When they left the music room, the parent-teacher meeting had just ended. Jiang Wan grabbed Dou Ming and headed off to find Aunty Xue and the chef, planning to have dinner together at home.
“Don’t worry, Aunty Xue really likes you now,” Jiang Wan said, afraid that Dou Ming still had lingering fears after how harsh Aunty Xue had been to him last time. “Your status is almost higher than mine!”
Just as Dou Ming was about to speak, they heard someone call out.
“Jiang Ge? Is that you, Jiang Ge?”
Dou Ming was momentarily stunned. He looked toward the voice and saw a middle-aged man, tall and handsome, dressed in a suit and exuding a mature man’s charm despite the traces of time on his face.
Standing beside him was a confused Che Chenying. The two of them looked like they were carved from the same mold.
The middle-aged man’s identity was obvious. He was Che Chenying’s father, Che Jun, the current big boss of Haicheng.
Dou Ming instinctively wanted to pull Jiang Wan away.
He still remembered those words at the end of that video:
“I will always love Jiang Ge.
Signed, Che Jun.”
Dou Ming pressed his lips together, his jawline tightening.
Jiang Wan, oblivious to the jealousy boiling beside him, was more focused on keeping his disguise intact.
Seeing Che Jun enthusiastically rush over with Che Chenying in tow, slightly bowing as if he were about to speak, Jiang Wan quickly cut him off.
“Uncle, are you calling me?” Jiang Wan asked with a shameless, bright smile, relying on the abundance of collagen in his youthful face to play innocent without a hint of shame.
Che Jun froze, straightened up, and frowned slightly, looking Jiang Wan up and down.
Che Chenying tugged at his dad’s sleeve, embarrassed. “This is my classmate! What are you doing calling a high school student ‘Ge’?”
Che Jun ignored his son, focusing only on Jiang Wan. There was no way he could mistake his idol!
Ten years had passed, but Jiang Ge was still Jiang Ge, looking as young as he had back then.
Che Jun had entered the business world late but rose quickly, naturally developing a bit of pride. Throughout his life, he had only ever admired one person.
Jiang Wan was much younger than him but had far more experience, fully deserving the respectful title of “Jiang Ge.”
Over the years, Jiang Ge had kept a low profile. Many people said he had become reclusive due to being an older Omega with imbalanced pheromones, unable to step out into the world anymore.
But Che Jun knew better. Jiang Ge would never be restrained by mere pheromones.
And here Jiang Ge was, standing right in front of him, glowing with health (thanks to Dou Ming’s pheromone support, of course).
Che Jun stared at Jiang Wan with something akin to excitement in his eyes, like a little girl meeting her idol.
But his gaze made Dou Ming uncomfortable.
An Alpha’s nature is one of extreme possessiveness and insatiable jealousy. No matter how refined or educated they appear, the primal instincts ingrained in their genes can’t be erased.
Dou Ming narrowed his eyes, wrapped his arm around Jiang Wan’s waist, and pulled him into his embrace. The cold scent of cedarwood aggressively surged toward Che Jun, full of hostility.
Che Jun raised an eyebrow in surprise. “And you are?”
Che Chenying quickly answered, “Dad, they’re all my classmates!” He tried to pull his father away. “Why are you staring at someone else’s Omega? Let’s go home already!”
The image of Dou Ming taking down seven or eight Alphas still lingered in Che Chenying’s mind. He didn’t want his dad to get beaten up.
Though, in theory, he believed his father was the strongest Alpha in the world.
But still, it wasn’t worth the risk in school.
Che Jun, however, refused to leave. He looked at Jiang Wan with a complicated expression and said, “Jiang Ge, how could you keep such a big thing from me?”
Back in the day, Che Jun had followed Jiang Ge’s every step. At first, he filmed him with a DV camcorder, and later upgraded to a professional camera, recording countless personal videos of Jiang Ge.
Jiang Ge never told him to leave either.
Che Jun had thought—thought that he had long since gained Jiang Ge’s approval, if not as a friend, at least as the president of his fan club.
But now, he realized, it was all just wishful thinking.
Che Jun gazed at Jiang Wan with such a conflicted look that even Jiang Wan felt a twinge of guilt.
He was just about to say something when the grip around his waist tightened.
