Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 99
Chapter 99: Greed
Was this intentional?
Seeing Yuan Shiyuan’s utterly bewildered expression, Bo Jin cupped his chin and tilted it upward.
“Did you deliberately dress so beautifully?”
“You think it looks good too? I do too!” Yuan Shiyuan glanced down at his outfit. “When I looked in the mirror, I almost fell in love with myself.”
“I just grabbed this dress at random, but the effect is amazing! It makes my legs look so long… incredible.”
“……” Bo Jin remained silent.
Yuan Shiyuan’s words suddenly made him realize that Yuan Shiyuan liked Omegas.
Bo Jin suddenly quieted down, and Yuan Shiyuan asked curiously, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t you think it looks good?”
Bo Jin couldn’t bring himself to lie. “It looks good,” he said.
“Good buddy! Your taste is just as good as mine!”
Yuan Shiyuan grinned happily, but Bo Jin couldn’t muster even a hint of a smile.
Watching Yuan Shiyuan lower his head to tug at the hem of his skirt, glance in the mirror, and ponder which accessories to wear, Bo Jin couldn’t resist asking, “Aren’t you worried about being recognized?”
“Who would ever imagine I’d be shopping with you in a skirt? Even if they saw pink hair, they’d never connect it to me,” Yuan Shiyuan said, glancing back at him. “I even got you a prop—a backpack. You can wear it later.”
“We’ll pretend to be college sweethearts from nearby.”
Sweethearts.
Bo Jin’s fingers twitched slightly, and the corner of his mouth curled upward involuntarily. But when he saw Yuan Shiyuan’s utterly nonchalant attitude, he quickly realized…
I’m being delusional again.
“You really didn’t dress up just for me?” Bo Jin asked, unwilling to give up.
“Do you like it?” Yuan Shiyuan pondered for a moment. “If you do, I can wear this for you at home sometimes. It’s no big deal.”
He clapped Bo Jin on the shoulder, utterly generous. “After all, we’re the best of bros.”
Bo Jin fell silent again.
He sighed almost imperceptibly and followed Yuan Shiyuan into the restroom.
The massive mirror clearly reflected their figures, highlighting the stark differences in their builds and heights.
“If you look too closely, it’s still easy to tell,” Bo Jin pointed out.
Yuan Shiyuan’s primary sex was male. His secondary sex had once been Alpha, but now he was Omega. Different sexes meant different skeletal structures.
A closer look would easily reveal his true gender.
But who would stare so intently at a passerby? As long as he passed at first glance, that was enough.
“Wearing a mask and glasses will help a lot.”
Yuan Shiyuan donned square-framed glasses and a white mask. Paired with the dress, he looked every bit the earnest, young Omega college student. He was pleased. “I look exactly like an Omega college student studying nearby.”
Bo Jin: “You are a college student.”
“Not just any gender. You’re an Alpha. And…” He suddenly stopped, but when Yuan Shiyuan looked at him, he awkwardly avoided his gaze. “And… you look very handsome too.”
A chill seeped into the cramped space. Yuan Shiyuan instantly broke out in goosebumps. The small restroom suddenly felt unbearably confined.
“We’re just good bros, you know? Saying stuff like that is kinda cheesy…” Yuan Shiyuan awkwardly looked away, pretending to busy himself adjusting his clothes to avoid the subject. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely blend in dressed like this.”
“Besides, my next role is about a guy who secretly cross-dresses and cheats on his boyfriend, right? This is just practice for that.”
“This area’s a hotspot for influencers. Even if someone sees us, they’ll probably just think we’re minor internet celebrities.”
“Unless the fans’ imaginations run wild and they somehow connect us, they might even speculate we’re into some…special role-play behind closed doors…”
Bo Jin remained silent, watching Yuan Shiyuan’s ear twitch slightly as he rambled on.
Only when Yuan Shiyuan’s mouth went dry did Bo Jin finally speak, “Want to play?”
“Play what?”
“……”
Forget it.
It was impossible to explain anything to Yuan Shiyuan, this hopelessly straightforward A.
Bo Jin draped an arm around Yuan Shiyuan’s shoulder, pinching his earlobe. “Let’s go shopping.”
