The villa garden had been blanketed with snow overnight, and cleaning robots had swept it into neat piles.
Inside the house, the temperature remained warm and cozy.
A housekeeping robot was setting up afternoon tea in the heated greenhouse. The air was filled with bubbling sounds, and hot steam poured from the spout of the teapot like smoke.
When Pei Ying returned, Xin Hexue was playing with the cat on the sofa in the living room.
The mechanical cat looked like a tin kitten straight out of a cartoon. It had no synthetic fur covering, and felt cold and hard to the touch.
Xin Hexue didn’t pet it much during winter.
The room temperature was just right so Xin Hexue didn’t even wear a down jacket. He had on a deep blue V-neck knit vest, with a white turtleneck underneath. He was half reclining against the back of the sofa.
His figure was already tall and slender. Curled up lazily on the sofa, he looked like a cat.
Xin Hexue had ordered some rubber pet toys online. With the target absent, and nothing else to do around the villa, he passed the time playing with the cat.
He threw a bone toy into the distance and gave a command, “Little Dog, fetch.”
The bone rolled and came to a stop at the feet of the Alpha who had just entered.
Pei Ying paused mid-step. He silently picked up the bone, walked up to Xin Hexue, and opened his palm. “…Fetched.”
He looked as if he was expecting some kind of reward.
Xin Hexue nearly didn’t recognize Pei Ying.
The Alpha was dressed neatly in a formal suit, with shiny leather shoes on his feet.
But the Klein blue highlights in his hair and the two silver cone-shaped earrings at his ears still retained his personal flair.
The command meant for the mechanical cat had been intercepted by a human. The cat pawed at Pei Ying’s leg in displeasure before sitting to the side.
“Thanks.” Xin Hexue took the toy and tossed it to the mechanical cat. Then he made room for Pei Ying. “Sit down.”
There were faint bluish shadows under the Alpha’s eyes.
Xin Hexue guessed Pei Ying probably hadn’t been resting well lately. After all, with the original heir of the Pei family in a coma and the backbone gone, there were likely internal power struggles still raging on.
But he continued playing his role of not knowing what was going on. He simply raised his hand and cupped the young Alpha’s face, the pad of his thumb gently brushing over his eyelid. “Are you under too much pressure from studying? Have you not been sleeping well lately?”
At such close range, Pei Ying could smell the calming scent of green sandalwood from Xin Hexue.
It soothed the frustration and restlessness that had built up over the past few days.
Pei Ying almost behaved like a docile dog breed, leaning into Xin Hexue’s palm. “I’m okay.”
Suddenly, Pei Ying’s brow furrowed coldly, his sharp gaze locking onto a red mark on the young man’s neck.
The high-necked inner shirt didn’t fully cover the mark peeking out from the edge.
Pei Ying pointed at it. “What’s that?”
Xin Hexue looked puzzled. “What?”
Pei Ying leaned in, his fingertips rubbing at it like he was trying to erase the mark. “It’s red.”
Xin Hexue brushed his hand away and touched it himself, saying thoughtfully, “Red… maybe it’s an allergic reaction.”
Internally, Xin Hexue cursed Xi Zhengqing a couple of times.
This wasn’t right.
Pei Ying’s lips pressed into a tight line.
Something felt wrong everywhere.
He sensed a faint, lingering scent of an unfamiliar Alpha pheromone in the room.
Even Xin Hexue carried that musky smell on him.
But since he was a Beta, the scent of an Alpha’s pheromones wouldn’t linger for long.
Young Alphas were naturally aggressive, and this kind of behavior that resembled invading territory was undoubtedly an arrogant provocation.
Who was it?
His irritation grew stronger by the second.
Especially when he noticed that Xin Hexue wasn’t wearing socks.
Pei Ying: “Why aren’t you wearing socks?”
“You’ll catch a cold, don’t you know that?”
He hurriedly ran to Xin Hexue’s bedroom to find socks and rushed back to put them on for him.
“Hiss…”
Xin Hexue winced from the pain and he pulled his feet back.
