Chapter 22 Cannon Fodder Ex-Boyfriend 22 Another Beautiful Day

Outside the window, the sun blazed fiercely, casting an unnatural red glow on the eaves. Inside, however, it remained as cold as an icebox. For a moment, even the rising sandalwood incense seemed to freeze in mid-air, its gray hue pressing down on Li Qingran like a heavy cloth, leaving him no strength to even breathe.

The Alpha behind him was still excitedly saying something, but Li Qingran didn't hear it and didn't care to listen. He even let the lingering smell of gunpowder entwine his arms and envelop his body.

[Host? Host?!]

Amidst the billowing smoke, it seemed as if someone was anxiously calling his name. Li Qingran blinked twice slowly and tilted his head slightly to look at the lanterns on the ceiling.

Inside the red light curtain, an electronic candle burned, its orange-red flame flickering brilliantly, falling onto Alpha's messy hair and reflecting in his gray eyes, which gradually deepened from pale to profound, even the confusion within them fading away, transforming into crystal clarity.

So that's how it is. Li Qingran thought.

He understood everything.

Why did the waiter offer to upgrade him to a private room on the way to the restaurant, even though everything seemed normal when he entered?

Why did I give him that strange, indescribable look after I upgraded him to a private room?

Why is the sandalwood incense in this private room stronger and produces more smoke than in the other rooms?

So it was all a trap.

One scheme after another, all meticulously planned to trick him, a mere cannon fodder, into revealing his true colors...

Tsk.

Li Qingran twitched the corner of his mouth; he wanted to laugh, but he couldn't manage it.

The icy pheromones in the air grew increasingly intense, sweeping over Jiang relentlessly. His natural aggression and aggressiveness caused him to involuntarily release his grip on the Alpha's hand.

In that brief moment, Li Qingran suddenly stood up, pressing down on the table, and staggered toward the door. He seemed to want to leave, but after taking only two steps, he suddenly stopped.

Would leaving be helpful?

Li Qingran lowered his head, looking at his feet sinking into the carpet. The fluffy gray fur around his white sneakers resembled thick smoke, and in a daze, it seemed to transform into lively tentacles, climbing up the shoes, up his ankles, thighs, waist, wrists, and neck...

It's no use tearing them apart, because they will just come back together after they disperse and then wrap around him again.

Therefore, he would rather stay than leave.

Stay and ask clearly where exactly the problem occurred.

Pale fingertips tapped out of tune on the table covered with a gold-threaded white cloth. The next second, before Jiang Siran could get up and grab Li Qingran despite the strong pheromones around him, he saw the tall and slender figure in front of him sway slightly twice before slowly turning around.

Black strands of hair fell beside her ears, and her grey eyes, which met his gaze, seemed to sparkle with sunlight that had secretly shone in from somewhere.

"You've been following me." Jiang Siran heard him speak slowly, and a hint of doubt rose in his gray eyes, which were filled with scattered light.

"Why?" Li Qingran asked. "Why did you find me? I clearly told you my name was Su Jingyi that day."

So why is that? Instead of getting involved with the main character, you're trying to trick a cannon fodder character who shouldn't have any connection with the villain?

Li Qingran wanted to know, and her gray eyes, like her owner's, revealed a longing for the answer.

At this moment, he was like a simple, eager student, his expression calm, staring expectantly at his teacher, hoping that he could answer all his questions.

However, the pheromones released from him were manic and completely uncontrollable.

A pheromone scent, mixed with a hint of wood, swept towards Jiang Ran in front of the screen like a blizzard. First, it cut silent openings in the air, and then it flowed into every pore of his body through those openings, penetrating his flesh and seeping into his blood, burning all the way to his brain along his nerves, making him unable to even straighten up.

This was significantly more pheromones than he had experienced in the alleyway before.

Jiang Siran couldn't help but open his mouth, wanting to inhale some thin oxygen. However, what flowed into his throat through his open mouth was still that icy pheromone that he should have rejected—the pheromone belonging to an Alpha. It was like a bucket of water mixed with ice being poured over him from head to toe. First, there was a bone-chilling cold, but soon, an abnormal, morbid heat would surge through his body, making his brain dizzy. Meanwhile, his Alpha nerves continued to output the violence, struggle, resistance, and anger incited by the pheromones...