With his other hand, he hooked a mask and handed it to Yuan Shiyuan. His tone was perfectly casual. “Help me put this on.”
As Yuan Shiyuan fastened the mask, his fingertips occasionally brushed against the Alpha’s sharp nose bridge. With effortless grace, Bo Jin retrieved a silk scarf from his pocket and tied Yuan Shiyuan’s hair up.
In truth, Yuan Shiyuan had nothing to worry about.
If they were truly afraid of being recognized by fans, they could have simply gone to the VIC Lounge inside the mall.
But Bo Jin’s idea of “shopping” seemed entirely different from Yuan Shiyuan’s.
The homestay wasn’t far from the shopping mall. As soon as Yuan Shiyuan stepped out of the elevator, he slipped seamlessly into character, linking his arm through Bo Jin’s.
Noticing Bo Jin’s gaze, he lowered his sunglasses and slowly blinked, putting on a flirty act.
Bo Jin casually draped an arm around Yuan Shiyuan’s waist, his expression unwavering as he steered them forward.
Their intimate, seamless rapport truly resembled that of a young couple in the throes of passionate romance.
Though their masks and hats obscured their features, their height difference, body types, and striking figures still drew plenty of stares.
Fortunately, the area was a hub for trendsetters, so passersby simply assumed they were some low-profile influencer or model.
Occasionally, photographers would approach, seeking to capture street-style shots, only to be driven back by the Alpha’s icy, possessive gaze.
Yuan Shiyuan remained silent the entire time, terrified that speaking would betray their disguise or lead to recognition.
Whenever he needed to speak, he would lean close to Bo Jin’s ear as if whispering a secret, his warm breath and deliberately hushed voice brushing against the Alpha’s earlobe.
“Big Brother, there are so many people outside,” Yuan Shiyuan murmured, using a term of endearment rather than his real name in public.
Feeling the ticklish sensation at his ear, Bo Jin gently stroked Yuan Shiyuan’s waist with his fingertips. Mimicking Yuan Shiyuan’s posture, he leaned down, pressed close to Yuan Shiyuan’s ear, and whispered back, “Did someone bump into you?”
“No, not really,” Yuan Shiyuan observed, noting the even fewer people in the area. “Let’s wander inside.”
Hooking his arm through Bo Jin’s, Yuan Shiyuan began exploring the mall from the second basement level, ducking into every newly opened or intriguing shop that caught his eye.
Model stores, blind box shops—he made sure to check out every place buzzing with activity.
Bo Jin silently noted every display item Yuan Shiyuan touched. But when he reached to buy them, Yuan Shiyuan stopped him.
“What are you doing?”
“You seemed to like it.”
“Who said I liked it? I was just curious and picked it up to look.”
Bo Jin assumed Yuan Shiyuan was just being shy about letting him pay. Then Yuan Shiyuan added, sounding exasperated, “I really don’t like it. It’d be a waste of money.”
Yuan Shiyuan stood on tiptoe, leaning close to Bo Jin’s ear to whisper, “Let’s go to the next shop. If I see something I really want, I’ll definitely let you buy it—no holding back.”
For Yuan Shiyuan, the point of shopping was the wandering itself. Back in his student days, he often went out “window shopping” with friends. All they needed was a bottle of something to drink to spend an entire afternoon wandering around, having a great time without buying anything.
For Bo Jin, on the other hand, shopping meant buying and spending.
As they rode the escalator up, Yuan Shiyuan suddenly squeezed Bo Jin’s hand tightly.
Bo Jin’s soft palm pressed against Yuan Shiyuan’s. Just as he was about to savor the moment, Yuan Shiyuan whispered, “I think I spotted our CP fans!”
Ahead on the ascending escalator, a sweet family of three stood. Further up, two friends walked shoulder-to-shoulder.
A man and a woman, both likely Omegas based on their physiques, were clearly close. Their shoes, hair clips, and backpacks were all matching.
The charms dangling from their backpacks were all chibi versions of Yuan Shiyuan and Bo Jin.
Bo Jin was surprised to encounter their CP fans offline, and even more astonished that Yuan Shiyuan had noticed.
