Cheng Xia was woken up by the ringing of a phone. He woke up and found that he was sleeping in Pei Shaoze’s arms. The alpha’s hands gently wrapped around his waist and his face was close to Pei Shaoze’s strong chest. The man’s familiar pheromones filled his nose and he could clearly hear the other person’s steady and powerful heartbeat.
The phone kept ringing and Pei Shaoze soon woke up. He saw the young man in his arms staring up at him drowsily. Pei Shaoze smiled and leaned over to kiss the young man’s forehead, speaking in a low voice. “I’ll help you get it.”
Pei Shaoze looked around and soon found Cheng Xia’s clothes on the sofa. Cheng Xia had placed his clothes here when he went to bed last night. The alpha had experienced the susceptible period and was completely exhausted. Cheng Xia was also dizzy after being temporarily marked. They finally embraced each other and went to sleep. If it wasn’t for this phone call, they might’ve slept until noon.
Pei Shaoze took Cheng Xia’s clothes, found Cheng Xia’s phone, and saw the caller ID. Then he handed it to Cheng Xia. “It’s your father calling.”
Cheng Xia instantly lost all his drowsiness. He quickly took the phone, pressed the button to accept the call, and whispered, “Hello, Dad.”
Cheng Yiming’s angry voice was heard. “Cheng Xia, I know!”
Cheng Xia touched his bitten neck with a guilty feeling. “H-How do you know…”
Cheng Yiming was angry. “It’s spread all over the Internet. I didn’t expect that Zhao Wenxiu, that beast would harm you! Why didn’t you tell us? You didn’t tell us that Zhao Wenxiu fed you medicine. Later, you were injured and hospitalized and you still kept it from your family? Your mother and I have been kept in the dark while you’ve experienced so many things outside!”
His father was like this and Cheng Xia hurriedly comforted him. “Dad, don’t get too excited. Don’t you have a weak heart? I didn’t dare say anything out of fear of stimulating you. President Pei helped with the release agent and the doctor said that the wound was very shallow and not serious at all. I didn’t want you to worry… things have been solved so don’t think too much. I am very good now.”
Jiang Qiong took the phone. “The problem has been solved but I looked at the comments on the Internet and they scolded you very badly. Xia Xia, we want to come and see you. Are you still filming in Ya’an? Is it convenient for you to visit the set?”
“I have finished filming so you don’t have to visit the set.” Cheng Xia blurted out. He had been marked by an alpha last night. If his parents came to see him then he definitely wouldn’t be able to hide it. He didn’t know how to explain it to his parents.
Just then, a hand gently held his shoulder. Cheng Xia looked up doubtfully and met Pei Shaoze’s gentle gaze. The man approached his ear and whispered, “Let them come. They must be very worried about you.”
Cheng Xia quickly covered the microphone of the phone and blushed. “B-But I was marked by you. Now my body is full of your smell. My parents will surely notice something is wrong. I…”
Pei Shaoze gently rubbed the young man’s head. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll explain.”
Cheng Xia was stunned. “Y-You will explain?”
Pei Shaoze was calm. “Don’t you want to introduce your boyfriend to your parents?”
Cheng Xia, “……”
Wasn’t it too early to meet the parents? Still, Brother Pei had marked him last night. Since they decided to be together, it seemed reasonable to meet the parents? Cheng Xia thought of this and raised his mobile phone to speak. “Mom, I’ll tell my agent and the two of you can come over. I’ll send you the location of the hotel.”
After hanging up, Pei Shaoze picked up his phone and sent a location to Cheng Xia. “I will invite Uncle and Auntie to dinner. You can send them the location of the restaurant directly. I’ve been to this private restaurant before. It’s very hidden and there won’t be any paparazzi around.”
Cheng Xia nodded and sent the location to his mother through WeChat and made an appointment to meet her at 12 noon at the restaurant. After putting away his phone, the two of them looked at each other. Cheng Xia was a bit embarrassed. “Do you really want to see my parents?”
Pei Shaoze’s eyes were gentle. “I marked you and you will be mine from now on. I should get to know your parents and tell them I will take good care of their son.”
Perhaps the gland at the back of his neck was affected by Pei Shaoze. They were pulsating suddenly in time with the ‘thump thump’ of his heart. Currently, Cheng Xia’s entire body was covered by the smell of his alpha. He was at ease every time he was around this alpha.
Cheng Xia thought up to here and took the initiative to hug Pei Shaoze. “In fact, I don’t completely belong to you now. The temporary mark can be covered and won’t last long…”
Pei Shaoze immediately raised his eyebrow. “Covered?”
It seemed that Brother Pei wasn’t good in class. Cheng Xia patiently explained, “Once an omega is temporarily marked by an alpha, the smell of the alpha will cover their body over the next period of time. If another alpha marks them, the original pheromones will be covered up. Therefore, an omega can find a new lover after breaking up with an alpha…”
Pei Shaoze pulled Cheng Xia into his arms and stared at the young man seriously, his voice cold, “Will you let another alpha cover my mark?”
