This Alpha Is So Devoted to His Wife - Chapter 73

The open-concept kitchen allowed a view of all the plating and preparation from the dining area.

Duan Yeluo sat at the bar counter, resting his head in his hand, watching Lu Xinghe, who was busy working in an orderly fashion. Lu Xinghe was wearing a black apron and black gloves. On anyone else, it would be an ordinary apron, but on Lu Xinghe, it always had a “uniform temptation” vibe because his body was so toned and sensual.

Lu Xinghe lifted the non-stick pan, walked over to the porcelain plate that had been set out on the bar counter, carefully placed the steak onto the plate, and then meticulously arranged the plating. Once done, he gently pushed the steak towards Duan Yeluo, pointed at the dish with a black-gloved finger, and smiled like a gentleman:

“Please enjoy.”

Duan Yeluo lazily supported his head and freed one hand to gently stroke Lu Xinghe’s cheek. “How much to buy you for one evening?”

Lu Xinghe smiled. “My apologies, I have a lover, so that wouldn’t be appropriate.” As he spoke, he opened the cutlery box beside him, took out a metal knife and fork, cut the pan-fried steak into small pieces, and fed a bite to Duan Yeluo.

Duan Yeluo leaned down to eat it. As he chewed and swallowed, savoring the steak made by Lu Xinghe, a look of pleasant surprise flashed in his eyes, and he looked up at Lu Xinghe.

“Sir, does it suit your taste?” Lu Xinghe rested both hands on the side of the bar, watching Duan Yeluo with an amused expression.

Duan Yeluo did not rush to answer, instead tasting another piece. While both of them could cook a simple steak, being able to cook it and cooking it well were two different concepts. This was the first time he had tasted a truly delicious steak made by Lu Xinghe.

He put down the fork, leaned back against the chair, and met Lu Xinghe’s gaze. “You say you have a lover, yet you’re serving me here. Do you serve everyone like this?”

Lu Xinghe saw him lean back, crossing his legs in a casual, high-ranking posture. A barely perceptible curve formed on Lu Xinghe’s lips. He took off the apron, set it aside, and walked right up to Duan Yeluo:

“No. I only serve my lover.”

Duan Yeluo was stunned for two seconds as Lu Xinghe suddenly took off the apron and approached. He pointed toward the kitchen. “Wait, you still have food to cook—”

His voice cut off as Lu Xinghe scooped him up onto his shoulder. Duan Yeluo gasped in surprise.

“Before you provoke me, you need to be aware of the time. Provoking me regardless of the timing results in this,” Lu Xinghe stated, carrying him directly towards the upstairs bedroom.

A trace of panic flashed in Duan Yeluo’s eyes. He quickly patted Lu Xinghe’s shoulder, pleading, “No more playing, no more playing, Lu Xinghe! I’m not playing anymore!”

That final shout, using Lu Xinghe’s full name, carried a definite note of anger.

Lu Xinghe had only been joking, but he heard the sound on his shoulder, and the last part of his name was nearly a squeak.

He laughed and stopped, setting Duan Yeluo down in front of him. He watched Duan Yeluo transition through several quick expressions, from fear to resentment, and then to a blank stare. It was so fast, and so adorable, that Lu Xinghe couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Duan Yeluo’s face was expressionless. “…” He clenched his fist and, unable to tolerate it any longer, punched Lu Xinghe in the side of his abdomen. “Was that fun?”

Lu Xinghe’s stomach hurt from laughing. He grasped Duan Yeluo’s fist and shook his head. “It was fun.”

Duan Yeluo couldn’t restrain his fists anymore and started hitting him in all directions.

Lu Xinghe let him hit him and vent his temper, laughing until tears nearly came out, but he was also paying attention to Duan Yeluo’s mood. Carrying enormous pressure for a long time takes a toll, both physically and psychologically, especially as he was Duan Yeluo’s Alpha.

So, being able to see Duan Yeluo let out his feelings, regardless of the method, was a correct way to release his emotions instead of swallowing his frustration.

