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Si Qi did not ask about the content of the phone call.
He simply hugged Shao Wei tighter, as if he wanted to pass on his strength, determination, and even his life through this hug.
Shao Wei's stiff body softened little by little in his arms. Finally, his spine, which was always straight, bent slightly and his forehead rested on Si Qi's shoulder.
This was an almost dependent attitude, something that had never happened in three years of marriage.
The sound of rain outside the window became the only background sound, washing away the years of estrangement and new pain between the two.
After a long while, Si Qi loosened his arms slightly, but still kept his arm around Shao Wei. He looked down at him and said, "You need to rest. Shall I carry you back to bed?"
Shao Wei shook his head, his voice still a little hoarse, but much calmer: "I want to sit for a while."
Si Qi helped him sit down on the sofa, put a soft pillow behind his back, poured him a glass of warm water, and watched him drink it in small sips.
After doing all this, he did not leave, but knelt on one knee on the carpet in front of the sofa, looking up at Shao Wei.
This gesture made him seem less oppressive and more like an equal, even supplicant, partner.
"I won't let you face anything alone again." Si Qi looked into his eyes and said solemnly, "Whether it's the illness or any other troubles. Shao Wei, we are husband and wife, remember? Legally, emotionally, and now with the bond of the mark, we are a community."
Shao Wei's fingers tightened around the water glass, their tips turning white. He drooped his eyelashes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke softly. His voice was no longer sharp or distant, but rather carried a deep sense of fatigue and... a hint of relaxation.
"That call... was from a medical research team in Country M," he finally said. "They've been conducting research on rare diseases related to the Alpha pheromone system. My case... is unique, and they've contacted me before. The call just now said they've developed a new experimental treatment plan that might... offer a glimmer of hope."
Siqi's heart skipped a beat, and hope suddenly pierced the darkness like the light of dawn: "This is good news!"
"But the success rate is less than 30%, and the process will be very painful. It needs to be carried out entirely in Country M, with isolated treatment, a very long cycle, and the cost is exorbitant. And..." Shao Wei paused, his voice lowered, "I need to mark my Alpha to accompany me throughout the process and provide pheromone support. This means that if you accompany me, the Si family..."
Si Qi instantly understood why Shao Wei pushed him away so desperately just now.
It's not that he doesn't believe in Siqi's feelings, he is just too aware of the responsibilities and family expectations that Siqi shoulders.
Giving up the billion-dollar project has shaken the board of directors' trust. If Si Qi continues to leave his core position for a long time and go abroad to accompany him for a treatment with little hope, his position in Si Group may be in jeopardy.
At the last moment, he was still thinking about Siqi's future.
This realization was like a warm knife, causing pain in Si Qi's internal organs. He held Shao Wei's cold hand and said without hesitation, "Let's go."
"Siqi," Shao Wei frowned, "This is not something that can be decided impulsively. Your family..."
"The Si family is not as important as you."
Si Qi interrupted him firmly, "I can earn more money and fight for more status, but there's only one Shao. Let alone a 30% chance, even if it's 3%, 0.3%, as long as there's a glimmer of hope, I won't give up." He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "Trust me, I can handle it. Give me a day."
He took out his cell phone, walked to the study, and started making calls continuously.
The first call was to the special assistant, and the instructions were clear and calm: immediately organize all business in Country M and the list of work that can be handled remotely, adjust the schedule for the next three months, and free up all time.
The second call he made was to his personal financial advisor, who was trying to mobilize all available liquidity. The third call he made was to his father.
When the call was connected, there was silence from Mr. Si, suppressing his anger.
Si Qi didn't beat around the bush: "Father, Shao Wei has a treatment opportunity in Country M. I will accompany him. The time is uncertain."
"Si Qi! You're crazy!" Si's father roared through the receiver, "For a..."
"Father." Si Qi's voice was as cold as iron, carrying an unprecedented Alpha pressure. Even through the phone, it made Father Si on the other end pause for a moment, "I'm not asking for your consent, I'm just informing you.
Shao Wei is my legal spouse, and saving him is my first responsibility and wish.
I can temporarily step down from the position of Executive CEO of Si Corporation and have the Deputy General Manager take over. But if you and the board of directors decide to revoke my inheritance rights..."
He paused, then said firmly, "Then I accept."
There was a long, deathly silence on the other end of the line. Si Qi could imagine his father's face, filled with shock and anger. He had built the Si family empire, and the right of succession had always been his greatest hope and the bargaining chip he used to control Si Qi.