He looked up and, wow, who cared about Che Jun or anyone else at this point? Dou Ming’s face was tense, his eyes half-closed, lips pressed into a thin line, practically radiating resentment and jealousy.
Jiang Wan quickly distanced himself from Che Jun. “Uncle, you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not your Jiang Ge.”
Then he pulled Dou Ming and ran.
Che Jun stared after them in confusion, frowning deeply. “If you’re not Jiang Ge, then who are you?”
“!” Che Chenying suddenly remembered that Dou Ming had once exchanged Jiang Wan’s files with him. “Dad, is he really that senior bigshot you’ve always talked about?”
“My Jiang Ge will always be my Jiang Ge,” Che Jun affirmed.
Che Chenying nodded but inwardly sneered. He had figured it out: Jiang Wan and Jiang Ge—they were the same person, weren’t they?
Dou Ming must have realized it long ago.
But he was probably just blinded by Jiang Wan’s pretty face, which is why he didn’t say anything.
Hmph, an old man coming to a high school to seduce a student? How shameless.
No matter how innocent he looked, after all those years in the underworld, who knew how messed up he really was behind the scenes.
Che Chenying made up his mind. He would rip off Jiang Wan’s disguise, make him lose face, and wake Dou Ming up from his trance, so he wouldn’t be fooled by this old man anymore.
Jiang Wan dragged Dou Ming into the car, barely giving the driver enough time to lower the divider before Dou Ming pinned him against the car door.
Jiang Wan, sensing the tension, quickly locked the door, hooked his arms around Dou Ming’s neck, and puckered his rosy lips, giving Dou Ming a big, smacking kiss.
Dou Ming’s face remained stern, but the cold, icy scent around him quickly started to melt.
Seeing that it was working, Jiang Wan tilted his head and planted three more quick kisses on Dou Ming’s lips.
The mingling scent of cedarwood and plum filled the air, and the atmosphere quickly turned intimate.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone rapped on the car window.
It was Aunty Xue and the chef.
Jiang Wan reluctantly pushed Dou Ming away to let them into the car.
The driver discreetly breathed a sigh of relief—one more second, and he would’ve stepped out for a smoke.
As Aunty Xue got into the car, she shot Jiang Wan a glance and rolled down the window to air out the scent.
Jiang Wan clicked his tongue, snuggling back into Dou Ming’s arms and murmuring, “We both smell amazing.”
Dou Ming brushed aside the stray hair on Jiang Wan’s forehead, remaining silent, his muscles still taut and rigid.
Jiang Wan poked his chest, whispering, “He just mistook me for someone else. I don’t have that kind of connection, right?”
Dou Ming responded with a noncommittal “Mm,” his expression hard to read.
Jiang Wan started to wonder if Dou Ming already knew something. He cupped Dou Ming’s face and tentatively asked, “Are you really angry?”
Suddenly, Dou Ming lowered his head, burying his face into Jiang Wan’s shoulder, and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”
Jiang Wan was taken aback and hugged Dou Ming’s back. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you,” Dou Ming murmured, holding Jiang Wan tightly. He lifted his chin to rest it on Jiang Wan’s shoulder, his eyes glued to the back of Jiang Wan’s neck. In a low voice, he continued, “I’m too possessive, aren’t I?”
Jiang Wan could feel Dou Ming’s body trembling slightly.
He was afraid of his own nature.
Afraid of this uncontrollable desire.
The desire to hide his Omega away, where no other Alpha could see.
It was so strong it was terrifying, like a seed planted deep in his heart, gradually staining his entire being with darkness.
Jealousy, like a demon, clawed at his sanity.
A voice screamed relentlessly in his mind: “My Omega! Mine!”
Dou Ming hugged Jiang Wan even tighter, as if trying to embrace warmth and light, to push away the demonic desires lurking within him.
But it wasn’t enough. No matter how tight he held on, it wasn’t enough.
He wanted more. More and more.
An Alpha’s nature is also one of greed.
An insatiable, bottomless greed.
He stared at the back of Jiang Wan’s neck—so slender it looked fragile. The soft skin there, with the faintly protruding gland, stood out like a beacon.
Like a starving man eyeing a feast, Dou Ming’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.
A few seconds later, the driver tactfully raised the divider, blocking the sudden soft whimper that echoed in the car.