These emotions pulled him to continuously release pheromones, but these pheromones were swallowed up and torn apart by the blizzard before they could be released.

Snowflakes, carrying a hint of gunpowder smoke, landed on him with a boastful air, turning into waves of pain that he could not resist.

The angrier he became, the more pronounced the pain became, to the point that he forgot to struggle, forgot to resist, and even forgot his own name, where he was going, and what he wanted to do.

All her emotions seemed to transform into excitement at that moment. Jiang Siran felt her cheeks burning and her vision gradually becoming blurry and dim.

But just before he fell into darkness, a pale hand grabbed his hair and pulled him out.

Through his blurry vision, Jiang Siran vaguely saw a golden ray of light fall on Li Qingran's lips, outlining a warm smile on his face, and even his tone seemed to soften again.

“Answer me, Jiang Siran, why didn’t you go to find Su Jingyi?”

Jiang Siran's breathing became increasingly rapid. He looked at the Alpha who had returned to his side, feeling the fine, dense pain as his scalp was being pulled, and heard himself speak in a voice that sounded like he was holding water:

"I've contacted him."

Li Qingran tilted her head.

Jiang Siran swallowed and continued:

“I looked him up. The information showed that he was an Omega, but I clearly remember that I received an Alph aura in the alley that day. Even so, when I first got the information, I was still prepared to meet Su Jingyi because I felt that since you gave me this name, you must have some kind of connection with the owner of this name.”

“My original plan was to meet with Su Jingyi first to see if I could get your identity and whereabouts from him. He initially agreed, but later, for some reason, he suddenly canceled the agreement unilaterally. I had no choice but to continue searching using my own methods.”

Jiang Siran said, then suddenly smiled, "But now I'm quite glad he canceled the agreement, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to find you so easily."

After all, who would remain indifferent and wait for a stranger to come knocking on their door after hearing that someone is asking about their boyfriend?

If Su Jingyi had kept the appointment back then, Li Qingran most likely wouldn't be living in this neighborhood, and wouldn't be so close to him now, or even reach out to touch him again, just like in his countless dreams.

Jiang Siran's face turned even redder, and a moist warmth rose to the corners of her eyes.

He seemed even more excited, but Li Qingran's face only showed confusion.

"Cancelled? When did he cancel it?"

Although Omega often acts unpredictably, he still maintains a noble demeanor when dealing with matters unrelated to Li Qingran. Li Qingran doesn't believe he would unilaterally break the agreement without a reason, unless...

Li Qingran suddenly had a bad feeling.

It was at this moment that he heard Jiang Siran reply, "Just a few days ago, about a week ago."

Li Qingran calculated the time, and it seemed to be... the day Su Jingyi stood at the door, listening to Qi Ziyan say that he would help him get through his vulnerable period.

So, Omega's cancellation of the agreement was indeed related to him.

Because he wanted to leave work early, he decided to use the second male lead to stage another cheating scene. However, instead of provoking the protagonist to open the door and break up with him, it also affected the meeting between the Omega and the villain.

Since the villains couldn't meet Su Jingyi, they naturally couldn't become addicted to the Omega's pheromones, thus entangled with him and forming an opposition with the protagonist.

He even came to him again because of this.

That's really...wow!

Li Qingran couldn't help but sigh, then released Jiang Siran's hand, took two steps back, and slumped into the chair.

The wooden chair back was digging into his back and causing him some pain, but Li Qingran couldn't care less about that at the moment.

In an instant, the Alpha seemed to lose all his strength, tilting his head back. The black hair that had been obscuring his eyes swept backward with his movement, revealing a pair of gray eyes that resembled glass beads. Beautiful and clear, yet lifeless.

Li Qingran stared silently at the ceiling. Jiang Siran carefully reached out and took his little finger, which was dangling to his side. Li Qingran ignored it, focusing only on the electronic flames leaping within the lantern. After a long while, he spoke again:

"So what exactly did you come to find me for?"

He slowly turned his head to look at Jiang Siran, who was squatting beside him, staring at him expectantly. Before the Alpha could speak, he continued to cut off the high-sounding reason.

"Don't say it's just to thank me for my help that day."

Li Qingran didn't believe that Jiang Siran had gone to so much trouble to find him just to thank him.

