Are We Dating?

"Brother, can we go out?"

After washing the dishes, Pei Jiaqian took off his apron and looked at Ye Qingpu expectantly.

"Go out?"

Ye Qingpu froze slightly. Given their current physical conditions... but when he saw the tentative look in Pei Jiaqian's eyes, Ye Qingpu hesitated—there always seemed to be a hint of ingratiating pleading when he looked at him.

"Your leg..."

He was worried. Although Pei Jiaqian's leg injury had not damaged the ligaments, the dozen-plus stitches were still horrifying to look at. Ye Qingpu wondered whether this man simply did not feel pain or was just stubbornly putting on a brave front.

"The wound on my leg barely hurts when I walk. I'm an enigma, and I recover fairly quickly. Brother, you don't need to worry about me, okay?"

As he spoke, Pei Jiaqian wrapped his arms around Ye Qingpu's waist and buried his head against Ye Qingpu's shoulder.

He seemed to really like this gesture. With the slightest tilt of his head, he could see the bite-mark scar on the other man's gland and smell the pheromones filling the tip of his nose.

Pei Jiaqian liked the scent of Ye Qingpu's pheromones. It made him feel as though his soul had been touched.

"Okay? Hmm?"

He asked softly, rubbing his hair against Ye Qingpu's sensitive ear.

Helpless, Ye Qingpu could only agree. He called in bodyguards to protect Pei Jiaqian in secret.

The two had the driver take them near the central plaza.

To avoid attracting unnecessary trouble, they had deliberately changed into less conspicuous casual clothes. Pei Jiaqian had even specially put a cap and mask on Ye Qingpu.

Ye Qingpu sat in his wheelchair, letting Pei Jiaqian push him along as they wandered at an unhurried pace.

"What do you usually do when you're not working, Brother?"

Pei Jiaqian's gentle voice came from above and behind him.

After thinking for a moment, Ye Qingpu answered,

"Read materials, take finance classes, study stocks. Other than that, watch movies, follow anime, read novels, and sleep."

The answer surprised Pei Jiaqian somewhat. He imagined thirty-year-old Ye Qingpu sprawled on the sofa, hugging a pillow and holding a tablet while catching up on anime.

He embellished the image, imagining Ye Qingpu wearing nothing but a white shirt that reached past his hips...

Pei Jiaqian's heart tightened. His gaze, somewhat burning, swept over Ye Qingpu's half-exposed nape beneath his open collar.

This heat cycle had hit more fiercely than usual. When he had gone into heat overseas before, doctors had advised him to find a temporary partner or use the hospital's designated omega or alpha pheromones for comfort. But Pei Jiaqian had only taken double doses of suppressant injections to restrain his restless pheromones, locked himself away, swallowed two sleeping pills, and slept for a day or two until it passed.

He had no interest in other people, other things, or anyone's pheromones. Yet the moment he returned to the country, he had gone straight to Ye Qingpu's door and knocked. At first sight of that "beta" leaning against the doorframe, his eyes cold yet inquisitive, sleeves rolled high and shirt collar slightly open, he had gotten hard.

He had gambled that Ye Qingpu was kindhearted, so he fabricated a tragic background and tricked him into believing he was a helpless omega with a fragile psyche.

He had thought Ye Qingpu was too shrewd to believe such made-up nonsense. But after he had performed his grief and finished recounting his "tragic background," the tender, affectionate look in Ye Qingpu's eyes had convinced Pei Jiaqian—this man was cold on the outside but warm within, softhearted to the core. Pei Jiaqian was glad he had bet right.

Almost every day when facing him, he was in an excited state—he wanted Ye Qingpu, wanted him like crazy.

So, using his identity as a personal bodyguard, Pei Jiaqian added something to Ye Qingpu's honey water for sleep every day, then climbed into Ye Qingpu's bed in the middle of the night, indulging night after night.

