(M) Chapter 39 – “Ah Dai…”
Title: 顶级掠食者 (Alpha Predator)
Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists ：沈岱 (Shen Dai -MC), 瞿末予 (Qu Moyu -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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The two hadn’t slept for long when Qu Moyu’s alarm clock rang.
Shen Dai opened his sore eyes and judged from the bright light leaking through the curtain that it was already broad daylight.
Qu Moyu let out a dissatisfied groan. He turned off the alarm and rolled over to pin Shen Dai down. His brain was still foggy. But instinct drove him to press against the back of Shen Dai’s neck, kissing the gland that emitted a faint floral scent.
The weight on him was too heavy, making it hard for Shen Dai to breathe. He turned his face and asked, “Are you awake? Are you feeling better?”
“Much better.” Qu Moyu kissed Shen Dai’s cheek over and over again. He used to think Shen Dai’s pheromones were too faint. But after getting used to it, he found the subtle scent comforting. The fainter it was at normal times, the stronger it became during moments of passion. It gave him a desire to explore deeper, which was a rare pleasure for him.
“Do we have to get up now?” Shen Dai wanted to persuade Qu Moyu to rest for a few more hours, knowing that lack of sleep could lead to headaches. But when he felt something hardening against his lower back, he didn’t dare to speak further.
Qu Moyu easily pulled off Shen Dai’s pyjama pants. “We can get up later.”
***
***
After their morning ‘exercise’, Qu Moyu, refreshed and in high spirits, went to wash up. Shen Dai rested on the bed for a while before struggling to get up, supporting his sore waist. The bathroom had separate wet and dry areas. While Qu Moyu shaved, Shen Dai went into the shower to take a bath.
When Shen Dai came out of the bathroom, the curtains were already drawn open. The blinding sunlight poured in through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. He raised his hand to shield his eyes and, once they adjusted to the light, he noticed Uncle Heng had brought their breakfast into the room.
Shen Dai was only wrapped in a towel around his waist. His hair was barely dried and still dripping water. He had hurried into the bathroom earlier to clean out what Qu Moyu had left inside him. When he wasn’t in heat, his reproductive cavity wouldn’t open on its own. Qu Moyu liked to leave his semen in there. Now, having finished washing, he wanted to grab his clothes and quickly return to his room. Seeing Uncle Heng, he felt a sense of embarrassment. It was as if he had been caught at a crime scene.
Uncle Heng smiled and said, “Good morning, Mr. Shen.”
“Morning,” Shen Dai replied with an awkward smile.
“Why didn’t you dry your hair?” Qu Moyu, already sitting at the table ready to eat, put down his coffee cup when he saw Shen Dai come out with wet hair and a towel. “Wear your clothes. Don’t catch a cold.”
“I’ll do it in my room.”
“Go dry your hair now.”
Shen Dai had no choice but to take his clothes and return to the bathroom. His short hair dried quickly. After changing into his pyjamas, he came out to find Uncle Heng had already left. Qu Moyu called him over to have breakfast.
Qu Moyu was eating while looking at his phone. “I have to leave soon. It’s still early. You can continue to sleep after breakfast.” He paused and added, “You can sleep here if you want.”
The joy in Shen Dai’s heart turned into an uncontrollable smile on his lips. Shen Dai looked at Qu Moyu tenderly and expressed his concern, “Can’t you take another nap? You’ve only slept for three hours.”
“I don’t have the time.”
“I won’t sleep either. I’ll tidy up and head home later.”
“You’re going home?” Qu Moyu was momentarily taken aback. It was as if he had just remembered that Shen Dai had his own home. He frowned slightly, feeling inexplicably unhappy. “Don’t go back. There are only three days left of the holiday.”
“Yes. That’s why I need to go back and spend time with…-“
“-You’re already married,” Qu Moyu interrupted, raising an eyebrow at Shen Dai. “You should spend the New Year at my place.”
“…” Shen Dai couldn’t tell if Qu Moyu was joking or serious.
Qu Moyu elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin. As he stood up, he kissed Shen Dai on the cheek. “Just kidding. You can go home. But I want to see you tonight.”
After Qu Moyu left, Shen Dai sat in a daze for a while before quickly finishing his breakfast and returning to his room. He changed his clothes and looked at the laptop he usually carried in his backpack. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided not to take it with him. He was planning to spend time with his grandmother today and didn’t intend to work. Tonight… tonight, Qu Moyu wanted him to come back, so there was no need to bring the laptop.
He also knew that blindly obeying Qu Moyu wasn’t a good thing. But he was even more aware that his compliance wasn’t just because Qu Moyu was an S-class alpha or his boss. But it was because he couldn’t refuse any of Qu Moyu’s requests.
***
When he got home, the news about the death of the founder of Xingzhou Group was coincidentally on the TV.
Grandmother pointed at the TV and said, “Oh. No wonder your business trip ended so quickly. Darling, going back and forth like this must have messed up your sleep schedule and tired you out, right?”