A secret thrill coursed through him. Lowering his voice, he asked, “You can see that even?”
Yuan Shiyuan must really care about the details related to them.
“Of course!” Yuan Shiyuan tilted his head back, grinning up at him. “My eyesight’s excellent.”
Even with a hat and mask obscuring his face, his refined facial contours were evident. But it was precisely because of the mask that his eyes and eyebrows stood out all the more.
When his amber eyes curved with laughter, they brimmed with self-satisfied pride.
As their gazes locked, Bo Jin’s heart began to race, and all surrounding sounds faded away.
Compelled by some inexplicable impulse, he reached out and gently pinched the tip of Yuan Shiyuan’s chin through the mask. “So sharp,” he murmured.
Yuan Shiyuan instinctively shuddered with goosebumps.
He felt an inexplicable unease, his gaze darting nervously around. When he confirmed no one was watching them, he murmured, “Doing this in public… we look like love-struck fools, oblivious to everyone else.”
“Who cares what others think?” Bo Jin replied calmly. “Besides, I haven’t done anything to you. Just touched your face.”
Through a mask.
Surely he can’t begrudge me even that, can he?
Bo Jin had been patiently waiting for a chance to pay the bill. He had patiently accompanied Yuan Shiyuan through mall after mall, watching him wander from display window to display window like a cat exploring new territory.
In the end, all he got was Yuan Shiyuan’s listless declaration: “Alright, let’s call it a day.”
“Should we head back, or find a room nearby?” Yuan Shiyuan glanced at the time. It wasn’t late yet, but he was feeling a bit tired and wanted to sleep early.
Instead of answering, Bo Jin gazed at Yuan Shiyuan’s face, half-hidden behind his mask, and asked, “Did you have fun?”
“Yeah.”
Yuan Shiyuan nodded. Then, remembering he was wearing a mask, he nodded more emphatically. “I just wanted to wander around for a bit.”
He suddenly realized how long it had been since he’d last idled away time like this, without a plan.
Back in the underground garage, Yuan Shiyuan stopped as they reached Bo Jin’s car.
“This isn’t your car, is it?” Bo Jin’s memory was sharp. “You were driving the Lotus today, not the Brabus.”
Though Yuan Shiyuan didn’t have a driver’s license, he knew every car model by heart. No one could resist the allure of a sports car.
He glanced again at the customized pink Brabus G900 and couldn’t help but admire it. “They say the G900 is the pinnacle. This hood, the roof lights, the rear spoiler—it’s all so cool.”
No sooner had the words left his lips than Bo Jin suddenly seized his hand and pressed a car key into his palm.
The Alpha’s large hand enveloped his, guiding them both to press the key’s button.
The massive Brabus’s headlights blazed to life.
While Yuan Shiyuan stood frozen in shock, his mind still reeling, Bo Jin smoothly opened the car door, projecting the Brabus logo onto the ground—understated yet undeniably imposing.
“What are you standing there for? Come over,” Bo Jin said, turning his head. “See if you like it.”
Yuan Shiyuan had assumed Bo Jin was referring to the car itself. But when the rear door opened, he found a row of plush toys lying inside!
Around each toy’s neck was a mechanical wristwatch, perfectly matching its color scheme!
Acquiring wristwatches in such a variety of perfectly coordinated colors for so many different plush toys must have been an extraordinary feat.
Though Yuan Shiyuan wasn’t particularly interested in luxury goods, he immediately recognized the exorbitant price of each watch before him.
He’d seen several of them on social media, not only limited editions but also auctioned off for nine-figure sums!
Yet here they were, arranged row upon row on the car’s back seat, like mere toys.
Even Yuan Shiyuan, who normally couldn’t care less about watches, was utterly stunned by the sight.
“Don’t tell me these are all for me?” he asked, tilting his head in disbelief.
“Mm,” Bo Jin replied casually. “Birthday gifts.”
“This birthday gift is too extravagant. I can’t accept—” Yuan Shiyuan reflexively protested, only to realize as he leaned into the car that the watches were just the tip of the iceberg.
The car’s interior was crammed with custom-tailored suits, outerwear, and other personalized items.