The other party is a major character in this world.

That's not normal.

Li Qingran quietly looked at Jiang Siran, waiting for him to give her an answer, an answer that he could vaguely guess would most likely drive 888 crazy again.

The fingers holding his little finger trembled slightly twice, and Li Qingran saw that Jiang Siran had become excited again for some reason.

He had clearly suppressed his pheromones, but the Alpha's breathing became even more rapid. The smell of gunpowder that had disappeared or been completely swallowed up in the wind and snow quietly resurfaced, tentatively drifting towards Li Qingran and sticking to him, just like Jiang Siran's fingers that had taken advantage of the situation and grabbed his entire hand.

"Of course I want to thank you. If it weren't for you, I might not have been able to leave Nancheng alive that day..."

When Li Qingran heard Jiang Siran say, "So, strictly speaking, you really are my savior. I want to repay you, but besides that, I also want to..."

Alpha stammered a little at this point, seemingly embarrassed, but Li Qingran reasonably suspected from his neck, which was so excited that the veins were bulging, that he was just trying his best to suppress himself from saying anything too rude that would provoke him to leave again.

As expected, Li Qingran watched Jiang Siran struggle to hold back before finally managing to utter the second half of the sentence, which he had revised countless times.

"I would also like to ask you to give me a chance to pursue you."

"Bang--"

Another loud bang exploded in Alpha's ears.

The constant roaring sounds were like planes whizzing past his head, shaking Gu Shiyu so much that he could barely keep his balance and couldn't hear what his subordinates were reporting to him.

The ringing incessantly made out only the indistinct words coming from the other end of the phone.

"Ever since you helped me with your pheromones in that alley, I can't help but think back to that feeling. I've even dreamed about it many times. I can't stop thinking about you. I think I've fallen for you. I want to be with you, forever and ever... Is that okay?"

Of course not!

Before that clear and gentle voice could even ring out, Gu Shiyu had already answered the question in her mind.

How could you two be together!

How could you two possibly be together?!

You're all Alphas!

Gu Shiyu gripped the railing tightly beside him, the veins on his pale hands bulging. The pheromones of red wine, carried by his emotions, poured out, almost causing his subordinates beside him to lose their balance.

"Mr....Mr. Gu?" The poor subordinate managed to speak, trying to rouse even a sliver of reason from his boss, who had suddenly descended into a rage after making a phone call.

Clearly, his call was like a pebble thrown into the ocean to the Alpha, who was engrossed in the call, without causing even the slightest ripple.

It sounded like someone's voice came from the other end of the phone again, but it was a little muffled because of the distance. Gu Shiyu unconsciously pressed the phone closer to her ear.

It's Li Qingran's voice!

He is answering Jiang Siran's question!

Realizing this, Gu Shiyu subconsciously held his breath, his broad chest stopped heaving, but his heart continued to pound fiercely below.

Thump thump—

Like a march before execution, it is urgent and anxious, making one eager for a quick release.

Fortunately, Li Qingran didn't keep Gu Shiyu waiting too long. After repeating Jiang Siran's last words in surprise, he chuckled, whether he was laughing at the Alpha's absurd idea or at the plot that should have belonged to the protagonist falling on him again.

"You like me?"

Li Qingran raised her other free hand and beckoned to Jiang Siran, who immediately moved closer to him and obediently placed her chin in the Alpha's outstretched palm.

His pale thumb pressed against his red lips, which were trembling slightly with excitement. He gently kneaded them a couple of times before stuffing them into his mouth, directly touching his sharp canine teeth.

The sharp point of his tooth pierced into Li Qingran's fingertip, but he continued to rub it as if he didn't feel the pain, until Jiang Siran couldn't help but start drooling. Only then did he withdraw his hand and lean down to slowly approach the Alpha.

In the dark green lake, Li Qingran's figure became clearer and clearer. First, there were her indifferent gray eyes, as if nothing could penetrate them; then her superior, high nose bridge; and finally, her thin lips, slightly parted and tinged with a faint pink.

Jiang Siran involuntarily raised his head, wanting to find those lips, but was stopped by Li Qingran who pinched his chin and pressed it down the moment he moved.