Pei Ying’s expression grew tense. He firmly grasped Xin Hexue’s right ankle, his voice lowering unconsciously as he stared intently. “What’s this?”
Xin Hexue had thin skin and had never done any heavy work, so the skin all over his body was like warm jade, smooth and refined.
But at this moment, a small patch on the sole of his foot showed a deep red under the pale skin, as if it were bleeding.
“Does it hurt?”
Pei Ying frowned and gently touched it.
As expected, Xin Hexue gasped.
Pei Ying: “How did this happen?”
Xin Hexue awkwardly made up an excuse. “I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t paying attention and stepped on something.”
He tried to reassure Pei Ying, “It’s fine, it’ll be better in a few days. I often bump into things by accident. Sometimes bruises just show up on my knees and fade away after a while.”
Pei Ying lowered his gaze and glanced at him, seeming very displeased with Xin Hexue’s careless attitude toward his own body.
He said coldly, “I’ll get some ointment.”
While searching for the ointment, Pei Ying practically did a carpet search for any traces of another Alpha having been there.
There was an extra set of clothes in the laundry basket.
Obviously not Xin Hexue’s size.
But considering the relationship between Xin Hexue and his brother, Pei Ying didn’t believe the former would betray him on his own initiative.
He acted normal as he returned to Xin Hexue’s side, applying a greasy layer of ointment to the bottom of his foot, and casually asked, “Before me, did someone else come by?”
Just as he finished speaking, the doorbell suddenly rang.
A visitor had arrived.
………
Pei Ying stared at the newcomer with an unfriendly expression. “Why are you here?”
Xi Zhengqing had deliberately changed into a different outfit from the one he’d worn earlier in the day.
Behind the golden-rimmed glasses, his gray artificial eye turned slightly, looking toward the young man on the sofa.
Xi Zhengqing smiled politely. “Your brother asked me to stop by when I had time and check on him.”
He walked over to Xin Hexue and introduced himself slowly, “Nice to meet you. I’m Xi Zhengqing, Pei Guangji’s childhood friend. He probably never mentioned me to you, but he’s been busy lately, so he asked me to look after you when possible.”
Xin Hexue messaged K: [He seems to be quite good at acting too.]
K, as always, agreed with anything the host said: [Mm.]
On the surface, Xin Hexue hesitated for a moment before offering a polite handshake to Xi Zhengqing. “Hello, I’m Xin Hexue.”
“I know, Pei Guangji told me about you,” Xi Zhengqing said with a calm expression. “We can exchange contact information. If you need anything, feel free to send it to me.”
Pei Ying watched the two of them exchange contact information in a daze.
Suddenly, Pei Ying remembered the only Alpha within his scope of knowledge who had a musk pheromone. He pieced together the abnormality in Xin Hexue’s scent today as a clue, and his gaze instantly turned terrifying.
From an angle where Xin Hexue couldn’t see, Xi Zhengqing mouthed silently at Pei Ying:
—Talk outside.
………
Almost the moment they stepped out of Xin Hexue’s sight, Pei Ying swung a fist straight at Xi Zhengqing’s face.
It was probably Xi Zhengqing’s first time dealing with such an ill-mannered young Alpha. Although he reacted in time and intercepted the punch to avoid getting disfigured, his glasses were still knocked askew.
Xi Zhengqing adjusted his glasses and said with annoyance, “It looks like Old Master Pei still hasn’t taught you manners. Next time we meet, I’ll suggest he discipline you properly.”
Pei Ying glared at him angrily. “You still have the nerve to come back here? What exactly did you do?!”
Xin Hexue couldn’t tell people apart!
Xi Zhengqing smiled like a gentleman. “Little brother, haven’t you already guessed? Why ask when you already know? Or do you just want to hear me describe the experience?”
Pei Ying had a bad temper to begin with. During his eighteen years of exile, no one had taught him how to deal with a shameless old fox like this. He almost instinctively raised his hand to throw another punch.