“What’s wrong with them?” Bo Jin asked, unfazed. “These are your nineteenth birthday gifts, plus the missed eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony, all in one.”
“Every Alpha comes of age with these things,” he added before Yuan Shiyuan could protest further. “The car is yours too.”
Yuan Shiyuan’s voice shot up in alarm. “The car too?!”
“Do you like it?” Bo Jin reached out and twirled a lock of Yuan Shiyuan’s hair around his finger. “Pink. The same color as your hair.”
“……”
Yuan Shiyuan took a deep breath, trying to find his voice. “Brother, I don’t even have a driver’s license. Why did you buy me a car? I can’t even drive it.”
“And all these watches… I only have two wrists! How am I supposed to wear them all?”
Bo Jin selectively ignored Yuan Shiyuan’s words.
After Yuan Shiyuan had finished unwrapping the gifts in the car, Bo Jin took his hand and led him to the back of the vehicle.
The trunk slowly lifted.
What came into view was a scaled-down, pink electric mini toy car, identical in style and color to the massive Brabus G900!
“Now you can drive,” Bo Jin said, cupping Yuan Shiyuan’s dazed face and gazing directly into his eyes. “Start with the small one. Once you get your license, you can drive the big one.”
“The car’s already here. You’ll get your license eventually.”
Frozen with his face still cupped, Yuan Shiyuan tilted his head to the side, staring at the mini car in the trunk. “Isn’t this for kids?”
He had seen these electric toy cars in their neighborhood, usually bought by parents for their children to play with. Some parents even used them to pick up deliveries.
“You’re still young anyway,” Bo Jin said, his curved knuckles lightly brushing against Yuan Shiyuan’s earlobe. “Nineteen years old—just barely an adult. Isn’t that young enough?”
Yuan Shiyuan fell silent for a moment, then chuckled. “Brother Bo Jin, what are you even talking about?”
“Speak Mandarin,” Bo Jin raised an eyebrow. “What, can’t understand?”
Yuan Shiyuan sighed helplessly, as if surrendering. He laid his cheek against the Alpha’s palm. “You keep corrupting me with money… how can anyone resist that?”
“Then don’t resist.” Bo Jin smoothly pulled Yuan Shiyuan into his arms, his palm pressing against the back of his neck, holding him firmly. “Now, are you feeling any better?”
“……”
Yuan Shiyuan smiled wryly. “You see right through me.”
His mood had indeed been rather bleak earlier.
But Bo Jin’s successive surprises, bordering on shock, had completely washed away his gloom, leaving him utterly stunned.
“It’s not really a big deal…”
“You remember I told you I was adopted?” Yuan Shiyuan paused, looking conflicted and troubled. “My birth parents seem to have come looking for me.”
Bo Jin tightened his grip on Yuan Shiyuan’s hand, offering silent support.
“But we’re not even sure if they’re actually my birth parents yet. My adoptive parents called me back, probably trying to trick me into taking a paternity test.”
“Did they say that explicitly?”
“No, they didn’t say it directly,” Yuan Shiyuan shook his head. “They hinted at it through other matters.”
“My parents don’t care about music at all. When I practice piano at home, they can’t even tell the keys apart. How could they possibly care about the Yu Family’s affairs? They’re just using someone else’s situation to gauge my attitude.”
More accurately, to gauge his attitude toward his biological parents.
“I don’t understand. If they weren’t prepared to raise me and love me, why did they have me in the first place?”
Bo Jin didn’t reply, but tightened his arms, pulling Yuan Shiyuan closer into his embrace.
Nestled in Bo Jin’s broad embrace, Yuan Shiyuan felt like he was wrapped in a warm blanket.
He loved the heat radiating from Bo Jin’s body, so he nuzzled his cheek against Bo Jin’s chest, not even noticing that his mask had slipped halfway down.
Bo Jin quietly adjusted the mask back into place.
“I have no fondness for the family that abandoned me. I’m more worried they’ll make things difficult for my parents…”
“Do you think your uncles will be bullied?”
“It’s not that bad,” Yuan Shiyuan said, worry etched on his face. “They’re very good-natured, but they’d never let anyone take advantage of them. I’m just worried they might compromise or make concessions to protect me.”