The next second, Jiang Siran saw the Alpha grin less than ten centimeters away from him, its canine teeth faintly visible, and at the same time, Li Qingran's cold voice rang out again.

"Look carefully, I am an Alpha, an Alpha of the same gender as you."

yes!

You are all Alphas!

How can two Alphas be together?!

On the other end of the phone, Gu Shiyu wished he could climb up the internet cable to the private room where Li Qingran and Jiang Siran were, and beat Jiang Siran, that deadbeat, to death with one punch, so that he could no longer bother Li Qingran or say anything that did not conform to the values ​​of today's society.

Unfortunately, current technology is not advanced enough to open any door with a mobile phone. So, no matter how anxious and resentful Gu Shiyu was, at this moment, he could only stand there helplessly, clutching his phone, hoping that Li Qingran would continue to say the words of rejection.

Compared to Li Qingran's non-aggressive questions, Jiang Siran's words were more aggressive and persuasive.

"I know we're all Alphas, but who says Alphas can't be with other Alphas?"

Jiang Siran looked up at Li Qingran. Although the Alpha was only pinching his chin, he seemed to be struggling to breathe, as if his neck was being choked, and his voice trembled.

"I only love you, whether you're an Alpha or an Omega, I love you, and I love the feeling of being enveloped by your pheromones..."

Gu Shiyu couldn't listen anymore.

Does Jiang Siran even believe this himself? Alphas only feel disgust and repulsion towards the pheromones of their own kind, how could they possibly like and be addicted to it, and even feel enveloped by it... This guy must be thinking of himself as an Omega!

Gu Shiyu couldn't help but want to interrupt this confession, which he found extremely bizarre. However, before he could speak, Jiang Siran's voice rang out again from the other end of the phone.

Gentle and soothing, like a snake slowly approaching its prey, or a highly deceptive bait, luring the Alpha closer.

“And I can help you get away from Su Jingyi,” Jiang Siran said. “You’ve always wanted to leave him, haven’t you? Maybe you can use me to make him willingly let you go.”

Gu Shiyu suddenly clenched her fingers.

Jiang Siran's words kept drilling into his ears.

"And this way, you won't have to get entangled with that Gu Shiyu and Qi Ziyan anymore. I'll take you back to Beicheng, far away from them, okay?"

You son of a bitch! #￥@%……￥@#%#%#！ ！ ！ ！

Li Qingran had already made an agreement with him that he would help send her away, so how could a pervert like him be here to sow discord!

Li Qingran will definitely refuse!

As Gu Shiyu thought this, her fingertips, which were tightly gripping her phone, began to tremble slightly involuntarily.

Soon, he heard Li Qingran's voice. The Alpha's tone was tinged with doubt, but more than that, it was a clear sense of unease.

"Really?"

Gu Shiyu heard him ask, "Can you really make Su Jingyi leave me willingly?"

No!

It's not true!

He's just lying to you!

Gu Shiyu opened his mouth, wanting to tell Li Qingran the truth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by a wad of cotton, dry and congested, unable to utter a sound. He could only listen to Jiang Siran's endless ramblings:

"certainly!"

"That--"

"Beep beep beep—"

Gu Shiyu hung up the phone. He didn't listen to Li Qingran's reply, nor did he have time to.

"Where is Su Jingyi now?" Gu Shiyu turned to look at his subordinate, who was sweating profusely and had somehow ended up sitting on the ground, and asked in a cold voice.

The latter finally came back to life at this moment, panting heavily as he said:

"Still picking out clothes at the manor."

He paused, then carefully observed Gu Shiyu's expression and asked:

"Has something happened, Mr. Gu? Should I go and bring Young Master Su over now?"

Judging from the pheromones he just experienced, his boss was quite angry this time.

Did they have another conflict with Young Master Su? Or is there a problem with the personnel sent to Auster Island to start the project?

The subordinate couldn't help but guess, intuitively feeling that Gu Shiyu was probably angry because of the question that came later.

After all, he had seen many confrontations between his boss and the Su family's Omega before. The Alpha's emotions had never been so agitated by the other party, to the point that he couldn't control his pheromones.

But this time he might have guessed wrong, because after hearing his words, Gu Shiyu immediately and without hesitation said:

"No need, I'll go myself!"

Given Su Jingyi's personality, it's impossible that he wouldn't have installed a location tracking system on Li Qingran's phone.

