Drunk

"No."

Xie Yanci refused. "I'm not interested in acting."

He wanted nothing to do with the entertainment industry.

In that cesspool, even the slightest disturbance would become public knowledge.

He didn't want any baseless romantic rumors linking him to anyone.

Not even Xu Shi.

Secretary Zhou: "..."

Sigh.

Served him right, getting kicked out by his wife and having to sleep in a hotel.

Secretary Zhou fumed inwardly. His wife had actually taken the initiative to call and act coy with him!

Xie Yanci lowered his eyes, looking at his secretary, who never gossiped. "You're very interested in this?"

Secretary Zhou hurriedly shook his head. "No, not at all."

He'd better not be.

Xie Yanci didn't call him out. He turned and entered his office.

There was another meeting in half an hour. He would probably have to work until the early hours again.

Secretary Zhou handed Xie Yanci the documents to sign, sighing endlessly to himself.

He had no idea how his boss could work overtime for so many days in a row without getting tired...

Suddenly, a phone chimed in the quiet office.

Xie Yanci lowered his eyes and glanced at it.

It was a message from the butler.

[President Xie, your wife returned to the villa around seven.]

Xu Shi was home?

After considering it for a few seconds, Xie Yanci closed the contract and stood. "Postpone the meeting until tomorrow."

Secretary Zhou: "!"

He knew it. As long as his wife was willing to give President Xie the time of day, this aloof Overbearing CEO would be absolutely desperate to go home.

No more overtime!

Long live Xu Shi!

Secretary Zhou hurriedly nodded and quickly gathered the things on the desk. "I'll notify the board."

Xie Yanci nodded.

After a moment's thought, he decided to stop Secretary Zhou just as he was about to leave. "Find a day when I'm free and arrange a meal with Song Zhixing."

"!"

Was he finally going to contact this famous director for his wife?

He knew it. President Xie wasn't actually as aloof and unapproachable as he looked.

Secretary Zhou hurriedly nodded. "Of course. I'll make the arrangements."

Autumn in Hong Kong City wasn't particularly cold.

At eight in the evening, the streets of Hong Kong City were still ablaze with lights.

The Maybach drove through traffic, its rear window rolled all the way down. In the dim light, the Alpha's handsome, refined profile looked a little cold.

Light and shadow crisscrossed, making his expression difficult to discern.

Honk-

Traffic was backed up, and the horns were particularly noisy.

Xie Yanci slowly opened his half-closed eyes. After so many days of overtime, he really was exhausted.

He sighed.

Lowering his eyes, he quietly stared at the silver wedding band on his ring finger.

Once this year was over, their six-year marriage contract would come to an end.

He and Xu Shi would divorce, too.

He didn't feel reluctant. He didn't love Xu Shi.

He simply wasn't quite used to no longer hearing that mischievous voice around him.

The car stopped outside the Xie Family villa.

Holding his suit jacket in one hand, Xie Yanci got out at an unhurried pace.

He opened the villa's door. No lights were on inside, but a pungent smell of alcohol greeted him.

Xie Yanci instinctively covered his nose.

With a click, the bright lights in the living room came on.

"Mm..."

Lying on the sofa, Xu Shi rolled over. Unable to adjust to the sudden brightness, he let out a few little whines.

Xie Yanci said nothing. He turned off the main lights and switched on an amber wall lamp instead.

Only after changing his shoes and disinfecting himself in the entryway did he slowly approach.

His cool, indifferent eyes swept over the coffee table.

All sorts of wine bottles stood on it, each one a red wine that had been treasured in the underground wine cellar for a long time.

Every bottle had been opened. Little had been drunk; it had all been poured onto the floor.

Xie Yanci was a clean freak. He stood on a clean patch without moving.

Suddenly, Xu Shi straightened and sat up on the sofa.

His pajamas hung slightly loose, revealing a slender, snow-white shoulder. He wasn't wearing pajama bottoms, leaving his soft, fleshy thighs exposed before the Alpha.

Xu Shi wasn't fully awake yet. Teardrops clung to his lashes, and the corners of his eyes were tinged red.

His thin, glistening lips were slightly pursed. He had no idea how alluring his languid, dazed appearance was to the Alpha.

Xie Yanci watched from a distance, his unreadable eyes narrowing slightly.

His long fingers gently turned the ring on his ring finger as a few filthy thoughts surfaced in his mind at an inappropriate moment.

"..."

Xu Shi rubbed his eyes groggily. The first thing he did upon waking was pick up another bottle of red wine.

Tilting his head back, he poured it straight into his mouth.

"Slow down!"

The floor was covered in dirty liquid.

Xie Yanci hesitated for a second, then walked straight over and forcibly snatched the wine bottle from Xu Shi's hand.

He knelt on one knee before Xu Shi, a large patch of his suit trousers getting soaked.

"Give it back!" Xu Shi reached out and flailed wildly for a long while.

A tear fell with a plop.

His skin was fair, and his eyes and the tip of his nose instantly flushed red. With tears shimmering in his eyes, he looked heartbreakingly pitiful.

Xie Yanci had never seen Xu Shi truly cry. The hand holding his fingertips paused slightly, then he reached up to cup Xu Shi's face.

Gently wiping the tears from Xu Shi's face with his warm fingertips, he asked softly, "What happened? Who bullied you?"

He knelt on one knee before Xu Shi, lower than him. His voice was unusually gentle, as though coaxing him.

Xu Shi shook his head, unwilling to say.

Only his tears kept falling.

He had always been strong-willed. For him to cry so bitterly now, he must have suffered a tremendous injustice.

"Tell me. Who bullied you?" Xie Yanci's tone grew firmer, as though he were holding something back.

"Who are you?" Xu Shi tilted his head and looked at him.

"..."

He was still drunk. It was normal not to recognize people.

Xie Yanci comforted himself.

His thin lips moved, but he simply couldn't get the words "your husband" out.

Suddenly, someone pinched his right cheek.

Xu Shi smiled, his tear-bright, shattered eyes especially alluring. "You're so handsome. If only you were my husband."

That sticky little hand kept wandering over Xie Yanci's face.

For once, Xie Yanci didn't get angry. He took his little hand and gently kissed the back of it.

"Tell me. Who bullied you?"

Hearing someone express concern for him, Xu Shi couldn't stop his tears from falling again. "Will you help me?"

"I will," Xie Yanci said.

He didn't hesitate at all, which instead left Xu Shi stunned for a few seconds.

"This evening, Xiao Chi said there was a banquet where we could meet lots of directors."

"We didn't have invitations, so we sat outside and waited. We wanted to wait until the banquet ended, then run up and introduce ourselves to those directors. Maybe we could land a role or two."

"But then an Omega I didn't know suddenly came over and called me ugly. He said I'd stolen his boyfriend, and he even threw a glass of red wine in my face."

"They all laughed at me. Sob..."

Xu Shi was full of grievances, making no mention at all of beating that Omega into the hospital.

Xie Yanci's brows drew together slightly. His fingertips unconsciously brushed the reddened corners of Xu Shi's eyes, anger roiling in his pitch-black gaze.

"My fault."

"It was all my fault..."

The Alpha lowered his eyes, murmuring to himself.

Xu Shi hadn't heard him clearly and instinctively bent forward, drawing closer. "What did you say..."

Before he could finish, his lips were sealed with a kiss.

"Mm..."