Chapter 41 part 1
"…What?"
Qin Yao’s gaze froze, his facial expression showing confusion and blankness. Seeing the tears welling up in Bai He’s eyes, he stood there, at a loss, frozen in place.
In just a moment, he instinctively raised his hand, his large, warm palm gently cradling Bai He’s cold face. His fingertips softly brushed against Bai He’s reddened eyes, the moisture clinging to them.
Qin Yao lowered his head, carefully looking at Bai He, his voice soft, “Bai He, what’s wrong?”
Bai He pressed his lips tightly together, his once flushed face now drained of all color. The next moment, he raised his hand, prying Qin Yao’s hand away, and took a step back. His sore eyes stared at Qin Yao, teeth clenched, his face tense, even his lips trembling.
He said nothing, yet it felt as though he had said so much.
The Alpha’s heart involuntarily tightened.
Before he could react, Bai He lowered his head, sidestepped him, and quickly walked toward the elevator, leaving Qin Yao behind.
The elevator showed it was on the fifth floor. Bai He’s fingers frantically pressed the button a few times. Hearing the sound of leather shoes following him, he immediately turned and headed into the nearby stairwell.
From the second floor to the first, it was a quick descent. Bai He was almost running, but how could he possibly outrun the much larger Qin Yao?
Outside the doors of FREE, Qin Yao caught up with Bai He from behind, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back with the force of inertia. Bai He fell into Qin Yao’s embrace, his waist encircled by the other’s arms.
His body stiffened. He immediately struggled to push Qin Yao away, standing up straight. His chest felt tight and painful, his irregular breathing mixed with the bitterness welling up from deep inside.
Bai He gasped lightly, his back facing Qin Yao as he continued walking forward. Once again, he was pulled back, and Qin Yao called his name.
His gaze was empty, his eyes focused on the neatly arranged tiles beneath his feet. It wasn’t raining, yet two large teardrops fell onto the dry tiles and quickly dried up. The surging tears flowed uncontrollably, Bai He biting his lips hard, his feelings of grievance wrapping around him.
With the last bit of strength he had, he pulled his hand free, his lowered head and trembling shoulders revealing everything.
Night had fallen; the city was bustling with traffic, the noise and clamor intertwining in the distance, yet it felt both far away and close.
Bai He raised his hand to wipe away the tears, straightened up, and turned around. His tear-streaked eyes were now filled with anger. “Don’t follow me. I don’t want to see you right now.”
Qin Yao’s heart sank sharply. He took a step forward, but Bai He took a deep breath. “Qin Yao, you were right. It’s because of the pheromones.”
He pulled out a pale, weak, and sarcastic smile, stepping back as he distanced himself. “I deserved to think I really liked you. Now you’re satisfied. There’s nothing you don’t know.”
Bai He felt like a clown, stripped bare and ridiculed. All his secrets, laid bare for Qin Yao to see, including his feelings for him—leaving nothing behind.
“What are you talking about?” Qin Yao took another step forward, his heart tightening. His entire demeanor, including his expression, was cautious and careful. “What did I do to make you unhappy? Can you tell me?”
Bai He said nothing. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, yet at the same time, it seemed like he wanted to laugh, something worse than crying.
A taxi approached from the distance, and Bai He raised his hand to signal it. The driver quickly pulled up beside him.
As Bai He was about to open the back door to get in, his wrist was once again grasped. Qin Yao’s voice was hoarse and barely noticeable. “Bai He…”
“Don’t touch me.” Bai He shook him off, not looking at him, turning his head away. He quickly got into the car and, with a trembling voice, said, “Uncle, please drive.”
The driver glanced at the person in the back seat through the rearview mirror, then rolled up the window and started the car. The figure of the Alpha standing at the entrance grew more and more blurred until it was no longer visible.
Bai He quietly looked at his trembling fingertips, squeezing them tightly, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t muster any strength.
The car window isolated the noise from the outside world. As the car drove past the night market, the window slowly rolled down again. The warm night breeze, mixed with the unique scent of the market, wafted in, enveloping Bai He. He sluggishly raised his head to look outside, the dazzling night lights and the bustling crowds reflected in his eyes.
