Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Wen Jueqian wasn't a harsh boss.

He pursued perfection in game production, but he was always lenient with his team, and the working atmosphere at Lingjing Era had always been relaxed.

But today, the entire R&D department was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.

Because their boss was clearly in a bad mood today.

It wasn't that he was angry—Wen Jueqian never lost his temper with his employees. He showed his bad mood in a very understated way: he was more silent than usual, and when someone came in to report, he would look at them with a cold, flat gaze, then nod and say "okay" or "tweak it."

His tone was no different from usual, but it still made people tense up.

Wen Jueqian sat in his office, the screen in front of him displaying the dungeon design document for *Floating Life Realm*.

This dungeon was called Star Abyss: legend said that after a great ancient astrologer passed away, a hidden realm was left behind. Cultivators who entered this realm could seek a connection with their destined star by gazing at the star paths reflected in the water.

Meditating here could greatly boost one's enlightenment; but if one's Dao heart was unstable, they would be lost in the boundless star sea.

His eyes were dry from staring at the screen too long. He closed them for a moment.

This afternoon, 99 had sent him a message: Qiao Yuexun had handled a PR crisis for Aegis. Aegis's PR department would sponsor a lifestyle reality show under the 7th-Gen Inhibitor brand, inviting Qiao Yuexun as the main guest, and leveraging Aegis's own promotional channels to provide above-standard publicity support for the show.

Aegis's top executives would also personally host a private banquet, expressing thanks as business partners over dinner.

Wen Yanxu, as the project lead of the 7th-Gen Inhibitor, had to attend.

Wen Jueqian knew the logic was sound—out of politeness and social duty, it was Wen Yanxu's duty to attend.

He still felt suffocated.

The suffocating feeling lasted until he couldn't take it anymore.

Wen Jueqian finally sent the message.

Yun: Heard Aegis has a banquet tonight.

He waited, but no reply came. Anxiety crept into his chest.

Yun: Is it the one for Qiao Yuexun?

Yun: Are you going?

After he sent the messages, there was still no reply.

He stared at the quiet chat window, his heart sinking bit by bit.

Zhou Jing's voice came from outside the door, hesitant and careful. "Boss Wen, President Wen is here."

She figured her boss was in a bad mood because he'd argued with Wen Yanxu.

Wen Jueqian froze.

"Wen Yanxu?"

"Yes." Zhou Jing nodded.

Before Wen Jueqian could wonder why Wen Yanxu had suddenly appeared at the office, the door was pushed open.

Wen Yanxu stood in the doorway, his eyes scanning Wen Jueqian's face, brow slightly furrowed.

"Am I bothering you?" he asked.

Wen Jueqian shook his head, saved his work, and shut down the computer.

"Why are you here all of a sudden?"

Instead of answering, he walked over and touched Wen Jueqian's face.

"Something came up—I need to take you with me."

He immediately thought of tonight's thank-you banquet.

Because he couldn't skip it, he'd come all the way to bring him along—to reassure him?

But was that really what he wanted?

He didn't want to see Qiao Yuexun and Wen Yanxu in the same room, watching the "fated bond" he couldn't control unfold in front of him.

He didn't want to fake being generous, didn't want to stake a claim, didn't want to act like some insecure person clinging to Wen Yanxu's side.

He really had no sense of security.

But he didn't want to make himself look so pathetic either.

"Qianqian?"

Wen Yanxu's voice cut through his dark thoughts.

Wen Jueqian looked up, about to say he wasn't going, but Wen Yanxu spoke first.

"Dad says he hasn't seen us in a while." Wen Yanxu's tone was casual. "He wants us to come home today no matter what—otherwise he'll come straight to Aegis's front door to get me."

Wen Jueqian was stunned.

Dad.

Wen Yanxu usually called Wen Shijun "Father," so the "Dad" he meant was He Yishui.

He looked up at Wen Yanxu, confused, like a kitten suddenly grabbed by the scruff, ears perked.

Wen Yanxu casually ruffled his hair. "Why are you so out of it today?"

He figured Wen Jueqian was worried about He Yishui—after all, He Yishui had never fully approved of him, only keeping a coldly polite attitude.

"Qianqian, don't worry." Wen Yanxu's hand moved from his head to his cheek, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're my love, and one day, you'll be my wife. My family will come to accept you too."

Wen Jueqian believed he wasn't just saying that to comfort him.

The Wen family had initially opposed the engagement—unequal backgrounds, mismatched genes, a joke if anyone found out.

He Yishui had been especially against it, and even Wen Shijun had only been "not against" rather than "supportive" at first.

So Wen Yanxu had spent years building his position at Aegis, expanding his power, proving himself, and finally winning the right to choose his own marriage.

