Chapter 5

Working Late, Don’t Wait

Over the next two days, the research institute was quite busy. Xu Shen had intended to inform Yan Xingzhi, but unexpectedly didn’t see him for two consecutive days.

It was rather strange. After returning home together the last time, Xu Shen had gone upstairs in a bit of a panic. But when he cautiously came down later to find the living room silent, that bouquet of pink roses was nowhere to be found. Xu Shen searched the entire house, except Yan Xingzhi’s bedroom, but couldn’t locate the roses anywhere.

Truly bizarre.

He did, however, notice some plant nutrient bottles around the house. As Xu Shen reached for one, Yan Xingzhi snatched it away from his grasp. Before Xu Shen could inquire, the alpha had already gone upstairs.

Weird.

A few more days passed, and Xu Shen had to work late again today due to an experiment he couldn’t leave unattended. When Yan Xingzhi returned home, he was met with a pitch-black living room.

Yes, pitch-black. No one had left the lights on for him, nor a cup of warm tea.

What alpha doesn’t come home to a warm, affectionate welcome? Yet here he was, not even a person in sight.

Well, he wasn’t an unreasonable alpha prone to making demands. So Xu Shen was working late? So be it! At the very least, a message would have been considerate.

Yan Xingzhi eyed his silent phone and decided that tomorrow morning – no, tonight – he would discard that certain omega’s roses.

His phone pinged with impeccable timing. Unlocking it, Yan Xingzhi saw a concise four-word message:

[Shen]: Working late, don’t wait.

Yan Xingzhi: ……

Very good, so typically Xu Shen.

Don’t wait means don’t wait. He wasn’t planning to wait to begin with.

Hmph, even if he did wait, it would only be for a little while at most.

“What time will you be done?”

Yan Xingzhi typed but hesitated over the send button.

No, why should he care what time Xu Shen finished?

He didn’t like cold and aloof Omegas anyway.

The alpha exited the chat interface.

After washing up, Yan Xingzhi changed the roses’ water, handling them quite clumsily. After all, he had never tended to anything his entire life, with the most successful being a cactus, kept under his assistant’s supervision.

“Trim the rose stems at a 45-degree angle three centimeters from the bottom, and make a cross-cut at the end…”

Yan Xingzhi frowned at his phone, attending to some poorly trimmed stems. In the process, he accidentally dropped a few petals, letting out a soft “tsk” before the roses.

So annoying, the petals were already falling off.

Some omega was still working late.

So annoying.

Yan Xingzhi left the downstairs lights on and, after some thought, heated up a bottle of milk as well.

– Don’t get the wrong idea, it was for himself! He just happened to warm an extra bottle for that certain omega.

After all, the omega had messaged him.

Working late yet still remembering to message him, so whatever, it was just a minor thing.

Yan Xingzhi returned to the study, then made his way to his own bedroom.

His bedroom faced the main entrance; from the window, he could see the path that certain omega would take home.

When Xu Shen arrived, he was a bit surprised. An issue with the experiment had kept him until past 7 p.m., and he was unsure when he’d finish. He managed to send Yan Xingzhi a quick message.

“Maintaining timely, effective communication is essential in relationships,” the book ‘This is How to Date’ said. Xu Shen pondered and chose a succinct phrasing.

“Working late, don’t wait.”

After sending the message, the omega’s gaze remained lowered. Thin eyelids drooped without expression, appearing cold and distant. His brows furrowed slightly, as if struggling with an insolvable problem.

Xu Shen stared at his phone. In the chat, after his message, Yan Xingzhi’s status showed “Typing…” but no response came through despite Xu Shen waiting awhile.

What was going on?

After contemplating, Xu Shen put his phone away.

Less talk, fewer mistakes.

It was nearly 11 p.m. when Xu Shen quietly arrived home and unlocked the door.

The taxing experiment left him drained. Slipping on his house slippers, he intended to freshen up but saw Yan Xingzhi descending the stairs.

“You’re back?” Yan Xingzhi stood at the turn of the staircase, perhaps having rushed down. His robe was loosely tied, and his damp hair trailed down his forehead.

“Ahem—anyway, I heated up some milk for you earlier. Remember to drink it later,” Yan Xingzhi said.

“Okay, thank you,” Xu Shen nodded and headed to the kitchen.

“You haven’t gone to bed yet?” Xu Shen turned and headed to the kitchen.

“Who hasn’t gone to bed? I’ve already had a nap.”

Of course, Yan Xingzhi wouldn’t strain his ears by the bedroom window, eagerly listening for any movements downstairs!

——————–

Author’s Note:

Xu Shen: Thank you~

Alpha: Hmph, don’t read too much into it, I definitely wasn’t waiting for you!!

Chapter 6

I Like Sweet Omegas

Alpha’s voice was loud, and Xu Shen paused for half a second. By the time he came back to his senses, Yan Xingzhi had already gone upstairs.