…

By the time they finished lunch, it was past 2:00 p.m. Neither of them felt sleepy, so they lay down in the lounge area of the lower deck, basking in the sun with their sunglasses on.

The yacht was flying the Jacob flag and a red banner, making it the most eye-catching vessel on the ocean.

“Xingxing.”

“Yes? What is your command?”

“I like this yacht,” Duan Yeluo said, sitting up, pushing his sunglasses up to his forehead, and sitting cross-legged facing Lu Xinghe.

Lu Xinghe remained lying down, his long legs crossed. Seeing Duan Yeluo sit up, he asked, “Do you want to go jet skiing?”

Duan Yeluo looked at the calm sea beside them. He felt like experiencing the thrill of being chased by the waves, so he nodded. “Okay.”

“Alright, let’s head out.”

Ten minutes later, two jet skis were lowered from the yacht. With the tender boat and rescue personnel in position, the two of them put on their safety equipment. Each rode a jet ski, driving like arrows released from a bow toward the center of the sea.

Chasing the vast, boundless blue ocean at top speed, letting the waves crash against the jet skis and the spray splash onto their bodies, none of that was an obstacle. The release they sought in this activity was incredibly exhilarating.

Although chasing the ocean’s edge on a jet ski sounded somewhat idealistic.

To Duan Yeluo, life was like this. Adventure always involved taking a risk. How could you achieve something if you didn’t dare to imagine it? You only knew if it was possible after you tried.

“Duan Yeluo!”

The noise of the waves and the engine was loud. Duan Yeluo heard Lu Xinghe shouting his name beside him. He turned his head and, even through the large-frame swimming goggles, he could see Lu Xinghe’s expression—that guy was much better at sports than he was.

“Duan Yeluo, you have to call out to me!”

Even over the waves, Duan Yeluo could hear the subtle resentment in Lu Xinghe’s tone because he hadn’t called out to him.

Duan Yeluo smiled and shouted over the waves, “Lu Xinghe, you truly cannot live without me!”

He immediately got a reply.

“You’re right! Lu Xinghe cannot live without Duan Yeluo!”

The two exchanged glances through their goggles and, by tacit agreement, increased their throttle and sped forward.

After jet skiing, they returned, changed into swimsuits, and jumped into the sea for a swim.

The yacht’s butler, sitting on the tender boat, thought to himself: “…”

These were the most energetic bosses he had ever served. Previous owners only threw parties on the yacht, or maybe fished or watched stars on the cruise. These two were different; they went for whatever was most thrilling and exciting, as if they didn’t want him to have a second’s peace.

After swimming in the ocean for about forty minutes, the tender boat pulled up to let them get on.

Lu Xinghe boarded the tender boat first, still feeling energetic. This amount of exercise was just an appetizer for him. He reached out and lifted Duan Yeluo directly out of the water and onto the boat. Seeing that Duan Yeluo’s face and condition were still quite good, he took the towel the butler handed him, wrapped it around Duan Yeluo, and began drying his hair.

“How are you doing? Is it okay? Are you tired?”

Duan Yeluo closed his eyes, letting Lu Xinghe dry his hair, and murmured, “Mhm. It’s fine. Not very tired.”

Since he had differentiated into an Omega, his physical fitness had indeed weakened a bit, especially after the three-year-ago open-heart surgery, which left him with a minor issue of nerve pain in his chest, along with his allergies and night blindness. Aside from that, he had few ailments.

So, this level of intensity was completely acceptable for him.

Lu Xinghe stood with his legs apart, let Duan Yeluo sit in his lap, and hugged him close. He leaned down and kissed his wet hair. “That’s good. You’re still amazing.”

Duan Yeluo’s ears went red at the sound of Lu Xinghe using that coaxing-a-child tone again. He opened his eyes, glanced at him, and lowered his voice. “Don’t use that tone in front of others.”

Lu Xinghe smiled and leaned in close to his ear, whispering, “Can I speak like this quietly, then, baby?”

Duan Yeluo: “…” He covered Lu Xinghe’s face with his hand.