As Alpha spoke, he immediately started walking towards the parking lot. He walked very fast, and the wind lifted the hem of his black trench coat, creating a dark, billowing effect.

Li Qingran glanced at the suddenly changing weather outside the window, then turned her gaze to the Alpha in front of her, who was radiating joy and was so excited that she was almost at a loss for what to do. She then spoke calmly:

"Contact the driver."

"Now?" Jiang Siran was taken aback. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"We'll eat when we get back," Li Qingran said, pausing for a moment before smiling at Jiang Siran with a slight curve of her lips.

"I imagine your chef's cooking must taste even better."

"You want to go to me—"

Jiang Siran was so happy that she didn't know what to say.

He decided to consider today his lucky day.

Because on this day, he not only found the person he had longed to touch for so long, but the other person also agreed to use him, and now even wants to go home with him!

Will Lady Luck smile upon him again?

"Okay, okay!" Jiang Siran nodded repeatedly, his dark green eyes sparkling as he looked at Li Qingran. They no longer resembled a cold snake, but rather... a dog.

A very loyal dog to its owner.

Li Qingran smiled, then stood up. But before leaving the private room, he suddenly looked at Jiang Siran beside him, as if he had just remembered something and said:

"Oh! My phone! It just fell to the ground."

"A cell phone?" Jiang Siran turned around upon hearing this, his gaze sweeping across the ground. His narrow eyes lit up immediately after spotting a glimpse of white amidst the gray.

"Found it!"

Before Li Qingran could react, he went back into the private room, picked up his phone, and returned to her, handing it to her with a look of embarrassment on his face.

"Did I drop it when I scared you? I'm so sorry, I was just so eager to prove you were the Alpha I met in the alley, I didn't—"

"I know."

Alpha interrupted Jiang Siran by quickly opening and closing his phone. A faint smile appeared in his eyes, indicating that he was not angry about the matter. On the contrary, he seemed quite happy.

Is it because she's leaving Su Jingyi and going home with him?

Jiang Siran also laughed.

The two figures paused briefly at the door before disappearing completely; only their voices could be faintly heard through the open door of the private room.

"By the way, is the sandalwood incense so strong because you added some medicine to it?"

"...Yes, but believe me, it's not an aphrodisiac, and it won't make you lose consciousness. I just added a lot of sedatives to it. Inhaling too much will make you feel weak for a short time, but other than that, it won't have any effect on your body. I won't hurt you, and I certainly won't use drugs. You can trust me!"

A young man with black hair and green eyes stood in front of him. His black shirt outlined his broad shoulders and lean waist. He was backlit by the sun, and his figure almost completely enveloped Li Qingran. Despite his physique, which could knock him unconscious with one punch, and his appearance, which was on the cold and sharp side, he showed an anxious expression because of Li Qingran's words, and even his eyes became moist.

Li Qingran smiled, then reached out and patted his head. "I believe you."

"Yeah, right!"

In the elegant bedroom, Su Jingyi suddenly threw the coat he was holding at Gu Shiyu, who was standing at the door.

"Do you think I'd believe your nonsense?! How could Li Qingran possibly leave with Jiang Siran? They don't even know each other!"

"Why is it impossible?" Gu Shiyu reached out and slapped away the coat that flew in front of him, his dark eyes revealing obvious impatience and coldness.

"In fact, they do know each other. If you're still indulging in the fantasy that you've hidden Li Qingran well, then please wake up, turn on your location system, and see where your good brother is right now!"

"you--"

"What's wrong with me?" Gu Shiyu didn't give Su Jingyi a chance to speak at all. "Instead of wasting time arguing with me here, why don't you check your location system yourself to confirm the situation better?"

"Or are you going to escape reality again and return to the virtual world where you and Li Qingran are still in love, just like you escaped his entanglement with Qi Ziyan before!"

"Gu Shiyu!" Su Jingyi's voice was terrifyingly sharp. He trembled with rage at the Alpha's words, and his carefully styled blond hair fell loose again, making his face appear even paler and his lips even redder.

"If you're just here to mock me, then get out of here right now, before I change my mind and change our cooperation."