The public engagement a few months ago was Wen Yanxu keeping that promise.

Wen Jueqian wrapped his arms around Wen Yanxu's waist and buried his face against his stomach.

His voice was low, "Don't you have any other plans?"

The new Wei message Wen Jueqian sent him also went unanswered.

Just left hanging like that, Wen Jueqian sat alone in the office, staring at the chat window, running through all the worst-case scenarios in his mind.

Wen Yanxu looked down at the top of his head, thinking he still had concerns: "When Dad asked me to come home for dinner, he specifically told me to bring you along."

With things put that way, Wen Jueqian couldn't refuse anymore. Besides, when he was with Wen Yanxu, He Yishui never gave him any trouble—that Omega's specialty was maintaining a gentle, composed facade.

"Mm."

————

On the way to the Wen residence, Wen Jueqian sat by the cabin door, half a meter away from Wen Yanxu.

Curiosity kept welling up inside him, and in the end, he couldn't hold it back.

He started, trying to sound casual, "Did you see the message I sent?"

Wen Yanxu leaned back in his seat and turned to look at him.

"I saw the Wei you sent."

Wen Jueqian's fingers clenched.

"I'm glad you're willing to share your thoughts and needs directly."

Wen Yanxu's voice was low, his tone gentle. "Before, when something upset you, you'd always handle it yourself. What you couldn't handle, you'd bottle up and never tell me."

His gaze rested on Wen Jueqian's face.

"From now on, do this—tell me directly what you want and don't want."

Wen Jueqian opened his mouth to respond, but felt that just one word would seem dismissive.

"But I'm curious too."

Wen Yanxu's tone suddenly shifted to a teasing one. "Did you agonize over it today before working up the courage to send that message?"

Wen Jueqian's ears went red almost instantly. He turned his head away.

"Not that long," he mumbled.

"I did hesitate a bit." His voice grew even quieter. "I didn't know if you'd think I was a bother."

Finally, he turned back and met Wen Yanxu's gaze.

"So after sending it, I regretted it a bit."

A hint of a smile flickered across Wen Yanxu's eyes.

Then he moved over to sit beside Wen Jueqian.

Wen Jueqian felt Wen Yanxu draw closer. Instinctively, he shifted aside, but the cabin door was right there, so there was nowhere to go.

Wen Yanxu's voice was close to his ear, "So you've been worried all along that I'd go see him?"

Wen Jueqian clenched his hands in his lap.

He didn't answer.

The next second, an arm wrapped around his waist, and he was lifted off the seat. By the time he realized what was happening, he was sitting on Wen Yanxu's lap, arms around his neck, in an intimate pose.

"What are you doing!" He glared at Wen Yanxu, the redness spreading from his ears to his cheeks.

Wen Yanxu looked at him.

He was adorable when he was angry too. The corners of his eyes tilted up slightly, his lips parted in displeasure, making him look soft and easy to tease.

He leaned down and kissed him.

As their lips tangled, Wen Jueqian's fingers moved from around his neck to gripping his shoulders, his whole body yielding softly in Wen Yanxu's embrace.

When Wen Yanxu finally pulled back, Wen Jueqian was breathless, but he hadn't forgotten the question from earlier.

"Why did you say yes?"

Wen Yanxu's breathing hadn't changed at all. He looked at him with calm ease.

"The kitten finally worked up the courage—if I didn't agree, wouldn't he just shrink back again?"

Seeing the kitten get even angrier, a faint flush spreading to the corners of his eyes, he finally dropped the teasing.

His expression turned serious. "Seeing him would make you unhappy, so I didn't go."

Wen Jueqian froze for a moment.

The anger from being teased just now disappeared in an instant. He held back the smile that threatened to curl his lips, trying to maintain a reserved expression.

"Isn't that inappropriate?" he said, his tone tinged with concern. "Won't people talk..."

Wen Yanxu nodded, his expression earnest. "It would indeed affect my reputation at the company. Missing a banquet for an important partner as the project lead doesn't look good if word gets around."

Before Wen Jueqian could feel guilty, he added:

"So you'll have to make it up to me."

Wen Jueqian got caught up in his logic: "How should I make it up to you?"

Wen Yanxu held up a slender finger and tapped his own lips.

Wen Jueqian looked at his shamelessly confident face and thought, this guy has no shame at all.

But his body still leaned in anyway.

When he was two centimeters from Wen Yanxu's lips, Wen Jueqian suddenly came back to his senses.

He stopped.

Wen Yanxu looked at those eyes so close to his and thought he should have kissed him into a daze just now.

