Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lu Yao stammered, "Now? We're leaving now?"

Wait, what time was it? Why wasn't Fu Yanhuai at work? Even if it was for dinner at the Lu family home, they could go in the evening.

Fu Yanhuai gently pressed his hand on Lu Yao’s head, turning his face toward the watch on his wrist. "Look at the time."

11:47 a.m.

Lu Yao’s eyes widened into perfect circles, stirring a faint tickle in Fu Yanhuai’s heart. He frowned slightly. "Be serious."

Lu Yao was utterly confused—he *was* being serious.

He turned back to Fu Yanhuai. "I overslept. I'll go change."

Though Lu Yao had returned to his usual state, the unsettled feeling in Fu Yanhuai’s chest didn’t fade. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what he wanted or what he was trying to do.

Instead of stepping back, Fu Yanhuai said, "I had my assistant buy some clothes at the last minute. Go upstairs and change out of what you’re wearing now."

Lu Yao grew even more bewildered. What was going on today? Why was Fu Yanhuai acting so strange?

Clothing choices were trivial to Lu Yao. Following behind Fu Yanhuai, he asked softly, confused, "Didn’t you hire a stylist last night?"

Fu Yanhuai disliked Lu Yao’s drab gray coat. He preferred the sight of smooth, deep blue silk sliding off Lu Yao’s body. He didn’t delve into the reasons for his preferences—he simply ordered Lu Yao clothes from his own usual brand.

Fu Yanhuai offered no explanation, so Lu Yao fell silent.

Two sets of clothes were already laid out in the room. Fu Yanhuai glanced back at Lu Yao. "These should be your size."

Lu Yao stepped forward, picked up the clothes, and held them up to himself in the mirror. Though there were no price tags, the material felt luxurious, and the logo matched what he’d seen in Fu Yanhuai’s wardrobe.

Clutching the clothes, Lu Yao hesitated. "These clothes..."

"What happened to your neck?"

Lu Yao instinctively raised his hand to cover the back of his neck, but Fu Yanhuai caught his wrist.

Normally, Lu Yao wore a gland patch outside his bedroom, but today he hadn’t had time. Now, the back of his neck looked a mess. Fu Yanhuai’s displeasure deepened. "What’s going on?"

That tone meant Fu Yanhuai was upset again—though Lu Yao couldn’t understand why. It wasn’t *his* neck that was injured.

Lu Yao had endured plenty of cold remarks from Fu Yanhuai before, but today, those four short words made his nose sting instantly.

He lowered his eyes, struggling to stay composed. "I don’t know. Maybe I accidentally scratched it."

Fu Yanhuai’s voice was icy. "Where is the ointment the doctor gave you? Didn’t you apply it?"

Lu Yao met his gaze helplessly—he’d completely forgotten. Fu Yanhuai slowly released his wrist.

He pressed the intercom, instructing the butler to bring the ointment. Calmly, he said, "It’ll itch while healing. Don’t touch it."

Using his thumb, Fu Yanhuai wiped away a stray tear at the corner of Lu Yao’s eye. His voice sounded almost resigned. "I never noticed before—you’re such a crybaby."

Lu Yao’s face flushed, his heart racing wildly. He wanted to say he wasn’t usually like this, but in this situation, there was no arguing.

Fu Yanhuai had never comforted anyone before—usually, others went out of their way to please him. Yet Lu Yao’s easy tears and growing embarrassment made him feel...

Good.

Fu Yanhuai didn’t know what that meant. When the butler arrived with the ointment, Lu Yao was sitting on the sofa with his back to Fu Yanhuai, his collar unbuttoned a few buttons, revealing his pale nape and a hint of his back.

Hearing the movement, Fu Yanhuai glanced back. The butler tactfully kept his eyes down, silently handing over the ointment.

Fu Yanhuai sat close to Lu Yao—too close. The faint scent of Silver Fir made Lu Yao dizzy.

"Don’t move."

Fu Yanhuai’s arm circled from the front, resting on Lu Yao’s shoulder. The heat of direct skin contact was overwhelming. Lu Yao lowered his head, catching sight of the watch on Fu Yanhuai’s wrist and the veins visible at his cuff.

The coolness of the ointment helped Lu Yao focus slightly. Fu Yanhuai worked it in carefully, and the scent of Silver Fir grew stronger. Lu Yao couldn’t tell if it was his imagination. Was this Fu Yanhuai’s pheromones? Why could he smell it?

The cold compress covered the wound. Truth be told, it felt much better after treatment. Lu Yao automatically shifted slightly, his cheek brushing against Fu Yanhuai’s fingers.

Fu Yanhuai lifted Lu Yao’s chin. They were so close now that Lu Yao was effectively trapped in his arms.

Fu Yanhuai’s voice was low and husky. "Are you being clingy?"

Lu Yao’s ears turned red. "N-no, I’m not."

Fu Yanhuai measured Lu Yao’s waist from behind with his hand. The sudden touch and warmth made Lu Yao instinctively curl his fingers.

"The clothes are the right size."

Lu Yao felt like melting butter. Fu Yanhuai tweaked his red ear and stood up offhandedly. "Come out once you’ve changed."

Only after Fu Yanhuai left did Lu Yao dare take a deep breath. The scent of Silver Fir in the air hadn’t faded—he’d just grown used to it.

