not the work of Cheng An’s own hands.

Moving his gaze to Cheng An’s neck, Lu Xunzhou searched for any lingering traces of intimacy. Though the Beta still looked weary, it appeared to be the result of poor sleep rather than anything scandalous. Lu Xunzhou stood up under the guise of grabbing a folder, surreptitiously checking Cheng An’s nape for any bite marks.

Fortuitously, there were none.

After this quiet inspection, Lu Xunzhou still couldn’t find the right words. Cheng An, for his part, was beginning to feel confused.

He pushed up his glasses, which had slipped while he was reviewing the documents, and looked at the man before him. Sensing Lu Xunzhou’s intense stare, Cheng An blinked, wondering if there was something on his face. “President Lu, is there something you want to say?”

Lu Xunzhou snapped out of it, pivoting back to mundane work matters.

Logic dictated that after handing over the required files and answering a few questions, Cheng An should leave. Yet, Lu Xunzhou seemed loath to let him go, as if words were trapped behind his teeth.

Checking the time and realizing how long he’d kept him, Lu Xunzhou suppressed the restless thrumming in his heart. “It’s nothing. You can head back.”

As he watched Cheng An’s retreating back, the Alpha sat back down in his chair, feeling a pathetic sense of helplessness at his own hesitation.

#Today, President L Seems to Have a Cat Addiction.

[OP]: Does anyone else feel like President L is totally out of it today? I saw him in the breakroom earlier the water was overflowing his cup and he was just staring into space. He keeps passing by Little Kitten’s office to peek inside like some kind of ‘Waiting-for-Cat’ stone statue.

[Reply 1]: Agreed. His temper is weirdly good today, not sharp at all. He’s definitely distracted.

[Reply 2]: He probably isn’t a jerk in front of Little Kitten. If he were, the Kitten would definitely hate him.

[Reply 3]: He’s too busy trying to be a lapdog for the Kitten; he wouldn’t dare show his toxic side.

[Reply 4]: I bet Little Kitten dumped him.

[Reply 5]: Long live the Kitten!

[Reply 6]: Finally rid of that stalker-boss? Isn’t that a good thing?

[Reply 7]: Weird, I haven’t been banned for insulting President L today.

[Reply 8]: He’s too busy mourning his heart. Forget him now that the ‘Gatekeeper Boss’ is down, the Kitten belongs to us!

Cheng An rarely left his office unless necessary. Aside from his own team, few people saw him more than a couple of times a day.

When he went to the cafeteria for lunch today, he found everyone unusually warm.

People offered to buy him lunch, others bought him drinks, and some even went out of their way to save him a prime seat. Several Alphas, whose faces were familiar but whose names he didn’t know, were being exceptionally friendly. Cheng An was puzzled but politely declined the gifts and accepted the good seat.

The food at the Changyun cafeteria was lavish, and Cheng An genuinely enjoyed it. He ate with quiet focus, his movements slow and methodical.

As a Beta, his appetite was small compared to the Alphas around him in their eyes, he really did look like a small cat nibbling at its food. The surrounding area was quiet, filled only with the sound of chewing.

When he finished, meticulously picking up the last grain of rice with his chopsticks, he looked up and realized the area around him was packed, while the rest of the cafeteria was relatively empty.

He glanced around, confused as to why everyone had crowded into this specific section, but he didn’t dwell on it. He was prone to letting strange things slide right out of his mind.

“Team Leader, let me take that for you.”

Cheng An turned to see Ji Ting from the art department. The Alpha’s face was slightly flushed—whether from excitement or shyness, it was hard to tell.

Before Cheng An could react, his tray was taken. He instinctively followed Ji Ting, remembering he had work to discuss.

The tall Alpha walked ahead, staring down at the empty tray in his hands as if lost in thought, seemingly unaware of the Beta behind him. Cheng An’s tray was spotless; the oily surface reflected a blurred image of Ji Ting’s face.

Suddenly, Cheng An tapped him on the shoulder. Ji Ting jumped, turning to meet Cheng An’s eyes.

“Weren’t you full?” Cheng An asked, looking perplexed.

“No, I…” Ji Ting immediately looked away, avoiding eye contact.

“Then why did you look like you wanted to lick the tray?” Cheng An asked with blunt honesty. His voice wasn’t loud, but in the proximity, the words were crystal clear.

Ji Ting went utterly silent. He lowered his head, his bangs obscuring his eyes and his expression.

Cheng An, still concerned, added: “If you’re still hungry, you should go get more.” He figured Alpha physiology was just different; they likely required much more fuel, and Ji Ting was young and athletic.