“I’m fine. I slept on the plane.” Shen Dai helped his grandmother to sit down. “Grandma, would you like an apple? I can peel one for you.”
“No, no. I ate a lot this morning and haven’t digested them yet.”
Seeing that Shen Qin was tidying up the house, Shen Dai quietly asked his grandmother, “How has it been these past few days? Is he taking good care of you?”
Grandma smiled and said, “He’s been great. Don’t worry.”
Shen Dai noticed that his grandmother had gained a bit of weight and had a healthier complexion. It seemed she was being well taken care of, which reassured him.
The background noise from the TV was still related to Xingzhou. But Shen Dai wasn’t paying attention. He was chatting with his grandmother, knowing that he had much more information than the news could provide.
When Shen Qin finished tidying up, he sat on the couch to watch TV. He picked up the remote to change the channel but was captivated by something on the screen. His expression shifted from surprise to contemplation.
Shen Dai didn’t notice any of this.
***
After dinner, Shen Dai used work as an excuse to leave. Seeing the disappointment in his grandmother’s eyes, he felt very guilty. But the thought that Qu Moyu might need him made his heart already fly back to Qu Moyu’s side, even though his body was not there.
When he returned to the Qu residence, Qu Moyu hadn’t come back yet. Although Shen Dai was a bit disappointed, he wasn’t surprised. It was undoubtedly a busy day for Qu Moyu.
After showering, Shen Dai turned on his computer and continued working on his thesis. He wanted Qu Moyu to see him as soon as he returned, no matter how late it was.
He waited until two in the morning.
Shen Dai, already sleep-deprived and could barely stay awake. Just as he was yawning continuously, he finally heard the familiar sound of an engine. He hurried downstairs.
Qu Moyu was being supported by Lao Wu and Uncle Heng as he came in, reeking of alcohol. From his unsteady steps and unfocused eyes, it was clear he was drunk.
This was the first time Shen Dai had seen Qu Moyu drunk. He remembered Aunt Lan casually mentioning that Qu Moyu rarely drank and had a high tolerance. He seldom got drunk. Shen Dai didn’t know what Qu Moyu had gone through that day. But seeing the exhaustion in his eyes made Shen Dai feel a pang of heartache. He walked over, wanting to reach out, but there was no room for him to intervene.
Unexpectedly, Qu Moyu pushed Lao Wu and Uncle Heng aside and lunged at Shen Dai. Although Shen Dai was prepared, Qu Moyu was unsteady on his feet. Shen Dai couldn’t handle the weight pulling him down. If Lao Wu and Uncle Heng hadn’t quickly come to help, they would have both fallen to the ground.
“Ah Dai,” Qu Moyu mumbled, “Ah Dai.”
“I’m here,” Shen Dai responded. He stroked his back tenderly, soothing him with gentle words.
“Ah Dai…”
“I’m here.”
Qu Moyu repeated the name several times. Shen Dai patiently replied each time. As if some restless nerves had been calmed, Qu Moyu fell silent.
They exerted great effort to get Qu Moyu onto the bed. Aunt Lan and Shen Dai helped him undress and wiped him down with a towel. He then fell asleep just like that.
Aunt Lan said, “It’s been a long time since I last saw the young master drunk. The last time was… when he was still young. He was in his teens. He drank too much with his friends.”
“What was he like when he was a teenager?” Shen Dai asked curiously.
“He was like a little adult. The young master was precocious and wise. S-class alphas are like that. They have to learn many things at a young age,” Aunt Lan replied with some emotion. “Actually, he’s still a child inside. Many times, the mature appearance is just an act. The young master is only 25 now. At such a young age, carrying such heavy burdens, it’s really hard.”
“…Yeah.”
“Ah Dai, I think the young master is starting to rely on you. He kept calling your name just now,” Aunt Lan said with a smile. “If you can help him share some of the pressures of life, that would be wonderful. The young master needs someone who understands him, someone who knows when he’s cold and when he’s warm.”
Looking at Qu Moyu’s sleeping face, he looked so peaceful and beautiful. It was like a painting. Shen Dai felt his heart stir like he was drunk on something, even though he hadn’t had a drop of alcohol. He really wanted to be the person Qu Moyu relied on, so much. He wanted that so much. Qu Moyu had already let him get so close. But would he allow Shen Dai to enter his heart?
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Next update: 2022.05.11
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*Translator’s note: As I said, let’s indulge in the sweetness while it is still sweet, yeah… This chapter was quite nsfw but not S-class smut yet but I still classified the chapter as ‘mature’ (M). I’m annoyed that this stupid fish doesn’t even realise that he has already fallen for SD. -K
*Proofread by 2024.07.23* I will proofread these chapters slowly when I’m free. I prioritise the mature chapter first because of censorship. So please understand if there are any delays or discrepancies. TQ.
Proofread version of the rest of the novel will only be available on Novels Space.space while Mature Chapters will be released on my Blog.
