WMAW Chapter 16

Today, Zhong Lin was invited by Pei Jue to house hunt after work, conveniently pushing off the dinner plans with Zhuang Yi. As soon as he was free, he hopped into Pei Jue’s Toyota Supra. The football lad from last time was also there, having waited in the driver’s seat all afternoon. The milky alpha, named Ai Qingyu, was as docile as his name suggested.

“Ai is now working part-time as a model for my agency. Our target clients include omegas and student alphas, and I really needed someone,” Pei Jue explained to Zhong Lin. They decided to grab dinner first, during which young Ai quietly peeled shrimp for Pei Jue, speaking little and behaving more like a shrimp-peeling machine than a person.

“What a clingy little sweater you’ve picked up.” Zhong Lin joked with Pei Jue while Ai was away washing his hands.

“He’s not clingy; he’s more like a little hedgehog, very aloof,” Pei Jue pulled out his phone, showing Zhong Lin their chat. “Every day he sends me pictures of his pet fish, his turtle, and random wildflowers he finds. Then he worries he’s bothering me, always adding, ‘You’re busy, no need to reply.’ Ah, how can there be such a tender alpha?”

“He’s adorable,” Zhong Lin remarked, finding Ai’s careful messages quite charming in the chat. However, Pei Jue’s usual type was either domineering CEOs or sun-kissed fitness enthusiasts, not exactly the kind to fall for a ‘puppy alpha.’

“He seems to have a pleasing personality. When I take his photos, he’s so awkward yet doesn’t want to hold anyone up. I have to cheer him up daily, telling him he’s handsome, he’s good-looking. Who knew I’d end up encouraging a tag-along?” Pei Jue was usually carefree but showed a rare soft spot here.

Watching Pei Jue likely falling hard, Zhong Lin decided to leave some space for the budding couple. He checked his phone and noticed that Zhuang Yi hadn’t messaged him for several hours, a rare occurrence that made him wonder what Boss Zhuang was up to.

Having been ditched by his wife for dinner, Zhuang Yi, unfed, found a chic hair salon nearby to embark on his hipster transformation. Dressed clearly like someone with deep pockets, the salon’s director, Tony, hurriedly welcomed him.

“Hello, I’d like to dye my hair,” said the customer with a resigned expression, making even the seasoned Tony nervous.

“What color would you like?” the assistant asked, taking Zhuang Yi’s coat and hanging it up as the tall, handsome alpha pondered seriously.

“Blue, gold, chestnut – I want them all,” Zhuang Yi decided, then added, “But I want it to look black.”

Tony, taken aback by the serious request for what seemed like an oxymoron – a colorful black – felt challenged.

“Money is no object,” added the wealthy customer.

“Alright then,” Tony agreed readily. If money was no issue, neither was the request.

After a dark night and a hungry stomach enduring six hours in the chair, Zhuang Yi, now with a head of carefully highlighted hair that looked like a colorful black from a distance, stepped out. Tony had daringly tinted small sections very finely, which only revealed their variety up close.

With his handsome face and usual stern expression, complemented by a black coat over his suit, Zhuang Yi strode with the majesty of a peacock displaying its feathers.

Before reaching his car at the corner, Zhuang Yi spotted his wife. Zhong Lin was accompanied by the golden-haired omega he’d met at noon and several suit-wearing tall men. They seemed to be having a cordial conversation from a distance.

Confused by the crowd, Zhuang Yi worried. Were these alphas too polite? Was he failing as a ‘duck,’ and was his wife seeking others? His heart sank with jealousy. He knew Pei Jue was up to no good, always leading his wife down risky paths.

As the group turned towards a fancy residential area, Zhuang Yi burst forward, shouting, “Wife!”

Zhong Lin jumped, turning to see the oddly colored figure on the street. It took him a moment to recognize him, wondering if this was some new fashion trend. His memories hadn’t fully returned, covering only up to a year ago. Hesitantly responding to the call, he puzzled over whether Zhuang Yi had suffered some ordeal in the forgotten year, so different from the aloof man he remembered.

“Wow,” Pei Jue commented, appreciating, “Nice new hairstyle, Boss Zhuang.”

Seeing no delighted reaction from his wife, Zhuang Yi felt dejected. He had been warmly received by Zhong Lin at noon, thinking they might even have kids within three years, but now it felt like a setback to pre-liberation times. The nearby alphas were oddly courteous, nodding politely. What was this arrogance about? Zhuang Yi felt his own anger rise; he was not some bizarre creature to be trifled with.

He decided then that the prenuptial agreement needed immediate revision – today, right now!

“I’m accompanying Pei Jue to look at houses, care to join?” Zhong Lin interrupted what seemed to be Zhuang Yi’s wild musings, sensing he might blurt out something odd.

“Ah, house hunting, that’s good,” Zhuang Yi muttered, quickly stepping to Zhong Lin’s side, shielding him from the group of alphas. He was relieved; they weren’t competitors but merely real estate agents, their interest merely financial.

Once Pei Jue cheerfully signed the papers and everyone dispersed, Zhuang Yi walked Zhong Lin to the car. The Toyota Supra wasn’t his wife’s new car after all, and now it was his turn to shine, determined to let his wife lavish his money extravagantly.

As they walked, Zhong Lin occasionally glanced at Zhuang Yi’s hair, each glance catching a different hue. Alone now with Zhuang Yi, he couldn’t resist touching the dyed locks, discovering the meticulously detailed, vibrant layers beneath the superficial black.

“Wife, I did this especially for you, I hope you like it,” Zhuang Yi said sheepishly, hoping to align even a bit with Zhong Lin’s tastes.

Zhong Lin looked at him, hesitating before reluctantly commenting, “It’s nice.” Before Zhuang Yi could smile, his stomach growled. “Didn’t you eat dinner?”

Driving, Zhuang Yi explained, “I rushed to dye my hair for you after work, didn’t realize it would take so long.”

Zhong Lin was both annoyed and amused. “Then why did you stay so long with us house hunting? Didn’t you think to go eat?”

“Just seeing you made me forget my hunger. Will you cook me some instant noodles at home?” Zhuang Yi bargained, “Please? I want the noodles you make.”

With the irresistible combination of his wheedling and his hipster hair color, Zhong Lin struggled to maintain his composure, his lips twitching. “Fine, I’ll make you noodles. But next time, if you don’t eat properly, I’m not taking care of you.”

“Then I want two fried eggs!”

The couple, in perfect harmony, rode the elevator home, Zhuang Yi feeling blissfully happy, secretly vowing to scrap the old prenuptial agreement and draft something akin to “Until mountains are worn down and the seas run dry, never shall we part.”

Blocked by a large delivery box at their doorstep, Zhuang Yi opened the door. Zhong Lin bent to inspect it, expecting a purchase of his own. The label read, “Special herbal remedies, everyone wants them,” and on another side, “Bitter no more, goodbye bald patches.”

“Wife, go cook the noodles, I’ll move the package,” Zhuang Yi offered eagerly. As he bent to pick up the box, the door suddenly shut.

“Eat your seasoning packet!” Zhong Lin’s angry voice came through the door.

What’s going on? What does this mean? Where’s my doting wife?