His movements were swift.

The temperature of the milk was just right, around forty degrees Celsius. Xu Shen held the cup in his hands. The omega’s eyes were light in color, and the warm yellow light in the kitchen dyed Xu Shen’s brows and eyes, softening the omega’s aloofness. Like winter snow melting, a hint of warmth flowed from Xu Shen’s light-colored eyes.

[Shen]: Image

[Shen]: Image

[Shen]: Hot milk, Yan Xingzhi made it hot.

Tang Yan said, “Love means that when they hold your hand, you feel happier than successfully completing ninety-nine experiments.” Xu Shen thought this statement made sense, but Tang Yan didn’t summarize it completely. Holding the forty-degree warm milk, he seemed just as happy as successfully completing ninety-nine experiments.

Xu Shen liked it very much.

Would Yan Xingzhi like him too?

Or was it just because of the arranged marriage?

Tang Yan hadn’t replied yet. The omega’s slender fingers slid across the screen, eventually landing on a familiar avatar.

He opened it, and the chat log was still at today’s afternoon.

[Shen]: Working overtime, don’t wait.

The chat box was still green, Yan Xingzhi hadn’t replied to him yet.

But it was clear that Yan Xingzhi had seen the message. What was Yan Xingzhi typing at the time? Xu Shen wondered, then opened the photo gallery after a moment.

Starting this week, the research institute would be busy, and Xu Shen’s schedule had also changed. Xu Shen looked at his schedule, deciding to give Yan Xingzhi a copy later.

He couldn’t let Yan Xingzhi keep waiting for him, right?

Although Yan Xingzhi said he had taken a nap, Xu Shen doubted it. The alpha had just showered, and his hair was still dripping water.

On the other side, Yan Xingzhi felt somewhat annoyed.

What was the hot milk for?

Did he need to go downstairs and remind that O to drink it?

What was he doing?

Inexplicable irritation rose from the bottom of his heart, and Yan Xingzhi reached up to ruffle his hair.

His hand was wet.

Yan Xingzhi: ……

He had just finished showering and forgot to blow-dry his hair before going downstairs.

Irritating.

So would Xu Shen like the temperature of the milk? The internet said that if it was too cold, it was better not to heat it, but if it was too hot, it would damage the nutrients in the milk.

In the past, the omega used to warm it himself, and he would occasionally prepare a cup for him too. The temperature should be about the same, right?

Raising an omega is truly troublesome.

The hair dryer’s wind was so hot, making it even more annoying.

His phone rang, and Yan Xingzhi glanced at it – the contact was Chen Er, the second young master of the Chen family.

It had been a long time since they last contacted each other. Seeing this name, Yan Xingzhi slightly frowned. That group loved to play around, and Yan Xingzhi was aware of it, but the Yan family kept a tight rein, so Yan Xingzhi didn’t participate much. Not to mention after the arranged marriage, Yan Xingzhi never attended their gatherings again.

“Hello?” Yan Xingzhi answered the phone.

“Xingzhi, ah, you finally answered. Let me tell you—” The other side was noisy. A group of people seemed to be cheering, and Chen Er was obviously a little drunk, slurring his words: “We organized a gathering today, all sweet Os!”

Yan Xingzhi: ……

What did that have to do with him?

Sweet Os, what did sweet Os have to do with him?

He had an omega.

Hmph, though it was an omega he didn’t particularly like.

Yan Xingzhi retied his bathrobe; Chen Er’s voice was too loud, so the alpha simply put the phone on the bedside table and turned on the speakerphone.

“Are you drunk?” Yan Xingzhi said.

“What do you mean I’m drunk? I-I’m not drunk!”

“Didn’t you say your omega’s face is always cold? Like an ice cube. Don’t say I’m not a good buddy, we’ve always remembered you like sweet Os the most. As soon as sweet Os were mentioned, you were the first one that came to mind.” Chen Er said.

Yan Xingzhi didn’t respond, that was indeed something he had said.

“What? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for your ice cube-faced omega?” Chen Er’s voice rose.

“How could that be?” Yan Xingzhi instinctively replied.

How could he possibly like a cold, icy omega?

“Then aren’t you coming? Or… has our Xingzhi become an O-whipped man?”

“That’s absolutely impossible, send me the location.” Yan Xingzhi immediately refuted.

He hung up and tossed the phone onto the bed.

A “ding” notification sounded, Chen Er had sent the location.

Yan Xingzhi seemed a little dazed as he ruffled his half-dry hair. The alpha rolled over and haphazardly changed into another outfit.

The door creaked open, and Yan Xingzhi ran straight into Xu Shen standing at the entrance.

Oh crap?

——————–

Author’s Note

Someone might be falling in love, huh~

Yan Xingzhi: How could that be!

(Xixi: Let’s see how long he can keep denying it!)

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