He didn't keep teasing. His voice softened. "Qianqian, even if you didn't say anything, I would stay away from him."

"Don't worry, it's the right thing to do."

"And don't worry about any negative consequences—I still have that much leeway."

The dark cloud that had been hanging over Wen Jueqian's heart suddenly parted to let sunlight through.

Even the anxiety about meeting his future in-laws had mostly dissipated.

————

The aircraft passed through a stretch of artificial forest, and the view suddenly opened wide.

Jingying Manor covered an area of over 50,000 square meters (about 12 acres).

In front of the manor was a huge stretch of neatly trimmed lawn, with a fountain at the center, flanked by flower beds planted with year-round blooms.

The main building was an eight-story European classical structure, with a wing on each side not far away.

Wen Jueqian straightened his clothes and took a deep breath.

"Why do you look like you're going into battle?" Wen Yanxu asked with a smile beside him.

Wen Jueqian replied in a relaxed tone, "As Wen Yanxu's fiancé, I need to project enough poise and elegance. I can't let people think you've got bad taste."

Wen Yanxu could see he was putting on a brave front.

He told him, "My fiancé was chosen by me, and no one else gets a say."

With that, he stepped out of the aircraft first, then turned around and extended his hand toward Wen Jueqian.

Behind him, the entire manor glittered with lights.

Wen Jueqian placed his hand in his.

The two walked into the grand building.

The living room was on the first floor of the main building, with a pair of double doors wide open.

Inside the living room, He Yishui wore an ivory cashmere shawl, his long hair loosely pinned up at the back of his head, revealing a slender neck.

As an Omega, he took impeccable care of himself—at fifty years old, he looked no older than thirty-something, and his smile remained gentle and charming.

Wen Shijun sat beside him, likely having just returned from work, his hair perfectly in place.

"You're back." He Yishui stepped forward, his gaze first landing on Wen Yanxu, scanning him from head to toe. His brow furrowed slightly. "Haven't seen you in months—has your father been giving you too much work? You look thinner."

He turned to Wen Shijun, a hint of displeasure in his tone: "Don't keep assigning him those dangerous jobs."

Wen Shijun: "What's dangerous about heading up a project?"

He Yishui: "That incident on Jueying Island—when the news came out, I was scared to death. Why didn't you tell me at the time?"

Wen Shijun frowned slightly: "I didn't want you to worry."

"Yanxu is my son too." He Yishui's voice went up a notch, though still in that soft tone. "Don't I have the right, as his father, to know what happened to him?"

Wen Yanxu chimed in at just the right moment to reassure him, "Dad, I'm fine. I didn't even get a scratch."

He glanced over at Wen Jueqian: "It was Jueqian who got hurt back then."

He Yishui's gaze immediately shifted to Wen Jueqian, his brow furrowing with genuine concern: "Dear, where were you hurt? Why didn't either of you tell me? I never even got to visit you."

Wen Jueqian felt a bit flustered.

He Yishui's former coldness toward him had been real—that bone-deep distant politeness had put immense pressure on him.

But the concern now didn't seem fake either.

"Uncle, my injuries have healed."

He Yishui looked him over for a few seconds, then nodded: "Good, glad you're better."

Then he turned to Wen Yanxu, his tone returning to that soft, motherly fussing quality: "From now on, you two must be careful when traveling. Don't skip the bodyguards just because it's a hassle."

He turned back to Wen Jueqian: "I've already spoken to the head of the family's security team. I've asked them to strengthen the protection around you."

"Yanxu is an Alpha—he can protect himself when there's danger,"

He emphasized, "But you're a Beta, so you need to be extra careful."

Wen Jueqian wasn't sure if he was making a pointed remark or just stating the facts. He nodded: "Thank you, Uncle. Axu has already arranged all of that. I'll be more careful from now on."

He Yishui's smile stiffened for a moment before it quickly recovered: "Alright, you've both been working all day. You must be hungry—let's eat."

The dining room was on the second floor.

At the center of the massive table stood white phalaenopsis orchids and green hydrangeas.

The dishes were already served.

Each dish was plated like a work of art—small portions, but the ingredients were clearly rare and expensive.

He Yishui gestured to a small simmering pot in front of Wen Jueqian: "This was specially prepared for you as a nourishing dish. You're too thin—you should eat more."

Inside was American ginseng stewed with black-boned chicken, the broth crystal clear, with a faint aroma of Chinese herbs.

"Thank you, Uncle."

He Yishui smiled but said nothing more.

The Wen family observed the custom of silence at the dinner table, so the meal passed in quiet.

==========Author's Note:==========

The little cat has finally learned to ask for things.

I keep going back and forth on whether to change the title—is my current one not catchy enough?