Chapter 12 The Argument

Chapter 12: The Argument

"I sense a change in you, young man," Yan Zhi remarked, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he twirled pasta onto his fork.

Lian Yi shot him an uncomprehending glance, his knife and fork deftly carving his steak, his chewing movements restrained and silent.

"What's different?" he asked calmly after a brief pause.

Yan Zhi leaned in, a mysterious smile on his face. "Did you finally get some action?"

*Just as I thought, this guy can't hold back a single decent thought.*

"Indeed," Lian Yi replied nonchalantly, spearing a small piece of steak. "Beef. It's meat." He popped it into his mouth, expressionless.

"You know what I mean," Yan Zhi said, accustomed to Lian Yi's dry humor and completely unfazed by the deflection. "Even though I'm a Beta and can't detect your pheromones, there was quite a buzz at the firm this morning. Your days off with Young Master Qiao, hmm?"

He set down his cutlery, took a sip of red wine, and elegantly dabbed his mouth.

"A married man. Is that so unusual?" Lian Yi said with an air of indifference.

"Oh, come on now," Yan Zhi teased, scrunching his face in mock disapproval. "Who was it that publicly declared a dislike for Omegas? You seem to be quite enjoying yourself."

Lian Yi opened his mouth to retort, but a notification popped up on his phone, lying on the table.

He glanced at it casually, and his expression gradually darkened, a slight frown creasing his brow.

Yan Zhi slurped down a few more mouthfuls of pasta. Noticing his friend's sudden silence, he looked up to see Lian Yi looking rather displeased. He immediately assumed his earlier comment had offended him.

Lawyer Yan, known for his audacious remarks, suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Chewing, he quickly explained, "Don't overthink it. I just think you and Young Master Qiao are a great match. Back in school, if you hadn't known you were going abroad, you two might have had kids by now."

Yan Zhi grew more animated, a mix of curiosity and a desire for confirmation in his voice. "Besides, aren't you just angry that Qiao Baichen played a trick on you? If he had told you back then that something happened to Young Master Qiao and that he needed you, would you have come back for him?" He then answered his own question, less confidently, "You would have, right?"

Lian Yi's thoughts, pulled from the message, returned to Yan Zhi's question, and his gaze fell back on his phone.

*Would he have?*

*He probably would have.*

***

"I apologize, but Lawyer Lian is in court today and not at the firm. You cannot enter," the front desk attendant at the entrance stated professionally.

The dimple beside Qiao Zhimian's mouth vanished, his eyes clouding with disappointment. His fingers unhappily picked at the cloth bag he held.

"Thank you. I'll head back then," he replied politely.

With that, he had the bodyguard behind him wheel him out of the Justice Tower.

Lately, the Alpha had been exceptionally busy, claiming the major case he was handling was nearing its conclusion.

Having taken a few days off earlier, he had fallen behind on work and had been returning home later than usual.

Most evenings, he'd eat dinner out and, upon arriving home, would simply embrace Qiao Zhimian and fall asleep.

Qiao Zhimian had thought of preparing some restorative meals for him and bringing them to the firm.

This way, no one else would have to worry about his fatigue.

The Omega pursed his lips at the thought, his delicate, fair face tinged with a touch of melancholy.

As the bodyguard wheeled him to the car and opened the door, a stylish, sophisticated female Omega, in high heels, suddenly rushed past their vehicle.

She left behind a faint, familiar fragrance that Qiao Zhimian recognized.

"Wait," Qiao Zhimian said, stopping the bodyguard from moving his wheelchair.

He maneuvered his wheelchair to the front of the parking space and looked back at the building they had just exited.

At the revolving door, Lian Yi, impeccably dressed in a suit, emerged from the back seat of a car, followed closely by his assistant from the passenger seat, who carried a stack of documents.

The female Omega who had just run past was heading directly for him.

She must have called out to him; he turned, and the two began conversing, laughing as they entered the Justice Tower together.

"Mr. Qiao, should I call out to Mr. Lian?" the bodyguard's voice broke through Qiao Zhimian's agitated gaze and troubled thoughts.

He snapped back to attention, his long eyelashes fluttering rapidly as his uneven breathing slowly steadied.

"No need. Let's not disturb him," he said tonelessly.

On the way back, Qiao Zhimian remained somewhat distracted.

He remembered that scent—it was the same fragrance that had clung to the Alpha when he returned from his morning run.

*Were they running together?*

He had later hired a private investigator to look into that Omega, but it was because of a phone call on another night.

*One of his clients.*

*So it was the same person both times.*

She was that Ms. Li.

A discerning, single art exhibition curator.

She had recently been involved in some intellectual property disputes with her former employer.

