An Old Acquaintance of That Damn Madman

Ye Qingpu had thought Pei Jiaqian's talk of a date was just teasing, but buying milk tea, watching movies, customizing matching couple's rings, taking a four-frame photo strip together... no matter how he looked at it, these were things people in the honeymoon phase would do.

He had to admit that Pei Jiaqian was exceptionally good at loving someone.

It left Ye Qingpu with complicated feelings—was this simply puppy's nature, or was it only toward certain things and certain people?

"Is something bothering you, Brother?"

Sitting by a flower bed in the park, Pei Jiaqian scooped up a bite of cake and fed it to Ye Qingpu, then suddenly asked.

Ye Qingpu fell silent and looked at him quietly. Several times, he seemed on the verge of speaking, but in the end, he was too embarrassed to ask. He merely shook his head perfunctorily.

"No, nothing's bothering me."

Pei Jiaqian wiped the cream from the corner of Ye Qingpu's mouth with his fingertips. As he reached for a tissue to wipe his hands, he accidentally knocked over the little cake, splattering it all over his pant legs.

"Ah... Brother's little cake is gone."

Seeing his troubled expression, Ye Qingpu could not help laughing softly, his tone rather helpless.

"Now isn't the time to worry about the cake, is it? You need to wash your pants with some water."

"Mm, that's true. I'll buy Brother another little cake later."

Pei Jiaqian picked up the cake box from the ground and threw it into a nearby trash can.

"Can Brother wait here for me a moment? There are quite a lot of people by the public restroom right now."

"Alright, I'll wait for you."

Ye Qingpu smiled and waved at him.

Watching his figure gradually recede into the distance, Ye Qingpu smiled, withdrew his gaze, and quietly breathed in the fragrance of the flowers in the greenbelt.

The evening breeze seeped into him. The air was warm, not stifling, suffused with the feeling of first love.

First love? He was not sure. In any case, he had never felt like this before.

Ye Qingpu leaned back in his wheelchair, enjoying the rare comfort.

Before meeting Pei Jiaqian, Ye Qingpu had never imagined that one day he would be on the receiving end.

Even if he was a beta, and a beta in rather poor health at that, Ye Qingpu had always believed he would be the one in control.

After all, money could make the devil turn millstones. All he had to do was curl a finger, and quite a few high-quality omegas and even alphas would willingly submit beneath him.

But he had never done that. First, he had always kept himself clean and followed a life of abstinence. Second, no matter how much someone suited his tastes, he simply could not stir up any interest.

But after Pei Jiaqian had forced himself on him, Ye Qingpu had to admit it—it felt fucking amazing.

Faced with Pei Jiaqian's practiced skills, Ye Qingpu sometimes wondered whether the man was some seasoned playboy. But then he thought, what did it matter? He was a little jealous, but Pei Jiaqian was his now.

Sometimes, it was nice to be a little willful, to stop worrying so much and simply enjoy the present.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Ye Qingpu's lips.

The sound of footsteps behind him pulled him from his thoughts. He assumed it was Pei Jiaqian, but when he turned around, he saw someone familiar whom he had not contacted in a long time.

The man wore a crisp suit and glasses. He looked composed, with an air of scholarship about him. His expression was calm, and his tone respectful.

"Mr. Ye, it has been a long time. I've come to ask you to take a trip with me."

Ye Qingpu's eyes darkened, and even his tone turned much colder.

"Another day. I don't have time today."

"I advise you to come with me," the man said with a smile.

"...I'm waiting for someone. Let me explain a few things to him before I go with you."

Ye Qingpu felt somewhat helpless. Of all times, they had to come looking for him now.

"We'll inform Young Master Pei. It's getting late. It would be best to leave now."

"...Got it. Let's go." Ye Qingpu took out his phone and sent a message, then looked up at the man. "Sorry to trouble you."

The man nodded knowingly and pushed Ye Qingpu into a black business vehicle.

Ye Qingpu sat by the window, watching the scenery outside slide backward.

He had not seen that person in a long time. Ye Qingpu felt a trace of awkwardness and... fear at the thought of their coming meeting.

"Mr. Ye, let me explain something in advance. Our master already knows that you were transformed into an omega."

The man in the driver's seat glanced at him through the rearview mirror, his tone unhurried.

At those words, Ye Qingpu's heart skipped a beat, and a trace of disdain appeared in his eyes.

He remained silent the entire way, checking his phone quietly. There were no new messages.

The car did not stop until it arrived before a detached villa in the suburbs.

The man took out the wheelchair, helped Ye Qingpu out of the car, then pushed him into the first-floor living room.

"Our master is in the study. He'll probably be down in a—"

Before the man could finish, a figure dressed in black appeared at the turn of the stairs. He wore the same kind of half-rim glasses, his features deep-set, his high-collared shirt neat, and his expression somewhat stern.

"You came."

"If I didn't, who knows what madness you'd pull," Ye Qingpu sneered.

The man descended the stairs, directly brewed two cups of coffee, and handed one to Ye Qingpu. Then he crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa, his probing gaze settling on Ye Qingpu.

"You've lost weight?"

Ye Qingpu did not avoid his gaze in the slightest. His expression was only cold and distant.

"I wonder what good news the mayor, who handles countless affairs every day, has for a businessman like me."

"If I said I missed you, would you believe me?" Pei Louxuan set down his coffee cup, his gaze softening considerably.

"Mr. Mayor really knows how to disgust people." Ye Qingpu's eyes were full of contempt.

"...You're the only one who dares speak to me like that." Pei Louxuan smiled helplessly.

That smile made Ye Qingpu's vision blur for a moment—he kept feeling that this person resembled someone.

"If you don't get to the point, my mouth won't be as polite to you as my face is." Ye Qingpu gave him a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Heh." A faint smile tugged at Pei Louxuan's lips.

"Fine, then I'll get straight to the point—I want you to stay away from Pei Jiaqian."

Only after hearing that did Ye Qingpu realize why Pei Louxuan's smile had seemed so familiar. He looked as though he and Pei Jiaqian had been carved from the same mold.

They shared the same surname and looked rather alike. Could it be... Pei Jiaqian and the mayor were actually biological father and son? Then that would involve a lonely question.

Seeing that Ye Qingpu said nothing, Pei Louxuan added,

"If I remember correctly, your company was sealed up, and you've been losing tens of millions a day... I can solve your troubles and give you everything you want, on the condition that you stay out of Pei Jiaqian's marriage alliance with the Jian Household."

"Tch."

Ye Qingpu rolled his eyes, his gaze as impolite as his tone.

"I'll give you a hundred million. Stay out of our business."

"Who do you think you have to thank for achieving what you have today?" Pei Louxuan lifted a brow, studying the person before him with an amused look.

"I really am grateful for your help back then, but do you dare say you had no selfish motives? Pei Louxuan, after all this time without seeing each other, you're still just as disgusting."

"I'm doing this for your own good."

"Shut up. I don't know why you people are so determined to make Pei Jiaqian marry into the Jian Household, but since he said he doesn't want to, I won't allow you to force him."

"You have no idea how much this matter involves."

"I don't fucking want to know." Ye Qingpu's tone was icy, edged with anger.

"I'm not interested in the affairs of you powerful people at all, but if it concerns Pei Jiaqian, then I have to interfere. If you brought me here just to talk about this, then please send me back."

"You're such a fucking stubborn bastard," Pei Louxuan said helplessly.

"What kind of person I am, don't you know that better than anyone?" Ye Qingpu gave a cold snort.

"Send me back. Now."

Pei Louxuan's probing gaze finally settled on Ye Qingpu's face.

"Don't get so worked up. It's bad for your health."