Cheng Xia’s desire to survive burst out and he hurriedly shook his head. “I just gave you an example! A lifetime mark can’t be covered.”
“Yes… a lifetime mark…” Pei Shaoze fell into deep thought.
An ABO world was really troublesome. How many types of marks were there? Biting the back of the neck was only temporary. After the expiration date, it can be covered. How could he allow another alpha to take away his possession of Cheng Xia? A lifetime mark couldn’t be covered so it sounded like a permanent version. It seemed that he would have to study the lifetime mark carefully and find a suitable time to give Cheng Xia a permanent mark.
Cheng Xia saw that Brother Pei looked extremely serious. He smiled and thought, ‘Brother Pei, I will teach you this theory course. If you don’t know how to do a lifetime mark then I can also teach you practically when the time comes.’
The next moment, Cheng Xia’s vision spun. Pei Shaoze circled Cheng Xia in his arms and kissed him hard. The alpha’s kiss this time was very overbearing and filled with possessiveness as if he was dissatisfied with the fact that ‘the temporary mark can be covered.’ Cheng Xia’s entire body was softened by the kiss. It was only when repeatedly guaranteed that ‘no one will cover the mark’ before Pei Shaoze let him go.
At 11 o’clock, Cheng Xia asked for leave from his agent, put on his hat, sunglasses, and mask, and took the elevator to the underground garage of the hotel. Pei Shaoze was waiting at the car. He saw Cheng Xia and took the initiative to open the door for Cheng Xia.
Today’s Pei Shaoze was dressed very formally. He was in a well-ironed suit and dark blue tie. His hair was well combed and his shoes were clean. Cheng Xia said with a smile, “This is a private dinner, not a meeting. Do you need to wear such formal clothes?”
Pei Shaoze said seriously, “This is the first time we’re meeting. I should leave a good impression on Uncle and Auntie.”
The man was tall and handsome in the suit. Cheng Xia walked toward him and looked up at Pei Shaoze. Then he joked, “So handsome, you can directly make your debut!”
Pei Shaoze took Cheng Xia into the back row and had Uncle Zhong drive.
The car soon drove to the private restaurant.
Pei Shaoze was the younger generation so he naturally had to arrive early. He took Cheng Xia to the first private room that he reserved. The environment of this private restaurant was very good. The courtyard had a small bridge, flowing water, and pavilions. The architectural style was very charming while the interior decorations were elegant and simple. There was also an exquisite tea set on the wooden tea table. The window was open to reveal a lush garden where the scent of flowers overflowed.
Cheng Xia’s parents hadn’t arrived yet, so he had sent a message to his mother. [Mom, come directly to private room 1.]
Jiang Qiong replied, [There are still five minutes left. We’re almost there.]
Pei Shaoze had attended so many meetings and could be at ease in any big scene. However, today he was meeting his lover’s parents. He was worried that Cheng Xia’s parents wouldn’t like him and he was slightly apprehensive. Then he quickly adjusted his expression and made a pot of tea.
After a while, Cheng Yiming and Jiang Qiong pushed open the door and entered the room. Jiang Qiong saw her son and walked over. “Xia Xia, I haven’t seen you in so long. How can you be so thin?” She went to hug her son only to find a man sitting next to him. Jiang Qiong’s movements immediately froze.
Cheng Yiming also found the alpha sitting next to Cheng Xia and felt puzzled. “This is?”
Cheng Xia took the initiative to introduce them. “This is President Pei…”
Cheng Yiming suddenly realized. “Oh, hello President Pei! You called us before. My family’s Cheng Xia caused a lot of trouble this time. Thank you for your help.” After all, this was his son’s boss. President Pei’s attitude became much better.
Pei Shaoze stood up and took the initiative to reach out his hand. “Hello, Uncle Cheng, Aunt Jiang. I am Pei Shaoze.”
Cheng Yiming and Jiang Qiong politely shook his hand but they were confused. Why did President Pei follow their son over for a meal?
Pei Shaoze respectfully poured tea for the two of them. “Uncle, Aunt, sit down first.”
The two people pulled out chairs and sat down.
Jiang Qiong sat close to Cheng Xia and soon discovered something wrong with her son. She had raised her son for many years and she was familiar with her son’s pheromones. Yet today, the original sweet orange scent was covered with a type of cool, woody scent. She looked at the back of Cheng Xia’s neck. Although he had applied some medicine there, she could still clearly see the redness and swelling after the gland was bitten as well as the clear teeth marks on the skin.
Jiang Qiong’s expression changed. “Xia Xia, have you been marked?”
Cheng Yiming heard this and immediately roared. “Which son of a bitch did it?”
Pei Shaoze, “……”
It was the one in front of you.