Why had Fu Yanhuai acted like that today? Didn’t he hate him? Why had he helped apply the ointment? Why...?

Lu Yao hurriedly threw on the clothes and stepped out. The tailored fit highlighted his slender frame, and the sapphire blue complemented his pale complexion. The butler’s eyes visibly brightened at the sight.

Lu Yao now looked like an ideal counterpart for Fu Yanhuai—wearing that color, he seemed like a possession fully claimed by Fu Yanhuai’s territory. If Fu Yanhuai had an omega partner, they’d likely look just like Lu Yao did now.

The thought startled even the butler, but he quickly regained his professionalism. "This way, please. Mr. Fu is already waiting in the car."

Lu Yao’s mind wasn’t on the clothes at all. Hearing this, he hurriedly replied, "Okay."

Pushing aside his chaotic thoughts, Lu Yao saw the car parked outside. The butler opened the door for him. Fu Yanhuai sat in the backseat, eyes on his laptop screen. Only when Lu Yao got in did he leisurely look up.

Fu Yanhuai’s gaze was approving. "The assistant chose well," he remarked offhandedly.

They’d interpreted Fu Yanhuai’s preferences perfectly—Lu Yao now looked like a delicious morsel.

Once Lu Yao settled in, the car started moving. He nervously pinched his fingers, then worked up the nerve to look at Fu Yanhuai. "Earlier, why did you...?"

A phone vibration cut him off. Fu Yanhuai arched a brow.

Flustered, Lu Yao dug out his phone. Compared to his new outfit, the shabby device was just another irritation to Fu Yanhuai.

The caller wasn’t from the Lu family or Xia Shiyue—it was Ma Song.

Lu Yao instantly remembered he hadn’t canceled his leave. Before answering, he hesitated and glanced at Fu Yanhuai.

Fu Yanhuai naturally reached over and swiped to answer for him.

Before Lu Yao could even say "hello," Ma Song roared through the speaker, "Lu Yao! Do you know how many days you’ve skipped work? According to the labor contract, unauthorized absence means you owe me compensation! Get here in ten minutes—now!"

Lu Yao remained unfazed, but Fu Yanhuai’s expression darkened slowly.

Lu Yao is his partner. What kind of nonsense is this?

Lu Yao reminded Ma Song, "These three days were my approved vacation days. I did forget to report back, you can mark today as an unexcused absence if you want. Deduct my perfect attendance bonus and today's wages from this month's salary. I'm resigning."

"Resigning?" Ma Song was so shocked he momentarily forgot what else to yell, but quickly regained his composure, "Did you plan this with Xia Shiyue? Resignation requires one month's notice and my approval, otherwise according to the contract, I have grounds to demand compensation from you."

Lu Yao's eyes turned cold, "I doubt our contract is legally enforceable, Mr. Ma. Employment requires mutual respect. I've done nothing wrong by the shop."

Ma Song pressed on stubbornly—without Lu Yao, many orders couldn't be fulfilled. "You believe? What does your belief matter? Even if the contract isn't valid, I can tie you up in litigation for months. Lu Yao, if you want a clean break, come back first and we'll discuss this properly."

Anger gradually colored Lu Yao's eyes. Fu Yanhuai smoothly took the phone from his hand.

"Hello."

Fu Yanhuai's voice was deep and magnetic, clearly an alpha's voice just from hearing it.

Ma Song faltered, "Who is this?"

Fu Yanhuai rattled off a phone number, "My lawyer's contact. He'll handle any legal matters regarding this case. If you sue, we'll counter."

Lu Yao gaped in shock at Fu Yanhuai, who returned the phone to him with a simple command, "Hang up."

Lu Yao instinctively pressed end call.

Ma Song's furious voice immediately vanished, restoring silence in the car.

Finally processing what happened, Lu Yao stammered, "J-just now..."

Fu Yanhuai countered, "Have you always worked in such conditions?"

Unsure what Fu Yanhuai meant, Lu Yao stiffly replied, "Actually, I rarely interact with him directly."

Fu Yanhuai gave a noncommittal hum and resumed reviewing reports on his laptop, ending the conversation.

Recalling the exchange, Lu Yao gripped his phone tightly, "Mr. Fu, thank you for helping me earlier. About that lawyer..."

Fu Yanhuai looked up, "We're nearly at your family's home."

"Huh?"

Fu Yanhuai patiently reminded, "Are you sure you should still address me like that?"

His meaningful gaze held layers of implication, "This is my first—and last—time accompanying you to a family dinner at the Lu household. If I were you, I wouldn't display distance in our marriage in front of relatives."

What did this mean? Was Fu Yanhuai permitting him to openly use their relationship?

Fu Yanhuai considered this small favor meant nothing—the mark on his neck looked painful enough.

Lu Yao's eyes always got watery when flustered. Bewildered, he asked, "Then what should I call you?"

The car slowed to a stop—they'd arrived.

Fu Yanhuai closed his laptop. After exiting, he slightly bent forward and extended his hand to Lu Yao.

"We're here, Mrs. Fu."

Automatically, Lu Yao reached out. Fu Yanhuai's palm was dry and warm as it firmly enclosed his, helping him step out of the car.

Fu Yanhuai's arm slipped around Lu Yao's waist, his lips brushing Lu Yao's ear as he murmured casually, "You really are quite the tease."