Which Fierce Alpha Disguises as a Beta to Abduct a Wife? - Chapter 45

“Answer it; he’s likely looking for you,” Jiang Huaiyan said.

“Then I definitely won’t answer. Hearing his voice just annoys me.” Zhou Yunqiu clicked ‘decline’ immediately.

Jiang Huaiyan: “…” So asking me was just a formality.

“How about we elope?” Zhou Yunqiu rested his head against Jiang Huaiyan’s warm back. “We can go somewhere my brother can’t find us, and come back after his anger has cooled.”

“Your brother would beat you to death.”

“But I have you to protect me!”

“He’d beat me right along with you.” Jiang Huaiyan wouldn’t dare raise a hand against Zhou Yunqing; if the Eldest Master got hurt, the one whose heart would ache most would still be Zhou Yunqiu.

Zhou Yunqiu pouted. “True. My brother is a great fighter. He might not actually hit me, but he would definitely lay into you.”

Jiang Huaiyan: “…”

“Ugh, so annoying. I can’t even have a few days of peace with you, so…” Zhou Yunqiu perked up again. “Let’s just try it tonight!”

“Young Master, can you think about anything else besides that?”

“No,” Zhou Yunqiu shook his head. “Who told you to be so ‘undevoured’? If I don’t get a taste, I’ll never stop thinking about it.”

Unable to take anymore, Jiang Huaiyan turned around and carried him out of the kitchen. “You’d better stay out of here, or we won’t be eating this dinner even two hours from now.”

Zhou Yunqiu felt wronged. “You can’t blame your lack of focus on my influence.”

“Fine, fine. It’s my fault for being unable to concentrate while looking at you,” Jiang Huaiyan admitted.

“That’s more like it.” Zhou Yunqiu huffed with satisfaction and stopped going back in to cause trouble.

Half an hour later, Jiang Huaiyan brought out three dishes and a soup—every single one was a favorite of Zhou Yunqiu’s. He happily finished two bowls of rice.

“You go to sleep first later. I need to handle some work in the study,” Jiang Huaiyan said.

“Can’t I stay with you?” Zhou Yunqiu didn’t want to be alone.

“No. I’ll get distracted.” With Zhou Yunqiu there, his thoughts would be entirely on the boy; how could he possibly work?

Zhou Yunqiu was satisfied with this reasoning and didn’t insist. He knew Jiang Huaiyan had other business ventures. Though he didn’t know exactly what they were, he figured they were things Jiang Huaiyan enjoyed. As long as he liked it, Zhou Yunqiu supported him.

“Then finish up early and come keep me company. I want you to hold me while I sleep.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Huaiyan had been busy in the study for less than half an hour when he received a call from Zhou Yunqing.

“Is Qiuqiu with you?” Zhou Yunqing got straight to the point.

“He’s here,” Jiang Huaiyan replied frankly.

“What exactly are you playing at?”

Jiang Huaiyan said firmly, “I want to try being with him.”

“Have you considered the future while saying that?” Zhou Yunqing continued coldly. “Qiuqiu is an Omega with a damaged gland. You’re a Beta. You can’t give him the Alpha pheromones he needs.”

“I…” Jiang Huaiyan was about to say that he was actually an Alpha and could provide those pheromones.

But Zhou Yunqing interrupted him.

“Jiang Huaiyan, you know better than I do what your purpose was for coming to the Zhou family. I don’t know what grievances you have with my father, but his actions shouldn’t be repaid by Qiuqiu. He is not a good man, but Qiuqiu is.”

“Qiuqiu might be mischievous, but he is kind-hearted by nature and has never done anything bad. I only want him to live this life happily; I don’t want him diving headfirst into a relationship with no future.”

“If you can’t give him what he wants, then don’t give him hope, only to shatter him with your own hands.”

“You wouldn’t want to see him washing his face with tears and wasting away for you every day, would you?”

Jiang Huaiyan couldn’t find an answer to Zhou Yunqing’s words. He couldn’t give a definitive response. If Zhou Yushen really did kill his mother, how could he be with Zhou Yunqiu? How much pain would Zhou Yunqiu be in then?

“I’m coming over now to pick up Qiuqiu,” Zhou Yunqing said, then hung up.

Jiang Huaiyan sat in the study for a long time, lighting one cigarette after another until the sparks scorched his finger. The stinging pain mirrored the ache in his heart. He extinguished the ember and went to the bedroom.

Zhou Yunqiu wasn’t asleep yet; he was lying on the bed playing games. Hearing the movement, he immediately scrambled up and hugged Jiang Huaiyan happily. “Finished with work?” He then frowned in dissatisfaction, sniffing Jiang Huaiyan’s clothes. “How much did you smoke? The smell of tobacco is so heavy.”

“Not much. Pack your things; your brother is coming to pick you up.”

“What?” Zhou Yunqiu’s face changed instantly.

Jiang Huaiyan didn’t dare look him in the eye. “Your brother is on his way.”

“You did this on purpose?” Zhou Yunqiu asked, his face growing cold.

“It’s not appropriate for you to stay here right now.”

“Then when is it appropriate? Jiang Huaiyan, sometimes I really don’t know what goes on in that head of yours.”

“I don’t know either,” Jiang Huaiyan said in agony.

He wanted Zhou Yunqiu to stay, yet he feared the shadow of the previous generation would destroy their relationship. Perhaps they could overcome the friction with the passion of new love, but what about after the days grew long? He wasn’t sure, and he couldn’t guarantee it.

The only thing he could do when he couldn’t give a certain answer was to stop touching the flame.

“I’ll help you pack.” Jiang Huaiyan brought over the suitcase and began putting things inside.

Zhou Yunqiu didn’t stop him. He just watched him quietly. “You’re insisting on throwing me out. Am I to assume you don’t want me anymore?”

Jiang Huaiyan’s hands froze.

A flicker of hope rose in Zhou Yunqiu’s bleak eyes. “My brother found an Alpha for me. I don’t want to go see him.”

Jiang Huaiyan resumed packing.

The last spark of hope in Zhou Yunqiu’s eyes vanished. He smiled as he took the suitcase Jiang Huaiyan handed him. “Since you don’t want me, then I’ll go see him. Maybe that Alpha really is what my brother says—more suitable for me than you are.”

Jiang Huaiyan didn’t reply. He walked silently to the door and pulled it open.

As Zhou Yunqiu passed him, he turned his head. “Jiang Huaiyan, have I ever been in your heart?”

Jiang Huaiyan kept his head down, his hands at his sides clenched into fists.

“If you’re a man, tell me the truth.” Zhou Yunqiu stared at him intensely.

Jiang Huaiyan suddenly looked up. “Yes,” he said, his voice absolute. “But our lives consist of more than just love. There are other things.”

Zhou Yunqiu laughed—so hard that tears fell out. So, in Jiang Huaiyan’s heart, he wasn’t the first priority. Jiang Huaiyan had abandoned him for “other things.”

He didn’t linger another second, clutching his suitcase and running downstairs. Zhou Yunqing was already waiting. He loaded his luggage and got in the car.

On the way back, Zhou Yunqiu asked calmly, “What did you say to him?”

“I told him the fact that he can’t give you happiness.”

“How do you know he can’t? You’ve never even been in love; you have no idea how happy I am when I’m with him.”

“What if today’s happiness is exchanged for tomorrow’s agony? Would you still be willing to persist?” Zhou Yunqing’s voice was chillingly calm.

“What do you mean by that?” Zhou Yunqiu sensed something was wrong and frowned as he questioned his brother.