Cheng Yiming stared at Cheng Xia with an angry expression. “Didn’t I tell you that you’re still young? You’re less than 20 years old and you should focus on your career. Don’t casually fall in love with an alpha in the entertainment industry! Why didn’t you listen to me?!”
Pei Shaoze, “……”
This was the tone of an old father. Previously when he lectured Cheng Xia, he used almost the same lines as Cheng Yiming. Cheng Xia also thought of the scene where Pei Shaoze used similar lines to educate him. He interrupted his father with a red face. “Dad, I’ve grown up. If I meet someone I like then why can’t I fall in love?”
Cheng Yiming said calmly, “You’re only 19 years old. If you don’t improve your acting skills properly and you casually let an alpha mark you how will you explain it if the matter spreads? Don’t you think that the water army that smeared you some time ago is terrible enough?”
Jiang Qiong was aware of the presence of an outsider and hurriedly poked her husband’s arm as she lowered her voice. “President Pei is here. We should talk about it when we get home.”
Pei Shaoze suddenly interjected. “I want to make things clear. Uncle, Auntie, I marked Cheng Xia.”
Cheng Yiming, “???”
Jiang Qiong, “……”
The two people stiffened at the same time and they glanced over at Pei Shaoze. Pei Shaoze covered his mouth with a fist and coughed softly before explaining, “I am Cheng Xia’s boyfriend and we’ve been together for several months. This time, the mark was purely accidental. The specific reason… isn’t very convenient to explain. However, I can assure you that I didn’t force Cheng Xia.”
Cheng Yiming looked back, almost staring a hole into Cheng Xia’s face. Cheng Xia hurriedly explained, “Dad, it isn’t what you think. There are no hidden rules and no coercion. Brother Pei and I like each other. I was voluntarily marked by him.”
The vein on Cheng Yiming’s forehead bulged. The cabbage he worked hard to raise was dug out by a pig and now the cabbage was claiming that he volunteered! He didn’t know if he should beat up Pei Shaoze or take Cheng Xia back to clean him up.
Jiang Qiong calmed down quickly. “You… did you get together after the time when your pheromones went out of control? However, didn’t the trial prove that President Pei didn’t mark Cheng Xia at the time?”
Pei Shaoze explained, “Auntie, I really didn’t mark Cheng Xia at that time. I won’t mark a strange omega rashly. Cheng Xia and I were in the same crew when filming Folding Paper. We developed feelings for each other and got together in May.”
Pei Shaoze saw Cheng Yiming’s complicated expression and continued, “I have great respect for Cheng Xia. I haven’t disclosed our relationship because I’m afraid he will be ridiculed. Cheng Xia is a very talented actor and his career is just starting. I will help him secretly but I won’t spend money to help him grab resources like a wealthy backer. So far, all his roles have been obtained by Cheng Xia himself. Uncle, don’t doubt my sincerity toward Cheng Xia just because of my identity.”
After all, Pei Shaoze’s previous reputation wasn’t very good. He went to all types of clubs. It was natural for the elders to suspect that he regarded Cheng Xia as a plaything. In particular, Cheng Yiming protected his son to the extreme and would naturally worry about his son being bullied. There was a huge identity gap between boss and entertainer so it was really hard to believe in the boss’ sincerity.
Pei Shaoze promised in a low voice, “I wanted to meet with you today to give you a promise. I will always protect Cheng Xia in the future. I won’t let Cheng Xia suffer and will definitely take care of him.”
Cheng Yiming and Jiang Qiong didn’t speak.
Pei Shaoze continued, “If the two of you aren’t at ease then wait for two years when Cheng Xia is firmly established in the entertainment industry, I will let him establish his own studio so he is no longer controlled by Tianxuan. In addition, this Spring Festival, I will pay you a formal visit and bring Cheng Xia home to meet my parents.”
Cheng Yiming and Jiang Qiong exchanged looks. A formal visit? Meeting the parents? If President Pei just regarded Cheng Xia as his lover or plaything then it was really unnecessary to meet his parents. There were many bosses in the circle who took lovers but who would meet the parents of both sides? Only those who were serious about the relationship and were in a rush to get married would meet the parents…
Cheng Yiming stared seriously at Pei Shaoze. “Do you really like my son?”
Pei Shaoze looked at Cheng Xia with extremely soft eyes. “Of course. Cheng Xia is the person I cherish most in the world.”
Cheng Xia’s heart was warm. He secretly held Pei Shaoze’s finger under the table and said, “Dad, Mom, don’t embarrass Brother Pei. Brother Pei is really good to me. I really like him and I want to be with him!”
Cheng Yiming and Jiang Qiong, “……”
The cabbage that he worked hard to grow actually ran into an alpha’s arms. Cheng Yiming and Jiang Qiong couldn’t stop him. What else could they do?
Pei Shaoze was very pleased. The seedling he had raised for a long time had learned to defend himself. It felt good.
CG 10K event
Proofreader: Cat
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