He Heng had driven for half an hour and had another glass of strong liquor. Having just dealt with Li Dazhuang and the others with a burst of impulse, he was now feeling the aftereffects. His head was a bit dizzy, his thoughts slowing down, like the feeling of floating after staying up all night.
In this somewhat floaty state, even after leaving the bar, he didn’t think to let go of Shi Shuang’s hand. They walked all the way to the sedan parked at the intersection, He Heng leading the way.
The knuckles of Alpha’s hand were distinct, slender, and powerful. They were intertwined with his own fingers, the dry palm enclosing him. Shi Shuang was led by the other party in this manner, and this kind of touch wasn’t unpleasant.
Until they reached the car door, a cold breeze blew, and He Heng caught a glimpse of Ji Yuan anxiously approaching to open the car door for him, suddenly becoming more alert.
It was only then that he realized he was still holding onto something. He glanced down and found it was the fair hand of Omega, and the other person’s wrist had started to turn red, as if a red mark had been pinched into it.
Seeing this, He Heng frowned.
Could it be that he caused this red mark himself?
Did he exert too much force just now?
Oh no, he couldn’t remember.
With this thought, a faint throbbing emerged on He Heng’s forehead. He suddenly released Shi Shuang’s hand, lowered his gaze to look at the other person, his expression serious.
“Do you not have anything to tell me?” he asked. Shi Shuang had come to such a dangerous place without informing him, and it almost led to a major incident.
If such a thing were to happen again, He Heng couldn’t be certain that it would go as smoothly without any danger.
In order to mitigate the protagonist’s descent into darkness, and considering their past relationship, He Heng had always opted for a gentler approach. He wanted the other person to gradually relax, return to a normal life, and slowly unravel the knots in their heart.
Therefore, his initial actions involved maintaining a sufficient distance from the other person and gradually removing things in Shi Shuang’s life that caused a sense of oppression, such as surveillance cameras and servants monitoring him. He tried to give Shi Shuang enough freedom.
However, this approach also resulted in a lack of communication between them, and the absence of communication became the catalyst for conflicts.
Faced with this fundamental issue, He Heng believed that he needed to take a firmer stance.
Firstly, he needed to make Shi Shuang aware of his mistake.
To make him understand that hiding problems in this manner is unacceptable.
However, after He Heng finished speaking, the scene fell into silence. The driver and Ji Yuan, standing beside the car, dared not make a sound.
The Omega in front of him had lowered his head slightly, revealing a pointed chin. He bit his lip, and the wrist hanging by his side still bore a tinge of red, making it particularly conspicuous.
Shi Shuang naturally possessed a pitiable face, and combined with his slender figure standing in the cold wind, he appeared especially deceptive.
Even the driver and Ji Yuan, watching their boss reprimand the Omega, couldn’t bear to look and averted their eyes.
This made He Heng begin to doubt himself.
Had he been too harsh in his tone just now?
At that moment, Shi Shuang lifted his head, looking at He Heng. His long lashes trembled slightly, and he softly asked, “Are you angry?”
This time, it was true that the other person had saved him. If He Heng wanted to punish him, Shi Shuang could understand.
Based on He Heng’s usual way of doing things, even if he locked himself in a room with iron chains after such an incident, Shi Shuang wouldn’t find it surprising.
However, in the past month, He Heng had been truly unpredictable, leaving Shi Shuang uncertain. So, with a hint of hope, he cautiously probed the other’s attitude.
There were clearly better ways to handle the situation, and Shi Shuang hadn’t even told him the reasons behind the incident.
In the end, it all boiled down to a lack of trust. Shi Shuang seemed to believe that He Heng was more frightening than the ugly and nauseating rogue Alphas in the bar.
He Heng knew this distrust stemmed from him taking over the original owner’s identity, but now, under the influence of alcohol, he didn’t want to analyze it rationally.
He was just angry.
Looking at He Heng’s angry expression, Shi Shuang actually felt that this Alpha, in this angry state, didn’t look fierce at all. Instead, he seemed a bit like a child throwing a tantrum, the kind that needed comforting.
Shi Shuang pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, “How do you plan to punish me?”
He Heng: “…”
How did the question turn back on him again?
Moreover, why was Shi Shuang’s immediate concern about this question? He hadn’t even mentioned punishing him.
Sometimes He Heng truly wished he could open an Omega’s brain and see what they were constantly thinking.
Just then, a sudden sound of brakes from a bicycle came from the intersection.
“Hey, I finally found you.” An uncle wearing a worn-out tank top got off the bike, with a cheerful smile on his face. He reached out, pushing aside Ji Yuan and the driver, squeezed between He Heng and Shi Shuang, breaking the awkward silence between the two.
The initially awkward atmosphere became even more bizarre. Seeing a stranger trying to strike up a conversation with his boss, Ji Yuan snapped back to reality. He immediately walked to He Heng, ready to escort the uncle away.
“Hey,” unexpectedly, the uncle pushed Ji Yuan aside. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a colorful business card, handed it to He Heng, and then proudly patted He Heng’s shoulder.
“I couldn’t catch up with you even after five intersections. Young man, you really have potential. This is the business card of our ‘Sunset Red’ Cycling Club. How about joining us? I can see that you’re really talented.”
Under the stunned gazes of onlookers, He Heng’s mouth twitched slightly. He awkwardly took the business card from the uncle’s hand.
“Give it some thought,” the uncle’s smile widened, and after saying that, he left.