Qiao Zhimian thought again of the photo from that day. The Alpha had never mentioned it again.

*Why? He had clearly been angry.*

*Was it because of the contract? Even if he was angry, he couldn't fight it, so he had just given up?*

Lian Yi always kept his promises, including every demand Qiao Zhimian had made.

To be a good husband during this time, and to claim him.

Qiao Zhimian's mind was in turmoil again...

***

During the evening rush hour, dusk fell early in late autumn, and neon signs already glowed.

Lian Yi, Yan Zhi, and several other lawyer colleagues exited the Justice Tower.

"What's up, hotshot lawyer?" Yan Zhi quickly grabbed his friend, who was heading straight for the parking lot. "The case is finally closed. Aren't you joining us to celebrate?"

Lian Yi halted, pulling his arm free as a few stray strands of hair across his forehead fluttered in the evening breeze.

His handsome features showed a trace of displeasure, his dark, star-like eyes gazing aimlessly at the bustling traffic ahead.

"Not going," he replied casually. "My partner at home is nearing their heat cycle. I should try to head back early these days."

Yan Zhi chuckled, amused, immediately leaving him to sling an arm around another colleague. He had initially wanted to tease him a bit more but noticed Lian Yi's expression had shifted again.

He closed his mouth, awkwardly nudging the other colleague along while explaining, "Let's go, let's go grab drinks. He's going home to be a devoted husband."

Without another word, Lian Yi called out a quick goodbye, walked to his car, pulled open the door, and slid smoothly into the driver's seat.

Inside the dimly lit car, insulated from all outside noise, the glow of various indicator lights reflected in his pupils.

Lian Yi didn't start the car immediately. Instead, gloomily, he pulled out his phone, opened the chat with Qiao Zhimian, and scanned through the dozen or so unread messages and the stream of missed calls.

The two of them had already had a spat earlier.

"This year, you belong to me. You can't get too close to others."

"She's just a client."

"She likes you!"

"My relationship with her is strictly professional. I'm just having a meal with a client."

"I don't care. You've had her scent on you. Can't you keep some distance from her?"

"I can, but I need to work."

"When will you be back?"

"My heat cycle is almost here."

"Can you come home early today? I'm feeling a bit unwell..."

Lian Yi sighed deeply, tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, and gripped the steering wheel with his broad palms, leaning forward, resting his head wearily for a moment.

*Why was it that when he was home, everything seemed fine, but now things were like this again?*

*Not only had nothing changed, but now Qiao Zhimian was openly monitoring his whereabouts, still resorting to secretly taking pictures and keeping him under surveillance.*

*What was Qiao Zhimian so insecure about? Was he afraid that Lian Yi would run away or cheat?*

*Was there really so little trust between them? Did Lian Yi make him feel that insecure?*

The phone on the seat vibrated—another incoming call.

Lian Yi glanced at the caller ID but didn't answer. He fastened his seatbelt and drove home.

***

A click came from the lock.

Lian Yi swiftly changed his shoes in the entryway and strode inside.

Seated in his wheelchair, Qiao Zhimian abruptly looked up, his eyes fixed eagerly on Lian Yi.

The household staff had already left for the day—at this hour, Qiao Zhimian was home alone.

He seemed to have been waiting for a long time, his cheeks unusually flushed, his almond-shaped eyes glistening with moisture.

"Why did it take you so long to come back?" He spoke with a slightly nasal, almost whiny tone. "Where did you go? Why didn't you answer my calls?"

Lian Yi stormed over without a word, his expression fierce, and strode directly to the Omega. His deep eyes locked intensely onto the small face looking up at him.

Without waiting for a response, he looked down and scooped him up from the wheelchair, placing him on the nearby dining table. Then he crushed his lips against those pale pink ones.

"Mmph... you—" Qiao Zhimian was completely caught off guard.

Panicked, he pushed against the man's chest, trying to shove him away, but he was no match for Lian Yi's strength—he didn't give an inch.

Lian Yi stood like a solid wall between his legs, powerful arms locking around his waist, leaving him unable to move.

The Omega's breath came unevenly, his damp eyes fluttered open as he stared at the handsome face so close to his. He parted his lips, about to say something more, when the man's slick, demanding tongue seized the chance to slip into his mouth, tangling with and dominating his own.

"No, mmph..." *He's so fierce, it's a little frightening.*

He struggled to pull away, but the moment he turned his head aside, Lian Yi chased after him, sucking on his lips and tongue until they were numb.

Lian Yi cupped the back of his head, preventing him from leaning back or escaping, and deepened the kiss with crushing intensity.

He devoured relentlessly, drinking him in greedily, his Adam's apple bobbing repeatedly as he swallowed the Omega's honeyed, white rose-scented saliva.

