Green, Healthy, and Fresh

"D-does it have to be me?" Li Mao licked his lips and spoke again as if making a desperate last stand.

"Mm-hmm." Wan Fuqi answered as though it were only natural. "It has to be you."

Li Mao temporarily gave up struggling and silently wrestled with himself.

After a while, Wan Fuqi pressed close and gently rubbed his cheek against Li Mao's.

Li Mao was practically digging up Wan Fuqi's ancestors to curse every last one of them.

But all he could do was force a miserable smile and ask, "Do you really not want to th-think it over again? I'm just some lousy Alpha. Wh-what's so good about me? I c-can't even speak properly."

Wan Fuqi reached out and stroked the back of Li Mao's golden head, sincerely remarking, "Talking like that is what makes you cute..."

His voice carried an unconcealed, sinister smirk.

Li Mao could even hear his teeth chattering and knocking together in fear.

"You're shaking." Wan Fuqi's hand hovered lightly over Li Mao's back, as if he had discovered something amusing.

"So cute."

Then he flashed a brilliant smile. "You're my first Alpha."

Mad dog...

That was Li Mao's only assessment of Wan Fuqi.

Suddenly, as if he had finally remembered something, he cried, "D-don't m-mark me!"

Li Mao did not want to become an Alpha who had to rely on someone else's pheromones for the rest of his life.

Wan Fuqi replied with malicious amusement, "You know you have no room to bargain, don't you? The choice is entirely in my hands, and I told you from the start that you'd already wasted the few chances you had to beg for mercy."

Li Mao softened his voice. "I know I was wr-wrong, but I was only taking m-money to do a job. The person who really w-wanted to hurt you was someone else. I c-can help you find the boss behind this. I can help you g-get revenge! Please... don't permanently mark me..."

Wan Fuqi already had a rough idea who had put Li Mao up to this.

Even if he did not, he had no need for Li Mao to investigate for him.

But he rather enjoyed teasing his new pet right now.

So Wan Fuqi cooperatively asked, "How much did they offer you to drug me?"

"Two thousand," Li Mao confessed honestly.

"Oh?" Wan Fuqi continued, "You'll drug someone for two thousand. Does that mean four thousand could buy my life?"

Li Mao shook his head in despair, yet firmly upheld his principle. "A-anyway, as long as the money's right, an-anything can be discussed..."

Wan Fuqi let out an amused hum at his answer. Pinching Li Mao's chin, he turned his face toward him.

"Then what about dating me? Name your price. I think you're quite to my taste."

Li Mao opened his eyes.

Wan Fuqi lifted his chin and said, "Call me something nice, and I'll let you go tonight."

This time, Li Mao hurriedly seized the hard-won opportunity. Fighting back the urge to vomit, he called, "H-husband."

"What do you want your husband to do?" Wan Fuqi coaxed him patiently.

Li Mao gritted his teeth. "L-let me go..."

"Say it all together. Who am I to you, and what do you want me to do?"

Li Mao pressed his lips together, the veins at his temples throbbing violently.

"H-husband, l-let me go."

Wan Fuqi tilted his head and knowingly asked, "Don't you understand what it means to say it all together? Stop breaking it up randomly."

Li Mao clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into the tender flesh of his palms.

He took a deep breath and tried again. "Husband, l-let..."

"You broke off," Wan Fuqi mercilessly reminded him.

Li Mao glared at Wan Fuqi and tried again.

"Husband, please let me go t-tonight..."

Wan Fuqi could not hold back his laughter. "Failed again, darling."

Li Mao collapsed and pounded the bed, roaring, "I-I'm f-fucking stuttering! I c-can't speak smoothly! J-just kill me!"

Wan Fuqi stroked Li Mao's head. "Don't act cute. If you won't call me that, I'll take it as you forfeiting."

At that, Li Mao's eyes reddened. He glared resentfully at Wan Fuqi, took several deep breaths, closed his eyes, and quickly shouted, "Husband, please let me go tonight... Hah!"

"You fucking..." Li Mao lowered his head and cursed in a tearful voice.