His biological parents had come knocking the moment he rose to fame, motivated solely by greed.
“It was a bit annoying at first, but it’s gotten much better now,” Yuan Shiyuan said, returning the hug with a firm embrace. “My head’s clearer now. Let’s deal with whatever comes later, later. My parents are adults; they must have their own plans. Worrying about it in advance won’t help.”
“You’re right,” Bo Jin murmured, gently patting Yuan Shiyuan’s back. He avoided saying anything that might pressure Yuan Shiyuan, instead affirming, “Your parents love you very much.”
“Of course! And I love my family dearly too,” Yuan Shiyuan said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as a warm smile bloomed at the mention of his family.
“But you could be a little greedier,” Bo Jin said, hooking his fingers through Yuan Shiyuan’s. “You’re too easily satisfied, always being too good to others.”
“Really? I don’t think so,” Yuan Shiyuan shrugged, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “Would being greedy even help?”
Bo Jin met his gaze. “At least it would help me.”
They left the garage and returned to the surface.
A light drizzle had begun to fall outside the mall, sending pedestrians hurrying indoors for shelter. The damp ground released the fresh, grassy scent characteristic of summer rain at night, which was carried on the lake breeze and permeated the air, making it feel as though one were standing in a field or forest.
“If I asked for something, would you give it to me?” Yuan Shiyuan suddenly asked.
“You can try,” Bo Jin said, holding his hand. “Try. Be a little more greedy.”
Yuan Shiyuan rarely seemed truly greedy. He was easily content, finding lasting joy in the smallest of pleasures.
Now that Bo Jin had suddenly urged him to make an unreasonable request, he felt a little confused, unsure how to voice it.
They stood amidst the bustling crowd, all seeking refuge from the rain. Their hair flew wildly in the wind, strands tangled and disheveled.
The silk ribbon tied to the end of his hair had loosened slightly. Yuan Shiyuan glanced around. This was A City’s most luxurious commercial district, where advertising space on the mega screens was charged by the second.
The Sil brand boutique he endorsed wasn’t nearby, and there happened to be no mega screen featuring his advertisement here. He suddenly smiled, tossing out an utterly impossible request:
“I want my face on every advertisement screen right now.”
“Right now. Immediately.”
Yuan Shiyuan knew perfectly well that Bo Jin couldn’t possibly fulfill such a demand, yet he insisted anyway.
He smiled at the Alpha, his amber eyes seeming exceptionally cool in the rain. “Can you do it?”
The Alpha remained silent, but the wind suddenly intensified around them. The silk scarf loosely tied around his hair whipped wildly through the air before Bo Jin swiftly caught it.
His bone-defined fingers lifted the scarf and slowly wound it around Yuan Shiyuan’s eyes, obscuring his vision.
Yuan Shiyuan listened to the wind, the rain, and the Alpha’s heartbeat pounding close by. Then came… the sudden eruption of ear-splitting screams.
“Yuan Shiyuan!”
“It’s Yuan Shiyuan!!”
“Little Yuan! Aaaaaaah—!!”
The scene seemed to spiral out of control as the crowd erupted into ecstatic screams and cheers. Yuan Shiyuan instinctively gripped Bo Jin’s hand, shook his head to dislodge the scarf, and dashed through the rain with Bo Jin in tow.
But Bo Jin abruptly stopped, turning sideways to pull Yuan Shiyuan into a tight embrace. The cheers around them grew deafening, feverish—everyone was chanting Yuan Shiyuan’s name.
The rain was cold as it hammered against him, but the body holding him radiated warmth. Yuan Shiyuan, his mind a chaotic whirl, felt his jaw being gently gripped, his face turned to the side.
In the heart of A City’s commercial district, the massive electronic screens towering above the surrounding buildings lit up in unison, as if receiving a unified command. The usual cacophony of advertisements vanished, replaced by a single photograph: Yuan Shiyuan’s face.
His image cycled across the screens, dazzlingly clear even through the rain.
Pedestrians taking shelter from the downpour, passersby brushing shoulders in the crowd, all stopped in their tracks, raised their mobile phones, and began chanting Yuan Shiyuan’s name.