“It’s lively around here at night. You should check it out if you have the chance,” said the driver. “Young man, where to?”
Bai He snapped out of his daze and quickly gave the address of his apartment. He then softly added, “Thank you.”
“Not a problem. Nowadays, there are too many scummy Alphas. If you discover them early, it’s better to break it off quickly. Cut the cord cleanly; there’s always someone better.” The driver, an amiable man, earnestly advised Bai He, “Just don’t tie yourself to one tree.”
Bai He chuckled at his words, letting out a quiet “Mm,” and said, “You’re right.”
He looked out of the window again. There were no stars or moon in the sky, just a vast stretch of darkness.
“Uncle, can you drive a bit faster?” Bai He suddenly asked, before adding, “He knows where I live.”
“He has your house key?” the driver asked as he increased the speed.
Bai He shook his head. “It’s a password lock. I need to go back and change it.”
“No problem. Leave it to me,” the driver said with a thumbs-up. “Buckle up. I’m speeding up.”
The driver was steady, and by the time Bai He got home, he glanced at the laundry basket outside the door across from him. It was empty, no clothes inside. He went into his apartment, changed the password, and closed the door.
The room was extremely quiet. He hadn’t turned on the lights; the place was pitch black. The only light came from the window, but there was no sign of the Maine Coon on the windowsill.
He went into his bedroom, and it wasn’t there either.
Bai He’s emotions finally erupted at that moment. He slowly crouched down, burying his head in his arms, allowing his overwhelming feelings to consume him.
That night, he curled up in a corner of his bed, still in his clothes, and didn’t sleep at all.
He didn’t know how many times he heard knocking at the door. It wasn’t until late in the night that the restrained knocking finally stopped.
Bai He sat up, pulling the curtains aside. He gazed at the bustling night market, sitting on the balcony until dawn.
The next day, he came down with a fever, drenched in sweat, lying in bed, his body burning up.
Dragging his exhausted body out of bed, he searched for medicine. The burn on his arm was also starting to ache again. After applying ointment, Bai He crawled back into bed, pulling the curtains shut, letting the darkness envelop him.
---
Qin Yao couldn’t skip work. His father had entered a susceptible period recently, and the headquarters needed him to handle the affairs. Yesterday, he had waited outside Bai He’s door until 2 a.m., and today, early in the morning, he was waiting outside again.
But still, there was no sign of Bai He.
A strong sense of intuition had already given him the answer, but Qin Yao didn’t dare think deeply about it.
Bai He’s appearance from the previous day was vivid in his mind, like countless thorns piercing his heart.
At 10 a.m., Qin Yao rushed to the administrative department on the thirteenth floor. Ji Feng was busy, and when he saw Qin Yao, he only raised an eyebrow slightly. “Bai He isn’t here. He’s been reassigned to a branch.”
“You sent him?” Qin Yao frowned.
Ji Feng paused what he was doing, looking up at Qin Yao. “Yes, I did. Why?”
Qin Yao’s tense expression cracked again. He pulled a chair and sat down beside Ji Feng’s desk, regret weighing heavily on him. “Ji Ge, I made an unforgivable mistake. It’s messed up. Bai He won’t talk to me now.”
Ji Feng remained expressionless. “Get to the point.”
“Can you tell me how he was when he came back to the office yesterday? His mood?”
Unexpectedly, Ji Feng paused for a moment, then spoke honestly. “Not great. What did you expect? That he’d be happy after being rejected?”
“How did you know I rejected him?” Qin Yao was taken aback.
Ji Feng was busy, a pile of documents stacked around him. As he continued working, he replied indifferently, “Is that the point?”
Qin Yao took a moment to process, frowning. “Ji Ge, did you already know he liked me?”
Ji Feng didn’t answer directly but asked in return, “If you could tell, why couldn’t I?”
“…”
Kitchen was too tired of your home, so it went to experience the world😔
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Yes, kitchen left us. It's heartbreaking. 😥 Fortunately, no one was hurt. The electricity isn't all back yet and we still experience intermittent brown out. Thanks for the concern! 😁
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