The wet, intimate sounds of their kiss echoed conspicuously in the living room.

It was a long time before Lian Yi finally released Qiao Zhimian's lips, a silvery strand of saliva connecting them.

Tears welled in Qiao Zhimian's eyes as he gasped for air, his lips and tongue red and swollen from the assault.

The man's domineering kisses moved from the corner of his mouth down to his neck; Qiao Zhimian felt like a puppet, his senses still scattered.

Lian Yi breathed heavily, focused on claiming the Omega's slender, fragrant neck with one red mark after another.

When his lips found the sensitive gland, he felt the Omega begin to tremble and struggle again.

He gripped Qiao Zhimian's waist, seized the wrists pushing against him, and held him firmly in his embrace.

Qiao Zhimian's body had gone soft and weak—whether from the kiss or his approaching heat, he wasn't sure—but he felt his breath growing feverish.

His loose home clothes had been tugged askew in the struggle, revealing much of his fair, elegant collarbone and shoulders, along with two bite marks left there at some point by the man.

After this passionate outburst, both seemed to have calmed down a little.

The Omega, with red-rimmed eyes and flushed nose, curled up in the Alpha's arms, clothes disheveled. He looked at Lian Yi with grievance, breathing unevenly, his slender chest heaved, tears glistening pitifully.

Lian Yi's thin lips were slightly parted and glistening with moisture. He steadied the Omega with one hand, the other braced on the table as he met his gaze.

Qiao Zhimian let out a short, choked whimper. Bitter tears rolled down his small, delicate face, his lips pressed tightly together, trembling faintly.

That single teardrop instantly softened Lian Yi's raging heart. He sighed softly, gazing at him with pained tenderness.

"What exactly do you want?" His tone softened, yielding. "I'll agree to anything, but is my normal social life and work not allowed either?"

"That's not what I meant," the Omega shook his head, voice choked with tears.

He knew he was overly sensitive and suspicious, and it tormented him. Part of him wondered if Lian Yi might actually like him a little, while another part insisted it couldn't be true.

Lately, he'd get anxious whenever they were apart. If Lian Yi wasn't by his side, he couldn't even nap during his afternoon nap.

He didn't want this clinginess either.

It was also because of Lian Yi's indulgence that he had grown increasingly bold and demanding.

Qiao Zhimian felt his head getting foggy, his body beginning to flush and burn with warm heat. The gland at the back of his neck was beyond his control, releasing a rich, lingering scent of pheromones, and his breathing grew increasingly rapid.

Lian Yi noticed something was wrong and caught the unsteady Omega against his chest.

His face was flushed red, and he whimpered, nuzzling against Lian Yi—the telltale signs of approaching heat.

The man lifted the Omega in his arms, murmuring soothing kisses as he carried him upstairs.

Driven by the onset of heat, the Alpha's already foul mood was further stirred by raw, predatory instincts.

This time, he wasn't as gentle as he had been during their first time.

He released an aggressive, dominant bamboo-scented pheromone that entwined with the Omega's white rose fragrance.

They entered the bedroom and approached the bed.

Lian Yi dumped him unceremoniously onto the mattress, his dark eyes darkly surveying the Omega's glistening, tear-filled eyes and face flushed with desire.

He quickly shucked off his suit jacket, then leisurely loosened his tie and tossed it aside onto the floor.

Qiao Zhimian blinked up blearily at the man. Lian Yi stood tall and imposing at the foot of the bed, his eyes filled with a predatory hunger that promised to consume him.

*It was too intense.*

The Omega felt a little scared, but even more than that, he was overwhelmed with a grievance over everything that had just happened.

His lips parted slightly as he panted softly. He sniffled and tried to push himself backward to escape, but his legs had no strength—he could hardly budge.

The man's strong, powerful body pinned him beneath.

Qiao Zhimian felt a pair of large hands grip his waist, lifting him slightly. Just as he had managed to shift a little, he was pulled back to where he started.

"Still trying to run?" Lian Yi's voice was low and deep.

He restrained the Omega's soft, fragrant body, kissing his lips and undoing his buttons.

But as he continued kissing, he noticed something was wrong—the person in his arms was trembling.

His heart clenched, and he pulled back slightly to look. The Omega was curled beneath him, biting his lip, holding back tears, his expression pained.

"Qiao Zhimian?!" Alarm shot through him. He hurriedly sat up, holding the Omega close, checking him over frantically. "Where did you hit yourself? Where does it hurt? Your legs? Or somewhere else? Talk to me!"

But the Omega kept his eyes shut, gritting his teeth, refusing to communicate.

Author's Note:

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Mian Mian has developed separation anxiety [please, I'm begging you].