An impossible scene, a demand so unreasonable it bordered on madness, had somehow become reality.
Every head craned upward toward the mega screens. Yuan Shiyuan’s heart skipped a beat. He tilted his head, dazed, and through the roaring crowd and blurred rain, met a pair of eyes gazing steadily at him.
“Look,” Bo Jin murmured, tucking a wind-tossed strand of hair behind Yuan Shiyuan’s ear. “So many people love you. You’re an idol—being loved is your profession. There are many who adore you.”
“And there will only be more.”
The Alpha’s gaze was steady and focused.
A colossal mega screen projected Yuan Shiyuan’s photos from every angle, the radiant images illuminating the dark, rain-soaked night. Standing at the very center were Yuan Shiyuan and Bo Jin.
Yuan Shiyuan’s emotions defied description. He stammered, “What are you doing…?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted this place filled with your photos?” Bo Jin’s voice blended with the rain. “It just so happens, I wanted that too.”
“But you could be even more greedy. You can ask anything of me.”
Yuan Shiyuan gazed steadily at Bo Jin for a moment, then chuckled. “Is this also my birthday gift? But my birthday isn’t for another week. You’re giving it to me today…?”
“If I gave you a gift on your birthday like everyone else, how would you remember it?”
“I don’t want to be like everyone else. I want you to remember me.”
Yuan Shiyuan looked at the Alpha’s earnest expression, then glanced at the mega screens surrounding them and the rain-drenched crowd of strangers cheering wildly for him…
He sighed. “You’re right… it would be hard to forget this day.”
This was exactly what Bo Jin wanted.
Bo Jin, holding Yuan Shiyuan’s hand, retreated into the shadows of a nearby building, watching the fervent crowd through the curtain of rain.
“Are you happy?” His thumb unconsciously stroked the inside of Yuan Shiyuan’s wrist. Seeing so many people love you—does it make you feel any better?
Yuan Shiyuan answered without hesitation, “Happy.”
The corners of Bo Jin’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. “If you’re happy, I’m happy too.”
Yuan Shiyuan squeezed Bo Jin’s hand. Bo Jin asked, “What do you want?”
“I want a hug.” As soon as the words left his lips, Yuan Shiyuan leaned in and wrapped his arms around Bo Jin, fitting himself snugly against Bo Jin’s chest.
Yuan Shiyuan sighed, his emotions a tangled knot.
“Still sighing after getting a hug?” Bo Jin chuckled, returning the embrace.
“Brother Bo Jin,” Yuan Shiyuan murmured, resting his chin on Bo Jin’s shoulder, his voice muffled. “If you found out I was lying to you, what would you do?”
Bo Jin paused. “Lying? How serious is it?”
Deceiving someone about your gender—that’s pretty serious, right? Yuan Shiyuan nodded. “Pretty serious, I think.”
“Then I’d have to give you a beating.”
“You’d beat me?!”
“Just kidding,” Bo Jin teased, pinching Yuan Shiyuan’s waist. “With those skinny arms and legs of yours, how many hits could you even take from me?”
Yuan Shiyuan bristled. “Don’t underestimate me. I’m actually pretty good at fighting.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a pang of guilt. He felt terrible about it.
Bo Jin treated him like a true brother, carefully preparing a thoughtful gift just to cheer him up, while he was hiding something from his own brother.
“Big Brother…” Yuan Shiyuan asked in a very small voice, “If one day I suddenly became an Omega, what would you do?”
Bo Jin chuckled. “How could that even happen?”
“I’m just asking ‘what if’?” Yuan Shiyuan pressed. “If I became an Omega one day, what would your first reaction be?”
An Alpha undergoing secondary differentiation into an Omega was indeed a significant event.
Bo Jin had seen some cases before. A small number of severely malnourished, weak Low Tier Alphas who underwent secondary differentiation into Omegas often suffered from insufficient Omega hormone production, leading to shorter lifespans.
Bo Jin considered the question seriously.
“If it were true…” he paused, then said, “I’d probably think you were sick—how serious it was, and how to treat it.”
Yuan Shiyuan froze for a moment, then buried his face in the Alpha’s shoulder.
