This Alpha Is So Devoted to His Wife - Chapter 43

“Lu Xinghe, I like you.”

There was no one else in the hotel corridor but the two of them, and this direct declaration echoed in his ears.

Lu Xinghe maintained his grip on the doorknob, still processing the shocking confession, when Duan Yu’luo pushed him directly into the hotel room from behind. The action was forceful and dominant, causing him to stagger a few steps.

With a ‘bang,’ the door shut.

He was instantly met with that warm and soft front-facing embrace.

The room hadn’t been lit and was completely dark. The heavy curtains blocked all the light entirely. The excessive silence intensified the feeling of his own heartbeat in his chest, and the sudden surprise hadn’t yet been fully registered by his brain.

At the entrance, the body heat of the two people pressed together immediately soared to its peak due to their accelerating heart rates.

Duan Yu’luo instantly couldn’t see, but that was okay; it was better if he couldn’t see.

He leaned into Lu Xinghe, and from behind, the moment he touched the broad body, he hugged him tightly, burying his head against his chest and listening to the strong, powerful beating of his heart through the thin layer of clothing.

And the heavy breathing sounding from above his head.

Neither of them spoke.

The person being embraced held up his arms, afraid that a single hug might cause him to lose control. He didn’t dare to touch him, but he knew his heart was beating wildly. The sound of his heart felt like a bomber, deafening his mind and leaving it blank. This was completely caught off guard.

He was now utterly at a loss.

…How could this happen?

Why did Zai Zai confess first?!

How could this be!!!

Why was he so useless? It was over, over—he hadn’t even sensed it!!

“Xingxing.”

It wasn’t until the youth in his arms made a sound that those hands traveled from his waist to his neck. A gentle call reached his ear, his breath brushing past Lu Xinghe’s lips, along with the tantalizing Omega pheromones.

In this dim, lightless room, this kind of touch, this sound, and the person he loved the most, made it feel as if all the fantasies he’d had in his dreams had come true. He never expected that his restrained and hidden feelings would be completely exposed at this moment, and that they would be exposed passively.

He was even less brave than the other person.

Lu Xinghe tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down. He was just about to pull Duan Yu’luo’s hands down.

“Guai Guai (Good Boy/Darling).”

The soft endearment sounded in his ear.

With a ‘boom,’ his rationality vanished.

Lu Xinghe’s hands froze, allowing the slightly cool arms to hold his neck. The scent of Omega pheromones scrambled his thoughts. He could even imagine that this guy was standing on his tiptoes to hug him, and he must look very obedient, just like a kitten.

But that single word, ‘Guai Guai,’ was truly unfair.

“I like you,” Duan Yu’luo buried his face in Lu Xinghe’s shoulder and neck, and repeated: “Can you like me?”

The youth’s feelings were fully revealed in the second half of the sentence, a pleading request wrapped in a spoiled tone.

Lu Xinghe snapped back to his senses at that inquiring sentence. He gently pulled Duan Yu’luo’s hands down from his neck, and then swiftly inserted the key card behind him into the card slot. The hotel room lights instantly illuminated.

“Zai Zai, how could I not like—” He was about to speak but met Duan Yu’luo’s moist, reddened eyes.

His heart trembled.

Duan Yu’luo saw Lu Xinghe pull his hands away. He lowered his eyes, instantly surrounded by a wave of disappointment: “…Lu Xinghe, you don’t like me. I mean the kind of liking where we’d want to be together.”

Hearing the emotional break in his voice, Lu Xinghe frustratingly slapped a hand over his own face to make himself calm down, and then bent down to look at Duan Yu’luo: “Zai Zai, it’s impossible for me not to like you.”

“You just don’t like me.” Duan Yu’luo raised his head, his wet eyes staring at Lu Xinghe, his brows full of grievance. It looked as if tears could fall at any blink: “You said it, I know.”

Lu Xinghe: “???” When did he say that?

Could it be that time—

—What I want to ask is, do you like Duan Yu’luo?

—No.

—No? But you usually treat him…

—I think I should be in love with him. I’ve loved him since childhood, so no one else in this world could make me like them that much. Thank you for your affection for me, and I wish you can find someone who truly likes you in the future.

He plunged back into annoyance, realizing why Zai Zai had been upset with him last time. Sure enough, he had heard it, but he hadn’t heard the whole thing.

“The gifts these past few weeks were from me, and the love letters were written by me. You didn’t guess at all.” Duan Yu’luo tried hard to squeeze out a few more tears, crying seriously. He knew from childhood that Lu Xinghe couldn’t stand it when he cried.

Lu Xinghe didn’t say anything else, his gaze fixed on Duan Yu’luo standing in front of him. After saying that, perhaps due to the grievance in his heart, he lowered his eyes, his moist lashes trembling, and his lips pursed with a slight temper, as if blaming him.

The redness around his eyes made his fair, delicate face look even more exquisite.

“Lu Xinghe, why don’t you like me?” Duan Yu’luo was trying his best to cry convincingly: “I—”

Before he could finish, he felt a pair of hands grip his waist, and he was immediately lifted and placed onto the console table at the entrance. Lu Xinghe’s solid arms braced on either side of his legs. Duan Yu’luo was slightly startled, his gaze meeting Lu Xinghe’s directly.