"Do you think I have that much free time?" Gu Shiyu's words, a stark contrast to her usual calm and silence in front of Su Jingyi, were incredibly harsh to the Omega, who was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"There's still the possibility of cooperation. I guarantee that if you keep avoiding this, even if you want to cooperate in the future, you won't have the chance at all!"

"you!"

Su Jingyi glared angrily at Gu Shiyu, who returned the glare without backing down. The tense atmosphere between the two, one an A and the other an O, seemed ready to erupt into a fight at any moment, a far cry from the affectionate demeanor they had displayed in front of the Su family just a few days prior.

They seem to be born on opposite sides. Even if their genes match to an alarming degree, they will not be attracted to each other. Their brief peace is only due to their shared goals and interests.

And now, this goal has clearly not disappeared.

Gu Shiyu took a deep breath, really not wanting to argue with Su Jingyi any further at this crucial juncture.

"If you still want to see Li Qingran, hand over your phone. It's not too late now."

But if we drag this out any longer, who knows how things will turn out.

"..." Su Jingyi didn't say anything more. His hand had been accidentally cut during the heated argument. Blood slowly slid down the back of his fair hand to his fingertips, gathering into drops of blood, which then fell "plop plop" onto the white floor, creating bright red flowers.

Omega seemed to have all his strength drained away by the flowers. He could only barely steady himself by leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window behind him. He looked extremely fragile, his face as white as paper, and his eyes empty and dull, as if his soul had flown away with him when Gu Shiyu shattered the beautiful illusion.

After a long pause, Gu Shiyu heard his hoarse voice again, "How did he meet Jiang Siran?"

"They met on the day Qi Ziyan suddenly developed a fever. Later, when Jiang Siran asked Li Qingran what her name was, he said your name. That's why Jiang Siran approached you in the first place."

Su Jingyi's eyes moved slightly.

Gu Shiyu continued, "But because you canceled the meeting, Jiang Siran went straight to Li Qingran."

"So, it was my fault after all." Su Jingyi wanted to sneer, but he didn't even have the strength to twitch his lips.

"Now is not the time to argue about who is right and who is wrong," Gu Shiyu emphasized again.

"If you still don't want to give up on Li Qingran, hurry up and take out your phone, come with me to bring Li Qingran back."

This time, Su Jingyi didn't resist. She pointed to the bedside table and said, "It's there. The password is 30020101."

As he spoke, the servants who had been huddled to the side, barely daring to breathe, poured out and surrounded Su Jingyi, carefully bandaging the Omega's wounds with their first-aid kits. Meanwhile, Gu Shiyu, who had quickly walked to the cabinet and bent down to take out his phone the moment Su Jingyi looked up, had already unlocked the phone before the other party could even reveal the password.

Long, slender fingers tapped the phone quickly, and soon a map-like image appeared on the screen. The gray background was filled with countless intricate black lines, making the entire screen look hazy, but also making the only bright red dot on the screen stand out even more.

"Has it been found?"

"Found it!"

Jiang Siran carefully presented a simple yet exquisite little box to Li Qingran.

“My grandfather gave this to me after I came home. He said it was a family heirloom of the Jiang family. It had always been worn by my grandmother. After she passed away, he locked it up. He only took it out again after I came home so that I could give it to my future spouse…”

As Jiang Siran spoke, seemingly afraid that Li Qingran wouldn't accept, he paused and added,

"It is said that if you carry it, you can unconditionally own half of the Jiang family's assets."

"oh?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingran raised an eyebrow, and then, under Jiang Siran's expectant gaze, reached out and took the box.

A small brass lock hangs on the wooden box, which can be easily opened with a gentle twist of the finger.

Li Qingran lifted the lid, and a ring inlaid with a green gemstone came into his view through the red cloth wrapped in sponge.

"Just by wearing it, you can directly own half of the Jiang family's assets?"

The green gem leaped from Alpha's fingertips with each movement. Just when Jiang Siran thought it would slip down his fingers, Alpha would gently hook it with his finger and then hang it on another finger. The ring swayed slightly with his fingers, and Jiang Siran's heart rose and fell accordingly.

For a moment, he was so nervous that he didn't even hear Li Qingran's words clearly. It was only after the Alpha repeated them that he seemed to snap out of his daze, withdrawing his gaze from the ring and reacting a beat late:

"Ah? Yes! As soon as you put it on, I'll sign the contract immediately."