“Seriously, you make me feel something completely different,” he mumbled, his voice thick with emotion. “You’re the first person who’s ever made me feel this way.”
A warm current surged through Bo Jin’s heart. With restrained composure, he replied, “Me too.”
“Really?” Yuan Shiyuan exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy. “That means we’re destined to be brothers, perfect soulmates! No, wait—you’re too good to me.”
“Brother Bo Jin, can I call you ‘Dad’?”
Bo Jin: “……What?”
“You remind me so much of my father,” Yuan Shiyuan said earnestly. “Quiet and stoic, a mountain of paternal love, always giving without a word… I don’t know why, but my heart’s racing right now. I’m so… moved.”
“I really want to call you ‘Dad’,” he asked hopefully. “Can I?”
Bo Jin paused for a moment. “No.”
Yuan Shiyuan immediately wilted, his voice tinged with disappointment. “Okay…”
At first, they could shelter under their hats, but the rain gradually intensified. Staying any longer would mean getting completely soaked.
The sudden downpour had stranded pedestrians everywhere, causing gridlock across the city.
Exhausted and unable to stay awake any longer, Yuan Shiyuan suggested they get a room at a nearby hotel.
All the way there, Yuan Shiyuan kept nagging Bo Jin to let him pay for the room.
Unexpectedly, Bo Jin glanced at him with a cryptic smile, then took his hand and led him straight into the elevator, which ascended smoothly to the top floor without stopping.
The hotel had reserved this penthouse suite for Bo Jin year-round. He rarely stayed at home, preferring the hotel whenever he had free time. The suite was meticulously maintained by dedicated staff, and no one was allowed to enter without his explicit permission.
Naturally, its privacy was impeccable.
“Was it really necessary to get such a huge suite?” Yuan Shiyuan asked, gazing around the sprawling space, which was even larger than his own apartment. He glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, which offered a panoramic view of the city’s nightscape, and couldn’t help but add, “It’s just the two of us.”
Bo Jin, who was removing his rain-soaked coat, tilted his head meaningfully at Yuan Shiyuan’s words. “Were you planning on inviting more people?”
“That’s not what I meant… Never mind, I can’t explain it to you.” Yuan Shiyuan pulled out his mobile phone. “How much is the room? I’ll transfer you the money.”
“I’m an investor in this hotel,” Bo Jin said, finishing removing his coat and settling onto the sofa with Yuan Shiyuan.
He casually pulled Yuan Shiyuan onto his lap, his palm accidentally landing on the damp hem of Yuan Shiyuan’s skirt, brushing against his cool skin. “It’s on the house.”
Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t spent a single yuan all day, and he’d received a mountain of gifts. Now, he didn’t even have the chance to pay for the room. He felt deeply uneasy.
“Then how about I order some takeout?” he suggested. “Late-night snacks, fruit, drinks, something like that?”
“No need. The fridge is fully stocked.” Bo Jin’s arm loosely circled Yuan Shiyuan’s waist. “Just order whatever you want for a late-night snack from room service.”
This overly attentive hotel service left Yuan Shiyuan no chance to reciprocate.
He leaned to the side, settling perfectly into the Alpha’s embrace—his favorite spot—the movement so practiced it seemed they’d done this countless times.
“Big Brother, you’re so warm and comfortable,” he murmured, twisting the hem of his skirt between his fingers. “But since you won’t let me pay for the room, and I didn’t do anything today, I feel like I’m taking advantage of you…”
“It’s fine.”
Bo Jin paid no mind, his palm sliding beneath the skirt’s hem to slowly wipe the water droplets from Yuan Shiyuan’s leg.
Midway through wiping, Yuan Shiyuan unconsciously pressed his knees together and tilted his face up from within Bo Jin’s arms, his eyes moist and pleading.
Caught in that gaze, Bo Jin’s large hand froze.
He didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned down, pressing his thin lips to Yuan Shiyuan’s ear, brushing them lightly against it.
“W-wait…”
“What is it?”
Yuan Shiyuan squeezed his legs together, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. His hands clenched the hem of his skirt as he gasped for breath.
Thank goodness Bo Jin didn’t move any further.
Just barely… just barely…
Just barely, Bo Jin had almost touched his gland.