After a long moment, Father Si's voice came, carrying an unbelievable tiredness and coldness: "Do you know what you're talking about? For an Alpha? Someone who might not be able to be saved at all?"
"I know." Si Qi looked at the rain outside the window and said in a low but clear voice, "If he's not here, what use is there for me in the Si Group? A cold, icy vault?"
He hung up the phone without giving his father a chance to say anything. He knew it was reckless, willful, and even irresponsible. But he had already nearly lost the most precious thing in his life because of cowardice and neglect, and he couldn't repeat the same mistake.
After finishing all this, he returned to the living room. Shao Wei was still sitting on the sofa, listening to the rain quietly. His profile looked unusually quiet and flexible in the dim light.
Si Qi walked over, knelt in front of him again, and buried his face in his palm: "Everything is arranged. We can leave at any time."
Shao Wei's fingers trembled slightly in his hair, then gently dropped and stroked his hair lightly. It was an extremely gentle, almost soothing gesture.
"Was it worth it?" he asked, his voice so soft it was a sigh.
Si Qi raised his head, his eyes red, but his eyes were surprisingly bright: "You ask me if these three years were worth it? No, I'm a bastard, I'm blind. But you ask me if what I'm doing now is worth it? Shao Wei, there is no one and no thing more worthwhile than you."
He took Shao Wei's hand and placed it on his heart, letting him feel the intense and sincere beating there.
"Give me a chance to show you my sincerity, not just for a month, but for a long, long time. We need that chance, that 30% chance."
Shao Wei stared at him, his gaze deep, as if he wanted to see into the depths of his soul. As time passed, the sound of rain outside the window gradually faded, and finally stopped. A crack appeared in the clouds, and a ray of golden light from the setting sun filtered through the window lattice, scattering warmth on the two of them.
The golden light seemed to inject a ray of life into Shao Wei's pale face. He held Si Qi's hand tightly.
"Okay." He uttered one word, clear and firm.
The next few days were as busy as a war.
Si Qi handled the handover with astonishing efficiency, withstanding the tremendous pressure from his family and the board of directors. He even quickly sold several private assets to prepare for the sky-high medical expenses.
Shao Wei cooperated with Si Qi to contact Country M and prepare the complicated medical visa and preliminary examination materials.
A new tacit understanding formed between them. Si Qi no longer tried to please Shao Wei clumsily, but instead took care of all of Shao Wei's needs and dealt with all troubles decisively.
Shao Wei was no longer completely passive in accepting things. He would put forward his own opinions and occasionally even calmly discuss and argue with Si Qi about the specific details of the medical plan.
The sharp sense of confrontation vanished, replaced by a sense of alliance. The two Alphas, one strong and decisive, the other calm and resilient, their strength finally no longer used to oppose or suppress one another, but to direct towards a common goal: survival.
The night before departure, Si Qi personally helped Shao Wei pack his luggage. He meticulously sorted the medicines Shao Wei needed into different categories, labeled them, and carefully wrapped the remaining bottle of cedar-flavored soothing essential oil that Shao Wei often used and placed it in the inner compartment.
"What are you carrying this for?" Shao Wei asked, watching him move. This essential oil is very common and easy to buy in the United States.
Si Qi zipped up the suitcase, looked up and smiled: "I'm used to it. Having it by your side feels like... like a part of me is still with you, even when we are outside the isolation ward."
Shao Wei's heart felt like it was being gently bumped. Si Qi remembered all of his habits and even began to care about the meaning of companionship contained in these insignificant details.
At night, Si Qi still slept in the master bedroom, while Shao Wei stayed in the guest room. But in the middle of the night, Si Qi got up as usual and went to the guest room to check on Shao Wei. He turned the doorknob, but saw that Shao Wei was not asleep, but sitting on the headboard, looking out the window at the clear night sky.
Hearing the noise, Shao Wei turned around.
"Did I wake you up?" Si Qi asked softly, walking to the bed.
"No. I can't sleep." Shao Wei moved inward to make some space.
Si Qi hesitated for a moment, then sat down on the edge of the bed. There was no conversation between the two for a moment, but there was no awkwardness in the air; only a peaceful atmosphere flowed.
"A little nervous?" Si Qi asked.
Shao Wei nodded honestly: "Yeah. I don't know what's ahead."
"Are you scared?"