"real?"

"real!"

But Li Qingran still didn't put the ring on.

In the rustic manor, in a room with a fireplace burning, an Alpha with his legs crossed rested on one hand, his chin propped up by the orange-red flames. The side of his face closest to the fireplace glowed slightly red, and even his light gray eyes seemed to be tinged with warmth. Yet, his gaze toward the ring remained indifferent, and even the way he played with the ring was casual and nonchalant.

It was as if what was dancing at his fingertips was not half a mountain of gold that would drive every member of the Jiang family crazy, but a toy casually placed on a street stall.

"you……"

"If I don't wear it, will you refuse to sign the contract?"

Before Jiang Siran could even speak, Li Qingran asked first.

Upon hearing this, the Alpha, whose face had initially shown a hint of impatience, immediately sat up straight, and even that hint of anxiety transformed into a sincere expression of loyalty.

"How could that be! Whether you wear it or not, I can give you all my assets, not just half, but all of them!"

Jiang Siran was about to get up when she said, "Wait here, I'll go draft the contract now."

So the Jiang family's assets had barely been handed over to him by Grandpa Jiang before he handed them back. I wonder if the old man, who is currently in Beicheng helping his grandson manage the overall situation, will regret going to all the trouble to find this filial son after hearing the news.

Li Qingran reached out and pulled Jiang Siran, who had already left the sofa, "I was just joking, don't take it seriously."

"But--"

"Tell me again how you reacted to my pheromones in that alley."

Li Qingran looked up at Jiang Siran, a faint blush spreading across her fair face. A thin mist clouded her grey eyes the moment she pulled him closer, creating a hazy, indistinct effect that drew Jiang Siran in, making him want to see what lay beyond the mist…

"It's... a very contradictory reaction."

Jiang Siran sat back down on the sofa, following Li Qingran's lead, his voice sounding somewhat dazed.

"At first, I felt disgust and repulsion, especially when the pheromones came over me from all sides. I felt like vomiting and wanted to fight back and give that feeling back to you."

"But later, I don't know why, all these emotions disappeared. My body was in a lot of pain, but my nerves became more and more excited. Eventually, I even wanted more, the more the better..."

The dim room swallowed most of the sounds inside. The only source of light was the fireplace, its flames flickering. The orange-yellow light followed Li Qingran's shoulder, brushed past Jiang Siran's cheek, and fell onto the gray-black floor, causing the shadows on them to overlap, undulating and swaying...

Jiang Siran's breathing became increasingly erratic. He couldn't help but want to get closer to Li Qingran, but was stopped by a finger just as he was about to kiss her.

The cool fingertips pressed between his lips, and a faint pheromone entered his mouth through the Alpha's skin, making his scalp tingle.

It seemed to be raining again outside the window, but it did not disturb the tranquility of a small house on the second floor of the manor in the slightest.

Do you still want to experience that feeling?

Amid the crackling of firewood, someone asked a question softly.

"Yes!" Jiang Siran replied immediately.

"Then will you do as I say later?"

"Help me conduct an experiment."

"After the experiment, I promise to give you the reward you want..."

Alpha's gentle voice, accompanied by a cool pheromone, landed on Jiang Siran's face. His heart began to beat faster and faster, the violent pounding making it almost impossible for him to hear what the other person was saying. He only felt the world before him blur once again.

What experiment?

What reward?

Jiang Siran was practically lying on the sofa. He used all his strength to hook his little finger around the Alpha's, and his swollen lips parted slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"What did you say?"

“I said, let them come up. Yes, both of them together…”

"Boom—"

Li Qingran put down the landline receiver and hung it back in its place.

Soon, in the quiet corridor, the long-neglected wooden planks creaked one after the other as they were stepped on.

Hasty, anxious.

Li Qingran smiled silently, her gaze following Jiang Siran beside her all the way to the window not far away.

The shadows of the trees swayed as the rain poured down.

Look, it's another beautiful day.

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Author's Note: This is a paid chapter!!! Don't forget to send out red envelopes in this chapter, my little darlings! Thank you again for your support, love you all! [heart eyes][heart eyes][heart eyes]

P.S.: Updates for the next two days will be at midnight each night, so don't forget!