He was encircled in the bend of Lu Xinghe’s arms. The Alpha pheromones, mixed with a hint of hormones, were right up close. The distance was too near, and the other person’s gaze seemed a bit fiery.

“Duan Yu’luo.”

A deep, warning voice sounded in his ear.

“…Hm?” He looked up when he heard Lu Xinghe’s call.

Lu Xinghe took a few deep breaths. When he met Duan Yu’luo’s innocent, moist gaze again, the words ‘Yes, I do‘ almost slipped out. Fortunately, his rationality held: “I promised your brother.”

“What?” A hint of confusion crossed Duan Yu’luo’s face.

“You shouldn’t have told me.” Lu Xinghe lowered his head, resting his forehead against the other’s, his arms propped up on either side of him. His tone softened, revealing a long-suppressed helplessness, completely unlike his usual big-dog persona: “Duan Yu’luo, I really had a hard time convincing myself to hold back.”

Duan Yu’luo: “?”

Holding back what?

“When you clung to me, I tried my best to avoid you a little so you wouldn’t be too sad.”

“I’ve also gotten used to your closeness. I desperately want to stick with you every day, but I can’t.”

“You don’t know how much attraction your differentiation into an Omega holds for me. I am completely unable to resist your closeness.”

“But no, Zai Zai, we can’t. You’re only 16, and I’m only 17.”

“I also like you, like you, like you very much. How could I not like you?”

With their foreheads touching like that, these few sentences echoed in his ear.

Duan Yu’luo looked up slightly, meeting Lu Xinghe’s deep blue eyes. It was like falling into a sea of tenderness, allowing his thoughts to willingly drown in it. It also suddenly clarified the question that had troubled him for a long time.

…Has this guy been holding back all this time?

He actually likes him?

So, he wasn’t carrying a secret crush?

“But that day—”

“You didn’t hear the whole thing that day. He asked if I liked you. I said I didn’t like you. The second half of the sentence was that I said I love you.”

Duan Yu’luo’s mind went ‘boom.’ His heart felt like dozens of small deer were wildly running around. His eyes flickered, staring at Lu Xinghe with a slight disbelief. Five words popped into his head:

—Oh my god, this is exciting.

“So, why don’t we hide it?”

“Hide what?”

“Hide your affection for me, and my affection for you.”

Duan Yu’luo was surprised. His thin lips were slightly pursed, forming a wronged curve, and his eyes reddened instantly. He forcefully bumped his head against Lu Xinghe’s shoulder. Of course, he knew why.

“…Lu Xinghe, until when do we have to hide it?”

Lu Xinghe raised a hand and rubbed the head resting on his shoulder. His chest felt burning hot. He hadn’t expected this—truly hadn’t expected it. Why had he not sensed it, instead of getting inexplicably jealous?

“After graduation.”

“That’s two years away. That’s so long.”

“It’ll pass quickly. We have to wait for you to grow up.”

“Actually, the star I was following was you. You really didn’t feel it at all.”

“I know now.”

“You just know now.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t dare to think it. If I thought about it too much, I’d easily start dreaming.”

“I was really quite angry recently.”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault, Zai Zai. I truly didn’t know you would like me.”

“Why wouldn’t I like you? Are you not good?” Duan Yu’luo sat up straight on the console table, his gaze level with Lu Xinghe’s. He didn’t hide his feelings at all, reaching out to stroke Lu Xinghe’s face, and then gave it a hard pinch.

Lu Xinghe frowned in pain from the pinch but didn’t make a sound, just staring at Duan Yu’luo, who was circled by his arms.

Duan Yu’luo placed his hands on either side of him, tapping the hand beside him with his fingertip, and pressed his knees against Lu Xinghe. His gaze was burning: “Did you never fantasize about it, since you treat me so well?”

“I said I want to get married. I can have babies. Don’t you want that?”

The transmitted warmth was slight. The air seemed sticky. The faint scent of their pheromones, suppressed by blockers, was accurately and clearly perceived by both of them. What they thought was a secret crush had unexpectedly turned into a two-way love.

Who wouldn’t be moved?

But they had to hide it.

Lu Xinghe felt his heart beating so hard it was about to jump out of his throat. He stared at him with fervent eyes. He was truly going crazy. Everything this guy said was both irresistible and overwhelming.

Where did he learn so much to say at such a young age? Every word was something Lu Xinghe couldn’t bear to hear.

“Who taught you how to talk like that? You’re so good at it.”

Duan Yu’luo felt Lu Xinghe’s hands cup his face. With their foreheads touching in the hotel room with the air conditioning off, the temperature was hot. This kind of soft whispering was like a burning fire, heating the youth’s feelings to a boiling point.

He also cupped Lu Xinghe’s face with his hands and whispered: “I learned it from my dad. I learned how he talked to my Great-Dad when I was little. My Great-Dad loves it the most when my dad acts spoiled. Don’t you like it?”

“Lu Xinghe, don’t you like it when I act spoiled with you? I only act spoiled with you.”

