Chapter 66: Shh, Others Will Hear

Chapter 66: Shh, Someone Might Hear

Yesterday...

Qin Yan thought back carefully, suddenly recalling Su Zhiyu's unusual behavior this morning.

Could it be that Su Zhiyu had received Ji Yucheng's friend request and dinner invitation, and that was why he wanted to switch back to WeChat?

Wait.

A flash of insight struck Qin Yan's mind, so quick it felt like he might grasp it, but before he could think it through, Ji Yucheng beside him interrupted.

"So, are you and Zhi Yu together now?"

Qin Yan felt a rush of heat, and his smile, which hadn't faded, curled up again: "Almost, it's about to happen. So, you've got no shot."

Ji Yucheng: "..."

No, he hadn't fallen for Su Zhiyu! Did he really look like some playboy casually chasing after Omegas?

He just found Su Zhiyu interesting—a special and different kind of Omega.

If they were to actually become lovers, there was still a lack of that spark, and besides, Su Zhiyu had zero interest in him.

He wasn't about to pine over someone who didn't want him.

Also.

People with love on the brain are terrifying.

They thought the whole world was out to steal their partner.

Ji Yucheng couldn't help but rub the goosebumps on his arms, kind of regretting he'd joined this dinner at all.

"Don't worry, I don't like Zhi Yu. I just treat him as a friend, alright?"

"OK."

"..." Ji Yucheng clicked his tongue. "By the way, I heard you're busy with company matters. Are you helping out at your brother's company or going solo?"

The first time he saw Qin Yan, Ji Yucheng had also found him interesting, so he'd done a simple background check and learned Qin Yan's identity.

The Ji and Qin families did have business ties.

Qin Yan found a parking spot and backed into it, replying, "Running my own thing. Why, are you interested in collaborating?"

Ji Yucheng pulled out his phone again: "Yeah, I want to work on my own too, don't want to rely on the family. Add me on WeChat? You didn't approve last time, but asking in person this time should work, right?

If you're not comfortable, you can bring your Zhi Yu along to talk it over. How about it?"

The car came to a smooth stop.

Qin Yan got a kick out of hearing "your Zhi Yu" and readily whipped out his phone: "Sure."

Ji Yucheng scanned the code, stared at it for a sec, felt something was off, but didn't suspect anything and got out of the car with Qin Yan.

Yang Yichen and Liu Mian also arrived shortly after.

Qin Yan and Su Zhiyu exchanged a glance across the crowd, but before Qin Yan could react, Su Zhiyu quickly looked away, like he was back to being that little rabbit who ran from everything.

Back to hiding.

After dinner, while they were chatting, Su Zhiyu got up to go to the restroom. Qin Yan waited a beat, then got up and left too.

Yang Yichen and Liu Mian didn't even blink.

But Ji Yucheng's gaze followed Qin Yan's back out of the private room, and he immediately whispered, "Qin Yan and Zhi Yu—are they a thing?"

"..."

Yang Yichen almost choked. Liu Mian answered, "Just close friends, why?"

Ji Yucheng understood and smiled: "Nothing, it's just that Qin Yan's scared I'm gonna make a move on Zhi Yu."

"!"

Yang Yichen's eyes went wide: "You like Zhi Yu? No, no, don't you dare go after him."

Ji Yucheng: "? So?"

"In short, don't like him. There are plenty of Omegas for you to pursue, plenty of hot Os in the circle."

Ah, got it.

Ji Yucheng felt he'd figured things out well enough. He took a meaningful sip of tea, staring off into space, like he was staring at Liu Mian across the table.

No one said anything for a while.

Yang Yichen glanced at him, then at Liu Mian, and cleared his throat twice: "Uh, I was just shooting my mouth off earlier. Love stuff depends on fate—whether the other person's into you. You can't just go after anyone."

Ji Yucheng continued to zone out, nodding along: "Mm, you're right."

"..." Yang Yichen added, "But I think you should steer clear of romance for now."

"Why?"

"You're on the up and up, a legit trending star, unlike us. If word got out you were dating, wouldn't that be a disaster? A mass unfollowing—not worth it."

...

"Su Zhiyu." Qin Yan quickly caught up to him, grabbing him just before he rounded the corner.

Su Zhiyu instinctively tried to pull away, but Qin Yan only held on tighter. Footsteps came from the other hallway, and Qin Yan grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a nearby corner.

Tucked away in the shadows, out of sight.

Su Zhiyu stood with his back to the light, his face hidden in the shadows. Only his eyes were clear and bright, carrying a hint of aloofness and chill.

The little rabbit was showing that side of him again.

Qin Yan felt his heart soften. He leaned in, barely whispering so no one would hear.

"You upset?"

Su Zhiyu turned away, not saying a word, refusing to look at him.

"Look at me." Qin Yan reached out, cupping his face with both hands, gently but firmly turning him to face him, and said seriously, "If you're upset, say so. If you've got a problem, speak up. If you're mad, learn to cuss."

After a beat, Qin Yan added: "You can even throw a punch. Better to knock someone out than to let yourself get walked all over."

His voice was very soft, very soft. Though the words were hardly serious, the way he said them with such a straight face was equal parts funny and exasperating.

Su Zhiyu listened, and inexplicably, his eyes began to sting.

Qin Yan knew he was unhappy—so why, knowing that, would he still send him away, just to be alone with Ji Yucheng?

Were all those gentle moments and little details from before... just fake?

Then, suddenly.

A shadow fell over him, and a cool, soft pressure landed on the corner of his lips. Su Zhiyu's whole body jolted, and before he could react, he was grabbed by the waist and the back of his head, locked in place.

A tingling sensation, a light peck at the corner of his lips, slowly moving to the bow of his upper lip.

His movements were so slow and meticulous that every slight shift and touch seemed to swell endlessly in Su Zhiyu's mind.

Then burst apart.

His tightly shut lips were pried open as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Su Zhiyu let out a whimper, trying to protest.

But Qin Yan spoke first: "Shh, someone might hear."

Su Zhiyu swallowed back the words about to escape his lips, retreating step by step until his back hit the wall and there was nowhere left to run.

In the narrow corner, silence reigned, but no one noticed two figures tangled together in a shadowy, intimate embrace.

Whose heartbeat and breath roared like thunder no longer mattered.

Qin Yan held the fragile Omega in his arms with one hand, lifting his face with the other, their gazes silently intertwining.