Xi Zhengqing said impatiently, “Enough. Anyway, just take it as if you’ve gained another older brother during this time. The Pei family has plenty of younger generations anyway.”
He even had the leisure to toss in a jab about the “flourishing population” of the Pei family.
Pei Ying sneered coldly. “Why should I listen to your arrangements?”
He immediately turned around, wanting to tell Xin Hexue the truth.
Xi Zhengqing said leisurely, “You don’t want Pei Guangji to wake up, do you?”
Pei Ying was instantly rooted to the spot.
Xi Zhengqing continued to persuade him, “After all, once he wakes up, the position of heir will return to him smoothly.”
Xi Zhengqing: “And let’s not even talk about your eldest brother. The other brothers aren’t easy to deal with either, right? Not to mention the several uncles?”
Pei Ying turned his head. “What are you trying to say?”
Xi Zhengqing knew this person wasn’t very smart, so he went straight to the point. “You’ll inherit the Pei family, because I’ll help you. The premise is that you don’t get in my way.”
The thing he didn’t want interference in was already very clear.
Pei Ying clenched his teeth hard, and the taste of blood spread in his mouth.
He wanted to be with Xin Hexue legitimately, but in the current situation, that was absolutely impossible.
First of all, there was his brother in the way.
Second, he hadn’t grown enough to have any capital. He couldn’t even challenge the old man yet.
One day, once he had rightfully inherited the Pei family…
Pei Ying shot Xi Zhengqing a hateful glare, and with great effort, forced a word out from his throat, “Fine.”
Xi Zhengqing sneered with a mocking smile.
………
Zuo Yongyan had arranged the gathering at a newly opened themed restaurant in the core zone.
The 360° holographic projection technology was used with great skill. The entire private room displayed a 5D immersive scene. With the undersea theme, waves shimmered around them, fish swayed gently, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
The man seated at the head wore sunglasses. His golden curls were thick, with a broad forehead, sword-shaped brows, and thin lips slightly lifted with casual arrogance.
He had a typical mixed-race Alpha appearance. His features were sharply defined, like a portrait drawn with a fountain pen. Apart from the eyes hidden behind the glasses, his face was handsome.
Zuo Yongyan raised a glass to the blond Alpha and said, “Qiu-ge, to celebrate your return from District Thirteen, let me toast you first!”
Qiu Yuan smiled. “Thanks. Just being able to come back alive is worth celebrating.”
He picked up his wine glass, and the three of them clinked their glasses together.
The chilled liquid slid down his throat and reached his stomach, and Xi Zhengqing pressed down the subtle discomfort in his chest.
To be honest, he had never really liked dealing with these two.
Zuo Yongyan didn’t come from a strong family background and wasn’t very smart. Qiu Yuan, though praised as a genius director, had terrible taste…always making those trashy films about fights among the lower class.
Xi Zhengqing couldn’t find common ground with them.
The only one who could barely count as a rival, Pei Guangji, was still lying in the ICU.
Qiu Yuan suddenly asked, “Was Pei Guangji’s incident your doing?”
Xi Zhengqing frowned. “How could it be? He just had bad luck.”
It happened to be a rainy night, and he ran into a cargo aircraft with a drunk driver, and the brakes malfunctioned.
Xi Zhengqing would never pull something that risky.
If he really wanted to get rid of someone, he would do it flawlessly and leave no trace. Pei Guangji wouldn’t even have had the chance to land in the ICU.
His communicator vibrated with a notification.
The furrow in Xi Zhengqing’s brows relaxed.
[Xin Hexue: Guangji, the previous smart butler has been sent back to the factory. Can you order a new one? Life’s a bit inconvenient without it.]
Xi Zhengqing typed a reply.
[I’ll have someone send a new one to the villa.]
Qiu Yuan glanced at his expression and asked, “You came from Nancheng in District One?”
Qiu Yuan: “What’s in Pei Guangji’s villa?”
Xi Zhengqing finished his drink. The simulated wave lights of the restaurant reflected on his glasses, and in his slightly tipsy vision, the scene from last night seemed to reappear.
He replied, “A cat.”