Lu Xinghe lowered his head, unable to stop the upward curve of his lips, looking utterly smitten. His heart was pounding: “I like it.”

Following that, their eye contact slowly drifted downward from their faces.

What did this silent movement signify?

“Then what about you?”

Duan Yu’luo scooted forward, parting his legs to press close to Lu Xinghe, fixing his gaze on Lu Xinghe’s lips. His words were direct and his eyes clear: “Lu Xinghe, will you kiss me?”

Lu Xinghe was silent for a moment, his gaze intensely focused on the other person: “I’m afraid your brother will beat me up.”

“I’ll protect you.” Duan Yu’luo reached out and pinched his ear: “Don’t be scared.”

Lu Xinghe stared at the fair, tender hand, feeling a sense of frustration and annoyance in his heart—how did Zai Zai confess first?

“Zai Zai, we—”

“Can I have one kiss?”

Lu Xinghe’s words were cut short. He stared at that beautiful face. He had heard Duan Yu’luo make countless requests, but never one that felt like this. His blood rushed, and his heart thumped like a drum.

It was too direct, impossible to resist.

It was too terrifying; being liked by Duan Yu’luo was truly terrifying.

How could he endure it? He truly couldn’t endure it. How do you even write the word ‘endure’? Anyway, Luo Yudan wasn’t coming back from the military base, and as long as they didn’t tell anyone, no one would know.

Duan Yu’luo cupped his face, leaned his forehead against Lu Xinghe’s again, looked at his own reflection in the other person’s pupils, and said in a gentle, almost coaxing tone: “Kiss me once, and I’ll agree to hide it temporarily. Then, after graduation, we’ll be together, okay?”

“We can be together forever and ever—date, get married, and have babies.”

“Do you prefer a boy baby or a girl baby?”

As he was speaking, his mouth was covered by Lu Xinghe’s hand. He looked at the other person blankly.

“Okay, stop talking.” Lu Xinghe lowered his head, covering Duan Yu’luo’s mouth with one hand, not even daring to look at him. With the other hand, he pulled him into an embrace, holding the warm person he loved in his arms, his breathing ragged: “That’s enough talking. Don’t provoke me anymore.”

Why could this guy hit every single one of his aspirations for the future? Why did he have to bring up future plans so soon? He truly wished he could graduate right now.

Could he really hold out for two years?

Duan Yu’luo felt the embrace that completely enveloped him, his eyes filled with a smile. He took Lu Xinghe’s hand and kissed his palm.

Lu Xinghe: “!” He lowered his head in surprise, meeting Duan Yu’luo’s smiling eyes exactly.

“The kiss I asked for isn’t here.”

The youth sitting on the console table was direct and fervent. He pulled the tall youth between his legs closer, cupped his cheeks, and whispered softly: “Xingxing Gege, if you don’t know how to kiss, I can teach you.”

…

In the end, one was bold, direct, and without boundaries, and the other was a fish startled by a stone in the pond—even a single kiss was a chaotic mess.

Half an hour later, the two walked out of the room one after the other.

Lu Xinghe’s foreign coach happened to emerge from his room. He saw Lu Xinghe with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm, and walking with a slightly breezy demeanor, assuming he was in a good mood from winning his medal: “Bennett, your results this time are truly excellent. Have you considered becoming a professional athlete?”

As he spoke, he glanced at the youth following Lu Xinghe, wearing a baseball cap. He was looking down, so the coach couldn’t clearly see his face, but he did notice a patch of glaringly white skin on his neck that was red, whether from heat or something else, he didn’t know.

Before he could look twice, Lu Xinghe blocked his view.

Lu Xinghe subtly moved to the side, obstructing the coach’s line of sight toward Duan Yu’luo, and answered the coach in a foreign language while feigning calmness: “I don’t have that idea for now. I want to go to university, date, and get married. Being an athlete means you can’t date, which is no good.”

Coach: “…”

Lu Xinghe glanced out of the corner of his eye at Duan Yu’luo, who had skipped school to chase him, and his lips curved up again: “My future career plan does not include being an athlete. It only includes being someone’s boyfriend and husband.”

The coach’s expression was subtle. He thought for a moment: “How do you say it in your Chinese language? Does that mean you are a ‘love-brain’?”

The three words ‘love-brain’  spoken in clumsy Chinese evoked a different feeling in the listener.

Lu Xinghe affirmed with certainty and confidence: “I am.”

Duan Yu’luo pressed his baseball cap down, stood behind Lu Xinghe, poked his back, looked up, and quietly and obediently asked: “Does that count me too?”

Lu Xinghe lowered his eyes to look at him, smiling. He raised a hand and gently squeezed the back of Duan Yu’luo’s neck: “You’re also a love-brain. You can’t live without me.”

Duan Yu’luo nodded: “Oh.”

It was just a pity that, for now, they couldn’t fully act like love-brains.

They had to pretend not to like each other.

…

And they probably didn’t realize that pretending not to like each other would be harder than actually liking each other.

It was exposed at every moment.

Hiding the fact that they were love-brains was a complete failure.