Shi Shuang’s gaze followed the uncle’s departing figure towards the intersection. Upon seeing the toppled bicycle on the roadside and the suit in the bicycle basket, he seemed to understand why He Heng arrived earlier than the bodyguards and why he was sweating so much.
He Heng actually came riding a bicycle?!
Noticing the Omega’s astonished look, He Heng figured that his domineering CEO image had probably collapsed.
This made his expression even more rigid.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan approached him cautiously, observing his expression nervously. “President He? President He?”
He Heng handed the business card to Ji Yuan, not bothering to look back, and headed towards the car door. “Let’s go home!”
If he had to embarrass himself, he might as well do it at home.
In the spacious living room of the villa, Shi Shuang sat on the sofa, his body turned to the side. The warm yellow light illuminated the deep contours of the Alpha’s features, making them even more three-dimensional.
He Heng glanced at Shi Shuang. “Extend your left hand.”
Shi Shuang hesitated for a moment, then obediently extended his hand.
The next moment, a slightly cool sensation spread at his wrist.
He Heng held his fingers and carefully applied some ointment to the reddened marks on Shi Shuang’s wrist that were already showing signs of bruising.
The wrist that Li Dazhuang had pinched earlier was starting to show some bruising.
He Heng applied the ointment with great care. His eyes were slightly lowered, and the long lashes cast a shadow on his eyes.
Shi Shuang had never seen him express this kind of emotion before, and for a moment, he was a bit taken aback.
He Heng looked at the red marks on Shi Shuang’s wrist, feeling somewhat puzzled. He didn’t think he had used much force; how could someone’s wrist turn red just from a pinch?
Having mentioned by 996 before about Omegas being relatively delicate and in need of their Alpha’s care and protection, He Heng found himself curious. He raised his eyes and stared at the delicate tips of Shi Shuang’s fair ears.
If pinching the wrist could make it red, would pinching the tips of his ears have the same effect?
What about other places?
He felt an urge to give it a try.
A mischievous voice in his mind kept urging him on.
Under the light, for some reason, the plump and delicate ears of Shi Shuang seemed to be gradually tinted with a crimson hue. His gaze also became somewhat uneasy.
Feeling uncomfortable under the direct scrutiny of the Alpha, he subconsciously pulled back his wrist.
Seeing this, He Heng snapped out of his thoughts, retracting his hand after applying the ointment.
“It’s done.”
Shi Shuang lowered his eyes slightly and softly said, “Thank you.”
Shi Shuang thanked He Heng for helping him out today and for applying the ointment.
The warm yellow light flowed between them. After saying these words, they both paused for a moment. In that instant when their eyes met, it felt like a subtle electric current passed between them. They quickly averted their gaze. Shi Shuang realized that this was perhaps the first time he had said “thank you” to someone in front of him.
He Heng tossed the cotton swab into the trash can, packed up the medicine box, then turned to look at Shi Shuang. “You have my phone number. If something like this happens again, don’t let me find out in this way.”
“Of course, there shouldn’t be a next time.”
Just a moment ago, Shi Shuang had told He Heng about how Shi Min had used tactics to force him into helping with the money exchange. Even if Shi Shuang didn’t say anything, he couldn’t hide it from He Heng.
On their way back, he had already instructed his subordinates to dig out all the details about the people in the bar today. As for Shi Min’s activities, it was just a matter of following the vines to find the melon.
According to the memories implanted by 996, He Heng was well aware of the kind of person Shi Min was.
Disregarding moral principles and unable to distinguish right from wrong, conscience and boundaries were non-existent for Shi Min.
This kind of menace needed to be dealt with.
Just then, a “ding!” sound echoed as Shi Shuang’s phone received a text message. He glanced down and saw that it was a confirmation message from the bank for the remittance.
The exact amount was one hundred thousand yuan.
Seeing this, a fleeting expression of surprise crossed Shi Shuang’s eyes. He then looked up at He Heng.
“This is your salary,” He Heng’s expression remained calm. He leaned against the sofa, his index finger resting on his chin. “I didn’t give it to you to help scum repay their debts.”
The money that Shi Shuang had brought over today was immediately retrieved by He Heng’s men.
Repay debts for scum?
He wasn’t a philanthropist; there was no reason for that.
For He Heng, dealing with Li Dazhuang and his group, even if they were involved in the underworld, was not a difficult task. As for Shi Min, he must pay the price for his actions.
Just then, Shi Shuang’s phone began to vibrate wildly. The displayed number was the same as the one Shi Min had used the last time to call him.
Under the hesitant gaze of Shi Shuang, He Heng nodded at him.
“Answer it.”
This call was entirely within his expectations.
Unable to successfully repay the money, those people must have already found Shi Min, and he was probably feeling quite anxious at the moment.
Indeed, when Shi Shuang answered the call, his expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Even from a distance, He Heng could vaguely hear the furious yelling from the other end of the phone.
The next moment, he stepped directly in front of Shi Shuang, grabbed his wrist, and moved the phone away.
He didn’t want to hear the nonsense from the other end.
“Have him come to your place tomorrow,” He Heng whispered to Shi Shuang.
The warmth from the contact still lingered on his wrist, creating a slightly ticklish sensation.
Shi Shuang’s long lashes trembled slightly. He quietly looked at He Heng and nodded.
At the end of the call, He Heng unfolded his crossed legs, looking at Shi Shuang.
“Don’t go to the company tomorrow.”
“Come to your place.”
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