Chapter 20

Chapter 20

With an additional person in the house, Bai Qi, an omega, felt the need to maintain a respectful distance from the alpha, despite their nightly shared bed.

He pondered the best place to hide the suppressants, along with that box of birth control pills—holding them felt like clutching a burning coal. The omega considered stashing them with his money but worried about potential accidents.

Before Bai Qi could make a decision, the door suddenly burst open. The omega reacted swiftly, instantly hiding the suppressants behind his back and looking up nervously. His abrupt movement startled the alpha who had just entered.

Qi Heyan froze, his gaze fixed on Bai Qi with suspicion for a few seconds. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

Bai Qi tried to discreetly gather all the suppressants, but his hands were too small to manage it.

The alpha chuckled, choosing not to look at what Bai Qi was hiding, acknowledging that everyone had their little secrets. "Stop hiding it. I won’t peek."

"Mm." Bai Qi wasn’t sure why he was so guarded, but the moment he saw Qi Heyan, he couldn’t help but recall his mother’s words. Those words were like a stubborn thorn, deeply embedded in his heart, impossible to extract.

Would Qi Heyan abandon him too?

So many people in the slums had been forsaken, but… Qi Heyan wasn’t from this place. He belonged to another world. Eventually, they would lose contact, wouldn’t they?

"What are you thinking about?" Qi Heyan had already approached Bai Qi, but the omega remained oblivious, his pupils unfocused, staring blankly into space. The alpha waved a hand in front of his face. "Snap out of it."

Bai Qi flinched slightly, as if startled. "Ah, I’m sorry."

"I came to talk to you about the casino." Qi Heyan wanted no misunderstandings between them. No obstacles should arise; if things escalated like yesterday, the alpha feared he might truly lose control.

Bai Qi captivated him, in every way.

"Go ahead." Bai Qi picked up the suppressants and returned them to their usual spot, tucking them into a random corner. His heats weren’t severe anyway. As for the birth control pills… he stashed those away too.

The omega clasped his hands behind his back, fingers pressing against the wall to avoid soiling his clothes.

"The casino isn’t owned by the man we saw today. He’s just an agent. He approached me to ask about Wen Si." Qi Heyan didn’t rush to close the distance, maintaining a slight gap between them. Seeing Bai Qi’s lack of reaction, he continued, "He wants me to rein in Wen Si."

"What do you mean?"

Bai Qi finally reacted, confused by Qi Heyan’s words. "Rein in Wen Si? How could you possibly control him?"

The alpha patiently explained to Bai Qi, "It means being a double agent. He wants me to keep Wen Si in check, but also prevent him from winning too much. And Wen Si holds a route to the affluent district; they want me to manage that connection."

The omega didn’t grasp the intricate details. He disliked overthinking complex matters; Bai Qi believed life should be simple, not convoluted.

He only asked, "So, did you agree?"

"I did." Qi Heyan noticed Bai Qi’s lowered gaze and apparent disinterest. He hesitated, then admitted, "I want to go to the affluent district. If I can leverage Wen Si’s connections, perhaps I can take his place."

Bai Qi lifted his eyes, fixing his gaze on Qi Heyan. The omega let out a soft laugh. "You were always meant to be there. If what you say is true, you’ll probably regain your memories soon."

"Recovering my memories is one thing." Qi Heyan stepped closer to Bai Qi, preventing the omega from retreating. He firmly grasped the other’s shoulders, frowning. "He bullied you, didn’t he? We need power and influence to live more securely."

"Bai Qi, I can work alongside you, but we also need a fallback plan. Wen Si is a ticking time bomb—here, people kill without consequence. Life is cheap."

The omega felt Qi Heyan hadn’t understood him. He suddenly felt exhausted—perhaps due to his approaching heat—and just wanted to sleep.

"Wen Si might not even come here for a month." Bai Qi pushed Qi Heyan’s hand away, turning his head, his voice low. "Do you understand?"

"We could go together."

"I’m undocumented." Bai Qi fell silent for a few seconds before reluctantly telling Qi Heyan, "People from the slums are undocumented. It’s incredibly difficult to get into the affluent district. Even my mother, with all her money, couldn’t do it. What’s the point of talking about this now?"

"I don’t want to talk about these pipe dreams…" The omega’s lips trembled. "I don’t want to argue, Qi Heyan. I told you—I only have one wish: I want a home of my own. Can you please stop talking about this?"

Bai Qi’s voice grew sad. "What you said yesterday changed today. You didn’t remember what I wanted. You’re self-righteous; do you think what’s good for you is good for me?"

Qi Heyan was stunned by Bai Qi’s words. He had never considered this perspective. He had assumed he could leave, and Bai Qi would naturally follow him out of this place, but he seemed to have forgotten that Bai Qi didn’t have many grand desires, only the immediate wish for a home of his own.

What had he been doing?

Hurting Bai Qi again. Failing at the most basic things. He had apologized yesterday, only to make the same mistake today.

"Bai Qi."

Qi Heyan felt a pang of panic. He carefully took Bai Qi’s hand. "I was too aggressive. I always fail to consider your feelings. I’ll remember now—we’ll build a house first. A big one."

"Me, not *we*." Bai Qi pulled his hand away from Qi Heyan. He was in a bad mood, and Qi Heyan was only making it worse. He didn’t want to talk to the alpha at all. "I need to rest. I’m tired."

"I’m sorry."

Qi Heyan embraced Bai Qi from behind, holding him tightly. The alpha’s chest rose and fell against the omega, making it impossible for Bai Qi to ignore him.

"Why are you holding me?" Bai Qi tried to pry Qi Heyan’s hands away. The alpha was going to leave anyway; he didn’t want this closeness.

I hate this. I hate it!

"Bai Qi."

Qi Heyan firmly cupped Bai Qi’s face, forcing the omega to meet his gaze. The alpha’s breathing was heavy as he leaned in close to Bai Qi’s face. "Stop being mad at me."

"Please, okay?"