Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Helping him with his shoes?

Bai Qi had only ever let Qi Heyan help him with his shoes once before, and that was when they were alone. But now, in front of other people…

What about his pride?!

The vendor seemed to catch on, chuckling teasingly, “Bai Qi, is this your partner?”

The omega was about to deny it, but someone was quicker: “No, I’m a beta—his friend.”

Not a hint of awkwardness showed on Qi Heyan’s face. He stood tall, leaving no room for anyone to find fault.

The stall owner let out an “Oh,” turning away with a disappointed look. “Alright then. I thought you were dating.”

Bai Qi gave a dry chuckle, saying nothing, only gripping the alpha’s arm as he quickly pulled him away. As they walked, he muttered under his breath, “That was close—almost got misunderstood.”

“Are you scared?”

Seeing the omega’s reaction, Qi Heyan asked softly, “I explained. They should believe it, right?”

“I don’t know…” Bai Qi stopped in his tracks. His tone, no longer cheerful, was tinged with gloom. The alpha immediately tensed, even a little flustered. Just as he was about to speak, the omega suddenly spun around. “Since when do I care what they think?!”

Qi Heyan reflexively raised a brow. Seeing the gloom lift from Bai Qi’s face, he couldn’t help but smile. “I just didn’t want you to be upset.”

“I’m not.”

Bai Qi stood still, then reached out to Qi Heyan for the shoes. “I’ve talked to that stall owner a few times. He’s constantly trying to set me up with alphas—no idea why he’s so obsessed with it. And it’s good you said you were a beta. Otherwise, he’d definitely spread rumors everywhere.”

The omega tilted his head, carefully considering what the stall owner might say. “Stuff like, ‘That Bai Qi is dating now, with some tall, strong alpha.’ If they exaggerate it any further, they’ll probably say we’re already expecting a kid.”

The more Bai Qi spoke, the more annoyed he became. He pursed his lips and let out a small huff. “So damn annoying.”

“You don’t want to date?”

Instead of handing over the shoes, Qi Heyan crouched down and looked up at the omega. The alpha grinned unabashedly. “Let me help you put them on.”

“Ah, no.” Bai Qi frowned, pulling his foot back slightly. His expression was a little awkward, but he still answered obediently. “I don’t want to date. I just want to make money. Dating seems like way too much trouble. I’ve heard people say you have to buy gifts for each other, and then later…”

Bai Qi suddenly trailed off. His gaze slowly lowered to the shoes in Qi Heyan’s hands. Now that he thought about it, this alpha *had* given him something. But they were friends, right?

What the omega was thinking, the alpha naturally realized too. Qi Heyan chuckled lightly, about to ease the tension when Bai Qi spoke up first: “We’re at least semi-friends by now, right? And I saved you. So you giving me stuff is totally justified!”

Qi Heyan: “…Right.”

“Exactly.” The alpha’s lips quirked into a soft smile. “So, as your good friend, can I help you put these on?”

“Can’t I just do it myself?” Bai Qi still squirmed at the idea. After a moment’s thought, he crouched down too, meeting Qi Heyan’s gaze. The omega gazed at him with puppy-dog eyes before stretching out his hands. “Give them to me.”

For a heartbeat, Qi Heyan almost expected Bai Qi to say something like, *“Please?”*

The omega had striking eyes—resilient, like a rope stretched to its limit yet never snapping, yet at the same time pure and innocent, like a delicate white flower. Once you looked, it was hard to look away.

“Alright.”

Ultimately, Qi Heyan relented. He handed over the shoes, and the omega quickly slipped them on. His work-worn clothes showed a day’s labor, covered in dust, but the shoes were spotless.

“I’m kind of hungry.” Bai Qi took a few steps in place, testing how they felt. Finding nothing uncomfortable, he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face, though he still mumbled under his breath, “My feet are dirty. I’ll just ruin clean shoes.”

Alphas could sense an omega’s emotions, and right now, Bai Qi was radiating happiness—so much so that his scent was leaking out uncontrollably. Qi Heyan found himself smiling too as he caught up to him. Hearing those words, he immediately said, “We could get another pair to alternate.”

The moment he finished speaking, Bai Qi shot him a glare. The omega frowned, dead serious. “We have to save money. Got it?”

“Fine, fine. Got it.”

The narrow path was mostly empty, the concrete beneath them cracked and pitted. The slums glowed fiery red in the dusk, washing the two figures in a hazy light. Bai Qi walked ahead while the alpha followed at a leisurely pace. The omega’s shadow stretched out before Qi Heyan, the hem of his clothes swaying gently with each step.

“I’m kind of hungry.”

Bai Qi slowed his pace. The docks provided one bun per worker at noon, but it wasn’t enough to sustain a full day of labor. The omega’s stomach growled audibly.