“I’m not hungry, I just…” Ji Ting trailed off. Seeing his distress, Cheng An dropped the subject. “If you’re done, come by my office later. I need to go over some work details with you.”

Ji Ting froze, then blurted out, “I’ll just put this away and follow you right now!”

He hurried to the return station and was back at Cheng An’s side in seconds, slightly out of breath but with bright, eager eyes reminding Cheng An of Zhou Song. Though compared to the “puppy,” Ji Ting was much more reserved.

The thought of the puppy made Cheng An realize he hadn’t checked if Zhou Song was late for his shift at the coffee shop after they’d taken the crowded morning subway together.

“Team Leader…” Ji Ting’s voice was light, almost hesitant. “Team Leader, do you… do you have a boyfriend now?”

He asked the question Lu Xunzhou had been too afraid to voice. While Lu Xunzhou had heard a voice on the phone, this question felt as though it came from someone who might have witnessed the two of them going home together a tail.

A suspicion flickered in Cheng An’s mind, but before he could catch it, Ji Ting apologized. “I was just curious. It was out of line. I’m sorry.”

Cheng An looked at him. “Why the sudden curiosity?”

“Because I know you don’t sleep well,” Ji Ting said softly. “I thought… there are so many Alpha pheromones in the air here. Even as a Beta, long-term exposure can cause subtle damage. If you had a boyfriend, his presence could help disperse the lingering scents of others. It might make you feel better.”

“You know about that too?” Cheng An was surprised. Song Boyan had said the exact same thing.

It seemed staying in an Alpha-heavy environment really was taking a toll on him, even without a gland. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” he answered simply.

He didn’t notice the way Ji Ting’s eyes lit up or the joyous expression that briefly crossed the Alpha’s face.

Once they reached the office, Cheng An put aside non-work thoughts and gave Ji Ting a detailed briefing on the art requirements. Ji Ting listened intently, asking sharp, critical questions. Once he left, Cheng An massaged his aching temples. He checked his phone to see a message from Zhou Song from three hours ago, asking if he wanted a drink.

Concerned that caffeine would ruin his sleep, he declined.

Recalling Ji Ting’s words, he messaged Song Boyan for confirmation. The doctor’s answer was identical: the headaches and poor sleep were partly stress, and partly “pheromone pollution.”

[Cheng An]: Is my occasional headache also because of this?

[Song Boyan]: Poor sleep is one factor; the interference and ‘invasion’ of Alpha pheromones is another. You could find an Alpha to help you ‘cleanse’ the lingering scents daily essentially letting their pheromones occupy your space so others can’t intrude. Or you could use suppressants, but in this district, there are few formulated for Betas.

[Song Boyan]: Actually, you could consider me. I can help you solve the pheromone invasion problem.

Cheng An thought of the doctor’s packed clinic. He didn’t want to be a burden.

[Cheng An]: No need.

The text was short and devoid of emotion, reading as cold and dismissive. On the other end, Song Boyan felt a wave of anxiety and doubt, but he didn’t push further. He didn’t want to seem like a harasser.

Just then, another message popped up from Zhou Song.

[Zhou Song]: Then no coffee today. Do you need milk?

Cheng An thought about the “cleansing” issue.

[Cheng An]: Do you have time for another part-time job? It wouldn’t take much of your time each day. We can discuss the hourly rate.

Zhou Song went silent. Cheng An worried he had been too forward or that it was a polite refusal. By the time he went to delete the message, the window had closed.

Embarrassed, Cheng An put his phone aside and focused on work. He went to the breakroom for water, and as the workday drew to a close, he checked his phone again.

[Zhou Song]: No problem at all! You don’t even have to pay me! I’d be happy to help! [Zhou Song]: (Puppy Heart-Eyes.jpg)

Cheng An could almost see the boy’s wagging tail through the screen.

[Cheng An]: I’m almost off. I’ll tell you the details then.

[Zhou Song]: Great! I’m almost done too. I’ll wait for you at the company entrance.

When he heard the request in person, Zhou Song froze, staring at Cheng An blankly.

Cheng An bit his lip. “If you don’t want to…”

“No!” Zhou Song said urgently. “I’m not refusing.” His face turned a bright red, but he didn’t look away. He rubbed his fingers together nervously. “I can definitely help… but do you know what ‘cleansing’ those pheromones actually entails?”

As a Beta who had never been bothered by such things, Cheng An was genuinely ignorant of the biological mechanics involved. Seeing Zhou Song’s intense reaction, he tilted his head. “What do I need to do?”

Zhou Song looked at him, then suddenly grabbed his wrist. “Come to the restroom with me. I’ll show you.”

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