By the time they returned to the yacht, night had fallen.

The last rays of the sunset spilled across the sea. The evening, after the clear day, was like spilled molten gold, a romantic, golden-ochre oil painting. The light fell on the deck, making the yacht appear to exist within a painting, full of artistic ambiance.

Duan Yeluo changed into casual clothes. He stood at the deck railing, leaning on it with his hands, letting his mind wander as he gazed at the sea. It felt rare, since starting university, to have played an entire day, temporarily casting all stress aside.

“What are you thinking about?”

He heard Lu Xinghe’s voice beside him. Simultaneously, he heard a “psst” sound. He turned his head and saw Lu Xinghe opening a soda can with one hand. Lu Xinghe raised an eyebrow, smiled, and offered the chilled cola to him.

“It’s okay to have an iced one once in a while.”

He took the cola from Lu Xinghe, tilted his head back, and drank over half the can. The cool sea breeze, the icy carbonated water rushing down his throat, the stimulation to his taste buds and throat—it was a pleasure that went straight to his brain.

After drinking, he handed the remaining cola to Lu Xinghe.

Lu Xinghe didn’t say anything, accepting the remaining half-can. He wrapped one arm around Duan Yeluo’s shoulder, pulling him close, and tipped his head back to finish the cola.

“Xingxing, it’s really been a long time since we’ve played like this,” Duan Yeluo said, holding Lu Xinghe’s arm, which was draped over his chest, leaning against his chest as he looked at the sparkling sea, speaking out of a sense of nostalgia.

“Mhm. Because we’ve grown up. The responsibilities we carry are slowly taking away the things we once loved to do,” Lu Xinghe said, holding the can. He wrapped both arms around Duan Yeluo and rested his head against Duan Yeluo’s face, looking at the sea with him.

“Are you tired?” Duan Yeluo turned his head to look at him.

Lu Xinghe recalled the three and a half years before university, struggling against his stubborn grandmother, ultimately trading a less-than-perfect outcome for his freedom. He wasn’t even allowed to see his parents within the borders of Country D. If it weren’t for cell phones allowing them to video chat, he would have felt quite wronged.

“I’m tired, too.”

Just as Duan Yeluo was about to speak, he heard Lu Xinghe add:

“But it’s worth it.”

Duan Yeluo froze, looking sideways at Lu Xinghe. Then Lu Xinghe took his shoulders and turned him to face him, looking directly into his eyes.

Lu Xinghe lowered his head, resting his forehead against Duan Yeluo’s, and chuckled softly. “I’m a very ambitious person. I must get what I want, and what I choose to give up is always after careful consideration. You’re probably going to mention me giving up my title for you, but I can clearly tell you that that position would have restricted me from doing many things, including loving you with all my might.”

“I’ve never believed that love can succeed if only one person is excellent. It must be a pursuit where you become better and better, and I must also become better and better.”

“So, I always find the idea of ‘waiting for you where I am’ unreliable. For me, what I want to do is either wait for you ahead, or you wait for me ahead while I strive to catch up. I will not be content with zero progress.”

Duan Yeluo listened, very intently. He found these heartfelt, even moving, words from Lu Xinghe irresistible, as they had been since childhood.

He even felt a little unreliable himself, realizing he had been so busy that he hadn’t paid enough attention to Lu Xinghe, not even knowing what Lu Xinghe had been up to lately. Meanwhile, Lu Xinghe was wholeheartedly wanting to be good to him and striving to catch up.

“Xingxing, I’ll pay more attention to you from now on.”

Lu Xinghe saw the Omega in front of him hook his hands around his neck, his eyes showing a trace of guilt. Lu Xinghe gently pinched his nose. “I’m not criticizing you. You’re doing something great, and I fully support you.”

Duan Yeluo pondered for a moment and tentatively asked, “How about I bring you lunch every day after the press conference?”

Lu Xinghe: “…” He leaned down and kissed Duan Yeluo as thanks, then shook his head with a serious expression.

No. The kitchen would explode.

Living a long life is the most important thing.