Watching Ye Qingpu wake in terror only to be knocked unconscious by him again gave Pei Jiaqian unprecedented satisfaction. Even when he was beaten up and punished by an exasperated Ye Qingpu, Pei Jiaqian considered it nothing more than a little flirtation.

He enjoyed it immensely.

His methods might have been somewhat shameful, but what did it matter? Ye Qingpu remembered him and had a deep impression of him.

From then on, Pei Jiaqian had felt that he could only belong to Ye Qingpu...

"What are you thinking about?"

Ye Qingpu's voice pulled Pei Jiaqian back from his thoughts. He came to himself just in time to see Ye Qingpu looking up at him in confusion.

Pei Jiaqian's heart grew hot. He bent down and pressed his lips to Ye Qingpu's.

Even through the mask, he could feel the man's face flush instantly. Pei Jiaqian found him unbearably adorable and straightened up, silently watching him.

"Hey... we're in public..."

Ye Qingpu sounded embarrassed.

"Does Brother mean it's fine as long as we're not in public?" Pei Jiaqian asked as he pushed him forward. "Then shall we go to an alley or the restroom?"

Hearing that, Ye Qingpu looked up at him.

"Are you serious?"

"Does Brother want me to be serious? To be honest, I really do want to do that."

"...You're not allowed."

When Ye Qingpu caught sight of the stitched wound beneath Pei Jiaqian's collar, his eyes darkened. Yet the flush had not faded from his face as he muttered under his breath.

"I'm teasing you, Brother. It's safer to be affectionate at home. Otherwise, if someone else saw Brother looking all adorably dazed, I'd go crazy with jealousy~"

"You smooth talker..."

Ye Qingpu felt his face growing warm. He guessed it might be because he was wearing a mask.

Pei Jiaqian suddenly pushed him into a flower shop decorated in a woodland style. Ye Qingpu thought that this man was planning to buy flowers.

Was it a special day? Ye Qingpu did not understand.

He silently watched as Pei Jiaqian seriously selected several Scottish Green Roses, then spoke with the shop assistant and wrapped the flowers himself.

As expected, Ye Qingpu knew the flowers were for him.

"Brother, love begins with a bouquet of flowers."

Pei Jiaqian knelt before Ye Qingpu, looking like a little dog—a puppy with its ears perked up, waiting for praise from its owner because it had not caused any trouble.

What an adorable little thing.

Ye Qingpu chuckled softly and touched his earlobe.

"Thank you. I'll give you flowers too—white jasmine roses. I wish you a happy relationship."

Pei Jiaqian froze. Then his face suddenly heated up, and he hurriedly buried it in his hands resting on Ye Qingpu's lap.

Dating? Was he dating Brother...?

"Phew—" Pei Jiaqian let out a heavy breath, abruptly raised his head, and looked at Ye Qingpu with blazing eyes.

"I saw everything Brother said to the media. You didn't say it to me in person, but I'll take it as Brother confessing to me."

Reminded of it, Ye Qingpu smiled helplessly.

"It was a confession. What about it? You don't want to date me?"

After saying that, he haughtily lifted his chin, though his gaze was utterly gentle.

"I do." Pei Jiaqian's tone was certain. "I really, really do. But I want even more to do some excessive things beyond the pure love Brother talked about... Can I kiss you?"

The tips of Ye Qingpu's ears reddened. When he caught the shop assistant's utterly speechless expression beside them, his face turned scarlet. Fortunately, the mask hid it. He pushed away Pei Jiaqian's arm resting on his lap and urged in a low voice,

"...Let's go first. We can talk when we get home..."

"Okay~"

Pei Jiaqian was amused by his shy appearance. After paying, he pushed him out of the flower shop.

"Brother... we're dating, right?"

"Mm."

"That's wonderful... Brother has to make up for the kiss when we get home~"

"I know..."

"Ah... Brother's red ears are so cute. As expected, should we find an alley or a restroom after all?"

"Shut up!"

"Okay~ I'm teasing you, Brother. Make it up to me when we get home~ For now, let's go on our date."