Qi Heyan jogged to catch up, letting out a breath. “So what’s for dinner? Compressed biscuits?”

“No. We’re having nutrient drinks.” Bai Qi counted on his fingers. “We still have strawberry, blueberry, and lemon flavors at home.”

“Since your scent is lemon, you can have the lemon one!” Bai Qi thought his arrangement was perfectly logical. Nutrient packs didn’t come cheap, but he’d stocked up when they were on sale, originally meant as occasional treats. Now they proved useful.

If Bai Qi were any other omega, Qi Heyan might’ve suspected an agenda. But this was Bai Qi—unaffected by alpha scents, never making others feel uncomfortable.

Still, Qi Heyan couldn’t help but murmur, “Bai Qi, do you know what that just sounded like?”

“Sounded like what?”

The omega tilted his head, humming. “Go on, say it.”

“Sexual harassment.” Qi Heyan immediately regretted his wording and corrected himself. “Flirting.”

Harassment? Me?!

Bai Qi’s eyes widened instantly. He even stopped walking. No one had ever used that word to describe him before. The omega looked genuinely scandalized. “Why?!”

“Scent talk is intimate. You shouldn’t talk about that stuff casually. It’s easy to misunderstand.”

Bai Qi shook his head vigorously. “You’re the only one I know. Do *you* think I was… with you…?”

“No!” The alpha’s voice dropped, and he took two steps forward. “I know you weren’t implying anything. But I still wanted to remind you.”

The omega scrubbed at his face, mumbling, “Oh… right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Qi Heyan’s hearing was sharp enough to catch every word. He huffed a quiet laugh, feeling the need to clarify. “I’m not judging you. I just don’t want you to get hurt in the future.”

“I know.” Bai Qi bounced back quickly, letting out a breath as he composed himself. He clapped his hands together. “Let’s just go home first.”

“Okay.”

Only when Bai Qi shrugged it off did Qi Heyan silently relax.

The omega desperately needed a bath after a day of hauling cargo. Once home, he rummaged for the nutrient packs and carefully checked the flavors. “This one’s yours. Now, which of the other two should I have…?”

He loved strawberry. He loved blueberry too. The drinks were so sweet.

“Strawberry, then…” Bai Qi looked as if he’d made some monumental decision, his face contorting in torment before he reluctantly put the other one back. “I want them both—”

Qi Heyan had been quietly observing Bai Qi’s expressions. Without a word, he opened his drink and chugged it in one gulp. After a moment of silence, he smacked his lips, only to find his throat clogged with sickly sweetness—like they’d dumped an entire vat of artificial sugar into it. His mouth felt glued shut.

Meanwhile, Bai Qi hadn’t noticed the alpha’s discomfort. He carefully opened his own drink, taking small, savoring sips. So sweet. He loved sweet things.

“Delicious.” Finally finishing, Bai Qi exhaled in satisfaction before remembering to ask Qi Heyan, “How’s yours?”

“Not bad.” Qi Heyan wouldn’t discourage Bai Qi. The alpha rubbed the bottle between his fingers and asked after some thought, “Do you like sweets?”

“Yeah.” Bai Qi perked up at the topic, resting his hands on the table, his tone noticeably brighter. “When I was little, I had no food or place to live, so I hid in a corner. I remember a really good person who gave me a piece of candy—it was so sweet.”

He licked his lips as he spoke. “Maybe because it was so cold back then, the memory stuck with me.”

“I see. Once we have money, I’ll buy you lots of candy.”

“Big dreams.” Bai Qi clicked his tongue twice, then stood up and stretched. “Ugh, I’m exhausted.”

“I’ll get water so we can wash up later.”

“I’ll go.”

Qi Heyan grabbed Bai Qi’s wrist, his fingertips applying slight pressure. “I’ll go.”

“But you’re still injured…” Bai Qi shook his wrist lightly, lowering his voice to persuade him. “I’ll go. I’m used to doing this.”

“I hauled cargo all day today.” Qi Heyan lifted his shirt as he spoke, revealing his toned body. The bandages were covered in dust, but no bloodstains were visible. “See any tears?”

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Bai Qi reached out and gently touched the wound. His fingers were slender and elegant, though calloused from years of labor. The omega’s touch was gentle as he brushed over the alpha’s injury. “Does it hurt?”

Qi Heyan shook his head. “No.”

Bai Qi said “Oh,” then carefully considered before deciding to inspect it properly.

The omega withdrew his wrist and quickly crouched down, looking up to meet Qi Heyan’s gaze. The next second, Bai Qi leaned his head toward the alpha’s chest—not pressing against it, just cautiously…

Taking a careful sniff…