Shao Wei was silent for a moment, then looked at Si Qi. "I was afraid before. Afraid of pain, afraid of losing dignity, afraid of being left alone in the end." He paused, then spoke softly, "Now... I don't seem to be that afraid anymore."
Because I know that no matter what lies ahead, I am no longer alone.
Si Qi understood what he hadn't said, and his chest was filled with a sense of fullness. He reached out and covered Shao Wei's hand, which was resting on the quilt. Shao Wei's fingers moved, then he turned his palm and interlocked his fingers with his.
Alpha's fingers are long and strong, with thin calluses on the fingertips. When they are clasped together, they are not soft, but full of a reassuring sense of strength.
They sat in this position quietly for a long time, until Shao Wei's breathing became even and long, and he fell asleep on the pillow. Si Qi did not leave. He looked at Shao Wei's sleeping face in the moonlight from the window, and gently stroked the back of his hand with his fingertips.
This time, Shao Wei's brows were relaxed.
The next day, in the airport VIP lounge.
Si Qi went through all the details one last time, confirming all the documents and external relations. Committee Member Shao sat nearby, his face a little pale from getting up early, but otherwise in good spirits.
Suddenly, the door to the VIP room was pushed open. Si Qi looked up, his face instantly cold—the person who came was his father.
Si's father, dressed in an iron-gray suit, looked grave, his lawyer following behind him. He glanced at Committee Member Shao, his eyes complex, before finally settling on Si Qi.
"Are you still determined to leave?" Father Si spoke in a suppressed voice.
Si Qi stood up and blocked Shao Wei behind him: "Yes."
Mr. Si took a deep breath, as if about to get angry, but he suppressed it. He took a document from the lawyer and placed it on the table.
"This is the decision of an extraordinary meeting of the board of directors." Father Si's voice was emotionless. "Since you are unable to perform your duties for personal reasons, you are temporarily relieved of your position as the group's executive CEO. The vice president will take over. You will retain your board seat and dividend rights, but you will no longer be involved in the group's core decision-making for the next year."
Siqi's jawline tightened, anticipating the worst possible outcome. He reached for the document.
"Wait." Father Si held down the document and for the first time looked formally and seriously at Committee Member Shao, who was protected by Si Qi, "Mr. Shao."
Shao Wei looked back at him calmly.
Father Si's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something unpleasant, but in the end, he looked at Shao Wei's pale but calm face and his son's completely protective attitude, and he was unable to say those words after all.
He was silent for a few seconds and abruptly changed the subject: "Dr. Anderson from Country M is an old acquaintance of mine. I've already contacted him, and he'll be keeping an eye on your case."
Si Qi was stunned and looked at his father in disbelief.
Father Si avoided his gaze, still looking at Shao Wei. His tone was still not gentle, but it was less harsh than before: "The Si family...is not so mean as to kick a patient when he's down. Come back soon after you're cured. Si Qi...can't leave the core circle for too long."
After he finished speaking, he released his hand that was pressing on the document, turned around and left the waiting room without any reluctance, as if those almost awkward words of concern had never happened.
Si Qi stood there, watching his father leave, his emotions mixed. He picked up the dismissal document, feeling it weigh heavily, yet strangely relieved.
Shao Wei walked up to him at some point and gently shook his arm: "Your father...he gave in."
Although this was done in an extremely tough and face-saving manner, it was almost the greatest compromise and recognition for the powerful father. He acquiesced to Si Qi's choice and even used his own connections to provide some convenience for Shao Wei.
Si Qi turned to look at Shao Wei, shook his hand with his backhand, and threw the document into the trash can beside him: "It doesn't matter anymore. Let's go."
The boarding announcement sounded and the first-class aisle opened.
Si Qi pushed the luggage cart, and Shao Wei walked beside him. Sunlight streamed through the airport's massive glass dome, lengthening their shadows and blending them together.
As they crossed the corridor bridge and were about to step into the cabin, Shao Wei suddenly stopped and looked back at the city where they had lived for many years.
Si Qi also stopped and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Shao Wei turned back and looked at Si Qi. The golden sunlight fell into his eyes, reflecting a very light, but real warmth. He shook his head, took the initiative to reach out and hold Si Qi's hand.
"Nothing," he said. "Let's go."
To grasp that 30% of hope, to face unknown challenges, and to continue writing their future.
Hands tightly clasped, the two Alphas stepped into the cabin side by side. The door slowly closed behind them, temporarily shutting out the past rain and struggle.
Ahead lies a vast sky and an unknown journey. But this time, they walk hand in hand.
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