Friends

Ye Qingpu's hand paused as he opened the social media app. He could more or less guess who it was. After hesitating for a moment, he tapped accept.

In the hospital, Pei Jiaqian lay in his bed scrolling through short videos when a notification suddenly popped up: "Petrichor has accepted your friend request."

His eyes immediately widened. In his excitement, his phone slipped from his fingertips and smacked heavily into his mouth. Right after that, he let out a series of high-pitched, enthusiastic sounds, rather like a preschooler learning how to pronounce "o."

Pei Shuang, standing beside him, looked openly disgusted.

"They only accepted your friend request. Was that really necessary?"

"You don't understand."

Pei Jiaqian sat curled up at the head of the bed, cradling his phone like a treasure. When he had gotten Ye Qingpu's contact information from one of his sister's friends, he had never expected the other man to actually accept. He felt both flattered and overwhelmed.

"Oh, calm down. What if Boss Ye thinks you're some business partner? Or maybe anyone can add him that easily? Don't get love-brained, little brother. Boss Ye probably doesn't even know who added him." Pei Shuang looked at him with amusement.

"Sei un tipo di persona a cui piace davvero rovinare l'umore?" (Are you the type who really enjoys raining on people's parades?)

"Oh my, an Enigma who came back from Europe really is something else."

"Can't you encourage me a little, Sis? I'm pursuing the Pei Household's future one and only daughter-in-law." Pei Jiaqian frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Do your best." Pei Shuang gave him a perfunctory smile.

"I need to catch a flight. This business trip will probably take around a week round-trip. I should make it back in time for your birthday."

"Goodbye, Sis."

Pei Jiaqian stared thoughtfully at his chat with Petrichor, his expression conflicted.

Pei Shuang shook her head helplessly. Boys really did grow up and leave home. He had been so clingy when he was little.

As the door shut tightly, the hospital room fell silent. Only Pei Jiaqian's rapid, powerful heartbeat could be heard.

He wasn't even nervous when talking to his brother in person, so why was sending a message making him this nervous?

His long fingers hovered over the screen, unable to press down for a long while.

"President Pei?"

When that message suddenly popped up in the chat, Pei Jiaqian's breath caught.

His brother knew it was him!

"Yes, Brother. Just call me by my name~"

"Got it."

"Have you started work, Brother?"

"Mm."

"You've worked hard, Brother~"

"Not hard. Just a hard life."

Pei Jiaqian snorted at the message.

So his brother was the deadpan-humor type? After thinking for a moment, he opened his camera, took a photo out the window, and sent it.

Unfortunately, the other man did not reply.

He lay on his stomach, scrolling up and down through the sparse handful of messages, pulling down to refresh, then pulling down again.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingpu sat in his enormous office, having put down his phone as he quietly listened to his assistant explain the day's itinerary.

In a while, he had to shake hands with some boss. Then he had to sign something with some executive. After that, he needed to inspect some location, and then attend another executive's dinner party...

By the time the busy day was over, little remained of Ye Qingpu's good mood from that morning.

At long last, it was time to get off work. Most employees left on time, while a small number still lingered eagerly at their desks.

Through the blinds, Ye Qingpu saw quite a few employees still rushing to finish proposals, working themselves into a frazzled mess.

As the boss, it seemed rather inappropriate for him to simply leave work in a hurry with a clear conscience. So, he sent a large red packet to the employee group chat and had his assistant order food and drinks for everyone still at their desks.

"Holy shit, the boss sent a red packet?"

"How much did you get?"

"Two hundred?!"

"Fuck, I got eighteen hundred!"

"Look at how much the boss sent!"

"Fuck, twenty thousand!"

"Long live President Ye!"

"Blessings upon the boss!"

"With a thunderous boom in the sky, this servant slides to his knees before you!"

"President Ye, you! Are my god!"

After doing all that, Boss Ye left work with a clear conscience, briefcase in hand, and took the elevator downstairs.

Leaning back in the rear seat of the Maybach, Ye Qingpu finally relaxed. He habitually coughed lightly twice, then vaguely remembered that he had forgotten to reply to a message.

He took out his phone and opened the chat. What greeted him was a picture of tree branches against a blue sky, with an unidentified little bird perched on one of them.

The second photo was from the same angle and location, but taken at a different time, so the content was somewhat different as well.

"Brother, this little bird is so dumb."

"Brother, another little bird flew over."

"Brother, even little birds have others of their kind to keep them company. I want to see you too~"

Looking at the messages sent at different times, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on Ye Qingpu's lips.

Then he suddenly snapped awake, realizing that he seemed to be treating the man who had forced him far too well.

He covered his mouth and coughed twice, then looked at the assistant driving in front.

"Open the window a little."

"Yes, Boss."

"...Did you change your perfume?" Ye Qingpu frowned. Why had he been smelling all sorts of scents today?

"No, Boss."

Watching his boss through the rearview mirror, the assistant broke out in a cold sweat. Could it be that what you're smelling is pheromones...? You may have been permanently marked, but you only just transformed, Boss.

The assistant silently grumbled to himself and did not dare make a sound, afraid that his boss had yet to adapt to being an omega.

"Oh, right. Go to Jinxiang Residence. I arranged to have dinner with Jiang Jifu. Leave the car there later and get off work yourself."

Ye Qingpu replied to something on his phone, then leaned back against the seat.

The change in gender had made him many times more sensitive to pheromones. Back when he had been a beta, he could not smell pheromones, so he could not tell which people toasting him were alphas and which were omegas. Most of the time, he relied on their builds to judge.

Fortunately, most of those holding dominant positions in the circles of fame and fortune were alphas. Though he had seemed out of place as a beta, what did it matter? He was the one being toasted, after all.

When the car pulled up outside Jinxiang Residence, Ye Qingpu had barely placed his hand on the door when a streak of red shot inside.

"Holy crap, drive, drive!"

Jiang Jifu pulled down his mask, his tone anxious as he panted heavily.

Ye Qingpu instinctively shifted aside and caught the oncoming scent of pheromones.

"What happened to you?"

Ye Qingpu looked outside the car window. A group of people holding small light signs were being held back by security guards. They shoved and screamed, looking rather terrifying.

The assistant immediately understood and started the engine.

Jiang Jifu leaned back in his seat, took a drink of water, and only then spoke.

"I was followed by sasaeng fans."

"Big stars really are different. You can't even have a peaceful meal." Ye Qingpu teased with a laugh.

"Can't be helped. My whereabouts have probably already been exposed by now. It'll be difficult to eat at the restaurant again. Their information travels incredibly fast—they follow me wherever I go."

Jiang Jifu sighed quietly.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Qingpu raised his wrist to check the time before speaking.

"It's still early. We can buy groceries and cook at my place."

"But I really miss grilled meat~~~ BBQ~"

"...Then let's go to my villa in the suburbs. There are grilling tools there, and we can barbecue in the yard. If we get on the highway now, we'll arrive a little after eight."

Ye Qingpu had always been very indulgent toward the only nephew he was close to.

"Should the little assistant come too? It'll be livelier with one more person," Jiang Jifu asked.

Assistant: ...Me? Me?

"If you're tired, you can refuse. After work, we're no longer superior and subordinate. We can get along as friends," Ye Qingpu added.

"I can do it! Leave buying the ingredients to me!" the assistant hurriedly agreed.

Ye Qingpu gave a soft acknowledgment. Feeling his phone vibrate, he took it out to look at it, his expression thoughtful.

After hesitating for a moment, he slowly said,

"Don't get on the highway yet. We're picking someone up first."